Verse one again, John saw in
the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written
within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. Now, that word
book is scroll. They wrote on scrolls, and that
explains within and on the backside. It wasn't a book like this. It
just had something on the back of it. It was a scroll rolled
up with writing on both sides of it. completely full of writing. And God is identified here in
this first verse simply as the one sitting on the throne. That's common throughout scripture. Remember David, they asked, where's
your God? He said, he's in the heavens.
He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Isaiah saw him high
and lifted up. He's the one on the throne. Most
folks hate the doctrine of God's sovereignty. Everybody here is
familiar with the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. It just
simply means God is on the throne. He rules everything. He controls
everything. The heart of the king is in his
hand, and he turns it whithersoever he will. I didn't make that up.
You know that's the scripture. Every step, not even a pair of
dice can be rolled except the Lord determines what comes up.
He controls everything. He runs everything. Everybody
and everything. He saves who he wants to save.
If he wants to save everybody, you know, religion loves to say
God wants to save you. Whatever he wants, he gets. That's
what it means to be God. That's the point here. That's
who he is. He's the one on the throne. That's who he is. The real problem is not that
people hate the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. That's not
their problem. Their problem is they hate God. Because the
doctrine of His sovereignty just identifies who He is. That's
just telling you who God is. That's what it means to be God.
And so the real problem is you just hate God. Sovereignty is
Him. He's the sovereign. If you say,
well, I believe God loves everybody. I know what you preach, Chris,
but I believe God loves everybody and he's willing to save everybody,
but he's not gonna violate man's free will. What you're simply
saying, if you say that, is I hate God. You just hate God. You love the God of religion
now that tries to do things but can't. He wants to do things
if you'll let him do them. That's not God, though. The problem
is you hate God. The one that sits on the throne
decides everything. Everything. He decides who's
saved. He decides who's not. He decided
that you would be born and where and under what circumstances
and every detail of your life, God has control. He is the only
free will in the universe. He's the only free will. He does as he pleases in the
armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and
none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? If
you say, well, I believe Jesus died for every person who ever
lived to give everyone a chance to be saved. You know what you're
saying? You do, don't you? You do now. You're saying, I
hate God. That's what you're saying. You
love the God of religion now, the imaginary Jesus of man's
free will religion, but you hate God the son. That's what you're
saying. Because he's on the throne now.
He said, I give life to whomever I will. I'll have mercy on whom
I will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardens. He hardened
Pharaoh, and then when he had gotten done with him, he put
him in hell. And he said, I did it to make my power known. Is
that all right with you? If not, you hate God. It's just
that simple. The one that sits on the throne
does what he will, when he will, with whom he will. He said, I
lay down my life for my sheep and they shall never perish. He said, my sheep hear my voice.
and I give unto them eternal life. That's who we're talking
about. The angel of the Lord said to Joseph, Mary is gonna
bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall
save his people from their sins. He's not gonna try to do anything. He never has and he never will. And in our text, the one sitting
on the throne had a book in his right hand. The right hand always
signifies power. That book, the power of God holds
that book. As we look through this passage,
we're gonna see, and through the book of Revelation, another
time or two, and in the scriptures elsewhere, we're gonna see that
this book is the book of God's purposes and decrees. And I say
purpose is plural because we have to think of things that
way. We have to think, well, God has had a purpose in creation,
and he had a purpose in salvation, and he has a purpose to get glory
for himself, and he has a purpose for me, for my life, and things
like that. It's not purposes, though, really.
It's just one purpose. He's God now. We gotta understand
that. We can't grasp that, but we gotta
get some sense of the fact that he's God. And his purpose, that's the book
of his will. His will about what? All of his
will. Everything, from the beginning
throughout all of eternity, the will of God, the purpose of God
is contained in that book. All that he has decreed from
the beginning, it includes everything that has come to pass, is coming
to pass, and ever shall come to pass. Everything is in that
book. And we know this about that.
Everything that he wills and everything that he brings to
pass is for his glory and the salvation of his elect. And we're
gonna see that in the text here. It's the great glory of the one
who brings it to pass that's contained in that book. It's
all for his glory. Whatever he gets glory out of,
that's what's gonna happen. He gets glory when he saves a
sinner. And I tell you this, when he
puts one in hell, what's gonna happen? He's gonna get glory.
