Revelation chapter 5. In verse
1, we're told what John saw. In the right hand of him that
sat on the throne, a book written within and on the back side,
sealed with seven seals. This book represents God's eternal
decrees, what he's purposed to do. It includes God's purpose,
his decree of salvation. God purposed all that he does. Whatever comes to pass in time
does so not by fate, Not by chance, not because the stars align in
a certain way at a certain time, but because God that sits upon
the throne says, what I have purposed, I will also bring to
pass. What God purposed, he's able
also to perform. And God has purposed to save
a people, a multitude of people, for his own namesake and to bring
them to glory. The seven seals, represent God's
purpose as being perfect and complete. Seven, as you know,
is the number of perfection. But the book was closed, which
means God's purpose, as long as the book remains closed, God's
purpose is unexecuted. It's not brought to pass, even
his great purpose of grace, as long as the book remains sealed. Look again at verse 2. And I
saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy,
that's the title of my message, who is worthy to open the book
and to loose the seals thereof. Not just who's able, who's strong
enough, but who's worthy enough, who has enough merit. enough
virtue, enough acceptance before the Lord God that sets upon the
throne in whose right hand the book lies. Who is worthy enough
to approach the throne of the thrice holy God? Who dare do
so and take the book? Who is worthy? to execute God's
purpose, to bring to pass what God has decreed. And it's not
easy. It's not easy. No one in earth,
no one in heaven was found. No angel or elder was found worthy
enough to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. Remember,
God helped us never to forget. Never to forget. May He remind
us when we observe the Lord's table in a little bit. Always
remember, the salvation of a sinner, if you're here this morning,
and God Almighty, by His matchless grace and marvelous mercy, has
opened your eyes to where you can behold Him, that one that
Bobby sang about a moment ago, and you can say from the heart,
Say from your heart, Christ is all. John, he's all. He's everything. He's all I need. He's all my hope. And we can say like that one
she mentioned, as his spirit passes away, Christ is all, my
all in all. The salvation of a sinner is
not an easy thing. It's not an easy thing. With
men, our Lord said, it's impossible. Be wary. Be on your guard. Be careful about anyone that
comes to you speaking of an easy salvation. An easy salvation,
that's not so. A salvation that does not require
a miracle of grace. Be wary of that. Be on your guard
against such a thing. That's contrary to God's Word.
The only way that that can be possible is making man to be
more than he is. Less than how the Bible describes
him and how his experience reveals him to be in his own heart. when
God is pleased to teach him so, he's dead in trespasses and sin. He's a picture of absolute helplessness. And unless God, unless the God
of all grace, Louis, comes to where he is, he remains in that
condition. Also, When people speak of the
salvation of a sinner as being an easy thing, they not only
make man to be more than he is, at the same time, they make God
to be much less than he is. They rob God. No, it's not easy. The salvation of a sinner requires
a miracle. It requires a miracle. Every
miracle that the Lord Jesus performed when he was on this earth pictures
that. That's what it represents, a
miracle of God's grace when he raises dead sinners from spiritual
death. It's impossible with man because
it requires this. Perfect obedience. It requires
a perfect obedience to God's law. Before that righteousness
can be established by which God has mercy upon a sinner, His
law must be obeyed. It's not set aside. It's not
nullified. It's not made void. Christ said,
I didn't come to destroy the law, and He didn't. I've come
to fulfill the law." And blessed be his name, he did. It requires
a perfect obedience to God's law, perfect in thought. Now, with that alone, do you
hear the words again of the angel who is worthy? It requires perfect
thought, perfect in word, perfect in action. Everything. Again, who is worthy? Who can
render that? Who among us has ever had one
perfect thought, much less every thought that ever entered our
mind being perfect without sin? Also, God requires a complete
satisfaction to His justice, rather, to atone for the sins
of His people. Again, an utter impossibility
with man. Who's worthy? Who can render
such an obedience? Who can offer such satisfaction? Impossible. Turn back, if you
will, to Hebrews chapter 10. This is what the writer tells
us here. And all through the Word of God,
It never, never one time does it ever hint that salvation of
a sinner is easy, that it's simple, that it involves no more than
taking a few steps to a so-called altar, or repeating a prayer,
or signing a decision card. No, it requires a miracle in
Hebrews 10 verse 1, for the law, having a shadow of good things
to come, and not the very image of the things, can never, do
you see that? Can never, with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually, make the comers
thereunto perfect. And that's what God requires,
perfection. It must be perfect to be accepted,
God said. For then would they not have
ceased to be offered, and of course the answer is yes. because
that the worshipers, once purged, should have no more conscience
of sins. But in those sacrifices there
is a remembrance, again made of sins every year, for it is
not possible, it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of
goats should take away sins. And it is not possible that the
work of my hands can ever take away sins. It's not possible
that my repentance and my prayers and my preaching and my giving
can ever take away sins. It's not possible. Old Toplady
wrote, could my tears forever flow? Could my zeal no lanker
know? These for sin could not atone. Thou must save, and thou alone. And when no man was found, in
chapter 5 again of Revelation, no man was found worthy enough. No angel in heaven, no man on
earth, had enough virtue, had enough merit before the Lord
God, none was worthy. None was found good enough, worthy
enough, righteous enough, holy enough, perfect. John, we're told in verse 4,
John wept much because of that. No man was found. John wept much. God is not easily satisfied. He's not easily satisfied. He demands perfection. Verse 5, and one of the elders
saith unto me, weep not. Behold. Oh, John, wipe your weeping eyes. Behold one who is worthy. Behold one who is perfectly righteous,
perfectly holy, perfect in thought, perfect in word, perfect in deed. perfect before the law of God,
perfect in everything he ever did. Behold, John, one is found
who is worthy. A joyful sound is heard in heaven
now. Behold, we read, the lion who
always prevails. He always prevails. He always
accomplishes his will. He's always successful. Whatever
he purposes to do, he does. He doesn't try anything. He doesn't attempt anything.
He doesn't make a stab at it. That's what you and I do. Oh,
but the king of glory, the lion of the tribe of Judah, he always
prevails. The root of David, he's also
described as being the son of David, but also David's
God. In verse 6, he's the Lamb. The Lamb, having seven horns,
perfect, absolute power. That's what the horn represents,
power. Seven is perfection. He has absolute
power. He has all power. And seven eyes,
perfect knowledge, absolute knowledge, all power to save. Father, you
remember that night in the garden before Judas brought the mob
to arrest him? Before he came forth, knowing
all things that should come upon him, and said, Whom seek ye? I'm he. These must go their way. Let these go their way. Oh yes,
the land of the tribe of Judah prevails, but he has all power. And in that high priestly prayer,
he said, Father, Father, I've done my best. I did so much,
now it's up to them to do the rest. All those you gave me,
it's up to them to make what I've done thus far successful.
He said, no, no, no, no. Father, you've given, I finished
the work that you gave me to do. Thou has given me power,
listen. Thou has given me power over
all flesh. That includes you. You say, that's
God's people. That's God's people and all people. That's those who have bowed and
those who have not yet bowed, but they shall. God has purposed
that every knee shall bow before his Son. But he prayed, you've
given me power over all flesh. All power to give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given me. Not one more, not one less. Of all those you gave me, the
great shepherd says, I've lost none. All power and all knowledge. He knows his sheep. He knows what we are. He knows
how weak we are, how prone we are to wonder, how prone we are
to leave the God I love. He knows. Even though we have
the nature of Christ himself in the new birth, we still have
that old man, old Adam, and the spirit lusts against the flesh,
and the flesh against the spirit constantly, 24-7 as they say,
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. He knows our frame. He knows his sheep intimately.
