1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,000 Morning church. 2 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Morning. 3 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,000 How are we? 4 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,000 This is weird, huh? 5 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,000 Is it as weird for you as it is for me? 6 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Some of you are like, did I miss worship? 7 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:15,000 Like, what is happening right now? 8 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,000 But we'll get there together. 9 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:18,000 We'll get through this together. 10 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,000 It's gonna be good. 11 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,000 Welcome to those of you online. 12 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,000 A couple of people there that I noticed, Tracy in Ohio, 13 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,000 welcome to you, Isaac in Wyoming. 14 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,000 Welcome to you, the rest of the online fam 15 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,000 that you are there. 16 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,000 Richard and Cassandra in California, welcome to you. 17 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Baghdad, welcome Randy. 18 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:36,000 I saw you're in there in the chat. 19 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:37,000 Welcome to you. 20 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,000 And also, Paulden, we love it. 21 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,000 Paulden was saying they've just got new people showing up 22 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,000 and it's kinda this thing of, hey, you're in Paulden, 23 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,000 I'm in Paulden, let's hang out and talk about Jesus. 24 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:49,000 And so it's happening. 25 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,000 Can we just say welcome to them this morning? 26 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,000 Yeah! 27 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:53,000 Yeah! 28 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,000 And so welcome to you. 29 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,000 In the room, glad that you are here. 30 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,000 Glad that you, here's the thing, right? 31 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,000 So if you're new, you picked probably one 32 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:11,000 of the hardest weekends to be in church. 33 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,000 And I don't mean to discourage you. 34 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,000 I just mean like, man, what we are about to go through 35 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,000 and what we're about to talk about, it's a lot. 36 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:20,000 It's a lot. 37 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:21,000 But here's the thing. 38 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,000 It'll change your life if you let it. 39 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,000 And so we're just honored that you're here. 40 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,000 If you're going, man, I'm trying to figure this thing out. 41 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:28,000 I just hope it encourages you. 42 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,000 I hope that along the way you get to feel loved 43 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,000 by what we call the family. 44 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000 Those of you that you got your seat and you got your spot, 45 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,000 like you like your area that you sit every week, 46 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,000 don't think I don't know this. 47 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:41,000 I know this. 48 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,000 And just, hopefully you're warm cause it's cold. 49 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000 We're all in this together, right? 50 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,000 And so just welcome, welcome if you're here 51 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:49,000 and trying to figure that out. 52 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,000 We love you already and just know that as family, 53 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,000 we hope this becomes home for you. 54 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:59,000 So with that, let's talk about football. 55 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,000 Why not, right? 56 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,000 Tom, I'm not talking about the 49ers. 57 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:03,000 Nobody likes them. 58 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,000 So just gonna throw that out there right now. 59 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,000 No, don't encourage him. 60 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:09,000 That's not a good thing. 61 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:10,000 That's not a good thing. 62 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,000 We're trying to take that out. 63 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,000 So, but here's the thing, right? 64 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,000 So big game today, big game. 65 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,000 Not talking about the Cardinals. 66 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,000 We're talking about the Steelers. 67 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,000 I'm playing the Ravens, you guys. 68 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,000 Playing the Ravens. 69 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,000 And if I know anything about the people of God, 70 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:28,000 it's time to pray. 71 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,000 It's time to pray. 72 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,000 We got Russ Wilson, QB3, right? 73 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,000 Anchoring us. 74 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,000 Just in case you don't like football 75 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,000 and you don't hear anything else, just hear this. 76 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,000 The quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers 77 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,000 is a believer in Christ. 78 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,000 Strong believer in Christ, which means, 79 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,000 yeah, yeah, you celebrate that. 80 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,000 Which means that he's family, 81 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,000 which means that you should root for the Steelers today 82 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:50,000 and pray for them. 83 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,000 That's all I'm saying. 84 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,000 But here's the thing, Cards are doing pretty well. 85 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:55,000 Right? 86 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,000 Any Cards fans? 87 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:01,000 Any Cards fans before they were winning? 88 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,000 Okay. 89 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,000 Just trying to figure it out up here. 90 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,000 But here's the thing, Steelers and Cards, 91 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,000 we're like one bad hit on our quarterback 92 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,000 from it being a losing season. 93 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:12,000 So there you go, right? 94 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,000 Like we both need our QB. 95 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,000 So I'll pray for yours, you pray for mine, 96 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,000 and we'll meet in the Super Bowl. 97 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,000 And Steelers will win again. 98 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:20,000 It'll be fine. 99 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,000 It'll be fine. 100 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,000 Some of you are like, why are we talking about football? 101 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,000 I don't know. 102 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:26,000 Why are we talking about football? 103 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:27,000 Hey, let's talk about Hallmark then, 104 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,000 if you don't want to talk about football. 105 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,000 Right? 106 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,000 Any Hallmark fans? 107 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,000 The guys are all like, what? 108 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,000 Don't lie, you watch it too. 109 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,000 You watch it too. 110 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,000 Here's the thing. 