GOD IS NOT ORDINARY!

REVELATION 4:9-11: “And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” NASB

OBSERVATION: God is not ordinary! This is the thought that came racing to my heart when I read the fourth chapter of the book of Revelation. Throughout history, man has marred and confused the image of God through his misconception of who God is. Today the pendulum has swung in the direction of making God ordinary.

What do I mean by this? All you have to do is listen to many of the contemporary Christian songs on the radio. Many of these songs bring God down to the level of a man rather than calling man to the glory of God. Some will immediately object – “Jesus came to this world as a man so that He could live among us!” What are you talking about?

What do we think about when we hear the name Jesus? Some think of a mere baby in a manger wrapped in strips of cloth. Others think of a Jewish carpenter who became a teacher and performed great miracles. Our concept of Jesus today is still wrapped in the robe and fitted with the sandals that He wore when He walked among us.

Yet – is this the Jesus that we are following?

The Apostle John lived to receive the revelation of Jesus Christ and the coming Kingdom of God. Jesus had promised this on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus said, “There are some standing among you who will not die until they see the Kingdom of God.” When John met Jesus who would give him this revelation, this is who John saw.

• “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” Revelation 1:12-18

This is the Jesus that John saw! This is the Jesus that we are called to follow and serve! This is the Jesus that was surrounded by the four living creatures that Ezekiel saw in his vision of the throne, and the twenty four elders who surrounded the throne. John and Ezekiel did not see a baby in a manger, a carpenter turned preacher, or even a mere man risen from the dead.

John and Ezekiel saw the living God. The glorified Christ. The fullness of the Holy Spirit. The glory of God!

Why is this so important? It will influence the way we see and approach God. It will determine the way we view our lives and our call to pick up our cross and follow Him. It will define our worship and our prayer life. It will either diminish or increase our faith.

We are always in danger of making God so other that we keep Him out of the reach of our daily lives. Or, we can make Him so ordinary that we treat Him like anyone else and lose our sense of reverence and fear as we worship Him. When we see God for who He really is, the Father, the glorified Son, the Holy Spirit – like John, we must fall down in humble worship and adoration. We will be drawn to true repentance and humility. And, like John, we will feel the hand of Jesus extended to us saying,

• “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

When we lose the fear of the Lord in our worship we also lose the awe of our worship. Our worship and our walk of faith become ordinary and predictable. Our faith grows weak when we fail to see the glory, power, and splendor of God. God is not here to serve us. We were created to serve Him. We were created to worship Him. He alone is the Creator of all things and all things were created by Him and for Him!

It is time to return to the vision of the throne of God. We need to see God in all of His glory and power. We need to recognize how small we really are and how much we really need to be changed. Our worship, our service, and our effectiveness do not come from making God come down to us again. It flows from a vision of His holiness and His glory.

It comes from the Revelation of Jesus Christ!

Lord, open my spiritual eyes to behold You in all of Your glory and power. Give me a glimpse of what John saw as He looked upon Your throne. Help me to kneel before You and join with the four living creatures, the 24 elders, and the hosts of heaven and proclaim,

• “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11

In Jesus’ Name!