October 13, 2025 • 26 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Listening to sermons, praying, worshiping. These comprise your earthly worship experience,
but in Heaven only one of these elements.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Will be practiced. Today.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
On turning point, doctor David Jeremiah considers how the worship
you now enjoy is just a tiny taste of the
heavenly worship experience that awaits from the promise of Heaven.
Here's David to introduce his message, heavenly worship.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Thank you for joining us today we explore one of
the most exciting topics about Heaven, and that is the
subject of worship. There are wonderful passages about worship in
the Book of Revelation, more music, more hymns, more worship
songs in Revelation than in any other book except the
Book of Psalms. So Heaven will be a place filled
(00:52):
with worship and music. You know, we got so excited
about that. We actually went to Los Angeles a few
weeks ago and rented out the Disney Concert Hall and
put together an incredible night of worship on Heaven. I've
just begun to see some of the video of it,
and it's overwhelming to me. When you talk about heaven,
(01:12):
something happens in your spirit and you want to sing.
And some of the great music of the world we
have today is music about heaven. The Bible says when
we get to Heaven, we're going to worship, and I
want to tell you about that on today's program, and
finishing it up tomorrow. On Thursday and Friday of this week,
I'm going to tell you about five crowns that are
awaiting people who will be willing to compete for them.
(01:34):
And that's a very interesting study for people like me
who are motivated in that way. And I hope you
won't be sure to be with us Thursday and Friday
of this week. Once again, don't forget to ask for
your copy of the book The Promise of Heaven from
any of the bookstores around you that carry good books.
You can most of all get it from Turning Point
for a gift of any size. And when you send
(01:55):
your gift, your gift helps us. The book comes to you,
and you'll be ready to stay with us as we
move forward. Here is part one of Heavenly Worship. For
many years, Wheaton College was led by doctor ray Edmund.
He was a kind and godly man who was well
(02:15):
respected by the students and his faculty in nineteen sixty seven,
he stood in chapel and he gave a message on worship,
And as he spoke, he told the students about this
opportunity he had had to meet the King of Ethiopia,
and he said it was a formal event, and he
described to the students what he had to do to
(02:35):
get ready for that meeting. He was instructed to wear
certain things, and how he was to speak, and how
he was to act.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And he reminded the students.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
That if that's what it takes to approach an earthly king,
how much more care should we take when we come
into the presence of the King of kings. Our worship,
he said, should reflect the greatness of the one that
we're worshiping. Then something remarkable happened right in the middle
(03:06):
of his message. Doctor Edmund collapsed and died right in
the middle of a sermon. One moment he was preaching
about worship, and the next moment he was standing face
to face with the Lord he had worshiped his whole life.
Many people said that his transition to heaven must have
been one of the smoothest ones anyone could ever have imagined.
(03:29):
He had spent so much time worshiping God, it must
have felt natural to enter into worship there. You know,
worship on earth involves a few key things. We praise
God through song. We pray, and we bring our needs
before God, and we listen to preaching from the Bible.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
But in heaven it will be different.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
We won't need to pray anymore because all of our
needs will be met. I don't like this one, but
there won't be any more sermons because we'll be fully
knowing the truth about God. Only one part of worship
will remain, and that's praise. Praise is what we'll be
doing forever. Heaven will be filled with worship, and that
(04:17):
means we should begin preparing down here. Our worship here
is a kind of rehearsal for what's ahead. The more
we learn to worship now, the more natural it will
feel when we go to heaven. Today, we're going to
look at a passage in Revelation chapter four, verses one
through eleven. It is a powerful picture of what worship
(04:39):
in heaven looks like. I want to talk with you,
first of all about the context of worship in heaven.
Chapter four, verse one. John wrote, 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
(05:00):
show you things which must take place after this. The
Bible says John on the Isle of Patmos was just
having a normal day, and all of a sudden he
looked and there was a door opened into Heaven. From
his place on earth, he was suddenly able to see
through that open door and into Heaven itself, and he
saw something no one had ever seen before. From the
(05:23):
Isle of Patmos, in the middle of exile and isolation,
John witnessed the worship that was taking place around the
Throne of Glory. Now, as you know, John was part
of jesus inner circle. He, along with Peter and James,
seemed to show up everywhere Jesus was doing something important.
In fact, he was with Jesus at the most critical
(05:44):
moments of his life. He was in the garden of
Gosemite when Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow. He was standing
at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified.
He outran Peter on the way to the empty tomb
on resurrection morning. Everywhere you see John is in the
middle of all of this. He was also present with
Peter and James on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus
(06:06):
was glorified in their presence, and John was present when
Jesus ascended into Heaven. He had been with the Lord
during many of the most important moments of his life,
but John also went through many hardships. The first chapter
of Revelation describes John as your brother and companion in Tribulation.
(06:26):
John suffered a lot. He would say, he was in
prison on the Isle of Patmos. He was in exile.