111 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:43,000 It's weird, right? 112 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,000 This time of year, Hallmark, I don't know if you have this, 113 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,000 but I have this like thing I have to figure out. 114 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:49,000 How am I going to get the Hallmark channel? 115 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,000 Because none of my subscriptions have it, 116 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,000 but my wife and my daughters, they want it. 117 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,000 So how do we figure this out? 118 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,000 And so every year, but here's the thing. 119 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,000 There's a lot of Hallmark movies. 120 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:58,000 You notice that? 121 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,000 You ever notice how there's a theme? 122 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,000 My wife's convinced this year there's a theme of lying, right? 123 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,000 She's like watching each movie, 124 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,000 and she's going, the theme this year is lying. 125 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,000 And what she means by that is somebody's holding a lie 126 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,000 that at some point it's going to come out 127 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,000 and it creates good drama, right? 128 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,000 So hence you have Hallmark. 129 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,000 So maybe. 130 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,000 If Hallmark's not your thing, then I don't know. 131 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,000 Anybody just love the holidays this time of year is your jam. 132 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,000 Like you are, the weather turns, gets a little cold. 133 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,000 I mean, that, come on, that feels good, right? 134 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,000 But then you're like in full holiday mode of, 135 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,000 okay, who's coming Thanksgiving? 136 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:35,000 Where are we going? 137 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,000 Who are we going to be with? 138 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:37,000 Let's not go to those people. 139 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:38,000 You know what I mean? 140 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,000 Like you're trying to navigate that whole thing or 141 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,000 maybe it's Christmas and it's gifts. 142 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,000 And you're like in full, you're that gift person. 143 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,000 You're in full gift mode. 144 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,000 I got to figure out what to get the perfect gift 145 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,000 for that person. 146 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,000 And you enjoy the hunt, right? 147 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,000 And so you've been hunting, so to speak, for a while. 148 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,000 Or maybe men in the room like elk hunting's coming, right? 149 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,000 Is it coming or is it gone? 150 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,000 Well, it shows you how much I care about it. 151 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,000 So there you go. 152 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:03,000 There you go. 153 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,000 I was trying to relate to you for a second and lost you. 154 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:06,000 So there you go. 155 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,000 But no, seriously, like if that's it, 156 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:09,000 none of that's your stuff, 157 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,000 then maybe it's just seasonal drinks, right? 158 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,000 And I don't mean those kinds of seasonal drinks, 159 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,000 just so we're clear. 160 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,000 Maybe it's your gingerbread latte and you're like, 161 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,000 ah, yes, this time of year is the best because I get this. 162 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,000 But I heard a true story this week that there was a guy 163 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,000 that they were talking about speaking of relationships 164 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,000 and just how that plays into our life, right? 165 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,000 And they'd gone on a first date and she was mad at him 166 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,000 like, cause he hadn't called her back. 167 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,000 And he's like, I'm just saving you pain. 168 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:37,000 And she's like, what do you mean? 169 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,000 And he's like, well, the pain of it's football season 170 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,000 and I'm semi-pro fantasy football player. 171 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,000 I'm in six leagues and it takes all my time. 172 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,000 I got no time to date. 173 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,000 So I'm just saving you the pain of having to watch me 174 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,000 like do my research and watch football all the time. 175 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,000 So I can't date you till February. 176 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Where she looks at him, she goes, you're not an athlete. 177 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:00,000 Right? 178 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Like this is not an athletic sport. 179 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:03,000 It's all made up. 180 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,000 And he's like, how dare you? 181 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,000 And like, okay, this is real. 182 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,000 But here's the thing, right? 183 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,000 So all of that, I don't know kind of where you're at 184 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,000 or how that hits you or what you resonate, what you don't. 185 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,000 But I do know this, being human, 186 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,000 it's really easy to be distracted. 187 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:22,000 Right? 188 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,000 Like it's really easy to football season here 189 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,000 and everything else goes away. 190 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Right? 191 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,000 Like, and I'm zeroed in on football. 192 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,000 Or it's the holidays and the holidays take over 193 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:31,000 for the next months. 194 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,000 Right? 195 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,000 Or it's the idea of, I just love things about this season 196 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,000 or it's this relationship or it's just really, 197 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,000 really easy to get distracted. 198 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,000 It's really, really easy to go through weeks and months 199 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:45,000 and you turn around and you're like, man, 200 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,000 where did the time go? 201 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,000 And here's what I know about being distracted. 202 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,000 It's really easy when I get distracted 203 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:58,000 to shift my values and give something worth 204 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,000 that it doesn't deserve. 205 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,000 And when it takes worth, then it actually distracts me 206 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,000 and becomes a bigger thing in my life. 207 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,000 And my attention and my effort and my resources 208 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,000 and my time go to that thing. 209 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:13,000 And what that is actually called from the Bible is worship. 210 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:18,000 And it can be really easy for my worship to be distracted. 211 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,000 And we've been in a collection of talks 212 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,000 and we're kind of moving through just the whole scripture, 213 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,000 if you like, but we're now in Revelation. 214 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,000 And last week, Revelation, the letters to the church, right? 215 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,000 If you were here, you heard us talk about it, 216 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,000 but the big idea of the letters to the church is this, 217 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,000 that Jesus, the resurrected Jesus, right? 218 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,000 Who has conquered death, conquered the grave, 219 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:43,000 is telling the church, don't get distracted. 220 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,000 He's telling the church, don't lose your purpose. 221 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,000 What is your purpose? 222 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,000 To tell everybody else about the resurrected Jesus. 223 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,000 Don't lose your purpose. 224 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,000 And then we hit chapter four, right? 225 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,000 And in chapter four, there's this subtle shift. 226 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,000 But what I want you to see is the connection. 227 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,000 So chapter one, Revelation chapter one, 228 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,000 we read this last week, but the way the letter is set up 229 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,000 is the Apostle John, so in verse 10, 230 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,000 on the Lord's day, the Apostle John, I was in the Spirit, 231 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:18,000 and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 232 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,000 which said, write on a scroll what you see 233 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,000 and send it to the seven churches. 234 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,000 And so what we're given is this loud voice tells him 235 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:31,000 specifically, write this on a scroll. 236 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,000 And then you're gonna send this to the churches. 237 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,000 So who is this letter for? 238 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Who is this revelation of Jesus Christ for? 239 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,000 It's for us. 240 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,000 And so what's in here really matters to us. 241 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,000 What's in here should really, in fact, 242 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,000 it's one of the only books that I know of in the entire Bible 243 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,000 that says if you read it, you will be blessed. 244 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,000 Now, you might be going, John, I've read Revelation. 245 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,000 I got about halfway through, and I'm like, 246 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,000 I have no clue what it's talking about. 247 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,000 Welcome to the club, right? 248 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,000 But what we're told is that by God himself that, 249 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,000 hey, if you will read this, you will be blessed. 250 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,000 Now, in that context, the church, 251 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,000 the church has a specific context that the time it exists in. 252 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,000 And it was this, the church was growing, 253 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,000 but the church was also being persecuted. 254 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,000 It was also having challenges of all kinds of false teaching. 255 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:19,000 It was uncertain. 256 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,000 You didn't know if you were gonna get reported, 257 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,000 if you were gonna get killed, if you were gonna be oppressed. 258 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,000 You didn't know if your business was going under. 259 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,000 And so to say yes to Jesus was really to step into 260 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,000 really uncertain times, and this uncertainty 261 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,000 created like the shifting sand in your life, if you like. 262 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,000 You just weren't sure of things. 263 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:42,000 Well, what we get in chapter four is a gift to the church 264 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,000 that you can go, I can anchor my life on this 265 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,000 because this is true right now. 266 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,000 So in chapter four, verse one, it says, after this, 267 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:54,000 so after the letters, I looked and there before me was a door 268 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,000 standing open in heaven. 269 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,000 And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet, 270 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,000 so there's that connection to what we just read, 271 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,000 said, come up here and I will show you 272 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,000 what must take place after this. 273 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:14,000 So the first glimpse we get is that John looks up into heaven 274 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,000 and what he sees is an open door, right? 275 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:22,000 That the posture of the door is not closed, it's open. 276 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,000 And so what's the significance to us? 277 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,000 That the door to heaven is what? 278 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,000 It's open, right? 279 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:33,000 So many times we talk about like Christianity 280 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,000 from the perspective of it's exclusive, right? 281 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:38,000 Like the only way, but you just need to understand 282 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:42,000 the door to heaven that John saw, the door into the very 283 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,000 throne room of God is open today. 284 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,000 Why? Because Jesus died for all. 285 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,000 And what's the mission of the church that we just talked about 286 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,000 last week is that we're supposed to tell everybody what? 287 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:53,000 About this Jesus, why? 288 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:55,000 So that they can go through that door 289 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,000 into the very throne room of God. 290 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 And so there's this deep connection then that he says, 291 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:02,000 okay, come up here. 292 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,000 So Jesus now telling him, come up here. 293 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,000 Verse two says, at once I was in the Spirit 294 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:11,000 and there before me was a throne. 295 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:17,000 Okay, the word throne appears 17 times in 25 verses. 296 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,000 Okay, if there's anything I know about God is repetition 297 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,000 is really, really important to God. 298 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:29,000 So if God in 25 verses goes, hey, throne, throne, throne, throne, 299 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,000 then we should go, hey, this is really important. 300 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,000 And so what he tells us is, at once I was in the Spirit, 301 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,000 before me there was a throne in heaven 302 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,000 with someone sitting on it. 303 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,000 And the one who sat there had the appearance of Jasper 304 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,000 and Ruby, a rainbow that shone like an emerald 305 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,000 encircled the throne. 306 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,000 That word, if you've got a physical Bible, 307 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:54,000 you're a highlighter, even on your phone, 308 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,000 whatever that looks like for you, you're taking notes. 309 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,000 The word encircled, the word surrounding, 310 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,000 and the word centered are extremely important 311 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,000 in understanding what's happening. 312 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,000 So what it's saying is in heaven, 313 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,000 he goes into the throne room of God 314 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,000 and what he sees is a throne. 315 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,000 Okay, so why is a throne important? 316 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,000 Because it speaks of it as someone's, right? 317 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,000 It speaks of a kingdom. 318 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,000 It speaks of a king. 319 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,000 And what we get is that when he goes through, 320 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:30,000 there was someone sitting on the throne. 321 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,000 Now, if you're a conquering king, what are you out doing? 322 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,000 You're out fighting battles, and what's the throne doing? 323 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,000 It's empty. 324 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,000 But the picture we're given of heaven today, 325 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:43,000 the picture we're given of the residence of God today 326 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,000 is that there is a throne, and he is on that throne, 327 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,000 and he is seated, and he is resting. 328 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,000 Why? Because he has already conquered. 329 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,000 Like that throne is not up for grabs. 330 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,000 That throne is already occupied by God Almighty, 331 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,000 who is the one who lives forever and ever and ever and ever. 332 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,000 So what we're told right out the gate 333 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,000 is there's a throne and God's on it, 334 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,000 which automatically goes, we're not. 335 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:13,000 Right, and automatically, and so John, 336 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,000 what you're gonna get as we go through this is, 337 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,000 as John's trying to capture this, remember, he's seeing it, 338 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,000 and he's going, man, it was kinda like, 339 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,000 or he goes, he's trying to make connections for us 340 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,000 so that we can visually put stuff to it. 341 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,000 So he goes, it had the appearance of, 342 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,000 and so in this moment, what he says is he goes, 343 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,000 the one seated on the throne 344 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:36,000 had the appearance of Jasper and Ruby, right? 345 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:40,000 And so these gemstones, these colors, 346 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,000 and he goes, the brightness coming from the throne 347 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,000 that exuded from it was like Jasper and Ruby. 348 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,000 Why Jasper and Ruby? 349 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,000 Here's why understanding the entire narrative 350 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,000 is so important, because you go all the way back. 351 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,000 You remember when we talked about the nation of Israel 352 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,000 all those weeks ago, right? 353 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,000 Like I think it was like 20 weeks ago, something like that, 354 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,000 and we talked about killing all those animals. 355 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,000 Maybe you remember that, right? 356 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:03,000 And there was a priest. 357 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,000 Well, the priest had a breastplate, 358 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,000 and on the breastplate of the priest 359 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,000 were certain gems that were embedded in it. 360 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:15,000 And those gems, one of those gems that started it was Jasper, 361 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,000 and one of those gems that ended it was Ruby. 362 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:23,000 And so what do you get inside of the significance 363 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:27,000 of who sits on the throne where he sees Jasper and Ruby? 364 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,000 He's got the beginning, right? 365 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:32,000 Because one started it and one ended it. 366 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:38,000 So the one who sits on the throne is the beginning and the end. 367 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:39,000 He is completeness. 368 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,000 He is whole. 369 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,000 There is nothing to be added or taken away, right? 370 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,000 And so that's the image that's given. 371 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:49,000 Above that, encircling that throne, and there's that key word, 372 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,000 because when you encircle something, 373 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,000 you make much of what's in the circle. 374 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000 And what's encircling the throne is a rainbow. 375 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,000 Why is a rainbow significant? 376 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,000 In the Scriptures all the way through, 377 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,000 a rainbow speaks of judgment and mercy. 378 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,000 What is being declared of the one who is on the throne 379 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,000 and encircling him is he is the one with the right to judgment, 380 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,000 but he is also full of mercy, right? 381 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,000 This God who dwells on this throne and owns it, 382 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,000 and then it carries on, it says, surrounding the throne. 383 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000 So there's that word again. 384 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Surrounding the throne were 24 other thrones, 385 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,000 and seated on them were 24 elders. 386 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,000 They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 387 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,000 So the image is you've got a throne, 388 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,000 and now surrounding that throne, 389 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,000 so surrounding God's throne, this is important, 390 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,000 surrounding God's throne is 24 other thrones. 391 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:48,000 Now I'll tell you, I have studied and I have read more 392 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,000 about who these 24 elders are 393 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,000 than probably anything else we'll talk about today. 394 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,000 And I'm gonna tell you, it gets crazy out there. 395 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,000 I read one thing, there were nine different things this could be, 396 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,000 and I'm like, okay, some of those are just, 397 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,000 I don't know where you got that. 398 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,000 That doesn't even make sense. 399 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,000 But what makes sense to me is to keep the Bible simple 400 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,000 and put it in the narrative that it belongs. 401 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:13,000 And so in the Old Testament, you had 12 tribes of Israel 402 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,000 that represented God's people. 403 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,000 And in the New Testament, you have the 12 apostles, 404 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,000 which represent God's people. 