the One Who's owed no less the more we give‏

Revelation 5:8-14

⁸ When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints.⁹ And they sang a new song:

You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because You were slaughtered,
and You redeemed people
for God by Your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation.¹⁰ You made them a kingdom
and priests to our God,
and they will reign on the earth.

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.¹² They said with a loud voice:

The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing!

¹³ I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say:

Blessing and honor and glory and dominion
to the One seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

¹⁴ The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Phillips, Craig & Dean’s “Revelation Song” captures well the sentiment expressed in this passage.

In the presence of Jesus there is constant singing and praise being ascribed to His Name, His deeds, His presence, and His authority.

I get the feeling that new songs are more often than not the product of people who spend their time regularly worshipping God here and now rather than those who hope to do so spontaneously and only on special occasions like Easter or Christmas.

You see, “new songs” are not created from new content. They are, so to speak, new ways to organize old, familiar content. In order to love singing new songs, you have to love the old, familiar songs you are used to singing or you end up just making stuff up. And that ends not so much in “making up” new songs as it does in just making crap up.

 

All that to say, if you do not like singing now, you will probably not much care for it later either. So it is no small wonder that we do not desire to be with Jesus much now because the thought of being with Him alot someday sounds super boring (but better than the alternative, I guess, if I have to, whatever.)

Here is my point: the best way to prepare to worship Jesus tomorrow is by worshipping Him today.

Hebrews 3:12-15

¹² Watch out, brothers, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. ¹³ But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception.¹⁴ For we have become companions of the Messiah if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start.¹⁵ As it is said:

Today, if you hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

What is holding you back?

Is it that you do not believe He is worth it?

Re-read the verses above from Revelation 5:8-14.

Is it that you like what you currently have and do not want to lose it?

Re-read the verses above from Hebrews 3:12-15.

So now what are you going to do?

James 1:22

But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

He is worthy of your praise.

He is worthy of your money.

He is worthy of your time.

He is worthy of your life.
He is worthy of your everything

Any time, money, love, energy, desires, service, etc… you give to God will never be wasted.

You cannot outspend His worth.

You are not wasting anything in giving Him everything