Back in Revelation chapter 5,
this will be our subject. We read it in verse 9, we read
it again in verse 12. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. I have quite a few commentaries
at home. I don't use them much anymore
because I have them all in e-book form on my iPad or on my desk
computer. But I have one set of commentaries
by John Calvin. 22 volumes. Every book of the
Bible except one. The last volume, 22, ends with
the epistle of Jude. Not a word about the book of
Revelation. And somebody asked Calvin, why
is that? Why did you not write a commentary on the book of Revelation? And he said, because I just don't
understand the book of Revelation. So that's a good reason. I'm
glad he didn't attempt to write a book on that, or a commentary,
rather. I think the janitor's answer,
as he sat at a gym one night waiting for local businessmen
to finish their game, basketball, He sat there reading his Bible.
He was reading in the book of Revelation. He was waiting for
them to finish their game so he could clean up and go home.
When they were done, one walked over and asked him, what are
you reading? He said, the Bible. I'm reading in the book of Revelation.
And this man said in a rather smart-aleck way, you understand
what you're reading? And the old janitor said, I sure
do. Jesus wins. Jesus wins. I can't think of
a better commentary, a better explanation, exposition of the
book of Revelation than that. Jesus wins. That's why they sing,
worthy is the Lamb. He won. He won. That's what the
all-knowing God declared concerning His Son years and years before,
before He came to this earth. Listen to this. You know these
verses well. Isaiah 42 verse 1, this is God
speaking and he says, Behold my son. Behold my son. You want to be discouraged, look
at yourself. You want to be cast down, look
around. But if you want to be lifted up, behold my son. In whom I uphold, my elect, in
whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him. He shall
bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. And then in verse 4 he says,
God says concerning His Son, He shall not fail nor be discouraged. He shall not fail nor be discouraged. And that's exactly, thousands
of years later, what the angel said when he announced his conception,
that is, the conception of the Son of God to Mary in Luke chapter
1. And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. God has
graced thee. And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, and behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great."
Well, of course he will. God already said he would. He
shall not fail. If he should fail in anything
that God sent him to do, he wouldn't be great. He shall be great,
the angel was telling Mary, in his humanity. as the Word made
flesh, as He had been, as the eternal Word of God by whom all
things were made. He'll be great in His condescension
when He comes to this earth. He was great as the Everlasting
Father and the Mighty God. He'll also be great as the only
meteor between God and man. He shall be great. Look at Him
in any aspect, from any angle you want to. Consider him in
any office. Consider him in any of his glorious
attributes, and you'll draw this conclusion. He's great! Oh, how
great thou art! He's altogether lovely. And that's,
again, what was proclaimed concerning him when he actually entered
this world through the womb of that virgin. Lo, Luke 2, and
lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, that is, shepherds.
the night of Christ's birth. And the glory of the Lord shone
round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said
unto them, Don't be afraid, fear not. For behold, I bring you
good tidings, good news of great joy, which will be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
which is Christ the Lord. Could anyone other than the great
God be the Savior of His people? Remember, no one was found worthy.
Was this not why Joseph was commanded to call his name Jesus? Because
that name means this, God's salvation. The savior of his people. He
shall save his people from their sins. Nobody else could do that. Nobody else could do that. People
today have the idea because they've imagined God to be something
that He's not, that He'll accept just anything. Your best. Oh,
no, no, no, no. He demands perfection. No one
else could have saved His people from their sins. Remember what
we just read in verse 4 concerning the opening of this book? John
went because nobody was found worthy to open this book. Nobody. And did not the Lord
Himself, after He'd gone to Jerusalem and had accomplished everything
that was written of Him, had accomplished every stipulation,
every demand of that Holy Covenant of God Almighty, did He not bow
His head upon the cross after knowing that all things were
accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled? He said,
I thirst. When Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he
said, it is finished. My soul, I declare those glorious
words to reverberate through heaven. It is finished. That's
why they sing as they do, that he's worthy because it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave
up the ghost. When Satan whispers in your ear
and says, oh, you're such a failure, how can you be a believer? The
things you think, the things you do, the things that are yet
in your heart, you tell him, praise God, my savior said, it
is finished. It is finished. He put away my
sins forever. A good commentary, someone once
said that the best commentary on scripture is scripture. Other
scriptures. And the best commentary on what
we just read concerning the words of Christ when he had saved his
people and is finished is in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 3. Concerning
the Lord Jesus we read there, who, being the brightness of
his glory and that expressed image of his person and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
Nobody was found worthy but Him. Therefore, when He had by Himself
purged our sins, sat down. He sat down because the work
was done. Everything He came to earth to
do was finished. Therefore, He sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty on high. So then it's no surprise
when we come to the last book of God's Word, we find the same
thing repeated. It's finished. It's done. After
this I looked, let's look at this verse 1 again and we'll
come to our message. We'll work our way to it. Worthy
is the Lamb. After this I looked, verse 1,
and behold a door was opened in heaven and the first voice
which I heard as it were of a trumpet talking with me and said, come
up hither. I'm sorry, I'm in chapter 4,
I'm sorry, verse 1 of chapter 4. Come up here And I will show
thee things which must be hereafter." Verse 2 of chapter 4. And immediately
I was in the Spirit and behold, behold, a throne was set in heaven
and one sat on the throne. A throne was set in heaven. Verse 2 of Revelation 1. This throne is a symbol of the
power, the dominion, of God Almighty. It's set. That means it's permanent. It's fixed in heaven. That means
that God has ruled, is ruling, and shall forever rule. His throne
is immutably secure. Psalm 93 verse 2, Thy throne
is established of old, thou art from everlasting. He won't be
voted out of office. Everlasting, everlasting, He's
God. The power and dominion of God's
throne reaches to all the ends of the earth. His dominion is
an everlasting dominion. That's what one proud king found
out, didn't he? Remember Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel
Ford? This is what he learned. This
is what God taught him. When his understanding had returned
unto him, he said, I bless the Most High, and I praise and honor
him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom is from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the
earth, And none can stay His hand. Don't you like that? None can stay His hand. What's
that mean? None can stop Him from doing
what He wills to do. None can stay His hand. Next time someone tells you,
if God had His way, you tell them, whoa, none can stay His
hand. He's God Almighty. He has His
way, always. Again, Isaiah 46, listen to these
verses. Verses 9 and 10. Remember, this
is God speaking. Remember the former things of
old. For I am God. There's none else. I am God.
There's none like me. There's none like me. Declaring
the end from the beginning. And from ancient times, the things
that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand. And I
will do all my pleasure. Man, I could pitch a tent there
and get in and lay down. I will do all my pleasure. So when we hear that one who
sets upon his throne declare, come up hither, and I will show
thee things which must be hereafter, whatever those things are, whatever
they may be, whatever difficulties there may
seem to be in preventing them, And though they are impossible
to everyone else, we believe that nonetheless, these are must-be
things. Must-be things. Notice first
here, now we come to verse 1 of chapter 5. This sealed book that
is said to be in the right hand of God. The right hand of God. Now this book, this book is a
picture of God's eternal decrees. It represents God's eternal purpose
of grace. It's to this book that our surety
referred when he came into this world, as prophesied in Psalm
40. Lo, I come in the volume of the
book. It is written of me. I delight
to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart. I love what old Robert Hawker
had to say concerning Psalm 2. We'll read two verses from there
in just a moment. But Hawker said this, I think
a beautiful light is thrown upon this scripture in Psalm 2. For
no sooner had God, as is there represented, set Christ upon
his throne as king in Zion, than he said, I will declare the decree. Now as none but Christ could
open the book, and declare the decree as the chapter shows,
it must follow that it is Christ which is represented in this
scripture and none other. And the scripture is this, Yet
I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion, God speaking, and
Christ says, I will declare the decree. The Lord has said unto
me, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. Now consider a moment the consequences. if this book of God's eternal
purposes remains closed." John, what if it remained closed? Indeed,
we would join with John in weeping. The closed book means that God's
plan was un-executed. If the book should remain closed,
God's eternal purpose would not be realized. His decrees would
not be fulfilled. The thought of God's purpose
being shut up, unrevealed, unaccomplished, caused John great grief. I wept much, John said. If the
book of God remains closed, unfulfilled, then that means there's no atonement
was made. No satisfaction to God. No putting
away of sin. No way to God. Again I say, no
wonder John wept and we would join with John in his weeping.
