Crown Him With Many Crowns Crown him with

Crown Him With Many Crowns Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne, Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own. Awake, my soul and sing of him who died for thee, and hail him as thy matchless King Through all eternity

Crown him the Lord of love; behold his hands and side, Those wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified; no angel in the sky can fully bear that sight, but downward bends his wondering eye At mysteries so great.

Crown him the Lord of peace! Whose power a scepter sways From pole to pole, that wars may cease, And all be prayer and praise. His reign shall know no end, and round his pierced feet Fair flowers of paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years; The potentate of time, Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime! All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me; thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity.

The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast

Three Areas of Focus • The Defining Characteristic of God’s End Time People • Sabbath and Sabbath Keeping as the Sign/Seal of God • The Mark of the Beast

What is the defining characteristic of God’s end time people? • Revelation 4: 8 -11 • Revelation 5: 9 -14 • Revelation 7: 9 -14 • Revelations 15: 2 -4 • What is going on in these passages?

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is to come!” And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. ” Revelation 4: 8 -11

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5: 12 -14

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen. ” Revelation 7: 9 -12

“And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. ” Revelation 15: 2 -4

The Defining Characteristic of God’s End Time People is: Worship!

Worship • Put yourself into these passages – What are the emotions and beliefs that drive these declarations of the worth of God?

Worship • Put yourself into these passages – What are the emotions and beliefs that drive these declarations of the worth of God? • What is attractive to you about being part of those who sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb?

Summarizing • At the consummation of our salvation, the central act going on in the kingdom of God is worship!

In pairs or triads discuss this question: What is Worship?

Defining Worship “Worship is what we were created for. This is the final end of all existence-the worship of God. …The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ (John Piper). ” “What are words or phrases that stand out to you?

Defining Worship “Redemption is the means; worship is the goal. In one sense, worship is the whole point of everything. It is the purpose of history, the goal of the whole Christian story. Worship is not one segment of the Christian life among others. Worship is the entire Christian life, seen as a priestly offering to God. And when we meet together as a church, our time of worship is not merely a preliminary to something else; rather, it is the whole point of our existence as the body of Christ (John Frame). ” What are words or phrases that stand out to you?

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads (Revelation 7: 1 -3)”

“Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144, 000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144, 000 who had been redeemed from the earth (Revelation 14: 1 -3). ”

“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water (Revelation 7: 6 -7). ”

“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus (Revelation 14: 12)”

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus (Revelation 4: 12). ”

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy (Exodus 20: 8 -11). ”

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship • “Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the sabbath Through out their generations as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed (Exodus 31: 17). ’” • “I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God (Ezekiel 20: 19 -20). ” What is the Sabbath as described in these verses?

How is the Sabbath the ultimate sign of worship and of keeping the faith of Jesus?

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship • What did God rest in on the first Sabbath?

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship • What did God rest in on the first Sabbath? • ‘And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1: 31). ”

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship • What did God rest in on the first Sabbath? • ‘And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1: 31). ” God rested in the perfection of his work!

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship • What did Adam and Eve rest in?

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship • What did Adam and Eve rest in? • They also rested in the perfect work of God!

Sabbath as the Sign of Worship • What did Adam and Eve rest in? • They also rested in the perfect work of God! • They knew who they were and whose they were.

How is Sabbath the ultimate sign and seal of covenant worship for God’s end time people?

How is Sabbath the ultimate sign and seal of the covenant worship for God’s end time people? True Sabbath happens when we worship God from a place of resting in the completed work of Christ as our Creator and our Redeemer.

This is Good News!

What is the Good News? • You are a new creation (2 Cor 5: 17, Eph 2: 10). • You are accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1: 6). • You are dearly loved (Eph 3: 17 -19). • You are chosen (John 15: 5). • You are forgiven (Eph 1: 7). • You are not condemned (Rom 8: 1). • You are healed (Isa 53: 5). • You are blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1: 3). • You are a child of God (John 1: 12).

God celebrates you as the expression of His creative and redemptive work in Christ. It is only as you enter into this truth that you can experience true Sabbath rest.

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his (Hebrews 4: 9 -10)”. What stands out in this verse?

The seal of God is placed on those who know… who they are and whose they are.

The seal of God is placed on those who know… who they are • New creations • Accepted in the Beloved • Dearly loved • Chosen • Forgiven • Not condemned • Healed and whose they are.

The seal of God is placed on those who know… who they are: and whose they are. • New creations • Accepted in the Beloved • Dearly loved • Chosen • Forgiven • Not condemned • Healed • God’s own possession • Purchased by God through Christ • Sons and Daughters of the most high God

“They have given themselves over to valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things. ”

They would never give up Sabbath because it is the weekly reminder of who they are and whose they are.

Sabbath is the anchor of their identity.

The Mark of the Beast • “Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name (Revelation 13: 16 -17). ” What words or phrases stand out or make your curious?

The Mark of the Beast • “And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name (Revelation 14: 9 -11). ” What stands out in this passage?

In light of what we have been learning, discuss: Who is the mark of the beast put on?

Who is the Mark of the Beast Put On? • Those who worship something other than the Creator. • Those who are not loyal to Sabbath keeping because they have forgotten who they are and whose they are.

The Invitation • Through the Sabbath, the Seventh-day Adventist Church extends the invitation to the rest of the world to know God truly and then respond by “valuing, treasuring, prizing, enjoying, and being satisfied with God above all earthly things” resulting in a “deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God that overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ. ”

A Solemn Warning!

A Solemn Warning! Ritualistic observance of the seventh-day is not true worship anymore than the ritualistic observance of Sunday is true worship. The fact that you are present in this room today is no more evidence that you are engaged in the true worship of God any more than the ritual worship of Sabbath was evidence that the Jews in Christ’s day were worshiping him.