SERMON OUTLINE:
Who Should Worship the Lord (vs 1).
How They Should Worship the Lord (vs 2-3).
Why They Should Worship the Lord (vs 4-19).
What Should Happen Because They Worship the Lord (vs 20-22).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• John Wesley was a seventeenth century Anglican cleric and Christian theologian.
• Along with his brother Charles Wesley,
• He is credited as founding the Methodist movement.
• When John Wesley was about 21 years of age when he went to Oxford University.
• And in many ways he had it all - he was gifted with a keen mind and good looks.
• But he lacked humility and compassion;
• He was in his early days a bit snobbish and sarcastic.
• One night, however,
• Something happened that set in motion a change in Wesley's heart.
• While speaking with a porter at Oxford University,
• He discovered that the poor man had only one coat;
• And that he lived in very sparse and impoverished conditions - he didn't even have a bed.
• Yet to Wesley’s amazement he was an unusually happy person,
• And he was filled with gratitude to God.
• Being immature, Wesley thoughtlessly joked about the man's hardships.
• And sarcastically said to him: "What else do you thank God for?"
• The porter smiled and replied;
• "I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him,
• And above all a constant desire to serve Him!"
• This deeply moved Wesley and impacted him;
• Because he recognized that this man knew the meaning of true thankfulness.
• So much more than himself.
• Many years later, in 1791, John Wesley lay on his deathbed at the age of 88.
• Those who gathered around him recognised a quality within him;
• He had learned the lesson of praising God in every circumstance.
• Despite Wesley's extreme weakness, he began singing the hymn,
• "I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath."
Now Psalm 33 is a call to praise:
• And do not wait until you are on your death bed to praise your maker;
• This Psalm reminds us that in every circumstance of life give praise to your God!
Notice: two things by way of introduction:
(a).
• Now the verbs in this psalm are plural,
• Which means it was sang together with other people as they met together worship God.
• We can of course worship God individually;
• But God delights in collective praise & worship as well as individual!
• i.e. Hebrew people in the Old Testament.
• i.e. The Church in the New Testament.
• i.e. Heaven itself – Revelation chapter 9 verse 7:
(b).
• Psalm 33 is one of only four Psalms that lacks a title.
• (The others are Psalm 1, 2, and 10).
• All the other Psalms have some sort of title or description;
• Many commentators believe that this Psalm is the second part of Psalm 32.
• i.e. Psalm 32 closes with a command of the ‘righteous’ to ‘rejoice’,
• And Psalm 33 verse 1 opens with the same command.
• i.e. In the Septuagint - These two Psalms are one.
• (The Septuagint; is a translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek at the time of Christ.
• The Septuagint is quoted by the New Testament particularly by the apostle Paul).
• Now while Psalm 32 & 33 are very different in their content,
• They are both centred on the theme of praise.
• In Psalm 32 God is to be praised because He forgives sin.
• In Psalm 33 God is to be praised because He is in control.
As we look in more detail I want to divide the Psalm up under 4 headings:
(1). Who Should Worship the Lord (vs 1).
“Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him”
• A 'righteous' person – such as is mentioned here in verse 1;
• Does not mean someone who is perfect – who has lived a faultless or impeccable life.
• If it did then no-one would ever praise God;
• Because we know from experience and from this book the Bible;
• That we are all flawed i.e. “For all have sinned…” (Romans chapter 3 verse 2).
Question: What does that term ‘righteous’ mean:
Answer:
• That these people referred to as ‘righteous’;
• Have a desire and a determination to please God by living ‘right’.
• If you want to know what ‘righteous’ means then cut it in half – to live ‘right’,
• They not only KNOW what is right but they also try DO what is right.
Ill:
• Army of Alexander the Great was undefeated in battle;
• And is considered as one of history's most successful commanders.
• The story goes that a man in the Army of Alexander the Great;
• Who was also named Alexander, was accused of cowardly actions.
• He was brought before Alexander the Great, who asked what the man’s name was.
• He replied softly, “Alexander.”
• “I can’t hear you,” the ruler stated.
• The man again said his name again, only this time a little louder, “Alexander.”
• The process was repeated one more time,
• After which Alexander the Great commented,
• “Either change your name or change your conduct.”
God wants those who praise him to be genuine and true i.e. righteous:
• He wants those who praise him to ‘walk the talk’;
• That is they try to practice what they preach.
• They seek to honour him with their lives and not just their lips!
Ill:
• There were two doctors with the same name who lived a few doors apart.
• One was a Christian and a lay preacher, the other made no profession of faith.
• One night a rather sick person, who was also a Christian,
• And wanting help from a fellow believer,
• Knocked mistakenly at the door of the non-Christian doctor.
• “Are you the doctor who preaches?” he asked.
• “No”, the medic replied, “I am the doctor who practices”.
• “Oh”, said the sick person, “I’ve always understood the two things were inseparable”.
• Good doctrine should lead to good practice;
• God wants us to honour him with our lives and not just with our lips!
(2). How They Should Worship the Lord (vs 2-3).
“Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song;
play skilfully, and shout for joy”.
• According to these verses we should praise the Lord with both voices and instruments;
• As a side note:
• This is the first time in the book of Psalms that instruments are mentioned;
• In connection with worship.
• This Psalm is very clear that we should praise the Lord with both voices and instruments;
• And we see the Hebrew people encouraged to do this in many of the other Psalms;
• And we also see this practiced in many other Old Testament books of the Bible.
Notice: verse 3 says play ‘skilfully’.
• I understand that to mean playing a musical instrument;
• Just like preaching and other public presentations;
• Should be well prepared and well-practiced! Should be accomplished & skilful!
• If we want our music and our singing to go to the next dimension;
• i.e. To move beyond mere words and notes and to become genuine praise & worship;
• Those that lead us should be giving their very best!
• And that requires hard work in practice and preparation.
• I take ‘skilfully’ to also mean – how it is played;
• That is played sensitively and not just as entertainment.
• I don’t want to be impressed with a skilful musician;
• I want their gifts and abilities to help me be impressed with my God.
• And that takes great skill from the musician(s).
Notice: verse 3 says both ‘Sing’ & ‘Shout’.
• Verse 3 calls on us to praise God in such a way;
• That we are heard by others!
• That does not mean that we are to praise God so that others will see us,
• And we will disturb them by our noise;
• Rather we are to praise Him so that others will be aware of Who God is;
• And cause others to reflect on what He has done for His people.
Notice: verse 3 has that great expression ‘Sing a new song’.
• Have you ever noticed God never says anywhere in the Bible;
• “Sing me one of those old songs”,
• Now I am not knocking old songs;
• Because this phrase isn’t actually concerned with the age of a song;
• Nor is it concerned with the musical style of the song;
• It matters not whether it’s a hymn played by Doris on the organ;
• Or a modern song of praise played by a full band of musicians.
• The idea of a “new song” means that the truth of the words we are singing;
• Are fresh and real to us,
• The words are not just someone else’s experience but they mirror our experience as well;
• Now, having commanded us to praise the Lord,
• The Psalmist now gives us the reasons why we are to praise Him.
(3). Why They Should Worship the Lord (vs 4-19).
Ill:
• You all look very series,
• So for a few minutes can you please relax and laugh out loud!
• Now, you don’t sound convincing!
• Laughing out loud spontaneously; ‘off the cuff’
• Or on command is actually a very hard thing to do;
• If I want you to laugh I should tell you something funny!
• And in the same way;
• If I want you to praise or worship I should give you some reasons!
• That is what the Psalmist does.
In these verses we have three reasons to ‘Praise the Lord’.
(A). REJOICE IN GOD’S WORD (VS 4-9):
• Verse 4:
• “For the word of the LORD is right and true;”
• Verse 6a:
• “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made…”
• Verse 6b:
• “…their starry host by the breath of his mouth”,
• Verse 9a:
• “For he spoke, and it came to be”;
• Verse 9b:
• “He commanded, and it stood firm.”
This word reminds us again and again what God is like and what God has done!
• The point is this as we knowing the Word of God;
• We will get better acquainted with the God of the Word.
Ill:
• So in these few verses you will find six of God’s qualities mentioned;
• Verse 4 speaks of his ‘rightness and truth’, and his ‘faithfulness’,
• Verse 5 speaks of his ‘righteousness’, ‘justice and ‘unfailing love’.
Ill:
• So in verses 6-9 we are pointed back to creation;
• You may remember that in Genesis chapter 1;
• That the expression ‘God said’ appears eight times.
• This section of the Psalm remind us that God is the creator God;
• He is a faithful God, a God of truth, righteousness, justice, and goodness!
• No wonder verse 8 says we ought to ‘revere’ him;
• We ought to be in awe of him, we should reverence, honour him.
• Whenever you need a reason or some help in praising God;
• Pick up your Bible and read…it is full of them!
(B). REJOICE IN GOD’S WILL (VS 10-12):
“The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations”.
God’s will is dominate;
• By that we mean that men can make their plans and devise their schemes,
• But in the end, God’s will is going to be accomplished.
• Men may seem to win the battle, but God will always win the war!
Ill:
• When you watch the news and see the manoeuvring of the nations,
• It is possible to become filled with fear.
• When you think of the militant regimes in Iran and North Korea;
• The power, the military and financial resources of China;
• The threat posed to peaceful people by radical Islam,
• It may seem and appear to us that the world is out of control.
• Yet we need not fear, because our God is in control of all things.
• God will have the final word, because His will is dominant.
• Men may seem to win the battle;
• But God will always win the war!
Ill:
• The date: June 18th, the year: 1815, the occasion: the Battle of Waterloo.
