In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of worshiping and praising the Lord with all our strength and passion. He compares our enthusiasm for worldly things like sports and hobbies to our lack of enthusiasm in pouring blessings upon the worthy Lord Jesus. The preacher encourages young and old men to come with their hearts full of praise and worship for the Lord, regretting that we may not fully appreciate the opportunity to worship and honor Him until we reach heaven. The sermon references Revelation chapter 5, specifically verse 11, which speaks of the worthiness of the Lamb that was slain to receive honor, authority, and riches.

In order that we might prepare our hearts for the meeting to follow, shall we turn to Revelation, Chapter 5, and begin reading in verse 11? Revelation, Chapter 5, and verse 11. While you're turning, I'd just like to say what a joy it is to be back and to sense the joy and the roar of the refreshing spirit here at Mid-South once again. Revelation, Chapter 5, verse 11. 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 times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing to every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, but all that are in them, heard I say, blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, to be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. The four beasts said, Amen. Four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him for ever and ever. Let's turn back to verse 12, and let's all read it together, shall we? Because that's the verse I'd like to take with you about tonight. Verse 12. Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Worthy is the Lamb, and he really is dear to me. Worthy of homage, and of praise. Worthy by all to be adored. Exhaustless themes of heavenly praise. Thou art worthy, Jesus. In the rush of present-day life, it's often easy to forget how infinitely worthy the Lord Jesus is of all of our worship, and our praise, and the adoration of our hearts. Worthy is the Lord. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Just think as we sit here tonight under this roof, people for whom someone has died. That someone was not a mere man, but the Lord of life and glory. Just think of the price that he paid for our redemption. We might be with him eternally in Emmanuel's grace. He came with a cross of shame, and poured out his life for us. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. It says, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and I think that some versions of the Bible have the word authority here. I must confess to you tonight that this verse of Scripture often puzzles me. I would read it, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and I think, how could he possibly have more power than he already has? Didn't Jesus say all power is given unto thee in heaven and earth? Isn't he the omnipotent one? Somebody then gave me a text, a wall text, and I hung it in the bedroom right opposite my bed, and I'm just a lion in my bed at night, and it says, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power. The one I just flashed across my mind, he does, he already has all power, but this means my submission is authority. Not his power, it's my vowing to me his authority. He already has all authority, but he wants me to acknowledge it, and what that really says is, that the Lord Jesus Christ is worthy that I should bow to him all the time. I really think that's the beginning of all true worship. The apostle Paul said, for to this end Christ both died and rose again that he might be our Lord. He also said, writing to the Corinthians, we die for all the day which lives should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died and rose again. In other words, the Lord Jesus is worthy that you and I should bow before him, acknowledge him, bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all. Pilkington of Uganda once said, if he is king he has a right to all. This is what the hosts of heaven are saying tonight. This is the song that we'll sing throughout all the earth. Virgie is the lamb that has fled. He said once that I had known about Jesus dying for me, but I had never understood that he died for me, then I didn't belong to myself, and that if I took my life and lived it the way I wanted to, then I was a thief. When I realized that, it didn't seem hard to give all in him, and he also said, if Jesus Christ evolves and dies for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make him do. To justice be he, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive authority. My subjection to his assault. Jim Elliot said, he is no fool who is what he cannot be. He was just saying the thing. This is an echo that goes down through the centuries from the list of men who followed the logic of Christianity, but then down to one race total commitment. Gordon of Yale said, Lord Jesus, I take in thought as far as my life is concerned. I put thee on the throne in my heart. Change, cleanse, use me as thou shalt choose. I take the full power of thy Holy Spirit. I thank thee. Amen. And, another said, a young girl at Louis Bible who wants to go to the front of her Bible. Lord Jesus, I give up my own purposes and plans, all my own desires, hopes, and ambitions, whether they be fleshly or soulish. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly, to thine forever. I hand over to thy keeping all of my friendships, my love, all the people whom I love are to take second place in my heart. Fill me and fill me with thy Holy Spirit. Work out thy whole will in my life at any cost. Now and forevermore. So, she gave a little cross, signed her name, wrote her name on the cross. Later she married John Stan. They went out to church and sealed their testimony with their bond. Father Houston, thank you for staying worthy. It's a lamb of the Lord. Now, with everything given, we are bound to Jesus Christ. But, we have the wonderful privilege tonight to come together to worship him, pour out our hearts and emotions in him, and praise the name of the Lamb that was slain. And, he will have my submission to his authority. Then, the verse goes on to say, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive riches. Once again, you think, riches? You own cattle and a thousand, you know? Creator is a sane and a human person. How can you receive riches? I think it means my riches, don't you? I think it means your riches. I don't have any riches. I only have my name. The Lord allows a certain amount to pass through all of our hands during a lifetime. Now, this verse says to me, everything I am, forever I will be worthy of it all. Years ago, a young man saw this vision. He was brought up in Ireland in a castle. Some people passed the castle. They used to raise their noses and tightly hush her and say, it's so nice to know Darby. And, John Nelson Darby turned his back on wealth and fame and fortune to follow Jesus Christ. He traveled for 26 years in Europe without unpacking his suitcase. He lived days at a time on acorns and milk. One day, he sat in the chief Italian boarding house and cupped his chin in his hand and saying, Jesus, I, my prophet, have come to all believe and follow thee. What was he saying? He was saying, worthy is a man that was slain to receive riches. He gave him all that he had. Lady Powert's Court, another fine Christian who lived at the same time, said, it seems an insult to that love which gave all for us to say we love and yet stop to calculate about giving our all to him when our all is but two nights. Better not to love at all. Better to be cold and lukewarm. She said, worthy is a lamb that was slain to receive my riches. I love to tell about C.T. Studd as a young man. After he had been converted, he was born running. God set a fire in his soul and he inherited a fortune and he decided to put it all to work for Jesus. But he thought, well, he was marrying this young bride, and the fairest thing to do would be at least to turn some of it over to her. His faith wouldn't do for her, so he gave away his part of the fortune, but reserved some for her. Incidentally, his part of the fortune went to starting Moody Bible Institute. But he explained to her what he was doing, and she said to him, Charlie, what did Jesus tell the rich young man to do? And Charlie said, he told him to forsake all and follow him. And she said, Charlie, let's start our married life doing what the rich young man failed to do. She put it all to work for him. Worthy is a lamb that was slain to receive riches. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive wisdom. Wisdom personified, isn't he? Is there anything he doesn't know? Is there any wisdom he doesn't know? I don't think that's what it means. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive the finest of my intellectual power. It makes me think of that verse in Luke chapter 10, verse 26, where the Savior says, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, thy neighbor. It seems to be the prevalent attitude today that anyone with unusual intellectual powers should give them to the world. That Jesus is worthy of the second death of somebody else's children. But that isn't what this verse says. This verse is worthy of the lamb that was slain to receive the very death that I can bring to my mind. What a wonderful thing to see Christians, young Christians, keen young Christians coming and putting their minds on the altar for the Lord Jesus Christ to be used for him. Spurgeon said, I like this, he said, In that day when I surrendered myself to my Savior, I gave him my body, my soul, my spirit. I gave him all I had, and all I shall have for time and eternity. I gave him all my talent, my powers, my faculties, my eyes, my ears, my conscience, my limbs, my emotions, my judgment, my whole manhood, and all that could come of it. Whatever fresh capacity or new capability I might be endowed with. And later on F.D. Meyer said, Of all the minds God gave him, he made the most of it. So I think of that when we come to the Lord's table and we bow before him. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive. Dear young believer here tonight, are you giving your mind to him, or have you saved that for the unworthy world? And then it says, Strengthworthy is the lamb that was slain to receive strength. You don't need any strength, do you? Worthy is the very finest of my physical powers. My, the Olympic Games have just been going on, and I certainly wouldn't disparage them, because I admire the discipline of young people today who will train, and practice, and exercise, and go forth after the living. But I tell you there's something better, there's something better than living. Something better than the poor withering weak that they give in mockery of. That's a crown of glory, but say that's not a thing. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive strength. There's nothing more sensible, rational, reasonable than that I, for whom the Savior has died, to take the very finest of my strength and extend it to you. But didn't he have the lamb? We're saying that, in effect, when we come to worship him. I'll never forget when those five fellows died for Christ down in Alcaland, in Ecuador, and the word got to me that Peter Fleming had a favorite hymn. It was in the InterVarsity Hymnbook, and I went to it, and looked it up, and I'll never forget how loudly it spoke to me. It says this, and it's really saying, in effect, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive strength. My strength, Lord in the fullness of my might, I would for thee be strong, while runneth o'er each dear delight, to thee should rise my song. I would not give the world my heart, and then protect thy love. I would not feel my strength depart, and then thy service prove. I would not with swift winged zeal on the world's errands go, then labor up the heavenly hill with weary feet and flow. O, not for thee my deep desires, my poorer, baser heart! O, not for thee my fading fires, the ashes of my heart! O, choose me in my golden time, in my dear joys at heart, for thee the glory of my prime, the fullness of my heart. It's only reasonable, isn't it? It's only reasonable that we should come to him with all our strength. This is a chant that's going on in heaven right now. Ten thousand times, ten thousand, and thousands and thousands, saying what's on it for us. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive strength. My strength for Jesus. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive honor. My, what do we know really about praising the Lord? What do we know about hearts overflowing with love for him, and with a single pure desire to bring honor to his name? That's what it says to me. I think of dear John the Baptist, how he had that passion burning within him. I must be true, he must be true. I think of men and women of God down through the centuries, and their great desire with them is he honor and call upon honor and glory from the Lord Jesus Christ, who is worthy of all. Crown him with many crowns, the lamb upon the throne. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive honor. Should we spend every moment of every day chanting and singing the praise of our Lord, it would be none too much. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive glory. Mostly in this world he doesn't receive glory. In fact, the only the only glory he receives is from redeeming goodness. And when you think of what little portion of the church's life is spent today in pure worship, it really is amazing. And yet he misses it. He misses it. I really believe with all my heart that the Lord Jesus has an appointment with me at the Lord's table every week. But I believe when I'm not there, he is there. I come from California, and I'm sorry to say that the attitude in many places in California is that no meeting could be allowed to interfere with a trip to the house of Jesus. But when I think of that, I think of the day Jesus came to the house of Simon the Pharisee. Do you know what he said to him? He said, Simon, when I came to your house, you gave me no gift. You gave me no gift. What does it tell me it tells me? He missed me. If I'm redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and I'm not there to remember it, then he misses it. He's infinitely worthy of it, and yet we forget. It's so easy for us to take the glory to ourselves, to take the glory to ourselves, and to neglect gifts. Be careful not to touch the glory. And finally, worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive blessing. What does this mean? It means all my powers, all my powers of praise for him. You know, it's marvelous when you stop to think of it, how easy it is for us to work up enthusiasm over chasing a little white ball over 18 greens. It's marvelous how we can get enthusiastic over baseball, or talk with such proficiency about a new card. And yet, when it comes to pouring blessings upon the worthy Lord Jesus, there's sometimes something the matter, isn't there? Young men and older men as well, when we need to worship the Lord, come with your baskets full, and don't be a dumb priest. I believe one of our regrets when we get to heaven is that we didn't worship and praise the Lord. Don't you think? Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive authority. My subjection to his authority and riches all that I possess is his unjustice, and wisdom, the very finest of my intellectual power, and strength, the best of my physical powers, for him an honor, and glory, and blessing. Some time ago, I was in a home. Somebody played a record. Paul Sandberg singing, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, of honor, and glory, and blessing. And, you know, the Spirit of God is very present in that room. And when that record's finished, one of the brothers broke down weeping, and when he finally regained his composure, he said to another brother, that's what we're going to be singing throughout all eternity. Well, dear friends, we don't have to wait. We can start right now. So, as we need to remember the Lord, may our hearts be open to him, whether audibly or silently. May the house tonight be filled with the odor of the ointment.