Revelation 21:9-27
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
My name is Chad I'm one of the pastors here grab a Bible and go to Revelation chap 21 we are finishing up the the Book of Revelation in the next few weeks and we have reached the part of the Book of Revelation where we are getting to see into eternity getting to see the new heavens and the new Earth and one of the things that you should do when you're reading the Bible is you should ask why is this here what is this meant to to teach me what is this meant to tell me why why did they use these words and not other words why did they include this information.
But not other information that's one of the things that you do when you study the Bible why is this why did they give me this amount of information and not less or more that's some of what you're trying to do when you're looking at it one of the questions we're asking this morning is why why is this here well the The Book of Revelation was written to the Church in distress with a call to endurance I was written to a Church that was in the middle of difficulty hardship pain doubt frustration times where they were going what what is.
God doing and why is this not working and we're trying to follow him but we're being persecuted and it's this call to endurance and then in this this letter this book that's written to these churches and this Church in distress at the end it says look at how wonderful all of this is look at where we're going look at how how good it's going to be but if you'll remember that the point is endurance then we start to answer the question of why is this here it's helping us.
See what the Finish Line looks like it's helping us understand now why we would want to endure it's easy to see what's right in front of us and see why we would want that and one of the beauties of the Book of Revelation is that we actually get a picture of what's to come so that we might Foster in our hearts a desire for that and in some ways what we're doing today is we're we're like a soldier who in the middle of Despair or difficulty in the middle of a watch at night.
When there's fear and anxiety prior to a battle when they're riding to it that pulls out a picture and looks at it to see someone they love in a place that they love and to remind themselves why they're fighting to see something that makes it worth it and to remember this is this is why I'm here this is what I'm defending this is what I'm striving for this picture and that's some of what we get here is we get a picture that reminds us oh this is why we would strive this is why we would endure this is what we're fighting.
For let's pray and then we're going to not go into battle we're just going to look at the pretty picture that's what we get to do today and so it's it's an exciting this morning for us let's pray father we thank you for this glimpse into Glory we ask that you would awaken our hearts to see it we praise your name amen Revelation CH 21 verse 9 so this is John he's seeing a vision he's writing what he sees then he says.
Then came one of the Seven Angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me now John here paying attention writing what he sees one of the Angels who just poured out judgment on the earth starts coming towards him I think there's a moment where it's like but this has happened to him before in in chapter 17 one of these angels came to him and when the angel came to in that time he said come with me I'm going to show you the prostitute and he takes him and he shows him the city of Babylon which is the Pinnacle in some ways of the rebellious nature of humanity.
Turning from God and running from God it would have represented Rome but it would also represent all of humanity turning and running from God it would represent the final version of Rome whatever that is this Pinnacle of rebellion and so this time he says something similar but the exact opposite come and I will show you the bride the wife of the Lamb so last time he said I'm going to show you a prostitute and he showed him the city of Babylon.
Now he's going to say I'm going to show you the bride and he's going to show him the city the New Jerusalem and he carried me away in the spirit to a great high mountain and showed me the Holy City Jerusalem all right real quick that is a direct reference to Ezekiel and John's been doing this a lot there have been a lot of connections to the Book of Ezekiel Ezekiel had this prophetic vision of the in time kind of New Jerusalem this prophetic vision of the remade Temple he talks about a river he talks about the Trees of life he he foresaw U the war of Gog and Magog there's all these connections between.
John and Ezekiel and it's not as important right now but it's going to be real important later in the text but I want to show you that one spot where he's that happens to Ezekiel it happens to John and in some ways John's keeing in his listeners or readers to I'm seeing the same thing Ezekiel Saw and there's already been a lot of references but this is another one okay and he showed me the Holy City Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from.
God so the the city's been in heaven with God and now it is descending because God's making a new heavens and a new Earth he's making all things new and so this city it's coming down out of heaven now heaven is the place where God dwells it also is the way that they refer to the skies the heavens above declare your glory and in some ways we like to think of it as a place but in in some ways heaven isn't.
So much spatial as it is relational but in this picture we see coming out of Heaven descending to Earth the New Jerusalem the Holy City Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God having the glory of God its Radiance like a most rare Jewel like a Jasper clear as Crystal so he's trying to describe this he one of the things that we need to understand is that the city isn't just the stuff in the city although he's going to talk a lot about the stuff in the city.
But he announced this is the bride so we we've got some figurative language here because that's also what the Church is referred to as when Jesus God God throughout the Old Testament would talk to Israel and he would say he's he's the groom and they're the bride when Jesus shows up he starts calling himself the groom capital T capital G groom the groom he I'm I've come to marry Israel it's a it's a bold claim because it's a claim to Divinity John the Baptist says I'm not the groom I'm the best man I just got to be excited.
When he showed up but now I just kind of Fade Into the background it's not not my day but this bride is coming down and it's the city but what makes a city is not just the stuff in the city but the people in the city so that this is both a place and a people because that's how you get a city if it doesn't have people it's a ruin if you show up to New York and nobody's there I would suggest don't go in something bad has happened unless you.
See Will Smith and a dog just don't just don't go in so it's both a place and a people and y'all it's descending adorned like a bride this picture of the groom and the bride finally finally this anticipation this waiting this longing this is what we've been holding out for this is why we're here that's that's some of this picture for us that that Christ in some ways is going finally my bride nothing stands in the way anymore we've waited long enough everything is finished.
When when we just read last week where God the father says it is done that's some of this picture it's finally we've reached the moment that we've all been waiting for so this bride is coming down but then he says this because he's trying to describe it he says it Radiance was like a most rare Jewel like a Jasper now if you don't know much about Jasper this is what Jasper looks like and I doubt you were picturing that now there's different colors of Jasper.
But that like I'm just picturing like when I realized when I would realize when I was picturing gyms like if you make me picture like picture a gym I would just picture um like Hobby Lobby plastic ones that's the only gym like I've never h like I'm just picturing like a plastic this is prettier and then he says like Jasper clear as Crystal so he says now picture of Jasper you picture that and he goes now picture it's clear what exactly I think he's trying to describe something that's very difficult to describe it is gloriously beautiful.
And then he throws a bunch of words at you that you're like those I don't know how to and he's like I'm telling you so that but clear you're welcome it's going to be beautiful all right 12 he's describing something absolutely beautiful and he's going to keep doing it 12 it had a great high wall with 12 gates and at the gates 12 angels okay so he sees the city and part of what makes the city is a wall and he says this has a huge wall great high wall that means safety protection.
If there's a city that that the Church the bride is going to dwell in where there's no fear you think about how much of your life is affected by fear how much of your decisions are affected by fear the purchases you make the way you live the way you Drive where you go where you don't go who you interact with how you feel when you're interacting with people so much of life is built around fear not in this city there's no fear in this city it's beautiful.
So there's great high wall and there's an angel posted at all the gates so good luck trying to get in if you ain't supposed to be in that's kind of how that works it's this picture of protection guarded safe and on the gates the names of the 12 tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed and on the East three gates on the north three gates on the south three gates and on the west three gates this is exactly what Ezekiel Saw same picture and the wall of the city had 12 foundations and on this them were the 12 names of the TW Apostles of the Lamb.
Okay if you want to enter the city you have to go through a tribe of Israel so in some ways what's being pictured here is not just honoring the tribes of Israel but that the people in the city belong to the tribes of Israel that it's Israel that dwells here that in order to enter the city you are entering into in some ways Israel but you're not entering into Israel without walking on the work of the Apostles that Israel is Seated on founded on the proclamation of the Gospel.
So that this is not a city that has some Jewish people and some Christians that's not the picture here because to belong to Christ is to belong to Israel and to belong to Israel is to belong to Christ there aren't 24 Gates and you can either enter by an apostle or an A A A Tribe you have to enter by both and there's this picture of the people of God are the people of God and that the the New Jerusalem is the true Israel is the true Church and it's also beautiful that the those who the apostles who proclaim the Gospel that.
God honors them that that the work when we say sometimes we'll say that the the Church is plan a and there is no plan B for proclaiming the Gospel that that's built into how this city works that the Church was meant to go Proclaim that's what the apostles they were sent ones to go share this message and so there's this picture of the Gospel that it's founded on the proclamation of the Gospel it's founded on Mission work and it's what it's how you belong to the people of.
