All saints

All Saints Day (Observed) A Victorious Heavenly Family Reunion Rev 7:9-17

Anybody catch that victory celebration downtown at the Civic Center this week?  I wasn't there personally, but caught it via television.  I can’t imagine being there in the middle of that crowd, but it looked like a great time.
 
Our reading from Revelation paints a picture similar to that Giants’ World Series celebration.  There are no people hanging off the light poles, but the Apostle John indeed gives us a little slice of heaven.  He describes his vision of a great multitude of people which no one could number.  This is our future.  You and I are in the middle of this crowd.  And unlike the celebration here in San Francisco, at the heavenly celebration you won’t need to jockey for position, suffer from dehydration, or wait anxiously in line to use the restroom.  John tells of a magnificent, victorious, heavenly family reunion.  All baptized believers past, present and future are in attendance.  Imagine the family photo!
 
An innumerable crowd.  Kind of reminds you of that promise God gave to Abraham, that his descendants would be like the sand on the seashore.  But we are not a part of this celebration because of our ethnic connection to Abraham but rather because of faith, on account of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God upon the cross.  The precious blood of the Lamb bought you and I and has made it possible for us to celebrate with baptized believers, from every tongue, tribe, and nation.  Every skin tone and language will be represented.  And though we may look different and sound different, we will all be united by the sacrifice of Christ,  standing before the throne, worshipping the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  You can take comfort that this "Lamb who sits on the throne" does not hold his position by means of electoral or popular vote.  He rules because He is God not because he was appointed by the populous.          
 
What a great celebration that will be.  All the saints, the ones made holy by Christ, will be there.  My great Grandpa Orlo and my great, great, great great grandpa Henry, also Martin Luther, the Apostle Paul, Peter, James and John, Abraham, David.  You name the saint and they are in attendance.
 
Also, those saints who have died more recently: Bill Silvera, Brigitte Wiel, Irene Kruger, and just this past Wednesday Rosemarie Arenz.  They too will be clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.  Remember Palm branches in the Bible?  Palm Sunday!  They were used in Jesus’ victory parade before he laid down his life upon the cross.  Palm branches are a sign of victory - like wearing the orange and black around here now of days – an indication that the battle has been won.  In life everlasting, the home team wears white – robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.  Christ’s blood cleanses and washes us.
 
What do we need to be washed and cleansed from?  The sin that so easily entangles as it says in Hebrews 12.  Let’s leave this heavenly image for a second and descend back to earth.  In the book of Revelation, we are given an heavenly vision, but our lives seem very right here and right now.  Very earthy, some times too much so.  What do we, now, have in common with this heavenly vision?  Our earthly family picture is often not as pretty as the heavenly family photo.  We bicker and fight.  We have hurt feelings and we hurt feelings.  We hear harsh words and we speak harsh words.  We think evil thoughts.  We suffer broken relationships, broken hearts.  We have lost loved ones.  The experience of sin in our lives can point us toward losing hope or losing faith.
 
Acts 14:22 says “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Pastor and professor Dr Louis Brighton says “Some tribulations and sufferings will be so piercing and poignant that the very faith and foundation of the believer’s hope will be severely tried, almost to the point of despair and defeat.  For that Christian at that moment, his sufferings and trials are his great tribulation and every Christian will experience tribulation.”

Often tribulations, and the tears that result, are a part of our experience as the faithful people of God while on this earth.
-we shed tears over our own sins and over the sins of others
- we shed tears over the ruin and sufferings experienced by others
- we shed tears over our own afflictions
- we shed tears when we are confronted with God’s anger
- we shed tears when we are alone and in sorrow
 
“In this life, the shedding of tears is as much – at times even more- our experience as Christians as are joy and laughter.  It is our nature as the people of God to weep and lament, but it is the gift of God’s grace to turn our weeping and sorrow into joy.  This picture of eternal glory in Rev 7:14 (quote) is for our comfort and for the comfort of all Christians of all times as we experience whatever tribulations test our faith”. It is a complete and final fulfillment of this God's promise.
 
“We Christian's do not have immunity from severe suffering, rather in our ‘tribulations’ we experience such sufferings and fears and threats to life and faith that the depth of our very souls will be scorched in fiery trial. We must acknowledge that loss of faith and damnation to hell are real possibilities.” But the Word of God can strengthen our faith so that, despite such a fiery trial, our faith will hold out, and we will come through victorious, perhaps even stronger.”
 
So we cry, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” as we cling to our baptism and to the Word of God.  But also, we know that our heads are not in the clouds and our minds are not on the sweet by and by, but rather we are in the here and now and you are in a particular place, the right place, mind you.  God’s place.  In life everlasting, we will serve God in His temple.  Now, we worship Him in His holy house here on earth.
 
In life everlasting, God will tabernacle with us, sheltering us with His presence, dwelling with us.  We also know that in the person of Jesus, Heaven and earth meet -  God became man, dwelling with us in human flesh.  He also comes to us now in the flesh, in His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.
 
You see, the church is not just a place to sing some songs and see friends and have some words spoken at you.  Here, right now, is where heaven and earth meet.  No less.  Accept nothing less.  There are a lot better clubs you can join if that what you're looking for.  But in this place, the Word you hear is the Word of Christ, His gospel for the forgiveness of your sins.  You are forgiven!  And the people next to you, to your right and to your left, in front of you and behind you are holy saints, sealed by the Spirit in the living waters of Baptism.  They are no mere mortals, but were created by God for eternity.
 
And those songs we sing.  It’s not just our voices singing but the whole heavenly host joins in.  Angels and Archangels.  David, Abraham, Paul Peter James and John, Bill, Irene, Brigitte Rose Marie and all Christians throughout the ages.  We join our voices together.
 
One day we will all be joined together - one big happy family.  The troubles of this life will be but a shadow, tears and pain a distant memory.  Savor this slice of heaven.  In fact, come to the altar and have a taste.  The heavenly feast awaits.  You are invited to the feast.  Enjoy the victory celebration. Amen