RETHINK WORSHIP prt.1 Revelation 4-5

Teach thru books of the Bible - In between books – January Start Acts – very excited!

A)But the Lord impressed on my heart – take some time to address the subject of worship.

B)Actually going to begin a series today on the subject of worship at least a few weeks.

C)Title of my message today is RETHINK WORSHIP

1)At first I resisted this title – Because very trendy right now – RETHINK CHURCH, ________

D)But that is exactly what I believe the Lord wants us to do. –

1)Rethink the subject of worship –

E)Distorted idea of worship in the Church today.

For instance worship is big business today in the Church. Worship is a commodity

A)We have celebrity worship leaders – pp pay good money – go to their worship concerts

B)We have the Time life worship CDS

C)Different styles and genre’s of Worship

1)Because of all of that I think it is easy for us to miss the whole point of worship.

So for at least the next few weeks I want us to stop & reconsider what the Bible says about worship.

A)There are three main introductory thoughts I want us to grab a hold of today.

#1 Worship is not a religious thing – it is a human thing! If you are a human you are a worshipper

A)Even an atheist can be a worshipper.

B)Giving allegiance to something bigger than yourself.

C)So you don’t have to go to Church to see worship

1)You can go to the mall / Chargers game/ Rock concert

D)So worship is not a religious thing – it may have nothing to do with music and singing

1)Worship is about what we give our hearts toward

#2 #2 Worship is a lifestyle Who we are and what we worship isn’t determined by what we say or sing – but how we live!

A)What we spend our time obsessing about – what we spend our money and energy on will be an indication of what or who it is we worship

B)Listen the Dominant image in this series is going to be a throne

Worship is about the fact that at the center of the Universe there is a throne.

A)And the one who is sitting on it is worthy of all worship

B)Worship is not about music styles – or worship leaders – not about how we feel!

C)Worship is fundamentally about getting the Holy God in view and realizing that HE is on the throne

D)And so we need to realize that worship is not

just about singing – small part of it

1)Really worship is a lifestyle

#3 You become like whatever it is you worship!

A)Worship sex become lust driven.

B)Worship fashion become Materialistic

1)Worship money – become greedy

C)Worship Power become controlling

Worship Jesus you are going to become Christlike

A)That last point is what makes this series of studies so relevant

B)Best thing for us is to become more like Jesus

C)So the goal of this series is not to try and get us to sing more or to be more expressive

D)No our goal in this series is to take a journey thru scripture and see Who God is

1)And to see how God desires to be worshipped and bring our hearts in alignment with that picture

E)Are you up for that? Turn Rev 4

Here in Revelation Ch. 4 we are given a glimpse of the throne room – what is happening right now in heaven.

A)This very moment –this is the activity of heaven – this is what they are about – focused on.

B)Paul says: here on earth we see things dimly – fogged – half clear –

1)In heaven – We will see things clearly

C)The scriptures are helpful because they give us this glimpse of what Heaven is focused on.

After these things - John has just spent two chapters giving the letters to the 7 churches

A)Seven actually Churches Jesus wrote to in order to encourage and correct – even rebuke

B)Seven Churches – represent – the history of the Church – the church age

After these things –I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this."

A)Now right away in the Jewish mind – trumpet would remind them of the feast of Trumpets

Aa)They equated the voice of God with the sounding of the trumpet –

B)Rosh Hashanah- Jewish New year – takes place in the fall – usually September –

1)Traditionally believed by most orthodox Jews that the Messiah will come during Rosh Hashanah

C)In Fact Paul captures this thought in 1 Thess 4 in talking about the rapture – sound of the trumpet

D)So the fact that a trumpet is mentioned here would alert the Jewish mind that there is something Royal and Kingly that is happening here.

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

So John is given a glimpse of the throne and God the Father sitting upon it

A)And the imagery is so majestic all he can say is it was like Jasper –Sardius- it was like a rainbow colored emerald.

B)This is a point we want to establish today – Worship is about Wonder!

C)There is a sense of Wonder that we are going to see here before the throne.

