Wait on the Lord (Revelation 20, Psalms 27, 92, 126, and Matthew 12)

Introduction: Are you looking for Jesus to return and take you to heaven? This is our last study in the book of Psalms. It ends with the message that we should wait for the Second Coming of Jesus.

 

When I’m waiting on something I’m anticipating whatever has me waiting.

A great meal?

An exciting experience?

A promotion?

An unavoidable unpleasant experience?

While waiting do you think about what will happen if it does not work out? If Jesus’ Second Coming is supposed to be a focal point of our life, it seems logical to consider the alternative. Eternal life in glory or being burned.

 

Why would we be reluctant to mention the burning part? I would like to know about it if I were being presented with the choice for the first time. Perhaps a lack of focus on the outcome has to do with the fact that people are less concerned about the future than the present. People fighting cancer carefully follow their doctor’s advice. People facing diabetes are most concerned about enjoying their current meal. Let’s dive into our study of the Bible and see what we can learn about these questions!

 

I.   The Two Outcomes

A.   Read Revelation 20:4-5. What does this describe? (Two resurrections. The righteous are raised at the beginning of the thousand years and the “the rest of the dead” are not raised until after the thousand years.)

 

B.   Read Revelation 20:6. In which resurrection would you like to be a part? Will those raised in the first resurrection ever die again? (No. “Death has no power.”)

 

C.   Read Revelation 20:7-9. Where are the righteous? (They are in the New Jerusalem (“the beloved city”) with Jesus.)

 

1.   Where are the newly resurrected wicked? (Led by Satan, they attack the New Jerusalem and the righteous.)

 

a.   What happens to the wicked? (“Fire came down from heaven and consumed them.” They die by burning.)

 

II.  Is Waiting on Jesus Easy?

A.   Read Psalm 27:1-3. How do these words of David fit the verses in Revelation that we just read? (Perfectly. An army of “evildoers” attack David.)

 

B.   Let’s jump down and read Psalm 27:10-13. What is the “land of the living?” (David is looking for God to deliver him even though all others have forsaken him. The ultimate land of the living is in heaven and the earth is made new.)

 

C.   Read Psalm 27:14. King David tells us to “wait for the Lord.” Why? What is the Lord bringing with Him? (Psalm 27 is about deliverance from evildoers. David tells us to wait for deliverance.)

 

1.   In the introduction I compared those with an immediate medical problem with those with a likely medical problem years ahead. What kind of waiting is being described here? (It is both. David asks God to deliver him now and to deliver him to the land of the living.)

 

2.   If we are presenting the gospel to those who do not know or do not believe, what should we say about the timing of their decision? (Choosing God makes a difference both now and in the future. Choosing later may be too late.)

 

D.   Read Romans 8:18-19. Wait a minute! Will we suffer now even though we choose Jesus? (Just as David tells us that bad guys are after him, so this text says that living in this world presents us with suffering.)

 

1.   My wife tells me that I am an optimist. That is true. My view is that life is going very well. However, I recently spoke to a very hostile crowd that caused me to worry about my safety. My low-mileage car just had a catastrophic failure. A close family member has a fatal illness. And both my wife and I are temporarily having trouble walking. Am I suffering?

 

E.   Read Romans 8:20-21. Who caused our current “futility?” (Read Genesis 3:17-19. Eve and Adam made the decision not to trust and to disobey God. God cursed the ground which made life difficult for them. Romans 8:20-21 tells us that out of this arises hope that we will be free from our “bondage to corruption.”)

 

III.     How to Wait

A.   Read Psalm 126:1-3. Has this happened? (Read Psalm 126:4. No. This is what God’s people think the future will be like.)

 

1.   Note that Psalm 126:1 says it is like a “dream.” Do you dream about what it will be like in heaven? In the earth made new?

 

2.   Have you ever dreamed about a new car, a new house, or a great trip? If so, how did the reality compare? (Often the dream is better than the reality. That will not be true for heaven, but our experiences in anticipation show that we can have great joy in just the dream.)

 

B.   Read Psalm 126:5-6. Notice that these verses twice refer to sowing. One says, “sow in tears,” and the other says, “seed for sowing.” Why is life here like sowing? (Recall that we read Genesis 3:17-19 which reveals that life on earth is more difficult because of sin. In our daily lives, we labor under the curse of sin. If we choose Jesus, then the harvest will be “shouts of joy” in heaven.)

 

1.   What, exactly, are the “seeds” and the “sheaves?” (Since we cannot bring our possessions to heaven, sheaves must refer to those we have influenced to accept Jesus. Seeds must be our effort to influence others to accept Jesus. It may also refer to our sufferings on earth which are part of our effort to advance the gospel.)

 

IV.  The Sabbath View

A.   Read Psalm 92:1. For what time is this Psalm created? (The Sabbath.)

 

1.   I read through Psalm 92 and at first it seemed to be a very odd Sabbath song. It says nothing about the creation. It says nothing about rest. Do we have the wrong view of the Sabbath? Or, does this psalmist have the wrong view?

 

B.   Read Matthew 12:10. The Jewish leaders are asking Jesus this question. What are they anticipating that Jesus will answer? (That it is lawful. This will give them a basis to accuse Jesus.)

 

C.   Read Matthew 12:11. Jesus’ answer is to first ask the leaders a question. Is this a relevant question? (No, at least not obviously. Jesus asks about an emergency. The man with the withered hand was not an emergency. He could wait to be healed until after the Sabbath.)

 

D.   Read Matthew 12:12. What does this teach us about Jesus’ view of the Sabbath? (The emergency aspect of the sheep question is irrelevant. Jesus says humans are more valuable than sheep, you should do good to animals and humans on the Sabbath. Jesus teaches us that the Sabbath is about restoration.)

 

E.   Read Matthew 12:13-14. Compare the attitude of Jesus and the Jewish leaders when it comes to restoration. (Jesus restored on the Sabbath. The leaders plotted destruction on the Sabbath.)

 

F.   With this view of the Sabbath in mind, let’s go back and read Psalm 92:1-2. What are we singing about on Sabbath? (God’s love and faithfulness. This makes sense with the proper view of the Sabbath.)

 

G.   Read Psalm 92:4-6. While we wait for the Second Coming, what can we understand about Jesus that stupid people cannot? (God has great works and thoughts. The Jewish leaders’ understanding of the Sabbath was not deep enough. They did not understand that the day was for restoration.)

 

H.   Read Psalm 92:9-11. What should we keep in mind as we wait for Jesus’ return? (That God will win. We will win. Evil will be destroyed.)

 

1.   What should that make us do? What attitude should we have? (Since this is a Sabbath song, we should seek to restore the wicked. We need not doubt that we will be restored.)

 

I.   Read Psalm 92:12-15. What is your future? (You are not like the grass, you are like a great tree that will “flourish in the courts of our God.”)

 

J.   Read Psalm 30:5. Joy comes in the morning! Will you look forward with joy to your ultimate restoration?

 

K.   Friend, you don’t want to be defeated. You don’t want to burn. Why not rejoice now and later by choosing Jesus? Why not choose joy?