A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH | Pastor Jay Rice

Devotional

Day 1: Earth Made New Again

John saw a new heaven and new earth—not replacement planets, but creation restored like a vintage car gleaming with fresh paint. The sea vanished, not because oceans are bad, but because chaos and death drowned in Christ’s victory. Groaning volcanoes, withering crops, and aching joints will all bow to renewal. [47:00]

Jesus doesn’t discard broken things—He redeems them. The same hands that shaped galaxies will buff out sin’s scratches on creation. Your chronic pain, your flood-ravaged hometown, your wilted garden—all will thrive in His remade world.

What broken part of your life most makes you ache for this restoration?

“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.”
(Revelation 21:1, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for promising to renew what sin has damaged—including you.
Challenge: Take a 10-minute walk outside today. Notice one broken thing (cracked pavement, wilted flower) and pray for its future restoration.

Day 2: No Strangers in Glory

The Ephesian church once split over circumcision and ethnic divides. Paul declared Christ demolished those walls—not with dynamite, but with bloody crossbeams. Yet we still gossip about the new couple’s tattoos or avoid the single mom’s rowdy kids. [53:44]

Heaven’s community has no backhanded compliments or lonely pews. You’ll finally hug the brother who betrayed you—and mean it. The refugee, the CEO, and the ex-con will pass the mashed potatoes without flinching.

Who feels like a stranger to you right now?

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
(Ephesians 2:19, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one prejudice to God—even if it feels “small.”
Challenge: Text someone you’ve avoided at church. Use these words: “I’m thankful you’re here.”

Day 3: City Descending from Heaven

John’s measuring rod stretched 1,400 miles as angels mapped a jeweled metropolis descending to earth. Foundations bore apostles’ names. Gates welcomed every tribe. No temple stood there—just raw God-glare lighting gold streets. Jerusalem became the ultimate fixer-upper. [58:24]

This isn’t heaven—it’s heaven colonizing earth. You’ll hike rainforests by morning and debate theology with Moses over dinner. Your resurrected lungs will breathe real air, your healed hands plant real gardens.

What earthly activity do you most want to experience renewed?

“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.”
(Revelation 21:10, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to deepen your anticipation for physical resurrection.
Challenge: Share one thing from today’s devotional with a non-Christian this week.

Day 4: Names in the Lamb’s Book

The New Jerusalem’s gates stay open, but not everyone enters. John’s pen scratched warnings beside promises: “Nothing unclean…only those written in the Lamb’s book.” No last-minute bribes. No exceptions for “good people.” Just blood-bought names. [01:05:51]

Jesus’ return means reward for some, ruin for others. Your coworker who mocks “sky fairies,” your prodigal sister—their names either glow on parchment or don’t. No middle ground.

Whose absence from heaven would wreck you?

“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
(Revelation 21:27, ESV)

Prayer: Beg God for courage to ask someone, “Where’s your name written?”
Challenge: Write one name in your Bible’s margin. Pray for them daily this week.

Day 5: “I Am Coming Soon”

Jesus’ final promise in Scripture isn’t a whisper but a shout: “I am coming soon!” He’s not pacing heaven’s gates—He’s gathering angels, checking names, preparing to split the sky. Every war, every funeral, every migraine ticks down to this. [01:06:09]

Delay feels like denial, but “soon” in God’s calendar burns shorter than yesterday. Live urgent—not panicked. Love recklessly. Speak plainly. Your neighbor’s eternity outweighs your awkwardness.

What keeps you silent about Jesus’ return?

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.”
(Revelation 22:12, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to make His return your daily expectation, not distant theory.
Challenge: Invite one person to church this Sunday. Say, “I don’t want to go alone.”

Sermon Summary

We honor mothers and the women who sustain our gathering, offering simple thanks and a small token of appreciation. We then turn our attention to Revelation 21 and the biblical picture of heaven. We learn that the ancient use of the word heaven covered three realities: the sky, the cosmos, and the divine dwelling. The Bible points our hope beyond cartoons and sentimental images to a rich, concrete promise that far exceeds our imagination.

We discover that heaven brings a renewed creation. The world suffers corruption and groans under the weight of sin, but Scripture promises a restored earth, not an escape to clouds. The new heaven and new earth will embody healed beauty, where the chaos represented by the sea gives way to order and flourishing. We will explore and steward the renewed world, not idle in a single place.

We find that heaven brings a reconciled community. The dividing walls that once separated people will fall. The new community will embody peace, broken hostilities, and true belonging. The church’s present failures and hurts point to an incomplete picture; in the coming reality, relationships will no longer wound. Tears, mourning, and pain will end because God will dwell among us and we will finally belong fully to one another.

We see the great city, the new Jerusalem, come down from God. That city serves as a symbol of God’s presence at the heart of creation. Its measurements and temple imagery signal the fullness of access to God. No curtain separates us. God’s glory lights the place, and the Lamb serves as its eternal lamp. Every believer receives a place there, and the city’s size suggests that God’s redemption will fill the earth.

We face a sober warning. Entry requires purity that comes from being washed in Christ, and not everyone will enter. That reality creates an urgent responsibility. We must pray, remember Christ’s sacrifice at communion, and deliberately invite others toward this living hope. We carry both longing and mission: longing for the day of restoration and mission to help others stand before God. As we leave, we live with hope, share the gospel, and pray, Come Lord Jesus.