405 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,000 If you take 12 and 12 and you put them together, 406 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,000 what do you get? 407 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,000 24, good job, you guys are good at math. 408 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,000 I wouldn't have got that, well done. 409 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,000 But no, you get 24. 410 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:35,000 So what you have is a representation of God's people. 411 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,000 But notice where God's people are. 412 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,000 There are thrones surrounding what? 413 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,000 The throne of God. 414 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,000 The 24 people that make up God's people, which is us, 415 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,000 the representation of us in the throne room of God is what? 416 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,000 That we are around the throne of God. 417 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:56,000 Why? 418 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,000 Because God is a big deal, we're not. 419 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:00,000 Right? 420 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,000 This whole setting, the way it's set up, 421 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:08,000 is designed that we would see that God is at the center of it all. 422 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,000 That in heaven, what's represented, 423 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:15,000 and we don't know if this was the physical representation 424 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,000 of the leaders of the 12 tribes in this. 425 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,000 We don't know if it was actually them, it doesn't say. 426 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:25,000 We don't know if this is an angelic representation of them, 427 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:28,000 but what we do know is this symbolically in heaven, 428 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,000 surrounding the very throne of God, 429 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,000 what's symbolic is that God's people are surrounding 430 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,000 the throne of God. 431 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,000 From the throne came flashes of lightning 432 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,000 and rumblings and peals of thunder. 433 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,000 So God, there's this display, 434 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,000 there's this display of power and majesty in front of the throne. 435 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000 There were seven lamps blazing. 436 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,000 These are the seven spirits of God 437 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,000 or the sevenfold spirits of God. 438 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,000 Now, important in scripture is what numbers, right? 439 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,000 And number seven is the number of completion. 440 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,000 This is believed to be these blazing lamps 441 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,000 are believed to be a representation of the Holy Spirit. 442 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,000 Here's what's stunning, right? 443 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,000 And just that amount of verses, 444 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,000 you have just seen the Trinity in heaven. 445 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,000 From Jesus saying, hey, come up here, 446 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,000 to God the Father seated on the throne in control, right? 447 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,000 And then in front of that, you have this representation 448 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:23,000 of these blazing lamps that is a picture of the Holy Spirit, 449 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:24,000 right, all the way through scripture. 450 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,000 You can connect the Holy Spirit to flame. 451 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,000 You can connect oil to the Holy Spirit. 452 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,000 You can connect these moments, and it goes to sevenfold, 453 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,000 the complete Spirit of God, which is the Holy Spirit. 454 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,000 And so now in this moment, what's around, what's there, 455 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:43,000 and what's encircled is God Himself in the full Trinity. 456 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,000 It said also in front of the throne, verse six, 457 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,000 also in front of the throne, there was what looked like, 458 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,000 there's that keyword like, right? 459 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,000 He's trying to describe it as sea of glass, 460 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,000 as clear as crystal. 461 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,000 Some other translations say ice, 462 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,000 because if you think about it, you go, 463 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,000 well, why was the floor like glass? 464 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,000 Like, why does it look like clear crystal? 465 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:06,000 Well, think about it for a second. 466 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,000 Everything that we've seen so far about who God is, 467 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,000 about what this throne room is, is it's all giving off light. 468 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,000 What does glass do? 469 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:17,000 It reflects back what? 470 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:20,000 It makes more of, it intensifies, right? 471 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,000 What? Light. 472 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,000 And so what happens is in this moment is now being intensified 473 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000 as the very glory of God. 474 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:30,000 Everything that represents God is now being from the lamps 475 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,000 to the Jasper and Ruby to the emerald rainbow, right? 476 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:38,000 Like all of it is now reflecting and making more of who, 477 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:39,000 who God is. 478 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,000 Why? Because it's about God's glory 479 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,000 and it's about what he, who he is. 480 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,000 And so you get this picture of this throne room 481 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,000 that everything is pointing to them. 482 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,000 Next words in verse six say this, 483 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:52,000 in the center, there's that word again, 484 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:57,000 in the center, around the throne were four living creatures. 485 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,000 They were covered with eyes in front and in back. 486 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,000 The first living creature was like a lion. 487 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,000 The second was like an ox. 488 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,000 There's that word again, like, right? 489 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,000 Third had a face like a man. 490 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,000 The fourth was like a flying eagle. 491 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:14,000 Each of the four living creatures had six wings 492 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,000 and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. 493 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,000 Day and night, they never stopped saying, 494 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,000 holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty 495 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,000 who was and is and is to come. 496 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,000 So now you got these creatures that you're like, 497 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,000 what did that look like? 498 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,000 What was important is what we're given. 499 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,000 And what we're given is the symbolic, 500 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,000 he goes, this one looked like a lion. 501 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,000 This one looked like an ox. 502 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,000 This one looks like a man, the face of a man. 503 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,000 This one looks like a flying eagle. 504 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000 Remember the posture of them is there's a throne. 505 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,000 And if you take a throne with four corners 506 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:54,000 surrounding the throne are these living creatures, right? 507 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:58,000 And the living creatures just by the description 508 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:02,000 represents a makeup of all of the created order. 509 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,000 So what you have is you have animals represented. 510 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,000 You have humanity represented. 511 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,000 You have animals that fly represented. 512 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,000 Like all of it is this representation 513 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,000 of the created order. 514 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,000 What are we being told about heaven right now? 515 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,000 That everything was created and is represented 516 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:26,000 from the people of God to now the face of humanity 517 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,000 to these animals, to the created order. 518 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,000 And what is it all doing? 519 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,000 It's all pointing to who God is. 520 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,000 It's all centered and surrounded 521 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:39,000 and they're going, holy, holy, holy 522 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:40,000 is the Lord God Almighty. 523 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,000 Why are they declaring holy, holy, holy? 524 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:49,000 Because everything was created by God and for God. 525 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:51,000 You remember all the way back to week one, 526 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,000 which was like 39 weeks ago? 527 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,000 And then some. 528 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:00,000 In week one, we started out with Colossians 529 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,000 that everything was made by Jesus and for Jesus. 530 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,000 You get to this image of heaven all the way at the end. 531 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,000 And what are we being told? 532 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,000 The created order is there. 533 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,000 God's people are there. 534 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,000 Creation itself represented in the rainbow. 535 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:16,000 And what is it all doing? 536 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,000 It's circling the throne and it's saying 537 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,000 everything was made by him and for him, 538 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,000 and therefore he deserves the worship. 539 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:27,000 That's the picture of heaven right now. 540 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,000 And they declare holy, holy, holy 541 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,000 is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. 542 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:34,000 And then what happens? 543 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,000 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor 544 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:39,000 and thanks to him who sits on the throne. 545 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,000 So whenever the created order does what it was supposed to, 546 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,000 gives him glory and honor. 547 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:49,000 Verse 10, the 24 elders fall down before him 548 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,000 who sits on the throne and worship him 549 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,000 who lives forever and ever. 550 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,000 They laid their crowns before him and say, 551 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:02,000 you are worthy our Lord and God to receive glory 552 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000 and honor and power for you created. 553 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,000 There it is, for you created all things. 554 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,000 And by your will, they were created and have their being. 555 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:13,000 They were created by you and for you. 556 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,000 But you notice what the people of God do? 557 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,000 They're in this representation of heaven. 558 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,000 These creatures go holy, holy, holy. 559 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,000 And what's the response of God's people? 560 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:27,000 That they come off of their throne and they fall down. 561 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:28,000 And what do they take? 562 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,000 Their crown, which is their only value. 563 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,000 And what do they do with their crown? 564 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,000 It's not worth anything compared to you. 565 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,000 And it says day and night, day and night, what's happening? 566 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,000 The creatures are going holy, holy, holy. 567 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,000 And what is the representation of God's people doing? 568 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,000 They are falling down and they are worshiping 569 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,000 every time this holy, holy, holy is happening. 570 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,000 And what's happening? Their crowns, their things of value are laid. 571 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:55,000 Why? Because what they're saying is you alone are worthy. 572 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,000 That word worthy connects then to the next, 573 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,000 start of the next chapter. 574 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:03,000 And it says this, then I saw in the right hand of him. 575 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,000 So in the right hand of him who sits on the throne, 576 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:13,000 a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 577 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:15,000 Why is this so important? 578 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,000 This scroll holds what is to come. 579 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:21,000 It holds all of the judgments of God. 580 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,000 It holds all the future of this earth. 581 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,000 It holds all the future of humanity. 582 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:36,000 And in this scroll, it says that the writing is on both sides. 583 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,000 You know what happens when you take a scroll and you write on both sides? 584 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,000 It fills up. 585 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:48,000 It fills up. What it's telling us is this is the completed future. 586 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,000 And the one who holds it, God Almighty, is the one who wrote it. 587 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,000 And the one who wrote it is the one who sealed it. 588 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:59,000 And there is not room for anything else to be added to it. 589 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,000 It tells me that God has written a future 590 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:07,000 and he is the only one with the right to write that future. 591 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,000 Here's what's amazing. 592 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:14,000 I don't know where you grew up, if you're familiar with church or not, 593 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:21,000 but there are so many people that at this point have fallen out as family members. 594 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,000 Because some say this has not happened yet. 595 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,000 And some say, no, no, no, it's already in motion. 596 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,000 Those seals are already open. 597 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,000 But that's not the point. 598 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,000 You know what the point is? 599 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:38,000 The point is that we recognize that God is the only one that can write the future, 600 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,000 and that's the person we should be trusting. 