WEBVTT 00:00:00.440 --> 00:00:05.160 We are in Isaiah. The very end of Isaiah, chapter 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:12.919 65. There are 66 chapters, so it's next to the 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:20.660 last one. And we'll be looking at this glorious 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:25.379 new creation. The Word of God, beginning of verse 00:00:25.379 --> 00:00:30.399 17. For behold, I create new heavens and a new 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:34.899 earth, and the former shall not be remembered 00:00:34.899 --> 00:00:39.679 or even come to mind. I'll be glad and rejoice 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:43.840 forever in what I create. For behold, I create 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:47.500 Jerusalem as a rejoicing and her people a joy. 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.479 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people. 00:00:54.340 --> 00:00:56.399 The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:01.140 in her. nor the voice of crying. No more shall 00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:04.319 an infant from there live but a few days, nor 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:07.519 an old man who has not fulfilled his days. For 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:09.299 the child shall die one hundred years old, but 00:01:09.299 --> 00:01:11.239 the sinner being one hundred years old shall 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:15.159 be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:17.659 them. They shall plant vineyards and eat their 00:01:17.659 --> 00:01:20.799 fruit. They shall not build houses and another 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:23.340 inhabit. They shall not plant and another eat. 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:26.680 For as the days of a tree shall be the days of 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:30.659 my people, and my elect shall long enjoy the 00:01:30.659 --> 00:01:33.599 work of their hands. They shall not labor in 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:36.480 vain, nor bring forth children for trouble, for 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:38.060 they shall be the descendants of the blessed 00:01:38.060 --> 00:01:41.780 of the Lord and their offspring with them. It 00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:44.859 shall come to pass that before they call, I will 00:01:44.859 --> 00:01:48.180 answer, and while they are still speaking, I 00:01:48.180 --> 00:01:51.959 will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:56.180 The lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust 00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:59.799 shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt 00:01:59.799 --> 00:02:03.959 nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says the 00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:07.760 Lord, says Yahweh. Let's pray. Father, help us 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:11.360 this morning, Lord, to make much of your Son 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:15.060 and his salvation. Oh, God, comfort your people, 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:18.759 Lord. Lord, we are in the Advent season, a season 00:02:18.759 --> 00:02:21.680 of hope and comfort and expectation and longing. 00:02:23.370 --> 00:02:27.590 But Lord, there's also a sadness for many. God, 00:02:27.909 --> 00:02:34.509 give your people, Lord, hope and peace and joy 00:02:34.509 --> 00:02:38.889 as we anticipate the future that we will live 00:02:38.889 --> 00:02:42.030 because of Christ and because he lives. It's 00:02:42.030 --> 00:02:44.330 in the name of Jesus, your blessed son, we pray. 00:02:44.789 --> 00:02:51.300 Amen. It was Christmas Day, 1863. The United 00:02:51.300 --> 00:02:53.860 States was in the midst of a very bloody civil 00:02:53.860 --> 00:02:58.379 war. This man was grieving the recent loss of 00:02:58.379 --> 00:03:01.919 his wife in a tragic fire, and he himself was 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:05.960 also injured in this fire. The war had also left 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:09.280 his son seriously injured. And on that Christmas 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.120 day, he heard the church bells ringing out, and 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:15.199 he was struck. He was struck by the dissonance 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:18.419 between the promise of peace on earth and the 00:03:18.419 --> 00:03:20.939 terrible violence and the personal suffering 00:03:20.939 --> 00:03:25.319 that he was now experiencing. So then this poet, 00:03:25.699 --> 00:03:27.860 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, picked up his pen 00:03:27.860 --> 00:03:31.699 and he wrote the poem, Christmas Bells. It was 00:03:31.699 --> 00:03:34.939 later put to music with the title, I Heard the 00:03:34.939 --> 00:03:38.099 Bells on Christmas Day. Some of you may be familiar 00:03:38.099 --> 00:03:40.000 with it. I'll read the first stanzas, I only 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:42.599 put the last two on the wall, but he writes this, 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:46.120 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. Their old 00:03:46.120 --> 00:03:50.469 familiar carols play. And wild and sweet the 00:03:50.469 --> 00:03:53.650 words repeat, Peace on earth, goodwill to men. 00:03:54.930 --> 00:03:58.250 And how, as the days had come, the belfrys of 00:03:58.250 --> 00:04:01.090 all Christendom had rolled along the unbroken 00:04:01.090 --> 00:04:04.949 song of peace on earth and goodwill to men. Till 00:04:04.949 --> 00:04:08.810 ringing, singing on its way, the world revolved 00:04:08.810 --> 00:04:12.370 from night to day. A voice, a chime, a chant 00:04:12.370 --> 00:04:15.610 sublime, a peace on earth and goodwill to men. 00:04:16.689 --> 00:04:20.750 Then from each black, accursed mouth, the cannon 00:04:20.750 --> 00:04:24.069 thundered in the south, and with the sound the 00:04:24.069 --> 00:04:27.089 carols drowned of peace on earth, good will to 00:04:27.089 --> 00:04:31.290 men. It was as if an earthquake rent the heart 00:04:31.290 --> 00:04:35.509 stones of a continent and made forlorn the households 00:04:35.509 --> 00:04:38.610 born of peace on earth and good will to men. 00:04:39.449 --> 00:04:44.110 And in despair, I bowed my head. There is no 00:04:44.110 --> 00:04:48.620 peace on earth, I said. For hate is strong and 00:04:48.620 --> 00:04:52.180 mocks the song of peace on earth goodwill to 00:04:52.180 --> 00:04:56.660 men Then peeled the bells more loud and deep 00:04:56.660 --> 00:05:02.199 God is not dead nor doth he sleep The wrong shall 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:06.360 fail the right prevail With peace on earth and 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:09.459 goodwill to men. I actually love this carol. 00:05:09.459 --> 00:05:12.529 I love the song Because it relates to us how 00:05:12.529 --> 00:05:15.730 our present experience does not negate our ultimate 00:05:15.730 --> 00:05:19.629 reality. In other words, how things are right 00:05:19.629 --> 00:05:24.230 now is not how things will always be. Today's 00:05:24.230 --> 00:05:27.110 the second Sunday of Advent and the focus is 00:05:27.110 --> 00:05:30.790 on peace. The promise of peace, sounds good doesn't 00:05:30.790 --> 00:05:33.029 it? It offers hope, it offers comfort. What? 00:05:33.129 --> 00:05:35.209 Comfort and hope that better days are coming 00:05:35.209 --> 00:05:40.839 to a people who are worn down by life. This present 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:44.560 life is hard. Job said that man who is born of 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:49.660 woman is a few days and full of trouble. Jesus 00:05:49.660 --> 00:05:52.899 our Lord said, in this world, in this age, you 00:05:52.899 --> 00:05:56.360 will have tribulation. But be of good comfort, 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:58.759 be of good cheer, for I have overcome this world. 00:06:00.180 --> 00:06:02.060 If the world allows me to see January, this particular 00:06:02.060 --> 00:06:05.139 January will mark the beginning of my 17th year 00:06:05.139 --> 00:06:07.879 here as the pastor. It'll actually, in February, 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:11.379 mark the 22nd year that I came and joined pastoral 00:06:11.379 --> 00:06:15.319 staff here at Mamory, February of 2004. And of 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:18.939 all those years, and they've been good, this 00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:21.740 past year, 2025, was one of the saddest I've 00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:25.660 ever experienced. There were so many funerals, 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:29.779 and so many sudden deaths, and it left us, and 00:06:29.779 --> 00:06:33.430 it left me reeling, and it left us shaken. And 00:06:33.430 --> 00:06:35.410 yet at Christmas at Advent, we're going to hear 00:06:35.410 --> 00:06:38.370 the familiar promise in Luke 2, and I love Luke 00:06:38.370 --> 00:06:41.509 2. For there is born to you this day in the city 00:06:41.509 --> 00:06:45.389 of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And 00:06:45.389 --> 00:06:47.170 this will be the sign to you. You will find a 00:06:47.170 --> 00:06:49.009 babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a 00:06:49.009 --> 00:06:52.149 manger. And suddenly there was with the angel 00:06:52.149 --> 00:06:55.329 a multitude of the heavenly host praising God 00:06:55.329 --> 00:06:59.970 and saying, glory to God in the highest and on 00:06:59.970 --> 00:07:05.089 earth peace, good will. toward men. It's funny. 00:07:05.449 --> 00:07:08.430 Peace on earth. Is there peace on earth right 00:07:08.430 --> 00:07:13.170 now? I mean, look around. What do we see? The 00:07:13.170 --> 00:07:18.350 war between Russia and Ukraine drags on. The 00:07:18.350 --> 00:07:20.589 conflict between Israel and Palestine there in 00:07:20.589 --> 00:07:24.939 Gaza. Christians, God's people, are ruthlessly 00:07:24.939 --> 00:07:27.920 attacked in Nigeria, Sudan, as well as the Congo. 00:07:28.459 --> 00:07:30.600 It's this year, just this past year alone, over 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:33.500 7 ,000 Christians have been martyred for their 00:07:33.500 --> 00:07:37.160 faith in Nigeria. Look around, there's poverty 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:41.500 and hunger, human rights violations in many, 00:07:41.779 --> 00:07:45.199 many parts of the world. Greed and corruption 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:49.199 exist at the highest offices on the land. We 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:50.819 don't even have to talk about human trafficking. 00:07:52.340 --> 00:07:57.220 injustice, abuse of power, or ubiquitous. So 00:07:57.220 --> 00:07:59.660 given this current situation, are we naive to 00:07:59.660 --> 00:08:03.000 believe in the promise of peace? Are we gullible? 00:08:03.300 --> 00:08:05.639 Are we just fooling ourselves that this angel's 00:08:05.639 --> 00:08:08.879 declaration is true? I mean, what exactly did 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:12.120 the angel mean when he announced peace on earth? 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:16.500 Good will to men. I suppose if I were to give 00:08:16.500 --> 00:08:18.639 you a one -sentence summary, here's what it would 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:26.939 be. Jesus, the Divine Son of God, took on flesh 00:08:26.939 --> 00:08:31.459 and was born of the virgin's womb to reverse 00:08:31.459 --> 00:08:37.179 the curse of sin. Peace on earth will be a reality 00:08:37.179 --> 00:08:43.639 because Jesus came. God was born from that virgin's 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:46.340 womb. So this is what gives us hope. We live 00:08:46.340 --> 00:08:49.840 in hope in the midst of a very sorrowful world 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:53.070 with our with the knowledge that our God will 00:08:53.070 --> 00:08:55.690 ultimately banish in. That day's coming and He 00:08:55.690 --> 00:08:58.929 will ultimately banish sorrow forever as well. 00:08:59.269 --> 00:09:01.509 So what we currently experience, and we're not 00:09:01.509 --> 00:09:05.330 denying it, there is sorrow, there is death, 00:09:05.690 --> 00:09:08.769 there are trials, but that's not the way it will 00:09:08.769 --> 00:09:12.250 always be. And that's the promise of our text 00:09:12.250 --> 00:09:15.570 this morning in Isaiah 65. A new beginning is 00:09:15.570 --> 00:09:19.360 on the horizon. A new realm of existence that 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:21.980 is so radically different from our present one 00:09:21.980 --> 00:09:26.159 that the curse of God upon mankind, upon all 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:30.419 creation, upon all that we currently know will 00:09:30.419 --> 00:09:34.679 be taken away. This is so pervasive. It is so 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:36.559 intense that it's called a new heavens and a 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:40.480 new earth. Now we're in Isaiah 65 this morning. 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:43.340 It's the final section of Isaiah, and Isaiah 00:09:43.340 --> 00:09:46.320 is focusing on the consummation of God's plan. 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:49.500 So these verses, they help us, they move beyond 00:09:49.500 --> 00:09:51.379 the present reality, the one which we currently 00:09:51.379 --> 00:09:55.700 live in, to show this cosmic renewal that's already 00:09:55.700 --> 00:09:59.480 begun. It's already started because God's final 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:03.240 plan began with Christ's first coming and it 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:06.600 will be fully realized or consummated at His 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:10.980 second coming. So what we see in Isaiah 65 is 00:10:10.980 --> 00:10:14.399 a picture, a poetic picture of the consummated 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:17.769 kingdom of God. It shows us the eternal state. 00:10:18.710 --> 00:10:20.870 Now when we talk about the kingdom, we can say 00:10:20.870 --> 00:10:22.830 the kingdom of God is already here. Jesus said 00:10:22.830 --> 00:10:25.049 the kingdom of God is within you. The kingdom 00:10:25.049 --> 00:10:29.009 of God is present on the earth in seed form in 00:10:29.009 --> 00:10:30.590 the lives of the believers, in the lives of the 00:10:30.590 --> 00:10:33.629 church. But that's not the fruition. That's just 00:10:33.629 --> 00:10:35.850 the beginning of the kingdom. It will be brought 00:10:35.850 --> 00:10:38.529 to fruition. It will be brought to consummation 00:10:38.529 --> 00:10:43.169 when our Lord returns again. But as we think 00:10:43.169 --> 00:10:46.669 about that, The final age of the world is already 00:10:46.669 --> 00:10:50.549 with us. The renewal of the world is already 00:10:50.549 --> 00:10:55.529 underway. For when Christ, when He ascended into 00:10:55.529 --> 00:10:59.490 heaven, the plan of God entered into its fulfillment. 00:10:59.929 --> 00:11:01.850 This is why, if you look at the New Testament, 00:11:01.909 --> 00:11:04.110 it says we are living in the last days. The last 00:11:04.110 --> 00:11:05.870 days are the time between Christ's ascension 00:11:05.870 --> 00:11:09.029 and Christ's return. In these days, Christ is 00:11:09.029 --> 00:11:10.769 reigning. We're not waiting for Christ to reign. 00:11:10.929 --> 00:11:13.509 He's reigning, but He's reigning in His church. 00:11:13.870 --> 00:11:17.190 in word and sacrament. But this present day, 00:11:17.269 --> 00:11:19.909 the one in which we currently live, is still 00:11:19.909 --> 00:11:24.269 marked by suffering, pain, and heartache. The 00:11:24.269 --> 00:11:26.889 evil one still attacks. Yes, he's already been 00:11:26.889 --> 00:11:28.970 defeated at the cross, but he's still attacking 00:11:28.970 --> 00:11:32.370 the church. So this present time, it's a time 00:11:32.370 --> 00:11:37.509 of waiting and watching and witnessing to the 00:11:37.509 --> 00:11:41.070 world of the gospel of Christ. I think about 00:11:41.070 --> 00:11:45.279 right now life. We are still engaged in trials, 00:11:45.860 --> 00:11:50.440 disappointments, true suffering, true grief, 00:11:51.340 --> 00:11:55.379 true heartache, and we are waiting anxiously 00:11:55.379 --> 00:11:59.059 for our Lord's return in power and great glory 00:11:59.059 --> 00:12:02.120 and ushering in that final, eternal kingdom. 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:06.220 But what will that be like? What is the future 00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:10.840 that you and I can anticipate? Isaiah 65, now 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:14.240 this is a poem. It's a Hebrew poem, but it gives 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:16.440 us a glimpse. There's a promise in verse 17, 00:12:16.700 --> 00:12:23.279 if you look at it. For behold, usually in scripture 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:25.460 means, look, stop, this is something only God 00:12:25.460 --> 00:12:29.720 can do. For behold, I create new heavens and 00:12:29.720 --> 00:12:32.720 a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:36.690 or come to mind. new heavens and new earth. Now 00:12:36.690 --> 00:12:38.090 this, when you're talking about heavens and earth, 00:12:38.250 --> 00:12:41.129 this is the totality of all things. The renovation 00:12:41.129 --> 00:12:45.769 of the entire cosmos is coming. Everything, everything 00:12:45.769 --> 00:12:47.529 in the heavens, everything on earth, is going 00:12:47.529 --> 00:12:52.110 to be renewed. This renewal and transfiguration 00:12:52.110 --> 00:12:55.450 is just that. It's not a replacement of the present 00:12:55.450 --> 00:12:57.970 cosmos. What do I mean by that? Because if you 00:12:57.970 --> 00:13:00.149 go to Revelation 21, we'll look at that later, 00:13:00.509 --> 00:13:04.659 the word new in Greek is word kainos. Kinos is 00:13:04.659 --> 00:13:07.179 understood as renewed in nature. It's not brand 00:13:07.179 --> 00:13:09.799 -new in substance. That's an important distinction 00:13:09.799 --> 00:13:12.299 here. So God is going to take what we currently 00:13:12.299 --> 00:13:15.399 see and He's going to renew it, renovate it, 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:18.600 and it'll be so renewed, so absolutely remodeled, 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:21.879 if you will, that it's a new heaven and a new 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:26.240 earth. But this new creation, it began with the 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:28.899 resurrection and ascension of Christ. In fact, 00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:32.929 you are a new creation in Christ. Christ is what? 00:13:33.049 --> 00:13:35.710 He's the firstborn of all creation, Colossians 00:13:35.710 --> 00:13:39.850 1. But all that he's doing right now will have 00:13:39.850 --> 00:13:43.950 an end point. It will be consummated at the second 00:13:43.950 --> 00:13:46.750 coming. And again, I look forward to this change 00:13:46.750 --> 00:13:49.029 because it's going to be so thorough. It says 00:13:49.029 --> 00:13:51.029 the things that are former, which is what we're 00:13:51.029 --> 00:13:55.570 living right now, will not be remembered. And 00:13:55.570 --> 00:13:57.309 then he goes it further, they won't even come 00:13:57.309 --> 00:14:02.049 to mind. Former things not remembered. This does 00:14:02.049 --> 00:14:04.429 not mean the loss of personal memory. Rather, 00:14:04.549 --> 00:14:07.049 it's speaking of the total absence of sorrow 00:14:07.049 --> 00:14:12.029 and sin and injustice. All that's former, all 00:14:12.029 --> 00:14:14.629 that we currently know, the injustice and the 00:14:14.629 --> 00:14:17.230 trafficking and the enslavement and the corruption 00:14:17.230 --> 00:14:19.470 and the greed, all that's going to be wiped away. 00:14:20.629 --> 00:14:24.350 Everything about the old order will be gone in 00:14:24.350 --> 00:14:27.779 this renovation and you and I will forever live 00:14:27.779 --> 00:14:31.539 in a completely new reality. This new reality 00:14:31.539 --> 00:14:37.200 is paradise, what we had in Eden, restored. This 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:39.799 is the answer to the prayer that Christians have 00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:42.700 prayed since our Lord taught us to pray. Thy 00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:47.559 kingdom come, thy will be done. This is the answer 00:14:47.559 --> 00:14:50.340 right here. This is how God's going to answer 00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:53.379 that prayer. In the book of Romans chapter 8, 00:14:54.059 --> 00:14:57.299 Paul talked about creation being in bondage. 00:14:57.700 --> 00:14:59.620 All of creation. Not just humans. We know we're 00:14:59.620 --> 00:15:02.220 in bondage to sin until Christ liberates us. 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:05.019 But he said the creation itself, even the land 00:15:05.019 --> 00:15:07.399 and the animals and nature, was also subjected 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:10.100 to bondage. And Paul spoke about a future day 00:15:10.100 --> 00:15:12.500 when even creation will be liberated from its 00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:16.960 bondage. Romans 8 beginning at verse 18. Now 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:21.200 notice the language here. For I consider that 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:25.909 the sufferings of this present time are not worthy 00:15:25.909 --> 00:15:29.269 to be compared with a glory which shall be revealed 00:15:29.269 --> 00:15:33.110 in us. Suffering is right now. Glory awaits. 00:15:33.970 --> 00:15:38.210 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly 00:15:38.210 --> 00:15:40.889 waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Now 00:15:40.889 --> 00:15:43.309 look at verse 20, try to follow his logic. For 00:15:43.309 --> 00:15:47.429 the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, 00:15:48.289 --> 00:15:51.590 but because of him who subjected in hope. Because 00:15:51.590 --> 00:15:55.259 the creation itself also will be delivered from 00:15:55.259 --> 00:15:59.159 the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:03.179 of the children of God. For we know that the 00:16:03.179 --> 00:16:07.740 whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs 00:16:07.740 --> 00:16:12.980 together until now. Not only that, but we also 00:16:12.980 --> 00:16:15.779 who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even 00:16:15.779 --> 00:16:21.299 we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting 00:16:21.299 --> 00:16:24.289 for the adoption. That is the redemption of our 00:16:24.289 --> 00:16:28.990 body. Our present sufferings, Paul says, are 00:16:28.990 --> 00:16:33.409 not worthy of comparison with the glory that 00:16:33.409 --> 00:16:37.250 is coming your way. Now Paul is not a stoic. 00:16:37.750 --> 00:16:41.970 He's not minimizing suffering. He does not tell 00:16:41.970 --> 00:16:43.909 believers, hey, just keep a stiff upper lip and 00:16:43.909 --> 00:16:45.669 don't ever cry and don't let them see you sweat. 00:16:46.929 --> 00:16:49.389 No, he says you're going to suffer and you're 00:16:49.389 --> 00:16:52.009 going to cry. But he offers hope in the midst 00:16:52.009 --> 00:16:56.210 of it. He's saying, it'll be worth it, all friend. 00:16:57.330 --> 00:17:00.710 It will be worth it. The pain, the tears, the 00:17:00.710 --> 00:17:02.610 heartache, the disappointment that this age brings, 00:17:02.830 --> 00:17:07.769 it's going to be swallowed up in glory, one second 00:17:07.769 --> 00:17:11.190 into eternity. And every difficulty we have ever 00:17:11.190 --> 00:17:12.930 experienced will be washed away. It will be but 00:17:12.930 --> 00:17:16.150 a distant memory. I love that. Suffering doesn't 00:17:16.150 --> 00:17:21.430 have the final word. Suffering is real. But glory 00:17:21.430 --> 00:17:24.910 is real, too. Suffering, it is temporary, Paul 00:17:24.910 --> 00:17:27.670 says. It's only for this age. It's temporary. 00:17:27.849 --> 00:17:30.390 It has an end date. There's an expiration date. 00:17:30.829 --> 00:17:35.869 But glory never expires. Glory is eternal. Paul 00:17:35.869 --> 00:17:39.230 said in 2 Corinthians 4 17, for our light affliction. 00:17:39.289 --> 00:17:41.490 Now, if anyone had affliction that was heavy, 00:17:41.529 --> 00:17:44.269 it was Paul. And Paul said, our light affliction, 00:17:45.269 --> 00:17:49.009 which is but for a moment, is working for us. 00:17:49.109 --> 00:17:53.289 It's doing something. It's working for us a far 00:17:53.289 --> 00:17:58.950 more far more exceeding and eternal weight of 00:17:58.950 --> 00:18:02.410 glory. Affliction is light and glory is weighty. 00:18:02.529 --> 00:18:04.900 Do you see what he's doing there? And he says, 00:18:05.819 --> 00:18:07.599 right now, all that we seek, all of creation 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:10.440 is groaning under a curse, and it's crying out 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:12.779 for relief. And that relief will be given to 00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:15.720 creation when Christ returns. And he says, yes, 00:18:15.819 --> 00:18:18.079 right now you're going to suffer, friends. Even 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:20.339 the church, even Christians will suffer, but 00:18:20.339 --> 00:18:23.519 don't despair, because glory is your future. 00:18:24.019 --> 00:18:26.900 There will be that future transformation. The 00:18:26.900 --> 00:18:29.440 curse that is currently over all of creation, 00:18:30.099 --> 00:18:33.839 from Genesis 3 .15, will be reversed. Or Genesis, 00:18:34.180 --> 00:18:40.059 sorry. Romans 8 .21. Because the creation itself 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:42.539 will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. 