The Goal of Reconcilation

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 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." - Revelation 7:9‭-‬17 ESV

Rev. Russ Whitfield

The church has a scene in this book of Revelations. We have a role to play. While we are here on Earth, we are rehearsing for the final chapter. There will be a final showcase at the end for God.

Missions is not the end goal, it is a process. The end goal is not given as a maxim or phrase. It is a scene. 

Perceiving the goal

We don't usually do quiet times in this book. It a bit difficult... With dragons and all. But there's a couple things that will help us to understand and enjoy this book. John was stuck in the isle of Patmus to assure the church. While he's there, God gives him a vision. The first thing John saw was a diversity of people. Not just countries, but people groups, ethic groups, even down to tribal distinctions. Even in glory, ethnic distinctions are not erased but glorified. 

What does this mean for the church? We should hold cultural church norms lightly. New believers should not need to assimilate to join the church. The scene in glory is not a generic group of people. 

This is a unique idea... Diversity in unity. The church is called to unity in diversity. This was given to the church as a vision from God. This is a promise/assurance that this will be done. The church was going to encounter difficulties in bringing people to Christ. Not only in saving, but in bringing these new groups into the church.

The problem is not seeing race and racial differences. It is in sinful excluding and denigrating those who are different. This scene paints distinctiveness of the body of Christ. We are not to be color blind, but we are to see and respect and be curious of these differences.

Next we see the the people praising and worshipping God. Why is this worship? Consider the vision of Jesus glorified given in the first chapter:

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,  and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Revelation 1:12‭-‬18 ESV

The people were overwhelmed with this God. He was the reason for unity. There is no bickering over worship styles. There is no church politics. Jesus is at the center because He has removed all the sin that divided them. This diverse multitude was dressed in white robes. This meant that they were clean. We need to be cross centered in order to be cross cultural. The palm fronds represent victory. The mission is won, press on. There will be trials and difficulties, but God's mission will win. So, church, press on. The goal is a diversity of people in doxology.

Pursuing the goal

When we pray the Lord's prayer, we are praying for God's kingdom as pictured in Revelations. But we are not to just tolerate those who are different. Jesus did not die for tolerance. Christians are called to more. We are called to love. Not only that, we are called to love our enemies. We are called to a greater ethic. We are not powered by willpower and personal strength/conviction. We are powered by the love of Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The church is a sampling of the final glory of eternity. It should point us to the entree... the second coming of Christ. 

Application

Friendship with those unlike us.

Make time for people who are different. These friendships can have impacts that we never see coming.

Sunday worship

Sunday worship is not about just us. It is to edify those around us. We aren't to dumb down worship, but to explain why we confess, pray, and repent.

Life's rhythms

Consider what our life's rhythms. Who do we make time for. Are there people we can befriend that we are overlooking? Ask God to open our eyes and use us to pursue the cross cultural worship of God.