When the Lion Roars | Revelation 5:1-5

Great song service, great song choice.

It's amazing how God uh works it always works that out.

The songs go right with the message, especially at 90 and 9.

It's so good.

So good.

It's great to be in the Lord's house.

Great to see you all out here today.

Simply titled this message When the Line Roars, when the Lion Roars, so if you want to turn to Revelation chapter 5.

Revelation 5 · chapter mention

Revelation chapter 5.

Revelation 5 · chapter mention

We're gonna begin reading verse 1.

And he says, And I saw on the right hand of him that sat on a throne a book written, wherehand on the backside sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?

Look what it says in verse three.

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

But then we see in verse four, and he says, I wept much because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon.

Then we see in verse five.

And one of the elders said to me, Weep not.

Behold, the line of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Let's go to the Lord in word of prayer.

Heavenly Father, we just hung your Bible for you.

Again, Lord's thank you for your beautiful day and for the friends we enjoy to come here this morning to worship you in spirit and truth.

And Lord, we just rejoice in the fact that uh Christ is that line.

And he was able to open, take that book and uh reveal it and just uh read it and proclaim it and to give it to us, Lord, as a warning and uh just uh an understanding, Lord, of your word that we would uh yield to the Holy Spirit and uh apply the word to your to our lives.

We receive all the honor, the glory, and the praise.

And Lord, I do ask you for your preaching grace this morning.

Uh Father, you just I'm you behind the cross and I remain there, and I pray that all of us, Lord, as we read your word, we understand it, uh, not just in our mind, Lord, but in our heart, and we would apply it to our life, be obedient to it.

And again, that we would be ready for the final roar, uh, because we know one day is going to happen, and you're gonna call us home, and that we will be, as the Sunday school lesson was about, uh, give an account for our life.

And I just pray, Lord, we live a life, we receive all the honor, the glory, and the praise.

We do pray, Lord, if there's a lost one among us, that today would be the day that they would hear the convicting of the Holy Spirit, the small still voice, and and we pray, Lord, it'd be like a roaring line to their to their heart, to their mind, that they would call upon you and be saved, repent of their sins, and again call upon you, and truly in repentance, Lord, and and seeking salvation, because we know that all that do that will be saved.

And I just can praise, praise you, Lord, for your word and your Holy Spirit.

And Lord, we just ask forgiveness of sins, and we ask it's all in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So you think about uh Jesus, we think about Christ and the Word, he's He's ascribed all in the Bible as a Lamb.

John said it.

John the Baptist says, Behold, uh said it plainly, behold, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.

And he has.

He is the he is the humble lamb.

And we're going to see that a little bit later, as it uh said him being a lamb uh uh sacrificed after he came and took the book.

He came as a humble, sacrificial lamb.

But really and truly his identity is a reigning, roaring lion.

That's who he is today.

That really is who he is today in heaven.

Uh, he is the lion of the tribe of Judah, and he is a lion, he is the he is the alpha, as we're gonna look at a little bit later as well.

But I got thinking about that.

I just talking to the Lord this week about what he wanted me to preach, and just come to me at first in one morning, uh, when the lion roars.

Okay, Lord, what's what's this all about?

When the lion roars.

So this is what we're gonna look at.

I looked up about a physical lion, one you might see in Africa or you might see in a zoo, you know.

They're things are ginormous.

I mean, they're just massive animals.

And then it says this about the lion's roar.

Uh it says the roar of a lion, either early or really early in the morning or really right before dark, when they roar, and if you're like, if there's any breeze and you're downwind, they said you can hear the roar of a mature lion for over five miles away.

From over five miles away.

I mean, that is amazing.

From here to pleasant plains.

If a lion was roaring in this in our property here, we could hear it if everything was just right.

Hear the roar in town.

I mean, that's really amazing.

And uh, it also said this.

Why do they roar?

Well, three things.

First one is to claim territory.

They will roar to claim territory.

Second, they will roar to warn rivals, and thirdly, they will roar to help pride members find each other.

So guess what?

That's the three things we're gonna look at today.

Why the lion roars?

Why does he roar?