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[29:24] - Honoring Mothers and Women
[31:58] - Scripture and Revelation 21
[33:42] - Introducing Heaven as Hope
[36:51] - Childhood Images Versus Scripture
[43:16] - Three Senses of Heaven Explained
[47:00] - New Heaven and New Earth
[51:37] - A Reconciled Community
[56:02] - The New Jerusalem Revealed
[62:40] - God as Our Temple
[66:35] - Warning and Accountability
[69:30] - Communion and Invitation
[72:26] - Prayer and Sending
[81:01] - Benediction and Close

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Revelation 21:1-5, 22-27 (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.”
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Observation Questions

According to Revelation 21:1-4, what specific changes will occur in the new creation? How does this contrast with the current state of the world?
The sermon mentions that the sea in Revelation 21:1 symbolizes chaos and disorder. What other imagery in this passage points to God’s restoration of creation? [49:50]
What does Revelation 21:22-23 reveal about how God’s presence will function in the new Jerusalem? How does this differ from Old Testament temple practices? [01:02:40]
The sermon describes heaven’s community as “reconciled” and free from division. What phrases in Ephesians 2:11-22 (referenced in the sermon) support this idea?

Interpretation Questions

Why might the Bible use the metaphor of a “city” (Revelation 21:2) to describe the new creation? How does this challenge common cultural ideas of heaven as a purely “spiritual” realm?
The sermon emphasizes that the new creation is a renewed earth, not an escape to the clouds. How does this shape our understanding of God’s plan for creation? [47:33]
Revelation 21:27 warns that “nothing unclean” will enter the city. How does this warning connect to the urgency of sharing the gospel mentioned in the sermon? [01:07:02]
The church today is described as an incomplete picture of the future reconciled community. What tensions exist between the church’s current reality and the promised unity of heaven? [53:19]

Application Questions

The sermon highlights that heaven’s community will have “no gossip, no exclusion, no broken promises.” What practical steps can you take this week to reflect this future reality in your relationships? [51:37]
Revelation 21:3 says God will “dwell with us” directly. How might this truth change the way you approach prayer, worship, or daily struggles today?
The warning in Revelation 21:27 reminds us that not everyone will enter heaven. Who in your life needs to hear about the hope of Christ’s sacrifice? How can you intentionally create space to share with them this week? [01:10:49]
The sermon compares the new creation to a restored car. What parts of God’s current creation (nature, relationships, work) do you most look forward to seeing renewed? How does this hope affect your daily choices? [47:53]
The new Jerusalem’s gates are “never shut” (Revelation 21:25). How can you practice radical hospitality or inclusion in your community to mirror this openness?
The sermon urges believers to live with both “longing and mission.” What specific action will you take to grow in longing for heaven and actively inviting others into that hope? [01:08:49]

Sermon Clips

56s

#NewHeavenNewCommunity

“People won't hurt us anymore. They won't let us down anymore. The church won't drop the ball on us and promise to do one thing and fail to deliver. Those tears go away too. Death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning or crying or pain anymore for the former things have passed away. Even church hurt, even church pain is gone in the new heaven. We get a whole new community. We don't experience that stuff anymore. Why? Jesus said, behold, I'm making all things new, even the community of faith. And the new heaven, it's it's new community. We walk with people, with each other, people in this room, hopefully, people that have gone before us, people that are yet to come. We walk with them in perfection and perfect relationship, perfect harmony, with no division anymore, with no struggle anymore. We're known and we know.”

67s

#NotEveryoneGetsIn

“We strive so hard to have all this stuff here. This There's this old joke, this guy he he died and he was wealthy and he he wanted to be buried with with his wealth so that he could take it to heaven. So had all these gold bars and his suitcase, he gets to heaven and Peter goes, why'd you bring pavement with you? Like, we don't need You know, like it because it's nothing. This is nothing compared to what's coming in that day. But inherent in this hope that we should have and this expectation, this excitement that we should have, there's also a warning. Because you see, go back to Revelation 21. You read verse 27, it's talking about heaven. It's talking to this new place. It says this, nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the lamb's book of life. Not everybody gets in.”

37s

#ComeLordCome

“I hope that is your prayer. Yeah. That was awesome. Man. This world is not your home. Right? We're just passing through as they say. So I hope this week your prayer is come Jesus come. Let today be the day. I pray. Oh, I pray for you. That you will grab a hold of that truth and sink it deep into your soul. That there's something greater waiting for you, and we need to bring everybody with us. Let's do that this week.”

66s

#ShareTheGoodNews

“We have a responsibility as Christians to share the truth of the gospel with our coworkers and our neighbors, our family. To not sit back and say, well, somebody will tell them I hope. Maybe that maybe I can get the pastor to do it. Right? Maybe I can I can get a professional Christian to talk to my neighbor? Not me. But that's not what scripture teaches. If we know this is where we're going and it's gonna be this glorious amazing thing, shouldn't we want everybody else to go there too? Shouldn't we be excited to share what we know and not hold it to ourselves and say, well, somebody will tell them. Right? To go out and just like you you go to a good movie, you can't wait to tell everybody. Guess what? We got something a whole lot better than a movie waiting for us as followers of Jesus. We gotta go tell people. We gotta go share this good news.”

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A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH | Pastor Jay Rice | I Love to Tell the Story