1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,000 So that song, Who is Worthy to Open the Scroll, that's where we find ourselves in chapter 2 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:14,680 four and five in a very interesting place. 3 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:22,640 But before we dive in, the last time you found yourself in awe of God, anyone that wants 4 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:27,600 to share, a couple people, when was the last time that you just kind of sat in a place 5 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,960 of awe and wonder? 6 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:32,920 Anybody? 7 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:38,440 In prayer, okay, yeah, a lot of times, right, God meets us in those prayers, absolutely. 8 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:39,440 Others? 9 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,480 Listening to music, a big amen to that. 10 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:48,320 That's one way that the Lord really engages my heart is through music, absolutely. 11 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:49,800 Yeah. 12 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:55,560 Over here, Randy. 13 00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:01,840 And you hear the bells chime for baptisms in professions, absolutely, absolutely. 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:02,840 Others? 15 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:08,840 NICU babies, right, so this coming from a NICU nurse, right, absolutely. 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:10,440 Someone said something over here? 17 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,880 Oh, just babies, just babies in general. 18 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:15,880 Okay. 19 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:20,360 The moon, it was really cool a couple weeks ago, but not since then. 20 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,240 But no, okay, that's fair. 21 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,640 The moon, nature, absolutely. 22 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:26,720 Some more. 23 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:33,640 Sleeping, okay, the Lord connects with you while you're sleeping, okay. 24 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:34,640 Any others? 25 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:41,000 A pond, so just nature, just kind of serenity is when the Lord meets with you. 26 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:45,360 I don't know too many people that get met, you know, at a 4th of July parade, right, 27 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,680 that all of a sudden you just feel that of the Lord, right, because there's a lot going 28 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:50,520 on, but a nice pond. 29 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,680 So nature plays a giant role. 30 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,480 I've said this before, right, I don't know too many people that get up to the Grand Canyon, 31 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,800 right, and just look at it and go, that's cute. 32 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:06,400 Right, no, I mean there's something, there's something awe and wonder this next summer. 33 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,960 We're gonna take the boys and do some national parks. 34 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:15,760 And so I know we're gonna see some just creation that God created, right, and just be like, 35 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,880 man, we are not in Indiana anymore. 36 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:23,960 That this is just, there's awe and wonder to a lot of creation, but for me, it was the 37 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,120 birth of my three boys. 38 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:32,120 That there was in that moment, just looking at them on the warming, it's a warming container, 39 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,120 is that what it is, what is that called? 40 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:36,120 Care. 41 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,200 Incubator, thank you, or just warming thing. 42 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:39,800 They were being warmed, I don't know. 43 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:48,640 But I just was looking at them and it was the Lord meeting me in excitement, in terror, 44 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:50,320 and just kinda D all the above. 45 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,880 It was a very spiritual moment for me, right, and maybe you found that with the birth of 46 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:58,560 your children or grandchildren, but where we're gonna find ourselves today is a very 47 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,720 different place of awe and wonder. 48 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,480 Because as we've talked about, this is the end. 49 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,280 This isn't creation, we're not in Genesis. 50 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:12,040 This isn't the historical books. 51 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,040 This isn't even Jesus on earth in the gospels. 52 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:17,640 This is the end. 53 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:24,680 This is where we are going to find ourselves, whether anytime we're here bodily on earth 54 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:29,360 or we'll already be in glory, but this is the end, the alpha. 55 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:33,120 This is the omega, the beginning, the end. 56 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:39,400 And the first where we have to just kinda camp is the throne room of God, right? 57 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,480 This is heaven's throne room. 58 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:47,040 This vision of the heavenly throne room in Revelation 4 and 5 are gonna focus on God's 59 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:53,400 sovereignty in Christ's worthiness as the lamb who was slain, as Evan talked about. 60 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:59,840 This passage exalts God's reign over all creation, and we're going to see the centrality of Christ's 61 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:06,360 work of redemption, and this passage will emphasize the atoning work and the triumphant 62 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,520 work of Christ. 63 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,520 So throne room, what does that mean? 64 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:17,840 When you think in 2024, we don't think of throne rooms anymore because we don't live 65 00:04:17,840 --> 00:04:19,560 where there's a king, right? 66 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:25,560 That the throne room in medieval times and times when there were kings and queens, it 67 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,240 was a very sacred place. 68 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,880 Not just anybody could go into the throne room. 69 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:37,240 You had to either be invited in, brought in to very different things, or you were part 70 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:43,800 of the magistrate, you were part of the king's inner circle. 71 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,520 All those hold true in this passage. 72 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:52,680 In Jewish culture, the vision of the heavenly throne room in Revelation draws on imagery 73 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:55,960 of the Jewish temple and the tabernacle. 74 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:01,520 An ancient Jewish understanding, the inner sanctum of the temple, or the holy of holies, 75 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:06,480 was seen as the earthly representation of God's heavenly throne. 76 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,520 This parallels John's vision where God is seated on that throne and he's ruling from 77 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,600 heaven showing a continuity of the Old Testament worship practices. 78 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:21,680 But Isaiah, we're going to stand a little bit on what Isaiah did when it came to Isaiah's 79 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,400 vision of God's throne. 80 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:31,280 Because Revelation 4 echoes back to Isaiah chapter 6 where Isaiah sees the Lord sitting 81 00:05:31,280 --> 00:05:34,960 upon a throne high and lifted up. 82 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:41,760 This depiction of the heavenly beings crying out, holy, holy, holy, ties to Revelation 83 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:48,200 as the prophecy of this throne room and what God is going to do in it. 84 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:53,440 So the vision and the heavenly throne room is now going to be engaged by John. 85 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,000 So the first section is verses 1 to 11. 86 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:02,320 I'm going to read verses 1 and 2 of chapter 4. 87 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:10,320 After this, so after the letters, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. 88 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:15,720 And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, come up here and 89 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:21,040 I will show you what must take place after this. 90 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:29,040 At once I was in the spirit and behold a throne room in heaven with one seated on the throne. 91 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:33,160 So what's interesting is you have the door. 92 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:36,320 You have this door to heaven, this vision now. 93 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:43,380 Notice how John is in the spirit for a cup of coffee and for lunch and a conversation 94 00:06:43,380 --> 00:06:44,980 with Pastor Jim. 95 00:06:44,980 --> 00:06:51,680 Where is one of the only other times we see that being used for moving from a person from 96 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:54,440 one place to another? 97 00:06:54,440 --> 00:07:00,160 That they were caught up in the spirit, that the spirit is the one doing the moving. 98 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:01,960 Huh? 99 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,120 Nope. 100 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,320 Nope. 101 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,840 Nope. 102 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:12,480 Stephen, close. 103 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:13,480 Close. 104 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:17,160 We haven't ordered yet, but we're sitting there. 105 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,680 No. 106 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:25,160 Oh, you're right there. 107 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:26,160 You're a staff member. 108 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,520 You already get lunch. 109 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:31,400 Someone pivot off Evan and you're in seminary now. 110 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:37,720 So actually for a public announcement, Evan, you're not allowed to answer any questions 111 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:42,000 anymore. 112 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:46,480 So Evan said baptism and we're right there. 113 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,720 What happened after that? 114 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,800 Now it's been downgraded to coffee. 115 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:52,520 Yes, it's been downgraded to coffee. 116 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:56,200 The spirit drove Jesus to the wilderness. 117 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:02,680 So the spirit, this is very spirit like to bring people into this new reality going from 118 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,040 Jesus' baptism to the wilderness, whole another sermon series. 119 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,040 But now John is caught up in the spirit and he sees this door. 120 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,400 And John is invited, think about this. 121 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:22,300 John is invited to come up to see things from a heavenly perspective. 122 00:08:22,300 --> 00:08:24,280 That gets me right here. 123 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:28,660 Because as a pastor, I'm supposed to think of things and look at things from a heavenly 124 00:08:28,660 --> 00:08:31,160 perspective, but it's really hard. 125 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,680 It's really hard because of just who I am. 126 00:08:33,680 --> 00:08:39,440 And to look at things from a heavenly perspective is a signal shift that we're going from earth 127 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,360 now to heaven itself. 128 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:48,880 And to be able to get, that John's being able to give, be given that perspective. 129 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,240 Things have to change. 130 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,400 Life will never be quote unquote the same. 131 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,960 It's one of the reasons why Adam and Eve were not allowed back into the garden. 132 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,600 It's another reason why when we go to heaven we stay there. 133 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,680 Because we are in the place of absolute perfection. 134 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:10,760 We are in a place that has only been described by the Bible, by Ray Bolt songs and all of 135 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,680 these other things of what we think heaven will be like. 136 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:22,260 But we never think about that when we get there, the perspective, the mind we will have, 137 00:09:22,260 --> 00:09:27,120 the heart we will have is completely different. 138 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,780 It has been glorified. 139 00:09:29,780 --> 00:09:35,400 Because our bodies will be glorified, our minds, our hearts, our spirits will be glorified. 140 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,400 We have absolutely no idea what that's like here. 141 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:44,040 So as we go through these next couple weeks, that is the perspective that John is not only 142 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,800 being given, but that John takes as he writes. 143 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,800 That he's looking at things from a heavenly perspective. 144 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:59,080 The open door shows the access of this divine vision of God's kind of initiative in the 145 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:05,040 book of Revelation to really extend his sovereign grace. 146 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:13,360 I can only imagine the comfort, the comfort that John got when he was up there. 147 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:17,100 The comfort that John got from a heavenly perspective. 148 00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:23,080 Because a heavenly perspective should be a perspective of comfort, a perspective of peace. 149 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:27,840 Because that's what we are going to live in when we get up there. 150 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:31,920 Now the historical context, one of the things we have to look at whenever we look at all 151 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:37,220 these kind of symbology of the book of Revelation is that during John's time, emperors were 152 00:10:37,220 --> 00:10:45,560 often depicted enthroned in power with their authority seen as divinely given. 153 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:51,960 John's vision contrasts this, showing the true authority resides in God alone. 154 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:57,600 This reflects a theological challenge to the political claims of Rome. 155 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:02,160 Saying that God's kingdom is not of this world. 156 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:05,040 Keep that nugget, keep that here. 157 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:09,960 If we go to Ezekiel 1, it describes a vision of heaven and God's throne. 158 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:19,000 Both visions, that one and Isaiah, emphasize a transcendental majesty of God as supreme 159 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:24,640 control over all creation. 160 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:29,560 And I think that that's, I want to pause there for a minute, because if I'm John, I've walked 161 00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:38,120 with Jesus, I'm there at his death, I am there with his resurrection, I see him, I'm there 162 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:39,960 at his ascension. 163 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:48,240 John has first hand knowledge, first hand experience with the death of the savior of 164 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,960 the world, him rising from the dead and ascending into heaven. 165 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,840 So John has a perspective none of us have. 166 00:11:54,840 --> 00:12:01,240 We take it on authority, we take it because we can, that it's true that there's been eye 167 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:05,960 witnesses to this, but we take it, if we're being honest, on faith. 168 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:11,240 John is being brought into a reality that Christ had talked about, Christ had taught 169 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:17,720 about, and he is now seeing it face to face. 170 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:19,180 So there's a throne. 171 00:12:19,180 --> 00:12:24,920 He's brought in to see a throne where God seated, is seated upon it. 172 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:30,120 This is symbolizing God's absolute authority and sovereignty over everything. 173 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:36,320 The descriptions of Jasper and Carlinian as later in the text, emphasizes God's holiness 174 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:38,080 and his majesty. 175 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:43,960 This image of the throne underscores that God alone rules the universe with complete 176 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:48,200 sovereignty and nothing happens outside of his will. 177 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:54,040 The reason why we're hammering on this is because what's going to come? 178 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,800 Because there's going to be a problem, because there's going to be a battle, because there's 179 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:02,120 going to be an evil, because there's going to be all of these things that are going to 180 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:11,880 try to derail the final act of the world and John is being told from the beginning, I've 181 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:13,560 got this. 182 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:17,520 I am the one standing on the throne of thrones. 