February 4, 2007am Watch
The Lamb! Revelations
7:9-17
By Ronald E. George Jr. at the
Communion Sunday
Proof
that God exists? Does the Lamb live?
A man went to a barbershop
to have His hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, They began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
"I don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" Asked
the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in The street to realize that
God Doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children? If
God existed, there would be neither Suffering nor pain.
I can't imagine loving a God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, But didn't respond because he didn't Want to
start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer Left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, He saw a man in the street with long,
Stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed Beard.
He looked dirty and un-kept.
The
customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said
To the barber: "You know
what? Barbers do not exist." "How
can you say that?" Asked the
surprised barber. "I am here,
and I am a barber. And I just worked
on you!" "No!" the
customer exclaimed. "Barbers
don't exist because If they did, there would be no People with dirty long hair
And untrimmed beards, Like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What
happens is, people do not come to me."
"Exactly!"- Affirmed
the customer. "That's the
point! God, too, DOES exist!
What happens, is, people don't go to Him, and do not look for Him. That's
why there's so much pain, and suffering in the world."
Copied from a website: http://www.jesussite.com/illustrations/salvation.htm
Scripture
Text: Revelation
7:9 (NIV) After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no
one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before
the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were
holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb." 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the
elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the
throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and
thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!" 13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who
are they, and where did they come from?" 14 I answered, "Sir, you
know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great
tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb. 15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him
day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent
over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The
sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the
center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of
living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Who is the Lamb?
Who is the Shepherd?
The Watchers: Angels, Elders, and four living creatures fall down before the throne and the Lamb. They worship Him as God. The multitude wear white robes stand before the lamb. The Multitude has been washed in the blood of the lamb.
Watch the Lamb:
1.
The Lamb washes the multitude.
He paid the price for their sins.
He bought them and brought them from slavery from the Egyptians and from
sin.
2.
The Lamb spreads his tent over this multitude.
He spreads out his tent for them to gather.
He protects them from the elements and the enemies.
The enemies and death, hell, and the grave.
3.
The Lamb will provide for them.
He leads them to green pastures and living waters.
There they will thrive and live. He
cares for the sheep.
4. The Lamb is at the center of the throne and the center of heaven, because he is our focus. Jesus said it is better to give than receive. He gave his life for us and now he is honored and worshiped. He is salvation.
5.
The Lamb will lead them. If
we will follow Him, then He will lead us to life everlasting.
He shows the way having already gone there himself.
He leads us through life that we may live the abundant life.
6.
Everyone stands before the Lamb.
Everyone will one day stand before the lamb who laid down his life
that they may live. He is the only
judge and God of humanity. But we
stand before Him today to remember that He loves us and gave his life.
7.
The Lamb is worshiped because he has salvation. As we watch
the Lamb we realize that there is no other.
He is salvation to us and for all. He
is our Lord and our God.
8.
The Lamb is their shepherd. While
watching the Lamb we realize that the Lamb is also the Shepherd and He is our
Shepherd. We honor and worship Him
today. We give our lives to Him who
gave His life for us.
The
Shepherd And Flock
In our country we do not realize
the intimacy of a shepherd with his flock as they do in
He led them with a song or with a sweet, low, wooing whistle like the call of a bird, and the sheep raised their heads from the herbage, looked at their guardian and guide, and followed on. I have heard his song and his low birdcall by the watercourse, and have seen the sheep follow his course over the rocky boulders to the still waters, where they have been refreshed. At noon he would sit down in a place of shadows, and all his flock crowded around him for rest. At night, when the darkness was falling, he gathered them into the fold.
We must realize an intimacy like this if we wish to understand the shepherd imagery of the Old Book. The communion is so intimate that the shepherd knows if one of his sheep is missing.
—J. H. Jowett