St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church-WELS

301 Clark Street

Watertown, WI 53094

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

May 23, 2004 Easter 7 Revelation 22:12-17,20

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to 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, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic art, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who love and practices falsehood. 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. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

I got by my haircut appointment a little early the other day—so I read one of those old magazines they had in the magazine rack. I read an article on famous people’s pet peeves. You know—the dumb little stuff that aggravates you. One person said what really bothered them was people who were cruel to animals. You see that—people walking their dog—jerking their choke chain collar—just about pulling a dog over on its back—they yank so hard. One person said what bothered them was people who talk with food in their mouth—gross—disgusting. One person said they hated bad grammar—people who don’t get lay or lie or let or leave right. People say they are good—when they ought to say well. How are you? I am well! Adverbial—how, when or where are you? I am well. I am good would mean being good—doing good—like random acts of kindness—good. One person said they were bothered by people who tailgated them—followed them too closely. The other thing that bothered them was people who drive too slowly ahead of them. Sounds to me like somebody who tailgates—who doesn’t like it when people tail gate them! The worst pet peeve, though, was the lady who said it really aggravated her when her husband left coffee grounds in the kitchen sink. Oh, she wouldn’t say anything to him. She would just wash the coffee grounds down the drain—all the while saying terrible things about him under her breath. How sad is that? Sometimes it seems all life is—is one frustration on top of another. One person after another saying and doing those countless little things that drive us nuts! If we go through life—with a grim determination—bothered and aggravated and frustrated by everyone and everything around us—how are we different from unbelievers? It is only because we are God’s children by grace through faith—that we can pray:

Come, Lord Jesus!

1. Come each day to make my faith stronger

2. Come soon to take us to Heaven!

Today is the last of 6 Sundays when our second Bible reading has been from the Revelation to St. John. For six weeks now we have been reading from the letter to the saints in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea. We have heard of the horrors of eternal destruction—the lake of fire. We saw the great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Today we are reading some of the very last verses of the whole Bible. Today we hear from the lips of the Lord Jesus himself. Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” Jesus is coming soon! When I was little—I knew when my father was coming home. May father used to drive Volkswagen Bugs. Their little water-cooled engine in the trunk motors have a very distinctive sound. When my father would pull into our driveway you could hear that little engine. There was always a little vroom sound as he put it in park and set the emergency brake. There would be the muffled thump as he shut the door of that watertight bug. Then the sound of the key in the lock—the turning of the knob—the squeaking open of the thick oak door—and my father would step into the house and plunk his keys on the pudgy black dresser beside the door. Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming soon! The signs are all around us! One day—sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Jesus privately. They asked Jesus—what would be the signs that Judgment Day was coming? Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ’, and will deceive many.” Think about all the false religions! There are literally billions of people—worshiping gods invented by people! There are people so dedicated to these false gods that they are willing to commit suicide—murdering themselves and anyone near them—convinced that this act of murder will buy for them rivers of wine and honey and a forever of hugs and kisses! Literally billions of people deceived and misled by holy books they read and study. We have the simple pure Gospel—God’s Word—God’s truth. Do we read it? Do we study it? Do we grow in our understanding of Scripture? Or do we think by the time we were 13 or 14 we learned all we needed to. That we can live to be 65 or 75 or 85 or 90+ and our faith can survive on what we haven’t forgotten yet? Are we content to have second graders in our Trinity Saint Luke’s School able to name the first five kings of Israel—but their parents and grandparents can’t? We will not be deceived if we are like the Bereans. Remember the Bereans? They are the people to whom the Apostle Paul preached. They said that was fine—Paul preaching the powerful message of the Gospels. But just to be safe and sure—they continued to study their Old Testament scrolls—Moses and the Psalms and the Prophets—to be sure and certain that everything Paul taught them was the truth. What was at stake? They knew! Their immortal souls and eternity are at stake! We are making a terrible mistake—if we can name all the Milwaukee Brewers or the Green Bay Packers—but we can’t name the Twelve Disciples or the Twelve Tribes of Israel. We make a terrible mistake if we dig out all the dandelions and the crab grass and the quack grass—while the weeds of sin are sprouting in our hearts, our marriages, our families. We make a terrible mistake—if we are busy with home improvement but make no organized effort at faith improvement. We make a terrible mistake if we are focused on a plasma TV—and getting our physical heart in shape—and getting our cholesterol down—and all the while ignore our spiritual strength and health!

