The Word of God, the Holy Bible, is a treasure and a gift beyond compare. Every passage of it points to a marvelous truth that God's love for man impelled Him to step out of eternity and unite with His creation in order to redeem Him from sin. Jesus Christ is both the author and subject of this precious Word. Join us at the Superior Word each week as we search out this wonderful gift in search of Christ Jesus. Luke 24, starting in verse 1, Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they and certain other women with them came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, why do you seek the living? among the dead. He's not here, but is risen. Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words. Then they returned from the tomb, and they told all these things to the 11 and to all the rest." Okay, what do we got here? We're gonna read As our sermon text today, Revelation chapter 5. I'm just going to read the whole chapter. Chapter 5 of Revelation. And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals. And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne, and one of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. Now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and every creature which is in heaven. and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be to him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever. Then the four living creatures said, Amen, and the 24 elders fell down and worshiped him who lives forever and ever. This sermon was typed on 24 March 2025. That wasn't very long ago. And the reason why is because I was having, and still am having, really bad headaches because of the hit that I got on the head. I got that concussion. And I'm so glad that I did this sermon on that day because I could not concentrate at all. So what I did is I took Revelation 5, the commentary, And I plagiarized it from myself. And I put it together into a sermon form and I was done rather quickly and then I went and laid down because I've just not been having a really good time of this since I got that concussion. Religious pluralism is defined as the acceptance and coexistence of multiple religious beliefs and practices within a society, emphasizing that various religions can provide meaningful paths to spiritual fulfillment in fostering tolerance and understanding among diverse faiths. That's from an AI overview of the subject. In a nutshell, religious pluralism teaches that different or even contradictory religions are equally valid and provide their own suitable and acceptable path to restoration with God. Religious syncretism is defined as the blending of different religions and their belief systems or the incorporation of beliefs from one tradition into another. often resulting in a new or modified religious practice or belief system. A little bit different, but it's on the same lines. Religious syncretism is a pick-and-choose approach to religion. This aspect of this religion is appealing, and so I will add it to my approach to religious expression. That's basically what it means. For example, the Roman Catholic Church has adopted this path throughout the centuries. Such expressions as Santeria Haitian voodoo, Congo syncretism, and so forth, indigenous festivals are observed, various local confessions and approaches to healings are maintained, and native sacred objects are incorporated into the faith. A stunning example of this was seen in 2019 when the Pope held the Amazon Synod at the Vatican. At that gathering, the Andean fertility goddess Pachamama was revered and adherents were welcomed to bow before the carvings in reverence, prayer, and petition right at the Vatican. The Pope himself acknowledged the deity and held his own observances of it in the Vatican Garden. Our text verse comes from Isaiah 52, it is verse 15. So shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at him, for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider. Such practices by the Pope and others are not unique to Roman Catholicism. They are more pronounced, however, because of the size, scope, and authority of the denomination in the world. Because of its worldwide presence, the world views Roman Catholicism as the leader of the Christian faith, and they see the Pope as the ultimate representative of it. Whether that's true or not is irrelevant. That's the way the world sees it. Therefore, his acceptance of pluralistic and synchronistic doctrines allows people to more readily accept such teachings. There are a variety of reasons why pluralism and syncretism are accepted within religions and societies. One is an attempt to provide harmony between otherwise warring factions. Religious battles have been held over the years and they've led to the death of innumerable people over the millennia. Other reasons include control, power, accumulation of wealth, naivete, a refusal to acknowledge that God has the right to judge according to a set plan that is exclusive of personal merit, and so forth. The list could go on and on because for every person who wants to do his own thing, there must then be an allowance for that new thing if pluralism is to remain valid. Okay, think of L. Ron Hubbard. L. Ron Hubbard wanted to start a religion. He was the most prolific author in the history of the world. He wrote more than anybody else. And he said, at one point, I'm tired of writing for a penny a word, right? So what does he do? He says with his own mouth, and he writes it down, I will start a religion. That's where the big money is. And what do we have? Scientology. And it's worth billions and billions of dollars. And we have to accept it, because that's what a pluralistic society does. But there is a problem within this greater framework of hope for global kumbaya. That problem is the truth that various religious expressions do not allow the practice of other