Let’s Celebrate – Psalm 100:1-5 – Mike Romberger and Josh Weidmann – December 1, 2013 from Mission Hills Church on Vimeo.
Preaching Outline:
SEGMENT 1: INTRO AND VERSE 1 AND 2
– BOTH walk out from back stage, Mike starts by explain the service and praying.
– Josh reads Ps. 100 entirely. (found on page ____ in the seatback Bibles)
Intro Material:
· The Title of this Psalm is “A psalm of thanksgiving.” In original language/Heb. there is not a word for “Thanksgiving.” Original word conveys the idea of “giving a thank offering”/“thank sacrifice.” This Ps. may have accompanied a sacrifice in OT.
· Have you heard the statement that “True worship should cost us something”? I like that b/c true worship is GOD FOCUSED – it is not praise for the item we’ve received or focused on us the receiver. Rather, true thanks to God focuses on God.
· This is a “Kingship Psalm” meaning that it acknowledges God as King and praises him for it. It is an announcement that the King is in our presence so praise Him!
V1: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
· The Lord is YHWH in the Hebrew. This word acknowledges that he is “The redeemer” of God’s people (rather than just a focus on Him as creator). One of the striking features of this Ps. is that it affirms the goodness of Yahweh from v1 to v5.
· Make a joyful noise is a directive give here, and in Psalm 95:1-2 and 66:1. It can also be translated “Shout to The Lord” (NIV). A type of cheering when the king enters. A picture of this was the year Tebow and the Broncos won the game against the Steelers. I will never forget being there and watching the crowd scream.
· This was not just a psalm for Israel, but for all the earth. Jew and gentile are invited to praise God. God’s glory is seen all over the earth; therefore everyone should praise Him because of the display of His majesty and love. Common Grace.
V2: Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
· There are three direct commands (or imperatives) in first two verses: (1) Make a noise, (2) Serve the Lord, (3) come into his presence. I noticed this:
1. Service is a part of the progression of worship: it is natural for us to give of ourselves as a sign of gratitude and worship (or thanksgiving) esp. to God.
a. Jesus modeled this for us in John 11: his act of service in washing the disciples feet was also a calling to sacrificial WORSHIP.
2. Service drives into His presence: Service is an attitude as much as it is an action. Genuine worship requires authentic humility. Less of me, more of Him.
3. We are told with what attitude (or how) to do all three of these things: (1) make a JOYFUL noise, (2) Serve the Lord with GLADNESS, (3) Come into his presence with SINGING. There is nothing downcast about this! Grace’s singing
· We are called to have gladness and singing. Meaning we are aware of the goodness of God (v. 5) and respond to it with an attitude of joy. We count it a privilege to be in His presence and can’t help but respond with singing (figuratively and literally).
o “We worship to realize the presence of God, and by and effort of the mind to know Him.” – Spurgeon W. is intentional yet rewarding b/c more of God.
Josh says something like, “Danny, with all this talk of making a joyful noise and coming into his presence with singing, give us some joyful noise, lead us in some singing…” (Mike & Josh sit down)
SEGMENT 2: VERSE 3 AND 4
V3: Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
· We are to know the object of our affection. To know the Lord is to acknowledge in the most absolute and exclusive sense that He is God. We devote to Him our obedience, trust, submission, zeal and love. App: the discipline to love Him the most
· This acknowledges that YHWH (our redeemer) is also our Creator. He made us and we are His – this carries some of the sweetness of Ps. 139, “He knit us together…there is nowhere we can go from His presence.” He is a loving Father.
· “We are His people” – This obviously could be carrying the connotation that “Israel is His people,” but I believe that those of us in Christ are “Graphed in” (Rom. 11) and are counted as His. APP: There is sweet joy that come by knowing you are claimed. This is the idea of “adopted” as sons and daughters of God, w/ JC
o With this comes the idea that we are KNOWN by God. A-1 J.I Packer quote
V4: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
· The next two directives are to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise” and once inside, to “Give thanks and bless His name”. This again is an attitude more than it is an action. We do this with our words and actions, but if it is not sincerely from the heart, it will not be a true worship (or thank) offering. John 4:24
o Ill: Sometimes my heart can be insincere/sarcastic in my worship. Not my desire!
· So how do we show our gratitude to God? (1) Spend time with Him (more than the 1 hour at church), (2) Forgive others, (3) Serve in His church/Kingdom, (4) Reach out to hurting people, (5) By giving God the best of your time, talents and treasures, (6) Praise Him enthusiastically from the heart in song & prayer, (7) Revel in His joy by keeping Him the center of our life.
· A-2 The story of “The Magit” and Count Of Monte Christo: Thanksgiving demands dedication and humility to serve the purposes of God in our life daily.
As our thoughts conclude and point toward the idea of “Give thanks to Him and bless His name” Josh will intro the offering and invite the ushers forward. Mention the Connection Card as well.
SEGMENT 3: VERSE 5
V5: For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
· The ideal of good here carries the idea of God being “Full of generosity.” TO YOU
· God’s Steadfast love and faithfulness is a trademark term for how Israel referred to God. The Lord proclaimed this about himself to Moses on the mountain in Exodus 34:6: “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” APP: The foundation of joy for God’s people is that God always keeps His promises and his character of enduring love never fades.
Mike explains: we want to give you the chance to express publically what you are thankful to God for. There are three mics set up here in the front, Josh and I will be standing down here and we are going to invite you to come forward and publicly finish this statement “I am thankful for…”
Josh Picks up: and when some expresses what they are thankful for, the rest of us will say, “His love endures forever.” Josh and Mike then give an example. Music begins to play underneath.
WRAP-UP: Josh & Mike are both present, but Mike will do all the talking for this seg.
· Closing Comments about the service
· Christmas Eve Announcement
· Coffee Card for Visitors and Prayer Up Front after service
· CLOSING PRAYER
APPENDIX:
A-1 J.I. Packer Quote from “Knowing God”:
“What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it — the fact that He knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him, because He first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me, and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from me, and no moment therefore, when His care falters.”
A-2 The Magit and the Count of Monte Chirsto
One of my favorite movies of all time is The Count of Monte Christo.
It’s a story about a man named Edmond Dontez escapes from the Cheteau D’if, which is like the Alcatraz of France. Exhausted and wave-battered from his getaway he wakes up on the beach of a far off island to find that he has been discovered by a group of pirates. The pirates had come ashore this secluded landmass to burry one of their men alive, because he had stolen from the rest of the crew.
The other pirates affectionately referred to the thief as “The Magit.” There were some within the crew that didn’t think he should die while other had already begun digging his grave.
Upon seeing straggly Dontez, the captain had a thought on how to settle the dispute. He Commanded a knife duel to the death between The Magit and Dontez.
So the fighting began and with a few swift moves Edmond pinned to the thief to the ground. The he said to him, “If you wish to live, don’t make a move.”
Edmond then bartered with the captain for both of their lives.
The captain granted his wish, and the defeated man got up and grabbed Dontez by his rags-for-clothing and said, “I swear on all of my dead relatives, even the ones that aren’t feeling so well, I will be your man forever.”
As the story progressed, sure enough the Magit followed Edmond Dontez the rest of his life helping find treasure, defeat powers and win back his one true love.
That is great a picture of gratitude and dedication. His entire life became one big, “thank you.”
