Here I Am To Worship

HERE I AM TO WORSHIP

What is worship? "David, that is a ridiculous question! Every adult and most children here this morning know what worship is!" Since that is such a ridiculous question and the answer is such common knowledge to the vast majority of those in this assembly, quietly answer that question to yourself. If you were to answer the question, "What is worship?" what would your answer be?

The New Testament does very little to either define or describe worship. In fact, the Old Testament does more to define and describe worship than does the New Testament. Jesus talked very little about worship. The book of Acts describes the beginning of Christianity, but does not describe Christian worship in detail. The epistles do not contain major sections on worship. The New Testament book that says more about worship than any other New Testament writing is the book of Revelation. It in symbolic terms makes several statements about worship in heaven.

I. I ask you to do two things.

A. The first thing I ask you to do is to call to mind your definition of worship.

1. I am quite serious.

2. Think about your definition of worship.

3. I want you to consciously hold on to that definition.

B. The second thing I want you to do is this:

1. While you keep your definition of worship firmly in your awareness,

2. I want you to read with me several worship scenes from the book of Revelation.

3. So I want you to do two things at one time: stay constantly aware of your personal definition of worship and listen to what Revelation says about worship.

C. Read with me.

Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."

Note the stress on God’s holiness.

Revelation 4:9-11 And when the living creatures give glory and 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 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."

Note the stress on God’s worthiness.

Revelation 5:8-10 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

Note the first two passages involved the worship of God, Who is the central figure in heaven. Note the shift in this passage: the worship of the resurrected Jesus, God’s sacrificial Lamb. Note the emphasis is on the worthiness of Jesus because he accomplished God’s basic objective.

Revelation 5:11,12 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

The Lamb is still the focus of worship here. Note again the stress is still on worthiness.

Revelation 5:13,14 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshipped.

Now the focus is both on God and the Lamb. The stress is on their praise worthiness.

Revelation 7:11,12 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

The focus of worship is now back on God. Again, note God is praised for His worthiness.