Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
This is one of the greatest verses in the bible on the attitude of worship. I’m amazed by what we call worship services today. Our church signs say worship services when most of what is being done is simply congregating. John is plain with his response upon seeing Jesus. He said, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.” True worship of the living God, I believe, would resemble such an action every time. Imagine just a moment of encountering the living Christ. We walk into church buildings and sing songs about the Savior. We sit quietly as the Preacher opens the Word and begins to read. We get up and leave, for the most part, in the same condition we were in when we arrived: untouched, unchanged, and uncommitted. The only real conclusion we can draw is that we didn’t see Jesus. If we had seen Jesus, we would be on our faces in complete surrender. John, who was laid at His feet as a dead man, is in the right position to be a true worshipper of Christ. We should all be in this position when in the presence of Christ, the Lord. We must see Jesus.
John had to be exiled to a place of great loneliness, persecution, and punishment before he could see the glorified Jesus. Is it possible that before we can really see Him, we must first be placed into times of great distress? Is it possible that during times of great distress is the optimum time for us to draw close enough to see Him? Is it just as possible that times of great distress are also the time when we turn away the most? In verse 10 of this chapter, John turned to the Spirit of God in his time of distress, and as a result, he saw Jesus. What would be your response if you really saw Jesus? Would you stand face to face with Him, or would you fall on your face before Him? Manoah of the Old Testament said to his wife, we shall surely die because we have seen God. Jacob rejoiced that he saw God and lived. We need a resurrected body so we can see and enjoy God; however, even in heaven in a glorified state, we will find ourselves on our face before Him as we are in His presence. The sequence of this encounter began with John being in the Spirit, hearing His voice, and seeing His presence. This must be the same method we employ today. We must be in the Spirit of God to hear the voice of God so that we can see the glory of His presence.
If we do this in the way the bible teaches, then it should equal a release of worshipful surrender to the person of Christ in our lives. Just as John fell on his face before Him, so we should find ourselves in the same attitude of complete surrender regardless of what physical position or condition our bodies are in. When John entered that place of worship in the presence of the Lord, the response from Jesus was, “fear not.” There must be the removal of fear for us to encounter Him at an even greater level. The hand of the Lord reached down and touched him. Oh, the glory of feeling the touch of the Lord in our life. That touch is why we worship. His presence is why we worship. The teaching of worship in the scripture is so plentiful that we cannot explain its importance or significance in one short article, but it is why we were created.
It is also significant to notice Jesus's response to John after John fell dead at His feet. He laid His right hand on Him. The right hand in the bible symbolizes power. The same right hand that held the seven stars now touches John, and He says, “Fear not.” Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The difference is that John is in the hands of Jesus by surrender and worship. Some fall into the hands of the living God through rebellion and rejection. One encounters peace and comfort, and the other encounters wrath and death.
In man’s search for the well-being of the mind, fear is the most talked about subject you can find. The Bible contains information about fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, God didn’t give us a spirit of fear. Fear finds its fundamental source in sin. Fear was the original emotion associated with sin in the Garden of Eden. After Adam yielded to sin, he hid because he was afraid. Because Paul describes fear as a spirit, we can conclude that it becomes a way of life for those afflicted. The term spirit means air or life. Fear caused Adam to hide. Fear caused Peter to sink. Fear caused Israel to reject. Fear caused Abraham to lie. Fear will breed every negative emotion in man's heart. Therefore, removing fear must take place in the life of a believer before we can minister effectively. Fear must turn to trust and confidence to declare the truth without compromise. Jesus repeatedly said during His life on earth, “Be not afraid.”
2Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. This is the formula for overcoming a spirit of fear. It begins with power. Jesus touched John with the right hand of His power. Releasing power in the believer’s life is the answer to fear. We must embrace His power and trust His power for the operation of our life. Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus was leaving and said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore.” Secondly, we must operate in love. 1 John 4:18 says, “perfect love cast’s out fear.” Embracing and receiving His love for you will remove fear in your life. Understanding that the God of all power loves you will bring comfort, security, and stabilization to your emotions. Love conquers fear. Third, a sound mind does away with fear. Fear will damage your decision-making ability. You can never make decisions when in a state of fear. Fear makes decisions for you when you have surrendered to that spirit. 2 Corinthians 10:5 teaches many things about the mind. We are told to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against God's knowledge and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. It is with a dedicated mind to God that we cast out fear. Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. This is the way to overcome fear.
May we see Jesus, then let us pray that the right hand of His power rests upon us and that fear is forever removed from us so that we may minister effectively to declare His Word.
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