Text: Revelation 21:1–3
Topic: What would happen if heaven crashed into Earth

• In Revelation 21:1–3, John gives us a glimpse of the end of the world.
• If heaven were to crash into earth tomorrow, would that be a good thing for the church?

• If heaven were to crash into earth, everything would become exposed—our actions, our motives, our thoughts, etc.
• To live "in the light" means having the awareness that everything we do matters.
• God exposes our faults simply by showing up in his own perfection.
  • Illustration: Bell used to have a neighbor who followed a very strict diet, and his discipline exposed Bell's lack of discipline.

• The image of dirt is the image of someone who's been given something valuable, but buries it instead of using it (Matthew 25:19–30).
• God has given each of us many gifts, and we are expected to use them.
  • Illustration: Bell describes a young girl who wasn't able to participate in a tutoring program because there weren't enough volunteers.
  • Illustration: Bell describes a young boy from Michigan who wasn't offered a pair of mittens until New Year's Eve.
• What have you been given?

• God as a "consuming fire" evokes images of refinement, not destruction (1 Corinthians 3:10–15).
• In the presence of God, everything impure is burned away.
• Heaven crashing into earth would reveal what we have done with our lives.

• These images are not telling us to look busy or focus on doing good things; they are an invitation for us to ask difficult questions about what we have been doing with our lives.

For the full text of this sermon, go to "The Flames of Heaven."