Corona Chronicles - Crown of Gold

Well, here we are. On the last passage in the whole book of Revelation. I think we've been going way over 60 sessions we've been looking at at this. And we decided that the 3 of us now social distancing can have a go at this last these last few words. We will do 1 last revelation which will be a sort of impressions and summary of of the whole book.

We're actually gonna get Dean in on that 1 as well. But at the moment, we're doing these few verses. Are you really? Yeah. And good news that Dean's gonna be back because my my parents told me early on that they only really tuned in for Dean.

Yeah. Because they really liked So this is verse 17 through to verse 21, Revelation 22. The spirit of the bride say come and that the 1 who hears say come, that the 1 who is thirsty come and that the 1 who wishes take the free gift the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll. If anyone adds anything to God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.

And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the holy city which I described in this scroll. He who testifies to these things says, Yes, I'm coming soon, amen. Come, lord Jesus. The grace of the lord Jesus be with God's people. Oh, men.

It's a fantastic and a beautiful ending, isn't it? And in some ways, it's it's it's the beautiful summary of what the whole of the Christian message is about, what God is really about. And it's summed up in that very simple word. You were looking at it last time, but it's here again come. And in in 1 sense, that is that is basically you can if you boil down what the the hall of God's message to this world is, you could you could boil it down to that 1 word.

There's no better word. Come. Just come. Is that right? Yeah.

Yeah. Absolutely. Because there's no come with or come if or come as, it's just very simply come. And we saw that those who are the ones who go through the gate into the city are the ones who have washed their ropes. So they've they've heard the invitation.

They've washed their robes and they've they've just obeyed. They just come and say, oh, yeah. Yeah. Because everything's finished, isn't it? So Jesus talked about, you know, he's finished and and even when he was on the cross, he used that phrase.

Mhmm. It is finished. And so everything's done for us. Yeah. So the Christian message isn't do or become.

It's come. It's all it's all finished. And Jesus told a number of stories like that, didn't he about you know, the banquets and just come, just invite people to come because it's all all the preparation, all the pay paid for is all done. Yeah. Yeah.

That's just a line that came to my mind as we were reading it from 1 of the hymns that we sing, which is it's the him is talking about what we have to do in order to be justified before God, and the line is all the fit he requires is to feel your need for him. Yeah. You know, so that that that's the qualification, isn't it? Just to feel ourselves empty feel ourselves barons and know ourselves to be sinful and yet to know the 1 who can who can say. And, you know, nothing in my hands I bring.

Simply to the cross I cling. You know, that's the same kind of thing, isn't it? You know, our hymns are really rich with this this idea because it's in the bible. Yeah. We just need to come.

And well, the qualification is thirst, isn't it? So come here he was thirsty or the qualification is you're a sinner. That's what that's all you can bring, isn't it? And you come you come to the 1 that's done this work with a free gift of the water of life. These are beautiful pictures, aren't they?

We're thirsty and desperately thirsty for life. Well, there's a free gift. Come. Come. Well, how aren't you coming?

You know? It's it's sometimes frustrating as a Christian, isn't it? Because that's what our message is and we want to say that to the world. Yeah. And people are saying, well, I've done this and I've done Forget what you've done.

Yeah. But that's that's why we're warned not to add anything to this very simple 1 word come. Mhmm. Because if you say anything else, then you remove the problem. The fact that we're not where we should be -- Mhmm.

-- the fact that you have say come -- Yeah. -- implies you're not there yet. Yeah. So you're over there. You are a sinner.

Yeah. But you can come. You can come. Whereas if you add to that, then suddenly, maybe you're saying, oh, you're not quite as bad, you know, as as you you don't have to come because you're already there in a sense. You know, you're and why would you need to come anywhere?

Yeah. You you know, how dare you say that I'm not in the right place or, you know, but then suddenly you get into problems. Yeah. I mean, the evidence taking away. I mean, you can use those words, can't you?

And that is what often what religion is or the world's philosophy. It's it's go. It's stay. Yes. It's be yourself.

Mhmm. What else is there? Discover. Discover. Yeah.

