Psalm 100: Worship That God Wants Part 2
Pastor Larry Sarver
New Life in Christ
1633 SW 34th St. Palm City, FL 34990
561-283-9426 pastorsarver@yahoo.com
www.palmcitynewlife.org
Read Psalm 100
Illustration: As a pastor I often receive through the mail much information on the subject of worship. Usually this information consist of polls and surveys about worship. Such things as were the people satisfied with their worship, did they experience God presence, what would they do to improve the worship, etc. Many of the book offers on worship are on the subject of improving your worship and what they mean by that is having a worship time that people will respond to a like better. The concern I have is that the central focus of the books in the poles and the surveys is what do the people want. I think that the central and most important question we can ask if our we giving God the worship that he wants?
Last week as we began to look at this Psalm I asked the question: "our we giving God the worship that he wants?" All read bringing him the gift or the offering that he desires? To enter that question we have to do the qualities or the characteristics of the worship that God wants. In this Psalm will find three qualities or characteristics of the worship that God wants. We look at one last week in tonight will look at the other two characteristics of the worship that God wants.
As a review I would remind you of how important worship is to God. Last week we noted in a brief summary of several Bible accounts how important worship was to God. We noted the stories obtaining able-1 whose worship was rejected, and one whose worship was excepted. When the did the stories of May debt and Avenue-the sons of Aaron, who were stuck dead because of improper worship. We also noted the Old Testament book of Malachi which was addressed to those who were giving halfhearted and unacceptable worship. They were under occurs because of a wrong attitude in their worship of God. Knowing and giving God the worship that he wants it very, very important. We also noted last week that we can worship God in many ways but the primary emphasis of this Psalm and the rest of Scripture is owned verbal worship. This is the kind of worship that we bring to him when we gathered together in Psalm and the kind of worship we should be bringing to him when we come to him in prayer. What is the worship that God wants?
I. Worship that God wants is joyful.
We Saul this in verses 1 and two which tell us to "shout for joy", "worship was gladness", into saying "joyful songs." Our attitude in our hearts are to be filled with joyful celebration and expression when we come into his presence to worship him. It does not matter our current circumstances, our personality type, or our particular tradition. The Bible says that we all are to come to him with joy in our worship. We will see later that God command is to be joyful with good reason. Surely if Paul and silence could saying in the dungeon week as saying joyfully also. Let’s make sure we’re giving God the worship that he wants.
I. Worship that God wants is joyful.
Now let’s read verse 4 to see The second characteristic of the worship that God wants.
I. I. Worship that God wants is thankful.
It is very easy to see that verse 4 it similar to verse 1 with its emphasis on a right attitude during worship. Now the emphasis switches from joy to gratitude. We see this emphasis on joy in our worship at the beginning of this Psalm where the subscription says "a Psalm for giving thanks." We also see this emphasis in verse for where it says, "enter with Thanksgiving", and "give thanks to him."In Old Testament times the worshippers would come to the temple which had gates and courtyards which is where the symbolism of verse four comes from. They were instructed to enter those gates and to enter those courtyards with words or songs of thanksgiving, expressions of great gratitude. The lesson for us is that the foremost thought on our minds when we gather together or when we come before the Lord in prayer should be on giving him thanks. Our first priority should not be on: making petition, learning some life lesson in the message, or enjoying each other’s fellowship. Our focus needs to be on coming into his presence in a way that is pleasing to him, which means coming to him with the joyful and thankful hearts. Worship that God wants is joyful. Worship that God wants is thankful.
Do you have any suggestions for how we can improve our focus on coming to God with the joyful and thankful hearts? Is there any way as a church that we can better get our attention and our focus on God, especially as we began to singing songs of worship? Certainly we must make the effort to get our eyes and our thoughts off of everything else. Such things as who is here and who is not here. Such things as pre or post service concerns. Even such things as our own personal troubles, trials, and tribulations. We want to know that the gift or the offering of worship that we bring to God is the gift that he desires and that he will be pleased with.
Read verse 3
I I I. Worship that God wants is deserved.
We do not worship God just because we are commanded to. Although God’s commands are certainly enough reason to worship him they alone will not cause us to worship him with joyful and thankful hearts. Gratitude and joy are emotional responses that can not be willed to happen! Before we can have any of these proper emotional responses we must recognize that God is worthy of worship. We will not have joyful or thankful worship until we realize the great reasons we have to be joyful or thankful. With that in mind the Psalmist reminds us that God has given us many reasons to worship him with joy and thanksgiving. He does not just expect us to worship joyfully and thankfully without adequate cause. In verses 3 the Psalmist reminds us of how good and how great God has been to us. First of all he notes that God has "made us and that we are here is." He is probably not referring to our original creation but rather he is referring to God making us his by making us a part of his family. As the Psalmist puts it "we are his people-the sheep of his pasture." God looks at us and says "You are mine!" "You are my daughter or you are my son" God has redeemed us, he has bought us, he has made you and me a part of his family. Like it says in 1 John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God" Through Jesus we have been brought in to God’s family. We now have God as our shepherd to provide, protect, and guide us. We now enjoy good pasture because of his blessings. Surely we have good reason to be joyful and thankful! I can always joyfully worship even when I have trouble in life because I am his always! I belong to Jesus. I’m in the family forever and nothing can separate me from him. As his children, as those who are his , we experience his best both today, tomorrow, and forever. The worship that God wants is deserved so let us worship him with joy and with gratitude.
Illustration: One of my daughter’s has already let me know that she would like to have a Gameboy Advanced for Christmas. This toy is really too expensive for me to purchase but if by some means I was to pay the price for that expensive toy and see her unwrap it on Christmas morning I would want and I would expect a joyful and thankful response for the expensive gift I had given her. Well look at what God has given us and the price that he paid to make us a part of his family! Truly God deserves our worship.
Read verse 5
Here the Psalmist briefly reminds us of three things about God that give us reason to always come before him with joyful and thankful praise. He says in essence: God is always good, God is always loving, and God is always faithful. Therefore because God is always all of these things he is always worthy of our very, very best. Because the Lord is always good and always loving and always faithful I am always forgiven. I am always restored when I fall down. I am always provided for. I am always protected. I am always welcome in his presence. I am always shown mercy. I am always blessed abundantly. I can always filled with joy and hope. Therefore I always have reason to give him joyful and thankful worship.
Conclusion: I ask tonight that you and I consider whether we are giving God the worship that he wants. When you come into a church or when you meet with God in prayer do you come before him in worship with a joyful and thankful heart? Truly he is worthy of and deserves our very best. Tonight I asked that we commit ourselves anew to giving God the worship that he wants.
