Our text this evening is to be found in the 22nd chapter of Revelation, and verse 17; “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”
How is the World going to end? Now, that is a subject that you will often find people discussing these days as we approach the end of this second millennium. For instance, there was a considerable amount of media attention last weekend, because of a prediction made by Michel de Nostradamus, the sixteenth century French physician and astrologer. He had stated in his book ‘Centuries’, that the world would end on Sunday, July 4th 1999. BBC2 even ran a ‘end of the world’ series of programmes all Saturday evening devoted to Nostradamus and his visions!
Filmmakers have also exploited this interest in the end of the world by making films about meteors destroying the earth. Moreover, I believe that the reason for this explosion of interest is that many people today are aware of the awful possibilities of this world ending through war or natural disaster.
It wasn’t so long ago as the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain fell that men were waxing lyrical of A NEW WORLD ORDER, where nations lived in peace and harmony with one another.
Yet, in only a few short years, this dream has been shattered. War and unrest, famine and disasters are still with us, caused by the selfishness of man.
Everywhere you find people voicing their opinions as to what they think we should to avoid such catastrophes. However, you cannot help but notice that in all these discussions, there is hardly any reference to what the Bible has to say about the end of the world.
The book of Revelation that our text comes from has a great deal of information for us with regard to this subject. We are told in the Bible that when the world ends there will be the return of our Lord, followed by the Resurrection of the Dead, followed by the Final Judgement. There will be a folding of the heavens and the Earth will melt in a fierce fire.
We are told many, many things about the end of the World in the scripture, but this evening I want to consider with you in particular to this last chapter of Revelation. This is very relevant chapter for us to look at because we are told by the Lord Jesus Himself certain things about the end of the world. Indeed, that is the theme of the chapter. We find Jesus Christ declaring either directly to John or through the angel that He is going to come quickly. I am sure you all noticed that more than once during our reading.
We have it in verse 12, “Behold, I am come quickly!” (Revelation 22:12). Here is the Lord Jesus Christ who is speaking. He is making a declaration with regard to the end of time, that he will come – “My reward is with me, to give every man as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” (Revelation 22:12 & 13). Here we have this glorious picture of the mighty Lord Jesus Christ on the verge of coming again to this world.
Not arriving as he did in His first coming, humbly in a stable, but rather coming with glory and honour upon the clouds of the heavens. What we have before us in our text is the response, to begin with, of certain individuals and people to this great declaration. That is the context of our text tonight.
“And the Spirit and the Bride say, COME!” The Spirit is the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ says, “I come quickly.” The response of the Holy Spirit is to say, “COME”, because it will be a wonderful day, when you complete your Kingdom and bring your people together, “COME!”
“And the bride says, come!” Now, the Bride is a picture of the Church, here on earth. The Church that has endured much suffering and persecution. Also, here is this Church confronted with the prophecy that JESUS is going to come again. You can imagine the hearts and souls of Christians crying out “COME LORD JESUS” come and bring our troubles to an end and lead us into heaven.
“And let him that heareth say, Come.” You know, there are people who read this book of Revelation, who are delighted by what they read concerning this wonderful promise of the Lord Jesus returning to take them up to heaven. These people are so excited by it, so they too cry out, “COME!”
Now that is the context of our text tonight. Then in the middle of verse 17 there’s a break.
Unfortunately, the Authorised Version of the bible tends to hide it. What happens in the middle of verse 17 is this that the Lord Jesus Christ speaks again. He speaks for the last time on the pages of scripture. His last words. You may well have thought that the Lord’s last words were spoken to His disciples on that mountain before He ascended back into heaven.
No, Jesus speaks again, in His Revelation to John; and he speaks again in this last chapter in John’s Revelation; and He speaks finally in verse 17, 18 and 19 of this chapter. His famous last words!
Now the last words of an individual are important. If you read biographies, you will find that towards the end of the book comes the chapter about the death of the person it has been written about. Usually the writer of the book is very concerned to try to tell the reader of the last words of the person who is dying. The idea is that a dying person’s last words will say something profound about life, eternity and death, so their last words are considered something worthy of note. This is often the case when someone makes a speech. You will find that as they end, they will want their audience to remember the subject of their message. Therefore, last words are important.
So here we are, confronted with the last words of Jesus Christ. Can you see the situation? He has said that HE IS COMING! The bride is excited about it, COME, she cries. The Holy Spirit says COME! Those who read the words of this prophecy cry COME! Then our Lord, as it were, says, ”No, wait. Before I return I have something to say.”
What does our Lord have to say then? “let him that is athirst come.” He has something to say to a particular group of people.
Who are the honoured people to whom Jesus Christ addresses His final appeal and His final invitation? Are they the preachers of the Word? Are they apostles? Are they disciples? Are they saints? Who are they? “let him that is athirst come.” Who are these people?
Well, they are a people to whom a great honour is given, because our Lord’s last appeal and invitation is directed towards them. Who are they? For you see, there may be in this congregation tonight, some of them. There could well be in this congregation some of those people to whom Jesus Christ makes His last and final appeal. If you are, then you need to listen, you need to pay attention to what Jesus Christ has to say to you! “And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”
Now, who are the people that Jesus Christ is speaking to here? Well, obviously He is talking in terms of an illustration or a picture. He is not referring to people who are in need of a cup of water. The physical self.
The Lord Jesus Christ has spoken in this way before in John 7:37 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink’.” He used this illustration to reveal a spiritual truth. The Jews, of course, would have understood this picture of a man who was thirsty. Now, even when we have had very hot summers and times of drought, I don’t think we have ever experienced real thirst. If you were to talk with a Jew about people thirsting, he would probably imagine a man going through a desert, where there was no water to drink. In order to travel across the desert, such a person would have had to carry their water with them. If that water should run out before the end of the journey, they would be in terrible trouble. The sun would beat down on their head. The desert sands would be hot beneath their feet. There they are, struggling on. They have to find an oasis! A person cannot survive without water! They’re THIRSTY! Real thirst! Christ would have implied this picture in His words to the Jews of the first Century. This extreme thirst, when the whole body cries out for water.
However, what is the Lord trying to show us through this picture? Well, I believe that what our Lord is referring to here is this. He is thinking of a particular type of man or woman, who is in this spiritual state of being thirsty. A person who is wandering through the desert of this life and who has a great yearning within them for this living water. He is describing here for us a spiritual state, of people with a cry in their soul that is not satisfied. You see, His final words are directed to these people.
I believe that there are many people like this in Wales tonight. Maybe there are some are with us in this service this evening. People with a spiritual thirst. How can we describe them? Well they are a people for whom life is comfortable. They have their possessions and their entertainment’s. Everything going well on the outside, but inside they are disturbed and troubled. They are restless and frustrated. Nothing seems to satisfy them. I once heard a story about a minister who had to visit his doctor for a check up. This particular doctor was not a Christian and was not sympathetic to the Gospel. However, during the examination, the doctor said to the minister “Do you know, that for over half my patients, I think that it would be better for them if they came to see you, than to come and see me. There’s nothing wrong with them physically, but there’s something wrong internally. There’s an anxiety; there’s worry and frustration. There’s no meaning to life. Life is just empty and without purpose, they have nothing to live for. They are burdened by their worry and trials. All I can do is to give them tranquillisers to try and help them with the symptoms of their problems.” What the doctor was really getting at was that the essence of his patient’s problems was spiritual rather than physical! There is a thirst there for something they know not what. However, they feel that there is something more to life than what they have experienced up until now.
Maybe some of you are drawing to the close of your life, and you are looking back and saying to yourself, “What have I done with my life?” Not only do you have worries and anxieties; there is also a feeling of guilt. The conscience pricks. There are skeletons in our cupboards. There is the problem of our sins. They are there stabbing us through our conscience. We are guilty, and we say to ourselves, “If only I could live my life over again I would not do that”, but our guilt remains. Then we have before us death, and we don’t want to think about it.
