Hello, friends, and welcome
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to another Wednesday
night Bible study here
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at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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It's nice and warm
here in Southern Illinois.
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Chances are if you're
in the northern hemisphere,
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it's kind of warm,
maybe wherever you are.
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But because of the
warmth here tonight,
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our people wanna
welcome you with a hearty amen.
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Can we say amen? Amen!
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And we are ready to open
our Bibles and open our hearts,
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and so thank you for tuning
in to spend this thoughtful hour
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studying the topic about heaven.
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We've been covering that.
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And I'll tell
you in just a moment
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where you get a
copy of that lesson.
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But before we do anything,
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just get your
friends and families
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if you're
joining us from a church
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we thank you for tuning in.
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But wherever
you're joining us from,
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this is gonna be a
dynamic topic tonight.
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If we're
planning to go to heaven,
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we need to know
something about it.
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Isn't that right?
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So tonight we're gonna
be continuing our study
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and transitioning to
some more wonderful facts
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about the glorious city
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that Jesus has
gone to prepare for us.
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But before we
sing our theme song,
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let's begin with
a word of prayer.
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Gracious Father in
heaven, we thank You, Lord,
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tonight that we
can open our hearts
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as well as open Your Word.
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And we pray that Your Word
will be a lamp unto our feet,
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and a light unto our
paths that as we study,
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we will be drawn into a
closer relationship with You.
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So bless us now, Father,
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through the
presence of Your Holy Spirit.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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Now, if you'd like
a copy of the lesson,
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which is entitled
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"The Truth about
Heaven and the New Earth,"
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we're gonna be
transitioning to the New Earth
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in the upcoming studies,
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but we're gonna be
winding up hopefully tonight
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on The Truth about Heaven.
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Go to this
following website asf.3abn.org
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and download lesson number 26,
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The Truth about
Heaven and the New Earth,
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and there should
be 25 questions there.
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That lets you know
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that we've added
one on since last week
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so somebody may say I
already did last week.
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Get the new copy tonight.
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And we will go ahead
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and you'll be
able to participate
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with the full study in hand.
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Are you ready for
our theme song tonight?
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Are you ready
for our theme song?
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Let's sing our
theme song tonight
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"Victory in Jesus."
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I heard an old, old story
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How the Savior came from glory
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How He gave His life on Calvary
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To save a wretch like me
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I heard about His groaning
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Of His precious blood's atoning
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Then I repented of my sin
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And won the victory
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Together.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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I heard about a mansion
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He has built for me in glory
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And I heard about
the streets of gold
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Beyond the crystal sea
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About the angels singing
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And the old redemption story
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And some sweet
day I'll sing up there
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The song of victory
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Key change.
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O victory in Jesus
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My Savior forever
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He sought me and bought me
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With His redeeming blood
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He loved me ere I knew Him
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And all my love is due Him
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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He plunged me to victory
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Beneath the cleansing flood
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Amen?
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That is our theme song.
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And wherever we go, people
say, I'm singing with you.
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There's a pastor in
California that said,
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"On Wednesday night,
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I can't forget the
phrase key change."
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And I thought wow,
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what about all the other lyrics,
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but we're glad
that you're tuning in.
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And there are those tuning
in from the Virgin Islands
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from Down Under in Australia
and all over the United States.
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And when we travel,
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we get a chance to
meet those individuals.
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And they say,
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"We enjoy A Sharper Focus."
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Now just a bit of information
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before we begin
the lesson tonight.
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On the website,
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and if they could put
that address up one more time,
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I wanna give you a little
bit of information about that.
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On the website asf.3abn.org,
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all the lessons
that we've covered
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thus far are listed
there under the studies tab.
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But if you click to the
right, there's a videos tab,
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which means all
the videos we've done
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ever since we
began are included there.
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So if you missed any
of the prior broadcast,
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you can go to that broadcast.
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And at the very beginning,
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it tells you what
lesson it's associated with,
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download the lesson and
have your own study group.
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We appreciate that very much.
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Well, the topic tonight
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is The Truth about
Heaven and the New Earth.
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The Truth about
Heaven and the, what?
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And the New Earth.
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Now there are lots of
things that are being said
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about the new
earth and about heaven
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that I've
discovered in my studies
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are really not true.
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I don't wanna
pop anybody's bubble.
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But I just discovered,
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I didn't say just discovered
I've known for a while,
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we have to be able to separate
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what is actually
gonna be in heaven,
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from what is not
going to be in heaven,
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not just who's gonna be
in heaven and who's not,
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but what and what is
not going to be in heaven.
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Now, as we prepared for
the study of the new earth,
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I just wanna kind of give
you this little crumb that is
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there will be
animals in the new earth.
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There won't be
animals in heaven.
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There'll be
animals in the new earth.
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There are not gonna
be animals in heaven,
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not in the New Jerusalem.
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The Bible doesn't
speak of that anywhere,
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but they are gonna
be in the new earth.
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When you read Revelation,
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the only time the
word dog is mentioned
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is in it says for
outside of the dogs
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and sorcerers and whoremongers.
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And we know there the word dog
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is not indicative to the animal.
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But when Isaiah
talks about the earth
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where we're gonna plant,
and build, and have house,
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we're gonna build
houses and inhabit them.
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That's all in the new earth.
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"The meek shall
inherit the earth."
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The meek shall
inherit the earth, the earth.
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And so those are things
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that we have to
keep in perspective
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because once a
little boy asked me, said,
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"Pastor, is my
puppy gonna be in heaven?"
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And, you know,
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people ask those questions,
children ask those questions.
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I ponder the thought one
day when we lost our puppy,
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snuggles years ago,
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and I discovered,
as I studied the Bible,
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that there not
gonna be pets in heaven.
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There not gonna be horses,
and elephants, and tigers,
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and lions, and
bears, and snakes in heaven.
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That's all in the new earth.
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Because here's the key,
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after the sin
problem is dealt with,
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then there will be a new
heaven and the new earth.
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And in the new earth,
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those lions that bite
you now won't bite you then.
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Can you say amen to that?
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So we have to separate
what's gonna be in heaven
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from what's not gonna be there,
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that may come like
a light bulb moment
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in somebody's mind.
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But we wanted to be clear
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that the heavens
that we're going to,
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there's not
gonna be a cow stall,
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you know, down Golden
Lane, or Diamond Boulevard,
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or Amethyst freeway,
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that's not gonna be in heaven
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because we're gonna
be there for 1000 years
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for a particular purpose.
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Now, when we
studied the lesson last,
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I wanna begin
tonight with a promise.
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Let's go to John Chapter 14.
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Let's begin with a promise.
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Let's begin with one of
the most wonderful promises
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that Jesus has ever made.
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You know, what gets me,
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it seems that there are
so many things in the earth
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that gets people's attention.
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Like for example,
amusements, vacation resorts,
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a lot of things on earth
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that causes our
eyes and minds to dazzle,
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our pulse to raise,
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our hearts to speed up
when we see these things.
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And we get excited about going
to different parts of the earth
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to enjoy the sights
and sounds that are there
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and the amenities in the resorts
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and all those things.
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And that's not bad.
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But I think we need
to get even more excited.
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I'm gonna slow
down and say this,
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we need to get more
excited about heaven
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than anything on earth.
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What do you say?
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Because what's on earth
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can't compare to
what's in heaven.
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I would love one evening,
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I'm not really
qualified to do this.
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But I would love
just for one program
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to do a slideshow on
what I've seen about stars,
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and planets, and constellations,
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and nebulas.
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And just to give you an idea,
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that according to
what astronomers say
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that there are
billions of galaxies,
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and that's only what
their eyes and their telescopes
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have been able to discover.
00:10:13.78\00:10:15.84
So think, if
that's God's playground,
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and the earth is ours,
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God has a whole lot more.
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Come on, say amen to that.
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God has a whole lot
more that we have never seen.
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And we're gonna
have access to that.
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Because if we are inheriting,
and He's our heavenly Father,
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everything that belongs to Him
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will one day will
be accessible to us.
00:10:36.87\00:10:40.64
But look at the
promise that Jesus made.
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John Chapter 14,
00:10:44.47\00:10:45.81
and I'm gonna just
read this together,
00:10:45.84\00:10:47.18
I think many of us
know this by heart.
00:10:47.21\00:10:49.11
"Let not your heart be troubled.
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You believe in
God, believe also in Me.
00:10:51.61\00:10:54.22
In My Father's
house are many," what?
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"Mansions,
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if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:10:57.82\00:11:01.59
I go to," do what?
00:11:01.62\00:11:03.49
"Prepare a place for you.
00:11:03.53\00:11:06.36
And if I go and
prepare a place for you,
00:11:06.39\00:11:09.70
I will come again and
receive you to Myself,
00:11:09.73\00:11:13.34
that where I am,
there you may be," what?
00:11:13.37\00:11:16.87
"Also."
00:11:16.91\00:11:18.24
You know, the word you
is in there so many times,
00:11:18.27\00:11:20.18
but not your heart.
00:11:20.21\00:11:22.14
You believe in God, I
have, I would have told you,
00:11:22.18\00:11:26.78
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:11:26.82\00:11:29.42
If I prepare a place
for you, I will come again.
00:11:29.45\00:11:31.65
This promise that the
Lord has made is not general,
00:11:31.69\00:11:33.96
it's personal.
00:11:33.99\00:11:35.42
So I'm looking forward to heaven
00:11:35.46\00:11:36.79
not just because
of everybody else
00:11:36.83\00:11:38.39
is gonna be saved.
00:11:38.43\00:11:39.76
But I wanna tell you,
regardless of all the names
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that are gonna be
on the books of life,
00:11:42.96\00:11:44.97
my name, to me is
the most important.
00:11:45.00\00:11:49.84
Anybody else feels that way?
00:11:49.87\00:11:51.74
Terry, his name to
him is the most important,
00:11:51.77\00:11:55.24
am I right, Terry?
00:11:55.28\00:11:56.85
So all the names
they're gonna be there,
00:11:56.88\00:11:58.88
your name is the
most important to you.
00:11:58.91\00:12:02.52
So the point of the matter is
00:12:02.55\00:12:03.89
we don't want anybody
else to miss out on heaven.
00:12:03.92\00:12:06.29
But more than that,
00:12:06.32\00:12:07.96
we don't wanna
miss out on heaven.
00:12:07.99\00:12:09.32
Because the promise that
the Lord has made is to us,
00:12:09.36\00:12:12.09
"Let not your
heart be troubled."
00:12:12.13\00:12:14.36
Don't be concerned about it.
00:12:14.40\00:12:16.00
And here's one of the keys.
00:12:16.03\00:12:17.37
We talked about the
Second Coming of Christ.
00:12:17.40\00:12:18.90
That's been a theme
throughout our camp meeting,
00:12:18.93\00:12:21.17
which is just a few weeks old.
00:12:21.20\00:12:24.14
But the key to get to heaven
00:12:24.17\00:12:26.91
is He's going to
come again to receive us.
00:12:26.94\00:12:29.78
Nobody dies and
jets off to heaven
00:12:29.81\00:12:32.55
ahead of anyone else.
00:12:32.58\00:12:34.32
Ain't that right?
00:12:34.35\00:12:35.68
We gonna all go
to heaven together.
00:12:35.72\00:12:39.49
How we're gonna go?
