Will you join me as we pray together? If you don't know me, by the way, my name is Kevin, and we're going to pray together as a church, so won't you join me in this time of prayer?
Oh great and glorious God, you are the sovereign, all-powerful, uncreated one, and we come to you this morning to worship you.
Sovereign God, your glory knows no ends. Your majesty and your power are supreme. Your holiness and your worth are more than we can imagine. They are beyond description or words, God.
God, we so need you to open the eyes of our hearts to see you, to see your glory.
Father, as we come to you this morning and as we come to your word, we pray, God, won't you deliver us from small visions of you, from limited perspectives of your majesty and your beauty.
Father, we confess that so often our lives are shaped by such a meager understanding of who you are and your glory, God.
Oh sovereign God, this morning we've come to remind our hearts, to remind one another, to declare that you are worthy of our worship, worthy to receive glory and honor and power.
God, this morning as we look at your word, Holy Spirit, won't you open the eyes of our hearts to see you?
We so need you to do that, Lord.
Heavenly Fathers, we come to your word now. We desperately want to hear you speaking to us.
We come to your word because we want to meet with you, God.
We want to encounter with you, the living God, this morning.
Holy Spirit, we ask you to open our hearts to see you and encounter you in your word.
Give us revelation. Give us fresh perspective.
Give us hope. Give us faith. Give us courage.
Father, just as this passage of scripture we're going to read would have given faith and courage to your people 2,000 years ago, facing great challenges in life, so we pray it will do the same for us.
Holy Spirit, even now, soften our hearts to hear from you and to meet with you.
Every one of us, God, soften our hearts now to receive your word, we pray.
Father, we want to pray for our city again this morning and the people of Hong Kong.
Lord, we pray that our city will see you in all its glory.
When Oscar prayed for us, we pray for our city.
God, come and revive our hearts, we pray.
God, we want to pray for ourselves and we pray for our city.
Be merciful to Hong Kong and help us as a city to see your majesty, to see the false gods that are before us, to see that all power structures in every city will one day bow the knee before you.
God, we pray that you will give our city hope because its hope has been found in you.
Father, we pray for the planned protests this afternoon.
We pray for peace to prevail.
We pray, God, for protesters to exercise restraint.
We pray for police to maintain peace and not antagonize.
We pray for rival groups and factions that have different views not to incite violence or aggression.
We pray, God, for whatever protests happen in our city this afternoon, for them to be peaceful.
Father, God, finally we pray for each and every one of us today, as well as those that couldn't make it.
We pray that as we go into our week this week, those of us traveling, those of us staying in Hong Kong,
that we will do so walking with you, in awe of you, humbled by your grace and your glory,
and yet confident in your love and your mercy.
God, may each day be lived for the praise of your name.
Whether we are making a business deal, looking for work, going for interviews,
carrying out the most menial of tasks, God, be glorified in our words and our deeds, we pray.
We pray these things in your sovereign, eternal, holy, and almighty name.
Amen. Amen.
Victoria's going to come and read Revelation chapter 4 to us.
Let's listen up.
The scripture reading comes from Revelation chapter 4.
Please follow along in your bulletins or on the screen.
After this, I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven,
and the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said,
Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.
At once I was in the spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
And he who sat there had the appearance of Jesper and Carnelian,
and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones,
and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders,
clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
From the throne came fleshes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder.
And before the throne were burning seven torches of fire,
which are the seven spirits of God.
And before the throne, there was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal.
And around the throne, on each side of the throne,
are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.
The first living creature, like a lion.
The second living creature, like an ox.
The third living creature, with the face of a man.
And the fourth living creature, like an eagle in flight.
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings,
are full of eyes all around and within.
And day and night, they never cease to say,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come.
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor
and thanks to him who is seated on the throne,
who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four elders fall down before him,
who was seated on the throne,
and worship him, who lives forever and ever.
They cast their crowns before the throne,
saying,
Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.
This is the word of God.
Great.
Thank you, Victoria.
When you read the newspaper,
which these days isn't found on paper,
when you read the news,
what do you see?
Who's governing the world?
Who's holding the power of the world?
Who can you trust?
And maybe another question is,
the story that is our lives,
where does that story end?
How does that story end?
Today we are looking at Revelation chapter 4,
as Victoria read it to us.
And over the last two weeks,
we've been diving into the book of Revelation,
and we've looked at Jesus' letter
to the seven churches in Asia Minor province,
and we saw that each one of these churches
is struggling,
either with persecution and oppression,
or they are tempted to give in to compromise
and becoming just like the cultures around them.
