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In the name of
Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Well, tomorrow promises to be

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perhaps a monumental
day in American history.

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We are voting to elect

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a new President
of the United States.

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Each candidate has a
different vision for what they

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see this country to be
in the years to come,

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and each candidate has

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their own strengths
and weaknesses.

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But there will be a change
coming January of 2025.

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No matter what our earthly
politicians promise us

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about a utopian
society here on Earth,

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nothing compares to
what the Lord reveals to

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Saint John here in
Revelation Chapter 21.

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He takes us beyond this
decaying and dying world,

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and he takes us to
when the old heaven and

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Earth have passed away,

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and behold, new
things are coming.

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John sees the
holy city Jerusalem,

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a city who Hebrews tells us is
architect and builder is God,

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coming down out of heaven as

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a nuptial chamber for
his bride, the church.

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God himself will be there,

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and we'll be able to be
in his presence and see

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Jesus Christ face to face as
the first disciples saw Him,

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and know what
blessings He has

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in store for all
who are there.

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He will wipe away
every tear from our eyes,

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and death shall be no more.

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Neither shall
there be mourning

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or crying nor pain anymore,

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for the former things
have passed away.

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Well, this new
heaven and this new

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Earth are really
together as one.

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No more veils separating
heaven and Earth,

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but now it is
visible together.

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And it's so glorious that any
attempt to seem to describe it

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falls short, although
later on in Chapter 21,

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John does give
us a description

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of this beautiful
new Jerusalem.

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Yet here, as he first sees it,

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he's taken back and
he helps us understand

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it by what is not
present there.

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No more mourning or
crying or pain or death.

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And then he adds
that the sea is no more.

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That perhaps sounds
odd to our ears.

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After all, three
fifths of the world's

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surface today is the
sea or the oceans.

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And now there is no more sea.

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Well, the sea can
also be a symbol of

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the separation of
heaven and Earth,

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of God and man in particular,

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and the turbulence
of the oceans

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and its storming
shows the turbulent

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life we have in this world.

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But now in Christ, Jesus,
who entered this world,

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who tabernacled
among us for a brief

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time, will tabernacle
among us forever.

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And as He dwells
there, we have access

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because He has bridged the
gap between heaven and Earth,

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and He has calmed the tumult

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through His own
death upon a cross.

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And so we have a
hope and a future.

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A voice directs John
to write this down,

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for these words are
trustworthy and true.

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Beloved, take
these words to heart.

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Many are predicting that
the days after tomorrow

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will be tumultuous
for us in this country,

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whoever is elected.

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Fear not. Take heart.

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Remember the hymn
verse that we sing.

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Trust not in
princes or rulers.

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They are but mortal.

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Earth born, they
are, but soon decay.

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Fair are their councils
at life's last portal,

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when the dark grave
engulfs its praise.

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Since mortals
can no help afford,

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place all your trust
in God our Lord.

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Alleluia, alleluia.

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And indeed, blessed is the
one who trusts in the Lord.

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He is the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.

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He has the first
word at creation that

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brought everything
into existence.

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And He has the final
word on the last day.

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Even as He ushers
in the new heaven and

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the new earth, the
home of righteousness.

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And He promises us life.

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Life now and life forever.

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And what He says through
John applies to us today.

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To the thirsty, I will
give him the spring

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of the water of life
without payment.

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What a future.

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What a Lord who
sustains us for that future.

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But our life today does
affect our future in Christ.

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Saint John says, the one who

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conquers will
have this heritage.

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And I will be his God
and he will be my son.

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We will be full heirs of
all the promises of heaven.

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Sons of God with
that inheritance right.

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With the Lord
for all eternity.

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For us right now, this is
encouragement to persevere

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in the faith delivered
to us once and for all.

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It's a call for us to
be faithful unto death.

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And that's a theme
throughout the entire book

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of Revelation, if not the
scriptures themselves.

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Each of the seven
congregations, which I believe

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are representative of
all the churches of all

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times and places, are
thus directed by the

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Lord in Revelation
chapter 2 and 3, that they

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remain faithful.

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And by remaining
faithful, they thus conquer

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in Christ and they
receive the crown of life.

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And yet on this side of
heaven, there are many,

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many things that are
given that tempt us and try

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to lead us away from
Jesus and the promises that

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we have of this new
heaven and this new earth.

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And thus our text
also has words of

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warning to which we
do well to pay heed.

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But as for the cowardly,
the faithless, the

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detestable, as for murderers,
the sexually immoral,

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sorcerers, idolaters,
and all liars, their

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portion will be in the
lake that burns with fire

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and sulfur, which
is the second death.

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The cowardly are those
who are ashamed of

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Jesus, who do not
confess Him publicly,

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or perhaps the ones who
show faithlessness when

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they are asked about
their faith and keep quiet

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or try to run and flee.

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The other behaviors,
they're found all over

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the world today and
increasingly more brazen

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in their acceptance and
the widespread nature

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of these vices in this
time before the end.

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But take heart, in
Christ you already have

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a victory, for Jesus
has paid for each one

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of these sins for you.
In Him you are forgiven.

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And our text goes on
where an angel shows

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John the glory of
the new Jerusalem,

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where we shall be
united with our Lord,

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our heavenly
bridegroom for eternity.

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Yes, in Christ we
have a future and we

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have a hope. This
world is passing away,

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but a new and better
heaven and earth where

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God will dwell among
us forever awaits.

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He will do it, for what
God promises He

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accomplishes. He has
given us His very own Son

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to atone for our sins
and open the gates of

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paradise, and He has
given us His Holy Spirit

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as the down payment
of what is yet to come.

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Amen. And now may the
peace of God that passes

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all understanding
keep your hearts and

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minds in Christ Jesus
now and forever. Amen.