I've been to that island, and it is right in
the middle of all the other churches that he wrote
to in the Book of Revelation. John must have wondered
what was going on, even though he was the recipient
of a great vision from the Lord. Here he is
(06:46):
on this island, exiled from his friends and all alone,
and he was old.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
And yet in the.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Midst of all that exile, Scripture says something happened. One
day John's lonely existence was interrupted by the opening of
a door into heaven. And one moment, the elderly John
was lamenting his rheumatism, and he was tossing and turning
through another restless night. His mind was probably wandering through
(07:14):
his absent friends, wondering how they were holding up under
the persecution. Maybe he was reliving the days when he
walked with Jesus, as we have just recounted, And if
he was anything like us, his heart was probably immersed
in the disappointment of the world that surrounded him. And
then suddenly, the Bible says, a door opened, a door
(07:36):
into heaven, and John in his spirit, was able to
walk through that door and to look into the very
vestibule of heaven and see what nobody else had ever seen.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Can you imagine that?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I mean, I can't begin to find the words to
describe what it must have been like on the isle
of Patmos old and alone. And then all at once
Heaven has opened, and before him, in all of its glory,
is the biggest worship service that had.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Ever taken place. The context of.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Worship, notice the center of worship in Heaven Verses two
and three. We read, and immediately I was in the spirit,
and behold a throne set in heaven, and one sat
on the throne. 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.
(08:30):
The key word in this chapter is the word throne.
Whenever you see that word, you can just assume that
it is a reminder of the sovereignty of God. Listen
to me, ladies and gentlemen. The throne in heaven is occupied.
Can I get a witness? It's not empty. God is
on his throne and he's governing the affairs of men
and women. It may seem like chaos down here, but
(08:51):
God has got it in control. And when you read
in Revelation about the throne of God, it's a reminder
that while chaotic events are taking place on earth, we
must never lose sight of the fact that God remains
on his throne in heaven. And it may appear that
no one is in control of the events, but God
is in control. And the throne of God is neither
(09:13):
abandoned nor is it vacant. It is occupied. I like
to think about that the throne in heaven is occupied.
As John looks at the throne, he tries to describe
what he sees, but it's not easy because the focus
of the throne is God himself. And the Bible says
no one has ever seen God and lived. So John
(09:35):
describes this in symbolic terms verse three. He says, he
who sat there was like a jasper and sardias stone
in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne
in appearance like an emerald. The jasper we would call
a diamond, a beautiful, many faceted stone that sparkled and
glittered in the light. And John said that as he
(09:58):
looked upon the throne, all he could see he was
the brilliance of the diamond. And the diamond was accompanied
by a sargust or canelion stone, which is the same
as our ruby. And around the throne there was a rainbow,
and that rainbow was created out of an emerald.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
As he gazed at the majesty and.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Beauty of his creator, John could only comprehend that it
was like a brilliant diamond, like a brilliant ruby, like
an emerald on the throne. What an amazing experience that
must have been. And then we come to the chorus
of worship in Heaven Verses nine through eleven. Give us
a little bit of the lyrics of some of the music.
(10:40):
Whenever the living creatures give glory an honor, and thanks
to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever
and ever, 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 before the throne, saying,
you are worthy, o Lord, to receive glory and honor
(11:00):
and power. For you created all things, and by your
will they exist.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
And were created.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
John was allowed to witness heavenly worship, and what he
saw he tried to put into words. He gives us
just a glimpse of the majesty in awe, of what
it will be like one day when we're part of
that great assembly worshiping God in the heavenly choir. He
noticed something important around the throne, where twenty four other
thrones sitting on them were twenty four elders dressed in
(11:31):
white and wearing golden crowns. And these elders represent the Church,
the redeemed people of God. And in the very next chapter,
verses eight through ten, John tells us now when he
had taken the scroll, the four living creatures in the
twenty four Elders fell down before the lamb, each having
a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are
(11:52):
the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
you are worthy to take the scroll and to open
it seals, for you were slain and have redeemed us
to God by your blood, out of every tribe and
tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings
and priests to our God. And we shall reign on
the earth. I wish, I wish we could hear what
(12:17):
John heard. I wish we could see what John saw.
It's breathtaking, overwhelming, absolutely glorious, the angels and the church
together lifting up endless praise to the God of Heaven.
William Temple once described worship like this. He said, worship
quickens the conscience by the holiness of God. It feeds
(12:41):
the mind with the truth of God. It purges the
imagination with the beauty of God. It opens the heart
to the love of God, and it devotes the will
to the purpose of God. That's what worship in heaven
looks like, and that's what our worship on earth should
aim for. Two. Then we come to the fourth thing
(13:05):
about worship in heaven, which is my favorite part of all.
The crescendo of worship in heaven. Do you know what
a crescendo is? Basically, it means to start small and
in big, usually applied to pieces of music. We used
to do crescendo's in our worship when we did rallies
across the country.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
I got caught up in this for a while.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
We would start singing Amazing Grace in a low key,
and every time we changed versus, we changed keys and
took it up. By the time we got to one,
we've been there ten thousand years. It was like we
were already there. I mean, it was an amazing thing.
Something happens when you increase the volume and increase the
key in the worship songs. In Revelation, there is an
(13:50):
obvious crescendo. I don't know if you've ever seen this before,
but this is really cool. This is an amazing fact.
In Revelation chapter one, in verse six, there's a twofold doxology.
Here's what Revelation one six says to him, be glory
and dominion forever and ever, Glory and dominion to doxologies.
(14:12):
Then in chapter four, verse eleven, there's a threefold doxology,
you are worthy, o Lord, to receive glory and honor
and power. And then in chapter five and verse thirteen
there's a fourfold of doxology, blessing and honor and glory
and power be to him who sits on the throne.
And when you get to chapter seven and verse twelve,
(14:33):
there's a sevenfold doxology, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom,
thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our
God forever and ever.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Amen.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
The worship grows as you move through the book, a
crescendo of worship to the Lord. When the church choirs
do that, they start soft and simple, and in loud
and complex. It's not only beautiful, it's biblical because this
is the way it will be in Heaven someday. And
there's another aspect of this that I want to point out.
(15:06):
It's as if the crescendo of worship to God escalates
in accordance with the timeline of God's purposes in the world.
In other words, the farther along you get in the
Book of Revelation, and the more you move toward the
consummation of history in the coming again of the Lord,
(15:27):
the more wonderful the worship becomes and the more prominent becomes.
And if that's true, if what I'm suggesting is true,
and I believe it is, this crescendo of praise and
worship we are experiencing is in accord with his timeline
because we're getting close. We're getting close to the coming
of the Lord. You know, I grew up in a
(15:48):
pastor's house, and worship wasn't something we ever talked about.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Some of you old folks know this.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
We had the sermon and the song service, and the
person who led the song service song leader, and if
you said worship, it sounded like maybe you weren't doing
something right. I walk through the transition from the song
leader to the worship leader. I live through the days
of Ralph Carmichael and the Spurloughs and the Regeneration and
(16:20):
all of those groups that took us out of just
singing songs into the worship of the Lord, and most
of it became second person praise.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
It wasn't about the Lord. It was to the Lord.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Have you noticed that when we sing worship to the Lord,
something unique happens. It's a totally different kind of worship
and praise and we're living in that time right now.
We have gone through the song service and now we
live in this period of worship. Worship is on the
radio every day, Worship is everywhere on television. There's a
(16:50):
big ad for a worship thing that's coming up pretty
soon here in our country. And what that tells us
if we follow the Book of Revelation, is our redemption
is drawing nigh. We're getting closer because as you get
closer to the culmination of history, you get more of
a culmination and intensity of worship. And that is what
(17:13):
is happening today. We live in a wonderful period of time.
You know, here in our city one of the great
leaders of worship as a friend of mine, his name
is Derek Johnson. He's from Skyline Church. He was a
great architect of worship. He was one of the great
leaders and still is today. He pastors a music ministry
in Orlando, Florida, and he started Regeneration, which was one
(17:36):
of the great worship teams that took us out of
the realm of just singing hymns all the time into
worship songs. We are blessed to be living in the
period I know worship can go crazy. I mean, I
see some stuff in the worship genre that I kind
of shudder to think that it got in there, and
maybe we should try to figure out how to get
it out. But I keep my mouth shut and keep
(18:00):
worshiping the Lord, because I've discovered you're never going to
win a battle if you fight in that war. The
main thing is are you worshiping God? So the crescendo
of worship, how important that is, and what an illustration
in the Book of Revelation. And then there's the contrast
of worship in heaven. One of the things that we
(18:21):
notice when we study this passage of scripture is the
contrast between what's going on in heaven and what's going
on on earth. John is in about the worst place
you could be, in exile on an island, and up
here he's allowed to see the glory and beauty of heaven.
And what happens when we get to heaven. What an
(18:42):
incredible contrast that is. John was allowed to experience two realities.
On the one hand, he was isolated and separated from
his friends and worried about the persecution of the church
by Domitian, the Roman Emperor. John was facing discouragement, and
yet in a moment of time, he's ushered out of
(19:03):
that reality through an open door into heaven and he
sees the Lord seated on a throne, the picture of
sovereign control. He sees the elders bowing down and worshiping.
He sees the beauty and majesty of heaven. God gave
this experience to John to encourage his heart worship. Took
him from the loneliness of his discouragement right into the
(19:25):
control room of the universe, where he could see God
and his plan for the entire universe. You and I
are constantly bombarded with the reality of this world, television, radio,
social media, everything around us, always pulling us toward the
earth and away from Heaven. Isn't that true? I mean,
(19:46):
you have to consciously work to make sure that you
get some influence from television. That isn't bad for you.
But there's another reality. There's an unseen one that is real.
According to this scripture, it's even more real. We often
live through the eternal things, and we somehow think they
are less important, that the physical is what's real and
(20:09):
the eternal or the spiritual is not real. But if
you study the Bible, and if you think deeply, you
will discover what's really real is not what is here temporarily.
What's really real is what lasts forever, and the Bible
is clear about that. So this is one of the
great byproducts of worship. It lifts our eyes off the
(20:31):
struggle and places them on the sovereign and gives us perspective.
I don't know if you've ever had moments like this.
I don't get discouraged very often. I do believe that
it's one of the tools that Satan can get me
if he wants to, and I've had plenty of reason
recently to deal with that. When that happens, I find
(20:54):
some great worship music and I get alone. And the
reason for that is that music just sort of I
remember we used to have a singer that came here,
and I used to tell her, you don't sing to us,
you sing through us. Worship music doesn't play for you,
it plays through you. And when you listen to it
and you realize that it's about the great God we
(21:16):
serve and his plan for us, somehow the things of
earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory
and grace. I encourage you to experience that. That's what
worship is, not just to bring praise to the Lord.
The byproduct is what it does for us, and it
takes our eyes off of the troublesome things that are
going on around us and remind us not always going
(21:38):
to be this way.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Friends.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
God's got a plan and we're a part of it.
It's as if Jesus is saying to John, John, things
are not like they seem. Let me show you how
they really are. Step into the throne room and I
will show you true reality. And here's what John saw.
Things are not out of control. Satan has not won,
(22:03):
Evil has not triumphed.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
God is on his throne hallylvien.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
So I want to give you four things to take
away from this sermon that you hopefully won't forget. I
hope these will stick in your heart and in your soul.
First of all, worship is not about us, It's about Him.
Look through the worship songs of Revelation and you will
be struck by the centrality of Christ in each one
(22:33):
of them. He's described as holy, almighty, eternal, worthy, glorious, powerful, honorable,
and strong. Worship is about seeing God high and lifted
up When we get our eyes off of Him and
onto the styles of our worship or to the presentation
of our worship, we miss the core value of New
Testament worship. God is actively seeking those who will make
(22:57):
Him the focus of their lives in both their work
and their worship. Periodically I hear about people who come
to our church or to other churches, and they will
say something like this, well, I can't go back there
because my needs were not meant the worship in that church.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Does it meet my needs?
Speaker 3 (23:17):
And I want to say to them as loud as
I can, It's not about you, It's about Him. And
there are a lot of different styles of worship. I
don't expect all of you to like all of them.
Some of them are more popular with this group and
some with this group. But the key isn't the style
of it. The key is the substance of it. Does
it bring honor and glory to Christ? And if it does,
(23:40):
get off the fighting of it and get back and
doing it because worship. Listen to me, I hope you
never forget this. It's not about you, It's about Him, right,
And when we get involved in making worship about what
we want, we forget that worship is about the Lord.
When we focus on him, many of the disagreements sort
(24:02):
of disappear. I promise you when we worship God around
the Throne with the millions of people that will be
there to worship him, we won't be arguing about how
to do it. We'll just be caught up in the
beauty of the Lord and worshiping him with all of
our hearts. We'll have more about this tomorrow part two
of Heavenly Worship for the Wednesday edition of Turning Point. Hey,
let me remind you again, we're going to the Caribbean
(24:23):
in December. We'll be doing a lot of worship there.
I promise you. Michael Sanchez and Urio Vega will.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Be with us.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
We'll be enjoying the beautiful weather, the beautiful friendships, the
wonderful boat, the ship that we're on, and the places
we stop. It's just an ideal way to end the
old year and begin the new one, and I invite
you to join us. Find out more about it at
David Jeremiah dot org, and then be sure to be
with us tomorrow for Part two of Heavenly Worship.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
For more information on doctor Jeremiah series, The Promise of Heaven.
Please visit our website, where we also offer two free
ways to help you stay connected, our monthly Turning Points
magazine and our daily email devotional Sign up today at
Davidjeremiah dot org slash Radio. That's Davidjeremiah dot org, slash Radio,
(25:16):
or call us at eight hundred nine four seven, nineteen
ninety three. Ask for your copy of David's encouraging new book,
The Promise of Heaven, thirty one Reasons to get excited
about your eternal home. It's yours for a gift of
any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible
in the English Standard, New International and New King James versions,
(25:36):
complete with notes and articles from doctor Jeremiah's decades of study.
Get all the details when you visit our website. Davidjeremiah
dot org slash Radio. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join
us tomorrow as we continue the series The Promise of
Heaven on Turning Point with Doctor David Jeremiah.
Listening to sermons, praying, worshiping. These comprise your earthly worship experience,
but in Heaven only one of these elements.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Will be practiced. Today.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
On turning point, doctor David Jeremiah considers how the worship
you now enjoy is just a tiny taste of the
heavenly worship experience that awaits from the promise of Heaven.
Here's David to introduce his message, heavenly worship.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Thank you for joining us today we explore one of
the most exciting topics about Heaven, and that is the
subject of worship. There are wonderful passages about worship in
the Book of Revelation, more music, more hymns, more worship
songs in Revelation than in any other book except the
Book of Psalms. So Heaven will be a place filled
(00:52):
with worship and music. You know, we got so excited
about that. We actually went to Los Angeles a few
weeks ago and rented out the Disney Concert Hall and
put together an incredible night of worship on Heaven. I've
just begun to see some of the video of it,
and it's overwhelming to me. When you talk about heaven,
(01:12):
something happens in your spirit and you want to sing.
And some of the great music of the world we
have today is music about heaven. The Bible says when
we get to Heaven, we're going to worship, and I
want to tell you about that on today's program, and
finishing it up tomorrow. On Thursday and Friday of this week,
I'm going to tell you about five crowns that are
awaiting people who will be willing to compete for them.
(01:34):
And that's a very interesting study for people like me
who are motivated in that way. And I hope you
won't be sure to be with us Thursday and Friday
of this week. Once again, don't forget to ask for
your copy of the book The Promise of Heaven from
any of the bookstores around you that carry good books.
You can most of all get it from Turning Point
for a gift of any size. And when you send
(01:55):
your gift, your gift helps us. The book comes to you,
and you'll be ready to stay with us as we
move forward. Here is part one of Heavenly Worship. For
many years, Wheaton College was led by doctor ray Edmund.
He was a kind and godly man who was well
(02:15):
respected by the students and his faculty in nineteen sixty seven,
he stood in chapel and he gave a message on worship,
And as he spoke, he told the students about this
opportunity he had had to meet the King of Ethiopia,
and he said it was a formal event, and he
described to the students what he had to do to
(02:35):
get ready for that meeting. He was instructed to wear
certain things, and how he was to speak, and how
he was to act.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And he reminded the students.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
That if that's what it takes to approach an earthly king,
how much more care should we take when we come
into the presence of the King of kings. Our worship,
he said, should reflect the greatness of the one that
we're worshiping. Then something remarkable happened right in the middle
(03:06):
of his message. Doctor Edmund collapsed and died right in
the middle of a sermon. One moment he was preaching
about worship, and the next moment he was standing face
to face with the Lord he had worshiped his whole life.
Many people said that his transition to heaven must have
been one of the smoothest ones anyone could ever have imagined.
(03:29):
He had spent so much time worshiping God, it must
have felt natural to enter into worship there. You know,
worship on earth involves a few key things. We praise
God through song. We pray, and we bring our needs
before God, and we listen to preaching from the Bible.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
But in heaven it will be different.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
We won't need to pray anymore because all of our
needs will be met. I don't like this one, but
there won't be any more sermons because we'll be fully
knowing the truth about God. Only one part of worship
will remain, and that's praise. Praise is what we'll be
doing forever. Heaven will be filled with worship, and that
(04:17):
means we should begin preparing down here. Our worship here
is a kind of rehearsal for what's ahead. The more
we learn to worship now, the more natural it will
feel when we go to heaven. Today, we're going to
look at a passage in Revelation chapter four, verses one
through eleven. It is a powerful picture of what worship
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in heaven looks like. I want to talk with you,
first of all about the context of worship in heaven.
Chapter four, verse one. John wrote, 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
(05:00):
show you things which must take place after this. The
Bible says John on the Isle of Patmos was just
having a normal day, and all of a sudden he
looked and there was a door opened into Heaven. From
his place on earth, he was suddenly able to see
through that open door and into Heaven itself, and he
saw something no one had ever seen before. From the
(05:23):
Isle of Patmos, in the middle of exile and isolation,
John witnessed the worship that was taking place around the
Throne of Glory. Now, as you know, John was part
of jesus inner circle. He, along with Peter and James,
seemed to show up everywhere Jesus was doing something important.
In fact, he was with Jesus at the most critical
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moments of his life. He was in the garden of
Gosemite when Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow. He was standing
at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified.
He outran Peter on the way to the empty tomb
on resurrection morning. Everywhere you see John is in the
middle of all of this. He was also present with
Peter and James on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus
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was glorified in their presence, and John was present when
Jesus ascended into Heaven. He had been with the Lord
during many of the most important moments of his life,
but John also went through many hardships. The first chapter
of Revelation describes John as your brother and companion in Tribulation.
(06:26):
John suffered a lot. He would say, he was in
prison on the Isle of Patmos. He was in exile.
