What is True Worship?
December 20, 2019
Commentary
What is Worship? Worship isn’t about a style of music. It is more than singing songs. It transcends actions and words. Worship comes from confession of who God is and the attitudes of our hearts concerning Him. It is about the excitement of knowing the promises of God’s word and the end of the story, which is just a beginning. Worship is about forgetting yourself and getting lost in who Jesus is. It is where as far as you are concerned, the only people involved are you and God. You are not concerned about others watching you.
In the previous verses of this chapter, we learned who we are to worship. Jesus, the only one who was worthy to come and take the scroll out of the right hand of the Father (vv. 1-7). Now we are going to learn how to worship (vv. 8-14):
1. We worship God by expressing thanks for the shed blood of Jesus (v. 9).
2. We worship with loud voices (vv. 11-12).
3. We worship all of creation (v. 13)
4. We worship in unity (v. 14).
Application
I do not want my worship to ever be centered around ritual but to be centered on the cross, and the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus, and he alone is worthy of my praise yesterday, today, and forever.
Revelation 5:8– 14 (NET)
8 and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground before the Lamb. Each of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). 9 They were singing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed, and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation.
10 You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand —thousands times thousands— 12 all of whom were singing in a loud voice: “Worthy is the lamb who was killed to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and praise!”
13 Then I heard every creature—in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them—singing: “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped.