SERMON: “Worshipping Together” (Psa. 100)
“Worshipping Together” (Psa.
100)
Series: “Thanksgiving
Sermons” #3 Text: Psalm 100
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date: November 24, 2024
Venue: Living
Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
I.
Introduction
We have Thanksgiving Day coming up this week, and we’re excited
for it. Of course, we’re looking forward
to great food, but the day means more than that. In previous sermons, we’ve noted how this is
a uniquely Christian holiday, for the concept of giving thanks is rooted in our
understanding of God as our provider.
To prepare us for this week, this evening, we’re considering
Psalm 100, often called “A Psalm for Thanksgiving.” It invites us into this joyful act of
corporate worship. This is fitting because of what we discussed this morning,
that we should be unified in Christ, for thanksgiving draws us together.
This is a psalm that has elicited praise. For instance, the hymn “All People That on
Earth Do Dwell” from the Genevan Psalter is based on Psalm 100. It was first published in 1561 to the tune of
the “Old Hundredth,” from which we also get the Doxology.[1] So, Psalm 100 has inspired quite a bit of
worship in recent centuries, just as it’s done for millennia.
It also comes at an interesting place in the canon of
Scripture. It follows a series of psalms
which focus on the Lord as King. Even
though this psalm doesn’t make explicit references to God as King, theologians
like Dr. William Barrick note that it is the culmination of the theocratic
psalms (Psalms 93–100). After Scripture
has emphasized God’s universal kingship, it now invites all the earth to praise
Him.
Specifically, this psalm calls us to come together corporately
to offer thanks to our God. So, we’ll note
this evening that we should gladly come to worship (vv. 1–3), and then we’ll
note we should thankfully gather for worship (vv. 4–5). Let’s consider the first point:
II.
First, Gladly Come to Worship (vv. 1–3)
A Psalm for
Thanksgiving.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord
with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord
Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Anytime we teach the psalms, it’s important to point out
that the psalm titles are inspired. I’m
not talking about the bold larger text added by translators to explain the section
of Scripture we’re about to read.
Rather, this is the superscription right above verse one — in this case,
“A Psalm of Thanksgiving.” That’s in the
original Hebrew text, which means it’s part of the inspired text of Scripture.
This is a psalm or a song devoted to praising the Lord. It’s a call to worship that the congregation
of Israel would have used in its public worship. In this case, it’s a call to thanksgiving.
This may sound strange to you — thanksgiving is a concept entrenched
in the Law. It involves a public acknowledgment.[2] The word involved confession as well as an
offering to express thanks to God (Lev. 7:12–15; 22:29).[3] Of course, this involved singing when it came
to psalms!
So, v. 1 begins with that call to worship: “Shout
joyfully to the Lord, all the
earth.” This is not merely a
suggestion; it is an imperative. Worship
is not optional for the believer. This
joyful shout mirrors the triumphal cries of ancient Israel, such as those at
Jericho (Joshua 6:20). In worship, we
proclaim the victory of our God over sin, death, and the grave.
In fact, this is an act particular to the people of God. The word translated “Lord” (in small caps) is the name “Yahweh.” Some translations (like the LSB) simply have the
name of God there. This was the covenant
name, indicating the God of redemption is worthy of our thanks.
This was a unique act in Israel, as this could be translated
“all the land.” Yet, that doesn’t mean
it’s confined to Israel. As one study notes,
“The Israelites were to be a people who would attract the nations to worship
God.”[4] This is a command to all the earth to hear
and come to acknowledge.
Verse 2 continues, “Serve the Lord with gladness; come
before Him with joyful singing.” This
is another couple of commands. Obviously,
we are commanded to serve the Lord. Yet,
the Lord warns Israel, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy
and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve
your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in
nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your
neck until He has destroyed you” (Deut. 28:47–48). We are not to serve by way of lip service.
Service here does not refer solely to labor but to
worshipful devotion.[5] As the Reformation Study Bible explains,
“Loving service is a grateful response to the grace of God.” For instance, consider the command to give in
the New Testament; 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Our offerings, whether works of service or
gifts, should arise from a place of genuine joy.
That brings us to the latter half of the verse. God commands that we come “with joyful singing.” Our worship should never be begrudging or
half-hearted. Rather, it must flow from
a heart transformed by God’s goodness and grace.
Verse 3 begins with a command which will give us a basis for
this joy. It says, “Know that the Lord Himself is God.” Again, we have the covenant name of God
(Yahweh), and we’re told to see Him as God (Elohim).
This confession arises from the law: Deuteronomy 4:35 says, “To
you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no
other besides Him.” It also comes from the
great commandment and confession of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4–9. When the fire of the Lord came down on Mount
Carmel and burnt up Elijah’s offering, “When all the people saw it, they fell
on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God’ ” (1
Kings 18:39). This expression affirms the
exclusivity of God, that there is no other god.
Our lack of thanks comes from not properly acknowledging God
in our lives. People who don’t
acknowledge this live lives of striving (Psa. 46:10). This is why we’re commanded to “know”
here. This means that God is not so
transcendent that He is unknowable, and true thanks cannot arise unless we know
God.
We also can’t enter into His presence without knowing Him
through Jesus Christ. True worship
arises from knowledge which is not merely intellectual but relational and
transformative. That’s what we see next.
As the psalmist declares, Yahweh is our Creator: “It is
He who has made us, and not we ourselves.”
This truth combats human pride. In
our sinfulness, we often think we are self-made. Just as God made Israel out of the nations, He
made us new creations out of the sinful children of Adam. This also emphasizes the sovereignty of God,
which not only has implications for our practice, but also for our assurance —
we are eternally secure in Him. Scripture
reminds us that God alone is the Maker of all things, including our salvation.
This leads to the comforting truth that “we are His
people and the sheep of His pasture.” Consider the interplay between the “not a
people” refrain and “My people” in Hosea; God says, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you
are not My people and I am not your God” (Hos. 1:9). Yet, in Hosea 2:23, the Lord says, “I will
also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, and I will say to
those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’ ” He turns people who aren’t His people into
His people!
He also comes for His sheep.
Just as a shepherd tenderly cares for his sheep, so does God watch over
His people (Psalm 23:1). We see in this
in Christ, who takes us who were not of His sheep and makes us one with His
people (John 10:16). He is the redeemer,
which is plenty of reason for our thanks!
So, we should gladly come for worship. We should come before the Lord; we should come
from wherever we are, come from our sin and darkness into the Light. That can be expressed in the corporate
gathering, leading us to the next point:
III.
Second, Thankfully Gather for Worship (vv. 4–5)
Enter His gates
with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is
good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
The psalmist calls us to “enter His gates with
thanksgiving and His courts with praise.” This is imagery of coming to the temple
worship. In the Old Testament, it points
specifically to coming into God’s presence, for the Spirit operated out of the
temple. As worshipers came, they could
come into His presence with thanksgiving.
Today, we come to Christ, the true temple. We now boldly enter His presence to offer Him
the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 10:19–22).
Even as we pray, we continue to offer thanks; “Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God” (Philip. 4:6).
We bless the name of God through belief in and offering thanks to Jesus
Christ.
Thanksgiving in worship is more than a momentary act. It must permeate every aspect of our
gathering. Psalm 116:17 reminds us of
the “sacrifice of thanksgiving,” where we acknowledge God’s abundant
goodness to us.
Verse 5 gives us three reasons for this thanks. It grounds our worship in the character of
God: “For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His
faithfulness to all generations.”
Let’s consider each of these:
- God
Is Good: His goodness is not fleeting or conditional; it is intrinsic
to His nature (Psalm 25:8). The MSB
says, “God is the source and perfect example of goodness.”[6] We would know no good in our lives outside
of His kind provision.
- God
Is Loving: The Hebrew word chesed speaks of His loyal,
covenantal love, which endures forever.
This is similar to the phrasing in Psalm 136:1, a psalm which
repeats the same refrain. God’s
love is based on the covenant He made with His people; in our case, the
New Covenant in Christ.
- God
Is Faithful: Some translations have “truth” here. Indeed, His truth is unwavering, and His
promises never fail. This is the
definition of faithfulness. [7]
We read here that it spans
generations, assuring us that God remains steadfast through all seasons of
life. We need not fear loss of
salvation nor whether we will persevere in the faith — God is faithful!
These are all reasons to offer our thanks this week. Let’s wrap this up:
IV.
Conclusion
Psalm 100 calls us to joyful, thankful worship. As Warren Wiersbe aptly puts it:
If we are controlled by the Holy
Spirit of God and the holy Word of God, we will reveal it in the way we worship
God. Instead of imitating the world, we
will be led by the Word and the Spirit to be joyful in the Lord, submissive to
the Lord, and thankful to the Lord, and the world will see the difference. Finally, note that a spirit of thanksgiving
helps us overcome some of the ‘sins in good standing’ that too often invade our
lives: complaining (v. 1), idolatry (v. 2), pride (v. 3), and ingratitude (v.
4). It was when our first parents became
‘unthankful’ that the human race began that terrible descent into sin and
judgment (Rom. 1:18–32; note v. 21). Instead
of being thankful for what they had, Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie that the
Lord was holding out on them (Gen. 3:1—'every tree’), and this led to their
sin. A thankful spirit is a triumphant
spirit.[8]
Thanksgiving shapes our hearts to worship rightly. It combats sins like complaining, pride, and
ingratitude and keeps our focus on God’s unchanging character.
So, let’s consider how to apply this:
- Let
your worship be marked by joy and gladness.
- Only
those who know the Lord can offer acceptable thanks. Strive to deepen your knowledge of Him.
- Let
thanksgiving permeate your life, transforming how you worship, serve, and
live.
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Exultant, “Be” Commentary Series,
1st ed., (Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004), 39.
[2] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King
James Version, (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Ps 100.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid., Ps 100:1–2.
[5] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ps 100:2.
[6] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 830–831.
[7] Ibid., 831.
[8] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be
Exultant, “Be” Commentary Series, 1st ed., (Colorado Springs, CO: Cook
Communications Ministries, 2004), 41.
