What do you think heaven will be like? The answers to that question will be as varied as the people you ask. It seems that we’ve all got our own personal perspective on the things we would like to think will be part of heaven’s experience. We do have some glimpses of heaven that are provided in God’s Word. They speak of gates of pearl, streets of gold, mansions, crowns and much more. We take these expressions for what they are. They are the God inspired descriptions and visions of men who tried as best they could to describe the absolute splendor of heaven. And as awesome as their words might be, somehow I feel that there will be far more than they could even put into words. One of the things that stirs my soul has to do with how the apostle John described the worship that is taking place in heaven. Revelation 7:9-10 tells us about a “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” He tells something about the clothes they wear, the songs they sing, and how they represent the faithful followers of God who came out of the time of great tribulation. And he even goes so far as to say that this worship experience will go on day and night, for all eternity. Imagine that, no time limit in heaven, and no rush to be finished by noon. Heaven really will be amazing. I have to tell you that the thought of being part of that worship experience around the throne and in front of the Lamb, singing with all the saints of God from every tribe and nation of the world is what I look forward to. However, I just have to share a question with you that has been on my mind a lot lately. “Why do we have to wait until we get to heaven to catch a glimpse of this experience?” Why is it that we, who live in a world that values our ability to live, and work, and go to school, in ethnically diverse settings continue to worship on Sundays in segregated congregations? I know, the conversation usually focuses on issues of race, culture and languages as the reasons that justify why we are so separated on Sundays, but I have to wonder if this is the way God really intended it to be. God’s worship experience in heaven is very different from ours on earth. But that reminds me of a statement that Jesus included in the prayer that He taught His disciples to pray. He prayed, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven.” Could it be that of all the things Jesus taught us to pray for, there is still one thing we’ve yet to pursue to the fullest extent? Is it possible that we could apply Jesus’ prayer to our own worship experience and begin to ask God to teach us how to experience a bit of His kingdom and His will on earth as it is in heaven? And just maybe that might influence how we worship, and who we worship with, and to Whom we direct our honor and praise. Here is something to think about. Smith High School is said to have 40 different nations represented in their student body. That means that there are at least that many nations represented in the families that live all around us. Think for a moment what our worship experience at Christ Wesleyan would be like if we had that kind of diversity. It might just feel a little bit like heaven. I would like to challenge our Christ Wesleyan family to think about Jesus’ prayer, and join me in praying, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven.” And let’s discover together where God might lead us in opening our doors and our hearts to a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, worshiping together. A little heaven on earth sounds good to me. Your Pastor, |
