It's good to see you this morning. And again, it's wonderful. We say that. How good it is to
be able to be. In place where God's raised up
a hearing. Of his gospel, but. Eternity
will prove. how good it has been. Let's have
a word of prayer. Our Father, this morning we approach
you by faith, and by and through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit
of God, helping us, helping our infirmities, because we don't
know what to ask for. Lord, we pray this morning, help
us according to Your mercy and grace. Teach us of Yourself. Cause us to behold Him who is
altogether lovely. We pray as we look into these
Scriptures, cause us to remember that this is Your Word, breathed
by You. And these things we ask for Christ's
sake. Amen. Revelation 19. Revelation 19. The saints of God in that first
verse cried, Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. And this they
cried in that first verse because John writes salvation, that is,
the rescue of mankind. God Almighty rescued
men. He loved the order of men. That's
what John 3.16 says. He loved the world, the order
of man. Not everyone within the order
of man, obviously. He didn't love all of them, but
he loved some of them. And those that he loved, he chose
to love. He set his affection on some
out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue. And those
that He chose to love, He chose according to His purpose and
will. They were all cut out of the same lump. There wasn't an
ounce of difference between them. He looked on some in mercy and
compassion, and on some He looked in wrath. Does the potter have the right? out of the same lump, to look
on one in mercy and leave the other to himself. Yes, he does. Why? Because he made all things
for himself. Hallelujah! John said, because
glory, that is the opinion of God. That is the glory of God. His will, His thought, whatever
God thinks is God's glory. He does as He will in the army
of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and no man has
the right to question Him. That's His glory. That's His
purpose. And honor, honor the worth. That's what it means. The worth. What is God's honor? His worthiness. He's God. What is the honor of a believer? The righteousness of Christ.
What is a believer worth? What God says he's worth. And
God looks upon all of his people in Christ. What are they worth? What is his son worth? Robed
in his righteousness, John says in power, the ability and the
right to accomplish his purpose, his ability and his right That's
His power. He's all-powerful. How much power
is left over? None. He's the Almighty God. True and righteous are His judgments. He's right and He's just in all
that He does. He's judged the great whore Because
she deserved to be judged. Why did God put judgment, place
judgment on the great poor? Because she deserved it. He just. Why does a judge sentence someone
to death, prison? Why? Because he deserves it. Scripture says in verse 3, they
cried hallelujah the second time. Why this time? First time because
of salvation. Second time because God was just. I ended last Sunday's message
by saying this. We care greatly. Anybody in this
congregation this morning that has anybody in their family and
everybody does. Either immediate or extended,
or somebody in your family you know, some friends you know. And they know not our God. Why? They give no evidence of a love
for Christ, no evidence of love for the gospel. Maybe religious,
but Paul said preach any other message, any other gospel. Us
are an angel in heaven. And it's not according to this
message of God's free, sovereign, saving grace. God's grace. Let Him be anathema. Done. Over. Condemned. There's many that we have. And they don't know our God.
And we pray that God has mercy on them. But there's coming a day And
I'm saying this on the authority of Scripture. When God casts
all rebellion out, the redeemed of God will say
in that day, in that great day of judgment, praise the Lord. We're going to agree with Him. Well, let's look at one verse
today, verse 4. Verse 4, Revelation 19. The Scripture says, And the four
and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped
God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen. So be it. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. The four and twenty elders are
the entire church. We've established that. We know that. The four and twenty
elders. All of the church of God. And
the four beasts. It's hard for me to not go back
over, but I can't do it. I just don't have time. I'm going
to remind you who the four beasts are. The four beasts. These are the same that Isaiah
saw, the seraphim that Daniel saw, the living creatures, the
cherubim. These four beasts, as succinctly
as I can, they're living creatures. The
word beast right there means creature, living creature, a
living creature. It's not an inanimate creature. They're living creatures. And
they are serving in revelation to John and to us. They're serving
as symbols or emblems of the glorious person of the Lord Jesus
Christ in His covenant engagement to redeem His fallen people.
Now, they're cherubim. They're heavenly symbols or emblems,
and they're alive. I'll be the first to admit, I'm
way over my head here. Way over my head. In understanding,
I can tell you everything that I know that I can find, that
I can search out in looking in the book of Daniel and Ezekiel
and Isaiah and Revelation and trying to get a handle by the
grace of God on who these living creatures are, these beasts.
That's how the Scripture, the four beasts, the four living
creatures. Now, I can tell you that I know
this about them, and I actually want to talk to you this morning
about worship. But I want to set forth what
the Scripture says about who is worshiping God. The four and
twenty elders, I can enter into that, Carl. I can get into the
church. But these four beasts, now turn back to Revelation 4,
6. Revelation 4, 6. This is the first time we actually
considered or looked in this book on these four beasts. Revelation 4-6 gives us some
insight into this truth. I said who these creatures are,
these living creatures, they're symbols or emblems of the glorious
person of the Lord Jesus Christ in His covenant engagement to
redeem His people. These creatures set forth who
the Lord Jesus Christ is. Okay? All right. Verse 6 says,
Before the throne there was a sea of glass likened to crystal.
In the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four
beasts full of eyes before and behind. Now, they were in the
midst of the throne. John looked and saw these four
beasts in the midst of the throne. Actually, the word in the midst
means supporting. John sees these four beasts supporting
the throne of God. Now, I understand this is symbolic. I understand this. But you have
to enter in somewhat to the understanding of we're seeing who the Lord
Jesus Christ is. These four beasts are setting
him forth in his covenant engagement to redeem his people. God made
a promise, and He's going to make good on that promise. And
I'll tell you who He's going to make good on that promise
in the Lord Jesus Christ. So John sees these four beasts.
They were full of eyes before and behind. Number one, we know
this in their description of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that's
what they're doing. They're describing him. Obviously,
these beasts are separate from the four and twenty elders. If
the four and twenty elders is the entire church, then these
four beasts is something other than. They're not one in the
same. The four and twenty elders and
the four beasts. So they're full of eyes. They're
omniscient. I don't know everything, but
He does. I am not omniscient. I don't
know the end from the beginning, but He does. These four beasts
are telling us something. And the first beast, verse 7,
was like a lion. It wasn't a lion. It was like a lion. The Lord
Jesus Christ is not a lion, but He's like a lion. Powerful. Revelation 5 says the line of
the tribe of Judah, the root of David, have prevailed to open
the book and to loose the seven seals thereof. Who was worthy
to break the seals of the redemption, the revelation of the redemption
of God's people? Who? One man. Don't cry, John. One has prevailed. One. How? Prevailed on his own, by his
own power. Who is it? It's the Lion of the
tribe of Judah. Secondly, this is what we know
about these beasts. The second, verse 7, Revelation
4, 7. The second beast, like a calf. Like a calf. Alright? The first mention of this calf,
which actually means a bullock. That's what it means, a bullock.
First mention is Exodus 29. Turn back. This is the first
mention in the Bible. If you would like to tip on something
that I heard from someone much wiser than me was this. If you want to know the meaning
of a word, go back to the first time it's mentioned in the Bible
and you'll get a good handle on what it is. Exodus 29. verse
1. It's the first time, all right?
Next is 29.1, and this is the thing that thou shalt do unto
them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office.
God is talking. He's talking to Moses, giving
him some instruction, okay? He says, take one young bullock
and two rams without blemish, all right? Take one bullock.
All right, now this is what I want you to do with that bullock.
