Changing Perspectives

Every Bible's with you, please open them to Revelation chapter four, Revelation Chapter four. Look at the last section there in Revelation chapter four, verse nine to the end of the chapter. As I thought about this transition from chapter three to chapter four, and particularly the way in which John uses it, I thought about a very significant event, not just in our nation's history, but in world history. It was August fourteenth, nineteen fifty nine, when Explorer six sent back the first images of the Earth from orbit, and it changed everyone's perspective. Think about that for a moment. Think about how long human beings walked on this Earth, looked up at the stars and the heavenly bodies and imagined what must be out there. And then think about that time, not that long ago, when for the first time, human beings had the opportunity to look at the Earth from an entirely different perspective. Don't just think about nineteen fifty nine, but think about the next decade, the next decade and a half, and the images that would come back. Think about the Apollo program, Think about landing on the Moon and seeing images of the Earth from the perspective of the Moon. All our lives, you wake up at night, you look up in the sky and you see the moon, And now, all of a sudden, there were a way for us, not through our imagination, but through actual photographs, to reverse the tables and to look at the Earth from the perspective of another heavenly body. It changes things. It changes the way you think about space. It changes the way you think about our universe. It changes the way you think about our galaxy and everything out there beyond. But it also changes the way you think about yourself and your own individual life, and where your individual life fits and what your individual life means. On the one hand, you could look at your individual life and as a result of these images, think of yourself as smaller than you've ever thought of yourself before, as less significant than you've ever thought of yourself before, or depending on your worldview, you can look at the Earth from that perspective and think about how vast our solar system is, how vast our galaxy is, how vast our universe is, and then think about the fact that it is here where God determined to display the crowning glory of his creation and place man, And all of a sudden, you don't think of yourself as less significant anymore. But what does that have to do with here? In Revelation Chapter four, John has gone from individual churches, seven of them, to be precise, speaking to their individual needs, individual problems, individual strengths, individual weaknesses, extrapolating from them to the needs and problems and strengths and weaknesses of churches in general there in Asia Minor and also throughout time, as we think about those issues that are faced by churches. To now changing the perspective, and he goes from seven individual churches to heaven. He goes from issues that are going on on the earth to something that is going on beyond the earth, issues that we find significant in the day to day, to issues that we cannot even comprehend, and yet we must comprehend if we are going to survive in the midst of our lives. Here, you see, by changing perspectives, John does something here in the Book of Revelation that is extremely important. What he says is, you are living your life. You are in during persecution, you are wrestling with compromise. But I need you to know something. I need you to know that there is a realm beyond the every day. There is a realm beyond that which you see, and everything is being determined and worked out from that perspective and from that realm, and it ought to change the way you endure everything that you will discover in the chapters to come. And so here we have this heavenly throne room, and we have God upon this throne. And at the end of chapter four we find these words. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor, and thanks to him who is seated on the throne. There's another three glory and honor and thanks who lives forever and ever. The twenty four Elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne, and worship him who lives forever. Notice the couplet there. He's seated on the throne, and he lives forever. The creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who's seated on the throne and lists forever. The twenty four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, worthy are you our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power another triplet, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. I'm in straightforward passage, but I think it's significant when you put it in its context. Think about the context, think about the seven churches and worship, because ultimately this is a picture of worship. It's a picture of heavenly worship in the heavenly throne Room. But what's the significance of heavenly worship in the heavenly throne room? Do we just look at heavenly worship in the heavenly thrown room through the eyes of John as he tries to give us a picture of what it's like. Note he can't explain in language that would capture all that he experiences, and he's still using symbolism here. But why is he using symbolism so that you and I can be impressed with what the throne room looks like? Is that all so that you and I can be in awe, so that you and I can have anxious anticipation of the throne room? Perhaps, but in context it has to be more. What well, when you look at the seven churches and the transition and he changes perspective, here's what you remember. Number one. You remember the Caesar cult. You remember the pressure on the Seven Churches and the Asia Minor Christians to bow down to the cult of Caesar. Caesar is Lord, Rome rules all, and the pressure on these churches constantly and consistently is to compromise in the worship of Almighty God in favor of the worship of Caesar. Remember the powerful trade guilds and the consistent pressure in some of the areas for individuals to engage in practices that were cultic in nature and nature in order for them to be able to buy and sell and provide for themselves. Remember the Nicolatans and the pressure upon these churches by groups that are bringing in false teaching that have to be stood against and confronted