Radical with David Platt
The Glory of the Triune God
In the life of a follower of Christ, suffering can either push them into compromise or press them into adoration of the triune God. In this message on Revelation 4–5, David Platt teaches us that the triune God is worthy of our full devotion and praise, especially in the midst of suffering. In beholding the glory of the triune God, we are compelled to receive salvation, empowered to escape temptation, and enabled to endure temptation. 1.
From unexpected olympic champion to martyr in China. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell’s win in the 1924 games.
In Glory Road, Radical’s new narrative podcast, we’ll follow Liddell’s remarkable journey, and discover the current state of the gospel in the countries he knew best.
Start listening to this 6 part series now everywhere you listen to podcasts or find out more at radical.net/gloryroad
In the life of a follower of Christ, suffering can either push them into compromise or press them into adoration of the triune God. In this message on Revelation 4–5, David Platt teaches us that the triune God is worthy of our full devotion and praise, especially in the midst of suffering. In beholding the glory of the triune God, we are compelled to receive salvation, empowered to escape temptation, and enabled to endure temptation. 1.
From unexpected olympic champion to martyr in China. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell’s win in the 1924 games.
In Glory Road, Radical’s new narrative podcast, we’ll follow Liddell’s remarkable journey, and discover the current state of the gospel in the countries he knew best.
Start listening to this 6 part series now everywhere you listen to podcasts or find out more at radical.net/gloryroad
You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from Pastor, author and Teacher, david Platt.
Speaker 2:Revelation 4 and 5. 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, and before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass, like crystal.
Speaker 3: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 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.
Speaker 2:Then I saw on 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 its seals. And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroller to look into it. And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroller to look into it. And one of the elders said to me Weep no more. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.
Speaker 3:And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God set out into all the earth, and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him, who was seated on the throne.
Speaker 2:And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, and they sang a new song saying Scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and by your blood you ran some people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.
Speaker 3:Then I looked and I heard around the throne and living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth, and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them saying To him who sits on the throne, and to the lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.
Speaker 2:And the four living creatures said Amen and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Speaker 1:If you have the word of this God, and I hope you do, let me invite you to open with me to Revelation chapter four. Let me invite you to pull out those notes that are in the worship guide you received when you came. In Revelation chapter four, where the good just keeps getting better. So we have seen a grand, majestic portrait of the gospel and of Jesus in Revelation one, and we have heard piercing, penetrating words from Christ's church in Revelation two and three. And now tonight we come to two of the most glorious chapters in the entire Bible in Revelation four and five, the glory of the triune God on display for all to see A glimpse of the lamb who is worthy of the worship of every language and people and tribe and nation. So I've got to tell you one quick family story. We were having family worship not long ago. It was one particular night it was actually at the end of June when we were finishing up the Matthew series, and it was a Saturday night before I was preaching on the Great Commission the next morning. And so most of you know our family makeup, just in case you don't. Our first son we adopted from Kazakhstan. Our second son, joshua, came along the more natural way Our third child, mara Ruth, we adopted from China back in December. And then we have fourth son, lord willing, on the way around Thanksgiving, isaiah James. So we're sitting around having family worship that night and I told the kids I said Daddy's going to preach tomorrow on making disciples of all nations and I said so let's pray that tomorrow God might raise up some people from Raquille's to go to other nations. And I looked at Caleb and I said tomorrow, buddy, god might raise up somebody to go to Kazakhstan to tell people about Jesus. He just kind of smiled. I looked toward Mara Ruth and I said tomorrow God may call somebody to go to China. And she doesn't really know what's going on, but she was smiling anyway. And then I just said kind of generally I said tomorrow God may call somebody to go to Africa. And Joshua sits up and with a hopeful look at his eyes, said is that where I'm from? I thought this is my place. And Caleb looked back and I was like no, joshua, you're from Birmingham. And he sits. So there is coming a day when men and women from Kazakhstan and China and Birmingham and every other place on the planet will behold the glory of the triune God and give him the praise and honor and worship that he is due. So, very simply, tonight I want to show you a portrait of God and then I want you to realize the point for us. I want to tie this vision of God's glory with what we talked about last week. So Revelation 4 and 5 don't just appear out of nowhere. Jesus has just spoken to churches who, if you were here last week, you may remember. These are churches Revelation 2 and 3 who are walking through war against sin and suffering. Some of them are thriving and Jesus is encouraging them to endure. Others of them are struggling, they're compromising, they're giving into complacency, and all of them need encouragement to hold fast to God and to preach the gospel, even at the risk of their lives. So how does God motivate His people to stand fast and suffering, and how does God motivate His people to run away from sin? And how does God motivate His people to spend their lives even lose them if necessary making the gospel known? So I want to show you is that God motivates people with a vision of Himself. He says to them I want you to see your suffering in light of who I am. I want you to see your battles with sin in light of who Christ is. I want you to spread the gospel and the world and the view of my and view of my glory. So this is the point of Revelation 4 and 5 for these people in the first century and for every person in this room tonight, in the 21st century to look at everything in our lives through the lens of the glory of the Triune God. So that's my goal tonight. My goal is that you would walk away from here in a few minutes with new eyes, with a new perspective on every single thing in your life, because you're seeing everything through the lens of the glory of the Triune God. You've got a lot of ground to cover. We'll dive in the portrait of God in Revelation 4 and 5. Imagine the scene as John sees a door standing open in heaven and he is invited to come up and get a glimpse of God God the Father, god the Son and God the Holy Spirit, all portrayed here in this kaleidoscope of heavenly images. That absolutely takes your breath away. So let your imagination run wild as you hear John describing God the Father, and all of John's descriptions here are just saturated with Old Testament illusions. You compare this passage to Ezekiel, chapter 1, and Daniel, chapter 7, and Isaiah, chapter 6, other throne room scenes in the Bible. This is the culmination of all those throne room scenes, right here, as John describes God the Father, first of all he is sitting at the center of the universe. So everything in these two chapters revolves around the throne of God, 17 different times that John uses the term throne. God's throne is at the center of everything. The picture is everything centering around God, everything in this scene and everything in the world, every facet of our lives, everything. So, at school students, every subject you study centers around God. Do not view science apart from the glory of the triune God, you'll miss the whole point of science. Do not look at history apart from the glory of the triune God, you'll miss the whole point of history. You'll miss the whole point of science and history in every other subject if you try to view them in a godless manner, because God is at the center of all of them. Work, ladies and gentlemen, your jobs. You will not understand your work rightly as a lawyer, doctor, counselor, teacher, consultant, engineer, manager, mechanic, sales rep or stay-at-home mom unless you understand that God is at the center of the universe and everything in your work ultimately revolves around God. He sits at the center of the universe and everything revolves around Him there. He dwells in unapproachable light. Now I'm using language there from 1 Timothy, chapter 6, verse 16. Now God is the blessed and only sovereign who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. Now I want to remind you that we need to be careful in scenes like this not to get too carried away in these symbolic images and start attributing literal meaning to each of them. So even the picture of God seated on a throne does not limit God to a certain place where he is located. We know, and we're going to talk about later, that God is omnipresent, everywhere. So these are symbolic pictures representing God's glory. And so when you get to chapter 4, verse 3, and you see that the one who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Carnelian, and you realize, okay, jasper, this opaque jewel that was often red but at other times green or blue or yellow or white or brown, and you've got Carnelian, this fiery red stone that was popular in the ancient world. This isn't John saying God is red or blue or white. This is John giving us a picture of brilliant colors and light emanating from His throne. It dwells in unapproachable light. John is just grasping at the leash of language to try to find words to express the glory of the God who's before him. He dwells in unapproachable light where he is surrounded by unending praise. So see the heavenly entourage around God. Are there 24 elders or not? Sure exactly who these are. They may be symbolic of 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles as the people of God. Maybe they're simply angelic attendants. There are four living creatures that are, on one hand, seem to represent all of creation. On the other hand, seem to resemble cherubim and seraphim, celestial beings. In Scripture, we see before God's throne who they are precisely. The point is clear they surround God with praise. Verse 8,. The four living creatures, day and night, never cease to say Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, god Almighty, who was and is and is to come. And whenever they sing, which is all the time, the 24 elders fall down and worship, casting crowds before the throne, saying worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. So think of it At this moment, while you sit in your seat. There are angels and people and creatures. There is a heavenly host at this moment that is resounding to the praise of God. This is where we remember that when we come together for worship as the people of God here on earth, what we do, when we lift our praises to God, is an earthly expression of a heavenly reality, an earthly expression of a heavenly assembly. And when we sing, praise God, from whom all blessings flow, we are joined by better. Yet we are joining in a chorus that is already resounding to his praise in the heavens, and they don't sit down and take a break. They keep singing. Even as I speak, they're still shouting his praise. When you go home tonight and lay your head on your pillow, weary from today, they will not be weary. They will continue singing and shouting his praise. When you wake up in the morning, they'll still be doing the same thing. So view every facet of your life through this lens. God is receiving unending praise from a heavenly host at all times. Now, who is this God? This vision in Revelation 4 tells us that he is the judge of every man. All of the judgments that we're going to read about in the chapters to come flow from the throne of God. That's why chapter 4, verse 5, says From throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peels of thunder. Make sure you think of storms that we've had over the past few weeks here, some that have woken us up in the middle of the night with claps of thunder and continuous lightning. So imagine these kinds of heavenly convulsions just reverberating from the throne. Yet amidst this in a sense frightening portrayal of God as judge, we see that he tempers his wrath, his judgment, with mercy. There's a rainbow around the throne, resembling God's promise to show patience and mercy To a fallen world that's filled with sinners who are all, every single one, guilty of treason and transgression against him. All of us guilty of transgression are against the one who is holy above all, who is holy, holy, holy. He's separated by a sea of crystal, clear glass, a picture of his transcendence. Above there is no one like God. Everything, everywhere, in all the universe, you will not find anything that is comparable to God. He is holy, other. He's not only holy above all, but he has power overall. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, god Almighty, one of John's favorite titles for God in the book of Revelation. The Lord, god Almighty, his perfect purity, overflowing in the perfect power, seen, continues. God is infinitely timeless Verse 8,. He is the one who was and is and is to come. Verse 9, he is the one who lives forever and ever. Nothing can overpower his rule and nothing can outlast his reign. Oh, think about it, brothers and sisters. Our president will lead for four, maybe eight years and then he will be done. But our God will reign forever and ever and ever and ever. He is infinitely timeless and he is infinitely glorious Verse 11,. Worthy to receive glory and honor and power. Infinite glory. We'll come back to that in a minute. Keep going. He is supreme above all things. Little background here. Dominus at Deus Nostra, a term that was used in the first century to address and describe the Roman emperor. The Roman Empire says that the emperor is literally the Lord and our God, and many Christians were forced in a sense to, or tempted to, say to the emperor you are the Lord and our God. So John from an island in exile writes no, he is not. There is only one Lord and only one God who is worthy of that title, and it is definitively not the Roman emperor, no matter what Rome may try to force its citizens or various Christians to say. The Roman emperor pales in significance to the church's Lord and God. He is the one who is supreme over all things and he is the sustainer of all things Verse 11,. He created all things and by his will they existed and came into being. Nothing in all the creation exists outside of the sovereign sustenance of God. You have breath tonight because God has given you breath tonight. Your heart is beating at this moment because God is giving it rhythm, and were he to stop, so would you. He alone sustains all things and he alone is sovereign over all things. So the vision continues unbroken into chapter 5, where John says he saw, verse 1, in the right hand of him, who was seated on the throne, a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. The scroll, we find out in the chapters that follow, contains God's four ordained plans for the course of history, specifically leading up to the end of the world and the consummation of his kingdom. So this scroll contains God's sovereign will for all creation and ultimate redemption, and he holds it in his hand. Our sovereign God holds the destiny of the world in palm of his hand. This good news or what you listen to political campaigns and party conventions these next two weeks and be comforted by the fact that neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney holds the world in the palm of his hand. Watch news coming from Syria and Iran and Israel and India and North Korea in the coming days and realize that none of the leaders of those nations is ultimately sovereign over anything, because God is sovereign over all of them. He charts the course of their countries and he holds the destiny of the world in his fingertips. And behold God the father and behold God the son. So you get through chapter four and you think man could this scene get any more majestic, and it does so. Here's the scroll containing God's four ordained plans for the redemption and restoration of all creations. Plans for the ultimate eradication of evil and the defeat of death in the world. Plans for the final removal of sin and suffering and pain and persecution. This is the end to all world wars and physical diseases and natural disasters. This is the coming of God's kingdom to man, the recreation of a new heaven and a new earth where God's people will enjoy him and reign with him forever and ever. It's all written on the scrolls, so who is able to open it, who is able to bring these plans to path? And the silence of heaven testifies to the sinfulness of man, because there is no one who is able, no one who is worthy. And so John begins weeping, loudly weeping. Why? Think about it, don't miss it, would John be weeping Because John is overwhelmed by the prospect of a future without all of these things no redemption, no restoration, no eradication of evil, no final removal of sin and suffering and pain and persecution, and no defeat of death, no hope. And yet, amidst John's hopeless wailing, one of the elders speaks up and says John weep. No, behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered Verse 5, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. And thus we are introduced to God the Son. He is the conquering lion, prophecy in the first book of the Bible, genesis 49 and 10,. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, to whom shall be the obedience of all the peoples, in Isaiah 11, verse 1, the Messiah who would come from the root of David. There shall come forth, a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his root shall bear fruit. The root of Jesse shall stand as a signal for all the peoples. Of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. The conquering Messiah is on the scene. So see the feel, the contrast here, between one minute, no one being able to open the scroll and the next minute, someone being able to open the scroll. Throughout history, from the beginning of time, men have come and men have gone. Women have come and women have gone. All of them, the strongest of them, the noblest of them, the kindest of them, the greatest of them, they have all fallen prey to sin. All of them, every single man and every single woman, a slave to Satan. All of them, generation after generation, century after century, every single man and every single woman on the earth succumbed to death. But then came another man, unlike any before. This man did not fall prey to sin. This man had power over sin. This man was not enslaved to Satan. This man would crush that ancient snake and this man would not succumb to death. This man would defeat death. The root of David. David, the lion of the tribe of Judah, has come and he has conquered. So how? How did he conquer? John rises to get a glimpse of the strong lion and to his surprise, he sees a slaughtered lamb. The conquering lion is the slaughtered lamb, this vision coming to the apostle who heard John the Baptist say of Jesus look the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, harkening back to Exodus 12, where the people of God would take the blood of a lamb and put it over the doorposts of their houses and be spared the judgment of God, safe under the banner of the blood of a lamb. Isaiah, chapter 53, in, prophesied of a suffering servant who would be led to the slaughter for the sins of men and women. Son of God would be crushed according to the sovereign will of God. So how does this lion conquer? He conquers by suffering as a lamb. He conquered through crucifixion. He was marred, despised, beaten, rejected, stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded, chastised, oppressed and pulverized in the place of sinners, so that everyone who hides under the banner of his blood will be safe. He is the slaughtered lamb of God. So it's slain literally translates he's slaughtered, sovereign lamb of God. And yet he is standing. Slaughtered lambs, don't stand. This lamb who has endured death has also defeated death. This lamb who bears the scars of death is sovereign over death. This is the greatest news in all the world. The slaughtered lamb of God reigns as the sovereign Lord of all. And so this lion-like lamb, verse 7, goes and says it takes the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. Is that breathtaking audacity or what? No one in heaven or earth under the earth is able to take the scroll, and yet Jesus walks up to the throne of the Father, surrounded by living creatures and elders and ores of angels, and he takes it from the Father's hand. Is there any clearer picture of the divinity of Christ than this His authority to accomplish the sovereign will of the Father? While angels are praising His name, god does not share the spotlight with just anyone. You know. God doesn't share the spotlight with anyone but himself. This is Jesus, humbled as a lamb, who became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, god has exalted him to the highest place and given him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that he is Lord to the glory of God, the Father. This is Philippians 2, 9-11 in action here. So the angels say we got a new song to sing, this time to the lamb, verse 9, worthier you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and by your blood you ran some people for God, from every tribe and language and people and nation. His worth is undisputed. Christ alone is worthy. Christ alone has key to all of human history. Christ alone has the power, the authority to bring about the consummation of the kingdom of God. Worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive you look at sevenfold perfect praise in verse 12, power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. There is no one like Him. His worth is undisputed. His work is unforgettable. Don't miss this. This is a glimpse into heaven and Christ is risen and yet he is pictured as a lamb that looks like it has been slaughtered. The implication is clear For all of eternity we will see the conquering lion ruling as the slaughtered lamb. For all of eternity, brothers and sisters, the slaughtered lamb of God will be at the center of our worship. We will never, ever, ever forget the cross. You will always, always, always rejoice in the cross, where he conquered as the lamb. So what the hymn writer said when he wrote crowned him the Lord of love and behold his hands and side, those wounds, yet visible above in beauty glorified. No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight, but downward bends his burning eye at mystery, so bright. His work is unforgettable and his worship is universal. His worthy to receive praise from every language and tribe and nation and people. Jesus has died on the cross, not for one type of people, for the praise of every type of person on the planet, and he will receive the reward of his sufferings a kingdom of men and women from all over the world who have experienced his salvation, who exalt his worth. Behold God the Son, behold God the Spirit. In chapter four, verse five, we see again the seven spirits of God. Same language we saw talked about from chapter one used to describe the Holy Spirit. He is omnipresent, a language here recalling Zechariah 4, yet again, the spirit of God, the mysterious spirit of God who is omnipresent, who is omniscient. Nothing escapes his searching gaze in the world. He is omnipotent, with all power to enact judgment and to enable salvation. He enables salvation. It is God, the Spirit, who is sent by God the Father and God the Son to carry out the divine mission in the world. Now, obviously, his portrait is not as prominent here in Revelation 4 and 5 as the Father and the Son, because the Spirit's very role in the Godhead is to exalt the Son. So behold here the mystery of the Trinity and these two chapters. Here's the last book of the Bible and we're seeing what we've seen throughout the rest of the Bible. On one hand, god is three persons the Father is worshiped as God, the Son is worshiped as God and the Spirit is worshiped as God. Here and throughout all of Scripture. Three persons, and each person is fully God. The Father's not kind to God or part God. The Son's not another part of God, the Spirit's not a third part of God. They're each fully divine, they're fully God. And yet there is one God who is at the center of this scene in Revelation 4 and 5. God is three persons, each person fully God. There is one God and it's a mystery how all of these things come together. One person set of the Trinity. Try to explain that and you will lose your mind. Try to deny it and you will lose your soul. So see the majesty of this mystery in Revelation 4 and 5 and see the progression of praise that accompanies it. First, two songs that we hear sung or specifically sung to God the Father. Next, two songs we hear sung or specifically sung to God the Son. The last song we hear sung is specifically lifted in praise to God and to the Lamb. In all of it there's a progression of participants. You start with 24 elders, then you add four living creatures, then you have 24 elders and four living creatures together and then you get to angels, many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. If you like a math, the way we understand myriads in the Bible, that adds up to about 100 million angels. That's a lot. And then ultimately, every creature in heaven and on earth, and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them. That's pretty much everybody and everything in all the universe, giving blessing and honor and glory to the mysteriously majestic God over. Oh, brothers, sister, do not think for a second that one day, even when you or I get to heaven, we are going to be able to comprehend God, because even in our glorified state, we will still be finite men and women, and he will still be infinite God. Which means follow this. We've already said so. We're going to come back to God as infinitely glorious, because God is infinitely glorious. Follow this. That. That reminds us 10,000 years from now. We sang about it earlier, 10,000 years from now, because God is infinitely glorious. 10,000 years from now, there will still be more glory to be explored in God. 10,000,000, gazillion years from now, there will still be more glory to be enjoyed in God. People sometimes say, or at least think, if heaven is perfect, won't it be perfectly boring and just kind of sitting on clouds and singing forever? We're going to talk about how that's not heaven later. But we're going to talk about how that's heaven later. But let me assure you, eternity with this God will never, ever, ever be boring. Stephen Sharnack put it best in his discourse on the eternity of God. I wish I'd have written this. Listen to this, he said. After many ages, our joys will be a savory and satisfying, as if they had been, but that first moment tasted by our hungry appetites. When the glory of the Lord shall rise upon you, it shall be so far from ever setting that, after millions of years are expired as numerous as the sands on the seashore, the sun and the light of whose countenance you shall live, he shall be as bright as the first appearance. He will be so far from ceasing to flow that he will flow as strong, as full as that, the first communication of himself in glory to the creature. God is always vigorous and flourishing, a pure act of life, sparkling new and fresh rays of life and light to the creature, flourishing with a perpetual spring and contenting the most capacious desire, forming your interest and pleasure and satisfaction with an infinite variety, without any change or succession. God will have variety to increase your delights and eternity to perpetuate them. This will be the fruit of the enjoyment of an infinite and eternal cup Huff. So what's the point for us? Is the point of this portrait just to make us speechless? Because it does, but it's given to us for more than that. The point of this portrait is to make us speechless, yes, and to transform everything about us. So there are probably seemingly infinite number of takeaways from this text. Let's focus on four. Number one the glory of God compels us to receive salvation. So here's the deal. There are Christians in this room and there are non-Christians in this room. There are men and women who are followers of Christ and there are men and women who are not followers of Christ. Yet regardless of which category you might fall into, the point of this picture is the same God holds the future glorification of believers in His hand. So for all who trust in Jesus, for all who believe in the slaughtered Lamb of God who reigns as the sovereign Lord of all, all who believe in Him will one day be united with Him face to face in heaven. God is working all things together in the world and in your life for your good and for His glory, and he will bring your salvation to completion. At the same time, god holds the future glorification of believers in His hand. He also holds the final damnation of unbelievers in His hand and, as we're going to see in the book of Revelation, everyone who spurns this Savior will be condemned in their sin forever. So to every non-Christian in the room, to every man, woman, student who is not following Jesus, I urge you tonight, in view of this vision in Revelation 4 and 5, I urge you to cry out for the mercy of Christ or collapse under the judgment of Christ. Jesus is in control of the past, present and future of world history, and Jesus is in control of your eternal destiny, every single one of us in this room where you are sitting. Jesus holds your eternal destiny in His hand and he is the conquering lion who has come to save. He has come to overcome death. He was crucified on the cross, where he paid the price for sin before all the God, so that everyone who trusts in Him to save their soul can receive, will receive, mercy. At the moment they cry out to Him. At this moment you cry out for the mercy of Christ and by His grace, through faith in Him, you will be free from sin and saved forever and ever and ever, not based on anything you do, but totally based on what the lion-like lamb has done on your behalf. So now, even now, in this room, tonight, in this moment, cry out for His mercy, see the sovereign grace of God bringing you to this place, this seat, at this moment, to see this Christ and to receive His mercy. Cry out for His mercy and when you do, when you do and for all who cry out for His mercy, it changes everything. Look at Revelation 3.21. You've got to see this. Do you remember how the letters right before this ended this, probably more than anything else in much study, revelation 4 and 5 this week blew me away. Jesus' last words to the church at Laodicea, revelation 3.21,. The one who conquers, so the one who perseveres and trusts in Christ for salvation to the end, the one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my father on his throne. What, what a promise. This just brings Revelation 4 and 5 right into your lap. Christian Follower of Christ, he will grant you to sit on his throne with him. If Revelation 4 and 5 takes our breath away, then remembering Revelation 3, 21 just knocks you out of your chair. It's what chapter 5 said Jesus purchased us. He has made us a kingdom and a priest to our God. Where we shall reign on the earth, we shall reign with him. What does that mean? We talk about this just about every week so far because we've seen it every week in Revelation For believers, without question, there is a future reign that we have in Christ, with Christ, in a new heaven and a new earth. We know that's coming. We're going to see that spelled out, described as we progress through Revelation. But there is a sense in which we are reigning with Christ even now, and that's the point of the book of Revelation. Revelation is giving us a picture of what Paul means in Ephesians 2 when he says we're seated with Christ in the heavenlies, what Paul means in Romans, chapter 8, when he says we are more than conquerors through him, who loved us. Not a one day you're going to conquer. Like it's horrible now, but just hang on, you're going to conquer one day. No, today you are more than conquerors through Christ, who loved us. We're more than conquerors now. We're seated with Christ now. Are you united with Christ in his life and his resurrection? No, so, to use the words of Graham Goldschor, the Revelation was not written to minister, to armchair prophets and some far off age. It was written to encourage struggling saints in every age. And that's why we've got this scene. We don't have Revelation 4 and 5 just to give us a glimpse of God that one day we're going to have in heaven. We've got Revelation 4 and 5 to empower and enable us to live life on earth. This point so for first century Christians, 21st century Christians, going back to last week, these churches that were struggling with compromise, complacency we struggle with compromise and complacency in our lives. Don't miss the point. The glory of God empowers us to escape temptation. Where we talked last week about battles with idolatry and immorality, with sin in our lives, how do we overcome sin in our lives? How do we overcome these things in our lives. We overcome sin by seeing God as he is. How do you overcome idolatry? We overcome idolatry by glimpsing a greater God. When you see the grandeur of God in Revelation 4 and 5, in the first century, you stop bowing down and worshiping wooden statues and Roman emperors. And when you see the grandeur of God in Revelation 4 and 5 in the 21st century, you stop worshiping money and success and sex and acclaim in this culture Because you realize what petty, worthless gods these are compared to the grandeur and greatness of the glory of God. We overcome idolatry by glimpsing a greater God. Similarly, we fight immorality through fulfillment in our Father. So when you experience the pleasures and delight and the feast that is found in the triune God, then you are now free from the pursuit of pleasure and the stuff of this world. You don't lust over images on the Internet when your eyes are captivated with the glory of God. Christian, how do you and I this week, in our battles with temptation, how do we overcome the promised pleasures of sin? Here's how by daily letting the triune God overcome us with the power of his satisfaction, we taste and see that he's good and we don't have stomachs for the stuff of this world because we have feasted on the goodness of our God. We fight immorality through fulfillment in our Father. The glory of God empowers us to escape temptation. We refuse to compromise in light of the example of Christ. So, to borrow language from Hebrews, chapter 12, here to understand revelations for chapter 5, we let go throw aside sin hindrances that so easily entangle us and cumber us, and we fix our eyes on Jesus, author and perfect of our faith. We consider him who endured such opposition and our struggle against sin. We have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. So consider Jesus, look to the one who conquered sin, fix your eyes on the one who conquered sin, the conqueror who lives in you. We resist complacency and view the Excellency of Christ. How can we be complacent before the triune God? How is it possible to be apathetic, affectionless, self-reliant or self-centered before this God? Keep your heart and eyes and mind fixed on the glory of God. The glory of God empowers us to escape temptation. The glory of God enables us to endure tribulation. It's we've seen over and over again already in Revelation, whether it's brothers and sisters in the first century or the 21st century walking through suffering and wondering why it's happening and when it's going to end, if it's ever going to end. And Revelation 4 and 5 makes three things clear. Number one God is in control. Things in your life and things in the world may seem like they're spinning out of control, but they are not. God has all things under his control. History is resting in his hand and he will bring it all together for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose. It's rest in this. Remember what is going on in your life tonight. Your God is in control and our enemy has been conquered. Jesus has overcome. We're not waiting for our enemy to be conquered. He has been conquered. Jesus has overcome sin. He has overcome death. He has defeated the devil, in the words of Colossians 2.15,. He has disarmed the rulers and authorities, made a public spectacle of them, putting them to open shame by triumphing over them. And you are in him. The conqueror lives in you. You live in the conqueror. Now it may not feel like you're a conqueror. It may not look like you're a conqueror on some days, but isn't this the beauty of the cross? Look at the cross. Is that a picture of conquering A brutally bloody, maimed man hanging naked on a tree. Is that a picture of conquering? Not in the eyes of the world? In the same way, it's a picture of first century Christians being burned at the stake Picture of conquering, not in the eyes of the world. But the gospel turns everything upside down. For in the brutal crucifixion of Christ, jesus was conquering death and in the brutal murder of Christians in the first century, the church was advancing the gospel. So for Christians in the 21st century in this room, who are walking through pain and suffering and it doesn't feel like conquering on some days, know this as you share in the sufferings of Christ, you participate in the reign of Christ and you know that one day suffering will conclude. Our suffering will one day conclude because the lion-like lamb has authority to bring God's ultimate plan of redemption and restoration to completion. Amidst your suffering, glimpse the glory of your God and he will enable you to endure a tribulation. Finally. The glory of God motivates us to accomplish mission. So does God's sovereignty just mean we sit back and do nothing? I mean he's got the destiny of the world and the palm of his hand. He's going to bring all these things to pass. So do we just sit passively by and float through the sea of God's sovereignty while he accomplishes his purpose in the world. The Bible never, ever, ever teaches that, because just as God has ordained the end literally the end God has also ordained the means to bring about that end, and that means, by God's grace, involves you and me fulfilling his plans and his purposes. So here in this text, we know Jesus has ransomed people for God from every language and tribe and people and nation. We know