Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Revelation 22:12-17, 20
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date:  June 2, 2019

It’s the tension in a runner’s legs before the race begins. It’s the excited dance a  toddler does right before the waffle is ready. It’s the red X’s marked on the calendar which cross off the days left before summer vacation. It is the long line of people at midnight outside of a movie theater. It is the words “Welcome Home” written in chalk on the driveway. What is ‘it’? What could be that cause all of these things? The answer is….anticipation. Anticipation is powerful, isn’t it? It gets us motivated, it causes us to odd things, to alter our behavior. Anticipation is also one of the great joys of life. Do you have anything to anticipate right now? Is there anything that you look forward to that might be motivating you in significant ways? If you can’t think of any, I know of one for sure. The picture before us in our REVEALED series today is The Returning Redeemer. Jesus promises that he is coming back and we, as his Church, are to anticipate his coming. So, today let’s turn to the final chapter of the Bible to see our Returning Redeemer and the powerful motivation his anticipation brings.

Jesus says it verse 12 and verse 20: “Look, I am coming soon.” In Revelation 22, the last chapter of the entire Bible, Jesus drives it home twice. “I am coming soon.” The last word of the Bible given to us, the final thought that God wants to leaves us with is the reality of his return. But that isn’t all John hears. He also hears the response of God’s people in heaven. John records: the Spirit and the bride say, “Come…Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” The saints in glory  want Jesus to come and wait in great anticipation.

This last Thursday marked the anniversary of Jesus’ Ascension. And I can’t help think of the disciples staring into the sky after Jesus had gone back to heaven. The angels say to them, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way…” (Acts 1:11) I wonder how many days after that did they gazed up at the clouds, hoping he was on his way. How many times, in moments of pain and persecution, did they hold on to those words, “he will come back”. The anticipation of his coming must have been as real to them as a child waiting for a parent to come home from work. Just think of John, himself, who for the sake of Christ was exiled from his homeland and now sat alone on the island of Patmos. He is given this fantastic vision which we call the book of Revelation and can you imagine him opening his eyes and scanning the sky after writing chapter 22? John records Jesus’ words “Look, I am coming soon!” and how his weary heart must have shouted “Amen, Come Lord Jesus!” Those first disciples lived in great anticipation of Jesus’ return and it provided powerful motivation for them to live as his witnesses proclaiming the message of salvation. I wonder, being 2000 years closer to Jesus’ coming, why his return isn’t all the more a compelling reality in our lives.

The intensity of the disciples’ anticipation serves as a gentle rebuke to the priorities of my heart. I know that I should anticipate my Returning Redeemer with all the urgency that his words convey, but so often I don’t. It reminds me of how my mom always wanted the house to be spotless when people came over. So what happened was the half-hour right before guests arrived, we became a tornado of cleaning activity. I mean, imagine that some friends are coming to your place for dinner. If they are coming on Wednesday night, well you don’t have to clean up the place this afternoon, right? You have plenty of time! But if those friends are coming for lunch today, then some of you might be tempted to run out of church right now and tidy things up.

We operate like this spiritually too, don’t we? Perhaps we don’t doubt the reality of Jesus’ return, but we fail to respect one word Jesus said: “soon”. It has been some 2000 years since Jesus said it and so the anticipation wears off. The Devil scoffs, “Is Jesus really coming soon?” We are tempted to believe that we still have time to be apathetic in our devotion. We don’t have to be honest about the integrity of our faith. We don’t think we should alter our plans, because Jesus’ return is still a long way off.

I can’t talk about this without bringing in the apostle Peter’s words which address this very temptation. “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? 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…and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-10) Our Returning Redeemer is coming soon. Our Lord is not slow to keep his promises as scoffers say. God has only seemed to delay, as Peter said, to gather in more and more people to heaven, not wanting any to perish. However, if a day is a thousand years, then it has been two days since Jesus said, “Soon”. He could return this very morning, my friends. It is high time to get ready for the Returning Redeemer!

I really like that title for Jesus because it tells us exactly why we can anticipate his return. Jesus is our Redeemer, meaning he bought us back from sin and death. He redeemed our souls with his own blood. And when he comes back, he is going to pick up what he purchased. He is going to take us to heaven! That is why we can wait with anticipation! In our text today those that are described as receiving entrance into the heavenly city are those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. If my deeds were to be laid bare before God, I would dread Jesus’ coming. But I’m wearing a robe which has been washed in his own blood. I am perfect in God’s eyes because of my Redeemer! No one can touch me! And I’m excited to meet my Jesus!

We talked about how anticipation is powerful motivation, how the coming of something you long for can you change your behavior. So, how is our behavior impacted by the realization that Jesus is truly on his way? Well, look at the response of the Church which John recorded:  The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears this say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wants the water of life take it as a gift. The anticipation of Jesus’ arrival provides powerful motivation, through the Spirit, to say “Come” in two different ways. We say ‘Come’ to Jesus and ‘Come’ to our neighbor! We are thankful for the time left to tell people about Jesus and that he is coming soon and yet we look  forward to the joy of heaven. It’s like looking forward to a party and yet being thankful you have time left to invite people. I experience this dual-desire so sharply and vividly on almost a daily basis.

I have such great hopes to see my children grow up, I want to grow old together with my beautiful wife, I have dreams for this church and the work of God here in our community. I’m thankful for my time on earth! I want time to tell people “Come” and know Jesus! I want more time to instill this anticipatory desire within my family and with all of you in this congregation! And yet, at the same time, I am also looking forward to Jesus’ return.

It hit me hard this past Wednesday. Our faculty attended a seminar on Trauma-Informed Care that was difficult at times to listen to. We heard the first-hand story of a girl who was repeatedly abused by her father, we heard devastating statistics about childhood trauma and its detrimental effects on brain development, we learned about the cyclical nature of sin, how those who are abused are much more likely to abuse others or look for someone who will abuse them in a similar way. It was a useful seminar, but at one point, I had to sigh at the sheer evil of sin and whisper “Come, Lord Jesus! Come and make all things right. End the shooting and the war, end the hatred and the violence. End the abuse and the evil which sin has wrought. Come and cleanse us. Come and make all things new. Come take us to heaven as you have promised.” This is the tension we live in as Christians. We are always pulled down to earth to help and love our neighbors, and yet pulled up to heaven to the hope of eternal joy. We say “Come” to those who do not know Jesus so he might wash their sins away and we say “Come” to Jesus himself in anticipation of his return.

I knew this girl who determined whether or not she wanted to read a book by reading the last chapter first. She thought there was no sense reading a book if she knew she wouldn’t like the ending. Now, that may not be a good strategy for reading novels, but it is a really good strategy for living your life. We have read the last chapter in the Bible today. And now you must consider what story you are going to invest in. Which story are you going to live? There are many stories which you could choose from in our world today, there are endless options for belief. But the one we have just read is not a story you can read and then put back on  the shelf; you cannot read it honestly and remain unchanged. Jesus says, “Look, I am coming soon!” What are you going to do with his words? I pray that the Holy Spirit would convince your heart to joyfully anticipate the Returning Redeemer. “Come Lord Jesus!” Amen.