WORSHIP: ACKNOWLEDGING JESUS
Revelation 5:8-14
INTRODUCTION: I read a story just the other day about a Christian couple who lived some twenty miles outside of Munich, Germany. In order to make it to Bible School at 9 A.M. they had to get up at 4 in the morning, dress, quickly eat breakfast, and then walk forty-five minutes to the train station for the ride into town. They then took a streetcar ride arriving just in time for the 8:30 prayer service. After Bible class and morning worship was over, they then rode the streetcar back to the train station, rode the train back to the depot near their village, and then walked forty-five minutes back home, normally arriving at about 1:30 in the afternoon. Why, we might ask, would someone go to all that much trouble to go to church? They did it because they were dedicated to the worship the Savior they served. They were willing to go the extra mile, literally, to give Jesus the acknowledgement He deserved. This is they type of worship we see described by the hand of John in Revelation 5. READ TEXT Worship is an important subject, not only for mankind, but in the sight of God. From the passage in Revelation 5, there are at least three aspects of worship directed toward Jesus.
{In Worship we must…}
I. ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRICE HE PAID
A. Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." This is truth, powerful truth, concerning the relationship man should share with one another, but it is also the relationship Jesus shares with mankind.
1. In a day where relationships are often based on societies terms: money, power, influence, education, the reality of a relationship worth dying for is foreign to us. The prevailing perception is that our lives are more important than the lives of others is a direct result of the "all for me and me for me" generation.
2. The last thing on our mind is the lives of others, and the first thing on our mind is our own life. If it suits us, pleases us, thrills us, makes us happy, moves our life in the way we want it moved, then it must be right! And then and only then would we even consider the thought of giving our life for it in some small portion.
3. The Bible says, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." CEV reads, "consider others more important than yourselves." Paul wrote, "Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another." RSV says "outdo one another in showing honor."
B. Thanks be to God that Jesus did not have our mentality! The angelic host shouts and sings, "Worthy is the Lamb… for he was slain." It was our sins that carried Him to the cross, drove the nails into His hands and feet, and spilled His blood onto the cold ground. He underwent such torture because He called us His friends!
C. He deemed us worthy of His death, even though we, mankind, had done everything we could to be found in opposition to God. We abandoned His will, created our own laws of righteousness, rejected His love and chose strange gods to worship; gods of the flesh, gods of the dollar, the gods of me, myself and I. Yet despite the reality of our sinfulness, God in the flesh gave His life for us. (Romans 5:6-11)
D. He is worthy of our worship, acknowledging the Price He Paid.
{In Worship we must…}
II. ACKNOWLEDGE THE GIFT HE GAVE
A. In conversation with a Samaritan woman in John 4, Jesus told her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, "Give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." Her reply was to tell him that He did not have a bucket to draw out any water. She did not understand what He said and completely missed the point.
1. His apostles lacked understanding as well. Even though they walked with Him day and night, from village to village, they did not realize who He was. They, like the rest of their generation, had been looking for an earthly King, one who would bring about a return to the glory days of David and Solomon, one who would be a liberator from Roman oppression. Later as He stood before them risen from the grave, Acts 1 tells they were still with out a clue.
2. And in reality we are not much different from them. We read the stories about Jesus in MMLJ, we hear about them in Bible class, from the pulpit, but being removed some 2000 years from his footsteps on this world, we either lose the reason for His existence or never really grasp it. Therefore He becomes the magician to whom we appeal to solve our problems, heal our wounds and grant our wishes.
B. This gift of God of which Jesus speaks is not so much His dwelling among men in flesh and blood, even though that is a vital part of it, it is by definition and divine decree the reality of God surrendering His life to save ours. It is the sinless of God becoming as sin by bearing our transgressions on the cross.
1. Paul wrote, "God made Him who had not sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." NCV – "right with God." CEV – "acceptable to God." Romans 8:32, "God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all…" Ephesians 2 – Salvation is not of ourselves it is the gift of God.
2. That is why the angelic host and the saints standing in heaven are recorded as saying, "Worthy are You, O Lamb, for you have redeemed us, made us kings and priests, and given us a reign upon the earth." They recognized the gift, and were moved to shout and sing praises for it. (II Peter 2:9,10)
C. Jesus is worthy of our worship, acknowledging the Gift He Gave.
{In Worship we must…}
III. ACKNOWLEDGE THE DIGNITY HE DESERVES
A. Undoubtedly one of the most troublesome times during our Lord’s ministry must have been the rejection He found in His hometown. These were the people with whom he had grown up. He knew them personally, had worked for them building cabinets, furniture, maybe even their houses, yet when He came to them as their Messiah they took offense, and laughed Him out of town. This prompted Jesus to say, "Only in His home town, among his relatives and in his house, is a prophet without honor."
1. Rejection is a horrible thing to experience, especially when it comes from those whom you expected far better. Keep in mind, this was not the only time Jesus was forced to deal with this sort of thing. I can only imagine how heavy and pained His heart must have been when He felt the kiss of Judas in his betrayal and heard the words of Peter as he swore his denial with cursing. They knew who He was, in at least some limited, but truthful, sense. Yet they could not cling to their knowledge and bring Him honor when faced with the things of the world.
2. At times the same is true of us. We are fine and well professing our belief in the Majesty and Sovereignty of Jesus while in the security and solitude of the community of believers. It is easy to be a Christian among Christians, but it is while we are in the world, in the company of unbelievers, in the very face of evil, where the real mark is made.
B. Jesus is worthy of far more than a closet profession and a witness in the shadows. He deserves a people who will shout from the housetops and testify to His grandeur, His Majesty and His dignity.
1. He is worthy because He chose to cast off His heavenly robes and dwell among sinful men, because He patiently stood before ungodly men as they told lies about His works and His character. And because He willingly climbed up on the cross, enduring the shame and embracing death by the hands of lawless men.
2. The crowd described in Revelation 5 as ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands and every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth and in the seas cried out in recognition or the Majesty of Jesus saying, "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever!" This was the natural response to the Majesty and Dignity of our Lord and Savior. It must be ours as well.
3. Scripture tells us that if we confess Him before men, acknowledge His character, His glory and Honor, Jesus will confess us before His Father, but if we deny Him, NIV says disown Him, He will deny or disown us (Luke 12:8,9). Paul’s words in Romans 10:10, "It is with your heart that you believe and justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." II Timothy 1:7-8a
C. He is worthy of our worship, acknowledging the Dignity He Deserves.
CONCLUSION:
