Lesson Nine • Worship
Devotion 3: “Is He Worthy?”
Sierra Combs
Spending eternity in Heaven has always been an impossible concept for me to grasp. I want so badly to understand it, but it is a complex mystery that I will just have to wait for. As a child, with only the current world to compare it to, Heaven scared me. Of course, I was told it would be amazing and beyond anything I could ever dream up in my head, but besides the streets of gold and perfect beauty, the only real activity that I sensed happening was the worshiping of God. Believers will be there 24-7, gathered around the throne with knee bent in worship. It is for eternity. I am embarrassed to admit that my little childish heart just wanted to live on Earth forever because the things of this life seemed much more exciting and fun than spending what I thought would be an eternity in a never-ending church service. While I will never fully grasp the reality of Heaven, my perspective and longing for that place have significantly shifted. I have realized that this world has nothing to offer me, and every day it seems to be growing darker. Right is now considered wrong and wrong is now right and sin once done in private is now put on full display to be celebrated. Evil abounds. We can see in Scripture that it will only roar louder and louder before Jesus returns, and I find myself constantly echoing the apostle John in his last words of the book of Revelation, “Come Lord Jesus!” As the years pass by, I long even more to enter those gates and see Jesus face to face.
In Revelation, John is given a vision of Heaven where he sees a scroll that holds the judgments of God, sealed up and waiting to be opened and poured out on a wicked world. Revelation 5:1-4 records, “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly.” John knew that if the scroll could not be opened, evil would continue to plague the Earth, and yet as he is weeping, he receives good news! Revelation 5:5-10 continues, “And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain… And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb… And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’” Here we see the amazing picture of Jesus. He is the Lamb who was slain for the sins of those who put their faith and hope in Him; yet, He is also the Lion of Judah, one who will fiercely return to judge the world of its wickedness. The Lion will triumph, not because of His fierceness, but because He became that Lamb, living a life without sin and dying on a cross for us. The blood of Jesus is the only thing that could defeat sin and death. He alone is worthy! Revelation 5:12 says, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
While we may not spend every second of eternity knee bent around the throne, we will live out our eternity in a constant state of praise and worship to the only One who is worthy – Jesus Christ. It is not because we have to, but because we get to! How I long for the day! I want to leave you with a song that so beautifully summarizes the incredible sentiments of Revelation chapter 5. I encourage you to listen to it with a heart of thankfulness and awe in what the Lord has done for us.
“Is He Worthy?” by Andrew Peterson and Ben Shive
Do you feel the world is broken? (We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won’t
Stop the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)
Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He was David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
He is
Does the Father truly love us? (He does)
Does the Spirit move among us? (He does)
And does Jesus, our Messiah hold forever those He loves? (He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does)
Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
From every people and tribe
Every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests to God
To reign with the Son
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Is He worthy of this?
He is!