(For some background check out this post.)
On Easter we showed an incredibly touching and moving video by Elevation Church, who wrote the song Resurrecting. We did so in conjunction with a great message by our pastor. After Easter there were quite a few people who were asking for a link to the video. Here it is... (For some background check out this post.)
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Those of us who believe in Jesus and follow him will die. But we will be immediately resurrected, given new glorious bodies, and love with our Lord for eternity. But that is not the whole picture. Often we live for that moment. But we have so much to live for right now. He is resurrecting us even now. Today. Make no mistake... as a follower of Jesus, he is renewing you and cleansing you (sanctifying you) right now (2 Thessalonians 5:23 & 2 Corinthians 5:17). Today. And tomorrow. And every day we breathe on this earth. He is resurrecting us. Even now allowing us to share in his victory. That is the power of his name. The name to which everyone will bow and everyone will confess (Philippians 2:9-11). I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:50-54) Yep. That's cause to worship. worship Him 24/7... scott Check out this song, Resurrecting by Elevation Worship, which we used at Easter: Resurrecting Lyrics:
The head that once was crowned with thorns Is crowned with glory now The Savior knelt to wash our feet Now at his feet we bow The one who wore our sin and shame Now robed in majesty The radiance of perfect love Now shines for all to see Your name, Your name Is victory All praise will rise To Christ our king The fear that held us now gives way To him who is our peace His final breath upon the cross Is now alive in me By Your spirit I will rise From the ashes of defeat The resurrected king Is resurrecting me In Your name I come alive To declare your victory The resurrected king Is resurrecting me The tomb where soldiers watched in vain Was borrowed for three days His body there would not remain Our God has robbed the grave Our God has robbed the grave "We needed a sight of Jesus. We needed something bigger than ourselves to lift our eyes up daily, off of the rubble and off of the worry, and magnify Him. To get to see the church, every generation, denomination, every nationality singing to Him, and just enjoying His beauty and His holiness, and Him wrapping us up as one, it's overwhelming and humbling." - Jennie Riddle Jennie Riddle, author of Revelation Song, asked the Holy Spirit to provide her a song which would be a painting of God, a song which the angels and all of creation were already singing, so that we as believers could join in the worship with one voice to our one King. The song given to her was Revelation Song. A song inspired directly from scripture itself. Ezekiel 1:26-28 says of heaven... "There was a throne of sapphire, and high above the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire, and a brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." Revelation 4:2-3,5 says... "There before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. From the throne came flashed of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder." This painting of God should cause each of us to be filled with an awestruck wonder! And remember this: in heaven for all eternity voices around the throne of God himself sing, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty! Who was, and is, and is to come!" Let's join in that song. As one church. And imagine every generation of every nationality singing this praise to Him! As we do, never forget the worthiness of the Lamb that was slain. The reason we sing. To Jesus all power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise (Revelation 5:12). worship Him 24/7... scott Revelation Song lyrics
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Holy, holy is He Sing a new song to Him who sits on Heaven's mercy seat Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty Who was and is and is to come With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings You are my everything and I will adore You Clothed in rainbows of living color Flashes of lighting rolls of thunder Blessing and honor strength and glory and power be To You the only wise King Filled with wonder awestruck wonder At the mention of Your name Jesus Your name is power, breath and living water Such a marvelous mystery As a worship leader I often talk about worship in heaven. What it would look like. What it would sound like. Worshiping in the kingdom of heaven will be incredible. But in this perhaps I miss a huge point of what the kingdom of heaven is.
We are currently studying Jesus' sermon on the mount in Matthew 5-7. We've decided to call the series Kingdom Swap. It's an appropriate name. Jesus calls for a radical change in our thinking. Turn the world's thoughts and patterns upside down as believers and live differently. Rather than the world's desire to shape us by what we do and how we appear, Jesus calls for a reshaping of our hearts. He knows the truth: our outward actions and appearance is a reflection of the heart. We need to trade in the heart of the world for a heart of heaven. We need a kingdom swap. In Matthew 4:17, just before Jesus' greatest message, he says that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In Luke 17:20-21 he says that the kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed. He says it is already in their mists. The kingdom of God is already here. The kingdom is in us. Yes, the fullness of the kingdom of God will not be experienced until our physical nature passes away and we enter heaven with the very presence of the fullness of God. But herein lies a great true paradox of scripture: The kingdom of God is already here. In us. God in his fullness is here in us. My human mind has a hard time understanding this truth, but it is truth. The very words of Christ. When we worship, we should not only dream of what is to be in the heavenly kingdom. We need to remember that the kingdom of heaven is already here. Perhaps not in its total fullness. But we need to stop minimizing it. Accept it. Make this kingdom swap in our minds. Worship knowing that God's very presence in us through his Spirit is the very kingdom of heaven here and now. Imagine what would happen if the world saw our worship, our lives, the very kingdom of heaven here on earth? worship Him 24/7... Scott Won't it be incredible to worship in heaven? Incredible doesn't quite say it. Won't it be fantastic? Nope. Great. Nah. How about unimaginable? That's better. We can't put to words what heaven will really be like. Even in scripture, writers like Isaiah struggled to put to words what being in the very presence of God is really like. But for a moment... let's imagine!
Everyone will sing. Every creature in heaven and on earth and even under the sea will sing praise to the Lamb, Jesus Christ (Rev 5:13). The church of Christ will play instruments and sing of God's great and marvelous deeds (Rev 15:3). It will be loud. People from every nation and every language will shout out in with loud voices that salvation belongs only to our God (Rev 7:10). The great multitude of believers will roar with hallelujahs that sound like rushing waters and great peals of thunder (Rev 19:1, Rev 19:6). Repetition will happen. As a worship pastor I've heard it. "That chorus repeats too much. Get on with it." I've got news. Day and night the creatures of heaven will never stop singing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty" (Rev 4:8). If you don't like repetition in your worship, best change your thinking. Better start getting used to it now! There will be bowing. The twenty four elders themselves, significant leaders of God's people, will bow down before God again and again and again. (Rev 5:14, Rev 7:11, Rev 19:4). If these guys are bowing down this much, I think I will be too! We all will. Every knee will bow at the name of Jesus (Philippians 2:10). You may want to practice. We will wave his banner. Just as the crowd waved palm branches as Jesus entered Jerusalem, we will do so in heaven shouting praise to our Savior (Rev 7:9). Throughout eternity will will declare Jesus as Lord! The above points are only the start of our worship in heaven. It will be deeper and more intimate than anything you've ever experienced. God himself will be before you in all his glory and splendor, bejeweled appearing as purifying fire. And we will worship freely before him. What a day it will be. Let's practice. worship Him 24/7... Scott |
Scott Marshall worship pastor
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