[0:00]
I want to talk to you about one word, really. So verse 9, the word new. I want to see if at the end of just these few minutes together we can see the significance of that word and how it impacts the way we see life. So there's where we're heading. In fact, I want to kind of do some big picture stuff. Now, put you in the context, so as we come towards that word new, Revelation, of course, is the book that where God by his grace takes John and just

[0:30]
pulled back the curtain on what is there. You do know this kind of stuff so that what's behind that curtain is actually there, just you can't see it. Revelation is that being pulled back to see what is actually there, what is always there. And of course, one of the first things he sees as the curtain is pulled back. I mean, you rush through it quickly, but you come to chapter four. And what's seen when the curtains pull back is the throne. So verse 2, chapter 4, once I was in the spirit there before, was the throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

[1:00]
The one who sat there had the appearance of Jasper, Ruby. Verse five, there were flashes of lightning, rumbling, peals of thunder. In the centre, verse six, four living creatures covered. The first living creature was like a lion and so on. Verse eight, day and night, they never stopped saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory honor, verse 10, trying to rush through here, the 24 elders fall down and they sing verse 11.

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You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory, honor and power for you created all things, and by your will they would create it and have their being. You've got this, when the curtains pulled back for John, you remember, he's on the island of Patmos, so he's in the midst of incredible conflict for the testimony of Christ, he's on this island. So it's very likely he's there because of persecution, because the authorities are opposed to the things of Christ. And here he is, in this place. on his own, very likely, driven there because of opposition to the work of the gospel,

[2:04]
the curtains pull back and what he sees is the glorious picture that God still rules. Yeah? God is on the throne. Despite the circumstances around, despite the opposition to the work of the gospel, despite the way he might feel the reality is, the true reality, the real reality is that God rules, he is in the center, the creatures in the universe, the world, is praising as it ought. And you get this wonderful picture of, you know, the way I take it,

[2:34]
it's kind of, there's a bit of a thing about how to read this, but I take it. You've got the four living creatures in the center. You've got the 24 elders around. Four living creatures fall down, you know, they praise God. And then the 24 elders, the ones around, they fall and praise. But then you come to chapter five and you've got there in verse, verse nine. You've got the, you've got there, the singing the new song will come to that in a second, you are worthy. Verse 11, then he hears the voice

[3:05]
of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, 10,000 upon thousand. They encircle the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and they praise verse 12, worthy is the lamb. Then you've got verse 13. Then I hear every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth and in the scene and all that's saying to him who sits on the throne, praise. And you've got this Mexican ways, a wave of praise. Do you know what? You've got this kind of rolls out from the center. And praise, praise, praise. and then it rolls back in. And John's gone's given to see, all is well. Do you know what I mean? Like,

[3:36]
like, despite the way the powers of the world think of themselves, despite the way I'm feeling, despite the way the appearances are, ministry's hard, people don't respond, people despise and dismiss, unrejected and persecuted. Despite all of that, God is on the throne. The world is praising behind the scenes as it all, I'm on the right track. I'm in touch with where, now that's not the point I want to talk to you about at all, but it's just kind of hard not to miss. So that in your

[4:07]
context, if you are, gee, it's easy to feel it, isn't it? You bang away, you bang away. And just to keep reminding yourself from seeing behind the throne that the burden, what is real is that we are on the side of the God of the universe who is ruling, who is working his purpose. and moving things as he intends. As you come closer, you come to chapter 5, and into chapter 5, you get this tension created, don't you, with verse 3, no one is worthy in heaven on earth

[4:41]
to open the scroll or even look inside it. I take it the scroll is the plans and purposes of God to be unfolded for the future, and who is the one who can open and bring them to pass? There's no one, and there's this dreadful tension. Verse 4, I weep and weep, because no one must found who is worthy to open the scrolls or look inside. Then verse 5, one of the elders said to me, do not weep, see the line of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and it's seven seals. Then he looks, and you remember this beautiful image, isn't it? He turns

[5:16]
and sees the lamb, looking as though it had been slain. And you know, have you ever had that experience where you've heard of someone and you kind of, you hear all these amazing feats and great, you know, impactful things they've done and they finally arrive and you get to meet him and you kind of go, I thought you'd be taller. Do you know what I mean? You're kind of like, I thought you were going to be something, you know, in the car, I thought you'd drive something a little bit. It's, it's, it's the line of the tribe of Judah who has conquered, who is the one word in the universe to move the purposes of God

[5:48]
forward, and he turns to see this one and it's a dead sheep, you know, that kind of deal. And he kind of to go, what's going on here? Well, of course, you know, don't you, that in seeing this one, the lamb, which is a wonderful image all the way through the scriptures and through into revelation, it's a powerful reminder that greatness and glory in the kingdom of God is humble, sacrificial.

[6:18]
Jesus has triumphed and is glorious because he was the lamb who was the lamb who was slaughter. It's astonishing and important figure. It's a reminder of greatness. Keep reminding us. I think hearing Kathy and Craig, one of the challenges in the pastoral ministry family life is that, well, I think this is one of the challenges for us, is that you can keep thinking the extensive ministry. The ministry's out there with lots of people is the significant one, where the intensive ministry with a few at home is less significant. Both very powerfully significant.

[6:53]
ministries. One's extensive, one's intensive, deep, wide, both are used by God powerfully as you humbly serve his purposes. Now we're almost to the verse and the word new. Upon seeing this figure, verse 9, and they sang a new song, saying, you are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals because you were slain and with your blood you purchased for God, persons from every tribe, language and people and nation. You will make them be a kingdom and priests to serve our God

[7:26]
and they will reign on the earth. Here we have the new song and I want to unpack the word new in a second, but just, and you might be wondering what's there to say about new. We'll come to that in a second. But the song that's sung, note that, the lamb is worthy. Follow the logic here. There's the text. You are worthy, verse 9, to take the scroll and open its seals. Why? Why is he worthy? What does the text say? Because you were slain and with your blood you purchased.

[8:04]
People from every tribe, language, people, nation, and you made them be a kingdom of priests to serve our God. Now, of course, what you've got here in the song is a statement of fact. Jesus was slain, just an historic reality on the cross. But what's being expressed is the significance of that event, that historical event, is that in the death of Jesus, something happened that has not happened in any other death, that his death was one that purchased, by his blood, men and women to be with God, to make them a kingdom of priest, to bring

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forgiveness, to bring restoration and life with himself. He died so that the great transfer might occur, the curse that we deserve goes upon Christ, so that by his. his wounds, we are healed, an astonishing truth, and in all of that establishes a kingdom of priests to serve God. Jesus brings life for all by breaking down the barriers between us and God and us and each other. Now, with all of that as background, note the language of verse 9, new,

[9:15]
and they sang a new song. Now, what does the word new, new, mean here. When I take you know what the word new means, but what does it mean here? Now, it, I grew up, I converted into a little church of 50 people just three kilometers away from here, so Manly VAR, or four, whatever it is, where you guys have been for this very many years. And so it was a little church and it had its ups and downs, faithful Bible, but the song letter, I remember

[9:49]
we used to get the, we're going to sing a new song, Revelation, you know, nine, sing to Lord a new song, and so we'd sing a new song, and all that kind of stuff. We've been singing the old ones, so let's sing a new one now. What does the word new mean? Well, in the Bible, the language of new song has been used a number of times before. And let me take you to one passage. It's used, Satan to Psalm 98, but also Isaiah 42. So keep your finger there in Revelation 5. Isaiah 42, which you will identify, I dare say, as one of the great songs of Isaiah,

[10:28]
very important servant song. And now have a look here though at verse 10, just to show you directly. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea and all that is in it, you land, you islands and all. who live in them. You sing to the Lord a new song. Now, the notion of singing a new song isn't just that the song here is one that they hadn't sung before. Rather, the context is, look at verse 14,

[11:02]
just to pick up quickly a sense of this. For a long time I've kept silent. I've been quiet and held myself back, but now like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I grasp and pant. I will lay waste the mountains in the hills and dry up all the vegetation. verse 16, I'll lead the blind by ways they have not known along unfamiliar paths. I will guide them. I'll turn darkness into light before them. Now, what's the context? The context is you've been in darkness.

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You've been crushed and oppressed, but there's a servant coming who will bring a new age, a new era, and you will sing a new song. It won't be the song of lament anymore. be the song of rejoicing because a new era has dawned. Do you see? The light has come with the servant. The language of new isn't just what wasn't there before, but it's actually representative of a new era in history. You got it? Whenever you see, well, whenever you see,

[12:04]
well, whenever, many times you see it in the Old Testament, it's this kind of context. Now, you come back to Revelation 5. Here we have in verse 9, the, the they are singing a new song. Yes, it was a song that hadn't been heard before. But not like the people in heaven, the creatures in heaven, the angels in heaven were going, man, how often do we have to keep singing chapter 4 verse 11 for? You know what I mean? Like,

[12:37]
you are worthy, our Lord and God, receive glory and I'm powerful, you created all things by your will, are given existence? Like, how often we have to keep doing this for? Can't we have something fresh? Do you know what I mean? It's not like. It's not like. It's not like that they're all laying down the crowns going, can we have to do this no more time? You know, like they're not bored with the song, okay? God is always worthy of being glorified and praised because, verse 11, chapter 4, he created all things. You see, why is God worthy? Because he created all things. No, no, it's not that the song is boring and they want something

[13:11]
fresh. They have been glad to sing that song all eternity because it's in a good song to sing. No, no, no. A new song is now sung in heaven. Now get that. A new song is now sung in heaven. The pattern of eternity has been broken. The thing they've been doing forever is now changed with a new song. In eternity, time hasn't just been going on and on and on

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and on, it's changed. Now, we don't think much of that because we're the change culture. But the old song was worthy of eternity to be sung. God will always be worthy because he's the creator. That song in heaven changes is of immense significance. And really, that's my point this morning.

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A new song is sung, which is astonishing. Now, here's the question that comes from that. What could cause such a change in heaven itself? What could cause the heavens to suddenly sing a new song? Which I think takes you to heart of this passage. What could cause the new song to change? What is it? It's the death of the lamb

[14:46]
of God whose blood purchases men and women from every tribe, language, people's nation for God. That event changes heaven. It changes the song sung in heaven. Do you get it? There's my point. Now you think about it with you. I've got three implications. All right? Here we go. Classic sermon.

[15:16]
First one. When you get verse 9 and the word new and its context, when you understand that, I think it helps you appreciate the worth of Jesus afresh. The event of the cross pushes the wonder of creation aside.

[15:46]
Now, creation is astonishing. And to spend time reflecting on God as creator and how amazing that is that from nothing, God brings all of that. It's incredible. And the universe has been praising God for it. Salvation? Actually, no, it's the manner of humans being saved by the self-giving love of the son of God who gave himself up to be slain by taking

[16:16]
on himself the sin of the world in humble service of the will of the father who desired the salvation of sinners. That Jesus saved like that, made him worthy of eternal praise and it made the heavens change their song. Now, it may not be saying something amazingly new to say that Jesus is worthy, but what I'm trying to do is show it from another perspective.

[16:46]
You know, I was in England last year, I can't remember which one. I was in England last year, I think it was, and I was staying at a friend's house, so Steve Tim, a good friend, so I'm staying in his house. And he's a great soccer, football. I just call it soccer for the sake of, he's a great soccer fan. And he said, look, Andrew, I've got someone else staying just for a night. He's a very, he's a famous soccer player. And so, I mean, I don't follow soccer. So at the dinner,

[17:16]
table, you know, there's Steve, Janet, we were sitting around and this guy's there with a couple of these kids and they're talking soccer and I'm kind of, I'm tuning out, right? And we had to, we were going to the pub that night and we sat in the back of the car, so I'm sitting next to this bloke in the back of the car and I'm kind of, he's got a smelly jacket and I'm kind of, oh man, you know, why'd have to put up this guy? We get to the pub and, you know, Steve's told me this guy's famous, right? We get to the pub.

[17:46]
and we walk in the pub and every eye in the place turns to, well, I thought it was me, turns towards us and it's straight on him. And everyone, fom! And we walk in and he goes to the bar. And everyone, he goes to the bar. And everyone, the blokes behind the bar all crowd around him. And he goes to the back bar and everyone, all the blokes there just fom on him. And then he starts telling stories and everyone's just focused on him.

[18:16]
And I'm going, I mean, I can't, his name was David Beck, something like David Beck. You know, like, it, it, he was, he was the captain of a Premier League team, and he was a commentator, and he was just, like, so. But what I, my point is, Steve told me he was famous. But when I saw him in the pub, I went, oh, that's what you mean, you see. Now, here's the deal. You say Jesus is worthy. But what I'm saying to is, when you see, you see, you see.

[18:46]
him in heaven, eternity changed its song because of him and his death on the cross, did you see? The angels, the universe, all shifted because of the event of the cross. You know, anything that minimizes or diminishes or crowds at the cross of Jesus,

[19:16]
fails to appreciate the significance of the cross of Jesus, of course. Now, works theology does all of that, which is why Paul is so hostile against works theology in Galatians, for instance. That's why we need to continue to be hostile against works theology. Not because, not just because people won't be saved, but because it diminishes the glory of the savior, you see. That's, that's in large measure, part of what drives Paul.

[19:46]
The way God saves is Jesus. So just to stir us again to see a humble gratitude for the work of Jesus, and what we're involved in as pastors, preachers, teachers, church planters, we're engaged in an activity that's tied in with the universe of significance that the whole universe is watching on about. Remind yourselves of that. First thing, the worth of Jesus. Second thing, I want to suggest to it reminds us of the need that we have to be saved.

[20:16]
that people have to be saved. Such a work as this was required to save men and women for God, the cost of the blood of God's own son, it means therefore our only hope can be in the cross of Jesus and no other place. Now, the other, we've been going through Galatians, so I tried to explain this the other day, and this is in the car on the way there. I was talking to my daughter and I said, I need an illustration. And anyway, I, I mean, I was talking to my daughter.

[20:46]
I remember, you remember that, was it Ralston? The guy who cut off his arm, rock climbing. So about eight years ago, I think, Aaron Ralston. So he's trapped in Colorado. And he's there for 70, 127 hours. The details don't matter. The details don't matter. He's there for five and a half days. I think that's what it works out to be. Five and a half days trapped with his.

[21:16]
arm in a rock and eventually he cuts off his arm and hikes out. Now that's an astonishing story, isn't it? But here's the deal. Imagine if after, you know, he's chopped off his arm to get himself free and he's speaking at some event and some black goes, oh, you know, I went to that rock that you were trapped in. Do you know if you just pushed it that direction, it would have fallen off your arm? Now, that would have really pee off, wouldn't it? Like, do you know what I mean? Like, for five

[21:46]
days I was trying to get out of that place and you're telling me if I just pushed it like that, I would, and I had to chop my arm off because there was no other way. Now, here's the deal. You can imagine in a very slim possible chance that some after five days didn't work out a way to get their arm out without actually going the most extreme circumstance, yeah? Because we're fallible. But God of the universe, you know, like he sends his son to die on a cross to save us, which suggests what? there's no other way. There's no other way. You know, like, no one's going to be out of front

[22:22]
up to God and say, oh God, I mean, all you had to do is just be good. Didn't you know that? Killed your son? Like, that's the deal. Once you see, like, what God has gone to, to rescue men and women from sin, it reminds you again that it's by the cross alone. Being decent, being decent. being good, being churchgoers, turning over a new leaf, being in another religion, all crush under the cross. That we are preachers of the cross is you've got to fight for it, you've got to

[22:58]
fight for it, you've got to help people see it. But let me take you to the third one, which is the big one. All of that was just setting up for this. Now, I want to talk to you about the centrality to the cross in life. And this is a tricky one to get. Let me try and explain it. We are born into a very impressive world. Creation and the beauty of it is impressive. God as creator is an astonishing truth.

