Sun Kwak, “God Calls Us”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpwEBqQae8M

TEXT: Revelation 5:1-14

[1] Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. [2] And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” [3] And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, [4] and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. [5] And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

[6] And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. [7] And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. [8] And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9] And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

[10] and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

[11] 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, [12] 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!”

[13] 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!”

[14] And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

SERMON: “God Calls Us”

I was listening to this interview with Winfield Bevins, and he was unpacking the triad of truth, goodness, and beauty. And how all of these are interweaved and connected. And so often, Christians dismiss beauty as optional when it comes to our Christian experience. But that without beauty and artistry and images, we’re missing an integral part of connecting the head to the heart. And as we come toward our Lenten sermon series that we’re titled Preparing for Sunday, we want to look at the intentionality of our liturgy — of how on Sundays, we’re connecting this triad of truth, goodness, and beauty. Tom Wright says about Lent — Lent is a time for discipline, for confession, for honesty, not because God is mean or fault-finding or finger-pointing but because he wants us to know the joy of being cleaned out, ready for all the good things he now has in store. And as Jesus was resolutely committing himself toward Jerusalem, he knew what was facing him. But his disciples didn’t — and often, we don’t. But every Sunday, we engage in the intentionality of gathering together to be formed by that triad of truth, goodness, and beauty, because of what we know has happened. And so, for these next five Sundays leading to Easter Sunday, we’re going to look into each part of our worship’s liturgy — in its intentionality and focus upon that triad of God’s truth, goodness, and beauty, as we theoretically and literally learn to prepare for Sunday.

And so, we’re beginning our series by landing at the very end of the Bible, with the book of Revelation. And some of you might be asking why. But you might know that this chapter contains some of the words we say together at the beginning of our worship service every Sunday in our invocation, in verse 13 — “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And while there’s a whole lot that looks like judgment and wrath here in this book, at the heart of it is grace and the response of God’s people when we encounter grace — which is worship. Dallas Willard once said that saints burn through grace like jets burn through fuel. It’s our very lifeblood, and it’s what makes worship an awe-inspiring experience. What Nick Wolterstorff says about the meeting place of worship — that God comes to us by his grace and lifts us up in faith. And in that sweet convergence, what the Celts called the thin space where we get this on earth as it is in heaven form of worship — what we were created for and what we’re called into. Not to show us what we ought to do but rather to show us what has been done. For our God calls us to worship — to reorient, to recalibrate, to shape, and to form. Through every epoch, until the Lord Jesus comes, the shape of our lives is worship.

New Testament scholar Darrell Johnson says, there is no other book in the entire Bible that pronounces the gospel in such a sharp and provocative way where its language awakens our senses to gospel realities. That’s Revelation — evoking an emotional response, awakening us to what Dietrich Bonhoeffer refers to as a wide awake wonder. I once heard an artist say that the purpose of art is not to reproduce reality. But rather, it’s the artist’s job to reproduce the same intensity of what’s being portrayed. Which I think is the purpose of an impressionist painting — not to mimic a photograph but to leave an impression on you. And as we see the arrangement and the artistry of the author John and of course, infinitely more so, of the author of life Jesus. As we observe with care and precision, it leaves an impressionon us. As Eugene Peterson writes, it doesn’t provide any new information that the other sixty-five books don’t already tell us. But it leaves an impression on us, inviting us into a place of our engaging our senses into a renewed imagination. Into this transformative experience of worship, where we get a small taste of on earth as it is in heaven.

I’ve heard preachers say it’s a pet peeve of theirs regarding this — that the title of this book is Revelation and not Revelations. But this is not preachers being obnoxious. But rather, it’s vital information, because it’s how the book is introduced and opened up to us — the revelation of Jesus Christ. It’s singular, because there is a singular and unchanging focus. And the word in the Greek is apocalypse, which we associate with some understanding of the end times. But the first century folks heard this as an unveiling. It was used to describe the pulling back of the curtain in the theater to reveal what was behind the curtain. And it’s as the curtain is pulled back that we’re brought into this dramaacted out for us, that we’re invited into, called into. Because there are two acts in our passage today — there’s the drama, and then there’s the orchestral response. As my professor in seminary Dennis Johnson would implore, the whole purpose of the book of Revelation is not to provoke fear but rather awe. And awe is best evoked not through reading or hearing or even seeing. But it’s through experiencing. Much like what some have said about The Grand Canyon or Joshua Tree or Sedona. It’s one thing to see it in pictures or describe it in textbooks. And it’s a whole different thing to experience it in person. And so, John is put in this experience. And the purpose is to bring about an awe. And at the very center of this letter is a lamb — the lamb of God. And it’s with this at the very center that God calls upon his people into his presence and with the posture of worship. To create as a response our singing as those who don’t initiate but have been called into worship by our God.

And so, we’ve spent a good portion of time setting the table. And now, we get to the text, as we spread the meal. And as the scene has been set with those arranged around the throne, the camera zooms in on the impending actions, the drama, if you will. And so, John here is brought in to take a peek, to take a look. And when we read in 1 Peter 1:12, this drama is apparently something that the angels have been longingly looking into, as they’ve seen history unfold. It’s this drama that they just can’t get enough of. It’s like our favorite movies that we watch over and over again — not because we don’t know the ending of the story. But something about the way the characters play their parts makes what the narrator wants to convey so believable. And here, when the curtain is unveiled, and we get the central character of the whole Bible, something about who he is, what he’s done, and what he’s said is so compelling. That one look at him, and you’re convicted of everything that the Story of God is trying to tell us — that God has made a way in Christ to bring sinners to be forgiven and restored. That indeed, your sins, though many, don’t get the last and louder word. There’s a word and voice that’s deeper, stronger, and more binding. And it comes through the slit throat of this central protagonist we find here in Revelation 5.

When preaching on this passage himself, Sinclair Ferguson titled his sermon The Lion, the Lamb, and the Open Door. And if you didn’t get that reference, it’s a play off of C. S. Lewis’ classic Narnia novel — The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Because Ferguson sees what we see — a drama unfolding. And what is the scene here? There’s the one seated on the throne. But then, the conflict comes with this unopened scroll. And the buildup of this is the description of this scroll. We’re told here that this scroll is written front and back. And some have postulated that this depicts the comprehensive nature of the contents that are consisted on this scroll. That this is the full recording of human history. But what’s the trepidation with opening up the details of a new event? There might be anticipation, but it’s a bit strange to say that one isn’t worthy to open this up or read it. But John makes this observation, because scrolls, as John’s audience was accustomed to seeing them, were only written on one side. There was a very specific and special kind of scroll that would be written front and back. And it had to do with Greek contractual agreements, often what’s called a will and testament.

And to further nail this in, Emperor Vespasian was said to have a last will and testament that was sealed with seven seals, because this marked the seriousness of the contents inside. There were copies of this letter, but only when the original was opened was the will made effective. Because the seal of the scroll could only be broken on the authority of the sender and the king. And so, when John is looking at this scroll sealed up seven times, this looks to him like a contract, a covenant. And here, when John is weeping two times over, he’s perplexed by the scenario. He sees all of these around the throne and even on the throne. But none he deems worthy to open the scroll. But then, what does one of the elders say? And I take this as the witness of the church. What does he say? In verse 5 — Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. Here, John is directed to one who is able, who has authority to open up the scroll, this will and testament. And what’s in this last will and testament? We read in Hebrews 9:16-17 — For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. This scroll that is sealed up with seven seals is an inheritance regarding a covenantbetween God and his people. But if it remained closed, then the promises of God don’t come to reality. The author himself was only has the authority to open its seals through none other than his own death.

And so, as we just unpacked, the drama has it where John is looking around, looking for the one who is worthy to open the scroll. And who is he lead to? We read in verses 6-8 that there is this Lamb standing, as though it had been slain. And he walks over to the Father seated on the throne. And with authority, he grabs the scroll in order to open it up. And the exclamation of those who view this ordeal is a new song — Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God. Here is Jesus who looks upon the panic of John. And essentially shows him his wounds. Remember these? These were for you, and so that I could open these scrolls. Because I died, in order to make effective this last will and testament. And there might be some of us in here who are just wondering. Is there anyone worthy to reverse the spell of evil and death? And we’re looking around — at thrones, at ideals, at the latest thinkers. And to awaken our imaginations, we’re given this jaw-dropping plot twist. That the final day, at the last judgment, what will qualify you is not whether you’ve been good or bad, not whether how well you’ve attended church, not how well you’ve brought up your family. What will qualify you is whether or not this Lamb claims you as his, and you claim him as yours. Telling him and falling down in worship — Worthy are you, because you were slain.

And for some of us who look at that scroll, this contractual agreement, and are wondering — I wonder if THAT sin is there, or if he remembered THAT hidden secret. For one, it is — just to comfort you. But what gets us from anxious thoughts to confident worship is when we see who with full authority grabs this scroll. Because the way that John describes him is not as a Lamb slain but rather standing. And this is a paradox. Dead lambs don’t stand. And for John’svision and for our reading, this Lamb was slain. And it would have had its throat slit. Because that’s the way that lambs were sacrificed in the Old Testament — by first slitting the throat in order to drain the blood, the life of the lamb. Just one time in my life, I saw a man with a scar from here to here. I don’t know how it occurred, I have no relations to him. I just saw him at the market as a child. You see all kinds of things growing up in the city. But that image never left me, because I don’t remember any other details besides that gruesome wound and scar. And when John saw this bloodied lamb, I’d presume that it was an image that never left him either. He was intended to see, to remember one thing. As you and I are to — He died instead of me. And he bears his wounds to remind us, to show us. This last will and testament is opened for you. I don’t usually beg or plead from the pulpit. God’s Word is strong enough, his gospel is compelling enough. But please, I plead with you — Please don’t disregard this image. The Lamb was slain to die for our sins. And all we need to do is to behold, to look, to trust in him.

And so, in response to this drama, we have the orchestral arrangement of the singing of songs. And when you take a step back in observing chapters 4-5 as a whole, there are five songs in total. With the first song, there are four living creatures singing. Then in the second song, the twenty-four elders are singing, which is the church universal. Then in the third song, these four living creatures and twenty-four elders come together in song. Then in the fourth song, there is the epic buildup — the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels, number myriads and myriads and thousands and thousands. Then, in the fifth and final song, we have every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth in the sea. All of creation joins together to sing. There is this buildup of intensity as more and more people join in. And what we’re singing. And I’m going to use we, because I think we’re in this vision. What we’re singing together is what’s described in verse 9 to be a new song. And this phrase is used throughout the Bible to describe a song in response to a great drama, some great act of redemption.

Andrei Tarkovsky, acclaimed film director, once responded in an interview regarding the power of a narrative. And he said, “A poet is someone who can use a single image to send a universal message.” And the single image of the Lamb of God is one that has strung together all of God’s people — in our singing, in our gazing, and in our trusting. And this phrase for new song is used in both Exodus 15 and Revelation 15. And these are the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb — and these two are used interchangeably. Because this is the response to the defeat of a great enemy, as God’s people sing our freedom song. And we sing worthy is the lamb, for as the Israelites saw their Egyptian captors buried under the waters and rendered powerless, we hear the pronouncement of paid in full from the cross of the lamb, announcing that these chains of sin and death have been forever shattered, no longer able to be reapplied. And the beauty of this new song is not just that it is sung together. But even with this growing orchestra, what John observes is that it’s sung with one voice in verse 11.

We’re not just singing the same song due to the same drama of redemption we’re responding to. But singing in perfect unity because of the one who conducts our voices to match his orchestral harmony. And though we sing with cracked voices and pitchy imperfections. Jesus says that out of our hearts comes sin and malice. But we bring these offerings of worship, as we gaze together at The Story of God, at The Story of the Lamb. And as he instructs and guides us, we in our diversity get to sing together. For Jesus became flesh to meet us in our broken and fractured mess. Because redemption is not clean, it’s messy. It’s bloody messy. Like a lamb with its throat slit kind of bloody messy. But in this new song, God doesn’t demand our perfection, he demands his Son’s. In God’s song, we bring not our performance but our need. In God’s song, Jesus takes cracking voices and broken chords to create a sweet harmony, because his new song is about redeeming cracked and broken people. Redeeming splintered people and taking us to the story of the splinters of a tree where nails not only cracked the wood but the one wearing on his bloodied brow a crown of thorns. Giving us a new story, a new narrative, a new melody. And we come to rehearse that song every Sunday we’re together. To the king risen in glory and interceding on our behalf — he unites us in our singing. This is the curtain call. To him who is forever and ever, we proclaim: “Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered.” He is worthy to open the scroll, and he is worthy of all of our adoration and affections, as the center of the center in this grand Story of God.

And so, as we bring our time to a close, as we learn to prepare for Sunday, we’ll find that each movement of our liturgycalls upon us to take a look at not our movements but God’s — to look at how God has pursued us, his people. And as we are recalibrated and reoriented by the Story of the Gospel, we sing in response — in response to the protagonist of the greatest story ever written and told. The story he emerged into that we lean into each week. From all our traveled avenues, we come to this place of worship to meet our king who alone is worthy to open the scroll. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.