Last Sunday of the Church Year (2025)

“Scripture → Anticipation: The Last Word”

Revelation 22:6–13 Last Sunday of the Church Year Cause and Effect Series – Week

Introduction – The Last Word

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Every year near the end of November, something subtle happens in the life of the Church. The days grow shorter. The air grows colder. And yet, here inside the Church, the rhythm continues: readings, prayers, creeds, hymns, the same pattern we’ve walked through for centuries. Some people tire of repetition—but others discover something else: repetition is what steadies the soul.

Think about life. The rhythm of the sunrise, the rhythm of breathing, the rhythm of weekly worship—these patterns anchor us when everything else feels unsteady. They keep us facing in the right direction.

That’s why the Church Year matters. It’s not a loop we walk in circles—it's a spiral leading us forward. Each repetition brings us deeper into Christ.

And today we come to the final Sunday of the Church Year, where everything in Scripture points toward one final horizon: Jesus is coming soon.

But “soon” can feel strange. Scripture says, “the time is near,” yet here we are 2,000 years later. Waiting is hard. Waiting can feel weary. We know what that is like, don’t we? Waiting for test results. Waiting for healing. Waiting for peace in a broken world. Waiting for God to act.

Waiting without hope leads to weariness. Waiting with Scripture leads to anticipation.

That’s the cause and effect of this last Sunday: Scripture → Anticipation.

I. The Diagnosis – When Waiting Turns into Weariness

(Aho: Exposing the problem beneath the problem)

Revelation says,  “Do not seal up the words of this book, for the time is near.” But we often seal them up—not with wax, but with neglect.

A. We grow numb to the Word

We intend to read Scripture, but life crowds in. We treat the Word like background noise.

It’s like having a smoke detector chirping somewhere in the house. At first it’s annoying, then eventually you don’t even notice it anymore. When Scripture becomes background noise, anticipation evaporates.

B. We lose anticipation and drift into spiritual drowsiness

Jesus tells us over and over, “Be awake. Be dressed. Be ready.” But our calendars become packed with everything except watchfulness.

Instead of living like citizens of a coming kingdom, we start living like permanent residents of this world.

The result?

Hope fades.

Anxiety rises.

We start defining our security by the news, the economy, the next election—not by the returning Christ.

Revelation warns that those who grow spiritually indifferent drift into unrighteousness without even noticing. Indifference is not neutral; it is dangerous.

C. Beneath it all: we trust our timeline more than God’s

This is the root problem.

We think “soon” must mean “quickly.” But “soon” in Scripture means certainly and suddenly.

We want Jesus to work on our schedule. God works on His.

That’s why the Law confronts us: —We are slow to believe. —We grow weary in waiting. —We seal up what God has opened.

And like the saints in every generation, we need the Lord to speak into our weariness.

II. Transition to the Gospel – “These Words Are Trustworthy and True”

Into our fatigue, God speaks a legal declaration:

“These words are faithful and true.” (Rev. 22:6)

This is more than encouragement. It is courtroom language, the kind used for sworn testimony.

Think of something notarized—a signature validated, sealed, and witnessed. Society trusts such documents because they carry legal weight.

In Revelation 22, God gives us not one witness but two:

Witness #1 – The Angel of the Lord:

Declares all Scripture truthful and binding.

Witness #2 – Jesus Christ Himself:

“I, Jesus… have sent My angel… I am coming soon.”

This is divine notarization—Scripture sealed not with ink but with deity.

God wants you to know your hope is not sentimental. It’s not wishful thinking. It rests on sworn testimony from heaven’s court.

The cause is Scripture. The effect is awakened anticipation.

Our doubt melts not because we try harder but because Christ testifies: —“My Word is true. —My return is certain. —My promise stands.”

III. The Gospel – Christ, the Alpha and the Omega

(Aho: The Gospel as God’s surprising solution)

A. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega of your story

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

These titles are cosmic, eternal, divine—but let’s say it simply:

Christ was there before your story began, and He will be there when your story is complete.

That means:

You are not an accident.

You are not drifting.

Your life is bracketed by Christ’s presence.

Nothing in the middle can slip from His hands.

This is security for the weary heart.

B. He comes with blessing, not dread

Jesus says: “My reward is with Me.” “Blessed are those who wash their robes.”

He comes not to terrify His saints but to complete their joy.

The Judge is also the Savior. The One who returns is the One who died and rose for you.

C. Scripture fuels anticipation because Scripture records fulfilled promises

Every fulfilled promise in Scripture is fuel for faith:

Promises to Abraham—fulfilled.

Prophecies of Christ—fulfilled.

His resurrection—fulfilled.

So when He says, “I am coming soon,” it carries the weight of every promise He has ever kept.

