The Sovereign God Worshipped

By Lin Brown Bible Text: Preached on: Revelation 4 Sunday, April 21, 2013

Grace Particular Baptist Church 5725 Imperial Lakes Blvd Mulberry, FL 33860 Website: Online Sermons: www.graceparticularbaptist.org www.sermonaudio.com/graceparticular

Well, it has been quite a week. For those of us who watch TV and keep up with the internet or know what went on this week, we not only had a terrorist attack in Boston, but we had a great explosion in Texas. Both ended life for people that didnt think it would end that day. I turn my attention toward the one in Texas. People who went to bed that night thinking they were going to go to bed and wake up the next morning were blown off the face of the map, a complete neighborhood. Think about our last sermon in talking about what we depend on in this life and the plans we make. I was listening to one Fox newscaster yesterday who normally tells you how to plan for the future, how to lay out your financial plans and how to plot your course for the rest of your life. He said, I am going to have a different program today. I am not going got tell you how to plan for the future, because the future is not yours. The future can be right end at any moment. And he gave the examples that I have given shortly. He said that, you know, we can plan all we want to. But when it is time for something like that to take us off this planet, we cant prevent our God. Those were sobering things to think about. And then I thought about one of my favorite chapters in the Bible and it is the one we were headed of after we finished the seven churches and that is chapter four of Revelation. And I want to start there with these words. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven.1 Contrasting all of the turmoil that goes on in this world, the sin that beset the Church throughout the seven letters, the victories of the Church and the defeats of the Church, the sorrow of the Church and the happiness of the Church. We now go to heaven. We now go to where everything is perfect and everything is at peace. We now go and we see into the spiritual realities of life itself. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says that we are new creatures. In the King James it says new creature and in other translations it says creation. We are a new creation in Christ. In
1

Revelation 4:1. a Page 1 of 9

chapter four or Revelation we are showed what that new creature is, what he looks like, what his capabilities are. And we glory in the fact that in Christ we have all these things. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.2 Most people come into this chapter and focus in on those words Which shall be hereafter. And they say, See, this is for yet a future time. But this is for another world. This is for another place. This is to say all of that that is past in chapter one through chapter three is now past and I am going to show you an intensifying version of all that that is going on in your time and space continuum in this life. And so he starts with a throne in heaven. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven.3 As Charles Alexander said, God sits on no physical throne in heaven. But our imagery immediately runs to a physical throne. Let us beware and let us take note that if God doesn't sit upon a physical throne, why then does it say that he saw a throne set in heaven? Because the controlling factor of heaven is its sovereignty. It is a sovereign God who sits there. It is sovereign God who rules there. It is sovereign God who is enthroned there. And we are to understand and we are to take away from this because the revelator will tell us in chapter four, five and six that God in control of all things is the result of all things that take place. Most people dont want to go. Most people don't want to say God is in control of all things that take place, because we know there are some things we dont like that take place. We know there are some things that we resent that take place. We know that there are some things that anger us that take place. But we must say, we must realize that that throne that is set in heaven is set. That sovereignty of God that is in place is in place no matter what takes place in time and space, no matter who rules, no matter who kills, no matter who reigns in what place. God is over all. He is not the god of Modernism. He reigns over nothing. He is not the god of the modern pulpit. He has no power. He cant help you. He cant deliver you. He cant give you comfort unless you let him. He cant do anything unless you give him your permission. That god does not exist except in the imagination of man, in the imagery of mans twisted understanding of things. The one who does exist is the one who has a throne that is set in his sovereignty. And once that on the throne. As John looks at this vision he sees a throne, but very quickly he sees the occupant of that throne. He sees not only the concept of the sovereignty of God, but he sees the sovereign God. He sees not just an idea that destiny is ruling the earth, he sees a God who is ruling the destiny. He sees the God who is seated upon that throne, because he is in the spirit. The Spirit enables him to do so. And in all of this we are going to see that it is the Spirit
2 3