He's gonna get glory. Now I know he delights to show
mercy. I know that. It doesn't say anywhere in the
scripture that he delights to put people in hell, right? You find it, let me know. But
he delights to show mercy to sinners, I know that. But I tell
you this, he's gonna get glory in everything that he does. If
it gives him glory, it's in there. And if it has to do with the
salvation of his people, it's in there. It's in that book.
And I'll remind you now what God said to Moses when Moses
said, show me your glory. God said, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. So if it's all for his glory
now, The primary thing, the book, as I said, it's actually a scroll
that it had writing within and without. There wasn't a blank
spot anywhere on the scroll. That just simply signifies that
there's no detail. There's no occurrence so seemingly
insignificant. There's no idle word spoken.
There's no thought that even crosses any mind anywhere. That's
not written. There's absolutely nothing. that's
not written. God knows the end from the beginning
because he has decreed the end from the beginning. And everything
in between is according to his perfect, free, all-inclusive
will. You say, well, it's not God's
will that people go to hell. Whose is it then? The devil just
won that one? I don't think so. Everything
happens according to his will. His perfect, eternal will. God didn't send that hurricane
and kill all those people, then who did? I believe it was Job
that asked, if the Lord doesn't do these things, then who did
do it and where was God when they did it? Where was God? Where was the one on the throne
when they did it? You hate God. If you say something
like that, you might as well just go around saying, I hate
God. And that's what you're saying. So this scroll, it was written
on all, in every spot, all over. And that's a great blessing now.
That's a comfort to God's sheep. All is according to our God's
purpose. There are not any contingencies.
There's not any blank space where something might be written in
if you decide to do something. It's all written. It's all full.
You can't add anything to it, and you can't take anything away
from it. I'll tell you this, everybody that knows him is glad
about that. It's all, everything in there is according
to God's purpose of grace to glorify his son in the salvation
of his elect, all. That sea creature, that you're
not ever gonna see, that nobody, there's a creature swimming around
in an ocean somewhere right now that no man is ever gonna see,
that's for God's glory. And I'll tell you this, that
sinner that believes for the first time on Christ Jesus, he
hears the gospel and he really hears it with an ear of faith
for the first time to the saving of his soul, he does so according
to the purpose of him that worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will." Every bit of it. The book was sealed. Seven is
the number of perfection or completeness. It had seven seals on it. That
just means you're not gonna open it. It's completely sealed. And that signifies two things.
The seal, a seal is authentication. Whatever you set your seal to,
you're saying that's true and authoritative. I set my seal
to that. This book had the seal of God. It had God's seal. And also,
these seals have to do with access to the book. Look at verse two.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy
to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. You can't
open it without loosing the seals. That just means to open up. And
so it has to do with access to the book. The purpose, will,
and counsel of God is completely shut to all of mankind. You don't have anything to do
with it. You can't see it. You can't change it. You can't
understand it. Only what God reveals is known. And I'll tell you this, he's
not gonna reveal to you what you need to do. He reveals to
you what he's done. It's completely shut now. We
have no access to it, and we have no hand in it, and don't
want any if we're his. If he's turned the light on,
I don't want anything. I don't want to affect. Why?
And I've talked to people about prayer, and they say, well, prayer
changes things. I tell you what, it doesn't change
God's purpose. It might change you, but that's
God using the means of prayer to affect your heart, to have
a positive effect on your heart and your attitude. And he's already
purposed that, it's already written that he would do that or not,
as it pleases him. Why would you want to have an
effect? Why would you want to influence
the purpose of somebody that's perfect, perfectly good, omniscient,
all wise, he knows everything, and he can't mess up. He cannot
mess up. You can't do nothing but mess
up. Why would you want to pray something to change his purpose?
You're out of your mind. I'm glad you can't, and I'm glad
I can. It's sealed, and that's a blessing
too. We don't have any access or any
hand in it, and very important. This is very important. We have
no say nor any control or bearing upon the bringing to pass of
what's contained in that book. it's not gonna happen because
of me. It might happen including me, he might use me, it's gonna
happen because of him. God has revealed to his people much of what's in that book though.
We gotta turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter two, it's the whole chapter
now, but we'll just kinda, we'll do our best not to, to kind of
get the gist of this without reading the whole chapter for
the sake of time, but look at it with me. First Corinthians
chapter two, Paul said, we have the mind of Christ. We preach
the wisdom of God. He said, I didn't come to you
with excellency of speech or of wisdom. God doesn't choose
smart people to preach. If he did, I wouldn't be here
tonight. I would not be up here. He said, I didn't come that way. I determined not to know anything
among you save what's in that book. Jesus Christ. And what's in this book? Jesus
Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness
and fear and trembling. My speech and preaching was not
within passing words. Boy, religion's all about that,
aren't they? but in demonstration of the spirit that your faith
should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
But how be it though, we speak wisdom among them that are perfect,
yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world
that come to naught, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,
even the hidden wisdom. Stuff that you and I don't have
access to, God has revealed it to us. We can't see it any other
way. No man knoweth the Father saved
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. And
we're able to speak those things that nobody can know because
God has revealed them. None of the princes of this world
knew, had they known it, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord
of glory. But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard
neither have entered into the heart of man the things which
God hath prepared for them that love him." It's sealed, but it's
also revealed. What he has seen fit to reveal
of his purposes, I think he's shown us the best part of it,
don't you? Christ crucified. And what that means, all that
that means, but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit."
And just that whole rest of that chapter, it pertains to our text. But let's look at verse two back
in our text in Revelation 5. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose
the seals thereof? And no man. The answer to his
question is this, nobody. That's what John was seeing now.
John said, no man in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth,
was able to open the book. And they can't even look at it.
You can't even look at it, much less open it. To look at it is
to know to open it and to be able to read it, to have it revealed
to you. To open it is to fulfill what's
in it. You got nothing to do with it.
You can't do it. You can't do either one. We can't
look at it. We can't know anything without
God's grace. What's in it? And you know what
else we can't do? We can't do anything about it.
We can't open it. The Lord Jesus Christ did something
about it. We can't. Thinking about what's
in this book, Who can open it, that is reveal, and also bring
to pass what's in it? Everything that God is pleased
to bring to pass is in there. Who's gonna make it happen? That's
the question, who can open this book? Remember that this is a glimpse
into eternity. That book just opened one time
in eternity. You might say, well, there's
a lot of stuff that had already come to pass before they opened.
There's no before and after here. We're looking into eternity now.
It just had to be opened by somebody and it's all done. It's all done. Time has nothing to do with this
except that God's purposes are brought to pass in time. But
the question who can open the book and loose the seals has
to do with revelation and the bringing to pass all that is
written in the decrees of God. In other words, who can not only
reveal God's will, but who can fulfill it? Luke 24, 45, who
can reveal? who can read the book, who can
look at it, who can tell what's in it, who can proclaim what's
in it, who can reveal what's in it, then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures. That's who, the one
that did that. He's able to open the heart of
a sinner and cause all of the truth of God now that he's been
seen fit to reveal to us, the sinners. is hidden in that heart
and believed. Abraham believed God. And God
said, you're righteous. What God is pleased to reveal
for now of his will and purpose is in this book, the Bible. And it concerns his son, Jesus
Christ. And only Jesus Christ can reveal
Jesus Christ. Who can fulfill God's will? Who's
gonna make it all come to pass? Who's gonna make it happen? Is
there anything in there that may or may not happen depending
on how you, depending on how you pray or depending on whether
you let God do what he wants to do or not? Who can fulfill
God's will? Listen to Hebrews 10 five. I'd
have you turn over, just listen to this and mark it and read
it later if you want to. Wherefore, when Christ cometh
into the world, he saith, sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not.
The Old Testament sacrifices could never take away sin, but
a body thou has prepared for me. No more animals. That's why we don't sacrifice
sheep and oxen and doves and things like that. "'cause a body
was prepared for Christ. "'In burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin, "'thou hast no pleasure, hast had no pleasure. "'Then,
when all of the blood of all the animals "'that were ever
slain, sacrificed to God, "'did never put away one sin, "'then,'
said I, "'then,' said Christ, "'Lo, I come in the volume of
the book.'" In the volume of this book? In the volume of that
book in Revelation 5, in the volume of the book, it is written
of me. That's God's glory, and that's
the saving of his elect right there, of me. Of me, it is written of me. And then listen, that's in parenthesis. I should've had you turn it,
but listen. Then said I, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. I come to accomplish everything
that God willed and purposed and wrote down. That's what he
came to do. He fulfilled every, he jotted
every I and crossed every T in the purpose of God. And listen
to this, above when he said sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings
and offering for sin, thou wouldest not, neither has pleasure therein
which are offered by the law. Then said he, lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. Said it twice, I come to do thy
will, O God, all of it. That's what our text is about.
