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morning my brave friends glad you guys are here with us today um look at your bulletin just going to highlight a couple things we are taking worship service attendance again so if you're seated in the sanctuary you'd you use the yellow pads for us that will just help us or you can sign when you come in and just do it out there on the table in the lobby change the world money say you're going to jacob's well great ministry big help to us communion from home if you have friends who would like to take communion and you know they can't come to church next sunday just tell them to call the office or call the office for them we'll get in touch with them to see if they would like the deacons to bring them community elements so that they can celebrate communion with us during the service next week online so this is exciting last year we were scheduled to do a new directory and the rug got taken out from under us with covid we are planning to do that still so we're looking at dates in march and in april we want you to have your pictures taken please if you're like me you hate to get your picture taken you know and then when you look at it you say oh that's i don't want to use that or if you're like me here's the thing there'll be one picture of me that's okay but my wife will not like her picture and that one and so she'll want a different one so that always happens but you know what it's a tool for us to be able to recognize folks and say oh i know that person or what's his name and then we can just just so they can bring us together so plan on being a part of that there are valentine bags out on the tree decorative tree out there that are for our college students and our military personnel and we want to send them all notes and some kind of gifts so here's a suggested gift an amazon gift card for ten dollars so you can donate some money to that if you'd like and we'll buy them a gift card and we'll send them that amazon gift card maybe even more importantly we want to send them notes and so if you would write a note and put it in a bag or write a note and take it home and bring it back next week and so that we can send those off soon for valentine's day there are there's a table as you walk out of this room in the middle of the lobby out there there's a small table with a bunch of colored notes pink and purple and red if you would take one of those and write a note to one of our college students or one of our military personnel tell them we're proud of them tell them that we care about them let them know that would be a great encouragement read about what's happening in youth ministry but kevin's got some other announcements to make for us good morning good to see y'all uh a few years ago i think it was about three years ago i felt a um a conviction and a calling that that i needed to be praying more for our church and for our spiritual growth and i felt it was more a matter of obedience because you know paul says always keep on praying for all the saints you know it's something we we need to do and so i i started to do it on friday mornings by myself and i but i wanted a group to do it with but i felt like i should just start it and within a week i i had another person to pray with and then within a little bit of time after that we had a a group of you know eight or nine so three years later we're meeting friday mornings from eight to nine and praying for our church's spiritual growth and one of the reasons i think this is so important is because churches don't grow in faith and in godliness by programs but by prayer and if we want our church to grow and to be what jesus wants us to be it's going to require prayer that being said if if any of you feel that same call and and want to pray for our church and to see it grow i'd like you to come and be a part of our group we have eight or nine right now we don't wear masks but if you wanted to wear a mask we'd all wear one too um so and we meet in room 303 which is behind the office back there on friday mornings at 8 a.m it's all in the bulletin and it it's not your average prayer meeting we don't we don't have our heads bowed and eyes closed for the majority of the time we what we do is we read through a passage of scripture right now we're in philip philippians and we do it slowly and we talk about what is god saying to us it's not a study but what is god saying to us through the scriptures and then we say what does this mean for lockwood what prayer requests can we draw from this and we pray for our church that way so it's actually a really good time it's uplifting and encouraging for me and for the rest of us and if you'd like to come i'd like to come also there's uh there's little handout sheets for if you'd like to be in a d group d groups are small group bible studies and there's a description about what those are in those little sheets but you could really grow it's it's meant to be for an accelerated period of spiritual growth and you can really get close to some people and and have friendships that are based on christ with these d groups so if you'd like that check it out and call me or call hal or email us and let us know you'd like to be in it and we'll we'll try our best sometimes it's you know hard if you say you want to be in one and then we can't find a group or whatever but we'll try our best to get you a group or get one started for you thanks our call to worship we'll have the scripture references at the bottom but grace and peace to you from god our father in the lord jesus christ praise be