Worship God Sunday School Lesson

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Worship God Sunday School Lesson

Introduction

A. Worship in the Church Today

Is it worship or is it entertainment? That's thequestion I have asked myself occasionally as Ihave participated in Sunday services at severalhundred different churches in many differentstates, provinces, and countries. My judgment? Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.

In many churches the worship time hasevolved from hymns led by a song leader, accom-panied by an organ and/or piano, to be a "worshipset" led by a well-rehearsed team of singers and musicians. It is not uncommon to see 20 or morepeople on the stage of the church, leading in 30minutes of singing, accompanied by lavish videoprojections of words to the songs. New songs areintroduced on a weekly basis and repeated manytimes in order to allow the congregation to learnthem. Auditoriums are now "worship centers,"with adjustable mood lighting and fabuloussound systems. One church I visited even hadfountains down the center aisle; these fountainsexploded with water jets at the pinnacle of theworship set. The worship set is energetic. It'sloud; it's emotional; it's invigorating.

This shift in styles has certainly added vitalityto the worship experience long missing in somecongregations. Churches with great worship at-tract visitors and may grow rapidly. Thus, somechurch strategists see investment in profession-als to lead worship-with-excellence as a wise in-vestment in a church's future.

Some have noticed, however, that theyoungest generation of Christians has a differenttaste in worship. Their preference seems to leantoward acoustic rather than electronic instru-ments, subtle hand drums rather than boomingdrum sets, and simple vocals rather than elabo-rate vocal teams. Their music is quieter, more re-flective. They see an emphasis uponprofessionalism in worship as phony and unde-sirable. They long to restore a sense of mysteryand reverence to the worship time. One aspect ofthis has been the new generation's rediscovery ofsome old hymns such as "Be Thou My Vision,""0 Sacred Head," and "Come, Thou Fount."Where this will lead the church of the future isyet lo be seen.

The central question, however, remains: Is itworship or is it entertainment? As we examineRevelation 4, we will find biblical principles ofthe nature of worship that will help us guide ourworship into being just that—worship.

B. Lesson Background

The book of Revelation has long been asource of controversy. It has been combed thor-oughly as a source of prophecies concerning thefuture. Many different systems of interpretationfor Revelation have been developed and passion-ately defended. Because of this controversy,some Christians avoid study of this book.These controversies are unfortunate, for Reve-lation is much more than a book of prophecy. It isalso the New Testament's great book of worship.In this regard, Revelation has much in commonwith the Psalms. Throughout the history of thechurch, writers of songs and hymns for worship have drawn from Revelation. Such varied piecesas Handers "Hallelujah Chorus" (Revelations 19:1-6), Bridges and Thring's "Crown Him with ManyCrowns" (19:12), Wesley's "0 for a ThousandTongues" (5:11, 12), Hoffman's "Are You Washedin the Blood?" (7:14), and Tomlin's "We FallDown" (4:10) are drawn Irons Revelation.

Nearly half of the occurrences of the New Tes-tament's Greek verb for worship appear in thebook of Revelations (24 out of 60). We see in thisbook that Heaven is a place of worship. Scholarshave identified seven hymns of praise and wor-ship in Revelation. The songs of praise are spo-ken (4:8), sung (5:9), and cried out (7:10).In the New Testament, the word worship im-plies "giving obeisance, bowing downs." Thusworshiping can involve a physical position (seeMatthew 4:9). Our English word worship has theconnotation of "giving words to someone," or"counting someone to be ultimately worthy."Worship is not an emotion; it is an acknowledg-ment and commitment. We worship that whichis superior and worthy of our Isonor.

I. Preliminaries of Worship(Revelation 4:1)

The first three chapters of Revelation concertsJohn's visions of the risen Christ and letters to theseven churches of Asia. It is helpful, though, tounderstand these letters as separate greetings toeach of the seven churches. The rest of the bookis the letter itself, and all of the churches are in-tended to receive its messages.

A. Door to Heaven (v. la)

la. After this I looked, and, behold, a doorwas opened in heaven.

John understands his world like everyone elsein antiquity. He sees the earth as being coveredby a firmament, a large canopy that stretchesover the earth (see Genesis 1:6-8: Isaiah 40:22).This firmament barrier prevents humans fromseeing what is happening in the heavenly, spiri-tual realm. In Isis vision Johns sees a break in thefirmament, a door into heaven. He sees whatmortal eye is not normally allowed to see.The fact that we now have traveled far beyondthe sky into outer space diminishes neither thereality of Heavens nor the validity of John's vi-sion. We still believe that Heavens exists as a defi-nite place but not as a physical location that canbe visited in a rocket ship. Heaven remains aplace where mortals are normally denied accessor viewing, but it is a real place just the same.[See question #1, page 288.1

B. Invitation to Knowledge (v. lb)

1b. And the first voice which I heard was as itwere of a trumpet talking with me; which said,Come up hither, and I will show thee thingswhich must be hereafter.

John is invited by an unnamed voice to viewheavenly events. He knows this voice, however.It sounds like a trumpet, loud and brilliantlypiercing. He has heard it before. It is the voice ofthe risen Christ (Revelations 1:10).

Christ warns John that what he is about to seein Heaven foreshadows future events. This is notto be an impromptu visit to God's throne to ob-serve daily happenings. It is a vision designed toimpart special knowledge of the future so Johnmay share this with his fellow believers. Eventsin Heaven have an effect on us. People in the an-cient world believe this, whether Jew, Roman, orChristian. Modern humanity tends to neglect thespiritual realm and dismiss the possibility thatwhat happens in Heaven affects what goes on inour world. It is good for us to remember what isreally the case: God is on His throne as the rulerof Heaven tint/ earth.

II. Center of Worship(Revelation 4:2-5)

John's challenge is to use human language todescribe the indescribable. So he paints wonder-ful word pictures, but we can be sure that the re-ality is far more glorious than what we are able toimagine. He begins his vision with a visit to thecenter of Heaven: the very throne room of God.

A. Description of the Throne (vv. 2, 3)2, 3. And ininsediately I was in the Spirit:and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, andone sat on the throne. And he that sat was tolook upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: andthere was a rainbow round about the throne, insight like unto an emerald.

Being in the. Spirit means that a new vision hasbegun. This is very real to John. His spiritual eyesimmediately focus on the throne of God itself. Hedescribes the throne occupant as having the ap-pearance of jasper (a gemstone that comes in a va-riety of colors) and sardine (also called carnelian,a bright red gemstone). He does not attempt anyphysical description of God because that would besacrilegious. His choice of these two gemstonesseems merely to indicate that God has a fiery,glowing appearance.

The throne itself looks like an emerald to John,a brilliant greets color. It emanates color as well—a multihued rainbow radiance. Such marvelous colors surely overwhelm John's mind as theyspeak to him of the wonders of this place. Noth-ing on earth can compare with these marvels.[See question #2, page 288.1

WHAT WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE

What is your favorite gemstone? For some, di-amond is the first choice (possibly because of thejewelry industry's superb "diamonds are forever"marketing job). Others may name rubies or (asJohn does in our text) emeralds. John describesthe emerald he saw as being like a rainbow—adescription that reminds some people of opal.A scientific description of opal is that "it ismade up of layers of precipitated silica spheres. (that) sometimes produce a diffraction grat-ing, that creates play of rainbow sparkling lightfrom within the stone" .Such a description is pretty dull stuff until weget to the phrase "rainbow sparkling light." Thatgrabs our attention! A cut-and-dried scientificdescription simply cannot do justice to thebeauty of the opal (or most other gemstones, forthat matter). You have to see it to believe it.That's probably what John felt as he was tryingto find words to describe for as what it was liketo stand in front of the throne of God. Paper andink descriptions of all of those wondrous phe-nomena give us only a faint hint of the glory weshall behold when we meet our Lord in Heaven.What a future we have! —C. R. B.

B. Elders Around the Throne (v. 4)

4. And round about the throne were four andtwenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four andtwenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment;and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

Surrounding God's throne are 24 seats, occu-pied by Heaven's elders. Who these elders are isnot explained, but we have a few clues. They menot angels (see Revelation 7:11). Instead, theyseem to be humans who have been installed intoa position of honor. This is shown by their garband their right to wear crowns in God's presence.Numbers have special significance in Revela-tion. Twelve is the number for the people of God.Twelve was the number of the tribes of Israel (Ex-odus 24:4; 28:21). Twelve was also the number ofdisciples chosen by Jesus to be His apostles (Mark3:14). Jesus himself had promised these 12 thatthey would be seated on thrones of judgment(Matthew 19:28). The number 24 is double 12. Asa bit of speculation, this group of elders maytherefore represent the combined peoples of Godfrom the Old Testament and the New Testament:the faithful of Israel and the church.

