Worthy Is The Lamb

Good Morning, well I just wanted to take a moment this morning and tell you all thank you for being so gracious and allowing my family and I to take some quality time off together. It truly was a blessing to be able to play with them and spend time at the beach with them because of the opportunity to be alone with them.

I also wanted to mention that I appreciate very much everyone who went and served the less fortunate yesterday at LIA it was a blessing we fed over 50 people who were homeless or had either fallen on hard times and it truly was a blessing to be able to love on them and serve them and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

I tell you what there have been alot of things swirling through my mind on what I would like to preach, and there are many ideas that are worthy of study, that I know many of you would need. However this morning I just wanna give the Lord Jesus Christ praise for all He has done. I want Him to be glorified to the utmost this morning. Not because everything is perfect but because He is worthy.

Please turn with me in

I truly believe if you were aware enough to see God’s provision and blessing in your life just yesterday, there would be enough material in just one 24 hour period to praise Jesus for for the rest of eternity.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus there’s just something about that name, Master Savior, Jesus like a fragrance after the rain; let all Heaven and Earth proclaim, kings and kingdoms will ALL pass away but theres something about that name.

There is just nobody like Jesus Christ our Lord. As a matter of fact living this life seeing the wickedness and the evil that takes place all around us it is a beautiful thing to know that King Jesus still rules, King Jesus still reigns and praise be to God HE IS ON MY SIDE AMEN!

He gave Himself for us, He gave Himself to us, that He might live His life through us. Praise His wonderful name.

If you have your Bible let’s look together in the book of Revelation,

The fifth chapter of Revelation you find a Heavenly scene will you stand with me for the reading of God’s word.

Revelation 5:1–10 NKJV

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood 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. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “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.”

Revelation 5:1

Let’s pray

“Father God we thank you for this opportunity to worship Your Son Jesus and we ask right now Lord that you would open our hearts and our minds to this picture of glory recorded in the only letter you ever wrote thank you for the Bible speak through your Holy Spirit in Jesus name we pray… Amen.”

I want to speak with you this morning on this subject WORTHY IS THE LAMB.

The word lamb is used 28 times in the book of Revelation, it is the name that is used more than any other name concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. the word throne is used 46 times in the book of Revelation, and then youll find the word worthy used 4 times in this text.

Truly the Lamb who is on the throne is worthy.

It doesn’t matter what your facing this week or month, it doesnt matter what you walked in here or what trial you have coming down the pike you can know one thing the LAMB, the LORD JESUS CHRIST IS ON THE THRONE AND IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED.

You say well, preacher I dont really feel like praising right now I just got alot going on… can I be so bold as to tell you when times are tough and trials come in various forms THAT IS EXACTLY WHEN YOU NEED TO PRAISE THE LORD!

There is a blessing available according to revelation 1:3 for all of those who read and study and obey the book of Revelation. If you break down the book it can be broken down into section and youll find it mentioned in

Revelation 1:19 NKJV

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

Seen- chapter 1

Are- Chapter 2-3

The things which shall take place after this- chapters 4-22

JOHN PHILLIPS SAYS- “In chapter one we see God in chapter 2-3 we see grace, in chapters 4-18 we see government, and when we go to 19-22 we see glory.

I want you to know this morning that we serve a GREAT God!

The apostle John has been given a vision of what Heaven is like and we get a picture of it in 4-5 in chapter 4 we see the worship of God the Father because He is the creator. Until you get creation correct you probably don’t understand salvation, because in chapter 5 we see Heavenly worship and its all about redemption.

Out of the 404 verses in the book of Revelation 278 have references or allusions to the OT.

So as we study this we will see this, I have 4 points in my sermon.

I’m going to make Misty Solomon groan here because she doesnt particularly like it when I use alliteration.

But here are my four points this morning

Sealed Scrolls, Sobbing Searcher, Sufficient Savior, Surrendered Saints

The Sealed Scroll

John writes and he says he saw someone and he said that in their right hand on a throne they had a scroll written on the inside and on the back sealed with 7 seals. Now first thing I ask is this what is this scroll?

Options:

1. Will and testament

In the romans day the romans would write contracts and it had to be witnessed by 7 witnesses and there had to be 7 seals.

2. Reference to

Ezekiel 2:8–10 NKJV

But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe.

Is this a reference?

3.

Daniel 12:4 NKJV

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

4. The title deed to the Earth

I believe this last option is right on.

Truly this is the title deed to Earth but I like Warren Wiersbe said about this: He said: “Even though it is a title deed to the Earth you cannot disallow that it is not also a will and a testament. I’ll tell you why, listen to me carefully, do you know what happened in the fall of man?

In the beginning mankind was given the right to rule, but when mankind fell into sin that right to rule was given to Satan. So what happened is this the first Adam forfeited what the blessing of God was for all creation but then there was a second Adam who was better than the first His name was Jesus Christ.

This is the title deed to the earth AND THE EARTH IS THE LORDS! There is a sealed scroll which represents what the Lord owns and here in Revelation as the seals are being opened Jesus is beginning the process of taking back was rightully his in the first place before man gave it away.

Now let me tell you something there can be a number of people who can claim they have rights to property but there is only one who by law has the authority and right to that land, it is the one whose name is on the deed. Notice these in Heaven who were searching were not searching for someone willing to open the scroll, they were looking for someone worthy.

Someone who had the authority and right to open the deed to planet Earth. Notice then with me

The Sobbing Searcher

All of a sudden John begins to sob, verse 4 says “i wept much” why because no one was found worthy to open the book! The realization is this if no one is found worthy to open the book, then the right to rule and reign as preists and thats who you are if you are a child of God will never be enjoyed because someone has to have the right to open the scroll so that we can have our inheritance given to us from our Heavenly father. Which is to rule and reign in a New Heaven and a New Earth for all of eternity.

The reason John wept is the same reason all of us weep, because Adam and Eve went there to the grave of their son Abel who was killed by his own brother cain, and he wept and said is there any hope, to reverse this curse of sin!

They had been expelled from the paradise God had given them, I canhear the cries of those Israelites in Egypt when they touched God with their prayers because they were afflicted and affected by the bondage of Satan a type of satan who was pharoah. I can hear some of you weep, because no matter how hard you work there is still bondage in your life, you are a slave to sin.

No matter how hard you try you don’t feel as though you can be free, it haunts you, even now as I speak you are thinking about areas of your life where you know sin exists and it torments you and you feel so inadequate to be called a Christian.

There is a realization that IF SOMEONE IS NOT FOUND WORTHY THEN WE ARE ALL DOOMED!

Where did they look?

Revelation 5:3 NKJV

And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

Revelation 5:

Well they looked all over the Earth, they looked under the Earth which means they went to the abyss, they went to sheol, they even visited where there are some demons that are so wicked their held captive but they could find no one.

Well they looked all over the Earth, they looked under the Earth which means they went to the abyss, they went to sheol, they even visited where there are some demons that are so wicked their held captive but they could find no one.

WHY IS JOHN SOBBING SO?

The problem is that someone does not meet the remedy and provide the anidote were all doomed and destroyed if no one is worthy.

The Sufficient Savior

All of a sudden one of the 24 elders… who are these elders?

These are the men 12 prophets from the OT and 12 Apostles from the NT who represent those who have died redeemed by the grace of God. So one of these men speak up.

Revelation 5:

Revelation 5:5 NKJV

But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

He says wait a minute dont cry theres a lion over there! He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah which takes us back to

Where Jacob gave the scepter to Judah and said out of you Judah will come a King!!

Genesis

Genesis 49:8–10 NKJV

“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

You read

you’ll read where God has promised us a King and His name is the Lord JESUS CHRIST! He is from the root of David

in we find in verses 1 and 10 that Jesus Christ is from the root of David and then for a good study one of my favorite psalms is psalm 110 this is most quoted OT passages in the NT and you find that Jesus used it in to cross up the pharisees when He said:

“When and who will the Messiah come from?” they quickly replied from David! why because they had read psalms 110, God had promised the Savior King would come from king Davids bloodline.

Jesus said in why then did David from the days of old called me a Son but before he called me a Son he called me His Lord… you see what happened is that hundreds of years before Jesus was bron David wrote a prophecy he realized that Jesus was my Lord before I existed and yet he will be born after I die....

the elders are looking for someone to open the title deed, now listen carefully some of this is below the surface and you wont understand it if you dont. This is all about finding someone who is worthy to open this 7 scroll deed, and once these 7 (number of completion) is opened Jesus will reclaim what is His and evil will be eradicated.

This takes us to a picture found in the book of Ruth, who is called the kinsmen redeemer. Now who is the kinsman redeemer? He is someone who must be next of kin, willing to pay the price and able to pay the price.

I love the story of Ruth, who was ruth she was a picture of you and me. She was a gentile, she was a Moabite she was from the bottom of the barrel in her day and time, she had nothing and she was destitute which is exactly where we are if we have not been saved.

But God allowed a famine to tak eplace in Bethlehem and there was a couple who were living in a backslidden condition they left Bethlehem they journeyed over to Moab, and they had two boys, these two boys married Moabite girls, the husband died and the two boys died and a lady named Naomi is gonna come back to Bethlehem and there’s a girl by the name of Ruth and she told Naomi wherever you go I am going with you, and they landed in BEthelhem and the town had a welfare program.

Where they were gleaning in the field and if you didn’t have a way to provide for yourself, you would pick up what those harvesting the crop would leave behind for the poor and needy. So these two women who are broke and destitute having no hope do what they are allowed to do follow behind those harvesting and picking up the scraps left behind by the gracious farmers.

all of a sudden a man named Boaz shows up, and he says to his supervisor hey I noticed a good looking girl out there. He said who is that, the supervisor said oh that thats Ruth. Boaz said oh I know who she is I’m kin to Naomi and I am kin to that family and isnt she a Moabite girl?

He said would you go tell her I am going to invite her for lunch...

Now the Bible said he did invite her for lunch it reads that he gave her some parched corn, i think ole boy gave her some mexican food and he fixed a little taco and… He provided a good meal for her. all of a sudden she goes home and tells Naomi and Naomi says I believe he is one of our kin he may not be next of kin but make an appeal to him to redeem you.

So she sat at his feet, and its not a romantic it is humiliating and all she is doing is whatever she can to survive. She sits weeping at the feet of this redeemer. Without hope, longing for someone who was worthy to take her as a wife and save her from her destitute life.

What does he do? He takes his robe and covers her, and takes her from poverty to part of the family!!!

IM THANKFUL THAT ONE DAY, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST MY BOAZ SHED HIS AFFECTION ON ME PUT HIS ROBE ON ME AND SAVED ME, TOOK ME FROM BEING NOTHING TO A SON, THAT HE SAW ME IN MY POVERTY AND SHAME AND YET WHEN I RAN TO HIS FEET HE COVERED ME WITH HIS MARVELOUS WONDERFUL GRACE AND SET ME FREE FROM MY BONDAGE TO SIN!

Thats the scene in Heaven the person worthy has to be next of kin has to be somebody whose willing to pay the price has to be somebody who is able to pay the price!

where Jeremiah had a cousin and his cousin was about to lose his property and Jeremiah redeemed that property why, because Jeremiah knew that one day Babylon would take over that land but when they did he would have right and title to it, and he would redeem it.

I know Im giving you alot heres what I am saying to you this morning, YOU HAVE A REDEEMER IN HEAVEN, Even though your sin had left you bankrupt before god, Even though you were broken and destitute before Him, even though the Bible said that in order for those things to be reversed someone had to pay the price. The price of sin is death.... our sin deserve death BUT PRAISE BE TO JESUS CHRIST THAT HE CAME IN AND LOOKED AT THE CROSS AND THEN HE LOOKED AT US HELPLESS AND WITHOUT HOPE AND HE SAID I’ll DO ANYTHING ILL PAY ANY PRICE, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE SOMETHING OF THEIR LIVES, ILL MAKE A WAY TO START ALL OVER AND WIPE THEIR SLATE COMPLETELY CLEAN....

WHY BECAUSE I LOVE THEM I AM WILLING TO DIE TO GIVE THEM ANOTHER CHANCE… FRIEND DONT EVER TELL ME THAT YOU ARE NOT LOVED THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE WENT THROUGH AGONY TO BUY YOU BACK FROM THE STING OF DEATH!

THE EARTH IS THE LORDS

THERE IS SOMEONE WORTHY TO RIGHT ALL THE WRONGS ON THIS OLD PLANET AND HE WILL ONCE AND FOR ALL.

The Surrendered Saints

To be saved we must surrender fully and completely to the Lord JEsus Christ. But how do the 24 elders these who were redeemed and have died how do they respond?

Revelation 5:8 NKJV

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 5:8

There are four things to see here in closing and theses are four things that need to be taking place in your life even now as Christians.

a. Theres a bowing

The word for bowing in the OT means to bow and to kiss. If you don’t bow and kiss the feet here your not gonna bow and kiss there. When God saved you He saved you for worship, the ultimate priority of the believer is to WORSHIP THE GOD OF HEAVEN!!! You cant worship if your stirring up strife, you cant worship if your worrying, you cant worship unless the onyl thing your concerned with is loving the Lord and loving others!

GOD SAVED YOU HE SET YOU FREE AND WE BOW BEFORE HIM IN SURRENDER Bowing means that you give up the right to yourself, bowing means that you give all that you are to all that you know He is, have you ever bowed before Him in total abandoment. SAID LORD I LOVE YOU AND I GIVE YOU WHATEVER TIME I HAVE LEFT!!! BECAUSE YOUR WORTHY?

Have you given yourself unconditionally unreservedly to the living Christ?

b. Praying

In verse 8 it says they had the prayers of the saints, thats normal Christian living. Prayer is the air we breath as believers.

c. Singing

All of a sudden they break out singing

Revelation 5:9 HCSB

And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed people for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Now they sang a new song theres not going to be any preaching in Heaven I dont think but there is going to be plenty of singing. Singing and praising His name. Let me be clear with you, it is not about what you sing, it is not about how well you sing, it is not about where you sing.

ITS ABOUT WHO YOU SING

100 percent of the problem with worship style is not style at all it is self.

I’m here to tell you if style is your big gripe when it comes to music in church then you need to realize what worship is.... Worship is not about your delight it is about delighting in the one whom you are singing about.

To think that worshio should be about your delight and what you like or prefer, is like going to someone elses birthday party and asking where your present is.... you didnt go to the party to get you went to the party to give!!!

THATS WHAT WORSHIP IS ALL ABOUT AND HERE IN HEAVEN THE FOCAL POINT IS JESUS AND EVERYONE IS SINGING A NEW SONG.... IT DIDNT DAY THEY SANG A GAITHER SONG.... IT DIDNT SAY THEY SUNG CASTING CROWNS BECAUSE TO POINT OF PRAISE IS NOT THE PRAISE ITSELF! THE POINT OF PRAISE IS THE OBJECT OF THE PRAISE, WHATEVER OR WHOEVER THE PRAISE IN POINTED TO!

If you focus on you and your preferences there will always be something wrong because we are wishy washy and we change, but if you focus ON THE ONE THATS UNCHANGING THEN IT DONT MATTER WHETHER YOU HAVE AN ORCHESTRA OR AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR BECAUSE THE FOCAL POINT IS JESUS!!!

You see when you bow and you pray and you sing you honor your saying HE IS WORTHY

It was early 2000’s I was 16 years old. I had just come home from baseball practice, the house phone rang. It was my best friend Chris’ mother she wanted to speak with me. I could tell something was wrong, she was like a second mother to me because her son was my best friend.

Thats when she told me Chris had been in an accident, you see all he wanted was a motorcycle, he built it from scratch, and he wrecked it on the first week he got it, and he died.

Most of you have heard me mention this before, but this made more of an impact on me than anything else, my heart was crushed I knew I was to be a pallbearer in his funeral. The next day I skipped school and drove to their home, nobody was there because it was so early. I knew where the spare key was and I let myself in, hoping to be there for her and his father.

I was lost I didnt know Jesus yet, but something was said that impacted me for the rest of my life. I walked to the back no answer, that was when I heard her, a voice coming from the back porch…

I walked toward the screened area where she sat on her knees with an open Bible and said Lord “you took my boy from me, I bless your name. I worship you Lord, nothing happens by accident. Your in control, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.. BLESSED BE YOUR NAME”

Some of you are facing trial and trouble and tragedy, dont wait till we get to Heaven to surrender, and bow, and pray, and sing. Cause I foudn out that day… your heart can be broken and God is still your joy. You can worship the Lord in the beauty of who He is cause He is worthy.

I watched a man named Fran Mitchell who was my great Uncle not be able to feed himself, because they had taken bones from his hands and taken both of his legs off. They removed them because of a sever staff infection, I watched him lift his unusable hands to the sky during church and give God praise even though there seemed to a young boy nothing to be thankful for for him.

When I would ask how he could still praise God even when he was in the shape he was in he would say two things: GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE, I MAY BE BROKEN IN MY BODY BUT MY SOUL IS HEALED AND ALL IN ONE PIECE

I watched my mother struggle as a single mom, barely having enough to put food on the table for years, write her tithe check first. Because without the Lord we wouldnt have all the blessings we have.

It was those instances when I learned even if I lose EVERYTHING HE IS STILL WORTHY TO BE PRAISED.

I’m thankful that I have a redeemer who is a freind that sticks closer than a brother and he reached out to an ole wretch like me and He set his love and affection on me, and reached down one day in a horrible pit with a nail scarred hand, and he PICKED ME UP AND SAT ME ON A STEADY UNCHANGING SOLID ROCK, PUT A NEW SONG IN MY MOUTH, THATS WHY I CAN GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS.

THATS WHY I CAN REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, THATS WHY I KNOW ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE. WHEN I LOOK AT MY FAMILY, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS CHURCH, AND ALL THE LORD IS ALLOWING ME TO DO TODAY THATS HOW I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES.

Can I ask you a question: “When is the last time you truly bowed, and kissed hand of the Giver of every Good and Perfect gift?”

Psalm 2:12 NKJV

Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

God is not angry with you… why not be grateful and Kiss the Son of God with your worship, He loves you with an everlasting love. How about today you recommit your life to Jesus a fresh, and spend the remainder of the time you have left however long that may be giving Him true and undefiled worship no matter where you find yourself in life?

God’s got an eternal plan and Jesus is worthy to carry it out.

Jesus has a plan for you, and He began his plan for your life by saving you, but He is not done with you yet, and He always finishes what HE starts.

(Let’s pray)