Sermon, All Saints Day, November 1, 2020, St Petri

Revelation 7:9-17

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honour
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

 And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
will shelter them with his presence.
‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the centre of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Matthew 5:1-12

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

These bible texts show you hope today. They show you why it is worth living in God’s grace, no matter what and above all else in life. They show you what we all have and will all get, now in part, one day in full.

Those who have finished their earthly time and moved into God’s timeless space are now here; fully blessed, fully complete. It is why these words are chosen to remember those who have died in faith in Jesus – All Saints Day.

And we need these words.

We are still living in a tough world.

Even for us, the people of God’s new kingdom, new city, new creation where God rules and God speaks and does and moves and shapes everything, there will be tough days and tough times.

  • We will know deep poverty of spirit.
  • We will grieve as dark death takes a bright loved one from us.
  • We will have no guarantee that we always have everything we need or want in life, or that we will automatically and always look great or be great in the eyes of others.
  • We will search and search. As U2 once sung, we will not always find what we are looking for. There will periods of time when we won’t find the meaning and purpose and joy for which we long.
  • We will not always be shown mercy by friends or enemies. We do and will get hurt and we will suffer the pain of unresolved conflict and harmful words and ways.
  • We will not always be enlightened, shining, clear and clean and holy people. We will know the dark night of the soul and know our uncleanness and unholy words and ways.
  • We will choose to run away, dismiss, ignore or avoid others who disagree with us, challenge us, hurt us, fight with us, and this will be hard and confusing and long lasting sometimes.
  • We will not be received well, understood fully, given the benefit of the doubt by many who do not share our experience of Jesus Christ and they will hate us for that experience we know and love.

Still want to call yourself a Christian? Or more pointedly, still want to worship Jesus and live in his mission kingdom of grace?

That was the question for those hearing that magnificent set of four ‘reveals’ given to the Apostle John by the raised and ruling Jesus.

Like a showing us through the totally renovated building in their big ‘reveal’, Jesus is leading John through his new house, new city, new creation.

The particular ‘room’ we are in the text chosen from Revelation is a procession into the great throne room of the “Lamb who was slain”. It is epic in scale.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

The resurrected people of God speak:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

Angels and creatures and people ‘worship’ – (prostrate) fall flat on the ground with arms outstretched speaking words of praise

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honour
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Amen indeed. “It is so”. “Lord Jesus, may it all still be so – forever”. That is what “Amen” is.

Dead people are now constantly standing in God’s presence. This is not what they could do before being raised.

Raised people are freely standing in the presence of Almighty God. This is not what those who are trying to flee the wrath of God choose to do.

This is all God’s work. It is all grace.

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

How can robes be white when they have been dipped in blood? They have the robe of forgiveness and peace with God on them. So do we. Like when you put on that brand new top or shirt, they and we wear a robe of righteousness and purity put on them by Jesus.

They speak more. They speak of seven things true of God.

Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honour
and power and strength.

The praise, the glory, the wisdom, the thanks, the honour, the power and the strength are God’s. If there is any praise, any glory, and wisdom, any thanks, any honour, any power and any strength to be known, received, given, experienced, known by a human being, it comes from the Lord, the Lamb.

Friends, this is our hope being given full voice.

  • In any deep poverty of spirit we are rich in hope.
  • In grief there is this light that remains bright and true.
  • When we do not look, feel, do or be good, we are guaranteed this heavenly reality of love and acceptance already now, and one day in full.
  • When we search but cannot find what we are looking for, The Lamb is looking at us and calling us to look to him and this future with him.
  • When we are short on mercy, given or received, it will end with us standing in God’s glorious presence in his glorious and vast community.
  • When we are unenlightened, dimly existing, unclear and unclean experiencing the dark night of the soul, there will be the wisdom of God that will draw us back to his beauty and his holiness which he lights us up again.
  • When we choose to run away, dismiss, ignore or avoid God’s challenge, God’s truth, God’s calling, it will end in a heart of thanks as he does not run away from us, dismiss us, avoid us but instead restores us, chases us, loves us, greets us with ab holy kiss in the voice of his holy Son.
  • When we are not received well, understood at all, doubted much by many, there will be power to stay, love, move through, live on, stay in the community of the Lamb with his present and future light and life.
  • When we feel weak, frail and incapable to do or say or achieve anything much, there will be strength given that comes from this vision of our present place and our future space.

Friends, these words tell you how things really are from the Lord’s point of view today. His grace kingdom is way beyond you and yet real and present safety and love now.

Make no mistake, the tribulation; the trouble and its suffering is real. It will remain an ever-present unwelcome guest in our lives.

Even for us who have been dipped in the blood of the Lamb and had his royal white robe of purity and holiness placed on us in the water and words of the baptismal font, there is no hint of easy street here. There is no sugar-coated fake comfortability offered.

But John doesn’t need or want fake comfortability. He does not see hope in any human striving or achievement. He sees so much more.

John and Jesus want to help you trust that you don’t need sugar coating or fake promises.

You need Jesus. You need his vision and power and wisdom and strength and everything else.

He is the full measure of what you really need to live this life to the full according to the one who created and ordained you for your life. You have these seven things of God.

Still want to call yourself a ‘Christian”?

Still want to worship Jesus and live in his mission kingdom of grace?

Yep.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34)