Christian Foundations 6 - PerseveranceShembull

IT'S WORTH IT

Well, it’s been a challenging journey this week. We’ve faced the significant sacrifice involved in following Jesus for a lifetime through the rewarding/enjoyable times and particularly through the painful/challenging times. We’ve seen that some don’t make it. They pull up stumps when the going gets tough. But what happens if you do persevere and follow Jesus to the end of your life – what if you finish well with Jesus? I want to end with some really good news: it’s all well and truly worth it. By the time the Apostle John records the vision that you will read today, he is a prisoner. He has outlived his peers who have all been martyred and he’s writing to encourage Christians who are facing growing persecution from the Roman Empire. God gives this suffering leader a glimpse into the future and shows him how it will all end. And it’s incredible.

Read: Revelation 21:1-7

Journal

1.    What is God saying to me? Which verse is most significant

2.    What do I want to discuss/explore further?

3.    What do I need to do?

4.    What’s the best thing about God’s future plans?

Reflect

There are a couple of things you need to know to make sense out of this picture of your future. First, God has always planned for his people to live with bodies. In the future, you will not be a ghost roaming around. You will be a real person with a new real body. Now I’m not sure exactly what that body will be like, but I suspect it will be much like what we have now, except so much better – more beautiful, more powerful, more holy, more complete. We will be whole, real people with our God.

Second, you will note John sees a new heaven and earth (1). The separation between heaven (the place where God lives and rules and works) and earth (the place where we live and rule and work) will be gone. All the barriers will come down. We will be living and ruling and working together with our God. The new heaven/earth will have the best of the earth (God’s beautiful creation and new kingdom) and the best of heaven (God’s glory and power and presence) all mixed into one. What a place! What a God!

While John describes some of the wonders of our future life (especially the intimacy of our relationship with God), it’s hard for him to describe something that is beyond our wildest dreams. What he does note are some things that will be missing – no tears, no death, no mourning, no pain. All the struggles we have talked about this week will be gone. We’ll be free. And best of all, our sin and brokenness will have vanished. No more struggling with temptation. No more guilt and shame. No more wrong motives. Just a complete desire to love God and live closely with him and our Christian family. Forever.

All this is for those who make it to the end, who “are victorious” (7), who persevere. Of course, we do not have to earn such a wonderful life forever, it comes as a free gift through Jesus. We just have to hang in there. God says to you (7): “You will inherit all this. And I will be your God and you will be my child.” Finishing well will be worth it a million times over. Keep your eyes on the end. Jesus did (Heb. 12:2) and so did Paul (Phil. 3:20-21).

Pray

It was because Jesus and Paul knew what you were planning for their future, Lord, that they persevered through the tough times. Keep reminding me of what you have in store for me as a joint heir with Jesus. Thank you that your future plans for me are better than anything I could dream of and that you are longing to share your life and kingdom with me forever.

Respond

Take some time to try to visualise the scene in today’s passage. See God wiping away your tears, of calling you his child face to face, of pouring out living water for you. Imagine the beauty and worship and power of heaven and earth coming together with Jesus the hero and God the ruler.