SERMON OUTLINE:
#1: A call to worship (Vs 1-3).
•Shout (vs 1)
•Sing (vs 2)
•Remember (vs 3)
#2: A call to thanksgiving (Vs 4-5).
•Be full of awe!
•Be full of Gratitude!
•Be full of praise.
SERMON BODY:
• There are 150 songs/poems in the book called Psalms.
• The Jewish hymn book of the Bible.
• Out of this great anthology of Psalms,
• Psalm 100 is unique,
• It is exceptional because it is entirely a "Psalm of Praise."
• There is not one single note of sadness in the entire Psalm.
• This Psalm is ablaze with gratitude and thanksgiving.
• It is an appeal for everyone to gratefully worship the Lord.
Ill:
• Photo: Anyone know who this is?
• Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English journalist,
• A short-story writer, poet, and novelist.
• His works include, Jungle Book, (1895), Kim (1901),
• The Just So Stories (1902) and many short stories,
• Including The Man Who Would Be King (1888)
• Joke: And if I say so myself,
• “He made exceedingly good cakes!”
• (one for the oldies)
• On one occasion,
• A newspaper reporter came up to Rudyard Kipling,
• And said,
"Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over a hundred dollars a word.”
• Rudyard Kipling raised his eyebrows and said,
• "Really, I wasn’t aware of that."
• The reporter then cynically put his hand into his pocket,
• And pulled out a $100 dollar bill and gave it to Kipling.
• He said,
"Here’s a hundred-dollar bill, now,
you give me one of your hundred-dollar words."
• Kipling looked at the $100 dollar bill for a moment,
• He took it and folded it up and put it in his pocket,
• And said one word, "Thanks."
• TRANSITION: Bang on Mr Kipling,
• Because ‘Thanks’ is a $100 dollar or a £100 word.
• It is a word people don’t say often enough!
• And ‘thankfulness,’
• Is an attitude that is desperately missing in our world!
Well, this Psalm has the title 'A Psalm, for giving thanks.'
• Now many of the other Psalms instruct us to give thanks to the Lord.
• i.e. Psalm 118 uses the word 'thanks' more than any other Psalm.
• Yet Psalm 100 is the only Psalm,
• That is explicitly identified as 'A Psalm for giving thanks'.
• i.e. Some Bibles have it as a title to this Psalm.
IF YOU WANT A QUICK OVERVIEW.
• Psalm 100 contains seven great imperatives,
• Seven instructions in giving praise.
• i.e. Verse 1: “Shout” (NIV) or “Make.” (KJB)
• i.e. Verse 2a: “Worship” (NIV) or “Serve.” (KJB)
• i.e. Verse 2b: “Come.”
• i.e. Verse 3: “Know.”
• i.e. Verse 6: “Enter.”
• i.e. Verse 4b: “Give thanks.”
• i.e. Verse 4c: “Praise” (NIV) or “Bless.” (KJB)
• Note: The simplest outline to the Psalm is.
• That it divides into two parts:
• Verses 1-3: A call to worship.
• Verses 4-5: A call to thanksgiving.
• Let’s have a general look,
• And then we will go back to the two sections,
• And have a more detailed look.
General look #1: A call to worship (Vs 1-3).
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness.
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his.
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
• The experts tell us that this Psalm,
• Was probably sung in Jerusalem outside of the temple.
• The people gathered outside of the temple.
• And then the priest (or worship leader) gave the instructions,
• To the people,
• Who were to turn their back on the temple,
• And face the directions from which they had come from,
• Then they were to shout to the nations and invite them,
• No! Command them to come!
• From, “All the earth.” or to the "Ends of the earth."
• To come and to worship the true God.
• To come and publicly & declare; That “The Lord is God".
• "That the Lord (him alone) is God".
Ill:
• Can you imagine doing that tomorrow when you meet.
• Stand around this building.
• And call out to the houses all around.
• “Come and worship” the living God.
Ill:
• With the introduction of Mosques in the UK,
• In many major cities like Birmingham etc.
• The people hear the 'adhan' the Islamic call to prayer.
Ill:
• The Church of England had bells,
• Their main function was to call worshippers to the church,
• For a service of worship.
• They also used to have clocks on the outside.
• Telling folks when to come and worship.
• Then some bright sparks put them on the inside of Churches.
• Telling folks when to go home!
General look #2: A call to thanksgiving (Vs 4-5).
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving.
and his courts with praise.
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever.
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
• So, with the first part done,
• A shout out - a verbal invitation to all & sundry.
• The worshippers were then instructed,
• To turn around and face each other and the temple.
• And they would say to one another.
• "It is he who made us, and we are his.”
• And as they continued to praise God,
• As they entered into the temple courts,
• The worshippers continued their praise.
Note:
• It must have been both an incredible sight and sound.
• We forget in our British mindset,
• That Jewish worship as very visual, very dramatic at times,
• As well as being very vocal!
Ill:
• A few years ago,
• I was invited to lead their Harvest Festival Service.
• In a little Anglican Church on the edge of Chichester. UK.
• As you entered the foyer there was a table.