when necessary. Consider Jezebel and the pressure and temptation that brings pushing these Asia Minor Christians toward bowing down at the altar of the trade guilds, engaging in fornication and idolatry. Remember all of this. Remember the pressure to withhold the Gospel so that the church wouldn't experience persecution. Remember the pressure to withdraw and to go within oneself or to change the Gospel slightly because of the persecution that exists. And now we look at this picture, and all of a sudden we see several things. One we see the sovereign God seated on the throne. Why is that significant? First of all, it's significant because it is the throne above all thrones. These churches are tempted, these churches are pressured, These churches are sometimes crushed under the weight of the Caesar cult, the cult that says Caesar is Lord, the cult that says Rome is the great. It is power that the world has ever seen. And in the midst of all of this, John changes perspective and he says, if you could see what I see, you would know that Caesar does not sit on the ultimate throne. There is one who is enthroned higher than Caesar's throne. There is one who is enthroned higher than every throne. There is one who is King of kings and Lord of lords. When you put this into its proper context, you understand what John is saying to these asia minor Christians. But you also understand what he is saying to us, because I don't know if you recognize it, brothers and sisters, But we too wrestle with the same kind of pressures. You and I both wrestle with this pressure to look to human thrones. That's why there are people right now who absolutely don't know what to do with themselves because another election is coming up, and if I hear one more person say this is the most important election of our lifetime, I just might throw up because that's what they said last time, and that's what they're going to say next time. This is the most important election of our lifetimes. If we don't get it right, this time is going to be the end. That's what they told us four years ago. We don't get it right, it's going to be the end. And it's bad. The end hadn't come. And so now you have people out there who are stressing. Why are they stressing because we have to choose between a Mormon and a Marxist. I hadn't thought about it like that, had you. Oh, Lord, please deliver us from the Marxist, give us the more, Lord, please deliver us from the Mormon, give us the What do you do? Do you just bury your head? Do you just run and hide? What do you do? Here's what you do. You change your perspective and you look to the throne that is above every other throne, and you recognize that the throne of God is not in Washington, d C. Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord. There's never ever ever been a messiah in Washington, d C. And there's never ever ever going to be a messiah in Washington, d C. And all of those people that we look back to as though they were messianic figures, note that we only look at them from the future like that, not when they're in the present. We see all of their flaws. It's only when time passes and we don't remember all of their flaws that we look back and say, oh, if we could have that guy again. There's never been a messiah in Washington, d C. There's never going to be a messiah in Washington, d C. Things are bad from a biblical, theological, moral perspective in our country, and they're going to continue to be bad for the next four years, eight years whatever. They're going to continue to be bad because Jesus is not running for president. But here's the good news. God is not running for God. He is seated on the same throne that he's always been seated on. And so just like John changing perspective gives hope to the Asia minor Christians when we gather together and worship this God who is on the throne. We come here one day in seven to do what change perspective, To take our eyes off earthly thrones, to take our eyes off earthly leaders, to take our eyes off earthly whims, earthly wishes, earthly desires, earthly fears, and change perspective, and for a while, for a while, just remember that there is a king who has always been king and will always be king. That there is a God who is in control, that he's sovereign over all the universe, and everyone and everything will ultimately bow down to him. We gather in worship to change perspective. That's what's so sad about man cinnered worship. You gather together one day and seven you look out there, and earthly thrones let you down all day every day, and then you come into the Church of the Living God and have worship that doesn't change perspective. You don't get to look at your world from a wide angle lens. You don't get to hear from someone who brings you a word from afar. You instead get to gaze at your own navel and have absolutely no hope and absolutely no good news whatsoever. God save us from mansinnered worship. We worship God who sits on the throne. Listen to this from Psalm to Why do the nation's rage and the people's plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, let us burst their bounds apart and cast away their cords from us. He who sits and the heavens laughs, I love that. I'm so afraid God, God, what am I gonna do? This is the most important election of my lifetime, and I get the Mormon of the Marxist I'm scared, God, are you? He's laughing. The Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them and his wrath and terrify them and his fury, saying, as for me, I've set my king in Zion, my holy Hell. I will tell of the decree the Lord said to me. You are my son. Today I have forgotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now, therefore, oh kings, be wise, be warned, Oh rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the sun lest he be angry, and you in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Where is your refuge? I hope it's on a different plane. I hope it's from a different perspective. We not only see the sovereign God seated on the throne, but we see the eternal God, the one who lives forever and ever. It's repeated there twice. The living creatures give glory and honor, and thanks to him who was seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever. The twenty four elders fall down before him was seated