Because Jesus Is Worthy
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. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 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 conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 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, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
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, 12 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!”
13 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!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Two Questions
And when we read this in Revelation 5 there are two questions we have to ask. Just two questions:
First, do you see what the Bible says about Jesus?
After reading these words, after hearing what is said, have you given serious thought to the way the Bible describes who Jesus is? That Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. Do you see who he is? Do you see what the Bible says about Jesus?
Second question: do you believe he’s real?
Do you understand that the Jesus described in these verses is not a mere character from a story; he’s not a mere figure from history, but the Jesus described in these verses is a real man! He is a living, breathing human being who in this exact moment has a heart that beats and eyes that see. He has hair and finger nails, and he has them right now because he has conquered the grave and ascended to the heaven, and from that dimension, at the Father’s right hand, in all of his realness, he cares about what we’re doing here. He knows that I’m talking about him right now. He knows that we have come here to worship him, and he leans in toward this gathering. He’s not aloof to us. He’s not unconcerned with our church, but he gives us strength, and he delights to receive all that we offer him which has come through him and for him — Jesus is real.
Do you see what the Bible says about Jesus? Do you believe he’s real?
Cities Church exists because the answer to those questions is YES.
Introducing ROOTED
Back, at the end of 2014 we were commissioned out as a new church plant from Bethlehem Baptist, which means that this year we are now entering our seventh year as a church, and the pastors believe that this is the time — both consciously and practically — this is the time that we go from having been a church planted to becoming a church rooted.
And so ROOTED is the name of this new sermon series, and it’s the name of this larger initiative that involves three parts. And I want to just run through these quickly:
Here’s the first. First, we want our covenant members, and soon-to-be members, to freshly embrace the vision of Cities Church. And this is the most important part. If church planting is high-adrenaline, Red Bull-drinking kind of work, becoming rooted is steady, deep, patient, purposeful kind of work. It’s like growing an oak tree, if you can imagine an oak tree.
Oak trees are solid and full and enduring, and the crown of their branches are expansive — and it’s a difference-maker. You see it. You know it’s there. But now, the roots to an oak tree, which are mostly unseen, stretch out seven times the width of its crown. The roots run deep so that the branches reach far. That’s what we want to do. We want to dig in deeply to what God has done here and where God has placed us, and we want to dream forward about our difference-making branches in the Twin Cities. This is embracing the vision!
And then secondly, we want to invest in our footprint. God has given us this historic property right in the heart of the Twin Cities, just few miles from the state’s capitol, surrounded by colleges and universities, embedded beside the most walkable street in Minnesota — and we want to steward well the blessing of this building. And that means we want to renovate this building to maximize it for ministry and to make it a lighthouse for the glory of Jesus.
And then third, because we embrace the vision and invest in our footprint, we commit to give financially to our church. And we don’t want this commitment to be a single, isolated rally sort of thing, but we really want to build a culture of generosity at Cities Church. We want to talk about money without wincing, okay, because we truly believe that giving is about what God wants for us not from us. It is more blessed to give, Jesus says, which means giving is about joy — it’s about THE joy of God, who is the cheerfullest of all givers, and it’s about OUR joy in God, because we’ve been overcome by his grace. And I want that for us.
So these are the three things that we’re praying for, and asking of you: embrace the vision, invest in our footprint, commit to give. And in this series, there are six sermons …
Next week we’ll look at our corporate life together as a church;
then the next week Pastor David Mathis is going to lead us to think about what it means that we’re called to the Twin Cities, to our neighbors here;
then we’ll spend a couple weeks looking at God-centered generosity, and Pastor Joe will preach one of those sermons;
and then we’ll close the series by talking about our discipleship — here and now, what does it mean to be rooted?
That’s a preview of the series, but what about today?
The Glory of Jesus and Your Soul
Well, for the rest of our time today, I want to talk about the glory of Jesus and your soul. What I want the most for us in this new season, and what I’ve prayed for the most, is revival. I want us to be assured and overwhelmed with the power and love of God. That’s what revival is, and it starts with personal revival — the glory of Jesus and your soul.
That’s the most fundamental reality I can imagine. Before we talk about our church together and our vision and the details of what we long for God to do in us and through us, I want to remind you that Jesus is owed all blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever, and your soul was created to last forever and ever.
And in the great perspective, nothing else really matters. You were made to experience and to show that Jesus Christ is the supreme satisfaction of your soul.
That is it. That is the meaning of life.
You were made to experience and to show that Jesus is the supreme satisfaction of your soul, and because that’s true, I want to answer two questions: 1) Why is that the case? 2) What does that look like?
