Text: Rev. 21:1-8
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Big Question: Are you ready?
I trust that most of us would say "Yes, we are ready for Jesus to return." And might I add "right now!" But I ask are you really ready? Ready to fall at Jesus feet and worship him? Several weeks ago I was meeting with a bunch of men when one of them said "Do you really think all we are going to do in heaven is worship Jesus? If that is the case I am afraid I am going to get bored rather quickly." Many of us have the idea that heaven will be us floating around on clouds strumming harps at best and at worst is will be like a retirement community where we sit around an play shuffle board all day. So again, I ask are you ready? Are you looking forward to eternity with Jesus?
I love the following video that JPNR put out on Youtube with Kari Jobe's Revelation Song in the back ground. I love some of the imagery that gives us a small glimpse of what it might be like seeing Jesus...check it out and ask yourself "Am I ready?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMvnMfXLe3I
Continuing with our question I asked: "Are you ready to go back to the beginning?"
Why do I ask that? Well if you understand Genesis you will understand that the rest of Scripture is unveiling in a lot of respects a journey back to the beginning.
Let's unpack that by asking: "What is the purpose of the church or life?" The purpose of church/life is to Glorify God. Looking at Genesis we see that we were created in His image. As His image bearers we were to multiply and fill the entire earth with His Glory. I see the Garden as the original temple or the place where Adam and Eve met with God face to face and their/our mandate was to multiply and push the boundaries of the temple outward until the entire earth was a temple. After the Fall (Gen 3) the journey back to the beginning started....where we see God calling out a people who Love Him with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength....love others as themselves and make disciples as they go about being the temple of the Holy Spirit...all while on a journey to what is described in Revelation 21...a new heaven and a new earth where God dwells with His people again...
Are you ready to go back to the beginning?
The next question is are you ready to endure?
Before Jesus returns will be a time of trial and tribulation that Jesus challenges his followers to continue to press forward enduring through all the world/Satan will throw at them. Are you ready to suffer for Jesus? Too many of us think if we have a hang nail we are suffering for Jesus or if we are experiencing hard times b/c of our dumb choices that we are suffering for Jesus, but that isn't what I am talking about. Are you ready to cling to Jesus even if it costs you your job? Life? Family? A couple of weeks ago our friends Nick and Emily shared about a young man from the middle east that at the age of 17 broke the law by accepting Jesus...that young man new what it would cost him if he followed Jesus and yet he followed b/c he knew that this life is fleeting and everything that Jesus offers is far greater and more important that anything with world does...How many of us in the American church understand that? How many follow Jesus b/c they think He is their get of hell free card or He is like a Genni in a bottle??? I hope and pray that you are ready to endure and that you agree that Jesus is the better.
I share this song as a way for us to reflect and ask is He the better?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTewCIvR7Og
Are you ready? I am.
Blessings,
PT
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