When The Gospel And Worship Collide

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.  Revelation 7:9-12 NASB

When I read this the first time it came to life for me. And as I prayed over this weeks sermon I was given this verse to share here. This vision of salvation must be our vision.  Because vision is the picture that God gives us - the picture we are working, praying and living for - yes my friends Salvation belongs to God.  

He alone can save our souls for eternity. His desire from before the creation of the world was to have a family from every nation who would choose to know and follow Him – a family washed by the blood of the Lamb, singing the praises of God, living for their creator’s glory. 

This vision requires a mission - a mission of sharing the good news that we EACH AND EVERY PERSON were created for a purpose. We don’t have to try and save ourselves, we get to live for God’s glory and not our own. Clarity about His vision and this mission will change our lives.

Revelation 5:1-5 NASB I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

The Gospel is the love of God poured out to humanity. Worship is the love of humanity poured out to God. Any place where the two intersect becomes the Kingdom of God and the person that they intersected through was Jesus Christ.

I can only imagine that moment 2000 years ago when John, standing at the foot of the cross, witnessed the collision of Heaven and Earth in the person of Jesus.  The irrepressible love of God demonstrated as He poured out His Son in offering, and the irrepressible love of Jesus Christ demonstrated as He obeyed His Father unto death. 

The Gospel and Worship collided with such violence that the earth trembled, the dead rose and the sun bowed low. The Kingdom was at hand and John, through tears of awe, bore witness to its birth.

This week, as we step out the door into a new year, remember this: as a Believer you have become a living intersection between Heaven and Earth. The Kingdom is wherever you are because, through Christ, you have now become pieces of the gospel and worship. Ask the Lord who or where He wants you to carry His Kingdom to today and be ready! Because as people see Christ in our actions and hear Holy Spirit in our words, they are drawn to the Savior who is the source of true life!