A Vision of Worship and Witness
At St Paul’s & St Barnabas, we were invited this week to lift our eyes and hearts to a bigger reality — the heavenly vision found in Revelation 7. In this powerful passage, the apostle John sees a great multitude gathered around the throne, worshipping the Lamb. This vision is not only a promise of what is to come, but a mirror of what the church is called to be today.
Revelation 7 offers us two things: a vision of what is and a vision of what should be. It begins with worship — people from every tribe, tongue, and nation united in adoration of Jesus. This is not an abstract hope, but something we are already tasting. As we look around our congregation in North Belfast, we see glimpses of that future now: different backgrounds, cultures, and stories gathered by grace around one Saviour.
Worship is not limited to songs or liturgy — it is a way of life, marked by grace and fuelled by praise. We are a people shaped by the Lamb, and our worship should reflect heaven, not perfectly but truly, here and now. Our church life is to be a foretaste of the new creation, and that means living with joy, unity, and reverence.
But Revelation 7 also sends us outward. The multitude did not arrive by chance. They were called, sent for, and welcomed. That means the church must not only worship but witness. We are gathered to go. The passage reminds us that the gospel is missional — it spreads, it seeks, and it sends. We are called to be a people on the move for Jesus, bringing others into that same grace.
In the service, Rev. Andrew Irwin reminded us that vestry elections aren’t simply administrative matters. They are acts of discipleship. To serve on vestry is to take up a calling — to be a steward of this gospel vision. And for all of us, whether elected or not, we are called to follow the Lamb wherever He leads, living lives that reflect the kingdom.
This vision is timely and needed. In a world fractured by division and fear, the church is to be a signpost of the future — united, sacrificial, and radiant in worship and mission. Revelation 7 calls us to see who we are and who we’re meant to become: a people who live for the glory of God and the good of our city.
Whether you were with us on Sunday or missed it, we invite you to listen to the message and be encouraged. Let the Word shape you. Let the vision lift your heart. And let the Spirit send you out.
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