So, thank you very much.
Now, Revelation chapter 21, the Bible reads in verse 1,
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth
were passed away, and there was no more sea.
Now, just to back up a little bit into chapter 20, we saw when the heaven and the earth passed
away in verse 11 of chapter 20.
The Bible reads, And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened, and
another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books according to their works.
And so we see here the great white throne judgment is where heaven and earth flee away,
and basically every single person who's ever lived is going to be at that judgment, because
there's no other place to be, heaven and earth are gone, everyone is at that great white
throne.
Now, it's only the dead that are being judged.
Those of us that are saved, we will have already been resurrected more than a thousand years
before this.
Long before this, we've already been resurrected, so we're not being judged by our works at
this event.
But the dead are being judged, the unsaved who are brought up at this time to stand before
the great white throne.
Now go to 2 Peter chapter 3, because in 2 Peter chapter 3 we have another scripture
that deals with the subject of the earth and the heaven passing away.
In chapter 20 of Revelation it said that the earth and the heaven fled away.
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall
not pass away.
So this world's not going to be here forever, and people are intent upon preserving it and
they think, you know, well, we're going to have to be here for millions of years, we
need to make this thing last.
Well, it's not going to be here for that long.
What the Bible calls the New Testament is the last days, and we know that this earth
so far has been around for about 6,246 years, you know, give or take, you know, 20 years.
But we know that this world is going to pass away.
Everything in it is going to be gone, and there's going to be a completely new heaven
and new earth.
I'm going to show you some of the differences between the new heaven and earth and the old
heaven and earth, because they are not the same.
Look down, if you would, at 2 Peter chapter 3, it says in verse 10, but the day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.
The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye
to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of
the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat.
Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein
dwelleth righteousness.
So the Bible tells us that because we know that everything on this earth is going to
be dissolved and that there's eventually going to be a new heaven and a new earth, that should
affect the way that we live our life.
I mean, what manner of persons ought we to be if we know that everything around us is
going to be burned up, the car is going to be burned up, the house is going to be burned
up, the boat's going to be burned up.
We're definitely not going to be covetous people who live our lives for how many possessions
we can amass and how much money we can make and how many physical things we can acquire.
They're all going to be burned up.
And that's why the Bible says, set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
If we're realizing that the new heavens and the new earth will take the place of this
earth, we're going to focus on things that are eternal.
Things like the people in our lives, our families, people that we can win to the Lord, people
that come to our church.
We're going to think about things that are eternal, not the temporal things.
But if you would flip back to Revelation 21, and we'll see what the Bible says about the
new heaven and the new earth, it makes it very clear right away that the new heaven
and the new earth are dramatically different because in the first verse there, when it
says that the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, it says, and there was no
more sea.
And of course the earth as it stands right now is covered in the sea.
In fact, there's more sea than there is dry land.
But on the new earth, there is no more sea.
It's all dry land.
Another colossal difference between the old earth and the new earth is that the old earth
had hell at its core, or hell at its center.
The Bible teaches today that hell is in the center of the earth, in the heart of the earth,
in the nether parts of the earth.
Whereas Jesus talked about people being cast in the lake of fire as being cast into outer
darkness.
Obviously, there's nothing outer about being in the center of the earth.
So at this time, hell is located in the center of the earth.
But in chapter 20, we saw that hell was moved, it was relocated to the lake of fire in outer
darkness.
And so the new earth will not contain hell.
Will be another difference.
Let's keep reading.
It says in verse 2, and I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
We're going to get back to the new Jerusalem and the bride there.
But look at verse 3, and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God
himself shall be with them and be their God.
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed
away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, write, for these words are true and faithful.
So in the new earth, there's going to be no sorrow, no sadness, no crying, no death.
And really, when we go to heaven at the rapture, these things still might come into play in
our lives, because there could be sorrow, for example, at the great white throne.
When we see lost loved ones, perhaps, being cast in the lake of fire, there could be crying
and tears.
And so here, after the millennium, at the time of the new heaven and the new earth,
God talks about wiping away the tears from our eyes and that there will be never again
any sorrow, any death, any pain.
And so this is the ultimate goal right here, the new heaven and the new earth.
It says in verse 7, he that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son.
But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers
and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone which is the second death.
Now what does he mean there when he says in verse 7, he that overcometh?
Let me just quickly go through this.
Go to 1 John chapter 5, 1 John chapter number 5.
The term overcometh is not really a term that's used very much in the Bible, but it's used
a lot at the very end of the Bible.
It's used in 1 John, it's used a lot in the book of Revelation.
Look what the Bible says about it in 1 John chapter 5, verse number 4.
It says, for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith.
Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God?
So the Bible's very clear here, and if you understand the grammar there of verse 5, what
he's saying is that the only people who overcome the world are those who believe that Jesus
Christ is the son of God, if you understand that grammar.
The Bible's really clear that overcoming means that you're born again, that you have faith,
that you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
And by the way, that's how you get saved is by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, not
through your own good works or your own goodness.
Now why is that called overcoming the world?
I'll tell you why.
