A Revelation — Glenn Meldrum

Father we come before you now in the precious and wonderful name of Jesus. Lord, you know each of us, you know our hearts, you know where we are spiritually. You know those who just have the outward look and those who have the real inward life, you know, you know us.

God And Holy Spirit I ask that you would search us. That you'd break through the barriers that we have built to defend ourselves from you. And what do we do we keep the greatest good we could ever ever have.

We keep you at a distance. And so Lord, we ask that you would speak break through hard hearts blind eyes. Give us ears to hear and tender hearts to receive. Oh God and Lord I do ask for any that are here that have not truly entered the faith.

And they have a form of godliness they have the outward show of it. They've gone through the motions of it for years and decades. But they've never come to the place to bow to your rule over their life.

And so Jesus we pray that you would speak to them help them to hear in the precious name of Jesus. Well title of the message is a revelation and I think that's what God's trying to give us a revelation.

Turn with me to the book of Revelation and to the first chapter. Actually, I was that as I was putting this message together. This was probably one of the most overwhelming. Preparations for a sermon.

I think I've probably ever had. There's times I was sitting there and just. If I would have let myself go I would have been an uncontrollable weeping. And so God was speaking to me some things and I was Debating the whole time whether this was just something for me or whether it was something to share with you.

Revelation chapter 1 verse 1. The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant. John. There are two primary reasons why the book of Revelation was written.

The second which is the least important of the two though, I don't want to diminish it it's still important but the second reason is that it's an apocalyptic revelation of the end times and so it's God unfolding the truth of what will take place.

But that's like I said a secondary reason. That's not the principal reason. The principal reason why the book was given is that it's a revelation of Jesus Christ. Those first five words that is the purpose of the book of Revelation.

And how many people understand that when they open that book? How many people open that book looking for the second thing? Wanting to learn end times and they miss Jesus in the whole midst of it. And that's the crazy thing that can go on today in our cultures that we can have people that You know are experts in the second coming of Christ, but they don't know how to walk with him.

I mean they can have the doctrine down they can talk about it. They can speak of the prophecies and look at what's going on in our world and try and put it all together. Various pieces and still not even know how to walk.

Holy not know. It is to be in fellowship not know it is to have an active vibrant life of prayer with this god. But they know the end times, but they don't know the one who it's all about. The old testament points to Jesus everything in the old testament.

It's like moving in the events of it. The prophecies of revelation is unfolding more and more moving to Jesus. Everything is pointing to him the gospels reveal Jesus. That reveals his birth his life his ministry his death his resurrection his ascension.

It just unfolds the reality of this god that came amongst us. The epistles expound who this jesus is what he came to do and what he accomplished it. It speaks on what he taught and expounds on that teaching and and then it's what's going to happen.

What is going to happen in the future and what he will do so what this god is doing now and will do in the future. But revelation the book of revelation is different from any other book in the bible. It is unique.

Because it is the only soul book written on the glorified christ. It's the only book written on the glorified christ you get a touch of it in the gospels there at the end with his ascension. You get some of it in the in the epistles there, but revelation is trying to reveal to us the glorified savior.

And the majority of the church today does not want that revelation. They don't want to see who that jesus is. They want to think that they'll see him and high-five him. And they fail to understand who this god is.

In verse 3 of chapter 17 that pastor steve mentioned if you read that you will see the very next thing that happened when he saw god. He fell at his feet. He fell at his feet when this god came and visited him.

And we think we're going to high-five him and think of him as some good buddy and fail to understand Who he really is. And if there's anything I can do this morning Is I want to somehow try in our way of thinking to exalt who this jesus is in our minds because we think way Way way too small of him.

So what happens. You go on a little ways in chapter 1 and you come to verse 12. John is writing of course. This is his own personal account. I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man.

Dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool as white as snow and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

In his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun and it's shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him I fell at his feet as though dead.

And we think we're going to go and high-five him. We think we're even to go up and shake his hand. The first time we see him. This is what I think will happen. Because we will see him as we've never imagined.

