Worthy is the Lamb: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

The last trumpet judgment is about to sound, precipitating the outpouring of seven bowls full of God’s wrath described in chapters 15-18. The Trumpet Judgments will seem mild in comparison to the wrath of God about to be poured out upon the disobedient, and unrepentant inhabitants of the Earth. But first we are given a glimpse of the crowning in heaven of God’s rightful king. Revelation 11:15 is one of the most exciting verses in the New Testament ... “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”” (Revelation 11:15, NIV84). Here is the answer to the prayer that millions of believers have prayed since the disciples first came to Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and Jesus responded, “Pray like this, ‘Our Father who is in Heaven, holy is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is heaven.” Have you ever prayed that prayer? Then Revelation 11:15 is the answer to that prayer. God’s Kingdom is about to be realized. His will on Earth is going to be fully and perfectly implemented just as it has always been perfectly implemented in Heaven. With the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet a new world order is about to be enforced.

I. THE TRIUMPHANT CRY

“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15, NIV84)

1. there are two competing kingdoms in this universe

a. there is the kingdom of the world, dominated by Satan, who is the god of this world

b. there is the kingdom of God, ruled by the Creator of the universe

c. the Kingdom of the World is visible

1) it seems so real and substantial

d. the Kingdom of God is invisible

1) to many it seems unreal and insubstantial

2. each one has its own values, goals, loves, interests, and priorities

a. you are either a citizen of the Kingdom of the World, or a citizen of the Kingdom of God

3. whichever one you are part of will determine your destiny

A. THE KINGDOM OF THIS WORLD

1. the world, as we know it, has many cities, and many peoples, many cultures, many linguistic groups, many religions, and many kingdoms

a. Revelation has consistently reminded us that the atoning blood of Jesus has purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev. 5:9)

b. yet, in Rev. 11:15 the Apostle John refers to the kingdom — singular — of this world

1) John knew, just as Augustine knew in his work City of God, and Bunyan knew in his allegory Pilgrim’s Progress that the many cities, many peoples, and many kingdoms of this world are, in reality, all one city, one people, and one kingdom

2) they are all influenced, guided, and deceived by Satan — the god of this world

3) and they are all in fundamental rebellion against God

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4, NASB95)

c. Augustine distinguished between the eternal City of God and the temporal City of Man — two rival cities shaped by opposing loves and working toward different ends

1) they are kingdoms in conflict

2) you are born into the City of Man, but must be born again into the City of God

d. similarly, John Bunyan refers to the City of Destruction vs. the Celestial City

1) the City Destruction stands as a symbol of the entire world as it is, with all of its sins, corruptions, and sorrows

2) no one remaining in the City of Destruction can have any hope of salvation

3) convinced that the city is about to be obliterated by the wrath of God, a man named Christian — Bunyan’s central character — flees and sets out alone on a pilgrimage which he hopes will lead him to the Celestial City, where he can enjoy eternal life in the happy company of God and the Heavenly Host

2. as we reach this part of the Book of Revelation, we’re 3 ½ years into a period known simply as the Tribulation ... the last 3 ½ years are going to be Great Tribulation — a time in world history that Jesus said, has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will (Matthew 24:21, NASB95)

a. and in the same breath, Jesus says “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:22, NIV84)

3. the kingdom of this world is on the doorstep of final judgment that culminates in the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus — it is his kingdom come

a. it is such a sure event that the voices in heaven declare that the kingdom of this world has become — present tense — the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ

B. THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD

1. it will be a true new world order

ILLUS. In the Persian Gulf Crisis of 1990 the country of Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, invaded and conquered Kuwait, it’s oil-rich neighbor to the south. Many feared that Hussein would not stop with Kuwait, but would also invade Saudi Arabia. The invasion was met with international condemnation and brought immediate economic sanctions against Iraq. The United Nations condemned Iraq, and the world prepared for war. President George Bush deployed US forces into Saudi Arabia, and he began to put together an array of nations forming the largest military alliance since World War II. President Bush came on television, and he talked about how all of the nations of the world were assembled against the Babylonian bully, Saddam Hussein, and how the U. N. was meeting and passing resolutions, and how allies were gathering together. And over and over again, our President referred to a “New World Order” represented by the 39 nations allied against Iraq. In 1991, shortly after the end of the 1st Gulf War, President Bush said in a speech, "Now, we can see a new world coming into view.”