601 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:45,000 Not somebody who's got some slick interpretation. 602 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:46,000 Not somebody... 603 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:50,000 You guys, I did all this study in my younger years 604 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,000 where you had to timeline this all out with the book of Daniel. 605 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:58,000 Can I tell you how when I look back, I'm like, man, we were wrong about a lot of stuff. 606 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:03,000 I think it's fascinating that people try to take this book and they try and interpret it, 607 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,000 and they're so dogmatic on... 608 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,000 Can we just be clear? 609 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,000 Nobody knows. 610 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:10,000 Can we just own that? 611 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:14,000 The only person that knows is the one who is seated on the throne that wrote it. 612 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,000 And we as a church, we need to rally around that. 613 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,000 We as the larger community go, that's what matters. 614 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,000 What I'm being shown is the future is written, and I can trust it. 615 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:27,000 Why? 616 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:28,000 Because where is it coming from? 617 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,000 The very hand of God, the Father. 618 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,000 And what do they declare next? 619 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,000 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming... 620 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,000 I just want to know what the mighty angel looked like, to be honest with you. 621 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:47,000 Proclaiming in a loud voice, who is worthy? 622 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,000 Okay, it doesn't say who is talented. 623 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,000 It doesn't say who is gifted. 624 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,000 It doesn't say who is good enough. 625 00:26:54,000 --> 00:27:00,000 It says who is worthy to break the seals and open this scroll. 626 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:04,000 But no one in heaven or on earth... 627 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:12,000 So no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 628 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,000 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy. 629 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,000 No one was found who was worthy. 630 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,000 It doesn't say there's not talented people. 631 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:20,000 It doesn't say there's not gifted people. 632 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,000 It doesn't say there's not good people. 633 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:22,000 It doesn't say any of that. 634 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,000 It says there's no one who is what? 635 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:29,000 Who is worthy to open the scroll or look inside the scroll. 636 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:30,000 Look inside them. 637 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,000 One of the elders said to me, do not weep. 638 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:40,000 See the lion of the tribe of Judah, which is a name for Jesus from earlier in the narrative. 639 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:41,000 Right? 640 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,000 The lion of the tribe of Jesus. 641 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:49,000 Jesus himself, the root of David, another reference to Jesus, has triumphed. 642 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,000 What has he done? 643 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:51,000 He's triumphed. 644 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:52,000 He hasn't come up short. 645 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,000 He isn't lacking, but he has triumphed. 646 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:01,000 He is able to open the scroll and the seven seals. 647 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:08,000 Then John says, then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center. 648 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,000 There's that word center again, whereas Jesus, he is at the center of the throne 649 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:16,000 encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. 650 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:23,000 The lamb has seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 651 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:28,000 At this point, you're like, can we go back to Jesus who we talked about before? 652 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:36,000 The image we're given of Jesus is Jesus who is this lamb who looked like it had been slain. 653 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:42,000 There's visible marks of what's happened in the crucifixion. 654 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:50,000 That in the resurrected body of Jesus, there are still the scars he carries of being slain for you today. 655 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:59,000 That for all of eternity, think about this, for all of eternity, God himself put himself in human form. 656 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,000 Why? For you. 657 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:11,000 And within that human form, the scars that it cost for him to be slain so that you could triumph, 658 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:16,000 those scars are still present in heaven. 659 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:21,000 Because they speak to victory. 660 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:25,000 They speak to triumph. 661 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:32,000 And it says of this lamb, says of this lamb who was slain, that he's encircled by who? 662 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,000 The four living creatures, the whole created order. 663 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,000 He's encircled by the elders. 664 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,000 And then it says he has these seven horns. 665 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,000 And you're going, okay, this is where it gets weird. 666 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:48,000 Well, again, if you understand the narrative and go back, whenever you see horn in the scripture, right? 667 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:56,000 Like the, all the way through the imagery of the horn is that it's a picture of strength. 668 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,000 Couple it with the number seven, the number completion. 669 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:00,000 It's complete strength. 670 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,000 Who is complete strength described to? Jesus. 671 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:07,000 When it comes to that seven eyes, the seven eyes have to do with wisdom. 672 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,000 Eyes have to do with wisdom in the Bible. 673 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:10,000 Couple it with the number seven. 674 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,000 What do you get? Complete wisdom. 675 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,000 We already talked about the sevenfold spirit, which is the Holy Spirit. 676 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,000 So what happens? 677 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:20,000 The very strength and wisdom of Jesus goes where? 678 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:27,000 By the Spirit to all parts of the earth. 679 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:33,000 And in verse seven, it says that he went, Jesus went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 680 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:39,000 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb. 681 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:47,000 Each one, each one held a harp. 682 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:52,000 There's some form of melodic worship in heaven right now. 683 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Each of these elders have a harp. 684 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:06,000 And then it says they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. 685 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:15,000 In heaven right now with this throne that's surrounded by the other thrones, it has the rainbow above it, that has the four creatures, that has the Holy Spirit present. 686 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,000 It says that the elders have these golden bowls. 687 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,000 And you know what's inside of them? 688 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:26,000 Your prayer that you thought never made it past the ceiling. 