Worship Before the Throne of God: Part 2

Hear the Word of the Living God, beginning with verse 1. After these things

I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which

I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up here, I will show you what must take place after these things.

Immediately I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and one sitting on the throne.

And he was sitting, and he was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardis in appearance.

And there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty -four thrones, and upon the thrones

I saw twenty -four elders sitting, clothed in white garments and golden crowns on their heads.

And out from the throne came flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

And before the throne was something like a sea of glass like crystal. And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.

And the first creature was like a lion, the second creature was like a calf, the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings are full of eyes around and within, and day and night they do not cease to say, holy, holy, holy is the

Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.

And when the living creatures, and when the living creatures give glory and honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty -four oilers will fall down before Him who sits on the throne and will worship

Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne saying, worthy are you, our

Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power.

For you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.

Let's bow in prayer and ask God's help as we worship

Him and look into His Word within this hour. Father, we thank you of your great

Word. Your Word, when your Word speaks, you speak. Lord help us to remember this, and Lord, we are commanded to tremble in your presence before your

Word. Lord, we thank you what David said, the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the

Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the

Lord are true, and they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, and much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them your servant is warned, and in keeping them is great reward. Father, I would pray, and our prayer this morning is as we worship you, may our worship be acceptable before you.

May your Holy Spirit help us in this hour to give you all praise and glory and honor.

And as David cried out, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.

Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Father, we thank you, and you are worthy of all praise and glory.

In Jesus' name I pray, amen. As we continue this,

I'd like to begin my introduction with something I read in a book you don't see often.

I think it's out of print. It's from a little pamphlet I read on worship.

It's Worship the Missing Jewel, The Missing Jewel of the Evangelical Church.

We can say that today, isn't it? This is a jewel that's missing within the church.

And Tozer had some great discernment and insight on this, and I'd like to give you an excerpt of what he said about worship.

He says something very valuable and insightful in his unique way, and he tells us this.

Quote, man was made to worship God. God gave to man a harp and said, here above all the creatures that I have made and created,

I have given you the largest harp. I put more strings on your instrument and I've given you a wider range than I have given to any other creature.

You can worship me in a manner that no other creature can. And he goes on to say, and when he sinned, man took that instrument and threw it down in the mud, and there it has been laying for centuries, rusted, broken, unstrung.

And man, instead of playing the harp like the angels and seeking to worship

God in all of his activities, is ego -centered, turns on himself and sulks and swears and laughs and sings.

But it's all without joy and without worship. He goes on to say this, worship is the missing jewel in the modern evangelical church.

We're organized and we work, we have agendas, we have almost everything, but there's one thing that the churches, even the gospel churches, do not have, and that is the ability to worship.

We're not cultivating the act of worship. It's the one shining gem that is lost to the modern church, and I believe that we ought to search for this until we find it, end quote.

G. Campbell Morgan, another great preacher in his generation, after D .L.

Moody, and if you want to know a little bit about G. Campbell Morgan, the man that preceded him is

D. Martin Lord Jones, a great man of God here. Morgan says this, in short, about worship, the supreme thing is worship.

The attitude of worship is the attitude of a subject bent before the king. The fundamental thought is that of prostration and bowing down, end quote.

Another man of God that's not heard, not as popular as the other men, W .H.

Griffith Thomas said this, revelation and worship are the foundation of everything, end quote.

And, of course, the early church father, Augustine of Hippo, prayed this prayer.

Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.

That is so good. I love that prayer. Thou hast made us for thyself.

Listen to that, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.

And, of course, the great question, I mentioned this last Lord's Day in the West Minister Shorter Catechism, and we are so familiar with this, and we've even memorized it, but do we really know its meaning?

Do we really know its context? Do we really know its depth? What is the chief end of man?

What is man's chief end? Think of that. Answer, man's chief end is to glorify

God and enjoy Him forever, forever.

Isn't that what heaven is going to be all about? It's about God. Isn't that what worship is about?

It's about God. It's not about us. It's not about the pastor. It's not about the preacher.

It's not about the speaker. It's not about singing. It's not about whoever may lead or whatever.

It's about God. Worship is focused on God. So, in this wonderful text today,

Revelation chapter 4, it gives to us what true worship really looks like before the throne of God. Doesn't it?

It gives us insight. And, by the way, this is an experience that very few had, and I mention this.

It was given by the Holy Spirit to just a handful of men of God within the

Old Testament and the New Testament. Just a handful. Just a handful. Think of that. Isaiah the prophet, as I mentioned, had such an experience and a vision in Isaiah 6 as he saw the

Lord high and lifted up and His train filled the temple. Isaiah saw that.

Ezekiel the prophet had such a vision of God which he records in the first chapter of his prophecy by the river

Shivar. And there he tells us of the majesty and the wonder and the splendor and the glory of the vision of the throne of God, the wills.

We're going to look at that today. The wills. And then the apostle John had this glorious experience.

This glorious but awful experience. I say awful in the sense it was all stricking to him.

It brought him to awe. That's what worship is. It's awe, fear, glorious, splendor before God.

And then this is what verse 1 says. And after these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven and the first voice

I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me. This is actually the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ glorified referring to His first vision.

This is a fresh vision here. Come up hither. Come up here. I come up and I will show you things which must take place after this.

Then in verse 2, immediately I was in the Spirit. I was in the Spirit and behold a throne set in heaven and one sat on the throne.

And the Spirit of God literally transforms the apostle John beyond time, beyond space.

And then he's lifted into the third heavens. He sees the marvelous throne but he sees who's on the throne.

He sees the God Almighty, holy, glorious and majesty, the

King of glory. Then the heavens of heaven and the very throne room of God of Almighty.

He will see these things that is going on to take, that will actually take place in the future. And then it begins to unfold what takes place in Revelation chapter 6 after we see 4 and 5.

