Revelation 21:5-8
Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week.
Transcript
Good morning my name is Chad I'm one of the pastors here if you will grab a Bible and go to the Book of Revelation chapter 21 we're going to pick up where we left off last week we have been working our way through the Book of Revelation throughout the fall and we are finishing it up in the next few weeks and we have made it to the end and not just the end of the book of Revelation not just the end of the Bible.
But the the end of existence as we understand it now we've made it to what is restoration consummation the the Fulfillment of all the promises we we talk sometimes when we're trying to help articulate the Gospel we we even will train on this sometimes and explain it to our Church family that uh our culture doesn't know the Gospel story anymore they don't know the Bible story anymore and so sometimes it's very helpful to explain creation fall Redemption restoration that God created the world and is good that it has fallen into sin that.
Jesus comes to bring about Redemption and then eventually everything is restored it's renewed it's made new it's beautiful and good again and we are in the Book of Revelation where we get to see restoration we get to see things made new and made good again and as we're looking at this today uh in some ways we're going to see the text is going to talk about an inheritance it's going to refer to a Heritage and a portion which are inh it's inheritance language um it's the language that was used in the Old Testament.
When they were allotting uh land for tribes that they would have a Heritage or they'd have a portion it's what's given out and we're going to see this is given to all of humanity that if you exist as a human you will receive some form of this you'll get this Heritage this portion you'll receive some of it and it one part of The Inheritance one part of the the heritage is unfathomably glorious beautiful wonderful un unpictured By Us in its Excellence delight and joy and the other portion is unfathomably eternally awful destructive horrific and all of humanity is going to end up with one or the other eternally good eternally bad.
If you went to a will reading let's say your your great-grandfather died he was very wealthy you go to the will reading you're there with all the other great grandchildren and it's announced that every great grandchild will receive $1 million and a vacation home except for you you will receive two cats and I know what you're thinking that's twice as bad as one cat and you're right your great-grandfather figured a way to double the punishment you even if you like cats your.
First your first instinct would be what why what what did they do what did I do what did they do to deserve that what did I do to deserve this that would be the question you would be asking what is the dividing line between us why did all of them get that and I got this if before his death your great-grandfather had announc to you all of my great-grandchildren will receive $1 million and a vacation home or they will receive two cats I think your follow-up question would be what's the H how are you going to decide what's the dividing line.
Then you would get to why two cats you know you'd ask that later but first you'd be asking what's how do we get to be in one line or the other and in this text we're going to see these drastically different inheritances and what we're going to ask this morning is what's the dividing line what did they do what did they do and what makes the difference let's pray and then we'll jump into the text Lord we ask for the active work of your spirit as we read your word that we might hear that we might.
See you that we might repent and that we might enjoy life eternal life that is only found in you we ask this in your gracious name and by the work of the Cross amen Revelation 21:5 is where we're going to start and he who was Seated on the throne said now that is God that's who is Seated on the throne he's been seated on the throne throughout the Book of Revelation this is God this is the one to whom they they cast their crowns down they worship this is he who is Seated on the throne was the one holding the scroll and he asked who is worthy to open the scroll and was holding it.
Out to see and he's the one who gives to Christ when he arrives like this is God Eternal king of all things Seated on the throne behold I am making all things new behold is a fancier word to say the southern look at here but that's what he's saying pay attention to this look at this see this I am making all things new and we talked about this some last week with the new heavens and the new Earth the New Jerusalem we're going to talk about it some next week as it begins to picture some of that.
For us but there's this moment when everything gets renewed and restored and made wonderful and beautiful and good again that that the creation that we have now as good and as beautiful as it is because it's creation but then there's fall and so we only get the Fallen version and we only interact with it as Fallen people so even when we're interacting with good things like truth and love and beauty I'm still interacting with them as me it's filtered through my own ability to.
See it enjoy it think about it my own sinfulness get mixed up in that even when I'm enjoying the best of all that the world has to offer I I'm still sinfully filtering it through myself and working with it in I'm I'm messing it up and then we also get the Beauty and the the wonder of the world marred by sin as as Paul puts it in Romans that it's that God subjected the world to bondage to corruption that it's in bondage to corruption that it's corrupted.