• And on the table was a plate containing a Latin inscription.
• (Photo: inscription on the wall),
• The Latin inscription reads.
• ‘Ad maiorem Dei gloriam’ (Ad ma-jor-em / Dei / gior-i-am).
• Which translated into English reads?
• ‘To the greater glory of God.’'.
In other words, as you enter this place 'Make God your focus’.
• After all we are entering "HIS gates" not ours!
• We are entering "HIS courts" not ours!
• And it is "Before HIM" we are gathered & not just each other.
• If we grasp this truth - he is the focus,
• We come primarily to "Worship the Lord".
• No-one would leave our Churches feeling disappointed!
• We wouldn't leave moaning about.
• Whether or not it's too hot or too cold.
• Whether the music was too loud or too dull,
• Whether the preacher was… (better not go there!)
• You can fill the blanks in.
• TRANSITION:
• If we came with the right attitude to worship & meet with God.
• We would not leave disappointed,
• Instead, we would leave ready to serve him!
Now let’s move from the general to the particular:
#1: A call to worship (Vs 1-3).
• These opening three verses of Psalm 100,
• Give us three suggestions when it comes to worship.
(1). Shout (vs 1)
"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth"
• Normally in our culture and tradition,
• We enter our buildings quietly.
• The bigger the building e.g. COE or a Cathedral (Gospel Hall).
• Then the quieter we should be (reflective & meditative).
• At times that may well be the right response.
• Note: on this occasion,
• These people are encouraged to enter the temple - shouting.
• They were encouraged to give to God a shout of triumph.
• The idea is we give to God a shout of victory.
• After all he has won the battle!
• We are on the victory side!
• Notice again, this shout of victory,
• Is not limited to one people or one nation.
• “The whole earth”, both Jew & Gentile,
• Are called to shout the praise,
• Of the God who has created them!
• When you read verses like this one.
• It makes me ask the question.
• "How did our services get so quiet?"
• Quote the Bible teacher Vance Havener who said.
• "Many of our services start at 11.00 o'clock sharp and end at 12.00 o'clock dull."
Quote:
• The great Bible teacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
• Said about this verse:
"Our happy God should be worshipped by a happy people; a cheerful spirit is in keeping with his nature, his acts, and his gratitude which we should cherish for his mercies".
(2). Sing (vs 2)
“Worship the LORD with gladness.
come before him with joyful songs".
Ill:
• In his book "Psalms of the Heart,"
• Author George Sweeting,
• Tells the story of John and Elaine Beekman.
• God called them to missionary work,
• Among the Chol Indians of southern Mexico.
• Reaching this tribe of Indians was not easy.
• It involved riding mules for long parts of the trip.
• And also travelling by dugout canoes.
• They then spent the next 25 years of their lives,
• Ministering to the Chol tribe of southern Mexico.
• And along with other missionaries.
• They helped to translate the New Testament,
• Into the language of the Chol Indians.
• Today the Chol Church is thriving.
• More than 12,000 Christians,
• Make up the Chol Christian community.
• At first the new converts were not called Christians.
• Instead, they were known as "the singers."
• That is because when the first missionaries came,
• The Chol Indians didn’t know how to sing.
• They just did not do it in their culture, it had not ever done it!
• But with the coming of the gospel,
• Singing became part of their normal experience.
• George Sweeting comments in the book:
"They love to sing now,
because they have something to sing about."
• TRANSITION: verse 2: is a great invitation:
• The command is a ‘Joyful song’ K.J.B. says; ‘Joyful noise.’
• And although we want the singing to be a pleasant and
• It’s not essential! LOL
• Quote: “My wife is the nightingale & I am the crow!”
• The point being: If a person is inwardly happy.
• That happiness can be expressed outwardly in a song.
• Quote Charles Swindoll in one of his books says:
• "The spirit-filled saint is a song-filled saint."
So, in verse 2 the psalmist encourages us to come before God:
• That is to enter his presence with joyful songs.
• To express ourselves audibly:
Ill:
• Now throughout Christian history this has been happening:
• One church may chant the Psalms in prose,
• Another may sing them in metrical form,
• Another congregation may read them out loud,
• Another may sing them in the form of a hymn or chorus,
• But whichever way you prefer or practice.
• The important thing is that we do it!
• Praise is rooted in a person's heart & mind,
• And should expresses itself as an audible noise.
• Because you cannot "Shout or sing or speak”
• Without coming out with some kind of sounds.
(3). Remember (vs 3).
“Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
• The NIV which I use has the word, “Know.”
• Some translations prefer the word ‘Remember.’
• The idea is to reflect, to consider, to ponder, to think-about.
The psalmist brings to our attention three important truths as we come to worship:
• One: "Know that the LORD is God”
• Two: “It is he who made us, and we are his”
• Three: “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
ONE: WORSHIP YOUR CREATOR:
Ill:
• A story about of a little girl,
• Who climbed up on the lap of her great-grandmother.
• Looking at her grey hair and wrinkly skin asked,
• "Grandma, did God make you?"
• Grandma replied: "Yes dear, God made me".
• Then looking at her blonde hair and her smooth skin.
