Many of us were raised in liturgical churches. A liturgical service begins with the minister saying, “The Lord be with you.” The congregation responds by saying, “And also with you.”
Well, one Sunday the minister attempted to begin the service, but the microphone was malfunctioning. So, he tapped the mic several times and then finally said, “There is something wrong with this!”
And the congregation answered, “And also with you!”
That’s a joke of course, but having been raised in a liturgical church, I believe that this kind of thing could possibly happen. Our worship was often more routine than reverent.
But is there such a thing as a perfect worship service? Not in this life! A church should assist families with their after-service review by providing an Amazon style 5-star rating system.
But the services in heaven will be a lot better – won’t they? I wonder – what will the worship services be like in heaven?
Will Michael the archangel begin by tapping the mic and asking, “Hey is this on?” Will the video operator still be stuck on verse 1 while we are supposed to be singing verse 2? Will the feedback from the celestial sound system make our ears bleed?
The pre-service announcements down here seem to go on for eternity, so will they – in eternity? Will the guitar player play an annoying little riff while we pray? Will we have the strength to stand for the entire worship for all eternity?
I suspect that our worship in heaven will likely be free from those distractions.
For one thing, we won’t have to imagine Jesus, and what He looks like, or the sound of His voice. We will see Him face-to-face.
We find this truth in a surprising place. Job said in the book by his name, “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold, and not another. – Job 9:25-27.
Job has in mind the prelude to the eternal state – the return of the Lord Jesus to this earth to rule for 1,000 years. Job was extremely excited to put his eyes on his redeemer. Again, he said, “I will see God, whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold…”
He understood that it would be a long way off, and that he would die before that would ever happen. But he also believed he would be raised again to see his Redeemer God with his own eyes – and he was thrilled by the prospect.
John, the apostle, was privileged with preview of our glorified Lord. He wrote, “He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet, and he wore a wide golden belt around his chest. His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His face shone like the sun shining at full strength” – Revelation 1:13-16.
Wow! Imagine a worship service with Jesus appearing in this way. John reacted saying, “When I saw Him, I fell down at his feet as though I were dead” – 1:17.
It’s true that some of us worship today as if we were dead – but this is different. John was awed, stunned and staggered by the magnificent person of the Lord Jesus Christ – as we will be when we bow before Him.
Even if there were things to distract us from our worship in heaven – Jesus will nevertheless, receive 100% of our attention. No one deserves it more.
A PRAYER: “Come Lord Jesus” – Revelation 22:20.
This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com
May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you
Scripture passages are quoted from the NETBible®
Pickle Heaven Press-James R. Johnson 