SCRIPTURE
: REVELATION 22:12-17SUBJECT: THE FINAL INVITATION
PURPOSE: Stressing the urgency of the day
"THE GREAT BATTLE"
OR
"SADDLE FOR BATTLE – GRIN TO WIN!"
INTRODUCTION:
REVELATION 22:12-17 [NIV]:
"12
"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13I Am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.We’ve all seen them one time or another… those summer storms that come up fast and furious… and we’ve had to run for cover or get rain-soaked or blown apart in the wind. As I type this for the web site, in September, 2004, there have been four serious hurricanes that have blown into Florida so far this fall, which is even unusual for there. While I was attending Nazarene Bible College in Colorado Springs, Colorado, I remember watching a tornado heading in my direction. Then I witnessed two tornadoes heading at us while I was pastoring in southern Illinois, several years later, which came too close for comfort! Each time, the Lord protected and spared me from harm. But they were truly awesome to watch! They were also very scary! Such storms can really be devastating and can do a lot of damage in a hurry! So when storm warnings are sounded, we’d better pay attention and take proper precautions. As we think of this in relation to today’s Scripture lesson, our first point deals with:
In today’s Scripture, we find the Bible’s final warning that the storm is about to hit! Saddam Hussein’s referral to the "mother of all battles" during Operation Desert Storm, the Gulf War, turned out to be "the mother of all retreats." In fact, we had to go in there several years later and remove him from power. In reality, those battles were nothing in comparison to what we see in today’s Scripture.
You see, in this final chapter of the Bible, Jesus Christ, Himself, warns us that the great battle, the battle between evil and good… the great battle of sin verses holiness, - the great battle of hell verses heaven… the great battle is about to come to a climax!
The storm is about to hit! Although the Bible warns us in Matthew 24:36 that we do not know the day nor the hour, we do know the signs of the times! "Behold, I am coming soon!" declares Jesus! "My reward is with Me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."
Time is short! I was visiting with a neighbor on day while pastoring in Illinois. He was an older gentlemen and was sharing with me as to how fast time flies. He had moved into that community as a young man, was married and working in the area for years. He reflected back from the vantage point of a senior citizen, having retired, and having lost his wife not all that long before, thinking what it’s like to face life at his age. Within a matter of months, his life had ended and whatever decisions he had made were final for all eternity. It had been a good conversation at the time, - an uplifting one, - and a very interesting one.
Time is short! It doesn’t seem all that long ago when I was a kid growing up in the Finger lakes area of Upstate New York, working on farms, hunting, fishing, rowing our boat in the summertime across Cayuta Lake… It doesn’t seem all that long ago to me but, in reality, a lot of years have gone by!
Time is short! Jesus Christ is coming soon! The Bible says that each of us will receive our eternal reward based on our actions while on this earth. Now, quite frankly, many of us shudder a bit at such a thought! Life’s sins are shameful! But we make no excuse for sin. While it is true that we are saved by faith in the love and grace of God in Christ as we repent and turn away from sinful living (Ephesians 2:8-9). There are still repercussions for sin. We must truly forsake… truly turn away from… truly abandon sinful living!
Jesus Christ, Himself, willingly died on Calvary’s Cross so that our sins could be forgiven! Jesus Christ willingly died on Calvary’s Cross so that our sins could be cleansed! Jesus Christ willingly died on Calvary’s Cross so that our sins could be washed away… in God’s sea of forgetfulness, never to be remembered anymore!
In 1 John 1:9, the Bible says, "If we are confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Isn’t that great? He just wants us to be real! He just wants us to confess and to turn away from anything in our lives that is sin and that gets in the way of a right relationship with Him. Let’s just call it what it is. If it’s sin, let’s call it sin and let’s confess it, turn away from it and let Him be all that He wants to be in us. Let’s let Him do all that He wants to be in us and through us!
There is a question: What have we done with Jesus? Deep within our hearts… what have we done with Him? Testifying of Himself, in John 14:6, Jesus said, "I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father accept through Me."
There is another question: Are we truly repentant believers in Him? Have we really dealt with things? And if not, why not?
There is yet another question: Have we really discovered the assurance of forgiveness and pardon from sinful living? It is impossible with man, but all things are possible with God! Hallelujah! Praise God!
Yes, there is a great spiritual battle raging all around us! According to today’s Scripture, it is going to come to a climax! So, basically, realizing the urgency of the pending results, as described in today’s Scripture, we need to note the contrast between the godly and the ungodly. We need to consider those who are described as "the blessed" verses those who are "outside," – those described in Scripture as "the dogs."
As we do, yet another question arises: As we do, must the "outsiders," these referred to as "dogs," remain outside? Is a murderer, - or an adulterer, - or an idolater, - or a liar… are they destined to be eternally doomed? Is there room for hope for those caught in this category? Must they remain so? Praise God, there is hope!
We’ve basically considered the reality of the battle. Secondly, let’s consider:
While pastoring in southern Illinois, I resided in that part of the country that locals refer to as "tornado alley." Several came through while I was there. Our church was the gathering place for the local residents whenever the alarm was sounded as we had a very nice facility with a full, comfortably furnished basement. It was well built and appeared to give the most protection from storms in the area.
"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."
There is a great promise!
"Blessed" translates into "happy." It’s a happy day! Life’s raging storms have been trying! They’ve been bashed about! It hasn’t always been easy! There have been trials! There have been severe times of testing! There have been temptations! There have been failures! But the victories have overcome the losses! Victory in Jesus is victory indeed! These are the overcomers! These are the winners!Washed robes signify proper cleansing. As a kid, when I washed the dishes, they’d better be clean when I was done. When my dad came to inspect, there was no room for error at that point! Spiritually speaking, there’s no room for error, either! Spiritually speaking, such proper cleansing of one’s heart, that results in clean, right living here and now in commended! It is clearly rewarded!
Such ones inherit the right, or privilege, to gain entrance into the city, - the heavenly city! At this city, there is a final reward, - of eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, in heaven, - forever and ever! Then, God, Himself, as we see in Revelation 21:4, "will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning, or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
The words of Jesus, as given in Matthew 25:21, will be most assuring: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness!" I look forward to that day! I trust that you do, too! But supposing that you are on the outside. Suppose you are:
"15
Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."Does that describe you? If so, then you are in serious trouble! Your heart is hard! The Bible says that if you are in this condition that you are doing these things and that you love it! But, the Bible calls such a one "a fool."
In Proverbs 10:23, the Bible says,
"A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct." There is pleasure in sin. But it doesn’t last! One day, pleasure turns to misery. It becomes empty! It turns to the realization of what results when one sees the fruits that such a lifestyle brings. Then, we either harden our hearts and continue in such sin, or – we admit it, seek help, and get out! We turn away from it!The description of those who are outside is not good. The Jews refer to all that are uncircumcised as dogs. This refers to the uncircumcised in heart. These are the ones who refuse to give their hears and lives to God’s loving guidance! These are the ones who are described in verse #15. These are the cold-hearted ones. These are those who harden their hearts. These are the ones who continue to live and live in sin to their dying day!
In Revelation 22:11, the Bible says,
"Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile!" Now, if that’s really you (I hope not!) – If that’s what you really want, - then have at it! Keep it up! Harden your heart like the dirty dog that Scripture shows you to be! You see, if you really want to go to hell, you can do it! It’s your choice! You really can do it! You see, God is not going to drag anybody kicking and screaming into the kingdom of heaven that doesn’t want to go! If you really don’t want to go, - you won’t! Each of us comes to Him and lives for Him because we want to!So, there, in hell, those whom the Bible refers to as the damned, the unrepentant, those who harden their hearts, those who go out into eternity with unrepentant hearts, - "will be" as in Revelation 20:10b, "tormented day and night forever and ever!" I sure don’t want that! I trust that you don’t want that, either!
Now, we don’t have to go that direction! It’s our choice, either way! I trust that it is not your sill to go that way. If you have some things to deal with, then deal with them! Now! Today! There may still be some things that you and I still need to deal with. Pray! Seek God! Ask Him to reveal whatever that there might be between you and Him. He always answers a sincerely seeking heart!
CONCLUSION
:As we wrap this up, today, let’s realize that time is short! The urgency of the day is upon us! Again and again, our precious Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, says,
"Come!" No one who is thirsty should die of thirst! Is that you? Are you thirsty? Then, "Come!"Do you need to be saved? Then,
"Come!" Do you need to walk in the sanctifying fullness of the Spirit? Then "Come!" Listen, all too often we would have liked to have made wiser choices in days gone by! We can’t change what we’ve done. Even as Christians, many of us have found ourselves in less than the Lord’s best for us! Self has gotten in the way. We make no excuses for it!Sin is selfishness! Sin is ugly! Sin is shameful! It is "S – I _ N!" It is sin! We call it what it is. Then we simply deal with it. There needs to be sincere repentance! There must be a turning away! There must be a willingness to yield to the Holy Spirit’s control more than ever before!
Today, the Spirit of God says,
"Come!" Remember that Jesus hates sin, but He loves the individual who has committed the sin. He invites each one to "Come!" We, too, must do the same. We’re a family. Is someone here in trouble? Just "Come!"We cannot afford to disobey God by turning away those who are thirsty. We cannot afford to turn those away who are willing to come. We can’t do that, praise the Lord!
Jesus, the Redeemer, the Judge of all mankind, gives the final invitation. He says,
"Come!"Yes, the time is short. Both
"The Spirit and the Bride," both the Lord, Himself, and His true Church, are compassionate and caring.In John 3:16, the Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
As I pray today:
[PRAY – SUGGESTED INVIATIONAL, "ARE YOU WASHED IN THE BLOOD?" – DISMISS TO SERVE!]
Please note:
You are welcome to share this important message in your local churches, home fellowship Bible studies, etc., but I suggest that you personalize it. You do not have permission to publicize it or to make money from it in any form. May God richly bless you as you minister for Him with rich spiritual rewards of seeing many souls saved and sanctified for all eternity! Please let me know whatever helpful results you may get from this!
With Warm Sincerity in Jesus’ Love,
Rev. Don Schink, Pastor-Evangelist
Sonlight Ministries
Tijeras, NM
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