It Is Done

Adam Roe

Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Rev 21:1-6

Revelation 21:1–6 NIV

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.

Not Done

Imagine this morning that you’re looking for a home and find a place with a gorgeous view.

It sits on a beautiful, gently sloping hill.

There’s a river view

This home has everything you ever wanted except just a couple things...

There’s no roof, windows, doors, or drywall.

What if you were a teacher and when asked to show her work, a student replied, “I’m just smart and I know the answer?”

Would that be OK?

Do they get a 100% on that test?

Whether we’re looking at a home, or the answer on a test, I think we can all agree that neither the home nor the test are done!

there’s work left to do.

Good News: For You

Well, In today’s passage, Peter wants to assure us that God gets things done.

Revelation 21:6 NIV

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.

In the New Testament alone, there are 33 references to having confidence in God.

Much like confidence in a home, or a math problem, we can’t have confidence in a God who fails to to accomplish what He says he will accomplish.

In the Old Testament, God promises to send a Messiah.

In the New Testament, Jesus arrives and we have confidence that through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus shows us the Way of of true life.

It was on the cross that Jesus gave us the model of a God who would rather die himself than fail to complete His work.

John 19:30 NIV

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

What did Jesus show us through His willingness to suffer death?

He showed us that God is absolutely commited to loving us.

This is why Ephesians 3:12 reminds us...

Ephesians 3:12 NIV

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

If God has not completed love, even to the point of death, it would have left some things incomplete for you and I.

See, we create deals around love.

“Do this, don’t do this, be this for me, say this thing, act this way…”

Do all that, and then you’ll deserve love.

Sometimes we assume that God is the same way.

The result is that we approach him with fear or not at all, rather than with freedom and confidence.

There’s not a lot of confidence if God only loves if we love perfectly.

Fortunately, that’s not the way God loves.

The God who loves us extends an invitation through Jesus to be loved perfectly, and to enjoy the freedom to love in the same way.

This reality gives us hope not just today, but for the future as well.

Good News: For The Future

Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

When we approach God with freedom and confidence, we are freed for God to change us.

Just as God didn’t do part of the job in Jesus, He’s not going to do half a job in you.

I’m pretty certain that everyone in this room still has a rough edge or two.

I’m also pretty certain that those rough edges sometimes have a way of hurting you and others.

There’s a story of a father whose kids were fighting over a toy.

He reminded them of the importance of “taking turns.”

After a moment one of the children responded, “Well I wouldn’t mind taking turns if he’d take turns first!”

Now friends, you tell me that a lot of what we see in this world isn’t two kids arguing over who should takes turns first.

Well, God still loves children who misbehave on playgrounds.

But what about adults who misbehave with weapons?

Or spouses who misbehave, or children, or friends, or parents, or politicians?

God loves them too.

And that is good news.

Perfecting the Imperfect

Fortunately, it gets even better in today’s lesson.

Revelation 21:3–4 NIV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Do you imagine that the folks who are dwelling with God were perfect in this imperfect world?

No. Of course not.

But despite their imperfections, God perfected them

The church has been wondering for ages how it is that God makes imperfect people perfect

Some Christians believe it can happen on Earth.

Others believe we go through a cleansing after death.

I think it has to do with presence.

Not Christmas presents or birthday presents.

Sitting in the presence of God.

Have you ever just sat still in God’s presence for a half hour to an hour?

No words, or actions…No requests. Just sitting with God.

The first 10-15 minutes is getting settled.

Eventually, a restless, thought-consumed mind becomes still.

The God who loves is enjoyed.

Isn’t the presence of God what makes the new Jerusalem such a great place n today’s passage?

Revelation 21:3 (NIV)

“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

I have fantastic news for you, friends...

You can dwell with God right now.

That’s how the imperfect are made perfect.

That’s how God gets the job done in our lives.

Through His presence.

Jesus is real to us because he was present in bodily form.

He reminds us that God is always present in spiritual form.

Just how present is He? Paul puts it this way...

Acts 17:24–28 (NIV)

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

How does God get the job done in your life?

By being right here.

Quite literally, you cannot go anywhere that God is not.

Good News: In Our Church

Finally, the love and presence of God are also good news for The Church at Litchfield Park.

Do you know that God already knows what the next 5-500 years is going to look like for us?

God also knows exactly what He is doing through us.

We just get to ask what God is doing and then join Him.

When Corona struck last year I was overseas.

In response, many churches offered Online communion, just as some of you will receive in a few moments.

Not everyone was OK with that.

The arguments boiled down to, “we’ve never done it that way before.”

Know what occured to me?

It’s already done.

To say it shouldn’t be done because it hasn’t been done is like saying we shouldn’t have pews because the early church didn’t have pews.

I think religions in general often wishes to change the direction that God is going.

Recently I heard a young man say that he wished church could be done through virtual reality.

Do you know my first gut reaction?

THAT’S NOT CHURCH!

But that’s church, or at least could be, for this young man.

Communion Transition

Friends, our role is to pay attention and find ways to join God in the work He is doing, and the work He will get done.

Because God’s work is always grounded in love, we can take comfort in knowing that God is with us even in the things we aren’t expecting.

Just as our Heaven;t Father is with us, Jesus reminds us that He is with us until that day that that our eyes are opened to God’s presence in the New Jerusalem.

Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As we prepare to receive the Lord’s Supper, know that Jesus gave of his body and his blood so that you would know there is literally nothing on this Earth that can separate you from the love of God.