Pastor Al Paulauski, From Your Pal Al, FairHaven Assembly of God Church

Pastor Al Paulauski

From Your Pal October 2005

FACEDOWN

     Back in July we did a two-week focus on worship during our Sunday morning services. Dave Bonello talked to us about how we were all created by God to worship Him in different ways (ways he uniquely made us to). Then Pastor Chuck shared with us some reasons why we worship God (because he's our healer, our provider, our banner, etc.) It's because of that series and a new book that I've been reading entitled "FACEDOWN" by Matt Redman that I would like to share with you a few thoughts about worship.
     What is facedown worship? Facedown worship is the outward sign of inner reverence. Think about this just for a moment. Every posture in worship says something of both the worshipper and the One being worshipped. When we raise our hands in worship, it tells of a soul stretched out high in praise and the worth of the One being worshipped. Joyful dancing interprets a grateful heart and points in adoration to the source of that joy. When in comes to expressing our worship, what we do on the outside is a key reflection of what's taking place on the inside. Out of the overflow of our heart we speak and sing, we dance, and we bow.
     Facedown worship always begins as a posture of the heart. It is people who are so hungry for the presence of Christ that they find themselves decreasing to the ground in an act of reverent submission. When we find ourselves so awestruck by God, to bend low in true and total surrender seems to be the only appropriate response.
     On several different occasions, the Bible allows us a peak into heaven and each time it does we discover more of what worship looks like before the heavenly throne. And you know what? There's a whole lot of facedown worship going on. In Revelation, John encounters the risen and exalted Jesus. Overwhelmed by his appearance and presence he shrinks to the ground in reverence and fear. A few chapters later, the elders too are falling down in holy devotion. And in Revelation 7:11 we see this…
"All the angles were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God."
     So many clues as to what our congregational gatherings should look like are found in these encounters of the heavenly throne. When it comes to worship, the throne always sets the tone. My challenge to you today would be to remember that each time we gather together, we don't just journey to a church building - we journey to the very throne of God. To lose sight of this is to lose sight of the majestic in worship. Every kingdom has a king, and every king has a throne. And the kingdom of God is no exception. There is no higher seat of authority, power and splendor in the whole of the universe. The elders bow low there, the angles encircle it, and the whole host of heaven arrange themselves around it. One day, a countless multitude, from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, will gather there. As one author puts it, "When we come to worship, we come to a throne…and everything else arranges itself around that throne."