00:12:39.52\00:12:40.86
Together.
00:12:40.89\00:12:42.22
It's gonna be the best trip
00:12:42.26\00:12:44.49
that the saints of all
the ages have taken together.
00:12:44.53\00:12:47.10
We're all going how?
00:12:47.13\00:12:48.66
Together.
00:12:48.70\00:12:50.03
Go with me to 1 Thessalonians.
00:12:50.07\00:12:51.40
I wanna give you
just a little bit of extra
00:12:51.43\00:12:52.77
before we go to
the question number 16.
00:12:52.80\00:12:55.57
Wanna show you 1 Thessalonians.
00:12:55.60\00:12:57.91
We talked about
the Lord coming back,
00:12:57.94\00:12:59.57
but let's show
you Him coming back.
00:12:59.61\00:13:01.88
Let's show you Him coming back.
00:13:01.91\00:13:03.81
1 Thessalonians Chapter 4.
00:13:03.85\00:13:06.92
Look at this verse.
00:13:06.95\00:13:09.68
Okay, verse 16.
00:13:09.72\00:13:13.05
He said, I'm coming back.
00:13:13.09\00:13:14.42
Well, let's read
00:13:14.46\00:13:15.79
how He's going to come back.
00:13:15.82\00:13:17.96
The Bible says in
1 Thessalonians 4:16,
00:13:17.99\00:13:22.40
"For the Lord Himself..."
00:13:22.43\00:13:26.30
He's not sending anybody
else He's coming himself,
00:13:26.33\00:13:29.47
"For the Lord
Himself will," do what?
00:13:29.50\00:13:32.41
"Descend from
heaven with a shout,
00:13:32.44\00:13:35.94
with the voice of an archangel,
with the trumpet of God.
00:13:35.98\00:13:38.68
And the dead in
Christ will," do what?
00:13:38.71\00:13:40.48
"Rise first."
00:13:40.52\00:13:41.85
That's the resurrection.
00:13:41.88\00:13:43.22
They're not
leaving the earth first.
00:13:43.25\00:13:44.79
They rise from
their graves first.
00:13:44.82\00:13:47.32
Where did dead
people get placed?
00:13:47.36\00:13:49.99
In their graves, right?
00:13:50.03\00:13:51.36
So they rise from
their graves first,
00:13:51.39\00:13:53.29
then look what else happens.
00:13:53.33\00:13:54.66
The very next verse.
00:13:54.70\00:13:56.03
Verse 17,
00:13:56.06\00:13:57.40
"Then we who
are alive and remain
00:13:57.43\00:14:00.80
shall be caught up,"
what's the next word?
00:14:00.84\00:14:03.54
"Together with them in
the clouds to," do what?
00:14:03.57\00:14:09.08
"Meet the Lord in the air."
00:14:09.11\00:14:11.91
He's not coming
back to touch the earth.
00:14:11.95\00:14:14.32
The Lord is not coming back
00:14:14.35\00:14:15.68
to set up an
earthly millennial kingdom,
00:14:15.72\00:14:17.55
He's not coming
back to touch the earth.
00:14:17.59\00:14:20.32
He's not coming back
to walk in Manhattan,
00:14:20.36\00:14:22.36
or in the Middle East
00:14:22.39\00:14:23.93
or in any of
these cities on earth.
00:14:23.96\00:14:25.79
He's gone to
prepare for us a city,
00:14:25.83\00:14:27.93
He's not coming
back to walk on earth.
00:14:27.96\00:14:30.03
So we're not getting
the world ready for Him,
00:14:30.07\00:14:32.50
He's getting the
kingdom ready for us.
00:14:32.53\00:14:34.60
Amen.
00:14:34.64\00:14:35.97
He says,
00:14:36.00\00:14:37.34
"We shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds,
00:14:37.37\00:14:39.64
to meet the Lord in the air.
00:14:39.67\00:14:43.04
And thus we shall
always be with the Lord."
00:14:43.08\00:14:46.92
All right, so make that clear.
00:14:46.95\00:14:48.28
He's coming back to get us.
00:14:48.32\00:14:49.65
When He comes back,
00:14:49.68\00:14:51.02
resurrection of
the righteous dead,
00:14:51.05\00:14:52.72
the righteous living together,
they are caught up together,
00:14:52.75\00:14:56.62
and they meet the Lord.
00:14:56.66\00:14:58.19
So if you have a
loved one that's died
00:14:58.23\00:15:00.80
and you are Christian,
and they are Christian,
00:15:00.83\00:15:02.76
you both are gonna
meet the Lord together,
00:15:02.80\00:15:04.37
I wanna make it very
clear, ain't that clear?
00:15:04.40\00:15:06.20
There's nobody in heaven now.
00:15:06.23\00:15:07.67
And frankly, I'm getting ill.
00:15:07.70\00:15:10.67
Every time somebody dies,
they're instantly in heaven.
00:15:10.71\00:15:16.81
These deceptive phrases,
they're in a better place.
00:15:16.85\00:15:22.75
How many times
have you heard that,
00:15:22.78\00:15:24.65
they're in a better place,
they're looking down on us.
00:15:24.69\00:15:28.99
They are my angel,
they are watching over me.
00:15:29.02\00:15:33.93
Or God needed or God took them.
00:15:33.96\00:15:37.03
These are all,
00:15:37.07\00:15:38.73
these are all
disqualified statements.
00:15:38.77\00:15:41.20
And none of them are
supported by the Bible.
00:15:41.24\00:15:43.00
God is not a
taker of human life.
00:15:43.04\00:15:48.11
And people are not
being whisked off to heaven
00:15:48.14\00:15:50.41
ahead of anyone else.
00:15:50.45\00:15:52.01
So the beauty of the
Second Coming of the Lord,
00:15:52.05\00:15:54.58
the beauty of
going to heaven is,
00:15:54.62\00:15:56.02
we gonna all go together.
00:15:56.05\00:15:57.59
What word did I just say?
00:15:57.62\00:15:59.02
Together.
00:15:59.05\00:16:00.39
Man!
00:16:00.42\00:16:01.76
It's amazing.
00:16:01.79\00:16:03.12
Can you imagine you all going
to Dubai, let's just say Dubai,
00:16:03.16\00:16:08.10
that word is come to my mind.
00:16:08.13\00:16:09.86
And we're gonna
go as a church trip.
00:16:09.90\00:16:12.60
Will we all go on
37 different airplanes?
00:16:12.63\00:16:16.10
Wouldn't be nice
if we all go together?
00:16:16.14\00:16:18.67
Because we wanna all
experience it together.
00:16:18.71\00:16:21.71
The Lord has made it clear
00:16:21.74\00:16:23.38
that no one's going
ahead of anyone else.
00:16:23.41\00:16:25.21
We're all going how?
00:16:25.25\00:16:26.72
Together.
00:16:26.75\00:16:28.08
Let's look at
question number 16.
00:16:28.12\00:16:29.45
Because last
week, when we ended,
00:16:29.48\00:16:31.22
we talked about
00:16:31.25\00:16:32.59
and this was quite a
somber discussion last week,
00:16:32.62\00:16:35.32
the categories
recovered with the categories
00:16:35.36\00:16:38.33
of those who
would not be in heaven.
00:16:38.36\00:16:40.76
Now we're gonna begin
on a more positive note
00:16:40.80\00:16:42.43
about those who
will be in heaven,
00:16:42.46\00:16:45.83
those who will be in heaven.
00:16:45.87\00:16:48.77
Question number 16. Here it is.
00:16:48.80\00:16:52.07
What is the condition of those
00:16:52.11\00:16:53.98
that are allowed
into the Kingdom?
00:16:54.01\00:16:58.15
What is the condition of those
00:16:58.18\00:17:00.38
that are allowed
into the Kingdom?
00:17:00.42\00:17:02.18
Let's go to Psalms Chapter 24.
00:17:02.22\00:17:05.05
And we're gonna
look at verse 3-4, first.
00:17:05.09\00:17:08.82
Psalms 24:3-4.
00:17:08.86\00:17:14.20
You know, whenever you
decide to move somewhere,
00:17:14.23\00:17:17.57
I know nowadays
people are getting
00:17:17.60\00:17:18.97
very, very stringent about
00:17:19.00\00:17:21.10
who fits into a
particular community.
00:17:21.14\00:17:23.54
You know, sometimes
they look at your income.
00:17:23.57\00:17:26.47
And nowadays you
can't do anything
00:17:26.51\00:17:27.98
without a credit history.
00:17:28.01\00:17:29.71
They look at your credit rating,
00:17:29.74\00:17:31.08
and they
determine whether or not
00:17:31.11\00:17:32.45
you could afford
to be in this kingdom.
00:17:32.48\00:17:34.08
Whether or not you, sorry,
00:17:34.12\00:17:35.45
could afford to
be in this community.
00:17:35.48\00:17:37.49
Well, the Lord
has some standards.
00:17:37.52\00:17:41.62
The Lord has met...
00:17:41.66\00:17:42.99
Well, if you move
into Magic Kingdom
00:17:43.02\00:17:44.36
that's one thing.
00:17:44.39\00:17:45.73
But the Lord has standards also
about those He allow in heaven.
00:17:45.76\00:17:48.60
Amen for that.
00:17:48.63\00:17:49.96
Here's the answer.
00:17:50.00\00:17:51.63
What is the condition of those
00:17:51.67\00:17:53.00
that are allowed
into the kingdom?
00:17:53.03\00:17:54.50
Psalms 24:3-4.
00:17:54.54\00:17:56.54
The Bible says, "Who may," what?
00:17:56.57\00:17:59.27
"Ascend," notice
how we get in there.
00:17:59.31\00:18:01.81
"Ascend into the
hill of the Lord?
00:18:01.84\00:18:04.58
Or who may," what else?
00:18:04.61\00:18:06.35
"Stand in His holy place?"
00:18:06.38\00:18:10.09
Let's read this part together.
00:18:10.12\00:18:11.55
"He who has," what?
00:18:11.59\00:18:13.46
"Clean hands and a," what else?
00:18:13.49\00:18:16.12
"Pure heart, who has not
lifted up his soul to an idol,
00:18:16.16\00:18:21.66
nor sworn deceitfully."
00:18:21.70\00:18:25.33
That means He said, "Yes."
00:18:25.37\00:18:27.47
And He meant Yes.
00:18:27.50\00:18:28.87
He said, "That's not true."
00:18:28.90\00:18:30.54
And He meant that's not
true and it was not true.
00:18:30.57\00:18:33.38
He meant that's
true and that was true.
00:18:33.41\00:18:35.64
Now, I wanna spend a little
bit of time on this because,
00:18:35.68\00:18:38.15
you know, when
you think about this,
00:18:38.18\00:18:39.71
let's just peek back,
00:18:39.75\00:18:41.62
he who has clean
hands and a pure heart,
00:18:41.65\00:18:44.29
clean hands and a pure heart.
00:18:44.32\00:18:45.65
You know, when
you talk about that?
00:18:45.69\00:18:47.02
There are some people
that may they publicly,
00:18:47.06\00:18:50.66
their hands look
physically clean,
00:18:50.69\00:18:52.86
but their hearts are corrupt.
00:18:52.89\00:18:56.00
So what we see on the
outside is what the man judges.
