Jesus is Worhty
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· 15 viewsJesus is worth giving up our lives for because Jesus is worthy. When we actually see Jesus as worthy of EVERYTHING, we see him as worth giving up ANYTHING
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Welcome:
Welcome:
Well, good morning, Near North! My name’s Dan Osborn and I’m one of the Pastors here at Park! It’s good to be with you all again!
Just a quick personal update…it’s been an ‘eventful’ two weeks in the Osborn household. My wife had our son last week…let me brag for a moment and show you a picture of Malachi!
So we have offically kissed sleep good-bye for the forseeable future…and I’m pretty sure my daughter is still waiting for Malachi to ‘go home’ and come back another time!
As Dave mentioned, this is GLOBAL week for us at Park. You’ll remember that a third of our vision statement as a church is that we believe the Gospel IMPACTS the WORLD! And a couple times a year we spend some time to focus in on what this means for us a Followers of Jesus.
So if you have a bible, would you open with me to Revelation chapter 5. It’s all the way at the end of the bible…page 1030 if you have one of the house bibles! .
Introduction:
Introduction:
Last November, I traveled to Turkey with a team from Park. Most of the time we were teaching English calsses for Iranian refugees in the city and after each class we’d invite everyone to stay after for dinner and a bible study.
And to be honest, I didn’t quite know what to expect when I got there, but was blown away by the hospitality of everyone in the classes! Within a few hours of being there we’d been invited into peoples homes for meals. And we had some incredible conversations! We got to hear their stories of why they left Iran…how they made it to Turkey…what things they left behind back home...
But there was one coverstaion in particular that I’ll never forget.
I was in the home of a family who had left Iran because they had become followers of Jesus. ANd while it’s not technically illegal to be a Chrstin in Iran, there are VERY strict regularion on what you can and cannot do as a follwer of Jesus. And so I’m talking with the oldest son and he shared with me how he had been caught with a bible telling people about Jesus at the universtiy he was attending. And before he got home that day, a friend told him that the police had been to his house looking for him.
And knowing what would happen to him if he was caught, he and his dad decided they needed to leave the city for a few days and waith for things to blow over. So they quitely packed up a few things and left.
But after a couple days, they heard the police had follwed them to the city and they eventually came to the conclusion that they were going to have to leave the country.
So they fled to Turkey....and they began to tell me how they had different people drive while they hid in the back of the car so they wouldn’t be found…how they made it thorugh military checkpoints…almost miraculously without being seen…and how the eventually made the 3 day journey on foot to cross the border into Turkey. They talked with me about how they can never go back home…that they can’t even tell friends or family where they are now or even what happened to them…we talked about all of what they had to give up sipmly because thy were followers of Jesus.
And after they went through all these details, I remember finally asking, ‘Was it worth it?’ I mean, to have to leave everything behind…and now live in limbo in a new country—where you don’t even speak the language—was it worth following Jesus even in this? And I even asked him… ‘Why not just be a quite Christian? You know…to believe in Jesus, but not really make a big deal about it! Because was telling people about Jesus really worth all this?
Is Jesus really worth it?
PAUSE
And you know, I think that’s a phenominally important question for us to ask ourselves....Is Jesus…worth it?
Well, good morning South Loop! My name’s Dan Osborn and I’m the pastor here for the Saturday Night gathering! It’s good to be with you all again! As Dave said in the video, we are getting into a new series for the month of May which is Global month at Park. And we’re taking this next month to remind ourselves of God’s intention for people from ALL nations to hear the Good News of Jesus. And so over the next three weeks, we are going to be looking at what it means for us a followers of Jesus to be living on mission make Jesus known among the nations.
So if you have a bible, would you open with me to Revelation chapter 5. It’s all the way that end of the bible…page 1030 if you grabbed one of the house bibles. If you need a bible you can go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll get one to you. Revelation chapter 5.
Introduction: Is Jesus Worth It? (Daniel’s Story)
Last November, I traveled to central Turkey with a small team from Park on one of our Global trips. Most of the time we were teaching English classes for Iranian refugees and after each lesson we’d invite everyone to stick around for a bible study in the evening!
And to be honest, I didn’t quite know what to expect when I got there, butI was blown away by was the hospitality of everyone in the classes! Within a few hours of being there I’d already been invited into peoples homes to have a meal. But we had incredible conversations! We got to hear their stories of why and they had left Iran…how they made it to Turkey…what things they left behind back home…
But there was one conversation in particular that I will never forget. I was in the home of a family who had actually fled Iran because they had become followers of Jesus. And while it’s technically not illegal to be a Christian…there are strict regulations on what you can and cannot do as a follower of Jesus. And so I’m talking with the oldest son and he shared with me how he had, for the second time, been caught with a bible telling people about Jesus at the university. And before he got home, he was told by a friend that the police had been to his house looking for him.
Knowing what would happen to him if he was caught, he and his father decided that they needed leave the city…and just wait for things to cool down a bit.so they jumped in a car and immediately left for another city. They left everything behind. But after a couple days, the heard the police were looking for them there too…and so they realized they were gonna have to leave the country. So again, they got in a car and headed for Turkey…they talked to me about how they had have different people drive while they hid in the back so they wouldn’t get caught…how they made it through military checkpoints…almost miraculously without being seen…and eventually how they made the 3 day journey on foot to cross the board into Turkey. We talked about how they can never go back home…and how they can’t even tell friends and family where they are now or what happened to them…we talked about all of what they had to give up simply because they were followers of Jesus.
And I remember finally asking after they went through all of these details… “Was it worth it? I mean, to have to leave everything behind…and now really have to limbo in new country…was it worth following Jesus even in this?” And I even asked him…why not just be a quiet Christian? You know…to believe in Jesus, but not really make a big deal about it…you know, why not make his faith private…and just keep it to himself. Was telling people about Jesus really worth all this?
Is Jesus really worth it?
And you know, I think it is a phenomenally important question for us to ask ourselves…but it’s also a revealing question for us to ask…do we see Jesus as worth it.
What do I mean by that? See, when we look through the pages of scripture, what we see over and over again is the reminder that Jesus is not our side kick…he’s Jesus our co-pilot…but that he is our leader…he is our King. And he calls everyone who follows Him to live on mission, making Him known to the people around us and around the world! To use our resources, our time, and and even our very lives, not for our own fame…but for His.
And so the question again is, is he worth all that? Is he worth reorienting my life around…is he worth giving up my goals, dreams, and desires for? Is Jesus worth it? Friends thats the question we’re looking at tonight.
See, the reality is, all of us live as if something is worth it, right? All of us have something we give our lives to…we all tell ourselves that something is worth it…the question is, is it worthy?
So if you’re not there yet, would you join me in Revelation 5.
And in this passage, we are reminded that Jesus is worthy…because of who Jesus is and what He’s done…and ultimately, we will will see that He is worthy of worship from all creation! Jesus is worthy of everything, so He is worth anything!
Let me pray and then we’ll get started!
Pray.
Revelation 5.
The book of Revelation was written by one of Jesus’ closest followers, a man named John—and this is the same John who wrote the Gospel of John…and three other letters in the New Testament—First, Second, and Third John.
And were told that what’s written in Revelation was revealed to John in a vision or a dream…and then he went back and wrote down all all of what he saw. And so as you read through Revelation, it’s like we’re looking over his shoulder and see what he saw in his vision.
And when we get to chapter 5, John is describing the Throne Room…where God himself is seated on the throne and he’s surrounded by four living creatures…and twenty four elders…and all of them are bowing down in front of the throne of God.
Jesus is worthy to receive worship because of who He is—He is the Triumphant King who was Slain! (Rev. 5:1-8)
In this first section of chapter 5, we are given the first reason for why Jesus is worthy…He is worthy because of who he is.
Look with me starting at v. 1. It says this, “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Now, we don’t know exactly what the scroll is but when we look at the rest of the book of Revelation, we get an idea of what it is! See, chapter 5 is a huge turning point in the book…and everything that happens after chapter 5 only happens because the scroll is opened! The scroll is God’s redemptive plan to make all things new…he is making all things right! And in v. 4, John is weeping because there is no one who can open the scroll…
But look with me at v. 5. It says this, “And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And the focus here is on Jesus, but look at how he’s described. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. For most of us, this doesn’t mean much at all, but John—who grew up in a Jewish culture and context—would have heard “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and it would have been a powerful reminder of Jesus’ identity.
And then the second title, the ‘Root of David’, this is another reference back to the Old Testament. You might remember David was considered to be the greatest King in Israel’s history in the old testament…and the way Jesus is described here is that he is the root of David…that He is the source of even the greatest King…and so Jesus Himself is an even greater King! See, both of these titles are references to the promises in the Old Testament about a future King who would one day come and establish God’s Kingdom here on Earth and that He would reign in power. See, these are meant to showcase who Jesus is. He is the King!
But it keeps going, because Jesus is not just the Lion of the Tribe of Judah…not just the
Root of David…he is not just the king…he is the King who has conquered.
Conquered what, though?
Remember, when John writes the the book of Revelation, he is writing after he’s watched Jesus die on a cross…and after he has seen Jesus buried in a tomb… and yet here Jesus is, in the middle of the throne room of God, after his resurrection from the dead! See, Jesus has conquered over death itself!
And so is not like any other King…in fact there is no one like Him! And the way this section ends is by saying that because of who Jesus is…as the Triumphant Lion of the Tribe of Judah…the Triumphant Root of David…the true and only Conquering King…Jesus is worthy! Because of who He is, he is worthy to open the scroll! Friends, this is an incredible picture of who Jesus is! This is how John wants us to see Him. Jesus is worthy because he is the Conquering King!
But that begs the questions…how do we see Jesus. I think if we’re honest, a lot of times we have a very different picture of Jesus in our own minds. Some of us see Jesus as just a good teacher…with a lot of wisdom and some pretty good advice…so you have a ‘good Jesus’.
Perhaps you see Jesus as just a good example. I mean he seemed to be kind to other people…you don’t think he would really judge anyone for what they do…after all, Jesus was a nice guy. So you have nice Jesus.
And friends, if our Jesus always ends up being more obedient to us than we are to Him—than all we really have is a yes-man Jesus…and you can’t really trust a yes-man Jesus…he will never confront…challenge…lead….heal…or even save…because in your mind—he is not King…you are.
Remember, the question we’re looking at—though…’Is Jesus worth it?’ Is he worth reorienting my life around…is he worth laying down my professional goals…would I stay single if He asked me to…would I leave home….is even worth giving up my safety for? Is Jesus worth it?
The reality is, when we fail to see Jesus for who He is…as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah…as the Root of David…as the Conquering King…when we fail to Jesus for who he really is, we fail to see Jesus as worth giving up anything at all. Let’s be honest…yes-man Jesus is not worth it….because he can’t really do anything.
And when we look at revelation 5, we begin to get a very different picture of Jesus…He is as the Conquering King. And he is worthy because of who he is.
Transition: But we don’t just see that Jesus is worthy because of who He is—the conquering King—but in the next section of Revelation 5, we get the second reason for why Jesus is worthy. He is worthy because of what he’s done.
Jesus is worthy because of what he does—He Ransomed for people God from every people group! (Rev. 5:9-10)
As John is in the throne room, he hears all those in the room with him begin to sing as Jesus, the Conquering king, steps up to take the scroll and open it’s seals. There’s a lot going on here even leading up to this song, but there are couple things we need to focus on because they help see that Jesus is worthy because of what he’s done.
Look with me at v. 9. It says this, “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation…”
They are singing the story of what Jesus has done! And there is some very vivid language that’s used here in this song…talking about Jesus being slain…and being a ransom. And this is an important word for us to understand…ransomed…that he “ransomed people for God”. We don’t often use it today in the way that it’s used here. See, to ransom means to make a payment…or to pay what’s owed…But whats important for us to realize is that if Jesus ransomed people for God, that implies there was something they owed…that there was some debt that needed to be paid, right…a debt that they could not pay themselves, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a ransom!
And this is exactly what the bible that tells us…that none of us has fully lived up to the standard God has set for us…if we’re honest most of us can’t even live up to our own standards…and so none of us fully lives the way that we ought to! And in our failure to do that, we build up a debt to God!
The way the bible talks about this failure is with the word sin. In another part of the bible, in the book of Romans, the author Paul says it this way—as a way to level the playing field—so that nobody walks away thinking this doesn’t apply to them…he says that all of us have sinned and so ALL OF US have fallen short of the glory of God. All of us! It doesn't matter if you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Skeptic, Atheist…whether you’ve heard about Jesus before and just don’t buy it and even the person who has never heard about Jesus…every one of us has has missed the mark! And it is our sin that has become our debt…that we cannot pay ourselves. We’ve all fallen short…in other words, none of us is worthy. None of us is worthy to be ransomed…none of us has deserved or earned the right to be ransomed to God.
And yet, it is the Gospel that tell us Jesus is worthy. That He is the one who lived a perfect life. That He is the one who was fully obedient to all of what God had commanded of us…and it’s the Gospel that tell us that Jesus by His blood ransomed people for God as he was slain on the cross…see Jesus is the Conquering King, but he is also the Lamb who was Slain, dying the death YOU AND I should have died…in OUR PLACE, FOR OUR SIN! And while you and I have busied our lives with other things that we’ve deemed worth it, trying to make ourselves worthy, Jesus did not wait until we had become worthy, but died for us while were still unworthy so that by what he has done FOR us, we too might become worthy!
But the song goes on! See it’s not just us! Look with me again at the end of v. 9…that by his blood, Jesus ransomed people to God, “…from every tribe, language, people, and nation.” And this does not just mean people from every country! Its much more than that! There are 196 nations on a map today, but that doesn’t include the 16,000 unique people groups—with unique cultures and languages—that make up those 196 nations! We call these ‘people-groups’ And it is in v.9 that we’re reminded Jesus ransomed people from all of them! Friends that means that what happened at the cross isn’t just for you and me…it isn’t just for people like you and me…it isn’t just for Americans…it isn’t just for Westerners…it is for every single people group on earth…the Gospel is good news for everyone because by his blood Jesus paid the debt we could not pay of people from every people group!
See it’s in this second part of Revelation 5 that we see Jesus is Worthy because of what he’s done…he has ransomed people from every people group!
Friends, it is only when we first see Jesus as truly worthy…because of who He is and what He’s done…that we can finally start to see what John has been building to in Chapter 5. Because if the Conquering King has ransomed people from every people group, then Jesus is worthy to be worshiped by every people group!
Jesus is worthy of the praise and worship of every people group! (Rev. 5:11-14)
Look with me starting at v. 11, “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
See, and this is where everything really comes to a climax here…because it is in this last section that we see where John has been leading us this whole time…that Jesus is worthy because of who He is and what He’s done…to his worthy of worship from all creation! And this is a way to reiterate what’s in v. 9…see if Jesus has ransomed people from every people group, then He is worthy of worship from people of every people group!
Worship is what we give our lives to…worship is putting something on a pedestal and then celebrating it! And everybody does it! We all have that thing we give our lives to! And for some of us, if we’re honest…it’s not Jesus…but it’s our career and so your whole world is oriented around taking it to the next level…doing what sets you up best for our next move!…or it’s our families, and we completely throw ourselves into building a picture perfect one…our money so we do what we can just to get more…our safety and so we take no risks and don’t rock the boat…or power so that people look to you…or prestige so that you can feel that you have worth. All of us will end up worshiping something…the question is, ‘Is it worthy?’
Friends, when we see Revelation 5—and really see Jesus for who He is and what He’s done— we begin to see that HE is worthy to be worshiped! Because unlike anything else we might see as worthy to give our lives to…it is only Jesus the conquering King who first gave his life for us!
And so is he worth it? Is he worth reorienting my life around? Is he worth laying down my professional goals…would I stay single if He asked me to…is even worth giving up my safety for? Is Jesus worth it? Friends we are reminded in Revelation 5 that Jesus is worthy of everything…so Jesus is worth giving up anything!
And so what is our response? As a follower of Jesus…what do we do?
I think the first thing we need to do as followers of Jesus is be aware of the global state of the Gospel.
We know there are at least 16,000 distinct people groups that exist right now…but we also that of these 16,000 there are at least 7,000 of them that are considered unreached…which means less than 2% of the population is identify as followers of Jesus or have even heard about who Jesus is, and what He’s done! And that they have really never heard about who Jesus is and what He’s done! But even beyond that around half of the unreached people groups are what we call unengaged…which means there are no known followers of Jesus at all and there is no effort directed at telling these people who Jesus is and what He’s done…3,000 people groups who have never heard about Jesus. That is the global state of the gospel. Thousands and thousands and thousands of people who have never heard the Good news.
Second Corinthians 5:20 "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." It reminds us that because of what Jesus has done for us…because he has ransomed us, we have now become his ambassadors…his representatives to the world as we go out with the message that Jesus ransoms people to God! And friends, as followers of Jesus, there is still a lot of work to be done!
At Park our Global vision is to mobilize, send and sustain 100 followers of Jesus to Unreached people groups by September 1st, 2022. 100 people to go and proclaim who Jesus is and what He has done because we are reminded that HE IS WORTHY TO BE WORSHIPED IN EVERY PEOPLE GROUP! And we’re calling this Park 100.
Friends this is not an easy ride…and this is certainly not the safe thing to do, but will require reorienting our lives around Jesus the Conquering King who Ransomed people for God…as we follow him in whatever He might call us to do! And frankly, it will force each of us to really sit down and ask the question… “Is Jesus worth it?!” Because He may ask us to give up everything…
So what is you’re next step?
We’ve also got two events coming up that I would highly encourage you to check out that will help you wrestle with the question, ‘is Jesus Worth it?’ :
Insanity of God Movie Night
May 19th from 6-9
Global Worship Night
May 24th right here at NN
Friends, it’s not until we see Jesus as truly worthy of everything…because of who He is and what He’s done…that we can finally say Jesus is worth giving up anything.
Think back with me a moment to the conversation I had with my Iranian friend…when I asked him if it was worth it to follow Jesus even after all that had happened to him…was Jesus worth it? To this day, his answer is one of the most profound things I’ve ever heard. He looked at me with this curious expression…almost like he didn’t understand the question…or maybe it’s that he didn’t understand how I could ask the question…but he said to me, “Dan…of course it was worth it! Jesus gave his life for me…and all he asked me to do was give up my home…of Course he’s worth it!”
Friends because of who He is and what He’s done…Jesus is worthy of everything…and so Jesus is worth anything. Jesus is worth it…because Jesus is worthy. Would you pray with me?
Well, good morning South Loop! My name’s Dan Osborn and I’m the pastor here for the Saturday Night gathering! It’s good to be with you all again! As Dave said in the video, we are getting into a new series for the month of May which is Global month at Park. And we’re taking this next month to remind ourselves of God’s intention for people from ALL nations to hear the Good News of Jesus. And so over the next three weeks, we are going to be looking at what it means for us a followers of Jesus to be living on mission make Jesus known among the nations.
So if you have a bible, would you open with me to Revelation chapter 5. It’s all the way that end of the bible…page 1030 if you grabbed one of the house bibles. If you need a bible you can go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll get one to you. Revelation chapter 5.
Introduction: Is Jesus Worth It? (Daniel’s Story)
Last November, I traveled to central Turkey with a small team from Park on one of our Global trips. Most of the time we were teaching English classes for Iranian refugees and after each lesson we’d invite everyone to stick around for a bible study in the evening!
And to be honest, I didn’t quite know what to expect when I got there, butI was blown away by was the hospitality of everyone in the classes! Within a few hours of being there I’d already been invited into peoples homes to have a meal. But we had incredible conversations! We got to hear their stories of why and they had left Iran…how they made it to Turkey…what things they left behind back home…
But there was one conversation in particular that I will never forget. I was in the home of a family who had actually fled Iran because they had become followers of Jesus. And while it’s technically not illegal to be a Christian…there are strict regulations on what you can and cannot do as a follower of Jesus. And so I’m talking with the oldest son and he shared with me how he had, for the second time, been caught with a bible telling people about Jesus at the university. And before he got home, he was told by a friend that the police had been to his house looking for him.
Knowing what would happen to him if he was caught, he and his father decided that they needed leave the city…and just wait for things to cool down a bit.so they jumped in a car and immediately left for another city. They left everything behind. But after a couple days, the heard the police were looking for them there too…and so they realized they were gonna have to leave the country. So again, they got in a car and headed for Turkey…they talked to me about how they had have different people drive while they hid in the back so they wouldn’t get caught…how they made it through military checkpoints…almost miraculously without being seen…and eventually how they made the 3 day journey on foot to cross the board into Turkey. We talked about how they can never go back home…and how they can’t even tell friends and family where they are now or what happened to them…we talked about all of what they had to give up simply because they were followers of Jesus.
And I remember finally asking after they went through all of these details… “Was it worth it? I mean, to have to leave everything behind…and now really have to limbo in new country…was it worth following Jesus even in this?” And I even asked him…why not just be a quiet Christian? You know…to believe in Jesus, but not really make a big deal about it…you know, why not make his faith private…and just keep it to himself. Was telling people about Jesus really worth all this?
Is Jesus really worth it?
And you know, I think it is a phenomenally important question for us to ask ourselves…but it’s also a revealing question for us to ask…do we see Jesus as worth it.
What do I mean by that? See, when we look through the pages of scripture, what we see over and over again is the reminder that Jesus is not our side kick…he’s Jesus our co-pilot…but that he is our leader…he is our King. And he calls everyone who follows Him to live on mission, making Him known to the people around us and around the world! To use our resources, our time, and and even our very lives, not for our own fame…but for His.
And so the question again is, is he worth all that? Is he worth reorienting my life around…is he worth giving up my goals, dreams, and desires for? Is Jesus worth it? Friends thats the question we’re looking at tonight.
See, the reality is, all of us live as if something is worth it, right? All of us have something we give our lives to…we all tell ourselves that something is worth it…the question is, is it worthy?
So if you’re not there yet, would you join me in Revelation 5.
And in this passage, we are reminded that Jesus is worthy…because of who Jesus is and what He’s done…and ultimately, we will will see that He is worthy of worship from all creation! Jesus is worthy of everything, so He is worth anything!
Let me pray and then we’ll get started!
Pray.
Revelation 5.
The book of Revelation was written by one of Jesus’ closest followers, a man named John—and this is the same John who wrote the Gospel of John…and three other letters in the New Testament—First, Second, and Third John.
And were told that what’s written in Revelation was revealed to John in a vision or a dream…and then he went back and wrote down all all of what he saw. And so as you read through Revelation, it’s like we’re looking over his shoulder and see what he saw in his vision.
And when we get to chapter 5, John is describing the Throne Room…where God himself is seated on the throne and he’s surrounded by four living creatures…and twenty four elders…and all of them are bowing down in front of the throne of God.
Jesus is worthy to receive worship because of who He is—He is the Triumphant King who was Slain! (Rev. 5:1-8)
In this first section of chapter 5, we are given the first reason for why Jesus is worthy…He is worthy because of who he is.
Look with me starting at v. 1. It says this, “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Now, we don’t know exactly what the scroll is but when we look at the rest of the book of Revelation, we get an idea of what it is! See, chapter 5 is a huge turning point in the book…and everything that happens after chapter 5 only happens because the scroll is opened! The scroll is God’s redemptive plan to make all things new…he is making all things right! And in v. 4, John is weeping because there is no one who can open the scroll…
But look with me at v. 5. It says this, “And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And the focus here is on Jesus, but look at how he’s described. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. For most of us, this doesn’t mean much at all, but John—who grew up in a Jewish culture and context—would have heard “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and it would have been a powerful reminder of Jesus’ identity.
And then the second title, the ‘Root of David’, this is another reference back to the Old Testament. You might remember David was considered to be the greatest King in Israel’s history in the old testament…and the way Jesus is described here is that he is the root of David…that He is the source of even the greatest King…and so Jesus Himself is an even greater King! See, both of these titles are references to the promises in the Old Testament about a future King who would one day come and establish God’s Kingdom here on Earth and that He would reign in power. See, these are meant to showcase who Jesus is. He is the King!
But it keeps going, because Jesus is not just the Lion of the Tribe of Judah…not just the
Root of David…he is not just the king…he is the King who has conquered.
Conquered what, though?
Remember, when John writes the the book of Revelation, he is writing after he’s watched Jesus die on a cross…and after he has seen Jesus buried in a tomb… and yet here Jesus is, in the middle of the throne room of God, after his resurrection from the dead! See, Jesus has conquered over death itself!
And so is not like any other King…in fact there is no one like Him! And the way this section ends is by saying that because of who Jesus is…as the Triumphant Lion of the Tribe of Judah…the Triumphant Root of David…the true and only Conquering King…Jesus is worthy! Because of who He is, he is worthy to open the scroll! Friends, this is an incredible picture of who Jesus is! This is how John wants us to see Him. Jesus is worthy because he is the Conquering King!
But that begs the questions…how do we see Jesus. I think if we’re honest, a lot of times we have a very different picture of Jesus in our own minds. Some of us see Jesus as just a good teacher…with a lot of wisdom and some pretty good advice…so you have a ‘good Jesus’.
Perhaps you see Jesus as just a good example. I mean he seemed to be kind to other people…you don’t think he would really judge anyone for what they do…after all, Jesus was a nice guy. So you have nice Jesus.
And friends, if our Jesus always ends up being more obedient to us than we are to Him—than all we really have is a yes-man Jesus…and you can’t really trust a yes-man Jesus…he will never confront…challenge…lead….heal…or even save…because in your mind—he is not King…you are.
Remember, the question we’re looking at—though…’Is Jesus worth it?’ Is he worth reorienting my life around…is he worth laying down my professional goals…would I stay single if He asked me to…would I leave home….is even worth giving up my safety for? Is Jesus worth it?
The reality is, when we fail to see Jesus for who He is…as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah…as the Root of David…as the Conquering King…when we fail to Jesus for who he really is, we fail to see Jesus as worth giving up anything at all. Let’s be honest…yes-man Jesus is not worth it….because he can’t really do anything.
And when we look at revelation 5, we begin to get a very different picture of Jesus…He is as the Conquering King. And he is worthy because of who he is.
Transition: But we don’t just see that Jesus is worthy because of who He is—the conquering King—but in the next section of Revelation 5, we get the second reason for why Jesus is worthy. He is worthy because of what he’s done.
Jesus is worthy because of what he does—He Ransomed for people God from every people group! (Rev. 5:9-10)
As John is in the throne room, he hears all those in the room with him begin to sing as Jesus, the Conquering king, steps up to take the scroll and open it’s seals. There’s a lot going on here even leading up to this song, but there are couple things we need to focus on because they help see that Jesus is worthy because of what he’s done.
Look with me at v. 9. It says this, “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation…”
They are singing the story of what Jesus has done! And there is some very vivid language that’s used here in this song…talking about Jesus being slain…and being a ransom. And this is an important word for us to understand…ransomed…that he “ransomed people for God”. We don’t often use it today in the way that it’s used here. See, to ransom means to make a payment…or to pay what’s owed…But whats important for us to realize is that if Jesus ransomed people for God, that implies there was something they owed…that there was some debt that needed to be paid, right…a debt that they could not pay themselves, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a ransom!
And this is exactly what the bible that tells us…that none of us has fully lived up to the standard God has set for us…if we’re honest most of us can’t even live up to our own standards…and so none of us fully lives the way that we ought to! And in our failure to do that, we build up a debt to God!
The way the bible talks about this failure is with the word sin. In another part of the bible, in the book of Romans, the author Paul says it this way—as a way to level the playing field—so that nobody walks away thinking this doesn’t apply to them…he says that all of us have sinned and so ALL OF US have fallen short of the glory of God. All of us! It doesn't matter if you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Skeptic, Atheist…whether you’ve heard about Jesus before and just don’t buy it and even the person who has never heard about Jesus…every one of us has has missed the mark! And it is our sin that has become our debt…that we cannot pay ourselves. We’ve all fallen short…in other words, none of us is worthy. None of us is worthy to be ransomed…none of us has deserved or earned the right to be ransomed to God.
And yet, it is the Gospel that tell us Jesus is worthy. That He is the one who lived a perfect life. That He is the one who was fully obedient to all of what God had commanded of us…and it’s the Gospel that tell us that Jesus by His blood ransomed people for God as he was slain on the cross…see Jesus is the Conquering King, but he is also the Lamb who was Slain, dying the death YOU AND I should have died…in OUR PLACE, FOR OUR SIN! And while you and I have busied our lives with other things that we’ve deemed worth it, trying to make ourselves worthy, Jesus did not wait until we had become worthy, but died for us while were still unworthy so that by what he has done FOR us, we too might become worthy!
But the song goes on! See it’s not just us! Look with me again at the end of v. 9…that by his blood, Jesus ransomed people to God, “…from every tribe, language, people, and nation.” And this does not just mean people from every country! Its much more than that! There are 196 nations on a map today, but that doesn’t include the 16,000 unique people groups—with unique cultures and languages—that make up those 196 nations! We call these ‘people-groups’ And it is in v.9 that we’re reminded Jesus ransomed people from all of them! Friends that means that what happened at the cross isn’t just for you and me…it isn’t just for people like you and me…it isn’t just for Americans…it isn’t just for Westerners…it is for every single people group on earth…the Gospel is good news for everyone because by his blood Jesus paid the debt we could not pay of people from every people group!
See it’s in this second part of Revelation 5 that we see Jesus is Worthy because of what he’s done…he has ransomed people from every people group!
Friends, it is only when we first see Jesus as truly worthy…because of who He is and what He’s done…that we can finally start to see what John has been building to in Chapter 5. Because if the Conquering King has ransomed people from every people group, then Jesus is worthy to be worshiped by every people group!
Jesus is worthy of the praise and worship of every people group! (Rev. 5:11-14)
Look with me starting at v. 11, “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
See, and this is where everything really comes to a climax here…because it is in this last section that we see where John has been leading us this whole time…that Jesus is worthy because of who He is and what He’s done…to his worthy of worship from all creation! And this is a way to reiterate what’s in v. 9…see if Jesus has ransomed people from every people group, then He is worthy of worship from people of every people group!
Worship is what we give our lives to…worship is putting something on a pedestal and then celebrating it! And everybody does it! We all have that thing we give our lives to! And for some of us, if we’re honest…it’s not Jesus…but it’s our career and so your whole world is oriented around taking it to the next level…doing what sets you up best for our next move!…or it’s our families, and we completely throw ourselves into building a picture perfect one…our money so we do what we can just to get more…our safety and so we take no risks and don’t rock the boat…or power so that people look to you…or prestige so that you can feel that you have worth. All of us will end up worshiping something…the question is, ‘Is it worthy?’
Friends, when we see Revelation 5—and really see Jesus for who He is and what He’s done— we begin to see that HE is worthy to be worshiped! Because unlike anything else we might see as worthy to give our lives to…it is only Jesus the conquering King who first gave his life for us!
And so is he worth it? Is he worth reorienting my life around? Is he worth laying down my professional goals…would I stay single if He asked me to…is even worth giving up my safety for? Is Jesus worth it? Friends we are reminded in Revelation 5 that Jesus is worthy of everything…so Jesus is worth giving up anything!
And so what is our response? As a follower of Jesus…what do we do?
I think the first thing we need to do as followers of Jesus is be aware of the global state of the Gospel.
We know there are at least 16,000 distinct people groups that exist right now…but we also that of these 16,000 there are at least 7,000 of them that are considered unreached…which means less than 2% of the population is identify as followers of Jesus or have even heard about who Jesus is, and what He’s done! And that they have really never heard about who Jesus is and what He’s done! But even beyond that around half of the unreached people groups are what we call unengaged…which means there are no known followers of Jesus at all and there is no effort directed at telling these people who Jesus is and what He’s done…3,000 people groups who have never heard about Jesus. That is the global state of the gospel. Thousands and thousands and thousands of people who have never heard the Good news.
Second Corinthians 5:20 "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." It reminds us that because of what Jesus has done for us…because he has ransomed us, we have now become his ambassadors…his representatives to the world as we go out with the message that Jesus ransoms people to God! And friends, as followers of Jesus, there is still a lot of work to be done!
At Park our Global vision is to mobilize, send and sustain 100 followers of Jesus to Unreached people groups by September 1st, 2022. 100 people to go and proclaim who Jesus is and what He has done because we are reminded that HE IS WORTHY TO BE WORSHIPED IN EVERY PEOPLE GROUP! And we’re calling this Park 100.
Friends this is not an easy ride…and this is certainly not the safe thing to do, but will require reorienting our lives around Jesus the Conquering King who Ransomed people for God…as we follow him in whatever He might call us to do! And frankly, it will force each of us to really sit down and ask the question… “Is Jesus worth it?!” Because He may ask us to give up everything…
So what is you’re next step?
We’ve also got two events coming up that I would highly encourage you to check out that will help you wrestle with the question, ‘is Jesus Worth it?’ :
Insanity of God Movie Night
May 19th from 6-9
Global Worship Night
May 24th right here at NN
Friends, it’s not until we see Jesus as truly worthy of everything…because of who He is and what He’s done…that we can finally say Jesus is worth giving up anything.
Think back with me a moment to the conversation I had with my Iranian friend…when I asked him if it was worth it to follow Jesus even after all that had happened to him…was Jesus worth it? To this day, his answer is one of the most profound things I’ve ever heard. He looked at me with this curious expression…almost like he didn’t understand the question…or maybe it’s that he didn’t understand how I could ask the question…but he said to me, “Dan…of course it was worth it! Jesus gave his life for me…and all he asked me to do was give up my home…of Course he’s worth it!”
Friends because of who He is and what He’s done…Jesus is worthy of everything…and so Jesus is worth anything. Jesus is worth it…because Jesus is worthy. Would you pray with me?
What do I mean?
Last November, I traveled to central Turkey with a small team from Park on one of our Global trips. Most of the time we were teaching English classes for Iranian refugees and after each lesson we’d invite everyone to stick around for a bible study in the evening!
And to be honest, I didn’t quite know what to expect when I got there, butI was blown away by was the hospitality of everyone in the classes! Within a few hours of being there I’d already been invited into peoples homes to have a meal. But we had incredible conversations! We got to hear their stories of why and they had left Iran…how they made it to Turkey…what things they left behind back home…
But there was one conversation in particular that I will never forget. I was in the home of a family who had actually fled Iran because they had become followers of Jesus. And while it’s technically not illegal to be a Christian…there are strict regulations on what you can and cannot do as a follower of Jesus. And so I’m talking with the oldest son and he shared with me how he had, for the second time, been caught with a bible telling people about Jesus at the university. And before he got home, he was told by a friend that the police had been to his house looking for him.
Knowing what would happen to him if he was caught, he and his father decided that they needed leave the city…and just wait for things to cool down a bit.so they jumped in a car and immediately left for another city. They left everything behind. But after a couple days, the heard the police were looking for them there too…and so they realized they were gonna have to leave the country. So again, they got in a car and headed for Turkey…they talked to me about how they had have different people drive while they hid in the back so they wouldn’t get caught…how they made it through military checkpoints…almost miraculously without being seen…and eventually how they made the 3 day journey on foot to cross the board into Turkey. We talked about how they can never go back home…and how they can’t even tell friends and family where they are now or what happened to them…we talked about all of what they had to give up simply because they were followers of Jesus.
And I remember finally asking after they went through all of these details… “Was it worth it? I mean, to have to leave everything behind…and now really have to limbo in new country…was it worth following Jesus even in this?” And I even asked him…why not just be a quiet Christian? You know…to believe in Jesus, but not really make a big deal about it…you know, why not make his faith private…and just keep it to himself. Was telling people about Jesus really worth all this?
Is Jesus really worth it?
And you know, I think it is a phenomenally important question for us to ask ourselves…but it’s also a revealing question for us to ask…do we see Jesus as worth it.
What do I mean by that? See, when we look through the pages of scripture, what we see over and over again is the reminder that Jesus is not our side kick…he’s Jesus our co-pilot…but that he is our leader…he is our King. And he calls everyone who follows Him to live on mission, making Him known to the people around us and around the world! To use our resources, our time, and and even our very lives, not for our own fame…but for His.
And so the question again is, is he worth all that? Is he worth reorienting my life around…is he worth giving up my goals, dreams, and desires for? Is Jesus worth it? Friends thats the question we’re looking at tonight.
See, the reality is, all of us live as if something is worth it, right? All of us have something we give our lives to…we all tell ourselves that something is worth it…the question is, is it worthy?
So if you’re not there yet, would you join me in Revelation 5.
And in this passage, we are reminded that Jesus is worthy…because of who Jesus is and what He’s done…and ultimately, we will will see that He is worthy of worship from all creation! Jesus is worthy of everything, so He is worth anything!
Let me pray and then we’ll get started!
Pray.
Revelation 5.
The book of Revelation was written by one of Jesus’ closest followers, a man named John—and this is the same John who wrote the Gospel of John…and three other letters in the New Testament—First, Second, and Third John.
And were told that what’s written in Revelation was revealed to John in a vision or a dream…and then he went back and wrote down all all of what he saw. And so as you read through Revelation, it’s like we’re looking over his shoulder and see what he saw in his vision.
And when we get to chapter 5, John is describing the Throne Room…where God himself is seated on the throne and he’s surrounded by four living creatures…and twenty four elders…and all of them are bowing down in front of the throne of God.
Jesus is worthy to receive worship because of who He is—He is the Triumphant King who was Slain! (Rev. 5:1-8)
In this first section of chapter 5, we are given the first reason for why Jesus is worthy…He is worthy because of who he is.
Look with me starting at v. 1. It says this, “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
Now, we don’t know exactly what the scroll is but when we look at the rest of the book of Revelation, we get an idea of what it is! See, chapter 5 is a huge turning point in the book…and everything that happens after chapter 5 only happens because the scroll is opened! The scroll is God’s redemptive plan to make all things new…he is making all things right! And in v. 4, John is weeping because there is no one who can open the scroll…
But look with me at v. 5. It says this, “And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And the focus here is on Jesus, but look at how he’s described. He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. For most of us, this doesn’t mean much at all, but John—who grew up in a Jewish culture and context—would have heard “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and it would have been a powerful reminder of Jesus’ identity.
And then the second title, the ‘Root of David’, this is another reference back to the Old Testament. You might remember David was considered to be the greatest King in Israel’s history in the old testament…and the way Jesus is described here is that he is the root of David…that He is the source of even the greatest King…and so Jesus Himself is an even greater King! See, both of these titles are references to the promises in the Old Testament about a future King who would one day come and establish God’s Kingdom here on Earth and that He would reign in power. See, these are meant to showcase who Jesus is. He is the King!
But it keeps going, because Jesus is not just the Lion of the Tribe of Judah…not just the
Root of David…he is not just the king…he is the King who has conquered.
Conquered what, though?
Remember, when John writes the the book of Revelation, he is writing after he’s watched Jesus die on a cross…and after he has seen Jesus buried in a tomb… and yet here Jesus is, in the middle of the throne room of God, after his resurrection from the dead! See, Jesus has conquered over death itself!
And so is not like any other King…in fact there is no one like Him! And the way this section ends is by saying that because of who Jesus is…as the Triumphant Lion of the Tribe of Judah…the Triumphant Root of David…the true and only Conquering King…Jesus is worthy! Because of who He is, he is worthy to open the scroll! Friends, this is an incredible picture of who Jesus is! This is how John wants us to see Him. Jesus is worthy because he is the Conquering King!
But that begs the questions…how do we see Jesus. I think if we’re honest, a lot of times we have a very different picture of Jesus in our own minds. Some of us see Jesus as just a good teacher…with a lot of wisdom and some pretty good advice…so you have a ‘good Jesus’.
Perhaps you see Jesus as just a good example. I mean he seemed to be kind to other people…you don’t think he would really judge anyone for what they do…after all, Jesus was a nice guy. So you have nice Jesus.
And friends, if our Jesus always ends up being more obedient to us than we are to Him—than all we really have is a yes-man Jesus…and you can’t really trust a yes-man Jesus…he will never confront…challenge…lead….heal…or even save…because in your mind—he is not King…you are.
Remember, the question we’re looking at—though…’Is Jesus worth it?’ Is he worth reorienting my life around…is he worth laying down my professional goals…would I stay single if He asked me to…would I leave home….is even worth giving up my safety for? Is Jesus worth it?
The reality is, when we fail to see Jesus for who He is…as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah…as the Root of David…as the Conquering King…when we fail to Jesus for who he really is, we fail to see Jesus as worth giving up anything at all. Let’s be honest…yes-man Jesus is not worth it….because he can’t really do anything.
And when we look at revelation 5, we begin to get a very different picture of Jesus…He is as the Conquering King. And he is worthy because of who he is.
Transition: But we don’t just see that Jesus is worthy because of who He is—the conquering King—but in the next section of Revelation 5, we get the second reason for why Jesus is worthy. He is worthy because of what he’s done.
Jesus is worthy because of what he does—He Ransomed for people God from every people group! (Rev. 5:9-10)
As John is in the throne room, he hears all those in the room with him begin to sing as Jesus, the Conquering king, steps up to take the scroll and open it’s seals. There’s a lot going on here even leading up to this song, but there are couple things we need to focus on because they help see that Jesus is worthy because of what he’s done.
Look with me at v. 9. It says this, “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation…”
They are singing the story of what Jesus has done! And there is some very vivid language that’s used here in this song…talking about Jesus being slain…and being a ransom. And this is an important word for us to understand…ransomed…that he “ransomed people for God”. We don’t often use it today in the way that it’s used here. See, to ransom means to make a payment…or to pay what’s owed…But whats important for us to realize is that if Jesus ransomed people for God, that implies there was something they owed…that there was some debt that needed to be paid, right…a debt that they could not pay themselves, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a ransom!
And this is exactly what the bible that tells us…that none of us has fully lived up to the standard God has set for us…if we’re honest most of us can’t even live up to our own standards…and so none of us fully lives the way that we ought to! And in our failure to do that, we build up a debt to God!
The way the bible talks about this failure is with the word sin. In another part of the bible, in the book of Romans, the author Paul says it this way—as a way to level the playing field—so that nobody walks away thinking this doesn’t apply to them…he says that all of us have sinned and so ALL OF US have fallen short of the glory of God. All of us! It doesn't matter if you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Skeptic, Atheist…whether you’ve heard about Jesus before and just don’t buy it and even the person who has never heard about Jesus…every one of us has has missed the mark! And it is our sin that has become our debt…that we cannot pay ourselves. We’ve all fallen short…in other words, none of us is worthy. None of us is worthy to be ransomed…none of us has deserved or earned the right to be ransomed to God.
And yet, it is the Gospel that tell us Jesus is worthy. That He is the one who lived a perfect life. That He is the one who was fully obedient to all of what God had commanded of us…and it’s the Gospel that tell us that Jesus by His blood ransomed people for God as he was slain on the cross…see Jesus is the Conquering King, but he is also the Lamb who was Slain, dying the death YOU AND I should have died…in OUR PLACE, FOR OUR SIN! And while you and I have busied our lives with other things that we’ve deemed worth it, trying to make ourselves worthy, Jesus did not wait until we had become worthy, but died for us while were still unworthy so that by what he has done FOR us, we too might become worthy!
But the song goes on! See it’s not just us! Look with me again at the end of v. 9…that by his blood, Jesus ransomed people to God, “…from every tribe, language, people, and nation.” And this does not just mean people from every country! Its much more than that! There are 196 nations on a map today, but that doesn’t include the 16,000 unique people groups—with unique cultures and languages—that make up those 196 nations! We call these ‘people-groups’ And it is in v.9 that we’re reminded Jesus ransomed people from all of them! Friends that means that what happened at the cross isn’t just for you and me…it isn’t just for people like you and me…it isn’t just for Americans…it isn’t just for Westerners…it is for every single people group on earth…the Gospel is good news for everyone because by his blood Jesus paid the debt we could not pay of people from every people group!
See it’s in this second part of Revelation 5 that we see Jesus is Worthy because of what he’s done…he has ransomed people from every people group!
Friends, it is only when we first see Jesus as truly worthy…because of who He is and what He’s done…that we can finally start to see what John has been building to in Chapter 5. Because if the Conquering King has ransomed people from every people group, then Jesus is worthy to be worshiped by every people group!
Jesus is worthy of the praise and worship of every people group! (Rev. 5:11-14)
Look with me starting at v. 11, “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
See, and this is where everything really comes to a climax here…because it is in this last section that we see where John has been leading us this whole time…that Jesus is worthy because of who He is and what He’s done…to his worthy of worship from all creation! And this is a way to reiterate what’s in v. 9…see if Jesus has ransomed people from every people group, then He is worthy of worship from people of every people group!
Worship is what we give our lives to…worship is putting something on a pedestal and then celebrating it! And everybody does it! We all have that thing we give our lives to! And for some of us, if we’re honest…it’s not Jesus…but it’s our career and so your whole world is oriented around taking it to the next level…doing what sets you up best for our next move!…or it’s our families, and we completely throw ourselves into building a picture perfect one…our money so we do what we can just to get more…our safety and so we take no risks and don’t rock the boat…or power so that people look to you…or prestige so that you can feel that you have worth. All of us will end up worshiping something…the question is, ‘Is it worthy?’
Friends, when we see Revelation 5—and really see Jesus for who He is and what He’s done— we begin to see that HE is worthy to be worshiped! Because unlike anything else we might see as worthy to give our lives to…it is only Jesus the conquering King who first gave his life for us!
