Heaven And Worship!

March 27, 2025

Heaven And Worship!

We all want heaven!

We want heaven in eternity and we want heaven, at least in part, on earth.  When heaven seems particularly remote in our life now, we often cry out, “Life is not fair!” 

A miscarriage, a nasty divorce, or the loss of job can cause us to question how much of heaven we can know on earth.  The death of a parent when we are still a child, the cancellation of an engagement to be married, or the betrayal of a best friend can cause us to wonder how much of heaven we can experience on earth.

If we are a person of faith, we believe there is eternal life in heaven on the other side of death.  We are content to wait because the promise of heaven is so incredibly amazing. 

However, when it comes to tasting or seeing a piece of heaven in our life today, our faith in the promises of God and our patience to wait for it now seem to diminish pretty quickly.  Most of us want heaven right now and on our terms.  We want the pain and the tears as well as the disappointments and desperation to stop.  We don’t want to be afraid or troubled or suffering any longer.  We ant heaven now!

More specifically, we want Jesus’ promise of heaven in Revelation 21:3-4.  Jesus says, “He (God) will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes.  Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more…”

That’s what we believe heaven should be like in eternity as well as right now…no mourning or crying or pain!

The problem is we live in a world that is still broken; there is still mourning and crying and pain!  The good news is that although these things will hurt us and the ones we love, there is still a taste of heaven we can know in our life now.

Sometimes we are confused or discouraged or even angry when heaven on earth seems too remote.  It is easy to forget that one of the most common descriptions of heaven (in eternity and now) is the people of God worshipping the Lord God.

The primary role of the saints and the elders and the angels in heaven is worship.  In other words, in the kingdom of heaven, we worship the Lord God. 

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were worshipping at our church.  Although it was an ordinary Sunday morning worship experience, I noticed that a tear was flowing down my cheek during one of the songs and then again during a portion of the message. 

In those moments, I knew I was in the presence of the living God as well as in the presence of my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I experienced a taste of heaven in those moments.  It was not difficult to imagine just a small bit of what worship will be like in heaven in eternity.

A foretaste of heaven on earth occurs when we choose to worship with other Christ-followers.  In Nehemiah 9:6 we hear; “And Ezra said, ‘You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.  To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you.’”

Ezra is certain that in heaven we will all worship the Lord God.  We hear a similar description of heaven in the book of Revelation.  In Revelation 7:15 we hear; “For this reason they are before the throne of God (in heaven) and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.”

Again, in Revelation 22:3 we hear; “Nothing accursed will be found there any more.  But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him…”

In heaven, God’s people will worship the Lord God.  It makes sense, then, that we can experience a taste of heaven on earth when we join with God’s people to worship Jesus the Christ even while there is still mourning and crying and pain all around.

If you have settled into watching worship on-line and if you are physically able, I encourage you to find your way back to in-person worship with God’s people.  There is something that happens when you worship with other people; you experience a taste of heaven!

If you have not been very regular in your worship attendance, I encourage you to find a way to re-set your priorities, your schedule, and your heart so you can join with God’s people in worshipping the Lord God.  There is something that can happen as you worship with other people; you experience a taste of heaven on earth!

When that happens, your heart will overflow with delight in the goodness and grace and generosity of the Lord God.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug