The Lion and the Lamb

Gender Bibles with you today I'll ask your turn with me if you would Revelation chapter 5.

Look at verses one through 10 this morning. Thus all the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals and no one in heaven on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it now begin to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll to look into it.

One of the elders said wait no more of a hold the line of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll seven seals between the throne and the four living creatures among the elders. I saw a Lamb standing is already been slain with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out to all the earth, and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne when you taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, and they sang a new song, saying, worthy are you to take the scroll and open it seals, for you were slain by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth spray all heavenly father we thank you for the privilege Lord of coming together worship you this morning. We pray father that I worship will be a sweet savor to you with family father that today as we look at at Revelation chapter 5 in and we behold a lot of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb that was slain at father. We might just be broken at father. We might realize that this great Jesus loved us so deeply that he gave his life for us that we might know God, that we might have a relationship with the living God, heavenly father, I would pray that you would help me as I as I preach this passage today that Jesus would be uplifted that he would be exalted.

This congregation will be edified. Heavenly father, may we understand the symbolism that is they are.

It may it challenge us and comfort us in and correct this Lord and in areas of our life that need correction guide and direct us through the passage will give you praise and honor and glory for what you do for us today and it's Jesus precious, holy name we pray. Amen.

You may be seated. The British philosopher Bertrand Russell is considered to be one of the leading atheistic thinkers of the 20th century, and I want to take a moment to read you one of his quotes. He said history is the chance product of a causeless series of events man's origins, his growth, his hopes and fears his laws and his beliefs about the outcome of random collocations of atoms realist must accept.

He insisted that all the inspiration all the noonday brightness of human genius are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system.

Russell concluded only within the scaffolding of these truths only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair. Can the soul's habitation. Henceforth be safely built. I get mad just reading that and as I think about all the kids across our nation today in public school systems that are hearing that jot every single day. I get mad when I think about the pseudo-intellectual college professors that are feeding that cannot garbage into the minds of our young people is no wonder we see so many teenage suicides today and drug addictions and alcohol addictions in young people with just absolutely no hope whatsoever today as we dive into Revelation chapter 5 we see the apostle John for just a brief moment he's experiencing some of that same despair that Bertrand Russell wrote of John is doing heaven and is is you in heaven. He sees God and God's hand. There is a scroll, which is the divine will of God. And then he hears a voice saying that there is no one worthy to open the scroll and to break it seals.

What does that mean that means that John is contemplating what this life would be and what this world would be without Christ is looking at her and our people who have no mediator between God and man. And what does the Scripture say it says that John wept loudly as three points I want to share with you today. Number one is this no one worthy no one worthy. Look at verses one through four again that I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and break it seals and no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Now what is this scroll there been many theories.

One theory is that it was the last will and testament of Jesus Christ and they would use a passage like first Peter chapter 1 verse four that says this an inheritance that is imperishable and undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Some have theorized as number two that it could have been the Lamb's book of life. That book that contains the names of every child of God, of every person who is under the blood of the Lamb of every person who will be saved of every person who will go to heaven.

I don't think that either one of those theories are correct. I think this this idea of the scroll and what is in that scroll is as much deeper is much wider than than either the last will and testament of Jesus or the Lamb's book of life. I think Richard Phillips got it right.

This is what he said about the scroll. The scroll Revelation 5 is the entirety of God's will for history both in judging the wicked and in redeeming his people.

This scroll is written on both sides, showing that it contains the entire story of God's will.

According to William Hendrickson. The scroll symbolizes God's purpose. What with respect to the entire universe throughout history and concerning all creatures and all ages and all eternity. GB cared comments this scroll is God's redemptive plan foreshadowed in the Old Testament, by which he means to assert his sovereignty over a sinful world. And so to achieve the purpose of creation, folks, this scroll is a review and a preview of the sovereign hand of God over all of history. Atlanta give users the verses just to chew on as we are looking at the as is God really the sovereign does he know exactly what's going to take place as he know exactly what's happening. Isaiah 46 versus 9 to 10 remember the former things of both prime God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times, things that are not yet done say in my counsel shall stand, and I will do all of my poor pleasure. Some hundred 39 verse 16.

David is speaking to God. It says your eyes saw my substance be and yet unformed and in your book. They were all were written the day's fashion for me, when as yet they were none of them. This scroll is a prerecorded book of history. It tells us what is going to happen from creation to wreak creation. It prophetically speaks of so many things that all the way to see Scripture and all the way through history. It tells us what's going to take place.

It tells us about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. it tells us about great tribulation that's coming. It tells us about the intense persecution that Christians will have to endure. It tells us about the second coming of Christ. It tells us about the final judgment.

It tells us about the new heavens and the new earth. How detailed is it will go back to Psalm 139 and Dave is explaining how God in his book has us at ADA in every part of our body written in his book before we were even conceived. No detail is left out as RC Sproul said so eloquently there is not one maverick molecule in this universe brings you don't believe that God is sovereign and Almighty, if you don't believe that that God is ignition that God is all-powerful. If you don't believe that, then we ask you this.

What do you do with prophecy was the prophecy that God gave us in Scripture. Just an educated guess what, what, when, when Isaiah prophesied that that the Messiah would be born 750 years before it happened and that he would be born as a virgin. Was that just conjecture, who was a just a guess that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem was a just a guess that Jesus would dial across that he would be betrayed by friend that that AE would have soldiers that would gamble for his close and ended what was that just a guess. Was it just coincidence was it was a coincidence at 33 Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled to the letter on the day that Jesus died but God is sovereign over all of his creation. And if you can trust that I'll promise you before God.

It will change your life.

It will change everything about you. You will have peace in your heart you won't fear man anymore. You'll have an excitement about knowing God, and you will be a faithful disciple sovereignty of God over and over. History does not mean that we are robots.

It does not mean that that we are less accountable for our sins. It is not mean that we don't make decisions, but it means this God is in control of history.

And that includes me, and that includes you. John sees this scroll, but it the scroll is sealed up to listen to Debbie grizzle's description of this scroll, or we would call the book today. He says this. That book represents a forfeited inheritance. The inheritance is what God created for us for Adam seed. We lost it in sin and transgression usurper took it CN death hail Satan, iniquity, judgment, wrath, and the curse took away our inheritance as it is and to this day according to the law and the customs of ancient Jewish people the side of a forfeited inheritance was a sealed book.

The fact it is a seven sealed emphasizes the encumbrances that are upon this inheritance and interloper and intruder and alien an enemy has taken it in that book of redemption awaits of the whale, a kinsman redeemer, a worthy qualified in legal kinsman to bite back and restore it to its rightful owners. Folks that scroll needed to be opened.

Why, because at that scroll was not opened. Then we would have no hope. So the angel comes to asked the question who is worthy to open the scroll and to break the seals on that scroll is our hope real. Can we know that our future is certain, yes we can, but only only if that scroll is opened one anyone worthy me. What about Moses what he worthy know he was a sinner. What about David know he was a sinner.

What about Isaiah know he was a sinner.

What about Nehemiah know he was a sinner. What about Daniel not only was the center about John the Baptist.

No, he was a sinner. The destiny of John the destiny of the church that the destiny of this universe hangs in the balance over the question of whether or not someone can open that scroll so the search for a worthy one begins and no one is found. No one is found in John breaks down, he begins to cry and weep and shake and tremble. Once again grizzle said this, tears of John represent the tears of all God's people through all the centuries, those tears of the apostle John of the tears of Adam and Eve driven out of the Garden of Eden is a ballot over the first grade as they watered the dust of the ground with her tears over the silent steel form of their son able those of the tears of the children of Israel in bondage as they cried unto God in their affliction and slavery.

They are the tears of God's elect to the centuries as they cried into heaven. There the solids and tears that have been run from the heart and soul of God's people.

As I looked on their silent dead as a stand beside open grays as they experience in the trials and suffering of life partakes and disappointments indescribable, such as the curse that CN is laid up in God's beautiful creation and this is the damnation of the hand of him who holds it that usurper that interloper that intruder that alien that stranger that Dragon that serpent that Satan devil and I wept audibly for the failure to find redeemer meant that this earth and its cursed is consigned forever to death.

It meant that death CN damnation in hail should reign forever and ever in the sovereignty of God's earth should remain forever in the hands of Satan.

I wept much, because not even one in heaven or earth under the earth was found worthy to open the book and to lose lose those seven seals in the cast out those who curse and dam our souls. I wept much the book of Revelation. Stop right here and you and I could just walk out of this building right now go fishing for the rest of the day, eat, drink and be merry because it would mean that this world is absolutely void of hope and that's what John is feeling for this brief moment he stealing that void of hope. William Hendrickson said if this scroll is not open. It means they'll be no protection for God's children and I was a bitter trial. No judgments upon a persecuting world. No ultimate triumph for believers. No new heaven and earth, no future inheritance. Last week was Easter Sunday and last Easter Sunday morning in Sri Lanka.

There were six churches that were bombed and 340 at least that number 340 Christians were killed in that bombing. I was listening to the news on the way to church last Sunday morning and I heard the report that was given some of our politicians were saying that the ones who were killed were Easter worshipers. They weren't even calling them Christians and I were naming the ones who brought about their death.

