WORSHIP GOD SELFLESSLY
Revelation 4 & 5 (p863-864) June 30, 2013
INTRODUCTION:
[A man named Bill Crockett was delivering a motivational lecture to a group of young Navy Corpsmen…He says, “I spoke in great detail about my love for our country and about why joining the military meant so much to me…finishing my story, I pointed at a sharp looking sailor out in the audience and asked, “Son, why did you decide to go to sea?” “Well chief” he said, “My old man’s a farmer…and when I saw him put lights on the tractor, I knew it was time to leave the farm!!!]
That sailor knew how to read his future….He knew his future by watching his Dad. And when he saw his Dad put lights on the tractor he knew his future and the decisions he had to make.
It’s interesting that when John’s Revelation from Jesus begins to focus on the future the first thing it focuses on-is the Father.
Revelation 4: 1-11 (p863)
Jesus shows John “what must take place after this…In the first chapters, 2 & 3 we see the risen, glorified Christ walking among His churches on earth…Now the scene shifts to the throne room of heaven…Jesus opens a door for John to leave earth and enter heaven. It’s the same Niagara thundering voice that beckons John….”Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this…instantly John falls under the influence of God’s Spirit and he sees a throne…and the one seated on it…Instead of war, pestilence, famine, death and destruction that people associate with Revelation we find ourselves in God’s throne room witnessing the most amazing worship service recorder in scripture. The focus of that worship…
The One who sits on the throne, “The Lord God almighty”, has the appearance of Jasper and Ruby. A rainbow that share like an emerald encircled the throne…from this throne comes flashes of lightening, rumblings, and peals of thunder (4:3,5) surrounding this throne are 24 other thrones, and seated on them were 24 elders they’re dressed in white and have gold crowns on their heads. In front of the throne of the almighty 7 lamps were blazing, these are the 7 Spirits of God. Also in front of the throne was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal?”
And when you read on you discover 4 Living creatures in the center, around God’s throne…
Revelation 4: 6b-11
John’s fascinated with this picture….no darkness, no shadows, no flaws…and these 4 living creatures…the word that’s used to describe them is (Z Oa—Living Ones…we get our word “zoology” from this word)….These personnel guardians, attendants are worshippers around the throne…It’s not important what category of angel they are “Cherubim, Seraphim, unique correctness only to serve here, but these creatures are the closest to God, nearer then the elders…If closeness to God indicates importance…these are the most important beings ever created! These living ones are full of eyes front and back…all seeing. They take in all of God and everything else. Verse 7 describes them: the first, like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face like that of a man, and fourth, was like an eagle. They each have 6 wings…they can travel, man! Why these creatures…well remember my advice to look through simple historical and emotional associations?
They are like the lion, the mightiest of beasts, the king (or leader) of the jungle indicates majesty and power. The ox or calf or bull is the strongest domesticated animal, typical of faithful labor and patience. The greatest bird, the eagle represents supreme sovereignty and supremacy. One was like a man, indicating intelligence. The four beings “suggest whatever is noblest, strongest, wisest and swiftest in animated Nature” (Swete, 71) or the created order.
So what’s going on here? If Jesus is showing John “what must take place after this…after the Churches…Why would the 1st thing Jesus take John to be is “a worship service?” Why, not just get down to “brass tacks…they nitty gritty?” We want to know about the battle between good and evil, Satan and god…but instead the first scene is the Throne Room of God and a worship service! Why start here? Because Jesus knew this is where we had to start!
I OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE ON THE RIGHT THINGS.
When we read Revelation it’s possible to focus on the wrong things…to get so caught up in the “Mark of the beast” things that we lose sight of the big picture…the reason for the Revelation…People love juicy, scary, wild stuff…they like attaching real names to the beast…Hitler, Nero, Fill in the blank with someone you hate!...666 Rev. 13: 11-18, take the mark, worship the beast or die...it doesn’t sound like something that happens accidentally…it’s a choice, but when I looked up “Mark of the Beast” on the internet, here were some of the comments…
..One of the prominent speculations was that “the mark” was to be an implantable microchip. And that this chip would identify who you are. It would be similar to the photograph in your driver’s license.
..Another speculation was that it would be a number like your social security code similar to your credit card number. Only you have that number.
..Some conjectured that it would be like a password or PIN, number. You’d need it to take out money, or to authorize transactions.
..One sight showed a picture of a Bar Code indicating that each bar code in existence had 666 imbedded within it (beats me, maybe they do).
Often it’s associated with the Government and “Big Brother” watching and deceiving us…It reminds one of this joke. “Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t’ out to get me!!
Revelation can be a scary book…I wouldn’t read parts of it to X or peanut as a bedtime story…
God knows that…and that’s why the vision begins with worship…a reminder…”Focus People”, “Focus on the God who is “Holy, Holy, Holy…The Lord god…ALMIGHTY!!! Who was and IS and IS to COME!..
