[Originally preached on May 11, 2003]
Revelation 5
The last time that we were in Revelation we looked at what is of first importance. We looked at Jesus, the Lion who is the Lamb. Today, we’re ready to take a look at what’s next in this text. Today, we take a look at the scroll. I need to say, however, that the scroll isn’t going to be the focus of the sermon. We do need to understand what this scroll is about, but we’ll do that on the way to something else that is in the text. And, God willing, we’ll all be challenged in the process.
So, what is this scroll? The answer to that won’t be found in this chapter of Revelation. The answer will be found as you see what happens as the scroll is being opened. And that starts in chapter six. If you’ve read ahead a little you know what happens in that chapter. The scroll is God’s plan for this world that John has been commissioned to proclaim. Now, not opening the scroll, then, is a big deal. Not opening the scroll means that there is no message for John to tell the seven churches. There won’t be a message of hope and encouragement that they need as they deal with life in this fallen world. But more than that, not opening the scroll means that God’s plan won’t be put into action. There will be no message of hope because there will be no reason to hope.
Now, follow the logic of the text. First is the question: ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll? Who is able to put God’s plan into action?’ What follows is the sad news that no one was found to open the scroll. John realizes this and he weeps and weeps. But one of the elders speaks to him. Someone worthy has been found. Enter Jesus the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God. What happens next? There is ecstatic rejoicing and the singing of praise. We hear about the four creatures and the twenty-four elders who sing ‘a new song’. Then, there are the angels who sing their praises. And then we read about all the rest of creation singing its praise. They all respond to Jesus taking the scroll. Now, God’s plan will be executed. Now, there will be hope for the churches.
We’re going to come back to this theme of God’s plan when we get to chapter six. Right now, though, we’re going to look at something else in our chapter. We’re going to look at the response of John and the others here to the situation of the scroll. We’re going to look at what are some very emotional responses. First, we see John’s great sadness in his weeping. This isn’t a matter of tearing up a bit. John was awash in tears reflecting his great distress at what seemed to be happening. But then we see the opposite once Jesus is introduced. We see great rejoicing. The different ones are really giving themselves to their singing and worshipping. We read about the four living creatures shouting their ‘Amens!’ and the twenty-four elders falling down before Jesus in adoration and praise. It’s impossible to read this chapter and not be struck with the emotions that are expressed here.
But this should not surprise us. There is much emotion in the Scriptures. The first place to look for this is in the Psalms. As one example of the elation we find in the Psalms listen to this.
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 34:1-3
Then there is the note of despair that we sometimes find.
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? Psalm 13:1
But this reflects what we see in the rest of the Scriptures. There’s David lamenting the death of his son.
And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" 2 Samuel 18:33
There’s Peter’s response to hearing the rooster crow.
And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:75
But there is also the extravagant rejoicing of the suffering saints that Peter wrote to.
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory… 1 Peter 1:8
As we watch the people of the Bible we see them expressing their emotions. But it’s not just the people of the Bible who are emotional. God expresses Himself emotionally also.
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. Genesis 6:5-6
But it isn’t all sadness.
For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5
There is a lot of emotion in the Bible. And it’s there because there is a lot of emotion in the normal events of life. We rejoice when there is a new baby in the family. We grieve when someone we love has died. We are cheered when our sports team has become the champs and mourn when they end up in the cellar. We are happy when we get a new and better job and are saddened when we get laid off. Emotions run throughout life. It is no wonder that we see them in our text.
Out of all of this let me suggest something. Let me suggest to you a way of understanding emotions. Emotions are the expression of the concerns and the commitments of our hearts. Emotions reflect something of what is going on inside of us. So, after the Steelers and the Browns play, there is one group of fans that is rejoicing and another that is doing something quite the opposite. At the cross, the high priests and those with them were happy. They had rid themselves of a pest. The faithful women who were looking on were crushed. The Roman soldiers couldn’t care less. In each case, the emotions of these people, or the lack of them, were an expression of their concerns and the commitments of their hearts.
So, in our text, we see John crushed at the thought that the scroll might not be opened. This shows us how his heart was tied up in the significance of that scroll. And when we see all the singing and rejoicing a little later in the text this reveals how their hearts were tied up with God’s plan and with Jesus who was to execute that plan. Emotions are the expression of the concerns and the commitments of our hearts.
