Worship Articles by Ron Man Pastor of Music and Worship, EXW Contributor September 13, 2006

A. Romans 1

In Romans 1 Paul deals with the issue from the negative side as he describes the fate of fallen man
because of his rejection of God.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that
which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to
them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal
power and divine nature [His glory] have been clearly seen, being understood
through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give
thanks [a good summary of worship], but they became futile in their
speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [Now we see the downward
spiral] Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the
incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and
four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that
their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of
God [about His glory] for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather
than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Now of course Paul, in these early chapters of Romans, is portraying sin in all of its blackness so
that the light of the gospel might shine all the more brightly in contrast as he expounds is beginning in
chapter 3. But he has also already hinted at the glories to come in 1:16-17, where he speaks of the
gospel being "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes."

That salvation through faith in the power of the gospel will in effect reverse the downward spiral of
sin which Paul describes in chapters 1 &2. Looking again at Paul's words indicting fallen humanity,
we can recast them and reparaphrase them and see something of God's purposes in redeeming and
restoring lost men and women:

(Paraphrase of Romans 1:18-25)

For the grace of God is revealed from heaven to fallen and sinful men who have
accepted the truth of the gospel, to those whom God has drawn to Himself. For
now not only is the power and the majesty of God evident through what has
been made, but He has also revealed His love, mercy, compassion and grace
through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ His Son, so that men may be
saved.

And now they not only know God, but they also honor Him as God and give
thanks, their minds filled with thoughts of Him and their hearts filled with
devotion to Him. Acknowledging themselves to be fools, they became wise, and exchanged
images and false objects of worship for the glory of the incorruptible God.

Therefore God indwelt their renewed hearts with His Spirit unto purity, so that
they might present their bodies as living and holy sacrifices unto Him. For they
exchanged a lie for the truth of God, and now worship and serve the Creator
rather than the creature, to the glory of His name. Amen.

This grand reversal effected through the redeeming work of Christ brings forth worship in the lives
of those who find new life in Him. The foundation of sin is the failure, actually the refusal to
worship God and give Him the honor and thanks He is due; it's a refusal to glorify Him. But as the
culmination of His saving work He returns believing people to an attitude and lifestyle of worship.

God intended for the revelation of His glory in creation and in redemption to issue forth in a
response of worship on the part of those enabled by grace to do so.

B. Revelation 5

Let us now make a rather drastic shift from Paul's dark picture in Romans to the glory of the throne
room of heaven in Revelation 5. Here we see another picture of the centrality of worship.

(By the way, these scenes of heavenly worship in Revelation 4 & 5 are not just instructive for us; in
a very real way we have the privilege in corporate worship in the church in joining our hearts and
our voices with that of the heavenly host, taking part in their worship-- we have that right and that
privilege because, as Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20, "our citizenship is in heaven"-- we are citizens
of heaven, and enjoy the rights and privileges of that citizenship even while we are sojourners and
aliens living in a strange land.)

Here is the scene in heaven which the apostle John portrays for us in Revelation 5: God the Father
on the throne, along with the Lamb, in the center; the four living creatures around them, then the 24
elders, outside of them "myriads and myriads of angels," and then John says every created thing in
the heavens, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea-- all saying:

"To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and
dominion forever and ever." (v.13)

And then we read:

"And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and
worshiped"(v.14)

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