Sermon preached at the Stutterheim Presbyterian church 22 May 2022
Precious stones, streets of gold, crystal clear river with the water of life. What a wonderful picture John is painting for us! This vision that he is seeing comes from Ezekiel 47, but it is taken even further here, here it is even more impressive than in Ezekiel.
The beauty, the river, the trees of life. What more can we ask for? There is no more judgement, the people see God, He is the source of everything, including light – no need for ESKOM anymore!! There is not even a church in the new Jerusalem! No need to get up early on a cold and wet day! God Himself is present.
This picture is so wonderful that we sometimes have conflicting feelings about it. On the one hand it sounds so wonderful that we can’t wait to get there. On the other hand it sounds so unreal that we are actually scared that it is just a dream – can it really be true?
So, what are we to do? Sit back and wait, just let the time pass until we get to that wonderful place? Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes from jail that it is a big mistake to see our Christian liberation as a liberation from worry, stress, fears and longing. Yes, John promises that for the end of times, but in the meantime he sends us (and the churches being oppressed that he writes to) back to earth, back to the reality that we face every day. This message of John is no “get out of jail free” card. We see the glory that awaits, in the meantime we live and honour God! Our hope in God for ONE DAY sends us back to TODAY.
Christ already came. He already broke the power of evil (Joh 14:30). Therefore we can face today. Therefore we can resist evil and help show something of God’s kingdom in the world. We don’t have to build it, it is God’s work! The city comes from Him fully built in glory. We can worship and join in the celebrations.
And while we wait?
- We are sure of the future, a future that’s in God’s hands.
- We are energised to make something visible of that future. A future where all nations worship together before His throne.
- We can relax! We are called to obey and be faithful. The success is God’s not our work.
- That helps us prioritise as to what is important and what is superfluous.
- We can continue to worship God and pray with the church through the years – “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)
We don’t belong to ourself, but to our Lord that did everything for us!
Diakonos 