Have you ever noticed the reactions of most people who attend a funeral? As soon as the service is over, you will find them there, cracking jokes and making light of it. WHY! Because they have refused to face up to what has really happened. They don’t want to think about it because it makes them feel uncomfortable! Death, the final curtain. They are afraid to consider it, for they know that one-day they will die themselves. Then, perhaps, they remember something from a religious or spiritual background, which reminds them that there is a Day of Judgement. Of course, they don’t want to believe in a Day of Judgement, or in God, but they can never be sure. They are thirsty!
It is to this kind of person that Jesus speaks to here - people who know that their soul has no peace, neither with themselves, or with others, or with God - They thirst!
I wonder is there anyone in here tonight who is in this state? YOU could be a thirsty person tonight! Maybe you put on an outward appearance, giving everybody the impression that everything is all right in your life, but deep down you know that it is a different story. You are longing for something - you’re thirsty!
Well, friends, tonight Jesus Christ Himself says to you, “And let him that is athirst come.” They are words directed to YOU tonight.
Here is Jesus faced with this great invitation from the Spirit and the Bride to come, and He says, wait, I have an appeal to make to certain individuals, “let him that is athirst come”
However, you might ask the question, why should I come? Why should I respond to the invitation of Jesus Christ? Aren’t there religious people coming round our doors regularly offering me some kind of salvation? Don’t they offer solutions to all my problems? What’s the difference? Why should I listen tonight to Jesus, rather than to those people who come knocking at my door?
What reasons can I give you why you should listen and respond to our Lord’s invitation? I would like to suggest two reasons.
The first is this, you should respond to the invitation of Jesus Christ because of what He is offers you. What does He offer to you? ”And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” This is what He is offering you - The Water of Life!
You see Jesus is still speaking in terms of a thirsty traveller in the desert. He has been in the desert for many days and his mouth and throat is parched. He is so thirsty. Suddenly he comes across another traveller on a camel that says, “Look, I can see you’re in a bad way, I’ve got some sandwiches here, would you like one? The poor fellow says, “No, no, WATER!” He goes on until he eventually meets another man who tells him, “I’m just about to prepare a three course meal, would you like to join me?” You can imagine the frustration of this poor fellow cries, “Are you mad! I need WATER!” You see the thirsty traveller is reduced to such a situation that he doesn’t want anything else, except water. That’s his need, “WATER!”
The offer of sandwiches or even a three-course meal will not appeal to his desperate and urgent need of cool life giving water! Just a few drops of precious water to restore life to his body.
What does Jesus offer? “And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” What’s He offering? He is offering you exactly what you need! That which will meet your needs totally and completely! So what is this Water of Life then? He is still speaking in terms of a picture or an illustration here. However, what is it? IT IS SPIRITUAL LIFE!
In John’s Gospel Jesus tells us that He had come ”That we might have life, and have it more abundantly!” That’s what He is offering you, spiritual life. What does it mean? What are the implications of receiving spiritual life? What difference will it make to my life if I have Spiritual Life given to me? Well, one could preach for hours on this. However, let’s note one or two things where the difference will be clear. The first thing that happens to you when you receive Spiritual Life from the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ is that you’ll KNOW that your sins have been dealt with. You’ll know that your sins have been FORGIVEN! Those sins that give you a guilty conscience, that keep you awake at night have been washed, cleansed and removed. This is the first aspect of spiritual life; your sin is dealt with. It is a negative thing in a way, but it is a great thing! All your sins have been dealt with by the precious blood of Jesus. There is no more fear of death because YOUR SINS HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH! This is the beginning of Spiritual Life! To be able to go to sleep at night with a clear conscience, to face death and judgement without fear because you KNOW you are right with God.
So what else happens to you? New life is implanted within you, and the Holy Spirit comes to live in your heart.
There is new life within you and you are a new creature. Not only has you sin been taken away, but a new principle of life is implanted within you and YOU KNOW IT!
What else happens to you? You now have a purpose to your life, you have a goal, and you have something to aim for, to live to the glory of Jesus Christ for the rest of your life. Life is not empty anymore, life is not futile anymore, and you don’t get up in the morning and drag yourself out of bed and say, “What can I do with myself today?” Because now you now get out of bed in the morning and say, “Thank, God, another day to live for Him.” God has a purpose for your existence. Isn’t this what people are yearning for today? Some purpose to their existence here upon earth?