God which lines up with Romans and Galatians where the true sons of Abraham are those who are Sons by faith really cool verse 15 the one who spoke with me had a measuring Rod of gold to measure the city and its Gates and its walls again reference to Ezekiel because the angel that comes and meets Ezekiel takes him to a high mountain shows him the city also has a measuring Rod this measuring Rod though is made of gold if if you were interacting with some ambassador from some other place they seemed wealthy.
But every time they pulled out a tool or an instrument they pulled out a pin yall were doing some math problems they pulled out a protractor they needed to measure something they pulled out a tape measure and everything they pulled out was made of gold eventually you you'd be like I'm sorry where are you from what is this place that this the measuring Rod is gold I think that speaks to the absolute wealth of the New Jerusalem but I also think it speaks to the preciousness of the New Jerusalem that even the instruments used to measure it are glorious.
So he's holding a measuring Rod of gold to measure the city and its Gates and its walls the city lies Four Square its length the same as its width and he measured the city with his Rod 12,000 stadia I know you're like that many stadia yes that many stadia it's length and its width and its height are equal okay so 12,000 stadia is like 1300 to 1500 miles that's a big city I'm going show you a picture of that size it be like this size.
So the most uh the uh the Bigg City we have New York has 8.8 million people it's a DOT well it's not even a dot it would be a DOT if they put it on here Philadelphia is a DOT which I thought way to give Philadelphia some love and not put New York but Dallas is on there Houston two cities in Texas I don't I don't know exactly who made this map but that's how big it is it's not going to be located there I just showed y'all that.
Because y'all driven this place more it's probably going to be located here but I don't think y'all have driven around there much some of y'all have been there and some of y'all have driven around there but not a lot and I wanted you to get the scope but it'll probably be there if the new Earth has similar geography but there's something to this city it says that it's length and its width and its height are the same so this is actually how the city is described which means that we don't quite understand what he's seeing this exists in some sort of scope that we can't really wrap our head around you you know.
When you're um when you're watching a sci-fi movie and the the spaceship's coming back into Earth and it catches on fire for a little bit that little I'm going to catch on fire zone of the atmosphere is like 62 miles up and this goes 1500 miles up we don't have any cities like this I don't know what that says I don't know if that speaks to the size of the new Earth I don't know if that speaks to existence existing on some sort of existence that we don't understand how to exist in that way don't even know the words to use other than exist.
But what he's seeing is glorious and unfathomable and beautiful and wonderful and big okay and he says he also measured its wall 144 cubits by human measurement which is also an angel's measurement I love that verse I don't have any insight I don't have any good good way to explain other than him just being like they use cubits too you guys I don't know if that tells us that a one one commentary I read said well this would have to be regular size Angels instead of like the big siiz ones that we've already seen and it just was like sure I guess that's helpful it's not a giant Angel.
If they both use cubits I don't so anyway I just love that it's there uh Isaac and I were discussing it this week he thinks it's so that we won't be annoying with the information he said it's for the guy who goes well hold on a second is that how Angels measure that John was like yes that's how Angels measure so anyway 144 cubits which would be 26 16 ft so cities have walls it's part of what makes a city a city it this is this is why in in the book of Nehemiah that the people around Jerusalem didn't really care that a bunch of Israelites came back.
But they had an absolute fit when they started rebuilding that wall all the people around them started going no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no which is like half of the book of Nehemiah is just people going no no no no no no no no no don't build Build That Wall and the reason why they didn't want to build the wall is because the wall meant protection the wall meant that they belonged the wall meant that they had some ability some agency some existence.
And so he's looking at this wall and he says that it's 216 ft tall so I look this up average height of the Great Wall of China our greatest wall arguably it at least call you know call dibs on the name 26t average height which I I find we're kind of bad at picturing so I've walked around the building today if you're standing in our gym or outside of our gym the height of that wall the one that's gray and has mil City painted on it it's probably around 22 23 ft this that's a big wall the Great Wall is this wall is 10 of those it's a big wall.
Now it is a Tall City 1500 miles but the wall is impressive that if you were trying to come to this city and John having to see it well you would walk up and go I mean it's taller than some of the buildings in downtown like a 15-story building is right around 200 or so feet so it it's big but then he says all right listen this 216 ft wall the wall was built of Jasper which I showed you earlier while the city was pure gold like clear glass the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of Jewel the.
First was Jasper the second Sapphire the third aate the fourth Emerald the fifth Onyx the sixth Carnelian the seventh chrysite the eighth Barrel the ninth topaz the 10th chapra the 11th Jin the 12th amethyst the 12 gates were 12 pearls each of the gates made of a single Pearl and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass y'all first of all there's no list of stones like that in the Bible this one's different so if you're like wait is that the 12 Stones on the ephod that the high priest wore no it's not there's no list like it.
If you I would encourage you to go Google those rocks those stones to get a picture of what this thing looked like but I don't think we're meant to figure out the meaning I think he's articulating Beauty I don't think this is like a code to crack I think it's something to wonder wonder at not wander Wonder this is the wall on the out outside these are the the gates that take you into the city first of all each gate is a pearl the biggest pearl we've ever found is like 62 pounds.
So when you when all the kids are released just pick one of those about that size of a pearl that's the biggest one we've ever found most of them are like you know like this so that means unless God just created it that there's some really big oysters but it's speaking to the magnitude and the glory and the beauty of the exterior wall of the city John hasn't even made it in if you were walking down a street and you saw a jewelry store and the outside was encrusted in Jewels you would be inclined to think those aren't real you still wonder why they were still there cuz you would think people would take those.
But if they were real you'd then be inclined to think a couple of things one how how dangerous are these people that nobody takes these how well policed is this city what did they hide in the safe if this is on the exterior wall what's inside John is staring Starry Eyed at the exterior wall of this city which is glorious Beyond Reckoning 216 ft tall bedazzled in all sorts of gems the each gate is a pearl one Pearl and it's just like and it speaks I think to the absolute wealth of this city it speaks to the safety of it the lack of fear and it also speaks to the value system.
So that it's beautiful and glorious but y'all they're Paving the streets with gold we can walk on it and it's beautiful but at some point people I think are just walking because they're not enamored with gold anymore it's beautiful it's ornate it's glorious you think about the fact whenever we find gold like if you found gold historically how much Bloodshed would follow like when whenever we found something good it it you strike oil you get all these things like difficulty blood like these things people pack to it there's some good that can come out of it.
But there's gold would pass from hands to hands to hands just based off of who was most violent and here's a city where the outside is is glorious beyond all human Reckoning perfectly safe and they just don't value that stuff the way they used to and we're about to see why so just keep going 22 he's about to say something that is startling shocking appalling I saw no temple in the city if you know Ezekiel and you realize that he's been saying I'm seeing what Ezekiel Saw I'm seeing what Ezekiel Saw I'm seeing what Ezekiel Saw I'm seeing what Ezekiel Saw and he's referencing Ezekiel Ezekiel 37 Ezekiel 38 Ezekiel 39 he's going to reference.
Stuff in Ezekiel 46 and 47 when you get to you're going through the book of ezek at Ezekiel 40 the angel with the measuring Rod starts measuring the temple and that's Ezekiel 40 chapter 41 42 43 44 45 and 46 we're measuring the Temple and so everybody going he's there he's there he's there he's there and he goes you no Temple what what do you mean no Temple that was the we were what we were Ezekiel in our way to the temple what do you mean no Temple something.
So much better I saw no temple in the city for its Temple is the Lord the God the almighty and the lamb we don't need a temple because they're there the temple represented the place where God met with Humanity the place where he had placed his presence in small portion so that you could interact with him where he had marked the nation of Israel as belonging to him they had the temple the temple stood as the example that they were the chosen people the temple was the place where they could meet with.
God hear from God the temple was the place where one person could interact in his presence once a year after having sacrifices there's no Temple because God himself is there it's like saying this house has no phones right cuz all the people I want to talk to are here we don't need them anymore he's there this is what we said last week makes heaven heaven that we get God this is why you can pave the streets in Gold because they're just not that important anymore it's not that glorious anymore.
Because the glory of the Lord is there his presence is there there's a there's a Billy Joel song where he says wherever we're together that's my home he talks about living all over the place he's singing to some girl and he's saying but wherever we are Wherever You Are that's where I belong and that that's Christians with the Lord where wherever he is that's Heaven he's that glorious he's that good he's that wonderful there is no distance between us anymore I I was struck by the concept that.
