I'd like for you to turn with
me, if you would, in your Bible to Revelation chapter 5. While
you're turning, let me say something that I know you already know.
Every true child of God will be the first to tell you that
they're not worthy of the least of God's mercies. That's what
makes grace, grace. That's what makes mercy, mercy. It's unmerited favor. It's undeserved mercy. We're
not worthy of the least of God's mercies, much less the forgiveness
of our sin and the imputation of His perfect righteousness.
Now that word worthy means deserving and it means suitable. There's
only one thing that you and I, by nature, are deserving of,
and that's eternal condemnation. It's judgment, God's judgment. That's what we're suited for.
Death is what we deserve. Our sin has made us worthy and
suitable for those things. It's what we deserve, what we're
suited for. We're not worthy of mercy. We're
not worthy of God's grace. We're not worthy of His forgiveness.
We're not worthy of Christ's righteousness that's imputed
to us, that's given to us. We're not worthy of eternal redemption. There's only one who is worthy.
That's what I want you to see this morning. And that's the
Lamb of God, the Lamb of God. That is the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you and I are gonna have to be made perfectly righteous. We're gonna have to be made worthy,
deserving. We're gonna have to be made deserving.
We're gonna have to be made suitable. We're unworthy. We're undeserving
and unsuitable. You know, the Lord Jesus, speaking
of John the Baptist, he said, among those born of women, has
not risen a greater than John the Baptist." He said, there's
no greater prophet than he. But when John is speaking of
Christ, you remember what he said? He said, he that cometh
after me, who is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy
to bear. Whose shoes I am not worthy to
lose. Not worthy to bend down and unlatch
or latch the latches of his sandals. You remember that centurion that
came to the Lord Jesus seeking the Lord to heal one of his faithful
servants. The Lord had agreed to go with
him to his house. Do you remember what that centurion
said? He answered and he said, Lord,
I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy that thou should
has come under my roof. But speak the word only, and
my servant shall be healed." And that centurion said, I'm
a man of authority. I have soldiers under me. I tell
this man to go, and he goes. And I tell another man to come,
and he comes. And I tell another to do this,
and he does it. I know something about authority.
I'm not worthy for you to come under my house. Just speak the
word. And when the Lord Jesus heard
what that man said, the scripture said, he marveled. And he said
to everyone standing there, he said, barely I say unto you,
I have not found so great faith. No, not in Israel. Now, you're
in Revelation chapter five. John is now the only one of the
original 12 apostles still alive. All the others had met death
as martyrs. John had been exiled to the island
of Patmos. And from what I read, Patmos
was a small, rocky, and barren island where many criminals of
Rome were sent to serve out their prison terms in very harsh conditions. Some say that John was likely
over 90 years old when he was banished here. Can you imagine?
Now the vision that John relates here to us in Revelation chapter
five declares to us one message. This whole book declares one
message. It declares to us always the
same message. Everything God has for the men
and the women that he saves is in the Lamb. provided by the
Lamb, revealed through the Lamb, brings glory and praise to the
Lamb. All that God requires of sinners
is in Christ, and all that God gives to sinners is in Christ.
All that God receives from sinners, He receives through Christ. And
all that God does for sinners, He does in Christ. Now the only
reason that God would love a wretch like me is that if I be found
in His beloved Son. There's no love, there's no mercy,
there's no grace, there's no forgiveness to any sinner apart
from their union with Christ. That's why we must have Christ. That's the issue of Scripture.
What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? Life eternal
is knowing Christ as being found in Him. That's what Paul said,
all that I might be found in Him. All that God does for sinners,
He does for them in Christ. Now in verse one here, Revelation
chapter five, John writes, and I 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, the first thing that John
saw here was God on his throne. The throne of God is always the
symbol of his sovereignty. We talked about that in the first
hour. The word throne in scriptures
is most of the time considered a metaphor, and it's talking
of the power of the king. A king that has a throne has
power. He rules and reigns sovereignly
from that throne. So the throne of God is always
the symbol of his sovereignty. And as we will see, by God's
grace, John was made to see the sovereign majesty of God in the
salvation of sinners by the Lord Jesus Christ. Matter of fact,
in Revelations chapter four and five here, God's throne is mentioned,
I believe, 17 times. Over and over and over again,
John wrote about him that sat on the throne. The throne of
God is a symbol of God's supreme majesty, power, authority, and
dominion. How few today preach God to be
upon his throne, ruling and accomplishing all things with omnipotent power.
You know, a God with no throne is no God at all. David said,
our God's in the heavens. He's upon his throne and he hath
done whatsoever he hath plead. He said, whatsoever the Lord
please, that did He in heaven, in earth, in the seas, in all
deep places. God's on His throne. That's where
you'll find the God of the Bible. He's upon His throne. You won't
find Him on the portals of heaven searching for some sinner who
will let Him save them. No, He sits upon His throne.
And that which He wills to do, He does. What an amazing thought. Thank God that Christ has made
it a sovereign throne of grace. It's a sovereign throne of grace
that we can come to boldly to obtain mercy and to find help
in time of need. Do you need mercy? You can come. Do you need help? Come to this
throne. It's a throne of grace. Grace
originates at God's throne. Secondly, it was on this throne
that John saw the book of God. In the right hand of the eternal
God, John saw a book, a book written within and without. It
was bound shut. It was sealed with seven seals.
Again, according to verse one. God holds this book in His right
hand. That's significant. That indicates
and declares His power and His authority. The right hand of
God always does. Christ sits on the right hand
of God. That means He sits in power and authority on the throne
of God. And this shows God's readiness
and His resolution. You see, only God can carry out
the counsels and the purposes of His will that are recorded
in this book that God holds. This book in God's right hand,
it's shut up and it's sealed and it's known to none but God.
Known unto God and to Him alone, I might add, are all His works
from the beginning of the world, Acts 15, 18. This is the book
of God's eternal decrees. It represents God's eternal purpose
of grace. His purpose of predestination
in all things. It's no doubt the book that our
Lord referred to when he said, lo, I come in the volume of the
book, it's written of me, I delight to do thy will. Oh my God. One old writer said this, he
said, in this book of God's purpose with respect to the entire universe,
throughout all history, concerning all creatures and on all ages
and into all eternity. That's what's in this book. how
God determines things to be. Oh, what a book this is. This
is God's book. It's the book of God with an
eternal, unalterable purpose. Now this book is sealed with
seven seals. These seven seals tell us that
God's purpose of grace, it's unknown, it's unrevealed, it's
a secret known only to God until Christ reveals it. He revealed
it at first in the Old Testament in the types and the shadows
and prophecies of the Old Testament scriptures. Then in these last
days, God has revealed it to us more fully in the gospel called
the language of his son. And in the last day, when Christ
shall return, our Lord Jesus will perfectly reveal God's purpose
in all things. That's what's in this book. Why
is this book sealed? Well, first, it's sealed because
it's complete. God's purpose in all things is
complete. Nothing is to be added, nothing
is to be taken away. It's just as God had predetermined
it to be. All of God's works concerning
all events, past and present, future, are complete. The destiny
of all creatures is in this book. And God holds it in His hand
upon the throne. It's called predestination. I
know a lot of folks are intimidated by the word, but it's what God
purposed for every person's destiny. Our destiny is predetermined. Now men like to think that they're
in control of their own destiny, but they're not. It was God who
predetermined everything concerning everyone. And secondly, this
book is sealed because it's unchangeable. As I said, nothing can be added
or nothing taken away. What God does is forever. It's unchangeable. And thirdly,
it's sealed because it's perfect. You see, it has seven seals.
And as you know, the number seven is the number for completion
and perfection. "'Eye hath not seen, ear hath
not heard, "'neither hath it entered into the heart of the
man, "'the things that God has prepared for them that love him.'"
But God knows because God purposed it. He has sealed the book. And this book is sealed because
it's complete, it's unchangeable, and it's perfect. But I want
you to hear me on this. It's sealed because it's also
waiting. This book is waiting the revelation
of the only one who can open it. The only one who can fulfill
what's written in it. This book is waiting for the
only one who can bring to pass every promise, every purpose,
every decree, and every mercy. You know who that one person
is? It's in the hand of God, and it's waiting for the only
one who can open it. Look at verse two. John says,
and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy
to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? That's a good
question. Who is worthy? We aren't, we're
unworthy. Who is holy so that he can approach
God's throne? Who is of such holiness that
he can come and take this book out of God's hands and open it?
who has such power and such worth that he can take the book out
of God's hand, who's worthy to open the book and to loose the
seals thereof, who by their knowledge, by their wisdom can unseal the
book and bring to pass every purpose, bring to pass every
promise, who can explain the mysteries of this book to you
and to me. There's only one who can, who
can obey every precept, who can pay every debt, who can defeat
every enemy, who can remove every obstacle, who can fulfill every
law, who can satisfy holy justice, who can find every sheep, who
can bring back every prodigal son, who can enable a just God
to be righteous and holy and yet gracious and merciful. Who
can enable God to embrace sinners and accept them? Who's worthy
of such things? That's what the angel asked.
Verse three, and no man in heaven nor in earth, neither under the
earth was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And
John said, and I went much. I wept much because no man was
found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon."
By nature, we're in trouble. We're in desperate need. The
thought of God's purpose being shut up, unrevealed and unfulfilled
caused John great grief and he began to weep. You see, if this
book is not opened, if the seals are not broken, then God Himself
will be defeated. The grace of God will be frustrated. The purpose of God will go unfulfilled
and God will lose His glory. Shall the good of God's purpose
remain sealed? Shall the book of God's promises
remain closed? Well, it will be if it's left
up to you and me. Look at verse four, much because
no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither
to look thereon. None was found worthy to open.
No one could even look upon this book. And because of that, John
wept." But look at verse 5. Here we have the gospel. And
one of the elders saith unto me, weep not. Behold, the line
of the tribe of Judah, the root of David had prevailed to open
the book and to loose the seven seals thereof." Why did God show
this to John? So John could show it to us.
There are three things here that we need to learn. God help us
to learn them. First, this is God's book. This
is God's book. You know, this book and this
gospel that we preach has never been about us. It's been about
God. He's the one that we've offended, right? He's the one
that we've offended. Against thee and thee only have
we sinned and done this evil in thy sight. In this book is
declared God's great purpose and glory in his kingdom, which
he has prepared for his people through his son, Jesus Christ. It's God's book. Secondly, we
must learn that we're impotent. We're depraved. People don't
like that word. Well, I'm not perfect, but I'm
not depraved. You're not only depraved, you're
totally depraved. According to the teaching of
this book. While your heart is deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked. That sounds like total depravity
to me. Our hearts by nature are so wicked.
We can't know them, only God can. And God says they're wicked. Desperately wicked. Deceitful
above everything that's deceitful. We are unable and incapable of
doing anything for ourselves that would make us worthy or
approachable unto God. We can't approach God's throne.
We can't take the book from God's hand. We can't open the book.
Why? Because we're not worthy. No
man is worthy. Never has been. And then the
third thing that we must learn is that Christ alone is worthy. Worthy is the Lamb of God. Worthy is the Lamb slain before
the foundation of the world. The line of the tribe of Judah,
the root of David, the Lord Jesus Christ has prevailed, John said. Oh, that's a good word. That
word prevailed, it means conquered. It means overcome. It means subdued. It means has gotten the victory. I love to think about this. Our
Lord is called a lamb, but he's also called a lion. Christ is
called a lamb because of his humility and because of his obedience
and for his sacrifice, but he's called a lion for his power and
his strength and his authority as God. He comes the line of
the tribe of Judah. He's worthy. And he is the root
of David. He's the seed of Abraham. Flesh
of our flesh, bone of our bone. He had to be to redeem us. He's
the son of David. He's the son of God. He's God
the son. He's the only one who could redeem
us. He had to be a man and he had to be God. Jesus Christ is
the God man. He's the lion of the tribe of
Judah, but he's also the root of David and he hath prevailed. Verse six, and 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. Now he's
revealed to John here as the lamb in the midst of the throne. He's the Passover lamb. He's
the sacrificial lamb. And then he appears here as the
lamb slain. How did John know that he was
the lamb slain? You ever think about that? I
know that it was revealed to him, but this lamb bears the
marks of the cross in his hands and his feet and in his side.
