In August of 2010, communications specialist Judy Rivers went to her local bank to open a new account. As the clerk input Rivers' personal information, everything seemed to be going smoothly, but then the woman behind the desk stopped abruptly and frowned.
“That's odd,” she said. “There seems to be an issue regarding your Social Security number.” With a skeptical glance, the employee rose and disappeared in the back room; several minutes later, Rivers was greeted by the branch manager. “Ma'am,” the woman pronounced, brandishing a folded paper, “your Social Security number was deactivated in 2008 due to death.”
Incredulous, Rivers rose from her chair. “You're trying to tell me I've been dead for two years,” she stammered, “and no one bothered to tell me?”
Rivers' isn’t the only living person to be categorized as deceased. The office of the Inspector General estimates that every year, some 12,200 U.S. citizens are declared dead by the Social Security Administration due to “keystroke errors.” Those affected become like the walking dead, unable to secure a job, make financial transactions, file taxes, or visit the doctor, and for months on end, must endure the nightmare of convincing a large bureaucracy that they haven't yet bit the dust. (Zachary Crockett, “What It's Like to Be Declared Dead by the Government,” Priceonomics blog, 6-16-15; www.PreachingToday.com)
Dealing with government bureaucracy can be absolutely frustrating. I think many of our politicians mean well; but in their attempt to make things better, they often make things worse.
The fact is that no human government can truly make things better. No world leader has ever been able to bring about lasting peace.
Augustus Caesar tried it around the time of Christ. He came to power in 27 B.C. with a dream to create a new era of peace and prosperity in the world, but because of ill-health, he was not sure he would live to see it happen.
So, early on he wrote his ideas on a scroll, and sealed it with seven seals. Then he sought for a worthy successor. He sought for someone who was worthy to open the scroll and implement his ideas for world peace.
So the search began and it ever continues to this day. Even in heaven, they are looking for such a ruler to bring the world together. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Revelation 5, Revelation 5, where we see all of heaven looking for someone worthy to rule the world.
Revelation 5:1-4 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. (ESV)
They found no one worthy to rule. They found no one with the skills to bring about a lasting peace to this world. Augustus Caesar couldn’t do it. His “new era of peace and prosperity” brought civil war as his successors fought for power.
A few centuries later, King Arthur couldn’t do it. He sought to bring about “the Kingdom of Summer.” His dream was a kingdom “where each man protects his brother’s dignity as his own, and where war and want have ceased and all races live under the same law of love an honor” (Lawhead, Merlin, p.108). Even so, his reign ushered in the “Dark Ages.”
Even the godly Puritans failed. They came to the New World to set up the Kingdom of God. They tried to set up a perfect society based on Biblical principles. It was a noble dream, but it failed in just one generation when their children did not embrace their faith.
Today, despite the best efforts of world leaders, we are no closer to world peace than we ever were. Human beings have set up all kinds of government systems, but each has failed to produce the results we’re all looking for.
In Communism, you have two cows; the government takes one and gives you part of the milk. In Socialism, you have two cows; the government takes one cow and gives it to your neighbor. In Fascism, you have two cows; the government takes both and sells you the milk. In Nazism, you have two cows; the government takes both and shoots you. In a Bureaucracy, you have two cows; the government takes both, shoots one, milks one and pours the milk down the drain. In Capitalism, you have two cows; you sell one and buy a bull.
I like that last system the best, but it only works if you have two cows to begin with. What about those who don’t have any? The point is: All human systems fail, and will continue to fail, to bring about lasting peace and prosperity. No one is worthy to rule. No one has the skills necessary to bring the world together, and we despair of ever finding such a one.
According to The Washington Post, at the end of last year (2014), just 20 percent of the U.S. population said they trusted the government to do what's right “always” or “most” of the time (Chris Cizzilla, "The remarkable collapse of our trust in government, in one chart," The Washington Post, 12-4-14; www.PreachingToday.com)
Is there no one worthy to rule? Well, maybe there is someone!
Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” (ESV)
The Lion of the tribe of Judah – the one foretold in Genesis 49, the Root of David – the one foretold in Isaiah 11 – He can open the scroll and its seven seals. Good news! Heaven has found someone worthy to rule the world! He is none other than Israel’s Messiah – Jesus, the Christ. HE is the Lion of Judah – a man of courage and strength. HE is the root of David – the great king David’s king, the King of all kings. He ALONE is worthy to rule, because…
HE ALONE HAS CONQUERED.
He alone is victorious. Verse 5 says, “He has conquered.” My friends, he succeeded where no other king has succeeded.
