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Good afternoon. Um, we've been looking at the book of Revelation for the past uh week or so. And today we're looking at uh Revelation chapter 4, verse 1 through 11. Now, this chapter is all about the throne in heaven. After the seven letters to the churches, the scene shifts from earth to heaven. The door is opened, and a trumpet-like voice invites John, come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. But before John sees what will unfold in history, he is first shown what is always true. There is a throne in heaven, and someone sits on it. This vision is the interpretive center of the book of Revelation. In other words, we need to understand chapters one through three. One is about Christ, uh, who the Christ is, two and three, how the churches, churches are to reflect uh the Christ, and then four, uh the throne. And this helps us to really understand what the book of Revelation is all about and how we are to understand this. Now, um the throne, uh mentioned um over forty times in this book, uh, anchors everything. It is not a future possibility, it is a present and unshakable reality. As GK Beale notes, the throne is the most all encompassing and enduring symbol of this book, emphasizing the sovereign rule of God over all creation. The one on the throne is indescribably glorious. His appearance is like Jasper and Canelian shining in refracted majesty. A rainbow, a reminiscent of the covenant with Noah, surrounds the throne, symbolizing mercy in the midst of majesty. Symbolically, there are twenty-four elders surrounding Christ the King, seated on thrones, clothed in white, and wearing golden crowns, likely representing the fullness of God's redeemed people, twelve tribes plus the twelve apostles would make twenty-four. So thunder and lightning proceed from the throne, verse five, echoing the glory and fear of Mount Sinai, before it burns seven torches, symbolizing the fullness of the spirit, and a sea of glass like crystal, representing God's transcendence and purity in verse 6. These are all symbolism, pointing to a greater reality. So we shouldn't be stuck in the symbolism as if it is the final destination. So with that in mind, let's take a look. Four living creatures surround the throne, full of eyes and wings, resembling Ezekiel's and Isaiah's heavenly beings. And what they do is they worship without ceasing. Verse 8. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. In response, the elders fall down, casting their crowns before the throne and proclaiming, Worthy are you, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. This chapter sets the tone for everything that follows before the judgments come, before the Lamb is revealed, we must first see the throne. Worship is not the end of revelation, it is the beginning, its frame, and its center. Now, with that summary in mind, let's ask our usual uh questions. Who is God? What is our guilt? And how does the grace shine in this passage? First of all, who is God? Now God is enthroned above all. He is not panicked by evil or reacting to the evil in history. He reigns. He is glorious in holiness, sovereign in power, and surrounded by ceaseless worship. His authority is not granted by someone or something. It is in him, it is eternal. His will is not thwarted by actions of the evil or darkness. His will is the reason all things exist. Arsis Prol once said, if there is one single molecule in this universe running around loose, totally free of God's sovereignty, then we have no guarantee of anything. Referring to God's sovereignty. Revelation 4 says there is not one such molecule. The throne is occupied in everything to the minute molecular level, everything is subject to the will of God. God is not only almighty, but he's also merciful. The rainbow surrounding the throne reminds us that the one who reigns is also the one who made a covenant with us, with his people. Then reflecting on the passage, what is our guilt? What should we overcome? Well, we live as though the throne is vacant. We panic, we scheme, we come up with our own uh schemes, we chase control, we idolize politics, money, or influence as if God were not already ruling. We forget that the center of the universe is not the uh White House or the economy or even the church, local church. The center of the universe is the throne of God. John MacArthur Jr. writes uh the absence of reverent worship in our lives reveals the presence of functional atheism. Functional atheism, that is, even though we are Christians, we functionally act act as if God doesn't exist. We may profess faith but live like practical deists, uh acknowledging God, but not really subjecting uh ourselves to the lordship of God. So deists are the people who believe in God's existence but denying God's rule. So often we do that. We wear our crowns too proudly. Worship is not an accessory to faith, it is the natural response of those who see uh rightly, yet we often replace all with apathy and adoration with earthly distractions. A third question how does uh the grace of God shine in this passage? The grace in Revelation 4 is not in what God gives, but in who God is and what He reveals. John is invited into the throne room, not to be judged, but to witness worship. He sees that the one seated on the throne is not distant but welcoming. Holiness is terrifying, but grace is magnetic. The elders cast down their crowns, not in fear, but in glad surrender. Worship is their joy. Um as Tim Keller puts it, um you don't really understand grace until your heart wants to sing. And that's what heaven is doing, casting crowns and rejoicing and singing. So even the structure of the cosmos is built around this truth. God is worthy of all worship. God created all things, and he holds all things together. And in Revelation 5, which we will look at later, we will see the Lamb who was slain stands at the very center of that throne. Now let's end with a word of prayer. The sovereign and holy God, you sit enthroned above all things. No power on earth can rival you. The future event will surprise you. You are holy, indeed, worthy to receive all glory, honor, and power. Forgive us, O Lord, for forgetting that you reign. Forgive us for living as if the throne were empty. Help us to lift our eyes to your majesty, O Lord. Teach us to worship with reverence, with joy. We cast down every crown, every success, every idol, every fear. You are low and worthy of worship. You created all things and you will exist. You are our beginning, our sinner, and our in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.