There's there's sort of this has come -- Yeah. -- to the water of life. And that that that is the that's the heart of a wrong attitude to the bible, isn't it? It's interesting in this chapter how we've seen God reminding us time and time again that this prophecy is his word yes, so in verse 6, the angel says these words are trustworthy and true. The Lord the God who inspires the prophets sent his angel to show his servants.

So we're being reminded that this belongs to God this. And the heart of every wrong attitude to the bible, whether adding will take away. It's trying to separate God from his word. Yeah. Isn't it?

It's trying to either say, there is a way in which that we can and understand God, independent of his revelation. Yeah. You know, we we can decide what he's like. And that that heart of liberalism can be tailored to fit your culture You know? So while people don't like to be told that they're sinners, well, God doesn't say that they're sinners, you know.

And we we can separate him from his words. And as soon as you do that, you lose evangelical faith, don't you? Because you're not you're not you're not actually listening to God. And that's what he's saying here. Don't add, don't take away.

This is my message. It's my word, you know, take it as it is really. Well, it's a huge, huge arrogance. Yeah. Isn't it?

Yeah. I mean, actually you got a blasphemy -- Mhmm. -- and claiming to be God. Mhmm. If you say well, God said that but I don't really like that.

So I'll take that away or -- Yeah. -- God said that. Yeah, but you need to add this on a little bit. Yeah. Or a more modern 1 is you know, you we read things in the on on the old testament that we might find uncomfortable.

And the way around it is not to say that doesn't belong in the bible. It's to say that this person Moses -- Yeah. -- that was how he understood God. Yeah. Paul.

But now because I know God I know that God wouldn't have said that -- Yeah. -- which is to take away from the character and the nature of God. Yeah. And it's to put yourself in the position of God. Yeah.

You're a greater prophet than Moses in that case, you know. And and it is to say stay outside of life. To stay outside of the holy city -- Yeah. -- because you won't come to the word of God. Yeah.

And the the the the the water of life. Yeah. So we've got the that wonderful simple message. But then when we know that message, our desire is for another coming, isn't it? Yeah.

And and I think you've got this, isn't it? It it really is like a bride and a bridegroom, isn't it? So it's come and he's coming. He's gonna come for his bride and that's that's what we want, isn't it? That's the yes, amen.

I agree. Yeah. Come soon, come lord Jesus. Yeah. And I think whether we can pray that honestly is a good test of how much we know and love the lord, isn't it?

Mhmm. You know, can we honestly say come, largely? I would be really happy to see you day. Yeah. Well, can you just stay off because I want to finish my projects?

Yeah. You want to see the great barrier reef. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah.

Yeah. We all know we want it to happen, but actually secretly, is there a whole load of things that we would love to do? That that we think would be more fulfilling than seeing Jesus. Mhmm. Having gone through revelation, I think we have felt, have we?

So the cries of of people in it and we we look at it and we see our world. And when especially when you get to the first 5 verses of chapter 22, and you see the new city, you see the garden, you see the the actually, there is a lot inside you though. I just want to be there. Don't you want to be there? Yeah.

I think that's right. I mean there are times. They're rare, unfortunately, because I think of because of because I get the wrong perspective, but there are times where I am absolutely sick of this world. The violence, the racism, the stupid things. People are shouting at each other and the the, you know, it it it's just exhausting sometimes.

Mhmm. You know, the locks and the pass passwords and all of the things you've got to have because we're in this world and you you do probably the best moments, say come lord Jesus. Mhmm. And then the whole thing ends with this incredible verse verse. 21.

The grace of the lord Jesus Christ be with God's people. And then there's the 8 man, isn't there? Yeah. Have you ever have you ever have you ever been to the the Messiah and heard and handles Messiah? Nice.

And then there's an amen -- Mhmm. -- and it goes on for a long time because on and on and this this whole quite it's just 1 word. Yeah. In this final thing and this this this it's you're taken up with it because you've heard the whole of the message have come to the lord Jesus and him coming to us and what he's done for us. Yeah.

And then there's just this this amen. So you've got the hallelujah chorus and then you have this amen and it goes on for ages. And it's It's fantastic. Mhmm. And that's only a twinkle -- Yeah.

-- of what this is. Yeah. Amen. I agree with this. Mhmm.

Well, we leave it there. We have 1 last 1 in revelation and then we're going to do another another series in in another book which we'll tell you about later.