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Psalms 100 Come Worship the Lord God (Lord's Day 18 Dec 2005, Shalom Dover Reformed Baptist Church, Singapore - Pastor Paul Chong)
Psa 100:1 A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 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. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psa 100:1 （称谢诗。）普天下当向耶和华欢呼！ 2 你们当乐意事奉耶和华，当来向他歌唱！ 3 你们当晓得耶和华是神！我们是他造的，也是属他的；我们是他的民，也是他草场的羊。 4 当称谢进入他的门；当赞美进入他的院。当感谢他，称颂他的名！ 5 因为耶和华本为善。他的慈爱存到永远；他的信实直到万代。
Outline Theme: Come Worship the Lord God! Specifically: Worship God with our whole being. Worship is active and not passive! How? - With your Mind (v3) - With your Mouth (v1, 2, 4) - With your Hands (v2) - With your Feet (v2, 4) Why Worship God? - He is Good (v5) - He is Merciful (v5) - He is Faithful (v5) Application INTRODUCTION Why did the Psalmist write Ps100? The writer begins by saying this is a psalm for giving thanks to God. God has done something good towards the psalmist. The purpose of this psalm is to say thank you to God! How do we normally express our thankfulness? We say "Thank you!" We send a "Thank you card" or a message to go with a flower basket. How did the psalmist say thank you to God? In the verses that follow, we find the psalmist do several things. He "makes a joyful noise"! He "serves" and he "sings" He "praises" and he "give thanks" In short, the psalmist worships God! The sum & total of what the psalmist did in giving thanks to God is Worship! What is Worship? The psalmist is giving us a good picture of what he does when he worship God. The psalmist showed us that; Worship is active not passive! Why did I say that? Notice how many active verbs are found in this Psalm: V1 Make a joyful noise V1 欢呼！ V2 Serve (the LORD with gladness) v2 事奉 V2 Come (into his presence with) singing! v2 歌唱！ v3 Know (the LORD, he is God! ) v3 晓得 (耶和华是神！) v4 Enter (his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! ) v4 进入 (当称谢进入他的门；当赞美进入他的院。) V4 Give thanks (to him; ) V4 感谢 (他，) V4 bless (his name! ) V4 称颂 (他的名)！ In 4 verses, there are at least 7 active verbs. It is wrong for us to think worship means ONLY quiet meditation! WORSHIP is ACTIVE! Worship cannot be passive, because worship is the RESPONSE of God's people to HIM! They response to what they know of God when He reveals Himself to them. Knowing God is Holy without blemish or sin, we cry Holy Holy God Almighty! Knowing God's Love in Christ! We boldly come to Jesus & plead for the cleansing of our sins! Knowing God has shown us Mercy; we sing the praise of Jesus our Savior & Lord! To all the goodness they have benefited from Him, they respond in worship! People who has experienced God, responds to Him in worship! It is an active thing, when we worship God! In fact, our whole being is involved when we worship God! When we worship, we use our MIND. We need to KNOW the Lord, why He is to be worship Therefore our MIND must be engaged in the worship of God. WHY? How could we praise God rightly if we know not the reason? How could God be pleased to accept our worship, if we have not worship out of our understanding of His goodness & mercy? But we lack true understanding of God & things of the spirit! For that which is flesh know not the things of the spirit! Therefore the mind must be guided by the Word of God. That is why the Preaching of God's word takes centre stage in worship! The Word of God instructs our mind & fill it with right reasons to worship! When we worship, we use our MOUTH. We PRAISE God. We verbalize our feeling of gratefulness & thanks to God through the singing of Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual songs! We praise with our mouths and with music. With our mouth we utter our words of praise! With music we sing the language of our soul! Thus music complements our words in worship! When we worship God, we serve God. We SERVE with our hands. What we do with our hands is part of our Worship, if we do them as a response to God's goodness to us. Example: Some of us come early to move tables, arrange chairs, sweep the floor & make the room ready for worship. While others set up the sound system, man the keyboard, setup the library, teach Sunday school. When we serve, we bring our tithes & offerings to God. We also serve Him when we speak of Christ's love to sinners; when we make Christ known & bring others to Him. When we worship God, our FEET are involved! When we would worship God, we must go to where God's people gather. We COME to God, we ENTER into His House! We travel the distance in order to join with other believers to worship God! No true child of God will stay away from the worship of God! Where are you on the Lord's Day? Some claims to be Christians, but they do not gather with the people of God at the appointed day to worship Him! They say, it does not matter whether you attend church regularly on Sundays; as long as you believe in your heart! This is what they say! But God says, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." (Exo 20v8) Exo 20:8 「当记念安息日，守为圣日。 God commands that every believer should take 1 day out of the 7 to worship Him. Some Christians says, they rather stay at home and worship God! But we find the example of the early disciples in Acts 20:7 was to gather together with other believers, on the first day of the week, to break bread… Act 20:7 七日的第一日，我们聚会擘饼的时候， Furthermore, the Word of God says in Heb 10:24-25: And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, Heb 10:25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Heb 10:24 又要彼此相顾，激发爱心，勉励行善。 Heb 10:25 你们不可停止聚会，好像那些停止惯了的人，倒要彼此劝勉，既知道（原文作看见）那日子临近，就更当如此。 