And one reason why there is so much sin in the church. Why you could be in sin and call yourself a christian is because you never had a true revelation of jesus christ. If you would have had a revelation of who jesus was there would not be room In your heart in your mind for the practice of sin.

You could not have been in it. So you didn't have a revelation of him. You had this pop culture christian type of view of jesus and you never ever Saw the biblical jesus. You never saw the glorified christ.

You never saw him. See people are not In all god today. They're not in all of it. Not in all of him. The evidence of it is is so blatantly in front of us that all we have to do is open our eyes evidence of it.

Is the spiritual apathy in the church you think you're going to see a jesus like john saw there and be apathetic in your faith. You think you'll be half-hearted in your devotion to christ? You think you'll have a life of prayerlessness because you have no time for him.

Do you understand what i'm saying here the evidence that we have not had a revelation of jesus christ is that we are in spiritual apathy. That we are prayerless. That we have no time that you can go and have your times you have to pray but you do your duty.

There's no desire after god. There's no seeking after there's no longing for him. No passion in your life for this god. But how can you see this jesus that john saw and not have something burning inside your bones?

Do you understand what i'm saying? How can we have a vision of jesus a revelation of jesus and remain in the practice of sin? How can we be in spiritual powerlessness and not Walk in victory if we see this victorious god that he is so bright.

You can't even look on him because his face is brighter than the sun. In his hand he has five stars. He has these stars in his hands he's holding him. It doesn't burn him not just that it tells in psalms.

He breathes stars out of his mouth. You think that's a a tame little god? We think so small of him. We don't understand the infinite power that is there waiting for us. If we would but tap into it and begin to cry out for it that god is there to give us victory.

Not to keep it from us. And another evidence that people have not had a revelation of jesus christ. Is that there is no fear? of god. You know what we've done today in the church culture. We try and exalt the love of god to such a distorted extent.

We twist it we mutilate it and we move from it the fear of god. So that we think we can be good buddies with jesus and fail to understand how dangerous he is. And we don't understand when he walked this planet.

That was the same god that breathed those stars. He was not a safe god when he hung on the cross. He could have called down like he told peter 12 legions of angels and brought an end to all the insanity of mankind.

But he held himself back because of his love and mercy and kindness the true love of god not something that's so Twisted and mutilated and perverted in what we've done today in american culture. If we had a revelation of jesus We would know how to rightly fear him because we would know that his threats are not in vain.

Nor are his good and precious promises for those who believe. We would see the reality. As we continue in this Phenomenal count of the book of revelation a revelation of jesus christ. Turn with me to chapter 4 revelation.

Chapter 4 verse 1. After this that's referring to what he had just seen and understood and heard in chapters 2 and 3. After this I looked and there before me Was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said Come up here.

And I will show you what must take place after this. Come up here what an invitation. A door wide open he sees a door wide open. Wide open and then he says come up here come up here. And so it's an invitation ultimately to draw near to god that this god who cannot be tamed this god that is beyond imagination.

This god that heaven earth cannot contain. Is inviting john to come up and to enter into this place to have a revelation of jesus christ. That would be so astounding that he ends up when he described jesus in that first chapter.

He kept using the word like and why did he use that word like. Because how do you describe him? When paul spoke of the things that he saw that was not love for him to speak he had Visions that he could not even put in the words.

I mean this god is beyond human language and he stoops down even to let us understand him enough to speak of him. And so here's this god that is going to a mere man and saying come up here an invitation and so Enter into this door, but i'm not going to go off on this but it's an interesting idea.

That in john 10 jesus is the door. So it's not just that we enter into the door, but the only way to enter into the door is by the door himself. Which is jesus. So there's no other way to enter into god's presence other than through the door and jesus is that door.

Now in revelation i'm just going to sidetrack here for a few minutes in revelation chapter 3 Verses 7 and 8 you have a letter written to the church of philadelphia. And those two chapters are seven letters that are written to seven different churches.

And each letter is very personal to the situation of those churches. Five of those churches he rebukes out of those five churches that he rebukes. He has four. To four of those churches. He has something good to say.

To one of the churches he has absolutely nothing good to say but only reproof and that is to laodicea. Of the seven churches there are two that he praises and we're going to look at philadelphia. Which is one of the churches he praises.

To the angel of the church in philadelphia, right? These are the words of him who is holy and true who holds the key of david. What he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds.

See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength. Yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. To all seven churches. He says I know you.

Terrifying. Terrifying. He knows what was in your mind last night. He knows. He knows what was in your life. How you lived. What you did what you said what you did to family members what you did to strangers.

He knows everything about you. Now that can be a great comfort if we walk with him. He knows he knows the struggles the trials. I'm in great comfort because we know that god's right there right there to help us if we're not.

Then that should cause us to tremble because if we understand who this jesus is that we looked at in chapter one. We should understand that's the one who knows us. That's the one who knows us. And he says I open a door to you that no man can shut.

What's that door? It's a door of salvation through repentance. I open a door to you. There's a door that's open. And you can enter in you can enter into this place of salvation. I offer to you. But there's also a time when that door will be shut.

We'll look at that a little later though. That's an open door also to live a holy life you see. There's not one thing that god has commanded us to do that. He will not give us the grace to live out. So when he taught when he commands us to be holy with that command is all the grace necessary to live it out.

Why don't we live it out because we don't want to live it out? Because we want to practice our sin because we love darkness rather than light. And so it's just that plain and simple we can make excuses for all the reasons why you have this junk in our life.

But there's only one to blame for it and that's ourselves. You may have been living you may have been raised in an ungodly family in a wicked environment and you can go say well I'm like this because of my parents, but that's not true.

You had a bad environment maybe. But you made choices. And you may have lived in a godly environment with some godly parents and you were rebels because you made the choice. And so we are what we have made ourselves to be because we chose rebellion against god.

And if we want transformation, he has an open door and says there's an open door for you an open door salvation an open door victory. Anybody that wants victory victory is waiting for them because it's not a thing.

It's a person. It's in the person of jesus christ. And so you want victory it's in christ. You've got to have a revelation of who he is. You've got to have a revelation that he is greater than your sin greater than your crimes greater than your addiction greater than anything You've ever done or ever could do then he is able to forgive and what he did on calvary is so powerful.

It's beyond anything you and I can imagine. And so there's no sin no act no deed that you've done that is beyond the power of that blood. Because that blood is all powerful because god is all powerful and the atoning sacrifice is all powerful.

And so it's an open door that we can draw near to god. You see he left it wide open says son come in come in. Daughter come in there's come to me come. I've got something wonderful for you. I got this salvation.

I got this life of victory. I got this joy. I've got this peace. I got everything that your heart has ever ached for i've got it in super abundance of it. I'm, just waiting and longing to give it to you.

But why do we stay why do we stay back? Why do we resist the very thing that god wants to do as if he was going to take something good from us? The only thing he wants to take from us is those things that are going to ruin us destroy us.

Drag us down to hell and ruin all kinds of people besides. In verse 9 in that same chapter in chapter 3. This is very interesting a very interesting verse. He says I will make those who are of the synagogue of satan.

Who claim to be jews though? They are not but are liars. I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. And as I dwelt on this first what an astounding idea now we could broaden the idea of the synagogue of satan ultimately, I think what he's probably referring to is the judyizers that were trying to take the uh, the uh gentile believers and force them into A jewish faith before they could become christian and so it was just bringing them under the bondage of the law.

But whatever that is we couldn't broaden it and just make it the lukewarm church of today. I mean, it's the same type of thing. It's just dead worthless religion. And so He says I will take them After they have bowed to me after they bowed their knee and acknowledged me As king of kings and lord of lords before the final where they are cast into the lake of fire.

I will make them Acknowledge that I have loved my people. Just think of the picture of this try and get in your mind the white throne judgment that final judgment. Where everybody that was in hell is brought up for their final judgment.

And then they will be cast into hell and god will go to them after that is all done. And say look at my redeemed look at what i've given to them. Look at how i've loved them. Look at how I have lavished on them the wonder of my goodness and kindness and it was waiting for you and you.

Refused it and that knowledge for all eternity. To be in your mind in hell turning back to revelation. Chapter 4 verse 2. The imitation came come up here. Says at once I was in the spirit and there before me Was a throne in heaven with someone seat sitting on it.

Now we're going to get into it. If you go through that door, what are you going to see? And what you're going to see here is what is right now. Is not the cutesy little jesus you made up in your mind.

We gotta we gotta we gotta get beyond that cultural christianity. That is absolutely worthless and detrimental. We've got to see who jesus really is who he really is. At once I was in the spirit and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

God's throne is the first thing he saw. The first thing he saw. The king of kings and lord of lords. And you're not going to go up and high-five him. You're not going to go up there and say good buddy.

Jesus. We are so flippant in how we approach this whole concept of who this god is. I don't want a god that's like my best buddy. I Want a god that's worth serving adoring. Worth abandoning myself to.

I don't want a god that's just like me. And so the bible moves us to this point. And so I want to take this a little deeper. He moves us to the point not just the point of seeing jesus. Like the old testament moves us to and the gospels and the epistles but here in revelation.

We have everything moving us to this throne. To the one who sits on the throne everything is moving to that place and every being. Every rational being men and angels will one day stand before that throne.

There will be no exceptions to it. They will all either bow. In adoration and love and devotion. Or they will bow as conquered enemies filled with hatred for him who sits on the throne. But every being angels demons men Will look upon him who sits on the throne.

They are being moved to that point. It is going to happen. This is unavoidable. Nobody can escape this event. And so all of human history is moving to this point. Philippians chapter 2 verses 9 through 11.

That at the name of jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess That jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father. Let's not attain jesus. And I am really really glad That he's loving.

I'm glad that he is merciful. Because if we had to pay for our sins, we're in some serious trouble and so either you're going to have somebody who is going to Rescue you from your sins or you're going to have to rescue yourself and I guarantee you will not be able to do it.

And so if we go through that door, what else will we see so we saw first the throne. It always begins with the throne. We gotta understand the throne. And then what do we see? We see the person of almighty god.

You see it's not just a throne because the throne would be ultimately worthless if it was not for him who sits on the throne. That throne is a is a seat of authority. The authority does not come from the throne itself.

It comes from him who sits on that throne. It's him who sits on the throne. The authority flows from him the power flows from him. It's not in that throne. It's in him. So when we look at that throne We have to look at who is seated on that throne and by looking at him in the throne.

We understand there's authority there, but it's absolute authority absolute all power. And so in revelation chapter 4 verses 10 and 11 The 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne. That's heaven.

All right, we gotta understand this is heaven now. This isn't pop culture christianity. This is heaven. And worshiped him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say you are worthy Our lord and god to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will.

They were created and have their being. So here's these 24 elders. However, you want to understand that at this point is absolutely irrelevant to this message. What do they do they take and they throw themselves at the feet of the one who sits on that throne?

They take the crowns that they supposedly earn that really were earned through the grace of god. And takes them and throws them at his feet as well. Why because they are? Understanding what it means to serve the king of kings.

That there's no greater privilege no greater honor no greater offering giving given to us. That we might go and bow to this king and know this king. I've tasted of the presence of god. And when i've tasted of it, it makes me go and wonder what will this be like?

What will this be like. We haven't even begun to taste what we're really going to experience. Barely got the interest of it now barely a Wetting of our of our lips of what is going to really take place.

Why do they do this. Because they have to because there's other angels up there that are big and they have clubs and they're going To whack them on the heads because they don't do it. This is the spontaneous response of those who love this god and adore this god and they're being overwhelmed with the wonder of his presence and All I can imagine if you could try and picture that this is is here's this god who sits on the throne.

And radiating from him is the wonder and the beauty of his holiness and of his love and of his majesty. And it's radiating from it's just filling up. They're just so overwhelmed. All they can do is throw themselves on the ground.

That's exactly what john did that's what abraham did. Because that's who this god is and he is worthy of such devotion. And if we don't love him, you know what that same radiating love and holiness will produce a raging hatred for god.

Raging hatred. When we are told in scripture that they'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth and gnashing of teeth is not pain. It is anger. It is hatred. It's All eternity hating Him who sits on the throne?

And yet it was their own fault because before them was an open door and they says no. I want my sin. I want my darkness. I want my rebellion. I want my own way. And they hate god for the judgment that he even warned them would come from that.

If you go through that door, what else will you see? This is phenomenal. You will see a kinsman redeemer. Revelation chapter 5. The first eight verses are all about a kinsman redeemer. Very jewish in its thought here.

And you have to understand the jewishness of it or we will miss it. So what is a kinsman redeemer? The kinsman redeemer is one who delivers vindicates redeems a person or property that has come under bondage or been taken.

Uh for a particular reason because of debt and the kinsman redeemer is the one who comes to redeem that. So in revelation chapter 1 chapter 5 verse 1. Then I saw then I saw. In the right hand of him who sat on the throne a skull.

With writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. What is going on here is this sealed scroll is part of the legal act when a person or property is sold in the case. Where there is a possible kinsman redeemer.

So let's just take a scenario here. Let's say you get yourself in financial debt. You owe somebody a lot of money and in that culture. If you were a jew indebted to another jew. They could take you to court and you would then have to pay.

And if you couldn't pay then you would be taken into slavery and you'd have to serve seven years in slavery. Until your debt was paid. And at the end of seven years, you could be released or at the year of jubilee or uh, or there were some other things uh with it or.

You could have a kinsman redeemer show up. And for a kinsman redeemer to show up that meant that he would have to be a near relative. That he would have to have the ability to pay the debt. And not just the ability to pay the debt, but this is really important as well.

He would have to have the desire to pay the debt and so. The picture here is of the scroll with seven seals written on inside and out and what is it all it's about the aspect on how we have been. How how we have a debt so great that we are enslaved forever and ever that we have no Way of redeeming ourselves.

This debt is huge and there's the sealed document there that says Okay, if there's a kinsman redeemer that'll come and pay this debt then let him come and do it. Tells us and well, let me just touch on this real real quick when you look at abraham.

Abraham was a kinsman redeemer. And one expression you see this is where abraham went and rescued lot from the kings of the plain that had taken him captive. And so when you think of this from a kinsman redeemer part.

You have to have the idea of a man that has the ability and the power to deliver one. That's enslaved and then the desire to do it. Well uncle abraham did and so he had the ability to defeat that army.

Okay, and that's pretty impressive. Now we know also that god was behind him and gave him great victory. But nonetheless he had the force the ability to do it, but he also had the desire and he had the desire for rebellious lot.

Rebellious lot that chose for himself things that he wanted not chose what god wanted not even chose what what abraham wanted. But chose for himself out of his rebellious heart. And he come to still redeem him and then the really big story of a kinsman redeemer is in the book of ruth where you have Boaz redeems ruth and i'm not going to go through the whole story.

But here you have a man that had the ability to redeem but he wasn't the first in line. There was another relative ahead of him that had the right to first redeem ruth. And he was going to because he looked at the property, but he says oh there's a woman involved in this.

So I don't want her. Uh, it gets too complicated. So you can do it boys if you want to and boaz says I want to. So the first one had the means to do it, but not the desire to do it. Boaz had the desire to do it and the means to do it and he did it.

And so you see where he redeems ruth and the family Clan the family line that would be there that ultimately leads to messiah. That ultimately is messiah now verses two and three. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice Who is worthy to break the seals and to open the scroll?

