HoHum:
Phillips, Craig, and Dean song “The Concert of the Aage”- The star become as lasers; And all the worlds align; Horizon to horizon; A rainbow begins to rise; Sudden sound like thunder; Come from everywhere; As the angel Michael; Kicks the countdown on the snare; Across the sea of faces; Shouts of praise begin to roll; As we see the silhouette; Of the King of heart and soul
Chorus: At the concert of the age; The great I Am takes center stage; The generations stand amazed; At the concert of the age
Then a voice like a trumpet; Blows through me like the wind; Gabriel cries, "Welcome home; We're ready to begin"; We know you heard Beethoven; And the king of rock-n-roll; But on behalf of the Father; We give you the King of heart and soul
Chorus
Discussion question: What’s the biggest celebration you’ve ever been a part of?
WBTU:
Our theme verse over the last several weeks has been Revelation 1:9, read Revelation 1:9-10
Compare this to binoculars. The 9th verse is the lens through which we have looked to see the suffering, victory, and steadfastness of Christ’s church in its mission for “the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” The 10th verse is the other lends, through which we now view Revelation. This is the lens of worship. To look through vs. 9 is prophecy. To focus in with vs. 10 is to view praise and worship.
The Lord’s Day here is not the day of the Lord, the final day, but the first day of each week. When Christians across the world gather on the first day of the week to sing their hymns, that is choir practice for that future day when all the redeemed will sing praise to their Redeemer. The first day of the week also could be said to be a wedding rehearsal for the marriage feat n glory (Revelation 19:7). If musicians practice for the coming concert and ball players drill for the big game, Christians could be looked at as those in preparation for eternity.
John received his Revelation on a Lord’s Day, when he was separated from his flock in Asia Minor. What he saw, recorded, and sent to the congregations across Asia would be read to them on a Lord’s Day, the day when the Christians met.
From the NT and from the writings of the church fathers it is evident that the Lord’s Day spoken of here was the first day of the week when the Christians met for worship. Romans set aside the first day of the month to recognize the Caesar as “lord,” the Christians met on each first day of the week in recognition of the fact that Jesus’ resurrection on that day established Christ as Lord.
Revelation has many scenes of praise and worship. Choirs sing, and elders encourage praise of the Lamb. Listen to the hymns of praise to God as Creator in chapter 5. Give ear to the songs as Jesus the Redeemer in chapter 6. Hear what Handel heard in the music of chapter 19 to inspire the “Hallelujah Chorus.” That great choir “that no one could count” is made up of the saved “from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9).
Saved souls understand the significance of the “Lord’s Day,” the importance of the Lord’s “Spirit,” and the importance of the Lord’s “Voice” in the worship of every Christian. Earlier Jesus had said: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.” John 4:23. Revelation is a book focused on worship. Proper worship is done with the right object, the right attitude and in the right way.
Thesis: The right object, the right attitude and the right way
For instances:
Must worship the right object, or more correctly the right God
The emphasis in the first 21 chapters of Revelation is on worshipping the one true God. In Revelation 22 the author makes a mistake in who he is to worship. Read Revelation 22:8-9
In 96 AD Domitian insisted on being called “god and lord.” These very words are what Thomas called Jesus after the resurrection (John 20:28). An earthly emperor demanded for himself these titles upon penalty of death. John likely refers to this situation the church was facing as he described the world worshiping the beast (Revelation 13:4,8, 15; 14:9, 11; 16:2; 19:20) and the second beast encouraging that kind of worship (13:12). Those who followed Jesus learned to appreciate good emperors, but they would not make them a god. They would gladly pray for Caesar, but they would die before praying to Caesar. Others may say, Caesar is lord,” but citizens of God’s kingdom only confess “Christ is Lord.”
Christians will not worship Caesars or demons (Revelation 9:20) or angels (22:8-9) or even the best of men (5:3-4). Let us never forget that the best of preachers and elders are unworthy of worship. The only one found worthy to open the book, after searching Heaven and earth and under the earth, was God’s Lamb (Revelation 5:2-5). Only Jesus is worthy or deserving of man’s praise.
John says that Christ is Revelation 1:8. Also Revelation 1:17-18. Christ is no fearsome dictator whose love of power led Him to use people, destroy hopes, and spread evil. He is, rather, the benevolent Savior whose power of love deserves the adoration of “Holy, Holy, Holy” (4:8) or the praise of read Revelation 15:3-4.
Symbolically portrayed, the Messiah, garbed as high priest, had white hair and eyes “like blazing fire” (1:14). This shows that he sees all. Feet “like bronze glowing in a furnace” tells that he is all powerful. His voice, “like the sound of rushing waters,” reveals the authority of His word (1:15). The rest of the description, here and throughout Revelation, attribute to Jesus titles and deeds that were the titles and deeds of God himself.
Christ and Caesar compete for human loyalty. Will our worship be given to a ravenous beast who take life or to the Lamb who gives life? One is self serving and will use us. The other is self giving and will lift us. “Caesar” offers a forced choice. The Eternal One gives us freedom to choose. Before our choice is made, remember who made us and who bought us back. The hymns of Revelation 4 praise the “Almighty” (4:8) who created all things (4:11). It was by God’s “will they were created and have their being” (4:11). The songs of Revelation 5 adore the Lamb who “purchased men for God” with His blood (5:9).
The Jesus of the church is God enfleshed and involved with men for their rescue from sin. They pray to Him (Revelation 6:10) as well as to the Father, in His name (Ephesians 5:20; Hebrews 13:15). They “All hail the Power of Jesus’ name! Let angels prostrate fall: Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all. His “name” is referred to 40 times in Revelation, for at His name, every knee shall bow.
Every Lord’s Day for 2,000 years, Christians from every point of this globe, have gathered on the resurrection day to worship Him “who is worthy.” I am not talking about Easter I am talking about every Lord’s Day. The Sabbath of OT days recalled the truth of man’s creation. The Lord’s Day of NT points to the even more glorious fact that the Creator has become our Redeemer. On such a Lord’s Day, John is given the vision of the Apocalypse. No mention is made as to what year it is. It says nothing of a season, or month or the day of the month. What day it is, however, really matters. It is full of significance. The first day of the week, Sunday, is the Lord’s Day. The last chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John not only tell the resurrection fact but name “the first day of the week”. The greatest fact of all history is Christ’s resurrection. The Lord’s Day bears witness to that event.
The right attitude
In John 4:23 I believe that Jesus is talking about worshiping with the right attitude. The HS had not yet come and so I believe that the NIV did right in translating this as lower case “spirit.” Even so, in our day, those who have responded to the gospel in the NT way have the Holy Spirit. The HS helps us to worship rightly. Therefore, those who have the HS are enabled to worship with the right attitude, with the right “spirit.”
What things will we see from those who worship with the right attitude?
1. Silence- Read Revelation 8:1. Also, ““Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”” Psalms 46:10, NIV.
2. Receptivity- Read Revelation 22:21 and then Revelation 1:4. The book begins and ends with God’s grace. A worship service is not an assembly in which people have gathered to report all the things they have done. Far from it. The church gathers to express gratitude for being the recipients of the Lord’s grace.
3. Listening- Read Revelation 1:3 and then Revelation 10:8-10. No meal is so great that the next meal is unnecessary six months or a year later. The NT church knew that, so they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42).
4. Prayer- Read Revelation 5:8 and then Revelation 8:3-4. God’s priests on earth may be despised and rejected of men, yet in God’s eyes their prayers are as precious as gold and as sweet as incense. The judgments that come upon the earth are attributed to the power of prayer. Read Revelation 6:10. Prayer changes things. The Lord of the church acts. The fruitful results, across the mission fields of the world, are the consequence of the prayers of kingdom people.
5. Praise- Each one had a harp and read Revelation 5:9-14. Christians have much to celebrate, and music has become the chief channel of praise. Early church music is heard in the chapters of John’s writing (Revelation 4:8,11; 5:9,10,12, 13; 11:15, 16-18; 12:10-12; 14:7; 15:3,4; 19:1,2,5, 6-8).
6. Giving- Read Revelation 4:8-11. Notice that they gave in vs. 10. Such an act of giving recognizes that salvation is the result of God’s unmerited favor. We give of our time and lives to His service because of gratitude for His gift unspeakable (2 Corinthians 9:15).
The Right Way
Talked about the right object (God), the right attitude, and now the right way or listen to the right voice. “This is the Lord’s Day, and I am “in the Spirit,” having the right attitude. Now I am ready to listen to the voice of Christ as he speaks to me.”
Read Revelation 1:10-12.
An ancient Roman saying, “The voice of the people is the voice of the gods.” This is unacceptable. God’s people listen not for the opinions of men nor the words of the dragon (Revelation 13:11), but for the voice of their shepherd. Once we ask, “Is Jesus Lord?” we also must ask, “Has Christ spoken?” First, Lord implies slave. “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey?” Romans 6:16, NIV. To call Christ “Lord” is to stand at attention waiting for His orders. What does the Master desire from us?
We are not likely to give our mother a box of cigars for Mother’s Day. Wanting to please her, we find that gift she would appreciate. This instructs me not to seek the kind of worship service that I enjoy. Christ is the object of my praise. What does He seek from me in the hour of worship? Read Revelation 11:1. What does that have to do with anything?
The 1st century church understood that the temple was God’s type for the church. The temple was temporary, but the antitype is eternal. Exactness was important in constructing the “tent of meeting” because of the truths it foreshadowed. The author of Hebrews said this: “They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”” Hebrews 8:5, NIV. If God desired careful construction according to the blueprint for the type, he certainly cares about the antitype. Revelation has many images from the OT temple even the ark of the covenant in Revelation 11:19. Again what does this have to do with us?
When the gospel goes to people with different languages and with different cultures and backgrounds, what will keep it from becoming so molded by the culture that it is in no way like the faith in other places? The Word of Christ to all His sheep is that they hear His voice and follow him (John 10:27). In the figure of Revelation 11, Christ’s object is to continue to measure all life and teaching by the yardstick He has provided. Differences in worship services on other continents but we will find the basic elements among Bible believers.
With this Revelation demands evangelism. The call of Jesus is ““Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15, NIV. That same call echoes across the 22 chapters of Revelation.
Read Revelation 22:17: The Spirit and the bride- Christ is present in His church, and they extend Heaven’s call to the lost. Let him who hears say come- In other words, each convert is to make converts. Let him who is thirsty- No unnecessary roadblock is to be placed in the way of any person for whom Christ died. No racial barriers or class barrier are to make it difficult for anyone to come.
May every Christian on each Lord’s Day become on fire for his Lord, aglow with His Spirit, and alert to His voice as he cries, “Go!” More voices are needed for the concert of the age and they need to "Come!" but how can they be unless we go?
