Welcome once again to another posting of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone is doing well, and that everyone is having a nice day.
For the last several weeks now, I've asked those of you who read this blog to pray for me about several matters I am facing. I must continue to ask you to pray for me, because I am facing many difficulties. After a brief hiatus, my trouble with my stomach and pancreas is back. I am not even able to eat anything today. Also, instead of improving, my financial situation is at just about rock bottom. If things don't turn around in the next couple of weeks, I may be out of my home. That is not an exciting prospect. So, please continue to pray for my health and my finances.
On a positive note, there are always things to be thankful for. There has been more writing work as of late. That is good. No one will hire me for any other jobs, but at least I can make a little bit writing. Also, I had great feedback on the article that was published in the Upper Room. It always makes me feel good when I know that what I wrote helped someone or helped to spread the gospel.
Last week, we studied Revelation Chapter 4. As I mentioned, this is one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. We looked at this description of the throne room of God as well as the descriptions in Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. God is holy, awesome and powerful. He is worthy of all of our praise.
Today, we shift our attention to the fifth chapter of the book of Revelation. This chapter is about the Lamb of God who is worthy.
John begins this chapter by describing that God, who sits on the throne, had a scroll in His hand sealed with seven seals. An angel asks in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals."
John said that no one in Heaven or on the Earth was found who was worthy to unseal the scroll. This filled John with sadness, and he began to weep.
As John was weeping, one of the twenty-four elders who sit around the throne of God said, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has prevailed to open the scroll and loose its seven seals."
First of all what are these seals that need to be released? Later in Revelation, we will see that these seals are the beginning of the judgment of God upon the Earth. Jesus is the only one who is able to loosen these seals because of what He did on the cross. By bringing redemption to the world, and by rising from the dead and conquering death, hell and the grave, Jesus has prevailed. Because of this, the Bible says that the Father has given all judgment unto the Son.
After the elder spoke to John, John looked and saw a great sight in the midst of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders. John saw as he describes it in verse 6, "A Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth."
The Lamb who was slain is Jesus. He was crucified and suffered so that our sins might be taken away. As John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world."
The sevens in this description speak of the perfection of the attributes of Jesus. Seven signifies perfection and completeness. Jesus is all-powerful. He is all-knowing. He is everywhere present. These are the divine attributes of God signifying the divinity of the divine Son of God, Jesus Christ.
The Lamb took the scroll from the One who sits on the throne. When the Lamb took the scroll, the living creatures and the elders fell down in worship before the Lamb. They used their harps to sing a song of praise, and they offered up to the Lamb the incense of the prayers of the saints.
The prayers that we make to the Lord are a type of praise and honor to the Lord. They are part of the worship in the throne room of God. I think that this image is awesome.
In verses 9 and 10, John records the song of praise to the Lamb that says, "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, For you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood. Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God,, and we shall reign on the earth."
There is a lot to look into in these verses. As I stated, Jesus was worthy because He shed His blood and redeemed us to God. What is truly wonderful in this verse is that Jesus has redeemed people from every place on the planet. Humans from every gender, race, ethnicity and class have been redeemed and are part of the Kingdom of God. There is no sinner that God will not save if that person will call upon the name of Jesus. When we get to Heaven, all kinds of people will be their praising Jesus Christ for all that He has done.
We who have been redeemed will one day rule and reign with the Lord upon the earth. Many Christians don't quite understand this teaching. We think that we will be in Heaven forever. Heaven is just an intermediate place. One day, Jesus will come and rule and reign in righteousness on this earth. Those who are His followers will return and rule and reign with Him. The destiny of the believer is to live forever on this restored earth. Their will be a new Heaven and a new Earth. I'm not saying that we won't be in Heaven some of the time.
In verse 11, John continues by saying, "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders, and the number of them as ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." The entire host of Heaven joined in to praise the Lamb.
In verse 12 they said, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing." Jesus is worthy of all of our praise because of what He has done for us and the love that He has given unto us.
Then in verse 13, more of God's creation joins in the praise of the Lamb. It says, "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..." One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
What captures me about this verse is that it says every creature. That doesn't just mean people. One day, every animal, bird, fish and reptile created by God will in some way give praise to Jesus. The creatures will sing praise to the creator of all.
All of the created order sings to the Lamb, "Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever."
Just writing about this sends a chill down my spine. This is awesome. I can't wait for the day when Jesus comes and receives all the glory and honor that is due unto Him. When I think of how unworthy I am and all that Jesus did for me, I am truly in awe.
As believers in Jesus, we don't have to wait for the day described in these verse to sing our praise to the Lord. We can praise Him every day during our prayer time. We can sing songs of praise to Him. We can praise the Lord by living lives that are honoring unto Him.
If you are reading this blog, I hope that you have given your life to Jesus and made Him the Lord and Savior of your life. He loves you, and He wants you to come to Him today. Jesus said that He would not cast out anyone who comes to Him.
Next week, I will publish a review on Wednesday. I will examine Revelation chapter 21 next week. May God bless you. Amen.
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