Because the world is out to stop you from doing just that.
And that's why the Bible calls this overcoming the world, when you believe on Jesus Christ.
That tells me that the world's school system is not trying to get you to believe that Jesus
is the son of God.
In fact, they are actively trying to stop you from believing that Jesus Christ is the
son of God.
The world's entertainment, Hollywood, TV, movies, the school system, the governments
of the world, the advertising, all of the world and what it has to offer is geared toward
hindering you from believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
And in order to get saved, you have to overcome that.
You have to hear the word of God and believe it in spite of what the world's telling you.
You know, you go to the school system, they'll tell you that everything came from nothing.
You know, there was nothing and then it exploded and then there was some stuff and then it,
you know, it turned into other stuff and then eventually it came to life.
We don't really understand how, but we're going to give it a fancy name.
We're going to call it a biogenesis and then it sounds a little more official and, you
know, it evolved and all this just lies, just garbage.
And then they teach it in the science department when it should be in the, you know, the fairy
tale department and all these lies out there.
And then TV will show you all these biblical movies and Jesus movies that pervert the gospel
and change things.
All of it is geared towards stopping you from really believing the truth and believing the
gospel.
And that's why the Bible calls the person who is saved someone who overcomes the world.
And when we go to Revelation 2, flip over to Revelation 2, that's still what it means
when it talks about the one who is overcome.
And if you look up the different times that he mentions it in chapters 2 and 3, you'll
see that it is consistent with referring to salvation through believing on Jesus Christ,
through faith.
There was no mention of works when we talked about overcoming.
And in Revelation chapter 2, you'll see that as we look at these different, he that overcometh.
Let's look at the first one in verse 7.
It says, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirits sayeth unto the churches.
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst
of the paradise of God.
Well if you remember back in Genesis, the tree of life was associated with living forever.
Because when they were kicked out of the garden, they were kicked out because they were told,
man can't eat of the tree of life or he will live forever if he eats of the tree of life.
So again here, it's being associated with eternal life.
Being born again.
Being saved.
Okay, jump down if you would to verse 11.
Halfway through it says, he that overcometh shall not be heard of the second death.
Still consistent.
It says in verse 17, part way through.
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white
stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth.
It's showing that those of us who are saved will receive a new name at some point when
we get to heaven that no man knoweth except us.
And then of course it says in verse 26, and he that overcometh and.
So did this person just overcome and do nothing else?
No.
The Bible says, he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end.
So here's somebody who not only believed on Christ, but they also did the works.
He says, to him will I give power over the nations.
So you see, doing good works gets you rewards.
It'll give you a greater authority in the kingdom of God.
You'll be rewarded.
Jesus said, behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as
his work shall be.
But when it comes to just being saved, it's just faith alone.
If you also keep his works unto the end, you get additional power.
You get additional rewards and so forth.
Look at chapter 3 verse 5, it says he that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white
raiment.
And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.
But I will confess his name before my father and before his angels.
Let me ask you this.
Is God going to blot out of the book of life the name of anyone who has believed on Christ?
No.
Because he promised, look, him that overcometh is not going to be blotted out of the book
of life.
His name will be confessed before the father.
Look at verse 12.
It says him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall
go no more out.
And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God which is
New Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new
name.
We'll see that in Revelation 22 when it says they shall see his face and his name shall
be in their foreheads.
Verse 21 it says to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as
I also overcame and am set down with my father in his throne.
So let's flip back over to Revelation 21 with that in mind.
It says in verse 7 he that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and
he shall be my son but the fearful and the unbelieving and the abominable and murderers
and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death.
There's not a lot of middle ground with God is there?
I mean you either overcome and inherit all things and God's your father and you're his
son or you're going to the lake of fire.
I mean the only two choices are heaven or hell.
And when the Bible gives this list of sins a lot of people will take that list and say
well if you commit those sins that's proof that you're not saved.
I've heard people say that.
But that's not really accurate at all.
I bet you that every single person has told a lie and the Bible includes they're all liars.
There's another list that's similar over in Galatians 5.
You know it mentions thieves, drunkards, other types of sins and people say see if somebody's
a drunk they're not saved.
Look Noah got drunk.
David committed murder.
People that are saved can definitely commit these sins but when the Bible says in Galatians
5 that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God you also have to
keep in mind that the Bible says that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of
God.
So we in our sinful condition often walk in the flesh and fulfill the works of the flesh.
And that's what it says when it gives that list in Galatians 5.
It says now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these.
And then he goes in you know adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness and he goes through
all those sins saying these are the works of the flesh.
Look as long as we're living in the flesh we have a tendency to want to walk in the
flesh and then we're going to commit sins of the flesh.
But thank God at the resurrection or commonly known as the rapture you know we're going
to be changed in a moment in twinkling of an eye and our sinful flesh will be gone.
We're not going to inherit the kingdom of God in this sinful flesh.
When we get to heaven we'll never sin again.
Someone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ may be a drunkard upon this earth but they
will not inherit the kingdom of God as a drunkard because of course they will be changed in
a moment in a twinkling of an eye.
The sinful flesh will be gone forever and they will enter as a spiritual person body
soul and spirit.
But it says here all liars and you know this is a great scripture when you're trying to
get somebody to understand that the penalty of sin is hell you know the wages of sin is
death because a lot of people think well to go to hell you have to be really bad you have
to be a murderer for example to go to hell.
But then he also says all liars.
Now some people will look at this scripture that says all liars and they'll say well that's
talking about somebody who lies habitually.
Have you ever heard that one?
You know that's somebody who just lies all the time.
Somebody who just tells you know a lie every once in a while like myself you know they're
not really a liar but the evidence is found in the last verse of this chapter.
In verse 27 talking about the heavenly Jerusalem it says there shall in no wise enter into
it anything that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they
which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Look one lie is equivalent to being a liar in this chapter.
One lie will keep you out of that heavenly city.
I know I've told a lie I'm sure you have to none of us deserves to go there but we
will go there by grace through faith and that's the gift of God right there.
So look down if you would at verse 9 of chapter 21.
It says and there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full
of the seven last plagues and talked with me saying come hither I will show thee the
bride the Lamb's wife.
Now this is the main subject of this chapter.
The vast majority of this chapter deals with the subject of the bride of Christ and the
bride of Christ in this chapter is synonymous with the city the heavenly Jerusalem.
Look at the next verse.
He said I'll show thee the bride the Lamb's wife verse 10 says this and he carried me
away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city the holy Jerusalem
descending out of heaven from God.
Now you can't get around this folks.
He says I'm going to show you the bride and then it says he showed me the city.
Obviously the city here is equivalent to the bride.
I mean isn't that pretty obvious as we look at this.
Now here's what's interesting 99% of people that you talk to it seems like totally misunderstand
the subject of the bride of Christ in the Bible and there are a couple different variations
on this.
Let me first talk about the most extreme variation.
There's a teaching out there of people who call themselves Baptist brideers and it always
blows my mind how people just create these man-made doctrines that have no basis in reality.
They have no basis in scripture and they're they're vehement.
I mean they're just militantly promoting this doctrine and there's so many things that the
Bible actually says that we could get all fired up about.
They get fired up about things that aren't even in the Bible.
For example when brother Chris Sosi started coming to our church some of his family warned
him they said you know stay away from that faithful word Baptist Church they said that's
a bad church and he said well what's wrong with it.
He said well they're a non-brighter church and he said non-brighter what in the world
does that mean and he came to me and he said Pastor Anderson I hear you're a non-brighter
what's that mean and I told him I said I'll tell you what Chris I said on Sunday morning
I'm going to preach a whole sermon on the bride of Christ and that's what I did I preached
a whole sermon and explained the whole thing but this Baptist bride doctrine teaches that
the bride of Christ will only consist of Baptists people that are part of a Baptist Church.
Now where in the world they're getting this doctrine I don't understand but that's what
this and they're saying I'm a non-brighter because I don't believe that strange doctrine
that says you're not part of the bride of Christ unless you attend a Baptist Church
and then there are even more extreme variations of this that teach that you have to be baptized
in a Baptist Church by someone who was baptized by someone who was baptized by someone who
was baptized all the way back to John the Baptist and if that chain is broken in any
way you're not part of the bride and you know what I really hope that you know Pastor Armour
who baptized me when I was nine years old had that pedigree you know like like from
the AKC or whatever going all the way back to John the Baptist you know to prove that
he was qualified to baptize I mean what kind of a strange doctrine is this and it's going
to become even more obvious to you how bizarre this doctrine is as we actually read what
the chapter says obviously that's a strange doctrine obviously that's very bizarre and
very extreme to teach that but there are there are a lot of people who teach it believe it
or not but I'll say this even though that's kind of a fringe teaching and kind of a you
know not as common I would say this 99% of Baptists in my opinion from what I've seen
99% of Baptists probably will teach that the bride of Christ consists of church age saints
or New Testament saints only will be part of the bride of Christ and here's what they'll
say the church is the bride of Christ and therefore the bride of Christ will consist
of church age saints and I'm sure you've heard it before I mean it's probably 99% literally
that teach this and again it's very unscriptural the statement that says the church is the
bride of Christ is a false statement it's not true now first of all go to chapter 19
I'll prove to you that it's not true in chapter 19 of Revelation the Bible reads in verse
7 let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb has come
and his wife hath made herself ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed
in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Now look at verse 7 there it said for the marriage of the Lamb is come the verb is come
means it just came right now and Revelation 19 is at the end of the seven years so let
me ask you this is the church the bride of Christ today if the wedding is going to happen
in the future after the tribulation and after God has poured out all his wrath I mean good
night what if somebody's engaged and they're going to get married a year from now would
we call that person the bride would we call her his wife no because she becomes the bride
when on the wedding day is she the bride seven years before the wedding day or eight years
before the wedding day absolutely not so the statement the church is the bride of Christ
is a misguided statement number one.
Number two if you would just use a concordance and just look up the term bride in the Bible
the first time the term bride is used in the New Testament is in John chapter 3 and in
John chapter 3 John the Baptist uses a parable to describe himself and he says he that hath
the bride is the bridegroom but the friend of the bridegroom which standeth and heareth
him rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice this my joy therefore is fulfilled and
what John the Baptist is saying with that parable is that he is not the main event if
you remember he was always pointing to Jesus Christ saying you know I'm not the Christ
I'm not even worthy to stoop down and unloose his shoe latchet that's what John the Baptist
said he said look he must increase I must decrease and what he's using there is a parable
to explain look Jesus is the bridegroom I'm more like the best man cause he said I'm like
the friend of the bridegroom that's where my joy is fulfilled not to be the main event
but to share in the bridegroom special day you know if you're the best man at a wedding
you're not there to steal the show and you know make the day be all about you no you're
just there to be happy for your friend and to rejoice in his day and you always want
the emphasis at a wedding of course to be on the bride and on the groom and so John
the Baptist is just using that parable to explain his role as the best man so to speak
the guy who points to Jesus and gives him all the glory and lets it be all about him
now you can't just take that parable and just run with it and make it mean whatever you
want I mean that's what it says that's what he meant that's the context end of story there's
a tendency sometimes to abuse parables and the Bible says the legs of the lame are not
equal so is a parable in the mouth of fools and so we need to be careful that we don't
twist parables into meaning something they don't mean so the word bride is mentioned
in John 3 you want to know when the next time God uses the word bride in the New Testament
revelation 21 okay so there's no mention of the term bride from John 3 to revelation 21
so it sounds to me like we're going to get our doctrine on the bride of Christ from revelation
21 is that what it sounds like because that's the only place it's mentioned besides John
just using a parable about a bride and a bridegroom really revelation 21 is our primary source
of this doctrine and if we look at revelation 21 and read it I can prove to you several
different ways right now that the church quote unquote is not the bride of Christ and that
the bride of Christ does not consist of church age saints or even New Testament saints but
that rather the bride of Christ consists of every believer who has ever lived throughout
all ages Old Testament New Testament and if we let the Bible define itself we'll see that
therefore people saying you know well the church the bride of Christ is a different
group than you know no no the bride of Christ is all believers all saints from all ages
and I'll prove it to you let's read it together you be the judge he said I'm going to show
thee the bride the Lamb's wife and he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high
mountain and showed me that great city the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from
God having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like
a jasper stone clear as crystal and had a wall great and high and at 12 gates and at
the gates 12 angels and names written thereon which are the names of the 12 tribes of the
children of Israel now stop right there let me ask you this does that sound like a New
Testament church age group there the 12 tribes of the children of Israel now if the names
are written there on that means the names Reuben, Gad, Asher, those are the names that
are written on the foundation are those people New Testament saints no of course not let's
keep reading it says on the east three gates on the north three gates on the south three
gates and on the west three gates and the wall of the city had 12 foundations and in
them the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb so the gates are labeled with the 12 tribes
of Israel the 12 patriarchs from the Old Testament the foundations are labeled with the 12 apostles
of the Lamb and then it says in verse 15 he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure
the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof and the city lieth foursquare and
the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the city with the reed 12,000
furlongs and we talked about the fact that a furlong is an eighth of a mile so 12,000
furlongs is 1,500 miles so this city is huge it's 1,500 miles by 1,500 miles and 1,500
miles high this is a huge city and it says in verse number 16 at the end there the length
and the breadth and the height of it are equal and he measured the wall thereof 144 cubits
according to the measure of a man that is of the angel you know roughly a little over
200 feet there and it says in verse 18 the building of the wall of it was of jasper and
the city was pure gold like into clear glass and the foundations of the wall of the city
were garnished with all manner of precious stones we'll come back to the precious stones
in a moment but it says in verse number 21 the 12 gates were 12 pearls every several
gate was of one pearl and the street of the city was pure gold as it were transparent
glass it says in verse number 22 and I saw no temple therein for the lord god almighty
and the lamb are the temple of it and the city had no need of the sun neither of the
moon to shine in it for the glory of god did lighten it and the lamb is the light thereof
and the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it and the kings of the
earth do bring their glory and honor into it and the gates of it shall not be shut at
all by day and there shall be no night there and on and on so what do we see here when
we look at this passage is there any mention of the church or church age saints or you
must go to a baptist church or you must be baptized by a guy who was baptized by a guy