So that even though the the heavens declare his majesty they they Proclaim his glory even though that he's his eternal nature is seen in the way the world is made we are only ever interacting with a marred version of it but there's coming a day when we won't we'll spend some time next week trying to imagine some of that trying to think through some of that which is hard for us to do because we've only ever interacted with this one my.
When I was thinking about this I was trying to think about the fact that even in the world that we're in now there's still stuff that we desire that we long for that we convince ourselves if I could just have this I'd be happy this would fix it if I could just achieve this if I could just reach this if I could just have this kind of life this kind of stuff like we're constantly in this creation pursuing parts of this Creation in a way that we think will satisfy us and it's the brok version of it my uh my mom.
When she was growing up she used to go to her aunt Reba's house and y'all do youall know who Rea McIntyre is it's not her um she went to her aunt rea's house and uh at her aunt rea's house her her sister and her cousin um would play with baby dolls and that was what they did they had she always looked forward to go they have baby dolls and she remember when she got older she went back and she got she was visiting her aunt reben she said can I.
See the dolls and so her aunt Reba showed them to her and her cousin had a little girl baby doll that my mom said had all kinds of accessories uh you could comb her hair you could you know rock her in a little rocker she had like a straw leg she was this little baby doll with multiple dresses you know decked out she said her her sister had a little boy baby doll not a lot of accessories but her sister had always wanted to have boys and was.
And then she said she saw the one that she had played with and something terrible had happened you know how like pretty doll hair versus doll hair once it gets all messed up and there's like no fix in that like it just that's what it looked like and it was just a head and a torso no arms no legs no clothes and so she said she asked she said a Reba what happened to my doll and her aunt Reba looked at her and said honey that's all your doll ever was you only ever had a head in a torso like I don't nobody did anything to it that's your doll and I kind of feel.
Like when God makes all things new we'll finally have the eyes to see it and we'll be like the stuff I was chasing after longing for pursuing was only ever a head and a torso like that was it like the thing I was chasing after was only ever this mess this is what it was supposed to be like this is so gloriously good so he's making all things new and it's wonderful then verse six he says this I'm sorry verse 5 also he said write this down.
For these words are trustworthy and true so he who Seated on the throne looks to John and says write this down this is trustworthy this is true which the Bible is trustworthy and true everything he says is trustworthy and true but for some reason he wants to go out of his way to say this is write it down again drawing our attention to something wonderful that is to come and the amount of trust that we can have in it he said to me.
Verse 6 it is done I am the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end this it is done pairs with Jesus who on the cross said it is finished and when Jesus says that he's talking about his work that he came to do the work of redemption is finished that there's a hope of redemption now in Christ because the debt of sin has been paid that when we place our faith in Jesus the work of Salvation is finished.
When God says it is done he means that the full application of the work of Jesus is done Redemption has been accomplished we are in restoration that's what he's talking about I'm making all things new it is finished so that Christ's work in some ways was finished his Earthly work was finished on the cross and now God the father's work is finished in accomplishing his will throughout eternity he says I'm the alpha and the Omega which is the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
So it be similar to saying I'm the A and the Z the beginning and the end so he's saying the same thing twice there I'm the A and the Z I'm the alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end that he is the point of all existence in creation that it's from him and to him from him and for him it is carried out through him that he's the Genesis and the apocalypse and The Eternity that it's about him and he is big ancient beyond our Reckoning wise beyond our understanding and that it is about him that he's the beginning and the end he said write this down I'm the beginning and the end.
Speaking of his majesty and His glory then he says this to the Thirsty I will give from the spring of the Water of Life without payment the one who conquers will have this Heritage and I will be his God and he will be my son okay so Heritage this is the first inheritance it's the first portion that you would drink from the Water of Life that that is and we'll see later as we look a little more at that a a potentially a reference to the Holy Spirit.
But it's this call to life full life real life eternal life that those who conquer get life eternal full vibrant life and then he says it's to to the one who conquers now that that's the message in the Book of Revelation it's a call to endurance consistently in the sections where we get most caught up in the dragon and the Beast and and the mark of the beast and all this stuff there's these pauses in it where it says this is a call.
For the endurance of the Saints and so this idea of conquering this idea of accomplishing these promises receiving these promises to those who hold on to Christ those who make it to the end and this is what they receive Water of Life eternal life and then he says I will be his God and he will be my son uh my son is in fourth grade and he has started doing analogies youall remember analogies like the um this is to that as that as to this stuff they'd make you do in school.
So like a hat is to your head as a sock is to your foot yeah you guys you nailed it you're ready for the SAT um there in In this passage he says I will be his God and he will be my son and if I was doing the analogy and it said God and then it said blank is to blank I would not have written son it would need to say father then I would put son but it says God and son like.
If I was talking about wife and I asked her to marry me I said will you marry me you'll be my wife and I'll be your if I say anything other than husband it would seem like I went out of my way to communicate something like I went out of my way to try to like if I said you'll be my wife and I will be your landlord immediately it's like hold on what you you're Community like if she said she said yes I will be I you you will be my husband and I will be your project manager it'd be like wait what what about what are we talking about.
And so when he says I will be your God I will be his God and he will be my son it's it's it feels to me when I was reading this text like he went out of his way to communicate something that he's really telling us something beautiful about the nature of our relationship the nature of the relationship of those who belong to Christ those who receive this inheritance and y'all this this is what you have longed for your entire life that he would be your.
God and that you would be his child now son here does carry the idea of receiving an inheritance so don't ladies don't get tripped over that this is what we need we need him to be our God and then we get get to be and the longing of our souls are satisfied with him being our God and with us being his children let me let me show you what this happen What Happens here by him being our God there's a couple of things that happen one he's big enough to actually forgive he's he he by being.
God he he can actually make when he says you're forgiven you can be forgiven this is one of the problems they had with Jesus they kept being like who do you think you are he thought he was God this is this is what he was doing he was showing that he was God but this is when he says you're forgiven when he says that you receive Mercy when he says that he holds these promises he's actually big enough to hold them like.
If you were if you were at Costco and you were looking at something and someone standing next to you said you know what just put that in your C you can have that you can just you can take it I'll walk with you out to the parking lot your immediate question would be who who are you do you have the authority to make that declaration because if you're just some guy offering to help me steal something no thank you but if you're William Costco III and you have the authority to do this.
So when he says that he'll be God that means that all the promises get to be verified and like he he can he can actually forgive he can actually redeem he can actually restore but also the best parts of our lives are when we cease to have them be about us you your most free most Joy most wonderful moments of your life are when you've forgotten you exist and it doesn't happen often it's one of the reasons why uh Middle School was.
So awful it was some of your most self-aware that you ever were you could not not think about yourself and it was it's torment and just so you know that's one of the things that torments us now is that when we think the most about ourselves and how we're thinking and how we're feeling and how we're whatever it's torture that by him being God it means that we can actually be swept up in something bigger than us and you've only tasted that at times.
When you were on a team or cheering for a team when you were in a at a concert sometimes it happens on Sunday mornings when we're singing and we we can forget about ourselves and what we think and what we like for just a moment we just catch that for a moment sometimes that's when you've been at the top of a mountain or at the bottom of a mountain staring at a mountain or when you were looking at the you were flying in the airplane you got to.
Look out and just these moments you had in life where you forgot about yourself and we caught up in something bigger you were free there was Delight there was joy and that's one of the promises that comes with he'll be our God is that he's actually big enough that we can get swept up and that he's wonderful that he's good he's big enough to handle our praise our Delight our worship this is what we've been pursuing that we would be a part of something that was bigger than us and and Christians brothers and sisters as a Christian that you've had those moments where you.
For just I mean and I'm talking about moments 4 seconds 5 seconds maybe a few minutes where you brushed up against the real presence of God and it was the most wonderful thing that's ever happened and you also thought you were going to die you know what I'm talking about it's like you tried to breathe in Eternity for just a moment and it's overwhelming and the promise of this is is that there will be a time when we can handle it.
When he's made us to be able to Bear the weight of glory and we'll be able to be swept up in the immensity of God and not destroyed by it but able to he'll be able to channel it through us and it'll be wonderful and then he says not I'll be his God and he'll be my worshipper follower which is true those are all true he says son which means you'll belong you'll belong you'll be welcome you won't be in heaven thinking I'm.
So glad I'm here but I hope he never makes eye contact with me because then he'll know I'm not supposed to be here we'll have a seat at the table the son of the king doesn't have to go ask for permission to see the king he just gets to go see the king you'll belong you'll be home you'll be home like you you've had that Taste of Home here you've had some places where you were free and part of the reason what makes it home is that you get to forget about yourself you get to just be free.
For a little while you you get to not worry about yourself you get to feel like you you belong here nobody's judging nobody's look like you you just get to be and maybe you had that with a certain group of friends or maybe you had that your actual home growing up or maybe you had that like I don't know where you've but you've had some moments where you've tasted this idea I just belong here and you'll eternally belong and be caught up in how wonderful and good and glorious he is this is what makes heaven heaven.
God and our ability to have him and know him and relate to him is what makes heaven heaven and this is what your soul has been longing for the uh African Church Father Augustine in his confession he wrote our hearts are restless until they rest in you meaning that everything else we've ever tried to fill ourselves up with ultimately fails we're we're we're Restless it's like drinking salt water it promises to satisfy but then it doesn't like a like a table that's been cursed by a witch that looks beautiful and as soon as you start eating the food it turns to gravel in your mouth like that's that's everything that you've ever chased after you.
Said if I could just have this I'd be fixed I'd be fine everything would be good and it just never it never satisfies it never works they were only meant to be enjoyed in relation to him and so they all fall apart when they become an ultimate object of something that would that would fully fix us and so we're longing for something that ultimately will never rest until we rest in him and we get that Spencer said it would be like we talked about this week he said it would be like.
If somebody told you I'm going to give you your dream home if you want a big house it's big if you want a small house if if it's like a brownstone walk up with a little Terrace and a garden that's your thing cool in a little walkable neighborhood if it's like there's not another human Within A Thousand Miles you're on a ranch it's just you and cows and chickens and like a five rifles or whatever it is whatever it is.
Then but then it was you get you get your dream home but your spouse your children your friends whatever like there's this they they can't come and immediately we'd be like oh no deal because it won't be home without them and Heaven's not heaven without God if if he said I'll give you all the stuff but I won't be there that's not heaven because we'd still be restless we'd still never find satisfaction because we were made to find it in him you do realize that's the Supreme Delight of a creature is to worship our creator we were we were meant to get lost in worship of our creator and without that that's why we're running.
Around finding things to worship finding things to to label ourselves with finding things to be bigger than us that we can cheer for or pull for because we're meant for that but he says this will be the inheritance endless life and I'll be his God and he'll be my son verse eight but as for the Cowardly the faithless the detestable as for murderers the sexually immoral Sorcerers idolators and all Liars their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the.
Second death First Heritage eternal life with God as God and you as a child belonging to him second one L of fire and sulfur that if you stood on the seashore and looked out and it wasn't an ocean it was fire and Jesus says the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die meaning that it is eternal EX external and internal torment the idea of having worms Eternal external and internal torment we say every week some version of this world's broken and marred by sin and we know that judgment is coming this is what we're talking about there's an eternity of torment and we believe that that there's an eternity of life.
Joy and there's an eternity of torment and unending destruction so let's read the list as for the Cowardly so those who gave in those who stood by those who retreated those who should have spoken but didn't those who should have St stood up but sat down the Cowardly the faithless those who should have believed those who should have held on those who should have stuck it out but didn't the detestable those who chose sin and wickedness those who got so used to it they ceased to.
Notice it those who said well this is what our culture is like and participated because it didn't stand out as for murderers narrowly defined as those who actively on their own took life were broadly defined took a life that shouldn't be taken were broadly defined is those who do not love life cherish life value life which would make us need to consider our view of The Unborn or the times that we flippantly say things like I wish we would just bomb them off the map the sexually immoral those who chose to give in to their own desires to pursue sexual sin not acknowledging the value the weight the beauty that.
God gave to it the fences and guard rails that he put around it not acknowledging his will or his design but choosing what we wanted satisfying and gratifying our own desires the sexually immoral Sorcerers those who threw the use of drugs spells intentional Desir to gain power a rebellion against God's good design for the world and unwillingness to submit to his will a pursuit of demonic and evil Powers have tried to gain control which just so you know as westerners we were tracking with the list until we saw sorcerer which might mean that you undervalue or misunderstand the actual power of demonic influence in the world World idolators those who worship something else other than.
God pay homage to it bow down to it run after it some of that would be visible intentional like a totem pole or a statue or a shrine some of that would just be the effort that we put into pursuing something that doesn't have the image of God on it but has the IM image of Benjamin Franklin on it and we've told ourselves this will satisfy this will fill me up this will make life good this is what's worth worshiping pursuing something that was created rather than the Creator as our Supreme desire and all liars those who do not stand with the truth do not trust.
God and ultimately reject the truth of Christ their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur which is the second death that we should ask what's the difference what did they do what did they do how how does one get to be in this one or that one just so you know every person in this room will be at that will meting every person in this room will receive one of those inheritances every person you know every person who's ever existed every person who has the stamp of the image of.
God on them will receive one of those what's the difference because I think if we're honest we're in that list you you want to you want to negotiate with the list how much to what extent how cowardly how faithless how much sexual sin do it just one put you on the list or is it like a lot is it like a percentage and if you wanted to just say well I guess the opposite would be true so it would be the Brave the faithful the pure The Honorable those who worship the.
Lord and the Lord alone and did not give into idolatry like you would want to say it's just the opposite but if you do that if it's just the opposite then you have to perfectly uphold the positive version because any one of the negative versions will drop you into the other list so what's the distinction in the text 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'm 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 to the thirsty Praise Jesus not to the good not to the holy not to the moral not to those who succeed at besting the list that is coming to the Thirsty I will give of the spring of the Water of Life without payment you see we want to make payments something in our souls demands payment that we would have to somehow pay for this and we're not wrong payment is needed but Jesus makes the payment and we get to receive it by being thirsty what you bring to the table is need and nothing else you bring sin you bring your resume that looks a lot like that list that we just.
Read and you say I'm thirsty I need you because if you don't forgive I'm not for for given and if you don't give Mercy I won't receive mercy and if you don't pay for this I can't pay for this I'm dry I'm parched I'm thirsty and that's what he says if you're thirsty line up you can drink freely this is not something that's just said here this is a promise that was coming God speaking through Isaiah the prophet says this come everyone who thirsts come to the waters and he who has no money come by and eat we would say I I don't have I can't do it I'm not good enough I don't have.
The payment he says come you ever had someone say like come we're going to eat and you said I don't have any money they said I'll pay for you and then you went and ate so he's saying come I can't do it no come come buy wine and milk without money and without price why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your your labor for that which does not satisfy why are you chasing after things that ultimately will fail you come come receive your heart's desire.
Listen diligently to me and eat what is good Delight yourselves in rich food incline your ear and come to me hear that your soul may live this isn't just food food wine wine no that your soul made live I will make with you an Everlasting Covenant my steadfast sure love for David that the promise that's made to David that's fulfilled in Christ gets made to us that's how we become sons that we're welcomed in that he's accomplished this through Jesus and it is Everlasting paid.
For by him he goes in verse six he says seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts let him return to the Lord that he may have compassion on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon you turn to him and you say I have need I need forgiveness if you would to look at me right now and say but I've done.
So much bad stuff I've been so wrong I would say he abundantly Pardons and I would say it's not about you it's about him look look at this John 7 this is Jesus on the last day of the feast the great day so Jesus had a feast with all the Jewish people Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water.
Now this he said about the spirit whom those who believed in him were to receive for as of yet the spirit has not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified you are a creature and your freedom comes from self-forgetfulness it comes in Christ that you would believe in him that you would come and not say here's what I've done here's how it's about me here's what I've accomplished here's how I'm weak here's how I'm cowardly here's how I'm sinful here's how I'm marred and broken and weighed down by sexual sin and idolatry here's all the ways I've run you don't come talking about you you don't come proclaiming your glory your goodness your ability.
You don't come with a resume you come and you say I believe in you I believe it's about you I believe that you're the beginning and the end I believe that you're the one who's made the payment and I believe that my hope is in you and I believe that if I'm going to receive forgiveness it's going to come from you I'm going to get Mercy from you I'm going to get wholeness from you and it's going to be to the glory and the praise of.
Jesus that I am rescued it's about him and we get to be free all you get to be is thirsty that's the invitation 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 do you desire forgiveness do you desire Mercy do you desire rescue do you desire to have the fullness of God for eternity do you desire to belong to him do you desire to have your soul fixed do you desire.
Then come and say I'm thirsty I need you I believe in you I don't believe in me I Believe In You Church family if you've trusted in Jesus there is not a Christian who is not thirsty meaning that there will not be a time when you have fully come to where you don't need him you don't long for him anymore you don't thirst for him anymore you don't need forgiveness anymore you're well behaved enough that you don't show up on that list it does not at some point shift to you we stay thirsty needing his forgiveness needing his grace needing his Redemption.
And then none of those labels stick to us because of the work of Christ you aren't on that list if you belong to Jesus and not because of you but because of him it's been paid without price from you it's been paid by him but we stay thirsty meaning we continue to repent we'll always have a need for repentance and we'll always continue to say Lord I need you I need your grace I need your mercy it will stay about him it will not shift to being about you.
And if you don't know Jesus if you've never trusted in Jesus there's a story in second Kings chapter 5 I love this story there's a Syrian commander of an army named non and he is more powerful than you he's just conquered Israel and he has leprosy so he has all the all the wealth that his country can provide all the power that his country can provide he's got everything that he could possibly have at this point and he's dying he has leprosy he's going to die he finds out that there is a prophet in Israel and in a roundabout way he.
Finally makes it to Elisha he's ready to pay he's ready to prove his value he's ready to prove his worth he's ready to to offer what he can offer Elisha doesn't even come out to see him Elisha just sends his servant out there and he says hey we know why you're here Elisha said go dip yourself in the Jordan River seven times and you'll be clean he's offended he says we have better rivers in Syria and he goes to leave and his servant stops him and says hold on did he really just say wash and be clean why would you not do that did he really tell you something as wonderful as wash and be.
Clean why would you not do that so he goes and does it and his leprosy is gone y'all did the one seated on the throne really just say if you're thirsty come did he really just say do you have need because it's about his generosity it's about his grace it's about his forgiveness it's about his goodness and he just announces if you need if you're broken if you're thirsty if you've been longing and never satisfied come to me and you will be fully eternally satisfied why would we not come why would we not do that and Christian who believe this why would you not continually turn to him and say thank you.
For your mercy thank you for your grace thank you for your Redemption Lord I thirst and I long for you because I will never never earn this if you don't trust in Jesus and you're planning on leaving today or if this seems offensively simple I would just say did he really just say come and you'll have life why would you not come let's pray father we ask Lord I ask in the name of Jesus Jesus that around this room right now that your spirit would be at work that.
For the person who is wrestling with you that they would surrender for the Christian that feels weighed down by their sin that they would confess that they would see that they're trying to satisfy themselves with something else that they would confess and that they would feel the the mercy and the grace and the Redemption and the Hope in the work of Jesus Lord I pray that we would believe and that we would drink deeply from Life in Jesus name amen the band's going to come back up and in a moment we're going to sing together and as best we can as a Church family we're going to forget ourselves and try to have a a.
Taste of being swept up in something bigger than us fixing our eyes on a glorious God but where you are right now I would just say if you're thirsty if you haven't yet surrendered to the Lord if you haven't yet you've been chasing everything else come to him and say I Believe In You Jesus and I need your help I need your forgiveness and if you're a Christian and you've been wandering from him or you've been feeling overwhelmed by your sin or you've been seeing sin in your life and wondering how am I not going to fail how am I not going to fall that you would come and say.
Lord help me to endure and help me to thirst and help me to long and Lord get me to the end because it's all about you let's sing.