In heaven, our Lord bears the marks of the cross. After he
arose and he appeared to the disciples, you remember, he said,
it's I behold my hands and my feet. You know, John was one
of those disciples that saw that after the resurrection. Ed Hale
wrote a song one time. I loved the song. He said, I'll
be looking for scars up in heaven. I will be too. I will be too. Again, verse six, John said,
I saw a lamb as it had been slain in the midst of the throne and
having, now watch this, having seven horns and seven eyes and
the seven spirits of God. Now remember that the number
seven means completion and perfection. This lamb who is worthy to open
God's book, that book that's written about him and about his
works is in the midst of the throne and he has seven horns. Now you might say, well, a lamb
doesn't have horns. This one does, it's figurative. In the Old Testament, horns meant
power. When it talks about the horn
of a king, that means the power of the king. Christ, the Lamb
of God with seven horns has perfect power. Complete power, sovereign
power, all power, omnipotent power, almighty power. Christ, the Lamb of God has seven
eyes. Eyes represent knowledge in the
scriptures. Eyes are understanding. His perfect eyes are enabled
to see the thoughts and the intents the hearts of men and women.
Omniscience sees all things. Seven eyes represents the omniscience
of God. Our Lord has seven eyes. He's
omniscient. He knows everything, everything. Sometimes when we go to God in
prayer, we have difficulty expressing the words. All you have to do
is groan a little. He knows what's going on. Christ,
the Lamb of God has the seven spirits of God. That's God's
eternal presence. That's being omnipresent. Our
Lord is everywhere at all times. Did he not say that? He said,
I'm with you always, even until the end of the world. Worthy
is the Lamb of God. No man was found worthy and John
wept much. And the angel said, don't weep,
John. I'm telling you this morning,
don't weep. Verse seven, and he, Christ, came and he took
the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Now let me tell you, just let you in on something. Only God
could do that. Only God could take the book
from the hand of God. Christ, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah, this Lamb as it had been slain, this seed of David,
David's son and David's Lord. You think about that. He came
and He took that book out of God's hand. And He did so willingly,
just as He willingly took our nature upon Himself. He didn't
have to take our nature. He willingly did so. He did so
voluntarily, just as He died for our sins in His own body
on the tree, willingly and voluntarily. He took the book of God's purpose,
on purpose. He willingly and voluntarily
took the book of the covenant, the book of the kingdom, the
book of all God's eternal counsels to fulfill the eternal purpose
of God. You see, as the land slain from
the foundation of the world, this book was written of Him.
Everything in this book has to do with Him. It has to do with
His person. It has to do with His work. Without
Him, there is no book. It's all about Him. It's a hymn
book. We say that all the time, H-I-M,
hymn. And we sing His praises, don't
we? Every hymn in the book of hymn is about Him. Worthy is
the Lamb. That's the new song we'll sing.
God chose us where? In Christ before the foundation
of the world. We are accepted in who? Christ,
the beloved of God. You can't get away from it. And
why would you want to? It's the certainty of our salvation. It's who died for our sins according
to the scripture. It's how Christ died for our
sins according to the scripture. It doesn't have anything to do
with me or you. But Christ being come a high priest of good things
to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands. That more perfect tabernacle
is his own body. We were not redeemed by the blood
of goats and calves, but by His own blood. He entered once into
the holy place, having obtained, not trying to obtain, not hoping
to obtain, but having obtained eternal redemption for us. Now, is that good news? Is that
gospel? He arose, he ascended to heaven,
and there at the right hand of God, he ever lives to make intercession
for his people. Satan desired to sift us as wheat,
but the Lord's praying that our faith fill us not. And it won't,
not if he's praying for us. Oh, this book of eternal decrees,
this book of God's everlasting covenant, this book of God's
eternal purpose, only Christ is worthy to take it in open.
And he not only prevailed to open the book, he accomplished
everything in it. Every single thing. That being
all that God required of us perfectly. Must be perfect to be what? Acceptance. He honored the law by perfectly
keeping it. He satisfied the justice of God
by paying our sin debt. He bore our sins in his own body
on the tree. Who did? God did. God's blood
was shed. Did you notice what happened
when Christ took the book? It says everybody fell down before
the Lamb and they sang a new song. What was that new song? Thou art worthy. You're worthy,
thou worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof.
What made him worthy? Verse nine tells us, for thou
was slain and has redeemed us to God by that blood out of every
kindred and tongue and people and nation. He was slain, he
was killed, he was crucified in his people's place. His elect
should have died. The old song says we should have
been crucified, but you know what? That wouldn't have paid
for one single sin. I'll go on. We're redeemed to God by Christ's
blood. Verse 10, it has made us unto
our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. That's talking about a new earth.
Christ makes us kings. We receive the kingdom of grace. The kingdom cannot be taken away.
As kings, we have power over sin. We're clothed in rich apparel,
kingly apparel, while we wear the very robe of righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall reign with Christ on
the earth while we have a crown of life. And we're heirs of God,
joint heirs with Him. Christ makes us priests. And
what do we do? We offer up spiritual sacrifices,
the sacrifices of prayer and praise. We sacrifice these to
the one who loved us, to the one who gave himself for us.
is our reasonable service to do so. Even our souls and our
bodies are as holy, living, and acceptable sacrifices unto God,
only because of what Christ did for us. We don't offer these
sacrifices to men. We don't offer them to angels.
We offer them to Him who bestowed such honor and favor upon us.
Verse 11, and I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round
about the throne and the beast and the elders and the number
of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands. Now, I don't know how many that
is, but it sounds to me like a number that no man can number.
Saying with a loud voice, verse 12, worthy is the Lamb of God. that was slain to receive power
and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
Just one song going to be sung in glory. Just one glorious truth
going to be told there. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. It's been the message all along.
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It's the same as saying worthy
is the Lamb that was slain. Is it not? Jesus Christ is the
Lamb that was slain, that was crucified. Verse 13, and every
creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth
and such as are in the sea and all that are in them, heard I
saying, blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that
sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Now listen to me on this. God
is not mocked. The Lord Jesus said, as I live,
saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall
confess to God. Confess what to God? Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain. Blessing and honor and glory
and power be unto Him that sits upon the throne and unto the
Lamb forever and ever. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto
us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and thy truth's
sake." Friends, Jesus Christ is worthy. And you know, men
can mock and make fun of him now, and many imagine the Lord
to be like some 60s flower child that loves everybody. And men
and women can imagine him to be pretty much anything they
want him to be. But in the end, on that day that
John is describing here in Revelation chapter five, every single knee
in heaven, earth, hell, the oceans that has ever lived is going
to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And they're going to
confess, worthy is He, the Lamb that was slain before the foundation
of the world and also in the realm of time. That's the attitude
of worship, friends. Christ did for me what I could
not do for myself. And He that was slain in our
stead is worthy. He's worthy of all my heart.
He's worthy of all my soul, all my body, all my spirit. In my
salvation, only he or me can be worthy, and it's certainly
not me. There was once a young boy who was physically handicapped.
After many seasons of watching his older brother play baseball
in the bleachers, finally got to play in a league for physically
challenged children. And when he got his uniform,
He couldn't wait to put it on. And when he went up to his room
to change, he raced out of his bedroom as fast as his little
crippled legs could carry him, fully suited up, hat on, socks,
the whole nine yards. And he said to his mother, look,
mom, now I'm a real boy. His mother said, sweetheart,
you've always been a real boy. Child of God, though we are dead
in trespasses and sin in Christ, we've always been children of
God, always been. By God's grace, we see it a little
clearer every day, don't we? We're growing in the grace and
in the knowledge of the Lord. Lord, continue to show us, continue
to teach us, but it's not our worthiness that makes us so.
It's Christ's worthiness that does. Thou art worthy. Oh Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power. For thou has created all things
and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Amen.