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What on Earth is Going On in Heaven? - Revelation 4-5

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The above title is more than just a play on words. Although there will be many activities going on in heaven, worship is one of the few things that we can do "down here" on earth that we will also do "up there" in heaven. That means that one of the ways you can get closer to heaven is to engage in biblical worship right now. Let's tag along with John for his extended tour of heaven.

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6/29/2008
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What on Earth is Going On in Heaven?
Revelation 4-5
Skip Heitzig
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Message Summary
The above title is more than just a play on words. Although there will be many activities going on in heaven, worship is one of the few things that we can do "down here" on earth that we will also do "up there" in heaven. That means that one of the ways you can get closer to heaven is to engage in biblical worship right now. Let's tag along with John for his extended tour of heaven.
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From the Edge of Eternity

From the Edge of Eternity

What happens when a believer dies? What will heaven be like? What about infants and children who die? When do our bodies get resurrected? What will they be like? These questions and more occupy our thoughts from time to time. In this new series, From the Edge of Eternity, we will follow a believer from death into the different stages of eternity: the Intermediate State, the resurrection of the body, the Kingdom Age and the Eternal State. Since forever is a long time, it only makes sense that we both understand and prepare for this "ultimate journey".

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Outline

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I. Heaven's Prominent Occupants: Fellowship

A. Twenty-Four Elders (4:4)

B. Seven Spirits of God (4:5)

C. Four Living Creatures (4:6-8)

D. The Lamb (5:6)

E. Many Angels (5:11)


II. Heaven's Primary Occupation: Worship

A. Proper Response in Worship: Worship is Intellectual

B. Position Assumed in Worship: Worship is Physical

C. Possessions Employed in Worship: Worship is Musical

D. Praise Ascribed in Worship: Worship is Emotional


Apply This Stuff:

1.
Think about your public worship experience. Do you worship with all your heart? Here's a thought: choose to worship and not let distractions run away with your thoughts and time.

2. How about private worship? Is it a meaningful experience? Do you find that your private and public worship are the same? Why?

3. Do something creative in your worship. How about writing your own song? You don't have to be a pro -- just one stanza will do. Make it a special gift to God and sing it to Him this week.