When others meet together to worship, where were you? When you are faced with a choice, did you choose to do something else other than worshipping with the people of God? Do you realize you have insulted God, by choosing to work overtime instead of worshipping God! Do you realize you have spit in God's face, when you rather go window shopping with your friends! In summary, we are to worship God actively with our whole being - our Mind, our speech, our Hands & our Feet. But remember, all these activities alone do not constitute Worship. They only become acceptable worship to God when they are done in response to God's mercy & goodness to us. Lastly v5, answers WHY we worship God? - Because, the LORD is good; - Because, his steadfast love & mercy endures forever, - and Because, his faithfulness & truth continues to all generations. God willing we shall look at this in details another time. Let me now draw out 3 Lessons from what we have considered, for all of us here: Lesson ONE: A. When we come to worship God on Sunday, we must take an ACTIVE part! Get rid of 3 bad attitudes commonly found in many churches! 1) Get rid of that attitude of "waiting for something to happen". - When we worship, we are here to "serve" instead! - Remember the word "Worship" also means 'to Serve' - Passivity is contrary to what we have come to do, that is to Worship God, to serve Him! Therefore, take on a servant heart, roll up our sleeve & meet the needs of others. Offer up our service as a holy worship to God today! If you would remember only one thing from this message on Ps100; let it be this! How can I worship God actively with my whole being; Mind, Heart, Hands & Feet! Meditate on this question and you will do well! 2) Get rid of that "spectator" attitude. - We are not here to watch the preacher put on a good preaching performance. - It is not like watching an entertainer performing at the Esplanade. It is more like being part of the orchestra performing for God! - It is also not watching a football match. It is more like being one of the players in God's football team playing in the field! - We are here to receive God's Word of instruction for our spiritual improvement! - We are like patients in the process of receiving treatment. Therefore, participate, and be a part of the singing, the bible study and the giving. Be teachable, be involved! Let your worship be active, not passive. 3) Get rid of that "critical" attitude. - We are not here as an expert judging everyone & everything going on here! God alone is our Judge! We have to give an account to Him personally! Remember, the apostle Peter's words "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Pet 5v5) 就是你们众人也都要以谦卑束腰，彼此顺服；因为神阻挡骄傲的人，赐恩给谦卑的人。 Therefore, be humble when you come into God's house. Lesson TWO: B. Christians cannot stay away from worship if it is within their power to choose. - Notice I say, if it is within their power to choose! - For there are some who are bonded to serve on the Lord's Day like the nurses and doctors, firemen and policemen. - These works are necessary. - But there are others who are prevented by their employer to attend worship. - This is not within their choice, despite their desire to worship God. - However, if you have no desire to worship God, you are unlikely saved! - You put worship on a very low priority, because you have no desire to worship God! - How could you have any true desire to worship God if you have never experience God's love and mercy? - On the contrary, if you have truly been saved, you would respond in grateful worship! Lesson THREE: C. If you have reason to suspect that you are not saved as yet; what must you do? - I know you may get very angry with the preacher for daring to suggest that you may not be saved! - If the Devil has his way, you will not return again after you walk out of here. - If you do that, you are rejecting the mercy of God being extended to you! - Do you realize, it is the mercy of God that He has ordered events to take its course such that you are here today! - Why else are you here today, since you did not know God and you have no desire to worship God before this? - Why would God draw you here to hear this warning, if He is not showing you mercy? Therefore, heed what James the apostle says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4v7) 故此你们要顺服神。务要抵挡魔鬼，魔鬼就必离开你们逃跑了 What does it mean to submit to God? Do you know that the Lord, he is God? And accept and recognize Him as such? Do you acknowledge that He has made you? And therefore He has absolute right over you? Do you accept that you need to become the redeemed people of God? His people! Redeemed people are people purchased by the blood of Christ! You have committed sins deserving eternal condemnation! You are doomed to enter eternity of suffering; none of your own efforts will save you! Do you believe that Jesus has on the cross taken your punishment instead, if you would commit yourself to His protection? Without doubting Jesus, do you renounce all your sins and declare your trust on Him alone? John 3:18 says, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. " 信他的人，不被定罪；不信的人，罪已经定了，因为他不信神独生子的名。 If these are my own words, you can ignore them and nothing will happen to you! But they are the Words of God, recorded for us in the Bible! God will do what He says! Some of you here will not believe the truth spoken this day! They rather believe something else! The Bible says, if anyone does not believe, it is not because Truth failed to convince their mind! Rather, they "did not believe the truth because they had pleasure in their unrighteousness." 2 Thess 2v12 不信真理、喜爱不义 Their hearts love unrighteousness rather than God! They will not give up what they know is sin! They are enslaved to unrighteous pleasure of sin! They cannot breakout of this bondage to sin because their hearts find sins pleasurable! Ask yourself, what is it that enslaved you in the pleasures of sin? Deal with yourself honestly, is that why you cannot believe the truth and follow Christ? Cry out to Him the Spirit of God, and plead for Him to change your heart! He alone can take out that heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh! How do I know this? For in Ezekiel 36:26 God says, "I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." 我也要赐给你们一个新心，将新灵放在你们里面，又从你们的肉体中除掉石心，赐给你们肉心。 Unbelief resides within your heart, my friend! Look within you and see what kind of heart you have? Heb 3:12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. Heb 3:12 弟兄们，你们要谨慎，免得你们中间或有人存著不信的恶心，把永生神离弃了。 Bewares of what your heart loves! Amen! |
Psalm 100—Come and worship |
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Preached by Pastor Paul Chong on 18 Dec 2005 |
