Worship and its Rationale - 15

Let me read a couple of hymns to you this evening, just a couple of verses out of a couple and then words out of another hymn that, again, remind us of the means of grace that God has given that enable us to sing gifted people who have put words to music enhance our ability to communicate to God our worship and are reflective of what we find in the Scriptures, what is going on right now in heaven.

So listen to these words. This is the hymn I called and asked Greg Phillips about. I had some words in my mind and he told me what the title of the hymn was, Lord Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor.

There's five stanzas but my thought was on the fifth stanza. It says, Life imparting heavenly manna, stricken rock with streaming side, heaven and earth with loud hosanna. Worship thee, the Lamb who died. Hallelujah, hallelujah, risen, ascended, glorified. We need to keep that in our minds that the Lord is enthroned in heavenly splendor. This hymn, Jesus, thou art heaven's day spring.

Soon thou shalt return in glory. Take thy saints to reign with thee. We shall shine as stars before thee round the radiant crystal sea. Wrath in hell did once await us.

Thou our day spring didst appear. Heirs of heaven, thou hast made us. We shall shine forever there. The words of the hymn, if you tuned in early to hear the prelude music, Ye servants of God, your master proclaim. Ye servants of God, your master proclaim and publish abroad his wonderful name. The name, all victorious, of Jesus extolled. His kingdom is glorious. He rules over all. God ruleth on high, almighty to save, and still he is nigh.

His presence we have. The great congregation, his triumph shall sing, ascribing salvation to Jesus our King, salvation to God who sits on the throne. Let all cry aloud and honor the Son. The praises of Jesus, the angels proclaim, fall down on their faces and worship the Lamb.

Then let us adore and give him his right, all glory and power, all wisdom and might, all honor and blessing with angels above and thanks never ceasing and infinite love. We have returned to Revelation chapter 4 and I want to read the first, well let me read the entirety of the chapter beginning of verse 1, Revelation chapter 4, hear the words of the living God. After these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying, come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. Immediately I was in the spirit and behold a throne set in heaven and one sat on the throne and he who sat there was like a jasper and a Sardis stone in appearance and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white robes and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures each having six wings were full of eyes around and within and they do not rest day or night saying holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying you are worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they exist and were created. Well tonight our focus is on the conspicuous activity that is recorded for us by John the Revelator in this chapter and what he describes for us is a scene of worship. He says, taken up in the Spirit, verse 2, immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a throne set in heaven and one sat on the throne. And John has been privileged to receive the vision of the glorified Christ in chapter 1 and now a new vision and we mark those visions that are recorded in the book of Revelation and mark them as transition points as we make our way through our study of this book and this is the second vision that John receives. Now the first vision again is recorded in chapter 1 and it is the vision of the glorified Christ and John said he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and he says, and I heard behind me a loud voice as of a trumpet saying I am the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last and what you see right in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia and then those seven churches are recorded by name.

So John received revelation directly from the Lord Jesus Christ and was instructed to write this down and to send this to the churches and John faithfully did that. And now he is receiving revelation by vision and again he says after these things, we're not told how much time elapsed between the first vision and the second vision, but he says after these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. So John receives a singular personal summons in this vision. He sees a door, that door opened up into heaven and he was summoned to come up here and he was to be shown things that must take place as it says there after this.

So what I want to do tonight is to enumerate in this chapter six reasons for God to be worshipped. It's clear that that is what is being described by John and without looking at the detail let me just in summary tell you what John sees and what John records and then as I draw attention to the six reasons we'll look in a little more detail. But the first thing John sees when he goes through that open door into heaven he sees a throne and he sees somebody sitting on that throne.

That is the central focus of what John sees. A throne and one sitting in splendor and glory and majesty enthroned on that throne. And then he sees around that throne four living creatures that he's going to describe for us. And I don't want to get ahead of myself but just to alert you that what I believe is the right correct identification of these four living creatures are that they are the cherubim of God and they are around the throne. So we have in the center, the epicenter, a throne enthroned by Almighty God and then four living creatures around that throne and then around those four living creatures is another circle and there are 24 thrones and 24 elders sitting on those thrones and they're there in representation and we'll speak to that in a moment. Now what's interesting, John is told to record the things that he sees and that's what he does throughout the book.

