Salvation Belongs To The Lamb

Bethlehem Bible Church iconBethlehem Bible Church

0 views

0 comments

00:00
We're going to get another great glimpse of heavenly worship We just got a great glimpse of heavenly worship in Revelation 5 and now we're going to follow that up with another one and we're going to follow that up in Revelation chapter 7 as we focus on a particular phrase in Revelation chapter 7 verse 10, but let's go ahead and read verses 9 and 10
00:23
After this I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number from every nation and from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and Before the
00:38
Lamb clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice
00:47
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the
00:53
Lamb Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the
01:03
Lamb Now that is a magnificent declaration
01:10
Salvation belongs to The Lamb that's what we're going to focus on this final session what it means what the significance is of salvation
01:21
Belonging to the Lamb the Lord Jesus Christ What does it mean? What does it mean for salvation to belong to Jesus to belong to the
01:31
Lamb? And we're going to answer that question in six different ways
01:36
Number one, what does it mean for salvation to belong to the Lamb? It belongs to the
01:42
Lamb by Eternal decree it belongs to him by Eternal decree if something belongs to you you possess it, right?
01:55
If something belongs to you, it is yours. It's in your possession You possess it and what's amazing here in this passage and in the book of Revelation and in all of God's scripture
02:07
It's amazing that it is something Jesus possesses salvation is something he possesses
02:12
But he's been possessing it if you will by design and purpose for a long long long long long long time
02:25
It has been belonging to Jesus from eternity past So when we hear the worthiness of the
02:36
Lamb because salvation belongs to him I It's important and fitting to remember that it's been belonging to him from eternity past.
02:49
Oh Yes, he had to come to earth Oh, yes, he had to do certain things while he was here and we'll talk about those things
02:56
But we have to remember that all of that was according to decree Eternal decree theologians say from eternity past even in our in our book the book of Revelation chapter 22 verse 13
03:09
Jesus is called as you all say here the Alpha and the Omega He's the eternal one.
03:16
He is the eternal one and from eternity past he's been in route to come here to perfectly fully save a
03:28
Part of his great plan and purpose the plan and purpose of the triune God now
03:34
I certainly think it's fitting for us to be in the at the end of the
03:39
Canon in Revelation to focus there some but realize that there's so much that's been aiming toward and Anticipating and and moving toward that great final conclusion
03:51
And so I do want to look at a couple of other passages outside of Revelation specifically Ephesians chapter 1 would be
03:58
Important text to learn about what the salvation is that belongs to the Lamb by eternal decree also 2nd
04:05
Timothy 1 9 I'll reference in Ephesians chapter 3 But if you just want to turn to Ephesians 1 and let's see some of the background of salvation
04:13
Belonging to the Lamb and to realize it's been belonging to him for a long long time
04:20
As you're turning to Ephesians 1 listen to these words from 2nd Timothy 1 9 He saved us and called us to a holy calling not because of our works, but because of his own
04:35
Purpose and Grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began
04:42
I Love to hear that in part because it's something
04:47
I can't comprehend But also in part because it makes me realize that salvation is even more magnificent than I even imagined than I would have ever imagined and and it helps me understand just how
05:00
Great it is to have salvation Belonging to the Lamb, and that's why
05:06
I've been saying in this message so far. It's been belonging to him so Paul can say before the ages began we might say in Eternity past it belonged to him because it's part of an eternal decree
05:23
When you first become a Christian typically it's not always the case but 99 % of the time you had no idea
05:30
You hadn't you it was you didn't have any kind of category for this You know I have decided to follow
05:36
Jesus is kind of how we all look at it And then the more you read the Bible you you start by thinking
05:42
Jesus is a great Savior You start on that good and right track, but the more you realize and the more you know the more you read the scripture
05:50
It blows your mind all the more before the ages began Ephesians chapter 3 verse 11 says according to the eternal purpose according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our
06:08
Lord and then that great great text Ephesians 1 where we see if we were to look at the whole thing we would see the
06:18
Predestinating plan of the Father and we'd see the applying work of the Spirit And we would see the redeeming work of the
06:24
Son and how this has been planned and purposed Long before you were born long before I was born this
06:34
Salvation plan has been belonging to the Lamb Since eternity passed, but let's at least sample it because it's so magnificent and so mind -rocking
06:45
Hopefully worship inducing even how about verse 4 even as he chose us in him
06:52
That saving lamb before the foundation of the world That we should be holy and blameless before him in love
07:01
He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will
07:10
To the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved in him
07:17
We have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will according to his
07:31
Purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time
07:38
To unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth verse 11 It will end there in him we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined
07:48
According to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will
08:00
Salvation belongs to the Lamb and certainly according to decree and in anticipation of all his completed works on the earth
08:10
It's been belonging to him for a long long long long long time and so as you think about the greatness of the
08:20
Lord Jesus Christ and the great salvation that he gives Realize that it wasn't a plan
08:28
B Realize it didn't start with you and your conversion realize it started
08:35
According to the triune God planning and purposing before the foundation of the world
08:41
Talk about worship inducing Praise be to him praise be to the
08:48
Lamb salvation belongs to the Lamb How impressive it is to consider him number two.
08:57
What does it mean for salvation to belong to the Lamb? It belongs to the Lamb because he earned it it belongs to the
09:05
Lamb Because he earned it when I read those words salvation belongs to the
09:12
Lamb I think of possession in another sense. It belongs to him because he secured it by his own works
09:20
It belongs to him because he earned it Let's look just back two chapters to the passage.
09:26
We just heard preached in Revelation 5 9 It's a good emphasis there on his earning his
09:36
Redeeming work 5 9 says and they sang a new song worthy Are you to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and by your blood?
09:47
There we go by your blood you ransomed people For God from every tribe and language and people and nation belongs to the
09:59
Lamb he Ransomed he is the one who saved by his own actions
10:05
By his own deeds by his own efforting by his own works I know my brother well enough to know what he likes to say and I know that he likes to say to you for shock value
10:19
Salvation is by Works, isn't it? Salvation most certainly is by works.
10:26
I love to say that to people and say true or false salvation is by works And it's like a trick kind of question, right?
10:33
Because we say no salvation is by grace It's not of works so that no one may boast No mere human being who's a sinner may boast no one in this room may boast
10:43
But we're actually called to boast in Christ because salvation most certainly is by works
10:48
Grace is not some kind of force from Star Wars Grace God's free gift that wasn't free to him
10:58
It's free to us. It's not free to him. The one thing that ever cost God anything
11:04
Only one thing ever cost him anything and that's the giving of his son and his son most certainly
11:11
Saved us by his works, right? Should be a no -brainer.
11:17
It's good shock value He did something. He did something glorious and an amazing and therefore
11:28
Salvation belongs to him Rightfully, so he didn't just think nice thoughts about us
11:38
He did something Romans 5 8
11:44
Christ died for us. That's effort Hebrews 12 to he endured the cross effort
11:53
Matthew 3 15 he Came to fulfill all righteousness
12:02
Salvation is by works friends the works of the Lamb How great and amazing is his love for us that he would do those works so that we might be acceptable before God Oh indeed
12:16
Salvation belongs to the Lamb to tragedy
12:22
But this is controversial This is controversy.
12:28
It shouldn't be controversial This one strikes close to home,
12:38
I know people who say most certainly this isn't the case Sadly in the church where I even pastor they're listening to a bad teacher
12:46
Saying that this isn't the case and we like to follow teachers.
12:54
We all do Somebody saying well if the Bible teaches salvation by grace and it's only by grace
13:00
And people ready to leave Omaha Bible Church because I'm saying salvation is by the works of Christ We died for our sins he fulfilled all righteousness
13:11
Christians Protestants have never believed that somehow we're saved by some sort of force idea thought
13:18
It's always by the works of Christ Shorthand we might say it otherwise and we're certainly saying and clearly saying it's not by our works
13:30
RC Sproul put it nicely Ultimately the only way one can be justified is by works
13:41
We are indeed justified by works by the works that just but the works that justify us are the works of the second
13:48
Adam To be justified by faith means to be justified by faith in the works of Christ Our faith is not the ground of our justification
13:57
Faith serves as the instrument by which we receive the benefits of the works of Christ the sole ground of our justification
14:06
I'm hearing that just Common biblical sense it makes me want to say as it says in Revelation 7 with a loud voice
14:20
He's worthy He did this for me according to his divine purpose not because I was worthy not because you were worthy
14:29
But according to his eternal decree reaching back into eternity past for his own glory and praise
14:36
Ultimately he died for our sins. He lived for our righteousness
14:46
So that we might be justified before him Salvation belongs to the Lamb Salvation belongs to him
14:55
Number three, what does it mean for salvation to belong to the Lamb? It belongs to the Lamb because he accomplished the otherwise
15:02
Unaccomplishable he accomplished the otherwise Unaccomplishable What would be?
15:10
Unaccomplishable What would be unaccomplishable? well
15:17
Salvation would be unaccomplishable. It's impossible and let's think about this for a second here.
15:23
We are Spiritually filthy in and of ourselves I need to be spiritually clean to be in the presence of the great and holy king
15:36
And so do you? But it can't be done. I'm in Adam Even if for the rest of my life
15:44
I could do the the right thing which I can't but even if I could and you know, even if you could What about all the past?
15:53
It's impossible For us and then Jesus says things very clearly like in Matthew chapter 5 be perfect Well, I'm in the red as it is
16:06
Be perfect Your Heavenly Father is perfect the impossibility of salvation is what we're looking at the
16:18
Lamb is The one whose salvation belongs to because he accomplishes the otherwise
16:26
Unaccomplishable look with me again if you would at verse 9 of Revelation chapter 7 notice what's happening there
16:33
Notice those who are surrounding him. They are standing before the throne and before the
16:39
Lamb clothed in white robes Say what clothed in white robes that's an utter impossibility that kid that can't be
16:53
If that's emblematic that's symbolic of our of our spiritual cleanness that that just can't otherwise be unless salvation belongs to the
17:01
Lamb Verse 13 then one of the elders addressed me saying who are these clothed in white robes?
17:08
Those are those are believers Clothed in white robes, how in the world could this happen book of Revelation uses a lot of things that are from Isaiah And so I'm gonna use a little bit of the same rationale just to help us to appreciate this better This is impossible.
17:29
It's impossible for us to have those white robes or those tribulation saints to have those white robes Apart from the
17:36
Lamb who owns salvation by his own efforts But just listen if you would to the rationale of Isaiah and why this would be impossible
17:45
Which should cause us to all the more loudly praise him the one who? salvation belongs to You know the passage probably if you've been in church more than twice or so Isaiah 64 6
17:58
We have all become like the one who is unclean spiritual uncleanness and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment
18:10
Again we know the answer, but how in the world did these people get around the throne with white garments? Because even all of our righteous deeds are our dirty garments.
18:19
How could this be it can't be? Unless salvation belongs to the land
18:26
How about Isaiah 1 Isaiah 1 18 gives us some hope and then the rug is pulled out from under us
18:34
Isaiah 1 18 come now Let us reason together says the Lord though your sins are like scarlet, and that's true
18:42
They shall be as white as snow. Oh, there's hope that's good though They are red like crimson.
