January 27, 2024 -- Revelation 7:9-12 -- What are you worshiping? Come on be honest. You are giving yourself to something.

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 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 worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Revelation 7:9-12 ESV

One of the strangest things Christians do (and there are, to the watching eyes of the world lots of strange things) is to gather for worship. They dress up in nice clothes. They prepare for times of worship by praying for the preacher, praying that their own hearts will be open to the message to be preached. They join together single and married, young and old, whole families as well. Why?

It is what people were created to do. Humanity will worship. It will be sports or booze—maybe both. It will be video games or gossip. It will be anger or lust. Sins overtake people especially if they do not having the over-arching glorious vision of the One, True God. If men do not worship the God of Splendor Who alone lives in unapproachable light they will choose things that are inanimate, things that will kill them, things that are unworthy of consideration and give their time, abilities and money to that. Or, having known the Father by the work of Jesus the Son, in the power of the Spirit all people will rise, will shout, now on earth and one day in the unimaginable sumptuous resplendence of heaven, “Salvation belongs to our God, Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

It is the delight of the Christian to worship God. Even in times of calamity and strife. Men know the wars, earthquakes, violence against the believers, great sins—all these things are birth pains which point to the coming of the New Heavens and the New Earth. People of this world see the hardships and evils (which are multiplied by their own wickedness) and rather than repenting before God, gnaw of their tongues and curse the God of heaven (Revelation 16:10-11). Not so believers. The hardships of this life, the pincer tactics of the Devil and his vile hosts are exposed as ultimately futile. Jesus has overcome the world, the Devil, and death itself. In view of this, the Christian all the more delights to worship.

Worship builds fellowship, camaraderie. Believers know they are not alone. When Christians gather and worship the Living God, Who is holy and true, their hearts are encouraged, their souls look to Him, minds are prepared for the battles that face them. Christians are not alone. First and foremost, the Spirit of the Living God lives in every believer so that it is sweeter to trust in Jesus than have all the world’s treasures. Jesus is the treasure beyond all calculation. Second, believers like soldiers in the army, have each other’s back. Soldiers encourage one another, remind each other of the righteousness of the cause. In the case of Christians, there is no great cause, no stronger or nobler reason for fighting than to lift high the Name of Jesus.

Finally, worship builds anticipation for what will soon be. Eternity will not be boring. If men can be stirred by hockey arenas, if women can shout and get excited by packed concerts, and these things will soon fade away, imagine how much greater, better, more lasting it will be to join the people who have lived in every age and generation and then to participate in the concert of the ages?! Worship reminds you that this life is fleeting, passing more quickly than you can even keep track of, but oh, you were built for eternity in the presence of our God and Glorious King. So, each day presents a stark choice: refuse to worship the Amazing, Great, and Almighty God. You will be gnawing off your tongues in favour of the trinkets and baubles of this world aware that one day the judgment that leads to everlasting hell awaits you. OR decide today to join the thronging worshipers and bless the LORD God, the Lamb on the Throne and this by the power of the Spirit. You will be tuning your attitude, voice, and whole self for the beauty and worship of eternity.

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Revelation 15:3b-4 ESV

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