PM Psalm 100

[0:00] It's good to be back worshipping with you again this evening. For those who may not know, my name is Thompson McKenzie, I'm a student at ETS. So just a couple of intimations before we start our worship tonight.

[0:15] Wednesday at 7pm, the prayer meeting and Bible study will be led by Jonathan Kenyon and it will be in the lower hall with the entrance from the car park.

[0:30] A summary of the financial statement for the three months ending the 31st of March 2021 is available on the table on the right hand side as you leave.

[0:41] If you didn't get one this morning, please collect one this evening. And the next Lord's Day at 11am and 6pm, the Reverend Robert Dale will lead us in worship. A very warm welcome to any visitors or friends who are joining us tonight.

[1:00] The psalmist writes in Psalm 3, Salvation belongs to the Lord, your blessings be on your people. So let us give praise to the Lord as our God reigns in Psalm 93 from the Scottish Psalter.

[1:20] Psalm 93, page 354. The Lord of rain and gold is he.

[1:53] With majesty most bright, his words to show him gold to be.

[2:08] And girt a bond with light, and girt a bond with might.

[2:22] The world is also established yet that it cannot depart.

[2:38] Thy throne is fixed, so old and long from everlasting heart. Thy throne is fixed, so old and long from everlasting heart.

[2:54] From everlasting heart. The floods, O Lord, have lifted up. The floods, O Lord, have lifted up.

[3:11] They lifted up their voice. The floods, O Lord, have lifted up their ways.

[3:25] And made a mighty voice. And made a mighty voice. And made a mighty voice.

[3:40] But yet the Lord that is on high.

[3:51] He is more of might by far. The noise of many waters is.

[4:07] For great sea billows are. For great sea billows are.

[4:22] Rightest divine is everyone. In faithfulness excel.

[4:40] And holiness forevermore. Thy power is become as well.

[4:55] Thy power is become as well. Let us pray.

[5:07] Father, we come before you with a thankful heart. We all have reasons to be thankful for the blessings you have bestowed on us.

[5:20] As individuals. And we take a silent moment to give you thanks for each of those.

[5:38] We give praise to your holy name. You are faithful in all your words. Fulfilling your promises always. You meet all our needs.

[5:52] You know our desires. And you know our needs. Physically. Mentally. And emotionally. You will ensure we have what we require.

[6:06] As we walk with you. You provide for us always. Even in the most difficult of times. Especially in the most difficult of times.

[6:20] We praise and glorify you. That your promises are fulfilled. That your promise to restore man to your desired position.

[6:35] For him is coming to fruition. You gave your son as a sacrifice for our sins. That while we were still sinners.

[6:46] Far from you. Turning away from you. You gave your sin for our atonement. Fill us with your spirit.

[7:00] That we be sanctified. That we can increasingly turn away from sin. And that we may become more Christ-like. In our daily pattern.

[7:11] We pray for your church across the world Lord. We bring before you your church in Manmar for example.

[7:25] A church which is growing. Yet a church that has experienced persecution. Under the military regime in the past. We pray that you would strengthen them.

[7:40] And enable them to continue to witness for you. Even in these uncertain times. It's amazing Lord.

[7:51] How you can use the most difficult of situations. To bring glory to your name. And to bring people back to relationship with you.

[8:08] We pray for your church across the UK. And especially here in Scotland. We have escaped all of the physical persecution of Christians in other nations.

[8:25] But we still need your sustaining power. We cannot bring forward your kingdom by human effort. We require your aid.

[8:38] We require to be open to the working of your spirit. We need to be led. We need to be led. Not to lead. We need to follow where you wish us to go.

[8:53] We can have all the grand ideas. And think up all the schemes of men. But if they are not your plans.

[9:05] If we are not rooted firmly in you. They will be fruitless and come to naught. Once more Lord. We bring our monarch.

[9:17] Queen Elizabeth before you. In this time of mourning. And to the rest of the royal family. That you will sustain them.

[9:29] And be their comforter. That as the Queen. Is seen across the world. In these coming days. That she may be a reflection.

[9:44] Of your love. That she may be a reflection. Of the support. That we receive. From belief.

[9:55] In your Son. Our Lord Jesus Christ. Is our Saviour. We pray Lord. For.

[10:07] All those who. Are bereaved this time. That they. Be uplifted. And comforted by you. These things we ask through Jesus Christ.

[10:21] Our Lord and Saviour. Amen. In the past months. When I have had the privilege. To lead worship. We have. Looked at Galatians. In the morning and evening services.

[10:32] And we will continue to look. The Sundays that I am here. At Galatians in the mornings. But over the summer months. I plan to look at a number of psalms. In the evening. And don't worry. I don't plan to take.

[10:43] To take. To take. To take. To take. To take. To take. To take. To take. The next three. Plus years.

[10:54] To work my way through. The book of psalms. I pray that. Well before then. You will have filled. Your vacancy here. For Calvin. The psalms were a.

[11:06] A unique book. In the canon of scripture. He states. There is no other book. In which. In which. We are more perfectly taught. The right manner. Of praising God.

[11:17] Or. In which. We are more powerfully stirred up. To the performance. Of this religious exercise. So tonight.

[11:29] We are going to start. The study of the psalms. With psalm 100. So we are. Reading this evening. Is from. Psalm 100. Reading the whole psalm.

[11:49] Psalm 100. Reading the whole psalm. Psalm 100. A psalm. For giving thanks. Make a joyful noise. To the Lord. All the earth. Serve the Lord.

[12:00] With gladness. Come into his presence. With singing. 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. Enter his gates.

[12:11] With thanksgiving. And his courts. With praise. Give thanks to him. And bless his name. For the Lord is good. His steadfast love. Endures forever.

[12:22] And his faithfulness. To all. Roberts. Thanks be to God. And his word. The hidden. Unfortunately. The cave. And everything. For his literacy. For the Lord is good.

[12:34] John. Father. Let us see. Looking together. In the chapter. Of the sight. Now let us. asks. To the actual значитs.

[12:45] Amen. So that thou justree. Now let's listen to the hymn, It Is Well With My Soul.

[12:57] The original hymn written by Horatio Spafford was written in a time of deep sorrow and loss. And yet it speaks of how the spirit can move us to still bring praise to God.

[13:12] It was written following the drowning of his wife and four daughters as they came to the UK. And yet as he made that same voyage he was able to bring us these words of comfort but also of reflection.

[13:30] So it is well with my soul. Peace like a river attended my way.

[13:53] When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.

[14:23] It is well, it is well with my soul.

[14:35] With my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul.

[14:49] And Lord, ace the day when the faith shall be sighed.

[15:05] The clouds be rolled back as a scroll. The trump shall resound.

[15:19] And the Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with my soul.

[15:36] It is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul.

[15:50] It is well, it is well with my soul.

[16:02] Let us pray.

[16:16] Father, as we study your word, may the thoughts of our minds and the words of our hearts and thoughts of our hearts be acceptable in your sight.

[16:31] We ask through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen. How are we this evening?

[16:44] How do you feel? Are you sad? Happy? Tired? Or brimming with energy? I know that one wee eight guy is probably still brimming with energy.

[16:54] And are we thankful as we come to praise our God? Tonight we are going to look at a psalm that no matter the circumstances, gives us a reason to be thankful.

[17:13] Reasons for thanksgiving. God made us and we are His. Nothing can take us from Him. In John 10, 27-29, Jesus says, My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

[17:32] I give them eternal life and they will not perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

[17:47] We have a double bind holding us to our God from which nothing can separate us.

[17:59] We are held steadfast in the grip of Christ and then bound by God. How then can we be moved from His love? Paul also writes his assurance in Romans 8, verses 38 and 39.

[18:15] For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels or rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height or depth, nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[18:39] These are the reasons for thanksgiving. The Lord is good, His love is steadfast, and His faithfulness is eternal.

[18:52] The 100th Psalm has for its title a psalm of praise or of thanksgiving. In this description it well answers there is not a single mournful note in its composition.

[19:05] God is praised from its beginning to its end. And all the earth is called to join in in the blessing and thanking Him.

[19:18] It is not the only psalm to mention giving thanks and praise to God. We also come across it in Psalm 107 and 118 and several others.

[19:30] Though it is the only psalm to be given the title a psalm of thanksgiving. The psalm does not stand on its own but can be seen as the final psalm in a section running from Psalm 93 to Psalm 100.

[19:49] This psalm which comes at the close of a magnificent series of royal psalms which tell of the reign of Jehovah over His people Israel and which was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

[20:05] It has been called their doxology. The doxology of the royal psalms. It is a short hymn of praise to God. It has been suggested that it was probably written to be chanted by a festive procession as it approached and entered the temple.

[20:25] a time when people would be joyful and looking to show emotion. The early church used it for morning worship.

[20:39] The church has used it throughout its history in communal worship. The psalm is filled with grateful adoration and has for this reason been a great favourite with the people of God ever since it was written.

[20:58] It bids us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord such as a glad shout such as a loyal subject skiv when their king appears among them.

[21:12] So let us consider this subject of thankful praise which it brings so prominently before us. The psalm can be split into two parts.

[21:24] First, verses 1-3 a call to worship and verses 4-5 a call to thanksgiving. And these two parts have as much relevance today as when written by its author.

[21:41] It also reminds us of God's steadfast love for us and for us to have a relationship with him God's message does not stand alone in one piece of scripture but is often reflected in several parts of scripture.

[22:01] In verse 1 we read Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the lands. And there is a reflection of Psalm 98 in verse 4 where it reads Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth.

[22:17] Break forth into joy song and sing praise. Similar words are used to say that all should respond and praise God. There is here no division between Jew and Gentile but it is a call for all nations to praise him.

[22:36] He is the God of all creation. We see no set text here about how we have to make a joyful noise. We are not to sing in particular tones that merit being in a choir rather to the spirit in which we sing the joy that is in our hearts.

[22:58] It reminds me of the story of both Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. we know of their love for food and their ability to turn amazing dishes out of what they would say are a very plain ingredient.

[23:16] One of the things they both enjoyed was sharing food with others. No doubt a useful enjoyment if you are going to be a chef. But they found that through time less and less people would actually invite them for a meal.

[23:33] People became self-conscious about and doubted their own abilities to cook for Michelin star chefs when actually both chefs stated that they were not bothered about the standard of cooking.

[23:50] Gordon Ramsay even stated that it was the effort the heartfelt endeavour that was important to him even if they had given him fish and chips and mince and tatties.

[24:01] So then think of God our loving Father. He cares not if we can hit the highest of notes hold a tune or sing unaccompanied.

[24:14] He knows what is in our hearts and wishes heartfelt praise even if it is out of tune. So when we can go back to singing if you hear someone enthusiastically singing loudly out of tune it may well be me.

[24:34] In verse 2 we are directed to serve the Lord with gladness come into his presence with singing. We are to serve God or in some translations it may well say we are to worship God.

[24:51] Due to the Hebrew used it can have slightly different meanings of how we are to worship or serve the Lord. one it can be seen as acting like a servant or slave giving devotion or two it can be seen as acting like a loyal subject when their king or queen appears.

[25:12] There can be shouts of acclamation of joy and of affection. Think on happier occasions and think of state occasions when our monarch steps out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace or arrives at the Palace of Holyrood and the excitement and enthusiasm of the crowds.

[25:32] Or thirdly in serving the Lord in particular ways Israel is expected to serve him with gladness. And so we are to come into his presence with joy we are to serve him with gladness.

[25:48] But there is always a but. Is that how we come before God? It is good and fitting to have reverence but do we come with a glad heart or do we appear dure and saddened in our worship and service?

[26:06] A living version of I am jolly. Do we give the views to outsiders that it is joyful to give praise and service to God? So our worship if it is also to be service is not just to be in words but also our actions which should be joyful and offer praise to him.

[26:33] Worship is service to God. Service is the acting out of our praise and thankfulness. Service is the acting out of our faith.

[26:48] It is also the fulfilment of Christ's expectation of us. In Matthew 25 Jesus describes a scene of the final judgment where the saved and the lost are separated like sheep from the goats.

[27:06] Jesus says in verses 34 to 40 then the king will say to those on his right come you who are blessed by my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was hungry and you gave me food I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger and you welcomed me I was naked and you clothed me I was sick and you visited me I was in prison and you came to me then the righteous will answer him saying Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you a drink and when did we see you a stranger and welcome you or naked and clothe you and when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you and the king will answer them truly I say to you as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it to me we require to live out our service for

[28:11] Christ for although we are not saved by our works they are a reflection of God's love and grace to mankind James writes in James 2 17 so also faith by itself if it does not have works is dead so faith without works without service is dead remember remember though in Psalm 100 we are called in verse 2 to come into his presence so we're to come and to praise him directly not just to serve him by works we are not saved by our works but by grace and our faith in Christ as our saviour as we progress into verse 3 we're called to know 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 here we see God's special relationship with Israel in that they are his people and he has cared and protected them through his covenants with Abraham

