"Worship Matters!"

One of the interesting phrases we see reported to all 7 churches is, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” My prayer for our church today and for our entire journey is that we would hear and obey what has been given to us here in Revelation. One of the most important things we need to know when we go through discouraging times and difficult days is who is God, and what is He doing. We need to know that God is for us and forgives those who run to him and confess their sin.

But our nature often times is to run from God and be selfish. I believe that after we as humans accomplish great things, achieve great things or even build up great things we can tend to believe that life is all about us. I am by nature a very selfish person. I can often times put my hobbies, my stuff, my life ahead of everything else, and think that life is all about me. That is why as soon as I zero in on God’s Word I am reminded that God is the one true center. God is the creator, sustainer and life-giver. Without Him none of us would be here. In fact, when we turn our lives over to Him we begin to understand that He is the one who gives us a true meaning and purpose to this life. I was visiting with someone this week and they were down and out and wondering what the meaning of life was??? I told them about Jesus and what He did for them and you could see the wheels begin to turn. Jesus who is God is the true center so turn to Him.

As we begin this journey through Revelation and we see the heart of this amazing revelation, I want to remind you that God is the true center and He is in control of this great big world that we live in. So regardless, of whatever is going on and that we are dealing with it is all about God.

I also want to remind you that God is mighty and powerful. God will return someday and maybe in our lifetime and he will take everything that is broken and evil and make it right. Today and from this moment forward I want you to know that God does have a plan and He is the one we can trust in!!!

1. God is in Control.

Revelation 1:4–8 ESV

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

We live in an evil and sinful world church. There are many people today who are looking for some sort of answer or Savior for all of the world’s problems. People ask where is God in all of these messes??? Why would God allow evil things to happen? How can there be a God or if there is, where is He at??? Right off the bat here verse 4 tells us something about God. “Who is, who was, and is to come.” And then verse 8 tells us that God is the Alpha and the Omega, He is the beginning and the end. We serve a God who has always been in control and who is currently in control and will always be in control. As many of you know I love to run and when I run one of the things that always takes place in a race is that there is a starting line and then there is a finish line. What we understand here about the Alpha and Omega is that God is at the starting line of history and all throughout it and He also is the finish line. When we look down through history we can see God’s hand in every part of it. So, He is in control.

In the end God will return and fix what is broken. The reason why we know this is because of what Jesus, the Son of God has done. Jesus died on the cross for our sin and rose from the grave so that we may have life. (Eternal Life) God when he returns will come to judge the evil of this world. In fact, much of Revelation tells us about God’s judgment. So, even though people may say it sure doesn’t seem like God is in control or know what He is doing, when he returns people will truly understand that He is. God will punish Satan and his followers and win the final battle. All of this shows us that God is in control but it also shows us that He loves us because he is holy and righteous and can’t let evil win. Yes, He is patient as 2 Peter 3:9 remind us of, but in the end evil will not be victorious. People will not get away with their evil deeds. The bottom line is this, God is in Control and we can trust in His plan and run to Him. We are living in tough times and there is nothing better and no one better to run to than God!

2. God rules and reigns over all things.

Revelation 4:1–5 ESV

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 jasper 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 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,

Revelation 11:17–18 ESV

saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

There are many people today who act as if they are the ones who are in charge and are mighty and powerful. Church, we need to know today that we serve a God who is the only one who truly rules and reigns. When we look back through God’s Word we see our God constantly ruling. We see God leading His people out of slavery, ruling over the seas and delivering His people. In Numbers 11 God’s people begin to complain that they don’t have meat to eat. They thought life was better for them back in Egypt. So, God tells Moses that he will provide the meat for them but Moses wonders how in the world that God will give all of these people meat. In verse 23 God tells Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you shall see, whether my word will come true for you or not.” And then God provides the meat. My point today is that God is the one who has always ruled and reigned. He is ruling and reigning today, and yet many Christians have wondered that as we go through difficult times. In Revelation we know that these believers were dealing with persecution. They were struggling through difficult days. In His book the Heart of Revelation Scott Duval tells us that life was tough for Christians in the time of the Roman Empire. In fact, the emperor claimed during this time to be Lord of all.

In Greek the Roman emperor was called by the name (autokrator) or the one who rules by himself. No one could be as great or compare to a Nero or Domitian. This is why they had statues of themselves put all over and coins inscribed with their names and pictures.