689 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,000 The prayer that you thought God didn't hear. 690 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:36,000 They're in the very presence of God in a bowl that God's people hold. 691 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:45,000 And it's the fragrance of the throne room of God are your prayers and my prayers and God's people's prayers. 692 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:51,000 I always love it when I meet somebody and they're like, they're aging in life and they're like, I'm just not useful anymore. 693 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:55,000 All I can do is pray. Are you kidding me? 694 00:31:55,000 --> 00:32:01,000 What is represented in the very throne room of God are your prayers. 695 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:08,000 We need to pray more, not less, because it's the fragrance of the throne room of God. 696 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:15,000 And you thought you were just praying about football. 697 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,000 And they sang a new song. 698 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:24,000 Those of you that love the old songs, I don't know how you feel, there's new songs in heaven. 699 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:30,000 You, Jesus, are worthy. 700 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:34,000 There's that word again. You are worthy to take the scroll to opens its seals. 701 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:47,000 Why? Because you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 702 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:55,000 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth. 703 00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:05,000 Oh, you, Jesus, God himself, who put on human form. 704 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:14,000 And in human form, when I will do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Why? Because I love you. 705 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:23,000 And so I will let my created order, humans, take me and put me on a cross. 706 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:30,000 And I will let God the Father take all of the sin of all of humanity for all of time. 707 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:34,000 Now you think of it when you hear sin, sometimes we just kind of play it up. 708 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,000 Sometimes we downplay it. 709 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:42,000 But think of the most evil thing you can think of. 710 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:46,000 Then maybe you've done it. Maybe somebody else you heard about it. Maybe. 711 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,000 And then think of your own sin. 712 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:56,000 Every single human being for all of history, God took the sin of every human being and put it on the person of Jesus. 713 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,000 And he was put on a cross where he bled out. He was slain. 714 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:05,000 Why? So that he could conquer sin for you. 715 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:09,000 It says that by his blood he purchased. 716 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:14,000 What did he purchase? He purchased you for who? For God the Father. 717 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:21,000 You have been purchased by God. Why? For God. 718 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:25,000 That they thought they killed him. They declared him dead. They put him in a tomb. 719 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:28,000 They're like, we have won. 720 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:36,000 And the image we're given of Jesus earlier in Revelation is that he holds in his hand the keys of death and of Hades. 721 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:41,000 Of death and of hell. What does he do? He holds them where? In his hands. 722 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:51,000 You know how he got them? When they thought he was dead, he was actually robbing the grave. 723 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:55,000 And he's stealing the keys. Who holds the keys to death? 724 00:34:55,000 --> 00:35:03,000 The triumphant Jesus who has purchased you for God for all of eternity. 725 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:09,000 And when he rose again in a resurrected body and now is in the very throne room of God, 726 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:15,000 what is happening? It says that he purchased you. Why? So that you could be made into a kingdom. 727 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:23,000 And what are we to do as a kingdom? We are to serve. Serve who? Serve God. 728 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:29,000 How? By reigning with him on the earth. 729 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:33,000 And so what happens? They sing this song, right? Like it's in song form. 730 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:37,000 And in verse 11, it says, and I looked and I heard the voice of many angels 731 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:42,000 numbering thousands upon thousands and 10,000 times 10,000. I don't know. 732 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:46,000 We'll just go with 100 million. Maths not my gig. 733 00:35:46,000 --> 00:35:51,000 100 million ain't pictured. 100 million angels. 734 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:56,000 Heaven right now, a throne, four creatures that represent the entire created order. 735 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:02,000 24 thrones that represent God's people. And above that and circling the throne, 736 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:10,000 a hundred million angels. And what are these angels doing? 737 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:18,000 In a loud voice, they were saying, worthy is the lamb who was slain. 738 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:22,000 Worthy is the lamb who was slain. Worthy is the lamb who was slain. 739 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:28,000 What? To receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. 740 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:33,000 The sevenfold worship of God. The complete worship of God. 741 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:38,000 What are they saying? Worthy. Worthy is the lamb who was slain. 742 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:42,000 Worthy is the lamb who was slain. 743 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:48,000 Then I heard every creature, every creature in heaven and on earth, 744 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:55,000 every creature in heaven and on earth, every creature in heaven and on earth 745 00:36:55,000 --> 00:37:01,000 and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne 746 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:07,000 and to the lamb, praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever. 747 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:13,000 Look what happens. The four living creatures, all of the created order, they agree and say, Amen. 748 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:16,000 And the elders fell down. What did the elders do? 749 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:20,000 The elders, the representation of the church when you see the throne room for what it is, 750 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:24,000 when you see God for who he is, what is the response of God's people? 751 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:29,000 They fall down and they what? They worship. 752 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:34,000 They fall down and they worship. What is the appropriate response to going, 753 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:38,000 man, I see the lamb who is worthy, who was slain. 754 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,000 The rejoicing of there's no one else that could take that scroll 755 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:48,000 other than the very person of Jesus Christ who is at the center of the throne room. 756 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:52,000 And what's the response of God's people? 757 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,000 I'm going to fall down and I'm going to worship. 758 00:37:54,000 --> 00:38:00,000 And you know what's amazing? The angels, 100 million angels 759 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:08,000 encircling the throne singing what? Worthy is the lamb who was slain. 760 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:12,000 I don't know about you, but football all of a sudden just went down here. 761 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:16,000 I mean, don't get me wrong, I still want to win, but it's way down here. 762 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:21,000 Why? Because I got a glimpse of the throne room of God Almighty. 763 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:28,000 A glimpse of the resurrected Jesus. 764 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,000 And so here's what we're going to do. 765 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:34,000 We're going to join the chorus of heaven. 766 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,000 And what are we going to do with that? 767 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:41,000 Worthy is the lamb who was slain. 768 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:47,000 And what are we reminding ourselves as we sing worthy is the lamb who was slain. 769 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:51,000 That this is amazing grace. 770 00:38:51,000 --> 00:39:08,000 Would you stand and worship?