READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l There are times in life when we are soaring in the mountain top and there are times when we are down and struggling in the valley. If we know how things end, perhaps we will not be so anxious about life.
What happens in the end?
The last few chapters of the Book of Revelation tell us how it all ends.
1. The Second Coming Revelation 19:11-16
The heaven opens and Jesus returns with the armies of heaven as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
2. The Great Victory Revelation 19:19-20
The enemies of God will gather and make war against Christ. However, He will defeat them and establish His position as the undisputed King.
3. The Great Reckoning Revelation 20:11-15
God will sit on the great white throne and all of us will stand before Him and the books will be opened. In these books are written all the things that we have done, including those done in secret, and we will be judged. Another book which is the Book of Life will also be opened and those who have accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour will have their names written in it. They will not be judged but will spend eternity with God.
4. The Final Restoration Revelation 21:1-4
God will make everything new and restore all things. There will be no more death or crying or pain and God will wipe every tear from our eyes.
5. The Culmination of History Revelation 22:13
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning, and the End, the First and the Last. All human history started with Jesus and will culminate in Jesus.
If the above are true, there are serious implications about how we live our lives. It changes everything and the four Implications are as follows:
1. In the end, it’s only what God thinks that matters
When we stand before God at the end of our lives, it is only what God thinks that matters. We are often so pre-occupied with our image and what other people think, but it will not matter in the end when Christ comes again. If we want to get to the end of our lives and not regret, we must start living for what matters. God wants to liberate us from our pre-occupation with our image and what other people think of us, and bring us back to living for Him alone.
2. Knowing the end allows us to live our lives with that end in mind
We are all pilgrims on this earth. We only live here for a short while before eternity. Knowing that Christ will come again changes the way we live our lives now. Knowing how it ends enables us to live our lives with that end in mind. It allows us to work backwards and make choices with eternity in mind. It gives us the strength not to give up what we want most for what we want now.
3. Knowing things matter in the end gives our life meaning and purpose
Some of us are struggling with a sense of meaninglessness in our lives and no matter what we do, we do not see breakthrough. So we wonder if it even matters. Revelation tells us that things do matter in the end. When Christ comes again, life does not stop when we die but there will be an eternity with God. What we do in life echoes in eternity. The troubles that we are facing are light and nothing compared to the greatness that will be revealed when Jesus Christ comes again. Everything that we have given up for the Lord will matter in the end.
4. Knowing that God has determined the end gives us hope that it will be all right
As Christians, we know how it will end. We know that no matter how difficult life may be, because God has determined the end, we have the hope that He will work all things towards that end. Christ will come again in victory. The enemies of God will be defeated. The unrighteous will be judged. And God will restore all things and make everything new.
God wants to revive our dreams and hopes. Each of us is called for a purpose. There is a greater calling on our lives and our lives have eternal significance. The work that God has begun in us will be completed when Jesus comes again. Because we know how it ends, we can live for what matters in the end. And we have hope that in the end, it will be all right.
(Sermon notes by Honey Vreugdewater)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- How does knowing how things end change the way we live our lives now?
- What are three things we will start doing or stop doing knowing so that we will not regret at the end of our lives?
- How do we get free from the pre-occupation of our image and what other people think of us?
- Share one take-away from the sermon that you will apply today.
