WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Now we've come to the end of our series, the end of our series on worship. 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:15.000 And I hope that that has been an informative and helpful and challenging series for you. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:21.000 And there's no getting away from the reality and from the fact that we're all worshipers. 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:24.000 We are all worshipers. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:33.000 Whatever or whoever we choose to worship, and we know that, we speak about that often, don't we? 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:41.000 We speak about idolatry and idols being simply whatever we adulate more than God, 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:46.000 whatever we put in the place of God in our lives, and we can all relate to that. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:56.000 We can all look at our lives and we can all see what significance we give to people or things before God. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:59.000 And it's easy for us to do that. 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:02.000 Very often it's ourselves, isn't it? 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:09.000 Tim Keller, I was reading about that self-absorption that can just overtake our lives 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:13.000 so that we become the idol of our lives. 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:19.000 And it's easy to do that in ourselves for other people and for things. 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:20.000 We know that. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:27.000 And it's as attractive as it is destructive because we know it's a lie. 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:33.000 And we know that we are never fully fulfilled and we are never living as we would intended to live 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:42.000 if we are worshiping anyone or anything other than God, unless if we are putting anything before Him. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:45.000 And that is a constant challenge for us. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:55.000 We know and we have come to know that nothing and no one is worthy of our worship except the living God. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:58.000 And we know that sin blinds us to that. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.000 We experience that in our day-to-day living. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:11.000 That we are guilty before God of idolatry in our hearts and in our lives of relegating God to a place of insignificance. 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:23.000 But we have also come to know that in Christ Jesus, He is given to us life rescuing realignment. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:28.000 So the gospel is about, it's about new life, it's about being born again. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:32.000 And that means that we realign our whole lives. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:39.000 We turn back to God and we enthrone Him as Lord. 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:44.000 We enthrone Him and that changes who we are and it changes how we think. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:51.000 Because we've come to recognise His nature and His character. 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:58.000 Therefore we can worship Him because He has changed, He has taken our hearts, He has removed our guilt 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:07.000 and He has taken that barrier and we can look at Him and worship Him and serve Him. 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:12.000 Now over these last number of weeks, we've looked particularly at Sunday worship really, 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.000 the formal worship service that we're doing just now. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:20.000 We've looked at the different elements that make up that worship service. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:27.000 And we've tried to explain why we do what we do and explain the importance of these different things. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:31.000 We've looked at the blessing that comes from God as we do so. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:34.000 We've talked about praise and why we sing. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:42.000 We've thought about the Bible and learning and opening God's Word and His Word being central to all that we do. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:47.000 We've spoken about the sacraments of cleansing, of belonging and of remembering 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:52.000 and why these visible elements are given to us and are significant for us. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:57.000 And of the importance of prayer as worship, prayer together. 00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:04.000 Prayer is a people prayer in adoration and in supplication and in request. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.000 All of it. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:16.000 Every time we come together, all of it is to enable a realignment of our lives and our focus toward God again. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:21.000 So when we come together on Sunday to church, when we come together for worship, 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:31.000 it's really intended for us to refresh and to renew and to encourage us to realign our lives 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:38.000 and refocus our lives on the object, the person of our worship, God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.000 Because we live in the shadows, don't we? 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:43.000 We live in the battlefield. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:45.000 And it's a struggle for us so often. 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:51.000 And we need to be encouraged and we need to be brought towards the light again. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:52.000 And we focus on it. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:56.000 And that's why we make no excuse for focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:59.000 And that's why we can't really move to anything else. 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:06.000 Because He is the one that we worship and that we praise. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:10.000 So what I want to do tonight, just as we conclude this series, 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:15.000 is to remind ourselves that these worship services and our lives as worship, 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:20.000 because we looked at that as well, and broadened it slightly to our lives as worship, 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:23.000 it's not an end in itself. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:28.000 This life and church and living as Christians is not an end in itself. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:33.000 But we're always to have a future perspective and a future hope. 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:38.000 And worship must have that future hope and that future perspective. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:43.000 And it must speak into that for us as we live our lives. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:46.000 Because it points forward to heaven. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.000 Worship will always and ought to always point forward to heaven. 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.000 You know what Cody was saying this morning about? 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:58.000 He kind of talked about service and the new heavens, new earth and what we are now 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:02.000 is to reflect in a little bit what we are to enjoy in the future. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:04.000 And that is very true. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:11.000 That's very much the focus and the important reality of worship now. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:16.000 It is to point forward, it's speaking, it's giving a message, 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:18.000 not just to ourselves but I hope to others, 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.000 of what lies ahead for us in our lives and in our relationship with God. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:29.000 So, just want to say a little bit about that from the passage in Revelation 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:33.000 and also a little bit from the passage in Isaiah. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:37.000 But as we think about the future and what the future looks like for us 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:39.000 in relationship with God in heaven, 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:42.000 we're reminded that whatever else it is, 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:50.000 and I'm steering in towards the address that I'm going to give the assembly here, 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.000 so I'm not going to say too much, 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:56.000 but it is unimaginable newness. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:57.000 Okay? 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:02.000 We're looking forward to a worship reality that is fresh and vibrant. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:06.000 Verse 1 says, I saw new heavens and I knew earth, 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.000 which we've spoken about often, especially in our series in Ephesians. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:13.000 Then in verse 5 it says, he was seated on the throne and said, 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:18.000 behold, I am making all things new. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:21.000 And there's that great verse in Ephesians 3, 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:23.000 in the prayer of Paul in Ephesians 3, 20, 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:25.000 which I'll read at the end, 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.000 which talks about this unimaginably great reality 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:33.000 beyond our world's understanding of the fullness of God's love, 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:38.000 which in its fullness speaks of the future. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:43.000 And so what we recognize and what we keep in our mind and our view is that in heaven 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:48.000 we will breathe the atmosphere of the divine love in a fullness 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:52.000 that we simply cannot imagine just now. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.000 But it's something that we look forward to. 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:59.000 It is beyond knowledge. And knowledge is a great thing. 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:01.000 And I would not knowledge for a moment, 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:05.000 nor would I knock the scholars for all that they're doing. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:10.000 But this great future that we have, this worshiping future, 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:12.000 is beyond our knowledge now. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:15.000 No wordsmith can ever do it credit. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.000 Indeed, not even the inspired writers of Scripture 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:27.000 can do what is worth as it speaks of the future. 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.000 And so there is this great newness, 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:34.000 which will be central in an ongoing way to our existence, 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:42.000 a new existence, a worship, a fulsome worshiping existence. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:44.000 There will be, I believe, enough, 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.000 and Scripture would back that up, 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:54.000 enough continuity to remind us of who we are and who we were, 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:57.000 and also enough continuity to remind us of the world 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:01.000 in which we were living, the earth that we called home. 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:04.000 So I think there will be in that future for us 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:08.000 a kind of familiarity like deja vu. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:10.000 You know, you know that experience with that. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:13.000 I think I've done this before. 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:15.000 I remember this. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:18.000 So there will be that sense of, 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:22.000 and I know there's an interesting explanation for deja vu, 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:25.000 but I don't know well enough to share. 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:31.000 But I think there will be that similar reality of heaven, 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:33.000 that it will be a sense of familiarity, 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:36.000 but with inexpressible freshness and newness, 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:38.000 a renewal of all things, 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:43.000 and it will blow away any previous images or understandings 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:47.000 that we might have gained in this life about what worship is 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:50.000 and about indeed what heaven is. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.000 And I believe that there will be, 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:54.000 and the Bible speaks of here in this passage, 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:56.000 at least two major, 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:59.000 there may be lots of other things, I'm sure there will be, 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:01.000 there's at least two major elements 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:06.000 involved in worshiping eternally 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:10.000 and worshiping beyond this life. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.000 Two very simple things, but very important. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:18.000 The first is, heavenly worship will be an intimate relationship 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.000 with God. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:22.000 That's what it will be. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:25.000 That is the whole point of worship, 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:29.000 is that we come to recognise Him and us 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:31.000 and our relationship with Him 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:36.000 and our responsibility and privilege towards Him. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:39.000 And it says in verses 2 and 3, 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:43.000 it speaks of that, that I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:45.000 coming at these images, these pictures, 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:47.000 coming down out of heaven from God, 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:51.000 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:53.000 A loud voice from the throne saying, 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:55.000 Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:58.000 he will dwell with him, they will be his people. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:04.000 So heavenly worship, which this worship is to reflect, 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:06.000 and our lives is to reflect, 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:10.000 is reflected and imaged in the most intimate 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:12.000 and personal, all human relationships, 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:16.000 relationships between a husband and a wife. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:21.000 And because that helps us to understand 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:23.000 what the core reality of heaven will be, 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:26.000 it will be an intimate spiritual relationship 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:27.000 with our God. 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.000 God will dwell with us. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.000 He will come with us. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:35.000 There will not be any division at all. 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:38.000 Now we know that when Christ died in the cross, 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:41.000 the curtain was ripped in two and the division went, 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:44.000 but we also know that we are living in the shadows. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:46.000 And that's a foretaste of what's to come. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:49.000 And it says here that there will be no more sea. 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.000 Now I know a lot of people have struggled with that, 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:53.000 because a lot of people like the sea. 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:55.000 And a lot of Christian fishermen struggle, 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:57.000 the idea of not being any sea in heaven. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:11:59.000 But I don't think that's what it's speaking about. 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:04.000 I think it's referring back to earlier in Revelation, 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:09.000 where, in 4 verse 6, where it talks about a sea of glass 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.000 being in front of the throne, 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:14.000 kind of separating the throne of God from everything. 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:18.000 And it's as if that sea has got, there will be no more sea. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:20.000 And I think it's just symbolic of the fact 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:25.000 that all division between ourselves and God will be gone. 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:29.000 That holy, eternal, glorious Father, 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:33.000 we will be in his nearer presence 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:37.000 and there will be no division, no separation whatsoever. 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:40.000 Because the Bible often uses sea and water 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:45.000 as a symbol of separation or fear or chaos or division. 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:47.000 And that's all gone. 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:49.000 It's all gone. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:50.000 There's no more shadows. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:52.000 We're in the presence of the light. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:54.000 There's not even any more need of the sun, 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:55.000 because the light is there. 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.000 And we are in his nearer presence. 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:01.000 And it's this great relationship with our Father. 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:06.000 And we recognize that tremendous closeness, 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:09.000 the bride and groom, 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:14.000 God dwelling with us, no division whatsoever. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.000 And I think that will be, therefore, reflective for us. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.000 And there's much here we don't know, 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:22.000 and there's much here that isn't spoken about, 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.000 spiritually, biblically. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:27.000 But it will be reflective of a deeper, 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:29.000 more fulfilling, 00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:32.000 more energizing, more complete, 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:35.000 and more rewarding relationship 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:38.000 than we can ever have experienced here in this life. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:43.000 And some people experience some amazing relationships. 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:46.000 Not necessarily in marriage, but often in marriage. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:50.000 Incomparable with even the best human relationship. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:53.000 Just unimaginably incompatible. 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.000 We have this relationship with our Father. 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:59.000 I think there will be physical, spiritual, emotional, 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:02.000 and relational compatibility 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:05.000 beyond our wildest dreams. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:09.000 In that heavenly place of worship, 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.000 we'll be living in the light. 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:17.000 We'll enter into Trinitarian fellowship 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:20.000 through the perfect indwelling of the Spirit, 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:24.000 beyond anything that we can know or experience now. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:27.000 Or, can I say that even Adam and Eve experienced in the beginning 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:29.000 before they sinned? 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:32.000 It's a better, newer, deeper, 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:37.000 more fulfilling relationship than even they had at the beginning. 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:42.000 The intimate imagery of bride and groom. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.000 So, relationship is central. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:48.000 And that is furthered by another intimate image 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:53.000 of God wiping away every tear from their eye. 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:55.000 What is that? 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:58.000 Is that a parental image? 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:01.000 Is that a husband image? 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:03.000 Well, it can be either, can it? 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:09.000 It's really an image of closeness, care, and compassion. 