The first and the last - first sermon at Faith Baptist

Blessings and peace to you in the name of God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is pouring out His Spirit in these last days.

As some of you know I tested positive for the Corona Virus on the 1st of October, just as I was finishing up preparing to give this sermon.

I truly believe we have a spiritual enemy that fights against us and he has been working against this message coming to you.

Thankfully the virus was fairly mild for me and I had excellent medical care. I know that isn't the case for everyone but it was for me.

I was officially off of quarenteene as of last Sunday but I choose to stay in for a couple more days.

I have been in contact with Pastor Mark freequently over the past few weeks.

Pastor Mark has been an encouragement to me as I begin to preach God's Word to you.

PRAY!!!!  -

- for the message

- for the church finding the right pastor

- for our nation and our leaders during these difficult times

- for the health and safety of your bride

With the many challenges this church is facing, I was not sure what to talk about today

- my own testimony of salvation,

- the changes this church is facing

- the changes in our nation and world

Before Moses went to the people of Israel

- He didn't know what to tell them   - talking to God at the burning bush   - "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them "The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, "What is his name? what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am".  And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you."

- Still small voice of the LORD saying, I am the beginning and the end.

- Proclaiming Who He Is and whos you are in the middle of all of this.

***SLIDE 1***

Who is in control of giving life?

Revelation 21:6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  Dont get distracted that this is in Revelation.   - Even though the context is important

- Isaiah the prophet said something similar 2700 years ago.

***SLIDE 2***

Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

***SLIDE 3 ***

In Revelation we see that Jesus is the one who gives life and without payment.

- I want this to be our focus as we move forward

As we face what can be overwhelming changes and stuggles, our flesh can become shaken and afraid. We could spend hours, days, even months, worrying and wasting our time focusing on the needs of our flesh rather than turning to the eternal life that Jesus gives us freely. It could seem like or may even be that our enemies are overtaking us and in our flesh we may even have thoughts that God has abandoned us. Our hearts can be crying out like David in ...

*** SLIDE 4 ***

Psalm 13 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him", lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealth bountifully with me.

Can you relate with David? I know I can.

- In the middle of David's stuggle while being shaken

- even feeling like the LORD had forgotten him.

- Quite often when we are afraid we can become trapped by our fear   - Our worry keeps us looking to ourselves rather than to God

***SLIDE 5***

We can learn from David that when we are afraid, even feeling God has abandon   - We can rejoice in our salvation

- David rejoiced in his salvation

- remembering that his abundance is found in his salvation and not in his circumstances.

- Over 1000 years before Christ had come ,David is rejoicing.

Where did David find life?

***SLIDE 6***

Lets look again at Isaiah  Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

As we look back to this passage in Isaiah

- we are reminded that Isaiah proclaimed the coming Messiah and his Redeemer.   - Where did Isaiah find life?

Lets look forward

- what must be well over 1000 years in the future after the millenial reign of Jesus...

Revelation 21:6  And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

It overwhelms me when I think how throughout all of earths history and even in eternity faith in the Messiah as our LORD is the source of life.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

***SLIDE 7***

Focusing back on our primary text for today Rev 21:6

-Jesus talking to the apostle John in his vision

- The timing is after the final judgement as the new heavens and new earth are being established.

- Jesus here is establishing the new heavens and the new earth

- He has put a complete END to the old universe

- This universe has been burned up by the fire of God.

- Jesus has established a new BEGINING with a new universe.

Jesus is reminding John and us that He is the first and the last.

- It is He who will brings about true restoration and change.

- At the cross Jesus conquered sin and brought about the condemnation of the devil.

- It is He that has been given all judgement and will judge all men, and vengence belongs to him.    - He could destroy all things today, It is His patience that keeps the wrath of God from being poured out.

- He does not want anyone to perish but all to come to repentance.

- There will be a day when the time of the Gentiles has past.

- Jesus holds the final judgement of this world and begining of an everlasting kingdom in His hands.

- If He is still patient, there is still a harvest.

It is done!

Jesus says.... This reminds me of one other place where Jesus said something very similar. At the cross.

***SLIDE 8***

John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

When Jesus said "It is finished" at the cross he is making a declaration of  accomplishment.

- Greek word carries with it the idea of a final payment.

- It means to accomplish or fullfill or to pay off.

- Jesus was declaring that he had fulfilled the entire payment required for reconsiling the sin debit back to God.

- Christ's death at the cross is sufficient in every way for how sin has impacted the universe.

- When we believe in Him through faith, this payment is applied to us.

***SLIDE 9***

Collosians 1:19-20  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

In Revelation when Jesus says "It is done" there is a slight difference in the word.

- The greek word for done here means to "come to pass" , "become" , or "be done".

- The word has a feeling of fulfilment attached with it.

- This is happening as the new heavens and new earth are created

- Jesus is declaring at the physical restoration of all things in heaven and on earth

- has now met with the reality that Christ has already paid for this reconsiliation thousands of years ago at the cross.

***SLIDE 10***

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

- This is a declaration of the authority and soveignty of the One true God.

***SLIDE 11***

I am omniscient, there is nothing outside of my knowledge.

- The words Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.

- Christ is describing himself using an alphabet, a form of communication and knowledge.

- He is declaring that He is the begining and the end of all knowledge.

Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

***SLIDE 12***

Jesus is saying that I am omipresent,

- There is no where and no time that I do not exist.

- I am eternal.

- Space, time and matter are my creations and I am not bound to them.

- I began time and I will bring it to an end.

Rev 1:8  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

***SLIDE 13***

Jesus is saying I am omnipotent.

- He has all authority and all power in heaven and on earth.

- There is nothing outside of His control

- He has begun all things and He will end them.

Jer 32:17 Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

***SLIDE 14***

Our all powerful, all knowing, ever present Creator says .... To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

- I can not think of better news.

- In the renewal of all things Jesus says that he will give the water of life without payment.

- God grace through Jesus Christ is everstating. Amen!

Do you remember the Samaritian woman at the well who said to him,

- “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

***SLIDE 15***

John 4:10-14  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?  Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”  Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Jesus says he gives this water without payment.

- There is nothing you can bring to Jesus to receive this water

- There is not enough church you can attend

- There is not enough people you can help

- This offer is free of charge.

- In fact the payment for it has already been made at the cross.

- The one who gives this water has risen victorious from the dead God tells us that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. If you have never received this life giving water that springs to eternity come to Jesus today.