Come, Let Us Worship the Redeemer

Transcription

1 Sunday November 20, 2016 Phone: Pastor David Miklas Message: Book of Revelation 1-5 Text: Daniel 12:1-4; Revelation 5:1-13 Come, Let Us Worship the Redeemer INTRODUCTION: Over 2600 years ago, God revealed to the prophet Daniel many predictions about the future of Israel, and the future of world events, including the return of Christ to this earth to set up God s earthly kingdom. That s why it is extremely important to read and understand the Book of Daniel before you come to read and even attempt to understand the Book of Revelation. As Daniel puzzled over these fantastic predictions, God told him to seal up all of these prophecies until the end. In Daniel 12:4 we read, But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end Now with the removal of all believers by the Rapture of the church at the end of Revelation chapter 3, the way is open for God to renew His dealings with Israel. But before God pours out His wrath in Revelation chapters 6-19, He gives us a glimpse into glory and permits us to hear the worshiping creatures in heaven as they praise God. Revelation chapters 4 and 5 are a unit describing the scene in Heaven believers will behold: Chapter 4 gives us a glimpse of the THRONE and the worship of the Creator. Chapter 5 gives us a glimpse of the BOOK and the worship of the Redeemer. One of the key words of the Bible, WORSHIP, is used 108 times; 15 times in the Book of Revelation. In Psalm 29:2, Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. In Psalm 95:6, O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. In Revelation 4:10-11 we read, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. In Revelation 5:12 we read, And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. Heaven is a place of worship, and God's people shall worship Him throughout all eternity. Perhaps it would be good for us to get in practice now! Now in Revelation Chapter 5, the focus of attention shifts to a seven-sealed scroll (book) in the hand of God. Remember, it will be the unsealing of a scroll that reveals all the judgments which will descend on the world during the seven yearlong Great Tribulation. In Revelation 5:1-4 we read And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? Page 1

2 (3) And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. (4) And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. Notice this scroll was rolled up and sealed (like a Roman will) with seven seals. For such a document, a scribe would procure a long roll of parchment and begin writing. After a period of writing he would stop, roll the parchment enough to cover his words, and seal the scroll at that point with wax. Then he would resume writing, stop again, roll the scroll, and add another seal. By the time he was finished he would have sealed the scroll seven times. The scroll would be read a section at a time, after each seal was opened. Why was this process used? Evidently it was to prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the scroll or reading and revealing its contents. Only a worthy person could have legal access to the scroll's message. Since the major part of the Book of Revelation deals with a seven-sealed scroll and its mysterious contents, it's very important for us to understand the significance of the contents. I believe the scroll represents the forfeiture to Satan of man's original inheritance from God. You see, when God created Adam and Eve; he gave them dominion over the earth and everything in it. Man was the delegated-sovereign of Planet Earth. However, when Adam obeyed Satan and simultaneously turned his back on God, he became the Benedict Arnold of eternity and the universe. He officially forfeited to Satan his authority to rule the world. At that point the arch-enemy of God legally took over dominion of this earth. Paradise is now lost to Satan! Earth rightly belongs to Adam's race, but as a result of our forefather's loss to Satan, none of Adam s descendants can qualify to pay the redemption price of the forfeited world. Someone must be found if humanity is to escape eternal loss. The scroll represents Christ's "title deed" to all that the Father promised Him because of His sacrifice on the cross. In Psalm 2:7-8 we read, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (8) Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. A title deed can be opened only by the appointed heir or by a kinsman-redeemer. However no one in the universe could be found worthy enough to break the seals. No wonder John wept, for he realized that God's glorious redemption plan for mankind could never be completed until the scroll was opened. The redeemer had to be near of kin, willing to redeem, and able to redeem. Jesus Christ meets all of the qualifications. He became flesh, so He is our Kinsman-Redeemer. Now beginning in Revelation chapter 6 as Christ removed the seals, various dramatic events took place. The seventh seal introduced the seven trumpet judgments - Revelation 8:1-2. Then, when the seventh trumpet had blown, the great day of God's wrath was announced, ushering in the "vial [bowl] judgments" that brought to a climax the wrath of God. Now we are able to enter into the worship experience described in the rest of Revelation 5. Here we ll discover FOUR compelling reasons why we worship Jesus Christ. FIRST: We worship Him, because of WHO He is, verses 5-7, And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven Page 2

