On the church sign in front of
our building, we have scheduled services. It reads like this. Sunday mornings, Bible classes,
10 o'clock. Morning worship, 6.30 or 10.30. Evening worship, 6.30. Midweek
worship, Tuesday night, 7.30. We've come here today to worship
our Redeemer. but how little we really know of worship, I
fear. In this day, in this age, we
are surrounded by people who engage in religious activity
that is so much centered on man and emotion and froth and fizzle
that folks know nothing at all about the worship of the living
God. Every time we come together in
the name of Christ, as Assembly of Believers, our purpose first
and foremost ought to be the worship of our great God as He
is revealed in Christ our Redeemer. I don't know about this area,
but all around us in Danville and all around Kentucky, about
everywhere I go, I see signs where they have contemporary
worship. Don't have that out here? If
you get your dictionary and look it up sometime, the next word
in the dictionary is contemptible. And that's what the worship of
this age is. It is contemptible. I think perhaps
the best instruction I have found for my own heart in worship,
particularly in public worship, is found in Revelation chapter
4 and chapter 5. Revelation chapter 4, I want
us to begin at verse 1. Revelation chapter 4. After this. After this. After what? after the Lord gave me these
seven letters to his churches. Not seven letters to seven churches
in different ages of time, not seven letters to seven historic
churches, though these were historic churches in historic places,
but these seven letters to local churches just like Grace Baptist
Church in Ocumba, California and Grace Baptist Church in Danville,
Kentucky. Seven letters to my people gathered
in my name throughout the world throughout the ages. The first
of which he says, I have somewhat against you, I know your works,
I know your name, but you've left your first love. And he warns us As he writes
to the churches, Smyrna, be thou faithful unto death. John says,
after I heard him address the church at Pergamos, who had been
influenced with the doctrine of Balaam, the mixing of works
and grace, the mixing of the worship of false gods in the
name of the worship of the true and living God. The mixture of
idolatry with the worship of God. And those folks had among
them the Nicolaitans. They had embraced perverse doctrine. Perverse doctrine that didn't
just tolerate and embrace immoral, vile behavior. But the doctrine
of the Nicolaitans that actually taught that such behavior was
proper behavior. And then he spoke to the church
of Thyatira and he said, you come into the depths of Satan. Your worship has been marred,
mutilated, brought you to nearly utter ruin. because you have
begun to embrace the religion of man, the religion Satan teaches,
which is works righteousness. And the chief culprit, the chief
culprit is a very politically incorrect situation. I name your pastor, your preacher. We have folks today in this politically
correct, sweet generation of religious infidels who want you
to have female preachers. Every now and then I'll get a
letter from somebody, how dare you say God never called a woman
a preacher. I didn't say that. God said that. How dare you say
God didn't send a woman a missionary. My mama went to be a missionary. I don't care if you went to be.
God didn't call you to do that. God didn't call you to do that.
There's only one woman preacher mentioned in this book. Only
one. You find her right here in Revelation.
Her name's Jezebel. And I promise you, any female
preacher is a false preacher, let alone the others. He warns
of that situation in Thyatira, but yet among even those, there
were those who held fast to faith, and the Master says, that which
you have already hold fast till I come." How's that? He says,
keep my works. Keep my works. Not keep yours,
throw yours away. Keep my works. To the church
in Sarnas, he said, you have a name that you live, but you're
dead. So he warns, be watchful. Strengthen
what remains and remember from which you've fallen. He says
to the church in Philadelphia, brethren built upon the love
of Christ, causing them to love one another, hold fast that which
you have, so that no man takes your crown." And then he warned
the lay of the sins. He said, I know you too. No matter what you profess, no
matter what you think, I know that you're neither warm nor
hot, Or warm, not cold, but lukewarm, and I'm ready to spit you out
of my mouth. You become indifferent. Maybe not indifferent to doctrine.
Maybe not indifferent to principles. Maybe not indifferent to religious
things. You become indifferent to me.