Ibid. Revelation 4:2. Page 2 of 9

that controls all revelation of the sovereignty of God. You may go to your neighbor and not hear the sovereignty of God. You may go to the person that you work around and not hear the sovereignty of God, because God controls the revelation of that great truth to who he wants it to be known. And as we preach it here in this pulpit, you are exposed to it whether you believe it or not. I dont know whether you rely on it in times of goodness as well as in times of adversity. I dont know. But I know the people who preach from this pulpit are faithful to present it to you, are faithful to proclaim it to you, are faithful to herald it among you. But whether you believe it or not, I dont know. But this one thing is sure, whether you do believe it or not doesnt affect that it is so, that it is true, that it is reality. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.4 Now we are getting the controlling imagery of the sovereignty of God. What is it like? It is like a sardine and sardius or sardine and a jasper stone which John says in his Revelation is like the pure holiness of the white jasper stone. It is represented of the purity of his holiness. Toward the end of this chapter we will hear the pronunciation, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty. And the jasper stone sets us immediately to understand how holy God is. His holiness is his beauty. This holiness is his glory. To make God less than holy is to make God less than God. To make God less than beautiful. And then what about the sardius stone, a crimson, deep red or the understanding of the numerous things, certainly red blood, we understand to be the blood of Christ in redemption. But red is also the color of indignation and burning wrath. God who is holy surrounds his throne and in his holiness and in his wrath and in his redemption. And as we will see that more pictured for us in the rainbow round about the throne. This rainbow that is around about the throne is not multicolored, but singularly colored like an emerald. A deep and glorious imagery of the covenant and the eternal nature of the covenant that Christ has made with his people. Around the sovereignty God is this great covenant that God has made with his people. How do we see that acting? All things work together for the good to those who are called according to his purpose. There is purpose surrounds them in the fact that he has made a covenant for them. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.5 And we say, Oh, that is easy. There were 12 in the Old Testament and 12 in the New. This is a total picture of the Church. They are seated around the throne. If you are raised
4 5

Revelation 4:3. Revelation 4:4. Page 3 of 9

together to be seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Here it is. Here John starts his vision of things that are in this great unseen world. The Church is at peace and is at rest and is in completeness in the four and 20 elders. ...and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.6 Again, God doesnt have seven spirits. He has one Holy Spirit. He is one Holy Spirit. But the seven spirits of God indicate the completeness, not a down payment, but the fullness of the Spirit at the throne. In the sovereignty of God we understand the fullness and majesty of the Spirit. Remember, we must detach ourselves from physical understanding of the throne so that we think all these things are scattered around the throne. But all of these things really are dispersed around the sovereignty of God. They are part and parcel of the sovereignty of God. They are part and parcel of this God who is sovereign. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was sea of glass.7 Ah, this imagery certainly is contrary to what we mostly see about a sea here upon this earth. If you go down to the shore in our state, particularly on the east coast you are going to see a restless sea that is constantly washing back and to and swelling up in waves and washing the seashore. But this is a sea of glass. I remember times in the ... when I was in the navy and we would sail across a sea of glass. It would just be without ripple and without wave. It would be just like a huge lake stretching for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles. And the ship would just plow through there just as peaceful. But there were other times we would be on the sea and the ship would bounce up and down and we would burst into the middle of those waves and the would go on either side of the ship and great explosions driven by the winds and the currents. But here around this throne there are no winds and currents of disturbance. There is nothing that disturbs the sovereignty of God. There is nothing that throws it off course. There is nothing that disputes it. There is nothing that will overthrow it, whether it is the will of the people or the will of the nature or anything else that we think might be independent of God. We live in an unenlightened world, dear ones. And we hear unenlightened voices every day tell us what we are living in. Be instructed by this we are living in. We are living under the sovereignty of God. We have our every motion and move and thought and process by the sovereignty of God. What he has willed comes to pass. What he hasnt willed isnt. He doesnt have any existence. I know what the creature is saying to you right now. No, my god wouldnt do such a thing. Well, your god is not the God of this Scripture right here. He is the one who is

6 7

Revelation 4:4-5. Revelation 4:5-6. Page 4 of 9

seated in this sovereignty and centered, the very core of his being is his sovereign purpose of all things. ... and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.8 Now we are going to move into the four beasts. Remember, I said if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, a new creation. Here we have the new creation. There are those who say that, no, this is talking about now we have already talked about the Church, now we are talking about the ministers of the Church. These are characteristics of what a minister should be or is within the Church. Well, I am not going to take issue with them about that. They have the right to believe that. But I think a deeper understanding of this and one that is applicable to all of us who name the name of Christ is this is a picture of the Spirit that lives within you that is placed there by the sovereign hand of God in your regeneration. This is a picture of what it is. And so we can take great comfort in the power of this creature. Look at it. These four beasts being the completeness, once again, of the work of God. These four beasts full of eyes, full of knowledge. And you have need that no man teach you for all things, you know all things and understand all things. That is why we can look at a nursery situation and we can see the hand of God in it, because we have eyes all around and understand all those things that take place in this space and time continuum. And the first beast was like a lion.9 Now we start to have the individual characteristics of this great being that lives within us. He is like a lion. Certainly we know Christ is what? The lion of the tribe of Judah. The lion is pictured as he who is great in reigning and powerful and so our Spirit, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. He is powerful. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Christ resides in all power. And that Spirit that is the Spirit of Christ in us, resides in all power. But yet I look at you and I look in the mirror and I say, How often do I live by that lion? It lives within me. How often do I draw upon the fact that I am a lion in the kingdom of God? ...and the second beast like a calf.10 Like an ox, basically, is what this means. This second beast was like a calf and that indicates to us that this Spirit that is within us is a servant before the living God. There are those who say, Well, this certainly means our service to man. No. This is our serviceand I will show you why in a minute. I will show you how this comes about in a minute. But this calf, this ox indicates to us that our spirit serves before the living God.

8 9

Revelation 4:6. Revelation 4:7. 10 Ibid. Page 5 of 9

...and the third beast had a face as a man.11 Oh, yes, we know. But his is redeemed man. This is the man Christ Jesus, the soul. The spirit that is regenerated reflects the perfect man, not the fallen man, but the perfect man. ...and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.12 And, of course, our spirit that we are, this new creature that we are soars in the heavens, takes its flight on wings of heavenly winds and soars above all things. This eagle, this flying eagle, not a roosting eagle, but a flying eagle is soaring in the heavens. You shall mount of with wings of eagles. You shall run and not be weary. Some of us cant walk and not be weary. But the Spirit, it is within us, can run, can fly, can walk, can do all things. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night.13 Oh, the great light of the Spirit. The Spirit is not a dead Spirit. Many today think about being got saved and that was it and now I will go on and live in my flesh and I will live in this world and I will live according to my own efforts. But the Spirit is not a dead Spirit. It is a living Spirit. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night.14 And what are they doing? They are going about establishing their own agenda. They are going about practicing their own desires? No. ... and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.15 Look deep within yourselves. Is that voice crying in you? Holy, holy, Lord God almighty. Is that voice crying out in you? You are he who is eternal. You are here which was and is and is to come. And notice what happens. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever...16 That is what they are doing, giving glory and honor and thanks, three great trinity of worship. All glory be to you. All honor be yours and all thanks be for all things.
11 12

