Famous Last Words Period. Series

HoHum:

I love dogs. Several things in this last chapter could have talked about (such as vs. 11) but this one just got under my craw. Grew up on a farm and we had outside dogs. Insisted that our dogs be outside. Had Rex and Roxie, lab mixes, who were accomplished escape artists. They found a way to dig out under the fence, even when we put wire fencing into the ground under the fence. Moved to the city and tried invisible fence, they found a way to outsmart even that. After many calls from McDonald’s telling us that our dogs were begging from customers, we shipped them off to Maine. What do we do now? Crystal and the boys wanted a dog so along came Cricket, a Boston Terrier. This dog was inside and I guess Cricket could sense my uncomfortableness with the situation so we had a love to hate relationship. Thankfully, after many years, when we moved to Tennessee, Cricket and I buried the hatchet. Loved coming home in the evening and Cricket would snarl, growl and bark like she was going to rip my leg off. She never touched me, it was just an act. Cricket died in April. Miss that dog. Now we have Fozzie, a 6 month old miniature poodle. Even though he is still a puppy, I walked him for an hour the other day. This is something that Cricket would never do. I think this dog will fit right in.

WBTU:

Finishing the series, Famous Last Words from Revelation, with the last chapter of Revelation. This one is called Famous Last Words Period. Read Revelation 22:7-21. Going to focus on vs. 14-15 today. The New Testament world had a different concept of dogs than we do. In NT no one had inside dogs (Oh, the rich and elites of the day might have inside dogs but they were more like guard dogs). Dogs were unclean scavengers who would have to fend for themselves. Dogs would have to feed on scraps, food that was thrown out, roadkill. Dogs in the NT were nasty, mangy, often carried fleas, ticks, and diseases. In some countries even today, if a dog goes past, people will throw sticks and stones to keep the dog away. For us we have cuddly, playful, fluffy, friendly, faithful, loyal companions in dogs. Much different descriptions in the NT.

Thesis: Inside, outside, and the way inside

For instances:

I. Inside- May go through the gates into the city

Those inside the gates of the New Jerusalem are blessed. Remember talking about Nehemiah and how important it was for the city to have a wall with gates. Open the gates in the morning and close the gates at night. Keep the gates closed if enemies approaching. The enemies are gone now but the gates here are permanently closed to the New Jerusalem. Those inside are in heaven. Love Southern Gospel music especially the Gaithers series. Notice how many of those songs talk about heaven. Eastern Gate- Oh, the joys of that glad meeting, With the saints who for us wait! What a blessed, happy meeting, Just inside the Eastern Gate. I will meet you, Just inside the Eastern Gate over there; I will meet you in the morning over there. Vs. 14 is the last of the 7 beatitudes in Revelation. Read the first 6 earlier in the service. To be blessed is often equated with happiness. That definition can be abused today with the health and wealth gospel. Blessed abundantly with stuff. No, I like the Vine’s Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words that says blessed is to cause to prosper. We can be blessed in the Lord without luxuries, without material things of life. Yes, in Revelation many things about heaven are described in earthly terms to help us understand but heaven goes even beyond these descriptions. 1 Corinthians 2:9: As it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him”. Heaven is a blissful state of happiness. Happiness can be lost in this world because of external circumstances but a heavenly state of mind will never cease to be blessed. Heaven is a place where things are constant, never changing. A person once said, “The only constant is change.” When changes have confronted me unbidden, I’ve often been thrown off kilter. Heaven will not be this way because we will be near God, and our God is unchanging. Malachi 3:6: “I the LORD do not change.”

Wash their robes- keep plenty of detergent on hand. Yes, this begins with the act of baptism where we are washed as white as the snow but also need a continual washing- regular repentance and renewal- the detergent is the blood of the Lamb. 1 John 1:7: “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” Sin after becoming a Christian has been challenge- in the days of the 3rd century many put off baptism until the end so that they would not be able to sin after baptism. Let me say this, 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Does my confession save me? no, the blood of Jesus saves me but must constantly be washed in the blood of the Lamb