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Eugene Prewitt

Christ is Worthy: Be Reverent

Our Father in heaven, I ask as we study your holy Bible today, that by your Spirit you would help us to understand what is true.

And I ask for this gift in the name of Jesus.

Yesterday I gave you a handout called something like Beholding Christ in the Revelation.

And the very first line on that handout quoted Revelation 1.1 where it said, Jesus receives from God to give to us.

Today I'm going to expand on that thought significantly in Revelation and elsewhere.

And there is a warning that ought to be given in relation to this lecture.

That is, during this lecture, to talk about this topic, I will often mention the name of Jesus.

I will make a number of references to Calvary.

Whenever we refer to Jesus or to the story of his crucifixion, we have an opportunity to honor him by the reverence we show for his name, or we have an occasion where we may violate the third commandment.

The third commandment says that the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.

Or if I could say this thought in another way, if we speak often about Jesus and about Calvary, either we will be speaking consistently with reverence appropriate to his position, or we will be treasuring up a weight of guilt to meet in the judgment for Taking his name lightly on our lips.

To get away from that kind of guilt The Jews and many of us like them have chosen to speak little about or to very rarely say the name, in their case, Jehovah.

For us, we could get out of it, the danger of taking his name lightly by very rarely speaking about Jesus or about Calvary.

But if we did, we would treasure up guilt of another type.

For The passages we're going to examine indicate that we owe him honor for the sacrifice that he has made for us.

And we cannot discharge our duty to give Him that honor without speaking of it.

So if I could say this whole thought simply, if we do not speak about Jesus and about Calvary, we are guilty of robbing him of honor that is due him.

If we do speak about it lightly, we are guilty of violating the third commandment.

And it is the 1 commandment that specifically mentions as if we would not think it so, that God will not hold him guiltless who taketh his name in vain.

Then the only right thing we can do is to speak of Jesus in Calvary often with proper respect.

Yesterday we mentioned that when God gives us, gives Jesus a gift, Jesus deserves all the gifts that God can give him.

How does the Father give gifts to those that do not deserve them?

He gives them to Jesus who does deserve them.

And Jesus, by mercy, that was purchased by his blood, gives those gifts to us.

Understanding this makes our prayer habits more sensible.

When we pray for something in Christ's name, we ought to mean in our minds that we're praying understanding that we don't deserve any gift, but Jesus deserves the gift.

And when the Father answers the prayer, he gives the gift as if he's giving it to Jesus.

Do you see that when we pray in the name of Jesus that we have the very same opportunity to honor God or the same situation where we could violate the third commandment and raise guilt to ourselves, if we prayed in His name lightly without understanding.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 4.

Revelation chapter 4 and we're looking at verse 11.

I perceive you're writing quickly, so you're not turning.

It says, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for You have created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.

The verse mentions what we've already said, that Jesus is worthy of glory, he's worthy of honor, he's worthy of the power that can be given to him.

On what basis does Revelation teach that Jesus is worthy of gifts and honor and power and glory?

It is because Jesus is creator that he is worthy.

The worthiness of Jesus is connected to his position as creator.

The merit in the gift of Jesus is related to his position as creator.

Let me say this thought simply, it's a profound thought.

Why would a sacrifice of an angel's blood not satisfy for redemption?

Probably on the same page or the next 1, look at Revelation chapter 5 and verse 4.

It says, And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy, speaking to Jesus, to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.

In Revelation chapter 5, Jesus again is mentioned as worthy.

Here's the book that is designed to reveal or written to reveal Jesus.

And near the beginning of it, it reveals Jesus as the 1 that is worthy.

Exactly, because of the sacrifice that put him into the position as a redeemer.

Is there a connection between being a creator and a redeemer?

To redeem means to become the owner again.

Why was Jesus the owner of us the first time?

Why is he the owner of us the second time?

What is it in general that makes Jesus worthy?

It is His ownership of us that makes Him worthy.

Saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

If you need power, if you need wisdom, if you need riches, if you need strength, if you need blessing, those very gifts are owed to Jesus.

The Father will give them to him because he because you are His.

Turn with me to your Bibles to Revelation 1.

Revelation 1, and we're looking at verses 5 and 6.

It says, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.

Verse 6, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

Verse 5 and 6 are the end of a very long sentence that begins in verse 4.

If you look in the middle of chapter 5, you'll see a capital U on unto.

The question is what is unto him that loved us?

The answer is in the end of verse 6, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

In verse 5 and 6 there is a connection between his right to dominion and the fact that he has loved us and washed us in his own blood.

In other words, the thought is like this, unto who is dominion?

Unto him that loved us and washed us in his own blood.

If there is a reason that Jesus has a right to rule in my life.

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Christ is Worthy: Be Reverent

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