• The enemy: the French were under the command of Napoleon.
• They were fighting the Allies; who were the British, Dutch, and Germans,
• Their leader was Wellington.
• In the days before radios and television coverage:
• The people of England depended on a system of semaphore signals
• To find out how the war was going.
• One of these signal stations was positioned on the tower of Winchester Cathedral.
• One foggy night an important message was received.
• You could only just make out the message,
• It flashed the signal: "W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N---D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D- -."
• And then due to the fog it was totally obliterated, impossible to read.
• The news of defeat quickly spread throughout the city.
• The whole countryside was sad and gloomy
• When they heard the news that their country had lost the war.
• A few hours later the fog lifted,
• And to everybody’s surprise their was more to the message,
• The message actually had four words, not two.
• The complete message was: "W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N- -DE-F-E-A- T-E-D- -T-H-E- - -E-N- E-M-Y!"
• It took only a few minutes for the good news to spread.
• Sorrow was turned into joy, and defeat was turned into victory!
I’m sure you can see the application:
• At times we fear and look at the world we live in and it seems defeated,
• But men may only ever win the battle – God will always win the war!
(C). REJOICE IN GOD’S WATCHING (VS 13-19):
“From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.”
Ill:
• In the 1700’s the Marquis de Lafayette,
• Led a French army against Austria and he was captured and imprisoned by Austrians;
• After spending more than five years in prison.
• Napoleon Bonaparte secured his release from prison in 1797.
• In his writings he talks about his prison experience;
• Where he was confined to a small cell;
• In the cell door was a small spy-hole and a guard was placed there 24 hours a day;
• To watch him and spy on his every action.
• He writes; “It was dreadful, there was no escape from that eye.
• It was always there, watching my every movement”.
The knowledge that God watches us:
• i.e. verse 13 tells us that he sees everyone,
• i.e. verse 14 tells us that he sees everything,
• i.e. verse 15 tells us that he sees our motivations as well as actions!
• Is not meant to disturb us but rather to reassure us;
• This knowledge of God’s omniscience;
• Should cause us to place our trust in Him for deliverance from evil.
Note: verses 16-17:
• Remind us that security does not rest in human resources or military might;
• But rather in the knowledge that God watches over our lives.
• So God’s people are instructed to people place their trust in Him,
• To fear Him and to hope in Him.
What Should Happen Because They Worship the Lord (vs 20-22).
“We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.”
Notice: that the psalm begins and ends with the theme of joy.
• Verse 1: “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous”;
• Verse 21: “In him our hearts rejoice”,
Ill:
• When Bible translators came to translate the Inuit Bible;
• They discovered there was no word for "joy" in the Eskimo language.
• So they were forced to examine and study the Inuit people;
• To see when they were what we in English would call "joyful."
• One of the most "joyful" events in an Inuit family;
• Was when the sled dogs are fed in the evening.
• As you can imagine there was lots of barking and yelp;
• As the dogs ran about wagging their tails furiously,
• The translators had found their word:
• To convey the meaning of the biblical passage, the passage we translate as
• "When the disciples saw Jesus, they were filled with joy"
• Became "When the disciples saw Jesus, they wagged their tails."
Notice: that the psalm begins and ends with the theme of joy.
• Verse 1: “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous”;
• Verse 21: “In him our hearts rejoice”,
• But notice the difference!
• At the start of the Psalm;
• It is loud praises to God being sung and shouted and accompanied by music;
• At the end of the Psalm;
• The tone is quiet and reflective, these last few verses are a prayer for the future;
• They contain the instruction to ‘wait in hope’ to ‘trust in his holy name’;
Having reflected on Gods power and goodness in the past;
• This Psalm finishes by declaring that we should and must trust God in the future.
• Our praise – our appreciation of God should lead us on to a greater trust in him;
• It should cause us to confidently look to him.
Ill:
• We have friends who have a dog and when you walk into their back garden;
• The dog will pick up a ball and brings it to you;
• H does it in full confidence that you will throw the ball for him.
• He is only confident because his master has trained him that way.
• God’s children can be confident in him;
• Our master too is training us;
• Not to throw a ball but to put our trust in him whatever the circumstance.
And so this Psalm concludes with a song of confidence:
22 May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.”
Ill:
• The American painter, John Sargent,
• Once painted a panel of roses that was highly praised by critics.
• It was a small picture, but it approached perfection.
• Although offered a high price for it on many occasions,
• Sargent refused to sell it.
• He considered it his best work and was very proud of it.
• Whenever he was deeply discouraged and doubtful of his abilities as an artist,
• He would look at it and remind himself,
• “I painted that.”
• Then his confidence and ability would come back to him.
• By praising, meditating and worshipping his God;
• The Psalmist found encouragement and strength to wait and keep on trusting his God:
• The Psalmist is saying;
• ‘The Lord has helped me in the past and he can do it again in the future’.
