A Door Standing Open

Trinity Sunday

June 6, 1993

Revelation 4:1

John speaks here of 'a door standing open in heaven.' John's own vision, his writing that we call The Revelation is for us just such a door into the reality that lies beyond our limited vision.

I. THE REALITY THAT IS OUR GOD

1. The reality of God is reflected in all the human race We human beings are made in the image of God, made to know and love and worship Him. That image has been marred, we believe; splintered, broken, but is still discernable, reflecting the spiritual reality that is God.

   By far the overwhelming majority of people on the face of the earth have some kind of belief in deity, reflecting that craving we have for God. Some few people have a god that is "no god." We call them "atheists" because their faith system says there is no faith system. But most people are more deeply concerned then they themselves realize with coming to know just who or what God really IS.

2. If God is truly God He must reveal Himself; He cannot be 'defined'. God's "definition", so far as we are concerned, begins and ends with revelation. That revelation is all of one piece; God does not contradict Himself. If we, unaided, could "figure our what God is" then we would in some measure to have to be 'equal with' Him. The Bible tells us this when it says, "No one has seen God at any time."

   We do not dare to presume to define God. Only God can do that. CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT THE ALMIGHTY GOD WHO HAS REVEALED HIMSELF, first as the I AM THAT I AM, the loving and kind YHWH, proclaimed through prophets in sundry times and diverse manners, HAS IN THESE LATTER DAYS SPOKEN THROUGH HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST.

3. GOD IS WHO HE IS, regardless of what we or any person may declare Him to be. Modern culture strongly resists the idea that there is any definitive, objective revelation of God.

   We are told often and in many ways that "religion is a private matter." When the secular culture dares, it denies God altogether. But the usual approach is to say that religion is valuable to each individual; that God is whatever and whomever each person thinks He or She may be. If God is no more than the figment of each individual's imagination, then worship is no more or no less than calming our inner resources through the power of meditation, or tuning in to some imagined harmony of the planets and spheres. If, however, God IS GOD, and of God is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, then worship in spirit and truth, worship that truly engages God, becomes the most important single thing that human beings can do.

II. A DOOR OPEN IN HEAVEN

1. We look into the MYSTERY that is God .

   I like mystery! It leads my imagination to wonder. I am glad that when I was a small boy I read about castles and dragons and Aladdin's lamp. Children love mysteries. But what does that have to do with God?

   Fundamentalists do not like mysteries. They need to have everything explained! And there ARE some things that need to be made as plain as possible. Reformers and evangelists through the years have sought to cut through sham and lies and vagueness to make the way of salvation crystal clear. Thank God for simple, understandable truth on how we may be saved. But sometimes evangelicals can fall into the trap of extending that simplicity into an explanation of the entire sphere of God's kingdom. Not content to be introduced and admitted into the fellowship of God, we feel that we have to explain what we cannot ever possibly fully comprehend.

   John introduces us to MYSTERY! He sees things in heaven that are so very wonderful, so very true and holy and beautiful, that he cannot possibly begin to understand them. Words cannot describe the deepest realities of the human spirit, let alone the glory of our great God. Children's mystery stories pale as we see an emerald halo encircling the great throne, and thrones surrounding the glory where God sits enthroned and read of strange creatures and dragons and battles in the heavens. GOD, OUR FATHER AND FRIEND, DWELLS IN AWESOME MYSTERY!

2. We peer into the MAJESTY of God's Presence.

   John describes a Throne which he saw through the open door into heaven. Throne denotes authority; this is no earthly, limited monarchy. This is the Throne of the Universe. Surrounding the throne of God are several wonderful concentric circles of wonder. The first thing John describes is the encircling rainbow. Not now an arc, or partial circle, with a will'o'wisp pot of gold forever promising something sometime somewhere, but the glory of light in all its radiance completely encircling the Great White Throne.

   I have to leave it to those who are gifted both in science, higher mathematics, physics and the like to fully appreciate all that such glory of light might mean. The first commandment was "Let there be light!" Our scriptures tell us that God IS light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Jesus told us that He is the light of the world, and that we, reflecting that light, are to be the light of the world. But here, at the heart of all Holiness, is light in many-splendored glory encircling the I AM THAT I AM. Then John describes for us a circle of twenty-four thrones. Right there in God's holy Presence is that which suggests to us the faithful of all ages. The Patriarchs represent those who follow after God in the light before the Son was fully revealed; the Apostles represent the Church and all to whom the message of grace shall reach by the light of the rainbow of promise shining through the circles of the faithful.

   The four living creatures are next described. It is impossible for us to say with certainty just how they are arranged. But they speak to us of the whole of divine creation, the fitness of good things, the harmony of truth, the rightness of giving to God the Creator the honor due His name. All of the Universe echoes with praise: THOU art worthy!

3. We see a glimpse of the MERCY that is God's love.

   The praise for God's great Mystery and His Majesty takes on a different focus, one which even we can begin to understand as we continue reading John's vision through the open door into heaven on into the next brief chapter. For there the song "Worthy is the Creator!" becomes "Worthy is the LAMB!" Isn't it only appropriate and right that we, who have been invited to partake with God in His very life and in the fellowship of His saints should praise Him for the love that caused Him to give His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish? Doesn't it seem somehow right that heaven will be a place where we celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God who brings about, finally, through the great plan of salvation, by His grace, through His blood, the Glorification of His Church? John gives us an insight into where our finite-ness, our humanity shall one day merge into God's great Infinity, and we shall live and reign with Jesus in the Presence of the Light that is God.

III. WHERE EARTH AND HEAVEN MEET

1. God has made, and does make contact with us.

   God meets with us (1) IN THE HEART OF JESUS AT THE THRONE. And by His great grace, God also meets us (2) IN THE CALL TO SALVATION, WHEN WE ARE ENABLED TO RECEIVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR. And then, when we are redeemed, God meets with us (3) IN THE MEANS OF GRACE... IN PRAYER...IN THE LIVING WORD OF GOD ... IN WORSHIP ... AND PARTICULARLY IN THE SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH.

2. The sacraments clarify and reveal spiritual truth to obedient hearts.

   In their light we come to see more of who God is, and also we see who we are. 1. Communion cannot and does not forgive sin. The Christ who is the Host of communion can and does forgive sin. He gladly receives those who may acknowledge that they have gone astray. But to be forgiven, sin must be confessed. For sin to be forgiven we need to bring it to the Christ with a faith that not only says, "I'm sorry, please forgive me!" but also says without reservation, "Jesus is LORD!"

   Sacraments can be observed with deceit. We can easily deceive others, and make them think we are humbly seeking to take part in the mysteries of faith when in fact we are covering known sin, or simply going through the motions with no desire for God's love. We can even deceive ourselves, and sweep real guilt and real sin under the rug of rationalization. But when we say "Lord, I am sorry for my sins; please be the Lord of all my life!" the grace of God is willing to meet us just there. It is a serious thing to partake of the body and blood of the Lord with an unrepentant, divided, selfish and deliberately sinful heart!

   Those who arrested and brought our Savior to Pilate's hall were very much aware that the next day was Passover. They needed to be ceremonially clean. They would not be able to pray for their sins to be forgiven if they violated the ceremonial laws. So though they were desperately wicked and hateful, and though they lied against the Savior and sought His death, some people went to their Seder meal and ate with their families after they had delivered the Paschal Lamb to be killed on the cross of Calvary.

   Certainly this is not to discourage anyone from coming to the Lord's table. It is to help us realize that the invitation to Communion is an invitation to share with God His very Presence and life.

Into the Sacrament itself:

Read (responsively) # 752 in Sing to the Lord

Invitation: This is the LORD'S table; HE is the HOST! Wherever you are in your spiritual pilgrimage, you are welcome, if HE invites you. Only do not come irreverently!

Prayer: #750