The TDF sermon for April 26, 2009 is an analysis of Worship in Heaven from Revelation 4 and 5. If you’re looking for an outline of this passage, some insights about worship, or a glimpse into the future, I hope these notes will be helpful.
1. When We Worship, We Are Approaching a Glorious Throne (Rev 4:1-3). I believe that in the heart of heaven, there is a literal throne; and this throne is the ultimate power source for all the universe. It’s described for us many times in the Bible, and whenever we worship, we are approaching this Throne of Grace and Glory.
2. When We Worship, We Are Joining an Eternal Chorus (Rev 4.4-11). Worship is continually, constantly, never-endingly occurring around the heavenly throne. It’s likely that the 24 elders are symbolic of the universal church, and the 4 living creatures of the angelic world. I don’t think our life in heaven is literally going to be one long church service. I believe we’ll be involved in many things throughout eternity. But whenever we want to, we’ll be able to walk up the broad boulevard in New Jerusalem, heading toward the City Center, and as we approach the throne we’ll hear the music and maybe even feel the ground vibrating under our feet and the air pulsating around us, and we can join in the worship that eternally surrounds the throne.
3. When We Worship, We are Praising a Triune God (Rev 5:1-10). Notice the Trinity in these chapters. In chapter 4, God the Father is emphasized. In Rev 4:5 we have a reference to God the Spirit (compare with Rev. 1:4). Rev 5 is a description of God the Son.
4. When We Worship, We are Glorifying a Worthy Lord (Rev. 5:11-14). He is worthy to receive glory, honor, and praise. The habit of worship is the gyroscope of the soul. A person without patterns of worship is like a ship or an airplane without any stabilization or direction. When we worship, we are aligning our minds to God’s truth, our imaginations to God’s glory, our emotions to God’s stability, and our souls to God’s songs. When we worship, we are approaching a glorious throne, joining an eternal chorus, praising a triune God, and glorifying a worthy Lord, saying: “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.”