It's like 4 and 5 is a sneak preview of what is happening and how worship literally is taking place in heaven.

And before the actual unfolding of what is going to take place after these things, we find that in chapters 4 and 5, it's just absolutely awesome.

And it's awesome, it's breathtaking, it's majestic and I'll be honest with you, it doesn't matter what kind of words

I try to say before you today and ministering to you, there's no way that I could describe what is literally taking place here unless the

Spirit of God takes the scales off our eyes and allows us to understand by the

Spirit of God to see what is going on. The Spirit of God has to do this. He is really our true teacher because He is the

Spirit of truth. Now we are blessed, we are privileged to see as we read this and catch this glimpse of heaven.

Now as we've seen on last Lord's Day, we've already seen and learned that the centerpiece as it were in this awesome scene of heaven was the throne of God.

God's throne. That means there's a king, there's a throne. And He reigns.

That's what it means. It's not one that He just sits and rests on. He's reigning. That means He's sovereign.

He's over all. And aren't you glad of this today, of all that's taking place in our world that God orchestrates,

He rules, He is controlling everything. Now if we lose sight of that and don't believe in that, we're in trouble.

But God is in control, isn't He? I like what R .C. Sproul said, If God is not sovereign, then

God's not God. But guess what? God is God and He is sovereign. So that's what the

Scripture says. Well, verse 2, And behold, a throne set in heaven. One sat on that throne.

That's the one we're looking at. And then, by the way, when we truly get a true glance of who

God really is, we're changed. No man can leave the presence of God and really catch a glimpse of God and then walk away unless he is changed.

We're changed. And that's what we want. We just don't want to hear information. We want transformation.

We want to be different people, don't you? We should be a different breed of people in this world. We should be lights of the world and stars shining bright that people see

Christ in us. No matter where He has planted us. Well, He's on the throne.

And the one that sits on the throne is described in verse 3. He is who sat on the throne like. Notice the verses, that word, like, like, like.

Because that's the best way that John can describe this in the language in which he wrote this.

And originally, it was written in Greek. But here it's translated in our language.

But the word like is saying, it's the best description He can give. Like a jasper, like a sardis, an appearance.

That's like a diamond, like a stone that's full of glory and beauty. Like if I were to take a diamond, could you imagine a diamond the size of a bowling ball?

There's not one that exists on this earth as far as I know of. They're big diamonds. But they're probably secure and no one literally,

I don't know who owns them, but worth is probably billions. But think about in heaven.

I mean, the whole place is glistening with jewels and diamonds and sardis stones and green and transparency.

And this glory shines from the throne and it bounces off all of heaven. Like an emerald, an appearance of an emerald.

So it tells us who's on the throne. It was none other than the King of Glory, the

King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, God Almighty, the Father, the Son, the

Lion of the tribe of Judah, shining in brilliance and diamond and glory. Then John noted this, not only was it a throne, the one who was on the throne was glorious and around the throne.

Then from the throne. It's all the throne. The center of heaven is the throne of God.

High and lifted up. Then Scripture says there was a rainbow around the throne.

That rainbow belongs to God, by the way. It speaks of His faithfulness,

His grace and His mercy toward mankind. A symbol of faithfulness.

For God gave the rainbow to demonstrate His grace and mercy. The devil would like to take that from God, wouldn't he?

And put it forth today in the pride gay movement. People say, oh, you're being so mean to attack them.

But I'm telling you what the Bible says. That those that are unclean, they will not enter into this city that we're talking about today.

They must be washed, they must be cleansed. And there is hope for these people. They are our mission field, by the way.

We're to love these people. We're to love sinners. For such were we. God loved us.

God loves. And we're to love our enemies. For God loves His enemies. But we're to tell people the truth.

And that's what love is. It's telling people the truth of God. Thus sayeth the Lord. Take them to the

Scripture. Not your opinions. Not what you have to think about it or whatever. Take them to the

Word of God. Chapter and verse. And say, this is what God Almighty says. Your Creator.

The One that made you. Sin's messed us up. And you know, think of it.

Sin has so clouded us from this right here. But this is such purity. Such holiness.

That God takes us by His mercy and allows us to see this. And God, think of it.

That rainbow reminds us that it's a covenant. That God made to Noah.

That He would not drown mankind again. And it was a symbol of that promise. But the next time.

And as we see in Revelation. It's not going to be the water that will cleanse the world from its filth and sin.

It will be fire. And God is that consuming fire. And He will purify the earth.

He's going to do it because it all belongs to Him. Then in verse 4. We see that.

We noted also around the throne. 24 thrones. And the thrones. 24 elders. Sitting.

Clothed in white robes. And they had crowns of gold on their heads. And as we suggested.

That the 24 elders were most likely representatives of the church. In studying this verse.

There's so many views as we said. But pretty much. The view of these elders.

As some commentators say. They're like angelic beings. But angels do not reign.

Angels do not have crowns. Commentator Kissmaker says this.

Do angels have anything in common with priests? Are angels kings who wear a crown?

Are angels given the duty to judge human beings? The answer to these questions is no.

Angels do not sit on thrones. But elders do. Instead. If the elders are angels.

Then redeemed humanity is not representative at the throne. And he goes on to say. Therefore the 24 elders represent the redeemed saints.

So that's the take on that. There's different commentators that view that of course.

But I believe with Kissmaker on that.

Now. We noted also fifthly. Another preposition before the throne.

Before the throne. We find that in verse 5. There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne in verse 5.

And from that throne were proceeding what? Flashes of lightning and rumblings and crashes of thunder.

Peals of thunder. You ever been close to thunder and lightning? I mean real close.

It's terrifying folks. It's blinding. That's a small demonstration.

Of God's power. Small demonstration. But it speaks of His holiness.

His power. And His glory. So in the opening words.

There is a resemblance to the last chapter of the apocalypse. Where John speaks about the river of water of life.

In Revelation 22. It proceeds from the throne of God. And the lamp.

John. For John. God's throne depicts the majesty and the grandeur of the almighty

God. And he writes with an Old Testament passage in mind. And the scene of Mount Sinai shaking.

When God shook Mount Sinai. When He gave His law. And no one was to even touch the mountain.

Because of His holy presence. Or they would be shot through for it. That's how holy it is.

God's presence. The scene I should say of Mount Sinai. When God Himself came and gave the

Decalogue to the Israelites. Judgment is about to roll out on earth folks.

Judgment. And here in Revelation 4 and 5. John MacArthur said this.

And I'll repeat it again. I like this quote from him. Flowing out from God's presence. Symbolized by the throne.

John saw a precursor. A precursor of the fire storm of divine fury.

About to burst on the sinful world. We're getting closer to this. Before the throne we see

Him in glory. By the way that's the end quote. And here before the throne we see the splendor and the beauty.

And the majesty of a sovereign all powerful God. Think of this. All powerful.

All wise. Almighty. Ever present. Holy. Holy in everything

He is. And the scene then is the scene of a throne of glory of God almighty. As He begins to unleash

His judgments upon planet earth. And that's actually what's about to take place. Because in context.

You see in 4 and 5. He's seeing a precursor of that. Like MacArthur said. And then from Revelation chapter 6.

All the way to the very end. Until Jesus Christ comes back. In power. In great glory.

With all the holy angels. You see God unleashes the vows. The bowls.

And then the trumpets. And it takes place. And then of course. Jesus being

King of kings and Lord of lords. Will rule this earth. In power and glory. And this is going to be a great glorious day.

This is what we're looking forward to. But not for sinners. Not for the wicked.

And those who enjoy. That's why the scripture says. If you read it. You don't see many signs on this.

MacArthur said. Put this on a church sign. And see what happens. God's angry with the sinners.

The wicked everyday. Yeah. No. You know what you see nowadays. Don't be surprised.

So, so, so, so. What I'm about to do in your life. And then you see slash God. And every time

I see things like that. On church billboards. You see it quite often in our world. I think to myself.

God didn't say that. God didn't say that. That's putting. That's man's word.

Adding something. To what God. When we open up this bible.

These 66 books. This is God speaking. But when we see little cute quotes like that.

That is not God speaking. It just. That goes all over me. When I see things like that.

The day of the Lord is coming folks. We don't hear enough of this. But it's truth.

And we need to hear it. The final climax. Climax of all things. So. It's an incredible vision.

That shows us. What is on the horizon. What's around. From. Before. The throne of God.

Verse 6. Before the throne. Before the throne. There was a sea of glass. Like crystal. And in the midst.

In the center of the throne. Around the throne. Were four living creatures. Listen to this. These four living creatures.

Full of eyes. And front. And back. This passage introduces. The four living creatures. Who will.

Play a very significant role. Of the events. To unfold in Revelation. And by the way. It's something to say this.

They are in the midst. Of the. They are in the midst. Of the center. Of the throne. Right in the middle of it.

Around the throne. Meaning that their station. Is in the inner circle. Nearest to the throne of God.

You know. If you were to tell people. This today. They would look at you like. You got to be kidding me.

This sounds like a sci -fi picture. That's going on. But I assure you. This is not a sci -fi picture.

This is reality. This is the reality. Because God is that great reality.

See people want to escape that reality. Right? We live in a world. They love science fiction.

I don't mind seeing it on pictures. Here and there. But. I know what reality is. But we are talking about people.

That wants to escape it. Because a lot of times. Reality to people. That are wicked.

And guilty sinners. Is very painful. Isn't it? But they don't know. How to redirect. I should say.

Direct that pain. In the right direction. They turn it on themselves. A lot of times. It ends in suicide.

Unfortunately. They put that on themselves. The guilt. And that's sad.

But we are to give people hope. And say. Look. You can take it to God. And God is ready to forgive you.

He is merciful. Even though he is all holy. But if you point him to Jesus.

Jesus is willing to forgive. And he is able to forgive. Well. This is not a sci -fi picture.

Is it? This is reality. These creatures were made. By the way. God made these creatures. He created them.

Specifically. To worship him. The triune God. The Father.

The Son. The Spirit. And what do they say? Holy. Holy. Holy. God in three persons.

Father. Son. Spirit. Holy. Holy. Holy. Lord God Almighty. The imagery comes from the prophecy of Ezekiel.

Turn with me to Ezekiel real quick. I want you to see this. Ezekiel chapter. It's in chapter one.

But. But. I want to go to chapter. Ten with me to Ezekiel.

Chapter one is very similar. But I want. This is really. Brought out to us.

In the Old Testament. Of this prophet. That saw this. He saw the same thing Isaiah said.

Saw. And he saw the same thing. Really. Paul had a. Quick glimpse of. That it was too.

He said it was unlawful. For man to utter. And then. The apostle John. The same thing. But notice in chapter ten.

Notice what these. Ezekiel says. I'm going to try to read. The most of this chapter. Then I looked.

And behold. In the expanse. That was over the heads. Of the cherubim. Something like a sapphire.

Sapphire stone. In appearance. Resembling a throne. Appeared above them. And he spoke to the man.

Clothed in linen. And said enter. Between the whirling. Wheels. Under the cherubim.

Cherubim. And fill your hands. With coals. Of fire. Between the cherubim.

And scatter them. Over the city. It's about to take place. As God is. About to judge.

Jerusalem. What's going on. But there's a great. Wrath of judgment. That's coming upon. This whole world. And he entered.

Into my sight. He said. Now verse three. Now the cherubim. Were standing. On the right side. Of the temple. When the man.

Entered. And the cloud. Filled the inner court. There's the glory. Verse four.

Then the glory of the Lord. Went up. From the cherub. To the threshold. Of the temple. And the temple.