that he has redeemed ransom. There's people from every tribe. We're going to get to this next week in Revelation, chapter 7. Gather around the throne from every tribe, tongue, people and nation. We know that is coming. At the same time, you and I invite the grace of God to have the privilege of being a part of the spread of the gospel in the kingdom of God to all those peoples and nations and tribes and languages. So, churchhip but kills and view of the glory of God. Let's pray. Hashem, god's sovereignty does not negate prayer. God's sovereignty necessitates prayer. We actually ran over it in this text with the 24 elders, verse 8, were around the throne holding golden bowls that were full of what? Incense bowls that were filled with the prayers of the saints. Similar over to what we're going to see in chapter 8, verse 3. When the seventh seal, the scrollers open and an angel there offers the prayers of the saints before God. And this catch this. This is what's going to usher in the coming of God's kingdom. To realize what the Bible's teaching here God is ultimately and eternally going to consummate His kingdom in response to the prayers of His people. This is why we pray Matthew 6. Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. He's only prayed. The kingdom come, one of all the peoples, the humorance and Lord Jesus, your kingdom come. May your kingdom come among Saudi Arabs, and may your kingdom come among Iranian Turks. And may your kingdom come among the low heart of South Asia and the way of East Asia. May your kingdom come among the arundo and the bloach and all the 11,000 people groups on the world. Your kingdom come, and all of them, and we pray that every time. We pray that, as we pray that we got prayers that are piling up before the altar. In one day, consummation of his kingdom comes. So pray passionately. Are you praying like this, brother or sister? Are you praying like this? Are you praying yes, for the details in your life that we need to be praying for, then? Are you praying for his kingdom to come in the world? Let's pray passionately and let's give Sacrificially. So God has willed for you and I to be wealthy in this room for a reason Men, women, you've got jobs and students. You're getting thousands and thousands of dollars worth of education, not so that we can waste all of these things on Personal indulgences, but so that we can sacrifice all of these things on the spread of God's gospel and the declaration of God's glory to the ends of the earth. See it, the sovereign God of the universe has willed for us to be wealthy for the sake of his worldwide worship. This is why we have resources Psalm 67 so that his ways to be known on earth and his salvation known among all nations. That's why God has given increase. So let's stop hoarding and start giving. Let's pray passionately, let's give Sacrificially, let's go confidently to all these people, people's and languages and tribes and nations 6000 of them still unreached with the gospel. So let's go as the Lord leads. As the Lord leads, god is Likely not calling every single person in this room to move to an unreached people group. He's calling some Well, some go to unreached people's, some to stay among the reach. We see that in scripture. There's no first class, second class, first-tier, second-tier Christians, matter of obedience. It's God calling us to do so, is he calling you? And if he is, do not be afraid. Do not be afraid, let's go confidently. Think about what this text is telling us. You know, I think it's 6000 plus unreached people groups, and they're unreached for a reason they're hard to reach, they're difficult to reach, they're dangerous to reach, but we go to them. We don't have to be afraid because nothing, it's what this text is telling us. Nothing, absolutely nothing can happen to you or me outside of the will of a sovereign God who holds us in his hand. What have we to fear? Nothing to fear. Not only do we have enough to fear guaranteed success, because we know the Christ has purchased men and women from all these tribes and people, the languages, the nations. We know that. Revelation, chapter 7 they're going to be around the throne. So you and I can go to the darkest, most difficult, most dangerous to reach people, groups on the planet. Preach the gospel and somebody's coming out, somebody's gonna be there. Let's go confidently, knowing that our Savior is going to receive the reward of his suffering. It's the story, whole story of the Moravian movement, what many have called the most remarkable church on mission in all of Christian history. In the 18th century, approximately one out of every 60 60 members of the Moravian church was serving as a missionary in a cross-cultural context. It's one out of 60 Scores of Moravian brothers and sisters literally giving up their lives and leaving behind their comforts for the spread of the gospel Around the world. The stories told of two particular Moravian men who decided to sell themselves into slavery in order to reach unreached slaves in the West Indies. How are we gonna reach slaves in the West Indies? We become slaves, they said. They sold themselves into slavery and as they boarded that slave ship, these two men Were said to have cried out may the lamb that was slain received the reward of his suffering. So may that be the cry of the church at Brick Hills let's pray passion, let's give Sacrificially, let's go confidently and let's die willingly with the cry on our lips may the man that was slain receive the reward of his suffering. We hope you've enjoyed this week's episode of radical with David Platt. For more resources from David Platt, we invite you to visit radicalnet.