3 seals thereof. (6) And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (7) And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. In these verses three unique titles are given to our Lord to describe who He is. Number 1, He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah: The Lion speaks of POWER. The reference here is from Genesis 49:8-10, where Jacob prophetically gave the scepter to Judah and made it the tribe of the kings. The image of "the Lion" speaks of dignity, sovereignty, courage, and victory. Jesus Christ is the only living Jew who can prove His kingship from the genealogical records. Number 2, He is the Son of David: a title often used when He was ministering on earth. But He is also the Root of David, which means He brought David (and David's line) into existence. This speaks, of course, of our Lord's eternity; He is indeed the "Ancient of Days." Number 3, John turned and saw not a lion but a Lamb!: The Lamb speaks of PASSION. Jesus Christ is called "the Lamb" at least twenty-eight times in the Book of Revelation. The Greek word used means "a little pet lamb" and the emphasis is not hard to miss. God's wrath is "the wrath of the Lamb" in Revelation 6:16. Cleansing is by "the blood of the Lamb" in Revelation 7:14. The church is "the bride of the Lamb" in Revelation 19:7. The theme of "the Lamb" is an important one throughout Scripture, for it presents the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. The Old Testament question in Genesis 22:7, "Where is the lamb?" was answered by John the Baptist who cried, in John 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." In Revelation 5:12 the choirs of heaven sing, "Worthy is the Lamb!" The description of the Lamb in verse 6, if produced literally by an artist, would provide a grotesque picture. But when understood symbolically, the description conveys spiritual truth. Since seven is the number of perfection, we have: The seven horns representing perfect power, The seven eyes representing perfect wisdom, and The seven Spirits in all the earth representing perfect presence. We call these qualities omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence; and all three are attributes of God. The Lamb is God the Son, Christ Jesus! We worship Jesus Christ because of who He is. But there is a second reason why we worship Him. SECOND: We worship Him, because of WHERE He is, verse 6, And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb To begin with, Jesus is in heaven. He is not in the manger, in Jerusalem, on the cross, or in the tomb. He is ascended and exalted in heaven. Amen! Page 3

4 What an encouragement this is to suffering Christians, to know that their Saviour has defeated every enemy and is now controlling events from glory! He too suffered, but God turned His suffering into glory. But where is Christ in heaven? He is in the midst of all that transpires in heaven. All creation centers in Him, represented by the four living creatures, The elders are representative of all of God's people, and The angels around the throne encircle the Saviour and praise Him. Some sentimental Christian poetry and hymnody dethrone our Saviour and emphasize only His earthly life. However, He is not just "the gentle carpenter" or "the humble teacher." By doing so, they fail to exalt the risen Lord! We do not worship a babe in a manger or a corpse on a cross. We worship the living, reigning Lamb of God who is in the midst of all in heaven. THIRD: We worship Him because of WHAT He does, verses And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. (9) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. When the Lamb came and took the closed scroll that was given to Daniel in Daniel 7:13-14, the weeping ended and the praising began. God's people and the representatives of God's creation joined their voices in a new song of praise. What kind of song did they sing? Number 1: It was a worship hymn, for they said, "Thou art worthy!" To worship means "to ascribe worth" and Jesus alone is worthy of all praise! The songwriter wrote, Worthy of worship, worthy of praise, Worthy of honor and glory, Worthy of all the glad songs we can sing, Worthy of all the offerings we bring. Worthy of reverence, worthy of fear, Worthy of love and devotion; Worthy of bowing and bending of knees, Worthy of all this and added to these - You are worthy, Father, Creator. You are worthy, Savior, Sustainer. You are worthy, worthy and wonderful; Worthy of worship and praise. Too many of our modern Christian contemporary songs are "I" centered rather than "Christ" centered. They so emphasize the believer's experience that they almost ignore the Lord's glory. Many of our churches today seem to know nothing of the great old hymns of the faith that have instructed, comforted and enriched the church for generations. Today, there is a tragic loss because of the disappearance of "Sacred Music," which in the past has been a powerful aid to our spiritual stamina. Page 4

5 In Ephesians 5:19 we read, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; A true hymn has "rhyme, melody, and harmony," a logical progression from the first verse to the last. Where, O, where is the holy melody of the presence of the Lord? It has been said that the most important book next to your Bible is your Hymn Book. Someone said, "Take your Hymn Book and cherish it and cast it not aside lightly. Hold it with reverent hands as you sing unto Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Number 2: It was a gospel song! "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us by Thy blood." The word translated slain in verse 6 means "violently slain. Heaven sings about the Cross and the blood! Don t ever think about removing the hymns from our hymnbook that speak of the BLOOD! In Genesis 22, a ram was substituted for Isaac, allowing us to see a picture of Christ giving His life for the individual. At Passover in Exodus 12:3, the lamb was slain for each family. Isaiah 53:6 states that Jesus died for the nation of Israel. John in John 1:29, affirms that the Lamb died for the whole world! The more you meditate on the power and scope of Christ's work on the cross, the more humbled and worshipful you will become. Then it will be reflected in your singing. Number 3: It was a missionary song. Sinners were redeemed "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Kindred refers to a common ancestor, and tongue refers to a common language. People mean s a common race, and nation refers to a common rule or government. From John 3:16 we know that God loves the whole world and from Matthew 28:19-20 it is His desire that the message of redemption be taken to the whole world. Number 4: It was a devotional hymn. It announced our unique position in Christ as "a kingdom of priests." Like Melchizedek of old from Genesis 14:17, believers are kings and priests spoken of in I Peter 2:5-10. Number 5: It was a prophetic hymn stating, "We shall reign on the earth." When Jesus Christ returns to earth, He will establish His righteous kingdom for 1,000 years; and we shall reign with Him, Revelation 20:1-6. The prayers of the saints, "Thy kingdom come!" will then be fulfilled. Creation shall then be set free from bondage to sin, found in Romans. 8:17-23, and Christ shall reign in justice and power. What a marvelous hymn! How rich would be our worship if only we would blend all these truths in honoring Him! First, we worship Jesus Christ because of WHO He is. Second, we worship Him, because of WHERE He is, Third, we worship Him because of WHAT He does. Page 5

6 FOURTH: We worship Him because of WHAT He has, verses 11-14, And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; (12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (13) And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (14) And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. In this closing burst of praise, all the angels and every creature in the universe joined together to worship the Redeemer. What a cascade of harmony John heard! In this hymn, they stated those things that Jesus Christ deserved to receive because of His sacrificial death on the cross. When He was on earth, people did not ascribe these things to Him; for many of these things He deliberately laid aside in His humiliation. Someone wrote this, He was born in weakness and He died in weakness; but He is the recipient of all power. He became the poorest of the poor and yet He owns all the riches of heaven and earth. Men lauded at Him and called Him a fool; yet He is the very wisdom of God. He shared in the sinless weaknesses of humanity as He hungered, thirsted, and became weary. Today in glory, He possesses all strength. On earth He experienced humiliation and shame as sinners ridiculed and reviled Him. They laughed at His kingship and attired Him in a mock robe, crown, and scepter. But all of that is changed now! He has received all honor and glory and blessing! He became a curse for us on the cross, so that we can never be under the curse of the broken Law. The worship service climaxed with all the universe praising the Lamb of God and the Father seated on the throne! There was even a loud "Amen!" from the four living creatures. In heaven, we are permitted to say "Amen!" Why not now, as a matter of course, practice saying Amen! Keep in mind that: All of this praise centered on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer. It is not Christ the Teacher, but Christ the Saviour, who is the theme of their worship. All of heaven's praise came because the Lamb took the scroll from the Father's hand. God's great eternal plan would now be fulfilled and creation would be set free from the bondage of sin and death. One day the Lamb will break the seals and put in motion events that will eventually lead to His coming to earth and the establishment of His kingdom here. As you share in these heavenly worship services, do you find your own heart saying "Amen!" to what is being sung? You may believe in Christ as the Creator, but have you trusted Him as your Redeemer? Page 6

7 If not, will you do so right now? In Revelation 3:20 we again read, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." *********************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon Come, Let us Worship the Redeemer right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please let me know. Please send an to pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA Privacy policy: your address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMON will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikbbm@aol.com or by phone at Page 7