The End of Grief

The End of Grief

(Revelation 21:1-7)

Yearly Theme:  “Patience is…”

Series Title:  “Good Grief”

November 27^th, 2022

Something to think about:

There are so many voices in this world.  What are the voices you listen to?  Some voices are more important than others, and some voices are merely background noise.  However, there is a Voice that is the most important voice in the world, and should be the most important voice in your life.

It was GOD’s voice that brought all of creation into existence.  He spoke light into existence and separated it from the darkness.  He called the light day and the dark night.  It was GOD’s voice that separated the water from the land and the sky.  GOD spoke and there were living creatures of all kinds; creatures of the sea, the land, and the air, some infinitesimally small, and some gargantuan.  It was GOD’s voice that placed the stars in the universe, and set them in perfect balance with the laws of nature He put into place.  And before He was finished with creating, He formed man and woman and gave them life, and it was they who would – for a time – walk and talk with GOD in the Garden of Eden.  They knew His voice, and they loved Him.

We come to the close of our series on “grief” this morning, and in doing so, we come to the end of the Bible.  The last narratives we are given in the book of Revelation, give us a glimpse of the end of time, and thus, the end of sorrow, pain, and death:  those things that truly grieve us.  What we realize as we navigate through the Word of GOD to the last pages is that it is those who not only hear GOD’s voice, but obey it, that ultimately come to the end of their days with a great sense of hope, even when they can’t see beyond their current circumstances.  It’s those who put their trust in GOD who experience what John writes in these next few verses…

Revelation 21:1-7 (NLT),

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

³ I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

⁵ And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. ⁷ All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Here’s the takeaway this morning:

Key Point:  “In the end, there will be no more sorrow, pain, death, or crying, for GOD will make all things new.”

So, what will we experience at the second coming of Christ?

• There will be a new  and a new  .

Revelation 21:1-2 (NLT), ¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

• GOD’s  will be among His  .

Revelation 21:3 (NLT), I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.

• All tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain will be gone  .

Revelation 21:4 (NLT), He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.

Something to take home:

“So, whose voice do you listen to?  There is only one voice that can lead you to safety.  Are you willing to follow the voice of GOD?  Are you willing to tune your ear to distinguish His voice above all others?  Do you trust that He knows your situation and is able to see you through it no matter what comes?  And, do you believe that He loves you enough to continue to call out to you and rescue you from not only the messes you’ve made, or that others have made, but also this mess of a world in which we live?

2 Corinthians 4:16b-18 (NLT2), ^16b  … Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ¹⁷  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Key Point:  “In the end, there will be no more sorrow, pain, death, or crying, for GOD will make all things new.”