Uncertain Times…Christ-Centered Churches – Rev 4 – Throne Room

This morning I want everyone to visualize the most magnificent place you’ve ever seen. As it’s Labor Day weekend, vacations are winding down, maybe you went somewhere great this summer. Or undoubtedly this has been a strange and unique summer, vacations got changed up or rescheduled, so maybe the most amazing place you’ve ever seen was years ago-but whether it was recent or in the past-what was it? What did it look like? What made it so amazing? I can still say that one of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen is the Grand Canyon. And before going there I had seen plenty of pictures on tv or on postcards-it’s just a big hole in the ground, right? That it may be-but it’s one extraordinary hole in the ground. Monica and I had arrived in the afternoon on our way to L.A. on a road trip. And after we parked, unloaded the car, set up our tent, we took the little trail to edge of the canyon-and seeing it for the first time is truly breathtaking, all the colors scattered across the various layers of rock, the way the sun hits it just right, the depth of the canyon, even the sheer scope of it is something you can hardly get your head around-magnificent is a word I would use to describe it! But there’s lots of magnificent places on earth-whether it’s the mountains or the ocean or the desert. Quite honestly I’m a bit jealous of the roughly 3,000 residents in  Antarctica working at the various scientific stations-how magnificent would it be to see those vast snowy landscapes there? But even this past week on our vacation, Monica and I saw some magnificent sights-pulling up to Coastal Maine and seeing the rocks at-Kennebunkport. They’re jagged and rough, the water crashes over them. Or the sunset in NH at Lake Winnipesaukee. And who doesn’t agree that a sunset is one of the most magnificent sights you can ever see. The way the deep colors and vivid hues streak across the sky in a way that not even the best painter on the planet could duplicate what’s in the sky. Who’s seen a brilliant sunset recently and been stunned? Your camera never adequately captures it-and it goes away far too quickly. But sometimes all you have to do is look up to see something magnificent. And that’s what God’s Word is telling us to do this morning. But when it says to look up-it’s telling us to look a little further up than the sunset.

So you can open up your Bibles to Revelation 4-and as Kurt wrapped up the part of the sermon series on the 7 letters to the 7 churches-which had an earthly based perspective-how did these churches need to be challenged and encouraged in their ministries-so now we transition to somewhere magnificent- because we’re looking at things from heaven’s perspective. Listen to how John describes it-Rev 4:1-2. So this whole book has been the vision that John, the last of the 12 disciples, has had. And the book opened with that amazing vision of Jesus in chapter 1 where He was standing behind John-and he gets this incredible glimpse of the Lord in all His glory which then ushers in Jesus’s words-His 7 letters to the 7 churches. Now that vision has shifted to this open door in heaven-and we’ve talked a lot about doors in this series so far. Jesus is the one with the keys to open and shut the doors no one else can, the keys to Death and Hades. Here is the door to heaven-and if there was ever a door to go through that’s the door. Maybe you have friends or family who say their door is always open-come on in anytime you like. Here’s John standing before the greatest of all open doors in the universe-because it’s a door that leads to to the eternal place where God Almighty dwells. And that’s exactly what John is referencing with one of the most unsatisfying sentences in the Bible-with one seated on the throne. That’s about all he says-we’ll get one more statement in a moment-but it’s like-John tell us more! You’re there in heaven, standing there next to the throne where God reigns on high and all you can say is that He’s seated there! We know that-what does He look like? Describe His glory and magnificence. Does He have a big long beard like we all picture? But’s that precisely the point-we’re all wanting to picture God-but in our human frame, with our mortal bodies it’s just not possible. His greatness exceeds our human comprehension. He is the most amazing sight our eyes could ever take in. Think about that for a moment. You could stand on the most beautiful island on the ocean, you could stand at the top of Mt. Everest, you could stand on the threshold of the Milky Way galaxy in outer space and still the greatest sight in all in the universe isn’t those things but the One who made those things and that’s God. And our eyes just aren’t strong enough to see Him. And this fits with the other vision of God on His throne. Remember back to Isaiah’s vision in the OT-Isa 6:1. And that’s all the description that Isaiah gives us. God is high and lifted up-meaning that He sits enthroned above all other creatures and beings in existence. And the train of His robe, the length of His cloak fills the whole space, again emphasizing how His royalty, His grandeur, supersedes all. But Isaiah doesn’t give any more details about God’s actual appearance. Instead, he goes on to talk about the setting and the creatures that surround the throne-which is exactly what John does too.