who was baptized no no what we see here is that the people who are part of this city
are those that are saved it says the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the
light of it in revelation 19 it said that the lamb's wife with clothes and white raiment
which is the righteousness of saints and look people in the old testament were also called
saints if they were saved if they were believers they were called saints in the new testament
they're called saints look these are people who are believers from all ages from all time
I'll prove it to you further go if you would to Ephesians chapter 2 because in Ephesians
chapter 2 we actually have a tie-in with revelation 21 because if you remember the city has 12
foundations and on the 12 foundations are written the names of the 12 apostles you remember
that well in Ephesians chapter 2 we see something very similar to that in verse 20 it says this
and are built upon the foundation of the apostles now you think that's a coincidence I don't
believe anything in the bible is incidental coincidental or accidental and so if Ephesians
20 is talking about being built on the foundation of the apostles and then in revelation 21
he says look the city is built on 12 foundations that are named after the 12 apostles there's
a correlation here let me show you what that correlation is back up to verse 11 it says
wherefore remember that ye being in time past gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands that at that time
ye were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from
the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world but now in Christ
Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ he said look you
used to be aliens of the commonwealth of Israel what's an alien I mean you know we live in
Arizona so you hear a lot of talk about aliens right illegal aliens well think about this
aliens are foreigners they're not citizens if we mention someone being an alien we're
saying they are not a citizen of our nation well here he's saying look in time past look
at verse 12 he says when you were without Christ you were aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel let me ask this once you're in Christ are you still an alien no you're not because
he says now in Christ Jesus verse 13 ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and when he says both one the
context shows us he's talking about the uncircumcision and the circumcision both being made one that
he has broken down the middle wall of partition between us verse 15 having abolished in his
flesh the enmity even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in himself
of twain one new man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God so he's
saying look the uncircumcision is reconciled to God the circumcision is reconciled both
are reconciled to God they're both made into one they're both joined together in one he
says that he has reconciled both unto God in one body by the cross having slain the
enmity thereby and came and preached peace to you which were a far off and to them that
were nigh look at verse 18 who are the ones that are far off the gentiles who are the
ones that were nigh the Jews okay and he says here for through him we both have access
by one spirit unto the father that's why the bible says elsewhere that in Christ there
is neither Jew nor gentile it says in verse 19 now therefore ye are no more strangers
and foreigners remember he's talking to the Ephesians they're gentiles he's saying look
you're not uncircumcision you're not a stranger you're not a foreigner you're not an alien
you are a fellow citizen with the saints and of the household of God and are built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone
wait a minute now who is built on the foundation of the prophets just the gentiles just the
Ephesians just the New Testament just the church which is at Ephesus no because he made
of both one and he said all of you are joined together Jew gentile bon free circumcision
uncircumcision you're all built on that foundation of the apostles and prophets verse 21 in whom
all the what the building you know doesn't that make you think of that city that's built
on that foundation in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy
temple in the Lord in whom ye are also builded together for an habitation of God through
the spirit you say oh pastor Anderson hahaha this is just saying that in the New Testament
both Jew and Gentile are part of the you know the bride of Christ and part of that city
and part of that building and built on that foundation but the Old Testament saints of
another dispensation you know they're not part of it okay go to Hebrews 11 go to Hebrews
11 because Hebrews 11 will prove it to you and really you should have just been able
to just read Revelation 21 see no mention of the church see listing Old Testament patriarchs
how many Old Testament patriarchs 12 how many New Testament apostles 12 all in the same
building all in the same city that city represents the bride of Christ according to Revelation
21 but look this is the unequivocal proof right here in Hebrews 11 talking about Abraham
Isaac and Jacob look what it says in verse 9 by faith he he is Abraham by faith he sojourned
in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob
the heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a what he looked for a city
which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God what city was he looking for the heavenly
Jerusalem the New Jerusalem it's obvious and the Bible proves it further let's keep reading
he said in verse 10 he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker
is God but when he got there he was turned away at the door because this is only for
the church age saints the bride of Christ you know it's like the silly rabbit trickster
for kids you know silly Abraham you know the bride of Christ is only the church it's not
the Old Testament saints it's not for you I mean what kind of nonsense is this doctrine
people need to quit listening to Peter Ruckman and quit listening to all these hyper dispensationalists
and all this man-made Clarence Larkin C.I.
Scofield and they need to get in the word of God they need to get a King James Bible
and read it and believe it and study it and quit repeating things that have no basis in
the Bible there is no basis for saying that that city is only going to be for those who
are part of the church age there is no church age the Bible says glory to God in the church
throughout all ages amen Ephesians 3 21 but let's keep reading it says he looked for a
city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God okay jump down if you would
to verse 13 these all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them
afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek
a country and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out
they might have had opportunity to have returned but now they desire a better country that
is in heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared
for them a city who did he prepare it for Old Testament saints is who he prepared it
for that's why 12 of their names are on the foundation go to chapter 12 of Hebrews Hebrews
talks about this in chapter 11 chapter 12 and chapter 13 look at chapter 12 verse 22
it says but ye are come unto the Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God the heavenly
Jerusalem isn't that the city we're reading about in Revelation 21 it says that you're
come to the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels to the General Assembly
and church of the firstborn you say oh Pastor Anderson see right there it's the church yeah
church means assembly we're all going to be assembled again get this church age out of
your mind Moses was with the church in the wilderness let me say it again and it's funny
how these people claim to believe the King James Bible is the word of God and then they
don't believe you when you try to show them Acts 7 this is he that was with the church
in the wilderness oh that's you know a mistranslation or no no it was the church in the wilderness
church means congregation look when we get to heaven that church that assembly that throng
that city it's going to include Old Testament saints and New Testament saints alike it says
to the General Assembly and church of the firstborn which are written in heaven and
to God the judge of all into the spirits of just men made perfect now look at chapter
13 it says in verse 13 let us go for therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach
for here have we no continuing city but we seek one to come so look in chapter 11 the
Old Testament saints were seeking a city in chapter 13 we as New Testament saints are
seeking a city do you see that and then in chapter 12 in the middle chapter there we
see that the heavenly Jerusalem is going to be an assembly of both and so it's crystal
clear I don't know what else to say but go back to Revelation 21 if you would for even
more proof that the Old Testament saints are part of this group of the saved that will
make up the bride of Christ the Bible says in verse number 18 in the building of the
wall of it was of jasper and the city was pure gold like unto clear glass and the foundations
of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones the first foundation
was jasper the second sapphire the third a chalcedony the fourth an emerald the fifth
sardonyx and so we see this list of precious stones 12 precious stones now what's interesting
about this is that there's a similar list of 12 precious stones in the book of Exodus
because if you remember Aaron the high priest had these holy garments and part of it was
a golden breastplate that Aaron would wear and this is I believe is found in Exodus chapter
28 and Exodus 28 describes the the holy breastplate that Aaron wore as being a golden breastplate
inlaid with 12 stones and what's interesting is that in those 12 stones were written the
names of the 12 patriarchs the 12 sons of Jacob you know Reuben, Simeon, Levi, etc.
Here those stones are labeled with the 12 apostles of the lamb so in the Old Testament
on the priest's chest the 12 gems were labeled with the 12 patriarchs in the New Testament
here they're labeled with the 12 apostles showing that the 12 apostles are basically
the New Testament equivalent of the 12 patriarchs you know they're basically is a connection
there that we see okay now you say well the the stones don't exactly match up but actually
that the stones do match up now some of them are given different names just because of
the fact that the the book of Exodus was written thousands of years earlier in a different
language in Hebrew and then of course the New Testament's written in Greek and so different
languages word things differently and the names for stones change over time I mean people
today even scholars look back at Exodus 28 and that you know they can't quite figure
out exactly what gems those are referring to just because it was so long ago it's hard
for them always to understand exactly which gem is being referenced but if you compare
the list which I've done and and you you take the list of Exodus 28 and you take the list
of Revelation 21 you'll see that seven of them match up exactly you know just word for
word you know I don't have the list in front of me but you know the topaz matches up the
barrel etcetera there are seven of them that match up perfectly then there are five others
that you're kind of left with on each side but they actually match up they're just different
words for the same type of stone for example one of the ones that's listed here if you
look down at your Bible there is the sardonyx in verse number 20 it says the fifth stone
is the sardonyx right well in the Old Testament it just calls it the onyx well you can look
at those two words and see okay this is the same stone you know one of them is onyx and
one of them is sardonyx it's the same thing and then also you could you could see if you
if you study these stones the agate is the chalcedony the ligur from Exodus 28 is the
jacinth of Revelation 21 and so on and so forth you know you can do some matching up
and figure out which is which so it's the same stone so God here is tying in Old Testament
symbolism and the Old Testament high priest there with the New Testament apostles of the
Lamb Jesus Christ of course was the high priest after the order of Melchizedek and so this
doctrine that states that the church is the bride of Christ and that church age saints
are the ones that we're referring to and you know and you say well what about when
it says husbands loved your wives as Christ loved the church but look just because that's
your logic that's your interpretation that's not what the Bible tells us is the bride of
Christ just because you look at a parable where God's comparing Christ's love for the
church of a husband loving his wife doesn't mean that you can now just define the bride
of Christ as only church age saints when here we have 12 Old Testament people mentioned
we have all the evidence from the book of Hebrews and we have the evidence from Ephesians
chapter 2 it's just not a biblical doctrine but you get people who take this and they
run with it and they get so extreme with it that they start saying it's only Baptists
after a while you know or it's only people who go to a certain type of Baptist Church
you know it has to be an independent Baptist look I'm all for going to an independent Baptist
Church you know you say well what would what would you be if you weren't Baptist ashamed
of myself you know right I mean I'm a Baptist I'm not saying I'm going to go to some kind
of a another type of non-denom, John type church but I am saying that if you believe
on Christ you're saved even if you never set foot in a church in your whole life and you're
going to walk in the light of this city you're going to be a part of the bride of Christ
I don't care who you are when you lived if you believe on Christ you're part of it and
people will just extrapolate these parables out and just get I mean here's here's the
craziest one I ever heard they said well you know we know that the rapture is before the
tribulation because Jesus is not a wife beater is what they said he's not going to beat up
on the bride before the wedding day and you know go ahead and pat yourself on the back
you know pastor cutie pie for coming up with such a cute little illustration of Jesus ain't
a wife beater amen you know I'm sure you're going to get a lot of amens from the ignorant
but but hold on a second I thought Jesus beats us all the Bible says whom the Lord loveth
he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth now isn't a scourge a beating
somebody help me out so if he says that whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth
every son whom he receiveth and then they're going to turn up well we know that we're not
going to go through the tribulation because Jesus isn't a wife beater first of all are
we even the bride of Christ yet no number two are we his sons yes does he beat his sons
yes he does and not only that but guess what the tribulation is not God beating up on anybody
because now again they've made the mistake of confusing the tribulation with God's wrath
God will not pour out his wrath on his people we have not been appointed to wrath but to
obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ but the tribulation of course has nothing
to do with God's wrath but but again we see doctrine that's biblical on one hand where
we just go to the Bible and say okay let's study the bride of Christ in the Bible we
see who it is the saved that's what the Bible actually says the Saints and then we have
this doctrine that's just based on people taking parables well you know since we're
supposed to love our wives like he loved the church that must mean that the church
is the only thing that's considered his wife and and just because John is the friend of
the bridegroom that means he's not part of the bride because he's an Old Testament you
know and we just get all this man-made teaching and man-made and we know it's pre-trib because
you know Jesus isn't gonna beat up on his wife before the wedding day you know he's
not gonna be a wife beater and all this nonsense instead just reading Matthew 24 where he said
again it's after the tribulation we're gonna come up with just parables about beating your
wife I mean that's what these guys come up with that's all they got so in Revelation
21 here let's continue we see some of the other differences here the bulk of the chapter
is just talking about the bride of Christ the Lamb's wife also known as the heavenly
Jerusalem now what's interesting is that and I already did this back in chapter 17 when
I preached on chapter 17 remember when we compared the great whore with the bride of
Christ and they matched up as opposites you know as contrary one to another and remember
how it used the same wording in chapter 17 where he said come hither I'll show thee the
great whore here he said come hither I'll show thee the Lamb's wife and we already went
through that in chapter 17 and we talked about the fact that chapter 21 the new Jerusalem
the bride of Christ represents a group of people the saved and how the great whore represented
apostate Christianity false religion but also it's interesting because they both represent
a city because Babylon is a city in chapter 17 in chapter 21 new Jerusalem is a city look
what it says in verse number 22 of chapter 21 it says and I saw no temple therein for
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it and the city had no need of the
sun neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb
is the light thereof and the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of
it and the kings of the earth to bring their glory and honor into it and the gates of it
should not be shed at all by day for there shall be no night there so here's another
colossal difference between the new earth and the old earth besides the fact that there's
no more sea beside the fact that that hell is no longer located in the center of the
earth also we see that there's no night there I mean just 24 7 the lights are on you know
and it's bright and it's the it's the lamb that lights it up so it's not going to be
heavenly bodies moving that cycle through day and night you know the sun the moon there's
no need of the sun because the lamb is the light thereof and so this is probably every
child's favorite verse no night there because every child hates to go to bed at night don't
they and when you're an adult you want to go to bed right we look at this we look at
this verse as adults and get a little bit nervous what are you talking no night there
what are you talking I mean I thought that you know I thought hell was no rest day or
night you know good night but you know we just by faith just believe that I guess God's
going to give us the energy and everything to stay awake all that time but we as adults
we love to go to see if someone forced us to take a nap we'd love that right but kids
they hate taking out they hate going to sleep and how many times have we I have seven children
and when we put our kids to bed they'll cry and be so upset and sometimes you'll ask them
you know why are you crying they say like what's that and they say like I didn't get
to play it up today you're like you try to tell them tomorrow morning you're gonna wake
up you can play again but I didn't get to play it up today you know you playing all
day you know you can play all day tomorrow what are you talking about you're homeschooled
no I'm just kidding but anyway and they hate going to bed so kids this one's for you no
night there never go to bed again never take a nap again all right we adults are not as
jazzed about that verse as you are but it says in verse 24 the nations of them which
are saved now notice the word nations do you see that and then notice another word halfway
through and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it so even after
the millennium even after we're done ruling and reigning with Christ for a thousand years
when we're in the eternal state here of just the new heaven new earth no sorrow no pain
no death there are still nations and there are still kings do you see that so let me
ask you this is this some kind of a communist utopia that we're gonna live in for all eternity
see the world often brainwashes us with this communist philosophy of you know in a perfect
world everybody's equal in a perfect world there's no such thing as the haves and the
have-nots and and we all are the same and we're all equal and we all that is that how
it's going to be for all eternity are we all going to be equal somebody's going to be a
king and somebody's not somebody's going to be part of one nation somebody's going to
be part of another and it's based upon your merits of how you live your life on this earth
the Bible's really clear about that and you know revelation it seems like more than other
books of the Bible really emphasizes the rewards he talks about bringing the rewards he talks
about rewarding us according to our works now the doctrine of Jesus Christ rewarding
us according to our works is a very important doctrine and I've heard a lot of people try