And almost without exception he records without commentary and without explanation. He doesn't say, I saw the seven trumpets of God and the seven trumpets of God are... No, he doesn't do that. He doesn't explain what the seven trumpets are, the vials or the bowls or any other thing. So we are simply left with the detailed description that John has received by way of vision. Now we are trusting the rest of scripture to help us and to inform us of what is the appropriate interpretation of these pictures and these symbolic images that John receives.

So tonight let's proceed in this way. Six reasons that God is to be worshipped. Reason number one, because He alone controls all of history.

Because He alone controls all of history. And let me point you to the words of verse one. Again, John receives this singular, personal summons.

Come up here. Now again, John remained on the island of Patmos. He doesn't physically leave there and go to heaven. He is transported in the Spirit. Similar thing that happened to him in chapter one when he had the vision of the glorified Christ. So lest we think that John is transported in body and soul to heaven and then somehow returns to write these things, no, he is physically still on the island of Patmos in his physical body and his Spirit is transformed or transmitted to this heavenly realm where he receives revelation that the natural man cannot receive.

And again, this is what he says. After these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying, come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. Things which must take place after this. Now I want you to see in that phrase, I will show you the things which must take place after this, that God is to be worshipped because He is the God of sovereignly ruling and reigning over all of history. Please take note of the divine must that is recorded there. I will show you things which must take place after this. Not things that might take place, not things that should take place, not things that in all probability will take place, I will show you the things that must take place. They can't help but take place.

Why is that? Because God has decreed the entire course of history. And because of that decree things must out of necessity come to pass exactly as He has decreed and no other way. Nothing that is revealed in this book can fail to come to pass because behind it all stands the unchangeable counsel of the Almighty which has determined the end from the beginning. Now it's beyond our human comprehension.

We struggle with the limitations of our humanity. None of us can predict what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone decree what's going to happen tomorrow. And yet this God that is enthroned in heaven who is being worshiped is worshiped because He sovereignly controls all of history. Unfathomably, unquestionably. Nothing can fail to happen that He has decreed to happen. No one can hinder Him, no one can undermine Him, no one can change His counsel or His will or His plans. And that's not just the big picture of history. As large as that is, as broad as that scope is, but that involves our personal history. Nothing transpires in this world, nothing transpires in your life, child of God, that God has not decreed, that God has not determined, that God has not said this must happen.

And because it must happen, it inevitably will happen. But with that is a lot of mystery. But you know, it's good to talk among Christians. I just left Robbie Stewart's home, Martha and the girls and other family members were there, and a good number of them are Christians.

Robbie's parents are still living, they're up in age. And to talk with them, and there is almost this universal sense. And there was not an exception to anybody that I talked to there, who disagreed with the fact that God does all things well, that God can be trusted, that God is faithful, that God is doing things.

We may not understand it, but what He's doing is good. And it was encouraging to talk. As a matter of fact, Christian talk, rooted in reality with people who are sorrowing, who are shocked in the sudden home going of a man that was loved and respected. But it gave me the opportunity to talk to one particular man, and I said, you know, we're in good company because he was talking about how great the sorrow was. And I said, well, we're in good company because the Bible tells us that Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And I said, why? Why was He a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief? Because He lived in glory. He lived above and beyond this sin-cursed world where He had lived for all eternity prior to the Incarnation was nothing but bliss and joy and glory.

And He willfully, voluntarily left all of that. And He came on a rescue mission. He came into this world and He took upon Himself sorrow and grief in order to redeem sinners. No wonder the hymn writer could say, man of sorrows, what a name for the Son of God who came. And then the refrain, hallelujah, what a Savior.

What a Savior that would leave the glories of heaven and come to the sin-cursed world and take on grief and sorrow in order to redeem sinners. But number one, God is to be worshipped because He is the sovereign God over history. And boy, that should be so encouraging and comforting to us in this world of uncertainty and changing day by day. We feel the helplessness. We can't control life.

We can't control very little about life. And yet God has in His power the control over all things. He is controlling all of history. So God is to be worshipped, number one, because He alone controls all of history.

Number two, He is to be worshipped because of His glory, because of His glory. Notice again what John records. He does not record. He doesn't give us a detailed description of God because the Bible says that God lives in unapproachable light. No one has seen Him nor can describe Him. So what does John describe? John is describing what is emanating from the throne. What is the effect going on because of Him who is sitting on the throne?

Notice what he says. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a Sardis stone in appearance and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald. He is trying to describe glory and majesty.

