John writes to first century Christians who being persecuted and killed.

 

Remember the old children’s song: He’s got the whole world in his hands?  Does God still control the world today?

 

A recent ad in a personal column of a large newspaper: “Yesterday in this space I predicted that the world would come to an end. It did not, however. I regret any inconvenience this may have caused.”

 

We live in a culture obsessed with knowing the future. Many Americans will try anything to get a glimpse of what life has in store for them: psychics, horoscopes, Mediums-dead, financial advisors 
 

We all struggle with the unknown future: what’s out there for me? where will I go? what should I do?

 

When you’re a child, your future concerns are simple: who will I play with and what will I get for my birthday. In high school and college, you future concerns deal with career and calling issues, with marriage and family concerns. If you’re married, your future concerns focus on your job and your family and your marriage. A recent study asked older Americans what were top concerns for the future: No. 1 retirement. No. 2. health. No. 3. money. No. 4. boredom- do I still have a purpose, a reason for living?

 

The financial situation on Wall Street and Washington’s attempt to fix it has left many of us afraid.

 

More and more Americans are looking to the future without a reference to God and faith.

 

Revelation reminds us that God is still active, working, speaking to all who will listen.  

 

As God reminds us in the Psalms: “Be still and know that I am God.”

 

As we think about our lives and our future, we all want to know: Who is in control?

 

The Challenge PROCLAIMED: Rev. 5: 1-5: Who is worthy to open the scroll? John weeps.

 v. 1: “Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.” 
Such a sealed book legal document was well known in the 1st century. 

The scroll belongs to God- it rests on his lap.   The scroll of destiny, the future is in God’s hands.

What is written on the scroll? From what follows, the scroll contains God’s plan for the future.   

 

A challenge is given by a mighty angel in a loud voice in vv. 2-3: “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.” Who is worthy to come forward and set in motion God’s plans for the future. An unopened scroll meant the plan of God could not be fulfilled. John weeps as he contemplates an uncertain future with no one in charge.

 

The Challenge is ACCEPTED: Rev. 5: 5-7: Jesus is worthy to open the scroll.

“Then one of the 24 elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll & its seven seals.’  
I saw the Lamb, looking as if he had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the 4 living creatures & the 24 elders. 
He had seven horns & seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into the all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.”

 

Only Jesus is worthy to come forward and take the scroll. Jesus is the predicted Messiah.  The powerful Lion from the tribe of Judah. He is the King from the royal line of David. 
He is humble Lamb who was slain for our sins- Passover. 7 horns represent his complete power. 7 eyes represent his complete knowledge; nothing escapes his view. He is a powerful lion that rules yet a humble lamb that submits to death on a cross for our sins. Victory thro sacrifice. Power thro service.

 

The Challenge FULFILLED: Rev. 5: 8-14:  Songs of praise and worship burst forth.

When Jesus takes the scroll we find one of the greatest scenes of praise and adoration ever recorded. Like a pebble thrown in a pond a wave of worship and praise radiates outward ever widening circles. vv. 8-10: The 4 living creatures and the 24 elders bow down and sing a new song:  “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” 

vv. 11-12: Countless angels encircle God’s throne and in a loud voice they sang, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise!”

vv. 13-14: Every creature in heaven and on the earth join together and sing, “To him who sits on throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever.” 

 

When we see Jesus as he is, when we understand his identity and power, we can’t help but praise Him.

 

Revelation 5 gives us a picture of true worship:

 

In worship we come to ask: Who is worthy to run my life? Who holds my future?

 

In worship sometimes we weep because like John we are faced with the startling reality that everything in this world is unworthy to lean on or build or depend on. 
We are faced with the reality that we are unworthy to run our own lives. Worship doesn’t always make us feel good. Some people expect worship to make them feel good and sometimes it does but sometimes it doesn’t. Worship involves deep soul searching and ripping false gods from their thrones and that can be painful. 
As the seven seals are removed, we see God’s judgment on human sin and corruption and the rest of Revelation records the great tribulation that will be found on the earth.

 

In worship we learn to fall in love with God, again. 

 

In worship we learn to turn our eyes upon Jesus, and to look full in his wonderful face…

  

Edgar A. Poe led a tragic and tormented life. He died young in his 40s. Near the end of his life he wrote:   “I stand amid the roar, of a surf tormented shore. I hold within my hand, grains of golden sand.   How few! Yet how they creep, through my fingers to the deep, while I weep, while I weep!    O God! can I not grasp them with a tighter clasp? 
God! can I not save One from the pitiless wave. Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?”   Poe was asking: "What is real? Who is in control?"

 

Poe stood at the ocean a dejected man. He scooped up a handful of sand. He found that the tighter he held it, the more it slipped through his fingers. The sand was his life, his future. He was watching everything slip through his fingers and go out to sea. He saw no hope, only despair. He asked, “Is it all a dream? Is it all just sound and fury. A tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing.”

 

Poe wept because he didn’t have a Savior. He didn’t know he was forgiven or that heaven was his home or that in heaven there was Jesus who died for his sins and
had the power to make him new and guide him because He has the power to unseal the Scroll of his future.

 

John in his vision, stood on the shore of a sea in heaven and wept. Then he saw God on his throne. Then he saw Jesus. He found out that we have a choice in life: 
we can grasp at the SAND or build on the solid ROCK: See Matthew 7.

 

I’ve been watching the news a lot lately with the election events heating up and the financial bailout votes in Congress. By the time I’m ready for bed, my head is spinning with facts, figures and information gleaned from CNN and Fox News. It’s hard to find peace or maintain a positive perspective with all that is going on these days.  
The questions on everyone’s mind right now are: What does the future hold for me and my family? Do I have a secure future? What direction will our new president take our nation? How can we dig our way of this financial mess?

 

Revelation 5 reminds me that no matter how bad things get in America or the world, Jesus is in control. God is still on his throne in heaven. 

 

In Jeremiah 29: 11, the Lord speaks a word of hope through the prophet to Israel and to us: 

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  

 

* Rick Warren suggests some simple rules we should consider in planning for the future:

 

-Let God set your goals: “we may make our plans but God has the last word” Prov. 16. Pray first.

 

-Live one day at a time: we spend time regretting the past or worrying about future and we don’t live for today.

 

-Don’t procrastinate: “one of these days” becomes “none of these days.”  Pray, present your life to God-Romans 12, then “just do it.”