The Church Triumphant: Our Eternal Hope in Christ

What we will be has not yet appeared. Because you know what? On the last day when we see Jesus face to face, when he comes to gather us all up to be in heaven with him, we're going to look different. Some of you are going to be grown up. Some of you are already grown up, but we're all going to be different. We're all going to be changed on that last day because all of us will be forgiven and will be without sin. [00:23:28]

So, we are changing on that last day into something we've never been before. a sinless human being redeemed by Jesus. And that's something I wish we could all have mirrors in our house to see. I wish we could look at ourselves and see ourselves as God and as Jesus's son sees us. We would know that we are forgiven, that we are loved, and we are beautiful to God in a way that we may not think of ourselves today. [00:23:36]

God wants the very best for you in this life. And then when he comes back, you are going to be something different and yet the same as you've always been. You're going to be the best self that you'll ever be. And you'll be forever with Jesus. And so that's something that we can look forward to. [00:24:18]

At a recent anniversary service for a congregation that turned 100 years old, the preacher reminded the members sitting there that the congregation was actually much larger than just the people who were in the church. Most of the members of course nodded thinking that he was referring to homebound members and inactive members. But to their surprise, he said if they wanted to make room for all the members of the church, they would need to knock out the sidewalls and the back walls. [00:26:13]

Even though the bodies of many members were resting in the earth waiting for the resurrection, those fellow saints were actually alive with them that day in worship, they were alive in Christ and they were a ver vital part of that church both living and in the past. So as he continued to teach, he led the people to recognize and appreciate just what it means to be part of the community of saints. [00:26:44]

Christians are born and nurtured in the faith until they join those saints after death. But during our lives, we are educated. We are blessed with the sacraments to receive them for the forgiveness of our sins. We are baptized into the congregation to begin with. Our life in Christ as a long rich one leading all the way to our graves and to life everlasting. [00:27:09]

On that last day, the true size of any congregation will really be seen when Christ will rise up. All those bodies who have gone before us from that congregation and take all the faithful living members into his return to experience a restored creation with the entire church for all ages and into eternity. It's a wonderful hope that we have knowing that we are not just the only part of God's church here today. [00:27:36]

That the body of Christ goes well beyond us. It goes across the world. It goes across time. And it in fact goes into heaven itself. And this vision of the saints, of the church of the saints, the body of believers is a future to which we can all look with eagerness. [00:28:10]

This vision of the church throughout the ages helps us to see the goal of every Christian of every Christian congregation and of the entire church militant across the earth. That it is to be a part of this great multitude for eternity that no one can number as we stand with those who have gone before us before God's throne standing before Christ the lamb who was slain for our sin clothed in resurrected glory for all eternity. [00:29:16]

Why do we have church in the first place? Why do we call pastors, build sanctuaries, teach Sunday school, give offerings sacrificially each week, and continue planning for our future? So that we and many others from this congregation, this community, this generation of sinners may be part of this greater multitude before the throne of the lamb and his kingdom. [00:29:51]

And why did God first give this vision to John to share with the seven churches and all the churches in the history of Christianity over the future generations? Well, because he knew that the faithful saints of those congregations had had their struggles in the past, they were going to have their struggles in the present and they would encounter more struggles in their futures. [00:30:16]

In those letters, seven letters that Jesus dictated in Revelation 2 to3 we hear about false apostles. We hear about false teachings. We hear about sexual immorality in the churches. We hear about a Jezebelike priestess, about spiritual lukewarmness, and so many more struggles. That sounds a lot like our world today. Not just our churches, but the world outside. [00:30:58]

Much of the church is even confused today about what marriage is, about how sexuality should be experienced, and about who created this world in the first place. Even in our churches, as we heard in the biatitudes of our gospel, Jesus promised that his faithful church would face challenges. There would be persecution. [00:31:26]

But what is given to us is that God is always faithful and will always be with us. And this morning we are grateful because he gave us a vision of this future of the church triumphant after the day of the resurrection to encourage us about what our individual future is and what our future is as a congregation. This is your future. Despite our current struggles, we are risen. We are living. [00:32:11]

Your future as a congregation, your future as the church militant on earth, and your future as the church triumphant in heaven is based not on what you do, how many committees you serve on and such, but it's based upon the blood of the lamb. Jesus, the Christ, that lamb whose blood was shed on Calvar's cross to atone for your sin and for all sins is what makes you pure and what makes you worthy to be in heaven. [00:34:04]

God himself will be with you. He will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Death will be no more. Neither shall there be any mourning nor crying nor pain. And you may be the greatest blessing of all will see him face to face. That is your bright and glorious future as saints in Jesus Christ and through the power of his washing and cleansing blood. [00:38:12]