Transcript

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Our Father in heaven we do praise you and we want your name hallowed in this place by our attitudes with which we study your word. You said that you have established your word even above your name, so we given honor to the reading of your word, the studying of the Bible and we pray Lord as we hear this description of heaven that we would become more ready and excited for it. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Well a while back I had a real privilege of going to the White House in Washington, DC where a few of us were invited to meet with the President over issues regarding faith-based organizations and how they interface with the government. Well you've just got to imagine how cool it was to stand in the White House, go from the Green Room they call it to the Red Room to the East Room, this big huge meeting room where the President would come in and that huge portrait of George Washington is there that famous portrait. And just taking it all in. I was there with Jim Dobson, Max Lucado and several others. So I'm looking out the windows of the White House, from the inside, and I'm thinking, "Wow! This is cool." Now that was cool. What we're about to read again, John's tour of God's house. And he sort of says the equivalent when he says, "Behold." That's like kind of the Bible way of saying "Wow!" A couple of times he says, "Behold," as he checks out God sitting upon his throne. Now as we work our way through some more of these verses this morning I just want you to notice, not only what John sees but notice what he doesn't see. John doesn't say anything about we're going to be sitting around bored forever on clouds 24/7. He doesn't say anything about seeing Peter at the pearly gates of heaven welcoming us in. Just, "I saw a door open in heaven, and behold." 
By the way, I heard this little joke about a cat who died and went to heaven, let me just tell it to you. A cat died and went to heaven and Peter was there at the pearly gates. And Peter said, "You know you've been such a good cat all of these years, anything you want you name it, it's yours." And the cat said, "You know what, I've lived with a poor family my whole life, it's been tough and I could only sleep on the hard wooden floors." And Peter interrupted and said, "Say no more." Instantly appeared a fluffy satin pillow for that little cat to sleep on in heaven. So he was very excited. A few days later six little mice died in a tragic accident and they went to heaven. Peter was there at the pearly gates welcoming the mice into heaven, said, "Hey anything you want here, you've been good little mice, whatever you want is yours." And so this one little spokesmouse said to Peter, "You know Peter, we've had it tough our whole lives, we've had to always run, run, run. Dogs chase us, cats chase us, women with brooms chase us. It would be really nice in heaven if we could have roller skates." So Peter said, "Say no more," and these cute little tiny rollerskates were outfitted for all these little mice. Well about a week went by and Peter decided, "I'm going to check up on the cat." So Peter goes, the cat's sleeping on that nice little soft pillow and gently wakes the cat up and says, "Hey, how are you doing? Are you happy here?" And the cat said, "Oh Peter," big stretch, "I've never been happier in my life. And those meals on wheels that you're sending over, they're the best." Okay, so I've decided that's going to be my new answer for, "Are there animals in heaven?" I guess it goes, how far do you want to take this thing?
And John in Revelation chapter 4 and 5, John describes the ultimate adventure. We've seen so far as he saw and he looked, that throne set in heaven, and one who sat on the throne, this brilliant light show of resplendent display of God's magnificence and brilliance.
Randy Alcorn who has written a number of things about heaven, wrote this, "Satan labors to give people an inaccurate view of heaven. Our enemy slanders three things: God's person, God's people, and God's place. Some of his favorite lies concern heaven." That actually makes sense, I would say that Satan has a vested interest in lying to people about heaven. Because if you remember heaven used to be his hangout, his dig, he was forceably evicted from heaven. And it must drive him nuts as he realizes our future home was his ex-home. So he tells all sorts of misconceptions about what heaven's going to be like. That's why it's always good to look at what the Bible says. And John chapter 4 and 5 tell us what John saw in heaven.
Now today we continue. We looked at verses 1 through 3 last time of John chapter 4. Now we turn our focus from the throne and the one who sat on the throne to what's around the throne, what the inhabitants of heaven are doing. And we find the main thing they are doing is they're worshipping. So it's safe to say, in heaven one of the things you're going to do is worship. It's not the only thing you're going to do, by the way, there are more. The Bible says you'll be given tasks to do. You will administrate in the kingdom age. You're going to help rule and reign with Christ. But, one of the things you and I will do is worship. In fact, I'll put it this way: One of the few things you can do right now that you will do forever in heaven is to worship God. You see there won't be any evangelization in heaven, we're not going to have any crusades in heaven, you won't be personally witnessing to anybody in heaven, you won't be feeding the poor in heaven, you won't be discipling people in heaven; but you will be worshipping in heaven. And that's something we can do right now. So, how did they do it and how do they do it in heaven? How could our worship now closely reflect that which goes on in heaven? It's pretty exciting to heaven think about that. 
This last week we had a sister in our fellowship go to heaven. She was on her deathbed, she was quite ill for a couple of years. And Saturday night she was tuning in to our broadcast, they would always listen at home. And she heard last week's description, "What John saw in heaven." And it so captivated her, the next morning she wanted to hear it again. So she got up and was listening to the live broadcast about heaven and her family was around her talking and she kept saying, "Be quiet." And eventually she cried out to God, "God deliver me from this body." Well she was taken to heaven, the place we were describing, the place she could only imagine in her mind's eye; today she's enjoying that very place. And the comfort of heaven, the comfort of those thoughts to her and her family was indescribable. 
Today what we want to look at as we continue is two thing basically: the occupants, the prominent occupants in heaven, the other ones that John sees as he looks around the throne; and then the occupation, what is their primary occupation as we see it in heaven. So let's look at the others that are in heaven, John is definitely not alone, verse 4, "Around the throne were twenty-four thrones and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white robes and they had crowns of gold on their heads." Now who are these twenty-four elders? Some suggest they're angels. I don't believe that, angels are never called elders in the Bible. Others suggest these represent the twenty-four priests in the Old Testament, remember there were twenty-four courses in the priesthood that we administered throughout the entire year for the temple worship. Again, I don't think that's it, they were never called elders either. I think it's best to see the twenty-four elders as representing the whole church, and here's why: Eight times in the New Testament believers are said to rule and reign with Christ in eternity. We're going to rule with him, we're going to reign with him, and here these twenty-four elders are sitting on thrones helping administrate. So, as there were twenty-four priests that represented the whole nation, these twenty-four elders represent the whole church. And I think it's pretty definitive as you go down into chapter 5 and in verse 9 of chapter 5 you listen to the song they sing. And they say, "For you have redeemed us by your blood, out of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation." Only the church can sing those words, it would have to be the church singing that. There were twenty-four elders representing the body of believers in heaven, I believe at least. Then look at verse 5, there's more. "And from the throne proceeds lightnings, thunderings, and voices, seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God." What on earth is that? Does that mean there are seven Holy Spirits? No it doesn't. We know from Ephesians and from Corinthians, there' one body and one Spirt but not seven. This is simply apocalyptic symbolism. And notice that John ties the seven spirits of God with the seven lamps burning. Or, if you know the temple or tabernacle, the sevenfold lampstand called the menorah. So as these seven lamps or the seven-fold lampstand, the seven spirits of God I believe represent the sevenfold working of the one Holy Spirit. And there's a text for that: In Isaiah chapter 11 verse 2, it mentions the Spirit of the Lord (that's one), the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord; the sevenfold description of what the single Holy Spirit does. And there's more, verse 6, "Before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal and in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures (get this) full of eyes in front and in back." Now is that wild, or what? "The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had the face ofa man, the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come." The term living creatures is a bit misleading. When you think of a living creature, you might think of an animal. I remember I used to read a book to my son Nathan when he was growing up called, "Where the Wild Things Are." Remember that book? When I hear that term living creature that's what my mind goes to, those wild things. The Greek term is zoa and it simply means a living thing, a living thing. And as you read this vision of John, it's almost identical to what Ezekiel saw in Ezekiel 1 and 10 and he described them as cherubim, these are the four cherubim, like Ezekiel, around the throne of God. These are a special classification of angelic beings. They guard the gory of God, they help administer judgment on the earth. Frankly I can't wait to see these four cherubim, just the description, it's sort of hard for me to get my mind around them. Ezekiel even says, "They were mobile, they had wheels, and there were eyes on the wheels." I just cannot wait to check this out. 
Well there's more, look at chapter 5, verse 6 and 7, "And I looked, in the midst of the throne," (remember he saw the throne of God, that's the throne) in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns, seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth." Now the Lamb is Christ. We find that imagery throughout the book and the Lamb is called Christ. He's the hero of the book, he's the hero of the story. Because in this chapter he is said to take the scroll, the title deed of the earth, to bring full redemption to the earth, to rule and reign forever. And so here's the church along with the angelic hosts, the four living creatures, worshipping and looking at Christ in heaven, seeing him in his glory, which is exactly what Jesus prayed for. In John chapter 17 he said, "Father, I want those that you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory which you have given me before the creation of the world." 
So, we're looking around and we're seeing a lot more in heaven than just a throne and one who's sitting on it. There's even more than that. Look down at verse 11 of chapter 5, "And I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, the elders, the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands." This is heaven filled with the angelic hosts. There's a lot of angels. There's a lot of angels. Seventeen Old Testament books and seventeen New Testament books all mention angels. A hundred and three times in the Old Testament, another one hundred and sixty-five times in the New Testament angels are mentioned. They're prominent, they're around, they minister to us, the Bible says, and they'll be in heaven worshipping with us. Huge choir. How many are there? A lot. You could say, "Well I'm going to do the math. Ten thousand times ten thousand, that's a hundred million angels." Did you know there was a theologian in the 1200s named Albertus Magnus who came up, he thought, with the precise number of angels. He wrote and said, "There are precisely three hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred and twenty thousand and four angels." How he ever came up with that number I do not know. We don't know how many there are. This construction simply means innumerable. In Greek it's muria deis muria done, kikilia desi, kuria done, translated myriads upon myriads upon thousands upon thousands. This innumerable host. You get the picture. There's the throne, there's the Lamb, there's this four cherubim, these wild-looking creatures with life in and around them, twenty-four elders representing the church and as far as the eye can see, the angelic hosts. That's what John saw.
Now let's turn from the occupants in heaven to the occupation. The primary occupation is worship. Now it is funny whenever you bring this up to people and you say as they ask, "Well what are we going to be doing in heaven?" And if you say, "Well we're going to be worshipping in heaven." Typically the response is, "Is that all? Because that sounds kind of boring. It sounds like one long church service." That's how we think about it. Now this is why people resort to saying these things at funerals, "I know that right now he's up in heaven playing golf." Golf? Or, "I know that right now she's hiking in some mountain in heaven," or some earthly activity. We always confine heaven to earthbound activities, as if, "Well there could be nothing better than golf." Or hiking, or baking, or whatever. We have to come up with something they like doing here on earth. As I read through Revelation 4 and 5 I get this idea that John isn't bored up there. It's not like he's twiddling his thumbs going, "Oh great, I'm just like worshipping all the time." In fact, the them that I keep getting from Revelation 4 and 5 is there's nothing more fascinating than God himself. He is taken by this, this is shock and awe for John.
So, let's just consider the kind of worship going on in heaven and see how that interfaces with us now, because the name of this message is "What on Earth is Going on Heaven?" Answer: worship. So let's see how our worship interfaces with thatin heaven. I want you to notice first of all the proper response in worship that is in heaven. Look at chapter 5, verse 8. "Now when He (that is the Lamb) had taken the scroll." So there's a definite action going on. The Lamb is taking the title deed to the earth which will imply full redemption through a series of judgment and his second coming. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders felld won before the Lamb each having a harp, golden bowls fully of incense which are the prayers of the saints, and they sang a new song." So, it's when they saw the Lamb take the scroll. Their worship was a response to what he did. And here's the principle I want to make: Worship must be intellectual. Now hear me, follow me, worship must be intellectual. It's what you see or know God to be or do that causes a response to God. Worship is the human response or the human reaction to a divine action. They knew what that meant when he took the scroll and now here is the intelligent response: they worshipped the Lord. You see, worship involves the mind, we must think about what God has done, who God is, the response.
