Celebration #3 (I Am Second)

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Intro

I am going to start out today by sharing with you a story that is not only going to date me but also date all of you as well, young and old. I apologize . . . let’s begin.
Back when I was a kid my family had basic cable [Slide - pic of cable box].
Ok, right there some of you are wondering about this ancient piece of technology is all about. Cable was when you could get tv channels directly plugged into your home + basic cable was when you could only get, I think it was, 35 or 65 channels?
Let’s continue. While watching cable they would often advertise music club subscriptions or albums. One I remember in particular was WOW Worship, where you could order (2) CD’s or (3) Cassettes . . . and again.
I think I just lost a few of you. Ask your parent what a cassette was.
Anyways, during one of these commercials they would play a small snippett of a few songs. One I have never forgotten had the lyrics - “Celebrate Jesus, Celebrate . . . (pipe song through the speakers).” Not only did it scream 90’s worship music but it also presented an odd concept for me, to “celebrate Jesus.”
It wasn’t until years later that I looked-up the word celebrate and the song made sense. The verb form of the word “celebrate” means “to honor someone in a solemn manner (worship)”. Now that makes sense as to why that song tells us to celebrate Jesus.
So let’s ask a question that for some of you is fairly simple and for others might be a good question. [Slide]

Question: Why exactly should we celebrate Jesus?

Now, if we were to take the time, I bet we would all have a whole host of different answers to that question. Some might say, I celebrate Jesus because He saved me or He gave me a reason for living or He loves me for who I am. Those are all great answers. What I would like to do is look at a passage of Scripture in Revelation 4 and see how we might answer that question.
Revelation is a unique book within the Bible. The word “revelation” simply means ‘unveiling.” It gives us our English word apocalypse which, unfortunately, is today a synonym for chaos and catastrophe. But the verb form of the word means “to uncover, to reveal, to make manifest.”
In this book, the Holy Spirit pulls back the curtain of eternity and reveals to us how God is going to fulfill His sovereign purposes in the world as it reveals to us truths about Jesus. For us this morning, we are going to look at a passage that in doing this revealing, it gives us the privilege of seeing what worship looks like in Heaven.
Now, Jesus is the chief Subject of the book. Whenever you study this book, you get to know Jesus better.
Rev. 1-3 — Christ is seen as the exalted Priest-King serving the churches of Asia Minor
Beginning in Rev 4, we begin the revelation of Jesus as new unknown events are revealed.
Transition: From here the scene will change from an earthly scene (Rev. 1-3) to a heavenly one. As the scene is being set for the celebration of Jesus in Heaven, John has a vision of the the throne room of God. It’s at the beginning of this vision that we will look and that we will learn how, when we Celebrate Jesus,
[Slide]

We Celebrate Jesus Because He Is King

[Slides]
Revelation 4:1–3 (TNIV)
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.
John saw three main things in this throne room (trying to avoid identifying all the symbolism):

God Sitting Upon A Throne

The throne’s occupant, God Himself (Trinity), is described as looking like:
“Jasper” = Clear like a diamond - cf. Rev. 21:18 (different than jasper stones today)
“Ruby” = Red
This persons appearance was enhanced by:
Rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircling it.
The rainbow is here, as always (cf. Gen. 9:12-13), as a reminder of God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises.
Would have been a source of great comfort to the persecuted Christians to whom this book was originally written.
Sea of glass, clear as crystal, before it (cf. Rev. 4:6)
From the throne there came “lightenings and thunderings and voices” (cf. vs. 5a)
Symbolically pictures the power and majesty of God (cf. Mt. Sinai - Exodus 19:16)
​

Elders

[Slide]
Revelation 4:4 TNIV
Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
“Elders” = Representatives of the churches to which they belong (Old and New Covenants)
Listen to their description
Wearing “crowns”
Similar to those in the Greek games (cf. 1 Cor. 9)
Represented their victory in Christ - finishing the race they were running in this life and being rewarded for their labors
“White” = Represents the righteousness they have in Christ (cf. Rev. 7:9, 13-14)
Revelation 7:9 TNIV
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
Revelation 7:13–14 TNIV
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
​

