I Am Coming Soon… Bringing My Recompense with Me

I Am Coming Soon… Bringing My Recompense with Me. Rev. 22:10-16

10 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.”

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.”

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.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Introduction

Looking forward to payday.

· When you need $

· When you have worked hard

· When you wonder if you should work hard (Is it worth the work?)

· When you haven’t worked hard

· When you’ve cheated your boss (Illustration: Larry seeing workers taking extra breaks when their boss isn’t on site.)

· NOW THINK SPIRITUALLY.

1. Payday is Coming

2. The Wages

3. The Boss

1. Payday is coming

a. “The Time is Near”

b. ??? “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

i. Q. Is God commanding people to sin? Is He approving of their sin?

1. 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

a. Now is the time for repentance, not tomorrow

i. Rom. 13:11-14

ii. 1 Thess. 5:6-7

iii. 1 John 2:18

2. Matthew 3:30, “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”” (Matthew 13:24–30, ESV)

ii. Lenski, “If the unrighteous and the filthy will not be warned by the words of the prophecy of this book, the final revelation of God, there is nothing more to be done: let him go on, his [reward] is at hand. But the righteous and the holy, with the last words of God in this book ringing in his ears—let him go on, his [reward] is also sure and rapidly coming”

1. Romans 1:24f “God gave them up…” [3x] because of their stubborn rebelliousness, sin, and refusal to believe.

2. Ezekiel 3:27, “But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.”

3. 2 Tim. 3:13-14, “while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it”

iii. Saints, persevere in the righteousness and holiness you have been graciously given!

c. Payday: “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense/wages with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.

i. Recompense/reward/wage – spiritual compensation

ii. Q. Is God describing works righteousness?

1. Rev. 2:23, “I will give to each of you according to your works.”

2. Rev. 20:12b-13

3. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”” (Matthew 25:31–46, ESV)

iii. Not works righteousness, but righteous works

1. Works that God has prepared and does through you (“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV))

2. Works that stand the test (I Cor. 3:9-15) “For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

3. Labor in the Lord is not in vain (I Cor. 15:58)

iv. “My reward”

1. “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,” (Revelation 5:9, ESV)

2. “and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5–6, ESV)

3. Their works do not earn the reward, but show that by God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s power they have kept “the words of the prophecy”

4. Christ’s Word from the Cross, “It is finished/It is completed/It is paid in full.”

2. The Wages (Good Reward and Bad Reward): In and Out

a. Blessed: (which is the focus of our immediate text)

i. Who? “Those who wash their robes”

1. Rev. 7:14b, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” –These are seen standing in heaven.

2. Believers: who believe God’s Word/this prophecy and hold fast to Christ, the Word.

ii. What is the Blessing?

1. IN (through the front gate); citizens of the City of God

2. Have the right to the tree of life

3. Revelation 7:15–17, “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

b. [Cursed]: (punishment)

i. Who?

1. The dogs (wild dogs)

a. Derogatory term for a male prostitute (Deut. 23:18)

b. Metaphor for an evil human enemy (Psalm 22:8, 27 – “dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers” “they have pierced my hands and feet”)

2. Sorcerers

a. All practitioners of occultic arts (good or bad magic) which often include the use of drugs and potions

b. Example: my Sunday School teacher in High School had previously been a witch who performed “miracles” by the power of demons.

3. The sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

4. Summary: unbelievers who have not been washed by the blood of the Lamb, who are not wearing the robe of Christ’s righteousness, who stubbornly reject God’s Word and grace

ii. What is the Curse?

1. OUT(side) the gates of the city, New Jerusalem, Heaven

a. Not able to hurt or tempt the believers anymore

b. Away from God’s blessings

c. Left out in the cold/Away from God’s protection in the city’s walls

3. The Boss

a. Threefold title (see. Brighton)

i. “I am the Alpha and the Omega”

1. Father & Jesus

2. Broadest title: see 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.’”

3. Before and after time

4. YAHWEH “I AM who I AM”

ii. “the first and the last”

1. Only Jesus

2. Rev. 1:17-18, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

3. Rev. 2:8-11, ““And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’”

4. He is “the firstborn of the dead” (Rev. 1:5)

5. The First and last of all who die in him and who rise again with him spiritually now and physically at the end!

6. The author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2)

iii. “the beginning and the end”

1. Father & Jesus

2. John 1:1f – Jesus was part of the beginning with the Father. He created all things. The Father is the one who

a. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1–3, ESV)

3. Jesus is recreating all things

a. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 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.” (Revelation 21:1–6, ESV)

4. He is the source (beginning) and the end and purpose (end). [Brighton]

b. “I, Jesus”

i. Jesus = YAHWEH

ii. The book of Revelation is from Jesus, the Faithful & True Witness

1. “I, Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches.

2. Revelation is True & Authoritative

iii. David’s:

1. Root: the source (beginning)

2. Descendent: (end)

iv. The bright morning star

Conclusion: