Grow | 6 | All Things New

Devotional

Day 1: Throne Room Declaration

John saw a new heaven and earth—not just refreshed, but wholly different. The old order vanished like mist. Jesus declared from His throne: “I am making ALL things new,” using the Greek word _kainos_—a superior, enduring newness. This creation won’t fade, ache, or rust. Even mountains and oceans will become more real than we’ve ever known. [43:51]

Jesus’ promise isn’t about renovation but revolution. The same power that resurrected Him will transform every atom of creation—and you. Your future body will outshine the sun, your joy untouched by time. This hope anchored persecuted believers as lions circled their feet.

Where does your heart ache for renewal? A relationship? Your health? Your purpose? Picture Jesus holding that very thing in His nail-scarred hands, declaring it _kainos_. What broken area do you most need to surrender to His renewing work today?

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’”
(Revelation 21:1,5a, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to make His promise of total renewal as real to you as the ground beneath your feet.
Challenge: Write down one area of “decay” in your life or world you long to see made _kainos_.

Day 2: Fish and Fingernails

The resurrected Jesus ate broiled fish while standing in a locked room. His disciples touched His scars—proof He wasn’t a ghost. Yet He appeared suddenly, unbound by walls. His _kainos_ body was both physical and transcendent, the prototype of ours. [53:41]

Your future body won’t be less human—but more. No arthritis, cancer, or anxiety. You’ll hike galaxies without fatigue, create art without creative blocks, embrace loved ones without insecurity. Jesus’ fish supper proves eternity won’t erase your humanity but fulfill it.

Do you resent your body’s limits? Struggle with pain or shame? Thank Jesus for the hands that feed you today, knowing they’ll one day plant gardens on New Earth. What current frustration reminds you to lean into His promise of wholeness?

“He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’”
(Luke 24:38-39, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for the body He gave you—and the perfected one He’s preparing.
Challenge: Take a 10-minute walk today, noticing three ways your body works… and thanking God for its future upgrade.

Day 3: Lions and Lullabies

First-century Christians sang hymns as lions tore their flesh. Roman guards marveled—how could these “fools” face death with joy? Their secret: Revelation’s vision of _kainos_ reality. They’d calculated earthly pain against eternal glory… and found it light. [56:29]

Martyrs didn’t deny suffering’s horror but fixed their eyes beyond it. Like a mother enduring labor for her child’s sake, they embraced temporary agony for everlasting joy. Their songs declared, “This isn’t the final verse.”

What trial feels overwhelming today? A diagnosis? Financial strain? Family conflict? How might picturing Jesus wiping every tear from your eyes (Revelation 21:4) change your perspective?

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
(Romans 8:18, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one fear or pain to Jesus, asking Him to frame it with future hope.
Challenge: Read one paragraph about a Christian martyr (e.g., Perpetua, Polycarp) and note what sustained them.

Day 4: Renewal in Real Time

“I am making everything new” (Revelation 21:5) isn’t just future tense. Jesus started renewing creation at His resurrection. Every healed relationship, every act of justice, every whispered prayer is a _kainos_ bud breaking through death’s soil. [01:04:46]

You’re part of this renewal project. When you forgive an enemy, you mirror the New Earth. When you create beauty, you preview eternity’s art. Your hope isn’t passive—it’s a shovel breaking ground for God’s kingdom.

Where is God inviting you to partner in renewal now? A grudge to release? A creative project to start? A neighbor needing kindness? How can today’s choices reflect the _kainos_ reality?

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
(2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

Prayer: Ask the Spirit to show you one practical way to bring “New Earth” into your world today.
Challenge: Do one tangible act of renewal—plant a flower, mend a torn item, restore a lapsed connection.

Day 5: Receipts and Reckoning

Paul “calculated” his sufferings against coming glory like a mathematician balancing equations. Beatings, shipwrecks, betrayals—all weighed less than eternity’s weight. His ledger concluded: “No contest.” [01:02:00]

You keep mental receipts—injustices, losses, aches. But Jesus says, “Compare them to My _kainos_.” Picture placing your worst pain on one scale and Revelation 21’s promises on the other. Watch hope’s side crash downward.

What hardship feels too heavy today? Write it down, then write “_Kainos_” beside it. Which carries more weight in your heart?

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
(2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus that your hardest day is “light” compared to eternal joy.
Challenge: Make two lists—current struggles vs. New Earth promises. Pray over them for 5 minutes.