Scripture is the cause. Anticipation is the Holy Spirit’s effect.

IV. Sanctification – A People Who Live Ready

(Aho: How the Gospel shapes life)

A. Unsealed Word → Unsealed Hearts

Revelation says, “Do not seal the book.”

So Christians unseal Scripture in daily life:

open Bibles,

open ears,

open prayers,

open worship.

Scripture keeps our hearts awake.

B. Waiting becomes witness

When you believe Christ is coming soon, it changes your posture:

You are not panicked by the world.

You are not asleep in indifference.

You are not angry or anxious.

You are hopeful. Alert. Gentle. Courageous.

You live like someone expecting a Guest of honor.

C. Today becomes rehearsal for the Last Day

This is why the Last Sunday of the Church Year doesn’t end with a sigh— it ends with a cry of joyful longing:

“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!”

V. Conclusion – The Final Word Is a Prayer

Revelation ends with a prayer. The whole Bible ends with a prayer. And that prayer becomes our final word:

“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

This is not fear—it is longing. And God surrounds us with reminders of how anticipation works:

Dawn comes after the longest night.

Spring follows months of frozen ground.

The reunion hug comes after miles of separation.

The first Christmas candle glows in the deepening dark of Advent.

Everyday life whispers the promise: “Something better is coming.”

So as another Church Year closes and Advent stands at the door, we lift our eyes toward that final horizon—

Scripture fuels our anticipation. Christ’s promise steadies our steps. And the Spirit keeps us watching until faith becomes sight.

“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

✠ Prayers of the Church ✠

Last Sunday of the Church Year — Scripture → Anticipation

P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

1. For the Church: Watchfulness through the Word

P: Lord Jesus Christ, You have given Your Church the sure and certain Scriptures—faithful and true—to keep us awake and ready for Your return. Guard Your people from spiritual drowsiness. Keep us steadfast in Your Word, confident in Your promises, and joyful in the hope of Your coming.

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

2. For Holy Anticipation—not fear, but joy

P: Heavenly Father, as another Church Year closes, lift our eyes to the horizon of Christ’s return. Replace our weariness with holy anticipation. In a world that mocks hope and magnifies fear, fix our hearts on the day when faith becomes sight and all things are made new.

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

3. For the World and Our Nation

P: Lord of all nations, look with mercy on a world restless and uncertain. Grant wisdom to our leaders, justice to our land, and peace among all peoples. Strengthen those struggling through the long government shutdown—those without paychecks, those whose families depend on federal food programs, and all facing hardship and anxiety. Provide for their needs, and move Your people to acts of compassion and generosity.

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

4. For the Persecuted Church — Especially the Lutheran Church of Nigeria

P: Lord Jesus Christ, Shepherd of the suffering and Defender of the oppressed, we lift before You the persecuted Church throughout the world—especially our brothers and sisters in the Lutheran Church of Nigeria. In regions where Your people cannot gather openly, where congregations have been scattered into camps, where homes and churches have been burned, where hundreds have been murdered for bearing Your name, and where countless others endure torture and terror, we ask You to be their refuge and strength. Preserve their faith, protect their lives, provide for their needs, and cause the light of the Gospel to shine even in the midst of great darkness. Give courage to pastors, comfort to families, and endurance to all who suffer for Your name. Let their witness strengthen the whole Church as we await the day when You will wipe away every tear and bring justice to all nations.

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

5. For the Suffering, Sick, and Weary

P: Lord Jesus, Alpha and Omega, You hold the beginning and the end of every life. Sustain all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. Especially we name before You:

Paul, with persistent back pain; Cheryl, recovering from hip surgery; Heidi, as she undergos treatment; all who are ill; And those we name silently in our hearts…

(pause)

Strengthen them with the comfort of Your Word. Let the promise of Your coming bring them courage, patience, and peace.

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

6. For Our Shut-ins and Homebound Saints

P: Merciful Lord, bless our brothers and sisters unable to gather with us in person. Uphold Doug Elsberry; Bill and Shirley Barkie; Sharon Blotsky; Brian Cole; Myrtle Erdman; Norene Border; Sharon Gosline; Dale Livdahl; Marie Poole; Alma Mae Price; Robert Schmiginske; and Jo-ann Teske. Let Your Word be their comfort, Your presence their peace, and Your promise their hope.

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

7. For the Faithful Departed (All Saints Echo)

P: Lord of Life, we give You thanks for the faithful who have gone before us and now rest in Your nearer presence. Keep us in the same faith until that great day when every tear is wiped away and we join them in eternal joy.

C: Come, Lord Jesus.

8. Final Petition: Scripture → Anticipation

P: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your Word—faithful and true—and looking with anticipation for the day when You will come again in glory.

C: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.