Revelation 4 and 5 give us a glimpse of what worship in heaven looks like. If anyone gets worship right anywhere, certainly it must be in heaven. We can learn something from what we see.
Worship in heaven is overwhelmingly God-centered. The hymn is about Him. Its about who God is, what he as done, he is the subject of every song. When we are found in heaven;'s song, it is only as object of of God's grace, singing about what He has done for us in Christ.
Worship in heaven is corporately and passionately practiced. The 24 elders are all together, the follow worship leadership and actively, passionately participate. worship is practiced repeatedly,it continues and will continue, they do not rest. This is not the bland leading the bland, but obeisance with abandon! You could say that heaven's worship is liturgical in its depth and intentionality and it is charismatic in its zeal and devotion.
In Revelation 5 worship in heaven is a joyful response to God for what He has done in Christ to make all creation right: heaven celebrates humanity reconciled, the rebellion of Satan put down, and paradise restored across all of creation. Their songs suggest that our worship, Sunday by Sunday, should be a joyful response to God, for what He has done in Christ, in anticipation of His making creation right. Although we don't yet see glory restored, we anticipate it in hope, and worship in faith. Believing enables worship.
Allan Ross writes, "If we ever begin to comprehend the risen Christ in all His glory, or faintly hear the heavenly choirs that surround the thone with the anthems of praise...then we can never again be satisfied with worship as usual. So, we join in with Chris Tomlin singing: I hear the voice of many angles sing, "worthy is the Lamb" and I hear the cray of every longing heart, "worthy is the Lamb!" Jesus has overcome, and the grave is overwhelmed. victory is won, He is risen from the dead...
Free to Worship: Let my people go...
The book of Exodus has several major movements: Moses, plagues on Egypt, Passover, the exodus from Egypt, Sinai and the Law, instructions for worship, rebellion and idolatry around a golden calf, yet finally the fulfillment of worship in God's tabernacle. It's a story of grace, redemption and worship, that rings through the ages, as God intended. Jesus himself took the Passover table, that celebrated this redemption, made it the table of the New Covenant, celebrating our salvation in Christ, our passover.
The goal of the Exodus salvation is the same as ours: God says "Let my people go (free from bondage, into new life) so that they may worship me." And not surprisingly, as soon as they crossed the red sea on dry ground, they sang a new song or worship and praise to their great deliverer.
Sinai and the Law drew a line they could not cross, they were unable to approach God on their own and made a god of gold that seemed more reasonable and manageable to them. Still through sacrifices and a tabernacle/temple, God made a way for continuing forgiveness so that they could dwell with him and worship him.
I fail, I'm not worthy, but God desires me, has redeemed me, given me new life to live in, and the focus of that new life is to worship him. Christ has died for my guilt once for all, and He ever lives to intercede for me, to keep on cleansing me. Indeed, I am Free to Worship!
The goal of the Exodus salvation is the same as ours: God says "Let my people go (free from bondage, into new life) so that they may worship me." And not surprisingly, as soon as they crossed the red sea on dry ground, they sang a new song or worship and praise to their great deliverer.
Sinai and the Law drew a line they could not cross, they were unable to approach God on their own and made a god of gold that seemed more reasonable and manageable to them. Still through sacrifices and a tabernacle/temple, God made a way for continuing forgiveness so that they could dwell with him and worship him.
I fail, I'm not worthy, but God desires me, has redeemed me, given me new life to live in, and the focus of that new life is to worship him. Christ has died for my guilt once for all, and He ever lives to intercede for me, to keep on cleansing me. Indeed, I am Free to Worship!
outside my comfort zone
There are three movements in Acts 10 (at least as I see it...)
God prepares people to hear the gospel (Cornelius, a roman, religious and good, but not good enough without Christ. He needs Jesus who died for him.)
God prepares someone to share the gospel (Peter, apostle, fisherman, outside the box but religiously traditional. He knows Jesus, but he needs to get to know Cornelius...)
God brings the two of them together (its a little awkward at first, but the Spirit works through the gospel.)
The interesting part of the story, for me, is that God has to do a lot more preparing of the Christian than he does the one who needs to hear. Is that true in my story? Could unsaved people seem so far away because I am withdrawn and isolated from them?
God prepares people to hear the gospel (Cornelius, a roman, religious and good, but not good enough without Christ. He needs Jesus who died for him.)
God prepares someone to share the gospel (Peter, apostle, fisherman, outside the box but religiously traditional. He knows Jesus, but he needs to get to know Cornelius...)
God brings the two of them together (its a little awkward at first, but the Spirit works through the gospel.)
The interesting part of the story, for me, is that God has to do a lot more preparing of the Christian than he does the one who needs to hear. Is that true in my story? Could unsaved people seem so far away because I am withdrawn and isolated from them?
Grace acts 9
Wow, has it been so long since I posted? Oh my, was there nothing in the last several chapters, or was there too much?
Acts 9 is a chapter of grace, God's grace that extends mercy to a murderer, the persecutor is transformed by God into the chief proclaimer of the gospel. Perhaps he can tell God's grace so well because he has drunk of it so deeply?
I outlined chapter 9 this way:
Acts 9 is a chapter of grace, God's grace that extends mercy to a murderer, the persecutor is transformed by God into the chief proclaimer of the gospel. Perhaps he can tell God's grace so well because he has drunk of it so deeply?
I outlined chapter 9 this way:
- Grace reaches the least likely people, 9:1-9
- Grace gives us courage in our fear, 9:10-19
- Grace transforms us, 9:20-25
- Grace to one person changes the church, 9:26-31
Somewhere between those last two points, I'm reminded how the conversion of Saul of Tarsus and his transformation into Paul the Apostle is considered by historians to be one of the greatest historical proofs of the reality of Christianity, second only to the resurrection of Christ. When one compares the depth of commitment, both before and after, and the distance between the two points of view held by Saul and by Paul (although he likely always had both names), there is no other rational explanation except that Paul genuinely knew to be true all that he so faithfully proclaimed to others.
Think on it, the best testimony of the risen Christ who forgives sin and gives new life is that new life lived out in the one who believes in Him. That is not just for Paul, you and I have that same opportunity. I so want God to do a great work through me, maybe I don't pay enough attention to the greatness of the work God would do in me.
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