Worship, I believe, is the missing jewel of the evangelical Church. Sunday after Sunday we come to worship services, but are we truly worshiping God? In many churches the Sunday morning event is considered a “preaching service” in spite of the fact that the official title in the bulletin reads “Morning Worship.” In our churches we have failed to study worship, or give attention to the theology of worship. Principles of biblical worship are not sought as the foundation of local church practice. Ministry leaders are attending seminaries that don’t even offer full courses in worship. Yes, we have been zealous to reach the world for Christ to build up the body of Christ, while at the same time being negligent in giving our first, best love to God Himself, which is what worship is essentially about.
The worship of God is the most blessed of all earthly vocations. There is no higher or nobler task to which we can give our energies and devote our time. God is first. God is worthy. And we are privileged to enjoy personal fellowship with Him.
What is worship? What’s involved in worshipping? I promise we’re going to get into the text, but we must understand what worship is, if we are to do it with thanksgiving and praise. When you hear the phrase worship service, is your reaction “Oh that’s Sunday morning at eight and eleven”?
• To some people the phrase worship service serves only as a means to distinguish the Sunday morning service from the Sunday evening BTU, and from Wednesday night Bible study.
• But what do you think when you hear that phrase?
• Do you see images of a lofty building, soft lighting, and humble people kneeling quietly and communing reverently with God?
• Or maybe the words worship service might lead to thoughts of a storefront church filled with joyous music, people swaying from side to side, with smiles, laughs, and shouts.
Does the word worship make you think of robed priests with incense and candles, of color and ceremony? Does worship make you think of preaching or communion? Of singing or praying? Of praising or meditating? But a worship service does not happen just because a certain time period in the church schedule of events is so labeled. I’m sure we’ve all been in worship services where, by appearance at least, there seemed to be little true worshiping of God.
So, what is worship? Worship is an active response to God whereby we declare His worth. Worship is not passive, but is participative. Worship is not simply a mood; it is a response. Worship is not just a feeling; it is a declaration. Worship means “to attribute worth” to something or someone. Because of who God is and what He does, we attribute to Him the glory that is due His name. The essence of worship is the celebration of God, we celebrate Him. We extol Him, we sound His praises, we boast in the Lord. When we enter into the presence of God, worship is our active response to Him.
• When Moses met God at the burning bush, he worshiped.
• When the Israelites were delivered from bondage in Egypt, they worshiped.
• When King David was walking with God, he worshiped.
• When Joseph and Mary were told, they would be parents of Jesus they worshiped.
• When the Shepherds came to the manger, they worshiped.
• When Jesus was taken to the temple to be dedicated Simeon worshiped.
Worship is our active response to God, and it helps us to experience the reality of the presence of God. But worship is about God, not man. The worship of God does many things for us as individuals and as a community, but true worship puts God first. Worship is about God, and worship is what God desires from us.
• Worship is a style of life, and if we are to be true worshipers, we need to renew our relationship to God and to each other. I’m not talking about making changes to our worship services, because that’s an attempt to deal with the art of worshiping and not the heart of worshiping. We are the ones who need to change; we need a renewed reverence for God, a practice of the presence of God, and a deepened sense of community of God.
When we change in these areas, then we will come to worship no matter who is preaching, or singing, or visiting. When we improve in these areas, then staying out late on Saturday night and being tired on Sunday morning won’t keep us from coming to the house of God to worship Him. We will live a life of worship and know that worship doesn’t only take place on Sunday mornings, but that all we do should be an active response to God. And when this is done we can worship through our jobs, worship in our schools, worship through our conversations, and worship through our service and love toward others.
Now that we have a better understanding of worship, let’s see how we can worship God with thanksgiving and praise. Let me say this, giving thanks to God and praising Him can be done without worshiping Him, but true worship can’t take place without giving thanks and praising God. And in our text, we see worship that incorporates thanksgiving and praise.