So, here in Revelation 1:8 John uses an even more powerful title for God. He uses the word Almighty. The greek word is (pantokrator) a word meaning ruler over all. What we need to know today church is that we have a God who is more powerful and than any person or great ruler. Even when it may seem that God is not working or doing anything He is ruling and reigning behind the scenes and has a plan.

So, John brings us to this amazing throne room scene in Chapter 4. John gets a little trip to heaven here where he sees some wonderful things about God. John shows us that God is seated on His throne. What this is a symbol or picture of is the fact that God is in charge. He is the one ruling and reigning. This message was so important to the churches John was writing too because many struggled with remaining faithful to God. They may have even wondered was God there or in control with all the persecution they were facing. When we read about this throne room scene and see how the 24 elders fall down to worship God we see who is ruling and reigning. That is why this part of God’s Word can help us remain faithful. It is so easy for me to come home from work and turn on the T.V. and wonder what is going on in this world? It can look like the next political, economic, or even sports figure is ruling and reigning. More people than ever before are speaking out today and it is so easy for our world to look up to people as a pretend god.

One day God will return and all of the things of this world, all of these false little kingdoms will come crashing down and the world will see the One True God, the King of Kings ruling and reigning. God will come to rescue His people and set up a new heaven and earth where we will dwell with him for all eternity.

3. God is Holy.

Revelation 4:6–8 ESV

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!”

When the Bible speaks about God’s holiness, it is referring to His transcendence, to His magnificence, and we see that God is higher and superior to anything there is in the creaturely realm.

Holiness is what God is all about. Here in these verses John continues to help us see this throne-room vision that has been given to him by Jesus. We now see some unbelievable and yet weird things. First of all John writes about the sea of glass. Generally the sea has a negative type of imagery but here it is as clear as crystal. John then sees four living creatures covered with eyes. One was like a lion, another a calf, another had the face of man and the fourth a face of an eagle. What we need to know is that these are angelic beings of worship. These creatures are strong like a lion and serve like an ox, see like a man, and are swift like an eagle. But most importantly they give witness to the greatness and glory of God. Day and night they never stop, they never sleep, and their message is clear. Their song or chant is, Repeating the words found from Isaiah chapter six, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming.” These four living creatures proclaim the holiness of God. Holy, Holy, Holy. In Hebrew, the double repetition of a word adds emphasis, while the rare threefold repetition designates the superlative and calls attention to the infinite holiness of God. God is holy and powerful and He is our God.

4. God created all things.

Revelation 4:9–11 ESV

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 is 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.”

It is so important for us to know and see today that our King is God Almighty. It can be easy for us today to put our hope in other Kings, rulers or famous people. But our King has unlimited power and might. He is the great “I am” of Exodus 3:14. He is the one who was, who is, and is coming. Because God is eternal, infinite, omnipotent, the creatures in heaven acknowledge that their existence and being are completely dependent on God. God is the reason they are there and we are here and the earth and everything in it is here. What this shows us is that God is worthy and almighty!!! God is the only one worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. Why??? Because He has created all things, and only He is eternal. God spoke into existence everything that exists and without Him nothing would be. Pastor Adrian Rogers said it like this, “If you woke up this morning and you are still here, then you need to know that God still has a plan for your life.” We can praise God today because He is the creator of all things and knows what He is doing. Let us Praise God for who He is.

5. God is our Wonderful Father.

Revelation 14:1 ESV

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

Revelation 21:7 ESV

The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

What these two verses point us to is that if you are a believer in Jesus today, if God has truly changed your life than He is your eternal Father. Now, I think that for some people today they can view God as an old man sitting up in heaven on His throne out in space somewhere and so often these type of people have a hard time believing in God. They have rejected any type of a personal God. So, I want us to know today church is that God is not far far away in a distant galaxy. He is near us and doesn’t leave us or give up on us. He loves and cares for His children. All throughout God’s Word we can see how God has been there for His people. We see it in the Exodus and how God provided for His people in the wilderness. We see how God brought His people out of exile and especially here in Revelation. God will someday bring us into a new heaven and a new earth and we will live with our Father for all eternity. We really see this wonderful picture in Revelation 21. God announces to us that His dwelling place is now among the people. If you are a Christian today then you need to hear this. We will be His people, and He will be our God and God will wipe every tear from our eyes and we will be His children. You may be here today and not feel loved or feel that someone has hurt you deeply. I want you to know today that no matter what has happened to you, that you have a wonderful Father in Heaven who loves you more than you could ever know.