Revelation 19:1-10 Worship

The Coolest Worship Service

Revelation 19:1-10

 

You know, chapters like Revelation 19 don’t make much sense to people who live life in the lap of proverbial luxury.

 

Revelation 19 is unintelligible to the church / Christian at ease and not at war.

 

The reason is that this is an invitation to respond in worship not to a particular warm and fuzzy message, but in response to the Lord God in all his awesomeness.

 

Worship in the modern context of the church has been hijacked by irrelevant arguments regarding style and location. All that does is condition us to worship only when it feels good and the environment is just right.

 

The problem with that is that many of Scripture’s invitations to worship are usually in response to some intense moments of the revealing of the Lord that are not conducive to environment and location.

 

Learning to worship is a lot like learning to play football. If one never hits during practice, game time is going to be an awful experience because they are going to get hit and then still have to play and they are not going to feel like playing. If one hits during practice and gets used to the game, then when it comes to game time they get hit and get up and keep on playing.

 

Worship is like this. If all we do is respond to the Lord when its soft and easy, then when we go do real life and the Lord allows hardship we will not worship; we will begin to question. Our worship of the Lord is never to be only in response to conducive environment and location, but in response to the Lord, in all of his glory.

 

This is one reason I want TRCC to avoid too much environment manipulation to entice you to sing. You and I need to sing to the Lord when all is falling down around us not just when its cool.

 

“Worship is communion with God, in which believers, by grace, center their mind’s attention and hearts affection on the Lord, humbly glorifying God in response to the revelation of his glory and his majesty.”[1]

 

We respond in worship at any moment in time that we see his glory.

 

We are worshiping creatures. It’s a built-in component. The question is not “am I worshiping?” The question is “what / who am I worshiping?”

 

John, in the amazingness of the moment, bows down before the angel who brought this word to him. The angel’s response is telling and instructive.

A. Don’t do that

B. Worship God through the testimony of Jesus

C. The prophetic proclamation of Jesus is the means of bringing people to worship

 

Background (chapter 17, 18):

Jesus has brought judgment on the nations, kingdoms, kings, cities and the capital city of Satan’s attempt to crush the church. Jesus is in charge of this crushing of Satan’s forces by Satan’s own forces of nations, kingdoms, kings and cities.

 

The fall of this capital city of Satan’s deception is depicted in chapter 18 as a total destruction and the nations of the world mourn over this city’s destruction because they have lost their economic interest.

 

This city, and these nations, kingdoms, kings and cities have been responsible for the blood of the saints and prophets of the Lord Jesus (18:24).

 

1. Worship! Rev 19:1-4

Hallelujah is used here only in the New Testament, and it is used 4 times in the same / only chapter it is used in.

 

It is a compound word made up of “hallelu”, which is an imperative command to praise and “yah (jah)” which is the shortened name of Yahweh.

 

So, hallelujah is a command to praise God!

 

This is not given as an option if you fee like it and if the songs are to your liking. This is a command!

 

Worship is a life you live, but it is also a song you sing, and it is not optional.

 

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21 ESV) (quoted from Deuteronomy 32:35; Psalm 94:1)

 

When persecuted for the faith and oppressed for the advance of the Gospel, we don’t have to fret ourselves with vengeance. The reason is that Father will take vengeance. He will even up the score and then open up a can at his appointed time.

 

A. In response to Salvation from persecutors 19:1c

B. In response to judgment 19:2

1. Wrath is the other side of the coin of love

C. In response to the eternal justice for sinners and nations 19:3

D. In response to his truthfulness in judging

1. It is right for God to judge

E. In response to his reign 19:6

What does our response to Jesus’ reign need to look like?

1. Rejoicing – enjoyment of a state of happiness

2. Exulting – “to leap, to express great happiness often verbally and in appropriate body

movement”

3. Glorying – to speak of something as being unusually fine and deserving honor—‘to                             praise, to glorify, praise.’^[2]

 

What is the unique action of the Lord that elicits such a response?

a. Marriage of the Lamb

1. Jesus has returned to take his church to be with him

(described in 11-21)

b. Jesus has sanctified his church 19:7c, 8

1. The church has been granted to put on full righteousness

(Gospel work is fully completed)

 

Sunday mornings are like a practice / walk-through for this day described in Revelation 19. We are preparing for the day when he returns and makes things right in practice forever.

 

It is to be an act of the renewed will, by the Spirit, in which we respond to what is revealed about the Lord regardless of feeling.

 

Feeling is not to be what elicits response. Jesus is. And we respond to Jesus in all of his awesomeness.

 

2. Be encouraged, salvation is coming in full!

A. Jesus will complete his sanctifying work in you / us Philippians 1:6; Revelation 19:8

B. Jesus will conquer his enemies and complete the mission

C. Stay on task and don’t give up doing the good Galatians 6:1-10

 

3. Would you worship today?

A. Don’t respond to how you are feeling

B. Respond to the revelation of his excellencies and mercy and justice for us