00:18:43.140 --> 00:18:45.500 So right now we know something. Creation is not 00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:49.339 as God intended it to be. It wasn't just mankind, 00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:52.539 Adam and Eve, that were cursed when they sinned. 00:18:52.700 --> 00:18:56.440 So was the land. So was the animal kingdom. The 00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:59.640 entire cosmos. Everything was put under a divine 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:02.539 curse. And we can easily see the effects of that 00:19:02.539 --> 00:19:05.160 curse in nature. In some parts of the world there 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:06.759 are droughts. Other parts of the world there 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:08.619 are floods. In some parts of the world there's 00:19:08.619 --> 00:19:10.859 famines. In some parts of the world there's pestilence. 00:19:11.140 --> 00:19:14.079 There's natural disasters. All those things come 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:17.400 because there was a curse. What about the animal 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:20.720 kingdom? We see violence right now in the animal 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:23.180 kingdom. You have predators kill and devour and 00:19:23.180 --> 00:19:26.539 eat their prey. And Paul said all of this is 00:19:26.539 --> 00:19:29.859 a sign that all of creation is under bondage. 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:34.539 It's frustrated because it is unable to attain 00:19:34.539 --> 00:19:38.400 what God originally designed for it. Let me put 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:41.579 it this way. Creation itself knows that the things 00:19:41.579 --> 00:19:44.279 which are currently are not how they should be. 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:48.740 This is not God's design. When man sinned, when 00:19:48.740 --> 00:19:51.640 Adam fell, the entire created order was cursed, 00:19:51.700 --> 00:19:55.220 and now we live in this frustrated, incomplete 00:19:55.220 --> 00:19:58.539 state. But one day that's all going to change. 00:19:58.970 --> 00:20:02.369 the present order will be transformed to a perfect, 00:20:02.809 --> 00:20:06.029 pristine environment for the redeemed children 00:20:06.029 --> 00:20:09.890 of God to forever live in. And it's so thorough, 00:20:09.950 --> 00:20:13.869 this overhaul, that Isaiah and John in the book 00:20:13.869 --> 00:20:15.950 of Revelation called it new, new heaven, new 00:20:15.950 --> 00:20:19.609 earth, kainos, renovated. Instead of sorrow, 00:20:20.609 --> 00:20:23.670 there will be only joy. Look at verses 18 and 00:20:23.670 --> 00:20:27.900 19 of our text. But be glad and rejoice forever 00:20:27.900 --> 00:20:30.579 in what I create for behold I create Jerusalem 00:20:30.579 --> 00:20:34.079 as rejoicing her people a joy I will rejoice 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:37.019 in Jerusalem and joy in my people the voice of 00:20:37.019 --> 00:20:40.640 weeping no longer heard nor the voice of crying 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:44.319 Notice that the terms that Isaiah uses here be 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:46.740 glad rejoice forever Jerusalem is a rejoicing 00:20:46.740 --> 00:20:49.420 her people are joy God rejoices in Jerusalem 00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:53.049 God takes joy in his people Two verses, many 00:20:53.049 --> 00:20:54.869 times, over and over, he's letting us know something. 00:20:55.329 --> 00:20:57.009 Here's what's going to happen in this new, created 00:20:57.009 --> 00:20:59.170 kingdom. Everywhere you look, everywhere you 00:20:59.170 --> 00:21:01.869 turn, there will be joy. You know what will not 00:21:01.869 --> 00:21:04.009 be found? Sorrow. There won't be a sorrowful 00:21:04.009 --> 00:21:06.430 person. Everyone will be full of joy. Now, can 00:21:06.430 --> 00:21:08.450 you imagine living in a dwelling like this? Can 00:21:08.450 --> 00:21:11.289 you imagine if this is your forever home? Every 00:21:11.289 --> 00:21:14.789 sorrowful, painful, hurtful event, moment, and 00:21:14.789 --> 00:21:19.670 memory are forever behind us. Everywhere. There's 00:21:19.670 --> 00:21:25.390 only Forever joy. That means you're not going 00:21:25.390 --> 00:21:29.009 to get that dreaded phone call. You're not going 00:21:29.009 --> 00:21:33.049 to get that text that's bringing bad news. All 00:21:33.049 --> 00:21:36.509 of that is going to be behind you. Your present 00:21:36.509 --> 00:21:41.009 reality will only be forever full, overflowing 00:21:41.009 --> 00:21:46.490 joy. Isaiah and John later would write, weeping 00:21:46.490 --> 00:21:51.299 is no more. The sound of someone crying will 00:21:51.299 --> 00:21:54.079 never again be heard in the renovated cosmos. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:57.599 You ever been there when someone gets the news 00:21:57.599 --> 00:22:01.519 of death and you hear a guttural cry like you've 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:06.339 not heard? I have. You ever been there when someone 00:22:06.339 --> 00:22:08.400 has personally taken their last breath and the 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:12.980 family begins to weep? I have. And there'll be 00:22:12.980 --> 00:22:16.500 no more broken -hearted tears that are shed. 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:21.109 Broken hearts are gone. because it's only joy 00:22:21.109 --> 00:22:25.269 because of Jesus. See, man's greatest enemy will 00:22:25.269 --> 00:22:28.990 also be missing. No more hospitals, praise God, 00:22:29.069 --> 00:22:32.190 no more funeral homes, for death will be absent. 00:22:32.390 --> 00:22:34.329 Now notice verse 20, and let me explain this 00:22:34.329 --> 00:22:35.829 because some of you are going to pick up on something 00:22:35.829 --> 00:22:39.029 right away. No more shall an infant from there 00:22:39.029 --> 00:22:41.630 live but a few days, nor an old man who has not 00:22:41.630 --> 00:22:44.109 fulfilled his days, for the child shall die one 00:22:44.109 --> 00:22:46.130 hundred years old, but the same sinner being 00:22:46.130 --> 00:22:48.230 one hundred years old shall be accursed. Now 00:22:48.230 --> 00:22:50.529 you're saying, hey, how do you say death is missing 00:22:50.529 --> 00:22:52.930 if there's talk of death if it doesn't exist 00:22:52.930 --> 00:22:56.910 in this consummated kingdom? Couple points. First 00:22:56.910 --> 00:22:58.390 of all, you have to remember something. Isaiah 00:22:58.390 --> 00:23:02.670 65 is a Hebrew poem. It's conveying truths poetically. 00:23:03.329 --> 00:23:07.730 Isaiah is using familiar earthly images to describe 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:11.460 realities that transcend our present categories. 00:23:12.099 --> 00:23:16.440 So he's couching eternal realities in present 00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:19.140 world categories. And this is a literary device. 00:23:19.299 --> 00:23:21.240 It's known in Hebrew poetry. It's called the 00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:23.640 prophetic idiom. Well, what's a prophetic idiom? 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:27.900 A prophetic idiom is when the author speaks of 00:23:27.900 --> 00:23:32.319 the eternal in terms of the temporal so that 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:35.630 we can relate to it, so we can understand. This 00:23:35.630 --> 00:23:38.549 is why, and this explains why he mentions death 00:23:38.549 --> 00:23:42.049 and then long life, he's simply expressing blessing 00:23:42.049 --> 00:23:45.769 in earthly terms. He is not implying that there's 00:23:45.769 --> 00:23:48.589 mortality in the final state. Now, because if 00:23:48.589 --> 00:23:52.009 you look closely, and this is so important context, 00:23:52.430 --> 00:23:54.549 if you look closely at the text, you're going 00:23:54.549 --> 00:23:56.269 to see what Isaiah is doing, and it's beautiful. 00:23:56.730 --> 00:23:59.549 He is showing that the curse that God put on 00:23:59.549 --> 00:24:03.519 man is being reversed. What was the curse? Death. 00:24:03.700 --> 00:24:06.519 Death is being reversed. He's using imagery to 00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:09.779 show that the age to come is marked by a life 00:24:09.779 --> 00:24:13.160 that is free from those covenant curses of Deuteronomy 00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:17.420 28. So notice, in the coming age, sorrow gives 00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:21.319 way to joy, verses 18 and 19. Premature death, 00:24:21.619 --> 00:24:25.779 a child, gives way to longevity, verse 20. Futility, 00:24:25.859 --> 00:24:27.619 we'll look at that moment, gives way to productivity. 00:24:28.839 --> 00:24:32.839 Separation gives way to intimacy. And animosity, 00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:36.539 or division, gives way to harmony. So Isaiah's 00:24:36.539 --> 00:24:38.220 showing everything that sin brought, which is 00:24:38.220 --> 00:24:41.880 what? Sorrow, death, futility, separation, animosity, 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:45.380 it's gone. Because in the coming age, the curse 00:24:45.380 --> 00:24:49.299 is no more. The New Age is one of shalom. It's 00:24:49.299 --> 00:24:51.799 a Hebrew word. When you go to Israel, many of 00:24:51.799 --> 00:24:53.339 you have gone. That's how they greet each other. 00:24:53.460 --> 00:24:56.539 They say shalom. Shalom means peace. But shalom 00:24:56.539 --> 00:24:59.809 doesn't simply mean no conflict. Like peace in 00:24:59.809 --> 00:25:01.670 the Middle East, or I'm not fighting with someone. 00:25:02.630 --> 00:25:06.009 It actually means shalom means everything is 00:25:06.009 --> 00:25:09.289 working how God intended it to work. Everything 00:25:09.289 --> 00:25:12.569 is in harmony. Now the Lord Jesus is the Prince 00:25:12.569 --> 00:25:15.450 of Peace. He's the Prince of Shalom. He came 00:25:15.450 --> 00:25:18.190 to bring shalom. He came to bring peace to the 00:25:18.190 --> 00:25:20.549 entire created order, meaning he came to bring 00:25:20.549 --> 00:25:23.630 back God's original design. All that God originally 00:25:23.630 --> 00:25:26.809 intended will take place. Now, how do we know 00:25:26.809 --> 00:25:29.549 this is not talking about death here? Because 00:25:29.549 --> 00:25:32.529 the Apostle John, in Revelation 21, he picks 00:25:32.529 --> 00:25:35.730 up Isaiah's message and he writes even more clearly. 00:25:36.009 --> 00:25:39.470 Now, this is not a poem here in Revelation 21. 00:25:40.130 --> 00:25:43.069 John writing, I saw a new heaven and new earth. 00:25:43.589 --> 00:25:45.410 For the first heaven, the first earth had passed 00:25:45.410 --> 00:25:48.650 away, and there was no more sea. Then I, John, 00:25:48.670 --> 00:25:50.950 saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down 00:25:50.950 --> 00:25:54.390 out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned 00:25:54.390 --> 00:25:56.839 for a husband. And I heard a loud voice from 00:25:56.839 --> 00:26:00.259 heaven saying, Behold, something only God can 00:26:00.259 --> 00:26:04.279 do. The tabernacle of God is with men, and he 00:26:04.279 --> 00:26:06.700 will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:09.420 God himself will be with them and be their God. 00:26:10.359 --> 00:26:11.900 And God will wipe away every tear from their 00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:14.099 eyes. No more crying, like Isaiah said. There 00:26:14.099 --> 00:26:18.839 shall be neither no more death nor sorrow nor 00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:21.500 crying. There shall be no more pain, for the 00:26:21.500 --> 00:26:25.240 former things have passed away. very clear and 00:26:25.240 --> 00:26:29.480 ambiguous terms, John says, no sorrow, no death, 00:26:29.880 --> 00:26:32.839 no futility. So Isaiah, if you go back there, 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:36.559 he's saying in this new kingdom, you won't work 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:38.220 and then someone else enjoy your labor. Because 00:26:38.220 --> 00:26:40.440 remember, that was part of the curse. God told 00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:43.359 Israel, if you do what I tell you to do, I will 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:45.259 bless you. You will build houses and live in 00:26:45.259 --> 00:26:46.740 them. You will plant vineyards and you eat their 00:26:46.740 --> 00:26:48.839 fruit. But if you break that, you will build 00:26:48.839 --> 00:26:50.940 a house, someone else will live in it. you plant 00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:53.119 a vineyard, someone else eat its fruit. Now look 00:26:53.119 --> 00:26:57.180 at verses 21 through 23. In the coming age, he's 00:26:57.180 --> 00:27:00.359 writing about covenant here. They will build 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:02.579 houses, inhabit them. They'll plant vineyards, 00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:04.880 eat their fruit. They shall not build another 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:07.240 inhabit. They shall not plant another eat. For 00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:09.640 as the days of a tree shall so shall be the days 00:27:09.640 --> 00:27:12.839 of my people. And my elect, my chosen ones, shall 00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:15.240 long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall 00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:17.220 not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for 00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:19.660 trouble. for they shall be the descendants of 00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:21.880 the blessed of the Lord and their offspring with 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:25.400 them." What Isaiah is saying is that man will 00:27:25.400 --> 00:27:30.099 enjoy fruitful labor under God. We will forever 00:27:30.099 --> 00:27:35.140 enjoy perfect curse -free labor and never ever 00:27:35.140 --> 00:27:37.779 again experience frustration as Adam once did 00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:41.019 in Eden. Sometimes we think, again, we have the 00:27:41.019 --> 00:27:43.799 wrong view of heaven. We think of heaven in some... 00:27:43.799 --> 00:27:46.539 I think because we get our theology a lot from 00:27:46.539 --> 00:27:49.000 TV and movies rather than from the Bible, we 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:51.859 picture heaven or the eternal state is where 00:27:51.859 --> 00:27:54.339 disembodied spirits or perhaps we're just all 00:27:54.339 --> 00:27:58.420 in one big room on our faces for eons, for eternity. 00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:02.519 No. We're going to work. You're going to have 00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:03.859 lives. You're going to have a new body. You will 00:28:03.859 --> 00:28:06.160 have a body as real as the body you have now. 00:28:07.129 --> 00:28:10.150 But it won't ever experience frustration anymore. 00:28:10.990 --> 00:28:13.269 There won't be any frustrated labor. Again, God 00:28:13.269 --> 00:28:15.029 said, if you don't do what I say, then you're 00:28:15.029 --> 00:28:16.710 going to build and not eat, or you're going to 00:28:16.710 --> 00:28:18.609 build and not live in it, and plant and not eat 00:28:18.609 --> 00:28:20.430 of it. But that's all going to be taken away. 00:28:21.269 --> 00:28:23.809 That's the curse that's removed. As a covenant 00:28:23.809 --> 00:28:28.309 breaker, life is futile. But that has ended. 00:28:29.109 --> 00:28:31.710 John Oswald, his commentary said, instead of 00:28:31.710 --> 00:28:34.990 tears of frustration and futility, there will 00:28:34.990 --> 00:28:37.890 be smiles. of fulfillment and satisfaction and 00:28:37.890 --> 00:28:39.849 songs of praise to God. We're going to be working, 00:28:39.910 --> 00:28:41.150 but you're going to be singing while you're working 00:28:41.150 --> 00:28:43.470 because it's going to turn out the way God designed. 00:28:43.849 --> 00:28:45.930 You ever do a job well done and you're satisfied? 00:28:46.329 --> 00:28:48.789 And you know that feeling. That's all going to 00:28:48.789 --> 00:28:51.150 be. You also ever do a job and you're like, oh 00:28:51.150 --> 00:28:54.369 my goodness, I can't stand this. That's not going 00:28:54.369 --> 00:28:58.049 to be there, is what he's saying. And most significantly, 00:28:59.630 --> 00:29:02.269 there will be perfect communion with God. Verse 00:29:02.269 --> 00:29:05.410 24. It shall come to pass that before they call, 00:29:05.430 --> 00:29:08.410 I will answer." And while they are still speaking, 00:29:08.450 --> 00:29:11.990 God says, I will hear. You ever just sometimes 00:29:11.990 --> 00:29:15.809 feel that God does not hear your prayers? Yeah, 00:29:15.890 --> 00:29:19.849 everyone does, I think. You ever just feel abandoned? 00:29:21.049 --> 00:29:24.009 I'm not saying you are, but you feel it. Like 00:29:24.009 --> 00:29:27.470 there's a disconnect. But in that final eschaton, 00:29:27.509 --> 00:29:31.970 in that final kingdom, we will be overflowingly 00:29:31.970 --> 00:29:34.750 satisfied in perfect communion with the Creator. 00:29:35.809 --> 00:29:39.910 There will be unmediated, immediate fellowship 00:29:39.910 --> 00:29:42.589 with God. Remember how Adam used to walk with 00:29:42.589 --> 00:29:46.009 God in the cool of the day in the garden, face 00:29:46.009 --> 00:29:49.049 to face, walking with God? That will once again 00:29:49.049 --> 00:29:52.990 take place. We will do that. We will enjoy that 00:29:52.990 --> 00:29:55.650 unbroken fellowship with our Creator. And I love 00:29:55.650 --> 00:29:58.549 this promise, before they call, I will answer. 00:29:59.669 --> 00:30:01.509 It's like God says, I already, I know what you're 00:30:01.509 --> 00:30:04.109 going to say. And before you even ask, I've already 00:30:04.109 --> 00:30:08.569 answered it. What a beautiful promise. What a 00:30:08.569 --> 00:30:14.130 beautiful hope. And finally, there's peace, harmony. 00:30:14.289 --> 00:30:17.230 Look at verse 25. The wolf and the lamb shall 00:30:17.230 --> 00:30:19.630 feed together, the lion shall eat straw like 00:30:19.630 --> 00:30:22.609 the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. 00:30:23.450 --> 00:30:26.029 They shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain, 00:30:26.170 --> 00:30:29.680 says the Lord. Wolf and lion and snake, those 00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:32.740 are all dangerous animals. But in the final kingdom, 00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:35.619 all that will be changed. Why? Because nature 00:30:35.619 --> 00:30:38.420 will no longer be an enemy to man. Animals won't 00:30:38.420 --> 00:30:43.980 fear us. There will be harmony. Shalom in all 00:30:43.980 --> 00:30:46.539 of creation. But Isaiah, notice he mentions, 00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:48.799 he says, but dust will be the serpent's food. 00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:54.339 That sounds a little out of place. No. Think 00:30:54.339 --> 00:30:57.319 what he's saying here. All the current sorrow 00:30:57.319 --> 00:30:59.640 and heartache and hostility and pain we experience 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:03.339 now is all because of the serpent's interference 00:31:03.339 --> 00:31:07.579 in the garden. He was cursed. Again, John Alliswalt 00:31:07.579 --> 00:31:12.380 says, God announced that the snake would crawl 00:31:12.380 --> 00:31:15.680 in the dust forever and that although that snake 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:18.960 would bite the heel of Eve's child, that child 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:22.480 would crush the snake's head. Here the snake 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:24.619 is finally condemned, not only to crawl in the 00:31:24.619 --> 00:31:27.660 dust, but to eat only dust forever. When that 00:31:27.660 --> 00:31:29.859 happens, the curse will be truly broken, and 00:31:29.859 --> 00:31:32.200 as the Lord says, there will be none to hurt 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:35.579 or destroy in all his holy mountain. May God 00:31:35.579 --> 00:31:40.240 grant it. Paradise is restored because the Messiah, 00:31:40.339 --> 00:31:43.339 the Lord Jesus, has conquered. He's conquered 00:31:43.339 --> 00:31:46.799 over all disorder. It's still the same heaven, 00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:50.900 still the same earth, but renewed. Redeemed man, 00:31:50.920 --> 00:31:54.119 we will still work. We will still enjoy culture. 00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:56.940 We will still live in community, but without 00:31:56.940 --> 00:32:00.599 sin, without curse, without sorrow, without death, 00:32:00.660 --> 00:32:04.160 without futility. What are you saying? It'll 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:10.619 be perfect communion with God. Isaiah 65 points 00:32:10.619 --> 00:32:15.079 forward to the glorious reality that awaits all 00:32:15.079 --> 00:32:18.039 those who have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus 00:32:18.039 --> 00:32:21.250 Christ. This renewal began in the incarnation, 00:32:21.410 --> 00:32:23.109 which is what we celebrate right now when God 00:32:23.109 --> 00:32:25.569 was born and took on flesh. But it was Christ's 00:32:25.569 --> 00:32:28.369 victory over death. That's what inaugurated this 00:32:28.369 --> 00:32:31.930 new creation. It was Christ's death that removed 00:32:31.930 --> 00:32:37.329 the curse for us, Galatians 3. Christ has redeemed 00:32:37.329 --> 00:32:40.480 us from the curse of the law. having become a 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:43.720 curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone 00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:46.519 who hangs on a tree. What did they put on Jesus's 00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:49.319 head? A crown of thorns. Where were thorns come 00:32:49.319 --> 00:32:51.900 from? Because the ground was cursed. Everything 00:32:51.900 --> 00:32:54.980 about that day was a sign of the curse. Jesus 00:32:54.980 --> 00:32:57.440 was cursed so you and I will not be eternally 00:32:57.440 --> 00:33:00.759 cursed. And friends, let me just close this in 00:33:00.759 --> 00:33:04.420 my last statement here. With these truths before 00:33:04.420 --> 00:33:11.240 us, may this Advent season Be a time of peace 00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:16.339 as you meditate on the glorious reality that 00:33:16.339 --> 00:33:21.880 awaits you. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, 00:33:22.700 --> 00:33:26.559 nor have entered into the heart of man the things 00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:29.480 which God has prepared for those who love Him. 00:33:29.779 --> 00:33:32.339 Amen. Can you imagine that? God said it's so 00:33:32.339 --> 00:33:34.180 great I can't even tell you about it. You're 00:33:34.180 --> 00:33:37.289 just gonna have to wait. No spoilers here. I 00:33:37.289 --> 00:33:39.210 can't, I hasn't seen it, ears not heard about 00:33:39.210 --> 00:33:40.509 it. By the way, you've not even thought about 00:33:40.509 --> 00:33:43.190 it. It is more grand and more glorious and more 00:33:43.190 --> 00:33:45.230 awesome and every other adjective I could think 00:33:45.230 --> 00:33:47.049 of than you can possibly think of. So I'm not 00:33:47.049 --> 00:33:49.430 even gonna tell you about it. Just wait and see. 00:33:50.289 --> 00:33:53.369 But we get glimpses, we get previews of Isaiah 00:33:53.369 --> 00:33:57.990 65 and Revelation 21. So children of God live 00:33:57.990 --> 00:34:01.470 in peace in light of this Advent season for what 00:34:01.470 --> 00:34:04.769 Christ has done for you. Let's pray as we prepare 00:34:04.769 --> 00:34:07.420 our hearts to commune with Christ. Father, thank 00:34:07.420 --> 00:34:10.679 you for your word. Lord, it's so rich. It's so 00:34:10.679 --> 00:34:13.699 good. Thank you, Lord God, for this truth. And 00:34:13.699 --> 00:34:16.539 Lord, I pray, Lord, my prayer this morning, Lord, 00:34:16.659 --> 00:34:20.380 is for your people. But Lord, there are some 00:34:20.380 --> 00:34:24.440 who are hurting, really, really hurting. Lord, 00:34:24.460 --> 00:34:29.219 the heart is broken. Oh Lord, I know that words 00:34:29.219 --> 00:34:33.820 sometimes can just fall deaf if we're not careful. 00:34:35.239 --> 00:34:38.559 But Lord, I pray your spirit would use the truth 00:34:38.559 --> 00:34:44.219 and the reality of what is to come to encourage 00:34:44.219 --> 00:34:47.280 those who today, Lord, perhaps wear a smile, 00:34:48.199 --> 00:34:52.019 but inwardly they're broken. Give them peace, 00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:57.420 Lord. Grant them shalom. Father, I pray for your 00:34:57.420 --> 00:35:00.559 church, Lord. Help us, grow us in our faith. 00:35:00.940 --> 00:35:03.739 Make us more like Jesus. in this Advent season, 00:35:03.860 --> 00:35:06.380 Father, let us not get caught up with all the 00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:08.699 busyness, Lord, with all the trappings and all 00:35:08.699 --> 00:35:10.900 the things we must do and the gifts buying and 00:35:10.900 --> 00:35:12.960 the children's events and the school events. 00:35:13.480 --> 00:35:15.940 But Father, help us to be quiet and still before 00:35:15.940 --> 00:35:19.219 you and Lord God to meditate on what God has 00:35:19.219 --> 00:35:21.840 done for us in Christ. Oh Lord, you're making 00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:24.179 all things new. We look so forward to that day. 00:35:24.599 --> 00:35:30.019 Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen. I'm going to 00:35:30.019 --> 00:35:31.880 ask the deacons if you would come as we