One person who wrote a lot on heaven said this, "At tiems throughout the day as I work in my office, I find myself on my knees thanking God for his goodness. When I eat a meal with my wife, when I talk with a friend, or if I take my dog out for a walk, I worship God for his goodness. The world is full of praise prompters. But heaven will overflow with them." I'm going to lift out that little phrase, praise prompters. I like that. Learn to live your life being prompted by different things, "Look what God has done. That's, Lord thank you, praise you for that." In heaven he says, we'll overflow with them. So, the action of God prompts the reaction of the heavenly hosts and that is worship.
Jesus said in Mark chapter 12 verse 30, "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength. Please dismiss the idea that worship is a mindless activity that we just kind of get pumped up into a frenzy and disengage the mind. No, we engage the mind. And I think powerful worship is when your mind is stretched by the words of a song that give you a full understanding of God. I remember when I was first a Christian, you know and I thought just singing "God is love from above," you know that kind of stuff, just sort of same words, I love you, I love you, I love you Lord." That was just where it's at. And I never liked hymns, because I grew up saying, "Well, that's just old stuff. They don't know how to worship, we do." Then I started reading the hymns and I started listening to the depth of knowledge and theology that the hymnwriters had. And as I would sing the hymns it would stretch my understanding of who God is. And it helped me worship even more. So worship must be intellectual and here in heaven we find that it is. 
The second thing I want you to notice is the position that is assumed in worship. And from this we derive the principle worship is physical. It's not just something in the heart, it's also physical. Look back in chapter 4, verse 9, "Whenever the living creatures give glory and 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, honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they exist and were created. And again in chapter 5 verse 8, "And they had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb." Now why are they doing this? Why are they falling down? Because frankly, they're awestruck, they're awestruck. And they're so grateful. And their response is physical. They responded as ancient people would respond to royalty. If a king or queen walked into the room or you went into the throneroom, you would always bow, you would always get on the knees. And so worship here is physical. Ninety-seven times the word worship appears in the Old Testament. I was looking it up and I discovered the normal word used from Hebrew translated worship is the word shachah which means to bow down, translated worship. To bow down, it also is translated to fall, also translated to stoop or to do obeisance to. It's a physical affirmation of honor and authority and respect. Psalm 95 verse 6 is one of the most famous ones, "Oh come let us worship and bow down." Shachah. Now it's not that you have to bow down, it's not that you're not spiritual unless you bow down now. These are other expressions as I name them to you that you can do to enhance the physical expression of your worship and the Bible talks about all of these. Another one is the raising of the hands. I Timothy chapter 2 verse 8, Paul says, "Wherever you assemble I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God." Can I be honest with you? The first time I was in a service as a brand new Christian, I watched people doing this, I thought in my mind, "What's up with this? What are they doing?" It's so precious. You know what it is? When you lift your hands it's a sign of welcome. A child, when a child sees Mom or Dad they put their hands up. "Pick me up," I welcome you into my space, my life. Adults stick out their hand to shake a hand. Again, a sign of welcome. Also, the raising of hands I believe speaks of surrender. Remember the old westerns? "Come out with your hands up." Law enforcement officers still want hands up when they deal with the bad guys. Because when your hands are up, you're in surrender mode. You can't do anything else when your hands are up, you can't text message your friends, you can't write other stuff. Your hands are up, you've got to be focused. Another position the Bible speaks about is kneeling. Psalm 95 verse 6, "Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." Like bowing, kneeling is a sign of humility. It means, "I'm preoccupied with God. He is my focus. I'm preoccupied with him." Another position the Bible speaks about is dancing. I know some of you are gasping, "I though dancing was bad." Somebody once asked me, "Can Christians dance?" My answer: "Well some can and some can't." I'll tell you what the Bible says about. Psalm 149 verse 3, "Let them praise his name with the dance." Now this doesn't mean, "Great, I'm going to go out and hip-hop tonight." The idea is in the context of celebration, the great feasts of Israel were accompanied by people dancing before the Lord. David danced before the Lord. In Exodus 15, Miriam and the women of Israel played the tambourine and danced before the Lord. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3, you know it well, Solomon says "There is a time to weep, there is a time laugh, there is a time to mourn, and there is a time to dance." Another expression is standing. Psalm 135, "Praise him you servants of the Lord who stand in the house of the Lord." And here's where I'm getting at: It's funny how in the West, here in the Western culture, we have guarded ourselves so carefully against any physical expression in worship except for one: sitting. "That's acceptable. Yeah Lord, I just like to sit. It's comfortable for me." See I think the message could be perhaps, "It's really all about me. As long as I'm comfortable." Instead of preoccupied with him. Another one the Bible speaks about is the lifting of the eyes. Psalm 123, "Unto you I lift my eyes," that is I look up. Jesus did this when he prayed, he lifted his eyes toward heaven. "Unto you I lift up my eyes, oh you who dwell in the heavens." Guess what I found? As I look through the scripture, closing your eyes, folding your hands, not in the Bible. It doesn't make it wrong, it just didn't make God's top five, that's all. There's tremendous freedom in all of this. These are expressions and the physicality of worship was and is I believe experienced in heaven.
The third thing I'd like you to notice about their worship is the possessions employed in worship. Notice in chapter 5 verse 8, they each have a harp. And you know a harp is a musical instrument. Now again, I'll be very honest with you, the first time I read this, I wasn't too excited about it because my mind went to the picture, "Great I'm going to be sitting on a cloud with a harp, all day long." Now I don't particularly like to play harp. I don't mind hearing a harp, I love it in the right context, I really do, I admire a great harpist or harpoonist or whatever it is. The idea for me playing a harp, it's like, "I don't get..." And so I studied this and found out that the hearp is an ancient trapezoidal istrument with strings that are usually strummed with a pick. So I'm thinking, my mind goes to, "Hmm sounds like a guitar." So heaven's sounding a little cooler to me right now when I first found that out. And then I read this verse in the Amplified Bible let me read it to you, "And each one having a harp, that is a lute or a guitar." And I thought, "Okay, heaven's sounding really cool right about now, especially when we can put a little pick-up on it, kind of crank it a little bit." It's just my frame of reference. Here's my point: The worship of God throughout the Bible is musical. Whether they were moving the Ark of the Covenant during the time of David, whether they were dancing before the Lord after the Red Sea episode in Exodus 15, the great feast days and festivals of Israel, the choir that was in the temple with musical instruments and trumpets. Even in battle sometimes music was involved. Psalm 150 says, "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet. Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes. Praise him with loud cymbals and with clashing cymbals." So worship is musical. And It think in heaven it's going to be awesome. It's going to be awesome. 
Martin Luther, sometimes he could say things like nobody else could. Martin Luther said, "Next to theology, I give to music the highest place and honor. Music is the art of the prophets, the only art that can calm the agitations of the soul. It is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us." It's true, isn't it? We all love music. We play it when we work, when we're in the car, we tap to it, we move to it, it's how we're made. It's going to be in heaven. Martin Luther also said this, listen, this is classic, "If any man despises music as all fanatics do, for him I have no liking. For music is a gift and the grace of God not the invention of men. Thus it drives out the devil and makes people cheerful. Then one forgets all wrath, impurity, and other devices.
The fourth and final thing I want you to notice about the worship in heaven is the kind of praise that is described in worship. And as you read through this, we're going to read a few verses in just a minute, you get the idea that they put their whole being into it, their whole heart. It leads me to this statement: Worship is emotional. Yes, it's intellectual but that's not all it is. It's also emotional. Jesus said, "The Father's looking for worshippers who will worship him in spirit and in truth." 
