Worthy of Worship

A text this morning is in Revelation chapter one. You have your bibles, please open to Revelation chapter one, beginning it verse four. John, to the seven churches that are in Asia, Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits that are before his throne, And from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the first born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom of priests. To his God and Father. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen, behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him. Even those who pierced him in all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so, Amen, mean be seated. Whenever we speak about Book of Revelation, there is a sense of trepidation. We're afraid of this book. I remember when I first came to faith, and then you have to understand that I did not grow up in church. I didn't grow up around Christianity. I was raised by a single teenage Buddhist mother. And never heard the Gospel to my first year in university. I had some teammates of mine on the football team who discipled me, who bought me my first Bible, and for some reason it just seemed like a good idea to me to start at the end. So the first book I ever read all the way through was Revelation. Worst decision ever. I do not recommend it, and so we do. We have a sense of trepidation. It's as though Revelation is this mystical book that cannot be understood and certainly doesn't have practical application for those of us living in the here and the now. And there are a number of reasons for this, partly because it's been so sensationalized over the years. There are people who've gone to the Book of Revelation with absolute certainty about the issues of the day being the issues of the end time. We knew for absolute sure that Hitler was the Antichrist, and that was the end. We knew for absolute we were certain that when the Gulf War started, that sanction Babylon, this is going to be the Battle of Armageddon. It's all coming to pass. We're done. There are books written, perhaps the most famous of those is eighty eight reasons Christ will return in nineteen eighty eight. And because of this sensationalism and because of these false predictions, again many believe that perhaps the book ought to be avoided. But there are other reasons that we avoid the book. One is the type of literature. We're not very familiar with apocalyptic literature. It's not something that we understand very readily. But you need to be aware that apocalyptic literature is absolutely something that those who received the Book of Revelation would have understood. They would have known in an instant what type of literature was being presented. I guess the equivalent for us would be a fairy tale. If someone starts a story with you with Once upon a Time, that's all you need to know in order to know that we're probably about to hear a fairy tale, because it's a popular type of literature and you're well aware of the rules surrounding that type of literature. Well, were not well aware of the rules surrounding apocalyptic literature, so it tends to make us uncomfortable. Another reason it makes us uncomfortable is because Revelation quotes the Old Testament incessantly, more than any other book in the New Testament, and well, we're very unfamiliar with the Old Testament. Amen, We're just most Christians are not, perhaps not here at christ Church, but most Christians are just not very familiar with the Old Testament. Not only are there more Old Testament references in Revelation than any other book, but more than half of those references come from Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. And guess what. Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel are the same type of apocalyptic literature, prophetic literature with which we're rather unfamiliar. Daniel contains the most in proportion to its length, but in terms of actual references, Isaiah is first. And so if we're unfamiliar with the Old Testament, if we're uncomfortable with the Old Testament, then we'll be unfamiliar with and uncomfortable with the Book of Revelation. Then there are the symbols, which again are very common in apocalyptic literature. But if you're not familiar with apocalyptic literature, then you don't understand how colors and animals and lamp stands and spirits and keys and the like helped to interpret the story. Oftentimes, we try to use, for example, interpretive tools that we would use for one type of literature for this type of literature. And an example of that is an example that you know, I was familiar with when I was younger, even before I became a Christian, not going to church. I grew up in Los Angeles, and there were a lot of black nationalists at the time. In Los Angeles, a lot of black nationalist movements. Principle among them was the Nation of Islam, and the Nation of Islam would often go to the Book of Revelation where Jesus is pictured there with feet as burnished bronze and hair like wool, and they would say, look, he's a black man. Now, if you understand apocalyptic literature, then you know that feat of burnished bronze is a picture of judgment, and hair like wool is a picture of the ancient of days, the wise judge. But even if you don't know that, all you have to know is that in that same description his eyes are like fire, which ought to clue you in to the fact that the author's not being literal. But I cannot tell you how many people argue Jesus's skin color based on that symbolic color given in the Book of Revelation, because we take this type of literature and try to use rules from other types of literature in order to interpret it, which again leads to errors that lead us away from the book. Then there are the numbers, the numbers in the book, and these are important for us this morning. There are several important numbers in the book. The number three is important. The number three is important because it's the number for God, our triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The number four is important because it's the number or creation for angels, for corners of the earth, for winds. By the way, Christians have never thought or taught that the earth was flat until recently. There are a number of Christians running around making that argument, but we've always understood that those were symbolic. The four corners of the Earth doesn't mean that the earth is flat and has four corners, But the number four is a reference to the earth, and so the four corners of the earth means all of the earth, four living creatures, every tribe, language, people, and nation. What does that mean all the peoples of the earth. The number seven number of completion, we see it in our text, the number of times, seven churches, seven spirits, seven golden lampstands, seven stars, seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets, and on and on. The number of ten is another number of completion. It's a different kind of completion though. Number twelve the number of the people of God, twelve tribes, twelve apostles, twelve stars above the woman's head. And then there are multiples of these numbers twenty four before the throne, a twelve and a twelve, one hundred and forty four thousand, twelve times twelve times a thousand. Again, when we understand these numbers and their meanings, it takes away some of the mystery, and it helps us to understand what was being communicated. And there's a simple message in the Book of Revelation, and that simple message is this God is in control and he will triumph in the end. That's the message of this book. So anyone who goes to the Book of Revelation and reads it and comes away afraid does so because of a lack of understanding of the text. The last thing we should come away with from Revelation is fear, unless, of course, we are outside of the camp and outside of the Kingdom, in which case be afraid, be very very afraid, but don't stay afraid, repent and flee to the lamb and be saved. Well with that, let's look at Revelation chapter one. I want you to note this as well. Interestingly enough, Revelation is arguably the easiest book in the New Testament to memorize. And one of the reasons that it's easy to memorize is because of all of the numbers and all of the colors and all the imagery, but also because there's a pattern in the book of Revelation. I call it the revelation waltz, you know, kind of a one two three one two three. The number three is the number for God, but it's it's also a rhetorical tool that's used in Revelation. We'll see that. For example, look at Revelations chapter one and verse one, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him. There's one to show to his service the thing that must the things that must take place. He made it known. There's two by sending his angel to a servant John, and then three who bore witness to the word of God, to the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all that he saw. Now there's two threes there. Number one, it's the revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave to him. He made it known right. And then John bore witness. What did John bear witness to? He brought witness to the word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all that he saw. One two three, one two three Verse three. Blessed is number one the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, And blessed are number two those who hear, and number three who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. There's a pattern here, and if you read the Book of Revelation you see that path again. That's why I refer to as it as the revelation Waltz one two three one two three. So here that number is more the rhythm of the text than it is pointing to something symbolic. But in our text, beginning at verse four, we see something amazing appear. If I had to title this message, the title would be worthy of worship. We begin in verse four John to the seven churches that are in Asia. Now, there were more than seven churches in Asia at the time Revelation was written. But the seven churches that are referred to that are addressed directly in this letter are actually churches that exist on a circular postal route. That number seven is the number for completion or the number for perfection, if you will. That makes it different than the number ten. Ten is always just completion, but seven, this seven is the number of perfect completion. So this circular postal route with seven churches, John is saying that he's writing to God's perfect Church, God's complete Church. In other words, this letter that John is writing is not just relevant to those churches in Asia, not just relevant to the church of his day, to the seven churches that are in Asia. Grace to you and peace from watch this Him who is and who was, and who is to come? One, two, three. This three, however, is referring to God. And we know this because God is the one who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seventh spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ. So there's another three, Him who was and who is and who is to come from the seventh spirits or before his throne, and from Jesus Christ. But there's a question that is raised here if you just read this immediately, the question is what's the reference there to the seven spirits who are before his throne? What is that about? We well, couple of clues, number one, the number seven. But secondly, if you go forward to Revelation chapter four. Revelation chapter four. In Revelation four and five is a picture of worship before the throne of God. It is absolutely awe inspiring. But in Revelation chapter four and verse five we read from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne we're burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. Again, this number seven a number of perfection, a number of completion. So whatever this is, it's perfect spirit. The other thing that makes this clear is that it's part of another triad. So Him who was and who is and who is to come. That's God the Father. And we know that the third one in this triad is Jesus Christ. So it makes sense that the second one in this triad that is referred to as spirit would be God the Spirit. In other words, grace to you and peace from the Father and the Spirit and the Son. Grace to you and peace from the Triune God. Why is Christ worthy of worship? Well, Christ is worthy of worship first and foremost because he is God, not like God, not close to God, not almost God. But he is God. He is the eternal Son. He is the one who spoke the world into existence. And as God, Christ is worthy of our worship. We see that for example again, if you look at chapter five. Remember I told you Revelation four and five. You put them together. There's this awe in aspiring picture of worship that is happening before the throne. Look at Revelation five eleven. Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice. Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive. Let's count the power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing that seventh thing, that sevenfold praise, that's perfect praise. The lamb is worthy to receive perfect praise. In other words, the lamb is worthy to receive the worship that is being offered at the throne of God. Why, because the lamb is God. Christ is worthy of worship because Christ is God. Not only that, but in verse five of our text, and from Jesus Christ, Who's Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Now, usually when the triune God is presented in scripture, it's Father, Son, Holy Spirit. That's the normal order that you find here. But here John gives us Father, Spirit and then Son because the point that he's making here is a point that refers to the Son, which makes sense because in verse one, remember what we read in verse one, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the revelation of the Son of God. That's the focal point here in revelation, and it's also the focal point of John's message here in this first segment. From Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the firstborn and the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. Christ is worthy of worship first because he's God. Christ is also worthy of worship, however, because he is the faithful Witness, not just a faithful witness. He is the faithful witness. And what is meant here is that Christ is a witness who can only be faithful because He's God, He's perfect, he's truth, he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He can only be a faithful witness. But it's also meant here that Christ is the only witness who has been and always will be faithful. There have been other witnesses, and we're grateful for them. You could have a heavenly roll call. You could say, Adam, Adam, can you come and testify? And Adam would have to say, actually, no, I it was kind of unfaithful. Okay, Abraham, how about you come and Abraham you testify? I could, but yeah, that false frailties, sins. You you don't want me? Well, David, can you Bathsheba? Well? Well? And we could go on and on and on and on, and there would only be one, only one. All the rest are good witnesses a man, All the rest are reliable witnesses. But all the rest of them are frail and flawed witnesses. But there is one witness who can only be faithful. And he is the one witness who was, and is and always will be faithful. He is worthy of worship as the faithful witness. That's why we don't offer worship to Adam or to Abraham or Isaac or Jacob, or to anyone else. We offer worship to God alone. Christ is God, and he's the faithful witness. Secondly, we offer worship to him. He's worthy of worship rather because he's the first born of the dead. He's the first born of the dead. I was having a conversation with Jeovah's witness not long ago, and you know, Jehoah's witness argue that Jesus is the first created being. And they look at a number of texts, and you know, they always, you know, especially Colossians one, and you know, the firstborn of all creation. What that means is that you know that God created him first, and then after God created him, he created everything else. And that word first born there in Colossians one means pre eminent. Firstborn does not always mean the first one born. God calls Israel his firstborn son. Israel was not the first nation born, but they are the pre eminent nation in terms of God's people. And here Jesus is the first born from the dead, but he's he the first one who died and got up. Actually he's not. There was another you remember, Lazarus. Lazarus was raised from the dead. Not only that, but we know that the Old Testament prophet Elijah raised someone from the dead. So this idea of Jesus being the first born of the dead does not mean that he's the first one who died and came back, but it means that he's pre eminent. Why is he pre eminent, Well, for a couple of reasons. Number one, he's pre eminent because his resurrection was unlike anything else. The one whom Elijah raised and even the one who Jesus raised have something in common. They're dead. Amen. I just for me that that always just gets me when I when I read, when I read about Lazarus, I'm like excited. But and here's why Lazarus is. Lazarus is dead, he's gone, he's with he's with the Lord. He's he's he's it's all good. And then he comes back to this worse than that, right, I mean, I can imagine I can imagine people there, you know Lazarus, maybe not immediately, but after a few days. You know, like Lazarus, the Lord raised you from the dead. You should be the happiest man in the world. What's wrong? And he would say, I gotta do that again. I was finished, I was over I had faced that last enemy that we all fear and dread, and now I gotta do it again. Not Jesus. He rose again on the third Day, never to die again. He defeated death and hell and the grave. So he's first born of the dead because of that. But he's also first born of the dead because all others who hope for, anticipate, and will experience resurrection from the dead will experience resurrection not only like he did, but because he did. We will overcome death because of Christ, the firstborn of the dead. He is worthy of worship because he's God, because he's the faithful witness, and because he's the firstborn of the dead. Thirdly, he's the ruler of kings on earth. He's the ruler of kings on earth. It's an amazing thing to meet a king Amen or a president for example. I mean, even if it's a president that you don't like. And I know people talk noise about you know, our current president, and rightly so, Lord have mercy. But but here's the thing, no matter what you think about a president and people's passions run deep. If he invited you in and you stood before him, your knees would hick because of the office. If you stood there in the oval office waiting for the door to open and for the President of the United States to walk in, your breathing would not be as calm as it is right now because of the office. It's an amazing thing. But Christ is the ruler of kings on earth, the ruler of every king on earth, the ruler of every king that has ever been and every king that ever will be. He is King of kings, kings, and Lord of lords. Every knee will bow before him, and every tongue will confess everyone. All of the rest of the kings on earth are kings of a limited domain. There are many kings in the world right now, but none of them are my king. Amen, not nary a one. I have another king. And even if I did live in a monarchy where there was a king, that king might be my king here and now. But as we were reminded of just a while back, even those monarchs who rule for what seems like ages and eons and lifetimes, they die, And when they die, it's like when the queen just died recently, what do you say, the queen is dead, long live the king. But there is a king who will never die, and he is the king above all other kings. He is worthy of our worship. And then if you look at the next part of this verse, to him who loves us and freed us from our sins and made us a kingdom of priest to his Father and God. By the way, there's another three one two three, one two three one two three, But just grasp this from a literary perspective for a moment. Christ is worthy of worship first because he's God. And it's just though John is saying he's God. Worship him. He is faithful witness. Bow the need before him and worship him. He is the first born of the dead. Worship him. He is the ruler of kings on earth. I don't care what your position is, I don't care what your possessions are. Bow the knee and worship the Lord Jesus Christ. And then, just before your knee goes down to worship him, you know what John would say, Get up, You're not worthy. You are not worthy to worship Christ. What an incredible position to be in. You owe God worship, You owe the Lord Jesus Christ worship. You owe him all of your worship. And you're not worthy to give him the worship that you owe. Any worship that you would offer him would be tainted worship. It would be beneath him. Unworthy of who he is as God, unworthy of who he is as the faithful Witness, unworthy of who he is as the firstborn of the dead, and as the ruler of kings on earth. And then, right when you're about to be crushed under the weight of the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ, John says to him who loves us? He's God, He's God, He's the Faithful Witness, He's the firstborn of the dead. He's the ruler of kings on earth. There is none like him. And he loves me. He is worthy of me, bowing prostrate on my face before him and praying that I'm not consumed by the fire of his judgment. And he loves me. He loves me. Love is an amazing and significant thing, but not all loves are equal. Amen. My dogs love me, man, they do. They love me. If you fed them, they'd love you too. So I'm glad my dogs love me, but they don't love me like my kids love me. It means more to me that my kids love me and they don't love me like my wife loves me. It means more to me that my wife loves me. But now my dogs, my kids, or my wife loved me like my savior loves me. There is no love like that love. Why who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood? Christ demonstrated his love for us, or God demonstrated his love for us, and this and that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. Christ who said, greater love hath no man than this than he laid down his life for his friends. So when John says that he loves us, he's not just saying that he has warm feelings towards us. No no, No. Love is an act of the will, accompanied by emotion that leads to action on behalf of its object. He demonstrated his love in freeing us from our sins. There is an unrighteous no not one. All have sinned and falls short of the glory of God. And yet he has freed us from our sins by his blood. He paid the penalty for our sins with his blood, and he made us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father. So watch this. Christ is worthy of worship because he's God, and because he's the faithful witness, and because he's the firstborn and the dead, and because he's the ruler of kings on our And the most magnificent peace of this puzzle, from my perspective, is that not only is he worthy of worship, but he makes me worthy to worship him. Look at it again, to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom of priests before His God and Father. He has made us a kingdom of priests who are worthy to offer worship before the throne. And we are only worthy to worship because the one who is worthy of worship has loved us and freed us and redeemed us. God is good. If you have come here this morning and placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he has made you worthy to worship the one who is worthy of worship. If you have come here this morning and do not know the Lord and the pardon of your sins, if you've come here this morning, and if not come to him in repentance and faith, then I would offer you this warning. What you are doing is the right thing, but you're not yet worthy to do it in the right way. Repent of your sin, flee from your sin, and cast yourself on the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust in him and him alone to make you worthy, as he redeems you by his blood because of the great love with which He loves us, and grant you permission to join that kingdom of priests before His God and Father. Let's pray. God, we thank you and we praise you. We thank you and we praise you for the redemption that is ours in Christ. We thank you and we praise you for the Lord Jesus Christ, who is worthy of worship and who makes us worthy to worship. Grant by your grace that we might be found in him and hear us, Lord, as we offer to you the prayer and the man that our Lord taught us to pray. It's helpful to consider that Christ did not have to come and die one time per each Christian. He did not have to die one hundred times to get one hundred Christians into heaven and a thousand times to get a thousand Christians in But why not well, Scripture says that Christ came to die for his bride, the Church. Ephesians five, verse twenty five says, husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it. If Christ died one time per each Christian, then perhaps it would be easier to find an excuse for chorrels among the saints. But Christ died once for his bride, of which we are a part, is the death blow to any justification for fights among us. One death binds us. Christ's blood binds us. Paul says something similar about our fellowship around this one bread. He writes in First Corinthians, chapter ten, verse seventeen, we being many, are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread. So we are one bread, partaking of one bread. This does not mean, of course, that you must be best friends with every Christian you meet. It does not mean that you have to agree with every Christian you meet about everything. But it does mean that you have to say with David. As for the Saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. We come to this table as more than an assembly of individuals. We come to this table one in Christ, for there is one body and one spirit, even as we are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all. So come in faith and welcome to Jesus Christ, our Father. We thank you for giving us your son. We thank you for the fellowship we have with him and with one another. Bless us now, for we come to eat and drink in Christ's name. And Amen. Here's your charge. Before the benediction, you must come to Christ. And only Christ can enable you to come to Christ. So look to him, come to Him, and come to the Father. Through Him and with believing hearts, receive the benediction of your God. The Lord. Bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his. Countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen,