Who can fix this broken world?

INTRODUCTION:

Turn with me to Revelation 5.

Do you feel the world is broken? Every year in the United States alone, over a million pregnancies end in miscarriage—dreams and hopes lost before a child ever takes a first breath. We live in a world where people are violated through rape and abuse, where what should be safe is shattered by evil, and where victims often carry wounds that can’t be seen and justice feels painfully slow.

Do you feel creation groaning? We watch hurricanes level communities, wildfires consume neighborhoods, earthquakes take lives in seconds, and floods displace families who have nowhere to return. The earth itself seems to cry out, reminding us that things are not the way they were meant to be.

Do you ever get tired of your humanity? Tired of fighting the same sins, the same temptations, the same patterns you promised yourself you’d be done with? We know what’s right, yet we still fall short. We hurt people we love, we struggle with pride, anger, lust, fear, and unbelief—and sometimes we’re exhausted by ourselves.

Do you identify with David in Psalm 13, which we sang this morning: “How long, O Lord?” Some of you aren’t asking ‘How long, O Lord?’ because of one bad week—but because you’ve been faithful for decades and the ache hasn’t lifted. Maybe you feel like God is hiding His face from you. Maybe your prayers feel unanswered, your suffering unnoticed, and your waiting endless.

Do you wish that you could see our world made new? A world without funerals, fear, abuse, disasters, or regret?

Will wrongs be righted? Will justice be delivered?

In enters our passage: Look with me at verse 1-4.

Revelation 5:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

John sees a book (or a scroll) in the right hand of God (the one sitting on the throne). And there are many theories concerning this scroll which commentators and theologians have gone to great lengths to discuss. Some think this scroll is similar to what we see in Jewish apocalyptic where there is a heavenly book tracing God’s redemptive plan for the world. Some say that the book is perhaps a book of destiny in which future events are recorded. Some believe the book is a contract deed which describes the inheritance God gives to his people.

Many look to prophetic literature (i.e. Ezekiel and Daniel) and the rest of Revelation, to conclude that the contents of the book contain both salvation and judgment. I concur with commentator Jim Hamilton when he says, “The scroll describes the events of the end, whereby all the wrongs will be set right, all injustices accounted for, all crimes avenged.”

And this is what I wait for church. This is what I long for. Every wrong to be made right. All evil vanquished.

And so this book sits in the hands of God Almighty sealed with seven seals with a strong angel loudly proclaiming — WHO IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK, AND TO LOOSE THE SEALS THEREOF?

And the answer to which John records is… No one is worthy.

REALIZE THE PROBLEM (vs.1-4)

Let that sink in. Imagine. The solution to all of life’s hurts, all of life’s problems, all of life’s brokenness sits in the hands of God Almighty with no one to read it. With no one to open it. With no one to enact justice. With no one to right the wrongs.

Think right now, what in your life, in the lives of your loved one, or in the world do you long to be fixed or made right? What’s the ever-plaguing problem in your life? What’s the nagging annoyance that bugs you all day every day?

Maybe you look at our world/society/culture and see rampant racism and sexism. You see people mistreated because of the color of their skin, their cultural background, or their gender. It angers you.

Maybe you drive through Seattle and see tents filled with individuals experiencing houselessness. You come across individuals begging for money and food. You witness those enslaved to fentanol. And you pray, and wish, and hope for deliverance and provision. This sight habitually saddens you.

Maybe you’ve been sitting in a doctor’s office and received news that changed your life. You’ve been diagnosed with cancer. You’ve had a miscarriage. Or a loved one has died. This news cripples you.

Maybe you follow the news of persecuted Christians worldwide like our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, and North Korea. They cant’ worship in peace. They can’t worship in normal church buildings. They can’t openly evangelize. They can’t boldly identify as believers without threat of death. This reality stuns you.

In your families there is hurt. In our community their are needs. In our country there is brokenness. In our world there is groaning.

Herein lies the problem in Revelation and today. John sees no one worthy to open the book. He looks in heaven, he looks all throughout the earth, and he even looks under the earth. The strong angel couldn’t open the book. John couldn’t open the book. It seems as though even God Almighty wasn’t going/worthy to open the book.

*sword in the stone illustration. (maybe)

And John’s response? I wept much…

John isn’t weeping because the future is unknown—he’s weeping because it looks like evil will win.

And here’s an important truth we all need to let sink in — The problem besetting the human race can’t be solved from below.

If your solution to any of the problems/brokenness this world offers us begins with anything of this world, you’re destined for continual hurt , continual anxiety, and continual heartache.

If your answer is I just need more money or need to work harder, or if it’s an open border or a closed border, or if it’s a republican president or a democrat president, or if it’s soup kitchens and mercy ministries, or if it’s expensive medical treatments or holistic healthcare, if it’s anything of this world… there will be weeping.

Why? Because no one in heaven, no one in earth, and no one under the earth can fix humanity’s problem.

In these first four verses of our chapter, John is left hopeless. John is left with problems without answers. And frankly, this is where all of humanity stands — hopeless. I talk with people at the gym who are just trying to survive. They’re hopeless. They have no hope. I see on social media the diaries of countless hopeless individuals. And these aren’t just unbelievers. Church, this happens among our members as well. I talk to teenagers who have more problems than they have answers. And I’m here to declare that if you’re looking for answers here on the earth or among the angels you’re going to continue to live hopeless.

And it’s as if one of the twenty-four elders hears your heart cries along with John’s and steps in and says…

Revelation 5:5–7 KJV 1900

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

RECOGNIZE THE SOLUTION (vs.5-7)

Friends, hope is to be found. As we sing, hope has a name and his name is Jesus! So weep not!

Now, if you don’t have a Bible (CSB) or resource (Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old) that shows you when the New Testament writers are referencing, alluding to, or quoting the Old Testament, you need to get one. Because Revelation is the culmination of the whole of the Old Testament. We don’t have the time to dig in to every Old Testament reference in these short fourteen verses, but if you want a cool study, spend some time in this chapter.

And why I love Revelation so much is it gives us a high view of Jesus. And it seems to use the Old Testament to prove that the central narrative of Scripture is the person and work of Jesus. Remember, even Jesus declares this about the Old Testament when he’s walking the Emmaus road after his resurrection.

Jesus is our hope for the future. Jesus is the answer to our problems. Jesus is the healing to our brokenness. Jesus is the One worthy to take the scroll because of what he is, who he is, and what he’s done.

JESUS IS THE CONQUERING LION (what he is)

John reaches back to one of the earliest prophecies concerning the coming king which is found in Genesis 49:9-10.

New Living Translation Chapter 49

8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.

You will grasp your enemies by the neck.

All your relatives will bow before you.

9 Judah, my son, is a young lion

that has finished eating its prey.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down;

like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,

until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,

the one whom all nations will honor.

C.S. Lewis through Aslan depicts this description of Jesus well — "Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again."

Power. Might. Strength. Rule. Reign. Dominance. Majesty. The lion symbolizes royalty, strength, and majesty, showing that the triumph accomplished by Jesus cannot be matched in history, that his victory is incomparable.

What the Jews dreamed of and imagined of the Messiah during Jesus’ first coming will become reality at his second.

But second, Jesus is…

JESUS IS THE REIGNING ROOT (who he is)

John seems to take all of the separate prophecies about Jesus throughout the Old Testament and weaves them together to present a full picture of Christ.

If you’ve been reading through the Bible this year, you’ve likely come across the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12 which promises that through Abraham all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Who’s this referring to? Jesus. But throughout the Old Testament we see several major covenants made between God and man. One of those being David. In 2 Samuel 7 God promises to David that his kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom (vs. 12-13). Ultimately this looks forward to the eternal reign of Christ.

And Isaiah prophecies this as well:

Isaiah 11:1 KJV 1900

1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Isaiah 11:10 KJV 1900

10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, Which shall stand for an ensign of the people; To it shall the Gentiles seek: And his rest shall be glorious.

And Paul picks up on the lineage language as well:

Romans 1:3 KJV 1900

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

In Revelation 5, we have the promise that the servant David would rule as king come to fruition.

Jesus as the lion of Judah, and Jesus as the root of Jesse communicate the kingly reign of Jesus. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

But notice what the scriptures say, he hath prevailed. He has already conquered. He reigns because he’s prevailed. He rules because he’s conquered.

Pause. What does this mean for us? If you are a believer in this room, if you call Jesus your Lord (master), you live and operate ultimately under the rule and reign of Jesus. We’ll see this in full in a moment, but we don’t have to wait for Jesus to conquer. He has already prevailed. And so we find security in the past for our present and we look longingly to the future for ultimate rest.

But how has Jesus prevailed?

John heard a lion, but he sees a lamb. John expects claws. He sees scars.

JESUS IS THE SLAIN LAMB (what he’s done)

Jesus is the only one worthy to open the book because… he was slain… If you’re familiar with the scriptures, you should be familiar with what Revelation is trying to communicate to us.

All the way back in Genesis 3:15, we have the first proclamation of the gospel (protoeuangellion) which prophesied of a Savior. Specifically one who could rescue us from our sins.

You may be sitting here asking all sorts of questions about society and our world. Why is it broken? Why do bad things happen to good people? What’s wrong with everyone? What’s wrong with our world? Here’s the answer to your question — sin. The Bible is the chronicles of a world and a people who are enslaved to sin, a world that is broken by sin, and destined to be judged because of their sin. What’s wrong with humanity is that we all stand under the just judgment and wrath of God against our sin. We are destined to eternal death and hell apart from having a Savior.

Humanity needs for their sins to be atoned for. God’s justice demands for someone to pay the penalty for sin — death.

Just as Abel’s sacrifice of a lamb atoned for sin, just as the nation of Israel sacrificed a lamb during the first Passover, and just as Abraham led Isaac and up the mountain and trusted God to provide a sacrificial lamb, humanity has not been left without hope.

Isaiah says it perfectly…

Isaiah 53:6–7 KJV 1900

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth.

Jesus is the only king who conquered through dying. This is the central paradox to Christianity. What John sees in Revelation is what’s foundational for our Christian faith. Our Savior conquered through his sacrificial death and is no standing at the right hand of God with the book in his hand ready to secure the future for his children.

Here’s the central message of this whole chapter — Jesus’ death in the past grants him singular control of the future, prompting believers’ confident worship.

Jesus is depicted as the slain lamb with seven horns or with ultimate authority and with seven eyes or with omniscience and ultimate wisdom.

He has authority over what you’re going through. He sees your struggles. And he’s already acted to procure your eternal security. No matter what happens today, tomorrow, or ten years from now. No matter what fears and anxieties creep into your thoughts at night. No matter death, no matter, health struggles, financial struggles, marital struggles, earthquakes, wars, or tornados. As believers your future is secure.

Let me simplify it even more — We are all utterly dependent on Jesus.

Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection is our only secure hope. Jesus is our Savior.

But John goes on…

Revelation 5:8–10 KJV 1900

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

All of the pent-up anticipation of millennia finally bursts out at the prospect of what is about to take place.

JESUS GIVES A NEW SONG

What song is your life currently singing—lament, fear, or worship?

The elders response to the news of the conquering lamb is to sing a new song. In the Old Testament the “new song” was always an expression of praise for God’s victory over the enemy. A new song was a response to victory.

Psalm 40:3 KJV 1900

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

Even as I was preparing this sermon, my mind couldn’t get away from some of the songs we sing as a church: I Am Not My Own, Worthy is the Lamb, O Praise the Name (anastasis), Is He Worthy…

And if you remember: The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave From every people and tribe Every nation and tongue He has made us a kingdom and priests to God To reign with the Son

This comes from Revelation 5.

JESUS REDEEMS

If you are not a believer in here, you are enslaved to sin. You live fully under the presence, power, and penalty of sin. Quite simply. You will receive judgment for your sins. That was me, and that may be you. But Christ has redeemed those who call him Savior. He has atone for your sin through his blood. He has bought you from being a slave to sin to being a servant of Christ.

Some of the most loved verses in scripture attests to these truths:

1 Peter 1:18–19 KJV 1900

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

But through redemption we reign. And this speaks to God’s promise to his people in Israel that is now extended to his body of believers.

Exodus 19:5–6 KJV 1900

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

1 Peter 2:9 KJV 1900

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

We reign now not by escaping suffering, but by enduring it faithfully.

But it you notice, no one is excluded from being redeemed. Your social status, race, job, fame, etc. does not determine your ability to be redeemed and to reign with Christ.

But John leaves us finally with our response to the solution to our problem.

Revelation 5:11–14 KJV 1900

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And 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, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

RESPOND WITH WORSHIP (vs.11-14)

The worship service that began in Revelation 4 continues into Revelation 5. And not just continues, it expands. It expands to innumerable angels (*like a kid trying to say the biggest number he can think of). But this worship service doesn’t stay in heaven. It expands to all creatures everywhere.

Romans 8 highlights that even creation groans awaiting for the day of final restoration. And so creation cries out with praise and glory and honor.

This future finalization of what Christ began at Calvary is the believer’s present reality. We can worship confidently because of the slain lamb.

Can I ask you a question? Is worship important to you? Is worship a priority in your life? This message marks two in a row that highlight worship in the life of a believer. Is worship something that only happens when the church is gathered? Is worship something that only happens when your favorite song is played? Is worship something that only music accomplishes? Is worship affected by your present circumstances?

Worship looks like trusting Christ when outcomes don’t change. When the scan still shows cancer. When the prodigal child hasn’t come home. When the marriage is still strained.

Worship looks like obedience when it costs you something. When telling the truth could cost you a promotion. When forgiving someone feels like letting them “win.” When staying faithful in your marriage would be easier to walk away from.

Worship looks like repentance without excuses. When the Spirit exposes pride, bitterness, lust, or fear—and instead of justifying it, you confess it.

Worship looks like perseverance in quiet faithfulness. When no one notices your service. When you’ve taught Sunday School for years and feel unseen.

Worship looks like hope in the middle of chaos. When the news cycles through wars, disasters, corruption, and violence—and instead of despairing, you anchor your soul in the certainty that the scroll is already in Christ’s hands.

Worship looks like suffering without surrendering your joy. Not joy because suffering is good—but joy because suffering is not final.

Our future is secure so we worship confidently.

CONCLUSION

How are believers in Nigeria still able to gather and joyfully worship Christ? How are those who have just heard the devastating news of cancer able to continue praising and worshipping Jesus? How are those whose homes and lives have been destroyed by natural disasters able to continue on? How are those who have experienced racism and abuse able to forgive? How are those who feel the weight and pressure of a broken world able to not just survive or get by, but are able to worship God with a red-hot fervor?

It’s because they realized the solution to all these wrongs. It’s Christ himself. The reason we can worship is not because we’re strong—but because the Lamb is worthy.

If we can go through this world cognisant that our future is secured because of the resurrection of Jesus, then we can navigate trials, testings, hardships, cruelty, and brokenness with strength, confidence, and worship.

Jesus’ death in the past grants him singular control of the future, prompting believers’ confident worship.

Amen — Let it be. Make it happen.