Sermon
delivered on November 19th, 2017
Morning Service
By: Pastor Greg Hocson
Scripture Text: Psalms 100
Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2:
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3: Know ye
that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; 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 unto him, and bless
his name. 5: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth
endureth to all generations.
Introduction
As
a nation, we set aside one day a year for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day is a
unique holiday. It is not a remembrance of an event or celebration of anyone's
birthday or anniversary. It is simply a day set aside for our nation to express
thanks to God. Let us commemorate this Thanksgiving Day by looking at Psalm
100.
Psalm
100 is one of the most favorite psalms among Christians. It is second to Psalm
23 in popularity. Psalm 100 is called "A Psalm of Praise" or "A Psalm of Thanksgiving." There are other psalms that focus
on praise and thanksgiving, but this is the only psalm that is labeled as "A Psalm of Praise" or "A Psalm of Thanksgiving." Through
this psalm we are reminded that we must worship; how
we must worship and why we must worship.
I - The Invitation to Worship
Through
Psalm 100, you and I are called to worship.
Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2:
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Not
only are we called to worship; we are even told how to worship.
1. Shout joyfully!
Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
Here
we are called to shout for joy unto the LORD, to shout triumphantly
to the LORD. Sometimes worship can be loud. I am not talking about
craziness and chaos. I am talking about a spontaneous loud amen when you agree
with what is said.
We
are not raising our voices to draw attention to ourselves. We shout for joy
because the LORD is among us. We shout for joy because we
are on the winning side. We shout for joy because we are more than
conquerors through Him that loved us.
Hopefully,
your excitement for the LORD will match that of sports, or whatever it is you
shout for joy about.
2. Serve with gladness!
Psalm 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his
presence with singing.
This
verse is telling us that we are to serve the LORD with gladness! We are
to be so filled with love for Him that regardless of what He asks
us to do, we are glad to do it! This is the attitude that filled
David's heart in ...
Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me,
Let us go into the house of the LORD.
He
was filled with joy when it was time to be in the house of God!
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence
is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
To
David, serving the LORD is not a burden to bear but a blessing to
enjoy! Serving the LORD to David is not a matter of obligation and
force; not with reluctance, moroseness, or gloom. But it was a cheerful, happy
service; gladly rendered. The service of God is a source of the highest joy to
David.
3. Sing as you come!
Psalm 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his
presence with singing.
Here
is an invitation to come before the presence of God with singing. When we come
before the presence of God with singing, we must come with joyful
songs. Our hearts should be so filled with the wonder of Who
God is and what He has done for us that our hearts burst forth
into singing. And we sing not to create our gladness, but to express
it.
There
are 575 references to praise, singing, and music found in the Bible. Music
plays an important part of our worship to God. But we must be careful
that in singing we worship God. The danger, I fear, is that in many churches
and for many individual believers instead of worshipping God they
worship the music. Music is a means to express what is in the heart
and to prepare the heart for worship.
Then
we read in ...
Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his
courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
We
are to enter into His gates with thanksgiving. As we walk into the
house of God, we are to be filled with thanksgiving. We are going into
the presence of God, we are to cultivate a spirit of thanksgiving even as we
gather for worship. So we are not to enter the house of God casually
and with indifference. We are not to enter the house of God at the very
last second, dispassionate and disinterested. We are to prepare our heart
before we enter into the courts of God with thanksgiving.
At
the heart of a worshipper is thankfulness. When
we come to worship we can't help but thank God for Who He is and what He has
done. Notice the repetition in verse four. Giving thanks to God and praising
Him are stated twice. It is repeated so that we will not miss its importance.
II - The Explanation for Worship
Through
this Psalm we are called to make a joyful noise unto the LORD, serve the LORD
with gladness, come before his presence with singing, enter into His gates with
thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: and be thankful unto Him and
bless His name. But you may be wondering, how can we do that? In
order to render acceptable and joyful worship, praise and thanksgiving to God
we must know something. Worship, praise and thanksgiving do not come
from an empty head and an empty heart.
In
order to shout with joy to the LORD, serve with gladness, sing with joy, praise
and give thanks and bless God's Name we must know ...
1. The LORD is God
Psalm 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it
is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep
of his pasture.
Acknowledge
that the LORD is God. We are to know that He and He alone is God! Here
we pause to recognize that we are entering into the presence of the Supreme
Being. He is God and we are not and this implies we are completely
dependent on Him for everything.
2. The LORD is our Maker
Psalm 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he
that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep
of his pasture.
He
is the Creator; we are the created. We did not make ourselves. We owe our very
existence to God.
Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as
certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Psalm 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel
before the LORD our maker.
3. The LORD is our Sustainer
Psalm 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath
made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his
pasture.
He
is the shepherd; we are the sheep. As our Shepherd, He provides green pasture
and still water and protection from wolves and guidance through dangerous
valleys.
We
are "the sheep of His pasture". This statement simply reminds us that
we belong to Him and just as a shepherd looks after the welfare of his sheep,
so our LORD looks after us with infinite care. David had this nailed down in
his own life, Psalm 23. You and I need to get it nailed down in our lives also.
Psalm 79:13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture
will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all
generations.
4. The LORD is Good
Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and
his truth endureth to all generations.
We
are told that the Lord is "good." Everything about God is good.
But not only is His character good, His ways are good. Everything God does is
good. His plans are good, His purpose is
good, His providence is good, His provision is good, His protection is good, and His pardon is good. All that God does is good.
James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning." Which
means God is good all the time. Regardless of what happens in life, God is
good! No matter how things turn out, God is still good! We can praise our
God because He is good!
5. The LORD is Merciful
Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is
everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
God
in His mercy did not give what we deserved but instead He gave what we did not
deserve.
6. The LORD is Faithful
Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his
truth endureth to all generations.
God
is not fickle or forgetful. He does not change His purpose or break His
promises.
Brothers
and sisters we have so much reasons to be filled with praise and gratitude. As
you and I celebrate thanksgiving Day, may we think hard upon these things. If
you don't think, you won't thank.
Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2:
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3: Know ye
that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; 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 unto him, and bless
his name. 5: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth
endureth to all generations.
Closing Thoughts
The
LORD is inviting us to "come into His presence." What an invitation! What
a privilege! God is willing to meet us but we need to come into His
presence with heart and mind, body and soul wholly engaged. And it starts by
knowing God. Do you know this God who invites you into His presence? Is your
God the God of the Bible? You might wonder how you can know.
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Come
to Jesus. He came to show us the Father.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7: If ye had known me, ye
should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have
seen him. 8: Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth
us. 9: Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast
thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how
sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10: Believest thou not that I am in the
Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of
myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11: Believe me
that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very
works' sake.
AMEN!