And what we're going to see from chapter 6 onwards
is that the difficulties and the challenges
that the churches and the Christians face
are not about to come to any sort of end.
They're going to continue.
In fact, the series we called is
From the Cross to the Throne,
and it's kind of a picture of how
the entire story of the church,
from the time Jesus died and rose again
until the time he comes back,
this is the book of Revelation.
And the challenges that they face
are the challenges that we're going to face.
And so Jesus writes this book to these churches
because what do they need?
These churches that are facing difficulty,
they don't just need a prep talk.
They don't just need management advice
of what to do,
how to manage the churches through difficulty.
They don't just need three tips
on how to grow your church.
What they need to do is have concrete answers
to the biggest and the most pressing questions of life.
Who's governing the world?
Who can you trust?
Who holds the power,
and how does it all end?
And if we think about it,
these are actually questions
that we in our day and age ask ourselves,
especially in difficult times,
like our city is facing,
in economic trade wars,
when our city is going through turmoil and challenges,
in political uncertainty,
who can we trust?
Who can we hold on to?
Who's holding the power?
Now, to John's original recipients of this letter,
when they read the metaphorical newspapers of their day,
the answer was pretty clear.
They saw the pomp and the power of Rome
in the Roman Empire,
and the answer was clear.
Rome holds the power.
Rome holds authority.
Rome is governing the world,
and those aligned with Rome and its agenda
are the ones that win in the end.
Throughout the Roman Empire,
the early Christians would see the Roman standard,
that banner that they would hold up
as they go into war,
and they would have the emblem of the Roman Empire,
which was an eagle with outspread arms on it,
kind of like the American seal, I guess.
And everywhere they went,
they would see this Roman seal
demonstrating its power and its authority.
As they walked around the city,
they would see these magisterial,
these colossal buildings,
which were made of marble,
which were meant to demonstrate
that Rome will stand forever.
They're these imposing buildings.
Rome's propaganda campaign
was a well-oiled machine,
reminding the citizens daily
who it was that was governing the world,
and where their peace and their security
and their hope lay.
You know, archaeologists have found recently
in the city of Ephesus,
on one of the shop houses,
there's carved graffiti
into one of the stone buildings,
and it says this.
It says,
Rome, your power will never end.
And the question is,
who was the custodian of this power?
Who was the one that governed it
and held it in his hands?
It was the emperor, right?
Everybody knew.
The emperor was the one who held this power.
Whenever the emperor won some battle,
they would march those that they defeated
through the streets of the city
in a triumphal procession.
And so the emperor would go first
if it was near Rome,
and then the Roman soldiers would follow,
and then the captives,
tied up in chains,
would follow behind,
followed lastly by the spoils of war.
And as the emperor entered the streets,
the citizens lining the streets
would shout out,
worthy are you,
our Lord and our God.
And so this is what it felt to live,
this is what it felt like
to live in the Roman Empire.
Now for the Christians
in these young churches,
this meant big questions.
Where did their fate lie?
Was it tied up with Rome and the emperor?
Did Domitian hold their future in his hands?
What would happen if they rebelled
against the all-powerful Roman Empire?
Is God really in control
when it seems like Rome is the one
that's running the world?
Friends, for those of us
that are followers of Jesus
in this great city of ours,
these are questions
that we have to grapple with as well.
Especially in times
of such turmoil and difficulty.
Who's controlling our future?
How safe is our future?
What happens if we go against
the tide of our culture
and swim upstream?
Is our life in danger?
How's the story all gonna end?
In the Old Testament,
there's this amazing story
because the king of Syria
wants to attack the nation of Israel.
And so he makes these plans
with his generals and his leaders.
But the problem is
whenever he makes these plans
and they decide which way
they're gonna attack Israel,
God tells the king of Syria's plans
to Elisha the prophet.
And Elisha goes and tells
the king of Israel.
And so Syria kind of get
the army together
and they want the element
of surprise
and they say,
they go this way
and they find Israel's
not there anymore.
They've anticipated their attack.
And so the next day
they'll try something else
and Israel's not there
because they've anticipated
their attack.
And so eventually
the king of Syria
is fed up with this
and he says to his generals,
one of you's a mole.
One of you's telling them
our secrets.
Who is it?
And one guy says,
listen,
none of us are giving away
our secrets,
but Elisha is a prophet
and God speaks to him.
God gives away our secrets.
And so the king says,
okay,
this is what we're gonna do.
Tonight,
we're gonna go
and circle Elisha's house
and threaten him
and if he doesn't listen,
we're gonna sort him out
and then Elisha
will be out the way
and then we can attack Israel.
And so that night,
Syria gets all his armies
and his chariots
and he goes to the town
where Elisha lives
and he circles the entire town
with horses and chariots.