The Book of Psalms is a sacred collection of Hebrew songs and poems that provides a sketch of Israel’s praise to God, and it also provides a mirror in which we can see ourselves and our emotions reflected. Out of the 150 psalms in this book, King David is ascribed authorship of 73 of them. Although in the inscription of Psalm 100, it doesn’t mention David as the author; but in the Arabic it does give David authorship. But whether David wrote this psalm or not, the inscription tells us that this is a psalm of praise, and when we take a closer look into this psalm, not only is it a psalm of praise, but it reveals to us worship with thanksgiving and praise to God.
Remember we said that worship is an active response to God whereby we declare His worth. And I want ya’ll to remember this definition of worship, because I’m eyeing the crowd now, and next Sunday I may just ask you what worship is. But as we look into our text, and I hope you have your Bibles out, because I don’t want to just tell you what I’m talking about, I want you to see what I’m talking about as well.
The first thing we notice is that we are called to worship with thanksgiving and praise. Verse 1 says, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.” We are given an invitation to worship God, not that God needs us, or anything we have or can do, but it is the will of God that we should worship Him. We are to worship Him by making a joyful noise, and yes this word “noise” literally means to shout, raise a sound, or cry out. There are some people who say, “I’m just not a loud person, I’m really shy, and I really worship God in my heart.” And that’s fine that you worship God in your heart, but worship is an active response to God, and here we are told to make a joyful noise! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I just have to shout, because when you realize how worthy God is, you just can’t keep quiet all the time.
Sometimes in my car I found myself making a joyful noise, in worship services, sometimes I just have to say, “yeah, yeah,” and sometimes at work I found it hard to keep my mouth close when I meditate on God, but if your co-workers can take 5 smoking breaks throughout the day, why can’t you go and take some shouting breaks?
• Naw, let me not encourage that, but on your way to the restroom you might want to let out a little noise. And notice this isn’t a call to make a happy noise, because happiness depends on your situation or surroundings, it’s temporary, but when you have joy it doesn’t matter what is going on around you, you’ll still able to make a joyful noise.
So, we’re called to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, and this was an invitation not only for the Jews, but to all the inhabitants of the earth. Nobody is excluded from this call to worship God. In a world of many religions, the only valid joyful noise is made unto the Lord, the King of Kings. Everybody isn’t making a joyful noise unto the Lord, but one day, “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” I rather freely worship the Lord now, than be forced to do so later.
The next thing we notice is that worship with thanksgiving and praise requires a certain attitude before the Lord. Verse 2 says, “Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.” First we must understand that our service to the Lord is worship. Remember worship, an active response to God. So, because God has saved me, and because of who He is, my active response is my service to Him, in which I also declare His worth. Our service to God isn’t limited to what we do in the church, or our ministries, but through our jobs we can worship God, and what you do in school, can be worship to God. But notice worship must be done with the proper attitude, with gladness.
Worship is not true if it can’t be done with a smile, with joy in your heart, or with gladness. “Well I’m just not in a good mood today,” that’s not an excuse, because when you think about God and who He is, you can’t help but have positive feelings that can put a smile on your face at anytime. And not only do we worship Him with gladness, but when we come before His presence, we should come with singing.
• This doesn’t mean that when we come into the presence of the Lord, we have to offer an A & B selection, but coming before His presence with singing refers to the manner in which we approach God. We should come in a pleasing way, with a beautiful attitude and with joy.
How does it make you feel when someone approaches you with a negative attitude, or responds to you in a way that isn’t pleasing? Some people still working on some things, and praying to God for a change, that’s the ones that be ready to take it outside and give that person what they’re asking for. Think about how God feels when we come into His presence with the wrong attitude, especially after all He has done for us, and all the dangers He has kept us from. God is Holy, and when we come before Him is must be in reverence, with gladness, and singing.
Not only are we to worship with thanksgiving and praise with the proper attitude, but knowing who we are in God enhances our worship experience. Verse 3 says, “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Think about it, when you have a sense of belonging, and when you know what your purpose is, whether it’s on the job or on a team, your experience with that organization or group has a greater value, it is magnified. This holds true in our relationship with God, first we must know who God is. He is the Lord, He is God. The only living and true God. He is infinitely perfect, self-existent, self-sufficient, the fountain of all being, He is God, and not a man as we are. He is an eternal Spirit, incomprehensible and independent, the first cause and last end.