However, what else happens when we receive the gift of Spiritual Life? A new joy, a new hope, a new purpose, but more than this, a rock under our feet. Isn’t this another problem faced by mankind today? People are confronted with the awful realities of tragedy, bereavement and illness. They are overwhelmed and cannot cope with it all. However, the person who receives Spiritual Life discovers now that they have a rock under his feet. In the midst of all storms of life, there is strength and power to overcome them.
Joseph Scriven, the writer of the hymn, ”What a friend we have in Jesus” knew what it was to have strength given to him in a time of great need. At the beginning of his career, he was engaged to be married. However, tragedy struck! His fiancée was accidentally drowned on the eve of their wedding. He left this country for Canada, to begin a new life, and very soon, he fell in love with a young woman. They were engaged to be married, but sadly, she was stricken with a serious illness and died. Through all this, he never gave up his faith in the Saviour. Through trail and affliction, Scriven had come to know the Lord in a very personal way, not only as Saviour, but also as a friend. So it was from the heart he could write these words,
“What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and grief’s to bear,
what a privilege to carry,
everything to God in prayer.”
It makes that difference when you receive the Water of Life from the hand of Jesus Christ.
What’s more, you now have a Father in heaven. Isn’t that the great cry of the heart of modern man to be loved? People today feel lonely in the midst of the crowd. They want to be loved. They feel like orphans in a hostile world. However, when you receive Spiritual Life from the hand of Jesus Christ, you have a Father in heaven, whose love profound a ransom for our souls has found. You have one you can call upon tonight, a Father upon whose bosom you can lean, to whom you can take all you trials, cares, problems and difficulties to, who will protect you and keep you forever! Spiritual Life!
So don’t you think that what is on offer tonight is worth having? I suggest that is the first reason why we should take heed of His invitation. “And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” It is worth having tonight what Jesus Christ offers.
I would like to suggest that there is a second, even more important reason why we should listen to the Lord’s invitation. Not only because of what He offers, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF WHOM IT IS WHO MAKES THIS OFFER!
Who is Jesus Christ? Who is He whose words are recorded for us in the scriptures? Who is it who speaks to you tonight and says, “And let him that is athirst come and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely?” Who is this Jesus of Nazareth?
Well, there are a number of things that can be said about Him. First, it is very clear that He is not just a preacher that is inviting you. It is not a member of your family that invites you. No, the one who invites you this evening is “The Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Who is He? HE IS THE SON OF GOD! Son of God invites you to come! What an amazing thing this is! This person, Jesus Christ, was not just some prophet, not some great professor, not some great academic or theologian; HE IS THE SON OF GOD!
Here we find Him holding up the great pattern of history as it were, because He has something to say to those people who have a spiritual thirst. He has something to offer them. He has an appeal to make and an invitation to extend to them. My friends, THE SON OF GOD HAS SOMETHING TO SAY TO YOU THIS EVENING!
Now, if any of you were to receive an invitation to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace, I am sure that you would remove any obstacles in your way that might prevent you from attending. You may have arranged to meet a friend, or visit someone in hospital, but you would cancel that - because you would never dream of refusing an invitation from the Queen, would you? Why is that? Most people would reply that they would consider it a very foolish thing to refuse an invitation to meet a famous person such as the Queen. You see you are appealing to the greatness of this person. In your view, this person is important, and you think that if such an important person invites you, then you must go.
WHO INVITES YOU TONIGHT? No Queen, but the “KING OF KINGS, AND THE LORD OF LORDS.” Now if you would remove all obstacles to attend to the invitation of a human monarch, why won’t you set aside all your objections to respond to this invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ? It is HE who invites, “THE KING OF KINGS, THE SON OF GOD”
What else can we say about Him? He is the FINAL JUDGE who invites. Tonight He invites you to come willingly, of your own free will, to come face to face with Him. The Day is coming, dear friends, whether like it or not, you will HAVE to face Him - THE GREAT DAY OF JUDGMENT! If you do not come to Him of your own free will, then you will find yourself there one day facing him! JESUS CHRIST SAYS TO YOU, LOOK HERE, (say date), IN (say church), YOU RECEIVED AN INVITATION. I HAVEN’T HAD AN ANSWER, AND YOU DIDN’T COME, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF? It will be at that moment you will wish that the ground would open up, and that you would disappear from sight.