183 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:25,360 King of kings, Lord of lords, sovereignty of all sovereignty, I got this. 184 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:31,240 I'm starting to see why John would be comforted in this place, in this vision. 185 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:36,360 His scriptural point, Psalm 103.19, the Lord has established his throne in the heavens 186 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:38,620 and his kingdom rules over all. 187 00:13:38,620 --> 00:13:44,600 This Psalm emphasizes God's sovereignty, echoing the vision in Revelation 4 where the throne 188 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:48,600 is the center of all creation. 189 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:50,680 Right now we go to worship. 190 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:54,880 From there we go to worship in verses 8 through 11. 191 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,400 Now, like I said last week, it's going to get a little weird. 192 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:03,760 We're going to see some things and the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, 193 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:07,120 are full of eyes all around and within. 194 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:13,760 Day and night they never cease to say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was 195 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,320 and is and is to come. 196 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:21,120 And wherever the living creature gives glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated 197 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:28,120 on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before him who is 198 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:33,200 seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. 199 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:39,280 They cast their crowns before the throne saying, worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive 200 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:42,500 glory and honor and power. 201 00:14:42,500 --> 00:14:49,800 For you created all things and by your will they existed and were created. 202 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,320 Time out. 203 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:58,520 How many of you have ever gone into a service mid-worship? 204 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,360 I'm not asking if you're always late to church. 205 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,160 That's not my question. 206 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,600 But if you've gone into a service, some of you, Rosemary, and if you've gone into a service 207 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:11,620 mid-worship, it can be a little strange because in worship there kind of seems to be an on 208 00:15:11,620 --> 00:15:15,920 ramp and an off ramp in the way that we do service here on Sunday mornings. 209 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:20,040 That we have worship that leads to things, that leads to this, that kind of get us back 210 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:24,560 hopefully about an hour and 10, we're done and we're gone. 211 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:30,080 There's a, again, on ramps, off ramps, starts and stops to worship. 212 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:36,200 And understand that you come in mid-song, you come in song one or two of a three song 213 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:41,480 set, it might be hard to kind of engage unless they're playing a song that you love and you 214 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:43,080 immediately can get in there. 215 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,540 It's almost like we kind of got to get warmed up for worship. 216 00:15:46,540 --> 00:15:49,800 Think about what John is walking into. 217 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,840 This is not worship at Munster Church. 218 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,320 This is not worship at First PCA. 219 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,800 This is not worship of Faith Church or St. Paul's Lutheran. 220 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,640 This is very, very different. 221 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:04,240 And it starts right off the bat. 222 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:11,040 The four living creatures, each of them with six wings, the dream, starting to sound like 223 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:15,440 a nightmare, full of eyes all around and within. 224 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,600 What does that even mean? 225 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:22,680 And they never cease to say, holy, holy, holy. 226 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:24,200 So what are these four creatures? 227 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:29,200 Well, the four creatures represent creation. 228 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:34,680 That all creation worship God, that worship God continuously. 229 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:41,440 They symbolize God's completeness in the way that he is to be worshiped. 230 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:47,920 Some of us, we're starting to bind a little bit because we're being told what to do. 231 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,860 And if we're being honest this morning, there are some people here, I know you don't like 232 00:16:52,860 --> 00:16:54,280 to be told what to do. 233 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:55,280 Why? 234 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:57,800 Because I've had to tell you to do stuff before. 235 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:02,560 And I know you don't like it for whatever reason, but we as a culture, we don't like 236 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,160 to be told what to do. 237 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,720 There's something that we kind of buck against. 238 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:11,440 We find friction in it. 239 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:14,760 We're our own people, don't tell us what to do. 240 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:22,240 All of those things here, not only are we being directed and told, this is the expectation 241 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:23,240 of heaven. 