Text: Psalm 100; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
:: Sermon Audio (link) ::
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:: Scripture and Music ::
Song of Praise: Shout to the Lord (Zschech/Hillsong)
Hymn of Praise: All People That on Earth Do Dwell (OLD HUNDRETH)
Offering of Music: Choir, Fill the Earth with Praise (Williams/Larson)
Hymn of Sending: Great is Thy Faithfulness (FAITHFULNESS)
Postlude: Rick Bean, jazz piano
:: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) ::
This "manuscript" represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided for that purpose.
Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, and I suspect that sometime during the week each of us will give some thought to what we are thankful for. Some people have family traditions of sharing these thanksgivings around the dinner table; some people spend a little extra time offering God prayers of thanks; still others have an increased awareness of God’s many blessings in our lives. To prepare us for this week and as a reminder that we should be thankful all year long, I chose Psalm 100 as our sermon text. It is known as a Psalm of Thanksgiving. It is more than that, it is a beautiful piece of poetry that invites the reader and the hearer to know God, respond to God’s goodness, and worship God with a thankful heart.
We’ll look at those same invitations, challenges, and commandments today as God speaks them to us through his Word.
Knowing and Coming to God
And so, in verse 3, we are not only invited to KNOW God; we are also told who God is. He is the one who has made us. God is our creator. And we are His people – we belong to him and respond to the covenant-making God of promise and hope. And we are the sheep of His pasture – he is our Good Shepherd, caring for us, tending us, and defending us.
That is the central question for each of us. We can come to church, sing and pray, serve and give, and all the rest; but if we do not know the God who has made us, who leads us, and who shepherds us, we’ve missed it the meaning behind it all.
Do you know God? It is THE central question to ask – and if so, the central reason to be thankful.
It’s that same message Jesus spoke to his disciples and so many he met: “Come and see; come and know; come and believe.” And to do so leads us into God’s presence with joy, thanks, and praise.
Responding through Serving and Offering to God
Having come to know God and having come near to Him with joy, thanks, and praise, we are challenged to serve and give to God. This is our offering – our response – to the Good News and salvation of God. It corresponds to Jesus’ own words. After inviting those he met to “come and see,” he would challenge them with the words “follow me.” That’s what this Psalm is saying – if you have come to know God as your creator, Father, and Shepherd, now give yourself to Him. Give your thanks and give your life in service and worship.
Worshiping through Bearing Witness to God
When we bless God’s name, we are speaking God’s name and praises in such a way that we are clearly aligning ourselves with God – on God’s side. It’s like a love-struck young man not only declaring his love in many beautiful ways, but naming the one he loves so all may know the one toward whom his love is directed. “Blessing God’s name” is heart-felt and Spirit-filled worship – prayer, songs, and hearts full of adoration and praise, with clarity and outspokenness about the identity of the Lord we adore.
Verse 5 goes on to do just that – to “bless His name.” It gives praise to God, first naming him as “the Lord.” And here are the words of praise:
The Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And His faithfulness (is) to all generations.
Application: Who is God?
Psalm 100 centers around the invitation to know God as Creator, covenant Lord, and Good Shepherd. It concludes with more personal declaration of who God is – the Lord is good, eternally loving, and perpetually faithful.
There are a number of applications of this Psalm. One is that a personal knowledge of and RELATIONSHIP with God must be at the center of Christian faith. And God has invited us into that personal knowledge and relationship through trusting in his Son, Jesus Christ. In the next few weeks you will hear some personal stories from our congregation about different ways people have come to that personal knowledge and relationship with God. For me, it was as a child, through parents, church, and friends who, like Paul, pointed me toward Jesus to hear his invitation for myself.
Second, our personal knowledge of, relationship with, and experience of God should call forth an active response or OFFERING of obedience, service, and thankfulness. Said another say, it makes a tangible difference in our life! And this response bears witness back to God. It is not public for the sake of “showing off” – at least not showing ourselves off. But it is public for the sake of showing forth God in Christ.
Third and related to that, our personal encounter with God through Jesus Christ not only produces a response of obedience and service in us, it also leads us to bearing WITNESS to God’s faithfulness in our worship and words. As the songwriter declares, “How can I keep from singing?” If God matters, our faith won’t be a secret.
None of this is new – in fact, it’s the basic flow of the Christian life, demonstrated most tangibly by our participation in and response to Sunday worship. Like Psalm 100, we come to Sunday worship to be drawn into the heart of God – the encounter of God through faith in Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. We respond with offerings and thanks and go forth with the Word of Christ on our lips and lives.
That’s why we fling open the doors and desire to bring people in. That’s why we send you forth with God’s blessing and the Holy Spirit’s boldness. May God give you boldness, motivation, and JOY this week as you serve Him. Amen.
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