Salvation comes from our God
Revelation 7:9-17 After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10They called out with a loud voice and said: Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.
11All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12saying: Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.
13One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?”
And I answered him, “Sir, you know.”
14And he said to me: These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Because of this they are in front of the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again. The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat, 17for the Lamb at the center 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.
Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb (Revelation 7:10). Amen.
Kaitlyn, a fourth grader at Wisconsin Lutheran School, Kaizer, a preschooler at WLS, and their little sister Ava are being baptized this morning.
It took a little bit – actually, it took a lot – to bring these children to the baptismal font today.
Their parents, Justin and Stacie, gave me permission to share their story with you.
Stacie was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in South Milwaukee. She went to church and was confirmed at Zion. Stacie attended a public high school and then started attending non-denominational churches. She started questioning God and his teachings. She felt she was not getting what she wanted out of the churches. By her own admission, she now knows that what she was looking for was selfish. As a result, she lost her focus on God.
Stacie and Justin left Christian churches and became involved in paganism … even Satanism. She said that they got what they thought they wanted there … and it wasn’t good! It was scary! Demonic!
Then they found the Church of Latter Day Saints. Well, Latter Day Saints found them by knocking on their door. Justin and Stacie like them, but they never felt quite right there.
Then several years ago, they moved across from our Racine campus. They both wanted to renew their relationship with God. Stacie wanted to enroll Kaitlyn in our school three years ago, but she felt she would be judged by members of the church. So, she chickened out.
As part of God’s overall plan for them, Justin and Stacie kept going to Camp Phillip, a WELS campground in Wautoma. Their friends at camp convinced them to give our church and school a chance. No one was going to judge them.
Now, according to Stacie, they are back where they belong. Their children are in our school. Their will be standing at the font today for God to make his vows of faithfulness to them. Justin and Stacie are halfway through our adult confirmation classes. Lord willing, they will be
standing before God’s altar in a few weeks for them to make their vows of faithfulness to the Lord.
Justin and Stacie were looking for something. They didn’t find it on their own. God found them. They couldn’t get what they wanted. God gave them what they needed. He gave them salvation.
Today God gives their children – Kaitlyn, Kaizer, and Ava – the gift of salvation through water and the Word.
It is this salvation that St. John heard the multitude of saints from every nation, tribe, people, and language shouting, “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10).
Justin, Stacie, and their children had a difficult time getting to this day. That’s called “tribulation,” That tribulation will continue for them. That tribulation will continue for all of us.
Right now, we belong to the Church Militant – the Church at war, the Church enduring earthly tribulation. We see, hear, and feel this tribulation on a larger, macro level. For example, it certainly seems like we are on the verge of World War III. There is extreme violence in our nation’s large cities. There is sickness and disease, political, social, and sexual unrest. There is hunger and thirst in our homes because we have teenagers. But there is real hunger and thirst in our nation and around the world.
We also see, hear, and feel this tribulation on a smaller, micro, personal level. Perhaps it’s the struggle of mean words directed at you on the bus or on social media apps. Perhaps it’s the attempts to find a job or provide for your family in our current economy. Perhaps it’s the strain of a spouse or parents deciding to break their lifelong marriage bonds. Perhaps it’s the heartrending pain of the death of a child.
This tribulation is both caused by us and endured by us. We are sinners living among other sinners, living together in a sinful, broken, and painful world.
In his vision of heaven, St. John hears one of the elders say to him, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?”
John answered him, “Sir, you know.”
The elder said to him, “These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:13, 14).
With this vision, we are reminded that one day – hopefully soon – we will be among those coming out of the great tribulation. We will no longer be saints and sinners at the same time here on earth. We will then be made only into saints for eternity. We will be like the saints whom we remember today in our Prayer of the Church who have been transferred from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant.
We are still in this great tribulation. We are on one side of eternity; they are on the next. We labor; they rest. We fight; they are at peace. We wrestle; they walk. We hunger and thirst; they are forever nourished. We suffer under the cross; they abide in glory. Thorns and thistles afflict us; they endure no tears for God’s hand wipes them all away. This is the reality of both sides of eternity.
