The New Heavens and the New Earth — Shane Idleman

The message this morning, I think we have the screen, is the new heavens and the new earth. The new heavens and the new earth. Many times we talk about heaven and we have different concepts. Last week, I believe it was last week or the week before, I didn't think to look, but I spoke about hell.

Understanding Heaven in Light of Hell

Three things that Jesus said about hell. And to properly appreciate heaven, you have to understand what the other side of that equation is. So go back and listen to that if you need to. But this morning, we're gonna talk about the new heavens and the new earth.

We're in a series, Theology on Fire. This is part 20. I believe we'll be ending it today. And whether you're young or old, whether you live in America or any other continent, I believe that God has stamped eternity on our hearts.

Ecclesiastics talks about this as well. Stamped eternity on our hearts. We have eternity written on our hearts. That's why people know there's a clock ticking. There's an alarm clock coming that's going to sound the alarm.

People know, and you see as the days continue, evil increases and there's a, we know that there is eternity coming. We were created to understand certain things about God because we are created in God's image.

So this morning, we're gonna try to answer a few questions. What is heaven? Is it a place? How will the earth be renewed? And what will it be like to live in the new heavens and the new earth? Now, let me tell you up front that there is a lot of speculation.

All we can go off of is what the Bible says. And then a lot of people, in other words, the Bible gives us the meat, and a lot of people like to add the lettuce and the ketchup and the buns and make it a hamburger and present it.

So all we really know, and I've had people argue things about me. I'm like, I don't know. The Bible's not real clear, is it? We just know certain things. Especially, for example, end times theology. You know, eschatology, the study of end times.

We can put certain pieces together, but we're really not gonna know the full picture until Jesus returns, and then it all begins to make sense. And I'm actually pulling a lot of this out of Wayne Grudem's book on systematic theology.

So you can cross-reference that if you want a good study on this from Wayne Grudem. A lot of these points came from there. Also, Randy Acorn has a good book on heaven, explaining a lot about heaven and what it's about.

But let me just pull from the Bible. We know this, we will live eternally with God in the new heavens and the new earth. After the final judgment, believers enter into the full enjoyment of life in God's presence forever.

Matthew 25, Revelation 22, and I've got all these verses if you need them. They'll be under our sermon notes, under the audio version of this message, and that's where you can find those. So we do know that, we will live eternally with God in the new heavens and the new earth.

The Reliability of Scripture as the Source of Hope

Now the question comes up, okay, that's great if you believe the Bible, but how do we know the Bible's accurate? Well, in case you haven't been here before, I talk about the reliability of the Bible often.

Historically, it's right on the money historically. Prophetically, archeologically, scientifically, written over 1 ,500 years by 40 different authors saying the same thing, the same tone, the same theme.

And as a person who just finished a book and having my mom kind of help me in the editing process, we can't agree on that. Two people writing the same thing. So to have this book written over 1 ,500 years, 40 different authors, no inconsistencies.

I've still thrown out that challenge to my atheist friends to show me one spot of the Bible where it is off scientifically. We know that the accuracy of the Bible, that's why we call it the inerrancy of Scripture, it is reliable.

So that's where we get our source of information. Unlike other books out there that are not reliable, this one has stood the test of time. And again, in all those areas, we know that it is true. Not only that, it ministers to your own heart, doesn't it?

It's a testimony to your own heart. It confirms different things. So what is heaven? Well, heaven is the place where God fully makes known his presence. And what we don't know is where is it? Is it out past Jupiter?

Or in a different galaxy? Or, well, we know that God is spirit and he lives outside of time. And it might be a different type of dimensional aspect. We just don't know. But we do know that it is a place from what the Bible says.

And God's presence will be evident. Isaiah 66, 1 Peter, Matthew 6. But let me read one of those, 1 Peter 3, 22. Jesus, I put it in parentheses, who is Jesus? Jesus has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God.

Remember, the right hand is a position of authority and power. God has given Jesus all authority and all power. That's why the demonic realm hates him. That's why at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord because God has established this.

So Jesus has gone into heaven, wherever that might be, and is at the right hand of God. Angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to him. Everything sits under Christ's dominion. That's why we don't fear the powers of darkness.

That's why we don't fear Satan to a certain degree because God has already conquered hell, death, sin, and the grave. Our Lord, our Savior is the final authority in all these matters. So you seek him.

Stay close to the shepherd. That's how you avoid Satan. You stay really close to the shepherd and that coyote won't get you. Heaven is a place, not just a state of mind. I think that's good to clarify because sometimes we think, well, it's a state of mind.

Well, according to the Bible, Acts 1, Acts 7, John 14, heaven is a place. John 14, three, Jesus said, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. That is where I am.

There you also will be. I messed that up a little bit in my reading. But Jesus is saying, I'm going to prepare a place for you. Again, we don't know exactly what that is, where there'll need to be a bed.

Mansions, they've talked about, beds. We don't know exactly, but we do know that Jesus is going to prepare a place and he will come again. This is one reason why we get the doctrine of the immediate returning of Jesus Christ.

Most in the church believe that Jesus Christ can come at any moment for his church. Some will say, no, certain things need to happen, but we've always, even 2 ,000 years ago, they believed in Christ returning at any moment, in any time, because we just don't know.

So he says, I will come again and you can take that to the bank. That's more sure than Wells Fargo. That's more sure than your stocks. That's more sure than your 401k. And that is a lot more sure than our retirement under Social Security and the healthcare plans and different things.

When he says, I will come again, take it to the bank. It's done, it's been solidified. So the physical creation will be renewed and will continue to exist. So that's an interesting thing. I've got eight different scriptures here from Hebrews to 2 Peter, Revelation.

The Renewal of Creation After the Fall

But the physical creation, what God created, will be renewed and will continue to exist. Now, there's different thoughts on that. I believe that God has already created everything that's going to be created.

He spoke it into existence. And that's why a lot of people, and some disagree, but there won't be an evaporation of everything and a renewal of a new earth. There could be a recreation. I'm gonna explain that in a minute.

Romans 8, 19, for the earnest expectation of creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God. So even creation is groaning, it's waiting for Jesus' return to fix everything. Verse 20, for the creation was subject to futility, meaning we were under the curse of sin and death, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope.

Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. So even the creation, even earth was affected by the fall. Even how God created things, the atmosphere was damaged because of the fall.

So creation is waiting. And I like what 2 Peter 3, 10 said. We're reading a lot of scripture today. Hope that's okay. I don't know if I have this one up there. I do. Some of these I popped in later. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

So it does beg the question, are you ready? Are you ready? Because when the thief comes, actually the thief, wrong analogy there. When the Lord comes, it's going to be like a thief, meaning without expectancy.

We are expecting, but we don't know. It's gonna become at any time, so is the person, are they ready for his return? In which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat.

Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? So it's a good reminder, listen, Jesus is coming again.

Therefore, what kind of persons should we be? Everything we're building, everything we're buying will be vaporized, so what kind of person should we be? In this time of summer, I'm often reminded, right?

We've got the guy down the street, he's got a brand new $300 ,000 motor home. Then he's got his jet skis being pulled by that. Then he's got his boat sitting in the garage. And then he's working and working and working and working.

He gets at the end of his life and he realizes I've lost my family. I don't even know the Lord. See, the fertility, the brevity of life, of focusing on the wrong things. And when you focus on those things, it's not fulfilling, is it?

If you've been there, you know it. The more you own, actually, the more owns you. The more you own, the more owns you. So what manner of people ought we be in godliness? Now, those who are convicted are gonna leave here and say, Shane said I couldn't ride a jet ski.

No, no. I do whenever I get a chance. But I ran it, here's your $100, thank you. I don't have to worry about registration. I don't have to buy it. I don't have to haul a trailer around. Right, it's getting our line.

That's not an example I'm saying. I'm just saying don't take this out of context. Just put things in perspective. Do they have a hold on you or can you let them go? Are they controlling you or can you let them go?

Does it truly own you? So that's what he's saying here. All of this is going to go away. And isn't it interesting you see people put so much years and years and years and years and into their dream house and then they die a couple years later.

Their whole life was invested into these things. So looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, we should be looking for and preparing for it. Because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat.

Nevertheless, we according to his promise, God's promise, we look for the new heavens and we look for the new earth in which righteousness will dwell. So again, quoting Wayne Grudem, the earth may be changed and renewed.

It's difficult to think that God would annihilate his original creation as it seems to give the devil the last word by scrapping what was originally very good. So his point here, which I don't tend to disagree with is it's not like gonna go okay, the devil ruined all of this.

I've got to get rid of everything. I've got to start over again. He might renew and restore the damage and rebuild the heavens and the earth and not completely evaporate it, annihilate it and come up with a brand new creation.

Now people could say, I don't agree with that. That's fine. We don't know. I just know I don't want to be around facing judgment when everything is evaporating. Everything's being burned with fire. We just don't know.

But we do know that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Passages may simply refer to the burning up of some of the things on the earth in its present form, not its very existence. So does it mean God is going to evaporate earth and then start over?

Or is he gonna recreate or restructure and renew? Well, that's up to you to ponder and us to find out. But we do know there will be a renewing, a restoring. And our resurrected bodies will be part of the renewed creation.

Our resurrected bodies will be part of the new creation. So let me just listen. Let's listen to 2 Corinthians 5. I don't think I gave it to you, Christine, in time. 2 Corinthians 5, chapter five, verse one.

I'm just gonna read it. So listen to this. For we know that in our earthly house, this tent is destroyed. We have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation, which is from heaven.

So if you're a real believer, you know exactly what he's talking about. Now, some of us, we don't wanna go just yet. We've got work to do and we're gonna miss people. But we have this other side of us that's like, get me out of here as quickly as possible.

I'm groaning, especially as you get older. And this is hurting. This is hurting. My teeth are hurting. Get me out of this tent. It is perishing. I'm groaning for this new body. And then verse five. Now he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the spirit as a guarantee.

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. So believers are given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of this place in heaven. Therefore, we're always confident knowing that God is going to end the story well.

For we walk by faith and not by sight. There's where that old saying comes from. It's in the Bible. We walk by faith and not by sight. Let me encourage you this morning. This is easy to say but hard to do sometimes, isn't it?

Just walk by faith, brother. People tell you that. Just walk by faith, not by sight. Well, why don't you go through what I'm going through and then you try that on yourself? But it's really true. And that's not the right attitude to have, but that's how the flesh sometimes thinks, right?

But that's how we're supposed to walk. I trust God's promises. I'm stepping out on who he said he is. I know there's a heaven. I know there's a new earth. I know God's gonna redeem and set me free. I'm walking by faith in that.

And if you don't feel real confident in this area, it's probably because you don't spend a lot of time in his word. Because when you spend time in his words, you build the relationship. And the relationship is built, you're not afraid of death as much.

I think there is in a lot of people this uncertainty. I'll just tell you up front, I'm not excited about it all the time. There's uncertainty. I wouldn't call it doubt, but I would say, I don't know what's on the other side.

I'm mainly pain, right? I don't know how much pain this is gonna cost me. But I don't know. I mean, there's a little God I believe, but help my unbelief. Lord, I don't doubt you. I'm sure as the sun's gonna come up, but Lord, help that little bit of that doubt coming up.

See, it's part of that sinful nature. So I wanna encourage you, it's okay to be a little uncertain about, or worried about, or fearful about understanding that the flesh is trying to knock you off course.

And that'll often happen before somebody is going to die. Maybe they've got a certain amount of time. They will struggle with this. They will struggle with this, like, okay, I'm excited, I can't wait to meet the Lord, but then two hours later, this fear comes in.