I went through all of that to get here. Have you ever asked yourself, or had someone else ask you, ‘So, how’s your walk with the Lord?’ How do you decide what answer to give to that question? What do you look to as a gauge? One good way of getting to an answer is to look at your emotions. That may sound odd, but think about it. Remember, our emotions are the expression of our concerns and the commitment of our hearts. If we want to get a feel for what is going on in our hearts, a feel for how our walk with Jesus is doing, doesn’t it make sense to take a look at our emotions, to take a look at how our emotions responding to Jesus? We would all think it odd if a mother didn’t have some emotional response as she was caring for her newborn. She may be doing a good job feeding and bathing the baby and all the rest, but if she does this totally flat and bland, without any emotion, without any signs of affection, we know something is not right. A healthy mother-child relationship includes an emotional aspect. Likewise, a healthy relationship between a Christian and his Lord has an emotional aspect. If it isn’t there, something is not right. It’s been six years since my mother died. I still think about her and wish that I could pick up the phone like I used to and just chat for a while. I miss her because of what she meant to me. Some of you have lost a parent and know what I’m talking about. Is it different when we think of Jesus and what He means to us? Is there no emotional aspect to that relationship? Is it really possible for a Christian to have a faithful walk with Jesus and not have an emotional response to Him? I don’t see how.
The Scriptures assume that our relationship with Him is an emotional one. When David wrote, ‘Oh taste and see that the Lord is good,’ what kind of response was he expecting? What would he have thought if we responded to his invitation with a bland and emotionless, ‘Well, yes, I’ve tried Jesus and I suppose I do agree that He is good’? I can’t help but think that he would look at any such person and think that there was something very wrong there. And that is what I think that we all should conclude. There is something very wrong if a Christian is without some emotional expression in response to Christ and His Gospel. If the Gospel doesn’t stir the heart, there is a real problem.
What are we to do with this? There are those who opt for a superficial healing of the problem. They’ve decided to act as if they are joyful all the time and say ‘Praise the Lord!’ a lot. But that isn’t the solution. That's not dealing with the problem wisely. The lack of emotion is not the core of the problem. It’s just a symptom. If there is to be a cure then we must deal with the real problem. Let’s go back to the statement that I offered. Emotions are the expression of the concerns and the commitments of the heart. A problem on the level of the emotions points to the deeper problem on the level of the heart. And what are the options here? What kinds of problems might there be? I have three suggestions.
First, it may be that the problem with this person is that Jesus isn’t a concern of his heart. It may be that there isn’t any heart commitment here. That certainly would explain the lack of emotional response to Him and to His Gospel. I have no emotional response to who wins the Browns-Steelers games. And the reason is clear. I am not at all concerned with such things. My heart is not in the least committed to that. Likewise, for many who are without any emotional response to Jesus. Their hearts are not concerned with Him. There is no commitment there. And this just reflects the fact that such people aren’t Christians. They haven’t experienced Jesus and the power of His Gospel. They don’t know anything about how He rescues from wrath and sin and death. They have not experienced how He changes His own from the evil people they were into the Godly people that they are becoming. And so, it is no wonder that there is no emotional attachment to Jesus. The solution here is clear. This person needs to be converted. Pasting on a happy face won’t do it. This person needs to meet Christ and be transformed by that encounter.
There is a second option. We may have a Christian whose relationship with Jesus is very stunted. Listen to something Jesus said. ‘But he who is forgiven little, loves little.’ [Luke 7:47] Jesus isn’t talking about how much sin is forgiven this or that person. He’s talking about a person’s awareness of how much sin he has been forgiven. Little love, which includes little emotional response, means that that person has little awareness of what Jesus has done. Before we were married, my dear wife made a beautiful quilt for me. She spent hours and hours doing it. When she gave it to me my response was something on the order of, ‘Oh, that’s nice’. I had no idea what was involved. My lack of awareness showed in my bland response. There are many Christians in the same situation. They really don’t understand what Jesus has done for them. Their relationship is stunted. And their bland response shows it. The solution here is clear also. This person needs to grow his relationship with the Savior who has done so much for him. He needs to deepen his understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done. This person needs to give himself to the Word and to prayer so that he might know Jesus better. There is a danger if this person fails to act. Life is not static. Things don’t just stay the same. Life is dynamic. It’s always moving, always changing. Either something is getting better or it is getting worse. It doesn’t stay the same. The Christian who neglects to develop his relationship with Jesus will find it deteriorating. This person needs to act to save his relationship with Jesus.
There is a third option in understanding a Christian who doesn’t seem to have much of an emotional response to Jesus and the Gospel. It may well be that this person doesn’t understand emotions and how to express them. The emotions are there – he can feel them – but they just don’t come out. This person may well come out of the subculture that assumes that the training of the mind is primary and it gives itself to that goal. The training of the soul, on the other hand, is a secondary matter. Because of the demands of the primary goal of training the mind, this secondary area is neglected. Included in the training of the soul is the whole area of the emotional life. Just as we have to learn how to think, we need to learn how to feel. A lack of training when it comes to thinking doesn’t result in no thinking. It results in disorganized and scattered thinking. The lack of training when it comes to the emotions doesn’t mean that a person has no feelings. Rather, it means that there is an awkwardness in that area. That person either overdoes the expression of emotions and wears his emotions on his sleeve, or does it too little and keeps them tightly wrapped within. I fall into the second category. I think that my children have seen me cry but once and that is when I was told that my mother had died. There may be some times when a tear begins to form, but I quickly push that feeling down and restore control. I think that some of you may be like me. The emotions are there, but you’re afraid to let them out. You’re not quite sure how to do it. What you and I need is to learn how to express the emotions that are there. Now, let me encourage you. Growth into being a whole person in this area as in any area, is a part of the Gospel. And I can testify that there can be progress. As you pursue faithfulness, you’ll see the emotions showing more and more. You’ll be surprised to see how the Spirit applies the Gospel here and frees you up. And bear in mind that the day will dawn when you will be totally freed in this area and you’ll be joining the twenty-four elders and all the others shouting your praise and falling down before the Lamb.
I had two goals for this morning’s sermon. For one thing, I wanted to try to get you to examine the quality of your walk with our Lord by looking at your emotional response to Him. It really is a good gauge of how things are going. So, based on that gauge, how is your walk with Jesus? My other goal is to impress upon you that being a Christian is an emotional thing. Sometimes we stress the intellectual element of being a disciple so much that we forget the emotional. We are out of balance here. So, what am I hoping for? Do I want to see you all jumping out of your seats next Sunday morning? Absolutely not! Rather, I am hoping that you will come to see that being a Christian is a matter of the emotions, too. Being a Christian is being passionate about Jesus. That is the key to Spiritual worship, to true, caring fellowship, to bold evangelism. Without this, we will fail as Christians, we will fail as a church. But if, by God’s grace, we get this right, then we and our children will flourish.
Revelation 5
The last time that we were in Revelation we looked at what is of first importance. We looked at Jesus, the Lion who is the Lamb. Today, we’re ready to take a look at what’s next in this text. Today, we take a look at the scroll. I need to say, however, that the scroll isn’t going to be the focus of the sermon. We do need to understand what this scroll is about, but we’ll do that on the way to something else that is in the text. And, God willing, we’ll all be challenged in the process.
So, what is this scroll? The answer to that won’t be found in this chapter of Revelation. The answer will be found as you see what happens as the scroll is being opened. And that starts in chapter six. If you’ve read ahead a little you know what happens in that chapter. The scroll is God’s plan for this world that John has been commissioned to proclaim. Now, not opening the scroll, then, is a big deal. Not opening the scroll means that there is no message for John to tell the seven churches. There won’t be a message of hope and encouragement that they need as they deal with life in this fallen world. But more than that, not opening the scroll means that God’s plan won’t be put into action. There will be no message of hope because there will be no reason to hope.
Now, follow the logic of the text. First is the question: ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll? Who is able to put God’s plan into action?’ What follows is the sad news that no one was found to open the scroll. John realizes this and he weeps and weeps. But one of the elders speaks to him. Someone worthy has been found. Enter Jesus the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God. What happens next? There is ecstatic rejoicing and the singing of praise. We hear about the four creatures and the twenty-four elders who sing ‘a new song’. Then, there are the angels who sing their praises. And then we read about all the rest of creation singing its praise. They all respond to Jesus taking the scroll. Now, God’s plan will be executed. Now, there will be hope for the churches.
We’re going to come back to this theme of God’s plan when we get to chapter six. Right now, though, we’re going to look at something else in our chapter. We’re going to look at the response of John and the others here to the situation of the scroll. We’re going to look at what are some very emotional responses. First, we see John’s great sadness in his weeping. This isn’t a matter of tearing up a bit. John was awash in tears reflecting his great distress at what seemed to be happening. But then we see the opposite once Jesus is introduced. We see great rejoicing. The different ones are really giving themselves to their singing and worshipping. We read about the four living creatures shouting their ‘Amens!’ and the twenty-four elders falling down before Jesus in adoration and praise. It’s impossible to read this chapter and not be struck with the emotions that are expressed here.
But this should not surprise us. There is much emotion in the Scriptures. The first place to look for this is in the Psalms. As one example of the elation we find in the Psalms listen to this.
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 34:1-3
Then there is the note of despair that we sometimes find.
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? Psalm 13:1
But this reflects what we see in the rest of the Scriptures. There’s David lamenting the death of his son.
And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" 2 Samuel 18:33
There’s Peter’s response to hearing the rooster crow.
And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:75
But there is also the extravagant rejoicing of the suffering saints that Peter wrote to.
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory… 1 Peter 1:8
As we watch the people of the Bible we see them expressing their emotions. But it’s not just the people of the Bible who are emotional. God expresses Himself emotionally also.
The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. Genesis 6:5-6
But it isn’t all sadness.
For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5
There is a lot of emotion in the Bible. And it’s there because there is a lot of emotion in the normal events of life. We rejoice when there is a new baby in the family. We grieve when someone we love has died. We are cheered when our sports team has become the champs and mourn when they end up in the cellar. We are happy when we get a new and better job and are saddened when we get laid off. Emotions run throughout life. It is no wonder that we see them in our text.
Out of all of this let me suggest something. Let me suggest to you a way of understanding emotions. Emotions are the expression of the concerns and the commitments of our hearts. Emotions reflect something of what is going on inside of us. So, after the Steelers and the Browns play, there is one group of fans that is rejoicing and another that is doing something quite the opposite. At the cross, the high priests and those with them were happy. They had rid themselves of a pest. The faithful women who were looking on were crushed. The Roman soldiers couldn’t care less. In each case, the emotions of these people, or the lack of them, were an expression of their concerns and the commitments of their hearts.
So, in our text, we see John crushed at the thought that the scroll might not be opened. This shows us how his heart was tied up in the significance of that scroll. And when we see all the singing and rejoicing a little later in the text this reveals how their hearts were tied up with God’s plan and with Jesus who was to execute that plan. Emotions are the expression of the concerns and the commitments of our hearts.
I went through all of that to get here. Have you ever asked yourself, or had someone else ask you, ‘So, how’s your walk with the Lord?’ How do you decide what answer to give to that question? What do you look to as a gauge? One good way of getting to an answer is to look at your emotions. That may sound odd, but think about it. Remember, our emotions are the expression of our concerns and the commitment of our hearts. If we want to get a feel for what is going on in our hearts, a feel for how our walk with Jesus is doing, doesn’t it make sense to take a look at our emotions, to take a look at how our emotions responding to Jesus? We would all think it odd if a mother didn’t have some emotional response as she was caring for her newborn. She may be doing a good job feeding and bathing the baby and all the rest, but if she does this totally flat and bland, without any emotion, without any signs of affection, we know something is not right. A healthy mother-child relationship includes an emotional aspect. Likewise, a healthy relationship between a Christian and his Lord has an emotional aspect. If it isn’t there, something is not right. It’s been six years since my mother died. I still think about her and wish that I could pick up the phone like I used to and just chat for a while. I miss her because of what she meant to me. Some of you have lost a parent and know what I’m talking about. Is it different when we think of Jesus and what He means to us? Is there no emotional aspect to that relationship? Is it really possible for a Christian to have a faithful walk with Jesus and not have an emotional response to Him? I don’t see how.
The Scriptures assume that our relationship with Him is an emotional one. When David wrote, ‘Oh taste and see that the Lord is good,’ what kind of response was he expecting? What would he have thought if we responded to his invitation with a bland and emotionless, ‘Well, yes, I’ve tried Jesus and I suppose I do agree that He is good’? I can’t help but think that he would look at any such person and think that there was something very wrong there. And that is what I think that we all should conclude. There is something very wrong if a Christian is without some emotional expression in response to Christ and His Gospel. If the Gospel doesn’t stir the heart, there is a real problem.
What are we to do with this? There are those who opt for a superficial healing of the problem. They’ve decided to act as if they are joyful all the time and say ‘Praise the Lord!’ a lot. But that isn’t the solution. That's not dealing with the problem wisely. The lack of emotion is not the core of the problem. It’s just a symptom. If there is to be a cure then we must deal with the real problem. Let’s go back to the statement that I offered. Emotions are the expression of the concerns and the commitments of the heart. A problem on the level of the emotions points to the deeper problem on the level of the heart. And what are the options here? What kinds of problems might there be? I have three suggestions.
First, it may be that the problem with this person is that Jesus isn’t a concern of his heart. It may be that there isn’t any heart commitment here. That certainly would explain the lack of emotional response to Him and to His Gospel. I have no emotional response to who wins the Browns-Steelers games. And the reason is clear. I am not at all concerned with such things. My heart is not in the least committed to that. Likewise, for many who are without any emotional response to Jesus. Their hearts are not concerned with Him. There is no commitment there. And this just reflects the fact that such people aren’t Christians. They haven’t experienced Jesus and the power of His Gospel. They don’t know anything about how He rescues from wrath and sin and death. They have not experienced how He changes His own from the evil people they were into the Godly people that they are becoming. And so, it is no wonder that there is no emotional attachment to Jesus. The solution here is clear. This person needs to be converted. Pasting on a happy face won’t do it. This person needs to meet Christ and be transformed by that encounter.
There is a second option. We may have a Christian whose relationship with Jesus is very stunted. Listen to something Jesus said. ‘But he who is forgiven little, loves little.’ [Luke 7:47] Jesus isn’t talking about how much sin is forgiven this or that person. He’s talking about a person’s awareness of how much sin he has been forgiven. Little love, which includes little emotional response, means that that person has little awareness of what Jesus has done. Before we were married, my dear wife made a beautiful quilt for me. She spent hours and hours doing it. When she gave it to me my response was something on the order of, ‘Oh, that’s nice’. I had no idea what was involved. My lack of awareness showed in my bland response. There are many Christians in the same situation. They really don’t understand what Jesus has done for them. Their relationship is stunted. And their bland response shows it. The solution here is clear also. This person needs to grow his relationship with the Savior who has done so much for him. He needs to deepen his understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done. This person needs to give himself to the Word and to prayer so that he might know Jesus better. There is a danger if this person fails to act. Life is not static. Things don’t just stay the same. Life is dynamic. It’s always moving, always changing. Either something is getting better or it is getting worse. It doesn’t stay the same. The Christian who neglects to develop his relationship with Jesus will find it deteriorating. This person needs to act to save his relationship with Jesus.
There is a third option in understanding a Christian who doesn’t seem to have much of an emotional response to Jesus and the Gospel. It may well be that this person doesn’t understand emotions and how to express them. The emotions are there – he can feel them – but they just don’t come out. This person may well come out of the subculture that assumes that the training of the mind is primary and it gives itself to that goal. The training of the soul, on the other hand, is a secondary matter. Because of the demands of the primary goal of training the mind, this secondary area is neglected. Included in the training of the soul is the whole area of the emotional life. Just as we have to learn how to think, we need to learn how to feel. A lack of training when it comes to thinking doesn’t result in no thinking. It results in disorganized and scattered thinking. The lack of training when it comes to the emotions doesn’t mean that a person has no feelings. Rather, it means that there is an awkwardness in that area. That person either overdoes the expression of emotions and wears his emotions on his sleeve, or does it too little and keeps them tightly wrapped within. I fall into the second category. I think that my children have seen me cry but once and that is when I was told that my mother had died. There may be some times when a tear begins to form, but I quickly push that feeling down and restore control. I think that some of you may be like me. The emotions are there, but you’re afraid to let them out. You’re not quite sure how to do it. What you and I need is to learn how to express the emotions that are there. Now, let me encourage you. Growth into being a whole person in this area as in any area, is a part of the Gospel. And I can testify that there can be progress. As you pursue faithfulness, you’ll see the emotions showing more and more. You’ll be surprised to see how the Spirit applies the Gospel here and frees you up. And bear in mind that the day will dawn when you will be totally freed in this area and you’ll be joining the twenty-four elders and all the others shouting your praise and falling down before the Lamb.
I had two goals for this morning’s sermon. For one thing, I wanted to try to get you to examine the quality of your walk with our Lord by looking at your emotional response to Him. It really is a good gauge of how things are going. So, based on that gauge, how is your walk with Jesus? My other goal is to impress upon you that being a Christian is an emotional thing. Sometimes we stress the intellectual element of being a disciple so much that we forget the emotional. We are out of balance here. So, what am I hoping for? Do I want to see you all jumping out of your seats next Sunday morning? Absolutely not! Rather, I am hoping that you will come to see that being a Christian is a matter of the emotions, too. Being a Christian is being passionate about Jesus. That is the key to Spiritual worship, to true, caring fellowship, to bold evangelism. Without this, we will fail as Christians, we will fail as a church. But if, by God’s grace, we get this right, then we and our children will flourish.
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