C. Spirit of the Throne (v. 5)

5. And out of the throne proceeded lightningsand thunderings and voices: and there wereseven lamps of fire burning before the throne,which are the seven Spirits of God.

In the book of Revelation, lightning and thunder are signs that a significant event is about totake place (compare Exodus 19:16). Such activitymarks the last of the seven seals (Revelation 8:5),the seventh trumpet (11:19), and the seventhbowl of God's wrath (16:18). These supernaturalfireworks are tied to the spiritual activity origi-nating from the throne.

Seven is the number of perfection in Revela-tion (compare Zechariah 4:2). The seven Spiritsrepresent the perfect Spirit, thus the Holy Spirit.John sees the Holy Spirit as attendant before thethrone of God, ready to do God's bidding.

III. Worship in Heaven(Revelation 4:6-11)

The description of the scene of worship andits participants continues.

A. Description of the Four Beasts (vv. 6-8a)

6a. And before the throne there was a sea ofglass like unto crystal.

The sea is seen in the ancient world as themost violent, uncontrollable force of nature.God's mastery of His created world is often sym-bolized by His ability to control the sea (seePsalm 89:9). So also Jesus' ability to calm the rag-ing sea (Mark 4:39), and to even walk on its sur-face (Mark 6:48), are signs of His divinity andpower. This sea in Heaven is in utter submission to God, with a surface as smooth as glass. This isa vivid symbol of God's power and authority.6b. And in the midst of the throne, and roundabout the throne, were four beasts full of eyesbefore and behind.

The number four in Revelation is symbolic ofthe entire created world. These beasts are specialcreatures wills eyes that observe everything.They are symbols of God's omnipresence (Hispresence everywhere) and omniscience (Hisknowledge of all things). They are able to givecoverage to the four corners of the earth, to all ofthe created world (compare Revelation 7:1).7, 8a. And the first beast was like a lion, andthe second beast like a calf, and the third beasthad a face as a man, and the fourth beast waslike a flying eagle. And the four beasts had eachof them six wings about him; and they were fullof eyes within.

John notices individual differences in the fourbeasts. As with many of the things seen by John,the beasts are reminiscent of images from theOld Testament. In this case we are reminded ofthe four "living creatures" seen by the prophet inEzekiel 1:5-15. The creatures in that vision eachhad four faces. The list of faces there is nearlythe same as the list here, with the minor differ-ence of Ezekiel's ox versus John's calf

What do these beasts symbolize? A very oldexplanation ties them to the four Gospels. Inthis interpretation Matthew is the lion, the kingof the beasts, because he presents Jesus as theking of the Jews. Mark is the calf, the depend-able servant animal, because he presents Jesusas the servant of all humanity. Luke is the man.because he presents Jesus as the Son of Man.John is the eagle. the imperial symbol of the Ro-mans, because he presents Jesus as the exaltedSon of God. This explanation has been used togive a picture symbol for each of the Gospels (ex-ample: Matthew = lion).

A less complicated explanation is that thefaces represent various qualities of God. Underthis theory, the lion symbolizes God's power; thecalf symbolizes God's faithfulness; the man sym-bolizes God's intelligence; and the eagle symbol-izes God's sovereignty.

A more likely explanation is that these fourcreatures represent the general categories of crea-tures on the earth: wild animals (lion), domesti-cated animals (calf), human beings (man), andcreatures of the sky (eagle). Thus, the picture isrelated to the number four, the symbol for thecreated world.

The detail of the six wings ties this vision to Isa-iah's vision of Heaven (Isaiah 6). There the crealures above the throne are described as six-wingedseraphim. A seraph is a heavenly creature.

B. Worship by the Four Beasts (vv. 8b, 9)

8b. And they rest not day and night, saying,Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, whichwas, and is, and is to conic.

The four beasts have the function of ceaselesslitany concerning the one seated on the throne.The threefold Holy, holy, holy is also found inIsaiah 6:3. This is an emphatic may of stressingGod's unique holiness. (Interestingly, althoughthe Bible says that "God is love," the Bible neverdescribes Him as "love, love, love.")

John must be impressed that he is being al-lowed to view the center of all holiness. Thewords of the beasts tie this to John's initial de-scription of God as the ageless one (Revelation1:4).

9. And when those beasts give glory andhonor and thanks to him that sat on the throne,who liveth for ever and ever.

We now begin to understand the function ofthe four beasts more clearly. They serve as lead-ers of worship for the heavenly throng (espe-cially when we see v. 9 and v. 10 together).There are four aspects to these words of worship.First, they give glory to God. The Bible teachesthat we are to do this (see 1 Corinthians 10:31).To ascribe glory is to recognize God's greatnessand power. Second, they honor God. To honormeans to recognize sovereignty, to place oneselfas a loyal vassal. Those in the ancient world areexpected to honor the king (see 1 Peter 2:17).When we honor God, we are acknowledging Hiskingship in our lives.

Third, they give thanks to God. To give thanksis recognition of God's provisions for us and ourdependence upon Hint. Our need to give thanksto God will never end (see Psalm 30:12). Fourth,the four beasts recognize a central attribute ofGod: His eternality. God, the eternal one, lives forever and ever.

A HEAVENLY MENAGERIE

We humans have always found animals fasci-nating; this probably started when Adam firstgave them names in the Garden of Eden. Justlook at all the money we spend on our dogs andcats! From what we can learn of Solomon'sknowledge and dealings with animals, we canspeculate that he may well have had a royal zooin Jerusalem (1 Kings 4:33; 10:22).

Modern zoo-keeping has been dated to 1752with the establishment of the Imperial Menageriein Vienna. It is still open to the public. Todayevery large city and many smaller ones have zoosor wild animal parks. What a delight it is to seethe "zoo babies" every spring!

Do we find it surprising, then, that the Godwho created such a huge assortment of beasts inthe first place would also take delight in havingsome of them serving Him around His heavenlythrone? Whatever symbolism we see in this, onething seems certain: in Heaven all of God's crea-tures will join in praising Him. Should the onlycreatures who are created in God's own imagenot praise Him daily?

C. Elders Cast Their Crowns (vv. 10, 11)in. The four and twenty elders fall downbefore him that sat on the throne, and worshiphim that liveth for ever and ever, and cast theircrowns before the throne, saying.

The 24 elders follow the lead of the beasts andnow offer their own worship. They do this with aremarkable, unforgettable act: they bow and offertheir crowns. In so doing they release any claim totheir own separate authority and autonomy. Theyare completely devoted to the service of God.

11. Than art worthy, O Lord, to receive gloryand honor and power: for thou hast created allthings, and for thy pleasure they are and werecreated.

The words of the elders are similar to those ofthe beasts, with a couple of additions. For onething, they emphasize the elders' own creatednature. (See question #4. page 288.1 They are

nothing without God. They would not even existwithout a creator.

Another addition is the utterance thou artworthy. This is the very heart of worship: ac-knowledging the one who is worthy. In an ab-solute sense, God is the only one "worthy to bepraised" (Psalm 18:3). When we understandworship as spiritual submission to God, wecount Him as worthy of any possible praise. Heis then our king and master, and we are Hisblessed servants.

Conclusion

A. The Nature of True Worship

Is the worship service at your church real wor-ship or is it entertainment? Evaluate it by askingthis question: is the congregation the consumerof worship or is it the producer of worship? Inother words, are those gathered for worshipthought of as the audience or as participants?Worship, whether individual or corporate,should have the same purposes as given in theheavenly scene of Revelation 4. We can use thistext to ask these evaluative questions: Is what weare doing in any way ascribing worthiness toGod? Specifically, are we either giving Godhonor by our submission, giving God glory byour praise, or giving God thanks by the grateful-ness of our hearts?

There is indeed an audience in the worshipservice, but it should be an audience of one: theLord God. We may do other things at the weeklymeeting time of a congregation, but let us notmistake them for worship. Let as renew our com-mitment to worship God "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). (See question #5. pa, 2001

B. Prayer

Mighty God of Heaven, who sits on the thronein power and glory, we worship You. May we layour own personal crowns before You, submittingto Your will in every aspect of our lives. Youalone are worthy. We pray this in the name ofYour Son, Jesus, amen.

C. Thought to Remember

Worship of God is primary.

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