The Final Judge, it is He who invites. Is it not better that you should come of your own free will tonight? Rather than find yourself before Him with your sins unforgiven on the Day of Judgement?
However, what else can we say about Him? The Son of God, The Final Judge and THE CRUCIFIED ONE! The Lord Jesus invites you tonight. You see, the hands and feet of the one who invites you tonight bare the mark of nails; The brow of the one who invites you this evening has the marks of a crown of thorns; The side of the one who invites you has been pieced by a spear; It is the one who shed his blood on Calvary that cries to YOU tonight, “And let him that is athirst come.”
Why do I refer to His sufferings and His death? Well, you see, it is only because He died that He could say “COME”. If the Lord Jesus hadn’t paid the price for our sin at Calvary, there would be no invitation! There would be no Spiritual Life or forgiveness of sins if He had not died for you!
Have you ever read Pilgrim’s Progress? If you have, you will remember that John Bunyan describes Christian approaching the Cross of Jesus Christ with his great burden on his back. We are told that he looked upon that cross until the tears ran down his cheeks. Then his burden fell off his back! HE HAD A LOOK AT THE CRUCIFIED ONE! Are YOU looking at the crucified one tonight? Because it’s YOU, he invites. It is the crucified one, who says to you tonight, “COME”.
However, there is one more thing to be said of Him. It is the one who is to return that says to you, “COME”, the one who will come with thousands of Angels in His train, to Judge the quick and the dead. It is He, who says, “COME” and in this, there is an important point! YOU MUST TRUST IN HIM BEFORE HE COMES, because if you do not, IT WILL BE TOO LATE!
Today, thy mercy calls us,
to wash away our sins,
However great the trespass,
whatever we have been.
It is today, NOW IS THE HOUR OF SALVATION, NOW IS THE INVITATION OFFERED, for we know not the hour of His return, and the question is WILL YOU HAVE PUT YOUR FAITH IN HIM BEFORE HE RETURNS? Will you receive from Him the Water of Life freely? It won’t cost you anything to accept this offer from His hands. This gift was bought with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear people, where do you stand this evening? You know the true state of your heart better than anyone else in this building does. Maybe your true state is unknown to your family or friends, but YOU know! AND GOD KNOWS WHERE YOU STAND TONIGHT!
You realise you have a thirst and that spiritual life is not yet yours. Here you are confronted with the Final Words of Jesus Christ, “And let him that is athirst come.” HAT HE IS OFFERING IS WORTH RECEIVING, AND THE ONE WHO OFFERS IT IS WORTH COMING TO! Son of God, Final Judge, Crucified One, the One yet to return in honour and glory.
NOW WHAT RESPONSE IS THERE IN YOUR HEART TONIGHT? Are you perhaps lisping quietly to yourself these words that you know so well,
Just as I am, without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
(That is what we have looked at tonight,
the bidding of Christ, Whoever is thirsty, let him come)
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not, to rid my soul of one dark blot,
(Don’t go home tonight and say to yourself,
“Well, I must improve my life, and then I will come, NO!).
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about, with many a conflict, many a doubt,
(Maybe you are saying to yourself, “Well, I do not understand it all yet”)
Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come.
(And get the conflicts and the doubts sorted out later)
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind: Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
(To the thirsty, He is the Water of Life)
O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe, (And this promise is true!)
O, Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am - Thy love unknown, has broken every barrier down,
(And maybe that has happened in this service this evening as you
have been listening to me put these matters before you,
there is a measure of conviction in your heart,
that’s the Holy Spirit working upon you.)
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come.
Just as I am, of that free love, the breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, (80 years or so) then above, (For eternity)
O Lamb of God, I come.
There is nothing more reasonable tonight than to respond to Christ’s invitation. There is nothing more sensible than to obey His voice. It is the utmost folly not to accept what He offers you. There is nothing more important for you to do this evening than to come to Him to be saved!
AMEN