Was filled. With the cloud. And the court. Was filled. With the brightness. Of the glory. Of the Lord. Moreover.

The sound. Of the wings. Of the cherub. Cherubim. Was heard.

As far as. The outer court. Like. The voice. Of God. Almighty. When he speaks.

And it came about. When he commanded the man. Clothed in linen. Saying. Take fire. From between the whirling wheels.

From between the cherubim. And entered. And stood. Beside a wheel. Then the cherub.

Stretched out his hand. From between the cherubim. To the fire. Which was between the cherubim.

Took some. And put it into the hands. Of the one clothed in linen. Who took it.

And went out. And the cherubim. Appeared. To have the form. Of a man's hand. Under their wing.

Now listen to this. Verse nine. Then I looked. And behold. Four wheels.

Beside the cherubim. And one wheel. Beside each cherub. And the appearance. Of the wheels.

Was like. He even says it. Like the gleam. Of a tarshish stone. And for their.

Appearance. All four of them. Had the same likeness. As if. One wheel. Were within another wheel.

And when they moved. They went into. Any of their four directions. Without turning.

As they went. But they followed. In a direction. Which they faced. Without turning.

As they went. Their whole body. Their backs. Their hands. Their wings.

And. The wheels. Were full of eyes. All around. The wheels. Belonging.

To our. To all four of them. Now. What is he describing here?

Actually. What he's describing. MacArthur says. Is the cherubim. The cherubim. Had bodies like men.

And like chariot wheels. And were full of eyes. Denoting. Full perception. Both to see.

The sinners. And their fitting judgment. That's MacArthur on that.

And folks. This is really. What this is talking about. Is God. This is

God's war machine. That's what it is. He operates it.

The wheels. Look at verse 13. The wheels were called. In my hearing. The whirling wheels.

And each one had four faces. The same thing John saw. Right? Four. Four. The first face was.

The face of a. Cherub. The second face was like. The face of a man. The third face. Like a lion.

Same thing John saw. And the fourth face. Was the face of an eagle. Then the cherubim.

Rose up. And they all. And are the living beings. That I saw. By the river Shebar. And now.

When the cherubim. Moved. The wheels. Would go. Beside them. And. When the cherubim. Lifted up their.

Wings. To rise. From the ground. And the wheels. Would not turn. From beside them. When the cherubim.

Stood still. The wheels. Would stand still. And then. When. They rose up. The wheels.

Would rise. With them. For the spirit. Of the living beings. Was in them. Then the glory.

Of the Lord. Departed. From the threshold. Of the temple. And stood. Over the cherubim. And when the cherubim.

Departed. They lifted their wings. And rose up. From the earth. And my sight. With the wheels.

Beside them. They stood still. In the entrance. Of the east gate. Of the Lord's house. And the glory.

Of God. Of Israel. Hovered over them. These are the four. Living beings.

These are the living beings. I'm sorry. That I saw. Beneath the God. Of Israel. By the river. Shebar. And so.

I knew. That they were cherubim. Each one. Had four faces. Each one. Had four wings. And beneath their wings.

Was a form. Of a human hands. As for the likeness. Of their faces.

They were the same faces. Whose appearance. I had seen. By the river. Shebar. Each one. Went straight ahead.

Now. I don't know about you. Don't. Try. To figure that out. Now. My question is.

Is not. This foreign to us? Is not this. So far.

In our. In what. The way we think. But God. Created. These awesome. Terrifying.

Creatures. Incredibly. Beautiful. But glorious. But awesome beings.

That were just. Utterly. Indescribable. And like I said.

Don't try to take everything. In Ezekiel chapter one. Try to comprehend it. It'll. Blow your mind.

It's so grand. And glorious. But we know. We just read.

A whole chapter. And we saw. Worship there. And we saw. The glory of God. But. Go back to John.

Revelation. Four. The first living creature. Was like a lion. The second living creature. Was like a calf.

The third living creature. Like the face. Like a man. And the fourth living creature. Like. The flying eagle.

Four living creatures. These. Cherubim. Exalted. Order of. Angelic beings.

Frequently. Associated. In scripture. With God's. Holy. Power. You remember.

In Genesis. Remember. In Genesis. After man. Sin. Let me read it to you.

Genesis. Three. Twenty. Four. Three. Twenty. Four. Verse. Twenty. Four. Chapter. Three. It's important.

To note. Genesis. By the way. Hey. By the way. These bookends. Helps us understand.

The whole plan. And the panorama. Of what God is doing. In his world. In his purposes.

Now. Genesis. Three. Twenty. Four. After Adam and Eve sinned.

God drove them out of Eden. And stationed. A cherubim.

At the entrance. To keep them from returning. That's the scriptures.

And. Two carved cherubim. Were placed. In the holy of holies. By the way.

In first Kings. Chapter. Six. Verse. Twenty. Three. To. Twenty. Eight. Called also.

The most holy place. Symbolic. Of guarding. God's holiness. But yet.

God. Desires. His created. Beings. To partake. With his holiness.

But yet. In the world. In which we live. This is frightening. To people. It's foreign.

To people. It's frightening. Because. There's a judgment. But. That the only way. That we can enter.

Into God's. Presence. Is through. The precious blood. Of Jesus Christ. In which he. Made the way.

For us to come. Before the throne. And the courts. And be cleansed. Because.

Within us. Is this dirtiness. Is it not? I. Even as a.

Christian. I. I. I was. I was. I was telling my son the other day. I. You just don't repent. You don't repent.

Yes. It. That's the beginning. Of the Christian life. Is repentance. But I'm here to tell you.

Calvin said this. And he's right. The whole life. Of the Christian. Is repentance.

Because. We're so. Scarred. And. And. As David said. My sin.

Is ever. Before me. Do you feel that? And the more. You go into. God's word.

And. I read. MacArthur on this. And he's right. In sanctification. The bad news is. You're going to feel bad.