18:49
They shall become like wool, and there's that great Anticipation of hope there and Isaiah 1
18:57
But it's important that we keep listening or reading the very next verse verse 19 if you are willing
19:07
And obedient You shall eat the good of the land, but if you refuse and rebel you shall be eaten by the sword for the mouth of the
19:19
Lord has spoken verse 21 how the Faithful city or oh how the faithful city has become a whore the
19:28
ESV says you know 118 all cleansing
19:34
Scarlet turns to white yes There's hope that I could have a clean Karma and be acceptable before God if you do these things
19:44
Slays us. We know we're spiritually dirty because we don't keep the
19:53
End of the bargain if you do these things doesn't look promising unless something extraordinary happens unless the otherwise undoable is done by someone other than us and Eventually we make our way to Isaiah 53
20:16
Isaiah 53 verse 5, but he was pierced for our transgressions
20:24
Our whoredom if you will He was crushed for our iniquities
20:30
Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds
20:37
We are healed now when
20:43
I go back to Revelation chapter 7 just with a little bit of surveying in the book of Isaiah I go
20:48
I get it now And you can say I get it, too white garments pure undefiled chaste ready
21:01
Welcomed in his presence not because we kept our end of the bargain But because he the last
21:08
Adam gave himself for us Salvation belongs to him again.
21:16
That's why we don't say we did it That's why we don't do mutual congratulations in heaven.
21:21
That's why worthy is the Lamb Salvation belongs to him from start to finish it belongs to him
21:30
So we worship We worship he does the otherwise undoable
21:41
Have you ever thought before or spent much time considering that salvation is impossible
21:48
It's utterly and entirely impossible it can't be done apart from Apart from someone else doing it for us by their own perfect actions.
22:06
I Remember years ago Mike giving me a tape back in tape days and How many of you have ever heard of John Gershner?
22:14
Anybody ever some enough for enough of you have heard of John Gershner he was like a mentor of RC Sproul's and a friend of RC Sproul's and I Don't know if he smoked like 16 packs of cigarettes a day
22:26
Maybe he never smoked a day in his life, but he had one of those kinds of voices
22:33
And I can remember being so terrified listening to John Gershner and he had this message
22:38
He did on called reformed evangelism, and I call it Halloween evangelism because he would say
22:47
That you could not be saved even if you Wanted to be saved because God hates you with a holy hatred
23:04
I'm all lightheaded now, too because it is utterly and entirely
23:14
Impossible for you to be saved Maybe not a very good imitation of John Gershner, but you get the point
23:26
He may not have been right about everything, but he was right that salvation is utterly and entirely impossible apart from the perfect work of Jesus Christ Which is why he's praised because salvation belongs to him.
23:52
It's his We're thankful. He gives it to us, but it's his I want to cry out with a loud voice
24:01
Salvation belongs to the land To boast in him number four What does it mean for salvation to belong to the lamb it belongs to the lamb and therefore it belongs to those who belong to?
24:12
God It belongs to him and therefore it belongs to us if we belong to God as the people of God once again verse 10
24:21
Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb
24:27
Let's put some emphasis on it belongs to our God Question in what sense is
24:36
God our God? He's not our God because he's under us
24:42
He certainly doesn't mean that in what sense is he our God it says he's our
24:47
God the heavenly worshipers say it belongs to our God and to the lamb in what sense is he our
24:54
God? I love it that he's ours Well you go back to Genesis you start to hear this kind of description of God He's the the creator of heaven and earth.