And listen, verse four, John said, I wept much because no
man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither
to look thereon. You can't even look at it, you
can't even know what's in it, much less open it up and bring
it to pass and have any bearing on it. except that he reveals to us
what's in there. Everything that matters is in
this book. And it can be summed up this
way, as I've said now, God's glory and the redemption of his
elect. I guarantee you that's the business
that God is in. He's in the business of glorifying
himself and all of his persons, especially his son. Kingdom of
heaven is like unto a king that made a marriage for his son.
He said, you're gonna honor my son. And it all has to do with the
salvation of his people now. He has an earth because he has
a people. And he has a people because he's
gonna glorify his son. He gave them to him. John was
weeping. John wept much. Now think about
this. what that book concerns, God's
glory and the salvation of his people, that's what matters to
us by his grace. That's all that matters to us
really, right? If God is glorified and we're
saved, what else do you want to do in this world? What else
do you want to see happen before you die? That's everything. And so when nobody was able to
open the book, he wept. He wept much. when he saw that
no man was worthy to open the book. And it is a question of
worthiness. But what a blessing here. John
was weeping, but that elder wasn't weeping. He was already there, wasn't
he? He knew even as he was known. And that's us. That's us. I thought
about this when I was looking into this. You think John saw
us up there? When God gave him a glimpse, you think he saw us?
You say, well, we're not there yet. There ain't no yet up there.
There ain't no yet in eternity. Hmm. My mind's blown. That's just
the truth now. We're already seated in the heavenlies
in Christ Jesus, according to this book now, whom he justified,
he's already glorified. And that means being with Christ
and being like Christ. That's what glorified is. We haven't experienced it yet,
but we're there in eternity. John was weeping, but not that
elder. That elder, he represents God's elect in glory now. And
you know what he said? Don't worry about it. Don't worry. The elder couldn't open the book,
but he knew who could. And he wasn't worried about it.
He wasn't crying. Oh my, the beasts couldn't open
the book. You remember what they, they
represent God's messengers, God's prophets and preachers and teachers. Those he's called to declare
his word throughout the ages, they couldn't open the book.
I can't. A preacher is just a voice. I can't show you what's in this
book. Now, I can preach it, but you've
got to see it by faith, and only Christ can give you that. Only
the Holy Spirit of Christ can give you that. The preacher now
couldn't open it. Angels can't open it. And I'll
tell you this, if it's up to you, we're all goners. If it's up to us, we're goners. No one was found worthy, that's
us. But one of the elders said unto
me, verse five, weep not, behold, just look. Behold, the lion of the tribe
of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed over the book. He's the lamb, he's also the
lion. He hath prevailed, he hath prevailed. We gotta look at that word, don't
we? He hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven
seals thereof. There's nothing to be sad about
because Christ Jesus, the Lord, has already gotten it done. You
see that word hath there in that verse? He hath prevailed. It's already done. It's already
done. He's already opened it. He's
already fulfilled it all. He's already accomplished God's
will. Lo, I come to do thy will. And he did it. And when he had
done it, he said it's finished. That's key, that word half. That's
key. Christ crucified is worthy to
open the book. He's worthy. They said you're
worthy because you've been slain. Christ crucified is worthy to
open the book and Christ crucified is what's in the book. What is
the purpose that's to be fulfilled? It's all fulfilled by him and
it's all about him. Christ is all in the salvation
of God's people. Christ is all when it comes to
the glory of God. All of the promises of God. God's promises are decrees, aren't
they? They're not something that he
might do if you do this, there's no contingency to it. If he says,
you come to me and I'll give you life, then that's a decree,
that's done. You come to him, you get life,
he gives you life. When Nicodemus was, oh, you must
be born again. It didn't say you need to be
born again. You must be born again because God said it. He
decreed it. All of his people must. All of the promises of God are
yay and amen in Christ Jesus. That's why they're certain because
he is the one that sees to it. Not you, there's nothing certain
about us. It is a faith that it might be
by grace that the promise might be sure to all them that believe. All of the promises of God. And
he is not only the only one worthy, but he already accomplished it.
Colossians 1, let's look at Colossians 1. Here's what that looks like.
He accomplished it. Colossians 1 verse 12. Giving
thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered
us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins. who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him
were all things created that are in heaven and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers. All things were created by him
and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things
consist." I don't even know how to talk
about that. May the Lord just reveal that to us by His grace
as we read it in His word, because I don't even know how to talk.
Everything. He's all and in all. And He is the head of the body
of the church. who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. The book is written that way.