Now, watch this. After this. After this. Turn back to chapter 3, if you
will, for just a minute. Look at verses 18. 2021. I counsel thee to buy of me gold,
the gold of my grace. Buy it without money and without
price. The gold that's been fried in the fire, the gold that's
been made pure, and the gold that has demonstrated its perfection
and has withstood the test. that thou mayest be rich buy
of me white raiment continually continually without money without
price come buy of me perfect righteousness that thou mayest
be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear
the shame of what you are anoint your eyes with the eyesalve the
eyesalve of the gospel of my grace that thou mayest see. Verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. Is that what it says? I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice. And Ted Sox will hear my voice. And you won't and you can't unless
you hear his voice. If Lee Reed hears my voice, I
stand right here at the door of my assembled people and knock.
And if any man hears my voice and opens to me, I will come
in to him and will suck with him, and he with me. O my Savior, I throw open the
door, come and feed with me, and let me feed with you. To
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in
his throne. Now, after this I looked, and behold, a door. A door. I remember hearing our master
say, I am the door. I am the door. Any man comes
through this door. He can come in and out and find
pasture. I am the door. No man comes from
the Father but by me. Now watch this. A door was opened
in heaven. A door opened for somebody like
me to enter into heaven itself. And the first voice which I heard
was as it were of a trumpet talking with me. The watchman is required when
he hears the sound of the, when he sees the enemy coming to sound
the trumpet of warning. But I think there's another trumpet
perhaps more appropriate. In the year of Jubilee, the Jubilee
trumpet was to be blown proclaiming liberty, which is the picture
of the preaching of the gospel of God's grace John said, I heard
the voice come in as it were through this open door, this
open door in heaven. I heard a voice like a trumpet
talking with me, talking specifically with me. I often hear folks know,
as they say to me, they'll come to me after a message or come
to me after some time of concern, difficulty. I said, Brother Don,
how do I know if God's talking to me? You'll know. And you won't need me to tell
you. Now, how will I know if God's giving me faith? You'll
know. And you won't need me to tell you. I heard this trumpet
talking to me. And this is what it said, Come
up hither. Come in through the door. And
I will show thee things which must be real soon. Things which must be erected. Our brother has just described
for us clearly, clearly from the scriptures, things that have
come to pass because they must have been. I delight in those
things that must be. But here, John says, you come
up here, I heard a voice say, come up here and I will show
you things that must be in the days yet to come. Now, he says,
and immediately I was in the Spirit. I was in the Spirit. The only way we can ever worship
God is in the Spirit. And nobody can put us in the
Spirit, but God the Holy Spirit. I was in the Spirit, and behold
a throne. Now let me tell you the very
first thing you're going to see. If ever you enter in by Christ
the door, and He puts you in the Spirit, If ever you are made
to experience that life our brother just told us about, the first
thing you're going to see with regard to God is he's sitting
on a throne. Divine sovereignty is not a doctrine
you learn after you have grown to a certain measure in grace.
You will never worship except you worship at the throne of
him who is on a throne. The idea of men worshipping God
and not worshipping him as sovereign is as ludicrous as it can possibly
be. Behold, a throne, now watch it,
was set, what a word, fixed. Firmly, permanently, eternally
established in heaven. And I love this next description,
watch it. And one Sat. Sat on the throne. God Almighty never gets in a frenzy. He's never
disturbed. He's never uneasy. He's never
fearful. He's never in a hurry. He's never
rattled. We can't hardly imagine the picture. He sat with complete ease. Let me describe it for you. Let
me describe it for you. You remember Genesis 14, the
picture we have of Lucifer? He said, I will ascend into heaven
and I'm going to take over the God business. I'm going to kick
God off his throne and I'm going to take over. And he blustered
and blew and huffed and puffed and snorted. And this is God's
response. This is the purpose that is purposed
in all the earth. He just sat undisturbed. Hear me. To the degree that he will graciously
enable us to believe him. We will sit in every circumstance,
unruffled, undisturbed, and at ease. What faith is, is trusting
Him, not ourselves. Verse 3, And he that sat was
to look upon like a jasper stone, a jasper and a sardine stone.
What's that mean? glorious, beautiful, rich, solid,
stable, and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in the
sight like unto an emerald. John said, I saw a door, I heard
a voice, I beheld the throne, I saw that throne set in heaven
and I saw one sitting on that throne and the next thing I saw,
I saw a rainbow. A rainbow just completely encircling
that throne. On every side, completely encircled
with a rainbow. What's that? You remember when
Brother Noah got off the boat and he wanted to have a big barbecue
so he He took whatever boards he didn't have to use to build
him a house, and he made him a fire in the pit, roasted some hogs,
had a big barbecue, and he saw a cloud. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. He just trembled. I hate you. I would have. Man,
the boat's gone. What am I going to do now? And
God gave him a word. He said, Noah, remember when
you see the bow in the sky, my covenant, will you hear me children
of God? Hear me. If anything in this world comes
to pass, whatever comes to pass in your life or mine, whatever
it is, God did it. We make ourselves miserable looking
for and blaming second causes. Whatever comes to pass in your
life or mine, God did it. He's the source. All things come
from our God. Sickness and health, joyous birth
and painful death, whatever comes to pass between the birth and
the death, God did it. But understand this, nothing
proceeds from that throne that doesn't pass through this bow
of God's covenant. Whatever comes to pass comes
from this throne, but it comes to pass ordered and arranged
and sent by God in mercy for the good of His people, for the
glory of His name, for our everlasting soul's good, even for our present
very best good. He does it according to this
covenant, ordered in all things and sure. Look at verse 4, And round about the throne were
four and twenty seats. Oh, those seats represent the
seats of the saved in glory, they do indeed. Oh, won't it
be so sad to be some empty seats in glory? Well, read the rest
of the verse. And upon the seats I saw, how many? Three and twenty elders. 4 and 20 others. What's he talking
about? It's the same thing spoken of
in chapter 7. 144,000 who shall be saved. The same thing spoken of in the Romans the 11th chapter where
the description is, and so all Israel shall be saved. It's the
same thing spoken of when John saw the man given a measuring
rake to measure the temple and to measure the New Jerusalem
and finds it absolutely four square and perfect. This is the
church of God's elect, the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, the
Israel of God, all the host of the redeemed. They were sitting
clothed in white raiment. clothed in the garments of salvation,
clothed in white raiment, clean and white, the very righteousness
of Christ, their righteousness, and they had on their heads crowns
of gold. Crowns. Now you see, Brother
Dodd, we want to be sure we earn some crowns, so we'll have crowns
when we get into heaven. You don't want to be ashamed
that you do things and you don't have the crowns that other folks
have. I had a fellow preaching to me
one time years ago and he made this statement. This fellow reputed
to be, he's dead now so I won't call his name, but he was reputed
to be a great, great defender of grace. And he was trying to
whip folks into action. He said, you're going to weep
for eternity. for every day you did this or
didn't do that. If I'd have had a gun I'd have
shot him between the eyes. What utter blasphemy. This notion
of degrees of reward is nothing on this earth but a backless
form of purgatory. You mean we don't earn crowns?
These aren't crowns we earn. They're crowns that were earned
by our master and they're given to us. Let me describe them for
you. I'll give them to you. A crown
of life in Revelation 2.10 is promised as the reward to faithfulness
at our Master's coming. Faithfulness to the end. Oh,
if you're faithful, you'll get this crown of life. Well, Paul
addresses the saints as what? The faithful in Christ Jesus. All who are born of God are faithful. All who live in Christ are faithful. A crown of righteousness is promised
to all those who love Christ at His appearing. This is how
God's people are described. They're looking for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. They're looking
for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Savior. Every believer loves Christ at
His appearing. A crown of rejoicing awaits those
who seek God's salvation. Well, I think it's safe to say
that's true, God's people. They're seeking His salvation.
A crown of glory shall be the reward of our union with Christ
because we're one with Him. An incorruptible crown shall
adorn the brow of all who sit with Him in Heaven's glory, raised
in incorruption. And these crowns, really, are
just one crown. This is how the Lord speaks.
