Worthy: Praise & Power

Worthy: Praise & Power

Revelation 5:11-14

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. 12 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!”

13 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!”

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

I. praise & power, wealth & wisdom, honor & glory and strength!

People seek these things yet Jesus is the only one worthy to receive it…

Almost Everybody wants praise & recognition...In their own way…

We all tend to want power, agency, the ability to choose, etc...

Here it says that The LAMB is the only one worthy to, not only open the seals on the scroll, but to receive all of this...Here’s the thing though...these were things reserved for GOD or finding their source in GOD

God commands no other to receive Praise...yet the Lamb receives praise...we’ve previously identified that this text makes it clear that the Lamb is the Lion of Judah, the root/offshoot of David’s line, the Messiah...Jesus

Jesus received worship during his lifetime...even as a baby.

- God/Yahweh is seen as ultimate source of Power (Isaiah 40:10, 25-26, 28-29, ), the Almighty seated on the throne has all power, yet Jesus is given all authority (Matt 28) and all Power (Phil 2 & Colossians 2)...here He is called Worthy to receive all Praise & Power!

The Angel Gabriel appeared to Joseph and quoted from the Prophet Isaiah about this coming Messiah born of the Virgin whose name would be Jesus:

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). Matthew 1:23

Shepherds, Angels, Wiseman, and Prophets Simeon and Anna WORSHIPPED Him!!!

- Jesus declared and demonstrated that He IS Yahweh...Immanuel, God WITH us.

- Omniscience, Omnipotence, Self-Existent/Eternal, etc.

Helpful chart connecting some things said about Jesus AND Yahweh chart by William and Joan Cetnar

I’ll share later on Faithlife group…

A few key passages that talk about the Power and Praise belonging to Yahweh and also to Jesus are:

Isaiah 40:10,

See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,

and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.

…

Isaiah 40:25-26

“To whom will you compare me?

Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:

Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one

and calls forth each of them by name.

Because of his great power and mighty strength,

not one of them is missing.

…

Isaiah 40:28-29

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Compare that to what Paul wrote about Jesus...

Colossians 1:15-20

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Did Paul just start some crazy thing that was unheard of beforehand? I thought there was no one equal to Yahweh?

Daniel 7:13-14

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Jesus connects Himself to this image in Luke 21 and Matthew 22

John is drawing on that imagery here…

Mark 14:62 "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Trinity Chart (God IS…)

There is only one God being...to be this God being is to Be Yahweh, the I Am, the self-exist, omnipotent, omniscient, etc..to nature of this ONE God is that He IS Father and He IS Son and He IS Holy Spirit…

In a similar way that you are body, soul, and spirit...each connected yet distinct.

- what happens when we recognize His Power and Give Him Praise?

- does he share that with us? (Dunamis power = 2 Tim 1:7 and Acts 1:8)

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Not only is God the one with Ultimate Power, but He is the source of Power for us who believe…who Trust Him.

That is one of many reasons that He ALONE is worthy of all of our PRAISE!

In what ways do you find yourself seeking praise? (recognition, appreciation, etc)

- Do you give it to God just as much?

In what ways do you find yourself seeking or needing power?

The key to God’s power is to surrender yours to Him!