There should be no doubt in our minds that it is God who has made us, and that we had nothing to do with our creation. I know that there are some people who just don’t believe in the God of the universe, and they feel that they exist because of some Big Bang Theory, but the only bang in creation was from thunder of God’s voice when He said, “Let there be light.” There was a bang from power of His voice when He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” We have to acknowledge that God, He is God, and we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
He is the Good Shepherd, and to be a part of His pasture means that it is God who takes care of our needs. In the pasture we find protection. In the pasture we find nourishment for our souls. In the pasture we find peace. In the pasture we find direction. In the pasture we find His love. And when we take this all in, and know who God is, knowing that we were created by Him and that we should live to serve Him, knowing who we are in God enhances our worship experience and causes us to give thanks and praise!
Now we should have all we need to enter in, and increase our intimacy with God. Verse 4, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” In the Holy city of Jerusalem, the gates are what led you into the city, and the court is what led you into the temple. The temple was a gathering place for worship to God. We are called to come to the place where God resides with thanksgiving, and to enter into His presence with praise. It’s not enough to just be thankful to God, but in His presence we must praise Him, extol Him, admire Him, applause Him, magnify Him, be thankful to Him, and bless His name!
How did you enter into God’s presence this morning? Did you come in with an attitude? Did you come with an unforgiving heart? Was there a frown on your face? Were you worried about tomorrow? To enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise suggest to us that when we enter into the presence of God, He should be the focus, and if we give thanksgiving and praise to Him, then that means we have to leave all that other stuff behind. When God is this focus, then we can’t help but bless His name, lift His name, shout His name, and know that there is power in His name. To worship God with thanksgiving and praise is to give God what He deserves.
I’m getting ready sit down and be happy all by myself, but let me pose this question, why should we worship God with thanksgiving and praise? We don’t have to dig deep to discover the answer, look at verse 5, the answer is right there. “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” Why should we make a joyful noise unto the Lord, why should we serve Him with gladness and come before His presence with singing, why should we enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise?
• Because God is good! He does good; He can’t do anything but be good. God is mmmmmm good! David said, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” I can stand here all day and preach about His goodness, but you have to try Him for yourself. And when you see how good God is, you can’t help but worship Him with thanksgiving and praise.
It doesn’t stop there, but His mercy is everlasting, in other words God’s fountain of mercy will never run dry. Thank God for His mercies, which are new every morning, and His unmerited favor toward us. I’ve messed up so many times, but because of God’s mercy I don’t always get what I really and truly deserve.
• His mercy is everlasting, and David put it best in the 23rd Psalm, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” As a child of God you can’t escape the goodness and mercy of God, you can’t outrun it, you can’t hide from it, wherever you go, it’s right behind you, and this is why we should be compelled to worship God with thanksgiving and praise.
We’ll never have to worry about these promises from God, as a matter fact we can stand on them, because His truth endures to all generations. No matter what lies the enemy has told you, God’s truth endures. Whether you believe it or not, God’s truth endures. When we’re dead and gone, God’s truth will still endure, generation after generation.
Worship is an active response to God, whereby we declare His worth. The invitation has been given today, to worship God with thanksgiving and praise. Worship can’t be done just any kind of way, but we must have the right attitude and worship Him with gladness, and come before Him with joy. We can’t truly worship God if we don’t know who we are in Him, but when we know, our worship will be enhanced; it will be magnified. When our worship is enhanced, we’re able to enter His gates with thanksgiving, and enter His courts with praise. Why should we put so much into worship, because God is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures forever.
How many of you are ready to be true worshipers of God? Can you make a joyful noise this morning? I know you shy, I know you don’t talk much in front of people, but God has been so good, so so so good. He’s mmmmmm good, mmmmmmm good in the morning, mmmmmm good in the noonday, mmmmmm, good late in the midnight hour…
He is worthy to be admired, worthy to be adored, worthy to be applauded, worthy to be apprized, worthy to be cherished, worthy to be enjoyed, worthy to be esteemed, worthy to be extolled, worthy to be honored, worthy to be loved, worthy to be praised, worthy to be prized, worthy to be respected, worthy to be savored, and worthy to be treasured!