2. during the 20th century any number of world leaders have spoken of a new world order

a. President Woodrow Wilson used the term when he called for a League of Nations after World War 1

b. U.S.S.R. President Mikhail Gorbachev and American President George H. W. Bush both used the term to try to define the nature of the post Cold War era, and the spirit of great power cooperation that they hoped might materialize

ILLUS. For those of us who lived through the Cold War, with its Berlin Crisis, Cuban Missile Crisis, “duck-and-cover” drills, brutal and oppressive socialist regimes murdering millions of their own citizens in the name of the proletariat, only to finally witness socialism’s collapse in much of the world, with the breakup of the old Soviet Union did it seem as though a new world order, had indeed, arisen.

3. the term "new world order" has been used to refer to any new period of history where a dramatic change in world political thought and the balance of power have taken place

a. I tell you all of that to tell you this ... the new world order we now live in is simply the same old world order only with different players, different bullies, and different crises

b. the many cities, many peoples, and many kingdoms of this world remain influenced, guided, and deceived by Satan — the god of this world

4. but Revelation 11:15 assures believers that there is an earth-shaking new world order coming

a. it is the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ

5. from John’s perspective, the utter defeat of Satan and his cohorts has taken place

a. they were usurpers of world power; now Christ is the victor and will reign

b. the long rebellion of the world against God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ is about to end

II. THE THRONE ETERNAL

“ ... and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15, NIV84)

1. the annals of world history are full of stories of men and women who attempted to usurp power from legitimate rulers

ILLUS. The most famous biblical example is King David’s son, Absalom, who attempted a coup d'etat and sought to seize the power of the throne from his father. David, however, remained God’s anointed king over Israel, and ultimately defeated his son’s followers, and Absalom was killed.

2. the greatest usurper in the history of the universe is revealed in the Book of Isaiah

“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:12–14, NIV84)

a. here is the story of an angel named Lucifer who actually thought he could usurp God

b. in the Revelation 12:9 he is revealed as the great dragon, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole

1) in 2 Corinthians 4:4 the Apostle Paul refers to Satan as the god of this world-age

c. like Absalom, Satan’s rule is brief, and is about to meet with disaster — his forces will be defeated, and Satan will ultimately be thrown into the Lake of Fire

ILLUS. The greatest hymn to come out of the Protestant Reformation, was penned by Martin Luther, and reminds us that Satan’s doom is sure. It is based on Psalm 46, and celebrates the sovereign power of God over all earthly and spiritual forces, and of the sure hope we have in him because of Christ. In the first stanza, Luther wrote of the Devil, “ ... For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work his woe; His craft and power are great, And armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.” But the third stanza rings out with our ultimate victory. “And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The Prince of Darkness grim,— We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo! His doom is sure,— One little word shall fell him.” In the hymn, Luther tells us that the right man is on our side — it is Christ Jesus, ... and he will win the battle

3. Revelation 11:15 announces that the time of Satan’s temporary rule is ended — Christ’s kingdom has come and he will reign for ever and ever

4. with the defeat of the usurper, the question of sovereignty over the world will be forever settled

III. THE TESTIMONY OF THE ELDERS

“And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:16–18, NIV84)

1. the monumental moment in redemptive history anticipated in the Old Testament prophecies, and revealed in Christ is about to take place

a. and that will cause all the saints in glory — symbolized by these twenty-four elders — to praise God for the wonder of His sovereign plan that Christ should reign

A. IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S KINGDOM COME THE SAINTS WILL TESTIFY OF HIS WORTH-SHIP

“And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,” (Revelation 11:16, NIV)

1. our word worship is derived from the Old English word woerthship or worth-ship

a. it means that when we are worshiping God we are proclaiming His worthiness

1) worship is “giving God his worth”

2) because God’s worth is infinite, we can never give back enough, and are to be motivated to deeper and more profound expressions of our worship

3) ultimately, if God is infinitely worthy of our worship, the only real expression of our adoration is the complete sacrifice of ourselves to Him

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1, NIV84)

2. this goes to the heart of the theme for this entire series of sermons from the Book of Revelation ... Worthy is the Lamb

ILLUS. In 1988, Terry York recalls driving home late one evening in Nashville traffic when phrases of worship suddenly began flashing through his mind. He kept repeating the words until he arrived home, where he immediately wrote them on a grocery list. The next day he gave them to his friend Mark Blankenship asking him, “Do you think these words sing?” A few days later Mark had composed the tune and they added the new hymn to an Easter musical they were working on. Originally titled, “Praise the Risen Savior,” we know it as “Worthy of Worship.” It became one of the most sung hymns in the 1991 Baptist Hymnal.

