“The Bible ends with a flourish: vision and son, doom and deliverance, terror and triumph.  The rush of color and sound, images and energy, leaves us reeling.  But if we persist through the initial confusion and read on, we begin to pick up the rhythms, realize the connections, and find ourselves enlisted as participants in a multi-dimensional act of Christian worship.”  –Eugene Peterson, The Message, Introduction to Revelation

“I sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it”… was a powerful song written by a seemingly frustrated worship leader, Matt Redman, who was coming close to realizing that worship truly is much more than a song to sing. 

When the music fades
All is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring
Something that’s of worth
That will bless your heart
I’ll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what you have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart

I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about you
It’s all about you, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about you
It’s all about you, Jesus…

(Heart of Worship, Matt Redman)

Worship is indeed multi-dimensional.  Worship is realizing every moment of every day Who created us, Who alone can save us and Who we owe it all—Jesus!  I’m reminded of Paul’s wonderful description of Who Jesus was, is and is to come, helping to realize to Whom all praise and glory should be given!  He writes;

“Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
    he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.”   Philippians 2:6-11, NLT

Realizing the depth of love God has for us through Jesus Christ is Son is the beginning of real, multi-dimensional worship.  We discover It is more than a worship formula with a lively opening song, two more songs, announcements, special song, prayer, preaching, ending song for the sole purpose to draw people to Jesus.  In fact, I remember Jesus saying (John 12:32), “When I be lifted up from this earth, I will draw all men to Me.”  Mm.  The formula may be only a beginning to “lift up the Name of Jesus”, but it is Jesus who draws people to Himself.  Yes, it’s so much more than a song…

It is interesting to note that John of Patmos, a pastor of the late first century, has worship on his mind, and is preeminently concerned with worship.  The vision, The Revelation, comes to him while he is at worship on a certain Sunday on the Mediterranean island of Patmos.  He is responsible for a circuit of churches on the mainland whose primary task is worship.  Worship shapes the human community in response to the living God.  If worship is neglected or perverted, our communities fall into chaos or under tyranny.

Our times are not propitious for worship.  The times never are:  The world is hostile to worship.  The Devil hates worship.  As The Revelation makes clear, worship must be carried out under conditions decidedly uncongenial to it.  Some Christians even get killed because they worship.

“John’s Revelation is not easy reading.  Besides being a pastor, John is a poet, fond of metaphor and symbol, image and allusion, passionate in his desire to bring us into the presence of Jesus believing and adoring.  But the demands he makes on our intelligence and imagination are well rewarded, for in keeping company with John, our worship of God will almost certainly deepen in urgency and joy!”  (Peterson)

John’s vision also confirms and validates words given to Paul and reminds us that the heart of worship is just that—our hearts aligning with the heart of God as we come into His Presence! 

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”  Romans 12:1, NLT 

“To the One on the Throne! To the Lamb!
The blessing, the honor, the glory, the strength,
For age after age after age.”

REVELATION—JESUS IS COMING BACK!

Revelation 5, The Message

The Lion Is a Lamb

^1-2 I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One Seated on the Throne. It was written on both sides, fastened with seven seals. I also saw a powerful Angel, calling out in a voice like thunder, “Is there anyone who can open the scroll, who can break its seals?”

³ There was no one—no one in Heaven, no one on earth, no one from the underworld—able to break open the scroll and read it.

^4-5 I wept and wept and wept that no one was found able to open the scroll, able to read it. One of the Elders said, “Don’t weep. Look—the Lion from Tribe Judah, the Root of David’s Tree, has conquered. He can open the scroll, can rip through the seven seals.”

^6-10 So I looked, and there, surrounded by Throne, Animals, and Elders, was a Lamb, slaughtered but standing tall. Seven horns he had, and seven eyes, the Seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth. He came to the One Seated on the Throne and took the scroll from his right hand. The moment he took the scroll, the Four Animals and Twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. Each had a harp and each had a bowl, a gold bowl filled with incense, the prayers of God’s holy people. And they sang a new song:

Worthy! Take the scroll, open its seals.
Slain! Paying in blood, you bought men and women,
Bought them back from all over the earth,
Bought them back for God.
Then you made them a Kingdom, Priests for our God,
Priest-kings to rule over the earth.

^11-14 I looked again. I heard a company of Angels around the Throne, the Animals, and the Elders—ten thousand times ten thousand their number, thousand after thousand after thousand in full song:

The slain Lamb is worthy!
Take the power, the wealth, the wisdom, the strength!
Take the honor, the glory, the blessing!

Then I heard every creature in Heaven and earth, in underworld and sea, join in, all voices in all places, singing:

To the One on the Throne! To the Lamb!
The blessing, the honor, the glory, the strength,
For age after age after age.

The Four Animals called out, “Oh, Yes!” The Elders fell to their knees and worshiped.

Lord,

I offer my whole life to you, not in part, but the whole.  Thank you for saving me.  Thank you for continually teaching me with patience and gentleness because of your love, mercy and grace.  You are God.  I am not.  I will worship you in thought, words and actions all day long, every day, forever.  Oh Lamb of God, sacrificed for the sins of the world, all because you loved…

In Jesus Name, Amen, To you be all glory!

King of endless worth
No one could express
How much you deserve
Though I’m weak and poor
All I have is yours
Every single breath
I’ll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what you have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart

And I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about you
It’s all about you, Jesus
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
When it’s all about you
It’s all about you, Jesus…

(Heart of Worship, Matt Redman)