But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. So here's a situation mankind is in debt. In debt to their sin, there is nobody that can redeem them. There's nobody no human being no angel that can redeem him.

And what is the response of john in verse four? I wept and wept. Because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. The idea that's presented there that I wept and wept means that he was bawling his eyes out in anguish and despair.

He looked at the reality of the wrath that was against the human race. Looked at the reality of the scroll that laid out all the sins and the crimes and the villainy of mankind. And he looked at it and nobody came to redeem them.

They would pay the full Price of their death then and he wept and he wept in agony and hopelessness. Without jesus we're utterly hopeless. Ah but verse five. Then one of the elders said to me Do not weep.

See the lion of the tribe of judah the root of david has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and at seven seals. So what you have here you have one that is a kinsman redeemer. That he was made flesh like you and I.

You have one who has the power. And the ability and the wealth if I might use that word to do to redeem us. But that he also has the desire. That he wants to. And so this is what the kinsman redeemer is.

Who is it that sits on the throne? It's the kinsman redeemer. If we don't understand what is the bow before him who sits on the throne? We're not going to understand what the kinsman redeemer is all about.

And what is that really all about what jordan was sharing? It's the cross. It's the cross. That's how he paid the debt. That's how he redeemed us. Our kinsman redeemer took our place the judgment you and I deserve.

Completely absolutely and utterly deserve. And he took our place so that we could be forgiven and the insanity of it when people know. That this is what jesus has done for us and they say no to that. The open doors before them says no i'll not go in that door.

No, i'll not let him pay my debt. No, i'll not bow my knee to him. What madness what insanity. To reject such phenomenal love. And if you go through that door. What else will you see. You will see a lamb.

You will see a lamb. Verses six and seven then I saw a lamb. Looking as if it had been slain a sacrifice. Standing in the center of the throne. Encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

Notice where the lamb is. Do you see where he is? He is in the center of the throne. We will never understand calvary till we understand Him who sits on the throne. And it was him who sits on the throne that took upon flesh and blood to be our atoning sacrifice.

This is the one who paid the price. The lamb is the absolute victor. And if we could ever look at at something that is so weak in itself and so so powerless. You know, how can a lamb deliver itself from a lion or a bear?

But here's the lamb that has all of mankind defeated that in the end this lamb will come back and all of mankind will Will be brought low and brought down and brought to bow before him and see that this is not weakness.

But there'll be power here that they have never even imagined the lamb. Victor. Absolute victor. And so we have a picture here of jesus completing if I might say it like this his finished work of redemption.

You see he came first as a lamb to atone for sin. He is coming back as a lamb to conquer his foes and restore creation. It's the lamb. It's him who sits on the throne. This is the one our kinsman redeemer.

Why will those who are ready for him look upon him and and worship and adore because they understand their kinsman redeemer is coming back For him. Why will all those who cower under crocks and and in caves and get away from him who sits on the throne?

Why. Because they know they have lived hostile to this god that they have refused to bow to his will. Refuse to serve him through all their arrogance and pride and stubbornness. Verse 80 says. And When he had taken it The four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb you see true worship.

Okay, we can sing songs and not have any worship involved in it. We can sing and dance and spin and twirl and do all kinds of crazy stuff and never have worship involved in it. True worship flows out of bowing to the rule of god.

That's where true worship is. You are seeing the truest purest form of worship that is taking place right here. Bowing before the lamb the victorious lamb the absolute victor bowing before him. Worshiping him adoring him.

Why do we have such a hard time? With the worship of god. Why is it that we can be so silent? In worship. I mean if you understand this you think read revelation and you'll see them again and again loud and boisterous and excited.

Because of him who sits on the throne. How can we be so silent? When he has done so much for us. We can speak of our traditions and all that but our traditions doesn't mean has anything to do with god.

It just means there's traditions and you have traditions that are so dead so bare so destitute. That there's no life. No vibrancy. No adoration. No excitement of him who sits on the throne. We have such a small view of god.