Title: Giving Thanks
Text: Psalms 100
Psalms 100:1-5 A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! (2) Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. (3) Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; [89] We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (4) Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (5) For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
Thanksgiving message by Scottie Smith during our district Thanksgiving service on November 26, 2013. Used by Permission
Introduction
I believe the psalmist was under a great anointing .
- If we look deep into these few verses of Scripture, they are power packed.
- These are really commands to us.
- If you look in these Scriptures, we are given some action words to perform .
- There are 7 that jump off the page, which have action, which require that we do
something.
- The number 7 is God's number of perfection .
So let us begin . . .
#1 he said MAKE - make a joyful noise.
- Make means to do something - to get up - to stir about - do something to bring joy
and make a joyful noise.
- It means to construct- take your hands and do something.
- Take your lips and do something.
- Take your heart and do something.
- Take your mind and do something.
It means to cause to come into existence.
- If we get down to the actual Hebrew meaning here, it means Ruach.
- The word ruach means a shout of triumph.
- The palmist said for us to go in and construct noise that's a shout of triumph in your
life.
- Cause something to happen!
Do it whether you feel like it or not.
- Ruach means a war cry!
- Instead of settling down in defeat where the enemy's attacking, get up with a war cry.
- Let the devil know your still there and this is not being taken lightly.
- It's not over til God says it's over.
- When God is in it, there is no limit.
- If God is for me, who can be against me?
Ruach means a shout of happiness.
- It's a cry of victory .
#2 we are told to serve.
Serve means to do work for.
- Serve also means to wait upon as a waiter or as a waitress.
- May I serve you?
- How may I serve you today Lord?
- Because they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
- Feeling tired? - Start waiting on the Lord.
And he says to serve the Lord with gladness.
- You should find pleasure in serving the Lord.
Serve the Lord with gladness - gladness means laughter.
Laugh in the devil's face .
- Just laugh at him.
Anybody going through something?
- Laugh because you're going to get through it.
- Gladness means to have fun.
#3 - we are to COME - before his presence with singing.
- That means to bring near.
- See, God is not a stand off God, He's about a relationsh ip.
- He's about being around you.
- He is saying come face to face with me.
- Draw near to me.
#4 Then it says KNOW - know this –
- But it also means to experience.
- He said know that He is Jehovah .
- He is the divine one, He is the divine king, He is God.
- Him and Him alone!
- Know that He made you and created you ju st as you are.
- He didn't create you to be like or to talk like or to act like anybody else.
- You are his perfect masterpiece.
- Know that He is Jehovah, He made you, you are His.
#5 Then He says to ENTER - enter His gates with thanksgiving and come into His courts with
praise.
- Gates are the entrance way onto the property.
- The Kingdom of Heaven is open to anyone who receives Jesus - that's how you get
there.
- I am the way, the truth, and the life - no man come to the Father but by me!
You go through the gates, you get onto the property.
- You do that with praise.
- Then he said you get to come into his courts .
- Now the courts gets you into His presence.
- The courts gets you into the inner part.
A lot of buildings now are built and in the middle of that building , you have a courtya rd.
- But you have to go through the building 1st
- But you can't get to the building unless you've been on the property.
- And you can't get on the property without going throug h the gates.
- Not only do we get to go in, but we get to go into His presence.
#6 And then we are to be thankful.
- No matter how bad it is, it could be worse.
- It comes and it passes .
- James 1:2 says consider in pure joy when you face trials of many kinds blc the
testing of your faith develops perseverance.
- Which means you grow, you get stronger, your faith increases.
#7 And finally we are to bless his name.
- Praise him, honor him, glorify him.
Conclusion
Altar: In Luke 17, we read of the story of the 10 lepers.
- As Jesus said go show yourselves to the priests, 9 make a B-Iine to the priest and 1
looks back.
- This 1 looks back - looks past the healing at the healer.
- 9 shot for verification immediately , but 1 stopped .
- He didn't need verification.
- He came back praising God in a loud voice.
What has the Lord done for you?
- Has he delivered you from the domain of darkness and transferred you into the
kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of
sins.
- Thank him.
