Message of the Month by Pastor Paul August 2018
Let’s Worship like they do in Heaven
While I was in the USA I had the joy of meeting Pastor Dwayne Terry.
I was at his church last Sunday in Atlanta when he preached on "Worship Through Pain."
He said that 2 out of every 3 Psalms come from a position of suffering of some description and oftentimes we don't feel like worshipping because the only thing we have to offer God is our sin and pain but Dwayne said that when we do that, it is real worship.
Dwayne took us to Psalm 73 where the Psalmist says in verse 14 "All day long I have been plagued... When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me...
UNTIL I entered the sanctuary of God."
The Psalmist had been suffering and complaining - but when he entered into the sanctuary of God with his sin and pain - (that's all he had to offer) - he surrendered.
That's what worship is - it is surrendering ourselves to God. And when we do that it is real - and it's real worship.
The word "Worship" means to "bow down." Worship involves bowing self before God. In other words real worship is the act of giving ourselves to God.
Every time we surrender to God we really worship.
And every time we really worship we are giving ourselves to God all over again.
When I first started out in ministry we used to meet in an old hall which was very unattractive and difficult to heat. I used to say, "If you can worship God here, you can worship Him anywhere" - and we did!
I'm sorry to say it, but lots of Christians today including Pentecostal/Charismatic ones have little idea of what real worship is. They think that if they sing the latest song and jump up and down and feel good - that they are worshipping. Well I applaud the enthusiasm but there is more to worship than that. It's entering into the Holy of Holies..
We see worship at its best in heaven. Let’s watch them worshipping there and learn to worship like they do in heaven…
The Worship of Heaven
The Blood is the basis of all worship in heaven
They sang a new song: "You are worthy... because You were slain and with Your
blood you purchased men for God." Rev 5:9
There can be no worship or access to God without being cleansed from sin and redeemed by the blood. Those who have been, are made priests who have direct access to God to worship and serve Him, enjoy His presence and reign forever (Rev 1v6 & 5v10) and in all of this they never forget that it’s the life blood of Jesus that has redeemed them.
The Throne is the central focus of all who worship in heaven
“One sat on the throne … like a jasper and sardius stone in appearance, and there
was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald” (Rev 4v2-6).
The throne is glorious and mysterious Words just cannot describe it and any attempt to explain it will fall far short of the glorious majesty of the All Powerful, Omnipresent, Infinite, Holy, All Loving God who sits enthroned on High.
The Lamb is the central figure in the worship of heaven
The worshippers “fell down before the Lamb” (5v8) saying “worthy is the Lamb” (5v11), “Blessing and honour and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, forever and ever” (5v14).
The Worshippers in Heaven
The Living creatures We catch our first glimpse of these awesome, amazing beings who are closest to the Lamb and to the throne of God in Ezekiel 1v5-25. They are the worship leaders of heaven (5v8-9). What do they do? They give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the Throne (4v8-9). They never stop saying "Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come." The ones who are closest, offer the profoundest worship!
The Elders There are twenty-four of them and because they sing the song of the Redeemed “You have redeemed us to God by Your blood” (5v9) it seems that they are representing all of us, both of the Old Testament (12 Tribes of Israel) and the New Testament (12 Apostles of the Lamb), before the throne of God.
The Angels There are 100 million of them - and millions and millions more (5v11) who wait upon God’s presence and commands AND are sent forth to minister for us (Hebrews 1v14). What a crowd giving worship to God! We can’t begin to imagine what that vast crowd sounds like – but we will soon be part of it!
The Redeemed “A multitude that no one could number” (7v9). From every nation and ethnic group from the time that mankind began. Heaven is international, there is a place there for everyone that is cleansed by the blood (7v14).
I love to tell the story of the preacher in America who was reading this passage from Revelation to his congregation - and suddenly it hit him - he said - "I'm one of those people round the throne! - I'm in the BIBLE!!!'
We are all in Revelation 7:9 - we are all in the Bible! - and more importantly we are all going to be there, worshipping like they do in heaven!
We have a very special song to sing (7v10), it’s a new song (5v9) and it’s the song of the Redeemed (v9). The angels can't sing it, the cherubim can't sing it - only us - the Redeemed who are joint heirs with Christ! Sons of the MOST HIGH GOD.
We have the greatest reason to worship Him and not only will we be “before the Throne of God” forever, He will dwell among us (7v15) and the Lamb will “lead them to living fountains of water” 7v17 - from one surprise to another that will never come to an end!
I hope this inspires us to worship in that heavenly way now.
We do not have to wait to sing the Song of the Redeemed until we get to the "sweet by and by" (eternity), as the old hymn describes it. We are in the "nasty now and now" but
we don't belong to this sin sick world. We belong to heaven. We are destined for the Throne!
Let's surrender ourselves to God and worship like they do in heaven, entering by the Blood of the Lamb, focussed on the One who is seated on the Throne, singing songs of gratitude to the Lamb who has redeemed us!
And before we know it, we'll all be there worshipping together in heaven itself.
FOREVER!