242 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,200 Have you ever thought about that? 243 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:33,040 That the expectation of heaven is worship. 244 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:41,960 And for all of you here that don't like singing, yeah, let that feel a little awkward. 245 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,040 That's what we're gonna do. 246 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:47,160 Why wouldn't we do that? 247 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:56,360 Oh, pastor, so for eternity all we're gonna do is sing to the creator of creations? 248 00:17:56,360 --> 00:17:58,560 Yeah, it's right here. 249 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:04,280 Oh, what about when the bears are on? 250 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:10,200 Trust me, the bears are not in heaven. 251 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,920 That is not my judgment of their season so far. 252 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:17,120 That is just what it is. 253 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:24,360 Understand that a revelation, heavenly perspective is nothing about how we think about our day 254 00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:26,120 to day. 255 00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:33,720 You think about the transition you go through from death to new life in glory. 256 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,960 You think about the loved ones that we've lost. 257 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:40,400 Maybe even this week, sorry, actor off, but it's right there. 258 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:45,920 You think about Jeff going to sleep on that day and waking up in glory. 259 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:51,960 Waking up to this and this is the goal. 260 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:58,040 But here's gonna be an earthly slider. 261 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,760 Some of us are like, that's it? 262 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:05,400 And some of you are dealing with disappointment right now. 263 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:11,640 You gotta get to that perspective and I struggle with it too because there's so much here. 264 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:18,560 There's so many symbols and ideologies and worship and God centered things that I go, 265 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,960 it's a little much. 266 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:23,200 This is it. 267 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:24,900 This is the goal. 268 00:19:24,900 --> 00:19:30,380 This is where we're all going to go, those that are in Christ. 269 00:19:30,380 --> 00:19:31,380 How do we know? 270 00:19:31,380 --> 00:19:38,040 The 24 elders representing the 12 tribes of Israel, Israel, I can say that word, 12 apostles 271 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:44,080 symbolizing the completeness of God's people. 272 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:51,260 The phrase holy, holy, holy echoes Isaiah 6-3 highlighting God's absolute holiness. 273 00:19:51,260 --> 00:19:57,360 The elders cast down their crowns before the throne acknowledging that all glory belongs 274 00:19:57,360 --> 00:20:02,500 to God alone. 275 00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:09,360 The climax of this chapter is found in verse 11, worthy are you our Lord and God to receive 276 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:16,640 glory and honor and power for you created all things. 277 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:22,520 This declaration of God as creator affirms not only God's sovereignty but his sovereignty 278 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,560 extended to creation. 279 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:30,040 That God's sovereignty falls on the just and the unjust. 280 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:36,520 His grace is extended to the world. 281 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:42,620 From the Old Testament to the New Testament is under God's authority. 282 00:20:42,620 --> 00:20:45,760 We see the number 12, number of completeness in the Bible. 283 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:52,880 We see that doubled signified the totality of not only God's people but God's love, complete 284 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,360 love for you and me. 285 00:20:56,360 --> 00:21:02,520 Because you have the 12 tribes that were divided up, benihonored by God himself in the Old 286 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:09,440 Testament to the 12 disciples called by Jesus, you know the top scholars, the first class 287 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:17,880 at Disciple School at MIT, no to tax collectors, to fishermen, to your average Joe and Jane 288 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:19,520 church goer. 289 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:26,840 He has called them and he has completed them in him. 290 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:30,720 Why are we doubling down so much on who Jesus is? 291 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,300 Because the next weeks we're going to need him. 292 00:21:33,300 --> 00:21:39,120 We're going to need Jesus to step in because the stuff that's going to go down in the coming 293 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:45,680 chapters we will not be able to get through ourselves. 294 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:51,960 So the worthiness of the lamb, that is chapter 5, the 14 verses we're going to read first 295 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:52,960 1-4. 296 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:59,080 Then I saw, if that wasn't enough, then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated 297 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:07,080 on the throne a scroll written within and on the back sealed with seven seals. 298 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:12,640 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll 299 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:13,920 and break the seals? 300 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:15,200 We just sang that. 301 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:20,280 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to 302 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,040 look into it. 303 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:29,440 And I, John, began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll 304 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:34,540 or to look into it. 305 00:22:34,540 --> 00:22:37,880 So right away we see a problem, that there's an issue. 306 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:39,160 What is this scroll? 307 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:40,260 What is going to happen? 308 00:22:40,260 --> 00:22:42,960 Why can't John do this? 309 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,520 John was given the title, the disciple that Jesus loved. 310 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:49,320 Why couldn't he break the scroll? 311 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:52,720 Why couldn't he be a part of the solution? 312 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:58,160 Chapter 5, John sees a scroll in God's right hand sealed with seven seals. 313 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:06,800 The scroll represents God's plan for history, his decrees of judgment and salvation. 314 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:11,240 So then the problem arises, who can open it? 315 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:12,520 Who can open the scroll? 316 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:16,160 Who is worthy enough to open the scroll? 317 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:20,560 But no one in heaven and on earth, above or below the earth, isn't that interesting? 318 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:24,440 We read that in the beginning of the Ten Commandments. 319 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,640 That was God designed all of that. 320 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:32,540 He even on Mount Sinai is saying, I am the one doing all of this. 321 00:23:32,540 --> 00:23:36,980 If you don't have an understanding of God's sovereignty at this point, I don't think you 322 00:23:36,980 --> 00:23:38,440 know what it is. 323 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,800 Or in this may hurt, you don't want it. 324 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,920 You go, I need a little of my own sovereignty to make this thing work. 325 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:51,120 No, you don't because nobody was worthy. 326 00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:53,640 I've been to church my whole life. 327 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:55,160 I did catechism. 328 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:56,280 I did Sunday school. 329 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:57,520 I even taught it. 330 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:00,000 Great, you can't open the seals. 331 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,400 You can't break the seals and open the scroll. 332 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:03,400 I'm looking in the mirror. 333 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:05,040 I pastor. 334 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:06,760 I can't open it. 335 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:08,600 I help lead in a denomination. 336 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,360 I can't do that. 337 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:17,120 Nobody can do it. 338 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:19,880 What we need to understand here, Ezekiel helps us. 339 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:24,960 Ezekiel 2, Ezekiel also sees the scroll written on both sides symbolizing God's message for 340 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,280 his people. 341 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:31,680 The imagery of the scroll in both Ezekiel and Revelation emphasize God's revelation 342 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:38,840 that it's comprehensive and cannot be fully understood or enacted by anyone except the 343 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:45,440 one who he alone, God, appoints and that is who? 344 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,040 Jesus, the worthy lamb. 345 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:50,840 Verses 5 and 6. 346 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:53,440 And one of the elders said to me, weep no more. 347 00:24:53,440 --> 00:25:00,240 Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered so that he can 348 00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:03,500 open the scroll and its seven seals. 349 00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:08,600 And between the throne and the four living creatures and amongst the elders I saw a lamb 350 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:14,920 standing as though it had been slain with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are 351 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:19,360 the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 352 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:24,240 Told you it was gonna get weird. 353 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:30,520 One of the elders comforts John by pointing to the lion of the tribe of Judah, a messianic 354 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:39,400 title, messianic, obviously, messiah, capital M. But when John looks, he sees not a lion 355 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,400 but a lamb standing as though it had been slain. 356 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:50,640 The lamb is Christ who through his sacrificial death has conquered death itself. 357 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,960 So let's do a time out here. 358 00:25:52,960 --> 00:26:00,040 John's with Jesus, three and a half years teaching, healing, doing all the things. 359 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:01,640 Gets killed on a cross. 360 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:03,960 Gets put in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. 361 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,480 Three days later, rise again, shows himself. 362 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:07,480 They're all scared in a room. 363 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,440 He comes and then he ascends into heaven. 364 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:13,800 John is there at Pentecost, right? 365 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:15,920 He sees the start of the church. 366 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:20,140 But let's ask a simple question. 