WHY WORSHIP?
Worship did not generate in the heart of man. On the contrary, the chorus of praise to our God began in eternity, long before the foundation of the world.
At GBCY, we embraced worship as a core value not because we thought it would sound good or because the trends favor a worship expression. But rather, we were captivated by the revelation of heaven’s throne room where 24/7 worship has been the soundtrack underscoring all of history.
The four living creatures, each having six wings,
were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor
and thanks to Him who sits on the throne,
who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders
fall down before Him who sits on the throne
and worship Him who lives forever and ever,
and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Rev 4:8-11 (NKJV)
The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders dwell in the eternal realm with Him. They do not tire of gazing on His beauty and declaring His glory. Why? Because our God is infinite. Beyond measure. Without end. Limitless. Every time they look up, they catch a glimpse of a new, never-before-seen facet of His holiness. And the response that overflows from their heart is worship.
Since the beginning of time, they have modeled to us what it means to be in His presence, what it means to truly overflow with worship.
Now this is our invitation, to approach His throne with the same mind. We come not to ask of Him, not to receive or to feel good, not even to just encounter Him for ourselves, though all these are benefits of serving a loving God. Rather, our first priority is to cast down our crowns, which have the greatest worth to us, and we offer them to the One whose worth cannot even be compared.
We have been invited into the throne room to witness His glory! We worship because He is worthy! We worship because there is no end to His majesty and wonder. And as we draw near to His presence to gaze on the beauty of His holiness, that adoration overflows from our hearts as pure, God-centered worship.
But there is a second invitation. More happens in the throne room than just worship.
“Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—
is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Romans 8:34 (NKJV)
Right there at the throne of God, in the company of the elders and four living creatures, Yeshua (Jesus) is engaged in intercession. From our posture of pure worship, where we are not looking to fill our own vessels, we have access to hear the strategies of heaven and are invited to partner with Yeshua in releasing them on earth.
As a community, one of the mandates we carry from the Lord is to stand as watchmen in this nation, to intercede alongside Yeshua declaring God’s purposes on earth as it is in heaven. For Cyprus, for the Middle East, for this young generation. He is looking for voices to rally in faith not according to what we see with our natural eyes, but according to what is being declared from the throne room. More than ever, it is imperative that we know how to pray.
“… not My will, but Yours, be done.”
Luke 22:42 (NKJV)
His praises have been ringing throughout all eternity. May our voices join that choir!
Holy, He was. Holy, He is. And holy, He will always be.
by Alicia van Huizen