And before I keep going, I want us to stop for a minute and pray. Let’s together ask God for his blessing on this whole series, and on this sermon. Pray with me:
Father in heaven, thank you for this morning, and for this new season in the life of our church. We ask that you would guide us according to your will, and that you would speak to us through your Word, even right now. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Q1: Why should Jesus be the supreme satisfaction of your soul?
Answer: Because Jesus is worthy.
Another way to say it: Jesus alone has the rights for the highest place in your affections.
Or we could say it this way: You should love Jesus more than anyone or anything else in all the world because Jesus deserves it. Just look at Revelation 5.
John’s vision here in Revelation 5 continues from Chapter 4. The one who is seated on the throne is God the Father, and we read here in verse 1 that he has a scroll in his right hand, sealed with seven seals. And this scroll is very important.
In fact, the rest of the book of Revelation — from Chapter 6 all the way through Chapter 22 — is all about the contents of this scroll. Basically, this scroll contains the covenantal promises of God to send final salvation for his people and judgment on his enemies. This scroll is like the blueprints for the rest of history. It’s important!
But the suspense of Chapter 5 is that no creature is found worthy to open the scroll and break its seals.
Now we might imagine this means something like the lid is too tight. That might be how we think about it. I’ve imagined that this angel, who’s a strong angel in verse 2, is walking around with this scroll like it’s a jar of pickles, and nobody has the muscles to open it. Can you imagine that? Okay, now if you think that way, like I have, that’s not exactly right.
What is needed to open the scroll is not strength, but worthiness — and it’s not merely worthiness to open the scroll, but it’s worthiness to enforce the contents of the scroll — which is the ultimate plan of human history, see. The opener of the scroll is the executor of the plan.
And so this angel, on behalf of the divine council, says, Hey! Is there anybody out there who can open this thing? Anybody in heaven? Anybody on earth? Under the earth? Does any person actually have the authority to do these things?
And there’s nobody. Which means this is a distressing situation, because everything is riding on the contents of this scroll being put into action. It’s the rest of the story. It’s the rest of the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things — and there’s nobody who can execute it!
So John starts to weep. He knows that unless this scroll is put into action we are ruined. Like if this world and all that’s going on in this world, if this is all that’s left, we should be weeping too. But then one of the elders says to John, 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.
This, of course, is Jesus, and he is worthy to open the scroll and execute salvation and judgment, because he is a Lion that conquers. He has the authority and the power. That is verse 5.
And then the camera turns in verse 6. And in the middle of this heavenly crowd, between the throne and four living creatures and among the elders, there’s a Lamb standing as though it had been slain.
The Lion and the Lamb, same guy. This is Jesus.
The Lion shows us that Jesus conquered; the Lamb shows us how he conquered — and it’s a mash-up of images. The Lamb is standing as though it had been slain. So this is a standing, slaughtered Lamb, and he’s strong — he has seven horns and seven eyes that see everything. And he goes and takes the scroll from the right hand of him who is seated on the throne. And the creatures and elders fall to their faces in worship before him, and they all sing. And do you know what they sing? What do they say?
They say worthy. He’s worthy. This conquering Lion who is a slain Lamb is worthy to take the scroll and open its seals. And how?
It’s because he was slain. It’s because he died an atoning death. Jesus was the Passover sacrifice, and not just for the people of Israel, but he died to rescue a people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. The eternal purpose of God in the church has been realized in Jesus, by the shedding of his blood. This red-soaked Lamb has created a colorful kingdom of royal priests who have fellowship with God and who reign with God like Adam and Eve were meant to do, but even better because Jesus has overcome sin and death. He conquered.
And what do you say to that? Not just you. But how about the angels? Let’s get the angels in here. Angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. And what about every creature too? Let’s bring them in. I’m talking about every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them — every creature that has ever existed. Angels, creatures, all of them. What do they say?
They say worthy. Jesus is worthy.
And so when I say that you should love Jesus more than anyone or anything, that’s why. Because he is God become man! Because he died and was raised! Because he has sacrificed and conquered! Jesus has all power and authority, and everything in creation, from all the angels around his throne to all the sea life in the depths of the ocean, they all declare that Jesus is worthy — he deserves and possesses every good thing there is or could be, and so yes, he deserves your heart. He deserves to be the supreme satisfaction of your soul — and the Bible has a lot to say about your good when he is.
