Worship In Heaven
Introduction
On September 22, 1967, Dr. Raymond Edman, then retired president of Wheaton College, was preaching at Wheaton’s chapel when he suddenly collapsed and died in the pulpit. Amazingly, his sermon was entitled “In the Presence of the King.” What a way to go!
When our friend and classmate Lorene Fox, went to Heaven recently, she had lived almost 93 years, had had a good night’s rest, was at home, had her family with her, and without any struggle or pain just shut her eyes in this world and opened them in Heaven. What a way to go!
When God chooses to bring us to Heaven He does not do so lightly but with a heart full of love. The Bible says “Precious in the sight of The Lord is the death of His saints.” This means He has fulfilled His promises to us here in this world and is ready to begin fulfilling His promises to us in Heaven.
God has promised us a home in Heaven with Him for all eternity, an eternity full of love and contentment, and an eternity full of peace and fellowship. How can we ever stop thanking Him? The answer is “Never!!!”. Even after we get to Heaven we are never going to stop praising God and worshipping Him for all eternity!
What The Bible Says About Worship In Heaven
Many a pastor and worship leader has told their congregations that they if don’t like singing and worship in church services now, they won’t enjoy Heaven, because that’s all we’ll do in Heaven. Is that literally true? Is that all we’ll do?
Most people know that we’ll worship God in Heaven. But they don’t grasp how thrilling that will be. Multitudes of God’s people— of every nation, tribe, people, and language— will gather to sing praise to God for his greatness, wisdom, power, grace, and mighty work of redemption.
Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
Overwhelmed by his magnificence, we will fall on our faces in unrestrained happiness and say, “Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
In Heaven, where everyone worships Jesus, no one says, “Now we’re going to sing two hymns, followed by announcements and prayer.” The singing isn’t ritual but spontaneous praise. If someone rescued you and your family from terrible harm, especially at great cost to himself, no one would need to tell you, “Better say thank you.” On your own, you would shower him with praise. Even more will you sing your Savior’s praises and tell of his life-saving deeds.
In Heaven, the life you live there will show itself as a form of worship by what you do every day of your life in eternity. There will not be a regular gathering in a meeting place with a pre-planned program of worship. Our life in Heaven will be one long conversation with God – not as we pray today in this world but rather as a continuous form of worship.
Prayer In Heaven
We know for sure that there is prayer in heaven. Romans 8:34 shows us that Jesus is in heaven, praying for us: ‘Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.’ Also the Holy Spirit, who is God and is in heaven, prays for us: ‘For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words’ (Romans 8:26).
But do people, besides the Lord Jesus, also pray in heaven? The Bible indicates so. The angels in heaven know what is happening on earth: thus they rejoice when a sinner repents and believes (Luke 15:10). It seems very unlikely that the saints in heaven do not know what happens on earth, when the angels do know. Hebrew 12:1 says that we are surrounded by a ‘great cloud of witnesses’, the Old Testament believers. There might be some indication there that these believers are conscious of what happens on earth. One verse clearly says so. In Revelation 6:10 martyrs are praying that God will judge the earth. This confirms that there is some knowledge about what happens on earth among the saints in heaven, though we do not how much. And they are praying about it. That is logical, because prayer comes natural to believers. Why would they stop once they are in the presence of God?
There Will Be No Need For Preaching In Heaven
Have you noticed that in the descriptions of heaven and its activities that there is no mention of preaching? Jesus never tells about preaching in heaven, no apostle predicted it, and the Book of Revelation never says a thing about preaching in heaven. We can read that there will be worship and praise of God and of the Lamb there. We are told that there will be singing, but no mention is ever made that there will be preaching. Perhaps we can learn the reason why.
In this world, we preach and plead for men to repent of their sins; we show the awful curse of sin; we point out the terrible judgment of God upon sin–but there, there will be no sinners to whom to preach. Over there, only the pure will enter. Hence, there would be no point in preaching upon sin.
In this world, we preach about the greatness of God and the deity of Christ, but there, there will be no point in preaching those things. There we shall look upon the face of God, and all unbelievers will be excluded. (Rev. 21:8).
In this world, we preach that men should come to the fountain filled with blood for cleansing, but there will be no need to preach that over there, for everyone will have been cleansed by that blood previous to entering.
In this world, we preach that men should get ready for the day of judgment, but in heaven there will be no point in preaching that, for judgment will have already passed.
In this world, we preach upon the hope of heaven, but in that day there would be no point in preaching that, for we shall have entered into that wonderful place. The only thing left to do is enjoy it.
In this world, we preach upon the awfulness of hell in order that men may avoid going to that terrible place, but when the righteous are in heaven, it will be too late to preach that–besides, no one in heaven to whom we might preach will be in danger of going to hell.
Worshipping The Lord Through Praise Is Not Just A Heaven Thing
John saw everyone in Heaven praising The Lord
Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Rev 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Rev 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
Rev 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
David felt everyone and everything in this world and in Heaven should praise The Lord
Psa 148:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
Psa 148:2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
Psa 148:3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
Psa 148:4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
Psa 148:5 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
Psa 148:6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
Psa 148:7 Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
Psa 148:8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
Psa 148:9 Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
Psa 148:10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
Psa 148:11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
Psa 148:12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
Psa 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
Psa 148:14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.