EASTER
7
May
28-30, 2022
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Revelation 22:12-17, 20
“A PERFECT UNION!
1.
Sin
and unbelief has been, and is, the real divider.
2.
Only
Jesus can provide true unity.
Revelation 22:12-17, 20 (EHV) “Look, I am coming
soon and my reward is with me, to repay each one according to 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 so that they may enter through the gates into the city. 15 Outside
are the dogs, that is, the sorcerers, the adulterers, the murderers, the
idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 I,
Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the
Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.
17 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….20 The one who testifies about these things says,
“Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
Unity. It is desirable. People want
it. Some of you may recognize these words. “We the People of the United
States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…” That comes from the
Preamble to the United States Constitution. And how about these words? E
Pluribus Unum. If you have a U.S. coin in your pocket, that phrase is inscribed
on it. It’s Latin and it means, “Out of many, one.” It was meant to signify how
the 13 original colonies and now 50 individual states became one nation under
God. That’s the other phrase on your coins.
Now we all know that neither of those
phrases are actually true. God has been kicked out of our nation in many ways.
And we really aren’t all that united nor have we been. It was not long after
the defeat of Great Britain and America’s independence that the colonies began
looking out for their own interests ahead of the nation’s. We are all aware of
the horrible Civil War that was fought and needed to be fought so people would
stop owning people. And while we like to think that America has been a melting
pot where ethnic groups immigrated and gladly gave up their own former
loyalties to be a part of a great nation we know that did not happen easily and
does not happen easily today. Ethic groups have always tended to stick together
and hold on to their language and customs for several generations before
melting into the nation. I am quite certain that the many military people who
gave their lives, whose sacrifices we remember on Memorial Day, would look at
the state of our nation with its polarization, nastiness, willing and forced
segregation and ongoing disunity and say, “That’s not what I gave my life for.”
Sadness. And yet unity with one another. It’s so desirable.
Thankfully our living Lord Jesus comes
in as a fresh breath of air. Don’t give up on your longed for unity. He gives
us something to look forward to. Perfect unity. It’s why he sent His Apostles
out into all the world and to all the different ethnicities with the Good News
that He is their Savior. It’s what Jesus prayed for in the Upper Room the night
He was betrayed. True unity among people like He and the Father are one. And He
tells us it's coming…soon! “Look, I am coming soon and my reward is with me,
to repay each one according to what he has done. 13 I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
With these words Jesus identifies Himself as the ultimate authority. Christ is
risen! He is not dead. In every language, no matter how you say it, He is the
beginning and end of all things. What He says goes. He points us to a time when
their will be perfect unity.
But first He has to deal with what
really divides. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they
may have the right to the Tree of Life and so that they may enter through the
gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, that
is, the sorcerers, the adulterers, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone
who loves and practices falsehood.” We are in the last book of the Bible,
the last chapter. The end of what is is at hand. What will be is just
beginning. Before the glorious and perfect union of all believers in heaven
Jesus must deal with what divides. Unbelief. He calls them the dogs. I don’t
know about you but I like dogs. They are such loyal friends. But the word for
dogs Jesus uses is really the curs, the mongrels, the mangy mutts that are
wicked and evil You heard some identifying signs. Sorcery, adultery, murder,
idolatry, falsehood. And while all of us can be found guilty of some form of
those sins at some time what these lifestyle sin groupings have in common is
they flow from what really gets God’s wrath. Unbelief. Rejection of Jesus, His
Son, who gave His life so all could be free. That gets God’s anger.
Recently I was talking with another
pastor. He has in his congregation someone we both know. He’s someone whose
filter on what is appropriate to say or not say and when is a little faulty. He
told me about a Bible Class he was teaching on Judgment Day. Our mutual
acquaintance raised his hand. “Pastor, you know when Jesus comes back He’s
going to kick some behind.” Only he didn’t say “behind.” He said something
else. In Bible Class! Now while we may quibble with him over his choice of
words we cannot with the content. When the last day comes it's called Judgment
Day for a reason. You and I might get angry with senseless shooting, carjackings,
window smashings, murders, drug dealers, logicless arguments advanced to give
mothers the option to murder their babies, please understand, your anger and my
anger is nothing compared to an angry God. Leave room for His wrath. And beware
the call of the wild. The way of the wicked might seem easier or more fun at
times but you want nothing to do with it. For unbelief divides and so those who
reject Jesus will never get the perfect union we all desire.
But those who believe will. For only
Jesus can unite us. Let’s go back to what He said. “Blessed are those who
wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the Tree of Life and so
that they may enter through the gates into the city.” Who’s blessed? Those
who wash their robes. This comes from earlier in Revelation where the people in
heaven were described as those “who have washed their robes and made the white
in the blood of the Lamb.” That’s a picture of a believer in Jesus. Robes all
dirty because of sin. The blood of the Lamb, Jesus’ death and sacrifice makes
them clean. Jesus is the uniter. While sin separates and divides people from
God Jesus, only Jesus brings them together. His perfect life. His innocent
death. Those who believe receive the benefit of what Jesus has done. Only Jesus
unites believers with God.
And only Jesus brings unity between
people. The Gospel message is meant for every language, tribe, nation and
people. In heaven we will have not a more perfect union but a completely
perfect union. Languages will not divide because we will all share the same one
and despite what my college professor proclaimed I doubt it will be German.
Skin tones won’t matter. Nor will economic status because we will all be rich
in what really matters and not care about the gold used to pave heaven’s roads.
Their will be no political divide for we will all rejoice being ruled by the
King of kings and Lord of lords. And then let’s do those personal sin dividers.
You have it your family. I have it in mine. It may be because of divorce. It
may be caused by harsh words. It may be because of a great misunderstanding or
a long held feud. It may be that a dearly loved child is rejecting you. These
things happen and hurt among believer’s families. And the hurt may endure her.
But not in heaven. In heaven Jesus unites. There will no more death or mourning
or crying or pain or separation or hurt or grudge or resent. “Behold I am
making everything new!” says Jesus as He gives us the perfect union.
That’s something to look forward to.
As the Lord ends the writing of the Bible it’s like a good series you want to
binge where each episode you finish makes you want to see one more. Or a movie
series that has you actually longing for the sequel. Listen to our living Lord as
He sets our eyes on the prize! “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you
this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the
bright Morning Star.17 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….20 The
one who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” How do
you respond to that? Say it with me! “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
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