Sovereign Throne
Revelation 4:9-11,
Revelation 5:11-14,
I think we'd all agree that there are books in our Bible that are more attractive or more appealing than other books. And even preachers and pastors find themselves gravitating to certain books in the Bible. The book of Romans, for example, will always be a great magnet, I think, for many a preacher. But there's another great book that I do think people in general and pastors in particular gravitate towards, and that's the book of Revelation, and for good reasons. There's some bad reasons, but some good reasons. Two good reasons: Revelation has a dominant Christ focus, it also has a dominant church focus; a dominant Christ focus and a dominant church focus.
And it also has a dominant suffering motif and a dominant victory motif. Suffering and victory. One big reason why John wrote Revelation was to help churches to persevere in the midst of trials and difficulties. The word overcome, I'm sure you've seen it when you read through Revelation, it's used 17 times and almost every time there is a promise given to those who overcome. But the biggest way God encourages the Christian to persevere and overcome the world, the devil, and sin is by getting our hearts or our minds focused upon God's throne. That word throne is used 50 times, 50 times in the book of Revelation. In the book of Revelation, we see the Lord God and the Lamb of God on the throne. It's actually called the throne of God or the throne of the Lamb. Just like the Word of God is called the Word of God or the Word of Christ.
And the concept of throne tells us that He is the King of kings, He's the Lord of lords, He's in control. Like when Jesus was on earth, there wasn't any question I don't think among His disciples, who controlled the demons. Who controlled the destruction in terms of the hurricane or who controlled disease and death? They were always convinced, I'm sure, that it was Jesus. And the same Jesus is sitting upon a throne, exercising his omnipotent power and authority. Everything is under His control, everything. And that's why we love that word or that verse, Romans 8:28, that He controls everything, “All things work out for our good.” That means nothing, nothing in your life or in the world at large has not been purposed and decreed by God. Someone has described divine sovereignty as the pillow to rest from anxiety and fear.
And what helps us, not only that God is sovereign, but we also know from our Bibles He is perfectly wise. That means He never makes mistakes. And this is also comforting, brethren, when we think that the sovereign God is the God who is love. The book of Revelation starts off with that very note, Revelation 1:5, “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of kings on earth, to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.” And that's why we can be so sure that we will overcome, not because of our strength, but because of the power of the cross, the grace of God, the blood of the Lamb. You have Revelation 12, “We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb.” Jesus won and so shall we. That's a great comfort when you get up in the morning, when you have to face life in particular and also the world at large, that we worship a sovereign King.
“And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast crowns before the throne and say, ‘Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power because you have created all things and by your will they exist and were created.’”
Revelation 5:11-14,
“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, 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!’ 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!’ And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
I think we'd all agree that there are books in our Bible that are more attractive or more appealing than other books. And even preachers and pastors find themselves gravitating to certain books in the Bible. The book of Romans, for example, will always be a great magnet, I think, for many a preacher. But there's another great book that I do think people in general and pastors in particular gravitate towards, and that's the book of Revelation, and for good reasons. There's some bad reasons, but some good reasons. Two good reasons: Revelation has a dominant Christ focus, it also has a dominant church focus; a dominant Christ focus and a dominant church focus.
And it also has a dominant suffering motif and a dominant victory motif. Suffering and victory. One big reason why John wrote Revelation was to help churches to persevere in the midst of trials and difficulties. The word overcome, I'm sure you've seen it when you read through Revelation, it's used 17 times and almost every time there is a promise given to those who overcome. But the biggest way God encourages the Christian to persevere and overcome the world, the devil, and sin is by getting our hearts or our minds focused upon God's throne. That word throne is used 50 times, 50 times in the book of Revelation. In the book of Revelation, we see the Lord God and the Lamb of God on the throne. It's actually called the throne of God or the throne of the Lamb. Just like the Word of God is called the Word of God or the Word of Christ.
And the concept of throne tells us that He is the King of kings, He's the Lord of lords, He's in control. Like when Jesus was on earth, there wasn't any question I don't think among His disciples, who controlled the demons. Who controlled the destruction in terms of the hurricane or who controlled disease and death? They were always convinced, I'm sure, that it was Jesus. And the same Jesus is sitting upon a throne, exercising his omnipotent power and authority. Everything is under His control, everything. And that's why we love that word or that verse, Romans 8:28, that He controls everything, “All things work out for our good.” That means nothing, nothing in your life or in the world at large has not been purposed and decreed by God. Someone has described divine sovereignty as the pillow to rest from anxiety and fear.
And what helps us, not only that God is sovereign, but we also know from our Bibles He is perfectly wise. That means He never makes mistakes. And this is also comforting, brethren, when we think that the sovereign God is the God who is love. The book of Revelation starts off with that very note, Revelation 1:5, “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of kings on earth, to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood.” And that's why we can be so sure that we will overcome, not because of our strength, but because of the power of the cross, the grace of God, the blood of the Lamb. You have Revelation 12, “We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb.” Jesus won and so shall we. That's a great comfort when you get up in the morning, when you have to face life in particular and also the world at large, that we worship a sovereign King.
Posted in Pastor Devotional