00:18:56.03\00:19:00.20
What God is saying,
00:19:00.24\00:19:02.97
clean hands, pure heart.
00:19:03.00\00:19:06.24
Man looks on the
outward appearance
00:19:06.27\00:19:07.98
but God looks at the heart.
00:19:08.01\00:19:09.91
God does not see.
00:19:09.94\00:19:11.28
You want to say something?
00:19:11.31\00:19:12.65
I really know, a lot of people
around the country that say,
00:19:12.68\00:19:14.78
"Well, God just
judges you by your heart."
00:19:14.82\00:19:17.89
So they ignore the clean hands.
00:19:17.92\00:19:19.25
There you go.
00:19:19.29\00:19:20.62
So God doesn't
just judge by hands,
00:19:20.66\00:19:21.99
He judges by what else?
00:19:22.02\00:19:23.36
Heart,
00:19:23.39\00:19:24.73
outside and inside
makes a difference.
00:19:24.76\00:19:27.83
But notice what else He says,
00:19:27.86\00:19:29.80
"Who has not lifted
up his soul to an idol."
00:19:29.83\00:19:32.40
Now whatever that idol may be,
00:19:32.43\00:19:34.04
some people
worship all kinds of things
00:19:34.07\00:19:37.31
in countries where
images are worshiped
00:19:37.34\00:19:39.24
or statues are
worshiped, that's one thing,
00:19:39.27\00:19:41.71
but idols are farther,
far greater than that."
00:19:41.74\00:19:45.51
American Idol."
00:19:45.55\00:19:48.25
Okay.
00:19:48.28\00:19:49.62
Let's think American idolatry,
00:19:49.65\00:19:52.49
and our motto in
America is life, liberty,
00:19:52.52\00:19:55.86
and the pursuit of happiness.
00:19:55.89\00:19:58.29
We just wanna be happy.
00:19:58.33\00:20:00.00
Can we all just get along?
00:20:00.03\00:20:02.96
Oh, it's got to
be better than that.
00:20:03.00\00:20:04.40
And then the
other thing about it,
00:20:04.43\00:20:05.77
don't put your hand,
00:20:05.80\00:20:07.14
don't put your
signature to a document.
00:20:07.17\00:20:08.84
If, you know,
that that's not true.
00:20:08.87\00:20:11.27
You know, whenever you
fill out forms, you said,
00:20:11.31\00:20:13.71
is all this
information declared correct?
00:20:13.74\00:20:16.78
You cannot swear deceitfully.
00:20:16.81\00:20:18.81
That's why when you stand
in court, what do they say?
00:20:18.85\00:20:21.08
Do you solemnly
swear to tell the truth?
00:20:21.12\00:20:24.72
The whole truth and nothing.
00:20:24.75\00:20:27.22
On that standard,
00:20:27.26\00:20:28.59
there'll be a lot of
pastors out of jobs today.
00:20:28.62\00:20:32.66
God is saying to ministers,
00:20:32.69\00:20:34.40
do you solemnly
swear to preach the truth?
00:20:34.43\00:20:38.27
The whole truth and
nothing but the truth.
00:20:38.30\00:20:41.67
You know, how many churches
will disappear just like that,
00:20:41.70\00:20:44.11
will be vaporized from the earth
00:20:44.14\00:20:46.24
because it's about idols.
00:20:46.27\00:20:47.74
Money is an idol
00:20:47.78\00:20:49.11
that many pastors
are in the business for.
00:20:49.14\00:20:52.08
Notoriety, cars, hotels, bling,
00:20:52.11\00:20:56.08
many of them are
there for the materialism,
00:20:56.12\00:20:58.35
for the materialism,
00:20:58.39\00:21:00.49
not for the preaching
of the straight truth.
00:21:00.52\00:21:02.52
That's why when
you turn to 3ABN,
00:21:02.56\00:21:04.43
you're gonna get the truth,
00:21:04.46\00:21:05.79
the whole truth and
nothing but the truth.
00:21:05.83\00:21:07.16
Can you say amen to that?
00:21:07.20\00:21:08.66
We're not in for the
bling I mean, you can tell.
00:21:08.70\00:21:10.97
You may have seen
this shirt many times.
00:21:11.00\00:21:13.47
I am not in for the bling.
00:21:13.50\00:21:14.84
I wanna be in it for the city.
00:21:14.87\00:21:16.20
Come on say amen some body?
00:21:16.24\00:21:17.57
I'm heading
there, and I'll make sure
00:21:17.61\00:21:19.04
my life needs to be in harmony.
00:21:19.07\00:21:20.51
But what else does it say?
00:21:20.54\00:21:21.88
Look at the very next
verse, Revelation 22:14.
00:21:21.91\00:21:25.75
Don't be in it
for the wrong reason
00:21:25.78\00:21:27.95
'cause some people
don't want the truth
00:21:27.98\00:21:29.32
because it requires
an alignment of life
00:21:29.35\00:21:31.82
with what the Bible says.
00:21:31.85\00:21:33.19
It also requires
giving up certain things.
00:21:33.22\00:21:35.62
And there are those individuals
00:21:35.66\00:21:36.99
that are so
connected to their idols.
00:21:37.03\00:21:39.83
Oh, man, there's a text
that just came to my mind.
00:21:39.86\00:21:44.10
The name will come
to me in just a moment.
00:21:44.13\00:21:45.47
But one of the reasons
00:21:45.50\00:21:46.84
why the Lord rejected
him is because the Lord says
00:21:46.87\00:21:48.90
he is joined to his idols.
00:21:48.94\00:21:51.97
He is joined to his idols.
00:21:52.01\00:21:53.91
There are some people that
can't leave their television
00:21:53.94\00:21:55.84
to come to
Wednesday night Bible study.
00:21:55.88\00:21:58.11
There are some people
00:21:58.15\00:21:59.48
that can't leave
their favorite program,
00:21:59.51\00:22:01.52
or their most
comfortable recliner,
00:22:01.55\00:22:04.09
to come to Bible studies.
00:22:04.12\00:22:05.45
This is amazing to me.
00:22:05.49\00:22:06.82
So this idolatry is far
greater than just people
00:22:06.86\00:22:08.69
that are outside the church.
00:22:08.72\00:22:10.33
Idolatry is a huge category.
00:22:10.36\00:22:13.06
Look at Revelation 22:14,
what else is the qualification?
00:22:13.09\00:22:16.73
"Blessed are those
that do His," what?"
00:22:16.77\00:22:18.77
Commandments,
00:22:18.80\00:22:20.14
that they may have
right to the tree of life,
00:22:20.17\00:22:21.54
and may enter through
the gates into the," what?
00:22:21.57\00:22:24.24
"Into the city."
00:22:24.27\00:22:25.61
You cannot today consciously
know about God's commandments
00:22:25.64\00:22:29.61
and say, I don't
want to keep them.
00:22:29.64\00:22:31.91
But I'm going to heaven any way.
00:22:31.95\00:22:33.88
Based on this
text, you're not going.
00:22:33.92\00:22:36.62
If the Lord reveals
His commandments to you,
00:22:36.65\00:22:38.89
preacher, parishioner,
00:22:38.92\00:22:41.19
whatever category you may be,
00:22:41.22\00:22:42.56
and you may say, you
know, I love the Lord,
00:22:42.59\00:22:44.56
the commandments
are not that important.
00:22:44.59\00:22:46.23
Well, based on
what I just read here,
00:22:46.26\00:22:48.13
if you live in
harmony with His commandments,
00:22:48.16\00:22:50.23
you have a right.
00:22:50.27\00:22:52.27
You have access
to the tree of life.
00:22:52.30\00:22:54.90
God is not giving
commandment violators
00:22:54.94\00:22:58.91
access to a tree of life
00:22:58.94\00:23:00.64
any more than He
gave Adam and Eve
00:23:00.68\00:23:02.14
access to the
tree after they sinned.
00:23:02.18\00:23:04.08
Did you notice that?
00:23:04.11\00:23:05.48
When they sinned,
00:23:05.51\00:23:06.85
what was the first thing He did?
00:23:06.88\00:23:09.32
Cut off access
to the tree of life.
00:23:09.35\00:23:13.05
This is the comparison.
00:23:13.09\00:23:14.42
They lost access
because of disobedience.
00:23:14.46\00:23:17.49
You're not gonna gain access
00:23:17.53\00:23:19.33
because of willing disobedience.
00:23:19.36\00:23:21.43
So it says, if you willing
to keep the commandments...
00:23:21.46\00:23:24.63
Go with me to
Isaiah 1, Isaiah Chapter 1,
00:23:24.67\00:23:27.34
write the answer down.
00:23:27.37\00:23:29.14
You must be a
commandment keeper.
00:23:29.17\00:23:30.97
If you know about it,
you can't ignore it and say,
00:23:31.01\00:23:34.31
"Well, you know, I've
been a member for 35 years."
00:23:34.34\00:23:36.18
It doesn't matter.
00:23:36.21\00:23:37.88
"I've been in
church for 62 years."
00:23:37.91\00:23:40.62
It doesn't matter.
00:23:40.65\00:23:41.98
If the Lord reveals truth
to your heart, and, you say,
00:23:42.02\00:23:44.75
I know what the Bible says,
but I'm not gonna do it anyway.
00:23:44.79\00:23:48.82
Well, that
doesn't please the Lord.
00:23:48.86\00:23:50.53
And He says, "Hey,
I've revealed it to you."
00:23:50.56\00:23:53.06
One person said to me,
00:23:53.09\00:23:54.56
"You know, I've been
a member for my church
00:23:54.60\00:23:56.36
for many, many years.
00:23:56.40\00:23:57.73
I really love the Lord."
00:23:57.77\00:23:59.10
We're going to Isaiah Chapter 1.
00:23:59.13\00:24:00.84
He says, "I love the Lord."
00:24:00.87\00:24:04.34
And I don't think
that particular teaching
00:24:04.37\00:24:07.81
is gonna bar me
from the kingdom.
00:24:07.84\00:24:11.71
And that was in essence
to Sabbath, truth had come.
00:24:11.75\00:24:14.38
And I said, you know,
you ought to be saying,
00:24:14.42\00:24:16.55
Lord, You love me so much,
00:24:16.58\00:24:18.35
that You have
revealed this truth to me
00:24:18.39\00:24:20.89
because of Your love for me,
00:24:20.92\00:24:23.66
am I proclaimed love for You.
00:24:23.69\00:24:26.33
See, if a person
really love somebody,
00:24:26.36\00:24:28.00
and you reveal
something to them,
00:24:28.03\00:24:29.50
it doesn't become a burden.
00:24:29.53\00:24:30.87
It becomes a delight,
ain't that right, Yannick?
00:24:30.90\00:24:33.30
Here's what the
Bible says, look,
00:24:33.34\00:24:35.24
Isaiah Chapter
1. Isaiah Chapter 1.
00:24:35.27\00:24:38.74
Look at this promise.
00:24:38.77\00:24:40.31
Look at this promise, verse 19.
00:24:40.34\00:24:44.71
"If you are," what's the word?
00:24:44.75\00:24:47.78
"Willing and," what else?
00:24:47.82\00:24:49.52
"Obedient,
00:24:49.55\00:24:51.65
you shall eat the
good of the land."
00:24:51.69\00:24:55.92
But look at verse 20.
00:24:55.96\00:24:57.49
"But if you refuse and rebel,
00:24:57.53\00:25:00.70
you shall be
devoured by the sword,"
00:25:00.73\00:25:03.83
on whose word is that?
00:25:03.87\00:25:05.67
"For the mouth of
the Lord has spoken."
00:25:05.70\00:25:08.24
Is that clear?
00:25:08.27\00:25:09.67
So people may say,
00:25:09.70\00:25:11.04
"Are you telling me
00:25:11.07\00:25:12.41
that I can't make it to heaven?"
00:25:12.44\00:25:13.78
No.
00:25:13.81\00:25:15.14
Matter of fact, I
don't mind if you be there,
00:25:15.18\00:25:16.51
but you got to get past God.
00:25:16.54\00:25:18.35
He's the one that
sets the standards,
00:25:18.38\00:25:19.71
ain't that right?
00:25:19.75\00:25:21.08
Right, Terry?
00:25:21.12\00:25:22.45
He says, "Here's
why you're not going
00:25:22.48\00:25:24.02
because you're unwilling
and you're disobedient."
00:25:24.05\00:25:27.29
And I'm not
having anybody like that
00:25:27.32\00:25:29.06
mess up my city again.
00:25:29.09\00:25:30.96
Not again.
00:25:30.99\00:25:32.33
So the answers are
clean hands, pure heart,
00:25:32.36\00:25:35.66
and secondly,
obedience to God's commandments.
00:25:35.70\00:25:40.44
Okay.
00:25:40.47\00:25:41.84
Number 17.
00:25:41.87\00:25:44.97
Number 17.
00:25:45.01\00:25:47.14
Okay.
00:25:47.18\00:25:49.78
What is the
invitation that Jesus makes
00:25:49.81\00:25:53.11
for those that desire Heaven?
00:25:53.15\00:25:56.48
He extends an invitation.
00:25:56.52\00:25:58.02
What is the invitation?
00:25:58.05\00:25:59.39
Revelation 22:17,
00:25:59.42\00:26:01.39
He extends an invitation.
00:26:01.42\00:26:02.76
And by the way, you know what?
00:26:02.79\00:26:04.39
Anybody that's alive
today could be saved.
00:26:04.43\00:26:08.36
Amen to that.
00:26:08.40\00:26:09.90
God does not say,
Ah, ah, ah, no, no, no,
00:26:09.93\00:26:14.00
I only want certain
classes, certain races,
00:26:14.04\00:26:17.27
certain financial brackets,
certain ethnicities there.
00:26:17.31\00:26:20.61
He doesn't say that at all.
00:26:20.64\00:26:22.21
Look at what He says.
00:26:22.24\00:26:23.65
Revelation 22:17.
00:26:23.68\00:26:26.58
"And the Spirit and
the bride says," what?
00:26:26.61\00:26:31.22
"'Come!'
00:26:31.25\00:26:32.95
And let him who hears
say," together, "Come!'
00:26:32.99\00:26:36.73
And let him who
thirsts," together, "come.
00:26:36.76\00:26:40.33
And whoever desires,
00:26:40.36\00:26:43.13
let him take up the
water of life," how?
00:26:43.16\00:26:46.60
"Freely.'"
00:26:46.63\00:26:47.97
So is this invitation exclusive?
00:26:48.00\00:26:50.01
What's the answer?
00:26:50.04\00:26:51.37
Absolutely not.
00:26:51.41\00:26:52.74
Matter of fact, go...
00:26:52.77\00:26:54.11
So here's the answer.
00:26:54.14\00:26:55.48
What is the
invitation that Jesus makes
00:26:55.51\00:26:56.85
for those who desire?
00:26:56.88\00:26:58.78
What's the invitation?
00:26:58.81\00:27:00.98
What's the invitation,
come on say together?
00:27:01.02\00:27:02.58
Come, if you want to come,
00:27:02.62\00:27:04.85
He doesn't want
anybody to be left out.
00:27:04.89\00:27:08.29
Matter of fact,
our favorite text,
00:27:08.32\00:27:10.89
"For God so loved the world
00:27:10.93\00:27:12.43
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:27:12.46\00:27:14.10
that whosoever believeth in Him
00:27:14.13\00:27:18.73
should not perish."
00:27:18.77\00:27:20.80
He's made room for whosoever.
00:27:20.84\00:27:23.84
But look at this
next beautiful passage.
00:27:23.87\00:27:26.11
John 6:37.
00:27:26.14\00:27:30.28
John 6:37.
00:27:30.31\00:27:35.32
Wow!
00:27:35.35\00:27:36.85
Some people think that
I'm too bad to make it.
00:27:36.89\00:27:38.92
You know what?
00:27:38.95\00:27:40.29
Let me tell you
something, God's goodness
00:27:40.32\00:27:41.66
is better than
all of our badness.
00:27:41.69\00:27:43.06
Come on, somebody say amen.
00:27:43.09\00:27:44.76
You could be bad,
somebody say what?
00:27:44.79\00:27:46.49
I mean, is there anything?
00:27:46.53\00:27:48.13
What crime can I commit,
that I cannot be forgiven for?
00:27:48.16\00:27:53.34
If you confess
your sin, 1 John 1:9,
00:27:53.37\00:27:55.57
He's faithful and just
to forgive you of your sin
00:27:55.60\00:27:57.71
and cleanse you
from all unrighteousness.
00:27:57.74\00:28:01.21
There's nothing you can do
that God can't forgive you of.
00:28:01.24\00:28:04.71
The one thing that
you won't be forgiven of,
00:28:04.75\00:28:06.98
is the refusal
of the invitation.
00:28:07.02\00:28:09.28
'Cause I'm not
gonna drag you in.
00:28:09.32\00:28:12.42
Can you imagine that?
00:28:12.45\00:28:13.86
Can you imagine being in heaven,
00:28:13.89\00:28:15.39
if that's not
where you wanna be?
00:28:15.42\00:28:18.09
It's like some people.
00:28:18.13\00:28:19.76
You mentioned
church to them, it's okay,
00:28:19.79\00:28:21.76
I'll catch you
when you come back.
00:28:21.80\00:28:25.13
It's like, we wanna
take them to a place
00:28:25.17\00:28:27.24
where they get beheaded.
00:28:27.27\00:28:29.40
This is the place that you enter
00:28:29.44\00:28:30.97
into a corporate relationship
with brothers and sisters
00:28:31.01\00:28:33.84
that are preparing
for this eternal city.
00:28:33.88\00:28:36.41
And this is the place
where you get to know God,
00:28:36.44\00:28:38.85
with all of those that
are there worshiping Him.
00:28:38.88\00:28:41.32
Look at John 6:37.
00:28:41.35\00:28:43.39
Beautiful passage, here it is.
00:28:43.42\00:28:45.55
"All that the Father
gives Me will," do what?
00:28:45.59\00:28:49.06
"Come to Me,"
notice the invitation come,
00:28:49.09\00:28:50.69
but "All that the
Father gives to Me
00:28:50.73\00:28:52.33
will come to Me,
00:28:52.36\00:28:53.70
and the one who comes to Me,"
00:28:53.73\00:28:56.30
let's read this together,
00:28:56.33\00:28:57.73
"I will by no means cast out."
00:28:57.77\00:29:02.50
Isn't that a glorious passage?
00:29:02.54\00:29:04.44
He said, first of all,
the Father is drawing them.
00:29:04.47\00:29:08.48
And the Father says to the Son,
00:29:08.51\00:29:11.35
here's another one.
00:29:11.38\00:29:13.28
In the sense that who is it?
00:29:13.31\00:29:14.65
It's Mark.
00:29:17.75\00:29:19.09
Okay.
00:29:19.12\00:29:20.46
Mark, if you come,
I will, by no means
00:29:20.49\00:29:22.92
cast you out.
00:29:22.96\00:29:24.29
And, you know the
context of this story is
00:29:24.33\00:29:26.43
that in Matthew Chapter 25,
00:29:26.46\00:29:28.20
there was a wedding
feast held, and there was a man
00:29:28.23\00:29:32.00
who came in that did not
have on a wedding garment,
00:29:32.03\00:29:35.00
and he was cast out.
00:29:35.04\00:29:36.91
You know why?
00:29:36.94\00:29:38.27
Because he didn't come in
00:29:38.31\00:29:39.64
with the
righteousness of Christ.
00:29:39.67\00:29:41.34
He came in and he
thought his merits
00:29:41.38\00:29:42.84
were good enough to be there.
00:29:42.88\00:29:44.25
And the Lord says,
00:29:44.28\00:29:45.61
"How did you come in here
without a wedding garment?"
00:29:45.65\00:29:47.62
We've got to have
on His righteousness
00:29:47.65\00:29:50.15
to make the
kingdom, ain't then right?
00:29:50.19\00:29:53.25
But if that's the case,
and you come to the Father,
00:29:53.29\00:29:55.76
through Christ,
00:29:55.79\00:29:57.13
and the Father
gifts you to Jesus,
00:29:57.16\00:29:59.16
He says, I'm not gonna cast you,
00:29:59.19\00:30:01.00
I'm not gonna put you away.
00:30:01.03\00:30:02.53
Come on in as you are.
00:30:02.56\00:30:04.17
But you won't be the same way.
00:30:04.20\00:30:06.27
When we come to Christ,
He accepts us as we are.
00:30:06.30\00:30:08.97
But He gets us
ready for the kingdom
00:30:09.00\00:30:10.54
that we are going to inhabit.
00:30:10.57\00:30:12.91
Not gonna be any
snuff sniffers in heaven.
00:30:12.94\00:30:16.54
Nobody gonna be chewing tobacco,
00:30:16.58\00:30:18.41
spitting on the
streets of heaven.
00:30:18.45\00:30:19.98
Amen for that.
00:30:20.02\00:30:21.38
People say,
"Well, Lord loves me."
00:30:21.42\00:30:22.75
He loves you.
00:30:22.78\00:30:24.12
That big old stack
of chewing tobacco,
00:30:24.15\00:30:26.05
He loves you.
00:30:26.09\00:30:27.42
But He's gonna say get that out.
00:30:27.46\00:30:29.46
Because nothing is gonna
enter that defiles the city.
00:30:29.49\00:30:31.46
Ain't that right?
00:30:31.49\00:30:32.83
Can you imagine cigarette
butts on the golden streets,
00:30:32.86\00:30:35.03
graffiti on the clear walls,
00:30:35.06\00:30:38.00
rap, hip, rock, country,
00:30:38.03\00:30:40.77
any, all that
corrupt music in heaven?
00:30:40.80\00:30:43.67
Angel will be
closing ears, what is that?
00:30:43.71\00:30:46.61
See, the beautiful
theme of salvation is this,
00:30:46.64\00:30:48.98
that Jesus' blood
00:30:49.01\00:30:51.85
is sufficient to save all of us.
00:30:51.88\00:30:54.62
And the reason why
00:30:54.65\00:30:57.35
this great controversy
has to play itself out
00:30:57.39\00:31:00.19
it's because I can imagine
the angels that did not rebel
00:31:00.22\00:31:03.83
must have some apprehension mark
00:31:03.86\00:31:06.29
about the outcome
of this thing called
00:31:06.33\00:31:08.40
the great controversy
00:31:08.43\00:31:09.76
because they know that
Lucifer got kicked out.
00:31:09.80\00:31:12.57
Now Satan
polluted the entire world
00:31:12.60\00:31:15.30
with all of his fallen angels,
00:31:15.34\00:31:16.87
all these
corrupt sinners down here
00:31:16.91\00:31:19.07
that are gonna get
more and more corrupt
00:31:19.11\00:31:20.68
as we get closer to the end.
00:31:20.71\00:31:22.48
And they're saying to
Jesus, you're letting them in?
00:31:22.51\00:31:26.58
You gonna let them in.
00:31:30.95\00:31:32.29
Are you sure?
00:31:32.32\00:31:34.76
Well, He's not gonna let us
in until we all are like Him.
00:31:34.79\00:31:37.53
Amen.
00:31:37.56\00:31:39.59
So this whole
thing about obedience.
00:31:39.63\00:31:41.50
I'm amazed
00:31:41.53\00:31:42.86
I listen to so
many of these preachers
00:31:42.90\00:31:44.23
on television, sometimes,
I'll take a little Roku box
00:31:44.27\00:31:46.97
where we listened to
3ABN and Adventist channel
00:31:47.00\00:31:50.01
and Hope all those
channels we have on there,
00:31:50.04\00:31:52.14
praise God for that.
00:31:52.17\00:31:53.51
And I would listen to
some of the other preachers.
00:31:53.54\00:31:55.11
And I'm amazed
00:31:55.14\00:31:56.48
how righteousness is
not talked about very much.
00:31:56.51\00:31:59.98
It's like, I heard
one guy, I heard one guy,
00:32:00.02\00:32:03.28
I ran into one
preacher talking about
00:32:03.32\00:32:05.59
the need to give away sin.
00:32:05.62\00:32:08.39
And I said to my
wife, praise the Lord,
00:32:08.42\00:32:10.43
there's still
somebody out there preaching
00:32:10.46\00:32:12.33
that we need to abandon sin,
00:32:12.36\00:32:15.06
in order to be ready
for the kingdom of God.
00:32:15.10\00:32:18.33
But notice what He says,
00:32:18.37\00:32:19.70
"If you come to me,
I won't cast you out."
00:32:19.73\00:32:21.47
I won't cast you out.
00:32:21.50\00:32:22.84
So what's the answer there?
00:32:22.87\00:32:24.24
Did you write them down?
00:32:24.27\00:32:25.61
Wonderful.
00:32:25.64\00:32:26.98
Let's go to question number 18.
00:32:27.01\00:32:28.64
Let's go to question number 18.
00:32:28.68\00:32:33.31
Question number 18.
00:32:33.35\00:32:35.35
Wow!
00:32:35.38\00:32:37.32
How do we know
that we have a home
00:32:37.35\00:32:40.89
other than this earth?
00:32:40.92\00:32:44.29
How do we know
that we have a home
00:32:44.33\00:32:46.56
other than this earth?
00:32:46.59\00:32:48.66
Go to Hebrews Chapter 11.
00:32:48.70\00:32:50.87
And I'm glad you know,
00:32:50.90\00:32:52.60
all of our
participants know this,
00:32:52.63\00:32:54.74
the text is
gonna be on the screen.
00:32:54.77\00:32:56.20
The wonderful thing
about having your Bibles
00:32:56.24\00:32:57.57
is you could highlight
and write on your own Bible.
00:32:57.61\00:32:59.41
Thank you for
bringing your Bibles with you.
00:32:59.44\00:33:01.54
Hebrews Chapter 11.
00:33:01.58\00:33:04.38
And that's the
Book of the Faithful.
00:33:04.41\00:33:06.31
That's the
Chapter of the Faithful.
00:33:06.35\00:33:08.82
And, but if you wanna
find the Book of Faith,
00:33:08.85\00:33:13.05
it's amazing that
Hebrews is followed by James.
00:33:13.09\00:33:16.79
James is the Book of Faith.
00:33:16.83\00:33:18.63
Hebrews Chapter 11
is the Chapter of Faith,
00:33:18.66\00:33:21.26
but notice Hebrews Chapter 11.
00:33:21.30\00:33:23.16
Here's the answer.
00:33:23.20\00:33:24.53
And we're looking at verse 16.
00:33:24.57\00:33:25.97
How do we know
that we have a home
00:33:26.00\00:33:27.34
other than this earth?
00:33:27.37\00:33:28.70
Here's the answer.
00:33:28.74\00:33:30.07
Here's the answer.
00:33:30.11\00:33:31.51
"But now," that is the faithful,
00:33:31.54\00:33:34.38
"desire a better, that
is, a, "what kind of country?"
00:33:34.41\00:33:38.55
Heavenly country.
00:33:38.58\00:33:40.38
Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God,
00:33:40.42\00:33:45.82
for He has," done what?
00:33:45.85\00:33:47.92
"Prepared a city for them."
00:33:47.96\00:33:51.59
Now this city is in
what kind of a country?
00:33:51.63\00:33:55.30
Say it again.
00:33:55.33\00:33:56.67
A heavenly country.
00:33:56.70\00:33:58.03
Now, that means,
it's not on earth
00:33:58.07\00:34:00.74
'cause you can
travel from north to south,
00:34:00.77\00:34:02.67
to east to west,
tirelessly, Bill,
00:34:02.70\00:34:05.41
and you won't
find a heavenly country
00:34:05.44\00:34:07.14
on this planet.
00:34:07.18\00:34:09.04
There's not a
country on this planet
00:34:09.08\00:34:10.51
without sickness, or
death, or illness, or suffering,
00:34:10.55\00:34:13.88
or some kind of
breakdown in society
00:34:13.92\00:34:16.75
or some kind of corruption.
00:34:16.79\00:34:18.49
There's not a
heavenly country on this earth.
00:34:18.52\00:34:20.92
So if there's no
heavenly country,
00:34:20.96\00:34:22.46
there is no heavenly, what?
00:34:22.49\00:34:23.99
City,
00:34:24.03\00:34:25.36
you got to have the country
00:34:25.39\00:34:26.76
and then the city within it.
00:34:26.80\00:34:28.46
So how do we know that?
00:34:28.50\00:34:29.83
Look at verse 10
in Hebrews Chapter 11.
00:34:29.86\00:34:32.20
Look at verse 10.
00:34:32.23\00:34:34.24
Okay, they look for a better
that is a heavenly country.
00:34:34.27\00:34:37.84
In other words,
00:34:37.87\00:34:40.08
Abraham and his wife Sarah
knew that it wasn't down here.
00:34:40.11\00:34:43.45
So they kept on moving looking
for this heavenly country.
00:34:43.48\00:34:47.32
But look at verse 10.
00:34:47.35\00:34:49.65
Speaking about
Abraham and his wife,
00:34:49.68\00:34:51.25
"For he waited for the
city which has foundations,
00:34:51.29\00:34:56.22
whose builder and
maker is," together, "God."
00:34:56.26\00:35:01.03
So if it's on earth, chances are
00:35:01.06\00:35:03.93
God didn't build it.
00:35:03.97\00:35:07.50
Now, I'm a native New Yorker.
00:35:07.54\00:35:09.94
I go to New York
when I go, when I leave.
00:35:09.97\00:35:12.91
Sometimes I get
a little town blues
00:35:12.94\00:35:14.74
I wanna be very
candid about that.
00:35:14.78\00:35:16.75
Sometimes I wanna
hear a car door slam.
00:35:16.78\00:35:22.35
And, but all I'm
hearing is raccoons
00:35:22.38\00:35:24.59
crawling up the porch.
00:35:24.62\00:35:26.62
Or sometimes a
possum and a raccoon
00:35:26.65\00:35:28.82
having it out over
some black oilseeds,
00:35:28.86\00:35:31.93
or I'm afraid to
open the backyard door
00:35:31.96\00:35:33.66
because any number of the 2000
species of bugs will come in
00:35:33.70\00:35:37.97
and probably eat me alive.
00:35:38.00\00:35:39.53
Sometimes I wanna kind
of get a glimpse of New York
00:35:39.57\00:35:42.74
and I go back there maybe a week
00:35:42.77\00:35:44.44
or 10 days and
say, okay, okay, enough.
00:35:44.47\00:35:46.57
I want my
quietness again, right honey?
00:35:46.61\00:35:48.81
I want my quietness so I
can sit on our right there
00:35:48.84\00:35:52.41
in our kitchen and
open the backyard door
00:35:52.45\00:35:54.28
and listen to the
breeze and hear the water go by
00:35:54.32\00:35:58.29
and watch the birds being fed
00:35:58.32\00:36:01.62
because after about,
00:36:01.66\00:36:02.99
right after
about two or three days
00:36:03.02\00:36:04.36
in that hustling
City of New York,
00:36:04.39\00:36:06.29
you kind of, or any
city for that matter.
00:36:06.33\00:36:07.86
I don't wanna make it sound like
00:36:07.90\00:36:09.53
New York is the
worst out of all,
00:36:09.56\00:36:10.90
but any of those major cities
00:36:10.93\00:36:12.53
because I've honestly
forgotten what a traffic jam is.
00:36:12.57\00:36:16.10
You go to
Manhattan, you learn right away
00:36:16.14\00:36:18.51
what a traffic jam is.
00:36:18.54\00:36:20.18
You go to Los
Angeles, you go to Chicago,
00:36:20.21\00:36:22.68
any major city, go to St. Louis,
00:36:22.71\00:36:25.51
any major city, you know,
go to Miami, any major city,
00:36:25.55\00:36:29.42
you know, right away
00:36:29.45\00:36:30.79
that this is not
what God intended.
00:36:30.82\00:36:32.95
Ain't that right?
00:36:32.99\00:36:34.32
Because we're looking for
what kind of a country, a what?
00:36:34.36\00:36:37.06
Better, a heavenly country,
00:36:37.09\00:36:40.40
a better city.
00:36:40.43\00:36:41.76
Praise Lord for that.
00:36:41.80\00:36:43.13
So the answer to
that, how do we know that
00:36:43.16\00:36:44.73
we have a home
other than this earth?
00:36:44.77\00:36:47.00
We're looking
for heavenly country.
00:36:47.04\00:36:49.24
A heavenly country.
00:36:49.27\00:36:51.57
All right.
00:36:51.61\00:36:53.17
Okay.
00:36:53.21\00:36:54.54
Let's go now to number 19.
00:36:54.58\00:36:56.81
I think we might be able,
00:36:56.85\00:36:59.81
if we move at a good pace,
00:36:59.85\00:37:01.18
we might be able to do it, Bill.
00:37:01.22\00:37:02.95
We could do it.
00:37:02.98\00:37:04.32
I think we could.
00:37:04.35\00:37:05.99
Okay.
00:37:06.02\00:37:08.09
What is the
location of this city
00:37:08.12\00:37:13.26
that God has prepared for us?
00:37:13.29\00:37:16.67
What is the
location of this city
00:37:16.70\00:37:19.60
that God has prepared for us?
00:37:19.63\00:37:22.94
Go to Revelation Chapter 21.
00:37:22.97\00:37:25.77
Revelation Chapter 21.
00:37:25.81\00:37:28.51
All right.
00:37:28.54\00:37:31.05
And we're gonna look at verse 2,
00:37:31.08\00:37:33.82
we'll backtrack to
verse 1 in just a moment.
00:37:33.85\00:37:35.95
But we need to
know where the city is.
00:37:35.98\00:37:37.82
And the reason
why this is important.
00:37:37.85\00:37:40.92
After having traveled
to more than 52 countries,
00:37:40.96\00:37:43.93
and by God's grace me,
00:37:43.96\00:37:45.76
we may add more of
those before the Lord comes.
00:37:45.79\00:37:50.53
We have discovered that
00:37:50.57\00:37:52.73
the difference between
being able to get somewhere
00:37:52.77\00:37:55.07
or not get
somewhere simply money.
00:37:55.10\00:37:57.41
Right?
00:37:57.44\00:37:58.77
If you can't make it
to Dubai, chances are
00:37:58.81\00:38:00.68
it's because you don't have
enough money for the ticket.
00:38:00.71\00:38:03.11
But if you have money on
earth, if you are wealthy,
00:38:03.14\00:38:05.45
you can pretty much go anywhere.
00:38:05.48\00:38:07.45
The wealthier you are, the
more exclusive the circles,
00:38:07.48\00:38:10.19
you can go on.
00:38:10.22\00:38:11.55
Mark, haven't come
from Las Vegas, you know,
00:38:11.59\00:38:13.59
you could get to
places in Las Vegas
00:38:13.62\00:38:16.69
that poor people may
walk the streets of Las Vegas,
00:38:16.73\00:38:19.83
but they're not
getting into certain places
00:38:19.86\00:38:21.63
because what's the difference?
00:38:21.66\00:38:23.53
Money is the
difference and influence
00:38:23.57\00:38:25.13
and people that you know.
00:38:25.17\00:38:26.74
And so when you think about
00:38:26.77\00:38:28.27
what is gonna be
the criteria for us,
00:38:28.30\00:38:30.81
to getting into
the kingdom of God.
00:38:30.84\00:38:32.94
Some people say,
it's not what you know,
00:38:32.97\00:38:35.11
but it is who you know.
00:38:35.14\00:38:37.71
You see, that's
why the Bible says
00:38:37.75\00:38:39.15
and this is life
eternal, that you know,
00:38:39.18\00:38:43.65
Christ Jesus,
00:38:43.69\00:38:45.02
that you know that you do what?
00:38:45.05\00:38:47.59
Know Him.
00:38:47.62\00:38:49.06
It's on the
basis of knowing Him.
00:38:49.09\00:38:50.56
But look at this
wonderful passage.
00:38:50.59\00:38:52.53
Look at this wonderful passage.
00:38:52.56\00:38:53.90
What is the
location of the city?
00:38:53.93\00:38:55.26
We're gonna make it in
00:38:55.30\00:38:56.63
because we have a
relationship with Jesus,
00:38:56.67\00:38:58.00
not just because we
have head knowledge,
00:38:58.03\00:38:59.37
but because we have a
relationship with Him.
00:38:59.40\00:39:01.60
John says, "Then I, John, saw
00:39:01.64\00:39:05.64
the holy city,"
00:39:05.67\00:39:07.01
what is it called?
00:39:07.04\00:39:08.71
"New Jerusalem,
00:39:08.74\00:39:11.05
coming down out
of heaven from God,
00:39:11.08\00:39:14.38
prepared as a bride," what?
00:39:14.42\00:39:16.69
"Adorned for her husband."
00:39:16.72\00:39:18.42
So today, where is that city?
00:39:18.45\00:39:21.69
Say it again.
00:39:21.72\00:39:23.06
It's in heaven
00:39:23.09\00:39:24.43
because one day
it's gonna come down
00:39:24.46\00:39:26.39
out of heaven.
00:39:26.43\00:39:27.76
Now, can I shock
you a little bit?
00:39:27.80\00:39:31.33
If the city comes
down out of heaven,
00:39:31.37\00:39:34.10
is heaven still there?
00:39:34.14\00:39:36.54
Yes, it is.
00:39:36.57\00:39:37.91
Which means that
the city is in heaven,
00:39:37.94\00:39:41.41
but the city is
not heaven in total.
00:39:41.44\00:39:44.25
The city is a part of heaven,
00:39:44.28\00:39:46.18
but the city itself is not
the complete picture of heaven.
00:39:46.21\00:39:49.02
Because when the city comes down
00:39:49.05\00:39:51.15
to the new earth,
heaven is still there.
00:39:51.19\00:39:53.79
And you'll find that
00:39:56.86\00:39:58.19
I'm not gonna
jump ahead of myself.
00:39:58.23\00:39:59.56
But there's a reason
I just planted that seed
00:39:59.59\00:40:00.93
because as we go further,
00:40:00.96\00:40:02.30
you'll see why I
brought that point up.
00:40:02.33\00:40:04.00
You see exactly why I
brought that point up.
00:40:04.03\00:40:06.00
So the answer very quickly is,
00:40:06.03\00:40:08.47
what is the location of the city
00:40:08.50\00:40:10.07
that God has prepared for us?
00:40:10.11\00:40:11.81
What's the
location? Together once again.
00:40:11.84\00:40:13.88
Heaven.
00:40:13.91\00:40:15.24
That's where this
city right now is.
00:40:15.28\00:40:17.65
In other words, heaven
is the construction site
00:40:17.68\00:40:22.32
for the holy
city, the New Jerusalem.
00:40:22.35\00:40:26.92
And you know, the holy city,
00:40:26.96\00:40:28.29
the New Jerusalem
00:40:28.32\00:40:31.03
is described in other ways.
00:40:31.06\00:40:33.06
Let me go ahead and
show you Revelation 21:9.
00:40:33.09\00:40:37.63
I want to go ahead and
show you Revelation 21:9.
00:40:37.67\00:40:42.80
All right.
00:40:42.84\00:40:44.34
It's not only called
00:40:44.37\00:40:47.91
the New Jerusalem,
00:40:47.94\00:40:50.61
but it's also
called something else.
00:40:50.65\00:40:52.38
Revelation 21:9,
00:40:52.41\00:40:56.22
"Then one of the seven angels
00:40:56.25\00:40:57.89
who had the seven bowls,
00:40:57.92\00:40:59.82
filled with the
seven last plagues came
00:40:59.85\00:41:02.89
to me and talked with me saying,
00:41:02.92\00:41:05.29
'Come, I will show you
the," what's the next word?
00:41:05.33\00:41:09.30
"The bride, the lamb's wife.'"
00:41:09.33\00:41:12.57
This is powerful.
00:41:12.60\00:41:14.37
"And he carried
me away in the spirit
00:41:14.40\00:41:17.61
to a great and high mountain
00:41:17.64\00:41:20.11
and showed me the great city,
00:41:20.14\00:41:23.31
the" what?
00:41:23.35\00:41:24.75
"Holy Jerusalem, descending
out of heaven from God."
00:41:24.78\00:41:30.59
So it's not just
called the New Jerusalem.
00:41:30.62\00:41:33.66
It's called, what else?
00:41:33.69\00:41:35.82
Holy Jerusalem.
00:41:35.86\00:41:38.33
Now the reason I mentioned
00:41:38.36\00:41:39.69
that is because we've
never been to Jerusalem.
00:41:39.73\00:41:42.20
We're planning by God's grace,
00:41:42.23\00:41:44.30
in the near future
to go to Jerusalem.
00:41:44.33\00:41:47.97
But even though it's
called the holy city,
00:41:48.00\00:41:50.64
it's not really the holy city.
00:41:50.67\00:41:52.94
The holy city is where?
00:41:52.97\00:41:55.31
The New Jerusalem.
00:41:55.34\00:41:58.11
This is the historical,
this is the Bible lands
00:41:58.15\00:42:00.62
and lot of people
call it the Holy Land.
00:42:00.65\00:42:02.55
I don't want to
sound offensive at all
00:42:02.58\00:42:05.42
but I call the
Middle East the Bible lands.
00:42:05.45\00:42:09.92
But this is the Holy Land.
00:42:09.96\00:42:14.60
Holy, what makes something holy?
00:42:14.63\00:42:16.83
Somebody tell me,
what makes something holy.
00:42:16.87\00:42:20.10
Say it again.
00:42:20.14\00:42:21.70
God's presence.
00:42:21.74\00:42:23.57
God's presence and
when the Lord said,
00:42:23.61\00:42:27.08
years ago, to
those that rejected Him,
00:42:27.11\00:42:29.01
He said, "Your house
is left unto you desolate,
00:42:29.04\00:42:33.21
it ceased to be holy,
and became historical."
00:42:33.25\00:42:37.65
Now I do want to
see where you know,
00:42:37.69\00:42:39.55
the crucifixion take place,
00:42:39.59\00:42:40.92
and the churches there in Turkey
00:42:40.96\00:42:42.62
and all the historical sites.
00:42:42.66\00:42:45.03
But that's not the
end of our journey.
00:42:45.06\00:42:46.86
Our journey, our
plans for our journey,
00:42:46.90\00:42:49.36
is that we make it
to the holy Jerusalem.
00:42:49.40\00:42:51.97
Amen to that.
00:42:52.00\00:42:53.64
So here's the answer.
00:42:53.67\00:42:55.44
What is the location of that?
00:42:55.47\00:42:56.81
And we just read
that, and by verse 9 and 10,
00:42:56.84\00:42:58.77
we're in addition to that.
00:42:58.81\00:43:00.14
Now, let's go to
question number 20.
00:43:00.18\00:43:03.28
Question number 20.
00:43:03.31\00:43:05.01
I think we're
moving at a good pace,
00:43:05.05\00:43:06.38
we might be able to
finish this tonight.
00:43:06.41\00:43:09.38
Okay, let's look at this one.
00:43:09.42\00:43:10.99
What are the
architectural measurements
00:43:11.02\00:43:13.79
of the New Jerusalem?
00:43:13.82\00:43:16.09
What are the
architectural measurements
00:43:16.12\00:43:18.89
of the New Jerusalem?
00:43:18.93\00:43:24.97
We will stay in
Revelation Chapter 21.
00:43:25.00\00:43:27.70
Let's start with
the size of the city.
00:43:27.74\00:43:30.97
Let's start with the what?
00:43:31.01\00:43:32.54
Size of the city.
00:43:32.57\00:43:36.75
Okay.
00:43:36.78\00:43:40.18
Revelation Chapter 21.
00:43:40.22\00:43:41.55
Let's start with verse 16.
00:43:41.58\00:43:44.22
Okay.
00:43:44.25\00:43:46.62
The Bible says,
speaking of the size,
00:43:46.65\00:43:49.79
"The city is
laid out as a," what?
00:43:49.82\00:43:53.40
"Square, its length
00:43:53.43\00:43:56.46
is as great as its breadth,
00:43:56.50\00:43:59.70
and the measurement of the city
00:43:59.73\00:44:03.54
and he measured the city
with the reed 12,000," what?
00:44:03.57\00:44:08.64
"Furlongs."
00:44:08.68\00:44:10.21
Now, if you
want to put the size,
00:44:10.25\00:44:13.05
the size of the city.
00:44:13.08\00:44:15.02
First of all, what fact
do we get about the city?
00:44:15.05\00:44:17.42
What fact do we get?
00:44:17.45\00:44:19.59
It's square.
00:44:19.62\00:44:21.09
Whoa, ain't that wonderful?
00:44:21.12\00:44:22.46
Let's go to the next verse,
00:44:22.49\00:44:23.83
"Its length, breadth
and height are," what?
00:44:23.86\00:44:27.43
"Are equal."
00:44:27.46\00:44:28.80
Its length, breadth
and height are equal.
00:44:28.83\00:44:32.17
That means it is
all in proportion.
00:44:32.20\00:44:36.34
It's a cube.
00:44:36.37\00:44:37.71
Its length, breadth
and height are equal.
00:44:37.74\00:44:41.14
But now let's look at some
interesting facts about this.
00:44:41.18\00:44:43.81
When the Bible talks
about 12,000 furlongs,
00:44:43.85\00:44:48.82
that's roughly, we don't
speak in furlongs nowadays.
00:44:48.85\00:44:52.32
We surely don't.
00:44:52.35\00:44:53.96
That's an old measurement.
00:44:53.99\00:44:55.32
That's roughly about...
00:44:55.36\00:44:56.69
Yeah, or, if you
were to square that off,
00:44:59.39\00:45:02.53
about 375 miles on either side,
00:45:02.56\00:45:07.04
about 375 miles on either side,
00:45:07.07\00:45:09.97
you add that up.
00:45:10.01\00:45:11.77
375 and 375, 750,
750 and 750 is what?
00:45:11.81\00:45:15.94
1500.
00:45:15.98\00:45:17.31
So now, if you
think of a city wall,
00:45:17.35\00:45:20.32
that's 375 miles long,
00:45:20.35\00:45:24.29
that's a long wall.
00:45:24.32\00:45:25.65
We'll find out more,
00:45:25.69\00:45:27.02
we don't want to
run ahead of ourselves.
00:45:27.06\00:45:28.86
This city is 1500 miles in,
00:45:28.89\00:45:32.99
what's the word circumference?
00:45:33.03\00:45:34.86
Circumference.
00:45:34.90\00:45:36.23
Those of you who build houses,
00:45:36.26\00:45:37.83
Mike, help me
out, circumference.
00:45:37.87\00:45:39.50
Exactly.
00:45:39.53\00:45:40.87
Thank you so much.
00:45:40.90\00:45:42.24
Add it all up.
00:45:42.27\00:45:43.61
Now, how many cities
you know are that large?
00:45:43.64\00:45:48.38
What city do you know?
00:45:48.41\00:45:51.05
Say it again? One, that's it.
00:45:51.08\00:45:52.95
There is no city on earth
that has a wall 375 miles long.
00:45:52.98\00:45:58.12
Matter of fact, I didn't
know how small Manhattan was.
00:45:58.15\00:46:01.12
Manhattan is...
00:46:01.16\00:46:02.49
It looks big because of
the size of the buildings,
00:46:02.52\00:46:04.73
but it's fairly a small city.
00:46:04.76\00:46:06.86
It's really a pretty small city
00:46:06.90\00:46:09.66
but 375 miles 375, 375,
00:46:09.70\00:46:13.34
north, south,
east, west, 1500 miles.
00:46:13.37\00:46:17.31
But let's keep going.
00:46:17.34\00:46:19.07
So put the size
here, 1500 miles around,
00:46:19.11\00:46:22.58
or 375 times four.
00:46:22.61\00:46:26.08
375 times four.
00:46:26.11\00:46:30.29
Okay.
00:46:30.32\00:46:31.65
Now, that's the
height of the city.
00:46:31.69\00:46:34.52
But this city has walls.
00:46:34.56\00:46:36.39
It has walls.
00:46:36.42\00:46:37.76
When you think of that,
when you think of a city
00:46:37.79\00:46:39.33
that's somebody once said to me,
00:46:39.36\00:46:41.00
how can a city be that big?
00:46:41.03\00:46:43.50
Who's making it?
00:46:43.53\00:46:45.47
Who's making
it? God's making it.
00:46:45.50\00:46:47.47
He can make it
whatever size He wants to.
00:46:47.50\00:46:49.77
He is making it to fit
00:46:49.80\00:46:51.24
all the redeemed of
all the ages in that city.
00:46:51.27\00:46:55.08
But it has walls.
00:46:55.11\00:46:56.78
Now, the city
structures on the inside,
00:46:56.81\00:46:59.05
but it has walls around it.
00:46:59.08\00:47:00.72
Let's find out about the walls.
00:47:00.75\00:47:02.38
Look at the very next
verse, Revelation 21:17.
00:47:02.42\00:47:05.72
Okay, here it is,
the walls of the city.
00:47:05.75\00:47:08.92
"Then he measured its walls,
00:47:08.96\00:47:12.53
144 cubits,
00:47:12.56\00:47:15.26
according to the
measure of a man,
00:47:15.30\00:47:17.93
that is, of an angel."
00:47:17.97\00:47:20.57
So now,
00:47:20.60\00:47:21.94
if you look that
in today's language,
00:47:21.97\00:47:23.41
that's about 217 feet high.
00:47:23.44\00:47:28.11
That's how tall the wall
is, not the city, the wall.
00:47:28.14\00:47:31.91
You got to get past the
wall to get into the city.
00:47:31.95\00:47:35.82
So 375 mile long wall
00:47:35.85\00:47:40.36
surrounding that city,
00:47:40.39\00:47:42.09
and that wall was 217 feet high.
00:47:42.12\00:47:46.26
That's an approximation.
00:47:46.29\00:47:48.86
Is that huge?
00:47:48.90\00:47:50.23
Would that take
your breath away?
00:47:50.27\00:47:53.03
As that's why you
guys are speechless.
00:47:53.07\00:47:55.47
It's hard to imagine that
00:47:55.50\00:47:56.84
because we've not
seen anything like that.
00:47:56.87\00:47:58.61
One of the most
fascinating things we saw was
00:47:58.64\00:48:00.64
when we went to India
and saw the Taj Mahal.
00:48:00.68\00:48:03.38
We saw the Taj Mahal.
00:48:03.41\00:48:04.75
We walked through this,
it was as if it was framed.
00:48:04.78\00:48:08.22
There was an archway
that you walk through
00:48:08.25\00:48:11.19
to begin to walk
towards the Taj Mahal
00:48:11.22\00:48:14.26
and if you stood in the archway,
00:48:14.29\00:48:15.62
it looked like the
Taj Mahal was right there
00:48:15.66\00:48:17.33
within arm's length.
00:48:17.36\00:48:18.69
But the moment we
walk through the arch,
00:48:18.73\00:48:20.90
it's like the Taj
Mahal just fell all the way,
00:48:20.93\00:48:23.83
way back in the distance.
00:48:23.87\00:48:25.53
But if you're looking
at it from a perspective,
00:48:25.57\00:48:28.64
whatever that,
yeah, perspective,
00:48:28.67\00:48:30.21
it looked like
it was right there
00:48:30.24\00:48:31.57
right beyond the wall,
and I thought to myself,
00:48:31.61\00:48:33.94
wow, and they say it was
00:48:33.98\00:48:35.31
that's probably one of
the most architecturally
00:48:35.34\00:48:39.25
perfect
buildings built on earth.
00:48:39.28\00:48:42.92
But it's small.
00:48:42.95\00:48:44.35
It didn't have walls
00:48:44.39\00:48:45.75
that are 375
miles on either side.
00:48:45.79\00:48:49.59
And it sure doesn't
have a 217 foot high wall.
00:48:49.62\00:48:53.66
So write that down.
00:48:53.70\00:48:55.03
Walls, 217 feet high,
00:48:55.06\00:48:58.17
wow.
00:48:58.20\00:48:59.53
But let's go to the next part.
00:48:59.57\00:49:00.90
The construction of the walls,
00:49:00.94\00:49:03.64
the construction of the walls,
00:49:03.67\00:49:05.07
verse 18,
00:49:05.11\00:49:06.44
"The construction of its walls
00:49:06.47\00:49:09.44
was of," what?
00:49:09.48\00:49:12.55
It's on the screen, was what?
00:49:12.58\00:49:14.38
"Jasper, and the
city," now this is crazy,
00:49:14.42\00:49:19.59
"the city was pure," what?
00:49:19.62\00:49:21.72
"Gold, like clear glass."
00:49:21.76\00:49:25.89
Can you imagine that?
00:49:25.93\00:49:27.40
I've seen 14 karat gold,
00:49:27.43\00:49:28.80
18 karat gold, 24 karat gold
00:49:28.83\00:49:31.27
but, Dan, have you
ever seen clear gold?
00:49:31.30\00:49:34.20
Gold so pure that it's
transparent like glass?
00:49:34.24\00:49:40.18
I liked that. He said not yet.
00:49:40.21\00:49:42.01
That's a future statement.
00:49:42.04\00:49:43.51
That's right. I like that.
00:49:43.55\00:49:44.88
He didn't say
no, he said not yet.
00:49:44.91\00:49:47.18
In other words, I
plan on seeing it, huh?
00:49:47.22\00:49:50.45
Yeah, you know, you
get in the Sears Tower,
00:49:50.49\00:49:52.95
they have this walkway
00:49:52.99\00:49:55.36
that people step out on
00:49:55.39\00:49:57.53
and I heard, I don't
know, it was about a month ago,
00:49:57.56\00:49:59.96
that they said that the casing
00:50:00.00\00:50:01.33
of this thing shattered
00:50:01.36\00:50:03.97
while people
were standing on it,
00:50:04.00\00:50:05.73
the glass shattered.
00:50:05.77\00:50:07.20
Thankfully, it wasn't
the platform they stood on
00:50:07.24\00:50:09.50
because that's a long way down.
00:50:09.54\00:50:11.24
That's a really, you
know, that's a long goodbye.
00:50:11.27\00:50:15.61
But if you think of the city,
00:50:15.64\00:50:17.65
if you think of
the city in heaven,
00:50:17.68\00:50:19.11
I mean, the
construction of its walls,
00:50:19.15\00:50:21.25
write that down,
00:50:21.28\00:50:22.62
write the most
amazing part down,
00:50:22.65\00:50:24.62
the wall was of Jasper
00:50:24.65\00:50:28.39
and the city was pure gold,
00:50:28.42\00:50:31.56
like clear glass.
00:50:31.59\00:50:34.10
Now, I want to put
some perspective to this
00:50:34.13\00:50:35.90
because when I
was down in California
00:50:35.93\00:50:37.30
a number of years ago,
00:50:37.33\00:50:39.70
I was kind of
upset about the idea that
00:50:39.73\00:50:42.14
they had all these
limousines down there
00:50:42.17\00:50:43.71
I think was the Kodak Theater
00:50:43.74\00:50:45.64
and it was obviously
some awards thing going on.
00:50:45.67\00:50:47.91
My wife and I had gone down
to visit not to the award show.
00:50:47.94\00:50:50.78
We just so happen to make a turn
00:50:50.81\00:50:52.15
and there were,
00:50:52.18\00:50:53.52
Kodak Theater, red carpet,
00:50:53.55\00:50:55.38
limousines in abundance,
00:50:55.42\00:50:57.45
but all of the glass on
the limousines were what?
00:50:57.49\00:51:01.42
Black, couldn't see in.
00:51:01.46\00:51:04.39
And on our way home
back to Northern California
00:51:04.43\00:51:06.29
when we lived out west,
00:51:06.33\00:51:07.76
I was kind of upset about
that, man, we don't even know
00:51:07.80\00:51:10.30
who's in those,
we can't even in.
