Shout To The Lord

Shout to the Lord

Psalm 100

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

11-20-19

[Video Introduction]

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

In October of 1621, Governor Winthrop declared a day of Thanksgiving and a feast was held for the 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims that had made it through that first harsh winter alive.

In December of 1777, George Washington declared a Day of Thanksgiving after the defeat of the British at Saratoga.

In the middle of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, prompted by a series of editorials written by Sarah Josepha Hale, proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated on the 26th, the final Thursday of November 1863. 

On December 26, 1941, President Roosevelt signed this bill, for the first time making the date of Thanksgiving a matter of federal law and fixing the day as the fourth Thursday of November.

And so this Thursday we will gather with family and friends to gorge ourselves with wonderful food, watch hours of football, and get ready for Black Friday shopping.

In the midst of all that celebration, it could be possible to miss out completely what the holiday is for - thanksgiving!

President Lincoln proclaimed:

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God….I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

Let’s begin the week with our eyes focused on being thankful to God for His many blessings in our lives.

Turn to Psalm 100.

Prayer

Background for Old 100

Psalms 93-100 are known as “enthronement” Psalms. These songs look ahead to the millennial reign of Jesus when the whole world will be filled with righteousness and everyone will exalt the name of the true King - Jesus Christ.

Thirty five times in the Psalms we are commanded to give thanks but Psalm 100 is the only Psalm that is specifically called a Psalm of thanksgiving.

Other than Psalm 23, this is probably the most well known Psalm and is known as Old 100.

Psalm 100 is the last of this section of Psalms and serves as a doxology of praise to the soon coming King. Jesus, Himself, would have sang these Psalms.

Structure of Old 100

There are only five verses in this short Psalm but these verses are full of commands of action. Listen to the verbs- shout, worship, come before Him, know, enter, give thanks.

The psalm follows an ABAB pattern. Verses one and two are calls to worship and verse three is a call to remember who God is and who we are. Verse four is another call to worship and then verse five gives us the why of it all.

This morning, we will break it down this way

v. 1-2 Worshipping God

v. 3 Knowing God

v. 4 Thanking God

v. 5 Trusting God

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalm 100:1-2)

Your translation might begin, “make a joyful noise to the Lord.” It’s actually one word in Hebrew that means raising a cry of praise to recognizing arrival of the king to take the throne or when he returned from battle.

Look at who the Psalm is addressed to - all the earth. This is an evangelistic psalm - let every corner of the globe shout with exceeding joy to the Lord.

The word worship and serve are the same in verse two. We are called to serve God with gladness, not with drudgery.

Worship of God leads to service of others. This is the cheerful service of sons not slaves.

We are to serve with exceeding joy. No language has as many words for joy than Hebrew - 13 roots for 27 different words!

Remember that joy and happiness are different things. Happiness is based on circumstances. Joy is based on knowing who God and who we are.

One of the pastors I listened to this week noted that the shortest verse in the Greek New Testament is “Rejoice always.” The shortest verse in the English New Testament is “Jesus wept.” I think that is a good balance.

Paul encouraged the believers in Galatia to not give up in their serving: