I. Our attitudes concerning this homecoming? (vs. 1)
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
II. What are the attributes of this homecoming? (vs. 2)
It will have mansions.
Revelation 21, 22
No more sea 21:1
No more tears, death, sorrow pain or crying 21:4
No more sinners 21:8; 20:14, 15
No More sun or moon 21:23, 22:5
No more sin 21:27; 2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
No more disease or injuries 22:2; Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Isaiah 35:3-6 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
No more curse 22:3
Unending water of life 22:1, 6, 22
Unimaginable beauty 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Untold wealth 21:18-21
Unending light 21:23
Unending fruit from the tree of life 22:2
Unceasing service to God 22:3
Unending reign 22:5
III. The assurance of this homecoming. (vs. 3)
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life...
A. We have God's Word concerning eternal life.
(These things...)
1 John 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, [even] eternal life.
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
B. God cannot lie.
Numbers 23:19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie...
Deuteronomy 32:4 [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he.
Psalm 146:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein [is]: which keepeth truth for ever:
1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.
Hebrews 6:16-18 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation [is] to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed [it] by an oath. That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.
IV. Who will accompany you to the homecoming?
Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
V. The avenue of the homecoming. (vs. 6)
Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