In November of 1940, the city of Coventry in England was bombed by the Nazis. The town was destroyed, and the centuries-old cathedral took two direct hits and was reduced to rubble. In the aftermath of the war, the church made an interesting decision. They left the ruins of their
cathedral in place. They cleaned up the rubble, but they didn’t tear down the stones that remained standing. They left the broken walls in place and then built their new church right next to it.
When they built the new cathedral, they installed a huge glass wall. Etched into the glass are large figures, four feet wide and ten feet tall – images of saints and angels rejoicing in heaven. Why a wall of clear glass? Because outside that wall of glass stand the ruins of the old cathedral. As you look through the glass, you see what remains of the bombed out church. Those ruins are a picture of the broken world in which we live. But to see the ruins, you must look through the glass that is etched with images of saints and angels. You cannot see the rubble except in the light of the promise of heaven.
John’s vision lets us see the Church in heaven, the images etched in Coventry glass, so we might remember the future glory that waits for us. We are all looking for something. We won’t find it on our own. God doesn’t give us what we want. He gives us what we need. Salvation comes from our God. It is the salvation that God gave to Israel and has now reached all nations. By his grace, God has given that salvation through his Son by his Holy Spirit to you. God’s salvation now belongs to you.
This salvation comes through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God sacrificed on the altar of the cross. The Lamb’s blood - and his blood alone - makes us clean. Jesus left the glories of heaven to suffer this world’s tribulation. Jesus endured an eternity of hellish tribulation during his hours on the cross. Why? So that we might have an eternity without burden, tribulation, or tears.
He touched our filth, so we might be bathed in his glory.
He suffered our death, so that we might enjoy life eternal.
He endured our hell, so that the gates of heaven might be flung open for us.
He cried out on the cross, so that we might sing his praises around his throne.
He became dirty with our sins and covered with his blood, so that he could wash us from our sins with his blood.
He appeared defeated during his time on the cross, so that we would emerge victorious forever and ever.
Your God who suffered his world’s tribulation, offers you an eternal reprieve from your tribulation. The same promises that God made to the saints who are now enjoying heaven, he also promises to you. The tribulations which the saints of God bore in their earthly life, we still suffer today. Yet, through God’s holy Word, each of us is called to repent and believe the gospel. Each of us is called to turn around, to ask the Holy Spirit to change our minds and correct our heart so we walk in the path of blessing that Jesus lays out for us in his Beatitudes in our Gospel lesson.
God calls us to lead a life that portrays the white robes he gave us in our baptism. Instead of tainting our baptismal gown by indulging in sin, let us glorify God with our bodies, serving our neighbor with love and good works. Let us be found where the saints of God are always found – gathered in the house of the Lord on his day, with his people around his Word, Water, and Supper. This is for our eternal benefit. This is what made us saints. This is what keeps us as saints.
Through faith in Jesus as your sacrificial Lamb and saving Shepherd, one day you will be saints streaming out of this great tribulation.
You will be with the multitude of saints.
You will be with your Lamb, who is your Shepherd.
Because you will be in heaven one day, live like you are strangers here and heaven is your home.
Because the Lamb’s sacrifice paid the price to get you into heaven, live like you cherish that sacrifice with your worship, prayers, words, offerings, and actions.
Because you will be with our Shepherd for eternity, live like you are part of the Shepherd’s flock here on earth.
Because you will be rescued from the great tribulation, allow the Holy Spirit to use this tribulation to produce endurance, character, and hope within you (Romans 5:3-5).
Because you will be made saints in white robes and golden crowns forever, live like a saint who cherishes your white baptismal robe and treasures your golden crown right now.
Kaizer, who is in preschool, summarizes this all very well.
On Tuesday night, Stacie and Justin were talking to their kids about baptism during dinner. Their baptismal date is also Stacie’s birth date. Kaizer asked, “So, I’m forgiven of my sins?”
“Yes,” they said.
He replied, “OK. So, let’s plan this. We go to church on Sunday. Then we can all just head to heaven! Everyone who is baptized who is at church can join us. Then we can celebrate your birthday in heaven with God!”
Stacie asked, “Why do you want to go to heaven?”
Kaizer replied, “Well, I think that’s silly! God is amazing! So, let’s go now!!!”
As baptized saints, we all agree with you, Kaizer. Amen.
Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen (Revelation 7:12).