But returning back to Revelation we get one more brief description of God-Rev 4:3. So once again we’re all wanting a whole lot more description than John gives us. But no doubt what he sees is what we can see-and that’s how God’s appearance looks to our human eyes-like the brilliance of sparkling gemstones. A jasper is often red-pic-but later in Revelation John describes a jasper as crystal clear-leading Bible scholars to think of a diamond-pic. So this likely refers to God’s purity and holiness-there isn’t a single stain or mark of wrongdoing in God-but that’s He’s absolutely right and pure in everything that He does just like this diamond is pure. And here’s a carnelian-pic-a bright, fiery red-and it references God’s judgement and authority as He sits on the throne. So as these gemstones sparkle and shine that’s what John is seeing and it’s the best way he can describe God’s appearance to us with words. Haven’t we all found ourselves trying to describe something so amazing that it’s hard to put it into words? Back to the most magnificent sight you’ve ever seen-how did you describe it to people? How do you describe a sunset? Try to do that tonight. Watch the sunset and write a descriptive paragraph about it. It was like these pinks and purples, these pastels, some red and orange streaked through it-it was spectacular. The light level was magical. Too good for words. That’s what John is telling us. Back to Rev 4:3. And I scratch my head at this one-as do lots of Bible scholars-a green rainbow? Isn’t a rainbow multi-colored, including every color-not just green? Now we know the rainbow symbolizes God’s faithfulness and the certainty of His promises-as God used a rainbow to remind Noah that He would never flood the whole earth again. But notice how John is just awash in these brilliant and sparkling colors as He’s trying to describe God’s appearance! It’s not as if John is holding back-this is the best his human eyes and human words can do-and that’s because the resounding statement of this chapter-Pt1:God’s appearance-completely beyond description! Which is as it should be-our God is so far above us, so transcendent and powerful, so utterly magnificent that we are left speechless. He’s indescribable-so being able to describe what God looks like would lessen who He is-1 Tim 6:15b-16. And this why we’re told not to make an idol or any carved image to represent God because nothing can even come close to Him. On this side of eternity, in our mortal human bodies we can’t see Him, He lives in unapproachable light. And I don’t know about you-but I like the fact that I worship a God like that. Back to Pt1. That’s why He’s God and I’m not. He isn’t just the Big Man Upstairs. He isn’t some old man with a long gray beard. He’s not the celestial Santa Claus or the Genie in a bottle to grant me my wishes. He is the One from whom all light and life originate, the One who is so far above me shining with infinite brilliance and indescribable glory. God defines glory-all other glory is just a sliver and shadow of His.

And so as we return back to the throne room, John does what Isaiah did-and that’s to describe the setting and the creatures around the throne which further inform us about God and His glory-Rev 4:4. There’s lots of discussion about the identity of these 24 elders-but most likely they represent God’s people, the church. Being dressed in white garments symbolizes righteousness-having been saved and justified by God. The crowns symbolize ruling with Him. In fact, this idea was seen in some of the letters to the churches-Rev 2:10-that was Smyrna; Rev 3:21-that was Laodicea. That’s what we’re seeing here in chapter 4-the redeemed people of God are ruling with Him represented by the 24 elders-Rev 4:4. We’ll come back to them-but it’s important to note that they are gathered around the greatest being in all existence and seeing the most magnificent sight in all existence-and they are centered on worshipping Him as they are literally encircling Him. And that’s the privilege and priority for all of God’s redeemed people. For everyone who turns to Him and believes in Him to one day be in His presence worshipping Him. This is why you exist, this is where you’re destined to be-this is where you want to be-the throne room of God-Rev 4:5. The lightning and thunder is reminiscent of God descending on Mt Sinai in all of His power and strength. Look at Ex 19:16-18. Imagine experiencing that! So here the people are in absolute terror and fear in the midst of God’s presence. That’s not the case in Revelation. God’s law has been given, His grace has been lavished upon His people, salvation has come through His Son. This is now a scene of wonder and worship in His presence-Rev 4:6-8a. And this is certainly where the imagery gets a bit strange. One commentator said these creatures are strong like a lion, serve like an ox, see like a man and swift like an eagle. They all represent glimpses of who God is and the creation He’s made. But when I read this I’m trying to picture a lion with 6 wings and eyes all over it’s body-which is definitely not Simba from the Lion King! Now I don’t think it’s an accident that they’re covered in eyes as they’re gathered around the one sight you most want to see. Instead of only having two eyes-what better than being full of eyes to soak up and see the glory of God! That’s very similar to the description of the seraphim in Isa 6:2-3. So the whole point isn’t necessarily what they look like-but what they say. And that’s the same thing with these living creatures. Listen to what they say-Rev 4:8b.

This is the praise of heaven. This is what’s being said of God day and night, continuously, all the time-Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. That if there’s one thing God is, if there’s one thing that best describes God it’s holiness. And when we think of that word it’s often with a negative connotation. That these people over here think they’re so holy, they think they’re so perfect-which then implies that you and your group aren’t. The holier-than-thou mentality. But that’s such a trivial way to look at it-because when it comes to God He is holier-than-thou, holier than all of us. He is perfect, there isn’t a single error or mistake or bad decision He’s ever made. Holiness describes how God is completely separate and distinct from us. That because He’s holy, even the tiniest of mistakes-a little white lie, an off-hand remark or bit of complaining or bitterness makes us unacceptable in His presence and in need of His saving grace. And yet that’s what makes God’s holiness so good and worthy of praise. Because He so seriously holds to His standard of holiness He doesn’t turn a blind eye to our mistakes or pretend they don’t exist or say no big deal. Instead of lowering the standard He goes through the long process of sending His Son Jesus to earth to live that holy life no other human being ever did-and then letting Jesus die for us so that we could be forgiven and saved, becoming His holy people. Not because we’ve achieved our own holiness, but because it comes to us through Him. So then all of heaven forever celebrates God’s holiness because that’s what makes heaven worth dwelling in-unlike planet earth that’s alright at best, heaven is perfect because God is perfect because He is holy-Rev 4:8b. And that second half of the phrase succinctly captures God infiniteness. What a word-infiniteness. Nothing else I know is infinite-everything breaks and falls apart and dies-not God-who was and is and is to come. He is ever present, ever-existing, ever-alive and crackling with energy. This idea that God is an old man with a long beard is a far cry from this statement. He is not a perpetual senior who needs his afternoon nap-God is full of ever vibrant life!

And that leads us to Pt2:God’s essence-totally worthy of all our worship! If this is the focus of heaven then shouldn’t it be the focus of earth? Shouldn’t it be our focus? I made the comment a few weeks ago that many of the things we worship in society have come to a screeching halt, or at least they’ve put on pause and significantly scaled back. You can’t go see professional sports, you can’t go to the movies or Broadway, you can’t go to a concert and see your favorite band or singer. Many of the things we normally worship aren’t happening right now-and maybe that’s a good thing so that it shifts our focus back to the One we should be worshipping. Look at how the worship of heaven unfolds-this is remarkable-Rev 4:9-11a. If you tend to think of worship as nothing more than standing in church singing let this passage remind you that it’s very dynamic. That it involves all that you are-pouring out your heart, casting your crown before the Lord, offering Him the praise from your lips as you communicate how worthy He is to receive all worship. Worthy are you, our Lord and God… And that word worthy is the key word. Back to Pt2. I like how Chuck Swindoll phrases it-Insights, 98. What a challenging question! Do you surrender everything for your job or career? Do you surrender your time, your energy, all your efforts to get ahead and make more money? And maybe it’s not your job-but you surrender to other things in life. Maybe you’ve surrendered everything for your family or for your friends. And while people are certainly important, the reality is that there’s only One who is worthy of all your worship. Only One who deserves all your praise and all the glory. Here we have this glimpse of the 24 elders bowing to the Lord, taking their crowns and casting them before the throne. There’s an action and activity to their worship. How can that be true of you? In what ways is your worship active and dynamic? What has the Lord given you to worship Him with? What crowns might you be withholding from the Lord that you need to cast before Him? We can so easily go way overboard in worshipping other things-but that’s never the case with the Lord. Worshipping Him is the focal point of heaven-so it ought to be the focal point of our lives.

