The worship in heaven is worship God is pleased with because it’s in accordance to the will of God. As such, our worship on earth should be like the worship in heaven. There’re a few important points about the worship in heaven we should learn from.

Previous sermons have covered the following 5 points:
1. See the door in heaven standing open
2. Come up to the Lord
3. See the God who sits on the throne
4. See there is lightning, thunderings and voices proceeding from the throne
5. See the worship of the 4 living creatures and the content of the worship

This sermon will discuss the 6th point:
6. See the worship of praise of the 24 elders

Rev 4:4, 9-11
4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,
10 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:
11 “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.”

Who are these 24 elders? In an earlier sermon, it was discussed that the 24 elders as well as the 4 living creatures refer to believers who are saved. These 24 elders represent 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 apostles in the New Testament. Because Rev 21:12 says the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel were written 12 gates of the New Jerusalem, and v14 says the 12 foundations of the city wall have the names of the 12 apostles. It shows the holy city of God is united by the Old Testament and New Testament saints. But some people say the apostles cannot be considered as elders. Peter refers to himself as an elder in 1 Pet 5:1 and John in 2 John 1:1. This shows apostles are also elders.

These 24 elders have their own thrones surrounding the throne of God.

This throne is promised by God and given to those who are victorious.

Rev 3:21
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

The throne in heaven is the highest and the most glorious because it’s eternal and lasts forever. Every believer has a throne prepared for us in heaven, but not every believer esteems this throne in heaven. Instead, many believers esteem their throne on earth more than in heaven. Indeed some of the thrones on earth are of very high positions but no matter how high it is, it doesn’t belong to us forever. One day we will have to descend from that throne/position and let another take our place. Our sitting on that throne is just temporary too. Also, how firmly can we sit on that throne? Many people below us are fighting for the chance to sit at our position. We don’t need to worry about our throne in heaven being taken away by others, because it’s promised to be given to us by Jesus. What we have to worry about is whether we are able to hold on to this throne in heaven; if we can’t overcome the temptations of the devil, if we fall and lose this throne in heaven. Only believers who have overcome/are victorious are able to have this throne in heaven. This is why the Lord encourages us to be victors in our faith.

These 24 elders also put on white robes which shows they are truly those who have overcome.

Rev 3:5
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Every believer is given a white robe by the Lord, but not every believer is able to preserve this white robe and prevent it from being defiled. In the process, the white robes get defiled. Some of their robes get torn. Jesus knows we will defile our robes, which is why He gives us the opportunity and time to wash our garments.

Rev 22:14
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Washing our garments represents daily spiritual nurture. This shouldn’t just be restricted to reading the Bible and praying. What’s more important is to live a life where we discipline our bodies, because our bodies often go astray. We often get angry. We get jealous. Our thoughts go astray. The Holy Spirit is always at war with all these things in our bodies. A man who has spiritual nurture will be able to suppress and submit himself to the spirit. Those who do not carry out spiritual nurture will just give in to the lust of their flesh.

The 24 elders have crowns on their heads, because they have already overcome the devil.

Rev 2:10
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The devil frequently uses tribulation and trials to attack and cause Christians to be defeated. Some believers have been defeated. While going through sufferings, they start to doubt the love of God. They even murmur, “God why have you not saved me from this?” Some gradually grow cold and some gradually leave the church. But some believers remain loyal unto death even though they go through tribulations and sufferings. They don’t change their faith and had longsuffering and patience in tribulation. These are victors/overcomers of the suffering the devil inflicted on them, which is why the Lord gives them the crown of life.

Rev 4:10
The 24 elders fall down before the throne to worship. They were prostrating - not just kneeling but their face is on the ground. This shows their complete submission. Such is the worship in heaven. The worship in heaven is about complete submission. Yes we submit while we are worshipping on earth otherwise we wouldn’t be here worshiping now. But our submission is not complete. There’re certain things we are willing to submit, but others we are not willing. Sometimes we are very submissive, sometimes we are not. When our mood is good, we will be okay with everything; when our mood is bad, we will not be okay with everything. Our submissiveness when it comes to our religious faith and worship is temperamental and changes according to environment and time. We may be physically kneeling down but our hearts are not. We aren’t telling our hearts to listen to God but telling God to listen to us. We can indeed ask God to listen to our prayers and grant our requests because He’s our Heavenly Father and we’re His children. We can make our request known to our heavenly father. But exactly because He’s our Heavenly Father, we must be respectful of and need His views. Just like when Jesus prayed to the Heavenly Father. He had His will and requests but He said, “Not My will but Your will be done.” Such is a prayer where you are both physically kneeling and your heart is kneeling; willing to completely submit to Him in prayer. Let’s not keep telling ourselves we are His child so it’s His duty to love and listen to us. Instead take the perspective that since He’s our Heavenly Father, we should listen to Him. If we have different views from Him, shouldn’t we give up ours and listen to His because His views are more perfect?

The 24 elders cast down their crowns before the throne of God.

