Title: “The Notes of Worship”
Text: Revelation 19:1-6
Introduction:
Folks, if any of us get a chance to see Manheim Steamroller perform in a Christmas Concert this next year, one of us ought to go and see their concert and then report back to the rest of us to tell us what it was like. Listen to this wonderful rendition of “Joy to the World.’ (Play the Song) Isn’t that beautiful music? Did you hear all that clapping at the beginning of the arrangement? What a fine attempt to copy the praise and adoration of heaven and the coming of a Savior? Now, read with me that section of scripture found within Revelation chapter 19:1-6. (Read) Can you hear all the clapping and the cheering at the beginning of this heavenly composition? If we want to learn anything about worship and it’s application to modern day life, I would say folks we need to capture those notes of worship of the church triumphant.
John says, “After this I heard.” And mark my word he wasn’t just watching clouds roll by in a Nebraska sky in the middle of summer. He was writing at a time when the shadow of the emperor Domition was on the throne, when atheism was scorching the earth, and the empire was running red with martyr’s blood. It was at a time when a Christian’s life wasn’t all that significance. And we find that even John himself was a prisoner on the island of Patmos. And here is what he says, “I heard the echo of the worship of the redeemed within heaven.” For you people who visited the Grand Cannon this past year, what was it like to hear the echo of someone’s voice come back to you from that big whole in the ground? I heard the echo of those who worshipped in heaven. What were they saying? John says, “They fell on their faces before the throne of God and cried, “Amen, Hallelujah.” Two words describe for us in detail the worship of he redeemed of heaven. And so I say may the battered church on earth learn from the worship of the saints already with the Lord.
TRANSITION: These two words, “Amen, and Hallelujah” have four notes of harmony, which bought victory to their faith. The first note of worship is:
THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE DIVINE WILL OF GOD
AMEN!
You see it there? Amen! That means, “So let it be done.” I remember when I was in college on special occasions our Academic Dean Dr. Swedburg would be called upon to address the student body with a power message from God’s word and he would conclude that message with these words, “As the good book says, so let it be done.” And you know when Dr. Swedburg spoke those words it meant something because there wasn’t anyone among the college staff anymore godly than that man. Here you have departed Christians standing before the throne of God and repeating that word, “Amen! So let it be done.” Whatever they suffered within their earthly life, they held no rebellion within there hearts now that they’re within heaven. Now, today within the thick of it all it may be hard for You and I in today’s life find that life can be somewhat tough upon us and troubling, but gods word testifies that some day we shall know more fully, and when we know we shall be satisfied.
APPLICATION
I was talking to Paul Bennett and he was telling me that the cost of health insurance is going to take another increase this year. For most of us, we understand that this is a normal undertaking each and every year. However, there are a number of people in this nation who have no medical insurance at all, and some are right here in this church. When you consider insurance hikes, the cost of living hikes, the everyday care for a family, the facing of the threat of disease, these things bring additional frustration to us as we are forced to handle those types of perplexities of life. However, the early saints who have died and gone to be with the Lord cry back to us all that you and I need to learn to accept the will of God even with our own particular situation and mounting concerns in this day and age. The first and foremost note of worship is the acceptance of the divine will of God.
TRANSITION: The second note of worship would be commitment to the purpose of God.
COMMITMENT TO THE PURPOSE OF GOD
YES LORD, YES LORD!
This is also found within that word, Amen! For in this same chapter John gives the vision of the exalted Christ riding forth to do battle with the enemies of the world and the saints above are streaming after him. They are following the Lord wherever he goes. For these followers worship meant action and service grandeur than anything they had known on planet earth. Some people think that when they get to heaven it is going to be a continual life of retirement. Guess again! “Thy will be done on earth as it is within heaven! Folks, the will of God is not something just to be accepted, it is something to be done. Sometimes it’s the shout of the people of God saying, “Yes, Lord Yes! I’m ready to go to work! Show me the fields white unto harvest. God make me strong when task of life seem hard and long; to greet them with this triumphant song, “Thy will be done.”
APPLICATION: You see do you always put an Amen at the end of your prayers? That means that you are asking God’s will to done within your life. What do you say this coming year we back up our prayers with dedicated lives. What a day it would be for the church of our modern times if the Amen of faith were really a shout of consecrated commitment. It’s got my vote. Just like Isaiah, “Here I am Lord, send me! I’m with you all the way. Like the song says, “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me, make me, mold, fill me, and use me. It’s a great way to live this earthly life as we prepare for heaven.
TRANSTION: Well the third essential note of worship is a sense of joy within the fellowship of God.
