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Past Ponderings

Sunday, May 9, 2021

Mom, Do You Know You’re Loved? (Revelation 7:17)

 VIDEO

Mom, Do You Know You’re Loved? (Revelation 7:17)

GIST: Know that Jesus loves you extravagantly and let His love change yours.


    Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day! I want to admit something in opening here: Mother’s Day sermons are hard for me ☺. This is for a few reasons. First, I typically don’t veer away from our book study in fear of falling into some random “passage hunting” to fit a special occasion. I also don’t ever want to preach a Sunday sermon that seems geared only toward one group of people in our church and lets everyone else sort of slip into “day off mode” ☺. However, I realize Mother’s Day in particular comes with certain expectations, and those expectations come from a group of people we don’t want to disappoint ☺. Yet, I don’t feel comfortable at all taking what I’ve seen as the “standard approach” to Mother’s Day messages. I’m vastly underqualified to give mom’s advice on mothering ☺, and I would feel equally uncomfortable trying to take the broader approach of trying to tell you how to be a Christian woman...which could also just set me up for putting my foot in my mouth ☺. Therefore, I always try to take a Scripture-centered approach rather than a topic driven one to keep us grounded in God’s Word which can speak to all circumstances...and all of us. 

Now, all that being said, as I prayed through what passage to focus in on today, one kept popping up. It might not seem very Mother’s Day-ey, but it hits a truth we all need to hear, and I think I can say, without stepping out of my realm of expertise (limited though that is), that this is especially true for moms. I want us to look at Revelation 7:17. I know even mentioning the title of that book can bring up a lot of emotions in people because it’s popularly viewed as a hotly debated end times text. Hopefully someday soon we can walk through it together to take it in for what it actually is: a Revelation of Jesus Christ. The book is all about Him and what He is doing. In chapter 7, we’re given this absolutely beautiful picture of Jesus receiving His people in Heaven, and it’s in that context that we have this verse→ 


“["]17 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."”


    Beautiful passage, but why today? Here’s our gist for moms and for everybody else:  Know that Jesus loves you extravagantly and let His love change yours. Let’s break this down...and hopefully I can give all of the mother’s the gift they really want today— a short sermon!


I. Know That Jesus Loves You Extravagantly

    Truthfully, there is so much we could break down from this text. Today, I just want to focus in on how this one verse is packed with such vivid descriptions of Jesus’ love. I want to take five key words here to help illustrate this. First→ 

Lamb: Jesus Loves Us Enough To Sacrifice Himself. We talked about this at length just a few weeks back on Easter. Jesus coming as the Lamb of God is Jesus coming as the promised sacrifice. This points to His deliberate choice to come and take your place, to rescue you from the sin that is dragging you to Hell and cover you in His righteousness. He came to do what we never could because of His incredible, sacrificial love. 

He’s the Lamb of God who’s now reigning on His→ 

Throne: Jesus Loves Us Enough To Lead Us. This is pointing to His sovereignty, His power, His control. However, as we’ll see throughout this entire verse, that isn’t some kind of cold or distant leadership. It’s intimate and involved and compassionate. Leadership doesn’t always feel loving. In fact, even when we’re being led by love, sometimes we don’t like it. Any parent can tell you that children don’t always appreciate the hard decisions we have to make when trying to raise them, but that lack of appreciation doesn’t point to our lack of love...and we’re screwed up sinners. Jesus’ leadership is always just and always loving because… that’s who He is whether or not we appreciate it in the moment. 

    This ruling Lamb is also our→ 

Guiding Shepherd: Jesus Loves Us Enough To Bring Us To Truth. Here’s that intimacy again, right? Shepherds led by being with the flock. Their sheep knew their voice. Their sheep trusted their protection. Jesus came to guide us to His saving truth, to pull us from the snares and lies of this sin-tainted world and bring us to→ 

Living Water: Jesus Loves Us Enough To Bring Us Eternal Life. That water that never runs dry is a picture of eternity. He loves us enough to bring us Heaven. I know I say this often, but I think we’re so prone to forget this wasn’t a “given”. There’s no reason for us to just “go to Heaven” apart from Jesus loving us enough to bring us there. 

