Praise the Creator

That masterful hymn of praise that we have just sung is based upon inspired scripture in Revelation chapter 4. The Apostle John writes, After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice that I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up here, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

And immediately I was in the Spirit. And behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper, and a sardius stone.

And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings, and voices.

And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal. And in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.

And the first living creature was like a lion. And the second living creature was like a calf. And the third living creature had a face like a man.

And the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within. And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.

And when those living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him that is seated on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that is seated on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. May the Lord help us to worship on earth, even as God is worshipped in heaven.

The greatest need in our lives personally today, and the greatest need, I think, in the life of our churches today, is for true spiritual worship. I appreciate the privilege you give me of ministering in other places. I learn a great deal from it.

There are some churches that I visit where the emphasis is devotional, and the important thing is walking with the Lord. There are other churches that I visit where the emphasis is on serving the Lord, working for the Lord. And there are places where I visit where the emphasis is on witnessing.

Getting out and telling others about the Lord, and each of these is important, but the tragedy is that they are not blended together into a balanced Christian life. I think the reason why they are not blended together, why as churches and as Christians we get out of balance, is because with all of our emphasis on walking, and witnessing, and working, we forget worshipping. Because walking with the Lord, and witnessing of the Lord, and working for the Lord are all byproducts of worshipping the Lord.

Some years ago the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple, gave us what I think is the greatest definition of worship I've ever read. He said, to worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God. And if we ever worshipped like that, it would keep us in balance, and we would be walking with the Lord, and witnessing of the Lord, and working for the Lord.

In Revelation chapter 4, John in the Spirit goes to heaven, and when he gets to heaven he finds himself involved in a worship service. I suppose there is no chapter in the Bible that has more of an awesomeness of the worship of God than Revelation chapter 4. And perhaps it would improve our own worship as a church, and quicken our own worship as individuals, if we would join John in this worship service, and discover from Revelation chapter 4 some basic truths that will help us to have a balanced Christian life. The first truth that comes to me as I meditate on Revelation chapter 4 is simply this, it's rather obvious, heaven is a place of worship.

When John arrived in heaven, he didn't say, where is James, I want to see him. You know, James had his head cut off by a Herod, and I want to see him. Didn't say that at all.

When John arrives in heaven, in the Spirit, he looks, and he listens, and he learns. He looks and he sees all of heaven centered in a throne. Forty-six times in the book of Revelation you'll find the word throne.

Fourteen times in Revelation chapter 4, what is the center of heaven, a throne, and everything in this chapter is related to the throne. On the throne is God, and he doesn't even begin to describe him because he can't. He refers to two beautiful stones, the jasper, which was clear, and the sardius stone, which was red.

It's as though we have the holiness of God depicted there in those stones. On the throne is God, around the throne an emerald rainbow, and around the throne twenty-four thrones, and seated on each throne a white-robed, gold-crowned elder. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne four amazing living creatures.

One with a face like a lion, and the other like a calf, and the other like a man, and the other like a flying eagle, and they're around the throne. And before the throne a sea of glass, clear as crystal. And before the throne seven torches burning, symbolizing the Holy Spirit of God.

And out of the throne thunder, and lightning, and voices as though God is saying a storm is about to break loose on the world. And to the throne comes the praise of the four living creatures, and to the throne comes the praise of the twenty-four elders. Everything in heaven is centered on the throne, and they're praising the God of creation.

The living creatures are saying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. And the twenty-four elders are saying, Thou art worthy to receive glory, and honor, and power, for Thou hast created all things. And for Thy pleasure, or by Thy will, they are and were created.

Heaven is a place of worship. You see, all of the furniture of heaven, and all of the arrangement of heaven parallels the temple on earth. In the temple there was the throne of God.

In the Holy of Holies there's a throne of God in heaven. Before the throne on earth there was the laver filled with water. Before the throne in heaven is a sea of glass.

Before the throne on earth there was a seven-branched candlestick. Before the throne in heaven are seven torches, speaking of the Holy Spirit. Embroidered upon the veil of the temple were these creatures, the chariot beams.

But standing before God, as He is on His throne and worshiping Him, are these four living creatures. In other words, all of heaven is a temple. And in that temple, heaven is worshiping God.

And John not only looked and beheld these things, but he listened, and he heard the living creatures praising God. He heard the elders praising God. In chapter 5, he hears the living creatures praising God, and the elders praising God.