Jesus said—when Judgment Day draws near, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Do you watch the news—the international news? The Israelis are using Apache helicopters to fire rockets at Palestinians. Little children’s broken bodies are being thrown into taxis to hurry them to the hospital because there aren’t enough ambulances. They are alas, too late! Have you heard about the Iranians? There are those who say the people in Iraq who have nothing to do all day but everything humanly possible to ruin everything—literally blowing everything up—at the end of the day must be getting paid by someone! The Iranians? Will we be at war with them next? Or will it be the North Koreans—with who knows how many nuclear weapons? Will there be war in Syria or Saudi Arabia? Will there be terrorism in a few days in Athens? What if Olympic athletes are taken hostage? Then what? There is already war in Africa—but who worries about that? There is war in Chechnya. Could you find Chechnya on a map? I heard the next thing to blow up might be a train—being as that went so well in Madrid. What do you think about that? Nuclear or chemical or biological terrorism—which do you think would be the worst? Jesus says: but see to it that you are not alarmed! We will not be terrorized! The Son of God says—don’t be scared. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come! When Judgment Day comes—there will be no more troubles—no more danger—no more threats—no more death! That’s why children of God—saved by grace through faith can pray—come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Where do you start? Magic arts? The LORD told Moses, “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spirits, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 19:31 Again the LORD told Isaiah, “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Isaiah 8:19 Turn on television in the middle of the morning and you will find this darkness. People desperate to talk to people who are dead! Mediums—wizards, witches and warlocks—with fingernails like claws—eyes glazed with the evil that fills their hearts—will claim to speak with people where? People who die in sin and unbelief are in the forever fires of hell. Those who are saved by grace through faith are safe by Jesus in Heaven! Turn on television in the middle of the day—and there are people who are dead—haunting, threatening? Dolls—little girl’s toys talking? When Ouija Boards sell more than Monopoly games—when Horoscopes are for sale in little books at the grocery check out lane—when movies, video games and music are grossly occult—Jesus keeps us safe. Locked out of heaven—outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral… It is sad to listen to so called “educational” radio—to hear them discuss so-called children’s books that are rude and crude. And then these books are defended—because maybe they encourage rude and crude little boys to read? We should not be surprised when people call in—to say that what is rude and crude and suggestive is wrong on the basis of God’s Word. And people who do not know God’s Word make arrogant claims that what God has called sinful isn’t! When unbelievers arrogantly say life is made up of little compartments. That depending on where you are—home or church or school—with friends or alone—that you can do what is rude and crude and wrong—and it isn’t so bad. It’s funny and it’s reality! Reality is—we are sinful through and through. That God took the sin of one bite of fruit—so seriously—that it cost Jesus his life!

Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming soon! There is a hotel in San Antonio—where they place handcrafted “worry dolls” in rooms every night. According to the Native American folklore—you transfer one worry to each tiny doll before you go to bed. Then you put these little dolls under the pillows—and your troubles are supposed to evaporate by the time the sun comes up. How silly is that? Oh, the troubles and problems of day-to-day life are painfully real. And if the truth be told—lots and lots of these troubles are self-inflicted. Much of the pain and grief we have—is our own fault! The precious good news is this. Jesus took all our sins away. He has washed away all our guilty stains. That means we don’t need to worry about anything! And soon—perhaps very soon—Jesus will be back—to take us home to heaven. Then there will be not even the possibility of anything going wrong. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen!

To God alone all glory!