Look over in verse 10 to verse 12. And thou shalt cause a bullock
to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron
and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
And thou shalt kill the bullock before the Lord by the door of
the tabernacle of the congregation. And thou shalt take of the blood
of the bullock and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy
finger and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
Now, this creature that was like a calf, like a bullock, was a
symbol, was an emblem, emblematic of the Lord Jesus Christ set
apart and is accepted, he's accepted as the obedient slain, risen,
and ever-living Great High Priest. In order to set apart the Lord
Jesus Christ, God told Moses, you take this symbol. You take
a calf. You take a bullock and you kill
it. And you take the blood, verse
12, and you put it on the horns of the altar with your finger,
the horns represented the power. I'm trying so hard not to go
back too far, but it just... Here is the setting forth of
the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, the substitute. Thirdly, back
in Revelation, Revelation chapter 4 and verse 7, the third beast,
had a face as a man. It was a symbol. He was as a man, no doubt. Here we see the glorious emblem,
the setting forth of the Word who was made flesh. He was a
man. I'll tell you, the first thing
I know about him is that he was powerful. He was like a lion. He was a sacrifice. But He was
a man. He was a man. He was made like
me and you. You see, man had disobeyed God,
and man is going to have to obey God. Here is the revelation of
the mystery of godliness. This is the mystery of all god-likeness,
godliness. 1 Timothy 3.16 says God was manifested. God was manifested in the flesh. A man, as I said a few moments
ago, God so loved the arrangement, the order of man, that He sent
His only begotten Son made of a woman, made under the law. He made Himself answerable. Because God demanded obedience. Who is going to have to obey
God? A man is going to have to obey God because man rebelled
against God. And God's justice demands that
His law be obeyed by those that He loved. Because you're going
to have to obey God. You're going to have to obey
God. How perfectly as holy as God
is, for you'll never see the kingdom of God. Never. This beast, Thurman, was like
a man. Fourthly, it says the fourth
beast was like a flying eagle. Here we see. Turn over to Deuteronomy
32 while I'm telling you this. Here we behold. the surety of
being delivered by our blessed Savior. Deuteronomy 32, verse
7. Deuteronomy 32. We're going to have to be brought
to God. We're going to have to be brought
to God. Revelation, I'm sorry, Deuteronomy
32, verse 7. Remember the days of old. Consider
the years of many generations. Ask thy father, and he will show
thee thy elders. They will tell thee. When the
Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of
Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number
of the children of Israel. For the Lord's portion is his
people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land
in the waste, howling wilderness. Let me just stop right here.
Just think. Is this not God's description of where he found
his people? Where were they? Out in the wilderness. God set
them as a portion, but where did he find them? He found them
out in the wilderness. He led him about. He instructed
him. He kept him as the apple of his eye. God's always seen
His people in Christ. He's always loved them. They
were always the apple of His eye. Why? Because they were always
in Christ. As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them,
beareth them on her wings, so the Lord alone did lead him. And there was no strange God
with him. Isn't that wonderful? How long has God Almighty looked
upon His people in favor, in compassion, in love? Always. What's He going to do
for them? He's going to bring them to Himself.
How's He going to do that? Well, I can tell you exactly
how He's going to do it. by the Lord Jesus Christ. He
made a covenant with Him. Who is going to make good on
that covenant? The Lord Jesus Christ says this is the blood
of the New Testament, of the New Covenant. This is the New
Testament in my blood. Here is the payment. It has got
an agreement. It has got a contract. Who is
going to make good on that contract? He is going to make good on that
contract. God made a covenant to show me mercy. How is He going
to do it? He's going to do it in His blessed
Son. And I'll tell you this, He's
going to do it like a lion in power. He's going to do it like
a calf. He's going to sacrifice Himself.
He's going to do it as a man made flesh, a man that's going
to obey God. And He's going to bring me to
God like an eagle. It watches over her own and protects
them and keeps them. God has always looked upon His
people with the apple of His eye. Well, back in Revelation
19, verse 4, the four and twenty elders and the four beasts, they
fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne. You know,
these four beasts And here again, I understand. I mean, in my mind,
I can I can grasp hold of the four and twenty elders at the
church. I understand them falling down.
But these these four beasts are said to also fall down and worship
God. They give homage. That's what
they give homage because they're living creatures. Do I need to
remind you again that we're over our heads here in understanding?
But faith believes God. This is what God said. God said
this is so. And though I see through a glass
darkly, I still see. I know in part, but I still know.
You say, how much do you know about them? I know just as much
as God has allowed me to perceive and see. They're living creatures. Eye hath not seen, ear has not
heard, never has entered into the heart of man the things God
has prepared for those that love him." But I tell you this, we
do see something. We see. We see dimly, but we
see. But these four beasts, living creatures, their symbols, their
types, their heavenly revelations, of the Lord Jesus Christ in His
covenant engagement to redeem His people. They're describing
the Lord Jesus Christ in Himself, in His ability to do what He
said. They give homage to. They bow
down to. I've told you before, I can understand
the types of the Lord Jesus Christ. I can understand the ark. And
in my little simple mind, I can understand how the ark, the one
that Noah got in, I can understand that as a type of Christ and
that ark, that inanimate thing, that boat. I can understand that
boat being a piece of wood. I can understand that, Pat, given
honor to Christ. The Scripture says the heavens
declare the glory of God. Well, they're just they're just
the heavens declare. I can understand that rock that
followed the nation of Israel. I understand that. Give an homage
to Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ. I understand that brazen
servant. It was just a piece of brass. That's all it was.