He's their shepherd. He's the Great Shepherd. It was
into the hands of the Great Shepherd that the sheep were committed
before the world was created. It was the Great Shepherd who
promised God the Father that in the fullness of time, I'll
go forth and do everything you require, everything you demand,
I'll do everything to secure the salvation of all those you've
entrusted into my hands. Yes, the great shepherd knows
his sheep. I love my sheep. I lay down my
life for the sheep. He seeks his sheep. He finds
his sheep always. And when he does so, like that
poor demoniac that he crossed the sea to find, he saves his
sheep. I've come to seek. That's not
all, is it? No. I've come to seek and to
save. He's able to save. Aren't you
thankful this is so? He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come unto God by him. Yes, he has all knowledge, the
very image of God. He alone, he alone can answer
this question. He alone provides the answer.
He alone gives the remedy. How can a man be just with God? Have you ever wondered about
that? You ever consider that question? That involves a heapsight
more than trotting up an owl or saying a prayer. Some evangelists
get you scared because you don't want to go to hell. You don't
want to go to hell, do you? No, no, no, no. Well, except
Jesus. I have a doormat here. We call
him Jesus. Step on him into heaven. A far
escape out of hell. No. No, sir, that's not salvation. Salvation is bowing before the
throne of not my buddy Jesus, not the doormat Jesus, but King
Jesus and saying, if you will, you don't have to. It's up to
you. And if you will, you can make
me clean. And all the joy, the joy that
floods the soul of a sinner when the great shepherd says, I will. I will not only can I, I willingly
do so, be thou clean." But only he answers this question. Mercy
and truth are met together. Here's the answer. How can a
man be just with God? In Him, our glorious Redeemer,
mercy and truth are met together. Psalm 85 and verse 10. Righteousness
and peace have kissed one another. Did you notice He stood in Revelation
5? He stood in the midst of the
throne. And He stood in the midst of
the four beasts. And He stood in the midst of
the 24 elders. It seems to me that everyone
in heaven looks to the lamb. He seems to be the center of
attention. He seems to be in heaven the
main attraction. Does he not? Years ago, I think
it was just a few days after I graduated from high school,
a friend of mine told me, about a place in Wildwood, New Jersey,
Joe, a boardwalk there. He had been there the summer
before. Come on up there after you graduate
and get a job on the boardwalk. You'll have the time of your
life. Remember that, Mom? In two weeks, I was back home
like the star of the day. It wasn't the time of my life,
but did get a job on the boardwalk in this arcade. A bunch of us
were working in that same place and you would, I think they called
it barking, at the folks that would pass by. You would vie
for their attention. You would contend for their attention
to try to get them to come over and play your game. Come over
here. Oh, no. Come in here. Step in
here. A winner every time. That's what
the religious world does, doesn't it? Look, they say. We found
something new. We've got something exciting.
Come in here. We'll entertain you. Whatever
you want, we'll give it to you. Listen to our health and wealth
gospel. Come on in. Oh no, no. The apostle said, and God gave
us grace to say the same thing, God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross, the glorious cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. God enabled me to say with Paul,
I'm determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. There is nothing as profound.
Nothing is glorious, nothing that so honors God. Every attribute
of the Lord God as Christ crucified. There is nothing as needful for
a guilty sinner to hear than this, Christ Jesus saves sinners. Christ is all. And every sinner,
every sinner that comes to Him, Every sinner that experiences
His amazing grace are complete in Him. They're complete in Him. No ifs, no buts, no additions,
no subtractions. They're complete in Him. Christ
is all. He's all to God. He's the center
of attraction. God looks nowhere else. Aren't
you thankful? For acceptance before God. He
doesn't look to you, Lonnie. He looks to that one that represented
you. He looks to your glorious substitute.