And so is he worth it? Is he worth reorienting my life around? Is he worth laying down my professional goals…would I stay single if He asked me to…is even worth giving up my safety for? Is Jesus worth it? Friends we are reminded in Revelation 5 that Jesus is worthy of everything…so Jesus is worth giving up anything!
And so what is our response? As a follower of Jesus…what do we do?
I think the first thing we need to do as followers of Jesus is be aware of the global state of the Gospel.
We know there are at least 16,000 distinct people groups that exist right now…but we also that of these 16,000 there are at least 7,000 of them that are considered unreached…which means less than 2% of the population is identify as followers of Jesus or have even heard about who Jesus is, and what He’s done! And that they have really never heard about who Jesus is and what He’s done! But even beyond that around half of the unreached people groups are what we call unengaged…which means there are no known followers of Jesus at all and there is no effort directed at telling these people who Jesus is and what He’s done…3,000 people groups who have never heard about Jesus. That is the global state of the gospel. Thousands and thousands and thousands of people who have never heard the Good news.
Second Corinthians 5:20 "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." It reminds us that because of what Jesus has done for us…because he has ransomed us, we have now become his ambassadors…his representatives to the world as we go out with the message that Jesus ransoms people to God! And friends, as followers of Jesus, there is still a lot of work to be done!
At Park our Global vision is to mobilize, send and sustain 100 followers of Jesus to Unreached people groups by September 1st, 2022. 100 people to go and proclaim who Jesus is and what He has done because we are reminded that HE IS WORTHY TO BE WORSHIPED IN EVERY PEOPLE GROUP! And we’re calling this Park 100.
Friends this is not an easy ride…and this is certainly not the safe thing to do, but will require reorienting our lives around Jesus the Conquering King who Ransomed people for God…as we follow him in whatever He might call us to do! And frankly, it will force each of us to really sit down and ask the question… “Is Jesus worth it?!” Because He may ask us to give up everything…
So what is you’re next step?
We’ve also got two events coming up that I would highly encourage you to check out that will help you wrestle with the question, ‘is Jesus Worth it?’ :
Insanity of God Movie Night
May 19th from 6-9
Global Worship Night
May 24th right here at NN
Friends, it’s not until we see Jesus as truly worthy of everything…because of who He is and what He’s done…that we can finally say Jesus is worth giving up anything.
Think back with me a moment to the conversation I had with my Iranian friend…when I asked him if it was worth it to follow Jesus even after all that had happened to him…was Jesus worth it? To this day, his answer is one of the most profound things I’ve ever heard. He looked at me with this curious expression…almost like he didn’t understand the question…or maybe it’s that he didn’t understand how I could ask the question…but he said to me, “Dan…of course it was worth it! Jesus gave his life for me…and all he asked me to do was give up my home…of Course he’s worth it!”
Friends because of who He is and what He’s done…Jesus is worthy of everything…and so Jesus is worth anything. Jesus is worth it…because Jesus is worthy. Would you pray with me?
See, when we look through the bible, what we see over and over agin is the reminder that Jesus is not our side kick…but our King. And that as followers of Jesus, WE are SENT out into the world—entrusted with the Gospel to Mkae God know. That Christianty is NOT a monument we pay h omnage to, but a mission…a call to action—to use our resources, time, and even our very lives, NOT for our fame…but for His.
But again, we’ve got to honestly ask oursevles…do I really believe Jesus is worth all that? Is he really worth reorienting my life around…is he really worth giving up my goals, dreams, and desires for? Is Jesus worth it?
PAUSE
You know, the interesting this is…ALL of us live as if something is worth it, right? All of us have something we give our lives to…but you see, the question is…is it worthy?
So if you’re not there yet, would you join me in .
And in this passage, we’re going to see that Jesus is WORTHY…because of WHO HE IS and WHAT HE’S DONE…Ultimately, we’ll see Jesus is worthy of everything, so He is worth anything!
Let me pray and then we’ll get started.
PRAY
Background
Background
. Let me give you just a bit of context.
The book of Revelation was written by one of Jesus’ closest follwers, a man named John—the same John who wrote the Gospel of John.
And were told that what’s written in Revelation was revealed to John in a vision or a dream…and then he went back and wrote down what he saw.
And when we get to chapter 5, John is describing the Throne Room…where God himself is seated on the throne and he’s surrounded by four creatures, twenty four elders, and all of them are bowing down in front of the Throne.
Jesus is Worthy Beacuse of Who He Is
Jesus is Worthy Beacuse of Who He Is
In the beginning of chapter 5, we are given the first reason Jesus is worthy…He is worthy because of WHO HE IS.
Look with me starting at v. 1, “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a lound voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.”
Now, we don’t know exactly what the scroll is but when we look at the rest of the book of Revelation, we get an idea of what it is.
See, chapter 5 is a huge turning point in the book…and everything that happens after chapter 5 only happens because the scroll is opened! So it really seems like the scroll is God’s redemptive plan to make ALL THINGS NEW—which is ultimately what happens as you keep reading! But in v. 4, John is weeping bcause no one can actually open the scroll...
But look with me at v. 5, “And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conqured, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’”
And the focus here is on Jesus, but look how he’s described. His the Lion of the Tribe of Judah…the ‘Root of David’. And both of these titles are references back to the Old Testament. You might remember King David was considered to be the greatest King in Israel’s history…and the way Jesus is described here is that he is the root of David…that He is the SOURCE of the greatest King! Really these tites are meant to showcase who Jesus is!
But it keeps going, because Jesus is not just the King…he is the King who has conquered.
Conquered what?
Remember, when John writes the book of Revelation, he’s writing after he’s watched Jesus crucified on a Roman Cross…and after he’s seen Jesus buried in a tomb. And yet here Jesus is, in the middle of the Throne Room of God after His resurrection from the deat! See, Jesus has conquered over death itself!
And the way this section ends is by saying that because of who Jesus is…as the Triumphant Lion of the Tribe of Judah…the Root of David…the Conquering King…Jesus is WORTHY! Beacuse of who He is, he is worthy to open the scroll! This is how John wants us to see Jesus.
PUASE
But I think that begs the question…how do we see Jesus? I think if we’re honest, a lot of times we have a very different picture of Jesus in our own minds.
Some of us see Jesus as a just a good teacher…with some wisdom and pretty good advice, but not much more than that…and so you see a good Jesus.
Others of us can see Jesus as an example. I mean he was kind to other people…you don’t think he’d ever judge anyone…he is all about love, love, love and he’s a pretty nice guy…and so you see a nice Jesus.
But friends, if our Jesus always ends up being more obedient to us than we are to Him—than all we really have is a ‘Yes-Man’ Jesus…but the thing is, you can’t really trust ‘Yes-Man’ Jesus because he will never really confront…challenge…lead…or heal…because in your mind, He’s not King…YOU are!
Remember, the question we’re looking at though… ‘Is Jesus Worth it?’ Is He worth reorienting my life around…is he worth laying down my professional goals....would I stay single if he asked me to…would I leave home....Is Jesus worth it!?
You know, the reality is, when we fail to see Jesus for WHO HE IS…as the Conquering King…we fail to see Jesus as worthy giving up anything at all. Let’s be honest… ‘Yes-Man’ Jesus is NOT worth it…because he don’t really do anything!
But when we look at , we’re confronted with a very different picutre of Jesus! He is the Conquering King. And He is worthy because of WHO HE IS!
Transition
Transition
But we don’t just see Jesus as worthy because of WHO HE IS. In the next section, we get the second reason why Jesus is WORHTY....He is Worthy because of WHAT HE’S DONE.
Jesus is Worthy Because of WHAT HE’S DONE
Jesus is Worthy Because of WHAT HE’S DONE
Jump down with me to v. 9. As John is in the throne room, he hears everyone else begin to sing as Jesus, the Conquering King, steps up to take the scroll and open it.
Look at v. 9, “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation...”
They’re singing the story of what Jesus has done! And there’s some vivid language used here…talking about Jesus being slain…and being a ransom.
And this is an importnat word for us to understand…ransomed…that he ransomed people for God.
We don’t ofen use that word today in the way it’s being used here. See, to ransom actually manes to make a payment....or to pay what’s owed…but what’s imporant for us to realize is that if Jesus ransomed people for God, that implies there was something they owed…that there was some debt that needed to be paid, right? A debt that they could not pay themselves, right? Otherwise, it woudn’t be a ransom!
And this exactly what the longer story of the bible tells us…that none of us has fully lived up to the standard God has set for us…if we’re honst, most of us can’t even live up to our own standards…and so none of us fully lives the way we ought to, and least not pefectly. And in our failure to live the way God created us to, we build up a kind of debt to God!
They way the bible talks about this debt is with the word sin. And at it’s most basic level, sin is really the process of taking something in our lives that is not worthy of our affection and worhip and begin to treat it as if it is! And it might sound odd to say it that way, but when you stop and think about it, all of us have something we oreint our lives around—something we’re willing to give all we have to!
For some of you, it’s your job and you’re willing to put everything else on puase to make sure you’re career is on track! For others of you, it’s a relationship—and for you, the most important thing in your life is not being single! And so you do whatever you need to do in order to be in a relationship....or it might even be your family…and reorient your life around making sure you have this picture perfect family!
Friends, really all we’ve done is taken those things, WHICH ARE GOOD THINGS…and we’ve made them ultimate things! And we look to them to be our source of JOY, PEACE, HOPE and SATISFACTION…but at some point…they…will…fail us! Because our money, jobs, relationship, and kids were NEVER intended to be our ultimate source of JOY and SATISFACTION! Those things are only found in Jesus! HE is the only one we is TRULY worhty of our worship…who is TRULY worthy of everything we have!
And the story of the Gospel confirms for us that Jesus is Worhty! He is the one who lived the perfect life that we SHOULD HAVE but FAILED TO life! He is the one hwo was FULLY obedient to ALL of what God commanded us…and it’s the Gosple that tells us that Jesus, BY HIS BLOOD ransomed a people for God as hew as slain on the cross…see Jesus IS the Conquering King, but he’s also the Lamb who was Slain, dying the death that YOU AND I SHOULD have died…IN OUR PLACE, FOUR OUR SIN!
And while we’ve busied ourselves with other tings we’ve deemed ‘worthy, trying to my OURSELVES worthy, Jesus did not wait until we had become worhty, but died for us while we were still unworthy so that by what He has done FOR us, we too might be RANSOMED and RESOTRED in our relationship with God!
But the song goes on! Because the beauty of the Gospel is that it’s not just for us!
Look with me again at the end of v. 9…that by his blood Jesus ransomed people to God, “…from EVERY Tribe, Language, People, and Nation.”
And this doesn’t just mean people from every country! It’s more than that! There are 196 nations today but there are actually more than 16,000 unique people goupds---with unique languages, cultures, and customs that make up those 196 geo-politcal nations! And it’s in v. 9 that we’re told Jesus ransomed people from ALL of them! Friends that means what happened at the cross isn’t just for you and me…it isn’t just for people like you and me…it’s for EVERY SINGLE PEOPLE GROUP on EARTH!
See, it’s in the second part of that we see Jesus is WORTHY because of WHAT HE’S DONE…he’s Ransomed people from EVERY people group!
Friends, it’s only when we first see Jesus as truly WORHTY…because of WHO HE IS and WHAT HE’S DONE…that we can finally see what John ahs been building to this this whole time in Chapter 5.
Jesus is Worthy Of Worship From EVERYONE
Jesus is Worthy Of Worship From EVERYONE
Look with me at v. 11, “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myraids and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was salin, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, sayin, ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’ And the four livng creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
And this is where everything really comes to a climax…because it’s in this last section that we see where John has been leading us this whole time…that if Jesus is worthy because of WHO HE IS and WHAT HE’S DONE…then He is worthy of Worship from ALL Creation! See if Jesus ransomed people from EVERY people group, then is is WORTHY of WORSHIP from every people group!
Friends, when we see —and really see Jesus for WHO HE IS and WHAT HE’S DONE—we begin to see that Jesus is worthy of EVERYTHING! Because unlike anything else we might see as worth giving our lives for…it is only Jesus who first give His life for us!
And so I’ll ask you again…is Jesus WORTH it? I is he worth reorienting your life around? Is He worth laying down your professional goals…worth giving up your safety? Is he worth it?!
Friends, we are reminded here that Jesus is WORTHY of EVERYING…so Jesus is WORTH giving up ANYTHING!
Application
Application
And so what do we do with all this?
Let close with a couple of thoughts.
The first thing we need to do as Followers of Jesus is be aware of the GLOBAL STATE of CHRISTIANITY.
We know there are at least 16,000 distinct people groups today, but we also know that of these 16,000 there are around 7,000 of them that are considered UNREACHED…which means less than 2% of the population would identify as Followers of Jesus. But beyond that, around half the Unreached People Groups are what we call UNENGAGED…which means there are NO known followers of Jesus there at all and there is NO effeort directed at bring the Gospel to them
PAUSE
3,000 people goups who have NEVER heard of Jesus. That is the Global state Christianity. Millions of people who have never heard the Good News!
So what’s our role? says this, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
It reminds us that because of what Jesus has done for us…beause he has ransomed us, we have become His ambassadors…His representatives to the world... as we go out with the message that Jesus ransoms people to God. As followers of Jesus WE ARE SENT OUT! And friends, there is still A LOT of work to be don!
At Park, our Global vision is to mobilize, send, and sustain 100 followers of Jesus to Unreached people groups by Septebmer 1st, 2022. We’ve 9 already and by God’s grace are looking to send 91 more over the next four years! 100 people to go and proclaim who Jesus is and what he’s done because we are reminded that HE IS WORTHY TO BE WORSHIPED IN EVERY PEOPLE GROUP!
For some of you, then, your next step will be to jump in the pipeline to start exlporing what Park 100 might mean for you. And the best way to do this is to join one of the Phase 1 groups Dave was tlaking about earlier. It’s in these groups that you’ll learn what it means to engage in cross-cultural spiritual conversations and discipleship right here in our city!
For others of you, to LIVE ON MISSION will mean you actually move overseas and live cross culturally long term…to reorient your LIFE and CAREER around the Gospel! And so what you need to be considing is what it would look like for you to take your business overseas—to Transfer overseas!
We’ve got a table set up downstairs where you can find out more information about the Phase 1 groups OR using your Business as Mission—we’d love to have you stop down there and chat with some of our Global Team.
And I’ll say this, it will not be easy....and this is certainly not the safe thing to do. It will absolutely require reorienting your life around Jesus, the Conquering King who Ransomed people for God, as you follow Him in whatever He might call you to do! And frankly, as we keep thinking about this, it will force each one of us to really sit down and ask the question… “Is Jesus worht it?” Because he may ask you to give up everything....
Think back with me for a moment to that conversation I had with my Iranian friend…when I asked him if it was worth it to follo Jesus even after all that had happened to him.
But when we see Jesus
To this day, his answer is one of the most profound things I’ve ever heard. He looked at me with this curious expression…almost like he didn’t undersatnd the question…or maybe it was that he didn’t understand how I could even ask that question..but he said to me, “Dan…of course it was worth it! Jesus gave his life for me…and all he asked me to do was give up my home…of Course he’s worht it.
Friends, when we see Jesus as truly worthy of of everything we will finally see Jesus as worht giving up anything.