And here’s why-back to the passage-Rev 4:11. The Lord is worthy of all our worship because He is the very reason why we exist. We so love and value our independence-to be the boss of our own lives and call all the shots-but the reality is that we are not independent at all but instead totally dependent upon the Lord for all that we have and every breath we take. You and I exist, we have our bodies and our personalities, we have our likes and dislikes, we have our very being because of the Lord’s will. You exist because God said I want to make you. Planet earth exists because God said I want to make it. Your family exists because God said I want to make them. All you have is dependent upon God’s will to create it-Exposition, 118.  Do you realize that profound truth? God made you so that you can be a part of His eternal purposes!

At the end of the day-what separates the believer from the unbeliever is that the believer realizes that he isn’t independent. The believer realizes that everything he has-even his own being-comes from God and there is no better place to be than in a dependent relationship with Him. The believer surrenders himself to the Lord and says-Your will be done. But the unbeliever spends his whole life trying to achieve his independence. The unbeliever says-I don’t want to be dependent on God-I don’t want Him running my life, telling me what to do, or exercising His will over me. I’ll do what I want, when I want with no one telling me otherwise. And so what does God eventually say to the unbeliever? Your wish is granted-your will be done. And the unbeliever gets his independence from God for all of eternity in hell. That’s what hell is-independent people forever separated from God who is worthy of all worship. While heaven is dependent people gathered around the throne in praise! Huge difference! Rev 4:11. How many times have you heard that 2020 is spiraling out of control, everything’s falling apart this year-the world is coming to an end. And maybe it is-but that’s not because 2020 decided to take matters into it’s own hands. That’s not because 2020 is spiraling out of control and running wild. God knows exactly what He’s doing-and even a year like this-is part of His perfect will. There’s no virus that’s going to thwart God’s plan. No one is pushing a button to nuke planet earth. God is in control and He has a plan to make a new heavens and a new earth one day. Your future is perfectly safe in Him. I’ve been reading a really gripping novel recently while on vacation-and it’s filled with all sorts of characters and I’m so connected to them and what’s happening-and that’s because the author has done a great job in writing it-all 979 pages! One of the characters in the novel isn’t going to do something to end the book early or blow up the pages. All that happens in the book, all that happens to the characters is because the author wrote it. He is completely and thoroughly in charge of the book. And it’s the same in our world. Our world is filled with lots of characters-there might be plenty of characters in your life-but none of them are going to change or destroy or wipe out what God is doing. He is the Author and everything that happens is because of His will-and it ultimately all works for His glory-and we get to be caught up in the worship of it!

And that brings us to communion this morning. Earlier we talked about how how mortal eyes just can’t see God in all of His glory and magnificence-take a look at one last verse-John 14:6-9. If you want to God in all of His glory-you only need to look to Jesus, His Son. Jesus perfectly reveals the God the Father. We hear God’s wisdom when Jesus speaks, we witness God’s power in Jesus’ miracles, we experience God’s love in how He responds to us, we see God’s glory when Jesus gives up His life on the cross to save us. Have you turned to Jesus and seen the glory of God? That’s what communion is all about.