A SENSE OF JOY WITHIN THE FELLOWSHIP OF GOD
TRY SOME THINGS THAT ARE NEW AND EXCITING
It says here that when I heard the worship of the saints within heaven it was Amen, so let it be done, but even much more that this it was also HALLELUJAH! That means wherever John looked rejoicing was being done. People had smiling faces and were in awe at the presence of the Lord.
Now, as you know as a regular worshipper it’s hard to imitate this part of the worship setting because we are not able to see the Lord face to face in all his glory. However, let me say, every year we need to do what we can to try something different, to try and do some new things. Just take your bible sometime and read the beginnings of Palm 147 through 150. I mean good things that were taking place within the worship setting of David’s day that pleased the Lord.
· Palm 147 ----- “How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting it is to praise him.” First, we start off with the attitude of wanting to be here to praise God.
· Palm 148 --- Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above. Praise him all the angels, all the heavenly hosts, the sun and the moon, all the shining stars.” Folks, it looks to me like the attention is on what’s above us and not what’s on this earth.
· Palm 150 --- Praise the Lord! Sing the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. What do you say let’s make this out to be our objective in 2003. Let’s seek to do some new and different things within this assembly area where we gather to worship as we research together the thought, “What is worship suppose to be like?”
APPLICATION
Tertillion, even with the third century answered his own question, “What is faith?” His answer is a remarkable one. Faith is patience with the lamp lit. You say, “What does that mean?” This is where the Christian faces the stoic’s and cynics of our day and age with victory in mind. Folks what a way to begin this New Year. The best game you perhaps have ever seen on TV between two teams for the National College Championship, which resulted in both teams going back and forth in OT and the under dog team won. People thought that Miami was a sure win a sure repeat champion; victory in spite of the opposition for the Christian in 2003 what a beginning. The cynic may throw back his shoulders and say, “I could care less,” but the Christian just keeps right on moving and triumphing over life and glorying within tribulation, enduring longsuffering within and attitude of joyfulness.
ILLUSTRATION
You know, perhaps this has never been portrayed more graphically than in the movie “The Hiding Place.” The true story of Corrie Ten Boom while within a concentration camp north of Berlin, Germany. Here are her words. “Far away from my home in Holland, the barracks where we lived, my sister Betsy and me, now was to be within the shadow of a crematory. Everyday about 600 bodies were burned there while yet alive. When I saw the smoke go up in the air I asked myself, “When will it be my time to die?” I did not know before hand that I should be set free by a miracle from God, a blunder of man one week before the Germans killed all the women of my age.” She says, “I have looked death in the eye not once, but several times. When you see death within people’s eyes, you wake up to the reality that the next one could be your own death. What a joy it was that Jesus was with me and that I knew that He had died on a cross for all the sins of the whole world and also for my sins as well.
Now listen to these words! “I was not afraid! I knew that when they killed me I would go to the Father within heaven. How can we know how rich we are in Jesus and his abiding presence? By looking at the cross. Sometimes in that terrible concentration camp we had to stand naked. They stripped us of all our clothes. Seven times I went through that ordeal. The first time was the worst. I could hardly bear it. I have never felt so cold, so miserable, so humbled in all my life. I said to my sister Betsy, “I cannot bear this,” but then suddenly if was as if I had seen Jesus at the cross. The bible tells us that they took his garments as he hung there naked. By my own suffering I could now understand the suffering of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and it made me so thankful that I could feel the way he felt. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all.” Folks, Corrie is right! We must never for forget that we follow a scarred captain. Should we not also have our own scars? Within her darkest moments she didn’t loose her note of joy, which leads me to the final note of worship.
TRANSITION: The final note of the worship of the saints above, which harmonized well with the notes prior, is the assurance of the victory of God.
THE ASSURANCE OF THE VICTORY OF GOD
A DEFEATED ENEMY
All through the book of Revelation John is rejoicing within the wonderful visions of this book. Why? Because he knows there was a cross and a resurrection. Our God within Christ has met the power of darkness at its worst blow and came forth victorious. Therefore, all through this book John is not dismayed because he up against a defeated enemy.
APPLICATION: This is the rock beneath you feet. Build upon this rock within the New Year ---- Through Christ you will find your assurance of victory.
CONCLUSION:
Folks, if you believe these words than say, Amen! Now as you say Amen may God’s will manifested within you. Hallelujah! Praise Ye the Lord! Then you say those words you are singing the notes of the worship of the saints above, which is acceptance of God’s will, commitment to his purpose, having a joy within the worship setting, because of the assurance of the victory of God.
Although I struggle to read music, and I’m not a great concert musician, I can appreciate a fine number like it comes from Manheim Steamroller. But greater still, we are to look forward to worship of the saints above. May God continue to bless us as we worship within spirit and truth.