We would weep until that time we're cast into outer darkness
where there shall be eternal weeping and wailing and gnashing
of teeth. But in verses 5 through 8, John
is told to stop crying and behold, and oh what a sight. What a sight,
what a fountain of hope has opened up to John and to every needy,
thirsty sinner. Someone was found worthy. Someone was found worthy. Someone
that satisfies the Holy God. Somebody was found worthy, able,
willing to do that. My soul, now there's hope for
the most vile offender. Now there's reasons to rejoice.
Now we have no more reason to weep. Behold, the line of the
tribe of Judah has prevailed. That's exactly what Moses led
the children of Israel in singing at the Red Sea after God parted
the waters and brought them through. The first note of that song is,
our God has triumphed gloriously. The line of the tribe of Judah
has prevailed. God's been satisfied. Redemption has been made. Sin has been put away. My, so
worthy is whoever did that. He's worthy. He's somebody. And it's the Lamb. Nobody else
could. Nobody else was found. The angel
looked for Him. In heaven, anybody worthy? None
was found. On earth, anybody worthy, anybody
down here worthy to take the book of God and fulfill it, nobody
was found worthy except the Lamb. Remember that whoever satisfies God is
no small thing. Because God, as we said a moment
ago, despite popular opinion, especially religious opinion,
God Almighty that sits upon the throne won't accept just anything. Now most people don't believe
that. Most people don't believe that. They don't have a clue
about it. It's never dawned on them. They think God is such
a being as themselves. Therefore they think the best
they can do will please God, will appease God. They think
trotting up an aisle and saying a sinner's prayer, getting them
a Bible, remembering verses, being baptized, that's enough.
That's enough. God's bound to receive me. That must be enough to please
God. Wrong. Wrong. The multitudes
in Matthew 7 believe that. And Christ said, I don't know
you people. They said, wait a minute, wait a minute, it must be a mistake
here. You know us, you remember us. All we've done, we've done
in your name. Jesus, depart from me. I never knew. You know why? Because
God Almighty demands perfection. This is still on the books. God
says it must be perfect to be accepted. God won't accept just
anything. God is perfect and he won't accept
anything less than perfection. Oh, I would that this truth would
be revealed in the hearts of our children, don't you? Don't
you? Most of them just playing church,
just like actors on the stage. Going about to establish their
own righteousness. I've been asked, my son asked
me one time, Dad, how good does someone have to be to go to heaven?
My oldest son, Larry Dale. And I said, Larry Dale, as good
as God Almighty. Boy, that shook him. Measure
your religious works against that. Good as God. Now, now, ask the question, who
is worthy? Who is worthy? Verse 9 and verse
12, we're told plainly by everyone in heaven, every angel and every
saved sinner, who is worthy. They answer that question for
us. The Lord revealed to John what he had done, is doing, and
shall hereafter do for his church, in his church, and with his church. And nothing was expected or accomplished
without the Lamb. Take the Lamb out of this chapter,
and what do you have left? Take the Lamb out of this book
of Revelation, and what do you have left? Take the Lamb out
of the book of God, and what do you have left? It's all about
Him. Have you ever, and I'm sure you
have, taken a stone and tossed it into a pond or a body of water? And you stand there and first
there's one ripple, then there's another ripple, and another ripple,
and just on and on it goes. Oh, this song of praise to the
Lamb, it began with the four elders, the four beasts rather,
And then they're joined by the 24 elders. And then the angels
join in with the redeemed. Thousands of thousands unite
to sing, worthy is the Lamb. And then there's wave after wave
after wave after wave of glorious praise to God. Oh, what a song. What a song! Oh, in heaven they
don't sing about what man done, what man earned, what man's worth,
or about man's free will. They sing about God's free grace,
and they cry in one glorious voice, worthy is the Lamb! Oh, I'm looking forward to that,
aren't you? I'm looking forward to that. I tried to sing down
here the praises to God, but old Larry always gets in the
way. Even while I'm singing, I'm thinking of myself. Oh, but
in that day, with one heart full of gratitude and praise, I'm
going to sing as I never could or did before. Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain. Be ye kind one to another, Paul
wrote in Ephesians 4. Tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Child
of God, No matter how severe the storm,
no matter how many tears you may be shedding, you can find
some peace right here, can't you? God, for Christ's sake,
hath forgiven you. For Christ's sake. not for your
own sake, not because of what you've done or ever will do,
but for Christ's sake. His worth, His merit, His value,
that's what salvation rests on. Christ is all in the purpose
of God and Christ is all in the salvation of sinners. You remember
that time that young man came to the Lord? He was a very moral
young man. He was a very religious young
man. He did what very few did in that day. He sought the Lord
out. When he found Him, he kneeled down to Him. The disciples were
impressed. They watched this and said, man,
look at that. That young man, the rich young man, a ruler,
and he bowed before the Son of God, asking the question, what
must I do to inherit eternal life? And after he had showed
all of his fig leaves of self-righteousness to the Son of God, he asked this
question, do I like anything yet? What like I yet? And I guarantee you, even while
he was asking the question, he really didn't think that he liked
anything. He didn't think he liked anything.
If anybody goes to heaven, it'd be him. You ever heard that said
about anybody? Oh, dear mother. Oh, such a sweet
woman. If anybody goes to heaven, mama's
going to go there. Not if she don't know God. Not
if she doesn't know Christ, she won't go there. He thought this
ruler, this young man, he thought he had everything that God could
require. He thought he had it all. But he didn't have the only thing. The only thing that God Almighty
will accept, the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn't know Christ. Oh, but
to every poor, bankrupt sinner, they're rare. They're rare. Brother
Scott said they're rare as a hen's tooth. A bankrupt sinner that
has nothing to pay, that claims nothing. can do nothing, but
believes on the Son of God that beholds the Lamb of God. He stands
before a righteous, holy God that demands perfection. He stands
in Christ complete, just complete, lacking nothing at all. Of Him
are you in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Bobby would sing
to us, complete in thee, No work of mine may take, dear Lord,
the place of Thine. Thy blood hath parted and bought
for me, and I am now complete in Thee. Oh, I like that. Lacking
nothing. Yea, justified, oh, blessed thought. Sanctified, salvation wrought. Thy blood hath parted and bought
for me, and glorified I too shall be in the church below and the
church above. Christ is all. Christ is all. In heaven's glory, we see all
things meeting in Christ the Lamb. He's in the midst of the
throne. He's the main attraction. The
eyes of angels, the eyes of redeemed sinners, they all focus on one
point. The Lamb of God. You know, looking
through a telescope free will religion is like looking through
a telescope by the wrong end. You ever done that? Take the
big end and look. And everything just looks so
small, just so tiny, insignificant, especially God. But you look through the telescope
of God's Word with eyes of faith and you will join this psalm
and it'll be your delight to do so and sing worthy is the
Lamb of Him and through Him and to him are all things to whom
be glory forever and ever." What a blessed assurance this is.
Christ has prevailed. Oh my soul, John, rest easy. Just rest easy. The Lamb of God
who loved me and gave himself for me sets upon the throne of
heaven. The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Rest easy. It is well with my
soul So the first verse of this heavenly hymn tells us who is
worthy. Now here's the second thing.
The second thing we want to consider. Why? Why is he worthy? Look at verse 9 again, the second
part of it. For, because thou hast redeemed
us, thou wast redeemed, brethren. That is the Lamb, the Lord Jesus
Christ. and has redeemed us to God. Thou
was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred and tongue and people and nation. By the shedding of
his blood, by his death upon the cross, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah has prevailed. He removed the sins of his people.
He satisfied the law of God. He crushed the serpent's head
and he conquered death. By virtue of his sacrifice, Christ
has earned the right to open the book and to rule this universe. God's given him all power in
heaven and in earth to give eternal life to as many as God the Father
gave to him. John Trapp said, as a mediator
he took it, that is the book of God, as God he gave it. It was his book. He had a right
to it. Behold the Lamb of God, verse
7, and he came, and he came. He came and took the book. Oh,
when the fullness of the time has come, he came to redeem them
that were under the law. When Christ came into this world,
he cried, oh, I come. to do thy will, O God, to redeem
them that were under the law. That was the mission of the Son
of Man when He came into this world. He didn't come to attempt
redemption. He didn't come to offer redemption.
