Holding on to His Promise

 

Rev. 22:7, 12, 20

Subject: Calm Assurance/Strong Faith

Theme: Take Jesus Christ’s Promise to Heart to Finish Strong

Introduction:

Assurance and direction bring strength and resolve to our experiences though we are certain to face many challenges. We are assured of ultimate triumph through the precious promises of the Lord.

Relevance: real faith…our otherworldly confidence in God is strengthened by His promises. These promises prepare, stir, and assure us resulting in power to endure the trials and unfair situations of life.

Message:

I.               Prepared by His Promise (Rev. 22:7).

Christ Himself seeks to prepare His people for His return with this promise.      

   A.  A Motivating Promise.  “Behold, I come quickly:”

From Jesus himself come these words of assurance and motivation.

       1. Pay Careful Attention to the Promise.  “Behold”

The command “Behold” is an imperative! We must give our attention to this motivating and stirring truth, that Jesus could come at any time.

       2.  Be Prepared Considering the Promise. 

            a.  Three times at the close of this book Christ says, “I come quickly!” (vv. 7, 12, 20).

            b.  The word “quickly” in Rev 22:7 means “swiftly come to pass in succession.”

                  — This means that his coming will be quick and without delay.

                  — It will not be “soon” according to human timing (after all, John wrote this two thousand years ago), but it is certain to occur; it is imminent.

            c.  The churches have expected Christ to return since the days of the Apostles, and He has not yet come; but when John's prophecies begin to be fulfilled, they will happen very quickly. There will be no delay.

            d.  We do not know when Christ will appear, and it behooves us to be ready. Jesus clearly told his followers to be prepared, because they don't know when Lord is coming. 

Matthew 24:42, Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:44, Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

   B.  A Clarifying Promise. “blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”

Jesus announced a blessing for those who obey the prophecy of Revelation.

       A.  What Does it Mean to Keep the Sayings of the Prophecy of this Book? (Rev 22:7)

             1.  Basically, the word “keepeth” means to guard, to watch over, to preserve intact. 

                    a.  It has to do with maintaining, observing, and fulfilling the commands of God in this book.

                    b.  “[Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book] That receives them as a divine communication; that makes use of them to comfort himself in the days of darkness, persecution, and trial; and that is obedient to the precepts here enjoined.”  — (from Barnes' Notes)

                    c.  Thus, the Book of Revelation is to be Received, Used, and Obeyed.

             2.  What exactly is a Christian to obey as detailed in The Revelation?

                    a. We are to be faithful to Christ. God commended the Philadelphians for keeping Christ's words and not denying his name (Rev. 3:8).

                    b.  We are to be spiritually and morally clean and prepared for Christ’s return (Rev. 7:14; 22:14).

                    c.  We are to endure patiently (Rev. 14:12-13).

                    d.  We are neither to add nor detract from Revelation's words (Rev. 22:18, 19).

             3.  Serving God begins with our faithful service to him now. Remain Faithful!

       B.  What is the Blessing? (Rev. 22:7) “blessed is he”

           1.  The command given to Record the Vision (Rev 1:11,19), has been carried out; this book was designed to be a blessing to believers according to (Rev 1:3).

Rev. 1:11, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Rev. 1:19, Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

Rev. 1:3, Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

           2. “Accordingly a special blessing is pronounced on those who believe and heed the prophecy of the book. As stated earlier, this last book of the Bible, so neglected by the church and with its meanings confused by many expositors, contains more promises of blessing than any other book of Scripture. This reference to blessing is the sixth beatitude in the book (the seventh is in v. 14).”  –John Walvoord

           3.  Like the beatitude in Rev. 1:3, this one promises a blessing to believers who obey God by heeding the warnings of this prophecy.

Application: Preparation, motivation, clarification, and inspiration. We must be prepared as Paul insisted in 2 Ti. 4:1, 2: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; [2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” Again, it was Peter who required in 1 Peter 3:15-16, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: [16] Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” The need to be prepared is pressed upon each of us as believers. It is our lot to be firm, stable, established, ready, and to make the necessary arrangements! In other words, we need to stand firm in our faith in God, be stable in our walk with Him and be ready to meet the Lord Jesus at any moment.

II.           Stirred By His Promise (Rev. 22:12-13).

Clearly the coming of Christ in the Rapture is a stirring promise to be embraced by every child of God. The Promise of Christ’s Return here seems to be related more to the Rapture then the Revelation. We are so stirred to serve, trust, and rest in the Lord’s promises!

        A.  It Will Be Surprising (Rev. 22:12).  “And, Behold, I come quickly”

              1.“The coming of Christ is the preeminent theme of both the Prologue and the Epilogue (Rev 1:7; 22:7,12,20). By quickly (v. 12) is not meant that the Second Advent would occur soon after John completed the writing of this book. Rather, it means that the events of the Second Coming will occur so fast, one event quickly following another, that many will be taken completely by surprise.”   — (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)

              2.  Bear in Mind that the Second Coming Has Two aspects: The Rapture and The Revelation. The first is before the Tribulation and the second is after the Tribulation. The next event on God’s prophetic calendar is the Rapture of the saints.

        B.  It Will Be Rewarding (Rev. 22:12).  "My reward is with Me"

              1.  At the Judgment Seat of Christ!

Believers will be judged according to their works; and rewards will be given to those who have been faithful. This implies that God is mindful of our sufferings, and our service, and nothing will ever be done in vain if it is done for Him.

The Bible records God rewarding his people for good works according to his justice.   No act of mercy will be forgotten; no true believer will be abandoned. (For more on rewards, see Matt 16:27; 19:27-30; Luke 6:23,35; 1 Cor 3:8,13-15; 9:25; James 1:12.)

              2.  We Have the Responsibility of Serving the Lord. 

Throughout church history, there have been those who have (to use Dwight L. Moody's words) become "so heavenly minded that they were no earthly good." They quit their jobs, sold their property, and sat and waited for Jesus to return. All of them have been embarrassed, of course, because it is unbiblical to set dates for His coming. It is also unbiblical to become careless and lazy just because we believe Jesus is coming soon. Paul faced this problem with some of the believers in Thessalonica, (2 Thess 3).

              3.  There Will Also Be Rewards in the Kingdom.

Christ reiterated that He would bring a reward for his people, according to what each had done (Rev. 20:12-13.) Our reward will include a place in God's kingdom (see Matt 25:34-40; Mark 9:47; 10:29-30), not because of our good deeds but because of God's gracious promise to people of faith (Luke 12:31-32).

               4.  Some Rewards Will be Personal and Individual.

Although all God's people will be saved and will enjoy the reward of eternity with him, several rewards seem to be given to individuals, according to what they have done. God will look at each individual's heart; thus, it may be that a quiet saint praying daily beside her bed will receive even greater reward than a flamboyant, well-known preacher. It may be that the woman who used her gifts to the fullest extent will be rewarded more greatly than the one who believed but was too afraid to reach her potential. God will not bestow his rewards in ways that we humans might. Each believer's job is to serve God to his or her fullest potential with a heart that is right with him (1 Cor. 3:5-15).

        C.  It Will Be Completing (Rev. 22:13). He will Personally Complete what He began in your heart! Christ repeated the words he had spoken at the beginning of the Revelation: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (see Rev. 1:8,17).

                1.  Christ as the Creator. (Alpha, Beginning, First)

The Creator began and will end time itself. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; it's like saying he is the A and the Z, or even A-to-Z.

               2. Christ as the Completer. (Omega, End, Last) 

Rev 22:13 is a great encouragement to anyone who seeks to serve the Lord. Whatever God starts, He will finish; for He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last.

Philip. 1:6, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philip. 2:12-13, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Application: Stirred, stimulated, motivated, encouraged by this promise from the Lord Jesus to spring into actions of service, trust, and rest in Christ! I am reminded of the words of Moses when he said in Exodus 35:21, “And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.” The encouragements of the apostle Paul seem to belong here as well. He said in 2 Tim. 1:6-14, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gift of God, which is in thee (inner fire from God) by the putting on of my hands. ⁷ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. ⁸ Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; ⁹ Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, ¹⁰ But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: ¹¹ Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. ¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. ¹³ Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.” May we be possessed by a passion to serve, trust, and rest in the Lord’s promises.

III.        Assured by His Promise (Rev. 22:20-21).

Assurance based on Christ’s promises yield great confidence, faith, and rest in the Lord.

   A.  The Final Promise of the Savior (Rev. 22:20).

        1.  We must keep expecting Jesus Christ to return (vv. 17, 20-21). Three times in this closing chapter John wrote, "I [Christ] come quickly" (Rev 22:7,12,20). 

        2.  But He, has "delayed" His return for nearly 2,000 years! Yes, He has; and Peter tells us why: God wants to give this sinful world opportunity to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:1).

   B.  The Fervent Prayer of the Saints (Rev. 22:20).

        1.  John adds the hope of all believers to the declaration of Christ by praying, “come, Lord Jesus.” 

        2.  If our study of Revelation has been truly led by the Spirit, then we will join John in the Bible's last prayer. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" To this John replied in a brief prayer, Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Are you ready?

         3. John could pray this because he was fully convinced of our Lord’s promise! 

   C.  The Final Provision for the Saints (Rev. 22:21).

Rev. 22:21, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

“This expression, so common in other New Testament books, brings this final word from God to an end. For those who believe that Christ in His first coming provided salvation, there is the wonderful promise of His coming again to bring full and final deliverance. As the book began by introducing a revelation of Jesus Christ so it ends with the same thought that He is coming again.”— John Walvoord

Application: Assured and therefore comforted by our Lord’s promise. Assurance is part of the experience of trusting in the promises of a completely trustworthy God. Faith takes God at His word, being fully persuaded that God has the power to do what he has promised (Rom. 4:21, Heb. 11:1-2). Assurance springs not from the power of positive thinking then but the power of the gospel. The Gospel is indeed good news, but since the gospel is God’s gospel (Rom. 1:1) it can be trusted because He is powerful to save, faithful to his word (Rom. 3:3), unable to lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18) and unable to change (Mal. 3:6). And since the gospel promises are according to the Scriptures (1Cor. 15:3-4) certainty is possible because these same Scriptures are God authored and therefore infallible and trustworthy (2Tim. 3:16-17; Luke 1:4; 2Pet. 1:20). Believers in Christ are assured of salvation because our God and salvation are true, sure, perfect, and unchangeable in Jesus Christ forever. It is okay for the believer to rest in the Lord Jesus every day of life. 

Conclusion:

“Probably no other book of Scripture more sharply contrasts the blessed lot of the saints with the fearful future of those who are lost. No other book of the Bible is more explicit in its description of judgment on the one hand and the saints’ eternal bliss on the other. What a tragedy that so many pass by this book and fail to fathom its wonderful truths, thereby impoverishing their knowledge and hope in Christ Jesus. God’s people who understand and appreciate these wonderful promises can join with John in his prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus.””— John Walvoord

Real faith always rests on the promises of God. Faith is essentially trusting in what God said, promised, wrote, or committed Himself to. It is not merely rooted in our own desires, ambitions, prayers, plea bargains, or wishful thinking…no matter how much we want it or how fervently we pray for it. This is why we should want to will of God above all else…His will often highlights his promises or feature His actions. Anytime we place confidence in something God said or promised, we exercise faith in God and His will. God’s promises give rise to real faith in our hearts. Yes, God is the worthy object of our faith, and His promises provide the very content or substance of our trust. 

Our spiritual confidence is strengthened by these clear promises from the Lord Jesus. They prepare, stir, and assure us resulting in strength to endure through the challenges and unfair circumstances of life. Take the Lord Jesus Christ’s Promises to your own heart so you too can finish life’s race strong, full of faith, and even more committed.