Introduction

Good morning, dear brothers and sisters in Christ! I am delighted to be here with you today, to open the Word of God together and to discover the treasures it holds for us. It's a joy, isn't it? To gather in His name, to sing His praises, to offer Him our hearts in worship. It's a joy that transcends our circumstances, lifts us up and draws us closer to Him.

Today, we're turning our attention to the theme of worship, specifically focusing on the harmony between heaven and earth, the heralding of the Holy in our worship, and the hallelujahs that ring out across heaven and earth. As we prepare to delve into this topic, I'm reminded of the words of the great preacher Charles Spurgeon who once said, "Praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song. By grace, we learn to sing, and in glory, we continue to sing."

Our Scripture readings for today are Psalm 150 and Revelation 19:1-6. Let's read those together now. "Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD." (Psalm 150)

"After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.' And again they shouted: 'Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.' The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: 'Amen, Hallelujah!' Then a voice came from the throne, saying: 'Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!' Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.'" (Revelation 19:1-6)

Harmonizing Heaven and Earth

The sanctuary we find ourselves in is a sacred space. It's a place where we invite the divine to meet us, where we seek to encounter God. Yet, it's not just about us reaching up to God, but also about God reaching down to us. This is the beautiful dance of worship, a dance that mirrors the harmony between heaven and earth.

When we look at Psalm 150, we see a call to praise God in His sanctuary and in His mighty heavens. This is a call for all creation. It's a call that echoes from the highest heavens to the deepest depths of the earth.

The psalmist invites us to praise God for His acts of power and His surpassing greatness. We are to remember the specific ways God has demonstrated His power and greatness in our lives and in the world around us. It's a call to recount His mighty deeds, to testify to His faithfulness, to celebrate His love and mercy.

The psalmist encourages us to praise God with the sounding of the trumpet, the harp and lyre, the timbrel and dancing, the strings and pipe, the clash of cymbals, the resounding cymbals. All of these were tied to the sacrificial offering that pointed towards the Messiah to come. This is what the instruments in the Old Testament always pointed towards. The psalmist concludes with a universal call to praise: "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD."

In Revelation 19, we get a glimpse of the heavenly worship that is taking place right now. We hear the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." This is a worship that is deeply engaged with the realities of our world, a worship that acknowledges God's justice, a worship that celebrates His victory.

The elders and the living creatures fall down and worship God, crying, "Amen, Hallelujah!" This is passionate and wholehearted worship! It's a worship that involves our whole being, a worship that engages our minds, our hearts, our bodies.

The voice from the throne calls all of God's servants to praise Him. This is for all who fear Him, both great and small. It echoes from the highest heavens to the deepest depths of the earth.

Finally, we hear the sound of a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting, "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns." This is a bold and triumphant form of worship! It's a worship that declares the sovereignty of our God, a worship that proclaims His reign, a worship that celebrates His victory.

Heralding the Holy in Worship

Now, let’s take a closer look at this worship ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO