The Last Word of the Bible

Have your Bibles with you turn with me if you would Revelation 22 and will be looking today at verses six through 21 and he said to me, these words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. Behold, I'm coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.

I John and the one you heard and saw these things when I heard and saw them. I failed him to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.

But he said to me, you must not do that. I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets with those who keep the words of this book, worship God, and he said to me do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is near that the evildoers still do evil. The filthy still be filthy. The righteous still do write the holy still be holy hold I'm coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay everyone for what he is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning of the end.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and say make enter the city by the gates outside of the dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

I Jesus ß my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendent of David, the bright morning star. The spirit and the bride say, come let the one who hears say, let the one who is thirsty come at the one who desires take the water of life without price.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life in the holy city, which are described in this book he testifies to these things says Shirley, I'm coming soon.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Bear with me as we got our Lord in prayer. Today we finish our study the book of Revelation.

I felt totally inadequate. We started this study that feeling of inadequacy is never diminished. We stand that all of this glorious book Lord.

It was written by the apostle John's hand 2000 years ago and yet it's just as relevant as if it were written today we have been all humbled and encouraged convicted, comforted and challenged by this book we have learned that in this life, we must expect suffering and persecution, we have learned that this world is not our home.

We have learned that we have a heinous enemy. This purpose is to kill, steal and destroy. We have learned that the God who created this earth, the universe and human races never been thrown off course is never felt challenged by evil, and will one day rectify every wrong punish every sin and exalt himself to a glorified church. We saw God's sovereignty in every chapter. We felt God's power in every paragraph we experience God's grace in every word.

Thank you Lord for this great book.

May we cherish it and read it often and may you make us ever mindful that the bottom line is this Jesus wins, Jesus wins forts in Jesus precious name we pray in men may be seated. The canon of the New Testament is quickly coming to an end. Jesus is giving John the last words of the Bible. John has got a glimpse into eternity future, and he has seen that our future is will not be some cloudy ethereal boarding experience.

It will be earthly. It will be more realistic, more real than anything that we've ever experienced here on earth's males will be sweeter taste will be more savory colors will be brighter and more vibrant. What we have in heaven is the garden of Eden enhanced and multiplied exponentially in these words that we have Jesus in the last part of chapter 22 are really more instructive than they are descriptive.

He's recapitulating these, taken us back through the book of Revelation and, helping us to remember what is been said, is like. Jesus is saying I've stretched out before you a canvas.

It is basically a picture of world events that will take place or have taken place and will take place from the first coming of Christ to the second coming of Christ said, you have seen seven set seven viewpoints seven timetables seven graphic illustrations of history, past, present and future, you member how we call this process. Progressive progressive parallelism, more progressive recapitulation and how we saw how important it is to break the book of Revelation down in the seven chapter divisions. Chapters 1 through three chapters 4 through seven chapters 8 to 11 chapters 12 through 14 chapters 15, 16 chapter 17 through 19. Then lastly, chapters 20 through 22. Well, those are seven pictures of the time periods between the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ and his we went from one to the next to the next. We saw that we got more detail and more insight with each progressive section now in this last section Revelation chapter 20 through 22.

We have seen that the best and most comprehensive picture of the new heavens and the new earth that we will ever see, no matter where we go to, no matter what we do, we will never see a greater picture of the new heavens and new earth than what we see here. We know that is true and the only greater picture will have is when we get to heaven itself is like.

Jesus is saying the John John you had just taken a glance of eternity future. So here's our question what we can do with this knowledge that we've gotten from the book of Revelation hears Jesus's message to us.

Listen to these words of value.

These commandments, these words will fill your heart with joy. These words will assure your heart with peace and these words will sanctify your soul. Jesus has nothing more to add. After this, this is the last chapter of the last book of the Bible. The canon is closed. As Jesus finishes his last words in this in this great chapter Revelation chapter 22 brothers and sisters. I can't tell you how serious this is because almost all the calls and almost all the false denominations that popped up all the way to church history have taken place because they did not take to heed what Jesus said about adding to or subtracting from the canon of Scripture are the seven points on share with you .1 is the absolute authority of the word of God liquidate verse six and he said to me, these words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.

Our society bases their decisions on humanistic relativism.

That's why nothing is ever certain in our society. That's why there's so much chaos. That's why our laws are so convoluted and so confusing.

That's why our politicians are weak and wishy-washy and vacillating. That's why there is no right or wrong.

There's no good or bad there is no truth or error everything is determined by feelings by emotions by circumstances or by environment.

When a person in our society speaks about absolute truth, he is looked on as being arrogant, narrowminded, judge mental and probably somebody to avoid Douglas Kelly explained why Jesus stands against humanistic relativism and I wanted to share with you what he said. I thought this was good.

He said these are true and faithful saints. This written message is absolute truth is going to come to pass, and no man, no demonic power can prevent you may not agree with it but that will not slow the feet that God sends down the corridor of history. What we are told of the victory of Christ in the defeat of Satan. Up to this point in Revelation is just as certain and definite as to its outcome. As was the original creation of this world in six days. The original creation happened in God's time and the consummation of the new creation is destined to happen in God's time. Nothing can stop it out in the last part of verse six. Jesus said this, he sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place and what did he mean by that.

This is a verse that the full credit risk love to point us to and the full what is a full predators to full predators believes that the book of Revelation was written by John before 70 A.D. and that's important to them because they say that the book of Revelation was written primarily for the generation that John was living in to get them prepared for the destruction of Jerusalem that took place in 70 A.D. so they did not pretty much at the Revelation has anything to say about the second coming of Jesus Christ and they say that we need to read it today as history that is already been fulfilled and then they say will the angel here. Angel said that these things will soon take place and they said the destruction of Jerusalem did take place soon, and that is true. It did take place soon, but I totally reject that. I believe John wrote the book of Revelation. About 95 A.D. that would mean the destruction of Jerusalem took place about 25 years before that in history. I believe that the idea of soon could be translated as quickly so that when Jesus is coming he is coming suddenly, he is coming quickly. Scripture tells us that he is coming like a thief in the night he is coming very quickly.

So every generation of Christians has a call on their life and they have a column there like to do, what to prepare themselves for that to get themselves ready to get their hearts ready the imminent return of Christ for when Jesus comes and he could get come in any of these generations when Jesus comes, we will be prepared and we will be ready for. He will come as a thief in the night quickly.

Suddenly, and it will happens quick .2 the call to obedience.

Look at verse seven and behold I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. The word that I want to focus in on hears the word keeps this is the bottom line here and in fact this is where the rubber hits the road. We have read the book of Revelation we have studied the book of Revelation we have seen commentaries on the book of Revelation we heard sermons on the book of Revelation but you can do all that and if you're not keeping the words of Revelation, then you've totally missed it.

What does it mean to keep the words is the continuing task of joyful obedience to the divine words written in this book. Jesus said if you let me keep my commandments. We talk about faith today some strange ways. Don't wait. We think faith is positive thinking that faith is just kind of our way to manipulate God that God might give us what what we won't and that's what faith is.

No, that's not what faith is, is not what faith is it all faith is the power to obey to obey the commands of the Lord, despite what the world says despite what circumstances look like and dislike the risk and the danger so if I stand before ISIS who is commanding me to renounce Christ and the bow before Allah what is Faith look like at that moment it might look like a decapitation where I die trying out Jesus Christ is Lord.

And yet, in faith, knowing in my heart had to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The book of Revelation is not just information book to give us details about the future is also a motivational book to spur us on to obedience and holiness .3 the call to correct worship versus 89. John and the one you heard and saw these things and when I heard and saw them I failed down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said to me, you must not do that. I'm a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book, worship God, the angel was so much more powerful and so much more glorious so much more forceful than John. John got one glimpse of him and he just fell right at his feet. I think it was instinctive that he did this and the angel immediately begins to correct correct Johnny says no no no no don't do that you don't worship anybody anything but God I'm a created being of God. I'm just an angel.

You don't worship me. I cannot receive that worship only God can receive worship nothing. It's almost surprising us that John would do this and I think intellectually.

John knew better, but I think this was a situation that John was just caught off guard by the angel, and the glory and the power and the forcefulness was so great he just immediately fell on his face. The angel would not receive the worship. The angel said no John, don't do that and then the angels says said to John, this is wrong for you to do that and rebuking because of it.

What you think God inspired John to write this episode down.

This would be embarrassing.

Wouldn't Johnny better than this.

Why I wanted what he God inspire him to to write this down, even though it was a mistake. I think God wants us to see that even very strong powerful Christian even an apostle had that propensity to worship the creature rather than the creator thoughts. I think we got a subtle warning here. Here we can go out to the Grand Canyon, we can look at the Grand Canyon and all of its magnitude and its dignity, and it its power and just look at it so beautiful and it's just hard not to worship the the creature. The creation of over not to do that that out to send us straight to the creator who put this together. He made it were only to worship him. Sometimes we get to all over an athlete's skill or assign this intelligence or as actresses beauty, or a politician's ability to communicate.

This passage is a reminder to admire the creation but the only worship the creator.

.4 is unleashing the message.

Look with me at verse 10 and he said to me do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is near.

Only regional verse in Daniel that Daniel wrote 600 years before John wrote, his verse now.

In John's passage that John wrote these words are spoken. Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book do not seal them up right when Daniel wrote 600 years before the S. Listen to what the Lord said to him, but you Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.

Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.

Daniel was told to shut up the prophecy to seal it out to not let it go out. John was told the exact opposite to release it to unleash it to preach it to shout it is what John was told. So what's the difference well. The difference is that Daniel did not know about the virgin birth.

He did not know about the 33 years of perfect sinless life by Christ. He did not know about the crucifixion. He did not know about the resurrected body. He did not know about the promise second coming. He did not know about all the gospel spreading to the four corners of the earth. They knew there was a Messiah coming.

But he didn't know his name. He didn't know that his name would be Jesus. The name above all names the name in which every knee would bail and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

500 years before Daniel a member before Daniel wrote these words or 500 years later after he wrote these words. Jesus was born, but when he wrote those words, the people that he was writing to didn't have a clue about all these things, they wouldn't have gotten it. They would've understood. But now John is right him and John knows John knows that all these people know about Jesus.

They knows the gospel.

They know what is happened and so John, this is told to preach it to release it to unleash it to shout it to get out the message .5.

Blessings and warnings. Look at verses 11 to 15, but the evildoer still do evil and the filthy still be filthy and the righteous still do right in the holy still be holy bold.

I'm coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes is that they may have the right to the tree of life and they may enter the city by the gates outside of the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood Jesus in this passage promises both blessings and also cursing's. He refers to himself as the Alpha and Omega, but beginning the in the first and the last.

You might remember I use this passage a few weeks ago, I shared with you that if you're ever witnessing to Jehovah witness then this is a great passage to use for the Jehovah witness does not believe in the Trinity. I do not believe that Jesus is truly God. I believe that Jesus had a start that he was created so he couldn't really be God because he was not eternal with folks that's absolutely wrong and you take this passage along with many other passages in the Scripture, you couple them altogether and what you will see is that each analogy of Jesus Christ. And if I was witnessing to Joe the witness. I often start with Isaiah chapter 44 verse six and then I get them to rated R read it myself. And after they've read it in a safe food.

Who is it that spoke those words identify that person and Isaiah 44 verse six is this thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts, I am the first and the last beside me there is no God in the Jehovah witness will say well that's easy.

That's that's Jehovah.

That's the great I am that Yahweh did speak in those words that I will take them right to the Revelation chapter 22 verse 13 it says this I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last to begin.

In the end, and who, speaking I take the verse 16 and there's no doubt he's speaking. He says I Jesus I Jesus, but in no uncertain terms. Jesus is telling us here that he is Jehovah God that he is the great IAM that he is the Lord. He was eternal, not just getting started.

Bethlehem, but he's been here forever and will be here forever to Jesus in this passage breaks humanity down into two categories that the saints and the sinners. The saved and the lost two categories. That's interesting in that because when we start breaking up humanity week. We have all kinds of different divisions.

Don't wait. We we we divide by social status. We divide by race we divide by color.

We divide by ethnicity. Jesus said forget all that that doesn't matter. He said this is what matters are you saved or are you lost are you a saint or are you sooner do you belong to Christ or you do you not belong to Christ, we heard a lot over these past few weeks about race have only and we heard so much and there's been so much hurt, but the truth of the matter is folks, there is only one race and that is the human race.

Guess what we all came from the same parents. We all came from Adam and Eve is a way to make Doug. If that's true then why are there all these different colors will color has to do with melanin level.

Melanin creates pigment and pigment brings the color around alike with Odie Baucom, said he said that we white people are just melanin deprived and that's that's true folks God did not divide us by race and I want you know there's only one thing that's going to bring this country together is only one thing that's going to bring the people that think they are in different races that they're really not. There's going to bring them together and that is the Lord Jesus Christ pieces there's only two categories of human beings and that is the saved the lost the saints. The sinners those who belong to Christ. Those who belong to Satan list have Jesus describes them, and where the ESV uses steel and put in another word of things better words continue let the evildoer continue to do evil, but the filthy continue to be filthy, but the righteous continue to do right.

Let the holy continue to be holy, reach one more statement by Douglas Kelly speaking here on the call to repentance and Douglas Kelly is an intellectual giant the offices. Amanda is a pastor's heart, and I like what he says here because he realizes that they're gonna be people who realize that they are being called to repent, but they don't feel capable of repenting. I don't how to do it and so you get some instruction here and this is been helpful to me in my prayer life when I'm feeling the need to repent. Listen closely what Doug Kelly said the problem for many people is that they feel that they do not know how to repent and that they will never be able to do so.

Thus they give up the quest to be put in right with God through his son if that is the case with you. Take hold of acts 531 where the apostle says GM has God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and Savior. For to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Did you know that part of Jesus victory is that he has the power to give you this gift that you do not have and cannot create by all your religious efforts. He not only gave you the gift of faith, but the risen one, will also give you the gift of repentance.

If I do not feel sorry for my sins. What should I do, I would start saying, Lord Jesus, you give the gift of repentance.

Right now I do not feel it. I do not have it.

I do not deserve it. I do not know how to do it, but please give me that gift from yourself, you can be certain that the gracious Lord will hear such a prayer, no matter how weak the faith of the one who offers it. I found that helpful .6 promised blessings. Look at verse 16 to 17 I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches on the route. The descendent of David, the bright morning star.

The Spirit and the bride say, come. And let the one who hears say, come.

And let the one who is thirsty, come with the one who desires take the water of life without price. Jesus identifies himself years the root in the descendent of David. Why does he do that because he wants us to understand that all the way through the Old Testament we have these messianic prophecies and he is the fulfillment of every single one of them. They go all the way back to Genesis to chapter 3 verse 15, a passage that we call the first gospel or the proto-who on Kelly on what God said this to Satan. He said I will put enmity between between you and the woman, and between her seed and your seed. He will crush your head and you will bruise his heel and then from that point all the way to the end of the book of Malachi we have all these messianic prophecies and Jesus the field every one of the first of all, Jesus identifies himself as a root in this and that of David and then he gives an invitation and he says this the Spirit and the bride say, come who presents the gospel the Spirit and the bride who were they the spirit is God, the bride is us. The bride is the church folks God and God alone can bring someone to salvation for someone to come to salvation God is to open the heart, open the eyes open.

