Turn in your Bibles to the book
of Revelation. Revelation chapter 4. I do believe
that most people not only want to go to heaven, but they really
expect to. They really do expect to. I'm sure if you were to ask Billy
in all the funerals that he's helped conduct, If you ever heard
a service or saw a group of people gathered to bury a loved one
when there was not really that theme of expectancy and hope
in all that was done. But I think most people have
as their view of heaven, fantasies. They view heaven as a kind of
Disney World in the sky. They view it as a kind of club
God, and they entertain as a part of their thoughts about heaven,
and preachers come along and they contribute to that notion
things that are really nothing more than fantasies and the desires
of flesh. Big mansion, street of gold,
A man that loves to play golf, he'll be there playing with his
golf buddies. A man that loves to fish, he'll
be there fishing with his friends. A person that loves to sing,
they'll be there singing to God. You've heard it, I've heard it.
But what I want to ask this morning is, do you really want to go
to heaven? I guess I could say, is heaven
really for you, for me. And I use that expression because
when you tell people certain things, not just spiritual things,
but when you talk about things to people, sometimes they'll
say, that's not for me. That doesn't suit my taste. That's
not something I like or like to do. But is heaven really for
you? I know that heaven is not what
fallen man thinks that it is, but it is what God in His Word
says that it is. And John is here in this book
of Revelation and in this fourth chapter given a revelation. Better not trust what this one
says about it. Certainly better not trust what
we think about it. He says, after this I looked,
and behold a door. was opened in heaven. This is the revelation of God. This is something that John is
shown by the Spirit of God. After this, I looked, and behold,
a door was opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard
was as it were of a trumpet talking with me." That's the voice of
God. It's not whispered. It's not
just kind of a secretly whispered thing or description. This is
a voice that sounds to him like a trumpet sounding, which said,
come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter."
This is a door open to him in heaven, not natural things that
will be shown, but spiritual things. So that when you look
down in verse 2, it says, and immediately I was in the Spirit. That is, he is caught up by the
Holy Spirit and shown things spiritually to his spirit and
heart. But when you go back to the first
chapter of this book, if you just turn back and look at the
first chapter of this book, and find in that first verse the
key to this whole book of Revelation, which has had so many charts
drawn, so many pictures drawn, so many fantastic theories and
notions and prophetic schemes, But when you look back in this
first verse of Revelation 1, it begins with these words, the
revelation of Jesus Christ. There's something revealed in
here about Jesus Christ. He says, "...which God gave unto
him." to show unto his servants things that must shortly come
to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant
John." Now, you can read that one verse, and you're going to
have the key to what's said in this book. Number one, it's got
something to do about Christ. First and foremost. Secondly,
that it was given of God. It's not John's opinion. Thirdly,
that it was things that were signified, which shows us we're
going to have some symbolic language used here. And then he says,
it was to show unto His servants. That is, the servants, the people
of the Lord Jesus Christ, things that must shortly come to pass. This is a sent message. This is a revelation of God. This has something to do about
the Lord Jesus Christ. And if we come to a book like
this, as most people do, I'm sad to say, and if we see only
mental images of beasts and dragons and angels and all these various
things, if that's what we see in it and seek to learn about
it, we've missed its meaning. We've missed it totally. Because
it is understood, it is to be interpreted spiritually and only
understood as it pertains to Christ, to the things of Christ,
and to the people of Christ. This is the revelation of Jesus
Christ. And when he gives this revelation,
if you notice in verse 2, it says, Behold, a throne was set
in heaven. In other words, central to the
first thing that he has shown here is the fact that there is
a throne in heaven. And not only that, but in our
day you would almost think that it's not really occupied, but
it's an occupied throne, it says, and one sat upon the throne. You see, truth always starts
with God. It never starts with man. It never seeks to glorify man. It always sets forth and begins
with God as He is. And when this revelation is given
to John, a door opened in heaven, what does he see? He sees the
sovereign throne of Almighty God. And God who is invisible,
God who is Spirit, He nevertheless sees in a person in one that
is seated upon the throne, and that could only be the reigning,
risen Lord Jesus Christ. You get to heaven if you do,
if I do. The one that we'll see on that
throne is the man Christ Jesus. The God-man, the glorified man,
the reigning, glorious Christ. And then if you notice, it says
in verse 3, "...and He that sat was to look upon like a jasper
and a sardine stone, And there was a rainbow round about the
throne in sight like unto an emerald." Oftentimes in the Bible,
when we are shown the throne of God in this symbolic language,
because no words of man could actually really describe the
throne of eternal glory, but when we find this throne in Scripture,
this glorified throne, an occupied throne, It's oftentimes characterized
by a rainbow. There's a rainbow around the
throne. What does that symbolize? Well,
I believe it symbolizes, first of all, all the various glories
of God, all the various attributes of God. Shown in all these colors,
all the brilliance of these colors, it just shows us God in His greatness
as holy and righteous and merciful and gracious and almighty and
all these things. He's a multifaceted, multi-glorious
God. But not only does it manifest
His glory, when you see the rainbow in Scripture, such as it was
in Noah's day, it's also representative of His covenant. When that flood
came and destroyed the world, after it, there was a rainbow,
and God said to Moses, this is my sign, my token, my seal, that
I'll not destroy the world again by water. But the covenant that's
represented here is the everlasting covenant of God. Christ's blood
being the blood of the everlasting covenant. This is the covenant
of His grace and mercy, His purpose, which He purposed in Christ before
the world began. This is the throne of grace. that the Apostle speaks of. And
not only does it say that this throne is in heaven, there's
one who sits on this throne, it's a glorious high throne,
but look at what it says in verse 4. It says, "...and round about
the throne, were four and twenty seats, and upon the seats I saw
four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and
they had on their head crowns of gold." Now, who is he talking
about there? Well, he's talking about the
church and people of God. He's talking about God's elect. As a matter of fact, most everywhere
you read in Scripture about a number like 144,000 or 24 of these elders, being shown is the whole church
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here are these 24 seats, and
they are filled by 24 of these elders, which shows that there
will not be, as these crazy preachers say, maybe empty seats in heaven. No. 24 seats, 24 people. And not only that, here is an
exact number that God gives to show to us that His people are
an exact number. Somebody always says this though. They always say, they quote this
other verse. He says in Revelation 7, After
this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues, stood
before the throne, before the Lamb, clothed with white robes,
and palms in their hands." Somebody says, the Bible says that's a
number that no man can number. Well, that's exactly right. But
just because you can't number it, and I can't number it, and
neither can any other person on this earth, that doesn't mean
that God can't number that number, and He has numbered that number. That's the reason why He's using
words or numbers like 24 and 144,000 or 7,000. It's always a definite and a
complete number. It says, the Lord knows them
that are His. That's what we find in heaven. That's in the revelation. They
are the elect of God. They are the redeemed of Christ. They are the blood-bought church.
They are that church of the firstborn that He speaks of. They are the
saints of God, the sign of God, the body of Christ, always represented
by a name that says something about them and the work done
for them. A definite number. And look at it. Look over in
verse 4 again. It says, "...I saw four and twenty
elders sitting." They're resting. I like that. They're resting. He's seated on His throne because
He's finished the work. They're sitting because they're
resting in Him. They've found in Christ their
true and eternal Sabbath. Look at what it says, "...and
they're clothed in white raiment." They're clothed in white raiment. Now, he's not giving us something
of a fashion state about heavenly dress. Because he uses language
like that so many times in the Bible to show us something else
by saying something about what these or others are wearing. Look back in Revelation chapter
3. Revelation chapter 3 in verse
4, speaking of one of these churches described, he says, Thou hast
a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments,
and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same
shall be clothed in white raiment. I will not blot out his name
out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before
my Father and before His angels." They'll be wearing white raiment. If you look a little farther,
in Revelation chapter 6. Look in Revelation chapter 6
and verse 4. Revelation chapter 6, I've lost
my place. Well, look a little bit farther.
Look on to chapter 7, I believe it is. Yes, chapter 7 and verse
9. Now, if you notice, John, he's
always seeing this throne, he's always seeing these that are
seated around that throne. And it says in verse 9 of chapter
7, And this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man
could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white raiment, clothed with white robes and palms in their
hands." Why is the picture different here? It says they stood before
Him. Well, He's worshipped. They stand,
they rest in Him, but they stand before Him in this standing,
and they stand to worship and praise and sing His praises. Not only that, but look also
in verse 13. And one of the elders answered,
saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes,
and where did they come from? And I said unto him, Sir, thou
knowest. And he said unto me, These are
they." Now, heaven never asks questions to get information.
When God, just like in the garden when man first fell and God said
to Adam, Adam, where art thou? It was not so God could get information
from Adam, it was so that He could give information to Adam. This elder says, And he said
unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation."
A lot of folks waiting for the great tribulation. But the truth
of the matter is, God's people on this earth are always in tribulation. There are people of God who have
endured torture, They've endured banishment just like this very
apostle, banished on the Isle of Patmos. They have suffered
unbelievable hardship and greater than it all, unbelievable persecution. Tribulation is what this life
is about, especially for a believer. These are they which came out
of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb. Their robes, garments, raiment,
this has to do with something that they are dressed in. If
you look over a little bit farther, in Revelation 19. Revelation
chapter 19 and verse 8. And to her, who's that? This is the Lamb's wife, this
is the bride, the church, same people, same ones. And to her
was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen Clean and
white. Now you look at the next line.
For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saint. We don't even have
to wonder whether this is a garment like the priest swore, or whether
it's a garment like a king wears, whether it's a garment that our
pitiful fallen minds could wander out there and imagine some way
like so many commentators do. He says this raiment, that they're
all clothed there, every one of them. This garment that they're
everyone wearing, this white fine linen, is their righteousness,
the righteousness of the saints. Look down in verse 14, talking
about Christ. And the armies which were in
heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen,
white and clean." Every one of them. They are not dressed differently. There is not somebody who has
on a sackcloth garment and then over here somebody has on a king's
robe. They are every one dressed in,
clothed in, covered in this white raiment, this white linen, which
is their righteousness, the righteousness of the saints. What is the righteousness
of the saints? He says, their righteousness
is of me. When he describes that infant
cast out in a field there in Ezekiel, it says that her beauty,
her garments, everything about her, went out and she was held
in renown for the beauty, the covering, the clothing which
I had put on her. I'll tell you this, if you want
to wear anything else, if you've got anything else that covers
you before God, you wouldn't like heaven. You won't be in
heaven. Their righteousness is of Him. They're said to be made the righteousness
of God in Their righteousness is described
in the book of Romans and other places as this imputed righteousness,
or that righteousness that God has charged to their account,
the very righteousness of God in Christ, and He has enabled
them to receive it, to enjoy it by faith. Let me read you something out
of Romans 4. The Bible always talks about
blessing and promises and all these things, and men can play
with the emotions of people and fantasize all different kinds
of stuff. But it boils down to this. If
Abraham is described as the father of all who believe, If Abraham
is a picture of the child of God, saved by the grace of God,
counted righteous before God, What did Abraham give? What did
Abraham buy? That's exactly what Paul's asking
in Romans 4. He says, "...what shall we say
then, that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath
found?" He's our father after the flesh, but he's evidently
received something from God that's different from just being a Hebrew
or an Israelite. And not only him, Paul goes on
and says, what about our father David? He says, for if Abraham
were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before
God. You may say, well, I'm better
than so-and-so. That's a low standard. I wonder
over the 30 years as I've tried to preach that people say, well,
I'm as good as that preacher is. Whoa, that's a low standard. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. Now, to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that
worketh not, but believes on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness, even as David also describes
the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputes righteousness
without works." Now let me just assure you of something. Just
because the Bible calls The Lord's people, saved by grace, the righteous,
don't for one minute think that that righteousness is something
that they have earned or merited or deserve, or even that by something
God did to them or for them, they're enabled to do something
to make themselves right. It says, blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Then he goes to a lot of trouble
here. He said, you better make sure that you know that Abraham
did not receive this righteousness being under the law or by the
works of the law. He had it before the law was
given. Before there was ever the Ten
Commandments, the Mosaic Law in its entirety, before any of
that, before Christ even came, God saw Noah righteous. God saw
Abraham righteous. So how could He have done that?
He saw them righteous, counted them righteous in one outside
of themselves. That's Christ. Now they every
one, and God does like it was said of the Cromwell, I believe
it was, who told the artist when he would paint his picture, paint
me warts and all. Well, God paints us warts and
all. Abraham, Noah, and all that.
As far as what they did, they fell. I just won't even go down
the list of lying Abraham or adulterous David, murderous David,
what have you, drunken Noah, all these things. But their righteousness
was not what they did or didn't do. It was in Christ. Always was in Christ. Always
will be in Christ. They're clothed in white linen
fine. This is that righteousness that
God gives to them as a gift, imputes to them, lays on them,
however the Bible describes it and uses so many ways, one of
which is to show it as a robe that he puts on. And then it
says that he looked, And they had on their head crowns of gold."
What was that song, I shall wear a crown or something like that? Will there be any stars in my
crown? No, they'll all be in His crown. But it's shown, shows
them here as having crowns of gold. And the Bible speaks of
God's people as receiving a crown of life, a crown of glory. Paul says, Writing to Timothy,
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that
day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love
is appearing. He calls it in one place an incorruptible
crown. But when they come before this
throne, when they are in the presence of divine holiness. When they're in the presence
of the righteous God, they cannot wear those crowns. Now look at
what it says in the next verse. You see, at the center of this
heavenly worship is this throne, this throne of the thrice holy
God, And look at what it says, verse 5, And out of the throne
proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices. And there were seven
lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven
spirits of God. And before the throne there was
a sea of glass, like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne,
and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes, before
and behind, and the first beast was likened to a lion, and the
second beast like a calf, the third beast had a face as a man,
the fourth beast was as a flying eagle, and the four beasts, which
had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes
within, and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy,
Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come." If
you know anything about this book, to read and hear that description,
It ought to just drive your thoughts immediately to Isaiah chapter
6, because Isaiah was given the revelation. He says in that chapter,
in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. I and lifted up. He's on a throne,
same one, same throne. And these creatures, these living
creatures, they are every one of them, crying, holy, Holy,
holy, Lord God Almighty. God is an absolutely, infinitely,
holy, just God, which wouldn't be any problem to us whatsoever,
except that He is also the Almighty God. That is, He's not only God,
but He acts like God. Here's the sovereign throne of
glory. Here are these creatures. Some
believe that those descriptions of the faces that are speaking
about Him, about Christ, that they're actually representations
of what we find about Christ in the four Gospels. It says
the first beast was like a lion. Matthew. The king's gospel. The kingdom. Second face was
like a calf. Mark, that meek lowly Jehovah's
servant. The third beast had a face as
a man. The humanity. Luke, the physician,
gives us that greater perspective of the man Christ Jesus. And
the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. John's gospel. None other
than God Himself. the Word that was God and was
made flesh and dwelt among us. He's God our Savior, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. And before that throne, and amidst
all these living, worshiping creatures, there's a sea of glass
likened to a crystal, like a mirror. I could never say for sure what
that exactly means, but the Bible speaks of that fountain that's
open for sin. But it also speaks of the gospel
as being like a mirror, wherein we see the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ. A smooth, tranquil sea of glass,
the wrath of God, the judgment of God, which is often pictured
in turbulence and a stormy sea, made calm by Him who sits on
the throne. But we all, with an open face,
beholding as in a glass the glory of God, are changed into the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord. It's all about God. all about
God as He is in Christ, all about this work that He's accomplished,
this peace that He's made by the blood of His cross. And then
it says in verse 9, and when those beasts give glory and honor
and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who lives forever
and ever, He's the eternal God, He's Christ the same yesterday,
and today, and forever. The four and twenty elders fall
down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that
liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the
throne." Take their crown. They put them at the feet of
Him who sits on the throne. Because all glory belongs to
Him. Because in the worship of God,
all exaltation, all emphasis, all glory belongs to Him in Christ. And they said, Thou art worthy,
O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast
created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were. Now, the Lord's people, when
they worship God, they get a lot out of it. But when we worship
God, our first goal and aim is not in what we get out of it,
but it's in what we render to Him. Praise and thanksgiving,
glorifying, exalting God our Savior in Christ. They all confess this same thing.
There will not be in heaven any, I don't know what the word I
want is, but there will not be any joint participation in salvation. There won't be any shared glory
as to the work of salvation. They all just cast their crowns
at His feet and they say, you're worthy. You're the only one that's
worthy. That's why I can't stand up here
and brag on myself or brag on you or applaud you and puff up
your flesh even more. Because He's the only one that's
worthy. And then chapter 5 says, 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. 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, no man in heaven
nor in earth, neither upon the earth, was able to open the book,
neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man
was worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon."
There was nobody worthy. What is this book? It's the book
of God's decree. It's the book of God's purpose.
It's the book of God's salvation. It's the book of His elect people,
His purpose of grace that He's given to them. It's a book of
His glory. in the accomplishment of their
salvation. John, at the first, he says,
nobody able to open this book. He cried. But the psalmist had
already written some words in Psalm 2. I will declare the decree. The Lord has said unto me, Thou
art my Son, this day have I begotten There was no angel worthy. There
were none of these elders worthy. Look at verse 5. And one of the
elders said unto me, Weep not. Behold, the line of the tribe
of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book,
and to loose the seven seals thereof. 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, having
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God,
sent forth into all the world, earth. And he came and took the
book out of his right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book,
the four beasts Four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb,
having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors,
which are the prayers of the saints, when they saw that this
One who sat on the throne, that He opened the book, that all
these books this book of God's promises to them, promises of
His grace, that He opened the book, He fulfilled everything
necessary that they might receive these promises, all the promises
of God being yea and amen in Christ. And they hear from that
one. that the Lamb, the Lamb Himself,
He has prevailed. He hath prevailed. That's why He's on the throne.