And in the morning,
Elisha's servant wakes up,
he opens the front door
and he gets the fright
of his life
because the whole town
is just surrounded
by Syrian chariots
and horses.
And so he closes the door,
he goes inside
and he says,
master,
they've surrounded us.
What shall we do?
And Elisha says,
do not be afraid
for those that are with us
are more than those
that are with them.
Okay?
And the servant says,
what do you mean?
And then Elisha prays
and he says,
O Lord God,
open his eyes
that he may see.
And the Lord opens
the eyes of the servant
spiritually
and he sees
and the Bible says this,
he says,
he saw and behold,
the mountain was full of horses
and chariots of fire
all around.
And so God opens his eyes
and he sees spiritually
that there are angels
all around
on the hills of the mountains
surrounding the town
and that actually
there are more angels,
more warriors
with Elisha and his servant
than with the enemy.
In Revelation chapter 4,
John is wanting to show us,
he's wanting us
to open our eyes
and to behold
and to see
what's really going on.
To behold something
means to see something
in such a way
that it captures your heart
and your attention.
And this is what Jesus wants
for these young churches
in the Roman Empire
and this is what he wants
for us.
He wants the eyes
of our hearts
to be opened
to see what's going on
in the spiritual realm
so that when the threats
and the challenges
and the difficulty
come our way,
when fear and anxiety
come knocking at our door,
he wants us to behold
to see what's really going on
so that we can have
the correct perspective
in life.
And that's what Revelation chapter 4
is all about.
John is showing us
a different reality.
Now that doesn't mean
that our current view
of the world is wrong.
You know,
when the servant
opened the door
and saw the chariots,
it wasn't like
they weren't there
and, you know,
seen a mirage
or an image.
They really were there
but that wasn't
the complete picture.
That was only half
the picture.
God opens his eyes
to see the full reality
of what's going on
and that's what
Revelation chapter 4
is all about.
Jesus wants us
to see and to view
our world
with a fuller picture
and he gives
these early Christians
and he gives us
a vision of what's
really going on
in the world
so that we can
live our lives
as God calls us to
rather than being
subject to fear
and worry.
Okay,
does that make sense?
Okay,
so all that
by way of introduction.
Let's see what's
going on here.
So,
if you've got your
bulletin or your Bible,
let's look at
Revelation chapter 4.
Look at verse 2
with me.
John writes this.
It says,
I saw this vision
and at once
I was in the spirit
and behold,
a throne stood in heaven
with one seated
on the throne
and he who sat there
had the appearance
of jasper and cornelian.
That's precious jewels
and around the throne
was a rainbow
that had the appearance
of an emerald.
Around the throne
were also 24 thrones
and seated on these thrones
were 24 elders.
Okay,
we sang about that earlier.
Clothed in white garments
with golden crowns
on their heads
and from the throne
came flashes of lightning
and rumblings
and peals of thunder
and before the throne
were burning
seven torches of fire
which are the seven
spirits of God
and before the throne
there was,
as it were,
a sea of glass
like crystal.
Friends,
what is it that the early church
in the midst
of the Roman Empire
and what is it
that followers of Jesus today
in the midst of
an ever-changing,
increasingly secular world,
what is it that we need
to see
or need to behold?
Jesus invites John
to see a picture
of God on the throne
and notice that
in this vision
that John has,
God in his reign
is the center
of everything.
Everything revolves
around him.
God in his throne
is at the center
of the image,
center of the vision
because everything
in all of creation
revolves around him.
We are not
the center of creation.
God's church
is not the center
of creation.
God doesn't exist
for the praise
of our name.
God doesn't exist
for the praise
and the advance
of his church.
Everything
in all creation,
including his church,
Christians,
everything revolves around
and centers around
he who is on the throne.
And notice how little
John describes God.
What is the description
that he gives of him?
He doesn't actually
describe him very much.
He just says
his appearance
was like the brilliance
of Jasper
and the richness
of Cornelian,
these precious jewels.
And around the throne
there's this rainbow,
this emerald green rainbow.
What John is trying
to communicate here
is that what he saw
took his breath away
and that there aren't
really words
to describe
what he saw.
He just saw
something of such brilliance
that he doesn't have
the words
to describe it.
I found a picture online
of one artist's impression.
Let's see something
like that, right?
And John also sees
what he describes
as these flashes
of lightnings
and rumblings
and peals of thunder,
which is to say
that the throne of God
was crackling
and snapping
with power
and authority.
Think of a nuclear
power plant
that is going
into overdrive,
about going
to meltdown,
this kind of
crackling,
snappling,
fizzing with power
and authority.
I think that's kind of
what John is trying
to describe.
There's something
fearsome,
something extraordinarily
awesome
and frightening
about it,
such that when you
see this throne
and God in the throne,
it causes you
to fall down
on your knees.
And yet,
for all its power,
for all its authority,
for all its
snapping,
cracking power,
there's something
distinctively
calm about it.
Because look at
verse 6.
Verse 6 says,
Before the throne,
there was,
as it were,
a sea of glass
like crystal.
In the book
of Revelation,
the sea is always
a picture of chaos
and upheaval.
Think of the sea
in the midst
of a storm.
You've got waves
crashing all over you.
One minute,
the waves are coming
from this side.
The next minute,
the waves are coming
from the other side.
And there's just
this chaos
and this upheaval.
And you never know
where it's going
to come from next.
Sometimes that feels
a little bit
like our world.
there's something
going on there
and just when you
think you've got
your head around it,
something emerges
on this side
and it's just
absolute chaos
and upheaval,
right?
The sea is always
a picture of this
chaos in the world.
But,
and that,
but notice
what's happening
before the throne here.
The sea
is at the feet
of the one
who's seated
on the throne
and it's as still
as glass.
Have you ever
been on the water,
either on the sea
or on a lake
and it's so still
it looks like glass.
It's like the,
the bank is mirrored
on the other side.
It looks like a mirror.
Have you ever
seen that before?
It's a picture
of absolute serenity
and calmness.
What's John
saying here?
He's saying,
before at the feet
of the one
who sits on the throne,
all the chaos,
all the upheaval,
everything that doesn't
make sense
and is difficult
in our world,
suddenly is found
calm
and peaceful
and serene.
And then look
at verse 4.
It says,
around the throne
are these 24
smaller thrones
upon which are
seated 24 elders.
Now,
what's up with
the 24 elders
that we sang
about earlier?
Well,
it's symbolic
of these two
groups of people.
In the Old Testament,
who are the 12
most important people?
Okay,
in the New Testament,
it's the 12 disciples,
the 12 that become
the apostles.
Ephesians tell us
that the church
is built on the work
of the 12 apostles.
In the Old Testament,
the 12 most important
people are the patriarchs.
Remember Judah
and Simeon
and Levi
and Asher
and Dan
and these are
the 12 sons
of Israel.
And the 12 patriarchs,
they form 12 tribes
and they are
kind of the forefathers,
the foundation
of the nation
of Israel.
And so,
in John's vision,
there are these
24 elders
which are the 12 patriarchs
of the Old Testament,
the 12 apostles
of the New Testament
and it's symbolic
of the fact that
around the throne
are all of God's people
from all of the ages.
The saints in the Old Testament
that loved God
and trusted Him
and served Him
and obeyed Him.
The saints in the New Testament,
those that loved God
and trusted Him
and served Him,
obeyed Him.
The entire realm
of God's people
in all the ages,
those who lived by faith
and gave themselves
the honor and the glory of God,
there they are
around God's throne
in the heavens.
Okay?
But notice John
sees something else.
Sorry,
we're working our way
through all this visionary
and we're going to get
to the implications
in a minute.
John sees something else.
Look at what he says
in verse 6b.
He says,
John tells us
that around the throne
are these four living creatures.
One of them looks like a lion,
one looks like an ox,
one looks like a man,
one looks like an eagle.
Now,
what on earth
is going on here?
Alright?
This is kind of
the interesting,
weird part of Revelation.
Right?
The first two chapters
is fine,
but this is where
we start to get interesting.
What on earth
is going on here?
Well,
think about it.
John is drawing
on the cultural symbols
of power
in his day.
Think about this.
Throughout history,
what have empires
and kingdoms,
what symbols
have they drawn on
to demonstrate
their power
and their authority
and their might?
often,
it's some kind
of strong animal,
some kind
of beast,
right?
So,
think about it.
Those of you
that are Americans,
what is the image
on the American
coat of arms
or the American
presidential seal?
Okay?
The eagle,
the bald eagle
arms,
wings spread out,
right?
Those of you
that are British,
Chris Thornton
and one or two others,
what is the symbol
of England's power
and the English Empire?
The lion,
right?
Remember,
England's soccer team
is called
the Three Lions
and I think
their coat of arms,
sorry,
you can't see it
very clearly,
it's a lion
and a unicorn
but typically,
think of the lion
of England,
right?
England,
the British rugby team,
the British Lions,
okay?
When you think
of China,
Chinese Empire,
what symbol
comes to mind?
Sorry?
A dragon,
right?
I think we've got
a dragon.
Yes,
we've got a dragon,
okay?
Now,
why do empires
do this?
Those that are
symbols of their power
and their authority
typically draw on
strong animals
and beasts
to provoke
this imagery
of power
and authority.
Now,
some countries,
we must admit,
are a little bit lacking
in the fear department,
okay?
South Africa,
our coat of arms,
we have a blue crane
which is kind of
like a stalk,
okay?
Australia,
Australia's got
a kangaroo.
New Zealand,
New Zealand's got
a leaf,
okay?
I know,
I know it's a fir
tree or something
special,
it's a leaf,
okay?
I think the southern
hemisphere,
we need to work
on our PR campaign,
okay?
The northern hemisphere,
we've got it right here.
Now,
typically empires,
those that are
conquering lands
and growing the empire,
they use these symbols
of power and strength
to symbolize the authority
and their might.
And the Roman Empire
did the same.
What was the Roman Empire's seal?
It was similar
to the American seal.
It's an eagle
with outspread wings.
And if you were to,
what is the ultimate
capital punishment
in the Roman Empire?
It was to be thrown
to the emperor's lions,
right?
And for those
in agrarian
or farming communities,
what was the ultimate
symbol of strength
and power
and economic capital?
It was the ox,
right?
Symbol of strength.
So what's Jesus
saying to the churches
in the first century here?
What's this image,
what does John see
when he sees this picture
of these three animals
or these three creatures
around the throne?
Everywhere around them,
they're being told
through symbols
and imagery
and sometimes direct force
that Rome's power
is invincible.
It's eternal.
Remember the graffiti?
Rome,
your power
will never end.
Jesus here
is taking the powers
and the symbols
of authority
and power
and he's subverting them.
He's turning them
on his head
and he's saying
that ultimately
they all
one day
bow down
to the one
who is on the throne.
And what will they do?
They won't just
begrudgingly bow down
because they've been conquered.
They won't be forced
to bow down.
One day
every single structure
of power
and authority
will willingly
and gladly
and joyfully
bow down
before the throne
of the one
in heaven
who rules
and reign
and will gladly
offer their worship
saying,
Worthy are you
our Lord and God
to receive glory
and honor
and power.
The emperor
is not worthy.
The emperor
doesn't hold authority.
You God alone
carry all authority.
Friends,
one day
every single
power authority
will bow down
to King Jesus.
And what's up
with the eyes?
Remember they've got
eyes all over
their bodies
all around.
It's picture language
symbolizing the fact
that they never
ever
take their eyes
off the one
who is on the throne.
No matter where they are
their eyes are fixated
orientated
on the one
on the throne.
Look at verse 8b.
The living creatures
are full of eyes
all around
and day and night
they never
cease to say
Holy,
Holy
is the Lord God
Almighty
who was and is
and is to come.
And again,
verse 11,
the elders
representing all
God's people
throughout the ages
are heroes
in the faith,
men and women
that we look up to
and esteem,
those with simple faith
in some village
in the middle of Africa
or Middle Asia
that nobody's ever heard of
but their trust
in the faithfulness
of God.
All people
throughout the ages
will take off
their crowns,
their accolades,
everything that people
esteem and honor them for,
symbols of glory
and honor.
What do they do with them?
They throw them up
at the feet
of the one
who's on the throne
and they say,
worthy are you
our Lord and God
to receive glory
and honor
and power
for you created
all things
and by your will
they existed
and were created.
And friends,
this is in fact
the climax
of the entire passage.
The entire point
of this passage
is that every power structure
will be overthrown.
And it's not just
that Jesus wins in the end,
it's that all creation,
including the mysteries
of creation,
those things we don't understand,
black holes
and creatures
at the bottom of the sea,
all creation
was brought into existence
to proclaim
the excellencies
and the glory
and the majesty
and the awesomeness
of the character of God.
And what is his character?
Well, look at what they say,
that he is holy.
Holy, holy, holy.
To be holy
means to be set apart,
to be distinct
from what is ordinary
or common.
Friends,
there is nothing
and no one,
no power structure,
no emperor,
no military
or political
or cultural
or economic leader
in all creation
that comes close
to the authority
of the one on the throne.
He is utterly
and entirely
in a league
of his own.
He is holy,
set apart from everything
and everyone.
He is sovereign
and almighty.
To be sovereign
means that you hold
ultimate authority.
There is nothing
above you.
There is nothing
and no one
that you answer to.
Everything exists
by his will
because he has chosen
it to be that way.
I don't know
if you remember
in the Old Testament
in the book of Daniel
there is this king
called Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar
was the king
of the Babylonian empire
and he was the greatest king
of the Babylonian empire
and he ruled
and he reigned
and he was the one
that built Babylon's
hanging gardens,
one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world.
He conquered empires.
He was incredible
and so towards
the end of his life
one day he walks out
onto the balcony
of his palace
and he overlooks
his empire
and this is what he says.
Is not this great Babylon
which I have built
by my mighty power
as a royal residence
and for the glory
of my majesty?
Okay.
Well, God hears that prayer
and God decides
to teach him
that it is not
to the glory
of Nebuchadnezzar's name
that these things
came into existence
and so God takes him
through a season
of humbling him
and at the end
of his life
Nebuchadnezzar
being humbled
by God
says this,
I praise and honor him
whose dominion
is an everlasting dominion
whose kingdom endures
from generation
to generation.
All the inhabitants
of the earth
are counted
as nothing
compared to him
for he,
God,
does according
to his own will
amongst the hosts
of heaven
and none
can stay his hand
that means
hold back his hand
and none
can say to him
what have you done?
He is the eternal
sovereign
majestic God.
Remember Isaiah 46?
Babylon at the height
of its power
it's sovereign
it's the world's
superpower
its army
is just smashing
and demolishing
everything
and God says this,
I am God
I declare from the end
I declare the end
from the beginning
from ancient times
things not yet done
what I say
says God
will happen
and my purposes
I will accomplish
them
why?
Because I am God
and there is no other
I am God
and there is none
like me
friends
the angels
bow down
before God
and they say
holy, holy, holy
the Lord God
the sovereign
almighty
furthermore
they say
he is the eternal one
Rome
your power
will never end
excuse me
getting political
Xi Jinping
your power
will never end
Vladimir Putin
your power
will never end
USA
the great greenback
the Renminbi
your power
will never end
friends
that's what
we are being told
there is one authority
there is one being
one power
one source of hope
and life
whose rule
and reign
has never
ever been threatened
from the beginning
of time
and whose rule
and reign
will never
ever be threatened
for all eternity
now the truth is
it doesn't always
feel like that
right
sometimes it follows
Jesus
we feel like
God
what's going on
remember Luke 24
Jesus disciples
are walking
from one place
to Emmaus
the heads
are hanging low
and one disciple
says to the other
man
we had really hoped
that that Jesus guy
he would be the one
to deliver
and liberate Israel
I guess that's
not going to happen
remember in Egypt
in Exodus
God's people
God brings Moses
to come and deliver
them and save them
Pharaoh encounters
Moses
and what does he do
things go from
bad to worse
he says
double your workload
remember God's people
sometimes
how they're arrested
thrown in jail
beaten
whipped
left for dead
remember how Christians
are being thrown
to the lions
and for the followers
of Jesus
in the first century
meeting at home
sometimes hiding away
from the authorities
at times
it must have felt
like God
where are you
we thought you
sovereign
what's up with this
where are you God
we've heard the stories
and now you must have
met your match
God it's been a good run
you've done well
but finally Rome
has conquered you
friends to the angels
to us the angels
remind us
that his kingdom
is an eternal one
he is the one
who is
and who was
and is to come
forever
and ever
his kingdom
is an eternal one
and you know
what that means
it means that
all that is not done
with eternity
in our minds
or God's glory
in our hearts
is eternally
irrelevant
and insignificant
do you get that
everything we do
without eternity
in our minds
and God's glory
and worship
in our hearts
is eternally irrelevant
and eternally insignificant
and because of this
because of God's
creative power
and his sovereign authority
and his supreme holiness
and his eternal glory
what do they say
worthy are you
oh God
to receive glory
and honor
and power
he is simply
worthy
now
next week
we're going to find out
from Colin Farrell
that God is worthy
to be worshipped
not only for who he is
but because of what he's done
but here the angels
worship him
not because he's done
a single thing
they don't worship him
because he delivered them
or because he saved them
from Egypt
or because he died
on the cross
just simply because
of who he is
worthy are you
our Lord and God
to receive glory
and honor
and praise
now
what does all of this mean
for the people
of the early church
2000 years ago
and what does it mean
for you and I today
well thank you
for asking that question
it means a whole bunch
of things
but I'm going to give us
just four things
two sources of encouragement
and two things
to challenge us
okay
and then we'll go
to communion
the first thing
it means is this
history will not be defined
by current circumstances
at the time
that John is writing
this epistle
this revelation
to the early churches
the followers of Jesus
it looked as if
Rome's empire
would never end
okay
it looked as if
the church was becoming
increasingly insignificant
and smaller
Rome's power
was on the rise
and becoming more
and more powerful
and to many
holding on to
Jesus' kingdom
and the gospel message
in the face of
Roman power
and glory
felt like trying
to hold on to water
and trying to hold
on to a stream
of water
right
it's just
it's going to run
away from you
it felt like
it's inevitable
it's going to disappear
but throughout
the book of Revelation
Rome's empire
is constantly
compared to Babylon
now why is that
well
500 years beforehand
Babylon
remember Nebuchadnezzar
was the superpower
of the age
and to the people
of God
in that day and age
it felt like
Babylon's power
would never end
it felt like
Babylon was
an eternal kingdom
and to the people
of God then
they felt like
God where are you
and yet Babylon
came to a decisive end
and so God
shows the people
in the first century
Rome is just like
Babylon
it feels all powerful
now
but the circumstances
which you find
yourself now
are not the circumstances
that are going to
define all of history
this power authority
is coming
to an end
and Jesus
is showing them
and he's showing us
that it seems
like the power structures
of our day
will never cease
it seems like
this is just
the way the world
is going
it seems like
if you try and resist
the way the world
is going
you're going to be
on the wrong side
of history
and friends
Jesus looks us
in the eye
and says
don't you believe it
friends
this very week
tomorrow
some of us
are going to go
to work
high schoolers
you're going to
go to school
university students
you go to class
you write an assignment
friends
this week
every one of us
are going to be told
every single day
that to follow Christ
and to live for his glory
and to steward our money
and our sexuality
and our desires
for his glory
and his kingdom
is a waste of time
because you're going to be
on the wrong side
of history
friends
this week
we're going to be told
that to obey Jesus
and to honor him
with our sexuality
and our views on gender
and our money
that you're going to be
on the wrong side of history
and it's a waste of time
and you're going to be irrelevant
friends
don't you believe it
all that is not done
with eternity in our minds
and God's glory
in our heart
is going to be eternally
irrelevant
and insignificant
that's the first thing
second bit of encouragement
is this
followers of Jesus
do not need to live
in fear
in our family
every now and then
typically on Friday nights
sometimes Saturday
or Sunday nights
we have family movie night
and what we do
is we make dinner together
so we make pizza
or sushi
or something
we all get involved
and then we'll put on
a movie
and we'll all watch it together
all four of us
okay
but invariably
what happens
no matter how
simple the movie is
okay
at some point in the movie
the music
you know
goes
no no no no
no no no
and
or the story
takes a dramatic turn
something goes wrong
and our two girls
with such tender hearts
run out of the room
to their bedrooms
covering their eyes
blocking their ears
and are too afraid
to watch the movie
right
and so what do Claire
and I have to do
we have to go to them
and say
I know how the story ends
it's okay
Ilsa and Anna
are going to be friends
again
okay
it's all going to be right
Simba is going to go back
to Pride Rock
and everything's going to be okay
at the moment
the thing is that
Annie and Mr. Socks
or whatever his name is
what's
whatever it is
they're going to get reconciled
okay
so it's okay
I know how the story ends
and we have to convince them
that it's going to be okay
in the end
friends
in this world
you and I are going to have trouble
no doubt about it
we're going to have trouble
and that's partly
because we live in a fallen world
our world is fallen
so there's heartache
and there's broken
things go wrong
it's partly because
if you're a follower of Jesus
there's a devil
that doesn't want you
to follow Jesus
he wants to destroy you
and destroy your faith
and it's partly because
you and I have got a sinful nature
and the sinful nature
in our hearts
causes us all sorts of trouble
the problem is not just out there
the problem is in here
right
and so you and I
are going to have trouble
and sometimes the fear
is so overwhelming
that we might just want to
run away
and block our ears
and cover our eyes
and just take away
their attention
and give ourselves
to some entertainment
or some other thing
that will distract us
from the troubles
in our world
friends
Jesus says
don't you see
how it's going to end
don't you see
who really holds the power
don't you see
there's a sovereign
omnipotent king
who really does sit
on the throne
of all creation
and yes
you will have trouble
in this world
but one day
every single thing
will bow the knee
before him
and will give him
glory and honor
and every knee
will declare
you are God almighty
you are worthy
to receive power
and praise
friends
that vision
will allow us
to get through
the trouble
and the difficulty
and the challenges
facing our life
and this vision
of Jesus on the throne
is what Hong Kong
most needs right now
and friends
it's what you and I
need right now
to see God
on the throne
that he is eternal
and he rules
and he reigns
last two things
is this
two challenges
we can put them
in the way
of two questions
the first one
is this
in light of
revelation 4
friends
are you
or I
are we wasting
our lives
are we wasting
our lives
friends
in the coming
there is a day
coming
when all the money
that we've accumulated
all the corporate
accolades
that we've won
and attained
are going to be
utterly meaningless
and the praise
of man
and the recognition
of those around us
and the glory
and the honor
that we've strived for
are not only
going to be irrelevant
but they're going to
taste like sand
in our mouth
before the throne
of the one
that we were made
to worship
and adore
friends
you've only got
one life
this one and only
life that you have
what are you going
to do with it
don't waste
your one and only
life
chasing after things
that are going to be
utterly meaningless
friends
how are you going
to spend this
one and only life
I pray
and I have been
praying for us
this week
I pray that each
one of us
whether you're a
businessman
whether you're a
lawyer
whether you're a
foreign domestic
worker
whether you're a
teacher
whether you stay
at home
and look after
kids
that one million
years from now
the things we
give ourselves
to this very
week
will still be
bearing fruit
because they
would have been
done for the
glory of his
name
to the praise
of the one
who created
all things
friends what are
you going to do
with your one
and only life
for some of you
young people
God may be
calling you to
full time ministry
to serve him as
a missionary
somewhere
to go into
ministry
don't run from
that calling
for some of you
in business
God's calling you
to serve him
to the praise
and the glory
of his name
in business
don't run
from that calling
serve him
to the glory
of his name
wherever you are
and then here's
the final application
the last challenge
is this
friends will you
be there
on that day
will you be
there
one of the most
unusual things
about the church
remember we said
the 24 elders
are a picture
of the church
the Old Testament
saints
the New Testament
saints
all seated
around the throne
giving honor
and glory to him
one of the most
unusual things
about the church
is that it includes
a whole bunch
of pretty sketchy
characters
okay
you think of
the apostles
think of the
apostle Paul
this guy who
went around
arresting people
tormenting people
persecuting people
sometimes killing
people because
they followed Jesus
you think of
the apostle Peter
the one who denies
Jesus in his
greatest hour
of need
you think of
the apostles
who fall asleep
as Jesus
about to go
to the cross
you think of
the other disciples
some of them
are tax collectors
Simon's a zealot
which means a
political terrorist
trying to overthrow
the Roman Empire
you think of
the Old Testament
saints
King David
the greatest
king in Israel's
history
he has an affair
with someone
she falls pregnant
and then he tries
to kill her husband
so that he doesn't
get blamed for
making her pregnant
friends
these are the saints
that are around
the throne
worshipping God
so what does that
tell us
it tells us
that the only
way that you
and I are
ever going to be
around God's throne
one day
is by grace
and grace
alone
friends
Jesus tells us
again and again
it's not the most
religious
it's not the most
dedicated
they get to be
with him
no amount of
religious dedication
or observance
can qualify you
to be part of
the people of God
and yet Jesus
tells us again
that no amount
of sin
can disqualify us
from God
because all of us
carry more sin
in our hearts
than we actually
realize
as Oscar said
we're all more
broken than we
realize
you may think
I'm such a sinner
that disqualifies
you
if you only knew
what a sinner
you were
you'd be
even more
convinced
but that doesn't
disqualify you
from the throne
of God
friends
these people
the elders
are gathered
around the throne
clothed in white
why are they in white
because they're not
there in their
righteousness alone
they're there
because they've been
given the righteousness
of Christ
friends
the only thing
that qualifies
us to stand
before the throne
of the sovereign
and holy God
is to recognize
that you and I
are not worthy
on our own
to come before him
how desperately
we need a savior
how desperately
I need a savior
friends
how desperately
you need a savior
friends
are you desperate
enough to cry out
to Jesus
for his mercy
have you come
to that place
if not
you may not
be a Christian
at all
you see
a Christian
is someone
not those
that have got it
all together
Christians
are not the most
noble
the most religious
the most moral
Christians
are those
who recognize
that they're sinners
and that their
only hope
is in salvation
for salvation
is in Christ
alone
and therefore
they come to him
and surrender
friends
have you done that
will you be there
on that day
will you be counted
amongst those
that are around
the throne
giving honor
and glory
to him
or friends
will you be banished
for all eternity
because you've trusted
in yourself
Jesus invites us
by the grace of God
to come to him
and find our hope
in him
friends here Jesus
shows us who is
governing the world
who you can really
trust
who is holding
the power
what happens
to the story
that is our lives
at the end
in the end
it all culminates
with the one
on the throne
with all creation
and all people
bringing glory
and honor
and praise to him
saying worthy
are you
our Lord
and God
to receive glory
and honor
and power
for you created
all things
and by your will
they all existed
and were created
let's respond to him
now
know
to start
work
and
set