Morning Message Text: Revelation 22: 12-21
Epilogue: Invitation and Warning
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have 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, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, 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, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.
19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Morning Message:
I think that it is important for us to spend a little time talking about Memorial Day. I am not one to get all caught up in a national holiday when we should be focusing on things of faith during our time in worship. I believe that there is a connection in our attitude toward church and how we celebrate Memorial Day. I believe that young people today get cheated out of knowing and appreciating what has been sacrificed in order for them to have the lives that they have today. This holiday was established to honor those who died in American wars. Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. How many of you remember that? Do you know why it was called that? It originated after the Civil War, when citizens would place flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle. Do they still teach about the Civil War? They probably don’t teach it the way that they used to. From what I was taught and told; it was a terrible war. Brother fighting against brother, families forced to choose sides and torn apart. It was a battle for freedom and liberty, things that we take for granted and in many instances, unappreciated. After World War I, it was changed to honor all who died in war and since 1971 we have celebrated Memorial Day on the last Monday in May.
Why is this important for us as Christians to remember? We need to understand what it means to truly sacrifice. We are at a point in this nation, in this society, where we think that true sacrifice is when we can’t have everything that our hearts desire. We honor those who have died and sacrificed their lives for something greater than themselves, not because it has any affect on them, but because of the affect that it needs to have on us. Nothing changes for those who have passed on and are now buried because we take the time to put flowers on their graves, but when we respectfully honor their sacrifice, something changes in us. We see it and we feel it and we know that sacrifice in life is possible and very real. Why is this important to our faith? We must be comfortable with sacrifice in order to accept the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for our sins, and when we accept Jesus we do so knowing that we must sacrifice our old selves. Salvation is a free gift from God, but it was purchased with a sacrifice.
In our scripture from John today we hear Jesus praying for us, all of us who belong to him. He is praying for unity of spirit, a oneness with him and the Father that can only be achieved when we commit ourselves to him in a sacrificial way. In this prayer Jesus asks the Father for our presence with him in heaven. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are included in this prayer and heaven will be your home. In our scripture from Revelation, we hear these words. “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” Jesus is telling us to pay attention! There is not a lot of time left for us to accomplish the work that he has given us. The book of Revelation speaks to the urgency of our call. We act as though we have so much time left when in truth Jesus could come back today. Jesus is really saying, “If you have been putting off talking to someone you love about accepting Jesus, do it now.” The Greek word translated as soon can mean suddenly or quickly. When the Lord comes for his own, he will come suddenly, with the speed of lightning. What are we waiting for, or do we simply not care enough?
Listen to verse 17; The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. This is the final invitation in the Bible. The first part of the verse is an invitation for Christ to come back to the world. The Holy Spirit that dwells in all believers is crying out to Jesus, come now. You see, no one knows the time except the Father, but the Holy Spirit anxiously awaits that day. The bride says, “Come now Lord Jesus.” Who is the bride? It’s you and me, the church. We should be crying out, come now Lord Jesus, but, if we are honest with ourselves, we are not ready. Have you told everyone yet? Have you finished the work that Jesus left for you? Jesus makes the offer; Let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. This is the final invitation, once it is given your work is done and our time is up. Are you ready for the final invitation?
In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob
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