MAY 2, 2021 SUNDAY MESSAGE
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Gospel Renewal Part 2: The Throne Room
Transcription
Before we get started I want to give you our framework for depicting Revelation in the Gospel Story (in case you’re wondering how we have divided Revelation into 4 segments and why?)
1-3 Intro and 7 letters
4-5 Throne Room
6-20 Birth Pangs
21-22 All Things New
Resources Available Now:
Interpreting Revelation Guide
InfoGraphic Positions and timelines
Again, our purpose here isn’t to do an in depth study of Revelation so much as it is to show how the ending connects to the greater whole of the GOSPEL STORY.
...and TODAY is about relationship...
Periodically I do premarital and marital counseling and, as a part of that process, I help the couple communicate, grow, and facilitate conversations with each other. It never ever fails THAT, no matter HOW LONG the couple has been together, they learn something new about each other. Something from their history, something they like or dislike, an interest or talent they were unaware of.
There was a point in my marriage where I was talking to my wife about birthday stuff and getting her a cake and she was like, “I don’t really like cake. I am a pie person.” I learned something that day and, NOW, I know she likes pie over cake - specifically cherry pie and I logged that away for future reference.
My point is this:
We are all changing, learning, and growing beings as long as we are alive AND
if we are in community with ANYONE at all, we are learning about EACH OTHER all the time!
Here is what I want us to do for our reflection time (sometimes you get asked this question as an icebreaker) but I want you to share with someone around you ONE THING that you think MIGHT surprise them about you!
Anything at all, an interest, a quirky aspect about you,
maybe something that you did during a season in life but isn’t who you are now...
NO matter how long you have been a Christian, how few or how many times you’ve read the bible, there is always something new to learn about Jesus!!
Something that often gets lost in the book of Revelation is that it’s FILLED with relationship and revelation about the multi-faceted, diverse character of God and Jesus Christ.
If our faith walk with Jesus is TRULY a RELATIONSHIP, then it is also growing and we are still getting to know the depths of Him!!
Servant, prophet, rabbi in Gospels
Now, King, Judge, warrior, Lion/Lamb
The more we know about God the more realize that the presence of this King prompts -and even demands- a response...
Put that in focus as we read today from Revelation chapter 4. Go ahead and turn to now - Revelation chapter 4!
If you remember, Last week we talked about Chapters 1-3 and how
John was reunited with his friend Yeshua (relationship).
John received a special message from God and was commissioned to communicate that message out to
SEVEN churches in modern day turkey (a community of relationships).
REV 4:4
4 After this (after the letters to the 7 churches) I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lampswere blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
This is a moment of Holiness.
A part of heaven touches earth as God discloses TO JOHN a glimpse of heaven while still on earth.
He gets to see just a taste of the splendor and glory put on FULL array as John sees this visions in the Spirit.
You even get the sense that John is clambering for words to describe what he is seeing because it’s beyond words but vision he sees is packed with references from the Gospel Story as it has been given already.
This is what John sees:
John says the “enthroned one” which is God the Father who has the “APPEARANCE of jasper and ruby”
In the OT priesthood, the different tribes had gemstones representing them and these are the two gemstones that represented the ROYAL tribes of Israel: Benjamin and Judah.
They were the original design - the archetype - of which David’s Kingship was modeled and later we see Jesus, born in the lineage of this royal and heir to the political reign.
As John describes what he sees, there may be colors on the light spectrum that John has never seen before and the only reference he has is he look liked “A RAINBOW that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.”
Some of Johns descriptions are drawing from the most powerful natural phenomena we know on earth put on display in heaven around him saying there is “lightning flashing and the sound of thunder”
the “storm-rider” of Baal
Sea of glass: the sea typically symbolizes the forces of chaos connected to sheol and the waters of chaos that were unformed in Genesis at the beginning of the Gospel Story. BUT a completely CALM sea points to God’s ability to subdue chaos and bring order. Again, COMPLETE authority.
ALSO, John sees other people in the room and these terrifying creatures - Angels - covered from head to toe with eyes resembling a lion, ox, a man, and a flying eagle and they all respond to the presence of their creator and King shouting out:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
The things that I want to focus on is that this is a place of BOTH authority AND worship!