I wish I would've spent more time with my, had I known, and so that's healthy. Not healthy maybe is not the right word, but it's normal for the Christian that some of them will go back and forth, and they will be joy-filled, and then tear-filled hours later, because it's part of that Adamic nature, that nature of Adam that still has that sinful hold on us.

So we see that. What manner of persons ought we to be according to his promise, walking by faith and not by sight? And then, let me just read more from Corinthians 15, 1 Corinthians 15, we might have this one up there.

And I did something I don't do too often. I use the NLT, New Living Translation. It's more of a paraphrase. I wouldn't use it as a study Bible. I don't recommend it as a Bible. But if you have it, you're not going to hell.

It just, it's a paraphrase. It's like you wouldn't, if I said, hey, here's this new Bible, guys. I wrote it, it's my thoughts. Don't use that as the Bible. That's just my paraphrasing. That's what actually I do during sermons.

I paraphrase, and you look at the source to get, to confirm it if you need to. But it's a good paraphrase on this. In the same way with the resurrection of the dead, our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised up to live forever.

Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. So you have this image of dying and brokenness, meaning we're broken, we're shattered. The body is decaying. It's going back to the earth of where it was created.

But then he says, we will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but will be raised in strength. And then they are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies.

So it's a good reminder that this is an earthly tent. We take care of this earthly tent because it's all we have on this side of heaven. This is how we do ministry. This is how we live. This is how we function.

And I found the better you take care of your body, the better you will feel. So when we struggle with serotonin, dopamine levels, anxiety, depression, all these different things, the better you take care of the tent, the way God designed it, the better you will feel and the better, more productive you will be.

Resurrected Bodies and Life in the New Creation

So here's a question. What good will it do to have a body in heaven? Right? Because we have this image of just floating around in clouds all day, like laying out by the pool. And I actually had somebody tell me many years ago, I don't want to go to heaven and just worship all day.

We're just going to worship for eternity and just sit in pews? Well, let's think this through for a minute. Again, Wayne Grudem. Most of our enjoyment of what God has made involves our physical bodies.

And there will be a resurrected body. So in my opinion, I see the body being active. If a person enjoys a physical body, if a person enjoys painting or singing or music, we might be able to share those same things or participate in those things in heaven.

I mean, I just know it's going to be a lot better than here. So I'm not really worried about it. I mean, we're going to be doing things. In the new heavens and the new earth, there will be a place and activities for our resurrected bodies, which will never grow old or become weak or ill.

There is nothing inherently unscriptural about the physical world that God made and called very good. So here's what the scriptures say in Revelation. We will eat and drink at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The river of the water of life will flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the streets of the city. Revelation 22. Unless you think all this is allegory. The tree of life will bear 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.

So is that still coming? Isn't it interesting? There's going to be a... God created fruit when creation was perfect. So that fruit, what I've talked about before, that fruit gives life. There might be something there that gives life, sustains the body.

Then the fall comes. The DNA, whatever happens, our bodies are now corrupted by sin because of taking that fruit. And now again, we're going to go back to this place of having fruit to eat. I know that's not good news for you junk food junkies, but it is good news.

And then also music is prominent in descriptions of heaven. So it's possible that both musical and artistic activities will be done to the glory of God. And I love seeing this picture. I don't know, I've seen it so many times now.

You probably have too. I think it's on a gravestone out at a graveyard. On top of the graveyard, it has a wheelchair and it has a boy standing, reaching up to heaven, like going, like his whole body will be restored and renewed.

It's so encouraging because this isn't fluff. This isn't pie in the sky. This is doctrinal truth that Jesus is coming again, that there will be a place where we spend eternity with him. And God is infinite, correct?

We are finite, means we don't know that much. People think they know so much and it's just, we don't know anything compared to everything there is to know. So many believe that we will spend eternity learning more about God, learning more about creation.

Though the new Jerusalem will never experience night, the book of Revelation relates many actions that involve a sequence of events. So there could be a sequence of events, even though we don't live in the time element, we're not subject to time, there could be sequence of events.