on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, Which means what the end is not in doubt. We serve the one who lives forever and ever. The end is not in doubt. Secondly, we recognize that God's people will prevail. God's people will prevail. You know, the problem with most of us, we equate God's people with America. Maybe you find that in Second Hesitations somewhere, but I don't find that in my Bible. God's people are not a geopolitical people. God's people are a spiritual people who belong to Him because of their relationship with Jesus Christ. God's people are found all over this world. We'll see that on next week. Every nation and kindred and tribe and tongue. America is not God's chosen nation. America is not God's chosen people. We get afraid when America begins to teeter or totter, as though the Kingdom of God is somehow in jeopardy. Listen to me. The King who sits on the throne is sovereign overall, and he is the one who lives forever and ever. His kingdom is not in jeopardy, and the end is not in doubt. This is not your final destination. This is not the end of it all. In the end of it all, there is a king who is seated on the throne, and he will always be seated on that throne. And if you belong to that king and to that kingdom, why are you afraid of Caesar? Why are you afraid of the trade guilds. Why are you afraid of the Nicolatins. Why are you afraid of Jezebel? All of that will turn to dust, But the one who is on the throne lives forever. He changes the perspective and encourages the Asia Minor Christians, and they need this encouragement. Why do they need this encouragement? Why do you need to know that God is sovereign and that God is eternal? Because tomorrow you won't have anybody preaching to you Amen. Tomorrow you'll have people breathing down your neck. Tomorrow. You have deadlines to tomorrow, you have pressures tomorrow, you have difficulties. Tomorrow, you have threats. Tomorrow you have to decide to speak or not to speak in light of what it may mean for your job and your future. Tomorrow you have to decide to compromise or not to compromise. And when you stand in front of opposition like that, when the Asia Minor Christians face the trade guilts, when the Asia Minor Christians face the Nicolatins, or when the Asian Minor Christians face the Caesar cult, what is it? What is it that will give you the courage to endure to the end. The God who sits on the throne and lives forever and ever, who says to you, whatever you face in the here and now, know that it's not the end of the story. God's people will prevail. Daniel, Chapter four vers Verse thirty four. Neb can Nezzar, when God gives him back his mind all the end of day, I'm sorry. At the end of days, I neb Canzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the most High and praised and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation. That's whom we serve. It's eternal. It's not for year cycles. It's eternal. Thirdly, we see him as the creator. Notice from the twenty four Elders. Worthy are you, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power? Why, for you created all things. He's worthy to receive all glory and all honor and all power. Why because he created all things. He created all things, He created all things. He's the creator. He's the sovereign, eternal Lord of the universe, and he's the creator of all things, which is why he has the right to exercise his sovereignty, which means that everything belongs to God, not the Caesar, cut, not Rome, not the trade guilds, which means that everything ultimately and only finds its purpose in the reason for which it was created by the Creator. That's what we learn when we change perspectives. God is the creator of all things, and that everything that we have, everything that we are, and everything that there is exists to bring glory and honor to its creator. That's why, not to you. By the way, this is not always immediately good news. Amen. God is the creator of all things. Amen. That's awesome. I need to be reminded of that when I gather in worship. I need to be reminded that God is the creator, because that means that ultimately everything is going to be clear sailing for me. Nope. Well, I mean ultimately that means that, you know, if I love God and I live for my created purpose, then that'll please God and things will go well with me. Nope, not at all. The spotless, sinless lamb of God, it was perfect in his obedience to his father, brought glory to his father by being crushed and killed for sins he did not commit. Who do you think you are? But God, how can you let these terrible things happen? I'm recognizing the fact that I'm created to bring you glory and honor. Yes, and sometimes it's your suffering at the hands of the Caesar cult, or your suffering at the hands of the trade guilds, or your suffering at the hands of the nicolaetins because you will not bow that brings glory to God. Yes, You're created for God's glory. But it's like wood. Some wood is glorious when it is erected into a beautiful building. Some wood is glorious when it makes a fire to warm you during the winter. Now we see beyond these theological realities about the one who is on the throne. Here in this passage, in particular, we see the interplay between the living creatures and the twenty four Elders. The living creatures, what do we see We talked about this on last week, but let me just sort of set the stage so we can turn the corner and get to the reaction of the twenty four elders. In the Living creatures, we see that there are four living creatures, and we see these four living creatures around the throne. And so these four sides are four corners of the throne. And we know that this number four is extremely important in revelation, as this number four points to the earth and its totality. It points to the four winds, to the four corners of the earth, and so on and so forth. And so now we have four living creatures, four different directions, worshiping God and proclaiming His holiness from the throne room. So we have a representation of the living creatures, a representation of the earth, God's glory being proclaimed throughout the earth by all living creatures. And so we see here, for example Psalm nineteen. We look at the fact that the heavens declare the glory of God, and that even the heavens pour forth speech. Not only the heavens, but every living creature screams to the glory of God. And we have the representative of that here before the throne, with these four living creatures who are crying out. But when these four living creatures cry out, the twenty four elders respond. Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who's seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever. The twenty four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. And then they cast their throne that crowns down before the throne, saying worthier you are, Lord, Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. So the twenty four elders, in response to what's happening with these four living creatures, represent the unity of the people of God throughout time? Is it literally the twelve tribes and literally the twelve Apostles doesn't say that, doesn't say that. But there are these twenty four beings refer to as elders around the throne who represent that number twelve two times. That number twelve is significant because it represents the people of God that number twelve two times, the people of God in the Old Testament, the people of God in the New Testament. What does this communicate to us? Well, again, first and foremost, it communicates to us the unity of the people of God throughout time, the unity of the people of God throughout time. This is important in that it teaches us that worship is not a new thing. Amen. In Hebrews chapter eleven we find this very clearly as we're surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses. And in Hebrews chapter eleven we hear about these saints of old again and again and again, and the encouragement that they bring us because of what they teach us about faith. Isn't that ironic? We think about the saints of old and we think that we're the ones who are all about faith. They're the ones who are all about law. They are the ones who are all about works. And they had law, and they had sacrifices, and they had works, and we have faith. And in Hebrews chapter eleven explodes that by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith, you see these twenty four hour olders scream to us the presence of the people of God and the worship of the people of God by faith in the Old Testament and in the New Testament under the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith. We also see that in Romans chapter eleven, with Gentiles who are grafted in this Truevine. But not only do we see the unity of the people of God throughout time, but we also see the synergy of worship in heaven and on earth. The synergy of worship in heaven and on earth. What we do when we gather here is a picture, if you will. It's an example of what's seen here in Revelation chapter four and Revelation chapter four with these all of creation, and we see these stones, in these natural phenomenon, and we see these living creatures and the twenty four Elders, and we see God being worshiped and giving glory there on his throne. What do we see on earth? We see a picture of this as one day and seven the people of God gather together to do the exact same thing. The twenty four Elders remind us of that. It's like the Temple and the Tabernacle. They're earthly pictures and images of a heavenly theological reality. In the Lord's prayer, what do we pray, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom, Come, Your will be done, where on earth as it is where in heaven. What do we praying? We're praying for this kingdom? Reflection of obedience to God here on earth that looks like obedience to God in heaven. There is a synergy between the worship of God and Heaven and the worship of God on earth. And there is a synergy between this change of playing in chapter four for the Asia minor Christians and this change of playing for you and for me. Every time we gather before Almighty God, we also see a picture of God's faithfulness to reward those who endure. Again, we've seen this. What do they have? They have what they were promised earlier on When you look, for example, at these golden crowns, and when you look at the white robes, you refer back to the churches and their letters and what was promised to those who endure. Now you have twenty four elders standing around the throne of God, worshiping God, wearing the very things that they are told they would wear. If they are those who endure to the end, if they are those who conquer, if they are those who overcome. And so now here are the twenty four elders, and they gather around the throne, And what do they do? They cast their crowns before the throne. What crowns the crowns that they received because they endured to the end, because they did not bow to the Caesar cult. They did not bow to the trade guilds. They did not bow to the Nicoleatans, they did not bow to Jezebel, they did not bow to their day, They did not bow to their culture. God is faithful, and the rewards that He promised are in the possession of the twenty four Elders, who are a picture of the people of God. Throughout time. We need to be reminded that God is faithful. We need to be reminded that He's faithful to those who endure. We need to be reminded that He does not forget you, that he does not forget me. We need to be reminded that God is absolutely aware of the difficulties that we face, that it does not pass by without being noticed. And we need to be reminded that God were rewards those who are faithful to Him. Praise God. Amen. Well, I don't know, I don't know. I don't know, Pastor, I don't know if you know, I don't know if he should be motivated by rewards and stuff. I don't know. Hey, I don't write the mail I just deliver it. He says, rewards. Who are you and who am I to sit here and say? You know, being motivated by rewards just doesn't seem pious enough for me. When God says endure and there's a reward, you talk to God about that. If you've got a problem with it, Well, I just don't know. I just don't know if that's godly. I don't know if that's pious. Yeah, you tell God you don't think he's godly. There are rewards. He rewards the faithful. Now lest you get carried away. Notice what happens to those rewards. We see fort the insignificance of those rewards in light of the glory of God, because they're standing there with these crowns, and they do not walk around before