He is trying to capture our imagination with the splendor of God's Shekinah glory. And there is such brilliance and there is such refracting and reflecting of light that it is dazzling, it is brilliant, it is beyond near description. He says, there was one like a jasper and later on in Revelation, in fact Revelation 21 verse 11 says, speaking of the new Jerusalem, having the glory of God, her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone. That same stone that John is describing there in verse 3. And then he says in Revelation 21, 11, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

Clear as crystal. And it is as if he is describing the brilliance of a diamond that captures the light and reflects the light and refracts the light and is dazzling in its beauty. And that is the glory that John is trying to describe here. Now he is not the only one who has attempted to do this for us, Ezekiel, Daniel, they speak of a bright crystal white throne, something like a diamond, indicating the righteousness and purity of God as well as His glory and splendor.

But that is what John is telling us. And he is telling us that as an explanation of why God is to be worshipped. He is worshipped because of His glory.

And there are very few things in this world that we could point to, to even give us a similarity of what we're talking about when we're talking of glory. It's the essence of God, it's His otherness, His transcendence, His awesomeness, His majesty, His splendor. It's His glory and He is to be worshipped for that.

What else? Again, we're looking at six reasons that God is to be worshipped. God is to be worshipped because He alone controls all of history. He is to be worshipped, number two, because of His glory. He is to be worshipped, number three, because of His faithfulness. Because of His faithfulness. Notice again, as John describes it for us, He who sat there was like a jasper and a Sardis stone in appearance and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald.

What is that rainbow? It's a symbol, it's a picture, it's a reminder of the covenant that God entered into with Noah that He would never ever destroy the earth by flood. And again, a picture of God's faithfulness.

And why is that necessary? Well, because there is going to be the unleashing of wrath and judgment in the coming chapters that John is going to record. And here's a reminder that that wrath and that judgment is not to be interpreted as though God has forgotten His promises. God is still faithful. God has warned the unrepentant. God has called men sinners to repentance.

And those who refuse to repent will face the judgment and the wrath of God. Notice He says, He's describing this rainbow, He says, a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald. The emerald is the picture of green. And it's a picture of life and creation and the nurture of God and the new heaven and the new earth that is coming. And it's a reminder of God's creative power and God's sustaining power. So there's the first three reasons that God is to be worshipped. He is to be worshipped because He alone controls all of history. He is to be worshipped because of His glory. He is to be worshipped because of His faithfulness. Number four, God is to be worshipped because of His power.

God is to be worshipped because of His power. Notice John goes on with his description and he says in verse four, Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the throne I saw twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white robes, and they had crowns of gold on their heads, and from the throne proceeded lightning and thunderings and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal, and in the midst of the throne and around the throne there were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

God is to be worshipped because of His power. John saw, he describes, twenty-four thrones there in verse four, and on those thrones twenty-four elders. And the best description and I think the most credible description or explanation here is that here is a picture, a representative picture of the redeemed church around the throne. There are twenty-four thrones, and these twenty-four thrones represent the twelve patriarchs, the twelve names of Israel recorded in the Old Testament representing the Old Covenant, and the twelve apostles represent the New Covenant. And here is the redeemed church made up of all the redeemed of all the ages, those who were redeemed under the Old Covenant, those who looked to the promised Messiah from their vantage point, and God credited that to them for righteousness sake.

They were redeemed. They make up the one church, the unity of the church, and then the New Covenant people of God who are looking back to Jesus Christ and His coming and His cross work. And they are the redeemed of the New Covenant and together they make up the one church. There is unity in the body of Christ and around this throne are thrones. And again, representative, there are just twenty-four thrones and twenty-four elders on those thrones.

And you say, well, on what basis do you have for assigning that identification? Well, when you go over to Revelation chapter 21 and we are told of the city of God that's coming down out of heaven and we're told that there will be the names of the twelve patriarchs on the gates of that city and on the foundation stones of that city are the names of the twelve apostles. I'm drawing from that description where we're letting Scripture interpret Scripture.

So here are these thrones. Here is the representative church. And when I say God is to be worshipped because of His power, God's power to save. There's no one going to be in heaven, nobody prepared and suited to worship in heaven that God hasn't worked in power to make them such. The power of God to recreate a soul, the power of God to transform a man from darkness to light, the power of God to call a man out of spiritual deadness and impart to him spiritual life. God is to be worshipped because of His power. God has power, not only His creative power, He created everything that we see, He sustains everything by the word of His power, but we're talking about spiritual realities, the power of God to create, recreate, transform a life to make men and women worshippers of God. So we're talking about the power of God.