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:14.000 And it just furthers this picture that heaven and worship 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:20.000 will be in a relational closeness 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:23.000 of living and true God. 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:28.000 And in the light of His glory, 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:30.000 all darkness will be expunged. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:33.000 And you know, there are these negatives that are spoken of 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:36.000 in Isaiah and also in Revelation. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.000 No night and no shadows. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:44.000 And that really just speaks of all the things in this life 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:47.000 that makes your life and my life tough. 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:54.000 A battle, a struggle, all these things that we long 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.000 as you wake up in the morning not to experience today. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:02.000 Lord, please let me not experience loss today 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:09.000 or death or pain or illness or the tears of guilt 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:14.000 or the loss of loved ones, decrepitude and death. 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:17.000 Not today, Lord. Not today. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:21.000 These things that we don't want to experience, the darkness of that. 00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:25.000 Everything that, as you look at your relationship with Christ, 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:28.000 as you look at your walk with God in Jesus Christ, 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:33.000 all of the things that tarnish, spoil and block our worship. 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:36.000 All that stops us communicating with God in prayer 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:39.000 and opening the Bible and coming to church 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:41.000 and fellowshiping with God's people and serving them. 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:45.000 All of these things, He wipes them away. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:47.000 They're gone. 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:52.000 God takes all the barriers that stop us from worshiping now. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:54.000 We battle to worship. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:17:00.000 You battle, if you have anything like me, to worship here together. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.000 But in our lives as worship, we struggle. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:08.000 And God says all of these barriers will be removed. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:12.000 And therefore the worship we have will be truly 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:17.000 and absolutely that fundamental loving relationship 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:26.000 with our Father from which all barriers will have been removed. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:32.000 But we are to be those who seek to image that true worship here. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:37.000 So our worship together and your worship as life 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:43.000 is not moralism, not as the ethical living primarily, 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:47.000 nor as it doing good things, as Corey was speaking about this morning. 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:50.000 It is understanding and knowing who we are in Christ 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:55.000 and speaking with Him, communicating, confessing, adoring, 00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:01.000 worshiping and serving this living God who has generously provided all things for us. 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:06.000 We trust that He has created us to do that. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:10.000 And we enjoy and glorify Him because He has taken the barrier of sin 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:14.000 and the idolatry of sin from us. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:17.000 So if we're talking about the best worship now, 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:22.000 I know what you get. You get these CDs or whatever you use now, 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:27.000 best worship 19, 2026 or whatever it is, 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:29.000 100 best worship songs, blah, blah, blah. 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:35.000 1000 best sermons, jim, that lamb in 2026. 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.000 That's His very best one. 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:42.000 But the very best worship now will always be worship 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:49.000 just at the most fundamental, basic, ordinary level where we face Him, 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:53.000 where He is enthroned, where He gets the glory 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:57.000 and where we recognize His grace and His greatness 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:07.000 and where we are battling, battling against turning our backs on Him. 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:11.000 That's gritty, godly worship. 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:16.000 When we battle against closing His book, 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:19.000 silencing our relationship with Him in prayer 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:24.000 and ignoring the importance of gathering for worship 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:26.000 and being silent before Him. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:30.000 So true worship, whatever else we think worship is, 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.000 and we have our own ideas and we have our own boxes to tick 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.000 and we have our own judgment to make on other people, 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:41.000 whatever true worship is, it must reflect 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:45.000 what heavenly worship will be, which is an intimate relationship 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:50.000 with God is incomparable to anything that we know now. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:52.000 So that's the first element. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:56.000 The second element is that worship, heavenly worship 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:05.000 will be something that is engaged in through a serving society. 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:11.000 It will be an active, serving community of people worshiping God 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:14.000 in an active way. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:19.000 It speaks about the New Jerusalem, the holy city coming down from heaven, 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:22.000 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:24.000 And there are also great images, 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:31.000 and I can't pretend to fully understand all the elements and ideas 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:38.000 that are in Isaiah 65, but I think it's anthropomorphic language. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:43.000 In other words, it's using what the people could humanly experience 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:47.000 and humanly understood to speak forward 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:50.000 into something that was much greater than they could even imagine. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:55.000 It will be part of a worshiping service, worshiping serving society. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:21:02.000 I think biblical imagery is replete with references to heavenly worship 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:09.000 involving the kind of experiences that make up what we do now, 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:11.000 what we do in this life. 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:16.000 But what can very often in this life be either a burden 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:22.000 because of sin or can become idolatrous? 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:28.000 In glory, in heaven, with God and intimate relationship, 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:30.000 that will be true worship. 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:36.000 Let me explain what I mean by that through the Isaiah passage primarily. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:41.000 In other words, I think what Isaiah is pointing forward to prophetically 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:46.000 is the new heavens and the new earth, 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:50.000 which is very different sometimes from our traditional idea of heaven. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:52.000 It will be a heavenly society. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:56.000 We will not be sitting like cross-legged Buddhas on clouds, 00:21:56.000 --> 00:22:01.000 plucking on harps, and I know we've spoken about that before, 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:08.000 but we'll be rightly active in worshipful service of God and of others, 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.000 deaconally. 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:16.000 We will be physical beings worshiping in a physical universe 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:20.000 in an intimate relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:28.000 and it will be a serving society which will be glorifying God in worship 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:32.000 as we fulfill what we are created to be and do. 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:35.000 And I think that will happen in certain ways, 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:37.000 and I just go through this very briefly. 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:41.000 I think it will involve us in building homes. 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:44.000 Isaiah 65 and 21 speaks about, 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:47.000 they shall build houses and inhabit them, 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:49.000 they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:51.000 Now whatever is envisaged by that, 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:54.000 and I'm not pretending to understand exactly what is envisaged by that, 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:58.000 I think what it means, what it's pointing towards is that we will belong. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:02.000 And when you build a house, that's where you want to live. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:03.000 That's where you want to be. 00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:05.000 That's where you put your roots down 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.000 and you're saying this will be the place that we will belong. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:12.000 It's the place that we will enjoy our living and our belonging. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:14.000 In society and community, 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.000 it will not be a house on the edge of a peninsula 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:19.000 where there will be nobody else there. 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:22.000 That's not heaven, that's not going to be our experience. 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:27.000 It's going to be a city, a place of whatever these images mean, 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:29.000 they mean that will be society and community 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:31.000 and we will be secure in that. 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:33.000 We will not covet someone else's life or home, 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:35.000 we will not steal from them. 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:38.000 We will be worshiping God as the giver 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:41.000 and as the provider and as the enabler 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:44.000 in this glorious new world 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.000 that we will inhabit as believers, as Christians. 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:51.000 We will be at home. 00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:54.000 We will also be in strong relationships. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.000 There's all the talk in Isaiah 65 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:02.000 of young men and infants and old men and families. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:04.000 I say some things that I've never got to understand 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:06.000 if it's talking about heaven. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:08.000 Why does it talk about people dying when they get to... 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:10.000 If they don't reach 100, they'll be accursed 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:13.000 and no one, no kid will die when they're a baby. 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.000 But I think that's just using the kind of things 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:18.000 that we're familiar with, the curse that happens now 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:21.000 and reminding us that that will not happen there. 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:23.000 And it will be a place of strong relationships. 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:28.000 Isaiah 25 says that Christ has come, 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:30.000 Messiah will come to swallow up death forever 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:33.000 so we know there's no death there. 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:35.000 But it's the idea of permanence. 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:38.000 It's the idea of nothing being cut short. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:40.000 It's the idea of nothing becoming withered 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:42.000 and old and miserable. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:47.000 There's no fear of jealousies or immaturity or rivalry. 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:51.000 And the ageless perfection and innocence. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:55.000 A kind of permanent childhood 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:59.000 as part of the family of our Father. 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:04.000 And we will worship through a sense of thanksgiving 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:06.000 and a recognition of His fatherly care 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:10.000 and protection and provision for us. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:12.000 So these relationships and homes. 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:16.000 And there's also the idea of fruitful labour. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:20.000 It talks about them building 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:22.000 and another one not inhabiting, they shall plant 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:24.000 and another one shall not eat of it. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:28.000 And it speaks about them planting vineyards 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:34.000 and they shall not labour in vain and so on. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:38.000 And there's this idea of heaven being a place of activity. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:41.000 The toil will go. 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:46.000 The curse of sin or the curse on work will go. 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:50.000 And there'll be that great enjoyment and sharing 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:53.000 and blessing in labour together. 00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:56.000 A recognition, this is why we were made. 00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:00.000 We were made to worship God through providing for, 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:02.000 serving, looking after one another, 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:06.000 working on one, on behalf of one another. 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:11.000 And all of that will be in great harmony with nature. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:15.000 The wolf and the lamb will graze together. 00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:18.000 The lion shall eat straw with the ox. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:22.000 It speaks about the curse, the groaning of creation 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.000 and as we've gone, Romans speaks about sweet cooperation 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:30.000 between God and between His people and between the ground 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:32.000 and between living creatures. 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:37.000 Pleasurable existence, no abuse and no waste. 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:41.000 Just partnership, joyful partnership with God 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:45.000 and this world which He has made us. 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:49.000 So worship and heavenly worship involves 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:52.000 the element of intimacy with God 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:55.000 and service to one another, 00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:59.000 which dovetails very beautifully with this morning. 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:05.000 Both these elements should be reflective of our worship now. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:11.000 Now a great deal is spoken of about individual, private, personal worship. 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:16.000 I come to worship me and my God. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:20.000 That intimacy is never imbalanced in that way scripturally. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:25.000 There's always that truly strong community aspect of serving, 00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:27.000 of living our lives with that attitude, 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:34.000 of looking around and caring for and being interested in others. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:37.000 It involves that redeemed humanity. 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:40.000 In other words, worship is a community project, 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:43.000 serving God by serving one another. 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:47.000 It's a jointly stewarding, glorious renewed universe. 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:50.000 That must be an important element of our worship now 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:55.000 as we look forward, as we remind ourselves of what worship is 00:27:55.000 --> 00:28:00.000 before God and in shoulder to shoulder with one another. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.000 Now that, if you didn't recognise, that was the kind of conclusion. 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:07.000 So I'm going to add a new point and that's very bad for him 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:09.000 to add a new point of conclusion. 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:11.000 You should never do that. 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:13.000 Don't add anything new into your conclusion. 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:15.000 It's bad for him, but I'm going to anyway. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:21.000 Because I think that over all of this and interspersed with all of it, 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:25.000 I do believe from Revelation particularly, 00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:30.000 there will be a symphony of praise. 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:32.000 In our intimate relationship with God 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:34.000 and in our serving of one another, 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:36.000 however it works itself out, either intermittently 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:39.000 or possibly in unimaginable ways, 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:45.000 there will be perpetual outbursts of spine-tingling singing. 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:50.000 I think that will be part of what is meant by the great cacophony 00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:55.000 of praise and adoration that is spoken of in many of the chapters 00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:59.000 in Revelation, you think of 19 verse 6, particularly, 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:04.000 maybe we go back to that and remind ourselves of that great truth. 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:13.000 He says, the 24 elders, I heard a voice which seemed to be a loud voice 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:15.000 of a great multitude in heaven crying out, 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:20.000 hallelujah, salvation and glory and power belong to the Lord. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.000 And it goes on to speak about these great outbursts of song 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:32.000 and singing thunderous, sweet cacophony of chorus of the redeemed, 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:40.000 of people who express their worship in song, energising and awe-inspiring. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:43.000 Speaking to Calamity, just came back from the States 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:50.000 and to, who's at a great huge conference with thousands of people gathered. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.000 And you know, you can imagine the spine-tingling singing and praise 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:56.000 of thousands of people together. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:01.000 In any context, it is transformative. 00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:11.000 Well, can you imagine it with the innumerable chorus, 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:18.000 choir of the redeemed out of this world. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:25.000 So I think our worship today, our ordinary, plain, week-to-week, 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:32.000 11am, 5.30pm, public worship and our lives, 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:35.000 but especially as we think of our worship together, 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:43.000 best reflects God when it reflects what it will be in heaven. 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:46.000 It's based on our heart relationship with Christ, 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:49.000 which nobody else can make right with you, 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:54.000 which you can't rely on secondhand relationships to get right, 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:59.000 which must be about you being eyeball to eyeball with your God. 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:04.000 And when that heart relationship is matched with a loving, 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:08.000 shepherding, caring, serving attitude, 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:10.000 a trusting attitude towards one another, 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:15.000 encouraging one another in community worship, 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.000 and when there is great outbursts of praise, 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:21.000 great singing. 00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:25.000 I think bad singing is not reflective of heaven. 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:30.000 So let's not see the singing as a filler 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.000 between the reading of the Bible and prayer and the sermon. 00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:44.000 It is crucial, I think, as a witness to a lost society 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:46.000 that who we serve is the living God, 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:48.000 and we praise Him with all our hearts, 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:54.000 not in a half-hearted, disinterested, looking at the watch kind of way, 00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:57.000 which this would hurry up. 00:31:57.000 --> 00:31:59.000 So heavenly worship reflects, 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:02.000 or our worship now is reflective, 00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:08.000 or ought to be reflective of what we are looking forward to in the future. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:13.000 And it's something to consider in your life, 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:16.000 if you're worshiping here this evening, 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:19.000 that you need to be aware of that hope, 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:24.000 and you need to have that future perspective in your life. 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:28.000 You need to have come to know the sin of idolatry 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:31.000 that keeps you from Christ, 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:35.000 and you have to confess and repent and turn to Him, 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:38.000 knowing Him crucified for you. 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:43.000 And it might be time for you to speak about that, 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:47.000 and to deal with that, and to come to peace and faith 00:32:47.000 --> 00:32:49.000 in the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:55.000 and understand maybe for the first time what worship is all about. 00:32:55.000 --> 00:33:00.000 And I'll just finish by reading Ephesians 3, this great prayer, 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:03.000 which I mentioned at the beginning, 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:07.000 which I think speaks ultimately of heaven, 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:09.000 because it's the fullness of God. 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:11.000 And it says, for this reason, 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.000 I bow my knees before the Father, 00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:16.000 from whom every family in heaven and earth is named, 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:18.000 that according to the riches of His glory, 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:20.000 He may grant you to be strengthened with power 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:23.000 through His Spirit in your inner being, 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:26.000 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:28.000 and that you being rooted and grounded in love 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:31.000 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints 00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:34.000 what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:38.000 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:42.000 that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:45.000 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all, 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:48.000 we ask her to think according to the power at work within us, 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:52.000 to Him be glory, worship, in the church, 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:55.000 and in Christ Jesus through all generations, 00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:58.000 and forever and ever. Amen. 00:33:58.000 --> 00:34:00.000 Let's pray. 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:05.000 Father God, we ask and pray that our worship would not be dull, 00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:08.000 and disinterested and disengaged. 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:11.000 We do pray that you would help us forgive us 00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:14.000 when we struggle as preachers, 00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:17.000 as those involved in the worship leading in music, 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:20.000 or in any other practical way, 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:26.000 forgive us when we do treat it sometimes like bare duty, 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:29.000 forgive us when we attend in that bare 00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:32.000 and sometimes thoughtless way, 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:35.000 and remind us of the responsibility on our shoulders 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:40.000 with the great weight, the lightness of the weight of Christ's burden 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:44.000 because we have the Spirit to enable us to carry it. 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:48.000 Mind is of that great responsibility to worship now 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:50.000 in a way that is as close as possible 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:52.000 to what we will enjoy in the future, 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:55.000 because that will speak to people. 00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:59.000 Our lives as worship will speak to people who don't know you. 00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:02.000 And our worship together will speak to those who come in 00:35:02.000 --> 00:35:05.000 and say, this people know you, 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:07.000 and this people love you, 00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:10.000 and this people sing their hearts out for you, 00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:13.000 and they are bursting with praise. 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:16.000 May that be true of not just our singing, 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:23.000 but of our lives in a humble and respectful and a gracious way. 00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:26.000 And teach us, we pray, Lord, 00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:31.000 to know your truth, to know clearly what you want us to be and to do, 00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:36.000 and to hate all the idolatry that dethrones you 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:39.000 and marginalises you from our lives. 00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:42.000 Forgive us, we pray, and fill us with your Spirit 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:46.000 and with a worshipful Spirit as we go into this week, 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:56.000 working week for Jesus' sake. Amen.