The Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 12, 2013 - Pastor Adam Moline
Acts
1:12-26 Revelation
22:1-20 John 17:20-26
Grace, mercy and
peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text today is the Epistle lesson just read, especially these words,
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” Thus far
our text.
Dear friends in
Christ. The words of our text are the
final words of scripture, the final words of revelation from a loving God to
his chosen people. And the words of this
last chapter of the bible contain a warning for you and for me, as well as a
promise for you and for me. And so we
are to hold sacred these final words of God, spoken by His very Son Jesus.
Hear those words
of Christ again. “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 (of heaven) by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers
and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves
and practices falsehood.”
In these words we
see a beautiful picture of heaven, of peace, of comfort unending, where the
blessed of God eat of the tree of life, and live forever without fear. They are finally safe from the world. They are defended from all evil. They are richly and daily provided for. They live in everlasting righteousness,
innocence, and blessedness, for they have come out of the great tribulation of
our world.
But not all
deserve to make it into that heavenly realm.
Some have abandoned God. Some are
unclean dogs, full of the evils of sin.
Some are sorcerers, trusting in the outward appearances of things, and
manipulating them. Some are adulterers,
delighting in any type of sex or living together that takes place outside of
marriage. Some are murderers, hating
their neighbor, killing the unborn, and failing to help even their own friends
in time of need. Some are idolaters,
loving money or possessions, or even their loved ones more than God. Dear friends
there are some who are just down right and plainly sinful.
And our text tells
us those who remain attached to their sin – the ones who take credit for it,
who flaunt it around as if it really isn’t wrong, who are proud of their
ability to decide for themselves what is right and wrong – those people will
have no place in heaven. And the
terrifying thing is this, we are those sinners.
We are the ones with such self-pride as to ignore and flaunt our faults. We are the ones who get mad when our own sin
and guilt is pointed out to us. We are
the ones who say, “That’s not your business, back off.” I’ve done it.
You’ve done it. And thus it would seem that according to our text today,
we have no place in God’s everlasting kingdom of heaven.
But the good news
dear friends, is that your sin has been atoned for. Blood has been shed for your
forgiveness. The Lamb has taken away
your sin, by becoming a pleasing sacrifice to God for you. You sin was washed from you, and placed upon
him. It happened in baptism. There you were made a holy child of God,
washed in water and the word. There you
were marked on your forehead with God’s own name, as the pastor poured
life-giving water over you.
And as you were
washed, you were made a citizen of heaven.
God placed you, dear baptized ones, into heaven with the death and
resurrection of Jesus. He prepared
heaven with you in mind. You will see
his face, and his name will be on your foreheads. And in heaven night will be no more. You will
need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be your light, and you will
reign with your God Jesus forever and ever.
These words are
trustworthy and true. Christ is coming
soon, and very soon, to take you to heaven.
To give you your just reward, the reward not earned by your sinful
actions, but by Jesus’ holy actions in your place. Blessed are you whose robes are washed by
Christ, so that you may have the right to the tree of life and
that you may enter the city by the gates. And Jesus who testifies to
these things says, - his last words to us his holy people – words of
promise, of forgiveness, and of life for us baptized and forgiven sinners. “Surely I am coming
soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Come quickly. IN the name of
Jesus. Amen.