I've been to that island, and it is right in
the middle of all the other churches that he wrote
to in the Book of Revelation. John must have wondered
what was going on, even though he was the recipient
of a great vision from the Lord. Here he is
(06:46):
on this island, exiled from his friends and all alone,
and he was old.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
And yet in the.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Midst of all that exile, Scripture says something happened. One
day John's lonely existence was interrupted by the opening of
a door into heaven. And one moment, the elderly John
was lamenting his rheumatism, and he was tossing and turning
through another restless night. His mind was probably wandering through
(07:14):
his absent friends, wondering how they were holding up under
the persecution. Maybe he was reliving the days when he
walked with Jesus, as we have just recounted, And if
he was anything like us, his heart was probably immersed
in the disappointment of the world that surrounded him. And
then suddenly, the Bible says, a door opened, a door
(07:36):
into heaven, and John in his spirit, was able to
walk through that door and to look into the very
vestibule of heaven and see what nobody else had ever seen.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Can you imagine that?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I mean, I can't begin to find the words to
describe what it must have been like on the isle
of Patmos old and alone. And then all at once
Heaven has opened, and before him, in all of its glory,
is the biggest worship service that had.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Ever taken place. The context of.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Worship, notice the center of worship in Heaven Verses two
and three. We read, and immediately I was in the spirit,
and behold a throne set in heaven, and one sat
on the throne. 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.
(08:30):
The key word in this chapter is the word throne.
Whenever you see that word, you can just assume that
it is a reminder of the sovereignty of God. Listen
to me, ladies and gentlemen. The throne in heaven is occupied.
Can I get a witness? It's not empty. God is
on his throne and he's governing the affairs of men
and women. It may seem like chaos down here, but
(08:51):
God has got it in control. And when you read
in Revelation about the throne of God, it's a reminder
that while chaotic events are taking place on earth, we
must never lose sight of the fact that God remains
on his throne in heaven. And it may appear that
no one is in control of the events, but God
is in control. And the throne of God is neither
(09:13):
abandoned nor is it vacant. It is occupied. I like
to think about that the throne in heaven is occupied.
As John looks at the throne, he tries to describe
what he sees, but it's not easy because the focus
of the throne is God himself. And the Bible says
no one has ever seen God and lived. So John
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describes this in symbolic terms verse three. He says, he
who sat there was like a jasper and sardias stone
in appearance, and there was a rainbow around the throne
in appearance like an emerald. The jasper we would call
a diamond, a beautiful, many faceted stone that sparkled and
glittered in the light. And John said that as he
(09:58):
looked upon the throne, all he could see he was
the brilliance of the diamond. And the diamond was accompanied
by a sargust or canelion stone, which is the same
as our ruby. And around the throne there was a rainbow,
and that rainbow was created out of an emerald.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
As he gazed at the majesty and.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Beauty of his creator, John could only comprehend that it
was like a brilliant diamond, like a brilliant ruby, like
an emerald on the throne. What an amazing experience that
must have been. And then we come to the chorus
of worship in Heaven Verses nine through eleven. Give us
a little bit of the lyrics of some of the music.
(10:40):
Whenever the living creatures give glory an honor, and thanks
to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever
and ever, 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 before the throne, saying,
you are worthy, o Lord, to receive glory and honor
(11:00):
and power. For you created all things, and by your
will they exist.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
And were created.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
John was allowed to witness heavenly worship, and what he
saw he tried to put into words. He gives us
just a glimpse of the majesty in awe, of what
it will be like one day when we're part of
that great assembly worshiping God in the heavenly choir. He
noticed something important around the throne, where twenty four other
thrones sitting on them were twenty four elders dressed in
(11:31):
white and wearing golden crowns. And these elders represent the Church,
the redeemed people of God. And in the very next chapter,
verses eight through ten, John tells us now when he
had taken the scroll, the four living creatures in the
twenty four Elders fell down before the lamb, each having
a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are
(11:52):
the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
you are worthy to take the scroll and to open
it seals, for you were slain and have redeemed us
to God by your blood, out of every tribe and
tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings
and priests to our God. And we shall reign on
the earth. I wish, I wish we could hear what
(12:17):
John heard. I wish we could see what John saw.
It's breathtaking, overwhelming, absolutely glorious, the angels and the church
together lifting up endless praise to the God of Heaven.
William Temple once described worship like this. He said, worship
quickens the conscience by the holiness of God. It feeds
(12:41):
the mind with the truth of God. It purges the
imagination with the beauty of God. It opens the heart
to the love of God, and it devotes the will
to the purpose of God. That's what worship in heaven
looks like, and that's what our worship on earth should
aim for. Two. Then we come to the fourth thing
(13:05):
about worship in heaven, which is my favorite part of all.
The crescendo of worship in heaven. Do you know what
a crescendo is? Basically, it means to start small and
in big, usually applied to pieces of music. We used
to do crescendo's in our worship when we did rallies
across the country.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
I got caught up in this for a while.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
We would start singing Amazing Grace in a low key,
and every time we changed versus, we changed keys and
took it up. By the time we got to one,
we've been there ten thousand years. It was like we
were already there. I mean, it was an amazing thing.
Something happens when you increase the volume and increase the
key in the worship songs. In Revelation, there is an
(13:50):
obvious crescendo. I don't know if you've ever seen this before,
but this is really cool. This is an amazing fact.
In Revelation chapter one, in verse six, there's a twofold doxology.
Here's what Revelation one six says to him, be glory
and dominion forever and ever, Glory and dominion to doxologies.
(14:12):
Then in chapter four, verse eleven, there's a threefold doxology,
you are worthy, o Lord, to receive glory and honor
and power. And then in chapter five and verse thirteen
there's a fourfold of doxology, blessing and honor and glory
and power be to him who sits on the throne.
And when you get to chapter seven and verse twelve,
(14:33):
there's a sevenfold doxology, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom,
thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our
God forever and ever.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Amen.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
The worship grows as you move through the book, a
crescendo of worship to the Lord. When the church choirs
do that, they start soft and simple, and in loud
and complex. It's not only beautiful, it's biblical because this
is the way it will be in Heaven someday. And
there's another aspect of this that I want to point out.
(15:06):
It's as if the crescendo of worship to God escalates
in accordance with the timeline of God's purposes in the world.
In other words, the farther along you get in the
Book of Revelation, and the more you move toward the
consummation of history in the coming again of the Lord,
(15:27):
the more wonderful the worship becomes and the more prominent becomes.
And if that's true, if what I'm suggesting is true,
and I believe it is, this crescendo of praise and
worship we are experiencing is in accord with his timeline
because we're getting close. We're getting close to the coming
of the Lord. You know, I grew up in a
(15:48):
pastor's house, and worship wasn't something we ever talked about.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Some of you old folks know this.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
We had the sermon and the song service, and the
person who led the song service song leader, and if
you said worship, it sounded like maybe you weren't doing
something right. I walk through the transition from the song
leader to the worship leader. I live through the days
of Ralph Carmichael and the Spurloughs and the Regeneration and
(16:20):
all of those groups that took us out of just
singing songs into the worship of the Lord, and most
of it became second person praise.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
It wasn't about the Lord. It was to the Lord.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Have you noticed that when we sing worship to the Lord,
something unique happens. It's a totally different kind of worship
and praise and we're living in that time right now.
We have gone through the song service and now we
live in this period of worship. Worship is on the
radio every day, Worship is everywhere on television. There's a
(16:50):
big ad for a worship thing that's coming up pretty
soon here in our country. And what that tells us
if we follow the Book of Revelation, is our redemption
is drawing nigh. We're getting closer because as you get
closer to the culmination of history, you get more of
a culmination and intensity of worship. And that is what
(17:13):
is happening today. We live in a wonderful period of time.
You know, here in our city one of the great
leaders of worship as a friend of mine, his name
is Derek Johnson. He's from Skyline Church. He was a
great architect of worship. He was one of the great
leaders and still is today. He pastors a music ministry
in Orlando, Florida, and he started Regeneration, which was one
(17:36):
of the great worship teams that took us out of
the realm of just singing hymns all the time into
worship songs. We are blessed to be living in the
period I know worship can go crazy. I mean, I
see some stuff in the worship genre that I kind
of shudder to think that it got in there, and
maybe we should try to figure out how to get
it out. But I keep my mouth shut and keep
(18:00):
worshiping the Lord, because I've discovered you're never going to
win a battle if you fight in that war. The
main thing is are you worshiping God? So the crescendo
of worship, how important that is, and what an illustration
in the Book of Revelation. And then there's the contrast
of worship in heaven. One of the things that we
(18:21):
notice when we study this passage of scripture is the
contrast between what's going on in heaven and what's going
on on earth. John is in about the worst place
you could be, in exile on an island, and up
here he's allowed to see the glory and beauty of heaven.
And what happens when we get to heaven. What an
(18:42):
incredible contrast that is. John was allowed to experience two realities.
On the one hand, he was isolated and separated from
his friends and worried about the persecution of the church
by Domitian, the Roman Emperor. John was facing discouragement, and
yet in a moment of time, he's ushered out of
(19:03):
that reality through an open door into heaven and he
sees the Lord seated on a throne, the picture of
sovereign control. He sees the elders bowing down and worshiping.
He sees the beauty and majesty of heaven. God gave
this experience to John to encourage his heart worship. Took
him from the loneliness of his discouragement right into the
(19:25):
control room of the universe, where he could see God
and his plan for the entire universe. You and I
are constantly bombarded with the reality of this world, television, radio,
social media, everything around us, always pulling us toward the
earth and away from Heaven. Isn't that true? I mean,
(19:46):
you have to consciously work to make sure that you
get some influence from television. That isn't bad for you.
But there's another reality. There's an unseen one that is real.
According to this scripture, it's even more real. We often
live through the eternal things, and we somehow think they
are less important, that the physical is what's real and
(20:09):
the eternal or the spiritual is not real. But if
you study the Bible, and if you think deeply, you
will discover what's really real is not what is here temporarily.
What's really real is what lasts forever, and the Bible
is clear about that. So this is one of the
great byproducts of worship. It lifts our eyes off the
(20:31):
struggle and places them on the sovereign and gives us perspective.
I don't know if you've ever had moments like this.
I don't get discouraged very often. I do believe that
it's one of the tools that Satan can get me
if he wants to, and I've had plenty of reason
recently to deal with that. When that happens, I find
(20:54):
some great worship music and I get alone. And the
reason for that is that music just sort of I
remember we used to have a singer that came here,
and I used to tell her, you don't sing to us,
you sing through us. Worship music doesn't play for you,
it plays through you. And when you listen to it
and you realize that it's about the great God we
(21:16):
serve and his plan for us, somehow the things of
earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory
and grace. I encourage you to experience that. That's what
worship is, not just to bring praise to the Lord.
The byproduct is what it does for us, and it
takes our eyes off of the troublesome things that are
going on around us and remind us not always going
(21:38):
to be this way.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Friends.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
God's got a plan and we're a part of it.
It's as if Jesus is saying to John, John, things
are not like they seem. Let me show you how
they really are. Step into the throne room and I
will show you true reality. And here's what John saw.
Things are not out of control. Satan has not won,
(22:03):
Evil has not triumphed.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
God is on his throne hallylvien.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
So I want to give you four things to take
away from this sermon that you hopefully won't forget. I
hope these will stick in your heart and in your soul.
First of all, worship is not about us, It's about Him.
Look through the worship songs of Revelation and you will
be struck by the centrality of Christ in each one
(22:33):
of them. He's described as holy, almighty, eternal, worthy, glorious, powerful, honorable,
and strong. Worship is about seeing God high and lifted
up When we get our eyes off of Him and
onto the styles of our worship or to the presentation
of our worship, we miss the core value of New
Testament worship. God is actively seeking those who will make
(22:57):
Him the focus of their lives in both their work
and their worship. Periodically I hear about people who come
to our church or to other churches, and they will
say something like this, well, I can't go back there
because my needs were not meant the worship in that church.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Does it meet my needs?
Speaker 3 (23:17):
And I want to say to them as loud as
I can, It's not about you, It's about Him. And
there are a lot of different styles of worship. I
don't expect all of you to like all of them.
Some of them are more popular with this group and
some with this group. But the key isn't the style
of it. The key is the substance of it. Does
it bring honor and glory to Christ? And if it does,
(23:40):
get off the fighting of it and get back and
doing it because worship. Listen to me, I hope you
never forget this. It's not about you, It's about Him, right,
And when we get involved in making worship about what
we want, we forget that worship is about the Lord.
When we focus on him, many of the disagreements sort
(24:02):
of disappear. I promise you when we worship God around
the Throne with the millions of people that will be
there to worship him, we won't be arguing about how
to do it. We'll just be caught up in the
beauty of the Lord and worshiping him with all of
our hearts. We'll have more about this tomorrow part two
of Heavenly Worship for the Wednesday edition of Turning Point. Hey,
let me remind you again, we're going to the Caribbean
(24:23):
in December. We'll be doing a lot of worship there.
I promise you. Michael Sanchez and Urio Vega will.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Be with us.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
We'll be enjoying the beautiful weather, the beautiful friendships, the
wonderful boat, the ship that we're on, and the places
we stop. It's just an ideal way to end the
old year and begin the new one, and I invite
you to join us. Find out more about it at
David Jeremiah dot org, and then be sure to be
with us tomorrow for Part two of Heavenly Worship.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
For more information on doctor Jeremiah series, The Promise of Heaven.
Please visit our website, where we also offer two free
ways to help you stay connected, our monthly Turning Points
magazine and our daily email devotional Sign up today at
Davidjeremiah dot org slash Radio. That's Davidjeremiah dot org, slash Radio,
(25:16):
or call us at eight hundred nine four seven, nineteen
ninety three. Ask for your copy of David's encouraging new book,
The Promise of Heaven, thirty one Reasons to get excited
about your eternal home. It's yours for a gift of
any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible
in the English Standard, New International and New King James versions,
(25:36):
complete with notes and articles from doctor Jeremiah's decades of study.
Get all the details when you visit our website. Davidjeremiah
dot org slash Radio. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join
us tomorrow as we continue the series The Promise of
Heaven on Turning Point with Doctor David Jeremiah.
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