Question 4: How do we worship?
Those who had been redeemed from the earth, those who had the name of Jesus and the Father written on their foreheads, will someday sing before the throne. These are the ones purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. (Revelation 14)
If you have been redeemed, if you have been purchased from among men, how should we worship? Revelation 14 has a couple images of worship from the purchased and redeemed.
They sang a new song before the throne (14:3) Of course, we sing. And this was the obvious one in the passage. But singing is not a requirement for worship. Worship is not just singing, and singing is not always worship. It is our hearts that worship, and if we cannot contain that worship and it boils out of us in song, then our singing is worship. And new songs are good! We can sing old songs too, but new songs will be sung in heaven as God reveals new and beautiful things about himself. In the same way, as we grow and see new and beautiful things about God here on earth, we should sing new songs!
They follow the Lamb wherever he goes (14:4) Jesus is our leader, so we follow him. Jesus is our perfect picture of worship, so we model him. Jesus is our protector and savior and provider, so like sheep we trail close behind him.
Jesus lived a life of worship. He was constantly glorifying the Father. He lived a life of perfect obedience to and love for the Father. And in the same way, we worship best when we live a life of obedience to and love for God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). So worship is first knowing who God is and loving that. Worship is knowing what wants and doing that.
So while singing might be the first thing we think of when we hear the word "worship", it is only a very small part. As Paul succinctly put it, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). All of life can be worship when seek to know God better and love him, obey him, and do every part of our lives for his glory.
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