I was trying to decide how much background I had to give to this movie analogy to start the sermon.
But just in case you're not familiar with movie stars, Will Smith is a very tall, muscular African-American actor who often acts in action films.
And Tom Cruise is a very short, white guy who often acts in movies, often as an action hero.
I don't know, probably on stilts or something like that.
So they don't sort of show how short he is.
Anyway, there's this couple, true story, this couple, quite a few years ago, in fact it was the year 2004.
They decided that the two big movies that were at the time was Collateral, starring Tom Cruise, and I, Robot, starring Will Smith.
Collateral, modern day movie about a cab driver who picks up a hitman.
Then, I, Robot, in the future, futuristic things, fighting robots, the whole thing.
The I, Robot movie stars Will Smith.
The other movie, Tom Cruise.
They said, we're going to go out and see which one of the two movies we'll see.
I don't know which one of the two movies we'll see.
Let's see the Tom Cruise movie.
The woman says, yeah, I really like Tom Cruise.
Let's go see the Tom Cruise movie.
And so the guy gets the tickets.
True story.
The two of them go into the movie.
The movie starts about 45 minutes into the movie.
The woman says to the man, this is a very, very odd Tom Cruise movie.
He hasn't shown up in the movie at all.
They were sitting in the I, Robot movie.
And it took the woman 45 minutes to realize that she wasn't watching a Tom Cruise movie set in present day North America,
but watching a futuristic film starring Will Smith.
And they had some words afterwards because he'd sort of just unilaterally made the last minute decision that he'd rather see I, Robot, and didn't tell her.
But it's funny that she was able to sit there for 45 minutes puzzling through why this futuristic science fiction movie starring Will Smith was actually a Tom Cruise movie.
Now, I mention that because one of the things is that we actually always sort of understand that we live our lives in terms of some overarching story.
And things called worldviews are just a different sort of different ways to understand an overarching type of story.
And so maybe our overarching story is, you know, you die, that's it.
So basically, since when you die, that's it, you just sort of have to grab as many toys or just sort of get what you want in this life.
Enjoy every moment as you have because you're just going to die and that's it.
Maybe it's that you're going to end up, you know, merging with God.
But there's a variety of different stories.
And it really, really matters that we understand the story, that if there is, in fact, a true story that we can be in.
And if we sort of think we're in one story when we're in another story, then it means we're going to always be sort of not quite getting what's going on.
Things in reality and things in life aren't going to sort of fit or make sense.
And I think that's a small sort of an example of that, apart from the Tom Cruise thing.
I, the other day I was in a, I was in a Starbucks and I happened to be sitting by a chair that had, had a plug.
And I could see this young woman, she'd just gotten a table and she was trying to see if her computer cord would be long enough to get into the plug.
And I noticed her distress and I offered to trade places with her.
And she said, you sure?
I said, yeah, I use this spectacular ancient invention called paper that doesn't require any batteries.
And, uh, cause I, I do all my sermon notes in a book.
In fact, in this book, uh, the way I work it is I, I make all my notes.
If you're ever to steal the book, you'd see my notes begin, uh, sort of, um, back and back and back here.
I make my notes, I put my reflections, et cetera.
And then eventually I put my outline all, all in the same book.
Uh, but when I'm working on several sermons at the same time, uh, which I'm doing right now because I'm doing some pre-work on 1 Thessalonians 5,
then occasionally in the midst of all of these notes, I'll, I'll make a little note at the top of the page.
Uh, and it let me know that I'm actually in that page working on another text.
So just yesterday I'm in the Starbucks trying to finish my, put my sermon together.
And I'm, I'm going through, I'm going from page to page to page.
And I come to a page and I'm starting to figure out, I'm looking at these notes and it says, um,
forgiveness is key to a choice between fight and flight.
Verse 13, verse 3, verse 15, and evil.
Forgiveness means a type of death that was sacrificed.
And I'm looking in Revelation chapter 22, verses 3 and 15.
And I'm thinking to myself, how on earth did I get that from that?
Like, what was I doing?
And then I look at the next notes, you know, verse 1 and verse 11,
encourage and build up and the tension and superiority.
And I'm like, how on earth does that get in Revelation?
And then I realize I'm looking at my notes for 1 Thessalonians 5.
And, um, and, and, and, and that's what often happens in life.
That, um, um, it's one of the things that, that for Christians, it's partly how you grow as a Christian,
is that there's a whole pile of stories going on in the world.
And these stories that go on in the world are trying to help you to understand your life
and the meaning of your life and the purpose and the direction of your life.
And Jesus isn't just somebody who comes into your life
and sort of adds a little bit of extra flavor or value to your life.
Jesus is part of a different story.
And not only then, so many of us, when we come to faith in Jesus,
it begins with us just sort of coming to a faith in Jesus.
Uh, for myself, it was just this sense that there was a, an incompleteness and a lack in my life.
And I had this sense of Jesus as a type of fullness.
And I, I needed that type of fullness.
And I knew that, that by coming to him, that, that I just needed to come to him for some type of fullness.
But, but partly what happens as we come to faith in Jesus is that we slowly start to understand
that Jesus is part of a large story.
And that God wants us to understand that story because it's the true story.
And that true story is the one that will actually make sense of our experience.
That it will make sense of, of the mystery of suffering.
That it will make sense of the mystery of sacrifice.
That it will make sense of the mystery of death.
That it will make sense of the mystery of marriage and of relationships.
That it will make sense of the mystery of, of the body.
It will make sense of the mystery of sex.
That it will make sense of the, of the mystery of good and evil.
that it will make sense of the mystery of beauty and of longings and of yearnings,
that it's not just that Jesus sort of comes in and gives us a little bit of dose of peace and religion
as we live the different stories that are going on in the world,
but he slowly, as we draw closer to him and he gets a greater hold of us,
he tries to help us to understand that the world's stories have parts in it that are true,
but parts that are very, very confused or maybe even wrong,
and that there is this different story, a true story that we're in the middle of that Jesus is central to,
that once we start to understand, then we start to understand these other mysteries of suffering,
of sex, of death, of sacrifice, of family, of the body, the mystery of money, the mystery of meaning.
And we've been going through the book of Revelation,
and Revelation chapter 22 is the very, very end of the Bible,
and it's, Revelation is the last book in the Bible,
and Revelation 22 is the very, very last bit of the book of Revelation in the whole Bible.
And so it tells us the last bit of the story,
and it does so in such a way that even as it tells us the last bit of the story,
it communicates a bit of a sense of the mystery of the person, of the face, of the body,
of our longings and of our yearnings.
So it would be a great help to me if you would turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 22,
Revelation chapter 22, and we'll look very briefly at this last, very, very, very last piece of the Bible,
which is all part of telling the overarching story of the Bible,
which Christians believe is not just a true story for Christians, but is truly true,
and it helps us to make sense and understand human experience and human life,
that it starts to help to make meaning out of our life.
Revelation chapter 22, beginning at the first verse.
And, yeah.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Through the middle of the street of the city.
Sorry, I didn't read that very well.
I'll start again.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
It was flowing through the middle of the street of the city,
also on either side of the river, the tree of life with its 12 kinds of fruit,
yielding its fruit each month.
The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
No longer will there be anything accursed,
but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it,
and the servants will worship him.
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads,
and night will be no more.
They will need no light of lamp or sun,
for the Lord God will be their light,
and they will reign forever and ever.
And we'll just sort of pause there.
And actually, in the way that the book of Revelation is written,
in some ways this is the end of the book of the Revelation with verse 5.
After verse 5, there's no more sort of,
and then I saw and then I heard,
and there's no more series of visions.
It's as if the story,
this is the last vision with verse 5.
And then verses 6 to 21,
it's a little bit like,
depending on your age,
like for us,
maybe we have our son or our daughter come,
and maybe they're going to go off on a trip.
Maybe they have their grandchildren with them.
And it's really easy when they're going off on a trip
for Louise and me to say,
oh, did you forget the granola bars?
Do you have the water?
Do you have enough diapers?
Don't forget to call.
Like a whole range of things.
And in some ways,
that's how the book of Revelation ends with verse 5.
And verses 6 to 21,
it's as if Jesus and the angels are saying to John,
okay, before you go,
don't forget this.
Don't forget this.
Do you have this?
And it's trying to summarize these last little things,
but this is the last vision.
And here, if you put it up on the screen, Andrew,
here's the thing.
In the city is a garden,
and in the garden,
I will see God face to face,
and then the new beginning will begin.
What's happening in verses 1 to 5
is that in the city is a garden,
and in the garden,
I will see God face to face,
and then the new beginning will begin.
That's how the book of Revelation ends.
About two or three weeks ago,
I talked about how two of the big images
to help us to understand heaven
is the marriage of the church,
the bride of Christ, to Jesus,
and then the other thing is an image of the feast.
And then last week,
we looked a little bit how,
in the end,
what's described is definitely not
that human beings will be like angels
or be like spirits,
but that God brings in a new heaven and earth.
And he doesn't bring in a new heaven and a new earth.
He brings in a new heaven and earth.
It implies that there's a type of a unity
or a mixing or a fitting together
of what we now understand as heaven
and what we now understand as earth,
that the two of them will somehow be at one somehow,
that they'll fit with each other,
they'll be different,
but at the same time,
there'll be a type of a peacefulness between them,
and an ability for us as human beings
to both be in heaven and in earth
and still have bodies.
And that the fundamental image
of what this new heaven and new earth,
the new heaven and new earth will be like,
is that we human beings will live in the city,
the city of God.
And the city is described as being immense.
And I talked about how what the Bible
is trying to let us know
is that at the end of the end of the end,
which is also the beginning,
that I will live in this city.
You will live in this city.
Those who are redeemed by Jesus
will live in this city.
And I will be a neighbor
to others who live in the city.
And I will be a neighbor.
They will,
and there will be neighborhoods,
so to speak,
so there's,
we all have neighbors,
and God will be everybody's neighbor.
So that it's not as if you can move
to some distant suburb
to get as far away from God
as you possibly can.
But that the new heaven and earth
will be a city where people live,
where we have neighbors,
where we will be a neighbor ourselves,
and where everybody has God
as his neighbor.
And then the final part of this vision
is that in the city is a garden.
In the garden,
I will see God face to face,
and then the new beginning will begin.
And if you go back later on
as part of your private devotions
and read Genesis chapter 3,
you'll see that many parts
of Revelation chapter 22,
verses 1 to 5,
are paired or matched
with what goes on in Genesis 3.
That the things that God will take away
are the things that come into human life
as a result of Adam and Eve's fall.
That at the end of Genesis chapter 3,
Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden,
and an angel is there to stop them
from the tree of life.
And here we see that the tree of life
has now become trees of life,
and that the trees of life
are accessible to everybody in the city,
and that we will eat of its fruit.
And it's a wonderful, wonderful image
of what it is that we're called for,
what the end of the story is.
That we will live,
that God originally intended us
with all of the power
of that story of Genesis 3,
that we could be
with other human beings,
and you could be completely
and utterly naked,
and be completely
and utterly unashamed.
That the things that characterize
our human life right now,
that on one hand,
we know they characterize us,
but on the other hand,
we know that it shouldn't characterize us.
On one hand,
we know that there's walls
and masks that we make
for other people.
At the same time,
we know that there shouldn't be
walls or masks.
We have on one hand
a desire for walls or masks,
on the other hand,
a desire to have no walls or masks,
that what we understand
is really being loved,
is being able to be
with another person
or a friend.
Friendship or love
is being able to be
with another person
where some of the walls
and some of the masks
that characterize our lives
are let down
so that the other person
can see us
as we really are
and yet not turn away
in disgust or anger
or embarrassment
as they see us
as we really are.
And so here we see
that at the end
of the end of the end,
which is also truly
a beginning,
that I will be able
to stand,
not based on my own righteousness,
but on what Jesus
has done for me,
that I will stand
in the city
where I have neighbors
and God is my neighbor
and there will be a garden
and I will be in that garden
and I can look at God
face to face
and I will no longer
have any masks
and I will no longer
have any walls
and I will be completely
and fully known
and I will begin
the eternal quest
and journey
of knowing
the unending God.
And if I stand
before God
face to face,
I stand before God
face to face
in a garden
not by myself
but with other human beings
who are likewise
seeing God
without masks
and without walls
and are able
to stand there
unashamed
and we do that together
which means
we start
through seeing God
face to face
to be able to see
each other face to face.
You see,
even in this story,
we sort of have
this understanding
that it starts to make
a sense of why it is
that the whole
biblical story
of us being fallen,
of evil coming
into the world,
of us being bent,
of our contradictory
desires to build
walls for protection
yet at the same time
that we would have
no walls,
to build masks
to protect us
but at the same time
that there would be
no masks
and it pictures
that day
when we will see
God face to face
and we will stand
before him
unashamed.
And the wonderful
thing about this
image,
look,
it's a very,
very funny thing.
Look at verse 2,
the last part of it,
the leaves of the tree
are for the healing
of the nations
and heaven is the great
healing.
I know a man
who was sick
and he had cancer
and he was praying
that he would be healed
of this cancer
and I'm going to probably
get this story wrong,
I should have written it down
rather than just trying
to remember it
from my notes
but he said that
he was going to be healed.
He believed that
he was going to be healed.
He believed that
the chemotherapy
would work
so he would be healed
very slowly
or he believed
that God could do
a miracle
he could be healed quickly
or he would die
and he would be healed
finally
and fully
and eternally
but either way
he knew he was going
to be healed
and heaven is always
pictured as a place
of healing,
of health,
of life,
of light.
that that is what
heaven will be like
but here's the thing
with the nations.
When we get to heaven
we won't all be white.
We won't all be black.
We won't all be Asian.
We won't all be First Nation.
Like we won't be,
we won't all become
one color.
Like what makes us
as human beings
right now
is a combination
of community
and angularity.
That's what makes us
human beings
right now.
A combination
of community
and angularity.
By angularity
I mean
it's like a snowflake
that I've been told
that all snowflakes
are different
and snowflakes
are angular
and we all know
that we have
pointy bits
and part of the
problem
and challenge
of marriage
is how do you get
pointy bits
of two pointy
angular people
to actually become one
and some things
fit well
and some things
don't fit very well
and that's part
of the challenge
of marriage.
It's part of the
challenge of friendship.
It's part of the
challenge of churches.
It's part of the
challenge of community
that we're all
angular individuals
which mean that
because we're
completely and utterly
ourselves
and completely angular
that there's
we're a whole
mass of
pointy bits
but at the same time
we don't speak
six billion languages
or however many
human beings
there are on the
planet
that there's
something communal
about us
and something
angular
and we see this
the word that's
translated in
as nations
is really
the word
which should
really be
translated as
people group.
It's from
where we get
ethnic from
and so
this even
in heaven
we see that
in some ways
George will be
in heaven
I will be in
heaven with
all my
angularity
all my
recognizable
angularity
but without
masks and
without walls
and I will be
able to see
God face to
face
I will be
able to
stand in
his presence
and I will
stand in
all my
perfected
angularity
and yet
there will be
this sense
of community
because I am
part of
one nation
that
Canadian
nation
that particular
people group
and I will
be there
with my
brothers and
sisters from
North Korea
and China
and Iran
and Kenya
and the
United States
I will be
there with
hipsters who
become Christians
and street
people who
become Christians
and billionaires
who become
Christians
and Down
Syndrome
and so even
in this picture
of the Garden
of Eden
is now in
a city
and that
the tree of
life is there
and we
partake of
it
that what
we actually
experience
throughout all
of eternity
is a
on one hand
it's a type
of a growing
but on the
other hand
it's a type
of a healing
that it only
means that
there's more
health that
comes into
me
that's the
point of
the image
that right
now on this
side of the
grave
that what
comes into
me in a
sense is
more death
as I
age
but in
heaven what
comes into
me as I
age in
quotation marks
is more
health
and as I
receive more
and more
health and
more and
more life
I remain
angular and
I remain in
a community
and I see
God face to
face
and that
friends
is what
we were
made and
designed for
you see
the Christian
story which
we believe
is the true
story is that
God made
all things
good
put us in
the garden
that human
beings because
of our
particular unique
place in the
entire created
order we chose
to separate
ourselves from
God to turn
away from God
to become
God's ourselves
that's what's
described in
Genesis chapter
three and
by so we do
doing so we
became bent
not broken
but bent
fallen
no longer
perfect
you can see
glimpses of
perfection but
at the same
time that we
are bent
now turned
away from
God and
turned in
in ourselves
and that all
of from
Genesis chapter
four right
up to the
end of chapter
Malachi is the
age of promise
that God will
come and do
something to
deal with our
bentness that
we cannot
possibly fix
ourselves
and the
gospels are
the story of
God keeping
his promise
and God
keeps his
promise in
a surprising
way
actually could
you put the
fifth point
up now
jump ahead
God keeps
his promise
in a very
surprising
way
the cross
of Christ
is how the
tree of
life comes
into a
fallen world
in Genesis
chapter three
we are excluded
from the tree
of life
and the angel
stops us from
coming
and what the
gospels tell us
in a sense
what Revelation
22 tells us
is that the
cross of Christ
is how the
tree of life
comes into a
fallen world
and what God
first deals with
is our
fundamental
separation
from him
and he's
going to
have his
people live
in this
time that
goes from
in a sense
Acts 1
until
Revelation
19
or whatever
which is the
already
not yet
where on
one hand
because when I
partake of
Christ
I am partaking
of the tree
of life
when I put my
faith and trust
in Christ
I am
partaking of
the tree of
life
when I
come to
Jesus
I come
to the
tree of
life
that
that makes
me clean
that gives
me health
that restores
my relationship
with God
that the
cross of
Christ is the
tree of
life
come into a
fallen world
in Revelation
chapter 22
the tree of
life will
not look
like the
cross
but the
tree of
life in
our fallen
world
is the
cross of
Christ
and then
Acts chapter
1 right up
to Revelation
chapter 19
if in a sense
the story
begins with
God making
a created
perfect
created
order
which means
that we
have a
proper type
of longing
and yearning
for God
a proper
type of
longing
and yearning
for good
it means
that when
evil comes
in that
all evil
is a
bent
good
that evil
in a sense
has no
positive
existence
that all
evil is a
bent
misdirected
good
it's a
it's an
emptiness
of good
a place
where good
should be
where it
has been
removed
it's a
but it's
always
a bent
good
and then
the
promise
of
deliverer
the deliverer
God keeps
his promise
in the
gospels
and now
we live
in this
period of
time
called
the already
not yet
but then
God
finishes
his promises
with the
coming of
his son
a second
time
and the
book of
revelation
describes
both how
we live
in the
already
not yet
but how
that
final
coming
of the
son
will appear
and how
he will
look
and the
closing
message of
the book
of revelation
that we are
going to see
in a moment
is that
Jesus can
come at
any time
one of the
reasons
that I
throughout
these 28
weeks
that I've
been preaching
through the
book of
revelation
that I preach
in such
a way
that I've
not
focused
on all
the minute
little
supposed
details
of what
it will
be at
the last
time
because I
think
we'll see
in a moment
when we
finish reading
the book
of revelation
the message
that Jesus
wants to
communicate
to us
in the book
of revelation
is to always
be ready
for him
to return
and never
to have
this sense
well we don't
have to worry
about it
because the
beast hasn't
arisen
or we never
have to worry
about that
because the
false prophet
hasn't
arisen
but always
be this
sense
that God
who is
sovereign
that his
son could
come at
any time
and he
brings in
the new
heaven and
earth
and we
will dwell
and it
will be
as if there
is the
marriage of
the church
with Jesus
it will be
as if there
is this
unending
feast
it will be
as if we
live in a
city
and in the
center of
the city
there is a
garden
in the garden
there is a
tree of
life
and we
will recognize
as we
partake of
the tree
of life
that it
is of the
exact same
substance
that we
receive from
Jesus
because the
cross of
Christ is
the tree
of life
in a
fallen
world
and then
from the
point of
view
of
Revelation
chapter 22
verse 5
it is the
end
it is the
end of
the visions
but for us
it is but a
beginning
Revelation
22 5
beckons and
invites us