It is both a room filled with DIVINE RULE and heavenly PRAISE!
We are going to see that these two things are very connected!!
1. John sees God’s unfiltered AUTHORITY:
All powerful - This is the COSMIC CONTROL ROOM operating the entire universe!
This isn’t just about the supreme reign of God - there are other witnesses:
The Father is the ruling and reigning King at the center of the room BUT there are other people - described as elders - PARTICIPATING and involved in the throne room events and decision making. We know this because the scriptures tell us this will be true and they are wearing crowns as well.
This reveals something about the nature of God and the New Heaven and Earth: there is STILL delegated authority just like what we saw in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve but it’s free from the burden of sin.
Without the presence of sin, everything will be working and ORDERED as it should with the King at the center of CONTROL.
One thing we need to understand that those who are in covenant with God are sharing in that delegated authority and will CONTINUE to do so in the new age to come (more on the last week)!
Now, this place is not just a place of authority, it is a place of...
2. WORSHIP:
This is also a temple filled with adoration, joyful celebration, and worship!
At this point, the room is focused on the Holy Father. Everyone declaring:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
I imagine it like a HUGE Stadium chant - with ALL OF CREATION engaged - as they are singing over and over and over, day and night, night and day!!
The term “Holy” doesn’t mean pure, or morally righteous. It means God is
separate from all other beings
There is nothing like you
You are the uncreated creator of everything else that exists!!
God transcends EVERYTHING
The angelic beings are awesome in and of their own right, BUT they NEVER get tired of worshipping - forever enraptured - by the God who is in front of them.
If John would have been tempted to worship or even fear the creatures, there is no room for it because as soon as he looks at them there are a thousand little eyes looking at the one who sits enthroned in front of them...in his rightful place of authority.
Nobody is bored because this beings transcendance cannot be exhausted. Everything in this room is in a constant state of awe!!
Have you ever had something elicit such an emotional, all encompassing, attention grabbing response of overflowing worship!!
Can you even get your imagination there?
Can you even come close to it?
HERE we see God as an enthroned unmatched power as Judge and lion. As awesome as this is to behold, it can be a little uncomfortable for us...
Our culture struggles with the intensity of this! We want justice but we don’t like the idea of Judgement.
“Wait, where’s that cuddly lamb version of Jesus? I like Him waaay better!”
Let’s talk about the Lamb because:
a transition takes place next and
the attention of the throne room moves from the Holy Father to ANOTHER and to a SCROLL:
scroll contains God’s plan. It spells out all of the events that are about to come upon the world
So there is TENSION because authority is given to determine the fate of the world to the one who is worthy to open it and…
If the scroll could not be opened, we cannot move forward into the fullness of redemption!!
A deliberation takes place in this throne room that discerns “there is NOBODY IS WORTHY!!
So, who is able to open the scroll??
“That is, “Who is able to direct history to its final goal?
Who can conquer evil and accomplish salvation?”
Can SOMEBODY answer the angel’s question!?
Rev. 5:3-10 says:
“ 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! SEE, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
John was weeping bitterly, for he sees that if no one can direct the course of history, humankind is trapped in a meaningless round of evil, suffering, pain, and death. But an elder comforts John, inviting him to look again and see an immensely powerful lion (military power) that has triumphed over its enemies and is able to open the scroll.
Let’s look at what John sees...
6 Then I SAW A LAMB, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.
John HEARS about a lion who is able to open the scroll, but when John looks through his tears, he sees not the regal lion but a pitiable blood-matted lamb, looking as if it has been slaughtered.
This is a huge twist in the narrative!
6b The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song...
JNT Commentary: “...one of the clearest expressions in the New Testament of the dual functioning of Yeshua, who came first as a Lamb sacrificed for sin, and returns (6:16–17) as a Lion to execute judgment, rule the world and bring peace…” AND HERE WE SEE THE LAMB RETURN...
The presence of a slain lamb occupying the space of a Lion tells us they are being depicted as one in the same! teaches us that the victory of God has been accomplished
NOT on any field of battle,
NOT by warfare,
BUT by the LAMB who decided NOT to give humanity what they deserved but to lay down HIS OWN life on the cross for the payment of their sins!!
