Title: Visions of Worthship
Text: Rev 4 & 5
FCF: He is worthy to receive our power, our glory, and our honor.
Intro:
When I first got my glasses – I could see trees! I didn’t realize they had leaves. How glorious!
What is a vision?
1. It reveals to us the attributes of God
a. He is Holy (set apart)
b. He is Worthy
2. It models for us our relationship to God
a. The four living creatures? A poetic shorthand for “the mightiest of all creation.” (Jewish proverb – The mightiest of the birds is the eagle, the mightiest of the domestic animals is the ox, the mightiest of the wild beasts is the lion, and the mightiest of them all is man.) And yet, what do they do? They worship!
b. We are to humble ourselves! Twenty four elders (Apostles + Tribes? 2x Israel?) – you’d think they wouldn’t need to “cast down their crowns,” but they do.
3. It compels us to action because he is God
a. Notice how the refrain keeps being, “You are worthy to receive.” What does God need to receive? He’s already all-powerful; He is honored; He is rich, etc… The only thing he could receive would be tokens from his children! (See 5:12)
i. We give him our meager power. Our Actions!
ii. We give him our meager riches. Our tithe!
iii. We give him our meager wisdom! How? Through mentoring, loving, etc.
iv. We give him our meager strength. All that we do is for him – Each breath is taken in the knowledge that we are His.
v. We give him our honor. We wait on him, not he on us!
vi. We give him our glory. The downside to the “worm” mentality – we forget that God actually did good work. (C.S. Lewis on humility?) The truth, however, is that even our good works are done for him)
vii. We give him our praise. That’s worship.
b. Handel’s Messiah – I believe he had a vision of God himself. It came from the Word, but has built up Christians ever since. He uses this song as the finale to The Messiah, his Easter opus…
Transition:
I want to end somewhere near where John began, with the words, “After this.” After what? After an honest look, like that which he gave to the seven churches we just read about. He saw their strengths and their weaknesses, but in every case he saw their promise as well.
How can we have that vision?
Remember – it was the strong, powerful, rich churches he had the most comforting words for. It was the small, the weak, the ones that rested in Christ. (You know of the 7 churches, only 2 still have Christians in them today: Smyrna & Philadelphia – the two smallest!) I think that if we follow their model, we can accomplish something great still.
That’s why, for the last several weeks, I’ve been in prayer about who we are. Indeed, the whole reason I preached on these messages is not because I cared about 7 churches in Turkey, but rather I cared about 1 church in Halfway. I asked God to reveal to me his assessment of Long Branch.
We are an older church, and there are some who think we should just pack it in. In my classes and my books, Long Branch is everything that they say in relation to a church that won’t be around in 20 years. The advice I tend to get most often is, pack up! The more charitable ones suggest that the best I could do is prepare you all for selling your building and leaving an inheritance to the other churches around. Well, I’m sorry. I’ve put on my glasses – and they aren’t rose-colored ones either. I see depth of worship and depth of service here like you wouldn’t believe. We’re not that great at evangelism, but when we model humility, we have a lot to teach.
Like Handel, it would be easy to think we’re through. But I believe God gives music to each and every generation. The question is, do we choose to sing along?
Long Branch Baptist Church
Halfway, Virginia; est. 1786
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Enter to Worship
Prelude David Witt
Invocation Michael Hollinger
Opening Hymn* “Holy, Holy, Holy” #1
Welcome and Announcements
Morning Prayer Mr. Hollinger
Responsive Reading [See Right]
Offertory Hymn* #52
“Crown Him with Many Crowns”
Offertory Mr. Witt
Doxology
Scripture Revelation 4:1 – 5:14
Sermon Mr. Hollinger
Visions of Worthship
Hymns of Worship and Invitation
“Immortal, Invisible, God only wise.” #32
“Be Thou My Vision” #212
Benediction*
Congregational Response
Postlude* …………………………………………………………..……… Mr. Witt
* Congregation, please stand.
Depart To Serve
RESPONSIVE READING
Where there is no vision, the people perish:
but happy is he that keeps the law
I will stand at my watch post, and station myself on the rampart;
I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
Then the LORD answered me and said: Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved;
- Proverbs 29:18, Habakkuk 2:1-3, Joel 2:27-32
Don’t forget! Saturday, July 30th at 6:30: Movie @ Michael’s House!
Please join us after church for an informal get-together in the Sunday School room.
Are you interested in The Plains Community Lunch? Grace Episcopal is taking the lead in forming a monthly lunch on the last Saturday of each month. There will be an organizational meeting on August 4th, and the first lunch will be 11am Saturday, September 24th, at Grace. Call Sue Smith for details.
Don’t forget VBS in The Plains & Middleburg is July 25th – 29th.