[23:30]
Our experience of life constantly keeps creation truth before us. You walk out here and you're constantly aware that we live in an amazing place. This is incredible. The beauty of it, the rich, the joy to enjoy. it. But heaven is focused on a new thing, the cross and God's work to save. And that work eclipses creation for its wonder and centrality. It is the lamb that is now on the throne as the

[24:08]
lamb who is at the center of the universe. Not God, the creator. The lamb is used, I think, 28 times through Revelation, and I think it's a constant reminder that at the center of the universe is a celebration of the greatness and glory of the sacrificial event that saves humanity. He is there with scars forever marking his resurrection body, reminding the universe of his readiness to humble himself to the will of his father at such a cost to save sinners.

[24:43]
That has got to impact us now. And I think it changes the shape of life now. We grow up creation-centered, where life is about enjoying life, making the most of life, getting a good career, pursuing the things that find pleasure and fulfillment and satisfaction in this life. We grow up with that kind of context, and Christianity can be creation-centered.

[25:13]
where I'm saved by Christ to be about enjoying creation. I'm freed by Christ so that now I can get on about, dare I say, transforming this wonderful, beautiful place to be even more wonderful and beautiful and living and enjoying it and pursuing my career and being a worker who's satisfied and riched and fulfilled in all of that so that we can actually make Christianity about being creation-centered. Now, in that kind of Christianity.

[25:43]
there will be a praise for the cross and the salvation the cross establishes, but it will be an add-on and it will be focused on something else. And I want to suggest to you that life is actually meant to be cross-centered with creation on the side as the fill-in around the cross-shaped life. At the center of life is meant to be a growing awareness of the cross-centered heart of God.

[26:13]
because at the center of the universe is the lamb, you see, which tells you that the heart of God is first and foremost about seeking to save the lost and deal with sin and not beauty. The heart of God is the heart of God is the mission impulse. whose heart is for men and women of every nation to be saved.

[26:48]
And that heart for God means he pays the price of his son. Creation, if I can be quite extreme, and I know this is quite extreme, creation is merely the place for that crosswork to play out. To be enjoyed, but not at the centre. with a mission concern added on, but with winning the world at the centre, with while you

[27:19]
have opportunity to enjoy a creation that's been made good, not to be rejected, to be received with Thanksgiving. When you see life through the cross, God's greatest act, greater than even creation, greater even than the incarnation, is the cross. Now that's got a push into our life and concerns, yeah? Now, I think you can, well, we're into this kind of stuff, of course, we're church planters. We're ministers of the gospel.

[27:49]
Well, I just think it's so easy for even that ministry to actually be shifted in its, what is that ministry about? It's about helping people learn to enjoy life better through redemption. You are not taking them into the heart of God. You're actually taking them into a misunderstanding of why God and what is about. And if we're to take people into the heart of God through our ministries, we're to take them in to see that everything to be sacrificed for the sake of seeking to save the lost, which is the heart of God, is what we're all to be about.

[28:22]
To model that in our lives. To enjoy things, yes. To take time out, the Sabbath is a powerful and important thing. But our prayers to be dominated by the cause of the cross, our speaking, to be dripping with the things of the cross, to our speaking to be dripping with the things of the cross, to our, our giving to be shaped and our focus on the importance of gathering. Because when you realize that Christian gathering is not just about enjoying one another, it's actually about celebrating the redemption of God's people now to be won through the work of the

[28:53]
cross. So the difference? profound. Now, I know it puts precious on us, and I know you meant to come away to be refreshed and not refreshed. But I do want to say to us, as we go back out again, to be refreshed in our determination to not be content until every person is one to Christ.

[29:23]
That's our life's work. There you go. I'll pray. Father, we do thank you for your heart that seeks and saves the loss. And we thank you that that that heart led you to seek you to seek. and we thank you that you were prepared to pay even the life of your own son that it might be possible to win men and women from every nation to be kingdom priests to serve you.

[29:56]
We thank you for that heart that you have for us. And we pray, please, that you would help us capture that heart in our own lives, in our own priorities, in our own investment of energies and so on. Please help us to know the joy of living such a wonderful place, but all in the context of aware that the centrality of what you're about, what we're to be about, is to be seeing the worth of Christ as the lamb who was slain to win men and women for you, that we might therefore be about that task.

[30:26]
And we ask that you would bless these efforts, that you might cause it to be a case, please, that this country is transformed through the conversion of men and women to Jesus. I pray that you would use us to that end in Jesus' name. Amen.