And then the angels join in that mighty chorus, verse 11 of chapter 5. And I beheld and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, worthy is the Lamb that was slain. And when you go through the book of the Revelation, you'll find that it is a book of praising God. Verse 13 of chapter 5, every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth joins in that great chorus of praise to God.

Heaven is a place of worship, and we're taught to pray, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Earth ought to be a place of worship. John learned from this the importance of worship.

What is heaven doing? Worshiping. What is the focal point of heaven? A throne. God on the throne.

Everything is related to that throne. And the praises of heaven are presented to the throne of God. Now someone says that we aren't in heaven.

That's rather obvious. But interestingly enough, we are able to praise God even though we're here on earth. Did you notice, please, not only is heaven a place of worship, that's the first truth that we get, but heaven worships the Creator.

It's not until chapter 5 that they worship the Redeemer, and then later on they worship the Judge, and then they worship the King. But when John first gets to heaven, he doesn't hear, worthy is the Lamb that was slain. They aren't singing hallelujah for the blood and the Lamb that was slain.

They are singing to the Creator. I recall when I was in seminary, one of the students had been out to preach at a youth meeting, and he came home very disgusted. He said, do you know what kind of songs they sang at that youth meeting? I said, no, I don't know.

Well he said, they sang This is My Father's World. I said, what's wrong with the song This is My Father's World? This is my Father's World. What's wrong with praising God for being the Creator? Not only is heaven a place of worship, but when heaven worships God, heaven worships the Creator.

This is the purpose for the four living creatures. Look at verse 7. Before the throne of God and around the throne of God are these four living creatures. Some people equate them with the cherubim, some with the seraphim.

But one living creature like a lion, now there you have the wild animals. One like a calf, there you have the domesticated animals. One like a man, there's the human kingdom.

And one like a flying eagle, those are the birds. These are the same creatures that God talked about to Noah. Turn back with me to Genesis chapter 9 and let's uncover a truth that we as Christians need to rediscover.

Genesis chapter 9, verse 8. And God spoke unto Noah and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, there's man, and with your seed after you. And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, there's the eagle, of the cattle, there's the calf, and of every beast of the earth, there's the lion, with you, from all that go out of the ark to every beast of the earth. Now what is his covenant? And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

Then God gives the rainbow as the token of the covenant. Now let's go back to heaven. God made a covenant with nature.

In the flood, God had seemed to destroy everything that he had made. But God made a covenant with nature. He made that covenant with the birds, and the domesticated animals, and the wild animals, and with man.

And he said, I will never again destroy you. You are under a curse. Ever since the sin of Adam, you've been under a curse.

But I'll never again destroy you with water. And to give you the assurance of this, I'm going to make the rainbow the token. Now back up in heaven, there's a rainbow.

Not part of a rainbow, but all of a rainbow, all around the throne. The rainbow of the grace of God all around the throne. Whenever God sends forth judgment, he always remembers mercy.

And before the throne are the representatives of nature, worshiping God. Do you know what the truth is that we get from this right now? All of nature is worshiping God. These creatures up in heaven represent nature, God's covenant with nature.

And the nature that God the creator has made is worshiping God. They're worshiping God constantly. And they're worshiping God together.

And they're worshiping his holiness. And they're worshiping his power. He's Lord God Almighty.

And they're worshiping his eternity, who was and is and is to come. Nature is worshiping God. You see, we evangelicals have the idea that to talk this way makes you a liberal, a pantheist.

But read the book of Psalms. When David looked out upon nature, he saw all of nature praising and worshiping God. The heavens declare the glory of God.

The firmament showeth his handiwork. Psalm 148, storms and winds fulfilling his word. Everything in nature worships the creator except people.

And we're made in the image of God. And we have the most to gain from it. And we have more reason for doing it.

And yet the lowest, the lowest life praises God. I've been reading over in Psalm 96. If you want to have an interesting encounter with something, read Psalm 96.

And then read part of Psalm 98. Let me read it to you. Psalm 96.

Oh, sing unto the Lord a new song. Now, if you do that, people will get mad at you, but do it anyway. Sing unto the Lord all the earth.

Sing unto the Lord, bless his name. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. Verse 8, give unto the Lord the glory to his name.

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Verse 11, let the heavens rejoice. Let the earth be glad.

Let the sea roar in the fullness thereof. Let the field be joyful in all that is therein. Then shall all the trees of the forest rejoice before the Lord.

For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth. Paul tells me in Romans chapter 8 that all of creation is standing on tiptoe, stretching out its neck, looking for Jesus to come back. That's more than Christians are doing.

The trees of the field are looking for the Savior to come back. One of them was used for his crucifixion. One of them was used for his cradle.

Jesus was a carpenter. No wonder the trees are looking for him to come back. How about Psalm 98, verse 7? Let the sea roar in the fullness thereof.

The world and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands. You ever stand by the ocean and look upon the waves and think of the waves as clapping their hands? Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, for he cometh.

All of creation is groaning and travailing in pain, but all of creation is represented before the throne of God, worshiping the Creator and anticipating his return. And so we're living in a world that worships God, a world of nature. Is it not tragic that the human beings in this world don't worship God? This is why nature and man are not getting along with each other.

This is why you have pollution and all these troubles, because nature is here to glorify God and man is here to glorify himself. And man's here not to exalt God through nature, but to exploit nature and forget God. And that's why we're in the mess we're in.

And yet I wonder how many churches today would pause to praise the Creator. There's a third truth that comes from Revelation chapter 4. Heaven is a place of worship and heaven is worshiping the Creator and the church should worship the Creator. I notice here that when those four living creatures praise God, then the elders who represent the church fall before the throne, cast their crowns before him, and they praise God.

When nature praises God, the church should praise God. Now, these 24 elders are generally considered to typify the church. They aren't angels.

Angels don't sit on thrones and wear crowns. These are the representatives of the resurrected, glorified, transformed church. And when the church hears nature praising God, then the church falls down before God and praises him likewise and says, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.

Now, you cannot really praise the Creator if you don't know the Redeemer. These people have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Mr. Moody said when he got saved, the sky was bluer and the grass was greener, and the birds sang sweeter than ever before.

And when you know the Redeemer, you can praise the Creator. And you know, it would cure a lot of the sicknesses of the saints if they'd learned to praise God the Creator. I'm just going to list quickly for you some of the benefits that you and I would receive if we just take time to praise the Creator.

Remember, he's the Creator, not just the Redeemer. The Creator, not just the judge, the Creator. What are some of the benefits? Well, number one, it'll help to keep you from sinning.

The essence of sin is to worship and serve the creature, not the Creator. And when you forget the Creator, you become your own god. And sin is a lot easier.

Over in Romans chapter 1, that's where the whole trouble begins. They worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator, and they went from idolatry to immorality to indifference to indulgence to judgment. I'll tell you, my friend, when you stop to worship the Creator who made your body, you'll be careful what you do with your body.

One of the good benefits that comes from worshiping the Creator is it helps to give you victory over sin. I'm just the creature. He's the Creator.

He's the one who should control my life. Something else, when you worship the Creator, you have no problem with obedience. They fell down before Him and took their crowns and cast them at His feet.

When you realize He's the Creator, He's in charge of everything. He speaks, and a plant grows up to shelter the prophet. He speaks again, and a little worm comes and destroys the plant.

God's in control of the galaxies, the black spots out there. He's in control of the genes and the chromosomes. He's in control of every detail of nature, and He wants to be in control of our lives.

And when you worship Him as the Creator, the holy, almighty Creator, it makes you realize you're just a piece of clay, and you'd better let Him mold your life. It makes it easier to surrender and obey. I think something else is true when you worship the Creator.

It makes you a better steward of what God gives you. You don't take for granted things like food and water and clothing and shelter, and you make better use of them. As I said before, the reason we have polluted water and filthy air and contaminated food is because men have divorced creation from the Creator, and they're worshiping and serving the creature.

And we have broken the laws and forgotten the principles that God has laid down in this world, and so we've made a mess of it. By the way, in the book of Revelation, chapter 11 and verse 18, God says, I'm going to destroy them that are destroying the earth. Eighty times, 80 times in the book of the Revelation, the earth is mentioned.

God's concerned about the earth. God's concerned about what we're doing with His air and His water and His property, and one day we'll answer for it. But when you worship the Creator, and you realize that all these things come from His hand, it makes you a better steward.

Another wonderful benefit that comes when you worship the Creator, it gives you strength. I don't know how many times in my days I've had to turn back to Isaiah chapter 40. Maybe you ought to look with me just now, Isaiah chapter 40.

