The Heart of Worship

Apocalypse Act 2: The Seven Trumpets

Timeline

Subject of worship

Has been such a difficult concept for me to understand

I had this notion that it was up to the people up on the stage or platform to bring me to a place where I could worship

So it had to be music that spoke to me

It had to be a message that “spoke” to me

And that when I did worship, it was some sort of feeling that I had

Stirring in my heart

Holy heartburn

Quiver in my liver

What do YOU understand about worship?

Here is what I would submit for you to consider:

Worship—My Response to God’s Revelation of Himself

We discover that Revelation by definition is a book about worship

God reveals the truth about Himself, His purpose, and His ways to us

We read over and over of the moments when His creation worshiped as the right response

The Heart of Worship

Revelation 11:15-19

Revelation 11:15–19 NKJV

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

You and I can come back to the heart of worship by understanding the following truths about worship:

1. God Provides the Initial Revelation

V.15

Prompted by the 7th trumpet:

Loud voices in heaven

“Kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ”

“He shall reign forever and ever”

Truth is declared by the unnamed loud voices in heaven

Truth about God’s sovereignty

Sovereignty of the Father

Sovereignty of the Son

Truth about God’s power

Kingdoms of the world have become His kingdoms

Truth about God’s eternal nature

He shall reign forever and ever

It was the heavenly voices that make this declaration

Upon the sounding of the seventh trumpet

Which was prompted back by the breaking of the seventh seal in Re 8:1

Which was broken by THE LAMB

Therefore, God takes the initiative to reveal Himself to us

That which He reveals will not always be the same

The way in which He reveals it will not always be the same

But we have to be vigorously looking for that revelation

If we are not, if we are looking for nothing, that is exactly what we will find

2. I Respond to Who He Is

Vv.16-17

24 elders fall on their faces to worship

“Lord God Almighty”

παντοκράτωρ

Supremely powerful over all things

Static, not dynamic

“One who is”

“One who was”

“One who is to come”

“Your power is great”

They look up with Reverence

First part of Worship-based Prayer

Closest we come to physically being in the throne room in the third heaven

And yet Scripture says that we are there when we pray

He 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

When I respond to who God is as revealed, I am worshiping

3. I Respond to What He Does

Vv.17-18

“You have taken Your great power and reigned”

“Your wrath has come”

“You should reward Your servants”

“The prophets and the saints”

“Those who fear Your name,”

“Small and great”

“And destroy those who destroy the earth”

What God does is connected to who He is

He can do what He does because He is who He is

When I thank Him for what He does

It helps me to ask these questions:

How did You do this?

Why did you do this?

My response

To what God has done and is doing

Which is traced back to who God is

Is…worship

Are you seeing the HEART of worship?

4. God Takes the Next Step

V.19

Temple of God opens in heaven

Why?

So John could see what was there

Ark of covenant seen in that temple

So now you know

Ark is not in a warehouse in Washington

Ark is in the temple in the third heaven

Accompanied by:

Lightnings

Noises

Thunderings

Earthquake

Great hail

When I respond in worship to what God has revealed to me

I am now in position for God to reveal more to me

More of who He is

More of what He does

He opens up the temple

He shows me His ark

Now What?

So the chorus of the song by Matt Redman is accurate:

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

Why?

Because Jesus Takes the Initiative

I respond to who He is

I respond to what He does

He then takes the Next Step to take me deeper

Why do you need to get this?

You represent Jesus Christ all week long

Are you giving an accurate portrayal of who He is by how you live?

How can you know, if you don’t know Him?

That process involves Him revealing who He is to you

You responding in the only way suitable

Worship

Your role as His ambassador is 24/7/365

Marathon, not a sprint

You need this worship

Personally—on a daily basis

Corporately—on at least a weekly basis

You can’t afford NOT to get this

What will you do now?

Do you know Him?

Answer is found in Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Need to be certain you have everlasting life?

Text LIFE to 858.210.0291

Do you need to change how you worship?

Text WORSHIP to 858.210.0291

Do you need a church family with whom to worship and serve Jesus?

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