Worthy - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Worthy

Revelation 4 and 5

Intro: Today’s message has a two-fold purpose:

            1. To Magnify the Son of God

            2. To Motivate the Child of God

            1. To draw attention to the goodness and glory of God

            2. To deliver admonition to the people of God

            1. To Elevate Jesus Christ because He’s worth it!

            2. To Educate the Christian because we need it!

The word “worthy” is mentioned in the Bible in some way nearly seventy times.

They are not all the same Greek and Hebrew words.

We will see that in the message.

I want to start out by looking at the text and examine this word WORTHY.

Worthy - as it relates to…

I. The Preeminence of the Savior

WORTHY: Greek: ἄξιος axios ax’-ee-os weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much

I want us to exalt and magnify the Lord this morning. He is worthy!!

·       Psalms 18:3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

He is Worthy because of

A. His Place

Revelation 4

·       2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

·       3 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 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.

We see again in verses 9, 10 that He is Worthy because of His PLACE: He is sitting on the throne!

NOTE: If He’s Worthy to sit on the throne of Heaven, He’s worthy to sit on the throne of your life!

B. His Power

See Revelation 4:5-11

·       11 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.

I just preached two messages about the Power of God, but I couldn’t bypass this important point.

He’s worthy because of His power! SEE verse 11.

For thou has created all things!

That’s what Paul said in Colossians 1.

Paul pointed out that He deserved preeminence because of His power.

·       15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

·       16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

·       17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

·       18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

C. His Prevailing – vs. 5 “…the Root of David hath prevailed to open the book…”

See Revelation 5:1-5

He conquered death, hell and the grave!

·       Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

D. His Payment

See Revelation 5:6-14

In verse 5, we see Jesus as the Lion. In verse 6, He is the Lamb.

Over and over, Jesus was called “the Lamb.” vs. 6, 8, 12, 13

There are multiple references were made about Him being slain. – vs. 6, 9, 12

Jesus is PREEMINENT because of His payment for our sin.

He is the ONLY One that could!!

John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world!”

Peter said in Acts 4:

·       10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

·       11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

·       12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Paul acknowledged to the church at Phillipi in Philippians 2 the superiority of the name of Jesus:

·       9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

·       10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

·       11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As we continue to study out this word WORTHY, we find out something interesting.

There is another whole study of the word that relates directly with each and every one of us.

Worthy - as it relates to…

II. The Practices of the Saints

·       Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

·       Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

·       1 Thessalonians 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

WORTHY: suitably, worthily, in a manner worthy of

There is no question that Jesus Christ is Worthy.

But if we are to be called “Christians”, then we are commanded to walk worthy.

James asked it like this:

·       James 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

Does it not stand to reason, that if the world blasphemes the worthy name by which we are called, that they will blaspheme us if we walk worthy?

The word WORTHY is used in relation to the child of God in several different aspects.

Let’s look first at how Jesus Christ Himself used the word to describe His followers:

A. An Indictment of the Heart of the Saints

Matthew 10

·       37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

·       38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

B. An Indication of the Humility of the Saints

·       Genesis 32:10 (Jacob speaking) I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. – note the lack of a sense of entitlement

·       Matthew 3:11 (John the Baptist speaking) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

·       Luke 7:6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

C. An Implication of the Honor of the Saints

                        1. Our Suffering

·       Acts 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

·       Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

                        2. Our Sanctification

·       Revelation 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

                        3. Our Service

·       2 Thessalonians 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

·       1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

·       1 Timothy 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

There is NO question that the Lord Jesus Christ is worthy.

As our text says in Revelation 5:

·       12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

·       13 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, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

·       14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Everything we do, how we live, the decisions we make – all should be a direct reflection of the simple fact that He is Worthy!

Are you walking worthy of the Lamb that is worthy?

Conclusion: If you are here today, and you’ve not been walking worthy, you need to confess it and repent.

Come back to Jesus. He will receive you with open arms.

The prodigal son acknowledged his unworthiness and repented.

·       Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

If you’ve never been saved, you can be made worthy through the blood of Jesus Christ!

And the message of the Gospel is worthy of all acceptation!

1 Timothy 1

·       14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

·       15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.