Here are the Jewish people going back to the promised land after their sojourn in captivity, and they are beat, and they're discouraged, and they're defeated, and, oh, they just don't know if they can make it or not. You know what the Lord does? In Isaiah chapter 40, He says, Now, folks, I want you to realize I'm the Creator. Verse 12, Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and measured out heaven with the span, and measured the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Did you ever do that? No.

God says, I did. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counselor, hath taught Him? Verse 18, To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare unto Him? Verse 21, Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are like grasshoppers. He who stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain, and spreadeth them out like a tent to dwell in.

Verse 25, To whom then will you liken Me, or shall I be equal, saith the Lord? Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, who bringeth out their host by number. He calleth them all by names, by the greatness of His might, for He is strong in power, not one faileth. Verse 28, Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard? That the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary.

He giveth power to the faint, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. I tell you, my friend, when you worship the Creator and see how great He is, and how strong He is, His strength comes to you. Where do you get your strength? When you're facing the burdens and the battles of life, where do you get your strength? I suggest that you just bow before Him and say, O God, You're great, and I'm small.

Here I am, as I wait before You, renew my strength. When you realize the greatness of God, everything that bothers you starts to get smaller. When you're going through suffering, the Creator is the one who helps you.

So Peter writes in 1 Peter 4, 19, that we should commit ourselves unto the faithful Creator when there's suffering, persecution. And Jesus said that worshiping the Creator is the best cure for worry. Oh, we like to worry.

We don't admit it, we don't call it worry, we're burdened. But it's worry, keeps us awake at night. It's not what we're eating, it's what's eating us.

You know how Jesus tells us to keep from worrying? He said, if you watch the birds lately, the birds, you can have an autopsy on a bird when he dies, and you'll discover he didn't die from ulcers. Now, my friends, not everyone who has ulcers worries. There's many, many things that can cause ulcers, I'm sure.

And headaches, and backaches, and all the problems that come with worry. But nature doesn't worry. When you see the sparrows fluttering around, they aren't worrying.

They're praising the Creator. They know that their Father is right there with them even when they fall. The flowers aren't worrying.

Behold the lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they sin. Sounds like some Christians. But they don't worry.

Their Father in heaven takes care of them. And so Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6, what are you worrying about? God is the Creator, and the Creator is your Father. That's the message He tried to get across.

Not a far away God who made the machinery, and wound it up, and oiled it, and went on a vacation. But a heavenly Father who watches over us. And Jesus says, why should you worry? Why should you be anxious and troubled? Jesus didn't worry about food.

His Father supplied His food. He didn't worry about storms. His Father took care of the storms.

He didn't even worry about death. His Father took care of that. And so we don't have to worry.

Oh, if we just take time to worship the Creator, how great He is. But you see, you really can't worship the Creator unless the Creator is your Father. And when the Creator is your Father, then all of creation is yours.

Not only is all that is happening working together for your good, but all that is here is there for you. Paul says, all things are yours, whether life or death. Whatever it is, it's yours, and you're God.

And so we don't have to worry and be weak. We can get strength and power and the supply of every need. If we just remember we're creatures.

He's the Creator. We're the clay. He's the potter.

We are low before the throne, giving Him our crown. He is seated on the throne, exercising His goodwill. Oh, worship the Creator.

Heaven is a place of worship. So should earth be. Heaven worships the Creator.

And the church should worship the Creator, because that Creator is Jesus Christ. All things were made by Him and for Him. And through Him all things hold together.

And He is before all things. And we can say before Him today, worthy art Thou to receive honor and glory and power, for Thou didst create all things, including us. And by Thy will and for Thy pleasure, they are and they were created.

And, oh God, I want that my life shall be in Your will, and my life shall bring You pleasure. Even as Jesus said, I do always those things that please Him. If you don't know this Creator as your Father, you can.

When you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, then the Creator becomes your Father. And then you can sing, this is my Father's world. And no matter what comes to me or what happens, my Father's in control.

I don't have to worry. He's on the throne and I know Him. Worship the Creator.

And the Creator will work in your life to do things you never dreamed of for His glory. Thank you, gracious Father, that we can call You Father, that we worship not a distant Creator who is unconcerned. We worship a loving Father who is concerned about us.

I pray for those here who have never been saved, who have never trusted You, that today they might come and trust. I pray for the saints who are struggling, that they might get a new burst of strength and power today. I pray for those who are playing with sin, abusing Your creation.

Oh, God, call them to a life of worship and holiness. And help us as a church to live as those who love and serve the great Creator. For truly, You are great.

Receive our praise and thanksgiving.