King Canute, the Danish conqueror of Britain, was a powerful king. One day, he grew tired of the flattery he received because of his power, so he ordered his throne to be placed by the seaside. The tide was coming in and threatened to drown him. He commanded the waves to stop, but they did not.
On the other hand, Jesus once said to the waves, “Peace be still,” and instantly they stopped their raging (Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, #7287).
Jesus succeeds where no other king has succeeded. He overcame the deeds of sin. The Bible says, “He has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). He overcame the devil. The Bible says, “by his death he…destroy[ed] him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14). He overcame death itself. The Bible says, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?… Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55,57).
Theodosius the Great, Emperor of Rome, once opened all the prisons and released all the prisoners. Then he said, “And now would to God I could open all the tombs and give life to the dead!” (Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, #5031) You see, only Jesus can do that! He is the resurrection and the life, and He will raise the dead someday.
He succeeds where no other king has succeeded. He, and He alone, is worthy to rule, because He has conquered – He is a Lion!
In June, 2005, seven violent men abducted a 12-year-old Ethiopian girl, intending to force her into marriage. The men held her for seven days, beating her repeatedly.
Such incidents are common in Ethiopia, as several men band together to abduct young girls for the purpose of securing a bride. The girls are typically beaten into submission and raped. In this particular instance, there was not a human being within earshot to hear the cries of this girl.
But her cries were heard by three majestic Ethiopian lions. Famous for their large black manes, these lions are the national symbol of the country. In response to the girl's cries for help, three large lions leapt from the brush and chased her captors away.
Perhaps the child thought she had traded one danger for another, but remarkably, her heroes formed a protective perimeter around her. A half-day later, when the police arrived, the guardian lions simply stood up and walked away. Sgt. Wondimu Wedajo said, “They stood guard until we found her, and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest.”
One wildlife expert suggested the girl's whimpering could have sounded like a lion cub; but for whatever reason, the predator served as protector. Wondimu said, “Everyone thinks this is some kind of miracle.” (Anthony Mitchell, “Lions Rescue, Guard Beaten Ethiopian Girl,” Yahoo News, 6-21-05; www.PreachingToday.com)
Indeed, it WAS a miracle! The 12-year-old girl was helpless. She was powerless to change her horrific circumstances, but something more powerful than her captors came along.
We too are powerless to save ourselves from sin and death. Our only hope is in Christ, the Lion of Judah. He, and He alone, is worthy to rule, because He has conquered – He is a Lion! 2nd, He is worthy to rule, because…
HE WAS CRUCIFIED.
You see, He is not only a lion; He is a lamb, who was slain as a sacrifice for our sins. He was violently and brutally slaughtered in our place.
Revelation 5:6a And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain… (ESV)
Now, wait a minute. I thought you said the one worthy to rule is a Lion! What is this weak, seriously injured little lamb doing standing there? Yes, but this is no ordinary lamb.
Revelation 5:6b …with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (ESV)
Seven is the number of perfection, and He has seven horns – perfect power, seven eyes – perfect insight, and seven spirits in all the earth – perfect presence. This Lamb is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God of the universe Himself.
Revelation 5:7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. (ESV)
God, the Son, claims the right to rule from God, the Father. He alone claims the right to break the seals of the book, which contains His Father’s plans for the world.
Revelation 5:8-10 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (ESV)
Auschwitz was the first German concentration camp to become an extermination camp. The gas chambers were in constant use. But because of the great influx of new prisoners daily, the Nazis began to use firing squads as well.
One day, the commandant selected ten men from one of the barracks to be executed by firing squad. One of those selected was a father of a large family. When he was pulled from the line, he fell to the ground, begging the commandant to spare his life.
The commandant was unresponsive. Then the man standing next to the one on the ground, a clergyman named Maximillian Kilbe, stepped forward to offer his life in exchange for the man on his knees.
Surprisingly, the commandant agreed to such an arrangement. But instead of standing him before the firing squad, the commandant threw Father Maximillian into a tiny damp cell, where he suffered the agonizing death of starvation.
Today, Maximillian Kolbe is honored by millions of people, because he died in the place of one man. But Jesus deserves even greater honor, because His death delivered not just one man, but men “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (vs.9).
More than that, Jesus’ death delivered us not just to eke out an existence in a prison camp, but His death made us kings and priests (vs.10).
On September 16, 2009, an article in The Washington Post began with these words: “The king folds her own laundry, chauffeurs herself around Washington in a 1992 Honda, and answers her own phone. Her boss's phone, too.” The article was about Peggielene Bartels, secretary to the Ghanian embassy in Washington D.C. for 30 years. She's originally from Otuam, Ghana, a small city of about 7,000, and her story is a fascinating one.