Later, they ground it up, got rid of it so people wouldn't
worship that. But I can understand inanimate
things. give an honor to bowing to Christ.
You say, how can they do it? I just see that they do. The
art gives honor to Christ. A believer understands that.
Unbeliever doesn't. But that's all right. I'm talking to God's
people. I'm not trying to convince anybody.
If God hadn't convinced somebody of something, Neil, I can't.
But these four creatures, when the scripture says they fall
down and worship God, That's what they do. They give
honor to living creatures that set forth. The Scripture says
that they set forth and they fall down and they worship God. All right. I just want to just consider
for a second. Worship. Worship. The true essence of worship. I know that it's paying due respect
to God, and it's because of the very heart of the word worship,
which also finds the word obedience in with the description. I can
tell you this, I've told you about Abraham, Obey in God. Sacrifice Isaac. Take him up. Abraham said, Lad and I are going
to go worship. Worship has to do with obedience.
But I'll tell you this, there's also something else that's involved
with the understanding of the word worship. It is the paying
of respect because of an obligation that I have to Him. an obligation. Worship is an internal respect
that is always testified to by external acts. Now you remember
this, if worship doesn't start internally, external hasn't got
anything to do with it. Not true worship. Now, you may
go through some acts and you may try to, you know, but I'm
telling you that worship is an internal. Internally, in a new
heart, I'll give you a new heart. I'm going to give you a new mind.
I'll give you a new will, a new spirit. That's what the Lord
says. I will give them as a new man in the new creation. In the
new birth, there's something there that was not there before. What is it? It's a new man created
in righteousness. A believer has two natures. I've told you before, that's
a big issue with some people. They don't think that a believer
has two natures. Well, he does. Internally, there is a reverence,
there's a respect, there's a worship. Because of a known obligation, I owe Him. I owe Him. Oh, the thankfulness and the
respect that is due Him. He did something for me that
I could not do for myself. At reverence from the heart,
it's a realization that God Almighty took a nobody that He loved and chose to show me mercy in
worship internally. It's internal now. But this internal
worship, it's a realization. Secondly, there's a contemplation
of the perfection and the promises. of God Almighty that heartily
causes me to thank God for what He's done for me and to pray,
not only for myself, but for others in worship. When a man
or woman worships God, they do pray for themselves. Lord, help
me. Lord, I'm so weak. I'm so careless. I'm so frivolous. Help me. Help me. True worship
desires the presence and the enjoyment of God Almighty and
desires that frequently. He said, I'll never leave you
and I'll never forsake you. Worship says, Lord, You said
You'd never leave me and You'd never forsake me. Thank You for
that. I desire that. But internal worship, as I said
before, manifests itself externally. The most obvious manifestation
of true internal worship. Now, I'm going to tell you something.
Believers are interested in this. They want to know, what does
God say about worship? The most obvious manifestation
of true internal worship If you want to know what someone thinks
inside, watch what they do and listen to what they say. Out
of the abundance of a man's heart, his mouth will speak. Oh, he
may speak, you know, for a while and seem to be consistent for
a while, but you listen to the end. The most obvious manifestation
of true internal worship is the frequent and consistent support
and the attendance of public worship. Now that's so. That's so. If you want to know
how a man thinks inside, watch what he does concerning the assembling
Himself together. The Lord Jesus Christ considered
public worship absolutely necessary. How do I know? Because He did
it. Look at Luke 4. Luke chapter 4. Luke 4, verse 14. Luke 4, verse 14. And Jesus returned in the power
of the Spirit to Galilee, and there went out a fame of
him through all the region round about. And he taught in their
synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth,
where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went
into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read."
Look at verse 31. He came down to Capernaum, the
city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days. And they
were astonished at his doctrine, for his word was with power."
You see, this is the place that God said, where two or three
are gathered together in my name, I'm in the midst of you. Is public worship necessary? Absolutely. Absolutely. Is it the evidence of internal
worship? Yes. If you want to know what
a man thinks, look at his attitude toward external worship. The attendance of the hearing
of the gospel. If Almighty God has raised up pastors after his
heart, And he said, I'll feed them. I'll send them pastors
after my heart and they'll feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Is it important? What do you think? If the Lord
Jesus Christ saw and set forth the example and the necessity
of public worship, name me one other thing that you know of,
you that believe that evidence is more perfectly internal worship
than the assembling of ourselves together. There is nothing else. Believers live from Wednesday
to Sunday. And everything else is kind of
in between. Hebrews 10.23.25 says this, And I'm going to tell you this,
that open and public worship is ordained of God. Let us hold
fast, let us seize the profession of our faith. I looked up that
word profession just to know what it meant. It means the open
declaration. Let us seize and hold fast the
open declaration. What are you talking about, Marvin?
