Come Lord Jesus
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Claim: Jesus is coming soon, so accept his invitation of grace and worship him in obedience!
Focus: Trust that Jesus is coming ‘soon’ to quench our thirst, therefore worship him and call for his return
Function: Cause us to call on the return of Jesus.
PRAY
You can probably tell by my physique that I’m a runner.
(i’ll just let the internal laughter die down before I continue)
Believe it or not, I’ve done 3 half-marathons in that last 18months and the hardest part for me is the last few km’s.
Leanna, who I run with, or rather I run behind, also finds that last few km’s hard but we both have very different approaches to dealing with this problem.
Leanna digs in, she’s motivated by the goal ahead, by the achievement, she relies on all that training she has done - this is what it’s for, to make it to the end in a good time.
So she keeps going.
My approach is a little different - it’s much more motivated by immediate satisfaction, rather than future glory. And so I walk instead of run, and grumble at all the people who are now running past me!
That example is the running equivalent to why Revelation now ends as it does.
It’s the sports coach who shouts in your ear when your tempted to give up on Jesus.
It’s the reminder that you can and must keep running, don’t give up, rely on the training.
And the motivation of a great goal ahead of you.
So we have 2 points today,
1 - The Training
1 - The Training
(Where should we look, what should we do,
while we await the end of the world that we have been considering in Revelation.
What’s the plan for now, and how do we know it’s going to work.)
b - All of it! - v18-19
b - All of it! - v18-19
v6,
2 - The Motivation
2 - The Motivation
If we know where to look, we have a training plan,
a - Live like it - v7-16
a - Live like it - v7-16
b - Pray like it - 17, 20
b - Pray like it - 17, 20
whats going to keep us running,
There’s no point training without a reason to do so.
v7-16
So let’s begin,
1 - The Training
1 - The Training
a - Trust it - v6
a - Trust it - v6
The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
As we saw it last week in 21v5.
but the point right here at the end of Revelation,
is one that is being repeated, we saw it last week in 21v5.
This book of Revelation is ‘trustworthy and true’.
This book isn’t like the world’s philosophies that might or might not be true
depending on your experience.
This isn’t like scientific discoveries that develop as more discovery is made.
It’s not like the morals you live by that you’ve decided upon in your head,
that have no real foundation,
Revelation claims that Revelation is trustworthy and true.
Some have argued that this is a pointless circular argument,
A book can’t claim ‘itself’ to be absolute truth can it?
Well there are 2 answers to that.
1 - If something is the ultimate truth in the world, then of course it has to declare itself as true. We should expect truth to testify to itself.
2 - But secondly, if the bible is trustworthy and true,
then there will be plenty of evidence to support it’s claim
- and that I think is the point made by the second part of v6.
This book of Revelation, is ‘inspired’ by the God of the universe,
who ‘inspired the prophets’ of the OT.
All the promises and prophecies of the OT that we have seen come true,
is evidence that the Bible , is trustworthy and true.
Throughout Revelation itself we have thought back into the OT to see that many promises were fulfilled in history,
and particularly in Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.
The sacrificial lamb promised,
Empires that would rise and fall,
The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.
And so as we reflect back on the the inspired word of God in the OT
that we see being fulfilled in history,
and then we are told that Revelation is trustworthy and true,
and then we are told that Revelation is trustworthy and true,
we are to have confidence in this ‘training manual!’
Telling us who God is, and how we are to respond to Him.
Revelation is trustworthy, it contains our training plan and explains our motivation for life.
And of course because these verses draw our intention to the ‘inspired’ word of God as a whole, we know the whole bible is in view as we read
the final one in the great book!
So as we read v6, and v 18-19 in a second,
v6, and v 18-19 (which we’ll read in a second,
We really know that they refer to all of scripture.
All the inspired words of God.
For this bible is all trustworthy and true, for it is from the mouth of God himself.
So trust it.
The second thing to note about this training manual then, is we are to
b - Accept it All! - v18-19
b - Accept it All! - v18-19
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
v6,
If this inspired book is a ‘true and trustworthy’ revelation of God himself,
from God himself,
then hopefully it is obvious that we ought not to mess with it.
When we teach about God, we teach what the bible says, not what we think.
When we read something in the bible that we don’t really like,
or find hard, or don’t understand,
we trust that we have a problem, not the bible.
Too many people in this world have cut out the bits they don’t like,
or emphasised other bits and ignored the context,
Added ideas that aren’t in it, to make it more acceptable to them or others.
The warning here is very strong.
A true christian must be a Bible Believing Christian,
who humbly accepts ALL of God’s inspired word as true and trustworthy.
I am not saying we cannot find God’s word hard to understand,
or hard to accept even.
But humble acceptance of it all is what the inspired word of God expects of all God’s people.
We may agree to disagree on what the bible is teaching at times on secondary issues,
but we must never agree to disagree on whether the bible is our ultimate source of authority and revelation of God.
So, we have our training manaul in hand now.
For if you’ve been here for even a few of the chapters of Revelation, you will know you do not want any of the plagu
We know we must trust it fully, and accept it all in it’s entirety.