When the 90-year-old king of Otuam, Ghana, died, the elders did what they have always done: a ritual to determine the next king. They prayed and poured schnapps on the ground while they read the names of the king's 25 relatives. When steam rose from the schnapps on the ground, the name that they were reading at that moment would be the new king – and that's exactly what happened when they read Peggielene's name.
So now Peggielene is a king – yes, a king, not a queen (when she pointed out to the elders that she is a woman, they replied by saying the office of king is the post that was open). When she goes back to Ghana, she has a driver, a chef and an eight-bedroom palace (though it needs repairs). She has power to resolve disputes, appoint elders, and manages more than 1,000 acres of family-owned land. When she returned to Ghana for her coronation, they carried her through the streets on a litter. She even wore a heavy gold crown.
Paul Schwartzman, the Washington Post reporter, wrote, “In the humdrum of ordinary life, people periodically yearn for something unexpected, some kind of gilded escape, delivered, perhaps, by an unanticipated inheritance or a winning lottery ticket.” (Paul Schwartzman, “Secretary by Day, Royalty by Night,” The Washington Post, 9-16-09; www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/15/AR2009091503393_2. html; www.PreachingToday.com)
Peggielene got the unexpected, but so did you and me! We, who have trusted Christ, are royalty! We will rule and reign with Him someday!
Have you trusted Christ for your salvation? Have you called upon Him and asked Him to deliver you from your sins? If you haven’t, you are still in the death camp. You are still condemned, or as John 3:18 puts it, you are “condemned already.”
Trust Christ today. Call upon Him today, and find freedom. Find release from your spiritual death camp. But not only that, find royalty! When we call upon the Lord, He not only saves us from our sins, He makes us kings and priests in His kingdom.
Jesus is the only one worthy to rule, because He has conquered – He is a lion. And He was crucified – He is a lamb. Therefore…
HE HAS CONTROL.
He is the Lord, the Sovereign King of the universe. The angels declare it.
Revelation 5:11-12 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (ESV)
These are all the attributes needed by a king: power – the authority to rule; wealth – the resources to rule; wisdom – the skill to rule; might – the strength to rule; honor – the respect needed to rule; glory – the reputation of a great ruler; and praise – the adulation of grateful subjects.
There are seven attributes, which speak of perfect and complete authority. Jesus is God’s perfect Son, perfectly suited to carry out the Father’s plan, and perfectly suited to rule and to reign forever! The angels declare it, and one day all creation will declare it, as well.
Revelation 5:13-14 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (ESV)
In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul said, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
It’s not a question of whether or not you’ll bow before Him. It’s only a question of when – either now, voluntarily, or then, involuntarily. It’s as certain at the nose on your face. You WILL bow, and all creation with you. You WILL declare Christ’s worthiness to rule.
Why not do it today? Why not let Christ rule your life today? Surrender your life to His control. Submit to Him as Lord. Then, and only then, will you find peace. Then, and only then, will you be all that God wants you to be. For Jesus, and Jesus alone, is worthy to rule not only the world, but your life as well.
He has conquered – He is a lion. He was crucified – He is a lamb; therefore, He has control – He is Lord! Why not accept Him as YOUR Lord today?
Ray Ortlund puts it this way: “Imagine a big table, leather chairs, coffee, bottled water, and a whiteboard. A committee sits around the table in your heart. There is the social self, the private self, the work self, the sexual self, the recreational self, the religious self, and others. The committee is arguing and debating and voting, constantly agitated and upset. Rarely can they come to a unanimous, wholehearted decision. We tell ourselves we're this way because we're so busy with so many responsibilities. But the truth is that we're just divided, unfocused, hesitant, and unfree.
“That kind of person can ‘accept Jesus’ in two ways. One way is to invite him onto the committee. Give him a vote too. But then he becomes just one more complication. The other way to ‘accept Jesus’ is to say to him, ‘My life isn't working. Please come in and fire my committee, every last one of them. I hand myself over to you. I am your responsibility now. Please run my whole life for me.’” (Ray Ortund, “#9: What Does It Mean to Accept Jesus?” Ray Ortlund: Christ Is Deeper Still blog, 6-4-10; www.PreachingToday.com)
If you want the benefits of Christ’s rule in your life, then that’s how you must accept Him as Lord. Don’t just add Him to the committee of your heart. Ask Him to fire the committee and take over. Will you do that today as we close in prayer?