The spiritual ears God is to change the will of God is to change the nature there has to be regeneration that takes place of the Holy Spirit of God for a person to come to know Christ. Jesus said in John 644 no man can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him so the spirit God first says come and then the bride says come Roma chapter 10 verse 14 to 15 says this. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed and hair they do believe in him, a move they got heard and how are they to hear without someone preaching and hair.

They preach unless they are sent. As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news okay so the spirit and the bride given the invitation. What is the invitation.

The invitation is to come and partake of the water of life. Scripture says here without price. I like the term freely better take of the water of life freely brothers and sisters are salvation is a free gift from God. You didn't merit it. You didn't earn it.

You didn't buy it. It was given to you by God to you. It was free but it cost Jesus's life and first Corinthians chapter 8 verse nine it says this for you know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich in Philippians chapter 2 tells us that Jesus emptied himself of his glory. He did not empty himself of his deity, there's never been a time in all of eternity that Jesus was not God came to the earth for 33 years.

He gave up his privileges a deity. At that point he did not give up his deity and gave up his privileges of deity.

Why, in order that he might go to the cross as a sinless man died in our place as our substitutionary atonement, that he might die for us, that it would cost him everything and he would give it us and we would take it freely .7. The closing of the Canon verse 18 through 21. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life in the holy city, which are described in this book Peter testifies to these things says, surely I am coming soon.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, the grace of the Lord Jesus be with with you all. A man in what is God saying to us here he is telling us in the canon of Scripture is closed not just the book of Revelation, but the entire books of the Bible. 66 books of the Bible are coming to an end right here. Were we to do with it. We are to read it.

We are to treasure it. We are to obey it and we are not to tamper with it. We are not to subtract from it. We are not to add to it and if we do the consequence is eternal separation from God and horrible judgment day when I read this passage I think of the Colts and I think of a cultlike like mourn the Mormons.

The Mormons have ever written a book Joseph Smith said that it was healed.

He that wrote this book are passivity he got it from an angel, but he took this book called the book of Mormon's and they equated on the same level as holy Scripture mate something if I was a Mormon and I were to read this passage here in Revelation chapter 22 I would be shaken in my boots and I would want to repent very very quickly after the strong warning. Jesus calls us to be prepared. Since surely I am coming soon a man now.

Then John speaks out out your picture Johnny's. They are on the island of Patmos's buying sale. He just received this whole revelation of God is written it all down word by word is a Holy Spirit inspired him to write it. He's finally gotten to the end. He's had this great vision of the glory of God is been an absolutely unbelievable.

He just finish and finished, write it down.

The ink still went on the scroll and I can see John rolling that scroll up and then he splits up to heaven and he holds that scroll up and he cries out.

Even so, Lord Jesus even said, Lord Jesus, Mayor NAFTA, Lord Jesus, one more statement that into Scripture. It's this the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. A man books the book of Revelation from chapter 1 to chapter 22 is field with the grace of God. Know what you do me a favor, we been over two years studying through the book Revelation.

What is the theme of the book of Revelation for you that are young people. I want you never to forget the theme of the book of Revelation.

If the Lord delays is coming, you may live 75 more years and I hope at the end of that time that somebody comes to you as is one of Revelation mean you can say this, Jesus wins Jesus wins for those of us who are older if the Lord delays his coming work on die were going to the grave, but may we go to the grave with these words on our lips. Jesus wins Jesus wins hallelujah Jesus wins a spray heavenly father, thank you for this glorious book the parts of this book that are hard to understand. We acknowledge that we don't have all the answers. There's so much more to learn. We pray this study will encourage us to faithfully go to the Revelation to be nourished and challenged our walk with Christ.

Help us Lord to be obedient children to be a dignified bride and empower us to be evangelistic. Give us a burden for the lost. Give us boldness to tell them the truth and give us love to help melt their hearts.

Lord help us all to prepare our hearts for your coming so that we can say along with John. Even so, Lord Jesus.

Ford is in the holy and precious name of Jesus Christ that we pray.

Amen