He is awesome…unearthly---there are odd creations in this picture. Yet somehow comforting 24 elders in white robes and golden crowns, somewhat like us.
God is worshipped by everything and everyone in Heaven and on Earth…Everyone and everything is to surrender and subject itself to His majesty…not because we must, but because He is Worthy…It’s voluntary, spontaneous..filled with excitement, joy and wonder…
There is a sense of supreme Power here…and because of that a sense of assurance…”If this is my God…my enemies better watch out!” Ephesus needs to remember this first love, Smyrina finds hope in its affection and poverty with a God who is dressed in this splendor and power, So does Philadelphia in its weakness and open door, Thyatira needs to return to the Word of God and stop letting Jezebel and the world sway its people…and Pergamum needs to keep the faith, but stop being polluted by the Balaam in the church, Sardis needs to stop living on its reputation and wake up…and Laodicea needs to stop being lukewarm and tepid, making Jesus want to vomit…and Hear Jesus voice, open the door and invite Him in!” Seeing God the Almighty on His throne makes you repent of anything you’re focusing on instead of Him!
Revelation is written to Churches, Christians…Christ followers who have struggles in this world…remember Jesus said in John 16: 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This is the focus of Revelation…John in his first letter, chapter 4 verse 4 says, “You are of God…and have overcome…because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
You are going to have trouble…the world, and its God will seek to overwhelm and overcome you…This is an inseparable truth.
But take courage…Because of God…because you belong to Jesus…You Will overcome!
And one of the primary ways we overcome is through worship…singing praises, focused on God, fixing all our attention on Him…Everything, including the throne is centered on Him.
He is bigger than our circumstances…His power and providence shatter our difficulties…In Him hopelessness and despair are conquered by faith and endurance…His is the God who takes care of the past, provides for the now and promises for the future..
That’s why the 4 living creatures cry out “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord god almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.”
That’s why the 24 Elders cast down their crowns before His Throne and say this praise…”You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive Glory, and Honor and Power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (v11)
Loose paraphrase…”You made everything…and you hold everything together…It’s your plan. You are worthy…take the glory, the power and honor…it all belongs to you!”
Because of this providential plan and God’s all encompassing purpose for creation…we come to this truth…
II THE LION IS A LAMB
Read Revelation chapter 5: 1-10 (p 863)
It takes strength to open somethings….[We men love it when our wives ask, “Would you open this jar of pickles for me?”…We flex, grip, twist are exult in our power!!!
In Revelation five it’s a scroll that needs to be opened…It has 7 seals, is there anyone who can open the scroll…anyone who can break the seals?” No one could be found…in heaven, on earth or in the underworld…John weeps because of this…it breaks his heart…and one of the leaders, the Elders says to John “don’t weep…Look, the lion from the tribe of Judah, the root of David’s tree has conquered…He can open the scroll…He can rip through the 7 seals.”
So John looks and there surrounded by the throne, 4 living creatures and the elders (in the center) is a Lamb, bearing the marks of being slain…with 7 horns and 7 eyes... (These are the 7 spirits sent out into all the earth)…And the Lamb comes to the one seated on the throne and takes the scroll from God’s right hand…and when He takes it the elders and the 4 living creatures fall down in worship at the feet of the lamb…each were holding a harp and a golden bowl on incense...filled with the prayers of God’s people.
It takes physical strength to open a new jar of pickles…its takes the authority and power won by the “Lamb of God that was slain” to open the scroll and its 7 seals.
Without getting lost in seals, and horns and scrolls and creatures…the point of this apocalypse scheme is…All creation… everything and ever one…praising Jesus for purchasing God’s creation…He paid for its redemption in His blood…He purchased people from every tribe, language, people and nation… He made the Kingdom of God real, and called us to be priests and servants in it.
[ Xzavier and I watched Jack the Giant Slayer the other day…and we really liked it..I won’t give away all of it, but you already know there’s a Beanstalk and Giants…in the movie there’s’ a headstrong , independent princess…she goes to the market place…gets into trouble….she’s accosted by some low-life’s…Jack comes to her defense, but get’s beaten up…that is until the lowlife’s fall to their knees…Jack says, that’s better…(Behind him on horseback is the entire royal army, led by its captain) and Jack says, “There’s someone behind me, isn’t there?” And he turns to see the regal, amour clad soldiers that really put the lowlifes on there knees…
That’s the message to each church mentioned in chapters 2 & 3 and to each of us who live in this rebellious world…”There’s’ someone behind me isn’t there?” When trial and tribulation, famine and persecution attack…when Satan tries to overwhelm and overcome…remember whose behind you…when Satan and those attackers take a knee…”It’s the One on the throne, and the Lamb who was slain..It’s their praise, honor, glory and power that has your back…
Jeff is going to come and share the invitation this morning…Jeff would you come?
