Bailey Methodist Church
11/23/2025
  • I Thank God
  • Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
  • Sanctuary
  • In Christ Alone/Cornerstone
  • Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow!
  • Revelation 21:1–5 ESV
    1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
    One of John Wesley’s most profound sermons is titled “The New Creation.” Preached near the end of his life, Wesley describes the ultimate culmination of God’s redemptive work: the complete renewal of humanity and the entire created order. He wrote, “All the ruins of the fall shall be repaired; everything that has been marred shall be restored to its original beauty.”
    Revelation 21 provides the clearest biblical picture of this glorious restoration. The Scriptures begin with the creation of heaven and earth in Genesis 1 and conclude with their renewal in Revelation 21. The garden transforms into a city, and the world, broken by sin, becomes a world healed by grace.
    However, Revelation 21 does not stand alone. Jesus Himself spoke about the passing away of the old creation and the coming of God’s kingdom in Luke 21:5-19. In this passage, He informed His disciples that even the most magnificent parts of the world—the impressive temple—would one day perish. He warned them of wars, earthquakes, persecution, and betrayal, not to instill fear in believers but to instruct them on how to live as faithful witnesses until the day God makes all things new.

    1. The Promise of a Renewed Creation (vs. 1-2)

    Isaiah 65:17 ESV
    17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
    John's vision begins with the announcement of a new creation. The old world—tainted by sin, suffering, and decay—will pass away, and in its place, God will bring forth something entirely renewed. The Greek word for "new" here (kainos) signifies not merely something brand-new in time, but something new in quality—renewed, transformed, and perfected. It represents creation redeemed, not replaced.
    Wesley emphasized this point: “As the body shall be restored to the soul, so the whole creation shall be delivered from corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” The same God who declared the world “very good” in Genesis 1 will one day renew it in even greater glory. What sin has distorted, God will restore. What death has taken, God will return.
    This promise resonates throughout Scripture. Isaiah foresaw it when he proclaimed, “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Isa. 65:17). Paul longed for it when he wrote, “The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption” (Rom. 8:21). Now, John sees this promise fully realized.
    To grasp this renewal, Jesus provides crucial insight in Luke 21. While His disciples admired the beauty of the Jerusalem temple, Jesus responded, “The days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Luke 21:6). In essence, even the most stable and sacred structures of this world are temporary. Jesus described wars, earthquakes, famines, and cosmic signs (Luke 21:10-11). These are not indicators that the world is spiraling out of control; instead, they are signs that the old creation is passing away so that the new creation may emerge.
    The Christian hope is not an escape from the world but its renewal. We are not waiting for God to abandon creation; we are waiting for Him to redeem it. Therefore, our calling is to live as caretakers and signposts of that forthcoming renewal. When we care for the earth, pursue justice, reconcile relationships, or heal broken lives, we participate in God's redemptive work. Every act of restoration anticipates the day when Christ will make all things new.
    The promise of a renewed creation fills us with both hope and purpose. Hope, because the world’s suffering is not the end; and purpose, because what we do in this world matters to God’s eternal kingdom. In the words of Wesley, “The smallest good act is an earnest of that final restoration when love shall fill the universe.”

    2. The Presence of the Redeeming God (vs. 3)

    John 1:14 ESV
    14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
    If the first promise speaks of a renewed creation, this second truth reveals the heart of that renewal: the presence of God Himself. The greatest blessing of the new creation is not its beauty but rather its communion—the unbroken fellowship between Creator and creature. What humanity lost in Eden through sin is restored through grace. The distance between heaven and earth collapses; the wall between God and humanity is gone forever.
    From Genesis to Revelation, God’s desire has always been to dwell among His people. In the tabernacle and the temple, His presence was symbolized in shadows. In Jesus Christ, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). However, in the new Jerusalem, His presence fills everything. “They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.” The covenant promise reaches its fulfillment.
    John Wesley marveled at this intimacy, writing, “The pure in heart shall see God—not at a distance, but face to face.” Imagine that: no veil, no sin, no separation—just the radiance of divine love filling every soul. Heaven is not merely a place of golden streets; it is the life of perfect communion with the God who made and redeemed us.
    Jesus teaches us something profound in Luke 21: before God’s presence is perfectly revealed in glory, His presence is powerfully given in our trials. Jesus said to His disciples, “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you… This will be your opportunity to bear witness.”
    Then comes this remarkable promise: “I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand” (Luke 21:12-15). In other words, God will not abandon His people in suffering. He will be present with them.
    The same God who will one day dwell with His people in the new Jerusalem is the God who now dwells in us through the Holy Spirit, strengthening us to endure trials and bear witness to Christ.
    Even now, this future reality begins in the heart of every believer. The new creation starts when Christ takes up residence within us by His Spirit. When we live in holiness, love, and obedience, we manifest the indwelling presence of God. Every time a congregation worships in love and unity, and every time believers serve one another in humility, heaven touches earth. The Church becomes a living preview of the new Jerusalem—God’s dwelling among His people.
    Our task, then, is to cultivate lives that reflect His presence—to be, as Wesley said, “the first fruits of His new creation.” In our prayers, our relationships, and our service, we invite the world to see what it looks like when God dwells with humanity once again.

    3. The Power of Resurrection Life (vs. 4-5)

    1 Corinthians 15:54 ESV
    54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
    Here we reach the climax of the passage and of Scripture itself: the complete victory of God over suffering and death. The poignant image of God wiping away every tear reveals His deep compassion and personal care. The One who sits on the throne bends down to comfort His children. Every sorrow is remembered, every wound healed, and every loss redeemed.
    Death, the last enemy, is destroyed forever. As Paul declared, “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). Christ’s resurrection marked the beginning of that victory, and the new creation will be its completion. The One who conquered the grave proclaims, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Notice the present tense—He is making all things new. The renewal has already begun through His risen life and continues even now through His Spirit at work in the world.
    Jesus had already spoken of this hope in Luke 21:16-19. There, He warned of betrayal, hatred, imprisonment, and suffering—even death. Yet He made this astonishing promise: “But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance, you will gain your lives.”
    What a paradox—Christians may die, yet Jesus says they will not perish. Here lies the key: resurrection life has the final word. Even martyrdom cannot destroy the life that God gives.
    Wesley wrote, “As surely as God made the world, so surely will He renew it.” The resurrection of Jesus is God’s pledge that He will finish what He started. What was broken will be mended. What was lost will be restored. What was dead will live again.
    This hope sustains us in our trials. Every tear we shed in faith will be answered by God’s own hand. His righteousness will overturn every injustice we suffer. His power will empty every grave. We live as people of resurrection hope—not naïvely ignoring pain, but courageously enduring it, knowing that it will one day be undone.
    As believers, we are called to live as witnesses of that future victory now. When we comfort the grieving, resist despair, and proclaim the gospel to those in darkness, we testify that death does not have the final word—Christ does. And His word is one of newness.
    John Wesley concluded “The New Creation” with a vision of universal praise:
    “The whole creation, being then delivered from bondage, shall join in one general song of thanksgiving to Him that sits upon the throne.”
    That is the destiny of all things – the harmony of creation, the joy of redemption, and the song of eternal love.
    Revelation 21:1–5 reminds us that the story of Scripture is not a tragedy but a triumph. The garden becomes a city. The curse becomes a blessing. The tears of Good Friday are answered by the joy of Easter morning. The God who once said, “Let there be light,” now says, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
    So let us live as citizens of that coming kingdom—hopeful, holy, and steadfast in love. Let us care for the world that God will one day renew. Let us welcome His presence even now. And let us live in the power of resurrection life, knowing that soon every tear will be wiped away, and all creation will sing, “To Him who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing, honor, and glory forever.” and glory forever.”

      • Revelation 21:1–5ESV

      • Isaiah 65:17ESV

      • John 1:14ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 15:54ESV

  • We Gather Together
Bailey Methodist Church
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