[29:27] Moses and David this is a reflection of the image of Israel as a Lord's flock as in Psalm 95 7 we read for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand in verse 3 of Psalm 100 we are the sheep of his pasture and of course in Psalm 23 David writes about the Lord as our shepherd we shall not want the story continues in the new covenant that Christ Jesus has made with all believers of all nations we now share in God's promises of redemption through the death and resurrection of Christ this reflects Christ's own betrayal of himself as in John 10 1 to 21 that he is a good shepherd and in verse 10 and 11

[30:31] Jesus said the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy I came that they may have life and have it abundantly I am the good shepherd the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep Christ came to give life life in all its fullness and he was prepared to be our sacrifice that his death paid the penalty for our sin so overcoming our separation from God once again we can speak directly with our God and Father in heaven verse 3 of Psalm 100 reminds us that God is due praise and honour as he did us make without our aid a view so odd with today's society where self-made men and women are to be lauded and exalted by their fellows men and women strive for success in their lives to become above all others as a sign of their worth yet here we are reminded that

[31:43] God is supreme he is the maker of all creation and made us without our help or our input yet despite that our creator also wishes to redeem us man's own actions have eternally separated him from God our efforts will always fall short of God's law but he has given us the ultimate sacrifice in his son Jesus Christ who died that the penalty for sin may be paid and through him man may have redemption this is an offer still offered by God today that those who accept Christ as their saviour can have a relationship with God are you prepared to invite him in as we move into the second part of the psalm in verse four is a call to thanks giving it reads enter his gates with thanks giving and his courts with praise give thanks to him bless his name there's a clear direction for us here just as to the people of

[33:00] Israel we are directed to enter to give thanks and to praise God we are not called to be alone but to come as a communal act of worship and thanks giving remember this would have been part of a procession a gathering of believers not a solo act in the closing verse verse five we read for the Lord is good his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness for all generations here there is repetition to emphasize God's character it repeats the assertion in verse two that the Lord is good and gives reasons for us to give him praise similar to verse three however it does not simply repeat the same reasons but changes the visions of the reasons to be thankful and to give praise to our

[34:02] God in verse three it is because he has created us and we are his chosen people it is the facts of our creation while verse five looks forward to the reasons for being worthy of praise his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness for all generations God has kept his promises to Israel despite the repeated rejection of him he has fulfilled his plan for the redemption of man through the gift of his son Jesus Christ he is unchanging and will be unchanging the rock on which we can secure our hope and our future where is your hope today is it in yourself your fellow humans and can it last for eternity here we have a unique psalm psalm that also fits within a wider group of psalms which as well as giving

[35:12] God praise for his greatness and his kindness points forward to his plan for the redemption of all mankind in the gift of Christ we are called to worship him for his marvellous creation and his devotion to man we are called to give thanks that he loves each of us each and every one of us as much today as he did yesterday as he will tomorrow next year and for eternity we are to have a joyful heart when entering his presence to give him praise and thanksgiving if we have not already accepted Christ as our saviour then God still offers us his saving grace to open our hearts let Jesus in and have a personal relationship with him so the next time we sing Psalm 100 let's sing with us a heart of joyfulness and praise let us pray father we give you thanks for the times of worship today the opportunity to look at your word and let us always come before you with a joyful and open heart we thank you for your grace which seeked us out even when we were far off that we may come back to you to call you father and call your son lord these things we ask through jesus christ our lord and saviour amen so as we can't sing yet let's listen with thanksgiving and joyfulness to psalm 100

[37:15] I'm going to sing the first sorry I'm going to listen to the first version from the scottish psalter page 362 so psalm 100 page 362 all people that on earth do well sing to the and know.

[38:11] Oh, that the Lord is God indeed. Without our aid He did us stay.

[38:28] We are His God, He called us King. And for His sheep He called us King.

[38:48] Oh, enter then His gates with grace. Approach with joy His courts unto.

[39:06] Praise the Lamb and bless His name always. For it is King with soul to.

[39:25] For while the Lord our God is true, His mercy is forever sure.

[39:44] His truth that all times burn is true. And shall promise to return to.

[40:02] May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

[40:17] Amen.