The focus of the New Testament is on Jesus!
John records the scene in the heavens:
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Rev 5:11-13
Paul puts it like this:
“God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2:9-10
The early Christians affirmed that the ultimate purpose of human life was to worship and enjoy God – in every way: Their lifestyle, their community, their meditation and prayers, their corporate services and their outreach flowed from a vibrant, spirit charged encounter with Jesus. Bowing to the reign of Christ and his Kingdom was everything.
Has our generation has put the cart before the horse? We do tend look to have our personal and emotional needs met through our spirituality. Our experiences and our good works have become the characteristics of our Christianity – and corporate worship of God is often reduced to praise events that give us a spiritual ‘fix’ for the coming week.
Says A.W. Tozer:
“We're here to make worshippers first and workers second. We take a convert and immediately make a worker out of him. God never meant it to be so. God meant that a convert should learn to be a worshipper, and after that he can learn to be a worker...the work done by a worshipper will have eternity in it."
The first and essential activity of every true believer is worship of his Creator God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
In both the OT and NT the expression of a person's worship is a 'whole of life response' to God who has revealed Himself as the all-powerful Creator, merciful loving Saviour and holy and fearsome judge. Our Lord Jesus speaks about this 'whole of life response' in Matt 22:37 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." And the Apostle Paul says the same thing in a different way in Rom. 12:1 - "...offer your bodies as living scarifies... this is your spiritual act of worship ".
John records the scene in the heavens:
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!” Rev 5:11-13
Paul puts it like this:
“God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2:9-10
The early Christians affirmed that the ultimate purpose of human life was to worship and enjoy God – in every way: Their lifestyle, their community, their meditation and prayers, their corporate services and their outreach flowed from a vibrant, spirit charged encounter with Jesus. Bowing to the reign of Christ and his Kingdom was everything.
Has our generation has put the cart before the horse? We do tend look to have our personal and emotional needs met through our spirituality. Our experiences and our good works have become the characteristics of our Christianity – and corporate worship of God is often reduced to praise events that give us a spiritual ‘fix’ for the coming week.
Says A.W. Tozer:
“We're here to make worshippers first and workers second. We take a convert and immediately make a worker out of him. God never meant it to be so. God meant that a convert should learn to be a worshipper, and after that he can learn to be a worker...the work done by a worshipper will have eternity in it."
The first and essential activity of every true believer is worship of his Creator God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
In both the OT and NT the expression of a person's worship is a 'whole of life response' to God who has revealed Himself as the all-powerful Creator, merciful loving Saviour and holy and fearsome judge. Our Lord Jesus speaks about this 'whole of life response' in Matt 22:37 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." And the Apostle Paul says the same thing in a different way in Rom. 12:1 - "...offer your bodies as living scarifies... this is your spiritual act of worship ".
We need to be allowing God’s Spirit to form us into a community that is totally focused on
Jesus. Individually, as households, and as a whole community. As we learn to walk through the
week day by day, hand in hand with Jesus, trusting and obeying his voice in all life’s turns,
then we will increasingly experience his guidance and our testimony will grow chapter by
chapter. This is worship then, the intimate submission to all he has for us. As we live into Christ, and live out his Kingdom, so we worship, and so his glory is seen.
Our Sunday meetings (or our mid-week gatherings) will then become a time of offering praise, thanksgiving and testimony because of the ‘great things he has done’ – rather than needing to construct or manufacture worship.
Why Revelation 1-3?
The book of Revelation starts with John the apostle (now in his eighties) receiving a Vision of Jesus Christ – as God and Priest; the one who holds his people in his hands.
Jesus then sends seven ‘text messages’ to seven churches across Asia Minor. Real communities made of ordinary people such as us. Each of these churches learn a = lesson about true worship of Jesus. Most face issues or compromises that threaten to destroy their connection with Christ and leave them as mere ‘religious institutions’ – hollow lifeless shells from which the glory of God has departed.
We can learn from them?
Our Sunday meetings (or our mid-week gatherings) will then become a time of offering praise, thanksgiving and testimony because of the ‘great things he has done’ – rather than needing to construct or manufacture worship.
Why Revelation 1-3?
The book of Revelation starts with John the apostle (now in his eighties) receiving a Vision of Jesus Christ – as God and Priest; the one who holds his people in his hands.
Jesus then sends seven ‘text messages’ to seven churches across Asia Minor. Real communities made of ordinary people such as us. Each of these churches learn a = lesson about true worship of Jesus. Most face issues or compromises that threaten to destroy their connection with Christ and leave them as mere ‘religious institutions’ – hollow lifeless shells from which the glory of God has departed.
We can learn from them?
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▪ What are the marks of a worshipping, Jesus focused community?
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▪ What are the issues that distract us from our relationship with God?
- ▪ What does the Spirit of Jesus want to say to us as we read?