The throne is the symbol of a successful favor. The throne is the picture
and witness that God has accepted His sacrifice. Because when they
worship Him, you notice all through this, it's in His character as
the Lamb. John said, I looked and I saw
this Lamb as it had been slain. And that means literally they're
newly slain. That means His work is finished. but it's eternally fresh. He's
opened the book. His blood is the blood of that
covenant, that testament of God by which they're given every
spiritual blessing, and all through this book. There are mentions
of His riding a great horse, clothed, majesty and power, accomplishing,
overcoming, but most of all, He's called the Lamb. He's worshipped
in His redemptive character, in His sacrificial character,
in His successful role as the one sacrifice for sins forever. Another time in Revelation it
says, "...and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship
Him, whose names were not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. The dragon, the devil,
is said to give power to a beast that is glorious and deceives
almost everyone except Those whose names were written in the
Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world." He's
the Lamb before the world began. And when John saw Him walking
on this earth, he is led by the Spirit of God to cry out in that
same character, Behold the Lamb of God! that takes away the sin
of the world. And when he goes to the cross,
Peter says later, he said, we're not redeemed with corruptible
things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of
Christ as of a lamb. without blemish and without spot. What do they say? Verse 9 says
they sung a new song. Now you talk about gospel music. There's not any gospel in most
of this that's sung in our day and called gospel music. But
you talk about gospel song. Here it is. And they sung a new
song saying, Thou art worthy. to take the book and to open
the seals thereof for or because you were slain and hast redeemed
us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation." Now, look back at that a minute. The worthiness
of Christ, the worthiness of the Lamb is His because He was
slain. If He had lived in this world,
perfect life, just ascended back up into heaven, you and I would
still perish. He's slain. He's slain, and in
His death, they say, you redeemed us. You didn't make us redeemable,
you actually redeemed us. You redeemed us, not just from
our sin, but to God, by Thy blood. Now, if you didn't have any other
verse, To show that the redemptive work of Christ is a particular
and effectual work, this would be the verse. You have redeemed
us to God by Thy blood out of. This is not a universal redemption. These people confess that they
were redeemed from among men. Thou hast redeemed us to God
by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,
and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall
reign on the earth." They worship the Lamb, only the Lamb. They worship Him as the One in
throne. They worshipped Him because He
redeemed them. He redeemed them from among men. He redeemed them to God. He redeemed
them, and they are a people out of every nation and kindred,
tribe, and tongue. There is a remnant according
to the election of grace, whether they be of Jew or Gentile. He
gets all the praise. And they say, We shall reign.
You redeemed us. We shall reign. In Revelation
14 they are seen, it says, These are they which were not defiled
with women, for they are virgins. These are they which follow the
Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among
men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. That's it. But the truth of the
matter is, this is actually a vision of the church on the earth. The
book of Revelation giving us a panoramic view of that which
takes place on the earth between the first coming and the second
coming. Number one, it shows how Christ
overcomes and conquers and saves His people and defeats all His
enemies. But it shows also how that they
on the earth, even with trial and tribulation and weakness,
they declare His gospel, the gospel of that Lamb that was
slain. They declare His glory as the
one worthy, and they worship Him and praise Him on the earth
as the One who loved them, gave Himself for them, as the One
who redeemed them to God from among men by His blood, the One
who causes them even now to reign in and with Now, I thought about
this. The things that are set forth
in these two chapters, I not only find myself in total agreement
to, I find myself absolutely delighting in these. That's what
God's people on this earth delight in. And therefore, heaven will
literally be, with regard to worship, and the one worshipped
and glorified, with regard to the gospel that is even then
truly seen in its fullness, the same, the same. If you don't
like the gospel that gives God all the glory now, you wouldn't
like it in heaven. If you don't like to gather around
Him and praise Him and look at that Word that sets Him forth
as the Lamb, as the Wisdom of God, as the One in whom God can
be just and justify us, if we don't delight to be with those
who have this as our chief, central thing, I don't think heaven's
for you. Because unless God does something
mighty, you don't like it now. You wouldn't like it then. You
understand what I'm saying? This will always be with a greater
revelation and us being given a greater capacity and understanding. of the things of Christ, the
Lamb. This will always be what God's
people are about, because He has redeemed us through God. And I tell you, if you delight
in these things, it's a work of His grace and mercy, because
natural men and women do not delight in spiritual things. Paul said God has given His people
His Spirit, that they might know the things that are freely given
to them in this Lamb Lamb. Father, we pray this day that
you take your word, though poorly, feebly set forth, but take your
word, even the things that we've read from Your Word. And reveal
Christ to us, and in us, and enable us to worship Him as the
Lamb slain, newly slain. Praise You for Your grace to
us. Give to You all the glory. Say with John, He must increase,
but we must decrease. Even now may we cast our crowns
at His feet, and thank You, and say worthy, is the Lamb. We pray in Christ's name, Amen.