It's written so that he is gonna have the preeminence in all things,
because he's the purpose of it all, and he's the one who brings
it all to pass. For it pleased the Father that
in him should all completeness dwell. You think that has anything
to do with that book? And having made peace through
the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto
himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things
in heaven and you that were at one time alienated and enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in
the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and
unblameable and unreprovable in his sight." All of the purpose
of God is in the hand of Christ, to bring it to pass, and he is
the reason our salvation is sure. He's the reason we have a sure
hope, not a hope it don't rain tomorrow hope, Assurance steadfast
hope that entereth into that which was it within the veil
whether our forerunner is entered for us He's the lion of the tribe of
Judah a lamb and yet a lion a Lamb slain and you think well a lamb
slain is the most passive Innocuous harmless Ineffective? I mean, what's a
slain lamb gonna do? Everything. He accomplished everything
by the blood of his cross. And he's the lion which signifies
strength and power. The conqueror of every enemy
that he has and that we have. And the champion of our salvation. And he's the root of David. David's
son, but David's Lord. Remember when he asked the Pharisees,
whose son is Christ? What think ye of Christ, whose
son? They said he's David's son. They knew that from the lineages
in the Old Testament, that Christ was gonna be, they didn't think
Jesus of Nazareth was him, but they knew that Christ was gonna
be of the lineage of David. He said, you're right. He didn't
say you're right, but here's what he said. How then did David
call him Lord, if he's David's son? If you know the answer to
that, You understand a lot. David's son, and yet David's
Lord. He hath prevailed. You know what
that word means? Conquered. Conquered. You see, the opening of the book
is revelation, but also victory. The opening of that book, what
is revealed is what he has accomplished. He hath conquered, and that's
how he can open the book. He's worthy because he hath conquered. I love that song that sometimes
Vicki and I sing. Who can number his generation?
Who can declare all the triumph of his cross? ? Millions dead
now live again ? Myriads follow in his train, victorious Lord,
victorious Lord, victorious Lord and coming King. He hath conquered. And so the
book is open. All of God's purpose in all of
that which brings him glory, especially the salvation of his
people. I don't know how to talk about
the victory that Christ won. I don't know how to talk about
what he bore on Calvary, do you? What he overcame. The wrath of
men, devils, and even his father was poured out upon him. Think
of the sin that he bore, your sin. Think of the burden of what
it is to carry all of our sicknesses and our sorrows. Think of his
soul made sorrowful even unto death. I like what my pastor Jack Shanks
wrote many years ago. He said, look to Christ on the
cross. Look on the cross until all that
is on the cross is in your heart. May he give us eyes to look.
and live. Once in the end of the world
hath our savior appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. And what is contained in God's
eternal book is what makes Christ worthy to open that book. He said in verse six, I beheld
and lo in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in
the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain,
having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits
of God sent forth into all the earth. I like where John saw
the lamb. He was in the midst of his people, in the midst of those whom he
had redeemed with his precious blood. He said, I'll never leave
you. and will forsake you. That's
here now and that's there then. Never, we will never be apart
from him ever, ever. I like how he saw the lamb as
it had been slain. Again, a dead lamb, a slain lamb. This world doesn't see much in
that. But that's why we're even there.
because the lamb was slain. The only remembrance of sin in
glory at all is the ever-present reality of how our Lord Jesus
Christ has washed us from them in his precious blood. Are you ready to be done with
sin? You ever think about that? Paul said, we shall be changed. Oh, I like that word, don't you?
Oh, this corruptible must put on incorruption. He's able to
change our foul bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious body.
Are you ready to be done with sin? John saw. that it's already accomplished. Just a little while longer in
the body of this death, and we shall depart and be with Christ,
which is far better. And the Lamb is on the throne. He's not only in the midst of
us, but He's in the midst of the throne. Being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross, wherefore? You remember the rest
of it? God hath also highly exalted
him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow. But things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth, Exalted in the midst of the throne,
he has seven horns, a lamb as it had been slain. And remember what he said about
that now, I'm he that was dead and is alive. And behold, I'm
alive from now on. He has seven horns, all power,
perfect, complete power, omnipotence. and seven eyes, omniscience,
all seeing, all knowing and ever present, present everywhere.
The one that gave himself for me, you think about this. These
are two things I like to think about together. The one that
loved me with an everlasting love and with loving kindness
drew me to himself has all power. It's one thing to talk about
the sovereignty of God. And that's a good thing to talk
about. But think about who it is that's on the throne. The one that gave himself for
us has all power. The one that would do anything
and did do everything for you. And there's not anything done
that's not done by him. And he knows everything. His
spirit is everywhere to take the things of Christ. His spirit,
the seven spirits, remember, it's just one Holy Spirit. But
he's seeing a spiritual revelation. There wasn't literally a lamb
with horns and covered with eyes and things like that. We understand
this is spiritual language. He knew what he was seeing. And
he's telling us and the Lord's revealing this to us. But his
spirit is everywhere, the perfect, complete spirit of God is everywhere
to take the things of Christ and reveal them. Everywhere his
people are. And he's, what else does he do?
He said, I'll send you another comforter. He's called the comforter,
the Holy Spirit of God. He's here tonight and all over
wherever his elect are comforting his sheep. And then verse seven,
and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him
that sat on the throne when nobody else could even look at it. He
came up to the very throne and took it in his hand. And now
all of the purpose and will of God is in the hand of his son.
We know that, don't we? He said, all power, all authority
is given unto me in heaven and in earth, that I might give eternal
life to as many as you've given me. given me power over all flesh
to give eternal life to his sheep. A man, a man, capital M, man,
has everything and everybody in his hand. The God man, all of the will
of God, which is everything again that's ever happened, is happening
or will happen. It's in the hand of Christ. That
means it all depends on him. That's good news. It also means
this, it's all attributable unto him. Which is why we have verse
eight, look at it. And when he had taken the book,
the four beasts and the four and 20 elders fell down before
the lamb. Can you picture that? That's
us now, that's the people of God falling down before the Lamb,
having every one of them harps and golden vows full of odors. There's gonna be music and that
golden vow, that's the prayers of the saints. And they sung
a new song saying, thou art worthy to take the book and to open
the seals thereof, for thou was slain. A slain lamb, like I said, it
don't mean much to this world, does it? But the lamb slain is the one that redeemed us to
God by his blood out of every kindred and tongue and people
and nation and has made us under our God kings and priests and
we shall reign on the earth. I just want to make a few comments
in the last five minutes we have tonight and we'll comment more,
Lord willing, on these three verses. Next time, but what's
the subject of heaven's song? Look at it. They sung a new song
saying you. You. Is that what we sing now? Him. You. That's the subject of their song.
You are worthy. That's what worship means. Again,
I think I mentioned this last time, but worship means to attribute
worthiness. You're worthy. Nobody else is. Nobody was, nobody is, nobody's
going to be. You're worthy. That's what we'll
be singing about. Music is one of the most beautiful
things in this world, isn't it? God's blessed us with music.
And it's gonna be perfect music there. A perfect song sung perfectly
to the perfect lamb. What makes Christ worthy in that
text? Thou art worthy, why? Crucified. Christ crucified. Thou was slain. You remember when he said there,
therefore does my father love me? because I lay down my life
for my sheep. Why do you love him? Because he first loved us, but
also because he laid down his life. That's what love is, that
Christ laid down his life. This tells us what's in the book,
doesn't it? Thou was slain and has redeemed us into God. The
fact that what made our Lord worthy to open it is that he
made his soul an offering for the sin of God's elect. All of
God's will and purpose is contained in Christ and him crucified.
That's why we preach him. That's why we determined to know
nothing else except what God has revealed to us concerning
his son. And what was the inevitable result
here of him being slain? You remember we talked about
a priest, a message entitled loved and. Because everywhere
the love of God is mentioned, there's always an and. He loved
us and gave himself for us. You don't sit over here loving
in a passive sense and just hoping the best for everybody. He loved
us and he did something about it. He loved us indeed. It's the same with this. He was
slain and redeemed us to God. That's the inevitable, certain,
accomplished result of him being slain. It's why he gave himself,
and it's what happened when he gave himself. He redeemed us
unto God. Out of every kindred, and listen,
It does not say there that he redeemed every kindred, tongue,
nation, and people and nation. It don't say that. He redeemed
us out of. Think about those two words,
out of. Why in the world did he redeem
you out of? Out of all the sinners in this
world, out of. Can we praise his holy name tonight
for redeeming us while passing by so many out of every kindred, tongue,
people, and nation, out of every family, out of every group, out
of every town, out of every state, out of every corner of this world,
he's redeemed a people. Out of all those you know and
perhaps love that despise his name, he took you out. He picked you
out and redeemed you. And you praise him, don't you?
Just like they did. That's probably us. As I said,
that's probably us praising him already. May we fall down before the lamb
in our hearts tonight and take our harps and our golden vows
and sing this song. You are worthy. You redeemed
us with your blood. Amen.