25:09
Yes. He's the almighty sovereign over all yes But he has a unique people and you start hearing this language this this language of possession, and he's he's our
25:20
God Back in Genesis chapter 17 Back in Genesis 17 7
25:28
I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you through their
25:33
Generations for an everlasting covenant to be God to you Well, he's already
25:40
God Overall, but now this is unique to be God to you in a personal way and to your offspring after you verse 8 of Genesis 17 and I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings all the land of Canaan for any
25:55
Everlasting possession, and I will be their God it says and then we hear it again and again and again
26:06
It's a statement of Loyalty from God. I'll be your
26:12
God covenant language theologians say
26:19
Bible scholars say Covenant loyalty language Promissory language
26:29
Relational language God is our God and salvation belongs to him and so therefore it belongs to us
26:37
When you hear that Worship in heaven by those saints who are there salvation
26:49
Belongs to our God Well, the great news is he's our
26:54
God and if he's our God and we belong to him by faith Then that salvation is our salvation
27:03
Good and exciting. He's a loyal God and if you belong to him, he'll keep his promises to you
27:12
Sometimes we want to object to this and maybe we think we're too smart for our own good and we say but but that's only
27:18
For Old Testament Israel. Well, look at Revelation 7 verse 9 again
27:24
It's not limited to the Jews every nation it says
27:31
He shows loyalty to his people from every nation even those original covenant promises
27:39
Even those original covenant promises to make a nation to make Israel Include blessings to all the peoples of the earth
27:48
Genesis 18 18 you can write it down Genesis 22 18. We moved to the New Testament Galatians 316
27:54
I'll reference Galatians 3 8 listen to this and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the
28:00
Gentiles by faith Not just the Jews preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying in you shall all the nations be blessed
28:08
So then those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham the man of faith
28:16
He's our God He's our God he if he's not your
28:21
God because you say I just can't go there because that sounds covenantal Well, then you're smoked
28:27
Because salvation doesn't belong to you because he's not shown his covenant loyalty to you
28:32
You've got to realize that if you are a believer You're like Abraham and it was in that original promise to Abraham that not only the
28:41
Jewish people would be blessed that all the nations of the earth would be blessed And we say
28:47
I want a covenant keeping God You Need a covenant keeping
28:53
God and what we also know is we we all we move not just from that Abrahamic Covenant Which is very good and very important and Paul thinks it's very good and very important in Galatians 3 that that Building from there with Christ fulfilling all of his duties and works that he would do here on earth
29:12
We then move into what is called even better the new covenant
29:23
Ratified solidified secured in his what in his blood
29:32
Salvation belongs to him why? well because of his blood because of his shedding of his blood because of what he does but salvation belongs to him and That means if we belong to him
29:48
If God is our God it belongs to us This is a great reality.
29:54
It's a great truth. Let's be like those described in our text with a loud voice saying
30:03
Salvation belongs to the lamb. It belongs to our God Read that right benefactor beneficiary beneficiary
30:16
I get that wrong any attorneys here What are the ones that receive right? He's the one they get let's move on now.
30:25
Let's move on to number five What does it mean for salvation to belong to the lamb it belongs to the lamb to never lose?
30:32
This is a pretty obvious one don't need to spend a lot of time here It belongs to the lamb and if it belongs to the lamb, it'll never be lost
30:39
That's this gets we should even think back to the eternal decree thing. It's certainly locked in. It's certainly going to happen
30:46
We say you can't take it with you go to museums and see that a lot of people have thought you could take it with you
30:53
But this is gonna forever belong to him because his work is accomplished and because as we learned from pastor
31:00
Mike earlier in Revelation 5 6 he's the lamb who was slain, but he's the lamb who was slain who now what?
31:09
Stands He stands because he's the victor. He stands because he was raised from the dead
31:17
And so if he's the one that salvation belongs to He's not the guy who was a great moral teacher who's dead salvation belongs to a dead guy some good that is to you and to me
31:30
Salvation belongs to the lamb who was slain. Yes, who was slain but now happens and So we say yes
31:42
With a loud voice we say belongs to him it belongs to the standing slain
31:49
Savior That makes Christianity different than anything and everything that anybody's ever seen
31:57
It's why we worship him We give him praise we give him glory. We give him exaltation
32:05
Isn't it interesting sometimes and we we want to be so kind of Stayed and we want to be so reserved and and be for fear that we might look like We worship something, you know worshipers are passionate
32:24
Mike talked about sporting events earlier, you know passionate they're worshiping
32:31
Really? Guess what Christians are worshippers of the one
32:40
True worthy object of worship. So we see it here belongs to the lamb to never lose
32:51
Salvation belongs it is in a state of belonging To the one who sits on the throne
33:00
Isn't it interesting? He's the standing sitting lamb Because in one sense he sits because his work is done and he rules and reigns
33:08
Yeah, in another sense he stands because he's the victor making it clear that he's alive
33:15
Resurrected. I love Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25. He always lives
33:21
Now always lives to make intercession, but just for our sake here. He always lives Which means he can always live to make intercession for us
33:32
Never to lose it Never to lose it You know, we get caught up in debates about especially for me as a young Christian.
