Worthy is the Lamb
Notes
Transcript
If you have your Bibles, please turn to Revelation 5:1-3
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.
Last week we looked at the mighty throne of God, and this week we continue to look at John’s time in the heavens. We move to the scroll that will begin the time of divine wrath. This is where we begin to see the full picture of the cross. Because as I have always said the full implications of the cross are so massive. It is just a simple exchange, it changed the world and will change the world again. Pastor Rick has given us couple of sermons of the full picture of God. It is important to understand as best we can the full picture of God. God is love and grace. God loves us more than we can ever imagine. He is the one that laid out the divine plan to save us from our sins. Jesus breaks us free from the slavery of our sins. Jesus wakes us up and convicts us our sins. He doesn’t just convict us but He leads us to a new life and redirects our path to where God wants us to be. Now there is ultimate justice in this world and that is the wrath of God. One of the many reasons that Jesus commands to forgive so many times is that all are judged before God.
You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
There are consequences both good and bad for our decisions and subsueqent actions. For modern Christians this where things can get a little dicey. We look at this verse and we look at the wrath of God. I have been accused of being a judgemental person. But here is the truth, It isn’t my job to judge, to judge in the Biblical sense is to make a determination of someone’s fate. Jesus Christ makes that call not me. the church has to stand up for what God says is good and has to speak up when sin is running rampant in our society because the truth is that sin has infected everything. We must help people find the transforming power that is the cross. I don’t judge anyone because I have no idea where a person’s life is going. I know that I was a sinner and Jesus saved my life. I know that Jesus is saving people every day because one day the wrath and justice of God will come. I know that one day the wicked will be judged. This is what true justice is, and the true freedom that Jesus gives us is that we are no under that judgement
Now on to the good news
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
The lion of the tribe of Judah had triumphed. Jesus has already secured the victory. and God had given Jesus this authority.
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Jesus has been given this authority. and now here in Revelation , He is the only that can open the scroll and the seven seals, This is the only way. There are not multiple ways to the Father, there is no affirmation of any sin. There is one way and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
We are getting a better picture of the glory of God, and the glory of Jesus. The slain lamb in the middle while the seraphin and the elders look on and worship. The seven horns are a call back to the old testament and the represent the authority and the strength of a ruler. The seven eyes are another call back to the old testament
See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.
As we covered existensly in Ephesians
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.
All of the Bible is Jesus, and all will worship him. And the ending part of these verses,
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
Our prayers, the prayers that we pray in private, the prayers we have here on Sunday and throughout the week, are brought into that throne room and they are brought to the King of Kings in golden bowls full of incense. Brothers and sisters this is not simply a God that made the world and left us. This is not something that happened long ago but this is something that is happening in the heavenly realm right now. Your prayers are taken to God.
And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Jesus is worthy because he sacarficed himself for us. He purchased us with His blood. This is why there are not many ways to the same God. This is why the only way to the Father is through Jesus because of what He did on the cross. This isn’t exclusive to one group of people it is for everyone , every person and nation. I pray our nation gets back to God. I pray our people will see this and respond to the call of Jesus. His scarifice isn’t for just a few but for all. And in our own lives, we must respond with the next line. We are to be a kingdom of priests to serve God. Jesus does not die on the cross so that we are quiet, Jesus does not die on the cross so that we simply wait for His return. There is work to be done while we wait for the return of Jesus. There isn’t someone better to do this job because Jesus transforms your life, Jesus shows you the way to have peace in your heart. Jesus will always be counter cultural.
picture of Adam Smith-Connor
I want to share a quick example, of why we must live out this call. In the U.K. ,Adam Smith-Connor a British army veteran was arrested in 2022 for praying silently near an abortion facility. In October 2024 they convicted him and he was fined 9,000 pounds or about 12,177 dollars. He was standing 50 meters or about 164 feet from the facility. He prayed for three minutes and did not interact with anyone. And there are many more stories like this one.
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
The angels and the elders are all worshipping Jesus, again another full picture of who Jesus actually is, He is the son of God and He is worthy
In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
Worthy is the Lamb, and every creature worships Him. As we saw earlier in Revelation every knee will bow. I think one of the reasons we have these scriptures is because we are getting a glimpse of the full Glory of Jesus. talk about how the world sees Jesus as a good teacher or moral being. We read the Gospels and can understand He is the son of God, however when I look at this, I see everyone angels, elders, creatures, everyone worshipping our Lord Jesus. He truly is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, there can be no doubt in that.
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jesus is the only one worthy to open the scroll, to open the seals that we will look at in a couple weeks. We are not worthy of that, in the next few sermons there will be the coming tribulation for those that do not believe in Jesus. The scriputres that the Lord has given us all point to Jesus. The world proves the teachings of Jesus time and time again. Please do not ignore the evidence that God has provided for us. Everyone person on earth is wired to worship. Every person on earth worships something. Please search your hearts and worship the only one that is worthy and that is Lamb that was slain for our sins.
If you wish to give your life over to Jesus or wish to reafirm your faith or need prayer we will be at the front
Let us pray.
