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“The Wisdom of the Elders” · Belin Memorial UMC

• Sanctuary 10 01 26: New Testament reading comes from the book of Revelation in the seventh chapter. After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood around. The throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, singing, Amen, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be to our God for ever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, Who are these robed in white, and where have they come from? I said to him, Sir, you are the one that knows. Then he said to me, These are they who have come out of the great ordeal. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more. The sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of water of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. I spent some time with elders this week. Not the elders of the revelation. There are just twenty four of those. I was with forty some elders this week. We went on a trip to Georgia. the 24 elders in Revelation, I was impressed by these. These were impressive people. They kept up with the itinerary, were punctual, compassionate, cooperative, helpful, faithful, funny. They were curious and ambitious. So much so that when our savannah guide promised a half-mile tour. That turned out to be half a mile between each of the five stops, most of them made it. Most of them. Not everyone. After a couple of those stops, a few in our group decided they had enough. They stopped. Then, because elders do have a mind of their own, suddenly two of those that had stopped just started again. They decided they could do it after all, and off they went. And I had remained with the ones who had stopped in the back, so I had to tell them I'm gonna check on them, because they who had gone ahead missed that the turn was coming up and were going on too far. When elders want to, they can move. I finally caught them. I'm pretty sure they all made it back. They will have tracking devices on them next time. So we're here now. without too many scrapes and having avoided a full on apocalypse. The elders in John's Revelation were part of a full-on apocalypse. One of them helped John understand it, helped him to see, which is actually what an apocalypse is all about. An apocalypse doesn't have to be frightening, cataclysmic, something we want to avoid. There are elements of that in the book of Revelation, but the word apocalypse just means unveiling, revealing. It's a revelation of what has been, what is, and what will be. Some read Revelation as an itinerary of what is to come, trying as best they can to tie each symbol to something that conveniently is happening or likely to happen within the span of the lives who just of those who just might buy their books. No one in the 1800s thought to write a book about how the symbols point to 2026. Because who in 1876 will be alarmed enough to buy a book about something that might happen 150 years later? Which is not to say that the message is not for every generation. It is. The problem with those who want to sell books to one generation is that they make the apocalypse so narrow as to be absurd. Rather than share what John saw, which is a warning, a call to action. And a word of hope for people of every generation. John enters this vision of heaven, and he's shown people surrounding God's throne more than anyone could count, from all over, all types, drawn in by their shepherd, who is also the Lamb. The Lamb, who John says in Revelation 5:6, stands as if it had been slaughtered. The sacrificial Yet resurrected Lamb is standing there bringing the mass of humanity to sing God's praises and to know the peace that they had longed for. They had longed for peace. Because this mass had been through it. They had hungered, thirsted, needed shelter. And the God who is at the center of the throne, the one worthy of their continual praise, the one surrounded by the singing of angels and elders and four living creatures and all those robed in white, is the same God whose heart is to serve and heal and provide. The warning of Revelation is to not let people, whatever the generation, whatever the location, however charismatic, however frightened, to not let anyone steer you away from obedience to the God who will guide you to the water of life. The God who is rightfully at the center of the throne, yet willing to come and wipe away every tear from the faithful's eyes. That can't be for just one time in history. That can't be for just one location in the world. That can't be limited because this God is beyond limits and is deserving of far more praise than 144,000 voices that some suggest is the capacity of heaven. You've heard even today that the number That will be joined together in heaven is far greater than that. There were more arriving in Revelation than anyone could count, coming from all over, speaking all kinds of languages, looking all kinds of ways. Besides, far more than one hundred and forty-four thousand of God's children have hungered and thirsted and needed shelter. More than we know have suffered for their faith. Some wounded, some killed for believing Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Suffered for believing He is the one and only true King that no earthly King can compare. Suffered for believing Jesus and his way are the way worthy of complete devotion, no matter the social, financial, or political costs. More of these than anyone could count were making their way toward God. And as John was overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of heaven, an elder, one of the twenty-four who surround the throne of God, that serve as God's counsel, that cast their crowns before the throne, singing, You are worthy our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. One of those elders came alongside John, a saucer-eyed John, and asked about the throngs of people, Who are these robed in white? And where have they come from? I love the wisdom of the elders those who are part of our group this week any who are attentive and caring and paying attention to what others might need rather than merely fulfilling their own desire to be known for knowing something. How easily the elder in the Revelation story could have approached John. Boy, let me tell you what you're seeing. Instead, he gave John the opportunity to share what he was seeing. and to acknowledge what he was not understanding. Which meant they could have a relationship that would be impossible if it was only, I'll tell you what you need to know. Their elders on this roll of remembrance who had seen much, experienced much, learned much, suffered some, helped alleviate the suffering of some. Yet many Who could have said to me, Let me tell you what you're seeing, boy? Instead had the grace to ask, What do you see? What does this mean to you? What do you think is the way forward? And the times when I was wise enough to ask them, please tell me what you see. What your experiences taught you? Would you go? The relationship went to a deeper level, and we had a conversation that revealed more than any conversation could ever reveal if it came from just one person thinking he had all the answers. Here's an answer the elder had for John. And those robed in white have for believers across the world and throughout time, and these saints have for us. Here is their wisdom, whether in the ordeal or having come through it. Same. Whether you're in the ordeal or having come through it, sing. If you are wise enough to ask, how do we survive the brokenness of our lives and the brokenness of the world? How do we remain faithful to Jesus when so much tempts us to put our faith in people and things that are not of God? The wise say sing. Sing what the elders sing. You are worthy, O Lord, our Lord and God, to receive glory and power and honor. Sing what those robed in white, the multitude from every nation sing. Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb. Sing, not because you made it through the ordeal, but because you know the one who will get you through it. Those robed in white did not learn the truth of the lyrics after they came through the ordeal. They knew the truth while they were in it, and that is how they got through it. While they were struggling, they sang of and they sang to the God who is their salvation. And this list is filled with elders who did the same. Some whose failing bodies made it tremendously challenging for them to sing God's praises and hear, yet rose to the challenge and showed up anyway. Others joined us worshiping and singing online. Some whose struggles were significant never failed reas to find reasons to praise and thank God. Some who recognized our heavy hearts at their condition made it their goal to make us smile and laugh with them, while others sought to make their assurance and their peace become ours. These aren't saints because they lived perfect lives. No role of remembrance includes those names. These are saints because they know from whom their salvation comes. And they know to sing God's praises wherever they are in the ordeal. And they have the wisdom to understand that they alone did not have all they needed. Thank God they had you. Thank God you had them. And thank God they and you are had by God, the one to whom our salvation belongs. The one who possesses blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, the one who they now praise forever. Amen.