00:51:10.33\00:51:12.83
But what?
00:51:12.87\00:51:14.20
On the way, the Lord said to me,
00:51:14.24\00:51:16.84
don't worry
about who's in there.
00:51:16.87\00:51:19.37
One day, when you're
in the New Jerusalem,
00:51:19.41\00:51:22.14
I'm going to
make sure they see you
00:51:22.18\00:51:24.05
through those clear walls.
00:51:24.08\00:51:25.41
Come on, say amen somebody.
00:51:25.45\00:51:27.05
So while you're
upset about what they have,
00:51:27.08\00:51:30.75
if the tables are turned,
00:51:30.79\00:51:32.12
one day, they're going to
be looking at what you have.
00:51:32.15\00:51:34.96
We're going to get something
far better than a limousine.
00:51:34.99\00:51:37.93
We're going to
get a mansion, amen?
00:51:37.96\00:51:39.93
In that gorgeous, wonderful city
00:51:39.96\00:51:42.23
that the Lord
is building for us.
00:51:42.26\00:51:44.03
Let's now go to the...
00:51:44.07\00:51:45.93
Let's go to the
foundations of the city.
00:51:45.97\00:51:48.37
The foundations of the city.
00:51:48.40\00:51:51.57
Okay, "The foundations
of the wall of the city
00:51:51.61\00:51:56.58
were adorned with all
kinds of precious stones."
00:51:56.61\00:52:00.82
Pause, that's why
God doesn't want us
00:52:00.85\00:52:03.99
to wear jewels down here.
00:52:04.02\00:52:05.59
One day we're
going to walk on jewels.
00:52:05.62\00:52:07.36
Can you imagine folk
that haven't overcome that,
00:52:07.39\00:52:10.23
cop to heaven
with their pickaxe?
00:52:10.26\00:52:13.60
And they want a Jasper necklace
while they're in heaven.
00:52:13.63\00:52:15.73
God said, "No, no,
00:52:15.76\00:52:17.30
you're not gonna be
breaking up my city."
00:52:17.33\00:52:19.23
And that's, what
people don't understand
00:52:19.27\00:52:21.17
is that the asphalt in heaven
00:52:21.20\00:52:23.51
is made of all precious stones.
00:52:23.54\00:52:27.74
So the choices,
wear it or walk on it.
00:52:27.78\00:52:31.68
Come on, which
one would you choose?
00:52:31.71\00:52:33.82
Let's keep going. Walk on it.
00:52:33.85\00:52:35.75
"The foundations of the
wall of the city were adorned
00:52:35.78\00:52:37.89
with all kinds
of precious stones.
00:52:37.92\00:52:40.19
The first foundation was," what?
00:52:40.22\00:52:42.16
"Jasper, the second sapphire,
00:52:42.19\00:52:45.09
the third chalcedony,
00:52:45.13\00:52:47.26
the fourth
emerald, the fifth sardonyx,
00:52:47.30\00:52:51.00
the six starius,
00:52:51.03\00:52:54.54
the seventh chrysolite,
00:52:54.57\00:52:56.74
the eighth,
beryl, the ninth topaz,
00:52:56.77\00:53:00.24
the tenth chrysoprase,
00:53:00.28\00:53:02.34
the eleventh jacinth
00:53:02.38\00:53:04.41
and the twelfth," what?
00:53:04.45\00:53:06.18
"Amethyst."
00:53:06.21\00:53:07.55
Now some of these,
00:53:07.58\00:53:08.92
I have no clue
what they look like.
00:53:08.95\00:53:11.35
I think I stopped
at gold and silver.
00:53:11.39\00:53:14.62
Some of these I think jasper,
00:53:14.66\00:53:16.29
topaz, I think I've seen that.
00:53:16.32\00:53:17.99
But most of these I don't know,
00:53:18.03\00:53:19.63
but all of them are considered
precious stones in God's sight.
00:53:19.66\00:53:25.77
Right, colors of the rainbow.
00:53:25.80\00:53:27.24
That's wonderful
in the streaming,
00:53:27.27\00:53:28.87
that's a beautiful
way of thinking about it,
00:53:28.90\00:53:30.54
all the colors of the rainbow
00:53:30.57\00:53:33.07
from one hue perfectly
blending into the other.
00:53:33.11\00:53:36.11
That's just like
God, God can do that.
00:53:36.14\00:53:38.51
Because the
rainbow is an indication
00:53:38.55\00:53:40.72
of the promise of God.
00:53:40.75\00:53:42.48
It's unfortunate that it
means something different
00:53:42.52\00:53:44.32
in our world today.
00:53:44.35\00:53:46.22
Okay, the foundations.
00:53:46.25\00:53:47.59
So for the foundations put what?
00:53:47.62\00:53:50.49
Twelve precious stones.
00:53:50.53\00:53:54.13
Twelve precious
stones for the foundations.
00:53:54.16\00:53:59.07
Wow.
00:53:59.10\00:54:00.44
Now this one's
gonna blow your mind.
00:54:00.47\00:54:02.57
We got the size, the walls,
00:54:02.60\00:54:04.07
the construction of the walls,
00:54:04.11\00:54:06.88
the foundations
00:54:06.91\00:54:08.34
but now let's
check this one out,
00:54:08.38\00:54:09.91
the gates and streets,
00:54:09.94\00:54:12.85
the gates and streets.
00:54:12.88\00:54:17.45
This will blow you away.
00:54:17.49\00:54:19.29
Because the first
question I ask myself
00:54:19.32\00:54:21.22
is what oyster
did he get it from?
00:54:21.26\00:54:24.69
"The twelve gates were," What?
00:54:24.73\00:54:27.20
"Twelve pearls,
00:54:27.23\00:54:29.63
each individual
gate was of," what?
00:54:29.66\00:54:35.04
"One pearl."
00:54:35.07\00:54:36.97
Loraine, don't lose
sleep over that one.
00:54:37.01\00:54:39.84
But it's hard.
00:54:39.87\00:54:41.68
It's hard to think of
one gate made of one pearl.
00:54:41.71\00:54:45.81
Lord, have mercy.
00:54:45.85\00:54:48.72
And how tall is
that gate gonna be?
00:54:48.75\00:54:51.49
At least about
two, it could be 217.
00:54:51.52\00:54:53.96
Have you ever seen
a 217 foot high pearl?
00:54:53.99\00:54:58.43
I would imagine the
size of that oyster.
00:54:58.46\00:55:00.50
But God doesn't need an oyster.
00:55:00.53\00:55:02.73
God doesn't need
an oyster, right?
00:55:02.76\00:55:05.00
To create a pearl
because He's just God.
00:55:05.03\00:55:06.77
That's the bottom line.
00:55:06.80\00:55:08.67
But each individual
gate was of one pearl
00:55:08.70\00:55:12.87
and some people
tripping over going to Paris.
00:55:12.91\00:55:16.58
Man, you can keep
Paris while they want...
00:55:16.61\00:55:21.98
They rather wear
the pearls and anyway.
00:55:22.02\00:55:25.35
"And the streets of
the city was," what?
00:55:25.39\00:55:29.16
"Pure gold like," what?
00:55:29.19\00:55:31.19
"Transparent glass."
00:55:31.23\00:55:33.90
This has blown me away.
00:55:33.93\00:55:36.00
This is just amazing.
00:55:36.03\00:55:37.67
So we got the size, the walls,
the construction of the walls,
00:55:37.70\00:55:41.20
the foundations, the
gates in the streets.
00:55:41.24\00:55:43.81
Wow,
00:55:43.84\00:55:45.74
what an amazing description
of this glorious city,
00:55:45.77\00:55:50.65
that one day is
going to be on earth.
00:55:50.68\00:55:53.55
Because you
read in Revelation 21
00:55:53.58\00:55:55.52
that it's gonna one day
descend from God out of heaven,
00:55:55.55\00:55:59.25
it's going to come
down to this earth.
00:55:59.29\00:56:00.69
One day this earth
is going to be the place
00:56:00.72\00:56:03.49
where this New
Jerusalem is going to be housed.
00:56:03.53\00:56:06.73
But let's get one
more one if we can.
00:56:06.76\00:56:08.66
Question number 21.
00:56:08.70\00:56:10.30
Question number 21.
00:56:10.33\00:56:12.17
How does the Bible describe
the source of the city's light?
00:56:12.20\00:56:17.81
How does the Bible describe
the source of the city's light?
00:56:17.84\00:56:23.01
Let's go to Revelation 21:22-23.
00:56:23.04\00:56:27.38
Revelation 21:22-23.
00:56:27.42\00:56:29.95
Let's look at it very quickly.
00:56:29.98\00:56:31.45
Here it is.
00:56:31.49\00:56:33.12
"But I saw no temple in it,
00:56:33.15\00:56:35.92
for the Lord God Almighty,
00:56:35.96\00:56:38.89
and the Lamb are its temple.
00:56:38.93\00:56:42.23
The city had no need of the sun
or of the moon to shine in it,"
00:56:42.26\00:56:47.80
let's read this
together with some strength,
00:56:47.84\00:56:49.70
"for the glory of
God illuminated it.
00:56:49.74\00:56:54.14
The Lamb is its light."
00:56:54.18\00:56:57.08
Amen to that?
00:56:57.11\00:56:58.71
So here we're
gonna be in the city,
00:56:58.75\00:57:00.08
now you gotta get this.
00:57:00.12\00:57:02.28
I'm gonna suggest you,
it's not gonna be a dim light.
00:57:02.32\00:57:05.25
It's not gonna be 120 lumens.
00:57:05.29\00:57:08.52
You got to know about lumens.
00:57:08.56\00:57:11.16
The glory of God is bright.
00:57:11.19\00:57:13.86
The glory of the Lamb
is bright, unspeakable.
00:57:13.90\00:57:17.53
All this pure gold,
all these precious stones,
00:57:17.57\00:57:22.24
do you think that a mortal
00:57:22.27\00:57:25.81
can handle that
kind of brightness?
00:57:25.84\00:57:29.61
There's nobody up
there right now in heaven
00:57:29.64\00:57:31.48
walking around on
these golden streets.
00:57:31.51\00:57:33.62
When that time comes,
we're going to be able
00:57:33.65\00:57:35.78
to abide in the glory
00:57:35.82\00:57:37.49
of the light of
the God Almighty,
00:57:37.52\00:57:40.02
and the Lamb Christ Jesus.
00:57:40.06\00:57:41.99
Amen somebody?
00:57:42.02\00:57:43.63
What a glorious place is going
to be, walls, construction,
00:57:43.66\00:57:46.96
foundations, gates,
00:57:47.00\00:57:49.40
all these precious
and beautiful stones
00:57:49.43\00:57:52.03
are nothing in comparison
00:57:52.07\00:57:53.97
to the beauty of
God and of the Lamb.
00:57:54.00\00:57:56.37
So keep on trusting,
00:57:56.40\00:57:57.77
keep on giving
your heart to Christ
00:57:57.81\00:58:00.11
'cause one day if
it doesn't make sense,
00:58:00.14\00:58:02.38
it will come
into A Sharper Focus.
00:58:02.41\00:58:04.95
God bless you.
00:58:04.98\00:58:06.31