Seven Lamps

[Slide]
Revelation 4:5 (TNIV)
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
Represent of the Holy Spirit
​

Four Angelic Beings

[Slides]
Revelation 4:6b–8a (TNIV)
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.
​
Transition: Now that we have set the scene here in Heaven, I want you to look at the worship that is going on by these two different characters (Elders + Angelic Beings). From their worship (“celebrate” = honor someone in a solemn manner) we can learn a pattern by which we can model of celebration of Jesus. We first see from the Angelic Beings that . . .
[Slide]

We Celebrate Jesus For Who He Is

[Slide]
Revelation 4:8c (TNIV)
Day and night they never stop saying:
“ ‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’
who was, and is, and is to come.”
This song of worship describes three attributes of Christ:
[Slide]

God Is Holy (cf. Isaiah 6)

God’s holiness is more than being good and morally upstanding; it is His defining characteristic (3x’s for emphasis)
“Holy” is a term used in the Bible to describe both is goodness and His power.
It’s completely unique and utterly all-powerful, radiating from God like an energy.
It produces mixed responses from us
“We tend to have mixed feelings about the holy. There is a sense in which we are at the same time attracted to it and repulsed by it. Something draws us toward it, while at the same time we want to run away from it. We can’t seem to decide which way we want it. Part of us yearns for the holy, while part of us despises it. We can’t live with it, and we can’t live without it.” - R.C. Sproul
Yet, it will always lead those who know Him to praise and to live for Him.
[Slide]

God Is Mighty

The title “God Almighty” in Hebrew is El Shaddai and probably means “God, the All-powerful One” or “The Mighty One of Jacob”
Questions from Bible scholars as to it’s exact meaning
Speaks of God’s ultimate power over all - He has all might and power
When we see God as the Almighty, we are struck by His power and by the fact that He is indeed a great, mighty and awesome God (cf. Deut. 10:17)
It establishes within us the sense of awe and wonder we have toward Him and the realization that He is God above all things without limitations.
[Slide]

God Is Eternal

Revelation 22:13 TNIV
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
He existed before your life began and will exist forever afterwards. That’s why He can see you life as a vapor that quickly vanishes away.
​
Transition: Jesus Holiness, His Might and His Being Eternal are three of many reasons why we can Celebrate Him for who He Is. But the text isn’t finished, we also see that . . .
[Slide]

We Celebrate Jesus For What He Has Done

[Slide]
Revelation 4:9–11 (ESV)
And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
[Slide]

God Created The World

Like a potter with his clay, God fashioned the world into just the shape He wished, with all it’s amazing detail.
He made it and he owns it.
He rules over it as the as the King, the Supreme President.
[Slide]

God Made Us

God created people who were something like Himself, with the ability to have relationship with Him and with others.
He put us in charge of the world (dominion) - to rule it, to care for it, to be responsible for it and to enjoy all its beauty and goodness.
Genesis 1:28 ESV
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
[Slide]

God Sustains The World By His Grace

Acts 17:28a (ESV)
“ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ ”
These 24 elders, in the act of worship “lay down their crowns before the throne” and attribute all goodness and grace
They submit to God in all reverence for what He has done for them!
​

Conclusion

There are many different reasons for why we can and should celebrate Jesus all fitting into the truths that He can be celebrated for:
Who He Is
What He Has Done
As we close this time I want to end with worship of Christ. May our hearts echo the words of the angelic creatures, the elders and thousands upon thousands of angels in Heaven as they cried out in Rev. 5
​
Revelation 5:12 (TNIV)
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
​
And then to follow from every creature in Heaven and on earth:
Revelation 5:13 (TNIV)
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”
​

Pray

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