Final Words for a Fallen World
Unveiled Hope • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 12 viewsThe fnal words of Jesus to fallen mankind is a fitting close of the book of Revelation. Helping the believer to know how to live and extending an invitation to the lost to come to Jesus and drink freely.
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Here we are…the final sermon in our study through Revelation: Unveiled Hope.
Revelation means an unveiling…or to reveal…
God’s purpose is not to conceal but to REVEAL.
Revelation reveals…
Heaven…Hell…
Angels…Demons…
The Future…the Great Tribulation…Armageddon, Antichrist…
But the main emphasis of Revelation has not been these…but Jesus Christ.
The main point of Revelation is to unveil/reveal Jesus Christ to us.
Even a quick look at Revelation reveals…Jesus is…the MAIN THEME…
From beginning to end.
Review the Basic Outline of Revelation…
Revelation 1 revealed the GLORIFIED CHRIST…
The faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, Alpha Omega,
Note: 8 references to Jesus in Revelation 1…
God wants us to see Jesus in all His GLORY.
Revelation 2-3…Letters to churches…glimpse of church history
Revelation 4-5…Glimpse of Heaven with the church in heaven…
Revelation 6-19…the great tribulation…God’s judgment on those who reject Christ.
Revelation 20…the millennial kingdom and…reign of Christ on earth.
Revelation 21-22…the new heaven & the new earth…
Revelation is like the ultimate action thriller…drama, suspense, mystery & horror, rebellion, unprecedented economic collapse, the ultimate war of history…but despite all the ominous events…
It bursts with HOPE & JOY!
Revelation concludes with a happy ending as sin & death are banished forever.
It's actually true that in the end we all live happily ever after.
READ… Revelation 22:6-21
“Final Words for a Fallen World”
Let’s PRAY…
1. BELIEVE What is Trustworthy (Faithful) and True…Revelation 22:6
6 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.”
Remember an angel has been giving John an open house tour of heaven.
John has been staring breathlessly at the brilliance and incomprehensible magnificent, magnitude and majesty of heaven…the angel knew what John needed to hear.
v.6 “And he (angel) said to me, these words are trustworthy (faithful) and true."
Jesus said these very same words in Revelation 21:5. (Double emphasis)
2x in Revelation these words are also a title for Jesus Revelation 19:11.
The words of Revelation of Jesus Christ are as trustworthy & true as the One who revealed them.
You probably know in our day and age the very concept of TRUTH is questioned. [ref. Bill C-9]
Not long ago the Bible was considered authority in Canadian society. Inscribed on Parliament Hill.
I am not saying that the Fathers of Confederation were believers in Jesus…but at the least they held the Bible up with great respect…using it as a reference point for a nation they were building.
But things have changed drastically…today moral relativism and post-modernism are the rule of the day Ex. Many question the idea of absolute truth. They say “My version of truth is as valid as your version of the truth and “How dare you impose your truth on me?”
The angel says “These words are trustworthy(faithful) and true… i.e. you can depend on these words.
Everything John has written in Revelation will come to pass. It is not mystical, not a record of bizarre dreams or an overactive imagination…not allegory. This is God’s Word…trustworthy and true.
BTW…God’s prophetic record is perfect…
Israel exile…destruction of Babylon…Tyre…When God predicts future events…they will come to pass God will do exactly what He says He will do. [See: Isaiah 46:8-13]
When we BELIEVE…we will also ANTICIPATE what has been predicted.
BTW…a sign of the end times will be people turning from the truth 2 Timothy 4:3-4
…people will no longer listen to right teaching…they will follow their own desires to look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear they will reject the truth and follow strange myths…
That time is now…happens even in some churches people look for teachers who will say what they want to hear and will satisfy them.
I.e. people will itch for novelty…someone/thing to sooth/pacify them but not something that will challenge them or even worse…confront them.
We have a job not just as a pastor/preacher of the Word, but also as a church…to proclaim God’s Word and not compromise on it…whether it is politically correct or not.
But turning away from truth is something the Scriptures said would happen in the end times.
BELIEVE GOD’S WORD IS…FAITHFUL & TRUE…
2. We KEEP HIS WORD…Revelation 22:7 {NOTE the change of person]
When we look at our culture around us…we see what's happening…what do we do? Run & hide?
No! Here's what we do…secondly…we KEEP HIS WORD
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
“Keeps” = “heeds” = to hold fast or to guard…more than simply hearing.
Believers are called to guard/protect the book of Revelation…against detractors who may deny its relevance…those who attack its authority.
[Paul told Timothy 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:13-14]
Fellowship…we must keep God’s Word central in all we do…as a church, families, individuals.
WHY?
a. BECAUSE…Revelation PROMISES BLESSING…
7x God promises…we will be BLESSED.
Revelation has its own built-in blessing (not that you won't be blessed reading all the Bible) but God says specifically in Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it…for the time is near.”
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
God says here: “I will bless you when you read HEAR and KEEP the words of this book.
Seeing it…reading it…hearing it…heeding/keeping it
I can tell you this…after 30+ messages from I know I’ve been blessed by what I’ve read & heard & shared as we look to understand the book…and then to look at life from a Biblical perspective.
b. BECAUSE…Revelation MAKES SENSE of Our World…
If you really hear these words…Revelation makes sense out of the crazy world we live in.
If you really hear and understand what Revelation is teaching…you realize things are going according to God's plan…though things are dark & gloomy…know & recognize that God is in control and you can know with certainty that…WE WILL WIN in the end.
So we listen carefully…our life depends on what we hear in Revelation and all the rest of the Bible
God doesn't give us Bible prophecy to tantalize & entertain…
God gives us Bible prophecy to say WAKE UP! Pay attention! Be living a Godly life because Jesus Christ is coming back again
2 Peter 3:11 “…since everything around us is going to be destroyed what Godly and holy lives should we living looking forward to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ?”
Why should I keep these words? Because they're faithful and true…an ironclad guarantee from God Himself that everything in this book is true…and every word is trustworthy and reliable
c. BECAUSE…Jesus is Coming soon…Revelation 22:7
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
You say “Wasn't this book written 2,000yrs ago?”
The Greek word (tachys) is better translated quickly. Not necessarily how soon He will come
It has more to do with the suddenness of His coming.
He will come quickly…when things start happening it will be very quick…one thing after another…like dominoes lined up…one domino falls…the rest will go quickly in succession. He is coming quickly.
BELIEVE…KEEP His Word…
3. WORSHIP GOD Alone…Revelation 22:8-9
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
Notice the change of person again…now it is John speaking in v.8.
John had the right response to what he had heard and seen…but he had the wrong object.
Obviously overwhelmed with everything he began to worship the angel.
An apostle’s Oops! Moment.
The angel called the bewildered John back to the only object of worship God.
A proper understanding of Revelation…should cause us to WORSHIP.
Worship…major theme in Revelation 4:8-11; 5:8-14; 7:9-12; 15:2-4; 19:1-6
BELIEVE…KEEP His Word…WORSHIP God…
4. We Must PROCLAIM…Revelation 22:10-11
“And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
The message of Revelation is not to be hidden away…not locked up…not stored away.
It is a message to be spread and proclaimed… to produce obedience.
Prophecy is not meant to cause FEAR or to ENTERTAIN…sensationalize…
Prophecy is PROCLAIMED to produce OBEDIENCE AND WORSHIP.
This stresses there is nothing hidden…nor secret meanings apart from
I have endeavoured to presnet Revelation to you from the normal sense of the text.
I believe it to be the best way to understadn the flow and message of Revelation.
v.11 may seem out of place… but not really…
Note: God is NOT encouraging wicked people to do wicked things…this is more of a WARNING.
How people respond to the proclamation of truth will fix their eternal destiny.
v.11 Paraphrase “Hey wrongdoers go ahead and keep doing wrong…just see what happens…and all you unclean sinners…go on keep rolling in the mud just ignore God's offer of cleansing you'll see what’s in store for you…as for you righteous and holy saints keep practicing righteousness keep being holy and you'll get your reward in due time.”
I like that it's the idea “Hey listen if you go that way…you can go that way if you want to…but you are not going to like the way it turns out. But you godly people…keep doing what you’re doing and it will turn out beautifully for you in the end.
BELIEVE…KEEP…WORSHIP…PROCLAIM…
5. WORK for Him…Revelation 22:12-13
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Note: Jesus speaking. Look, you gotta see this! I am coming soon (quickly).
recompense = reward with Him to repay each one for what they have done. (I.e. eternal rewards)
It’s not easy following Jesus…
There are costs/sacrifices we make as followers of Jesus …
There are things we lose as followers of Jesus…
There are hardships that we face…as followers of Jesus.
But you need to know that God keeps careful records & promises to reward your faithfulness.
Remember…in the Beatitudes Jesus said:
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Note “blessed” used 2x emphasizes God’s generous blessing to the persecuted.
…doubly blessed are the persecuted or happy happy are the persecuted.
And Rejoice could be translated jump and skip with happy excitement…
Like the joy of a child…excited about something and so full of joy
When you are persecuted…wear it as a badge of honour.
That's what the Scripture is saying and another promise is that we are to be faithful in what we do
Look at another promise God makes…
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Don't be weary reading your Bible and seeking to live by what it teaches
Don't be weary praying for your family and your friends and your country
Don't be weary in sharing your faith with others
Don't be weary serving the Lord with the gifts God has given you
Don't be weary choosing God’s way…for in due season you will reap if you faint not (or give up)
Sometimes we do get tired…I get tired DOING the Lord's work but I never get TIRED OF the God's work. Take a break/rest/recharge…then go back to work again (Jesus took breaks & time off)
My point is…we must never get tired of what we are doing it's a great privilege to be called to do it
BELIEVE…KEEP…WORSHIP…PROCLAIM…WORK…
6. BE PREPARED…Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Notice the clear distinction made between two groups of people.
THE SAVED …& THE UNSAVED…
v.14 The saved…get PREPARED…making sure they trust Christ alone for the forgiveness of sin.
Making sure that they are living in obedience folloiwng Jesus alone.
v.15 The unsaved…are outside. This is not ambiguous…it is very clear.
7. BE WARNED…Revelation 22:18-19
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
A loose paraphrase of this …DON’T MESS AROUND WITH the Book of Revelation.
This is talking about a person who would deceptively
DISOBEY…DISREGARD…DISTORT or DILUTE God’s Word.
Who are we to edit God's very words?
We DON’T CONFORM God’s Word to culture…
We should be conforming culture to God’s Word.
HOW might someone do this?…
HOW do you add to this word well one way would be to
DISOBEY IT…they hear it and you say “I'm not going to do what the Bible says I don't care I'm going to do what I want to do.”
DISAGREE WITH IT…people often disagree with the Bible…because it doesn’t fit their life and the sin they want to do.
TWIST IT…twist Scripture the way the devil did in his attack on Jesus during the temptation in the wilderness
BENEDICTION…OF REVELATION
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
These are the last recorded words of Jesus in Scripture.
Last words are important. If you knew you were going leave earth what would your last words be?
John Wesley preacher “…the best of all is God is with us.”
D.L. Moody the Evangelist said: “I see Earth receding and Heaven is opening God is calling me.”
Pastor & Commentator FB Meyer said “Read me something from the Bible something brave and triumphant.”
Jesus’ last words v.20 “Surely I am coming quickly.”
Then John offers a prayer he's so overwhelmed “Amen, Come Lord Jesus!”
You're coming quickly…amen!
BTW…“Amen” can be translated So be it or as “Let it be so.”
YOU ARE INVITED…Revelation 22:17
Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
Come is a favourite word of the Lord Jesus…
When God judged the earth and saved Noah and his family He said “Come into the Ark..
Moses standing in the midst of people who had fallen down and worship of the golden calf said Let him who is on the Lord’s Side come and stand By Me…
Isaiah 55 God said “Come let us reason together says the Lord though your sins be as scarlet I'll make them as white as snow though they be red like crimson they'll be as white as wool
God says “Ho everyone that thirst let him…come and drink and
Jesus said to men who wanted to know where He lived He said Come and see…
Jesus said Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden…
COME…that's the heart of God…in all of Revelation!
God is calling out to all humanity…He is saying “Come to Me and be saved.”
TO THE LONELY & LOST…Come!
To those who are searching…Jesus says…I am the Way!
To those struggling…He offers victory over temptation, sin and Satan…
Ultimate triumph over death and the grace.
Don’t let misery or pride keep you from accepting His invitation!
TO THE INDIFFERENT OR APATHETIC…WAKE UP!!
Your choices today have eternal consequences.
Christ could come back at any moment…your life could end
You can’t afford to neglect your spiritual life anther moment!
TO THOSE WHO ARE ANXIOUS & FEARFUL…Grace be with you!
God is sovereign He will preserve you/guard you protect you to the end
Know we can’t do it on our own strength
If you come to Him your spiritual hunger will be satisfied and your spiritual thirst will be quenched
v.17 whoever desires let him take the Water of Life freely
Notice it's an INVITATION…it's not a forced thing. “You come to me or else!”
God says “Hey whoever desires let him take the water of life without price.”
If you want it…come and take it. If you don't want it…you don't have to.
This is an offer God extends to all of humanity and deep down…
We're all thirsty…
We're all hungry and these are things that this world simply cannot give us
It’s not going to come through a relationship…
It's not going to come through a possession…
It's not going to come through an accomplishment…
It's not going to come through an experience…all these things will leave us EMPTY
We're hungering and thirsting deep down inside for God himself
God says: I will satisfy that spiritual hunger…
I will quench that spiritual thirst if you come to me.
WRAP UP…
In closing…I would like to extend this invitation to you…Come…
Do you need to come to Jesus?
Do you have the hope that if you were to die today you would go to heaven?
We should live every day as though it could be our last day
And live every day in readiness for the Lord's return because He could come at any moment.
Jesus said: “Behold, I am coming quickly…He will come in a moment in the twinkling of an eye…
it just happens and if you're ready you're taken to meet the Lord and if you're not ready you will be left behind left to face the tribulation period that we've looked at in Revelation
Or if death comes you either go straight into God's presence into heaven or you go straight into judgment and ultimately the Lake of Fire the decisions we make on Earth are binding in eternity
Every one of us will decide here…in this life…where we will spend all eternity.
What will be your choice?