religions. They make exclusive claims that are odds with others in their idea of pluralism. This is certainly true with Islam, for example. However, one of the allowable tenets of Islam is that it is acceptable for adherents to lie in order to further the goals of the faith. Therefore, as Islam enters into societies, unless it simply takes over by the sword and subdues its foes, adherents can make claims that are untrue in order to meet their ultimate goals. For this reason, among others, Islam has given a pass in societies and has gathered into the fold of naive, pluralistic societies that desire peace and security while demonstrating their tolerance for those who are less fortunate, oppressed, and so forth. The real stickler for the world, therefore, is not the slow and carefully plotted overtaking of the world by Islam or even communism, which is its own sort of religious expression. Rather, the stickler is found in adherence to scripture as is recorded in the Holy Bible. They are those who refuse to bow their knee to the concept that all paths lead to God. And that's a problem for the world. This is intolerable to a society and a world that is supposedly marching toward a state of complete tolerance. Unfortunately, when there is something intolerable blocking such a goal, it must be eradicated. The book of Revelation details what will happen to those who refuse to bend their knee to this tolerant society that is yet future to us now. Reading Revelation 5, one can see how incompatible the true Christian faith—meaning accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior—is to religious pluralism. This has not gone unrecognized in Christian societies. Over the years, those who refuse to accept Christ, who are unqualified to minister, or who just don't care about proper theology have entered into the ministry, causing Christianity to degrade. Some have entered with the goal of destroying sound churches from within. It has been a constant battle in all Christian-centered Western societies. As soon as the Reformation got its foothold in one area or another, someone would begin the march toward weakening the faith of the various denominations and churches. In America, the freedom of religious expression allowed Christianity to bloom in an amazing way, seemingly securing it from any such decline. But the very mechanism that has allowed freedom of religion has helped bring the faith to a state of complete confusion. For example, Joseph Smith, who is the founder of Mormonism, had the same book in his hand that Dwight Moody held. Mormonism is Christian in name only, but that name allows it to be considered under the Christian umbrella. Even churches that started out doctrinally sound, but later wanted to deviate from biblical precepts, are slowly allowed to do so without a great deal of controversy, except by those who hold to a proper evaluation of Scripture in its intended context. For example, the first woman to be ordained as a Protestant minister in the United States, Antoinette Brown Blackwell, set a precedent that is unbiblical. However, the event became the first of an unstoppable tide of apostasy from what is biblically acceptable. Despite that, someone had to ordain her, and so the corruption was already in place before the day of her ordination. Since then, churches and denominations have continued to degrade from adherence to Scripture to the point where many are, like Mormonism, Christian in name only. Their rites and rituals gather together people who have never experienced the saving message of grace that is found in Jesus Christ. Instead, they are led astray into what Paul would call the doctrines of demons. Pluralism, syncretism, and the loosening of doctrines within the Church for the sake of accommodation have brought the Christian faith to a state of high confusion and moral degradation that can only be corrected through a return to the acceptance of and adherence to Scripture alone for the conduct and faith practice of adherence. This is not expected to take place before the Lord comes for His church. Rather, it is just a note of how it could come about for those who care enough to depart from the false religious expressions they have been following. Because of the high level of biblical illiteracy in our nation, people looking for a church right here in Sarasota, for example, may decide on Sunday morning to go to a Mormon church or a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses because it's close and convenient. Without knowing anything about the Bible or what it proclaims, they may enter the doors of such a church, think it represents the Christian faith, and spend the rest of their lives never coming to know Jesus Christ for who he is and what he has done to redeem man. Now think about that. Dad says, you know, my life is messed up and I want to go to church on Sunday. Wife, what do you think? I think we should. Our marriage is falling apart and the kids are a basket case. So they go to the closest church. they don't know the Bible, so they end up in a church that doesn't teach them proper scripture. And the rest of their lives they never come to know Jesus. That's the point. When considered in its intended light, Revelation chapter 5 reveals a truth that is undeniable. This truth spans all nations, cultures, societies, and people. It also spans all ages since the first man walked on the earth. Verse 3 said that no one in heaven or on the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at it. Buddha could not do so. Confucius could not do so. Muhammad could not do so. No pope, priest, or preacher could do so. No king, prime minister, or president could do so. Nobody could. The words signify total unworthiness of the human race. No person within any religious or societal structure that has ever existed was found worthy. Not only could none take it out of his hand or loose its seals, but all were deemed unworthy to even take a momentary glance at the scroll. The state of either positional or moral unworthiness of all beings in creation excluded such a glance. Angels, for example, may be morally qualified, but their position as spirits excludes them. Humans may be positionally qualified, being of the seed of Adam, but their moral state as fallen beings who have inherited original sin excludes them. None are found worthy. This list includes these categories from the pen of John. The first one, no one in heaven. No human being who has ever lived and who is currently in the heavenly realms is qualified. Enoch, the seventh man from Adam, was translated directly to heaven because he walked with God. Unworthy! Elijah, the great prophet of Israel, also went directly to heaven in a chariot of fire. Unworthy. No angel in heaven as well, due to their state in creation. Unworthy. Our second category, no one on the earth. Think of the people on the earth today whom you may admire. A great evangelist, unworthy. The U.S. president? Unworthy. Some other noted pastor or politician? Unworthy. You? Unworthy. Me? Unworthy, certainly. Repeat this for the other seven or eight billion people on earth today. All unworthy. Three, no one under the earth, every human who has ever existed since the creation of Adam and who is now resting in the dust from which they came. Just think about it. Great men of God, great world leaders, missionaries, evangelists, heroes of the Bible, all unworthy. And not only are we unable to open that scroll, but we are also not even worthy to look at it. All humans have inherited Adam's sin directly in three different ways. The first is legally. We are legally in Adam because he is our federal head. Potentially, the very fact that we could exist as human beings brings us in direct contact with Adam and therefore we are unworthy. Seminally, all humans who actually exist from the very moment of conception are stained with Adam's sin, having inherited as a result of the fall. Death, which is the wages of sin, proves this. Even infant babies are not excluded. As an important note, this verse disproves the doctrine of the immaculate conception of Mary. If Mary were born and had remained in a sinless state, then she would be Worthy! But no one, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, is found worthy, because according to Revelation 5, that is what it says. This frightening passage should leave all of us humbled. We have no claim to boast before God because we are unworthy. No wonder it says that John wept bitterly. He literally burst into tears. As the New King James Version renders it, so I wept much. In the Greek, the pronoun is emphatic, while the verb is in the imperfect tense. One might say, and I, even I just kept weeping exceedingly. When he realized the state of man before the holiness of God, he understood the eternal disconnect that stood between the two. What seems like an easy walk in the presence of God while on earth is found to be a catastrophic, unhealable wound when standing before Him in heaven. John wept uncontrollably because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll. The contents of the scroll remain securely closed from the eyes of all men. The inheritance lost by Adam is left unattainable. The words here have a sense of finality, like those of Leviticus 18 verse 5, You shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them. I am the Lord. The promise was made. Men born under the law came and they went, year after year. There were prophets, kings, priests, and holy men who lived under this law. And yet they all died. The grave received them and held them firmly in its grasp. Because of the lack of unworthiness in humanity, only life in a fallen world followed by death and separation from God is the result. The contents of the scroll are to remain forever out of the reach of the fallen sons of Adam. The infection of sin has precluded life from continuing either under the law or apart from it. Woe is the state of man without the intervention of God's Christ. What Revelation 5 has implicitly referred to is the doctrine of original sin. The effects of sin have permeated every person who was ever born. Only a sinless being would be qualified to replace the failings of Adam. But where would such a person come from? Humans come from humanity. Humanity is stained with Adam's sin. The equation seems to rule out any possible remedy. John's pained tears continued to flow in the minds of the people even to this day because they are recorded in God's Word. We can look back on an ocean of tears that have flowed around the entire globe as new translations are prepared for people to read and consider their complete unworthiness before God. However, in hearing the gospel and understanding its message, hope is restored for those who understand what God has done for them. This is because the message to John concerning his tears was, do not weep. If the unworthiness to open the scroll of those in creation is what brought John to his current state, then the words, do not weep, must provide a remedy to that state. Without stopping to allow John to question why, the elder continued his words saying, behold the lion. In Scripture, the lion signifies various things, depending on the type of lion and how it interacts with the surrounding context. However, John's mind probably would have immediately scanned his knowledge of the Hebrew writings and focused on one particular reference. This is because the elder continued with the words of the tribe of Judah. This wasn't an actual lion then, but a metaphor for a man, one who would come through Judah, the fourth son of Israel. Every Jew who attended the synagogue would be familiar with that prophecy. It says in Genesis 49, 9 and 10, Judah is a lion's whelp. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the people. The elders' words clearly identify the one being spoken of as the fulfillment of the prophecy from Genesis chapter 49. John is being reminded of Scripture. In remembering the Word of God, the downtrodden soul can refocus on what is good, what is right, and what is hope-filled. This reminder may have then reminded John of other messianic promises seen in the Hebrew Scriptures, such as the promise of an everlasting throne being bestowed upon the Lion of David in 2 Samuel 7. It is to Judah that these great promises were made. Thus, this Lion of the tribe of Judah is the fulfillment of those prophecies. As a confirmation of this, the elder further describes this Lion as the Root of David. As a note, this term is often wrongly applied by scholars to say that Christ is a root that springs out of David. This is incorrect. A root is the basis for what springs out of it. A seed first goes down into the soil to find anchoring and moisture. From there, the roots are established and the plant then proceeds upward. Elsewhere, the Messiah is called a branch, signifying one who would come from a plant extending out. This would be a descendant. In this case, however, the root refers to the one who comes before. Thus, not only does this one descend from Judah, and obviously from David, who was given the kingly promises, but he is the source of David, the root. This is confirmed later in Revelation 22 where Christ says he is both the root and the offspring of David. It is what is referred to in Matthew chapter 22. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he? They said to him, The son of David. He said to them, How then does David in the spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. If David calls him Lord, how is he his son? And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare. question him anymore. In his words, Jesus was showing that not only was the Christ to come from David, but he is also the creator of David. It is of this one that the elder next calls out, saying that he has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. The Greek word translated as prevailed signifies to overcome, overpower, stand victorious. It is a word that implies the fighting of a battle. This one has been in a battle and he has prevailed. In his prevailing, he has the right to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals. That which was sealed and inaccessible could now be made manifest. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been found worthy. John, cease your tears. Let your heart rejoice, and in your rejoicing, multitudes will rejoice with you. There is hope. What appeared to be a loss for humanity has become a victory, but only because of the intervention of God. The incarnation of Jesus Christ was the only hope for man because all men are conceived in sin through Adam receiving his fall in nature. All of the other beings in creation, be they spirit or animal, are in a different category. And they are unworthy to accomplish for man what man had to do. And so Jesus came through a woman. That means he's fully man, and by the Holy Spirit, that means that he is God. In this, he did not inherit Adam's sin. He was qualified to accomplish the task set before him. From there, the gospel shows that he was also capable of doing so. He was born sinless, and he lived without ever sinning. In this, he prevailed. He is the king, the lion of the tribe of Judah. He is Jesus. And he has come to claim what is rightfully his. And yet, when he is to receive his scroll, the heavenly scene suddenly changes. There in the midst of the throne, it says there is a lamb, as though it had been slain. The words are paradoxical. How can a lamb be standing despite being as if it had been slain? The word translated as lamb here is the diminutive form of a sheep. Thus it is a little lamb. There are two aspects to this then. The first is innocence. In the sacrificial system of Israel, this is what was required for the Passover lamb. Exodus 12.5, your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. Further, the same thing is said of the twice daily offering at the tabernacle in the temple. Exodus 29, now this is what you shall offer on the altar, two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at Twilight. A first-year lamb conveys the idea of innocence. It is weak, can't protect itself, and would normally follow its mother along, needing her to direct its every step. This one, however, is as though it had been slain. Using the word sfatso, it signifies butchery for food or sacrifice. Being in the midst of the throne, the focus of Both the heavenly government and the earthly witness of God's dealings with man is directed to this lamb that was as if it had been sacrificed. And of this lamb, John says it is having seven horns and seven eyes. In the Old Testament, the horn comes from the word keren. That is from the verb karan, signifying to send out rays, meaning to shine. This then conveys the idea of prominence, exaltation, and strength. And this is how the horn is used in 2 Samuel and elsewhere. 