the throne pointing to their crown, going hey see what I did. When you change perspectives and you understand that God is the sovereign creator, that he is the eternal one, that he rules in heaven and on earth, you stand before him wearing a crown, ultimately recognizing that it is by his grace that you endured. It is by his grace that you were faithful. So what happens to the crown. The crown is cast down before the one who sits on the throne. God is faithful to reward his people. And when his people are rewarded, they recognize that those were words pale in comparison to the one who sits on the throne, who, by the way, is the one who enabled and empowered them through the blood of Christ, to be faithful and to endure. It is by His grace and for his glory. You know what that says to you and me? Say? It says that throughout history Old Testament, New Testament, the saints of God who have been faithful, those whom we admire so greatly, they are rewarded, but they recognize that their rewards are merely a reflection of the faithfulness of Christ, as manifested in the way that He endured with them, which means that for those of us who are in Christ, we have everything we need to endure. You ever think about the martyrs, If you ever read Fox's Book of Martyrs, your experience has probably been similar to the experience of other Christians. When I read Fox's Book of Martyrs, here's my experience. I read the story of a martyr, and I say, I cannot imagine in during that, and then I read another one, and I go, I cannot imagine and during that, and then I read another one, and I go, I might not even be a Christian because I just wouldn't do that. I certainly wouldn't say that. Who thinks to say that when somebody's about to burn them to death? I just can't. That's my experience when I read Fox's Book of Martyrs. And you know what, because of what I know about me, because of what I know about men, because of what I know about Christ. Here's what I know. Every one of those individuals, if they had read their own story of martyrdom before it actually took place, would probably have looked at it and said, it's no way I could respond like that. But there was grace provided in the moment. These crowns did not point to the glory of the twenty four Elders. In fact, the twenty four Elders aren't even identified. This is not about their glory. They aren't even named. It's just a symbolic picture of the people of God throughout time, and so they stand there, the twenty four Elders, this nameless entity and what do they do. They worship Christ. They bow before Christ again and again and again. You see them worshiping and bowing down around the throne. Why because there is only one who is worthy of worship in the throne room. Finally, these twenty four elders point to the ultimate end, reality, place, and purpose of every believer. Your ultimate end, your ultimate reality, your ultimate place, and your ultimate purpose is bowing for the throne of the Most High God. That's it. That's it that changes everything, that changes your perspective completely. You see, if my ultimate reality and my ultimate purpose and my ultimate end and my ultimate goal its success in the here and the now, and all I do is compromise upon compromise upon compromise in order to win or curry favor with people here and now so that I can accomplish my ultimate goal, achieve my ultimate ends. But if I understand that my ultimate end, my ultimate reality, my ultimate place, and my ultimate purpose is there bringing glory and honor to God. Now that change of plane and that change of perspective changes my response from day to day. My ultimate end and goal is not the praise of men. My ultimate end and goal is not to satisfy men. My ultimate end and goal is that possessions or position. My ultimate end and goal is the glory and honor of Him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever. That's what happens when you change planes. That's what happens when you change perspectives. If you're an Asian minor Christian and you're there in sartists and you're just trying to survive, if your ultimate end and your ultimate goal is just the next meal, then why not? You know, why not? I'll go to the pagan worship at the temple, I'll sign up for the trade gil. I won't really mean it. Put my ultimate goal is to advance in my field. If your ultimate goal is to advance in Rome, then why not? I mean, I don't have to listen. I don't believe Caesar really is a god. I don't think Caesar even believes that he's really a god. He knows he's gonna die. I mean, come on, now, it's just words. But think of all the good I could do if I get close to Caesar, if I'm trusted by Caesar, Think of all the good I could do. Do You see why it's important that we change perspectives. You see why it's important that you rise above your day to day? Do you see why it's important that we gather as a body of believers for a God centered experience of true biblical worship that takes us off of the plane of the here and the now and the me and the mind, and reminds us that the sovereign Lord of the universe is still on his throne, that he will always be on his throne, that He is the creator and sustainer of all things, that all living creatures find their purpose in Him and his glory, and that especially the people of God throughout the ages find their purpose and his worship. This is what we find at the end of chapter four, and we haven't even gotten to the good stuff in chapter five. We haven't even seen the lamb yet. People, we haven't even seen the lamb yet, and we're overwhelmed with how worthy God is to be worshiped. We haven't even seen the one who laid down his life for us. We haven't even seen the one who died to redeem us. We haven't even seen the one who took on flesh so that the throne room doesn't even look the same anymore. Do you realize that the throne room doesn't look the same anymore because as a person there now he added a human nature we haven't even gotten there. And God is already already overwhelmingly worthy of our worship and completely changes our perspective because of who he is and because of what he's done. He's worthy because he's creator of all things, the sustainer of all things. He's the sovereign, eternal Lord of the universe, and he will reign forever and ever. That's about