to deny this doctrine I've heard people say that no no we're all going to be equal we're
all going to get the same reward and God's not a respecter person this that he's not
a respecter of persons but he is a respecter of work and he says he'll reward us based
on our work and no we will not all be equal no we will not all get the same reward the
Bible talks about in for example second John he says look to yourselves that we lose not
those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward every man will receive
a reward according as his work shall be you say why is that an important doctrine why
does it matter so what when we get there either we get a reward or we don't so what
here's why it matters because salvation is free salvation is free and because salvation
is free if we turn around and do works because look we're saved pretty much I I I'm assuming
probably everybody here is saved tonight or at least the vast majority you know there
could be Judas Iscariot amongst you you know but the vast majority of people that are in
church on an off night like this are obviously saved the majority okay we're saved and the
fact that you're here you're probably one that does some work for God you're doing some
good works in your life okay well God wants to make sure that we know that those good
works are not somehow paying for our salvation because salvation is not of works lest any
man should boast you see if it were of works we could boast right now there are a lot of
people that teach well you don't have to do any works to get saved but then they turn
around and teach that you have to do works to stay saved or they'll say you have to do
works to prove that you're saved you know and then if you don't do the works you're
not saved of course Romans 4 shoots that out of the water the whole chapter of Romans 4
is a great chapter on that but I love this doctrine of rewards because it so vividly
illustrates how free salvation is because you know what God's saying with rewards here's
what he's saying salvation is so free and it's completely paid for by the blood of Jesus
Christ and just to demonstrate that to you any work that you do is not going to be applied
toward paying me back for what I did for you no no no I'll reward you for the works that
you do just so that we know that's a separate transaction I think that's what I think that's
what we see from the doctrine of rewards because what it shows is that when it comes
to salvation it's paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ and nothing else so then when
we work for God he doesn't just say well I'm not going to pay you for the work you did
because look what I did for you over here because no no that was a gift that's separate
I mean think about this what if I gave Scott what if I gave him a big gift what if I gave
him you know a new vehicle right and let's say that vehicle was worth ten thousand dollars
and I said here you go Scott I'm giving you a new vehicle forgive it's a ten thousand
dollar gift right and then what if a few weeks later I commanded Scott not asked him to but
I commanded Scott Scott you need to mow my lawn right and then Scott came over and mowed
my lawn and I said I'm not going to pay you for that Scott because I gave you that ten
thousand dollar car was that ten thousand dollar car a gift even if he paid after the
fact with his work and his labor by mowing that lawn he's still paying me something for
that and that doesn't make it a gift so think about isn't that similar to what's going on
with God you know God gave us this big gift right and then he commands us to work for
him is he commanding us to work for him because we owe him that because of what he did for
us no because he promises that if we work for him he'll pay us he said knowing that
whatsoever good thing any man doeth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be
bond or free God promises us that anytime we work for him he will pay us he will reward
us and I believe personally that the reason why he emphasizes the reward so much is just
to let us know that gift was free period the gift was free and you say well we're bought
with a price we owe him that yes we are bought with a price yes we do owe him that but we
could never pay it back and that's why he pays us when we work and every bit of work
that we do we will be paid for it and we will be rewarded and if you think the Apostle Paul
and the thief on the cross are going to get the same reward you're wrong they're going
to get different rewards and here we see that there are going to be people that are
kings and people that are not there are also going to be nations you know people think
nations are bad we need to just all join together and hold hands and join forces and not have
these distinctions of nations and look we're not talking about race here by the way don't
get me wrong the Bible never uses the word race except when it talks about running a
race nations are are basically groups of people not necessarily determined by skin
color okay because there are all kinds of nations where the people's skins are the exact
same color but they're still different nations it's just different families it's just different
groups it's different tribes of the earth and and there will still be nations someday
in the new heaven and the new earth there will still be nations and there will still
be kings and there will still be a distinction between those who have great rewards and those
who have small rewards and the Bible says in verse 26 and they shall bring the glory
and honor of the nations into it and there shall in no wise enter into it anything that
defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie but they which are written
in the Lamb's book of life well isn't this going to be great someday what a place no
sorrow no sadness no crying no death and just there's nothing to mess it up that's
what defileth means nothing to mess up God's perfect paradise here no devil no no abominable
workers of iniquity but just righteousness and godliness and joy and peace and happiness
and and you know we're going to be working for God all throughout eternity and it's it's
going to be great it's something to look forward to and you know we got to keep our eyes on
this finish line and set our affection on the things above not on the things on the
earth not laying up for ourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt
and where thieves break through and steal but we're laying up for ourselves treasures
in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through
nor steal for where our treasure is there will our heart be also and and here we see
the city that Abraham had his mind set on he looked for a city which had foundations
whose builder and maker is God all of those died in faith looking forward to being in
this city I hope that you're looking forward to being in that city someday as well let's
bow our heads and have a word of prayer father we thank you so much for your word and for
the clear teaching of your word please help us not to be deceived by the cunning craftiness
and slight of men who teach a lot of false doctrine for various reasons help us to study
to show ourselves approved help us to read your word and see what it actually says not
to just take parables and man's logic and man's interpretation but rather just read
the text for what it says and who it says is going to be there and and lord we thank
you so much for the chance to look within your word help us to understand it guide us
and direct us into all truth and in Jesus name we pray amen