This morning I want everyone to visualize the most magnificent place you’ve ever seen. As it’s Labor Day weekend, vacations are winding down, maybe you went somewhere great this summer. Or undoubtedly this has been a strange and unique summer, vacations got changed up or rescheduled, so maybe the most amazing place you’ve ever seen was years ago-but whether it was recent or in the past-what was it? What did it look like? What made it so amazing? I can still say that one of the most amazing places I’ve ever seen is the Grand Canyon. And before going there I had seen plenty of pictures on tv or on postcards-it’s just a big hole in the ground, right? That it may be-but it’s one extraordinary hole in the ground. Monica and I had arrived in the afternoon on our way to L.A. on a road trip. And after we parked, unloaded the car, set up our tent, we took the little trail to edge of the canyon-and seeing it for the first time is truly breathtaking, all the colors scattered across the various layers of rock, the way the sun hits it just right, the depth of the canyon, even the sheer scope of it is something you can hardly get your head around-magnificent is a word I would use to describe it! But there’s lots of magnificent places on earth-whether it’s the mountains or the ocean or the desert. Quite honestly I’m a bit jealous of the roughly 3,000 residents in  Antarctica working at the various scientific stations-how magnificent would it be to see those vast snowy landscapes there? But even this past week on our vacation, Monica and I saw some magnificent sights-pulling up to Coastal Maine and seeing the rocks at-Kennebunkport. They’re jagged and rough, the water crashes over them. Or the sunset in NH at Lake Winnipesaukee. And who doesn’t agree that a sunset is one of the most magnificent sights you can ever see. The way the deep colors and vivid hues streak across the sky in a way that not even the best painter on the planet could duplicate what’s in the sky. Who’s seen a brilliant sunset recently and been stunned? Your camera never adequately captures it-and it goes away far too quickly. But sometimes all you have to do is look up to see something magnificent. And that’s what God’s Word is telling us to do this morning. But when it says to look up-it’s telling us to look a little further up than the sunset.

So you can open up your Bibles to Revelation 4-and as Kurt wrapped up the part of the sermon series on the 7 letters to the 7 churches-which had an earthly based perspective-how did these churches need to be challenged and encouraged in their ministries-so now we transition to somewhere magnificent- because we’re looking at things from heaven’s perspective. Listen to how John describes it-Rev 4:1-2. So this whole book has been the vision that John, the last of the 12 disciples, has had. And the book opened with that amazing vision of Jesus in chapter 1 where He was standing behind John-and he gets this incredible glimpse of the Lord in all His glory which then ushers in Jesus’s words-His 7 letters to the 7 churches. Now that vision has shifted to this open door in heaven-and we’ve talked a lot about doors in this series so far. Jesus is the one with the keys to open and shut the doors no one else can, the keys to Death and Hades. Here is the door to heaven-and if there was ever a door to go through that’s the door. Maybe you have friends or family who say their door is always open-come on in anytime you like. Here’s John standing before the greatest of all open doors in the universe-because it’s a door that leads to to the eternal place where God Almighty dwells. And that’s exactly what John is referencing with one of the most unsatisfying sentences in the Bible-with one seated on the throne. That’s about all he says-we’ll get one more statement in a moment-but it’s like-John tell us more! You’re there in heaven, standing there next to the throne where God reigns on high and all you can say is that He’s seated there! We know that-what does He look like? Describe His glory and magnificence. Does He have a big long beard like we all picture? But’s that precisely the point-we’re all wanting to picture God-but in our human frame, with our mortal bodies it’s just not possible. His greatness exceeds our human comprehension. He is the most amazing sight our eyes could ever take in. Think about that for a moment. You could stand on the most beautiful island on the ocean, you could stand at the top of Mt. Everest, you could stand on the threshold of the Milky Way galaxy in outer space and still the greatest sight in all in the universe isn’t those things but the One who made those things and that’s God. And our eyes just aren’t strong enough to see Him. And this fits with the other vision of God on His throne. Remember back to Isaiah’s vision in the OT-Isa 6:1. And that’s all the description that Isaiah gives us. God is high and lifted up-meaning that He sits enthroned above all other creatures and beings in existence. And the train of His robe, the length of His cloak fills the whole space, again emphasizing how His royalty, His grandeur, supersedes all. But Isaiah doesn’t give any more details about God’s actual appearance. Instead, he goes on to talk about the setting and the creatures that surround the throne-which is exactly what John does too.

But returning back to Revelation we get one more brief description of God-Rev 4:3. So once again we’re all wanting a whole lot more description than John gives us. But no doubt what he sees is what we can see-and that’s how God’s appearance looks to our human eyes-like the brilliance of sparkling gemstones. A jasper is often red-pic-but later in Revelation John describes a jasper as crystal clear-leading Bible scholars to think of a diamond-pic. So this likely refers to God’s purity and holiness-there isn’t a single stain or mark of wrongdoing in God-but that’s He’s absolutely right and pure in everything that He does just like this diamond is pure. And here’s a carnelian-pic-a bright, fiery red-and it references God’s judgement and authority as He sits on the throne. So as these gemstones sparkle and shine that’s what John is seeing and it’s the best way he can describe God’s appearance to us with words. Haven’t we all found ourselves trying to describe something so amazing that it’s hard to put it into words? Back to the most magnificent sight you’ve ever seen-how did you describe it to people? How do you describe a sunset? Try to do that tonight. Watch the sunset and write a descriptive paragraph about it. It was like these pinks and purples, these pastels, some red and orange streaked through it-it was spectacular. The light level was magical. Too good for words. That’s what John is telling us. Back to Rev 4:3. And I scratch my head at this one-as do lots of Bible scholars-a green rainbow? Isn’t a rainbow multi-colored, including every color-not just green? Now we know the rainbow symbolizes God’s faithfulness and the certainty of His promises-as God used a rainbow to remind Noah that He would never flood the whole earth again. But notice how John is just awash in these brilliant and sparkling colors as He’s trying to describe God’s appearance! It’s not as if John is holding back-this is the best his human eyes and human words can do-and that’s because the resounding statement of this chapter-Pt1:God’s appearance-completely beyond description! Which is as it should be-our God is so far above us, so transcendent and powerful, so utterly magnificent that we are left speechless. He’s indescribable-so being able to describe what God looks like would lessen who He is-1 Tim 6:15b-16. And this why we’re told not to make an idol or any carved image to represent God because nothing can even come close to Him. On this side of eternity, in our mortal human bodies we can’t see Him, He lives in unapproachable light. And I don’t know about you-but I like the fact that I worship a God like that. Back to Pt1. That’s why He’s God and I’m not. He isn’t just the Big Man Upstairs. He isn’t some old man with a long gray beard. He’s not the celestial Santa Claus or the Genie in a bottle to grant me my wishes. He is the One from whom all light and life originate, the One who is so far above me shining with infinite brilliance and indescribable glory. God defines glory-all other glory is just a sliver and shadow of His.

