Reflection- Heaven on Earth
Part 1
Genesis 28:12 And Jacob had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it……. 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God.” FN#1
Introduction
This morning I want to begin our Summer Reflection with a question: Have you ever wondered why coming to church makes you feel better; or why it seems to offer you a reset in the midst of life? Have you ever wondered why there is a longing to be in God’s house and when we are away, something seems to be missing for the rest of the week?
Is it just escapism, is it just delusion or wishful thinking; or is there more to it than that? Is there a deeper reality at work during Sunday worship that exceeds, moods, situations, or our own understanding?
Well to help us answer this I want us to look at the notion of Church as heaven on earth. That is, I want to look at the way that Corporate Worship is literally a proclamation of and an actual participation in the reality that is already shaping the future/outcome of life and creation.
I. Corporate Worship as Consummation: throughout Scripture, Corporate Worship serves as both a sign post pointing to and a promise guaranteeing fulfillment.
A] Notice then, from the very beginning, the defining context of the Sabbath (the day of Corporate Worship) has always been completion, fullness, and rest (the fulfillment of the task).
Genesis 2:2 And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. (Ex 20:8,11)
Importance: from the start, God established the Sabbath (corporate wordship) to provide the framework that defines the whole of existence. It underscores the fact that creation is not some random product of chance that aimlessly moves from one random event to the next. Rather, Creation is fundamentally the work of God. Thus, everything that is, is from God (in the beginning God). Not only that, everything that is, is for God. That is, it proceeds according to God’s plan to the exact fulfillment/fullness of God’s purpose.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it (set it apart to Himself)
Notice the point: God gave the Sabbath (corporate worship) to ground us on the very essence of life as well as the deciding factor that governs life’s outcome
Exodus 31:16 ‘So the sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’ FN#2
B] Notice then that we see this same notion of fulfillment carried forward in New Testament Worship FN#2. Remember, Easter and the Resurrection represent the first day of the new creation. As such, worship on the Lord’s Day (Sunday, the day of resurrection, the first day of the new creation) underscores the completion of salvation and points ahead to the fullness of God’s Kingdom and the true/final Sabbath consummation.
Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day after that.9 Therefore, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
Bottom line: Corporate Worship (in both the Old and New Testaments) points to and proclaims the fullness of God’s plan for His people and His creation. In other words, the promise of fulfillment is the very context in which Corporate Worship occurs. FN#3
However, that’s not all: Corporate Worship does not simply point to, proclaim, or promise the fullness of God’s Kingdom. Instead….
Footnotes
1] Notice the direct parallel: each week God calls us to His house, where His Word is proclaimed; where He promises that when two or three are gathered in His name, He is present; and where, at the Table, we participate in the spiritual reality that defines the very heavenly throne room of God. May we like Jacob say, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God”. May we say, “surely this is thy Kingdom come (already, though not yet in full) on earth as it is in heaven”.
2] Notice, God describes the Sabbath as a perpetual “covenant” that is to be celebrated throughout all generations. In other words, the Sabbath is not simply an Old Testament commandment. Instead, it is a creation mandate. That is, the Sabbath predates the Law, the fall, and the Old Testament covenant (the Law is not its basis or reason). Instead, the Sabbath is woven into the very fabric of creation from the start. Therefore, God describes the Sabbath as a perpetual promise reflecting that which is most real about creation and God’s purpose for creation. As such, it is no surprise that the sabbath is reflected/maintained by both the Old and New Testaments.
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together (corporate worship on the Lord’s Day), as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near (i.e. fulfillment/consummation/ completion).
Subsequently notice what Jesus says about Himself:
Matthew 12:8 “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
In other words, Jesus is the one who will accomplish the very fulness and rest that God’s sabbath covenant promises. As such, the coming of the Messiah does not negate the Sabbath or God’s intention for His creation. Instead, the Messiah is the one who will fulfill/establish all that God has promised.
3] In the end, when we walk into any faithful church, every detail that greets us is pointing to the certainty and future that God has promised and even now is unfolding. In other words, all that God has prescribed to be a part of worship (from the reading and preaching of His word, to the prayers and songs of praise) is given to underscore that church is not a static routine in the midst of a stagnant life. Instead, God has designed every detail of His house to remind us that corporate worship is heading somewhere. In fact, every detail that God has prescribed to be a part of worship is pointing to that somewhere and reminding us that God is already carrying us along to the fulness that He has promised. Thus, the defining context of worship is fulfillment. That is, corporate worship is given to remind us of what is most true about this life and to assure us of life’s full and complete outcome.