Because of the work of Jesus because there's no stain of sin that what is communicated throughout the New Testament is that we don't there's no separation anymore and and now it's not just no separation between us and sin but there's because of sin there's no separation at all they're literally actually there with him but that if you belong to Jesus you could walk into the holy of holies the high priest was only allowed to go once a year and for for one time after sacrifices.
But because of the sacrifice of Jesus if you could travel in time you could walk into the holy holies and not be struck dead because you've been covered by the blood of Christ and this his manifest presence is there and the the Church for all eternity just gets to participate with him belong to him and the times when we when when that part isn't exciting for us is is just an example of how our hearts need to be awakened to how good he is to how glorious he is.
But if you've ever had those moments when you've really interacted with the presence of God when the spirit's really spoken to you worked in a way in your life and you felt that moment of just like you brushed against eternity it's that but we're capable of handling it I always feel like you ever seen um you know they can run electricity through a pencil it's cool if you can Google it run electricity through a pencil uh it's bad for the pencil though the pencil will run electricity through it.
But it also burns up and that's the way I feel sometimes in the moments where I really have felt the presence of God or the spirit at work where it's like this is amazing please stop it's like this is wonderful beyond all Reckoning but I can't handle it it's like it's like he can send a little bit of his presence his work his glory through something but it's like I can't I'm not designed to handle it and I think that what happens.
When we get prepared with an eternal weight of Glory as Corinthians says is that when we get here we can handle it we're actually conduits of the ability to carry the weight of the glory of God and therefore we are delighting eternally in his presence beautifully and wonderfully overwhelmed but able to handle it and that's this picture there is no Temple because there's no separation because he's there and the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it full of the glory of.
God gives its light and its lamp is the Lamb I do I do not know if that means there is no sun or moon it just says this city doesn't need it but I don't know but in some ways if you'll think about the way the reason why people have worshiped the Sun forever and the way we are dependent on the sun we need the sun we need its warmth we need its light we need heat we need what it does to plants we need the Sun.
And then he John just says yeah it's like the sun lives in that City the warmth the heat the life he's there beyond all comparison beyond all Reckoning there's no there's no need you don't need that you need you need the Lord and you've got it it's a beautiful picture by its light this is the lamp of the Lamb by its light will the Nations walk and the kings of the earth will bring their Glory into it this picture of submission this picture of worship this picture of invitation it says and its Gates will never be shut by day and there will be no night there massive wall huge Gates which speaks to protection defense.
Safety and then it says the gates are never shut which also speaks to Absolute peace and safety and y'all the gates face east west North and South they're always open and there's this picture of this city that sits in the center of all creation says come to the Nations come you're welcome there's not One Direction that's that's not welcome all the nations are welcome all the kings are going to come and bring their Glory into it I think that is meant to be a picture of the Gentiles being invited in rather than something.
For us to Think Through wait there are other kingdoms how does that work I don't think that's what're meant to do there it's it's referencing prophecies from Isaiah from Ezekiel this picture of this invitation this welcoming of the Nations it's actually a proclamation of the Gospel and what Jesus has done that the Nations will come in but it does say this verse 26 they will bring into it the glory and the honor of the Nations everything good makes it into the city there are things that are beautiful about your culture and I don't care what culture you come from there are things that are good and beautiful about way yall approach life or Humanity or.
Music or something there something where you've tapped into something about the nature of God and his personhood and his character and there are things that are absolutely terrible about your culture where y'all are wrong and stupid and you should should stop and that's the way it works but y'all everything good makes it biscuits are in heaven all of the good music all of the creativity all of the beauty it it's not just one culture that that makes it all the nations show up there's this beautiful thing in the Book of Revelation and it plays out also in the rest of the New Testament where you belonging to a people group and having a certain language.
And tribe and type of hair and skin and flavor profile is beautiful and celebrated spicy food is there and that bland nonsense that English people eat is there it's there all the good parts of it and it you ever you ever you know how you can enjoy something because it's new or you can enjoy a person because they think so differently than you and they are so different than you and that you can also enjoy the times when you run into someone who is.
So much like you that you're just like oh this is easy we've seen the same stuff like the same stuff enjoy the same stuff your mama sounds like my mama that's great and the heaven has that where we all belong to each other and there's this Joy of getting to still be us in some ways but the redeemed glorious version of us that all the nations bring in what's good but it gets better 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 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 I realized as I was studying this that if if John began to describe heaven the new Heavens the new Earth the New Jerusalem and he used pictures like a mountain an expanse a rich Valley if he only used like Wilderness pictures flowers trees River I'd have just been like thank you he says I.