• She asked, "Grand Ma, did God make me, too?"
• Her Grandma said, "Yes, God made you too."
• Then the little girl said,
• "Grandma, don't you think he's doing a better job now?"
• TRANSITION:
• Worship him because he is your creator says the Psalmist.
• Know it, be sure of it and praise him for it!
TWO: WORSHIP BECAUSE YOU BELONG TO HIM.
• Notice there is a double emphasis.
• “We are his; we are his people.”
• Although referring primarily to Israel as a nation in this Psalm,
• The New Testament makes it very clear,
• That we too are also his people.
• Quote: 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9-10.
“For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy."
THIRD: WORSHIP BECAUSE HE CARES FOR US:
“We are his people, the sheep of his pasture”.
Ill:
• It was a special occasion in the Church,
• And a small boy was chosen to recite the twenty third.
• In rehearsals all went well.
• On the day, when he stood on the platform,
• And saw all the eyes of the people looking back at him,
• His nerves got the better of him, his mind went blank,
• And his mouth went dry.
• He started “The Lord is my" and he stopped.
• A second time he tried.
• “The Lord is my Shepherd” and then he stopped.
• After a very, very long pause he said:
• “The Lord is my Shepherd… and that's enough!"
TRANSITION: That little boy is absolutely right:
• Whatever happens to us in this life –
• Remember: “We are still his!”
• Troubles will inevitably come our way,
• Remember: “We are still his!”
• Sickness may come,
• Remember: “We are still his!”
• Death may come,
• Remember: “We are still his!”
• Family difficulties may come,
• Remember: “We are still his!”
• We may lose a job,
• Remember: “We are still his!”
• Remember: “We are still his!”
• And we always will be!
• Nothing will ever separate us from his love!
#2: A call to thanksgiving (Vs 4-5).
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
• The psalmist gives to us three ways,
• Of responding to God’s goodness.
• Three strong imperatives are found in these verses.
(1): Be full of awe!
• Quote the definition of ‘Awe.’
• (Source: International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia).
• ‘Fear mingled with reverence and wonder’.
• Too many of us get over familiar with God.
• We forget that ‘Our God is a consuming fire’.
• We need to constantly remind ourselves:
• That we are entering "His gates" not ours!
• That we are entering "His courts" not ours!
• That we are it is "Before him"
• We are primarily gathered and not just each other.
• That he is the focus,
• He is the preeminent one – we "Worship the Lord".
Quote: Lenard Ravenhill:
“Prayer is contemplation with my needs.
Praise is contemplation with my blessings.
Worship is contemplation with God alone!”
(2). Be full of Gratitude!
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving”.
Ill:
• Alex Haley, the author of mega-selling book "Roots,"
• In his office he has this type of picture.
• It is a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post.
• When anybody sees the picture,
• And asks him, "Why is that there?"
• Alex Haley answers,
"Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words & think that they are wonderful, & begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post & remember that he didn't get there on his own.
He had help. "
• Always remember that we got here with the help of God,
• And that he is the provider of every blessing we have.
• So let us have hearts full of gratitude!
(3). Be full of praise.
“And his courts with praise."
• Note: In verse 5,
• We are given three reasons why we should praise God:
#1: GOD IS GOOD. "FOR THE LORD IS GOOD"
• The word ‘Good’ is the word ‘God’ stretched.
• That word is a reminder,
• That the God of the Bible in his very nature is good.
Ill:
• God’s creation was…. “Good.”
• No! It was “very good!” - Genesis chapter 1 verse 31
#2: GOD IS LOVE. "AND HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER"
• The only reason we are here today,
• Is because of his love!
• He is the God who made us and the God who saved us!
• He is the God who keeps us!
#3: GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE.
“His faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Ill:
• Sometimes when my children were small,
• And I picked them up from school.
• We used to play a game.
• When the sun shone and we had shadows in front of us,
• We would try to jump on each other’s shadows,
• While at the same time,
• Trying not to let anyone jump on our own shadow.
• The problem with shadows is,
• They are constantly changing length.
• Depending on the relation of the sun to your body.
Ill:
• James in his letter (chapter 1 verse 17) wrote:
• "God does not change like shifting shadows”.
• In other words, God is not like a shadow,
• That changes it size throughout the day.
• Shadows may vary, but not God!
• He is the same "Yesterday, today and forever”.
• We are called to worship,
• We are called to mission!
• Quote: John Piper
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't.”
Ill:
• A Swedish au-pair,
• Had just started working for an English family.
• One day she entered a room,
• Where the children she looked after had gone berserk,
• The room was a real mess!
• Now she had not yet got a good grasp of the English language,
• And when she saw the mess she shouted out these words.
• Now what she meant to say was:
• "What on earth are you doing?"
• But her grasp of English let her down and instead she said;
• "What are you doing on earth?"
• TRANSITION:
• We are called to worship and we called to mission.
• “Declaring his faithfulness…to all generations.”
“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't.”
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=7SxMe0LmRfLcVGaY5ZPKU7aAg3JyCDpj
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/HnC0eBmrxqU?si=uLEX5OqOkiQdHREs
