HE IS WORTHY
A sermon by Pastor John Glass, D.Min.

Three of us were sitting on a log on the shore of Lake Michigan one clear moonless Friday night. Looking up at more stars than we could ever hope to count it was easy to think about eternity. Someone mentioned the Holy City and I immediately raised the question, "Look, fellas, there are only 3 dimensions in the natural world: length, breadth and height. It says the city is as deep as it is high. How can that be?" Silence. All of a sudden someone piped up, "Maybe it's got a basement!?"

I don't know about that. I have read the text that says "no one has seen, no one has heard, no one has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." (I Corinthians 2.9)

Try this: tell a tadpole about "dry." Everything it knows (including itself) is very, very wet. The day will come when it experiences dry, but until then... The same for us. Tell us about heaven? We have no frame of reference to even begin understanding. But, the day will come when we will experience it.

In your Bible are two chapters that talk about heaven: Revelation 4 and Revelation 5. They're not describing what it looks like - I don't think we're capable of wrapping our mind around that. They do tell us what went on there. This we can understand. John said He saw a door standing open in heaven. The thing that caught his attention was the throne of God: he says the word 11 times in chapter 4! He does try to describe Who is sitting on the throne: jasper and carnelian, with an emerald rainbow encircling the throne. My father was a blue collar factory worker and my mother was a teacher. They struggled to keep their ends together. I was lucky to know what silver looked like, let alone gold. I think even now you could show me precious and semi-precious stones and I wouldn't even recognize them for what they are.

John reports seeing around the throne what he can only call four living creatures. They have four different faces - and wings, and are covered with eyes, even under the wings. Their continuous chant is of the holiness of God. There are 24 elders there who worship God and place their crowns at His feet with the assertion that he is worthy to receive glory, honor and power, for he created all things.

If you will take this idea and follow it through the Bible you will discover that not only for heavenly creatures, but for you and me, this is the basis of true worship: creatures worshipping their Creator. Such power: He spoke and the world was. And do you know what? He can still speak like that! If you were to permit Him to speak in your life and world, what would be the result?

In the right hand of God, who is sitting on the throne, is a scroll, written on both sides and sealed with seven seals. (Revelation 5.1) An angel cries out, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" No one is found. No one. You and I may not appreciate the significance of this scroll, but John knew it represented all of human history to come. Who is worthy to take charge of planet earth? Is there no one?

Out of the disappointment of his very soul John begins weeping. One of the 24 elders comes to him and says, "Don't weep. (v. 5) The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seals." Lion of the tribe of Judah. Root of

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David. This is Jesus Christ. He has triumphed. As John watches, Jesus, symbolized as the Lamb that had been slain, steps forward, takes the scroll from the right hand of our Father God, and sits on the throne with Him.

Not only have I never had the opportunity of being around precious and semi-precious stones; I've never been around royalty either. Have you? My wife, Teresa, and our youngest were guests of the Governor of Utah one evening. I'm not sure how to act in a mansion like that. Which fork do you use and which glass do you sip from? I can't imagine what it would be to be entertained in a palace! If you read the Old Testament story of Israel's kings you learn that at their coronation they received a scroll, were seated on the throne, and then began their reign. John was the youngest of the disciples. As the youngest he became the most like Jesus in character. He loved Jesus. His tears of disappointment were hardly dry when tears of ecstatic joy coursed down his cheeks at the glad realization, that Jesus was now crowned King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and that He would reign supreme over all human experience. This was Jesus' coronation following his resurrection.

Notice v. 6: it speaks of the seven spirits God sent out into all the earth. This symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Jesus' coronation in heaven was communicated to planet earth by the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Can you picture it? By the power and authority of the Son of God, and by the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, cuts through unbelief as a warm knife cuts butter. Three thousand souls are baptized and the Church is born, and human experience will never be the same. Jesus is King! Jesus is Lord! Jesus reigns!

John watched the four living creatures and the 24 elders fall before the Lamb, each with a harp and a golden bowl full of incense, symbolizing the prayers of the saints. Jesus reigns! The prayers of the saints shall be answered! Of course John remembered Pentecost. It was the day 3000 souls, many he knew personally and had prayed earnestly for were born of the Spirit and of water! Yes! Jesus reigns!

And the new song sung in heaven? "You are worthy to take the scroll, to open its seals... You were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Every nation? Yes, even the UK! Tony Blair was being interviewed when he was asked why he was so big on America? He replied that the measure of a nation is seen by "how many want to get in, and how many want to get out." He observed that only two defining forces ever offered to die for them: 1. Jesus Christ, to die for their souls, and 2. The American G.I., to die for their freedom." Pardon the political flavor of this quote, but Tony has it right on both counts. Jesus died for our souls and because of this, He is worthy to reign.

His worthiness achieves something more, however. Those humans He purchased by His blood...what does He do with them? What does the creative power of the Gospel make of them? V. 10: "You have made them a kingdom and priests to serve our God." Incredible! The scum...the dregs of society...the wretched refuse of the teeming shores of a lost planet: these are transformed. They are a "chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people

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uniquely belonging to God in order to declare the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into His awesome light!" I Peter 2.9.

Do you recognize your destiny in these words? A declarer in word, deed and life of the praises of this world's true Ruler: Jesus Christ; a royal priesthood that lives and seeks by every means to draw a race lost in sin back into the dominion of the Creator. "He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." II Corinthians 5.19-20. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." V. 21. Imagine: self-centered sinners now sacrificing self for others' salvation.

I appeal to you today, to accept this calling, this message, this ambassadorship, that from henceforth your highest purpose in life will be the saving of others, NOT living for self! Do you accept and commit?

John heard them singing in a LOUD voice: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Revelation 5.12. Then John wrote that he heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing. One of these days, we all shall hear the anthem. We shall look up and see our King, the Lord Jesus returning on the clouds, and hear every one of God's angels with Him singing. As we begin to lift off this planet our hearts will be caught up and we, too, will begin singing with the angels: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever!" Revelation 5.13. HE IS WORTHY!