And so as we return back to the throne room, John does what Isaiah did-and that’s to describe the setting and the creatures around the throne which further inform us about God and His glory-Rev 4:4. There’s lots of discussion about the identity of these 24 elders-but most likely they represent God’s people, the church. Being dressed in white garments symbolizes righteousness-having been saved and justified by God. The crowns symbolize ruling with Him. In fact, this idea was seen in some of the letters to the churches-Rev 2:10-that was Smyrna; Rev 3:21-that was Laodicea. That’s what we’re seeing here in chapter 4-the redeemed people of God are ruling with Him represented by the 24 elders-Rev 4:4. We’ll come back to them-but it’s important to note that they are gathered around the greatest being in all existence and seeing the most magnificent sight in all existence-and they are centered on worshipping Him as they are literally encircling Him. And that’s the privilege and priority for all of God’s redeemed people. For everyone who turns to Him and believes in Him to one day be in His presence worshipping Him. This is why you exist, this is where you’re destined to be-this is where you want to be-the throne room of God-Rev 4:5. The lightning and thunder is reminiscent of God descending on Mt Sinai in all of His power and strength. Look at Ex 19:16-18. Imagine experiencing that! So here the people are in absolute terror and fear in the midst of God’s presence. That’s not the case in Revelation. God’s law has been given, His grace has been lavished upon His people, salvation has come through His Son. This is now a scene of wonder and worship in His presence-Rev 4:6-8a. And this is certainly where the imagery gets a bit strange. One commentator said these creatures are strong like a lion, serve like an ox, see like a man and swift like an eagle. They all represent glimpses of who God is and the creation He’s made. But when I read this I’m trying to picture a lion with 6 wings and eyes all over it’s body-which is definitely not Simba from the Lion King! Now I don’t think it’s an accident that they’re covered in eyes as they’re gathered around the one sight you most want to see. Instead of only having two eyes-what better than being full of eyes to soak up and see the glory of God! That’s very similar to the description of the seraphim in Isa 6:2-3. So the whole point isn’t necessarily what they look like-but what they say. And that’s the same thing with these living creatures. Listen to what they say-Rev 4:8b.

This is the praise of heaven. This is what’s being said of God day and night, continuously, all the time-Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. That if there’s one thing God is, if there’s one thing that best describes God it’s holiness. And when we think of that word it’s often with a negative connotation. That these people over here think they’re so holy, they think they’re so perfect-which then implies that you and your group aren’t. The holier-than-thou mentality. But that’s such a trivial way to look at it-because when it comes to God He is holier-than-thou, holier than all of us. He is perfect, there isn’t a single error or mistake or bad decision He’s ever made. Holiness describes how God is completely separate and distinct from us. That because He’s holy, even the tiniest of mistakes-a little white lie, an off-hand remark or bit of complaining or bitterness makes us unacceptable in His presence and in need of His saving grace. And yet that’s what makes God’s holiness so good and worthy of praise. Because He so seriously holds to His standard of holiness He doesn’t turn a blind eye to our mistakes or pretend they don’t exist or say no big deal. Instead of lowering the standard He goes through the long process of sending His Son Jesus to earth to live that holy life no other human being ever did-and then letting Jesus die for us so that we could be forgiven and saved, becoming His holy people. Not because we’ve achieved our own holiness, but because it comes to us through Him. So then all of heaven forever celebrates God’s holiness because that’s what makes heaven worth dwelling in-unlike planet earth that’s alright at best, heaven is perfect because God is perfect because He is holy-Rev 4:8b. And that second half of the phrase succinctly captures God infiniteness. What a word-infiniteness. Nothing else I know is infinite-everything breaks and falls apart and dies-not God-who was and is and is to come. He is ever present, ever-existing, ever-alive and crackling with energy. This idea that God is an old man with a long beard is a far cry from this statement. He is not a perpetual senior who needs his afternoon nap-God is full of ever vibrant life!

And that leads us to Pt2:God’s essence-totally worthy of all our worship! If this is the focus of heaven then shouldn’t it be the focus of earth? Shouldn’t it be our focus? I made the comment a few weeks ago that many of the things we worship in society have come to a screeching halt, or at least they’ve put on pause and significantly scaled back. You can’t go see professional sports, you can’t go to the movies or Broadway, you can’t go to a concert and see your favorite band or singer. Many of the things we normally worship aren’t happening right now-and maybe that’s a good thing so that it shifts our focus back to the One we should be worshipping. Look at how the worship of heaven unfolds-this is remarkable-Rev 4:9-11a. If you tend to think of worship as nothing more than standing in church singing let this passage remind you that it’s very dynamic. That it involves all that you are-pouring out your heart, casting your crown before the Lord, offering Him the praise from your lips as you communicate how worthy He is to receive all worship. Worthy are you, our Lord and God… And that word worthy is the key word. Back to Pt2. I like how Chuck Swindoll phrases it-Insights, 98. What a challenging question! Do you surrender everything for your job or career? Do you surrender your time, your energy, all your efforts to get ahead and make more money? And maybe it’s not your job-but you surrender to other things in life. Maybe you’ve surrendered everything for your family or for your friends. And while people are certainly important, the reality is that there’s only One who is worthy of all your worship. Only One who deserves all your praise and all the glory. Here we have this glimpse of the 24 elders bowing to the Lord, taking their crowns and casting them before the throne. There’s an action and activity to their worship. How can that be true of you? In what ways is your worship active and dynamic? What has the Lord given you to worship Him with? What crowns might you be withholding from the Lord that you need to cast before Him? We can so easily go way overboard in worshipping other things-but that’s never the case with the Lord. Worshipping Him is the focal point of heaven-so it ought to be the focal point of our lives.

And here’s why-back to the passage-Rev 4:11. The Lord is worthy of all our worship because He is the very reason why we exist. We so love and value our independence-to be the boss of our own lives and call all the shots-but the reality is that we are not independent at all but instead totally dependent upon the Lord for all that we have and every breath we take. You and I exist, we have our bodies and our personalities, we have our likes and dislikes, we have our very being because of the Lord’s will. You exist because God said I want to make you. Planet earth exists because God said I want to make it. Your family exists because God said I want to make them. All you have is dependent upon God’s will to create it-Exposition, 118.  Do you realize that profound truth? God made you so that you can be a part of His eternal purposes!

At the end of the day-what separates the believer from the unbeliever is that the believer realizes that he isn’t independent. The believer realizes that everything he has-even his own being-comes from God and there is no better place to be than in a dependent relationship with Him. The believer surrenders himself to the Lord and says-Your will be done. But the unbeliever spends his whole life trying to achieve his independence. The unbeliever says-I don’t want to be dependent on God-I don’t want Him running my life, telling me what to do, or exercising His will over me. I’ll do what I want, when I want with no one telling me otherwise. And so what does God eventually say to the unbeliever? Your wish is granted-your will be done. And the unbeliever gets his independence from God for all of eternity in hell. That’s what hell is-independent people forever separated from God who is worthy of all worship. While heaven is dependent people gathered around the throne in praise! Huge difference! Rev 4:11. How many times have you heard that 2020 is spiraling out of control, everything’s falling apart this year-the world is coming to an end. And maybe it is-but that’s not because 2020 decided to take matters into it’s own hands. That’s not because 2020 is spiraling out of control and running wild. God knows exactly what He’s doing-and even a year like this-is part of His perfect will. There’s no virus that’s going to thwart God’s plan. No one is pushing a button to nuke planet earth. God is in control and He has a plan to make a new heavens and a new earth one day. Your future is perfectly safe in Him. I’ve been reading a really gripping novel recently while on vacation-and it’s filled with all sorts of characters and I’m so connected to them and what’s happening-and that’s because the author has done a great job in writing it-all 979 pages! One of the characters in the novel isn’t going to do something to end the book early or blow up the pages. All that happens in the book, all that happens to the characters is because the author wrote it. He is completely and thoroughly in charge of the book. And it’s the same in our world. Our world is filled with lots of characters-there might be plenty of characters in your life-but none of them are going to change or destroy or wipe out what God is doing. He is the Author and everything that happens is because of His will-and it ultimately all works for His glory-and we get to be caught up in the worship of it!

And that brings us to communion this morning. Earlier we talked about how how mortal eyes just can’t see God in all of His glory and magnificence-take a look at one last verse-John 14:6-9. If you want to God in all of His glory-you only need to look to Jesus, His Son. Jesus perfectly reveals the God the Father. We hear God’s wisdom when Jesus speaks, we witness God’s power in Jesus’ miracles, we experience God’s love in how He responds to us, we see God’s glory when Jesus gives up His life on the cross to save us. Have you turned to Jesus and seen the glory of God? That’s what communion is all about.