That’s not always going to be easy,
especially for those who first would have received this letter from John,
who were being persecuted and killed for their commitment to Jesus,
for striving to live by the manual.
So now we need our motivation.
2 - The Motivation
2 - The Motivation
Our motivation for accepting all of the trustworthy inspired word of God, is unsurprisingly, Jesus!
But, in response to Revelation,
we are supposed to be motivated to live for Jesus, by something specific about Him.
It’s not
“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
We are to..
a - Live for Jesus’s return - v7-16
a - Live for Jesus’s return - v7-16
‘Look, I am coming soon’ is our motivation to ‘keep the words of the prophesy’.
v12-15 make the point in more detail
What is the key response expected in Revelation, and in the whole NT in fact?
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
So, again, the motivation is ‘Jesus coming soon’ - and we are reminded why that is such a great motivation - his reward is with him.
It’s there in v12-
There are a number of things refered to here, but
IS THE REWARD OURS OF JESUS??
And that reward will be allocated to all according to what they have done!
His bride - the church!
His reward is that in the end - everything will eternal be as it was in the beginning!
Of course that would concern us if we relied on being saved according to ‘literally’ what we had done in this life,
for we would all be ready to receive the reward of judgement not salvation.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
The reward for the unrighteous is described in v15
Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Outside, separated from Jesus and his glory and light.
So, we, Christians, are, in the end, Jesus’s reward!
But as we have seen all through Revelation,
our salvation is not based on what we have done in a literal sense,
but what we have done in a spiritual sense.
And who are his people, who are Christians, well still in v12 - those ‘done the right thing’
v14 makes it very clear ‘what must be done’ to receive the reward of eternal glory with Jesus
And what is the right thing?
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
rev
Again the reward of the righteous is, as always, a reward granted by grace, not works.
We wash our sin stained robes in the red blood of Jesus on the cross, and he alone makes them clean and white, as we saw in rev7v14, where it says
I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”
As a result when Jesus returns to reward us according to what we have done,
our lives look glorious to him,
rev
for in washing our robes clean in his blood,
he gives us ‘righteous acts’ that declare us innocent.
Rev 19v7-8
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
So, don’t ever be confused.
Let’s not motivate ourselves into obedience, into following the inspired word of God, as if that will save us.
No.
Jesus washing our sinful lives clean on the cross,
in his blood,
is our only hope of receiving an eternal reward with him.
And it is the glorious, thankful, hopeful response to his grace and mercy
that causes us to strive to trust and obey his Word.
And of course, in then end, the bible, each and every time, takes us back to the saving blood of Jesus, not ourselves.
So we live for Jesus’s Return.
--
3 quick things ought to be said about this motivation now.
Jesus say, Look, I am Coming soon,
Coming is the key issue here, but it’s supported by 3 important ideas.
1 - Look - Expect it and anticipate it. Jesus is coming. Live each day knowing it is a reality.
2 - Jesus says, I am. - He, in person, the Lord Jesus, will return.
We will not mistake him for anyone else.
Jesus, in person, personally involved.
He wont send a No. 2, or an angel, of a prophet.
It will be him.
3 - Soon - Don’t mistake our impatience or naivety for God’s failure to bring Jesus back ‘soon’.
This is urgent, imminent and should affect each day we live.
Faced with a difficult or embarrassing conversation with someone about Jesus,
the ‘soon’ return ought to motivate us to act.
Faced with the choice of sinful actions or thoughts, the ‘soon’ word should remind us we don’t want to be caught rejecting our saviour when he suddenly appears.
Look, I am coming soon!
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
isa
is a fabulous passage to read this week to see how this motivation ought to affect our daily life.
I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
2 pet 3 2-
I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Finally, in relation to our motivation of Jesus’ return, we also ought to
b - Pray for Jesus’s return - 17, 20
b - Pray for Jesus’s return - 17, 20
2 times we are told to pray the simple prayer, with the help of the Holy Spirit,
‘Come, lord Jesus’
17a and 20.
Come,
restore justice and righteousness.
remove all evil.
wipe away every tear.
Bring about the new earth.
It’s the grand finale that we live for as Christians,
It is our hope.
And don’t misunderstand this, the new earth is not our ultimate hope,
AS wonderful as it will be,
but they will only be wonderful becasue of 1 glorious truth!
Jesus, our bridegroom will be our light, our joy, our protector and comforter, for ever more.
It is Him that we pray for to return.
It is all about Him.
Our relationship, our life, our existence.
Come Lord Jesus Come,
And look how significant praying this prayer is,
Did you see the responce in v17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
rev 22 17
As we pray for Jesus to return, to come soon,
He responds with a glourious invitation and reassurance.
an invitation from the Lord Jesus to all of humanity.
To the Christian and non-Christian alike,
To the Christian and non-Christian alike,
Chirtsian or not, what a
all who is thirsty in this life,
unsatisfied, fearful of the future,
anxious about life
Come to me, says Jesus.
I will give you life giving eternal water, promises Jesus,
Let’s this week call on Jesus to return,
Let us hear his gracious response of promised, thirst quenching life
Isa 55v6-7 puts it like this:
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
PRAY
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
v7-16
I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
2 pet 3 2-