2 Samuel 22, the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, the God of my strength in whom I will trust. my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior, you save me from violence. The eye, or in Hebrew, ayin, is that which is outflowing and thus that which gives an appearance. For example, a spring or fountain is called an eye because it is where water issues forth from. Using this idea of appearance, the eye is used along with many other descriptors, an evil eye, a bountiful eye, the lust of the eyes, eyes full of adultery, and so on. However, in this case, the appearance of the Lamb is that of innocence. and substitutionary death, which is radiated out in power and exaltation." Concerning the number seven, it is the number of spiritual perfection or completeness. John takes these two things together, the horns and the eyes, and says that they are the seven spirits of God. These seven spirits of God reflect His power, His perfect power, exaltation, and appearance. In other words, this Lamb reflects those attributes of God. perfectly. In his being a lamb, innocent, and in his being slain, the substitutionary death, these attributes of God are perfectly revealed. One can see a reflection of what the Lord said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12. My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. Just as Christ's strength is made perfect in weakness through the apostle, the perfection of God's strength is displayed in the humility of Christ as the Lamb. It is the depiction of Christ by which the seven spirits of God are sent out, as John says, into all the earth. It is the innocence, the sinlessness, and the death of Christ by which God has most purposefully revealed himself. Think of that! Of every way that God could ever reveal himself in all of history, in all of creation, throughout the entire universe, the pinnacle of his expression of himself is dying on the cross of Calvary. Despite all of the power, the wonder, and the majesty of the created order, the highest and most glorious expression of himself in all of time and in all of his handiwork is in the innocent, crucified Christ. As for the scroll which is to be opened, it is a will or a title deed. In Hebrews 9.16 it says, where there is a testament, there must also be of necessity the death of the testator. Jesus Christ gave up his perfect life to establish a new covenant and to regain the title deed to fallen humanity. The scroll that is to be opened will contain judgments upon the world, and the one who opens it will be the executor of those judgments. When they come, the people of the world will not be able to ask why the executor isn't also participating in these judgments. The record of his crucifixion testifies that he already has. He already took the judgments of God upon himself so that the world could be saved. The rightful judgment and punishment that we deserve were meted out to him. on behalf of those who will accept his payment. Tell me that is not a wonderful offer. Jesus Christ came in sinless perfection and lived without sin under the law of Moses, a law that promises life to the man who can do the things of the law. Jesus performed under the law perfectly. And He gave up His life in fulfillment of that law. Being sinless, He resurrected. And because He was also made a substitutionary offering for the rest of humanity, those who come to Him through faith in what He has done will likewise be given eternal life. Those who don't will receive what they deserve for rejecting His gracious offer. And those who have never heard the gospel message will have to stand on their own merits before God at the judgment. But it's already been seen that none are worthy. Inherited sin means that only the expectation and anticipation for us is that of being found guilty and then being eternally separated from God. The concept of religious pluralism is completely dismissed when one understands what God in Christ has done. The idea of religious syncretism is found to be utterly repulsive when considered in the light of the cross of Jesus Christ. Only Jesus is worthy because only Jesus is the God-man. And as the Lord says in his word, I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory I will not give to another. Because of his worthiness, both in accomplishment and in glory, the slain lamb came and he took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. In the Greek, there's a change in the tenses of the verbs, which is skipped by almost all translations. And yet it makes the entire scene much more graphic. The Greek goes from the aorist to the perfect. And he came, and he has taken the scroll out of the right hand of him who is sitting on the throne. One can imagine anyone approved to do so coming before the throne, just as seen in any royal setting. For example, Esther was granted permission to stand before King Ahasuerus in the book of Esther, Esther chapter 8. Now Esther spoke again to the king. fell down at his feet and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king. In this heavenly scene of Revelation 5, the Lamb came before the one on the throne. He has been granted this royal privilege. But there is a specific reason for his approach. In his coming it says, and he has taken the scroll. One can see the definitive nature of the act. Not only did the Lamb come forward, but when He came, His worthiness was highlighted. The completed and definitive act of receiving the scroll, as indicated in the words, has taken, demonstrate that it occurred and is fully accomplished. Worthy is the Lamb. The metaphors are marvelous to consider. Christ is as a lion. He is as a lamb. He is the one on the throne. He possesses the scroll and he passes it to himself upon completion of his earthly ministry. God is revealing himself through his Christ, but the account uses apocalyptic symbolism to convey aspects of him. The Lamb speaks of innocence. A slain Lamb speaks of sacrifice. The innocence and the sacrifice are what have made his coming forward and taking the scroll possible. And coming forward, this innocent one who was sacrificed, but who is obviously alive, is said to take the scroll out of the right hand. The right hand is the position of power and authority. Again, as cited before, this looks back to Jesus' own words at the end of the book of Matthew. And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all authority. has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. God has returned this title deed to himself through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He is the one on the throne. He is the lamb that was slain. He is the lion who has prevailed. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is in full view in this heavenly scene. What is presented in Revelation 5 is similar in expression to what was already presented to Israel in Daniel chapter 7. Daniel 7, I was watching in the night visions and behold one like the son of man coming with the clouds. He came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people's nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. The right to receive and open the scroll has been given to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who is the King of Kings. This right has been given to the Lamb of God, who fulfilled the law on behalf of fallen man, paying the penalty for their sins on the cross of Calvary. His blood was shed as a substitution for those who are willing to accept Him. The guilt is transferred. The sins are removed. As such, the righteousness is then transferred from God to man. Think of it. The infinite righteousness of God that is needed for man to again be in the presence of the infinitely righteous God is transferred to us through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Of what value is religious pluralism? Such a thought only expresses death leading to death. But Jesus has won the victory and gained the right to the title deed. He alone has paid the price for those who call on Him. He offers mercy based on His paying the price. And He has provided the grace by exalting all who accept His call. The choice is made and now the scroll can be opened. When it is, the entire earth will be affected by the result. Big events are on the horizon. The lion has prevailed and the lamb has been found worthy. He is great. He is glorious. He is Jesus. In other words, these seven spirits of God that burned before the throne, illuminating the splendor of God, have now become the active agents of the Lamb that will go forth in judgment. The eyes see every hidden thing, and the horns will execute the judgment upon the unrepentant world. This lamb will no longer be the meek and mild suffering servant. He will become the one who comes to bring destruction to all who have rejected him. He is the lion and he is the lamb. He is Jesus. The cure and the remedy to our fallen state is found in God's giving of His Son to pay the sin debt we as humans owe. The portrayal of the wrath of God, which is so often found in the Bible, does not mean that God is by nature wrathful. Rather, it means that our sin brings about a state of enmity between the perfectly loving God and ourselves. Wrath, as we perceive it from scripture, is the necessary outcropping of sin not being dealt with. God's perfection necessarily demands our perfection. Because God's perfection can only be realized in us through the eradication of imperfection, there must be a means by which this can be realized. This is the process that the Bible speaks of and reveals. When man was created, he was in a state of perfection. However, he was also in a state of lack, something that is not imperfection. To lack nothing would mean that we are God. Lack is the state of existence we all possess. One thing man lacked was the knowledge of good and evil. Without this knowledge, man cannot appreciate God in a manner that provides reciprocal love and respect. God saw that the correcting of this lack was worth the trouble that would naturally accompany its acquisition. And so, God gave man a law, one law in the negative. In disobeying that law, which God knew would take place, Man missed the mark of perfection. In other words, sin entered the world. It is this state of imperfection that requires the process of reacquiring perfection. The giving of more law, meaning the law of Moses, did not help the situation for Israel. Rather, it only exacerbated it. But it was a necessary step. In fulfilling the law, Christ Jesus was able to bring us back to the state of perfection that God requires. This is because Jesus is God. Therefore, those who are in Christ are now included in His perfect righteousness, the righteousness of God. There's no more missing the mark, because there is no more law by which that can take place. This is why no other religious expression can restore man to God. They failed to deal with the state of sin in man. They may address the issue, but they fall short of the necessary requirements of God, which can only stem from Himself. What God in Christ has done is not something arbitrary or random, as if it can also come about in some other way. Rather, it is pinpointed, it is targeted, and it is mutually exclusive of any other path or attempt at reconciliation. Any other avenue, by default, includes the work of others, because it does not rely solely on God. This is why the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. When you think about religion in your life, think logically, soberly, and carefully. In doing so, you will desire what God has done through Christ Jesus. It is the necessary process that will lead you to the necessary perfection that will restore you to God. This is because it is accomplished through our Savior. He is Jesus. This past week remembered the Passion of Jesus. Friday remembered His Crucifixion. Today We remember his resurrection. Each of these demonstrates to us that we have value in the sight of God. I wonder... How that can be possible when I think of my own fallen and sin-stained life before Him. And yet, even though I question why God would save me, I do not question ever that He did. He went through the entire process of redemption, culminating in Jesus' cross and resurrection. As this is so, I know with every fiber of my being that I have been saved. May you carry this reassurance with you always as you live in the presence of God, sealed with his Holy Spirit because you trusted by faith in the full, finished, final, and forever sufficient work of the Lord. He is Jesus. Praise God for Jesus Christ. If you've never taken the time to simply believe what God has done, do it today. He died for your sins. He was resurrected proving that he had no sin and that he is God. God will not tolerate pluralism or syncretism because it strips him of his holiness. This is what He wants you to trust in, the cross of Calvary. Please, call on Jesus today and be reconciled to God through His shed blood. We talked about a title deed of the world, and people might say, well, that's not in the Bible. Well, sure it is. All this has been delivered to me. It is mine, and I can give it to whoever I wish, said Satan to Jesus. He had the title deed. Jesus got it back. Thank God for Jesus. Our closing verse comes from Philippians 2. They are wonderful words. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has also highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and those on earth and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Unbelievable. Unbelievable what God has done in Christ. Thank you, God, for Jesus Christ. Next week is a Song of Songs 5, 1-8. Pretty great stuff for sure. It's entitled, My Hands Dripped Myrrh. That'll be our 12th Song of Songs sermon. What a wonderful, wonderful thing God in Christ has done. And a lot of it is seen in the Song of Songs. A couple sermons coming up that so surprised me with the content in them. Totally surprised me. You know, this happens. You think, oh, I know what this is saying. And you get into the study and you find out, man, I didn't have a clue. I don't have a clue in most things anyway, so. The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and a purpose for you. It is He who defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you, okay? I got a question for you. If anybody fails this, you're out. I'm gonna start a sentence and I want you to finish it. He is risen. He is risen indeed. I got a quick poem for you and then we're going to take the Lord's Supper. Would you, while I'm reading this, count the number of people? If we have, we might need more, I don't know. I have no idea. Okay, we're fine. No, we're not. We're eight short. There's only 40 in that. That's like the chintzy model. I didn't get the 50 model. Okay, this is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a gospel which was preached to you. It is the one you received and on which you stand. It is the gospel of salvation, providing life that's new and which will carry you to the promised holy land. What is delivered to you is what was before received, that Christ died for our sins according to God's Word. He was buried and He rose, and so we have believed, and many witnesses testify to this message you have heard. Now, if Christ is preached that He is risen from the dead, how can some among you say the resurrection isn't true? If there is no resurrection after Christ was crucified and bled, then our faith, as well as yours, is certainly askew. And if so, we are found false witnesses of God, because we have wrongly testified of this mighty deed, and our faith is futile, no heavenly streets we will trod, and we are still dead in our sins, fallen Adam's seed. Even more, those who have fallen asleep and the Lord are gone, and we are the most pitiable creatures the world could ever look upon. But indeed, Christ is risen from the dead. He is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. And as death came through one man, Adam, our federal head, so Christ will make all alive, our souls, He will keep. There is an order to the resurrection call. Christ was first, the pattern for the rest when He comes. And when He does, He will make a shout out to us all, and we will rise as if to the sound of heavenly battle drums. Then comes the time when He delivers the kingdom to the Father, when all rule, authority, and power have come to an end. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. never more to bother than the son will to the father eternal rule extend but you ask what will we be like after our time of sleep after we have been buried in corruption's pit so deep our body is sown in dishonor but it will be raised in glory it is sown in weakness but raised in power the resurrection story the first man adam became a living being it is true the last adam became a life-giving spirit life to me and you. And as was the man of dust created so long ago, so are those likened unto him, also made of dust. And as the man, the Lord from heaven, you know, that we shall bear his image for eternity, just as we've discussed. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. nor can corruption inherit that which is incorrupt. But we shall all be changed, and so heavenly streets we will trod. In the twinkling of an eye, the change will be abrupt. When the last trumpet sounds, we will be taken to glory. We shall all be changed, completion of the gospel story. Where, O death, O where is your sting when Christ our Savior, us to himself, does he bring? Where, oh Hades, oh where is your victory when Christ translates his children to eternal glory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin the law, but thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord. My beloved brethren, be steadfast in all you've heard and saw and cling confidently to God's eternal word. Know for certain that your labor is not in vain. Be of good cheer. Christ is coming again, hallelujah and amen. Heavenly Father, thank you for the lamb who has prevailed. He died on the cross of Calvary so that we can have restoration with you. Thank you for what you have done when you united with human flesh in the person of Jesus. We beheld your glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And your word is truth. It tells us this story because it is from you, and you are the God of truth. So we thank you for what you've done. We praise you in the name of Jesus, and we will do so forever and ever and ever. Thank you for Jesus Christ, our Lord, and it's in his name we pray, amen. OK, we get the instruction for the Lord's Supper comes right out of scripture. Paul wrote these words in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and he said, therefore, I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread. And he would have blessed this bread. He would have said Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam HaMotzi Lechem Min HaAretz Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread. And he broke it and he said, take and eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper, and he would have blessed us as well. He would have said, Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melech haolam vorei peri hagafen. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine. This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. It is so wonderful to share Resurrection Day with you. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just in case. The body, oh, you're with him. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you in agreement? Good, okay. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Happy birthday. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for Jesus. Amen. Oh, he's so good to us. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You've got a lot of work ahead of you. Amen. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That passage is a good one for proof that Jesus is the only way. The only way. Yeah, most people don't... I have not seen that particular passage as that proof. Unbelievable. Wonderful. It is. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ooh, let me see that. That's nifty. That's really pretty. Wow. Very nice. It's worth it. I already blessed your wife, so you're kind of in with her already. You got a handful though, so the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. What'd you do to your nose? Uh, it got itchy. Oh boy. Well, are you okay? Everything's okay? Good. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You're not feeding the fish on your dock anyway? No, I just feed them all down at the mall. Because I was feeding them there and then they fly over my truck and down to the mall. I'm double feeding them. Yeah, so I just stopped. Just one place only. The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, no, no, we got more under here the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Yes, we do I got right more right down here The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ I Nice nice Listen I finished Luke a day ago, and I finishing John today, so I've been through the crucifixion twice in a couple days Yeah, but that Esther. I really like that book very nice The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ Thank you I think so The body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ happy resurrection day to you Oh That's gonna be a lot of work man. I'm telling you. I hope we were out of here by then I think you want to start just a thought of it is overwhelming all that the body in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ I Oh, these ones are cold! Nice! Nice! Wow. I'm all refreshed inside now. Oh, wow. Take a handful of that. Oh yeah. I will. I do that in the car on the way home. And then what I do is I always shake out my bag. Hang on. There it is. I always shake out my bag at the stoplight. I don't want people to think I'm polluting, so I take and I shake out my beard as well. But I've been using the same bag for like 50 years now. I'm still healthy, so... No, I never put it through the wash, but what I do is I turn it inside out so it gets like refreshed Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm using this bag for years man. I think I've replaced it once since we opened the church here, so I'm kind of This one is fine. It's just fine No holes it gets it gets my lunch into my stomach so I can get to work and do my thing Okay, let's see here I think I've said it twice. I'll say it one more time. Oh, wait a minute. I missed one thing. I missed two things. The first one is that yesterday was Susan's birthday. I forgot to mention that. And then today is, I've already said it twice, but today is Kenneth's birthday. Hamilton! This is my brain not working. Hamilton's birthday. Okay, so we got Two birthday people within a day of each other, and I forgot to mention, I don't know if I can mention a name, but somebody's son here is having some trouble with a drug addiction. And so I don't want to say any more than that, but please keep somebody in prayer about that particular issue. Anyway, we've got those to consider, and then I would hope that everybody here would, if you do not yet, I would hope that you would start reading your Bible every day. And read it every day in the morning, read it at night, and think about it during the day until you've read it through. And then as soon as you get to Revelation 22, verse 21, I want you to turn it back to Genesis 1-1 and start again. Never stop reading this Word. It is God's manual of humanity, of His love for us, of His process of redemption, of everything. Read your Bible, so that in case you find yourself in a town and you want to go to church, you'll know whether you should stay in that church or get up and walk out. Okay? This is important. We all will stand before the Lord and we will all be judged according to what we have done since we were saved. Not for condemnation or salvation, but for rewards and losses. and so the Lord wants you to stand there approved. Please read your Bible, remember the glory of Jesus Christ throughout the year, and everybody have a blessed Resurrection Day. Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.