In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory
and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of his people. Christ is our crown. Now look
in Revelation chapter 4 verse 5. And out of the throne proceeded
lightnings and thunderings and voices. I don't know, but that strikes
me as saying, out of the throne proceed things that disturb and
frighten and make us uneasy. Out of the throne proceed lightning,
glaring, glaring bolts of lightning and thunders Thunders that roll
and roar and shake the house, and voices that terrify. What you talking about? Of Him,
and through Him, and to Him are all things. And there were seven
lamps of fire burning before the throne. That is a declaration
of perfect holiness, perfect light, perfect righteousness,
perfection altogether. These things that proceed from
the throne, all things that come to pass, come to pass according
to absolute purity and righteousness. God does it. I'm so sick and
tired of hearing blasphemous people talk about How can you
say God did that? That's not right. If God did
it, it's right. If God did it, it's right. And if it came to
pass, God did it. Which are the seven spirits of
our God, the perfect being who rules the earth and the heavens
and hell beneath. Verse 6, 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. Now I have in my library a book
that I don't share with many folks. I have a few books like
that. This one's called Dispensational
Truths by Clarence Larkin. And it was required text when
I was in school, both schools I attended. And I did attend
school, and though that may surprise folks, but I looked at these
things and they required us to study them. And I thought, man,
this stuff makes a good scary comic book. I mean, the charts
and the pictures of these beasts. These horrible beasts. Whenever
folks start When somebody's got to chart out what they're trying
to teach you, it's because they can't remember it, you can't
either, and it's not in this book. These beasts are exactly the
same thing as Isaiah saw in Isaiah chapter 6, the seraphim. You remember when Moses was called
up and received the pattern of the tabernacle and of the temple
and of the holy of holies and the ark and the mercy seat? on
each end of the mercy seat were to be these seraphim, facing
each other, looking down toward the mercy seat where the blood
was, where blood atonement was, looking constantly on the sacrifice
of Christ the Redeemer. And with two, they covered their
eyes, knowing they were unfit to look upon the Master and unfit
to stand before Him, they covered their feet. But with two, They
swiftly fly to do His will. These are gospel preachers. These
living creatures described here in Revelation 4, they are preachers
of the gospel gifted with spiritual wisdom, grace, and knowledge. The Lord God said, I will give
you pastors according to my heart. And then He tells us who they
are, which shall feed you. Not fish you, feed you. Feed
you, not beat you, feed you. Feed you, not rule you, feed
you. Feed you, not dominate over you,
feed you. And feeding you shall rule over
you as my servants. They feed you with knowledge. Knowledge of this book. Knowledge
of God. knowledge of Christ, not learned
knowledge by studying books, not learned knowledge by being
instructed by others, not learned knowledge they've gotten from
somebody else and recite to you, but by the knowledge that God
the Spirit gives them and with understanding. Men feed you with understanding,
with understanding. Men, they understand who you
are. where you are, what you go through, what you experience.
Several years ago, one of our men, Brother Mark Henson, has
been with us now for a long time. He's sitting in my living room
and he said, Brother Don, do I have to tell you why I started
coming to church out here? I said, no. I figured he was
going to call you Dayton Carla. He said, well, that's where it
started. I'm talking about why I started coming. I said, no. He said, you're the first preacher
I ever heard in my life who spoke about himself, as I proceed to
be honest, as a real fallen, depraved, sinful man like me. They feed you with knowledge
and understanding. Look back at our text in verse
7. And the first beast, the first
preacher, was like a lion. A lion. I was preaching recently in England.
Don't know the fellow's name, don't want to know his name.
They called on the pastor to get up and pray. Man, he floated
up there like he could bail the fellows pray. And I can't say
it's sissy enough. Not God's servants. God's servants
are men who got a backbone of steel and they're bold as a lion. They don't know the meaning of
the word back up and they won't be backed up. They're like a
lion, like a lion because they're meek. God's servants are meek. Meek like Moses. Pharaoh bow
or you're dead. The meekest man who lived. They
know who they are and who they serve and why they're here. That
gives them boldness. And the next beast, he's like
a calf, strong. And the third beast had the face
of a man. He's bold as a lion, strong as
an ox, but has compassion as a man, understanding. And the
fourth beast, like a flying eagle soaring in the heavens from which
he gets his message. Verse 8. And the four beasts
had each of them six wings, covering their eyes and their feet, and
swiftly flying to do God's will. And about them they were full
of eyes. Wisdom within. God-given wisdom. Wisdom that only the Spirit of
God can give. And they rest not day and night, laboring in the word, laboring
in the doctrine. They take it serious and they
give themselves to it seriously. Devoted to this business of honoring
God, serving Him by serving His people, ministering to the souls
of eternity bound men and women. saying, Holy, Holy, Holy God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Lord God Almighty, Omnipotent
God, which was and is and is to come, the Eternal God, our
Deliverer and our Savior. And these living creatures, these
creatures of the Gospel, these angels of the churches, as they're
described in the first chapter, lead God's saints in worship.
We were talking about this going home last night. Brother Bob
or one of the men asked me, it might have been Brother Haitian,
we were with Todd, will we continually learn in heaven? I kind of suspect
we will. Now remember we have a picture
of what's going on right now in heaven's glory and what shall
be in the hereafter for all eternity. And here on this earth, gospel
preachers Faithful pastors are the men appointed and ordained
and sent and fixed by God in his churches to lead his people
in the worship of Christ. That's the pastor's responsibility. Somebody is going to lead. It
better be the pastor. That's your responsibility in
Lexington. That's mine. That's yours. That's yours. That's
yours. Our responsibility is to lead God's saints in his worship. Look at verse 9. These living
creatures, when those beasts give glory, notice he says, and
when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that
sat on the throne, the living creatures, Constantly give glory
to Christ who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever. Verse
10. When they did, God's saints followed
them. If you lead God's people in Lexington,
Kentucky, God's people will follow you. That's just fact. Goats
will butt and kittens cuss, God's people will follow you. That's
just fact. And the same is true here. And
if they don't follow in the worship, it's because I don't lead in
the worship. The four and twenty elders fall
down before Him that sat on the throne and worship Him that liveth
forever and ever. And what they do? They took those
golden crowns He put on their heads and they cast them before
His throne. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto
us. Under thy name give glory for
thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Why? Because you alone
are worthy of glory. You redeemed us, you called us,
you preserved us, you brought us here. We'll cast our crown
before him in solemn reverence for him. Because we know no flesh
should glory in his presence. He that glorieth, let him glory
in the Lord. and cast the crown before Him,
because then we will know as we have never known before, I am nothing, I've done nothing,
I deserve nothing. Cast our crown before Him with
a deep sense of gratitude, declaring by the grace of God, here I am,
clothed in white raiment, righteous before God all because of you. No, I refuse my master to wear
a crown even that you put on my head in your presence. I will not be crowned by my Redeemer. Why? Because we will love him
intensely. Verse 11 that cast off their
crowns, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power. You and you only are worthy to
be exalted, to have honor and to have power, authority, dominion,
rule, whatever word you want to put there. Why? Why do I so esteem Him? Why do the saints in heaven so
esteem Jesus Christ the Lord? Why do God's people on earth
so esteem God our Savior? For thou hast created all things. Why did he do that? For thy pleasure. This comes as a shock to folks
in this generation. God didn't create the world for
you. The world doesn't revolve around
you. The world, the universe, every human being, the smallest
to the greatest, the youngest to the oldest, the richest to
the poorest, everyone is presently created for thy pleasure. Forget
it. For thy pleasure they are. and
were created. The Lord hath made all things
for himself. Yea, even you for the day of judgment. Yea, even
the wicked for the day of judgment. Yea, even myself for the day
of judgment. Because in that day all will
be demonstrated to be that which he hath brought to pass for his
pleasure. Read on just as if there were
no chapter break. Verse 1, chapter 5. And I saw a throne, and I saw
a book on the right hand of him that sat on the throne, a book
written within and on the backside and sealed with seven seals.