Stanza 1

Worthy of worship worthy of praise

Worthy of honor and glory

Worthy of all the glad songs we can sing

Worthy of all of the off'rings we bring

Stanza 3

Worthy of rev'rence worthy of fear

Worthy of love and devotion

Worthy of bowing and bending of knees

Worthy of all this and added to these

Chorus

You are worthy Father Creator

You are worthy Savior Sustainer

You are worthy worthy and wonderful

Worthy of worship and praise

B. IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S KINGDOM COME THE SAINTS WILL TESTIFY THAT HE IS THEIR SOVEREIGN AND POWERFUL LORD

“saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.” (Revelation 11:17, NIV84)

1. God is coming to reassert his rightful authority over the world He created, and a humanity created in His image

ILLUS. On June 2, 1952, Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey. The Archbishop of Canterbury presented her to the vast assemblage of people and asked, "do you take Elizabeth to be your true and lawful liege Lord?" The assembled multitude sounded back in a single word, "Aye!" Elizabeth then took the coronation oath, received a Bible, celebrated communion, and was seated on the coronation throne. She was anointed, clothed in a cloak of purple and gold, given the orbit, the ring, the scepter — all insignia of English royal power — and crowned with the glorious crown of St. Edward. The guns of London fired a salute, and the new monarch left the Abbey in a grand and colorful possession for banquet of state. But from that day to this, Queen Elizabeth II has never made a single decision affecting the government of her kingdom. The prime minister of England and the members of the English Parliament do that. All she does is sign their decisions into law. That is a constitutional monarchy — a monarchy in which the king is such only in name and in which all the real power is in the hands of the people.

2. that was the kind of kingdom the devil offered the Lord in the wilderness

a. it is the same kind of sovereignty many professing believers offer him in their lives today — a faux Lordship with no real sovereignty over their lives

3. this is not the kind of monarchy God intends to exercise

a. He is going to be Lord of all

b. He has taken to himself great power and will reign

C. IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S KINGDOM COME THE SAINTS WILL TESTIFY OF HIS RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT

“The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:18, NIV84)

1. the martyrs of God, the messengers of God, and the multitudes of God's saints — all those who reference his name, both great and small — will all stand before him to be rewarded

a. it will be a glorious moment

2. but it will also be a time of fearsome judgment for the rebellious and unrepentant

a. from Satan to the most ignominious sinner God's ultimate judgment will be poured out

b. God's anger against the disobedient is in direct response to the anger of the peoples of the nation's who have rejected his grace in Christ and lordship over their lives

c. in the second Psalm King David opens with the question, "Why do the nations rage?"

“The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” (Psalm 2:2–3, NIV84)

1) God's response, according to Psalm 2:4, is to laugh

d. but his judgment at the end of time against those who defy him will be no laughing matter

3. we know from other scriptures that this final judgment is a two-step process separated by 1000 years, but in keeping with traditional Jewish apocryphal language, the elders song announces it, pictured here, as a single event

a. simply, the righteous will be rewarded, and the wicked will be punished

IV. APPLICATION

1. how do you apply this text to your life?

a. Jesus' kingdom is "not of this world," for it contrasts with the kingdom of the world in every possible way

2. the Christian life is not a simple contest between good and evil

a. the contrast is rather between two fundamentally different ways of doing life, two fundamentally different mindsets and belief systems, two fundamentally different loyalties

A. Can You Testify with the Saints in Heaven That Christ Is Your Savior

B. Can You Testify with the Saints in Heaven That God Is Your Sovereign Powerful Lord

C. Can You Testify with the Saints in Heaven that God Is Worthy of All of Your Praise and Worship?

In the end, our challenge is to be in the world, but not of the world. Our challenge is to enter the Kingdom of God, which may be invisible to us right now, and may not seem quite real, but it is real. It is eternal. It is good. It is blessed. And it is coming!