Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Sermon Brief

“Who is Worthy?”

INTRODUCTION

(Clip #1: Who is worthy to lift Thor’s hammer; 0:50 min) In the cinematic Marvel Universe, the superhero/god Thor possesses a special weapon…the hammer (aka MJOLNIR) which may only be picked up by a person who is worthy.

Whoever is able to lift the hammer also rules Asgard, his home world.

In this scene from Avengers 2, the team members take turns trying to pick up the hammer.

All to their demise.

Captain America gets close, and even makes Thor flinch…but none is found worthy.

Later in the movie, a new superhero is created known as Vision.

And what happens next is quite shocking to the group.

Well, take a look (Clip #2: Vision lifts Thor’s hammer; 0:33 min).

“Who is worthy” is an interesting question.

Dads often ask it of the boys their daughters choose to date.

Dads, can we all agree there’s no one worthy enough to date your daughter!? Sports enthusiasts ask it weekly as to who is the top team in the land.

As March Madness is almost upon us, all serious sports enthusiasts will ponder as to who is worthy for the top 4 #1 seeds in the big dance.

By the way, any Tar heel fans in the house?

This year, 2016, is the year of the US Presidential election.

Can I just say I wish it was the day after the election already?!

But from now through Tuesday, November 8, political analysts and much of the world will ponder the question “Who is worthy” to sit in the Oval Office?

It’s an important question.

But this morning, I want to pose a different question.

Not one of dating, basketball games, or oval offices.

I want to ask the question of “Who is worthy” to both rule the world…and reign in your life?

Take your Bible and turn with me to (TEXT).

In Revelation, John writes a very unique book of our Bible.

And he is writing to people in a very similar situation as we are today.

The first readers of the Revelation lived in a world that was opposed to Christianity.

Indeed, John had been exiled to his version of Alcatraz, known as Patmos, for his faith in Jesus Christ.

At least one person has already been martyred for the faith.

The church was under persecution…and even more loomed on the horizon.

The year is approximately 95-96 AD, and Domitian sits on the imperial throne of Rome.

The earthly throne was ruled by one who was NOT worthy.

And I imagine those early believers wondered, “Who is worthy” to redeem us?

When will Jesus return and turn this world back right again.

When will the end come?

And when it comes, what will happen?

These questions and many more are answered in Revelation.

Stand with me, in honor of the reading of God’s Word, as I read...

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revolves around a central object, a book or scroll.

We read the word some 8 times in our passage, and it serves as an important item to first see.

follows the beautiful throne chapter of .

There John has entered through an open door into heaven.

Summoned by a voice like a trumpet, John finds himself “in the Spirit” () and before him is a throne.

The throne appears no less than 11 times in those 14 verses, obviously a central figure.

revolves around a central object, a book or scroll.

We read the word some 8 times in our passage, and it serves as an important item to first see.

follows the beautiful throne chapter of .

There John has entered through an open door into heaven.

Summoned by a voice like a trumpet, John finds himself “in the Spirit” (v. 2) and before him is a throne.

The throne appears no less than 11 times in those 14 chapters, obviously a central figure.

But more important than the throne is the One who sits upon the throne.

All of the colors, splendor, and worship reveals that it is none else than God Himself upon that throne.

And that’s why in verse 8 the four living creatures respond singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” ().

Then following these four living creatures, the 24 elders fall down casting their crowns before the throne saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” ().

But more important than the throne is the One who sits upon the throne.

All of the colors, splendor, and worship reveals that it is none else than God Himself upon that throne.

And that’s why in verse 8 the four living creatures respond singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” ().

Then following these four living creatures, the 24 elders fall down casting their crowns before the throne saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” ().

This, then, is the backdrop to our text this morning.

A celestial throne room.

The presence of God.

Four living creatures, 24 elders, all singing praise unto God.

And there John stood breathlessly taking it all in.

I imagine he might have leaned over against a wall or a railing to hold himself up in the presence of such a sight.

Had it been me, I would had to pick my proverbial chin off the floor.

Can you imagine the sights?

The sounds?

Can you imagine standing in the presence of God?!

But then the scene quickly changes.

As John is watching this scene unfold, not even blinking, he notices the book.

Our text uses the word “book,” but it was really more of a scroll.

The codex, or book, as we know was not likely the image, though that it is the word here βιβλίον from which we get our word Bible and bibliography.

But notice this book.

First, notice the location of the scroll.

The book is found on/in the palm of God’s hand.

Now you have to remember that John is using the best language he can to describe the splendor of what he is seeing.

But here he sees in the right hand of Him who sits on the throne, that is God, a scroll.

Different Bible translations translate the little word “in” or “on” differently.

It seems best to understand it as “on,” that is, the book is laying on the hand.

It’s not like God is holding it tight fist saying, “Who can get this out of my hand.”

No, it seems right that he is extending the scroll out in search, yes a search for who can open it.

Second, notice the filledness of the scroll.

Verse 1 says the book is written inside and on the back.

In that day, scrolls were made out of one of two materials.

One was papyrus which was made by cutting strips of pith from inside the stalks of the plant, laying the strips in two layers at right angles, then pounding them together and allowing them to dry.

They would then write on the horizontal side, but most often they would not write on the vertical side…the back.

The other material was vellum, an animal skin.

It seems most likely that the scroll here was made of papyrus.

That the scroll was written, as it were, “inside and on the back” was a sign that it was quite full and indeed complete.

Second, notice the filledness of the scroll.

Verse 1 says the book is written inside and on the back.

In that day, scrolls were made out of one of two materials.

One was papyrus which was made by cutting strips of pith from inside the stalks of the plant, laying the strips in two layers at right angles, then pounding them together and allowing them to dry.

They would then write on the horizontal side, but most often they would not write on the vertical side…the back.

The other material was vellum, an animal skin.

It seems most likely that the scroll here was made of papyrus.

That the scroll was written, as it were, “inside and on the back” was a sign that it was quite full and indeed complete.

Third, notice the sealedness of the scroll.

It is sealed with 7 seals.