Islamist is that scroll had never been open. The tragedy took place last week would be 5 billion times worse than it really is. But in heaven last Sunday. 340 martyrs open their eyes and glory, and the first thing that they solve was King Jesus last Sunday morning I was sitting back and in my chair. Get ready to preach for the choir song Eugene the lens acquiring and and Laura sang a beautiful solo part in that choir. Almost Christ exalting songs that I've ever heard. As they were seeing that tears roll down my cheeks and my mind was just just concerned with the glory of God. Then all of a sudden I begin to think about that. Those 340 martyrs that were at that moment on resurrection Sunday bow down before King Jesus worshiping him with everything they had, looking at him face-to-face. I thought, wow, what I'm experiencing here is glorious but what they're experiencing is 5 million times better but I want you to know that scroll had not been opened. If that scroll had not been open there would have been the rejoicing in heaven, though Sri Lanka Christians would not have been in private with Christ in glory, they would have been in hail with the ones who murdered them there would have been no glory there would have been no justice there would have been no worship brothers and sisters. That's why John was weeping like .2 is weep no more. Look at verse five, and one of the rulers said to me, weep no more of a whole line of the tribe of Judah, the root of David is conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals is significant to me that the relief came not from an an angel, but it came from one of the redeemed ones.

They came from one of John's brothers. It came from one of the elders, that's who it came from a I think that's significant because the Angels have never experienced the bitterness of sin, but we the redeemed of Christ have experienced that bitterness of sin, and so the seller stands up and what is he say he says wait no more. For behold the line of the tribe of Judah, the root of David is conquered and he can open the seal books.

There is a worthy one. There is one who can open the scroll. There is one who can redeem the world. There is one who can defeat the devil who can vanquish sin. There is one who can transforms lives his name is Jesus.

There is one who can open that scroll. He not only knows history future. He is redeemed history future books tribulation is coming tribulation is coming but but it's not the final word evil men will rule and reign, but it's temporary. CN will flourish, but it will not prevail.

Why because Jesus Christ is the victor.

The victory has been won at the cross and those who love Jesus. Those who know him are going to be able to to share with him in that victory. Jesus is the rock and Jesus said on that rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Week not John week, not 24 elders weep not church the scroll has been opened in the last chapter has been written in that last chapter tells us what it tells us the is praise God.

Jesus wins Jesus wins Revelation 55 is the only verse in the Bible refers to Jesus as a line of the tribe of Judah and yet this is one of the titles for price that that we love the most, and then in Genesis chapter 49 Jacob prophesied that Judah would be alliance, hub 2000 years before Jesus was born was approximately that there was one coming from the tribe of Judah who would be a a sovereign great master, a divine warrior who would come and rule over history and this would be a one who would rule like a lion he would rule like the king of beast. I remember when I was on a mission trip to Africa several years ago on one of our breaks one of the gods took us out into the wild and also animals like I've never seen. We saw elephants and giraffes and hippos. We saw 35 law of foot-long yellow crocodile. I saw monkeys and baboons but the one that really intrigued me was a lion and I actually saw a lion that was sneaking up on the good sale and pounced on that goes they'll and had him down in just a matter of minutes and was making out a breakfast out of and I thought my goodness that is power foods. Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah, all majestic, all sovereign, all powerful. He is keen Jesus is also called the root of David, because of C and David's lineage was almost completely cut off, but Isaiah makes a promise to us if there's going to be a chute that is going to come from the stump of Jesse David's lineage and Jesus perfectly fit that in perfectly fulfilled that prophecy came from the tribe of Judah. He came from the lineage of David to be our king books. Those trees were prophesied in the scroll of it in the scroll that was in God's hand that takes us to .3 and that's the is the Lamb wins. Look at verses 6 to 10 between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders. Also, Lamb standing, as though it been slain with seven horns it with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God's inaptly, all the earth, and he went he took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne when you taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a heart and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, and they sang a new song say unworthy are you to take the scroll and open it seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. In verse six, Jesus says there is that door. John says that he sees the Lamb standing in the midst of the throne don't skim over that Jesus is the sinner.

Jesus is the focus. Everything else in heaven is peripheral. Some great things in heaven, Arthur streets of gold gates of Pearl River life four living creatures.

24 elders, but John can't take his eyes off the Jesus I get kind of upset with some of the prophecy mongers who will spend all their time studying all the ins and outs and all the details of of the beast and the and the false prophet and they miss the primary thing they miss Jesus they miss Jesus. Jesus stands in the midst of the throne. The scroll is the history of the world passed, present and future, and folks what is history.

History is his story.

It's all about Jesus.

We have a description of Jesus here that I want to keep in on for the rest of this message, he is called a line of the tribe of Judah and what else in the Lamb that was slain the line of the tribe of Judah, the Lamb that was slain the word for Lamb in the Greek is not the normal word for Lamb it's a Greek word Arnie on and that word means a pet Lamb and a little compassionate, innocent, sweet pet Lamb and thank you read it in Strong's concordance. It says a Lampkin a Lampkin now realize that I've use this illustration. A lot of times, and one of my favorite illustrations and I've use a lot of time.

Some of you probably can tell it better than me but it's an illustration that God used in my life to help me understand just exactly who Jesus is. How much Jesus love me. And in this is just a great illustration but I some of you are new here and that we have a radio ministry so I'm not in apologize for.

But here's the illustration for when the ministry I work for associated grocers, mutual and I worked in the meat division with a guy that would come by about once a week who worked in a slaughterhouse. He come by to buy supplies came by one particular week, and he said I dug out I won't be by here anymore us.

And why not, he soon quit my job as a why you quit your job. He said well quit my job because they said our company is to have a policy of just killing cows and pigs and as it was my responsibility to stand at the end of this long shoot and they would send the cows and the pigs down to me, one at a time and I get about halfway down that chute and they start kicking and biting and scratching and fighting a dude whatever they had to get away said it was always such a struggle is that I just took their head written just pulled it up, took my short life slit their throats in amount of the next station said never bothered me at all visible. Last week we start a new policy of killing lambs. He said that first little lamb walked into that chute where I was. He didn't delete it. In fuss and invite and try to get away nothing that he just walked right up to me looked up to me these big tender brown eyes. He said I reached and I took his little jaw in my hand I held it up and I took my short life, and I slit his throat. He said still that Lamb didn't delete it and fight and try to get away nothing.

He said I held his jaw in my hand and that lifeblood was just gushing forth out of that open wound and I watched team and he said, his eyes got weaker and weaker and weaker and then right before he breathed his last breath. He reached over and licked my hand and died guy said I had to quit my job PC because I knew I could never do that again as soon as he told me that story all I could think about was Jesus from Isaiah chapter 53 verse seven says that when the Messiah would come. He he wouldn't be led as a lamb to the slaughter. Yet he would open not his mouth.

That's the Lamb that's the Jesus that John sees in the center of the throne. It's a lamb light line. It's a lionlike layout and if you try not to toot, pulled those two apart and separate those two than you going to give a distorted picture of who Jesus Christ really is, folks.

Jesus is a judge and he is our Savior. He is a CN fighter.

He is a CN for giver. He is a perfect justice and he has perfect mercy is the personification of toughness. He is the personification of tenderness. He has perfect wrath and he is perfect love in the light of that, I would submit to you today the most important thing in your life is to become like Jesus in Romans chapter 8 verse 29. The apostle Paul said more moreover whom he did for no them.

He also predestined to be conformed into the image of Jesus.

God didn't save you just to keep you from hail God didn't save you just to get you into heaven. God saved you to make you like Jesus. Richard Phillips ended his commentary on this passage with these words. I'll close with this John rejoiced to see Jesus as the line who conquered as a lamb through faith in him. Christians conquer in many ways we repent of sin, we uphold biblical truth we witness and lead others to salvation. The power the line opposes the many trials, but we are most like Jesus when we conquer through the mercy and sacrificial love by which he took us took up on the cross is the Lamb forgiving those who sin against us, and reaching out with grace for those who are lost.

Surely it was especially for those who follow in the meek submission of the Lamb who was slain that Jesus promised the one who conquers I will grant him to sit with me on my throne is also conquered and sat down with my father on his throwing is that not glorious folks this pray heavenly father.

What a glorious passage were looking at today a passage Lord that helps us that we might understand the nature of God, that we might understand that Jesus Christ is the line of the tribe of Judah, powerful, mighty kingly sovereign, all knowing, a powerful, mighty king, and yet the Lamb that was slain a God who is merciful and loving God. He depletes compassionate and cares heavenly father we thank you for the cute beautiful and glorious combination. We pray heavenly father is you conform us into the image of Jesus, that we might be like that father that we might be boulders lines in general is lambs that we might have a heart Lord that that stands for truth no matter what you had a heart Lord that reaches out mercy to people who don't know and love you heavenly father guide and direct us in all that we do. May our lives bring honor and glory to you for us in Jesus precious, holy name we pray.

Amen