A book, every page inside written, inside
covers, black, black spine, full of words, with a seal of divine perfection
and grace, number seven. Sealed. What is that? The book of God's everlasting
purpose. The book of God's covenant. The
book of God's firm decrees. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, who's worthy? Who's worthy to open the book?
and to loose the seals, open the seals and no man in heaven
or in earth neither under the earth was able to open the book
neither to look there on no man no man could pry into this book
and I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and
to read the book neither to look there on verse 5 and one of the
elders said to me one of those fellows who leads God's saints
in worship, one of those fellows to whom God reveals his truth
and by whom God proclaims his grace. He said, weep not, behold
the Lion, what a word, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. the root
of David, that one out of whom David came, and that one who
came out of David, the God-man, the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
hath prevailed, prevailed with God from eternity, watch it now,
to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof, when
he swore as our surety to redeem and save his own, when he stood
before the Lord God as our shurik in the land slain from the foundation
of the world before ever time began the Lord God tells us here
that he prepared to open this book that no man could ever have
opened otherwise who is he? verse 6 and I beheld and lo in
the midst of the throne in the midst of the throne this is the
same throne Isaiah saw the mercy seat It's the same throne that's
described in Hebrews 4, let us come boldly to the throne of
grace. This is the same throne David spoke of. Thy throne is
established in the heavens, O Lord. This is the throne John saw when
he first walked into heaven. The door opened, being called
to praise, and I saw a throne fixed in heaven. And here is
one in the midst of the throne. In the very midst of the throne,
as though he's rising up out of the throne. Who is He? He
is God who sits on the throne. He is God the Lamb in whom and
by whom all the person of the Godhead are revealed, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. In and by whom alone God makes
Himself known. In and by whom alone God works.
In and by whom alone God is praised and worshiped and honored. Watch
it now. In the midst of the stroll, in
the midst of the four beasts, in the midst of the elders stood
a lamb. Stood a lamb. A lamb as it had
been slain. A lamb having seven horns. That's absolute power. I live
in farming country. And I have done a little hunting
in my time. I'll tell you something about
animals with horns. They get their way. The horns talk about power. Absolute
power. Seven horns. The power of one
who is God. Seven horns. Which are the seven
spirits of God. That is the spirits of God sent
into all the four corners of the earth, through all the ages
of the time, by whom the world is ruled. Verse 7, and he came, and he said, I sure wish you'd
let me have that book. Oh, please let me have that book.
What did your book say? What did it do? He took the book. He took the book. By right. Because he's the land slave.
He took the book. And when he took the book out
of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. Let me show
you another picture of it. Turn to Revelation 10. Revelation
10 verse 1. And I saw another mighty angel
come down from heaven. I don't have any question about
who this angel is. It's Christ the angel of the covenant. He
come down from heaven clothed with a cloud. And what was on
his head? That same rainbow that circled
the throne. The same rainbow of covenant. The covenant of
grace was on his head. And his face was as it were the
sun and his feet pillars of fire. Verse 2. And he had in his hand
a little book. That book he took from off the
throne, from the hand of him that sat on the throne. And this
book was open. And he had his right foot on
the sea and his left foot on the earth. And he cried with
a loud voice like a lion when he roars. And when he cried seven
thunders and heard their voices, he turned to face of the source
of the fetch page. Let's see what's on the next page. What's
happening in the world? What's happening today? I looked
at the news a couple of days. I don't really know what's going
on in Iraq or Israel or in the United States or in Danville,
in the world. I don't really know what's going
on. But I'll tell you what is going on. The Son of God is turning
the pages of the book. fulfilling the eternal purpose
of God. According to the stipulations
of the covenant, he swore himself to fulfill before the world began.
Verse 8, And when he had taken the book,
the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before
the Lamb, having every one of them hearts and golden vials
full of odors. What are these? The prayers of
the saints. I know what the prayers are.
I know what the prayers of every child of God in this world are. I know what they are. I know
exactly what they are. This is what every child of God
wants and covets and desires. Called to have my friend Don
Martin. We ask for a lot of things. that we may consume them upon
our lust. And we really don't want them. So much what I ask for, not what
I want. My God, just forgive my covetous desires. This is
what we want. Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. God, honor your name. Thy kingdom come, God save your
people. Build your kingdom in this world.
Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. God do what
you will. I don't know what's best for
me or for Gene Hartman. I don't know. I don't ever know. I don't know. I don't know. Your will be done. Supply us
with what we need. particularly with what we need
of your grace daily. Give us our daily bread, Christ
our Redeemer, and forgive us our sins. Keep us from the evil one. They fell down with hearts and
golden vials, precious Invaluable to him who sits on the throne
verse 9 and they sung a new song And this is what to say thou
art worthy to take the book it's right for you to have it Thou
art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof. It's
right for you to rule Here's the reason For thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by
thy blood, O precious blood of Christ. Now what's this? Thou hast redeemed us to God
by thy blood just like you did everybody else. Thou hast redeemed us to God
by thy blood along with everybody else in some sort of way. Thou
hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, like ye tried to everybody
else." No. All such concepts of God's grace
and Christ's redemption are totally contrary to this belief, and
totally deny the very deity of Him whom we worship. He didn't
try to do anything, and He doesn't try to do anything. Thou hast
redeemed us, effectively, irresistibly, justly, rightly, graciously,
all finished, redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every
kindred and tongue and people and nation. Not only did you
redeem us, you called us by your grace, you made us unto our God
kings and priests, kings and priests. I had an old brother
Lee Rees. Royal Lee. Didn't he say we were
a royal priesthood? Know what he said? A royal priesthood. Kings and priests. Kings. If I'm not mistaken, now we have
figurehead kings and figurehead queens like that old lady in
England who visited Kentucky a few weeks ago. But that's not
what we're talking about. We're not talking about figureheads.
We're talking about real kings. Real kings rule the kingdom. Real kings have power. Real kings bring things in subjection. Real kings do. What's that talking
about? When God comes to you, when he
saved you by his grace, Christ took up rule in you and now causes
you from within to rule over the passions of your flesh and
the world around you. And priests, priests who do business
with God all the time in the holy place. That's who priests
are, folks, who live with Christ, who live with God. We've sometimes
seen God be nearer, nearer, nearer, bless the Savior. Well, Experimentally,
yes. Oh, for a closer walk with God. But will you hear me? Near, so
very near to God, nearer I cannot be, for in the person of His
Son, I am as near as He. I'm not a part-time priest or
a part-time king. The new birth makes us kings
and priests unto God. Verse 11. I said, we shall reign
on the earth. Now verse 11, and behold, I heard
the voice of many angels rammed about the throne and the beast
and the elders. And the number of them was 10,000
times 10,000 and thousands of thousands, 24, 150,000. the whole Israel of God, all
the chosen angels, all the elect of God, all the redeemed, all
who heard His voice and saw the door open and heard Him say,
Come up hither! All of them, around the throne,
first well. And they all said the same thing.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy, O Christ, to receive
power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory
and blessing. What is it to worship God? It is by His grace to see Christ on His throne as
your God and Redeemer and fall down before Him ascribing all
praise to Him from inside Him. That's what it is. But I'm going
to tell you something. You say, well, I ain't going
to worship God. I'm not about to bow. Oh, yes, you are. Oh,
yes, you are. Remember now, we read about things
that must come to pass hereafter. Look at verse 13. And every creature that is in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, every man, every angel, in heaven and on
earth, the righteous and the wicked, elect and reprobate,
vowing and rebel, every man, every creature, every demon of
hell, Satan himself, every creature. And such as are in the sea, and
all that are in them, heard I say, blessing and honor and glory
and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb
forever and ever. You mean, you mean God's going
to force everybody to acknowledge Christ as Lord? You mean God's
going to force everybody to acknowledge that everything he's ever done
is exactly as it ought to be? You mean God's going to force
everybody to acknowledge that He is the only God, the just
God, our Savior, that He has absolutely done all things well,
even when He cast them into hell? Every Christian does. You'll
either do it now by faith, or yonder in judgment, but thou,
you will. Well, I don't think that's right. You will. Verse
14. And the four beasts said, Blessed
God, that's just how it ought to be. And the four twenty elders,
following the lead of the pastors, fell down and worshipped him
that liveth forever and ever. Amen.