O Come, People of Grace Baptist
(Anniversary Sunday, 2006)
Chuck Sligh
TEXT: Psalms 95:1-11 – “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice.”
INTRODUCTION
This is the second anniversary of Grace Baptist Church here in Grafenwoehr, Germany. On July 18, 2004, GBC was organized as a local, New Testament Baptist Church. And on this second anniversary, I want us to look at Psalm 95 to remind us what Grace Baptist Church is all about.
Today is not about US; it’s not about GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH even; it’s not about A BUILDING we’re going to be moving into in a few weeks or months. Today is about the head of this church—GOD. Three words kind of serve as a handy outline of this text.
I. THINK FIRST OF ALL THE WORD INVITATION
Illus. – Don’t you love an invitation to something important? Dave Woodward, the missionary to England who was at our missions conference last year once received a personal invitation to visit the House of Commons. He had developed a good relationship with some important people in his town, and one day in the mail came a beautiful, gold-embossed invitation from the local MP (Member of Parliament).
He was told to go to a certain entrance at the House of Parliament—over there next to Big Bend—and inform the guard who he was, remembering to bring his passport to prove his identity. When he got there, he was disappointed to see a line a mile long at the entrance, but he followed the directions given him. The guard checked his identity and told Dave to wait until further notice.
A few minutes later an attendant came to the door and shouted above the noise in a wonderful English accent, “Mr. David Woodward, would you please come forward and I will escort you to your seat.” Now assuming an air of importance as he passed about 300 people waiting in line, he went to the front of the line, and sure enough, he was ushered into the inner chambers at one of the choicest locations, where he was greeted personally by the MP who showed him his seat.
Now that would be pretty cool wouldn’t it? Not nearly as cool as being called into the presence of God for worship. That’s what we have here—an invitation to come and worship in the presence of God.
What is the invitation?
First, we’re invited to sing to the Lord and make a joyful noise to Him – Psalms 95:1 – “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”
Second, we are invited to come before Him with thanksgiving, and again, to make a joyful noise. I guess some people back then couldn’t carry a tune either because TWICE David talks about not just singing to God, but just making a joyful noise. Listen, God doesn’t care if you can sing or not. He’s just delighted to hear you make a joyful NOISE to glorify Him.
Beloved, hearty, praiseful singing has been a part our church since it was begun in 2004. Every service, we try to sing joyfully to the Lord, to honor His name in song. Our song service is not just attached to the service like an unneeded appendix; it’s central to our service. It’s our time to WORSHIP the Lord in song.
We’ve also sought to engender a spirit of thanksgiving to the Lord. We have much to be thankful for as a church too. We have seen our church start off as a little mid-week Bible study. We didn’t see how we could start Sunday services because we felt we needed a class for the children. But thank the Lord, He brought in workers to teach the children’s class and ushers and nursery workers. So we started Sunday services in May of 2004 right here in this room.
But I remember some discouraging days. I remember one Sunday night when the only ones who came were my family. I remember other services with just one or two other people. But slowly, bit by bit, we saw people start to become faithful, and to become core people in the church.
I think we should give thanks to God for how He has grown us and build us up.
II. NOTE SECONDLY THE WORD EXPLANATION – verses 3-5 and verse 7.
In verses 1-2 we’re invited to sing and give thanks to the Lord. Why? That’s explained in verses 3-5, and verse 7.
1. First, because of what GOD is.
God is many, many things, too many to name in one sermon. But David mentions some in particular
--He tells us in verse 3 that “the Lord is a GREAT God.”
Oh my, isn’t He a great God! The Lord has done many wonderful, GREAT things in our midst. Most wonderful of all is the people who have come to Christ. The GREATEST thing God does is to save wicked sinners like us and to give us eternal life and make us His children. We haven’t seen all we would like to see, but we’ve seen many come to Christ to be saved, haven’t we? People like Buddy Crump, his daughter, Ashley, Dean Becker, Julia Doyle, Holly Smith, Will Strong, Jr., Jesse, his, daughter, Jasmin, Andrew McIntyre, Allen Sligh, Daniel Thompson-Doyle, and Karen Kupzcyk.
Those are just the ones I could think of off-hand. Isn’t God great to save all these people?!
--Verses 3b-5 describe how God is a POWERFUL God. God has shown His power in our church. We have seen it in the changed lives of those saved. I have seen it in those who are not just hearers of the Word, but are doers of the Word. Those of you who are just hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word are about where you were when you first joined Grace Baptist Church. But some of you have heard God’s Word, and then applied it and obeyed what God says to do, you too have seen God’s power in your life to affect lasting change.
We’ve seen God’s power in the raising of $100,000 over one year for a down payment for our building. Don’t ask me how it happened. All I can says is, “Our powerful God did it.”
We should come and worship the Lord first of all because of what He is.
2. The second reason we should come and worship the Lord is because of what WE are.
What are we?—Look at verse 7 – “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…” He’s speaking to the saved here. Who are we who have been once-and-for-all saved by God’s grace?—We are “the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”
Why?—“For he is OUR God.” If you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, you belong to God; you’re one of His sheep; you belong to Him. To be a member of Grace Baptist Church, you must be able to give a positive testimony that you have been saved. That’s why we can collectively say, “WE are the people of his pasture.”
Can you say that? Is God YOUR God because you repented of your sin and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for what He did on the cross for your sin. Are you one fo the Lord’s sheep? Have you been saved? If not, I cannot think of a more wonderful way to crown this celebration than for you to join the ranks of the saved. Come to Jesus today and be saved from your guilt before God. Have your sins forgiven—ALL your sins—past, present and future.
III. THE NEXT WORD I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS ADORATION. – Psalms 95:6 – “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
When we look at all God has done, it ought to cause us to bow down and worship the Lord. The Lord IS good to us, and He has been a wonderful God to us, and He has shown Himself powerful.
“O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” Why don’t we bow our hearts right now and worship the Lord. If you want to kneel where you are, then go ahead and do that. And right now let’s worship and adore and give praise in our hearts unto the Lord.
CLOSE IN PRAYER:
1. Thank God for all He has done at Grace Baptist Church:
--For saving people
--For growing us in the grace and truth
--For teaching us
--For giving us workers and servers and teachers and people who use their talents for the Lord.
--For providing for our church and its needs
--For providing that building and property
2. Then pray for God to bless our church in the months ahead:
--That more people would come to faith in Christ
--That God would give us more people who would be committed and faithful to God
--That more people would join our church and help us do what God has called us to do in this area
--That God would make us a HOLY people.
--That God would give us our building soon.
--That God would supply the needs for the church—the on-going programs of the church and the upcoming building projects.