He looks to that one of whom he said, I'm well pleased in
him. He does everything perfect. We're
accepted in him. The glory of heaven is not mansions. or golden streets, but it's Him. It's the Lamb. He said, I'm the
first and I'm the last. I'm the Alpha and I'm the Omega. Of Him and through Him and back
to Him shall be all things to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. John, the apostle John
here was acquainted with the Lord Jesus under this figure
of a Lamb, wasn't he? Perhaps it was John that we read
of in chapter one of his gospel, along with Andrew, who stood
one day with John the Baptist as the Lord walked by. And John
the Baptist said, Behold, behold, the Lamb of God. Mike, what a
glorious sight. What a sight! When he removed
the scales from my eyes, and said, look unto me and be ye
saved. And he enabled me to look. Oh
my, I've never seen anything to match it. Anything that even
comes close to it. The Lord Jesus Christ for this
sinner slain. Perhaps John was one of the two
and they followed the Lord Jesus. John was certainly one on the
Mount of Transfiguration, wasn't he? with Peter and his brother
James, John's brother James, when they saw Christ while he
was praying, transfigured before them. And lo and behold, Moses
and Elijah appeared there also, talking with the Lord Jesus. But you know what Luke tells
us? They didn't discuss the giving of the law to Moses on Mount
Sinai. They didn't discuss that. It
wasn't brought up. They didn't discuss that day
that Elijah challenged all the false prophets of Baal to meet
him on Mount Carmel and the God who answered by fire let him
be God. That's not mentioned, as great
as it was. No, what they discussed was what
the Lamb of God would accomplish. That's the word. Would accomplish
on Mount Calvary. John stood on the mount that
day with Mary, the Lord's mother, at the foot of the cross looking
up at him as he was being made sin for John. He who knew no
sin, John beheld the Lamb of God as he was slain by the hand
of God on Mount Calvary that day. Oh yes, without Him, no
execution of God's purpose. Without Him, no redemption. Without Him, no forgiveness. Without Him, there's no mediator
between my soul and a holy God. Without Him, I don't have an
advocate before the Father. Without Him, I don't have a prayer,
a hope of ever entering heaven. It's all dependent on Him. The preachers all around us today
are telling sinners, and have the nerve to call it good news.
It's not good news. To hear God's done all He can,
now it's up to you, that's not good news. My soul, that's the
very opposite of good news. Oh, but to hear, to hear that
this one, The Lamb of God, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the
King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, He always prevails. He's able
to save all that come unto God by Him. He's mighty to save. He's the Lord God and Savior. He's a Prince and a Savior that
give repentance to all that come unto God by Him. Someone wrote,
not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain can give
the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain, but Christ. But Christ. But Christ, the heavenly
Lamb, takes all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and
richer blood than they. Only one was worthy. and only
one was praised, given credit because of his worthiness. Verse
7, and he came. Look at it with me. Verse 7,
and he came. That is the Lamb. He came and
took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the
throne. He came. Oh, he's easy to identify. He's easy to identify. He's the
one and only. There's not another like him.
He's in the class all by himself. There's none like him. Turn, if you will, to Matthew
chapter 1. You know these verses by heart, but he's easy to identify. Who else could they be speaking
of? Who else could they be speaking? Chapter 1 of Matthew 1, Joseph. He finds out that his bride,
before they've come together, is expecting, is with child.
And he loves her and he thinks, I don't want to make her a public
spectacle. I'll put her away privately.
I'll send her away so no one will know. But the angel appears
to Joseph in a dream and tells him, don't be afraid. Marry her.
Take her to be your wife. Verse 21. and she shall bring
forth a son, and that shall call his name Jesus, Jesus, Savior,
God's salvation, for he shall save his people from their sins."
He's worthy. Turn, if you will, to Galatians,
Galatians chapter 4. Brother Joe read one in Hebrews
chapter 1 and verse 3 that identified our Lord as the only one worthy,
the only Savior. But in Galatians chapter 4, who
else could it be speaking of other than the Lamb, the only
one that is worthy, verse 4? But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth who? Gabriel? Oh, no. This is
too great a work for Gabriel. God sent forth his son, made
of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under
the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. Turn, if
you will, to one more, Hebrews chapter 10. Joe read to us, when he had by
himself purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the
majesty on high. Who could that be? Who could
that be? Who accomplished such a feat,
such a work? In verse 5 of Hebrews 10, Wherefore, when he cometh into
the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not,
but a body hast thou prepared me. And burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, lo, I come, in the
volume of the book it is written of me, to do thy will, O God.
Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering, and burn offerings,
and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither had pleasure therein,
which are offered by the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second." Now, did you notice in those
verses? He came to save. That's why He was given the name.
He came to redeem. He came to do God's will perfectly. He didn't come to make a stab
at it. He didn't come to make it possible.
He came to do it, to accomplish it. Did He succeed? Did He succeed? Where I spend
eternity, will be determined by that. Did he succeed? Was
he successful? Did he satisfy God's law and
justice? Did he really make atonement
for sin? Did he bring in an everlasting
righteousness? In verse 9 again of Revelation
5, thou was slain. He was made an offering for sin. He was made sin itself. He was
forsaken of God and bruised and afflicted. But something followed
that. That's not the end of the story,
is it? Thou was slain, but thou has
redeemed us to God. Oh, He didn't die for a maybe.
He didn't die for a perchance. He didn't die for people who
end up in hell. He didn't bear the sins of anyone
who suffers those same sins at God's hand afterwards. That cannot
be. That cannot be. He redeemed us
to God. He didn't try to redeem, but
He redeemed. He actually redeemed us to God
by His own blood. Without anyone else's contribution,
without anyone's assistance, he trod the winepress alone. He was really made sin. He was
really slain, not pretended to be. Oh, but listen. After being
forsaken, after being made sin, just before he bowed his bloodied
head upon the cross, he said, Father, before he said, Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit, he proclaimed, with absolute
certainty, he proclaimed the greatest victory of any battle
ever fought, the greatest triumph ever to take place on this earth
concerning the everlasting righteousness being brought in, justice being
satisfied, sin being put away forever. He cried concerning
all those things, it is finished. Finished. When we eat the bread
and drink the wine, we rejoice to celebrate an accomplished
redemption. He did in His own body put away
all the sins of all of His people forever. Redeemed. redeemed by
the blood of the Lamb. Appearing as a Lamb slain is
to teach us the perpetual, everlasting merits of Christ's sacrifice,
forever abiding, forever effectual, forever meritorious, as the old
hymn writer expressed it better than I can. Dear dying lamb,
thy precious blood will never lose its power till all the ransomed
church of God be saved to sin no more." And he came and took
the book. He also comes in time to helpless
sinners and is mighty to save. Will you turn back to Galatians
for just a moment? One example of the worth of our
glorious Redeemer. One proof, one example. Paul
in another place called his conversion a pattern to those who should
afterwards believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh is he mighty
to say, let's ask that Hater, that despiser of Jesus of Nazareth,
Saul of Tarsus. Let's ask him, is the Lord Jesus
Christ mighty to save? In chapter 1 of Galatians, Paul
writes at verse 13, for he had heard of my conversation, the
way I lived my life. In time past in the Jews' religion,
how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted
it. and profited in the Jews' religion above many of my equals
in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the tradition
of my fathers." But, this makes a difference. But, when it pleased
God, who came to me and said, pretty please, will you allow
me? No, no, no. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my
mother's womb and called me by His grace, what happened, Paul? To reveal His Son in me. Paul was a changed man. He was
a new creature in Christ Jesus and always would be. But I'll
tell you what. There is another miracle that,
to me, eclipsed even the miracle of Saul's conversion. There's
another one that, to me, even in glory, when I sing the song
of Moses and of the Lamb, of his worthiness, his merit, A
miracle that will be greater than anybody else there. That's
the miracle when he came to me. When he came to me. Once my soul was astray from
the heavenly way and I was wretched and vile as could be. But, just
like Paul said, but my Savior above gave me peace, joy, and
love when he reached down his hand for me. I was nearing
despair. I can identify with those words.
That's why I quote this old hymn so often. I was nearing despair
when he came to me there. and he showed me that I could
be free. He lifted my feet, gave me glory
complete when he reached down his hand for me. Glory to his name. Let me wrap
this up. The song they sing praises only
one, him. Thou was slain, thou redeemed
us to God by thy blood, therefore the song says worthy is the lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. When we take the bread and drink
the wine, I hope God will be pleased to remind us what a miracle
of His grace every believer is. May He overwhelm us again with
this wonder. He loved me. And He gave Himself
for me. God helped me never to get over
that. Never to get over the wonder
of that. Amen.