He didn't come to partly redeem. Jesus Christ came to redeem His
people, and worthy is His name. He got the job done. Mission
accomplished. Just this morning, the TV was
on. a cup of coffee and they were showing a segment, I was
just half paying attention to it, but a rocket had been launched
and had come back and landed on the pad. And man, they were
interviewing this guy, and he said, this is wonderful. He said,
my breath. He said, I can't hold my breath. This is so exciting.
And in the background, the thing began to catch fire and collapse.
Oh, my goodness. Wait a minute here. I'm going
to have to back up. Oh, my soul. Look at it. It's
being destroyed. It's destroyed. Mission wasn't
accomplished after all. Oh, the son of man. Mission accomplished. He said
to his disciples just shortly, Behold, before he died, Behold,
we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written in the
prophets concerning the Son of God shall be accomplished. Accomplished. That's why they
sing this song. They sing of the success of their
Redeemer. He actually redeemed his people. John saw him stand as a lamb
that had been slain. apparently still bearing the
marks, even in his glorified body of redemption. Remember
what he said to Thomas after he rose from the dead? Thomas,
look, don't doubt. Believe. Put forth your hand.
Look at these marks. Touch my side. Look at this.
Sweet assurance of the perpetual, everlasting efficacy of the sacrifice
of Christ. The merits of Christ's blood
are as powerful, now listen, and will remain as powerful forever
as at the moment when he first shed his blood on the cross.
That's exactly what old William Cooper wrote, didn't he? Dear
dying lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power till
all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more. They sung a new song, as it were,
a new song before the throne and before the four beasts In
chapter 14 verse 3, and no man could learn that song but the
hundred and forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the
earth. Now religion teaches us to sing from our head, to repeat
words. Oh, but the grace of God teaches
us to sing from our heart. Puts the new song in our heart. Worthy is the Lamb. Now let me
wrap this up. Who is worthy? Why was he worthy? Last of all, what does that all
mean to us right now? Right where we're at now, we've
seen something of what the man means to God, his worth, his
value. Oh, but what does he mean right
now while we struggle with sin, self, the world, the devil? When
none could be found worthy in heaven or on earth to deliver
the soul, how blessed then is Christ. Oh, how blessed is Christ. How about this? Christ's worth
to you is expressed here in Galatians 1, verse 21 and 22. And you who were sometimes alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now have he reconciled
in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable,
and unreprovable in his sight." Wow! Wow! If you hadn't noticed the
quote above your daily readings in the Bulletin today, it's a
very good one by Pink. He wrote, in the person of Christ,
God beholds a holiness which abides his closest scrutiny.
Yea, which rejoices and satisfies his heart. And whatever Christ
is before God, He is for His people. Christ appears in the
presence of God for us. He represents us. When your soul
is heavy, when your life is filled with chaos, when darkness has
blackened your sky, when everything in your life seems to be turned
upside down, do what the angel told John to do. Lift up your
eyes and behold the Lamb of God. He has prevailed. Remember, he
shall not fail. When darkness veils his lovely
face, I rest on his unchanging grace. In every high and stormy
gale, my anchor holds within the veil." A man, a preacher
actually, by the name of Edward Moat wrote that song. When he
was dying, he said, I'm nearing the port. But the truths I have
preached I'm living upon, and they will do to die upon. Ah,
the precious blood. The precious blood which took
away all my sins. It is this which makes peace
with God. The triune Jehovah has turned
the world over to the rule of the God-man, the Lamb, our mediator. God governs the universe according
to his eternal purposes through the Lamb. This is Christ's reward
and the believer's comfort. I found this hymn. I've never
seen it before while I was preparing this message. Let me close by
sharing a few verses with you. The countless multitude on high
that tune their songs to Jesus' name, all merit of their own
denied, and Jesus' worth alone proclaim. from on the ground
of sovereign grace, they stand before Jehovah's throne. The
only song in that blessed place is thou art worthy, thou alone. For thou was slain, and in thy
blood these robes were washed as so spotless pure. Thou made
us kings and priests of God, forever let thy praise endure. Amen. Amen. Worthy is the Lamb. God bless you.