to go in
the words of
C.S. Lewis
farther up
and deeper
in
and we
will do
that with
others in
bodies
and we
get a
small glimpse
of what our
heavenly bodies
will be like
from the
miracles of
new creation
the gospel
where there
will be a
completely and
utterly different
relationship of
our soul to
our body and
our soul and
body to the
world around
us where we
will not long
for bad
things we
will not long
for bent
things and
just as Jesus
was able to
walk on
water in
some ways
that's a
picture of
how we
will relate
to the
natural
order and
just as
Jesus is
able to
appear through
walls in
some ways
that is a
picture of
what it
will be for
us in
this new
heaven and
the new
heaven and
earth and
just as
Jesus on
the mount
of
transfiguration
was completely
and utterly
transfigured and
transformed before
the disciples in
the scene with
glory in
some way that
describes that
will describe us
describe us and
our eternal
destiny in
Jesus when
we partake of
the cross of
Christ which
is how the
tree of
life comes
into a
fallen world
I only have
a few more
minutes left
because of our
time constraints
so I want to
just let's look
at these last
six verses
the last 16
verses I'll just
read through them
very quickly and
give you a few
points if you
could put the
second point up
now Andrew that
would be great
be mindful of
this point as I
read that most
of the rest of
chapter of verses
6 to 21 wants
to communicate this
to us that Jesus
is the alpha and
the omega the
Lord and the
Lamb true and
trustworthy and his
word is true and
trustworthy so I am
learning to trust
and keep his word
written that's
what that's what
is being communicated
these last few
verses that Jesus
is the alpha and
the omega the
Lord and the
Lamb true and
trustworthy and his
word is true and
trustworthy so I am
learning to trust and
keep his word
written this is how
it goes and he
said to me these
words are
trustworthy and
true and the
Lord the God of
the spirits of the
prophets has sent
his angel to show
his servants what
must soon take
place and behold
I am coming
soon blessed is
the one who
keeps the words
of the prophecy
of this book I
John am the one
who heard and
saw these things
and when I heard
and saw them I
fell down to
worship at the
feet of the
angel who showed
them to me but
he said to me you
must not do that
so you might I
am a fellow servant
with you and your
brothers the
prophets and with
those who keep the
words of this book
worship God we
don't worship a
church we don't
worship the emperor
we don't worship
an institution
we don't worship
rituals we don't
worship a prayer
book we don't
worship the
Bible we don't
worship angels we
don't worship
politicians we
don't worship
ideologies we
don't worship
philosophies we
don't worship the
nation we don't
worship our
ethnic group
we don't worship
our social class
we don't worship
our education we
don't worship our
money we don't
worship our power
We don't worship our parents.
We don't worship our ancestors.
Worship God.
Verse 10.
They said to me,
Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book,
for the time is near.
Let the evildoers still do evil,
and the filthy still be filthy,
and the righteous still do right,
and the holy still be holy.
The heart of this idea that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega,
the Lord and the Lamb, true and trustworthy,
and his word is true and trustworthy,
so I am learning to trust and keep his word written,
is that the Bible is not for the anointed.
It's not for the Illuminati.
It's not for the brilliant.
It's not for the university educated.
It's not for those who have high IQs.
It's not for Canadians.
It's not for white people.
It's not for Europeans.
The Bible is an open revelation.
It's an open secret.
Public truth.
And Christians have always understood
that God's desire is that these words
can be translated into the heart language
of every person on the planet.
To be a really, truly good Jew,
you need to learn Hebrew.
To be a truly good Muslim,
you need to learn 7th century Arabic.
We as Christians have to understand
that we have to translate the Bible
into the heart language of the peoples of the planet
because God desires his revelation
to be an open revelation of public truth
for the servant girl
and the woman who owns a billion-dollar company,
for the guy who fixes your tap
and the guy who invents taps.
It needs to be an open truth.
To put up the next thing,
Jesus says to his church,
go,
and the Spirit-filled church says,
come.
That's sort of,
just sort of,
I'm having a,
I'm running out of time.
I have to sort of put them all together.
How do the nations all know
to come to the guard to be healed?
Because the church goes.
The church goes.
And when we go,
we say,
come to Jesus.
That's going to continue reading.
Verse 12.
Behold,
I am coming soon,
bringing my recompense with me
to repay everyone for what he has done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.
Blessed are those who wash their robes
so that they may have the right
to the tree of life
and that they may enter the city by the gates.
I'm going to talk about this in a moment.
Outside of the dogs and sorcerers
and the sexually immoral
and the murderers and idolaters
and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
I, Jesus,
have sent my angel to testify to you
about these things for the churches.
I am the root and the descendant of David,
the bright morning star.
Here's the thing for that point.
The spirit and the bride say,
come.
And let everyone who hears say,
come.
And let the one who is thirsty,
come.
The one who desires to take the water
of the life without price,
take it.
See here in verse 17,
the spirit and the bride say,
come.
It's this idea that we go to the nations.
We go to the people groups.
We go and we try to prayerfully discern
their heart language.
And when we go,
we tell them,
come to Jesus.
That's the message
and that's the task of the true church.
It's what the Holy Spirit does.
The Holy Spirit works through scripture,
works through fallen,
incomplete,
finite human beings like us
to say to the world,
come.
And when people hear about Jesus,
God's heart and desire
is that we will say,
Jesus,
come.
That put up the next slide,
please.
The heart of God is revealed.
His heart is that I will cry out to him.
So be it.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
Look at verse 20.
He who testifies to these things says,
surely I am coming soon.
Amen.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
It's the cry of a person's heart
to become a Christian,
to be born again,
is to say,
so be it.
So your word is true.
Come,
Lord Jesus,
into my life.
It's how we grow in discipleship
to understand in the context of our job
and our family
and our relationships
to say,
come,
Lord Jesus.
Come,
Jesus as Lord.
Jesus means God saves.
You who save,
who comes from God,
come and save and be my Lord.
Come into my situation today.
Come into my finances.
Come into my sexuality.
Come into my community.
Come into my relationships.
Come into my friendships.
Come into my memories.
Come into my dreams for the future.
Come into my strengths.
Come into my weaknesses.
Come into my shame.
Come and come,
Jesus,
to be the Savior
and come to be the Lord.
So be it.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
You see,
the evangelistic heart of God
is said,
is that even if some of us
might say,
George,
this is,
you know,
when it talks about
sorcerers and sexually immoral
and murderers
and idolaters
and everyone who loves
and practices falsehood,
George,
that's describing me.
But I,
the world doesn't understand
these things
as any of them
as being bad.
They,
in fact,
they think it's sort of normal
to be interested in spells
and,
and so,
are the words of the Bible
just creating distance
between me and,
me and God?
It's possible for us
to read the Bible
in such a way
that distance is created,
but God desires us
to hear the words
of the Bible
and our response
is not to be,
God doesn't want to have
anything to do with me.
The response
that God desires
is that we will say,
Amen,
come Lord Jesus.
That's the response
that God desires us
to have,
to say,
Amen,
come Lord Jesus.
Please stand.
Father,
we give you thanks
and praise
that,
um,
you have made
us
so that
when we come
to faith in Jesus
that we move
towards,
that you,
you,
you bring that
final healing
towards us
that you are
preparing us
for an eternal
weight of glory,
that you are
preparing us
to be able to stand
before you
face to face,
uh,
unashamed
with no walls
and no dividers,
no masks,
that you are
preparing us
to spend,
uh,
eternity
with you
as our neighbor
face to face
with other
neighbors.
We give you
thanks and praise
that you are
calling us
to this eternal
life in you.
We ask,
Father,
that you fan
in flames
within us
a longing
and yearning
to know you,
to see you,
to see you
face to face,
to long
and yearn
for that day
when there are
no more masks,
when there is
no more death,
when there is
nothing left
that is bent,
but that we
partake of your
goodness in all
of its fullness.
And this we ask
in Jesus' name,
your Son
and our Savior.
Amen.