Now let's look at this, verse 9, "And they sang a new song saying, ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood. Out of every tribe, tongue, people and nation; and have made us kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth.' And then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, elders, ten thousand times ten thousand saying, (verse 12) "with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and undert the earth and as such as are in the sea. And all that are in them I heard saying, ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.' And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen." And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped him who lives forever and ever." They're into this. They're into this. Remember Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength." They poured themselves into it. And, I read the word loudly, they worshipped Him with a loud voice. You know what it seems like to me in the Bible? It seems to me that God's into volume. Now I don't just mean cranking up the PA, I mean your own personal, they had not PA then, just your own voice, singing loud. I don't think God's into (quietly) Shout to the Lord all the earth..." Shout? Not, to the Lord. I remember I had a camp counselor one time, I wasn't involved in the songs they were singing and he said, "Let me tell you something, if God gave you a good voice then use it to praise him. If God gave you a bad voice, give it back to him." Now you might be saying, "Well I'm not a good singer." Deal with it. Because I'll say to all you non-musical people, the voice that you have is the voice the Lord God Almighty gave you. And it is an adequate instrument to praise the Lord. The Bible says, "Make a joyful noise." Anybody can do that. "No, you don't understand, when I sing it's a noise, not a joyful noise, nobody around me is joyful." I'll give you this instruction: If you don't sing well, please sing loud, because what'll happen is there's somebody next to you who's not singing but they have a great voice, they're going to hear you and go, "I've got to drown that person out." And there's going to be this huge anthem of worship and it'll sound great. And it's going to reflect heaven. They sang with a loud voice. Now in Isaiah chapter 29, God through the prophet said, "These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me." In other words, they're going through the motions but there's no emotion. When you sing, sing like you mean it. Iknow people are wired differently, some are very exuberant and emotional; and others stoic and almost flatline in their personalities. So we are wired differently and I understand that. But I also hear people use this excuse, "Well I'm not the emotional type." Some people that tell me that, I know them, "I'm not emotional." I go, "Really? Because a couple weeks on the golf course you were really emotional. When you hit that great drive, it was like your only good shot all day, you were so stoked, you jumped up and you shouted. You're not emotional? You're emotional over some things." And those who are non-emotional, when their kid scores a touchdown or gets an award, they get very emotional. Why is it that this one are we feel we have to shut it off? I've been to some sporting events, you ever been to The Pit when the Lobos score? Do you ever see somebody going like this (yawn) Or, have you ever been to a concert with a big band and watched the people? Pagans know how to get excited. So why do Christians think that enthusiasm about the most worthy thing in the universe must somehow be carefully contained? Do you think God's like into that. You think God says, "Way to go, way to hold it all inside. Way to tell no one that you love me. Good worship." Somebody once said, "God isn't too excited about secret admirers. So tell him, don't be afraid to express it. I'm not trying to make you emotional automatons, I'm just saying however you do it, put your all into it, put your max into it. And when you do you're getting close to heaven.
There's a lot of praise prompters , there's a lot of things that God allows in our lives that we could look and go, "Thank you Lord, praise you Lord, I worship you Lord." And you do that through the day, I would almost guarantee you that by the time we gather corporately, it's going to be exuberant, because you've learned to make that your lifestyle. 
There was a farmer who lived out in the country, he was a believer, a very simple man. He was visited by a relative of us who was an unbeliever. They sat down that first evening for a meal at the farmhouse and the believing simple farmer raised his hands and thanked God for the meal and worshpped the Lord and said amen. And afterwards the unbelieving relative said, "How old-fashioned. No one believes in prayer like that any more." And the farmer humbly acknowledged that he was right, that it is old-fashioned. And there were even some on his farm that don't pray and don't give thanks. And the unbeliever lightened up and said, "Oh, and who are these wise enlightened ones?" And the farmer said, "My pigs." So, let's get above the level of an animal. And we have been given voices and bodies and spirits to worshp and love the Lord with everything. Because he is worthy and we are the redeemed ones.
Let's pray. Our heavenly Father, heaven's going to be so exciting, when we think of those loved ones some of us are missing, a husband or a wife or a child or a parent or a grandparent or a friend, we know that they'r in heaven. And just the thought that our worship on the earth can bring us close to the experience that they are having. It's something that on earth we can do, that is also being done in heaven. And just like we pray in the Lord's prayer, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." We know that this fulfills part of that prayer, as we worship you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Additional Messages in this Series

