This week's Bible Study - July 6, 2008
Who's Really in Charge?
 Background Scripture:
Revelation 5:1-14
Quote of the Week:
“An effective leader knows the way, shows the way, and goes the way”
-- Source Unknown
How important is a leader? In almost any endeavor in life, it is important to have a final authority - the one who claims responsibility for what happens. This is true in a church, in a family, in a business, on a sports team, in an operating room or anywhere else where people are gathered. An acronym that is often used in my workplace is RAA - Responsibility, Accountability and Authority. Unfortunately, the RA is given to lots of groups (responsibility and accountability), but the other A (authority) is usually kept away. This makes it very difficult to make any substantial progress.
You've seen the old movies or cartoons, with an alien or a group of aliens who come to earth and say "Take me to your leader". I guess even the aliens know that there is a certain person that they need to talk to. Truly, there needs to be someone who is in charge, ultimately. This isn't the figurehead leader, but the one who is truly responsible and carries the authority to make things happen. In multiple headed organizations, I often wonder how decisions are made. Some things can be done by committee, I suppose, but in the end, there needs to be someone in charge.
If it's true in business and in other aspects of your life, what about your entire life? You may think you're in charge, but when that debilitating disease hits or when you encounter natural disasters or when relationships fail or when you lose someone very close to you - where do you turn then? Some people are looking for a 'make everything better' genie. They'd like to turn to God, but they only want a god on their own terms. They are much less willing to accept another authority in their lives that does not seem to be consistent with where they want to go.
As believers, however, we have a leader - one who is in charge. This isn't our pastor, teacher, convention leader or some religious leader. It's not Billy Graham or the Pope or any other person that you may name. Granted, there are positions of leadership that humans hold, but their value in times of urgent need are often lacking. They neither have the wisdom, nor the resources, to truly care for every need. We do have a leader that we can turn to in all cases. Who is that leader?
The book of Revelation is full of many types of symbolism. Numbers mean things and so do the different things that are mentioned. The point of this lesson is not to focus so much on the numbers involved or the significance of living creatures, elders, horns, eyes, spirits, angels and the like. Granted, there is much to be gained in a more in depth study of the book of Revelation, but in this lesson, we want to briefly examine the task at hand, the inadequacy of humans to handle difficult life situations, the one who is worthy and our response.
This passage starts out talking about a scroll that was sealed with seven seals. The task was to break the seals and open the scroll. Now, to many of us, this may not seem like such a large task. It's a scroll, with seals - maybe you're thinking of a booklet with stickers to keep it closed. However, this task was much larger. There was a desire to break the seals and open the scroll, but there was no one who could do it.
It was a task that was beyond anyone's capability. Nobody was able to open the scroll, and even when opened, nobody was worthy to read it. Chances are that this is not the dilemma you face. I doubt that there are many people losing sleep about a scroll with seals that they can't get into. However, we all face dilemmas at different points in life. When you hit these times, you may find some support and encouragement from others around you, but can they really fix anything? If you or a loved one are dealing with a terminal illness, what can others do for you? If you are grieving a loss or relationship separation - people can relate to what you're going through, which does help, but they can't fix the problem. They really can't even fix how you approach the problem. We come across issues in our lives that are beyond the capabilities of any mortal person to handle. Where do we turn? Where do you turn? Where have you turned?
John, the author of Revelation, is relating this vision to us - and he writes of the utter despair that he felt because nobody was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Can you relate to a time when you hit utter despair and loss? Have you hit the point where you had absolutely nowhere else to turn? Sure, you may have had those who tried to support you in that time, but as mentioned before, what can they really do for you in that time of need?
Let's be careful to not jump to rash conclusions based on what someone is going through. Sometimes, it is easier to help one who has suffered a loss of a loved one or who has been treated unjustly (unfair loss of job) or who has suffered from some natural disaster (floods, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc) than it is to help someone who has made a big mistake and has suffered consequences in his or her life. But, we serve a faithful God - God desires to bring all of his children closer to him - and it may be in many different ways. When you've hit rock bottom - for any reason in your life - what did you learn about your relationship with God? Did you see something about the nature of God that you never knew before?
Let us not underestimate the value of being there for one another. As another person saw the writer in despair, weeping profusely, they offered encouragement. This other person was not able to open the scroll himself, but he knew of one who could. This is the role that we can and should play. Granted, we can not fix anybody else's problem. And, we aren't really called to do that. But, we can encourage and support them, while pointing them to one who can. Common experiences are too often ignored. As we hit the valleys of life, we may feel all alone - but not of us are the first ones to be there. Even in our churches each Sunday, there are many who have lost parents, children, siblings, spouses; have been unemployed; have suffered through many diseases; have felt the impact of a divorce (personally, as a child or as a parent); have lost possessions to a fire; have dealt with infertility issues and so forth. If you are one of these folks who have experienced these trials in life, are you willing to help support someone else who is going through that trial now? And, if you are going through something, are you willing to get support from someone else? True, we cannot fix any of the problems, but we can support one another as we travel through life.
Then. After going through a period of weeping and utter despair, then something happened. Wouldn't you like it if we could just skip the middle part? Wouldn't it be nice if we could just see the problem, and then instantly get the solution? But, we learn so much in the weeping. So much that we would never learn at any other time. I would contend that it is those periods of weeping and despair that help to mold us into who we are. God doesn't just 'fix' things back to where they were. He takes us to another place, but there may still be consequences to face.
What happened? He saw the Lamb, Jesus Christ. What visions come to mind when you think of a lamb? It is probably white, clean and fluffy. In fact, one of the most prominent pictures in churches is one with Jesus holding a lamb - or Jesus with children. Peaceful, clean, sanitized. However, this is not the lamb that is seen here. This lamb looked as if it had been slain. A few years ago, the movie "The Passion" came out. Some people flocked to see it - and many others stayed away, because the horror bothered them. I don't think we need to get real gruesome, but what Jesus are we serving? Is he the one in the sanitized picture or the one who suffered on the cross?
The description of the Lamb goes beyond what we can easily understand - and again, the point of this lesson is not to get bogged down into symbolism and meaning. However, it is clear that the Lamb is very much connected with God.
The Lamb came and took the scroll. He took it in the manner that one with authority would take it. Others saw the scroll and wept, because they couldn't figure out how to deal with it. Jesus took it with authority. When Jesus was alive on the earth, he took many problems with authority. He healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed the seas and did so many other miracles; all the while fulfilling His purpose to live without sin. Having this type of authority, he can take that thing that we can't figure out how to deal with. That loss, that failure, that success, that problem - anything we don't know how to deal with and anything that causes us much consternation. He can take those things and deal with them.
Jesus has the authority to handle all types of problems. When we encounter certain problems, we may know who to call. If your car breaks down on the side of the road, you may call a mechanic or someone who can fix a flat or give you a jump start or tow your vehicle to safety. If you lock your keys in your car or lock yourself out of your house, you may call a locksmith. If your air conditioner breaks down, you may call a heating and cooling guy. Theses are specific problems with specific solutions. We are thankful when that expert comes in the time of need and fixes the problem.
Jesus is not the heating and cooling guy, or the locksmith or the mechanic. If we give kudos to the ones who can solve these point problems, what do we owe the one who is willing and able to handle any of the life problems that we may take his way?
In this passage, the others worshipped him and sang of what he had done and exclaimed why he was worthy. They spoke of his death and his blood and how men from all tribes and languages and peoples and nations are now able to serve God. As you travel around the world, you will see believers of all different nations and cultures. One of the most beautiful things I've seen and heard have been the believers in other countries singing and praising God in their native tongues. There was the Russian choir in Belarus. In Taiwan, we taught Taiwanese kids English - and one of the coolest things about that trip was listening to them sing "Lord I lift your name on high" - first in English and then in Mandarin. In Thailand, we were able to attend a worship service where praise songs were song in English and in Thai. And, then, there are the Canadians in Vancouver. Well, still English - but believers from another country. What is common among all of these people and millions of others around the world? They have the love of Jesus Christ. All of them experience trials that are beyond their control, but they have someone to give those trials to. They serve the same Jesus Christ that we turn to in our time of need.
This passage speaks of literally millions of angels and other creatures that worshipped the Lord - claiming his worthiness to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise forever. This is an appropriate response to the worth of Christ.
Closing
What is the scroll that cannot be opened in your life right now? You may actually be at a high point right now and everything may seem to be going okay. As a former pastor used to say - a person is always going into a valley, in a valley, or coming out of a valley in life - with the occasional hilltop. You can be sure that something will crop up at some point and then where will you turn? We have this thought in our mind about how things should turn out - what is written on each of these scrolls. You lose your job - and you assume that God is going to lead you to another one (quickly) and you will use your skills - maybe, maybe not. We need to be careful to not presume upon God - God causes all things to work together for good - but all things do not work out just as we might plan. You may look back in your life and see things that you never wanted to go through - that may have caused much pain. But, without those things, where would you be now? God is leading us to a place - and our job is to stick with him so that we get there. I don't know what your 'scroll' may be - but whatever it is, are you ready to turn it over to him and are you ready to accept whatever he might do with it, without your own preconceptions?
Who is the Jesus that you serve? We see Jesus referred to as the Lamb that was slain. Is that the picture you think of with Christ? Or is he the picture that you see in many churches - with the peaceful man holding a lamb, or with children? We tend to make Jesus into who we want him to be. In my church, nearly every picture of Jesus that a kid would color makes him out to be white. Several years ago, good friends of mine ran a community center in a black neighborhood. We went to visit and I noticed that every picture of Jesus that had been colored made Jesus out to be black. We all want Jesus to be who we want him to be, but we need to worship him as he is. When life gets tough, those images on the wall don't really have a lot to do with anything. More than a comforting image, you really need to know that you can turn to one who has overcome life and can be there for you.
What is your response to the power of Christ in your life? Do we spend the time in true worship - us worshipping him - giving him of what we have, or do we want to be 'entertained' by worship? Our churches sometime become guilty of making it something everyone enjoys - no problem with enjoying worship, but let's be careful that we are not forgetting that worship is about Christ, not us. He is worthy to open the scroll - or to handle your problem, whenever you hand it over to him.
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