367 00:26:20,140 --> 00:26:26,720 Outside of the fear of the Romans, outside of the political pressures, let's say four 368 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:33,040 days after Jesus rises from the dead, let's just call it a Wednesday, okay? 369 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,120 Is life really different for John? 370 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:38,520 Does he get to see the culmination of any of this? 371 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:39,720 I've always thought about this. 372 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:44,840 That, okay, you see Jesus, he does, you know, Thomas touches the hands, you know, the holes 373 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:46,920 in the hands, touches his side. 374 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:50,440 But then like, what is the next day like? 375 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:51,800 You think about that. 376 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:56,040 I think about that usually a day or two after Easter, like we have this huge, wonderful 377 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:57,040 service. 378 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:58,360 We sing some amazing songs. 379 00:26:58,360 --> 00:27:01,840 We praise that death has been conquered. 380 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:04,320 Jesus, yay, all of these things. 381 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,000 But then like Wednesday comes. 382 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,680 And like, oh yeah, Easter was a couple days ago. 383 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:11,080 But think about disciples. 384 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:14,760 Granted, their life was on the line, so they'd had it a little bit different than us, or 385 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:15,900 a lot of different. 386 00:27:15,900 --> 00:27:19,000 And understand, he never saw any of this. 387 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,440 Like Jesus didn't come like this. 388 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,920 But he's coming this way now. 389 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,080 And John is just kind of taking it in. 390 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:34,440 To me, it's phenomenal in kind of a mind-blowing sense that what John is experiencing is Jesus's 391 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:40,480 Messianic promises of the end times. 392 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:45,360 The Lamb's worthiness comes from his work of redemption, his atonement, his work on 393 00:27:45,360 --> 00:27:47,120 the cross. 394 00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:54,360 He alone is worthy because he is the one that atoned for the sins of the world through his 395 00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:55,360 blood. 396 00:27:55,360 --> 00:28:00,040 Historical context, what people in first century would be, or second century would be reading, 397 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:05,280 that the imagery of Christ as a lamb draws on to Passover, the Passover lamb. 398 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:08,160 The lamb was sacrificed to protect the people of Israel. 399 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,120 Do you see how it's all starting to come together? 400 00:28:11,120 --> 00:28:16,280 So what do you do with that? 401 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:17,280 He's worthy, he's going to do this. 402 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:20,240 He's going to break these seals, he's going to read the scrolls, so what are we going 403 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:21,240 to do? 404 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:25,400 Some of us are like, okay, the battle's on, evil's coming, let's go. 405 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,800 Some of you are like, I have no idea, I'm just going to hide because I can't handle 406 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:29,800 it. 407 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:30,800 No, what are we going to do? 408 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:31,800 We're going to worship. 409 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:32,800 Did I hear groans? 410 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,880 I may have just heard a couple of groans, like more worship? 411 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:38,200 Oh my heavens. 412 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,280 You need to get to a heavenly perspective on this. 413 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,400 9 through 13. 414 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:47,440 And they sang a new song, okay, so there's a playlist here. 415 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:53,240 They sang a new song saying, worthy are you to take the scroll and open its seals, for 416 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:59,320 you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language 417 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:01,080 and people and nation. 418 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:07,520 And you have made them a kingdom and a priest to our God and they shall reign on earth. 419 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:12,440 Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the 420 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,000 voice of many angels. 421 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:18,960 Now we enter angels into this. 422 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:23,920 Numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy 423 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:29,840 is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor 424 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,800 and glory and blessing. 425 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:37,600 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and 426 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:43,920 all of them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be blessing and honor 427 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,580 and glory forever and ever. 428 00:29:47,580 --> 00:29:52,060 So more worship and now more get brought into it. 429 00:29:52,060 --> 00:29:55,760 When do we see a host of angels in the gospels? 430 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,520 Birth, the shepherds, right? 431 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,360 Heralding Jesus coming as a baby. 432 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:04,280 Jesus ain't no baby anymore. 433 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:05,400 He's not coming that way. 434 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,440 We covered that in the first sermon. 