How to Worship Like Heaven, part 3: With Every Nation

All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
Psalm 86:9

God’s heart has always been for the nations. From the beginning to the end, we see it - He wants every nation, tribe, tongue, and peoples in His kingdom. Somewhere along the way, we’ve gotten comfortable in our own “tribes” and we’ve forgotten the pattern of heaven’s worship! If we really want our worship to be “on earth as it is in heaven” then we’ve got to worship with every nation!

So far we’ve talked about heaven’s worship being around the throne and around the cross, and in this blog I want to point out that heaven’s worship included every nation.

This series isn’t meant to be exhaustive, but to point out things that I believe are important and relevant to our current worship culture. 

A few other things that are worth considering when following the pattern of heaven’s worship are:

• Singing (just to be sure…)

• Assembling together (which, this and singing were under fire in CA in recent times)

• Prostration before the Lord (on your face in worship)

• Loud voices (multiple references to this)

Heaven is fully present, undistracted, and doesn’t hold back it’s worship to God! We would do well to do the same.

But to the point of this blog…heaven’s worship included every nation.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!””
Revelation 7:9-10

In regards to John seeing every nation worshiping in heaven, here are some things that stood out:

1. Ethnicities Intact

When John saw the great multitude in heaven before the throne, they all had their ethnicity intact.

It wasn’t the “human race” that he saw. There were people from every nation, tribe, tongue and people - and he could make the distinction! 

Which tells me that somehow in heaven I’m still going to be Hawaiian, English and Irish. And with those ethnicities comes different styles, cultures, and approaches to life - and heaven doesn’t seem to change that (except for the things that Christ redeemed me from).

I understand that churches have formed because of similar languages and cultures; we feel comfortable around people that are like us.

But here’s the point: If everyone looks like you in your worship services, you’re missing out on the fullness of heaven’s pattern for worship. 

There’s hidden treasures inside of other ethnicities that you don’t have; and can’t get any other way.

2. Unified in Christ

Amidst the world’s efforts to bring the races together, God has a heavenly pattern: The Gospel.

Heaven’s pattern was that they were brought together by that one common denominator. I honestly believe the only answer to the race issues in the world is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is THE power of God! (Rom. 1:16)

The people before the throne weren’t bickering about their differences, they were worshiping their one true God. 

It’s through the gospel that:

• We see value in every person because the highest price was paid for them (Rev. 5:9)

• We treat all people with dignity

• We forgive those who’ve hurt us

• We are family with people of other nationalities

• The human heart is fully changed

Remember the new song that heaven sang?

They sang about the Lamb: “...with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Rev. 5:9 NIV)

3. Led heaven in worship

What’s striking to me is that: when these believers lifted their praise to God, heaven responded in praise and worship. (see Rev. 7:11-12)

It was the unified, multi-ethnic, body of Christ that led heaven in worship.

Heaven was moved.

I believe we can move heaven today by following heaven’s pattern for worship. Around the throne, around the cross, and with every nation.

Question: How does this play out practically?

I’m sure using different styles of music and doing missions trips play a role there somewhere - but how do you think this can be implemented in the church’s worship today?

Let me know in the comments below!