What Kind of Music Will We Hear in Heaven?

I'm a rocker. I get the "Led" out. I'm an "atomic punk" riding the "crazy train." I'm a "voodoo child," making my way down "mean street." I'm a "youth gone wild" that's "livin' on a prayer." When I'm out on the "gypsy road," "I can't drive 55." And "right now," "for those about to rock" I salute you.

The rocker in me hopes that heaven is filled with face melting guitar shredding, gut bustin' drum solos, and high octane, power vocals. My hope is that amps will be turned up to "11." I'm hoping for an eternal, facedown, head bangers' ball. But I have a nagging fear that heaven will not thunder with high voltage rock. My suspicion is that heaven will be filled with the 1-3 beat of disco. Allow me to explain.

Genesis 1:27-28 says: God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth...

One of the most profound truths of the Bible is that we were created uniquely as God's image bearers. What makes us distinct and special in the universe is that we alone were made in God's image. Nothing else in all of existence was made to bear God's image. We are His unique image bearers.

So what does that mean? It means that we were uniquely created to best declare God's glory, share in God's glory, and reflect God's glory. Psalm 19:1 tells us that the heavens declare of the glory of God. However, the heavens weren't made in God's image. The heavens are inanimate, and as such they can't declare God's glory to the extent that we, as God's personal image bearers, can. Angels in heaven get to share in God's glory. However, angels weren't made in God's image, and thus they can't share in God's glory to the extent that we, as God's personal image bearers, can.

And here is what I hope you find to be profoundly good: being image bearers means that we alone in all of existence reflect God's glory. Nothing else created by God has the unique and distinguished privilege of reflecting God. We alone in the universe are God's personal mirrors - made to reflect (shine, glow, radiate) His glory. 

While Genesis 1:27 teaches us that we are God's image bearers, verse 28 reveals God's telos (purpose, end) for His image bearers. It is that His image bearers multiply and fill the earth. God's desire is for the planet to be covered with His mirrors. In other words, God's plan is to have a disco ball of glory. 

God's desire for a disco ball of glory was delayed because Adam and Eve (and all of us) sinned. The effect of sin is that God's mirrors were marred. Sin dirties us and distorts us so that we can't reflect God's glory. But God's will can't be thwarted! So He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the exact representation and imprint of God's radiance, from heaven to earth to live a perfect and sinless life and to die on a cross so that whoever believes in Him may be forgiven and cleansed of every sin through His shed blood. It's by grace through faith in Jesus that marred, dirty, and distorted mirrors can begin to reflect God's glory. It's because of the sacrifice of Jesus that God's desire will be realized: He will have His disco ball of glory.

If you've trusted in Jesus for salvation, then you get to be part of God's telos for this world. You get to be part of God's choreographed mission to share the gospel with the nations so that other image bearers may also believe, be cleaned, and begin to reflect God. In disco terms this is called doing the hustle (everyone on the floor doing the same dance). It's believers having a choreographed sense of urgency to make disciples so that this world may become what it is intended to be: God's disco ball of glory.

Take a moment to consider how Genesis 1:27-28 should impact your life: 

• Have you truly trusted in Jesus and been cleansed of your sin?
• What are you doing to declare, share in, and reflect God's glory in this world?
• How are you hustling to be part of God's plan to fill this planet with clean mirrors?

I guess I can set aside my high voltage rock preference and get used to disco being heaven's choice. After all, in heaven we'll be Stayin' Alive forever. I'm just glad that in heaven we won't have to endure country music or its evil step-brother, southern gospel.

In awe of Jesus,

Pastor Rick