St Jacobi Worship Service May 16, 2010 from Richard Waldschmidt on Vimeo.
May 16th, 2010
Confirmation Sunday
REVELATION 22:12-21
THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS BE WITH GOD’S PEOPLE
I. The Grace of The First And The Last.
II. The Grace Of The One Who Gave Us His Unchanging Word.
In the name of Jesus, who is coming soon, dear fellow redeemed children of God;
When I was at the Seminary, all of the students had jobs to do. Some were serious jobs, like the men who shoveled snow. Others parked cars for events. Others were not so serious. My job was to be the Fenster Aufmacher. That’s means I was charged with opening the windows. One young man had the last name of Warning. His job was to give the two minute warning when lunch was almost over. Yes, we cracked ourselves up. Today in God’s Word, Jesus gives us the two minute warning. “I am coming soon,” Jesus said. While he doesn’t give an exact time for His return His words serve as a call to always be ready.
Usually two minute warnings are harsh sounding bells and whistles. But let’s look today at the words Jesus uses to end the Bible. No shrill bells or whistles- but we hear the encouraging words of Jesus. The Grace of The Lord Jesus Be With God’s People. I The grace of the First and Last. II. The grace of the One who gave us His unchanging Word.
Confirmation days are days that parents enjoy and look forward to but they are days that seem a long way off when their hold their little bundle of joy in the delivery room or at the baptismal font. But here you are-ready to make your promises to the Lord as adult members of our church family. The years have flown by. At times in our lives Jesus’ return may seem to be a million miles away and then at other times it will seem as though it can’t be more than a day away. Our perception doesn’t change Jesus words, “I am coming soon.” The truth is that Jesus is coming soon to take all of us home to heaven, where we will meet around the throne of Jesus. As we wait for the day when Jesus comes, let’s take comfort in the words of the First and the Last,- the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.
Most people would say that if you are going to have an operation it is a good idea to have a surgeon who has done the operation before. From the operating room to the football field, experience is important. The world we live in as we wait is a scary place. How wonderful that our Lord Jesus not only has years of experience, He is the first and the last. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” If Jesus were giving examples from the English alphabet, he would be saying, “I am the A and the Z.” Not only has the Lord Jesus seen every single situation in the life of every single person who has ever lived, He is eternal. He knows the future. He already knows every single situation that you will face. He knows whether you will live to the age of 81 or 18. He knows where you will live and when you will die. The one who loves you enough to die for you knows all of those things.
You have changed since the day you walked into Sunday School and kindergarten. But Jesus does not. All of that time does not change Him or his promises. He won’t come along one day and say, “Now what was that I promised them, I can’t remember.” The Bible tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” As He closes His word to you the First and the Last speaks of his love for you.
That’s important because He says, “My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” Jesus tells us what the reward is that he is bringing with him earlier in the Book of Revelation when he says, “Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you a crown of life.”
But wait a minute. He is going to give everyone according to what he has done. Do those words send a chill up your spine? They do for me. If your life has been anything like mine, it has been a week where we botched things up with one sin upon another. We’ve taken the commands of the First and the Last and treated them like they were the demands of someone near the middle or down the way on our list of priorities. The thought of Jesus coming soon and giving me exactly what I deserve for my sins is terrifying. But Jesus comforts us by explaining what he means, “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. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolators and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” We can’t look at that list and say, “well at least I’ve never done those things.” Just take that last one for example. Sometimes we’ve found ourselves being pretty well practices at telling falsehoods. All of us should be excluded from heaven because of our sins. That’s where the grace of the first and the last comes in. In His undeserved love for you and me our Savior Jesus washed all of our sins away along with the sins of the world when he died on the cross. By God’s grace, the Holy Spirit has brought us to cling to the Savior Jesus in faith. The Holy Spirit has brought us to look for Jesus who is coming soon to take us home to heaven. My dear friends, don’t walk away from Jesus. You don’t want to be left outside when Jesus comes again.
BP has not called me for advice about the oil spill. You need credentials for something like that. Jesus showed now shows us His credentials for who he is and the unchanging Word He has given us. The grace of the Lord Jesus is with God’s people He has given us His word.
“I Jesus have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.” Then Jesus goes on to describe himself. “I am the Root and the Offspring of David and the Bright Morning Star.” Jesus identifies himself as the Savior who has won salvation for us and as the Bright morning star will soon return to take us home to heaven.
Jesus’ promise that he is coming soon draws a wonderful response. “The Spirit and the Bride say “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come and whoever wishes let him take from the free gift of the water of life.” God’s grace is not like the chicken pox- that it comes once in a lifetime and then you are done. God’s grace in His Word is for our entire lifetimes. By God’s grace we’re encouraged by that gracious invitation in God’s unchanging word every day. No matter what happens in your lives ahead, don’t ever forget Jesus invitation for our thirsty souls, “Come to me all ye that labor and are heavy ladened and I will give you rest.” When the devil tries to drive you into the ground of despair, remember that Jesus’ water of forgiveness flows for you and it is free.
Since this is confirmation Sunday, I’ll ask you a question from your confirmation days, “Since this is God’s word what do we never want to do with it? Add to it subtract from it or twist it’s meaning. You are living in a world where people want to change the Bible. Just this last week there was a huge controversy in our town when a university rescinded a job offer and people on all sides of the fence where adding and subtracting from Scripture or twisting its meaning. God has chosen to close the Bible with warnings to anyone who would think of changing even one Word of the Bible. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book.”
It has been the privilege and joy of your pastors and teachers to teach you about Jesus’ love and the truths of God’s Word. That message of sins forgiven remains unchanged in a life full of changes.
In sports the two minute warning makes everyone rush around and be conscious of every single second. Jesus is coming soon. Jesus assures us of that fact, “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes I am coming soon.” John responds like all of us respond, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” We don’t have to rush all around but let’s make the use of everyday serving him and telling others until that day when he comes. Until that day, the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
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