Mike Goheen says, “As the Lamb takes the scroll from God, a hymn of praise begins with the twenty-four elders, is taken up by thousands upon thousands of angels, and at last is chanted by every creature in heaven and on earth as they fall down and worship the Lamb, saying,”
9 And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
BROTHERS and SISTERS, as you read this description of God, you and I SHOULD be prompted to worship this King!!
WHAT MIGHT and GRACE
WHAT POWER and MERCY
It’s directed at the REDEMPTION we all get to participate in as we are lifted up to rule and reign in the new!
As we think about ourselves here and now,
What Supersedes God as the authority in your life?
What supersedes God as the center of affection, worth, and worship in your heart?
Isn’t it true that we quickly
seat ourselves on our thrones and
declare our own ability to claim authority!
As we get to the close of the Gospel Story and begin to feel the relief of the pain, death, and sorrow that was ushered into the world when we Adam and Eve decided they would attempt to dethrone God and disobey is ordered way of life,
WE have to recognize that we aren’t any better!
We have a tendency to put the crown on our own heads...maybe we won’t say it out loud, right? “Jesus is Lord” but then you decide to take matters into your own hands
With every decision to say I know better than you God
I won’t obey, I will spend my money any way I want, after all I earned it.
With every decision to say I get to define sexuality and the parameters wherein it
Pornography is not that bad
I get to define purpose, love, and the flourishing of life.
God is calling me to talk to my love my neighbor or tell them about Jesus but it’s inconvenient or you PLAIN don’t like them!
Often we play the game by measuring out a certain level of “me first” behavior, satisfied, as long as it meets our scale of “good, better, best!”
...but when the veil is pulled back revealing the actual authority of Kingship who orders the world to work as it was intended, there is a terrifying reality that we don’t get the joy without the surrender.
SO, even if we say and sing about God at the center of our worship and lives but do our little decisions reveal that we have something else or ourselves sitting at the center??
Our job is to continually Re-enthrone God in our lives and,
recenter him in our hearts
BUT, even in our failure there is grace.
Instead of dodging or
sitting under the despair, weight, of our bloodguiltiness to crush us
We are meant to recognize it and allow it to explode in joyful praise and adoration that he doesn’t hold an ounce of it against us and to SHOUT out:
“the blood of Jesus is my plea!! Oh how merciful, oh how wonderful, oh how faithful, God you are to me.
Jesus not as a servant but as a King enthroned in the heavens...
John has a vision of the heavenly throne room of God and a sealed scroll.
We learn about the person and character of Jesus Christ.
Authority is given to determine the fate of the world to the one who is worthy to open it
COMMUNION:
(1 COR. 11:23B-26)
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SAVE THE DATE: The 2020 Marriage Retreat is scheduled to be Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and November 8!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
We are hosting prayer team meetings for both the congregation at large and individuals to sign up for individual prayer.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WORSHIP:
Coty Miller’s own “Praise & Worship” Spotify playlist and “Praise & Worship” YouTube playlist (slightly different from each other), both of diverse music that are being constantly updated!
Bethel Music :
Bethel Music’s hours of live music YouTube Playlist, also being constantly updated
Bethel provides chords to most (if not all) of their songs here (just have to register email, but free!)
Live worship moments from the Upper Room YouTube Playlist
Journal writing! (I’m a writer too, so sometimes creative writing and writing my thoughts to God is my form of worship.)
Declare and worship with truth by singing and praying scriptures.
WORSHIP NIGHT! Dedicate a night to worship with friends and family, your house church or neighbors, those who need prayer, love worship, or just enjoy music through a video chat platform like Zoom. You can have one person leading at a time (switching off to whoever else wants to lead) while others sing along, pray, or prophesy, etc.
Serving your community, both online, in person, or both, is a great way to worship God, from spreading encouragement and God’s Word online to physically serving food to others. If you are able to go out and serve, click here for opportunities.
COMMISSIONING:
As Jesus said in John 20:21,
"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Go, be the Church!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.