Psalm 96: Praise The Lord! Series

Summer in the Psalms

Psalm 96 - Proclaim the Greatness of God

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

08-11-2024

Olympic Village Worship

What is the mission of the church?

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20)

How do we do that?

In Fijian Christian culture, singing songs of praise before a big event is traditional.

American Karen Lyons posted this amazing video of the Fiji and Palau Olympic teams worshiping in the Olympic Village.

Watch this.

They were not praying for victory. This was a song of thanksgiving for the opportunity to be there.

Here is what they were singing over all the Olympic athletes:

Go to Jesus.

Today.

Go to Him

On the crossed tree

The stressed-out, the poor

Come on, come on.

Jesus is calling you to come.

(Thanks to Joan Admancik for the translation)

They were simply doing what Psalm 96 commands us to do!

Background of Psalm 96

This morning we continue our Summer in the Psalms series by looking at what commentators call a “missionary song.”

Psalm 96 has no title or author but we know when it was written.

In I Chronicles 16:23-33, David enlists Asaph to write a psalm of praise for the singers and people to sing as the Ark of the Covenant was brought back from Obed-Edom to Jerusalem.

As the ark entered Jerusalem, David danced with all his might before the Lord.

C.S. Lewis wrote: The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God in which made David dance.

It’s a psalm of wonder and worship. It is filled with reverence and rejoicing for God. It is a song of missionary passion for the nations to know the joy of knowing this great God. It’s a psalm of worshipping, witnessing, and waiting for the return of the Judge.

Turn to Psalm 96.

Prayer.

A Command to Worship (1-3)

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

The first three verses contain four commands - sing, praise, proclaim, and declare.

The Psalm begins with a directive to sing to the Lord a new song.

Psalm 33 echoes the same:

“Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.” (Psalm 33:1-3)

“Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth…” (Isaiah 42:10)

In our singing, we praise His name. Remember, to praise his name is to focus on the attributes of God.

We proclaim His salvation day after day. We’ve got good news that never gets old. By our singing, in our worship, in our living for His glory alone, we are like a billboard for God's greatness every day of our lives.

Christians have a desire to see others come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

We declare that God is glorious and are bold to tell of His marvelous deeds.

James Montgomery Boice defines glory as “the majestic aura of the divine presence.” This word means “weightiness, heavy, or impressive.”

This command is not just given to the nation of Israel but to “all the earth…the nations…the peoples.” God is not a local Deity but He is a global God with a global focus.

I recently heard someone say something that made the hair stand up on my neck. They said:

“America is the last hope of Christianity.”

This is blasphemy!

“Christianity is the last hope for America.!

In Genesis 12, God tells Abraham that “all the families of the earth will be blessed through Him.” (Gen 12:3).

This is part of the fulfillment of this prophecy to Abraham that will ultimately culminate in the coming of the Messiah.

In the Wednesday Bible study, we are studying Revelation chapter 5 which gives us a glimpse into the worship of heaven.

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Rev 5:9)

Video of Olympic athletes worshiping together

Worship Songs:

Sing (YT)

O Praise the Name (KN)

The Cause of Worship (4-6)

We are called to worship with our lips and lives. But why? What are the reasons for this kind of passionate worship?

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.