What do you think of when you hear the word "heaven"? Do you think of streets of gold, riding around on clouds, and worshiping our Lord and Savior with those who have gone on before who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior? Or do you think of this big place in the sky where the things of earth have passed away?
One thing we have to remember is that when we believe in Christ, we are a new creation. During the Greater Purpose series, I mentioned an individual who had been trouble in school constantly, and had been involved in drugs and was even arrested. It was during this arrest and the time he served that he found Christ and asked Him to be his Savior. God led Him to me. His story of redemption shows us that we are called to be a new creation in Christ, and when we become that new creation, we will seek to be ambassadors for Him. However, John takes this a step further in Revelation 21:1-8.
In this passage, John tells us that Heaven and Earth will come together in a new creation. What did he mean by this? First, let's see what he didn't mean, which is that the things of Earth will collide with Heaven because sin can't be in the presence of God, which is why we need Christ to be our mediator and bridge to our broken relationship with God. What it does mean, however, is that those who believe in Christ and become a new creation in Him will create a "New Heaven", which is done by sharing His Gospel through words, actions, song, prayer, and testimony, just to name a few.
One thing we absolutely have to remember is that we are God's people. Often times, we forget this, and we show the opposite of this, which is dangerous in this world. This is why it is so important that we shine our light to others by sharing the Gospel through our testimony so others can come to know Him. It is also important to remember that those who conquer with Christ on their side will be called children of God.
We should always be seeking to be an example of God's love to others. Everywhere you go, you will hear someone say that they look up to someone else. As I told the youth, it has absolutely been scary and a time of reflection when someone says this to me. I often tend to wonder if I'm showing them to walk in Christ or be a stumbling block to them. I pray that I am someone who leads others to Christ. Shane and I gave the youth a challenge to be an example to the youth who are moving up as the school year begins.
This passage goes back to faith and works, showing us that we should be sharing the Gospel with all people. I showed the youth an image of the 10/40 Window (if you haven't heard of it, I highly encourage you to Google it and research it). To explain a little bit about it, some of the research I did in preparing for the message last week brought up some startling and convicting results. Nearly two-thirds of the world's population (approximately 4.4 billion) have either heard a distorted version of the Gospel or have never heard the Gospel at all. There are fifty-five countries that aren't heavily evangelized, and most all of them make up this 10/40 Window.
A majority of people in this area fall into one of four categories: Islam, Buddhism, Chinese beliefs, or unreached by any religion at all. Without the Gospel being shared to the people in these areas by missionaries, they are at risk of being a part of those who will experience the second death mentioned in verse 8. It is our prayer that God would send missionaries to that area to share the Gospel so that we can see all people in Heaven as children of God.
It is important to note that God's promises help us in all we do for His kingdom right now! I am so thankful to be a part of two ministries in Jacksonville that invest in the lives of college students. Without them, I feel like my faith in Christ may have wavered in this season of my life. These promises include how we speak, act, work, testify for His name and His glory.
Well, that wraps up the Endgame series. One important takeaway I hope all who read got out of this series is that we seek to remember that we are not merely tourists passing through Earth to get to Heaven (if it was that easy, the Bible would be the size of a pamphlet); rather, we are God's chosen people as Christians, called to give glimpses of the glorious future God has in store!