Here is something else that is interesting about the heavenly scene.

A)We get a glimpse of why God was do particular about he details of the Tab & Temple

B)Read the book of Exodus and the Lord spends the final 16 chapter of the book describing – in intricate detail how the Tab was to be constructed

C)Also Describing the order of worship.

D)Much detail is given to every color of thread and every piece of Gold

1)Because it all correlates with the worship scene happening in heaven.

E)We can only speculate as to what it all means here – but One day – make total sense to us.

1)Blow our minds – beauty and wonder.

Rev 4:5-8

5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. [MT Siani ] Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Seven fold spirit of God – Seven # of perfection – speaks of the Perfect nature of God – Emanating

From the throne

6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. [wash basin] And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within.:

Now catch this the focus of heaven is not on these wild radical awesome looking angelic beings –

These Heavenly beings are pointed in one direction

Focused on the one who sits on the And they do not rest day or night, saying

"Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!"

This is similar to what Isaiah saw Isaiah 6

Isaiah 6:1-3 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory!"

So once again we see the repetition- WHY?

AA) In Hebrew writing when you wanted to add emphasis to something you didn’t underline it

A)You didn’t use a bold font – or bigger font –

Hand written scrolls

B)No to make an emphasis – you would repeat it!

C)What is interesting to me is the only attribute of God that gets repeated in this way in scripture is the fact that He is Holy.

D)You will never read – You are loving …..

Merciful ……. Gracious …….

E)What the Creatures in heaven are declaring is He is Holy, Holy, Holy

1)That is the first and central attribute of God they are focused on in Heaven!

The Holiness of God!

A)The primary meaning of holy is ‘separate.’ It comes from an ancient word that meant, ‘to cut,’ or ‘to separate.’

B)Perhaps an even more accurate would be the phrase ‘a cut above something.’

C)When we find a garment or another piece of merchandise that is outstanding, that has a superior excellence, we use the expression that it is ‘a cut above the rest

D)God is Holy – He is a cut above – way above all else

1)He is distinct, He is in a class by Himself

He has no rivals or competition.

E)No one in His league – No one no creature that is even comparable to Him

1)He is so far above and beyond us that He seems almost totally foreign to us.

The word “holy”also means “whole”—not eroded by sin, not falling apart at the seams, not hypocritical or flawed in any way.

Every move every decision is right. Every Judgment is true. He is Perfect in all His ways.

That is what Heaven is focused On – He is Holy

But miracles of miracles – He who was so separate decided to make Himself one of us.

A)Left the glory – took on flesh – humbled himself

Walk in our shoes – relate

B)Ultimately – died for us – pay for sin – so that we who were unholy could be made holy

1)We who had no chance of heaven – doomed to spend eternity in Hell - Now have heaven destiny

C)So Heaven is filled with a sense of wonder and Awe at the Holiness – Perfectness – the wholeness of God !

D)When you worship this is what you are joining into folks

1)When you worship you are never alone – Car / Room

Prayer closet – Park – Not alone – joining with the host

Notice They also praise his omnipotence.

A)God is the Almighty!

B)The people to whom the Revelation was written are under the threat of the Roman Empire, a power which no person or nation had ever successfully withstood.

C)Think what it must have meant to be sure that behind them stood the Almighty

D)Think about what that means for you and I today as well. He is for you – He is with you – Amazing!

So the scene in Heaven is they are constantly proclaiming – God almighty – all powerful is Holy Holy – Holy!

A)At the center of the Universe is a throne and the one who sits on it is Holy!

9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns Submission & allegiance before the throne, saying:

11 "You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created."

CREATOR AND SUSTAINER OF THE UNIVERSE!

Continue reading Ch. 5

So what is the response of everything in heaven to the unveiling of the Godhead? Worship

A)Falling face down – casting crowns – proclaiming loudly – singing with passion –

B)He is Holy – He is the Creator – He is the Almighty and He is the redeemer

C)He is worthy of all glory and honor

Listen to you think there is anyone in this scene walking around with their resume ?

A)Their list of accomplishments?

B)Anyone worried about musical styles or seats or loudness or who is leading worship.

C)None of that matters – All the focus is on the throne and the one who is in the midst of it

The Point of Revelation 4-5 is that there is a center to heaven – there is a center to the Universe

A)There is a center to all reality and at the center of it all is a throne –

B)The one who sits on that throne is not you or I – but it is God almighty – Who is Holy

1)Creator sustainer full of Glory honor majesty

C) And note this: THE WORSHIP TAKING PLACE IS NOT MECHANICAL – not robotic

This is not it’s a small world – creatures going thru robotic mechanical movements / not scripted

A)No these are creatures who don’t want to be anywhere else –

B)They are so captured by his presence.

1)Like how we feel when we don’t want to pull ourselves away from a sunset – so beautiful

C)Why people travel from all over the world to see the power of Niagra falls –

1)Draws you – stand there for a long time

D)Multiply the beauty power and glory by a 100 zillion and you will understand – why these creatures want to live before the throne.

Worship starts with getting a glimpse of God on the throne! Acknowledging the throne belongs to Him

A)How much of the agony that we go through in life is the result of trying to put ourselves on that throne

B) Worship starts with an recognition of where He sits that He is the only one who is worthy to sit there

1)In response to that I want my life to be surrendered to Him. – I want to exalt Him

C)This is where we often err as it relates to worship – so many of our discussions about worship are not discussions about Him – but about us.

1)Our Preferences – what we like

We start to critique music styles and worship styles

And all of that is natural

A)But when those things hinder us from engaging in worship to God – we are missing the point entirely

B)Worship suddenly becomes about us – and not about Him –

Bb)Worship becomes about what we are going to get out of it – instead of Giving to God what He deserves

C)Applegate experience -

1)Pt is they got it – It is not about us – It about Him

D)Soul Survivor –experience – Matt Redman – Delierous – Tim Hughes

1)Pp were all got up in the vessels who was leading and the musically style

E)The Pastor pulled it all back – Benched the worship leaders for a season – simplified

1)It has got to be about God.

F)Born out of that – was the Song – going back to the heart of worship all about you it is all about you Jesus.

Some of us evaluate a Church service the way that we evaluate a movie

A)You go to a movie theater – what are you concerned about?

B)You are concerned about where you are going to sit! – Who is going to sit by you

1)Hopefully no noisy little kids

C)When watching a movie – you are being entertained – You don’t participate

1)You are a spectator – just sit and watch

Again that is how some pp approach Church

When I go to the movies – I pick the movie – the theater doesn’t pick it for me.

A)And when the movie is over we walk about of the theater asking one simple question – what did U think?

B)And the way that we critique a movie isn’t based on some guidance principles or redeeming value

1)No it is purely based on my own personal preferences!

C)How many of us do the same thing here?

1)It is human nature – that is why we need saving

Worship begins with the recognition that He is on the throne! Now imagine if we really lived that way.

A)How affect us! Wake up tomorrow – Rest –

Awestruck – by who He is!

B)Think about how that would affect us in coming to Church – { Not late for worship no way.

C)It wouldn’t matter to us – Who was leading – that Day –

1)Just glad that there was going to be someone with some gifting to lead us into the throne room.

D)There would be that recognition that we are joining with the host of heaven right now to exalt Him who sits on the throne.

The goal of the service here is to get God in view

A)In reality I am also a worship leader and my job is to paint Biblically faithful pictures of the exalted and majestic God

B)That is also one of the reasons why we have been trying to have a little more worship after the study

1)Sometimes – It is our time in the word that gives us the persepective we need

C)The goal of the service is not to get information – no the goal of the service is to get Him in View

1)Orient our lives to the fact that He is on the throne and I am not.

2)Yield our hearts to Him in surrender and gratitude

D)Join with the host of heaven in declaring – He is Holy Holy Holy – Lord God almighty

"Holy, holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!"

Here today – Your life is all about you – you have been on the throne – Haven’t accepted Christ

Walked away – Surrender – Bow – cast your Life

Before the one – Who Gave His life for you