But. The good news is. In sanctification. There's growth. In grace. Yes. We're going to feel bad.

But. We bring our badness. And our dirtiness. Before God. And God. Has the remedy. And people needs.

To see that. The truth is. Jesus Christ. Is the cleanser. He's the sanctifier.

His blood purges. Everything. That we have. From God. Today. Is through Jesus Christ.

There's no other way. And we're going to see. After a while. In Isaiah 1. God. Religion.

Stinks to God. Stinks. It's putrid. But. Through Jesus.

It's pleasing. It's like a sweet smelling aroma. Through Jesus. Through the blood of his cross.

And his sacrifice. And by the way. When. It's through the blood of the cross. But. When Jesus. When Jesus rose again.

It was all. All accepted. And it's like God says. That made it all complete. It's beautiful.

Let's go back to see this. This is what is in. And around the throne of God. The four living creatures.

Now in verse 8. Gives us. The description of what is happening. Toward the throne. Verse 8. The four living creatures.

Having six wings. Six wings. Listen to this. Were full of eyes. Around. Within. Could you imagine seeing this?

Eyes. Within. Around. Uh. And they do not rest. There is no rest.

Day or night. God created these creatures. To worship him. That's how much. God loves.

And praise. Think of that. These creatures. Were specifically made. And here's mankind.

Made in the likeness. Of God. And they were thrown. The harp. Of worship. Into the mud.

Like Tozer said. But Jesus. Has taken that harp. It's that. It's almost as if.

Jesus has taken up. That harp. And. He's cleansed it. And he gives it back to us.

What is these creatures saying? Holy. Holy. Holy. Lord. God. Almighty. Who was. Is. And is. To come.

The scene of heaven culminates. In worship. Directed toward God. The triune God. And in this passage.

In chapter five. The five great hymns of praise. During the singing. Of which. Is the size of the choirs.

Gradually increases. To a. Climax. It keeps increasing. Louder. And more.

Glorious. And it's almost like. It's breathtaking. And all. This worship. Never ceases.

And is all. God -centered. Isn't that the way. Worship is? It's. God commands it. But it's.

God -centered. Always. God -centered. And you know. Let me.

Let me. Squeeze this in. Another quote from Calvin. Our hearts. Are factories. Of idols.

We have a tendency. To worship. So many other. Things. But yet.

The truth. God. Is the true. Seeker. And he. Desires. Worship. And. And he.

Even gives us. The help. And the ability. To worship. And yet. But. Worship is. Ought. To be reserved.

To God. And God. Alone. Isn't that. What the first. Commandment. Says. Now. Shall. Have.

No other. Gods. Before me. God. Said. The worship. Is reserved. For God. And God.

Alone. Since there's. No one. In the universe. Like God. Right? David.

Prayed this. In first. Chronicles. Seventeen. Oh Lord. Verse. Twenty. There is. None. Like you. Nor is there.

Any. God. Beside you. As a. Build up. Of worship. MacArthur.

Says. In his. Commentary. Here. There. The. Hymns. Of praise. Begin. In verse. Eight. With a. Quartet. The.

Four. Living. Creatures. In verse. Ten. The. Twenty. Four. Elders. Join. In. And. In. Revelation. Five. Eight.

Hearts. Are. Added. To. The. Vocal. Praise. Yes. God. Believes. In. Stringed.

Instruments. To. Those. That. Try. To. Do. Away. With. Stringed. Instruments. The. Rest. Of. The. Angels. Then.

Add. Their. Voices. They. Said. In. Revelation. Five. Eleven. And. Then. Finally. In. Revelation. Five. Thirteen.

All. Created. Beings. In. The. Universe. Join. In. The. Mighty. Chorus. To. Praise. God. And. If. You.

Look. Through. The. Psalms. Even. The. Trees. Of. Their. Fields. Will. Praise. God. All. God's.

Creation. Will. God. And. Jesus. Says. If. You. Don't. Praise. Me. Even. The. Rocks. Will. Cry. Out.

And. Praise. Me. Does. God. Love. Praise. He. Loves. Praise. But. That's.

The. Reality. God's. Beauty. That's. The. Beauty. Of. God. Holiness. Three. Fold. Repetition.

Holy. Holy. Holy. Isaiah. Six. Three. You. See. It. There. Holy. Holy. Holy. Holiness. Is.

The. Only. One. And. Only. Of. God's. Attributes. That's. Repeated. And. Raised.

To. The. Third. Degree. It's. The. Summation. Of. All. That. God. Is. Everything. About. God.

And. All. That. He. Is. Holy. Holy. But. It's. The. One. Thing. We. Don't.

Hear. Enough. Of. And. That's. Sad. Isn't. It. All. Of. His. Attributes. Love. Grace. Mercy.

Wisdom. Faithfulness. Judgment. Wrath. Goodness. Justice.

Sovereignty. Wesley said. God. Is. A. God. Of. A. Thousands.

And. Thousands. Of. Attributes. There's. Probably. So. Many. More. Of. Everything. About. God's. Holy. Complete. Separation.

Evil. Of. Any. Kind. He's. Absolutely. Untainted. From. Any. Evil. Error. Wrongdoing. Unlike.

Angels. That. Have. Some. Sin. And. Humans. That. We've. Sinned. All.

Whom. Have. Sinned. First. Samuel. Two. Two. Says. Hannah. Declared.

There's. No. One. Holy. Like. The. Lord. Because. He. Alone. Is. Majestic. In. Holiness. Exodus.

Fifteen. Eleven. The. Prophet. Habakkuk.

Praised. God. The. Book. Would. Highly. Recommend. Every. Christian. To. Read. We. Cannot. Grasp. The. True.

Meaning. Of. The. Divine. Holiness. By. Thinking. Of. Someone. Or. Something. Very. Pure. And. Raising. Concept.

