• 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of 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 slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
• 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
• 11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
• 12 In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!"
• 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
• 14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshipped.

INTRODUCTION: This passage is all about worship. There are Five Facts about Worship that I would emphasize today:

I. Worship is the duty and pleasure of both men and angels.

Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647)

Question 1: What is the chief end of man?
Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

There is a lot of confusion about angels. Many people think that angels are people who have died and gone to Heaven. Others believe that people are angels who have been sent to earth to inhabit human bodies. The Bible tells us that angels and human beings are two different things. Humans are a RACE. We are all the great grand children of Adam and Eve. We are all related by blood. Angels are spirits without bodies, though they may take on the appearance of flesh as God directs.

Two angels looking like men, and Jesus Christ, looking like a man, sat down and had supper with Abraham in the Book of Genesis. Those same two angels went to Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed those wicked cities.

Angels are neither parents nor children, but were all created directly by God Himself. There are no baby angels. They are older than the earth, and sang with joy as God created all things. (Job 38:4-7)

• 4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
• 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?
• 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;
• 7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Angels have been sent to earth by God to minister to all who know Christ, and to carry out the will of God among the nations of the earth. (Hebrews 1:13-14)

• 13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
• 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Both men and angels worship the Father and the Son. We do NOT worship angels. John the Apostle tried that once, and was immediately corrected by the angel (Revelation 22:8-9).

• 8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
• 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

II. Worship should be done with great reverence.

Hebrews 12:28-29

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."

The four living creatures, and the twenty-four elders all FELL DOWN at the feet of the lamb with great reverence. You can be reverent and joyful at the same time. You can fear God and be happy simultaneously. Jesus is our Friend, but He is not our PAL, or homeboy, or buddy, or "the man upstairs," or whatever else people call Him without reverence. The angels in God's presence cover their faces. The 24 elders prostrate themselves. If you don't have reverence for the Holy God then you just don't get it. God is holy, and we aren't, and Isaiah's attitude is right.

III. Worship with instruments of music is encouraged.

There are several denominations which forbid the use of musical instruments in our worship. When we point to Psalm 150 they say "that's Old Testament." Well, is Revelation Old Testament or New Testament? Do they use musical instruments to worship God in Heaven? Of course they do! (Revelation 5:8; 14:2-3 15:2-3) If King David used musical instruments to worship God; and if the saints in Heaven use instruments to worship God, then why can't WE use instruments to worship God? It is an unbiblical kind of dispensationalism that would forbid instrument music in our time.

Psalm 150

• 1 ¶ Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
• 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
• 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
• 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
• 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
• 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

The primary quality for our instrumentation and musical style should be reverence. Guitars are OK, but they must be played with reverence, as well as with joy. Trumpets and trombones are fine, too. Drums and cymbals are OK, but they must be played with reverence, not merely with enthusiasm. Pianos, organs, cellos and violins are OK, but they must be played reverently, not for entertainment, not to show off, but in the service of the King of Kings.

I would suggest to you that we too often treat our special music as entertainment, and we applaud the performers. Singers and instrumentalists in church are not here to entertain, or amuse, or astonish you with their skill and beauty. They are here to worship God, and they are here to help YOU worship God. Those who sing and play instruments must take this into account when they choose their music. The TRUE AUDIENCE IN CHURCH is not the congregation but God Himself. He is here to listen to praise offered to Him by the musicians, and in the hearts of those who hear, and who pray along with the music. We are not here to applaud the musicians, but to applaud the One to whom the musicians are singing. They are here to lead us to HIM.

One other exhortation about instrumentation of musical style. We must be careful that the style of the music doesn't spoil the worship content of the lyrics. There are musical styles and ways of playing music in which the sound itself is totally inappropriate for worship. There is such a thing as bad music. There is such at thing as sensual music. There is such a thing as angry music and destructive music. It should go without saying that the style of music should properly convey the lyrics, and not detract from what the lyrics are saying. I have been in churches where the music totally detracts from what the words of the song are trying to say. Sometimes churches do this on purpose, they say, to reach the unchurched crowd. This is bad strategy and bad worship. Our audience in the worship service is not the unchurched visitor. Our audience is not even the congregation. The audience is God Himself, and our music must reflect that understanding.

IV. Worship and prayer go together.

One of the pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle and in the Temple was the altar of incense. Fresh and exclusive incense was offered to God daily on that altar. It was the best smelling incense in the world, and it was extremely expensive, and it could be used for nothing else. You could not bottle it for people to use at home. You could not sell it as perfume. It was holy, and exclusively dedicated to God's worship.

Exodus 30:22-38

• 22 Then the LORD said to Moses,
• 23 "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,
• 24 500 shekels of cassia, all according to the sanctuary shekel, and a hin of olive oil.
• 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.
• 26 Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,
• 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,
• 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
• 29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
• 30 "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
• 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
• 32 Do not pour it on men’s bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.
• 33 Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.’"
• 34 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,
• 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.
• 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
• 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD.
• 38 Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people."

God considers His people to be precious treasures. We are of infinite value in His sight. We have been purchased and redeemed by the most precious substance, the blood of Jesus. So God regards the prayers of His people as if they are the most fragrant incense. He loves to hear us pray. He loves to answer prayer.

As we worship together we pray often. We have invocations and benedictions. We pray for the sick and those who are traveling. We pray for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. We pray for our missionaries. And we pray many prayers that are not about US, but are prayers of adoration and praise. As you pray ask yourself: is my prayer going up to God like the sweetest incense? That's how we ought to pray.

V. Our singing in worship should have God-centered lyrics.

The songs of the Book of Revelation are all about the Lamb and our Heavenly Father. The elders, and angels, and God's people in Heaven are singing praises to Jesus Christ about two things: Who He is...and What He has done. He is the Lamb. He is our Redeemer. He is the only begotten Son of God. He is the Lion of Judah. He is the Root of Jesse, He is the Alpha and Omega, He is the Great I Am.

All too often Christians today are singing songs about themselves, and not about Jesus Christ. For example, here's a song that is very popular in worship services today. Note: this song has a place and a purpose, but it is not worship.

# 554 "I'll Fly Away." or # 399 "Higher Ground." These songs are interesting, and fun to sing sometimes, but they are not songs of worship as we find in the Book of Revelation.

But consider these songs:

# 114 "His Name is Life." or # 88 "Fairest Lord Jesus"

When pastors and musicians choose songs for a worship service, they need to read the lyrics. They need to choose songs that really lift up and praise the Lord Jesus Christ. We should avoid songs that are overly sentimental, or that are all about ourselves and our aspirations, or that simply make us feel good, or that simply have a foot tapping melody and beat. Worship is work. You have gathered here today not to be ministered unto, but to worship. You are here to worship God. God is the audience. YOU, the congregation, you are speaking and praising and worshipping Him. Don't come to church for what you can GET. Come here determined to GIVE something to God, the praise that is due Him.

Please notice also that we are not advocating that only OLD music be sung in worship. Certainly old songs are great, especially those which are drawn from Scripture. No songs will ever surpass the Psalms of the Bible. We must use discretion about more modern songs. "I'll Fly Away" is copyrighted in 1932; but the newer song "His Name Is Life" is dated 1983. The newer song may or may not be better than the older song. It's not the age of the song, but the content of the lyrics that must be outstanding and Christ-centered. One of my favorite new hymns is "In Christ Alone," which was written in 2001.

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all;
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine;
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death;
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home;
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

CONCLUSION: We should remember these five facts about worship:

• 1. Worship is both the duty and pleasure of men and angels.
• 2. Worship should be characterized by reverence.
• 3. Worship with instrumental music is encouraged by the Bible.
• 4. Worship and prayer go hand in hand.
• 5. The lyrics of our worship songs should be Christ centered.