For The King It Is
Prepared
A New Thing In The Earth II
Jeremiah 31:21-22 says, Set thee up way marks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of
This is the
second sermon in the series of sermons, A New Thing In The
Earth. Every day the LORD is creating a new thing in the earth. The Bible says
in Ecclesiastes 1:9, The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and
that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under
the sun.
It may be
something is not new for you but it certainly is for someone somewhere in this
world. Whenever God brings a new day God is doing a new work in the world.
Today is the day to walk within your house with a perfect heart; a perfect
heart of love for Jesus and for His Word.
Now in talking
about a new thing in the earth what we want to think about is heaven and
hell. There is a thing that every day is
both Old and New it is called the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of
Jesus Christ is always good news in both the Old and the New Testament.
The good news
is that Jesus died for your sins. There is forgiveness for sin. There is
eternal life: it is in Jesus. This is the old old
story. And it is also the New Covenant. Jeremiah 31:22 says, For
the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth.
Now in talking
about a new thing in the earth and in talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ
think about heaven and hell. What is the difference between heaven and hell?
Hell is the place of eternal punishment for all who refuse to repent of their
sins to Jesus. Heaven is the place of eternal reward, eternal life for those
who turn from their sins to Jesus.
In thinking
about heaven and hell one thing that should be thought about is the presence of
God. Why would anyone want to be separated from the presence of an everlasting,
almighty, loving God?
In thinking
about the Gospel, one of the first verses mentioned in connection with Jesus
Christ coming to redeem man from His sins is found in the Gospel of Matthew
1:23 which says, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us.
God with us. This is the good news. God wants to
be with you. Sin separates man from God but Jesus is Emmanuel. There is always
a mystery in the Gospel: to understand how it is that Christ who is God could
become sin for us and become separated from God the Father when He died on the
cross. What a mystery! Thank God that we never have to be separated from God because
Jesus died for our sins.
Now in talking
about heaven and hell there are two verses in the Bible which reveal a little
bit of the mystery of the Gospel and give us a glimpse of why no man who is
wise would desire to be in hell. 2 Thessalonians 1:9 says, Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction form the presence of the LORD,
and from the glory of His power. And
Revelation 14:10 says, The same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the
cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in
the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.
In Hell Gods
presence is both there and not there. In the beginning
When God created the heavens and the earth He set man in a garden and He walked
with man in the garden. Man was in the presence of God. Then man sinned. Sin is
what separates man from God. In understanding this spiritual separation think
about how life is now on the earth since the time that man has fallen from
grace in the days of Adam and Eve.
In this world
we walk by faith not by sight. We cannot see God. There is no physical presence
of God here. There was when Christ was on the earth 2000 years ago. But aside
from those 33 years to whom hath God revealed Himself?
No one.
In a way, this
life teaches us something about hell. God is a Spirit. God is everywhere. And
yet at the same time God is not here with us. God is here and yet we do not see
Jesus face to face. For those who desire the presence of God and desire to walk
hand in hand with the Savior everywhere they go in life this is an opportunity
to become thankful for salvation by grace through faith in Jesus.
God is here
and yet not here at the same time. If I look to the east or to the west or to
the north or to the south, Do I see God? Nay. I walk by faith not by sight. Oh, yes, in a way there
is a separation from God in this life. This separation is not hell but it
teaches us something about hell. It should teach us to wait for His Son from
heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the
wrath to come.
One way of
looking at it is to say that in a way, we who are the children of God, are in
the presence of God and yet not in His presence at the same time. Yes God is
here. Yes God is everywhere. Yes the Spirit of God dwells inside me. Yet at the
same time I cannot see God. Not like Adam did in the garden
of Eden. Not like the disciples did when Jesus walked this earth for 33 years.
God is here and yet not here at the same time. It is the mystery of law and
grace.
To catch a
glimpse of the wrath of God, of the indignation of God which fills hell, to
understand the just judgment of God should open the door to deeper wells of
truth regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ and the grace and lovingkindness of God. Ezekiel 33:11 says, As
I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the
death of the wicked.
Now in talking
about hell the Bible says in II Thessalonians 1:9, Who
shall be punished with everlasting destruction form the presence of the LORD,
and from the glory of His power. And
Revelation 14:10 says, The same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the
cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. From the presence of the LORD; in the
presence of the Lamb.
How is it that
those in Hell are both in the presence of God and not in the presence of God
during their eternal punishments and everlasting burnings? I cannot answer this
question but I look at this life and I see that just as it says in Jeremiah 23:24,
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall
not see him? Saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the LORD.
