Redeemed By the Blood of the Lamb
(Revelation 7:9-17)
1. Let's review the 10 Commandments…4, 1, and 5. 4 about God, 1 about parents, 5 sins, worst to least.
About God
1. No other gods
2. No images
3. Do not misuse God's Name
4. Remember the Sabbath
About parents
5. Honor your parents
Five Sins, worst to least:
6. Do not murder
7. Do not commit adultery
8. Do not steal
9. Do not lie
10. Do not covet
2. First, memorize 4-1-5. Then each section.
3. The 10 Commandments reveal God's will for our actions in this life; they correspond to eternal life only in that those who are saved demonstrate evidence their salvation by obeying God, but they cannot cause salvation.
4. Like a mirror, they reflect our sinfulness, but they cannot cure it; the 10 commandments or rules and regulations cannot transform our hearts. That takes transformation through the new birth by turning from sin and embracing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
5. Heaven or hell is based upon relationship; if we know Jesus Christ by faith, the end result is heaven; if we do not know Him, the end result is hell.
6. But what is heaven like? Our knowledge is limited; we pick it up in bits and pieces.
Main Idea: Heaven: How do we get there, what will we do there, what will it be like?
I. The Crowd: WASHED in the Blood (9, 13-14)
A. A distinct GROUP
1. In contrast to the martyrs of Rev. 6
2. In contrast to the 144,000
3. White robes = cleansed, formal, and ready to celebrate (Eccl. 9:8)
4. Being clean and white before God results in unimaginable joy
5. We will talk about how their robes became white in a few minutes
6. Palm Branches = festive joy, victory
B. A SEGMENT from all people groups
1. True Christianity is internationally minded
2. Missions are not an option; God's heart is for all mankind
C. Robes washed WHITE
1. To be washed white suggests they had been dirty (Zech. 3)
2. The blood of the Lamb is the solvent
3. Most of us use a laundry treatment to get blood off of laundry; we would not think of washing our whites in blood…
4. So how do we get to heaven? By being right with God. How can we be right with God? By having our sins washed away. How can we have our sins washed away? By faith in Jesus Christ, He Who shed His blood as a sin offering on our behalf.
Think about the Lord's instructions for worship in the Old Testament tabernacle. Some of the ingredients of the holy anointing oil had to be crushed before they were used, because until they were crushed their fragrance could not be released.
The crushing of the incense is a picture of what happened to Christ. Just as the incense had to be crushed before it could give forth its fragrance, so also Christ had to be "broken" before He could be our Savior. Jesus called Himself the "grain of wheat" in John 12:24. If He had not been "ground to flour," He could not have become the Bread of Life.
Do you realize that only the death of Christ can save you? Only as His body was pierced and His blood allowed to flow out could He atone for your sin. Without the shedding of blood, there is no salvation (Heb. 9:22).
[Source: Our Daily Bread]
5. They have come out of the Great Tribulation (Daniel 12:1)
One October morning in 2006, a woman and her six children were forced to witness an attack on their husband and father. His assailants tried to force him to deny Jesus but he refused. He continued to proclaim Christ as Lord and died praying for his family. The family is determined to follow Christ, even in their grief.
Another man was sentenced to 3 years in prison for allegedly insulting another religion. He’s an outspoken Christian with a passion for Christ. He and his wife and children continue to be faithful and refuse to deny Him.
[source: Our Daily Bread]
II. Men and Angels WORSHIP in Heaven (10-12)
A. Humans worship God as the source of SALVATION
1. He Who sits on the THRONE
Ancient thrones included a footstool; In Psalm 11:4, God's throne is said to be in heaven, the earth his footstool (Is. 66:1)
• Psalm 16:11, " You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand…"
• Most of us do not take joy seriously enough; God's children are to live a life of joy in the here and now as we anticipate unimaginable joy in heaven.
• On earth, this joy is perhaps most closely related to the idea of meaningfulness and looking beyond the dark times of this life and losing ourselves in the things of God…
2. The LAMB, frequent imagery for Jesus; speaks of His function
Some people are only interested in Jesus' function as a sin-sacrifice, but do not want a relationship withe Him. They will be disappointed when Jesus says, "Depart from me, I never knew you."
In 2005, I had the opportunity to open the Indiana State Senate in prayer. As I prepared my prayer, I thought, "Most pastors view the senators as functionaries, not as human beings with families, stresses and needs. For most, it is about what they do, not who they are. So I decided to pray for their families and their personal lives, not just for wisdom in legislating. I view my doctor, dentist, and others as people, not mere functionaries. That is a simple way to show the love of Christ.
B. Angels worship God for His WISDOM, power, and strength
• Note some words that might describe what it means to worship God: praise, given thanks, honor, giving Him glory… In heaven, people will not disagree as to how to worship God, they will simply do it.
• Notice that worship is also directed to the Lamb
III. The Destiny of the SAVED (15-17)
These are comparisons about what heaven is like. To be more specific is impossible, for the Scriptures say:
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"— (I Cor. 2:9)
We cannot imagine heaven, so, since we can imagine this description, it only represents the equivalent of what we can understand….
A. Serve HIM
B. Dwell in His TENT [God is our host -- protect/provide comforts]
C. Absence of MISERY and TEARS
1. Not hungry (but they will eat-- appetite vs. true hunger)
2. Not thirsty (but will constantly drink from the water of life)
3. Sun will not beat upon them (but they will bask in the light of the Lord)
4. No scorching heat
D. SHEPHERDED by the Lamb
• Think about the seeming absurdity of this: "The Lamb is my Shepherd…" Twila Paris picked up on this idea in her song, "Lamb of God…" We are now lambs of God…
E. Thirsts QUENCHED
In heaven, residents will be completely satisfied, fulfilled, joyful, and experience deep and rich meaning. In hell, residents will live in constant frustration, torment, and loneliness.
We can determine that we will worship God, we will be social, we will learn of God's grace throughout eternity, we will enjoy the full measure of being human.
CONCLUSION
1. The hope of heaven should make a difference in your life, if you are a believer.
2. Many of you end your work week on Friday late afternoon. That last hour of the week is probably the best, because you know that freedom is at hand.
3. And that should be our perspective. Life is short -- heaven is around the corner; let's find the 'umph' we need to serve the Lord based upon the nearness of the eternal bliss that awaits us.