This shows a deep respect for God. They were willing to give God all this glory. They didn’t dare to take away any glory from God, because only the Lord God who lives forever and ever is worthy of these praises and worship. Casting down their crowns also shows their loyalty, devotion and single-mindedness towards God. Nothing can replace the position of God in their hearts. They’re willing to give up all things they deem important because the Lord is in the most important position in their hearts. Everyday we are busy earning a livelihood in our work. Because of that our hearts are weighed down by all these worries and cares. As a result we don’t have the heart to worship God. Yet people of God who are pious are willing to set aside their worries and cares and worship God in heaven. How are they able to do all these things? Because if they’re willing to forgo the crown on their heads for the sake of God, what else are they not willing to forsake? Are we willing to cast our crowns down before the throne of God? Our personal crown represents our own will and freedom; things that we deem the most important to us. If we see our own crowns as more important than God, then very naturally we would hold on tightly to our crowns and be unwilling to cast it down before the throne of God. But if we view God as more important than the crown we have, we’d willingly cast our crowns down before the throne of God. Actually all of us know that regardless of how glorious and valuable and great the crown on our heads are, we can’t wear it forever. Even if we aren’t willing to cast it down, someone will take it down for us one day. Since God has already prepared a throne and a more glorious crown in heaven, shouldn’t we give more thanks to Him?

We saw how the 24 elders praised and worshiped God. Are we able to know the main points of the worship of the 24 elders?

Rev 4:11
“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.”

The content of their praise and worship is towards the creation of God. Can you remember the main points of the worship of the 4 living creatures? It was about praising the holiness of God, the almightiness of God, and that God is coming again.

The 24 elders praised God for His creation. All these main points reminds all of us the reasons why we should give all praise and honour and glory to God. We don’t praise and worship God because He has healed us of our illness. We don’t come and praise and worship Him because He has given us a blissful family. All of these are all the blessings and grace of God and we ought to give thanks to Him for all of these, but we should not worship and praise these blessings. Even without these blessings, we should still give God all glory and honour; that He’s God who is holy, God almighty, God coming to judge, God the Creator. He’s worthy of all our praise and worship. So when we come and worship God, we need to have the right concept for us to worship Him.

The praises of the 24 elders also reminds us of one more thing: the praise and worship of God begins from God’s creation. The first verse of the Bible is: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is the foundation of our faith and also the motivating force behind our worship.

Psa 100:1-4
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

The psalmist explains why man ought to come before God to worship and praise Him. The context is not about a person who comes to worship God because he has been healed, who has been saved, who has received blessings from God. Because at the start of the psalm it says, “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!” Why? Because we are created by Him. We belong to Him. He is the true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Without His creation, whatever that’s created will cease to exist. While we are in existence we enjoy the things He has created. Do we not give thanks and praise Him as a result? Which is why in v4 he says to enter His gates with thanksgiving and courts with praise. We have our fair share of troubles and setbacks in life. If we just look and dwell on all these, how can we have a heart of thanksgiving and praise Him? But the psalmist reminds all of us here that when we have such thoughts, it is exactly because of His creation that we’re able to be alive to have such thoughts. When we realise this, even if we have troubles and difficulties, we should still come to worship and praise Him. We have troubles and difficulties exactly because we still have life; because we are not dead. When we die, all hope is lost. But while we are still living, we still have hope; there’s still things we can work towards and pursue. The very fact that we are still alive enables us to praise Him and enter His courts in praise. Because we’re not ungrateful. If we truly believe our God is the Creator of the heavens and earth, and also believe He’s our Heavenly Father in control of the heavens and earth, then what should we be afraid of and worry about? We’re in the created world of our Heavenly Father. Whether we’re on the land looking up to the heavens and sky, the God of heaven and earth is with us. Whether we are free or a slave, whether we are a free man or prisoner in chains, the Lord of the heavens and earth has not departed from us. For example, when Paul and Silas were imprisoned for the sake of preaching the gospel; when they were whipped, the angels didn’t protect them; when put in handcuffs, the angels didn’t appear to save them. The people around might think the endings of people who preach the gospel are sad. They sacrifice their lives to preach the gospel yet their God doesn’t seem to bother about them. The prisoners that day likely looked at them with pitiful eyes and thought their God didn’t even care about them. But what was unexpected was that they praised God and sang hymns once they came around and gained strength. Because of that the prisoners were deeply moved. “Who is this God they worship that they don’t murmur and even sing praises to Him despite being in this state?” At that moment God showed His powers, the prison was shaken and the doors flung open. We see God had not departed from them; God was watching from a distance. This was their test; were they able to overcome the attacks and temptations of the devil? Able to hold on to their faith? Able to believe? Or would they be like others who murmur against and leave God? Not only was God watching, the prisoners that night were also watching. Paul simply bore a wonderful testimony before God and men. More importantly, he had fought a good fight, won and overcame the temptations of the devil. He would definitely receive this crown of life and have his throne in heaven.

The Bible records all these things for us to think about and learn. One day when we meet with suffering, will we be able to be like Paul to sing hymns and praise God in prison? Are we able to be like the 24 elders who praise God in this way, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” “Because of that are we willing to cast down our crowns, prostrate and worship Him? May God help us.