God is
everywhere and yet God hides Himself. The wind blows and the thickness of the
wind seems to be the veil separating us from God. What a suffering it is for
man to be separated from God. Are Christians separated from God in this life?
Yes in a way because in heaven we shall see Him as He is. In This life we walk
by faith in the promises of God. Think of the sufferings of this life, ever
since Adam sinned and left the garden of Eden where he
walked in the presence of God man has suffered. Life is filled with suffering.
The sufferings, the curse that God has put on man in this life is just. But to
be separated from God is a suffering indeed. The separation that we experience
from God in this life is mild in a way yet it gives us a glimpse of hell because
in hell they are torment from and in the presence of God.
II
Thessalonians 1:9 says, Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction form
the presence of the LORD, and from the glory of His power. And Revelation 14:10 says, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he
shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels,
and in the presence of the Lamb.
Maybe it is
impossible to fully comprehend, to grasp, to understand,
to feel the just sufferings of those in hell, but
God is from
everlasting to everlasting. Eternity is a very long time. God loves judgment.
The name of the LORD cometh from afar burning in His anger the burden thereof
is heavy; His lips are full of indignation. What is the burden of the LORD?
Jesus died for
my sins. I am just a sinner. Jesus paid it all on the cross. And now I wait for
the Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered
us from the wrath to come. Deliverance is redemption. O! to
know the promises of God as when Jesus promised in Hebrews 13:5, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Or
as when Jesus said in the gospel of John 10:27-29, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow
me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is
greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand. I John 3:2 says, Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be
like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
Revelation 21:1-3 says, 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. And I John saw the holly city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband. 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
Himself shall be with them, and be their God. What is the burden of the LORD?
We shall see Him as He is. Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. We shall never perish. No one shall pluck us
out of nail scared hands of Jesus.
Behold! The
LORD hath created a new thing in the earth. What is the burden of the LORD?
What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.
The Bible says
in Isaiah 30:33, For Tophet is ordained of old;
yea, for the king it is prepared; He hath made it deep and large: the pile
thereof is fire an much wood; the breath of the LORD,
like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
For the King
it is prepared. Jesus Christ is the King; the king of kings. Ezekiel 5:13 says,
Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause
my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I
the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.
God loves
judgment. God will be comforted from all the unrighteousness and evil in this
world and from all Gods suffering that unrepentant sinners have cause Him. O,
yes, Christ suffered on the cross when He became sin and was separated from God
the father. O, yes, tis true Christ suffered the
punishment of eternal separation from God on the Cross.
It is true
that most who hear the word of God turn away from the truth and choose their
own will instead of Gods will. Most in this world choose the pleasures of sin
for a season instead of the eternal pleasure of the will of God through Jesus.
Even so the gospel of Jesus must be preached. Some will hear it. Someone
somewhere in the world will respond when Christ touches them.
The Bible says
in Isaiah 30:33, For Tophet is ordained of old;
yea, for the king it is prepared; He hath made it deep and large: the pile
thereof is fire an much wood; the breath of the LORD,
like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
Tophet is symbolic of Hell. For the king it is prepared:
to comfort the King of kings through the satisfaction of the fulfillment of
judgment. From the presence of the LORD, and in the presence
of the Lamb. To have that comfort
and that consolation to see have the satisfaction of justice tis only natural that the one who has suffered would desire
to see the judgment of the guilty.
In a way it is
like those who go to see those in the prison systems when they are brought to
their appointed time of execution. Sometimes those that are guilty of the worst
crimes are sentenced to death. They may sit for many years on death row before
their final day of punishment comes. But the victims and the families of the
victims whom have suffered and whose lives have become
forever scared by such evil crimes they have a need a need to be comforted and
consoled throw seeing justice fulfilled. And so they go sometimes and watch the
guilty at their execution. In a way this is no different than what God is going
to do to all the sinners who have trodden under foot the blood of Jesus Christ.
God will be comforted. God will be consoled. The eternal, everlasting Almighty
God will be satisfied in the justice of His indignation and judgment because
those that are cast into hell shall both be punished with everlasting
destruction form the presence of the LORD and in the presence of the Lamb.
God is a God
of love. This is why God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross
for the sins of the world. Anyone can be saved. Anyone can turn from their sins
to Jesus and call out to Christ for forgiveness of their sins regardless of how
great their sins are because where sin did about grace did much more abound.
The presence of God is what Christians look forward too. This is why we wait
for the return of Christ. This is why we are watchmen. To be separated from the
presence of God is hell indeed. Turn from your sins to Jesus and you never will
be separated from the presence of God.
The Bible says in Isaiah 30:33, For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is
prepared; He hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much
wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2013 by Bruce
Creech
All Rights Reserved