Sermon Summary

Revelation 21 speaks as the revelation of Jesus Christ, not a codebook, but a comfort for a church under pressure. John sets the scene inside persecution where the confession Jesus is King stands over Caesar, and the living God steadies his people by pulling their eyes to a future that can carry the weight of present suffering. The passage repeats new because the headline is newness. John reaches for kainos, not neos, to say God is making a world that is not merely young but different in kind, beyond decay, beyond wearing out. The biblical story confirms it: creation itself groans for liberation, the prophets sing of restoration, and Psalm 96 imagines seas resounding and trees shouting for joy when Yahweh comes to judge in righteousness.

Human restlessness for the latest thing exposes a deeper ache. Culture’s chase for youth, upgrades, and glow points to eternity set in the heart. As Lewis argues, if no experience here can touch the truest longing, the most probable explanation is that a person was made for another world. John answers that ache: a new heaven and new earth will not be a thin spiritual escape but a renewed creation that will blast the senses. Like the difference between a postcard of Mount Rainier and standing in its cold wind and warm sun, this world is only a shadow of the substance to come.

God himself promises, I am making all things new, and then shows what that means: God will dwell with his people, wipe tears with his own hand, and end death, mourning, crying, and pain. Paul fills in the texture. The perishable will put on the imperishable; the mortal, immortality. The resurrection body is not less physical but more truly human, as the risen Jesus shows by eating fish and inviting touch. Everything rises and falls on the resurrection, so the call is to bet the farm on Jesus.

This hope proved practical when lions roared. The martyrs’ courage grew from a future screwed down deep into identity, so grief did not have the last word. The blood of the martyrs became seed because outsiders saw a people whose hope ran stronger than fear. That same hope forms growth now. The disciple is summoned to let the gospel truth captivate the imagination, to reckon with Romans 8:18, to calculate the present suffering against the coming glory. And the voice from the throne speaks present tense. I am making all things new means newness can flow now as life comes under the Lordship of the One on the throne. To the degree a Christian trusts and obeys, peace, strength, joy, and a transformed mind begin to take root.

Key Takeaways

1. Revelation comforts under real pressure This apocalypse centers on Jesus as the steadying presence for a church facing real loss and threat. It reframes history so fear does not get to be the narrator. By fixing the eyes on the One who comes to dwell with his people, endurance becomes possible without denial. [34:44]
2. Kainos means different in kind John does not promise a younger version of the same old world but a creation of superior kind that does not decay. This future will not thin out reality; it will deepen it until beauty finally holds. Letting that category rewire expectation breaks addiction to upgrades that cannot last. [43:51]
3. Hope forms courage in suffering The early Christians did not avoid pain; they located it inside a larger story. Their tears were real, but not final, and their enemies could not take what mattered most. That is why their blood became seed and their witness outlived their wounds. [55:56]
4. Resurrection bodies are truly human Paul’s seed-to-plant picture and Jesus eating fish insist the future is embodied, imperishable, and undefiled. Salvation does not discard creation; it heals it until humanity becomes what God intended. That promise dignifies the body now and steadies the heart against both fear and fantasy. [53:11]
5. Work the future into today Romans 8:18 invites a careful accounting that compares sorrows with coming glory until desire gets re-aimed. Revelation 21:5 speaks present tense, so newness begins as life yields to the throne. Trust and obedience open channels for peace, strength, and joy to take root now. [64:46]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:51] - Growing by being captivated
[33:30] - Revelation is about Jesus
[34:44] - Comfort for persecuted believers
[37:00] - The culture’s chase for new
[39:05] - Longing hints at another world
[41:59] - Kainos, not neos
[44:47] - Creation groans for renewal
[46:21] - Scripture’s promise of restoration
[48:39] - Shadow to substance at Rainier
[50:29] - God dwelling and wiping tears
[52:01] - Resurrection bodies like Jesus
[55:56] - Martyrs and a living hope
[59:50] - Captivate imagination, calculate glory
[64:00] - All things new begins now

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Revelation 21:1-5 (ESV): 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. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. 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.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
- Romans 8:18-22 (ESV): For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
- 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 (ESV): For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 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.”

Observation Questions

In Revelation 21:5, God says, “I am making all things new.” What specific Greek word does John use for “new” (kainos), and how does it differ from other Greek words for “new” like neos? [43:51]
According to Romans 8:19-22, what does creation “long for,” and how does this relate to the future hope described in Revelation 21?
The sermon mentions Jesus eating fish and inviting touch after His resurrection (Luke 24:41-43). How does this detail challenge common misconceptions about resurrection bodies? [53:11]
Psalm 96:11-13 describes creation rejoicing. What imagery does the psalmist use to illustrate this celebration, and how does it connect to the “new creation” in Revelation?

Interpretation Questions

Why might John intentionally use the word kainos (new in kind/quality) instead of neos (new in time) to describe the new heaven and earth? What does this imply about the nature of God’s renewal? [43:51]
The sermon compares the current creation to a “shadow” and the future creation to “substance” (like Mount Rainier’s postcard vs. the real mountain). How does this analogy help explain the relationship between our present reality and God’s promised renewal? [49:44]
Paul says the perishable body will “put on” imperishability (1 Corinthians 15:53). How does this language of “clothing” redefine what it means to be “truly human” in the resurrection?
The sermon argues that early Christians faced persecution with courage because their hope was “screwed down deep into identity.” How does anchoring identity in future glory change how believers endure suffering? [55:56]

Application Questions

The sermon says, “Let the gospel truth captivate your imagination.” What practical step could you take this week to meditate on the reality of the new creation described in Revelation 21?
How might your perspective on daily struggles (e.g., pain, loss, or injustice) shift if you “calculated” them against the coming glory, as Romans 8:18 encourages? What specific worry or grief could you bring into this “reckoning”?
The resurrection body is described as “more truly human.” How does this truth challenge cultural attitudes about aging, physical appearance, or health? What is one way you could honor God with your body today as a foretaste of this future hope?
The sermon warns against “leaning into upgrades that cannot last” (e.g., chasing youth, trends, or gadgets). What is one area of your life where you’re tempted to seek temporary “newness,” and how could you redirect that desire toward eternal hope? [37:43]
Revelation 21:5 says, “I am making all things new” (present tense). What area of your life (relationships, habits, mindset) needs to yield to God’s current work of renewal? What would it look like to trust Him with that area this month? [01:04:46]
Early Christians’ courage in persecution made outsiders ask, “Where do they get this strength?” How could your daily choices (e.g., generosity, forgiveness, joy) visibly reflect the hope of the new creation to others?
The sermon says, “Bet the farm on Jesus.” What is one decision or fear you need to surrender to Christ’s lordship this week to experience His “newness” in your life? [01:05:48]

Sermon Clips

And then there's kainos. And kainos is new, but it's not new in the sense of young and going to age. It's new in the sense of superior in kind to the old. It's different. Something that is neos means it's just appeared. It's not been around for very long. It's fresh. It's young. But, of course, it will age and decay. But kainos is not talking about duration. It's talking about quality. And here, John uses kainos in all of these descriptions. So Revelation 21 then is communicating that God is making all things new as in a completely different category. My friends, that is amazing. [00:43:25] (41 seconds)

The others began to look at them. Non Christians looked at them. The world looked at them and said, man, how does this work? Where do they get this resolve? Where do they get this strength? Where do they get this life? Because this isn't natural. It was almost like the book of Revelation written to them. God speaks to them and says, look what's in store for you. Look what is going to come for you. Get ahold of this truth, screw it all the way down deep into who you are, and you can face anything. And they did. [00:56:09] (31 seconds)

Now John writing this text in Greek, that was his native language, had a few different choices for how he could communicate new. We would do the same thing. If you're writing a thing in English, you're like, well, I could say it this way, but I could say it this way. In Greek, there's two words, at least two words for new, neos and kainos. So he's processing obviously which one he would use. Neos is new. New in the sense of being young and youthful. Neos is like you're a novice at something, you're new at something, you're fresh and young. It's used of new wine, for example. Fresh and young, it's not aged. [00:42:47] (35 seconds)

My friends, this is something to let captivate your imagination, the gospel of what Jesus makes available to those who trust him. It will encourage you. It will change you by letting this truth get deep down into the core of who you are. My friends, this is your personal future. Is that life changing? I think that is enough to change us forever. This is your future. Put it on your calendar somewhere just so that it's in your head. You're like, this is what I have to look forward to. Not about the date. Who cares about the date? But like, I get to look forward to this is real. One day this is real. [00:51:09] (39 seconds)

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Grow | 6 | All Things New | 05.17.26