The World We All Want: New Creation in the Garden City of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-5 & 22:1-6)

This week we conclude our Garden Tour titled, “A Tale of Three Gardens.”

Our first stop was in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1-3) where we witnessed God’s great power and creativity in all that He made. This, unfortunately, was followed by our horrible fall.

Our second stop was in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26) where we heard our Savior cry out to God in anguish as he contemplated having to drink “the cup” of God’s wrath. Because he did, we don’t have to. Because of Jesus, we can make our way to the third and final garden.

The Garden City of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22) is unlike any place we’ve ever seen. It’s almost too good to be true. Almost.

You won’t want to miss this Sunday as we’ll be spending time reflecting on where we’ve been and anticipating – with great joy – our final destination.

Also, it’s our final service on the lawn (at 9:30) before we head back inside and kick off Advent. I hope to see you at one of the services.

Blessings,
Pastor Tim

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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.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

- Revelation 21:1-5, 22:1-6

He Gets Us: Redemption and the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)

I’m not much of a garden-type person.  

• I don’t like Olive Garden. I mean the breadsticks are great, but that’s about it.

• I’ve not been to Madison Square Garden. I like basketball, but not enough to travel to the other side of the country.

• I’ve been to the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at CSULB, but only because I officiated a wedding there one summer.

Like, I said, not much of a garden-type person.  But there are 3 gardens which have all my attention:  
1) The Garden of Eden, 2) The Garden of Gethsemane, and 3) The Garden-City of New Jerusalem.  

We spent some time in the Garden of Eden last week, where we witnessed God’s glorious Creation (and we thought to ourselves, “what a wonderful world”) and also humanity’s terrible Fall.  That was Genesis chapters 1-3.  

Next week, we’ll land in the Garden-City of New Jerusalem where God’s New Creation (Revelation 21-22) shows us what the original creation ought to have been like forever, that is, before we got involved. 

This week, in the Garden of Gethsemane, we’ll see Jesus wrestling with the will of God as he does what is necessary to get us all from Garden #1 to Garden #3.  

Read ahead (Matthew 26:36-46) for your own instruction and appreciation of Jesus.

There are 3 departure times for our Garden Tour – 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM.  No reservations are necessary.  Hope to see you soon. 

Blessings, 
Pastor Tim 

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Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

- Matthew 26:36-46

It was Paradise…Until it Wasn't: Creation and Fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 31)

Even if you’ve not read it, you’ve probably heard of the book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. The story is set in the late 18th century against the backdrop of the French Revolution. London and Paris are the Two Cities Dickens writes about. I’ve not read it, but according to the peer-reviewed, award-winning, surely in the running for a Nobel Prize - Sparknotes.com - we read: “Dickens asserts his belief in the possibility of resurrection and transformation, both on a personal level and on a societal level.”

That’s a big claim. “The possibility of resurrection and transformation” of both persons and society? Sounds familiar, don’t you think? In fact, the very first line of the book sounds familiar too.

“It was the best of times” sounds like Genesis 1-2.

“It was the worst of times” sounds like Genesis 3.

Isn’t it amazing how all good stories have elements of The Great Story…The Story of God in the Scriptures?

This Sunday we’ll begin a 3-part series called, A Tale of Three Gardens. Yes, I stole and modified for the title.

We’ll start in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1-3)
Then we’ll join Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26)
Finally, we’ll end in the Garden-City of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22)

I hope you can join us this Sunday at our first stop on the Garden Tour!

Blessings,
Pastor Tim

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In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image,
    in the image of God he created him;
    male and female he created them.

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

- Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 31