435 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:16,360 They are bringing, they are worshiping the lamb who takes the scroll and heaven erupts 436 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:17,360 with worship. 437 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:23,400 So what does that mean for us in 2024? 438 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:28,600 When we go through things in life and we feel Jesus just kind of come on in and bring us 439 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:33,200 through it, what is the response? 440 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:38,920 Worship, thankfulness, praise, adoration. 441 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:44,680 Worthy are you to take the scroll or worthy are you to see my marriage restored or worthy 442 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:49,440 are you that that relationship with that coworker has now been made whole? 443 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:54,780 Worthy are you when we sit down at the table of reconciliation? 444 00:30:54,780 --> 00:30:58,080 Worthy are you as we celebrate another year of birth? 445 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:03,960 Worthy are you, worthy are you, worthy are you. 446 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:11,380 It puts everything on Christ where it's supposed to be. 447 00:31:11,380 --> 00:31:16,000 Verse 11 and 12, myriads of angels and all creation worshiping the lamb, declaring these 448 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,100 things. 449 00:31:18,100 --> 00:31:24,880 This worship is in response of Christ's redemptive work, underscoring that all creation, and 450 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:33,720 I'll close on this, all creation exists to glorify God and the lamb. 451 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,320 Let me say that again. 452 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:48,040 All your creation, all, every aspect of your life, my life, Munster Church's life, all 453 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:54,400 of it exists to glorify God and the lamb. 454 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:59,280 Verse two, Paul writes that God has exalted Christ and given him the name above every 455 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:00,280 name. 456 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:07,280 Revelation five's universal worship of the lamb fulfills that scriptural truth, showing 457 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:12,420 that Jesus is the one worthy of worship by all creation. 458 00:32:12,420 --> 00:32:16,080 So what do we have to behold as we leave chapter five? 459 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:17,600 Behold the lamb who was slain. 460 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:20,080 That's my conclusion. 461 00:32:20,080 --> 00:32:23,240 That there was a death here. 462 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:27,800 This chapter reminds us of the centrality of worship in our life and our believer is 463 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:35,160 the life, death, and resurrection and ascension of Christ who reigns as king. 464 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:40,640 So what should our response be as we enter chapter six next week? 465 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:47,360 May our hearts be filled with awe, filled with gratitude and reverence for the lamb 466 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:54,000 who was slain, for that thing that you're not proud of, for that mistake that you constantly 467 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:59,160 make, for that thing that is in your life that is tearing your relationship with Jesus 468 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:00,160 apart. 469 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:08,280 Jesus died, was slain for that thing. 470 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,840 And that should be our response. 471 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:17,160 Awe, gratitude, and reverence who is now worthy of all glory, praise, and honor. 472 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:21,440 I leave you with Hebrews 12 and then we'll go to some personal application. 473 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:26,680 Looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, for the joy that was sent before 474 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:33,440 him endured the cross, your cross, my cross, despising your shame and my shame and is now 475 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,880 seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 476 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,920 So what do we do with this today? 477 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:48,160 Trust, embrace, not acknowledge, even the demons do that and they shudder as James tells 478 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:52,400 us, acknowledge God's sovereignty. 479 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:56,240 Trust his plan that is unfolding in your life and in the world. 480 00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:04,480 Huh, kind of interesting we need that going to a pretty soft political season. 481 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:09,480 Embrace God's sovereignty even when things seem uncertain, remember who's on the throne, 482 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:13,760 it's not you, it's not me, it's not Munster Church, it's not any politician, it's God 483 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:15,880 himself ruling. 484 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:23,320 Second, worship, we need to get in the habit of worshiping, worship Christ as the lamb 485 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:28,840 who was slain for your sins and my sins, yet let your life be a reflection of gratitude 486 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:30,440 for his sacrifice. 487 00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:37,840 Third, rest in Christ's finished work. 488 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:43,720 To me that is powerful, Christ alone is worthy to open the scroll because he has finished 489 00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:46,480 the work of redemption. 490 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:50,440 And fourth, proclaim Christ's worthiness, just as the heavenly host proclaimed Christ's 491 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:56,080 worthiness, we too are called to declare his glory to those around us. 492 00:34:56,080 --> 00:35:02,960 Share the good news of the lamb who was slain as we walk into chapter six next week. 493 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:09,960 Let's pray.