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2010-01-24 (am) Revelation 4&5 Hallowed Be Your Name
The Heidelberg Catechism gives us a good explanation for the first request of the Lord’s prayer: Hallowed by your name.
This afternoon, we’re going to walk through this request, as taught by Revelation 4.
When we pray, “Hallowed be your name,” we’re asking God to help us really know him.
How do we know God?
There are two ways: general and special revelation.
General revelation includes seeing God’s handiwork in all of creation.
Just as an anthropologist can see human creativity in the brushstroke of a cave painting, we also can see God’s creativity in the brushstroke of DNA.
The second way, special revelation, is the Bible.
This is the revealed word of God.
It tells us who God is.
It includes commands from God which were given for our benefit.
It tells us that God has a plan for us, for his universe.
It tells us how God is in absolute power.
It tells us that God is completely just.
It demonstrates to us God’s incredible grace and mercy.
Above all, it describes God’s amazing love!
In the book of Revelation, we have recorded God’s special revelation to a man named John.
John saw things that were so amazing he could hardly put them down on paper!
One day we too will see, and we will understand.
Nevertheless, what John wrote is understandable, and it tells us all about God.
It tells us why he deserves our blessing, our worship, our praise.
John looks and sees an open door.
God doesn’t hide anything.
For those who seek, he reveals that he sought them first, he opens the door and invites them in.
John responds to the invitation and in the Spirit, goes through the door.
The first thing he sees is the throne in heaven and the one sitting on it.
God is worthy of praise, God is hallowed because he is on the throne.
Have you ever been to England? Have you seen Buckingham palace?
Have you seen the queen sitting on the throne?
There’s power there.
There’s a sense of awe.
But all that is nothing compared to what John saw and felt.
God’s throne represents all power and authority in the universe.
God is the just judge.
God will bring justice.
God will satisfy the broken hearted.
But the presence of a rainbow around the throne is a reminder.
God’s justice isn’t relentless.
There is a limit.
God himself holds back.
The rainbow reminds us of Noah.
God judged the world, but saved believing Noah and his family.
God made a way for them to escape judgement.
God has made a way for all who believe to escape judgement, through his Son, Jesus.
God isn’t a power-hungry tyrant.
He isn’t a paranoid dictator who does everything he can to hold onto his power.
We know this because, surrounding the throne is 24 thrones occupied by twenty-four elders.
God delegates his authority.
He doesn’t keep it all to himself.
He trusts others with power and responsibility.
When God placed Adam and Eve in the garden, he gave them dominion over it.
He empowered them to exercise their authority over all creation.
He created them to rule.
Think of it!
God gives people tremendous authority!
He raises up leaders and nations.
He uses people to bring justice and judgement, mercy and love!
He responds to needs by empowering people to respond!
But here is a powerful thought.
He gives us children.
He gives us the responsibility to raise them.
He delegates his authority to each and every parent!
What an awesome responsibility!
What amazing trust!
How can we not praise God for this?
Before the throne was a sea of glass.
The Israelites feared the sea.
They did not desire to travel on it.
For them, the sea represented the worst forms of evil.
Leviathan lived there.
Creatures large enough to swallow a man whole swam through the mighty waves.
But the sea before the throne is calm, restive and safe.
Doesn’t this call to mind another sea?
A lake like Slave lake, where a storm can come up in seconds, and even experienced fishermen can be caught off guard, and their boats capsized.
A storm came out of nowhere one night, and the men in the boat held on for their lives.
When all of a sudden, they saw an apparition.
They saw someone walking on the water!
Who could walk past them while they struggled in vain?
Then Peter recognised his Lord.
“If it is you, tell me to come to you on the water!
And so Peter, dangerously rocking the boat, literally and figuratively, jumped overboard and began walking to his Lord.
But the storm rose up around him and for a moment, he took his eyes off his Lord.
He started to sink, he cried out for help.
Jesus reached out and pulled him up and held him.
With a word, he calmed the storm.
He and Peter got into the boat and finished their journey.
God is hallowed because he calms the storms of life.
He promises peace in the midst of sorrow, anguish and trial.
He brings perfect peace.
One day, all the storms of life will be stilled.
God will make it so.
In the meantime, Jesus comes to us, walking on the waves of the storm.
Even if we start to sink, Jesus pulls us up, he has the strength to hold us!
Before the throne are 4 living creatures.
God is the source of every created thing.
God chose to create!
God chose to create you.
David says, “You created me in my mother’s womb.
You are on this earth because God chose to make you!
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