to the god and father our lord jesus christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in christ for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight each one should build with care for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid which is jesus christ and we're going to sing together how firm a foundation [Music] is [Music] what more can he say than to you he has said to [Music] r [Music] [Music] me [Music] thee to stand up [Music] they shall lie my grace all submission shall be thy supply the flame shall [Music] shall happen i only design thy draws to consume and thy goal to lord we welcome you to our lives we welcome you to work in us we welcome you to stretch us to strengthen us to move us in the direction of your will so that we glorify you more and more so that we love more like you love we forgive as you forgive we give grace as you give grace and we nurture and strengthen we praise and worship we become the people of god and you move through us we ask this in jesus name amen let's uh let's stand together since we're singing standing on the promises standing on the promises of christ my king through eternal ages let his praises reign glory in the highest i will shout and sing standing on the promises of god standing on them standing on the promises standing on the promises of god my savior [Music] i'm standing on the promises of god standing on the promises that cannot fail when the howling storms of doubt and fear are sailed by the living word of god i shall prevail standing on the promises [Music] standing on the promises [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] hallelujah standing standing from the promises of god my savior standing standing i'm standing on the promises of god you hear me when i call you are my morning song blow darkness it [Music] whom shall i fear i know [Music] is always by my side the one who reigns forever he is a friend of mine the god of angel armies is always by my side [Music] yours is the victory whom shall i fear who shall i fear is always by my side the one who reigns forever [Music] is always by my side and nothing form against me shall stand you hold the whole world in your hands i'm holding on to your promises [Music] [Music] is always by my side [Music] is always by my side i know who goes before me i know who stands behind the god of angel armies is always by my side [Music] do [Music] in jesus [Music] upon his promise just to know jesus jesus [Music] jesus [Music] just to trust [Music] cleansing jesus jesus [Music] i'm so glad i learned to trust you [Music] precious [Music] friends jesus jesus [Music] christ [Music] jesus [Music] rock of ages [Music] this floor [Music] good my tears forever [Music] oh [Music] oh in my hand i pray simply to the cross [Music] wash me save your roar oh lord you are you can be seated you'll see in your bulletin a few of the prayer requests that our church family has had this past week we want to pray for these and invite you to pray now we recognize to whom we are praying this morning the god whose power brought the universe into being the god whose love gave his only begotten son we know you have the power and the desire to help your people and so we ask you to involve yourself in the lives of our friends some of them who are struggling with powers of addiction and sin some of them who are struggling with the suffering of pain some who are lonely and in nursing homes and isolated from their families because of the pandemic or these things are too much for us they are not too much for you we ask you to involve yourself show yourself strong give endurance and encouragement but while they're too much for us lord you do have things for us to do i pray that you'll bring them to mind that you'll show us practical ways for loving our brothers and sisters and their need we ask you lord to speak to us this morning by your word encourage our hearts reveal to us your good and great plans for your people and for your world lord your voice which causes the oaks to shake the mountains to shake your voice causes us to be strong so would you speak to us and not just to us but to your people all around this community this morning we asked for this in jesus name amen the bible tells us where we come from how we got where we are and where we're going now we got where we are under our own steam but it will take divine intervention on a cosmic scale to get where we're going the bible plots human history in what you could call a v-shape the first stroke is a precipitous drop a fall the final stroke is a sudden rise a resurrection what we find at the bottom between the fall and the rise is jesus christ the arms that catch us in our fall and raise us to our glory the everlasting arms are astonishingly nailed to a cross our and not just our but all creations rescue is affected through the death and resurrection of jesus think of that v-shape the bible teaches that the best is yet to come and not just for us but for earth itself and for all creation the scope of the the biblical vision of the future is nothing short of breathtaking according to paul all things in heaven and on earth are reconciled to god through christ on heaven and and on earth but not only reconciled so lined up and working together as intended but also liberated this is romans 8 22 the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of god today we're going to look at what that freedom will be like but know in advance that we're not going to be able to take it all in the grandeur the beauty the sheer joy of it is too big too good and we're not yet big enough or good enough to grasp it scripture says that what god has planned is incomprehensible to our minds and in comparable to our experiences so first corinthians 2 9 paul writes and he's quoting isaiah no eye has seen no ear has heard no mind has conceived what god has prepared for those who love him it's incomprehensible in romans 8 18 i consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us it is incomparable there's nothing like christian hope the world's great religions cannot match it the wildest dreams of the prophets of science and technology pale before it in it's like communist utopian visions fade like a birthday candle carried out into the noonday sun the good news that we have to share has profound implications for the future yours mine and the future of earth itself in romans the apostle paul writing about judgment day so this is chapter 2 verse 16 says this will take place on the day when god will judge men's secrets through jesus christ as my gospel my good news declares we've been thinking a lot about gospel but we don't usually think of judgment day as good news but paul did it's part of the gospel the early christians and the jews before them understood that they longed for that day because they knew that god will then set everything right including us i don't know about you but i want to be set right body soul and spirit if i look at myself and my sins i cannot help but fear judgment day but if i look at our god and our savior jesus i can say even so come lord jesus come and make all things new including me what will making all things new entail two of the best places to look are in isaiah 65 and in revelation 21 and 22 which draw heavily from isaiah 65. i lack the ability to put the incomprehensible and incomparable into words but perhaps by looking at what scripture tells us about the future about what will be in that future and what will not be in that future we can at least begin to bring the future into focus so we're going to start with what will not be in the future you know there are things that have been so much a part of our experience that we can't imagine life without them fear is one of those things even people who have no cognitive apprehension of fear are nonetheless restrained and unsettled by it fear was the first emotion adam and eve experienced after the rebellion and it has been the quintessential human emotion ever since when the fear that we've carried all our lives is suddenly gone and it will be we'll feel like a heavy load has been lifted off of us will be buoyant as if gravity itself is changed like neil armstrong bounding across the face of the moon some of you will remember those pictures like the man crippled from birth who was healed at the temple gate we'll go walking and leaping and praising god there are other things that won't make it into god's future kingdom so revelation 21 and 22 mentioned a number of them we're going to read the first five verses of revelation 21. then i saw a new heaven and a new earth that by the way is a quote from isaiah 65 for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea there's no longer any sea we'll talk about that in a moment i saw the holy city the new jerusalem coming down out of heaven from god prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband we usually think of us going up to heaven john thinks of heaven coming down to us i heard a loud voice from the throne saying now the dwelling of god is with people and he will live with them they will be his people and god himself will be with them and be their god he will wipe another quote from isaiah this time chapter 25 every tear from their eyes there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away than he who is seated on the throne said and i'll go back to king james for this behold i make all things new we need to understand the revelation belongs to an ancient and now i think i could say extinct genre of literature called apocalyptic for which symbolism is its stock and trade the symbols in the book of revelation are largely drawn from the old testament people make a huge mistake when they try to interpret the symbols by things that are going on right at this moment you know those locusts have to be blackhawk helicopters no they don't look to the old testament see every paragraph in revelation has some reference to the old testament it's the key to understanding and one example is the sea john says in verse 1 and there was no longer any sea that makes sense when we understand that in old testament symbolism the sea regularly represents chaos and evil and not just in the old testament but in ancient thinking everywhere so i'll give you an example the book of daniel which also belongs to the apocalyptic apocalyptic genre in the book of daniel the beast that devastate the earth arise out of the sea when john says there will be no more sea he's telling us that the source from which chaos and evil arise will be gone there'll be no more turmoil disorder confusion that's good news look at verse 4 there will be no more death see death is an intruder it was smuggled into our world our lives even our bodies through adam's sin if you've been around any length of time at all you know the book of common prayer hits the nail on the head when it says in the midst of life we are in death but it's even worse than that not only are we we are in death death is in us but through the resurrection of jesus christ our ancient enemy has already been defeated and at our resurrection it will be obliterated expunged from the universe that is good news there will be no more mourning or crying no more tears the inconsolable hurt that resides in the depths of the human soul will be gone the bitter spring from which those tears flow will be dried up in the words of isaiah sorrow and sighing will flee away there will be no more pain can you imagine no more arthritic pain no more pain from disease no more pain from injury no more emotional pain for some people pain is the enemy that is closer than a brother it keeps them awake at night it haunts their sleep it meets them first thing in the morning pain too is an interloper but it will be stopped at the border it will not enter the age to come there will be no more death mourning crying or pain because there'll be no more sin imagine walking into a room you've never been in before every inch of you is dirty filthy you are bedraggled weary sad carrying a weight that nearly buckles your legs beneath you but as you cross the threshold you don't even know how it happens the weight is lifted the dirt is gone you not only feel good you feel better than you've ever felt better than you knew it was possible to feel that's what the future holds for those who belong to jesus christ that is good news there will be no more sin verse 8 because there'll be no more sinners and that includes you and me we will be changed sin and the devastation it has caused will be gone the world will be changed no more greed no more hatred no more violence no more lies no more preying on people sin will not be around us and it won't be in us that is incomprehensible it is incomparable and it is good news there'll be no more darkness and night that's verse 25 in the bible darkness and night symbolize confusion deception sin but in the age to come there will be light transparency and truth for the glory of god gives it light verse 23 and the lamb is its lamp more good news there'll be no shame verse 27 since our first parents sin the black thread of shame has been woven into our very nature even from childhood it caused adam and eve to hide and we've been hiding ever since they hid their shame in the trees of the garden we hide hours and distractions and work but shame will not enter the age to come no more fear of what others might think even the possibility of shame will be removed that is good news another thing that will be missing and it's a very consequential thing there will be this is chapter 2 verse 22 i mean verse 3 no more curse adam's rebellion brought a curse that has affected every aspect of life on earth but the curse will be no more and this because christ who in paul's words became a curse for us he made it all possible you cannot overestimate the importance of jesus those are some of the things that will thankfully be missing from the future but some of the things that are missing now will thankfully be there in the future the most important is god's presence because of adam's sin in the garden emmanuel god with us became god away from us all our woes followed on that absence all of us have experienced the feeling that something is missing that's because something someone is missing and nothing has been right while he's been away or rather while we've been away but he will be god with us again that is good news the promise of god's presence has sustained his people to jacob i will be with you to moses i will be with you to joshua i myself will be with you to gideon i will be with you to his people when you pass through the waters we sang this in a hymn earlier today i will be with you the promise of the new covenant which was brought into effect through jesus was i will be their god and they will be my people no longer will a man teach his neighbor a man his brother saying know the lord because they will all know me from the least of them to the greatest these are promises that we cherish and yet how often god has seemed far away like zion isaiah 49 we say the lord has forsaken me the lord has forgotten me god with us has been because of sin god away from us but here's what the future holds this is revelation 21 3. i heard a loud voice from the throne saying now the dwelling of god is with men and he will live with them they will be his people and god himself will be with them and be their god that's been the plan all along but if god desired to be with us all along why wasn't he i think it's because we couldn't endure his presence i don't mean just emotionally but in every way sin has so unraveled us that the near presence of the holy god would unmake us entirely well then how can he be with us in the future what's changed christ has come christ has died christ has raised christ has sent his spirit into our hearts the the resurrection will transform us remake us into the people of the presence we will grow and thrive in god's presence like a plant that loves the sun he'll be with us that's good news what else awaits us every good thing awaits us in god's future nothing good will be lost the kings of the earth is verse 24 will bring their splendor into it he's thinking of isaiah again who says that the wealth of the nations will be brought into god's future kingdom so picture it this way you're standing at a train station there are two tracks running in the distance as far as the eye can see one comes from the east and ends at the station while the other after a span of overlap begins at the station and runs to the west the trains that run on those tracks are innumerable unimaginably long you can't see the ends of them the first which arrives at the station with all its cars is filled with the riches of earth's history its treasures include business technology art music science sports literature games and more all the good things a society ancient or modern has ever produced or there but these precious things are like raw ore filled with impurities mixed in with these good things even embedded in them are toxins injustices greed hatred bigotry inequality the sheer volume of the evil outweighs the good that they pervade as that first train reaches its terminal point it's unloaded and all its treasures purified of their contaminants the ugliness that has defaced earth's beauties the toxins that have poisoned them the hatred that has scarred humanity's best efforts are removed and incinerated that's called the judgment what is left and there is a great deal left is loaded onto that second train see the age to come will not start with a blank slate the wealth of nations will be brought into it earth's natural beauties and every good work will be preserved by the god who has never wasted a thing least of all people the things we have rightly loved will not be lost but they will like us be purified here's something else throughout human history since adam creation has been at war with itself that war has sometimes erupted literally in volcanoes it's clashed in the collision of tectonic plates it's boiled over in tsunamis such things are part of what saint paul calls the suffering of the present time but that suffering like the suffering of a woman in labor which is paul's illustration will not last forever creation groans but it groans in the pains of child birth a new heaven and a new earth will be born isaiah pictures the coherence of the new creation this way the wolf the predator and the lamb the prey will feed together and the lion the wild animal will eat straw like the ox the domestic animal they will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain in the new earth creation will be at peace with itself see it's not just humans who won't die neither will animals death's long reign which began when man was expelled from the garden will end death usurped god's place was death with us instead of god with us but death will be banished from the new earth that is good news another good that will cross into the new creation is work if you told me that when i was 20 years old i would have said yeah it doesn't sound very appealing to me the work was given humanity before the fall like everything else work was distorted and drained of its joy by the curse but work is inherently a good thing so get out of your minds forever the looney tunes theology that has humans sitting idly on fluffy clouds for a boring eternity rest yes but in the bible rest does not mean the cessation of activity as chris wright put it we will not be free from work in the coming age but work will be free of frustration isaiah by the way even tells us that our work will be environmentally safe the bible pictures a future full of good news now some of you may be thinking hang on a minute you keep talking about a new earth i thought we're going to be rid of this old earth and live in heaven forever and ever no i mean plan on going to heaven and if you're not planning on that i wish you'd talk to me we need to talk plan on going to heaven but don't plan on staying there isaiah 55 isaiah 66 second peter 3 revelation 21 all let us in on a secret god is planning a new heaven and a new earth jesus calls it the palingenesis the genesis again creation's new birth now the border end of the new heaven and earth is crossable but not everything will cross it as we've seen nor will every human it's not that they're forbidden it's that only those who have christ will have what they need to survive that crossing the day of judgment christ in you really is as saint paul told us long ago the hope of glory and the only hope of glory god entrusted creation's future to christ we can trust our future to him too if you haven't done that i encourage you to place yourself your hopes your fears and even your sins in his care cling to christ join his people and he will welcome you and that is good news let's pray lord we spent the last 25 minutes talking about what will take an eternity to experience our minds cannot comprehend and yet lord by your grace we can experience i ask you to cause hope to rise within us we're surrounded by tough things we know the suffering of the present time but sustain us by the hope of that future time when we will live and thrive in your near presence and do this not because we deserve it but because jesus died and rose again we ask you for this in his good name amen just mentioned a couple things there are baskets on the cafe tables in the back and out in the lobby those are for offering if you're making an offering please make it an act of worship you know i know it just gets wrote week after week after week and this is one of the hardest things we don't want you to give so we can keep the lights on we want you to give so you can worship god next to those baskets are go deep sheets so you can pick up one of those i make up questions for people to think through the text we've just looked at see how it applies to life what we can do about it i'd encourage you to pick one up if you'd like to come to go deep on wednesday night you can also do that that meets over in the west building in room 303 and we just have a good time thinking through those questions together and you're welcome to do that i'm going to put my mask back on and be up here for prayer if anyone has a pair of knee come up and see me and otherwise have a wonderful dismissed