But there's more here. There is, verse 6, it says, before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal. Now there is a manuscript note in my Bible that says, not a literal sea of glass, but what appears to be like a sea of glass, and that is an important distinction.

Why is that? Because we're told, again, let's back up a minute. If you have a hermeneutic that insists on a literal interpretation, that everything we read in the book of the Revelation needs to be literally interpreted. So when we see that it says before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal, then there had to be a sea of glass. Well, if that's your hermeneutic, you've run into problems because Revelation 21, verse 1 tells us that the new heaven and the new earth, it says, now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and also there was no more sea.

No more sea. So if there is no more sea, then this can't be a literal sea. This has to be interpreted figuratively or symbolically, and what I want to suggest to you here is that here is another manifestation of the power of God.

Now, again, I'm assuming a posture of humility and I'm not being dogmatic. I've read half a dozen possible interpretations of what this could mean, and I might be wrong, and those that I'm drawing from, who I'm learning from, they might be wrong, but as I've considered all the options, what seems to make the most sense to me is that what we have here before us is, again, a picture of glory in heaven, a place that is untainted by sin and corruption, and for a Jew, the sea was a place of chaos and turbulence, and it represented disorder and it represented danger. And what God is saying, I think, here, that He has subdued all of His enemies, everything that causes fear, everything that creates disturbance and turmoil, everything that is out of order has been set in order.

And here, before the throne, there was a sea of glass like crystal. And just like the children of Israel came across the Red Sea, walked across it as if they were on dry ground, the people of God will know an existence free of any turbulence, any upheaval, anything that would create fear, and a reminder that God has subdued everything. He has redeemed creation in itself that is groaning, longing for its redemption, as Paul would tell us in Romans chapter 8.

And here is redemption pictured fully redeemed and at peace. At least that's what I want to set before you as a possibility. We're giving you reasons, six reasons that we can look to here in Revelation chapter 4 and six reasons why God should be worshipped. Number one, because He sovereignly controls the events of all of history. Number two, because of His glory. Number three, because of His faithfulness. Number four, because of His power.

Number five, because of His grace, because of His grace. Notice what it tells us. It says, around the throne were twenty-four thrones. This is verse 4. And on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white robes, and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. The lamps of fire burning before the throne speak of God's purifying grace, God's work of sanctification, God burning away the dross of our lives, God purifying for Himself a people.

And the seven spirits of God is a description of the Holy Spirit, that all of this is spirit wrought, all of this is produced by the operation of the Spirit of God. God is to be worshipped because of His grace. God is at work through His Spirit in redeeming and purifying and in purging away sin and those things that would make us unacceptable for heavenly abode and for this scene that John is privileged to behold. God is to be worshipped for His grace. It is His grace that saves sinners. It is His grace that sustains us.

It is His grace that will ultimately bring us all the way home to glory. So God is to be worshipped because He alone controls all of history. God is to be worshipped because of His glory. God is to be worshipped because of His faithfulness. God is to be worshipped because of His grace. God is to be worshipped because of His power. Number 6, God is to be worshipped because of His holiness.

God is to be worshipped because of His holiness. Notice, it says, Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the midst of the throne and around the throne there were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each having six wings, which were full of eyes around and within, and they do not rest day or night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. And again, if you go back to Ezekiel chapter 1 and you read the description of Ezekiel's vision, you will see similar language that's being described here by John. And Ezekiel gives us the identification of these living creatures, that they are the cherubim of God. They are these angelic beings that God created that are majestic and awesome and powerful, that they are guardians around His throne. They are the cherubim of God who are pictured over the Ark of the Covenant.

And what we have here is, again, the cherubim of God, but there's married to this image that John has for us. These four living creatures are like a lion, like a calf, like the face of a man, like a flying eagle. And what is pictured here, I think, before us is the creative power of God, that here is the creation in all of its dimension, created for God's glory, created for God's worship.

Think about these four images. The first living creature was like a lion. When we think of the lion, we think of the king of the beast, the head of the food chain, of the wild animals, the most majestic, the most powerful. The second living creature was like a calf, or your translation may say like an ox, the strongest of all the domestic animals. So the lion, the animal kingdom, the wild animal, but the ox, the strongest of the domestic animals. The third living creature had a face like a man. Again, God's creative power, that part of His creation that He created in His own image, the apex, the height of His creation, humanity.

And then the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle, the eagle, the bird that flies, the majestic eagle. And again, it's a picture of God, the full scope of creation. Everything God created, God created for His own glory. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork, that all the created beings are created for God. You and I are created for God. We are created to be worshippers of God, to adorn Him, to glorify Him. What is the chief aim of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

That is why God created us. And we see the fulfillment of all that God has created there in this wonderful picture of worship. And again, God is to be worshipped because of His holiness. Here are these cherubims of God. And what should cue us in that these are the cherubim of God is this description of them having six wings.

Remember Isaiah in the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up and this train filled the temple and he saw the cherubim of God. They had six wings. With two they covered their eyes, with two they covered their feet, and with two they did fly.

Here again are the living creatures each having six wings. Verse 8, we're full of eyes around and within. And this is their occupation day and night. They do not rest day or night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. God's holiness, He's to be worshipped for His holiness. We heard a wonderful message this morning on that Christians ought to be people, men and women, and boys and girls who are pursuing a life of holiness.

The writer of Hebrews says apart from holiness, no one will see the Lord. It's not just a suggestion. It is an absolute.

It is an absolute necessity. So God is to be worshipped because of His holiness, because of His transcendence. And the question then arises in our minds as we see this picture of these creatures created for God, created for worship around the throne. And they are a catalyst for the 24 elders.

Notice what it says. Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne saying, You are worthy, O Lord, for You created all things and by Your will they exist and were created. God is to be worshipped for His holiness. Now let me take you back because we can think about Revelation in a lot of different ways. We can think about Genesis chapter 1 and 2 and we can categorize what takes place and what is recorded there as paradise lost. We have here in Revelation paradise restored, particularly the last couple of chapters of the book of the Revelation.

What we have here set before us by John's vision, a picture of restoration, full restoration. But you remember when Adam and Eve sinned and were driven from the garden, driven from paradise, that there was the cherubim of God that stood with a flaming sword to guard the entrance so that no man could re-enter because of his sin and because of the relationship being disrupted between him and Almighty God. So the question is, how does any man, how does any sinner find himself in this place? How are you and I ever going to be accepted before God? How are you and I ever going to be around the throne offering the worship that is recorded here by John the Revelator? Well, it's because God delights in extending a summons to sinners.

And just as John received this singular, personal summons, Jesus, he received that from Jesus. Jesus is calling sinners, come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. How are you fit for heaven? How are you fit to be around this throne in heaven someday? By coming and obeying the summons of Jesus. Coming to Jesus in faith.

Coming to Jesus in repentance. And He will make you over. He will transform you. He will redeem you. He will change you from the inside out. And He will make you fit for heavenly habitation.

And He will make you fit for heavenly occupation because this is the occupation of heaven. Worship of God. So, we have looked tonight at six reasons. And those are just six reasons that the text of Scripture here suggests.

There are more reasons than we have time to enumerate. But here are six here in Revelation 4. God is to be worshipped. Number one, because He alone controls all of history. Number two, because of His glory. Number three, because of His faithfulness. Number four, because of His power. He is to be worshipped.

Number five, because of His grace. And finally, we've seen God is to be worshipped because of His holiness. Folks, we ought to be in awe that God would so work in the lives of sinners that He would come to us. He would redeem us. He would give us a new heart. He would give us new desires. He would prepare us for and recreate us for the very purpose that He has created everything in this universe. We are created.

We have been redeemed. That we would find our fullest satisfaction, our highest purpose in worshipping Him, glorifying Him, serving Him. He must be our reference point. He must be the most important thing in our life as we live our lives out in this world. And if your reference point and your giving your life for anything other than, number one, you won't impress God. You won't satisfy God.

You won't earn God's favor. And number two, it is the only thing that will bring real satisfaction, real purpose, real meaning to your life because it is the reason God created you. It is the reason God has redeemed you that you would be a worshiper because He alone is worthy.

Shall we pray? Father, we thank You for Your Word and for its truthfulness and for how it is trustworthy, it is reliable, it is a picture of reality that awaits every child of God. And we thank You, Father, for those that we've known and loved in this world who are no longer with us, who left this world of woe and entered into the place of unspeakable glory and splendor. And we don't know all that they're doing, but we know one thing that is a large preoccupation of their existence in heaven, and it is worship before the throne. And we thank You for what we find here in the sacred Scriptures that John could say at the end of chapter 5, I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands. Oh God, what an innumerable company that that describes. And what are they doing? They are saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Oh God, work in us, prepare us, keep us for that day. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.