Jesus and his benefits mean your eternal blessing. Jesus causes good effects for you, and all those effects …
all our blessings in respect to his rule,
whatever we receive by his Spirit and grace,
whatever we learn from his Word,
whatever benefit we believe, expect, and receive by his sacrifice and intercession on our behalf …
— our hope in them all is terminated on Jesus himself. Our faith is in Jesus himself, in who he is and in what he’s done. The whole Christian life then comes down to this: it’s not how Jesus makes you feel, but it’s the fact that Jesus is worthy. (See John Owen, Glory of Christ, I. VII., 99.)
Jesus deserves to be the supreme satisfaction of your soul.
That’s #1. Now I want to focus on the second question, What does this look like?
Q2: What does it look like if Jesus is the supreme satisfaction of your soul?
Answer: Humble joy.
Now why am I saying that? How is this biblical?
All right, well, “humble joy” is the way I describe Paul in Philippians 1. And we’re going to close here. So take a Bible, turn to Philippians 1, and look at verse 19. Now Paul starts in verse 18 by saying that he rejoices. Because Jesus is proclaimed he rejoices, and he will rejoice. Okay, so this is joy. Paul will rejoice. But why? Verse 19:
… for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed,
This is one of the clearest places in Paul where he describes what he’s all about. This is his goal. It’s his eager expectation and hope, which means this is his greatest passion. It’s that he not be ashamed, but, verse 20 —
that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
That word for honored also means to be magnified or glorified. Paul wants Jesus to be seen for he is; he wants to witness to the glory of Jesus, whether by his life or by his death. Now how does Paul do that? He explains in verse 21.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Now how does that work? How does Paul’s living or dying magnify Jesus? Verse 22:
22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
If Paul lives, to live is Christ, which means fruitful labor. It means he will continue his ministry for others’ progress and joy in faith, verse 25, and the result of that is that others will glory in Christ Jesus. Pauls says: If I live, I magnify Jesus by serving others’ joy in him.
And if I die, I magnify Jesus by my joy in him, because I consider getting more of Jesus far better than anything this world can offer. That is how death is gain. Because I’m losing everything of this world — everything — you cannot take any of this with you. It’s over. But, I get Jesus. I get more of him. I get his nearness. I get his unhindered presence.
So put everything of this world on this side, and you put Jesus here on this side, Jesus is far better. That’s what it looks like when Jesus is the supreme satisfaction of your soul.
It looks like joy here in the joy of others’ joy in Jesus as we anticipate the greater joy in Jesus yet to come on the other side of death.
A couple weeks ago we buried by grandfather. I flew down to North Carolina to stand outside with my family and look at the casket, which was under a tent, beside a hole in the ground, six-feet deep. A six-foot hole in the ground. I’m not sure the last time you’ve stared into a six-foot hole in the ground. Will that be gain for you? Will you find greater joy on the other side?
And I call it humble joy for a reason. I recently read that according to a new study on religion, an increasing number of Americans believe in an afterlife. In this one study, it was 80% of Americans. 80% of Americans believe in an afterlife — and that’s fascinating because it does not match the declining numbers of those who believe in God.
The numbers of those believe in God are decreasing while the numbers of those who believe in an afterlife are increasing — and nobody knows why exactly, but one theory is that it has to do with our society’s entitlement mentality. It’s the idea that you are owed something for nothing, the idea that you deserve every good thing — as the world defines “good” — and if that’s what the afterlife is about, then I must be getting it.
But no, that’s not right. And that kind of swagger, that kind of triumphalism, has nothing to do with Christian joy. Christian joy is humble joy precisely because we know it’s not joy we’re entitled to; and sometimes the script that God writes for us does not include good things as the world defines good things.
Sometimes the script will mean cancer. Or car wrecks. Or coronavirus. As I’ve been thinking about that six-foot hole in the ground, it occurred to me that I have no certainly that I will live to see any of my children graduate high school. And you know what? God does not owe me that. God doesn’t owe me anything. But he promises me himself. Is that enough? Cities Church, I want him to be enough for us.
What I want for this soul, and for your soul, is for Jesus to be our supreme satisfaction. Why? Because he’s worthy. What does it look like? It looks like to live is Christ and to die is gain. Humble joy.
And that’s what brings us to this Table.
The Table
At this Table, with humble joy, we remember the death of Jesus for us. That Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb, the one worthy of all blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever, he is the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins. And he looks at you and he sees everything. He knows all of your brokenness, and your wounds, and your sins — he knows your unloveliness — and he loves you by his grace.
This morning if you trust in Jesus, we invite you to give him thanks at this Table. The pastors will come now to serve you. You can just put your hand out.
His body is the true bread. His blood is the true drink.