33:41
Can you lose your salvation? Can you not lose your salvation? And and then somebody helps you to realize that if it's by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone you can't lose what you yourself didn't earn and that makes tons of sense and And then you start thinking in terms of well
33:56
And that's right in the Bible talks about perseverance and God who began a good work in you would be faithful to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus and Philippians 1 6 comes into play and John 10 and John 6 and all of this is important to know sometimes what we overlook is the obvious and sometimes
34:14
I like to state the obvious because that's really what what What shocks us sometimes? We believe in eternal security because the
34:24
Lamb is Resurrected and will always and forevermore be alive and apart from that There would be no eternal security
34:36
Salvation belongs to the Lamb to never be lost by virtue of the fact that he is
34:44
Raised from the dead to always be raised He lives forever to make intercession for us and Finally number six.
34:55
What does it mean for salvation to belong to the Lamb? It belongs to the
35:02
Lamb for his maximum exaltation It belongs to the
35:07
Lamb for his maximum exaltation How about verse 9 again after this
35:15
I look and behold a great multitude thinks think Maximum a great multitude that no one could number from everything maximum every nation from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the
35:36
Lamb clothed in white robes with Palm branches there to worship to praise to celebrate in their hands verse 10 and Crying out with a loud voice.
35:50
They're all of these you can't even count how many of them there are They're from all different kinds of backgrounds all different kinds of people coming from all different kinds of places
35:59
And what are they doing there with a loud voice? Maximizing the exaltation to Christ because he is the one to whom salvation belongs
36:13
It maximizes his exaltation Salvation belongs to our
36:20
God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb This is so central imagine what this looks like not in your imagination
36:29
But in light of Scripture and what it says this is so extraordinary. This is so awesome.
36:34
This is so Amazing. This is so Magnificent and this it's so grand and great with so many exalting him ready for this
36:48
That there are even non redeemed angelic beings
37:01
Joining in the praise and exaltation beings that don't know
37:10
What it's like to experience who don't know what it's like to experience mercy
37:19
Who don't know what it's like to experience what this great multitude is experience
37:27
But he is so great and what he has done for those sinners that even the angelic beings
37:34
Join in let's see it now verse 11 says and all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living
37:42
Creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying amen
37:48
They're an agreement Amen Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our
37:56
God forever and ever. Amen How magnificent is that?
38:04
They know that it's right. They know where the focus should be They're affirming what redeemed sinners are doing
38:16
Extraordinary for us to see Salvation belongs to the land glory be to the land.
38:28
You probably know that song. What wondrous love is this? Never gonna sing that song the same way again ever in my life
38:37
To God and to the Lamb, I will sing I will sing to God and to the Lamb I will sing to God and to the
38:44
Lamb who is the great I am All millions join the theme. I want to say more than millions.
38:51
I will sing I will sing while millions join the theme I will sing
38:57
What wondrous love is this wondrous love is this salvation belongs to Father, thank you for our time that we've had together and thank you for the men and women and boys and girls
39:17
Who are here? May we never grow weary never grow tired of hearing of our great
39:24
Savior Jesus We're grateful that While we don't understand why?
39:33
We do Understand that he's a great Savior who has chosen to save and he's chosen to save us
39:41
Why us we don't know, but we're grateful to be able to join with the countless millions upon millions upon millions as well as with the angels one day and boast in Christ Lord help us to be good
39:57
Good worshipers in the here and now as we anticipate that day where our worship will be unhindered