To. The. Highest. Degree. That. We're. Capable. Of. God's. Holiness. Told. Tozer. Said.

Is. Not. Simply. The. Best. We. Know. Infinitely. Bettered. We. Know. Nothing. Like. The.

Divine. Holiness. It. Stands. Apart. Unique. Unapproachable. Incomprehensible.

And. Unattainable. The. Natural. Man. Is. Blind. To. It. He.

May. Fear. God's. Power. Admire. His. Wisdom. But. His. Holiness. He. Cannot. Even. Imagine.

But. You. Know. Holiness. The. Way. To. God. But. We. Cannot. Be.

Holy. Within. Ourselves. Jesus. Christ. Brings. That. To. Us. In. His. Flesh. His.

Flesh. His. Holiness. And. The. Way. His. Holiness. Is. Perfect. Right? So. To.

Be. Holy. He. Does. Not. Conform. To. His. Standard. Tozer. Says. He. Is. That.

Standard. God. Is. That. Standard. He. Is. Absolutely. Holy. With. Infinite. Incomprehensible.

Fullness. Of. Purity. That. Is. Incapable. Of. Being. Other. Than. It. Is. He. Is. Holy. His. Attributes.

Are. Holy. That. Is. Whatever. We. Think. Of. As. Belonging. To. God. Must. Be. Thought.

Of. As. Holy. Listen. To. The.

Scriptures. Psalm. 47. 8. God. Sits. On. Holy. Throne. Psalm. 111. 9.

Holy. And. Awesome. Is. His. Name. First. Peter. 116. In. Which. We. Covered. God. Himself. Declare.

You. Shall. Be. Holy. For. I. Am. The. Lord. That. Is. Holy. We. Cannot.

Be. As. Holy. As. God. Can. We. That's. Absolutely. Preposterous. But. He. Does. Command. Us. To. Be.

Holy. As. He. As. Holy. As. Let's go to verse 9 now. Verse 9.

Whenever the living creatures. I'm sorry. Whenever the living creatures.

Give. Glory. And. Honor. And. Thanks. To. Him. Who. Sits. On. The throne. And. Lives. Forever. And. Ever. Now. Only. Is. God's.

Holiness. Calls. For. Worship. His. Power. Is. Calls. For. Worship.

We. Worship. God. Because. He's. All. Powerful. You. Know. We. Sung. It. This. Morning. Holy.

Holy. Holy. Lord. God. Almighty. Right. He's. Almighty. We. Cannot.

Imagine. In. His. Infinitude. That. In. Other words. His. Infinitude. Has. With. God. Everything.

About. God. And. His. Attributes. His. Mercy. His. Love. His. Justice. Has.

No. Limitations. To. It. In. Other words. It's. Endless. It's.

Unchangeable. To. He's. Immutable. And. All. That. God. Is. He. Does. Not. Change.

But. His. Infinitude. Is. There's. No. Limits. To. It. There's. No. End. To. It. Now. This.

Catches. Us. Up. Into. The. Third. Heavens. Folks. When. You. Start. Dwelling. On. Things. But. The. Word. Of.

God. Says. Much. About. God's. Power. Not. Only. God's. Holiness. But. We. Worship.

Him. For. His. Power. In. Song. Praise. Of. The. Most. Powerful.

Being. Utterly. Devoid. Of. Any. Weakness. Conquering. Power. Overpowering.

Strength. That. No. One. Can. Oppose. No. One. Has. Ever. Won. A. Battle.

Against. God. No. One. Ever. Will. Can't. Against.

God. Because. You. Think. Of. It. God. Created. In. All. That. We. See. That. Exists. Romans.

One. God. Spoke. With. The. Power. Of. His. Folks. Can't.

Imagine. This. He. Spoke. It. Happened. God. Is.

Almighty. He. Ever. Without. Effort. Can. Do. Whatever. His.

Holy. Will. Purposes. To. Do. Read. Isaiah. 40. Psalm.

115. Three. The Psalm is declared. Our God is in the heavens. He does. Whatsoever. He. Pleases.

God's. Power. Is. Seen. In. Creation. Psalm. 33. Nine. Listen. To.

David. Through. The. Spirit. Of. God. He. Spoke. And. It. Was. Done. He. Commanded.

And. It. Stood. Fast. Having. Created. The. Whole. Entire. Universe. Of.

Galaxies. After. Galaxies. And. We're. Just. That. Small. Earth. Is. That. Small. Little. Speck.

And. Entire. Galaxies. That's. Just. It's. It's. It's. In.

Comprehensible. Folks. God. Controls. All. Of. It. You.

Know. David. Expressed. Praise. Go. With. Me. First. Chronicles. Chapter.

Twenty. Nine. I. Want. You. To. See. This. Don't. You. Love. This. This. Is.

David's. Prayer. And. They're. Offering. The. Temple. And. Listen. To. David. Said.

Now. We're. Talking. About. True. Worship. Here. And. Listen. To. What. He. Says. So. In. Verse. Ten. So.

David. Blessed. The. Lord. In. The. Side. Of. All. The. Assembly. And. David. Said. Blessed. Are. You. O. Lord. God. Of. Israel.

Our. Father. Forever. And. Ever. Yours. O. Lord. Is. The. Greatness. And. The. Power. And. The.

Glory. And. The. Victory. And. The. Majesty. Indeed. Everything. That. Is. In. Heavens. And. Earth. Yours.

Is. The. Dominion. O. Lord. And. You. Exalt. Yourself. Notice. That. You. Exalt. Yourself.

As. Head. Over. All. Both. Riches. And. Honor. Come. From. You. And. You. Rule. Over. All.

And. In. Your. Hand. Is. Power. And. Might. And. It. Lies. In. To. Make.

Great. And. To. Strengthen. Everyone. Now. Therefore. O. Our. God. We. Thank. You. And. We. Praise.

Your. Glorious. Name. But. Notice. In. Verse. Fourteen. But. Am. I. Who. Am.

