The New Heavens and the New Earth Part 2

In this part of the sermon: Martin highlights Peter's repeated use of the verb 'looking for' (intensely gazing) in 2 Peter 3, arguing that believers who grasp future certainties will instinctively fix their…

Peter and John's interaction with the lame beggar in Acts 3 illustrates the intense, focused expectation implied by the Greek verb 'looking for,' as the beggar fixed his eyes on them hoping for a gift.

This is the verb that Luke uses in the book of Acts. We're going to look at two examples of it. In Acts chapter 3, Peter and John go up to the temple at the hour of prayer and there's a lame man sitting there and we read in Acts 3 and verse 4, Peter fastening his eyes upon him with John said, Look on us, and he gave heed unto them. Imagine a beggar who is lame and these apostles come by and say, Look on us, how he would fasten his attention upon them.

11:09 - 11:49 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin highlights Peter's repeated use of the verb 'looking for' (intensely gazing) in 2 Peter 3, arguing that believers who grasp future certainties will instinctively fix their…

The pagans intensely gazing at Paul after he was bitten by a viper in Acts 28 illustrates the same Greek verb for 'looking for,' conveying a focused disposition of expectation regarding whether he would die or live.

How there would be a focused disposition of expectation that these men were going to give him something in response to his begging. And then later on in the book of Acts, the verb occurs again in Acts 28. Here Paul and his companions have, they have been shipwrecked and they land on an island, Acts chapter 28. And you remember a fire is built and Paul gathers some wood to put on the fire and some kind of a viper fastens itself upon him and the superstitious pagans and that island we read in Acts 28.6.

11:49 - 12:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Be one who, by the grace of God, fits into Peter's description of a real Christian who is looking for the new heavens and the new earth, resisting American consumerism.

The muckraker, whose eyes are always down, raking the muck of this world, is used to contrast with the Christian who should be 'looking for' the new heavens and new earth, highlighting the problem of American consumerism.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing you look for, he assumes that once they know that this is what awaits them, they will not be like the muckraker in Pilgrim's Progress, whose eyes are always down and with his rake he is constantly raking the muck of this world and he does not look up. Brethren, we have the horrible problem of muckrakerism. American consumerism that is constantly screaming at us, you must have this to be fulfilled, you must have that to be fulfilled,

14:54 - 15:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Be driven to your Bibles to know what it means to be holy in all relationships and ethical dilemmas, finding the Gospels and Epistles precious.

McShane's prayer, 'Oh God, make me as holy as it's possible for a redeemed man to be holy in this life,' is quoted to exemplify the serious, whole-souled commitment to holiness that Martin desires to see in believers.

Or again in 2 Corinthians 7. Having therefore these promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God. I fear dear brothers and sisters we put our eyes upon the lowest acceptable standards of Christian conduct and we say if I measure up to that I'm okay. And where is the passion the serious whole-souled commitment of a Robert Murray McShane who said oh God make me as holy as it's possible for a

26:56 - 27:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not set your heart upon anything apart from your brothers and sisters who are marked for glory, as everything else is marked for the fire.

Martin recounts renting a large dumpster to clear out 38 years of junk from his home, illustrating how easy it was to hold loosely to things 'marked for the dumpster' once their ultimate fate was clear, applying this to all worldly possessions marked for fire.

You will desire and seek to hold loosely to the things that are marked for the fire. You will desire and seek to hold loosely to the things that are marked for the fire. Several years ago when I was trying to clean out 38 years of junk from our home in preparation for my marriage to Dorothy and for her coming into that home, some of you know that I rented a 20 cubic yard dumpster

39:15 - 39:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Hold loosely to the things of this world, cultivate the pilgrim mentality, and don't live as though this world is your heaven or resting place.

John Piper's term 'wartime mentality' is used to describe the self-denial and willingness to forego legitimate pleasures for the sake of a greater cause, drawing an analogy to the sacrifices made during World War II.

This is your resting place. John Piper has used the term cultivating the wartime mentality. For some of us who lived through the Second World War, that has tremendous meaning. There were many things legitimate to enjoy.

49:08 - 49:25 Read in full sermon