I'll tell you exactly what I'm talking about, because this Scripture
is getting ready to bear out what I'm about to say. Let us
hold fast, let us seize, let us lay hold of the profession,
the open declaration, the attending of worship, the attendance of
worship. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering, for He's faithfully promised,
and let Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works. Here it is, not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but
exhorting one another, and so much the more as we see the day
approaching. That which makes public worship
so wonderful is the presence of God. I get up and I as a general rule,
I'll be down here. You know, if you're looking for
me, if I'm not out of town, call the church. I'll probably be
here. I got something else to do. I'll go do it. But as a general
rule, I'll be here. But I'll tell you this. It's
not the same as when you're here. Not the same. It's an empty building
in here. All the lights are usually off.
Quiet. But there's something different
when you're here. When you assemble together, all
of us together, God Almighty has promised. He said, I'm in
the midst of you. No other place has He promised His presence.
And I know He's omnipresent. I know that. But I'm telling
you there's a promise from God about the assembling of His people
together. And He said, I'm there. And I
believe He's here. And I'm thankful that He's here.
And I want to be respectful because of His presence. Public worship,
that open expression of our inward worship. And I'm telling you
this is the way it is. If you want to know what a man
thinks inside about God Almighty, then watch what he does externally.
They said, well, now Marvin, you're just trying to be in too
hard. I'm telling you that this is
what God says about God's people. Now, I'm not trying to come here
and establish a righteousness before God. That's law. That's
preaching the law. I'm not trying to maintain a
righteousness before God. That's law. But I'm telling you
the evidence, the evidence, the evidence of a new heart is that
God's people meet together where God's... I've told you before,
Katy, West Virginia is a blessed place. That's a blessed place. There's a lot of places in West
Virginia that's not. And other places too. Every once
in a while, You find God raises up a church. I know of just a
few. I know of one in Florida. As
far as I know, only one. One or two here, one or two there. Worship. Worship is inwardly
reverent. Inwardly. It's not disruptive. Psalm 89, 7, God is greatly to
be feared and is reverenced in the assembly of the saints and
to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him. That's
worship. We come together this morning,
for goodness sakes, realize this. This is reverential. It's respectful. Don't do anything and don't let
anything be disruptive. Don't allow it. Cheerful. Psalm 100. I know I'm going over a little
bit this morning. I won't plan to preach as long
as 2nd Message, but this is important. Psalm 100. Make a joyful noise unto the
Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord,
He's God. that He hath made us, and not
we ourselves. We are His people, and the sheep
of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless
His name. For the Lord's good, His mercy is everlasting, His
truth endureth to all generations." Worship is reverent. It's reverent. It's reverent. And I'm telling you, that reverence
is something that's put there by God. You can't drum it up
and work it up and talk it up. God puts a reverence in His people
for worship. Inside, you come together, you
want to hear. You want to hear what this Word's
got to say. And you come together externally
to hear it. But I'm telling you, internally,
God did something for you. It's reverential. It's cheerful.
And outwardly, lastly, it's respectful. It's respectful. This world has got some attitude,
Gary, that somehow, you know, hooping and hollering and jumping
up and down and waving your hands. You know what that does? That
brings attention to you. Somebody says something. You know what you're saying?
Look at me. I know how to worship God. Worship
God happens in the most respectful manner. You hear, and I don't
hear a peep. I don't hear one peep this morning. And I'm so thankful. It's respectful. This is God's message. This is
God's house. This is God's people. Come back up to 2.20. But the
Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence. Hush. That's what it means. Hush. Let all the earth keep silence
before Him. Who art thou that replies against
God? Hear God Almighty. Hear His message. Hear it with respect. Demand
respect. And teach respect. Worship. Four and twenty elders and the
four beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne saying,
Amen. So be it. Praise the Lord. I pray God teach us something
concerning Himself, ourselves, and our worship and adoration
of Him. Okay, let's take a break.