I. And. Who. Are. My. People. That. We. Should. Be. Able.

To. Offer. A. Generously. As. This. Who. Are. We. Right.

Who. Is. This. That. Are. Man. Mindful. Of. Him. For. All. Things. Come. From.

You. All. Things. Come. From. You. And. From. Your. Hand. We. Have. Given. You. For. As.

Fathers. Were. In. Our. Days. On. The. Earth. Are. Like. A. Shadow. And. There. Is. No. Hope. Oh. Lord.

Our. God. All. Of. This. Abundance. That. We. Have. Provided. To. Build. You. A. House. For. Your. Holy.

Name. It. Is. From. Your. Hand. He. Gives. God. All. Credit. And. All. Is. Yours.

Since. I. Know. Oh. My. God. That. You. Try. The. Heart. That.

Means. The. Reins. The. Inner. Motives. Of. Our. Heart. You. Try. The. Heart. And. Delight. In. Uprightness.

I. And. The. Integrity. Of. Have. Willingly. Offered. All. These. Things. Now. So.

Now. With. Joy. I. Have. Seen. Your. People. Who. Are. Present. Here. Make. Their. Offerings.

Willingly. To. You. Oh. Lord. The. God. Of. Abraham. Isaac. And. Jacob. Our. Fathers.

Preserve. This. Forever. The. Intentions. Of. The. Heart. Of. Your. People. And. Direct. Their.

Heart. To. You. And. Then.

Ends. Then. David. Said. All. This. In. The. Assembly. Now. Bless. The. Lord. Your. God. He. Tells.

The. Assembly. To. Bless. God. And. All. The. Assembly. Bless. The. Lord. And. Then. What. Happens. The. God. Of.

Their. Fathers. And. They. Bowed. Low. In. Prostration. And. Did.

Homage. To. The. Lord. To. Their. King. There's. Worship. Folks. That's.

Worship. You. Know. In. Ephesians. Paul. Said. Ephesians.

Three. Twenty. Paul. Praised. God. For. Being. Able. To. Do. Far. More.

Abundantly. Above. All. That. We. Can. Even. Ask. Think. According. To. What. To. The. Power.

That. Works. In. Us. Second. Corinthians. Nine. Eight. God. Is. Able. To. Make. All. Grace. Abound.

In. You. So. That. Always. Have. An. All. Sufficiency. In. Everything. You. May. Have. Abundance.

For. Every. Good. Deed. God. Even. Gives. You. And. I. The. Power. To. Live. In. Him.

We. Live. And. And. Have. Our. Being. But. He. Also. Gives. Us. The. Power. And. The. Grace. To. Live. The. Christian. Life. And. We.

Even. Though. In. Our. Failures. Repentance. Faith. These. Gifts. That.

God. Gives. Us. Helps. Us. Along. The. Way. Paul. Wrote. To. Timothy. Expressing.

His. Confidence. In. God's. Power. For. I. Know. Whom. I. Have. Believed. And. I'm. Persuaded. That. He's. What. He's. Able.

He's. Able. To. Keep. That. Which. I've. Committed. Unto. Him. Against. That. Day. Hebrews. Two. Eighteen.

Reveals. That. The. Lord. Jesus. Christ. Is. Able. That. He's. Able. To. Come. To.

Aid. To. Those. Who. Are. Tempted. Hebrews. Seven. Twenty. Twenty.

Five. Reassures. Believers. That. He's. Able. To. Save. To. The. All. Those. Who. Draw. Near. To.

God. Through. Him. Since. He's. Always. Lives. To. Make. Intercession. For. Them. In. Our.

Text. God's. Holy. But. He's. All. Powerful. Now. This.

Is. Speaking. Of. Judgment. That's. Coming. Now. God's. Judgment. And. It's.

A. Powerful. Folks. Nahum. One. Six. Who. Can. Stand. Before. His. Indignation.

Malachi. Three. Two. Who. Endure. The. Burning. Of. His. Anger. His. Wrath.

Is. Poured. Out. Like. Fire. And. The. Rocks. Are. Broken. Up. By. Him. God. Will. Judge. Wicked.

Rulers. Even. Though. Don't. Know. It. But. It's. Coming. That's. Why. We're. To.

Pray. For. Him. That. They. Would. Repent. Because. A. Terrifying. Judgment. And. By. The. Way. The. Bride.

Will. Come. As.

Destruction. From. The. Almighty. Now.

If. You. Go. To. Revelation. This. Is. What's. About. To. Come. On. The. Earth. And. All. This. Worship. Is. This. Beginning.

To. Just. Climax. Before. The. God. That's. About. To. Give. Justice. Now. These.

Four. Living. Creatures. They. Cry. Out. Before. God. Give. An.

Honor. Glory. And. Thanks. To. Him. Who. Lives. Forever. Ever. So. Much.

More. I. Can. Say. But. I. Do. Want. To. Get. Away. And. Get. To. My. Application. To. This. And.

I. Think. The. Application. Says. So. Much. Lord. Willing. Will. Pick.

Up. On. The. Rest. Of. It. Because. My. Time. Is. Short. But. The. Worship. What. We. Need. To. Catch. Here. And.

What. To. Take. Home. With. Us. Is. That. We. Worship. God. For. His. Holy. But. We. Also. Worship. God. For. His.

All. Powerful. Isn't. That. Requiring. Fear. I mean. Don't. You. Fear.

You. We. Have. A. Generation. Today. There's. No. Fear. Of. God. Before. Their. Eyes. There's.

Mockery. There's. Blasphemy. And. Yet. God. Allows. Them. To. Live. Another. Day. I. Think.

About. Myself. Where. I. Failed. In. My. Own. Sins. I. Say. Lord. Then. You. Yet. So. Quick. To. Forgive.

Me. And. Cleanse. Me. Put. Me. On. My. I. Need. To. Be. Repentant.

Repentant. Repentant. Well. What. Are. We. To. Do. Well. I. Want. To. Point. You.

First. Of. All. That. God. Desires. Worship. But. It. Must.

Be. True. Worship. Like. I. Said. Isaiah. Isaiah.

One. Says. This. About. Is. Our. Worship. Going. To. Be. Acceptable. Or. Not. Hear.

The. Word. Of. The. Lord. Scripture. Says. Isaiah. First.

Twelve. When. You. To. Appear. Before. Me. Who. Requires. Of. You. This. Trampling. Of. My. Courts.

Bring. He. Says. Bring. Your. Worthless. Offerings. No. Longer. Incense. Is. Abomination.

To. Me. New. Moon. Sabbath. Calling. Of. Assemblies. All. These. Things. I. Cannot. Endure. Iniquity. In. The. Solemn. Assembly.

Does. It. The. Scripture. Says. If. I. Iniquity. In. My. Heart. The. Lord. Will. Not. Hear. Me. Verse. Fourteen.

I. Hate. Your. New. Moon. This. Is. Things. God. Hates. He's. Talking. About. Your. Religion. Folks. Externalism.

No. Heart. Worship. Of. Loving. God. And. Your. Appointed. Feast. In. Other. Words. Jesus. Says.

You. Honor. Me. With. Your. Lips. But. Your. Heart. Is. So. Me. This. Is. What. They're.

Doing. They. Have. Become. A. Burden. To. Me. I'm. Weary. Of. Bearing. Them. And. Then. So. When. You. Spread. Out.

Your. Hands. And. Prayer. I. Hide. My. Eyes. From. You. Yes. Even. Though. You. Multiply. Prayers. I. Will.

Not. Listen. To. You. Your. Hands. Are. Covered. With. Blood. But. They.

Cease. Do. Evil. That's. Repentance. Stop. It. Learn. To. Do. Good. Seek. Justice.

Reprove. The. Ruthless. Defend. The. Orphan. Plead. For. The. Widow. That's. Pure. Religion. That's. Almost.

Like. God. Says. Graciously. Now. Come. Now. And. Let. Us. Reason. Together. Says. The.

Lord. Though. Your. Sins. Are. As. Scarlet. They. Will. Be. As. White.

As. Snow. White. As. Snow. And. Though. They. Are. Red. Like. Crimson. They. Will.

Be. Like. Wool. If. You. Consent. And. Obey. You. Will. Eat. The. Best. Of.

The. Land. And.

In. Jesus.

Says. This. And. Revealed. This. To. A. Woman. At. at the well, in John 4.

He didn't reveal this to one of those smart boys in the synagogues, or a

Pharisee, or a scribe, did he? He tells this to a prostitute. And then he says, an hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers will worship, no question about it, they will worship, the

Father in spirit and in truth, for such people the Father seeks to be worshippers.

God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Folks, that's where it is. Can I give you one more? Can I give you one more?

Time's about gone. Maybe two. Go with me to Psalm 15.

Just five verses, but it's packed. Why don't you take a look at this?

Even though it must be true heart worship, our lives should exhibit godliness.

Lord, in verse 1, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?

He who walks with integrity and works righteousness and speaks truth in where his heart starts there.

Then it works its way outward. He does not slander with his tongue. He's not a slanderer.

Nor does evil to his neighbor. This is practical Christianity.

Nor takes up a reproach against his friend, in whose eyes a reprobate is despised, but who honors those who fear the

Lord. He swears to his own hurt. He does not change. He does not put out his money at interest, usury.

Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He does these things. He who does these things will never be moved, will never be shaken.

That's Christianity. Look at Psalm 24. Psalm 24.

And I close with this. The earth is the Lord's and all that it contains, the world and those who dwell in it.

God is the Creator, but He is sovereign, right? For He has founded it upon the seas, He established it upon the rivers.

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? That's a question. And who may stand in His holy place?

The question is, who? Who? Well, He answers it. Verse 4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart.

You know who cleans hands? Those hands that's our relationship with one another. We've got to get that right, folks.

With our parents, with our children, one another, with our brothers, with our sisters. We demand forgiveness and forgiving, repentance constantly.

Who? He must have clean hands, a pure heart. That's our relationship with God.

See, there you have the both. And then, what does He say? He doesn't leave it there. Who has not lifted up his soul to vanity, to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully?

Verse 5. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and the righteousness from the God of His salvation.

This is the generation of those who seek Him. Don't you want to be that generation? Who seek your face, seek

God's face. Even Jacob, Selah. And then He says this, almost like an encouragement, with a glorious invitation.

Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the

King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty.

The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the

King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts.

The Lord of the armies. He is the King of glory. Praise His holy name.

Let's go to the Lord and let's pray. Our Father, we do thank

You in heaven. And we thank You, Lord, that You are the

Lord God Almighty. There's none like You. The one only. And we worship

You through the one and only Son of the living God, Jesus Christ. He is the righteous one.

The only way our worship can be acceptable, O Lord, before You, is through Him. For He is the righteous one.

The one that You said, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased.

Hear Him. Hear Him. May we hear Jesus. May we hear

You, Lord. The one that has redeemed us by His precious blood. The one that has made us kings and priests unto

You. And the one that one day in eternity will reign forever and ever as King of kings,

Lord of lords, and come in great power and glory. Lord, we anticipate that day. Lord, this life is a dressing room for eternity.

May we prepare our hearts for the eternal city. And prepare it for us. Help us,

O God. As these living creatures and as all these elders, they just say with a great exaltation,

Worthy is the land that was slain to receive power, riches, wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

So, Father, may all praise belong to You. And it does belong to You, O Lord. And we give

You thanks. Change us. Lord, transform us. And may we be true worshipers that love

You. And may our worship be acceptable in spirit and truth and in the beauty of Your holiness.