And if you doubt any of that love, I hope this last line helps hammer this home for you. He’s the ruling Lamb and guiding Shepherd who’s→ 

Wiping Tears: Jesus Loves Us Enough To Get Personally Involved. This is the part of the verse that drew me here first this week because when I think of a mother’s love, I think of tears being wiped. I’m a dad, and my kiddos do come to me when they’re hurting. However, who do kids, mine included, most often want when they’re crying? Mom. I’ve heard this explained a lot from pulpits as mom’s being the more comforting and compassionate...etc. Generally speaking, I think that’s probably true, but as a dad who genuinely loves comforting my kiddos, I know that’s more of a stereotype. Nonetheless, despite my desires to comfort my children when they’re hurting, they almost always end up in Melissa’s arms. You know why? Because even if I’m holding that baby, she’s not satisfied until she’s come and wiped those tears! She wants to see where it hurts, and she wants to personally make sure they’re ok. Praise the Lord for moms who are aggressively compassionate! 

And that’s the beauty in this picture. Not only will there be no more crying in Heaven, but there will be no more crying because the God who created you is personally going to be the one who wipes those tears. He’s not a distant Savior. He hears our prayers and wipes tears! That’s incredible love. 

That was the main truth I wanted to remind you of this morning. You’re loved by Jesus, so→ 


II. Let His Love Change How You Love  

    Loving can be exhausting. And moms, let me just talk to you a bit. I know we’re all asked to love people, but I know moms are asked to do this more often and in more tangible ways. People come to you, and not just little people, expecting you to wipe their tears and hoping you’re going to make it all better. You’re not Jesus. You can’t take away every hurt and make everything lastingly better, but you can experience His love and let that change how you look at loving everyone else. 

    Let remembering His love for you fuel your heart for loving those around you! Just look at that list again (and this is for all of us ☺).

Jesus Loves Us Enough To Sacrifice Himself, So Live Life Like It’s Not About You. Oh how our world loves to moan in self-pity and boast in personal victories no matter the cost. Lives transformed by Jesus’ love, won’t need that kind of vain validation.

Jesus Loves Us Enough To Lead Us, So Follow Him And Bring Others Along For The Ride! This is the heart of servant leadership. Step up and live boldly for Him, love those around you deeply, and be willing to lead them in His direction.

Jesus Loves Us Enough To Bring Us To Truth, So Make That Your Priority Too! Dig into His Word and be faithful to teach that to your family and friends. This doesn’t have to be formal instruction either (unless the opportunity presents itself!). Bring it up in conversation. Live it out in how you make decisions. Make sure people see that you’re not just a “good person”. You’re a Jesus person.

Jesus Loves Us Enough To Bring Us Eternal Life, So Rejoice & Live Like That’s Coming! Today might hurt, but this isn’t the end. Rejoice in that truth, and make sure the people around you know that too, so they have something worth rejoicing in. This one’s as hard for me as it is for you. Pray for each other. Pray that our witness is loving and bold.

Jesus Loves Us Enough To Get Personally Involved, So Wipe Tears. Listen like He listens. Care like He cares. Be willing to get your hands dirty like He does for you!


TAKEAWAYS

  1. Please never forget the reality of Jesus’ extravagant love for you. The God of the universe loves us enough to get personally involved and sacrifice Himself to lead us to the truth and give us access to eternity with Him. Again, when you enter Heaven, He’s the one who will wipe your tears. He’s not delegating that to anyone else.

  2. Let His love fuel yours! I’ll just run through this quickly again.

    • Jesus Loves Us Enough To Sacrifice Himself, So Live Life Like It’s Not About You.

    • Jesus Loves Us Enough To Lead Us, So Follow Him And Bring Others Along For The Ride! 

    • Jesus Loves Us Enough To Bring Us To Truth, So Make That Your Priority Too! 

    • Jesus Loves Us Enough To Bring Us Eternal Life, So Rejoice & Live Like That’s Coming! 

    • Jesus Loves Us Enough To Get Personally Involved, So Wipe Tears.

       


       

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