Please turn with me to Revelation chapter 7, verses 9 through 17. You can find that on page 1032 in the Pew Bibles. As you're turning there, I want to say that it has been an honor and joy to serve as one of your pastors for the last almost 10 years now. It's been a, I'll say, particular delight of mine to study God's word and to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. So we will turn now together to Revelation chapter seven, beginning in verse nine. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders addressed me saying, who are these clothed in white robes and from where have they come? I said to him, sir, you know. And he said to me, these are the ones coming 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. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the lamb in the midst of their throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Let's pray and ask for his blessing on it. Father in heaven, thank you for the firm foundation we have in your holy word. Help us to receive it as coming from your gracious hand, given to us for our good. As we study it, please fix our eyes on Jesus and his majestic glory. We ask in his name, amen. Have you ever been somewhere so beautiful that you can't get enough of it? I remember after college, driving out to Colorado with some friends, and we hiked this 14,000-foot mountain. You get to the top, and you really feel like you could just sit there all day and just stare out at the beautiful surroundings. I actually get this sensation every fall when the leaves change, and I kind of wish it could just be peak fall all year long. I don't think I'd get tired of it at all, though I probably would get less done as I stare at the leaves. It's just so beautiful, you don't want it to end. In relationships, we see a similar kind of thing going on. One of my favorite things in the whole world is an elderly couple, or maybe a couple who's been married 50, 60, maybe more years, and seeing them together, seeing them still delighting in one another. You know, they're not tired of each other. Okay, they're not usually tired of each other, right? And they would take more time if they could do it again. They would gladly do it again. They would gladly receive even another 50 years together. And sadly, all the good things we enjoy in this life, they come to an end, but the book of Revelation presents to us a time when that will not be so. Throughout this book, we're given many glorious glimpses of the future that awaits God's people. It's a future that will have no end, and one that we will never want to end. It's a glory that far surpasses anything that we've experienced here in this life, even the best of things that we've experienced. And as revelation draws our attention to this future glory that awaits us, it also fixes us, fixes our eyes on Jesus and his majestic glory. You see, we have this eternal future to look forward to because of what Jesus has done for us. And as we think about that together this morning, we'll consider two ways we'll spend eternity. Praising God for Jesus' salvation and serving God in perfect peace. First, let's consider how we'll be praising God for Jesus' salvation. By way of background, John has just heard that there were 144,000 sealed, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. This is what John heard, but when he turns and sees, there's a great a greater fulfillment of this. He sees a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. This description really reminds us of God's promises to Abraham and Jacob. God had promised Abraham in Genesis 12, verse three, that in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed. And then Genesis 16.10, the angel of the Lord promised his wife Sarah, I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude. That promise was repeated to her grandson Jacob in Genesis 32. And throughout the New Testament, we see the promises to Israel are applied to the church. Those who belong to God through faith in Jesus are the true children of Abraham. And so what John sees is a fulfillment of God's promises, a great multitude so large that no one could count from all nations of the earth. We see this also at the end of Revelation 21, 21-24 says that the kings of the earth will bring their glory into the new Jerusalem. What a glorious picture. What a hope and a future we have. In heaven, we will get to worship alongside people from all tribes and tongues and nations and all periods of time forevermore. Talk about something to look forward to. As summer comes, we might be talking about what we're looking forward to this summer. This is something to really anticipate and eagerly expect. Of course, we have questions that we don't know the answer to. What language will people be speaking? Will they speak multiple ones and we'll just be able to understand it? Will there be one language, which will it be? I don't know the answer to that. I kind of hope that we can keep some of our accents. It's so beautiful, all the different accents that people speak with throughout the world. But whatever it's going to be, exactly in terms of details, it's going to be glorious. It's an awesome future. to look forward to, and so if we don't have accents, God has something better than that for us in store. Well, given the emphasis here on diversity, I do think that there's some variety that we'll see in heaven. We're all made in God's image, fundamentally part of one single human race, and yet with a wonderful variety of beauty, differences that are glorious. And so we won't all look the exact same, like exact carbon copies of each other. Each person will be unique, and each of the kings or the nations of the earth will bring their own particular glory into it. in some way, all so that we can worship God together and praise his great name. Of course, unfortunately, we don't experience all of that now. We're