Ibid. Ibid. 13 Revelation 4:8. 14 Ibid. 15 Ibid. 16 Revelation 4:9. Page 6 of 9

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne.17 All of the individual spirits of the chosen elect Church of God causes the Church to bow down and worship of him, both Old and New Testament elect children of God to bow down and praise him who liveth forever and ever. And then what do they do? ...and they cast their crowns before the throne.18 If you want to present to me somebody you think is a saint of God who retains his crown, I will tell you he is not, because the Church and the individual members of the Church cast their crowns down before Christ Jesus. He is the King of kings. He is the Lord of lords. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is life eternal. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the bread of life. He is the water of life. He is the resurrection and the life. And so we cast all of our crowns down before him. Oh, man may look around and say, Oh, what a good Christian that is. And we say, Oh, no. Christ is Lord. Dont worship me, John said. Dont worship me. The angels pointed to John and said, Dont fall down before us. Worship him who is to be worshipped. And the spirits of the just people, the spirits of the elect Church cast their crowns before him. And say what? Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power.19 Thou art worthy. Remember this is not our flesh speaking. This is Spirit energized spirits that are speaking. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.20 It is not wrong. It is not sacrilegious. It is not irreligious to say that God gets pleasure in everything that he has done. He does. He enjoys it. He is not a frustrated, sorrowful God up in heaven crying over this person who perishes or this person who does evil. He has created all things for his purpose and all things created for his purpose do it. And he takes pleasure.

17 18

Revelation 4:9-10. Revelation 4:10. 19 Revelation 4:11. 20 Ibid. Page 7 of 9

...for thy pleasure they are and were created.21 Even the wicked for the day of evil. I know for this cause many will walk away and say, I wont hear that anymore. I wont listen to that anymore. That is just not right. But dispute the passage. Go to war with it, because this says he created all things and for all things that were created for his pleasure that is why they were created. You know, I know that within me and within you, because I know that little voice that is saying, Oh, this cant be a real god. John or Charles Wesley, but one of the Wesleys said, Mr. Whitefield, your God is my devil. And the modernists would say to us, Grace Particular Baptist, your God is my devil. I dont want any part of it. And that is reality. Jesus said, If they hate me, they will hate you. If they are not for me they will be against me and they will be against you. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.22 And this is not the end of it, by the way. This is just the beginning of it. This is the opening of heaven. This is the bearing of the sovereignty of God and saying, Listen. All things that are coming after, I am in control. The beast rising out of the sea, I am in control of it. The false prophets speaking by the power of the beast, I am in control of it. The 666 I am in control of it. I have ordained it all to come to pass and it is all falling out according to my purpose and I am getting glory in it. I am having pleasure in it. This is an astounding book from the standpoint that it brings all of Scripture into its scope and says, Look, if you dont acknowledge the sovereignty of God, you wont understand any of it. You wont understand Genesis one or Isaiah 54 or Daniel nine or Malachi or Matthew or Mark or Luke or John or Acts or Romans or Corinthians. You wont understand it all if you dont understand the sovereign God that is depicted here. Remember John said, Blessed is he who readeth and he who doeth and he who obeys the words of this book, who knows and understands how sovereign God is. My word to die today and cross over Jordan I would ay to you on that death bed how Gods grace and his mercy God is sovereign. He rules over this event as surely as he rules over anything. I hope you know that God. I hope you know that Christ, because that God I am talking about is the three in one, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Each one equally as sovereign as the other. Each one carrying out their purpose perfectly as the other. They are not in conflict with each other. They are not in dispute with one another. The God of the Old Testament is not different from the God of the New Testament. The Father is not different from the Son and the Son is not different from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a clown act or a rock show presenter. He is the sovereign God who

21 22

Ibid. Ibid. Page 8 of 9

presents the Lord Jesus Christ in sobriety and perfectness. When he comes he will speak of me. Any Spirit that speaketh not of Christ is who? The Spirit of antichrist. This is a short chapter, 11 verses. And it sets the stage for others that are to come. When our attention will be directed over to history. And, basically, it will say to us: Who controls history? Who controls the events that take place in mans hands? If that little book was written on the outside and the inside is not in the hands of Christ, we are in dire circumstances, dear ones, we are in great danger. But, alas, it is. We will see that enacted before us next week, the Lord willing. Gracious Lord and heavenly Father, speak to our hearts and minds today that we might know and understand that you are ruling in this earth, in the heavenlies and in hell itself, that all things are for your glory and for your pleasure and you are not frustrated by anything that so easily besets us, that so easily troubles us, that so easily scares us, that you are not moved. You sit on a throne, immovable. You sit in your sovereignty, immovable. To you be all the glory and praise in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Page 9 of 9