Well, number one, to claim territory.

And I think about that.

When Christ would roar, what was he doing?

We're gonna look at this in Revelation from all the roaring and the we look in Revelation, man.

Heaven is loud.

The angels are proclaiming, they're singing, but also there's God's wrath is gonna be poured out like we're gonna see, as a roaring lion.

And everybody in heaven can hear it.

But also, I believe it's in Revelation 8.

We're not gonna look at it, but there's silence in heaven after the seventh seal, maybe six.

It's amazing to think about that.

That's another message for another day.

We're gonna look at those.

When think about why Jesus would roar as to claim territory, it reminds me of thousand-year reign.

So I want you to turn to keep your place here, but turn to Revelation chapter 20.

Revelation 20 · chapter mention

Revelation chapter 20.

Revelation 20 · chapter mention

All these events in the revelation of the past, present, and future.

It's revealed for us to understand and to hear the roar, to hear the roar of the lion.

We're gonna think about when God's about to claim territory.

Again, the thousand-year reign, look in Revelation chapter 20, look what it says in verse 1.

Revelation 20 · chapter mention

He says, And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan and bound him a thousand years.

This is gonna happen.

This is going to happen, I believe, after the seven-year tribulation.

And he says, and he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more.

Till the thousand years shall be fulfilled, and after that he must be loosed a little season.

And he says, and I saw thrones and sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which worshiped not, had not worshipped the beast nor his image, nor had received the mark upon his forehead or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Well, who is that?

Those are those that are left, I believe, after the rep after the rapture, that are going through the tribulation, they will not take the mark of the beast, and they'll be killed to be martyred.

But we see here, and it says they were reigning with rule and reign with Christ a thousand years.

But he says in verse 5, but the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection.

Look what he says in verse 6.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.

On such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

So you think about that.

That's a roar in the future.

When Christ is going to come back and put his foot on this earth and rule and reign on this earth for a thousand years.

For a thousand years.

And you think about the second reason that Christ's reward is to warn rivals.

Turn if you would to Revelation chapter 10.

Revelation 10 · chapter mention

Revelation chapter 10.

Revelation 10 · chapter mention

And what do we get the warning today?

Look in Revelation 10.

In verse 1, he says, He says, I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were a sun, and his feet were pillars of fire.

And he had in his hand a little book open, and he said and he set his right hand upon the sea, and his left foot upon the foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth.

Look what it says in verse three.

And he cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth.

So they are proclaiming God's judgment, God's wrath, God's victory, and it sounds like the roaring of a lion.

It tells us when the angels proclaimed this, and he says, it wasn't a whisper.

It wasn't something that was just kind of quiet.

It was a roar.

And it's what the roar of a lion.

And when he cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

But look what it says in the next verse.

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, he said, I was about to write.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttereth, and write them not.

See, not everything is revealed to us yet.

Why?

Because it's God, it's God's ways.

But John heard these amazing voices.

He's going to write this down.

And God says, Don't write it down.

Kind of reminds me of Paul.

He said, He said, And whether we're in the spirit or in the flesh, I do not know.

He's talking about himself like in third person.

He went to the third heaven and was going to reveal the amazing things that he had saw and understand.

Well, what happened?

What did God do to him?

Put a thorn in his flesh.

We wouldn't be big-headed or conceited.

It'd always be humble.

And see, and that's why I always try to pause when I think about those things that that men actually saw heaven, and God said to not proclaim it.

Because there's so many books and movies and things that say, well, they they saw heaven and they they opened up their eyes.

And I be I say, be real weary of that.

Because Paul saw it, John saw things, and God said, seal it up.

If it's not in the word, there's a reason.

There's a reason for things not being in the word.

So be very cautious when people say, Well, I had this dream, this near-death experience, or this.

So just be real cautious.

We are easily deceived and emotional about things.

And so understand God's word, it needs to be in the word.

It has to be in the word.

So understand that.

But he says this, and he says, Don't write those things down.

And in verse 7, he says, or verse 5, and the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lift up his hand to heaven.

And look what he says.

And he says, And swear by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in, and in earth and the things that are therein are, and the sea and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.

What he's saying is, not the time's going to end, but the time of the hourglass is run out.

When God says, My wrath is going to come.

It's not that we're the very end of the earth where there is no more time, but this is where he says, My judgment is coming.

My judgment is coming.

There is, God is long-suffering, but there is a time when his patience will run will be over.

And he will say, Okay, it's time for the wrath to be poured out.

And it's what all of Revelation is about from from from after chapter 4, 2 chapter 4.

But he says this, and he said, in verse 7, But the But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he hath begun to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he as he hath declared to the serpents, servants of the prop the prophets.

And he says, And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is opened in the hand of the angel, which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

And he says, And I went unto the angel and he and said unto him, Give me the little book, and he said unto me, Take it.

Look what he says.

Eat it.

Eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey.

And as soon as I had eaten it, eaten it, my belly was bitter.

And he said unto me, What did he say?

Thou must prophesy again before many peoples and nations, tongues and kings.

And it's interesting.

When you think about what's the Bible do for us, it warns us.

It warns us what?

That we're sinners, needing to be saved, but it also tells us how much we're loved.

That God sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Understanding that, that if we don't have Christ, if we don't have Jesus as Lord of our life, we're in a lost place and destined for a place called hell.

But Jesus died, so we wouldn't have to go there.

It's a warning.

And the word of God, when he says he ate the word of God, I believe what he's saying is it was it was sweet in his mouth.

When it reached the belly, it became bitter.

I believe is for us to understand, God's word is amazing.

It is amazing, it is super encouraging.

It is when you say how much God loves us and all those things.

But guess what?

The bitterness of it, some of it is the wrath.

When we have to tell people that the way they're living, the things they're doing is sinful.

So it becomes bitter.

So what do most people want to do?

Well, I don't want to share the bitter, I just want to share the sweetness.

And we are, we ought to share the sweet, the amazing hope that's found in God, in Christ, and the Holy Spirit and all the amazing, encouraging things, but also we ought to share the whole story of God's word.

From Genesis to Revelation.

Every bit of it.

We can't just, so many people want to just cherry-pick verses out of God's Word and say, Well, I'm doing this, I'm good.

It's the whole counsel of God.

We have to proclaim the whole counsel of God.

And that's what he's saying, I believe, when he said it was sweet to his mouth, but also bitter in his stomach.

And you think about what God did.

He warned us, he warned the devil in the garden after the fall that he was going to put enmity between his seed and the woman's seed.

And I don't believe that was a whisper.

I believe God was roaring in the garden when man had sinned, when man had fallen, and he told the devil, he said, I will put enmity between you.

Who's he talking about?

He's talking about Christ.

Again, it wasn't a whisper, it was a roar.

And then the third reason they might he might roar is to help others find each other.

Where are we this morning?

Where are we this morning?

We're in the church.

And I pray our church is roaring for the Lord.

That we're roaring for the Lord.

Proverbs 28:1 says, The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Proverbs 28:1

Are we bold?

Are we bold?

Are we like Joshua and Caleb?

Do we have a boldness about us?

But also a meekness and a humility.

You know, seeking God's will.

And you think about Jesus roaring from heaven, turn to Revelation 11.

Revelation chapter 11.

Revelation 11 · chapter mention

Look what it says in verse 15.

And the seventh angel sounded, and there was great voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and they shall reign forever and ever.

Then we look in verse 16 to help others find it.

He says they'll roar so others can find each other if they're lost or separated.

And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and they worshiped God, saying, Give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art was and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned.

And he says in verse 18, And the nations that were angry, and thy wrath has come in the time of the dead, that thou shalt be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants and prophets and to the saints and to them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth.

And you think about that.

The four and twenty elders, who is that?

All the commentaries you read, and I believe it's the church.

So there's the church in the presence of God.

You say, well, how'd they get there?

Well, it's the rapture.

It's the roaring rapture.

The rapture, the roar, then the rapture happens.

Look what it says in 1 Thessalonians.

Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

Because it helps us understand the timeline.

We see these things.

The church has already been raptured out.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

Again, because the roar is to help each other, help find each other, find Christ, because there's so much deception in our world today.

Believers are being scattered because they're not trusting in the one true God, they're not trusting in God's word.

They're believing all these errors and false doctrines, and they're being scattered.

But Christ has roared his truth.

We see that there will be a rapture in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, look in verse 13.

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

Look what the apostle Paul tells the church in Thessalonica.

He says, But I'll not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, or past, or died, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

He says, For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, do you believe that Jesus died and he is resurrected today?

You believe he's alive, waiting to be given the command from the Father to come back?

Well, there's going to be one more thing that happened before he comes back.

It's going to be a rapture.

And he says, Even so them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with them.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

And look what he says in verse 16.

It's a great verse.

So for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.

Or today we might call it what?

A roar.

For the message's sake.

We hit it loud, but I believe it's a roar.

Where everyone can hear it.

He says, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead and Christ shall rise first.

Then he says, Then which we are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Man, what a day.

Man, what do you mean something?

Just stop for a second.

All of a sudden we hear that roar.

Here it is.

Here's that moment.

I mean, can you imagine it?

I mean, it's going to happen.

Then what he look what he says.

How encouraging it is, verse 17.

He says, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And he says, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Amen.

I mean, how amazing is that.

How amazing is that?

And he says, Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.

It's a great comfort.

The one that God gave us those words.

And he didn't just whisper them, he shouted it.

It was a roar for us to understand there one day will be a rapture, and we will be with those who went before us, and then one day we're going to come back with him and rule and reign for a thousand years to be gathered together.

And that's an amazing thought.

It really is.

The last point.

Look at the three reasons to claim territory, to warm rivals, and to help pride members find each other.

The last one is the roar of the alpha.

There's lots of lions in the world.

There's one line that the devil was called the lion by Peter.

It has a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

The lion's roar is nothing compared to the alpha.

There's always one alpha male in the group of the pride and different things.

And even in families, there's one only one alpha male.

A friend of mine, man, he's country.

He's such a good dude.

He's such a good guy.

He's a godly man, and his son was getting on up in age.

He's 22, 23, living at home.

He's like, he said, boy, he said, I knew he needed to move out.

When we both, he walked out of the shower and I walked out of my bedroom.

I didn't have my shirt on.

He had a towel on.

We rubbed chest together.

And he said, Two grown hairy men aren't supposed to be walking out and meeting each other chest to chest.

And he said, There's only one alpha in this house.

He said, It's time for you to get a job and move and find you a place.

I just laugh.

We all just die laughing at work.

But it's true.

It is true.

There's only one Alpha.

And only one real Alpha.

King of kings, Lord of Lords, and that is Jesus Christ.

And it's so important we understand that.

Turn to Revelation 1 this time.

We're all over Revelation this morning because it's an amazing book.

To understand, though, why the lion roars and who that lion is, and he is that Alpha.

Look, let's just look at the very beginning, chapter 1, verse 1.

He says, the revelation of Jesus Christ.

And don't get caught up in all the different signs and all the different imagery of revelation to forget the most important point.

Revelation is not, it's not revelations.

I've been guilty of saying that.

It's the revelation of one man, one person.

And that's Jesus Christ.

That's why it says at the very beginning.

Never forget that point.

It says the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants the things which must shortly come to pass.

And he sent and signified by his angel unto his servant John, who bear record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw.

It's eyewitness.

John saw these things.

He says, You want to be blessed?

Well, look what it says in verse 3.

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and here's the key.

We can read it all day long.

We can understand it all day long, but we will not grow until we keep those words.

And it says, And keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.

You can read God's word, you can understand God's word, but it will do you no benefit in your life unless you obey it.

We must obey the word of God, apply it to our life, and be changed from within.

And he says this, John to the seven churches, verse four, which are in Asia, grace be unto you and peace from him which is, which was, and which is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loveth us and washeth us from our sins in his own blood, and is made of kings and priests unto God and his Father.

It says, To him be glory and dominion forever.

And he says, Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindred of the earth shall wail because of him, even so, amen.

Then, I hope you have a red letter Bible.

Does it change and go from black to red?

What's it say?

Jesus is speaking, he says, I am Alpha and Omega.

The beginning and the ending.

Which was, saith the Lord, which is, which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The Almighty.

Then He gives those letters to those seven churches in chapter two and three.

Then we get all the way to chapter five, where we started, to tie this back up.

Look what it says in verse 5.

We're gonna read it again.

And one of the others saying to me, chapter 5, verse 5 I don't want you to forget that Christ is the Alpha and Omega.

And it says, Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah.

It wasn't just one young line, it was Jesus Christ, the Alpha lion.

He had laid down his life.

This line of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof.

And then look in verse 6.

And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

I mean, always in my mind's eye, I think about this.

See, when Christ was on the cross, there's so many things going on.

So many things going on that we can't see.

We don't really fully understand.

We get a picture of what's going on in heaven.

It's like we're right here today.

Like we're right here this morning.

Guess what?

There's all kinds of things going on in heaven today.

All kinds of things.

There's worshiping God, there's singing God, there's praising God, but also things are going to be and put in motion.

And I believe we're in parts of the things, it's the seals have been broken and all the different things that's going on today.

But there's so much going on.

But look at look in verse 7.

And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

So there's Jesus.

He comes and takes the book out of the Father's hand.

And he says that as it says in verse 6, he stood as he had been slain.

You see the we've seen the pictures and the imagery of Christ on the cross.

It was a bloody, terrible death.

But he was alive.

He died on the cross, but his spirit was before the throne of God, and he goes up there and he takes that book.

And I believe, this is just my opinion.

You take it, water up, throw it in the trash.

But I believe, verse 7.

And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

I believe that's when Jesus went from the lamb to the lion.

The lamb had been slain.

He laid down his life.

No more to be the sacrificial lamb, but to forever be that roaring lion.

To proclaim God's truth, to proclaim God's victory for us.

And what's he say?

He says, when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which were the prayers of the saints.

It's the angels and the church.

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred tongue, people, and nation.

And he says, And has made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.

And he says, And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand, ten thousand times ten thousands, and thousands of thousands, an innumerable number.

Praising God.

What are they doing?

Same with a loud voice.

We might say today, roaring.

You know how we watch football, you watch the concert, you see all the things that people cheer and applaud, and it's like a roar, a celebration.

What's something we can't even imagine today?

The World of Tibetan, what's going on there?

Same with a loud voice, worthy as a lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

And every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea and all that are in them, I heard heard, I saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.

And the four and twenty, the four beasts said, Amen.

And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth forever and ever.

And you think about that.

The devil will only roar for a season.

Only for a season.

You think about from Revelation 6 to Revelation 20.

I say it's the roar of the Alpha.

Christ.

His roar is his wrath and a warning to all those that are here today and here on this earth to seek him.

To seek him with your whole heart.

And you think about us as a church and you individually, what are we doing until we hear the roar of the lion?

Would please stand.

Brother Matt, Miss Michelle, come forward.

Really think about your life.

And don't think you're going to be so busy that you want to hear the roar.

We might get so busy sometimes we don't hear the small, all still voice of the Holy Spirit.

But if you hear the roar of the lion and you're not saved, it's going to be too late.

It's going to be too late.

That's a harsh reality.

But it's the truth.

The Bible says in Thessalonians, as you talked about the rapture, if you're waiting for the rapture to happen to prove God's word and say, Well, once I see the rapture, then I'll be saved.

It will be too late.

Because you haven't placed your faith during the time of grace in God's grace for you, the Bible says that you'll be deceived.

You'll be deceived by the Antichrist.

You'll be received by all the works of the Antichrist, and you will not, you will not accept Christ because the Bible says today is the day of salvation.

To say that, well, I'm going to wait till the rapture is like testing God, tempting God.

God says, today you know.

You know in your heart of hearts, whether you have repented of your sins and call upon Christ to be saved.

So today is the day that we are to accept him and don't say, well, tomorrow or the next day, you'll be deceived.

Don't take that risk.

Place your faith in Jesus Christ today as we sing.