obviously limited to worshiping other people who live in the same general geographic sphere as us and in the same period of time. But in heaven, we'll get to worship alongside people from all over the world, from all over all periods of time. We're free to do that. We get to worship. It's so glorious, such a great thing to look forward to, especially in light of our limitations now, or even prejudices that we experience here in this life. This great multitude in Revelation is diverse, and yet they're also described in a similar way as one another. They're described as being clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. This appears to be an allusion to the Feast of Booze. You can read about that in Leviticus chapter 23. And so in the Old Testament times, the Israelites would dwell in booze for seven days to commemorate how God had brought them out of Egypt, had rescued them from slavery. And during this festival, it says they were commanded to take branches of palm trees and rejoice before the Lord for seven days. So this imagery is now applied not just to the nation of Israel, but to the church in revelation from people of all nations. And like the Israelites, God's people and the church are celebrating God's redemption. We celebrate not just a redemption out of Egypt, but the final redemption, the greater redemption that looked forward to, not out of slavery, but out of bondage from sin. And just as God had protected Israel through their wilderness wanderings, so too he protects and preserves his church through the various trials that we have. This is what the people are praising God for in Revelation. Revelation 7.10 says they cry out, salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb. And so great is our God that the angels and the living creatures fall down on their faces to worship him. They agree with those who are dressed in the white robes. The question is, who are these people? One of the elders asks John this question, and he replies, sir, you know. In other words, why don't you tell me? Who are these people? Well, look at the answer the elder gives in verse 14. These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Now, there's some debate about what this Great Tribulation is. I don't want to get us sidetracked with a detailed discussion about that. I will say that Revelation was written to encourage the original first century Christians who were suffering. Likewise, it's written to encourage all Christians throughout time who suffer. And we know that persecution takes place through all generations. After all, 2 Timothy 3.12 says, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Therefore, I believe Revelation 7 refers to the entire church age and all the persecution that goes on during it, not just to a specific final period of persecution. But no matter how you interpret that, it's really clear how history ends for all God's people. The Lamb of God wins. God's people are redeemed to worship Him forever. They've washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This echoes really what was said earlier in Revelation 5-9. Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. It's really a fulfillment and answer to David's prayer in Psalm 51, verse 5, As Christians, we really can relate to that feeling, that need for cleansing, can't we? Sometimes we really just feel dirty and unacceptable. It's kind of like a bad dream. I sometimes have that kind of dream where, you know, I'm a pastor, I'm going to do a wedding, and it's a rainy day, you step out of your car, and you're walking, and you slip in the mud, and you're sliding around in the mud, and you're covered in the filthy clothes, and you're like, I can't perform this wedding, I'm not acceptable to come in. You don't really need just to be brushed off, you need a whole new suit, a whole new outfit. You may have your own version of that kind of nightmare, right? But that's like, that's the way we are spiritually. We need someone not just to dust us off, but to give us entirely new clothes. And this is what the great multitude in Revelation are shown to have. Jesus has died for our sins. His shed blood cleanses us from them. And he removes our filthy rags and clothes us with his righteousness. As the one hymn says, his robes for mine, a wonderful exchange. That's what Jesus gives us. As we reflect on this further, isn't it a clear testimony to God's power and grace that heaven isn't empty? We're all born in sin, in filthy rags. We deserve to have heaven's gates shut and bolted within. But God shows mercy to us. And on top of this, God didn't wait for people to kind of like bang on the door, as it were, and plead to be let in before he decided to forgive us. Instead, this plan of salvation was God's idea. His plan from all eternity to rescue unworthy sinners like us. What if my sins are too much? To change the metaphor, what if you might think of your sins like a stain on the carpet, and these carpet cleaners advertise that they can take any stain out. But sometimes you encounter that one stain that just, no matter what you use, it just doesn't seem to come out. Perhaps some of you have felt or are feeling even today like that. Like, my sins are too dark a stain. You're disgusted with yourself. How can I have so much anger or bitterness or lust or jealousy or pride within me? Why do I still respond the way I do? A Shirley Revelation isn't a picture of someone like me. And friends, that's the good news of the gospel, that this is a picture of someone like me and someone like you. One of my favorite Bible verses is Ephesians 2, verses 4-5. The first three verses speak about how we were dead in our sins, enslaved by our sins, and condemned by our sins. And then it goes on, I know I've mentioned this several times, and I think maybe even recently in an evening service, but please bear with me for repeating, it's my last sermon after all. Whenever you want to say something like, but, you don't understand, but my sin, but look at my sin. You can see this in Ephesians, but God. Now I've been an angry person. But God, I've been a hypocrite, but God, I'm so full of jealousy or lust or anger, but God, if you'd only know what I'd done, pastor, you'd stop talking right now, but God. Jude 24 praises him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy. Jesus' blood can wash away the darkest stain of sin and make it as white as snow. To doubt this, to borrow a phrase from Hermann Bavink, can only be explained on the assumption that a person, looking at himself, is blind to the finished work of Christ. You see, when we stare at our own sins, it truly does seem impossible that God would accept someone like us. But when we gaze at the cross, we see that it is truly possible because God is rich in mercy. And so when you're struggling, as you look at your sins, look to the finished work of Christ. He has fulfilled all the law's demands. He has satisfied the righteous wrath of God against sin. He has taken our sins and we bear them no more. And he's also risen and he's given us his Holy Spirit. And he's at work even now conforming us more and more into his likeness. Of course, as we talk about and meditate on God's wondrous grace, it doesn't mean we don't talk about sin at all. In fact, God's people will forever remember their sins and what it took to rescue them from bondage to it. We will be forever praising Jesus for the fact that he died for us. And on top of this, really, the more we understand sin, the more we'll be like that sinful woman described in Luke 7. Jesus says she loved much because she knew she was forgiven much, and we see that as she wipes Jesus' feet with her tears and with her hair. In contrast, Jesus says he who has been forgiven little loves little. And so if you're not a Christian and you're listening and you're wondering, why do Christians talk about sin so much? We talk about not to judge others or be legalistic. Of course, we can be judgmental at times because we are sinners. But we talk about sin in church so that we might see that it is displeasing to God, so we might understand that it leads directly to misery and death, and so we might turn from it and find true life in Jesus. And then, as we turn, we might also experience the depth of God's mercy and experience that transforming power at work in us as we begin to increasingly be able to resist sin. Well, this offer of cleansing is freely offered to any who will acknowledge their sin and need of a savior. As Jesus says in Revelation 3 20, Jesus extends that invitation to all, even today. And if you're a Christian, rejoice and rest in the assurance of God's love for you. Be assured of this glory that awaits you. And as we see this majestic glory, it also leads us to pray for all nations and all people. We pray as Psalm 67 verse three says, let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you. We long to see all the nations gathered in so that with one heart and one voice we could sing of his redeeming love. So we see how we'll be praising God for Jesus' salvation. A second, let's consider how we'll be serving God in perfect peace. And we see this in verses 15 to 17. Because God's people have been washed in Jesus' blood and clothed in his righteousness, we read the following in verse 15. We see again an allusion to the Old Testament, Ezekiel 37 verses 26 to 28 uses a similar imagery, and here again we see God is fulfilling his promises to his people. And as God allows us to live with him, doesn't call us to board inactivity. Heaven isn't a place of inactivity, but of service to God. The idea of a work really takes us back to the beginning, to Genesis chapters one to three. And as you read the opening chapters of Genesis, when is work introduced? what's introduced before mankind sinned. So work is a good thing, and God, we will be serving God, of course, particularly through worshiping him, and we really get to see this as a privilege. We get to serve God. know exactly what we're going to be doing. I can't tell you all the details of that. I know we won't need ER doctors or nurses. We won't need evangelists to preach the gospel or lawyers when someone's suing us or anything like that. But heaven won't be a place of boredom and activity, but of useful, awesome service to God. As Revelation 22.3 says, his servants will worship him. We might even say that service in heaven is our true dream job. Has someone ever asked you? I'm sure someone has. What do you want to be when you grow up? I have lots of answers, but this is the final answer really given, a servant of God worshiping him and serving him forever. In fact, God's presence is so awesome that Psalm 84 verse 10 says, for a day, a single day, in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. And as we serve God, we do so with joyful service. We don't grudgingly submit to his reign. Instead, the affections of our heart are raptured by his glory and grace. John Piper has put it this way, the only submission that fully reflects the worth and glory of the king is glad submission. It's when we realize that the kingdom of heaven is truly the treasure beyond all comparison. As we serve God, we do so under his loving shelter and perfect peace. We see that again in the last half of verse 15 through verse 17. And he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore. The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. You know, one of the most delightful thoughts of heaven is to realize you'll be freed from your own sin. Be freed from sinning. But not only from our own sin, but also from all the consequences of sin. There'll be no more hunger, or thirst, or poverty, or disease, or death. We won't read of school shootings or things like that. There'll be no more pain or fear, freezing cold or blistering heat. This again is phrased in a way that clearly shows the fulfillment of God's Old Testament promises. Isaiah 49 verse 10, Isaiah the prophet had prophesied this. They shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them. For he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. We have such shelter because the Lamb of God is also our shepherd king. Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain for us, is our good shepherd, the one who laid down his life for his sheep. We see that metaphor coming up throughout scripture, most well known in Ezekiel 34 and John 10. And as he cares for us, the good shepherd leads us to streams of living water. This beautiful picture also occurs throughout scripture. So, for example, Psalm 23, And as we're given such wondrous delights, all tears are wiped from our eyes. Here in this life, we suffer many different types of trials and adversities. We have to say goodbye to loved ones as they depart, to dreams, and as opportunities pass us by, to people as they move. We suffer physical pain and illnesses and all sorts of disappointments. Even accomplishments and milestones can be bittersweet for us, can't they? It's graduation season, You know, you want your kids to grow up, to graduate, maybe to move on, to get good jobs, but it's bittersweet, isn't it? Because you're saying goodbye to something or a stage of life. Same thing with milestones when someone gets married. So happy if they marry a good spouse, and yet you're sad because it's never going to be the same again. Such pain, such mixed emotions will be a thing of the past. And this promise is also certainly comforting and encouraging during times of trial or even persecution for God's people throughout the world. It offers us help and hope. We know that God rules history and is bringing it to a climax in Christ. It allows us to stand firm when mocked or insulted or, again, as other brothers and sisters are, even more severely persecuted. It allows us to grieve as those who have hope when loved ones die. Revelation 14, 13 says, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them. That is our future together, our future worshiping together before God's presence, worshiping the one who is worthy of all the praise we could ever bring. And this will never get old or tiresome. You know, when I was little, or younger, not so little, I had the kind of immature thought that I'm not sure I would really want to be in heaven forever. I mean, wouldn't you get old? I mean, at least at the end of every day, I had to go to sleep. Imagine, I guess I'm not going to need to sleep in heaven. Can you imagine that? I always have ends to everything I do. Even the things I love. I love ice cream. You can hardly go wrong with ice cream flavors. But even something like ice cream, you eventually want to stop eating it. A little bit more of it just makes you eventually, will even make you sick. Or think about something you do that you enjoy. I'd say you're playing the piano and you just love playing the piano. Eventually, you want to stop and go do something else. You get tired of it. And I thought, won't heaven be kind of like that? Again, immature thought. No, it won't be like that. Not like that at all. We'll never stop wondering at God's grace. We're like a couple who delights in each other down to old age, except even better than that, and even more permanent than that. All good things in this life come to an end, but our glory in heaven never will. As the hymn says, when we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun. We'll say if you're listening and you're on the fence about all this, please hear Jesus' gracious invitation. He never turns away a sinner who will come to him in repentance. Consider the glory that awaits those who belong to him. Consider that glory if you'll just confess your sins and look to Christ. And if you belong to Jesus, rejoice in this hope. Look forward to the glories that await you. As you struggle through the hardships and doubts of this life, lift your eyes to God's throne. And when you doubt, consider the hymn that we'll sing shortly. Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea, a great high priest whose name is love. whoever lives and pleads for me. And when Satan tempts you to despair or tells you of the guilt within, look up and see him there who made an end of all your sin. Because your sinless Savior died, your sinful soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied to look on him and pardon us. This is my last sermon among you, and my family and I are about to depart and leave soon, but as we say goodbye, it really truly is a pleasant, a glorious, a true thought that this is our shared life, our shared future together. together before the throne of God above, redeemed by his grace, washed and cleansed of all our sins, entering by the merits of Christ, worshiping together in perfect blessedness, happiness, rest, experiencing fullness of joy forevermore. As I leave you, I also take great delight in the thought that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus. The good shepherd never ever loses a single one of his own, never loses one. And he will present us, each of us, faultless before the presence of his glory with great joy. Let's pray and give him thanks. Our Father in heaven, we do thank you for the future that awaits those who love you. No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor the heart of man even begun to imagine what you have prepared for those who love you. Please give us the assurance of these things that we hope for and the conviction of the things we get to see. Increase our faith until the day our faith is made sight. Grant us the strength to grasp, along with all your people, how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know his love that surpasses knowledge. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.