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4/27/2008
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The Ultimate Journey
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
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What happens when a believer dies? What will heaven be like? What about infants and children who die? When do our bodies get resurrected? What will they be like? These questions and more occupy our thoughts from time to time. In this series, From the Edge of Eternity, we will follow a believer from death into the different stages of eternity: the Intermediate State, the resurrection of the body, the Kingdom Age and the Eternal State. Since forever is a long time, it only makes sense that we both understand and prepare for this "ultimate journey."
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5/4/2008
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View From Death's Door - Part 1
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
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Nathaniel Hawthorne once wrote, "A grave, wherever found, reaches a short and pithy sermon to the soul." He's right! Cemeteries remind us of our future on this earth--the only real estate we'll hold onto for awhile! But what happens to a believer after death? What about those who have died already? What are they doing now? Today and next week we will look at the experience of the death of the believer and what takes place afterwards.
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5/11/2008
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View from Death's Door - Part 2
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
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How can mortal man penetrate beyond the grave and find assurance and peace for his own heart? Philosophers won't help--they've been for centuries discussing life and death without any resolve. Scientists don't want to tread into the area of wrestling with such questions. Paul solved the problem when he wrote, "For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord." We don’t need to wonder or speculate. Why substitute human speculation when we have divine revelation?
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5/18/2008
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Groaning for Glory
2 Corinthians 5:1-8
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What sort of existence and experiences are departed believers enjoying right now? Is the heaven we go to when we die our final destination? Paul described it as "far better" (Phil. 1:23) but it's going to get even much better! Paul lightly touches on what happens when a Christian dies and awaits the resurrection, but it's enough to give us confidence. Let's consider today the "intermediate" or temporary transitional heaven before the resurrection of our bodies.
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5/25/2008
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Rise and Shine!
1 Corinthians 15:3-4;15:20-28
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My mom used to saunter into my room to wake me up in the morning with a sweet call to "rise and shine!" One day our Savior will give a call for all His children to do the same! This week and next week we will be considering the resurrection of our bodies. Why is resurrection even necessary? What will our resurrected bodies be like? What capabilities will they possess? Will babies always be babies and the elderly always remain elderly when resurrected? As we begin, know this: the idea of resurrection isn't just a New Testament idea; it began long, long ago!
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6/1/2008
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Getting the Body You've Always Wanted
1 Corinthians 15:35-50
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I know I've gotten your attention with the title! This is one of our culture's driving goals--to look trimmer, healthier, younger and stronger than we are. The solution happens to be in the future with the resurrection of our bodies--it will be the body you've always wanted. Scripture gives some wonderful descriptions of the future strength, beauty and permanence of our resurrected body. Let's consider what the Bible says about how you'll look then.
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6/8/2008
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Jesus, Friend of Children
Matthew 19:13-15
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Today's subject is a tender one. The death of infants and children is the greatest fear of any parent. Does the Bible speak clearly about what happens when they die? It certainly does and it also gives great comfort to many who suffer the horrible loss of a little one. In this series on Eternity we must consider this subject since it affects so many and will also help us understand the fate of those who, like children, have diminished capacities.
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6/22/2008
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A Sneak-Peek Into What's Up There
Revelation 4:1-3
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In the early morning of his last day on earth, Dwight L. Moody, awoke suddenly and said, "Earth recedes; heaven opens before me." Those near him thought he was dreaming. "No, this is no dream, it is beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go." After that sneak-peek of heaven, Mr. Moody entered his heavenly home. Today lets begin to consider our future home by glimpsing God’s heavenly Throne Room.
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7/13/2008
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Gold, Silver, or Bronze?
2 Corinthians 5:9-11
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Next month, the eyes of the world will be on the Olympic Games in Beijing. Athletes from all over the world will compete, hoping to win the gold, silver or bronze medals that rank them as being some of the best on earth. This image of receiving an award from a judge on the raised platform of the Olympic Games is what Paul had in mind when he wrote about the future judgment of believers for their works on earth. Let’s see what this means.
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7/20/2008
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Heaven on Earth - Part 1
Revelation 20:1-3
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Mankind long ago gave up on the idea of a future Utopia. The idea of perpetual peace and undisturbed harmony became the stuff of fairy tale books. But that is precisely what God promised He will bring to this earth one day. And even though Satan has exercised a temporary authority over God's creation for several millennia, the story isn't over yet. Jesus Christ, who came two millennia ago as Savior, will return to rule as Sovereign for a thousand years. And no, this won't just be a spiritual kingdom in the hearts of His followers. This will be a literal dominion over a renewed earth. Let's explore this 1000 year phase of your eternal future.
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7/27/2008
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Heaven on Earth - Part 2: The Bad Guy is Bound
Revelation 20:1-3
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This world has been so tainted and marred with sin and Satanic deception that it's impossible for us to even imagine what it would be like with Him out of the way. Thankfully we have a clear description of what that will be like during the 1000 year reign of Christ in the Kingdom Age. Today we see the drama of Satan's arrest and incarceration, as the ultimate "bad guy" gets put away to make way for this future era of peace, prosperity and righteousness.
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8/10/2008
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Heaven on Earth - Part 3: When Politics are Perfect
Revelation 20:4-6
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It's the political season in our country and both sides are ramping up their platform to get as many votes as possible. The country is sharply divided on the two candidates but one thing is certain according to a recent poll: Americans consider both candidates to be risky if elected president. In Christ's Kingdom on earth, Christ will reign and all those who help Him administer will be in a glorified state, thereby minimizing any risk for shady politics. Get ready--you’re going to be part of the future political agenda of the King of Kings.
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8/17/2008
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Six Things That Will Surprise You About Heaven
Revelation 21:1-8
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I began this series talking about all the things I heard people say at funerals about the afterlife, from turning into angels when you die to having to answer Peter's questions at the gates of heaven. I have discovered that most people's (even Christians) ideas about what heaven will be like are vastly different that what Scripture reveals. We turn now to the Eternal State--after our initial experience of the Throne room of heaven, after our bodily resurrection at the Rapture, after the Millennial Reign of Christ. Here's a few things that might surprise you further:
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8/24/2008
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Future-Town - Part 1
Revelation 21:9-21
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Our English word town is related to the German word zaun (tuin in Dutch). The original idea behind the meaning referred to a space that a fence or wall would enclose. The town of the future described in this chapter, also enclosed by a wall, will be so magnificent that even John's depiction leaves us scratching our heads. This is God's revelation of the future Eternal dwelling of all believers. Let's do a walk-through today.
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9/7/2008
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Future-Town - Part 2
Revelation 21:22-22:5
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Today we will conduct a walk-through of your ultimate destination as a believer. We will walk with John as he describes what he saw as he was shown the New Jerusalem. It will be a social environment with such unique features, you'll have to bend and stretch your imagination just a bit. I will sum up this future cityscape by describing five conditions that will exist in God's Town
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9/14/2008
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Living Between Two Worlds
Philippians 1:19-26
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After studying about the believer's death, resurrection and heaven for four months now, maybe you can relate to these words by Puritan author, Thomas Watson, "Spiritual things satisfy; the more of heaven is in us, the less earth will content us." Knowing what we know now about the believer's future world, how can life be different in this present world?
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There are 16 additional messages in this series.
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