Storing Treasures in Heaven Rather Than on Earth

The doctrine of the new creation provides a great motivation for storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. You've heard that before, right? Store up your treasures in heaven, not in earth. So this doctrine of new creation, can you imagine heaven for eternity?

And we get so focused on the here and now. The Bible describes your life and my life as a vapor, as a dash on a tombstone. That's our life. Yet we focus so much laying up treasures here that will be burned, that won't amount to anything.

There's actually been studies that, I think it's good to leave people things, but where millionaires have left their kids, their fortune, and it destroys them because they've never worked hard. They don't know what it is to appreciate things.

They lay up and they lay up and they work and they work and they work and they don't go to heaven and they leave this wealth of riches and we know it's hard for a rich man to get into heaven and it leads their family astray.

So where are our treasures? Where is our heart? Matthew 6, 19, do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Now a couple things happen when we hear this verse. We immediately check out like, well, that's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna go live in a tent in the desert.

But it's really not talking about that. It talks about where's your heart at? Where's our heart at? Where's our priorities? What is first in your life? Does it have spiritual value? What's first in your life?

Does it have spiritual value? For example, I have a house, my neighbor has a house. I have a car, my neighbor has a car. So it's not on that alone, but where's my priorities? Where's my heart? Where do we set aside a good portion of income to to give to God's work?

Where's our focus going and helping people and leading to see that it's all about priorities? Now I do believe that we can build up and build up and build up and build up. Like how many cars does Jay Leno have?

Right, or what's that guy, Seinfeld? You know, it's like the garage is bigger than this church. And see, that's what was a point of that. You're laying up yourself treasure that will perish, rust will destroy it.

Also has to do with investments. What are you building? God's kingdom or your own? That's why the Bible teaches a healthy balance. We are, I believe we are to store and save money. I believe we are to have time during the lean seasons and glad that we invest wisely, not all the eggs in one basket.

You know what that means, right? I'm gonna put all my money into Enron. For the older folks, you know what that is. That destroyed a lot of lives. They put all their hope into this company that was cooking the books.

They say, look at our profit, look at our this and lost everything. So you diversify. But also you take a good chunk. What's a good chunk? A chunk that hurts a little. You know, I mean, okay, that's, because if it doesn't hurt, if it doesn't cost you anything, it doesn't mean anything to God.

And you put that aside for, okay, Lord, what do you want to work? I don't do, I don't care if you sponsor children. I don't care if you give to an evangelistic campaign and you get the message out there.

But there should be some investment into giving to the furtherance of the gospel. And that's, this is, on this point people say, oh, the church just wants our money. No, the church doesn't want your money.

We don't need anybody's money. We're doing fine. But you better lay hold of that pocketbook and have it, you control it, then it control you. Because it's the priorities of the heart. So that, are we laying ourselves, because I know people, firemen, policemen, good jobs, everything is going into their things.

And more things and more things. So they're laying themselves up treasures here. I mean, isn't it a little bit silly to buy and buy and buy and buy and build and build and build knowing it's just gone?

It's just, it will rust and evaporate. The house we love in 50 years might be bulldozed for a community center. I mean, who knows? So there should be, my point is, there should be a portion, a portion where you build up your treasure in heaven.

How do I do that? Well, Jesus said, if you give to the person who needs water, you're giving to me. If you clothe the person who needs clothing, you're giving to me. So if you don't feel confident in a church, you can give to, say, a pregnancy resource center that is stopping abortions.

I'm going to actually speak in one in October in Washington for this very reason, to encourage people to help women that are struggling in this area. What about single moms, shelters that need to house people, the homeless?

And so we give a portion, or if you give to the church, the church does that as well. So you give a portion of your treasure so you're laying up treasure in heaven. Now, I don't think God's going to judge us all.

Okay, well, Shane, you don't give as much as a millionaire gives, so he's going to have many more treasures. He looks at the ability that is given us. If one person gives $25 and helps a missionary on the mission field, I believe that person's going to be the same as a millionaire giving $250 ,000 a year.

The treasures will be the same because of the ability and because of what they've been given. So that's all it is, and people think, oh, the Christians just want me to sell my house and go live with my mom and don't own anything.

That's really not what stewardship is. You take care of your family, you're a wise investor. When God gives you more, you give others more. It's about stewarding the gift that he's given you, but where does your treasure lie?

You know, I know. We can often do a little bit more in this area. So it really has to do with time, resources, and money. Where is our heart? Simple, this could mean simple readjustments. It doesn't have to be big things.

It could be a simple readjustment. I've seen people say, you know what, I'm disconnecting Netflix and sending my $10 here. Oh, it's quiet in here. Let me pick a different one. I'm disconnecting whatever.

You know what, I'm gonna stop my Starbucks addiction every day, let's be honest, $3, $4, $120 a month, and I'm gonna stop this, God, I'm gonna honor you, and I'm gonna send this somewhere, or I'm gonna do this with it.

Or you say, Lord, you show me. Where do you want me to give it? See how it's just little readjustments? Now I'm storing up heaven, or now I'm storing up money for heaven. I'm not storing in my body partially hydrogenated oils, moddy sodium, glutamate, and aspartame, a whole bunch of sugar I don't need, and destroying the temple.

Right, you're exchanging readjustments here. Because people sometimes fall short because they think it's this big, oh, I should never buy the house. Is that what he's saying? No, I'm not saying that. But why not buy a little bit smaller house than have extra?

And I've opened up about this. I will do it again this morning. It was a struggle, I'll just tell you up front. We bought a house four years ago, and we met with the lender, and she said, oh my, you know, you can't qualify for more than that.

I said, well, we give to the church, and we give, well, the bank doesn't care about that stuff. They don't look at that as bills. Like, well, oh, I do. Right, but you can qualify for more. You can go to the west side, big house, a pool, if you wanna qualify for a little more.

Well, no, we have to keep that in there. But the bank doesn't care, Shane. Well, I know, but you're not listening to me. But anyway, long story short is, it's that struggle. So we look at our bills. No, we sponsor, I think, four kids overseas, and so we just, I'm not trying to brag because we could do more, but I'm just saying how we lay it out and say, okay, we need a house payment that fits within this model of giving, building up treasure in heaven.

Not, let's get the house and then fit everything else in that model and remove things that are important. So it's about readjusting and reprioritizing. And I did fight this for a few weeks, because you drive around these, right, and you're like, oh, half acre with the pool.

Oh, goodness. Maybe we don't have to give anymore, you know? It's funny how the flesh loves to negotiate. So again, it's just about simple readjustments. What simple readjustments can we make in our life?

Where are we spending extra money that could go to furthering the gospel? Because that's how you add up, that's how you store up treasure in heaven, is you're giving to those in need. And you be wise about this.

You see some guy on TV going, just send me your $1 ,000. Send me your $1 ,000 this week, and I've got some oil for you. I've got, well, actually, I've got anointed nail. They use this in Jesus's wrist.

And if you, the first 1 ,000 people, I will send you, well, how did you get 1 ,000 of these if it was only, right? But the con artists, the shenanigans, the send me money for my jet, this is baloney. Look and ask God for wisdom on where to give, where to, maybe a family in need.

You know what, I'm just gonna send them $100 in groceries a month. I'm gonna store up, and this single mom needs my help. And you start to just readjust a little bit. And now you're storing up things in heaven, and that adds up over the course of a lifetime, doesn't it?

Go online, research. If a 20-year-old kid starts saving $100 a month, they can be a millionaire by the time they retire. Something like that. Don't quote me exactly on the numbers, but it's such a small amount.

I'm like, I wish I would've known that at 20 or 18. They can retire with a million dollars in savings. See, same thing in God's economy. You add. He keeps multiplying and multiplying and multiplying to what we give, but Shane, it's only $100.