Daily Dose of the Word of God - Revelation 22

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

Transcript

Gregg DeMey  0:07  

Good morning and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It's Thursday, June 5. I'm Greg DeMay, Lead Pastor at the church. Sunday is coming, and this Sunday is Pentecost Sunday - a week of the year, where we focus in and ask for more of the work of the Holy Spirit. Today's Bible reading is from the last chapter of the last book of the Bible (Revelation, chapter 22).

Gregg DeMey  0:34  

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.  “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”  The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.  I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, 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 are described in this scroll.  He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Gregg DeMey 1:23  

Back when I was a younger person in a theology class, there was an older professor who was trying to illustrate the work of the Holy Spirit and was trying to help us understand that one of the Holy Spirit's primary roles is to point us to Jesus. He was kind of a diminutive man and he wrote the name Jesus on a chalkboard. Then, he hunkered down behind the board and jumped up as high as he could and would point from behind the chalkboard with his fingers toward the name Jesus. And then he snuck around the side of the blackboard and pointed from the left side to the name Jesus. And then he snuck around the right side and pointed to the name Jesus.

Gregg DeMey 2:03  

I have never gotten over this illustration - the primary work of the Holy Spirit is to direct our vision, honor and our worship, toward Jesus again and again. Lord willing, this Sunday in worship that's exactly what will happen. One of the ways we will see the Holy Spirit at work is in the profession of faith and then in the water baptisms of two of our young people. The Holy Spirit also points to the next time that we're going to see Jesus face to face when he returns, and this is what Revelation 22 is all about. The Holy Spirit itself prays, "Maranatha." Those are two Aramaic words smashed back together: Marana, meaning Lord. And TA, meaning, "come." So the Holy Spirit is literally praying, "come Lord Jesus" for the next time that we will see Jesus face to face.

Gregg DeMey  3:07  

It's too seldom, really, that I turn my spiritual attention and focus to the reality that Jesus is coming to make all things right and all things new. As much as I love this life and my home, I'm still longing for a better one. So I too say, Maranatha, come Lord Jesus. Do you long for this today? Do you pray for this too?

Gregg DeMey 3:41  

Join me in this prayer. Oh lord, Maranatha. Come Lord Jesus. Maranatha, come Lord Jesus,. Maranatha, come Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you today and all God's people. Amen.