See a city and I immediately have some hurdles to jump CU part of me is like do we have to live in the city or can we live somewhere else but as I was contemplating this first of all there is a river there are some trees there's some beautiful stuff coming you know so it's not not just City but I realized what makes a city beautiful is the people and what makes it terrible is also the people like we we my my wife and I were trying to plan a trip to New York we almost went last year things got a little busy we're talking about going at some point and I'm just going to.
Walk around go that's my that's my plan when you talk to people about going to New York you get really like one of two responses they either say o y'all should and they tell you some way to partake in culture something that humans have done y'all should go see this thing that a bunch of humans built y'all should go taste this thing that this type of human Cooks y'all should go to this place and see these type of humans that's what they tell you or they say need to be careful and they're not afraid I'm going to get run over by a Subway what they think is going to happen is that one of those.
Humans there is going to attack us I lock my doors at night I am not scared of raccoons I haven't once thought maybe they'll get in the house that's not that's not what I'm doing it's people y'all here's a city that's never known a lie it's never known malice it's never known selfishness here's a city that's filled with brothers and sisters who eternally belong to one another if you turn down an alley in New York and notice someone was following you spun around to engage with them and it was your cousin who you hadn't seen in a year the respon you immediately the whole situation you what are you how what are the odds how.
Did this happen and there's an entire city where we belong to everybody and they belong to us we would trust everybody we Delight to see everybody to interact with everybody and our self-doubt and self-conceit and self- focus and fear and anxiety doesn't exist what the Pinnacle of creation is not the stuff that God made but the humanity that God made that he imprinted His image on it but we've only ever seen the version that also is fallen into sin and one day we get to dwell in a city where that is removed and there's nothing false or fake or evil or Wicked and there's just joy and belonging and love and fellowship and friendship eternally.
John is going to see a couple of glimpses of things that are in the city but in so many ways it looks like he doesn't really enter it he doesn't really get to partake he's gotten us to the to the walls he's looked down the street he's seen some of the massive size he's noted that there is no Temple but he hasn't really gotten to participate and it's glorious and wonderful and beautiful and inviting and it says only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life enter meaning only those who have trusted in.
Jesus and his finished work but that we enter not by Behavior or moralism or our own goodness our own righteousness we enter by the blood and the work and the glory of Christ and then we are made new the wonderful beautiful thing about belonging to Jesus is that you are given his righteousness you won't mess Heaven up you'll participate fully and freely forever made right and new by Jesus and we are to be people who take the time to remember this know this welcome this and at times.
When we're doubting or frustrated or fearful and we need some endurance I would encourage you to open up the Book of Revelation and go to the back and say what am I holding on for where is my home pull that picture out and look at it and remind yourself why you're fighting let's pray father we're thankful that we have a glorious hope and a glorious home and a glorious future purchased by Christ and we just get a glimpse of it in the description that John gives us.
But Lord may we hold on May we endure may we say no to sin that's right in front of us so that we might say yes to a a home that has a Founder who is God that we might look forward to a city where everything works as it's supposed to and we have the culmination of culture and goodness and the display of your work in humanity we ask for you help in your grace and the work of the spirit in.
Jesus name amen the band's going to come back up and as a Church we're going to take communion communion is where we celebrate and remember the meal that Christ had with his disciples the night before he was crucified and he took bread and he broke it and he said this is my body broken for you take eat all of you and he takes a cup and he says this is my blood shed for you in a New Covenant take drink all of you and it is.
For those who belong to Jesus we are to regularly remind ourselves that we stand with the blood of Christ covering us the sacrifice of Christ covering us and we stand between his crucifixion and his return and so I would encourage you this morning to whatever picture captures a little bit of your longing and a little bit of your ache that you would take that to the Lord this morning and just thank him for the hope of a Salvation accomplished by Jesus and ask him to help you to continue to endure one more day one more week one more year as you follow Christ towards your home.
If you are not a Christian this is not for you but the gates are open for you to trust in Christ and for you to place your hope in him so when you are ready Church family we'll take communion there's gluten-free communion in that back corner over there.