Kingdom Delegate

Delegates are like gold to a Presidential candidate. A Democratic candidate needs 2,383 of them to win the party nomination, and a Republican candidate needs 1237.  There’s lots of gold in New York.  Not so much in the Virgin Islands.

Most delegates are “pledged.” They are expected to cast a vote for the candidate who won their state’s support.  But of course, there are “super-delegates” (in the Democratic Party) who are free to vote anyway they wish, and could potentially swing the selection of a candidate at the convention.

The Lord’s church doesn’t have an official convention here on earth. Ok, so there are plenty of man-made conventions, but you won’t find one in the Bible.  A council meeting in Jerusalem is recorded, where leaders hashed out some Jew-Gentile controversies.  But that’s about it.

However, there will be a convention in heaven. It’s called a “wedding supper” in Revelation 19:9.  In the parables of Jesus it is foreshadowed as a “feast.”  Nice!  The Lord’s convention in heaven is going to have lots and lots of food!

Focus Larry. Focus.

Let’s go back to the delegate metaphor.

There will be lots of pledged delegates at the wedding supper. I am pretty sure the martyrs will be among them.  “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)

But will there be any super-delegates?

Alright, let digress for a moment. Obviously, we don’t need to wait until we get to heaven to nominate a leader.  Jesus is already King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  The victory has been won and our future is already settled.  Now let’s get back to the metaphor: super-delegates.

Can we wait until we see Jesus on the last day to declare our allegiance? Is so, then we can wait to see which way the wind blows, and go with the popular thinking of the moment.  As long as we say, “We want you Jesus!” on the last day, that’s good enough, right?

Ummm…not exactly.

In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Mat 7:21-23 NIV)  In other words, some will say, “Hey, we were always in your camp.  We just weren’t ready to follow your lead.  But now, we’re in Jesus!”

Nope.

Won’t work.

There are no super-delegates in the kingdom. Jesus needs followers who have pledged everything to Him.  Super-delegates are the “lukewarm” referenced in Revelation 3:16.  They won’t be at the feast because Jesus can’t stomach them.

Being pledged to Jesus has its struggles, especially when our platform goes against societal trends, or when people reject our King.  But the convention is coming. And when it does, we will definitely want to be among the pledged.

“Mister Angel, the church casts all of its votes for the Lamb, slain for our sins.”

Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’  (Revelation 19:9)