752. Jubilate

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform.

Dr. Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University is continuing a study series entitled encountering God, which is a study of select chapters in the book of Psalms.

Today's message is from Psalm 100, a Psalm of praise.

Steve is going to lead us through seven divine imperatives that direct how we should approach God in worship. Would you please take your Bibles this morning and turn with me to Psalm 100 were going to look this morning at at one of the most familiar Psalms and all of the 150 Psalms and that is Psalm 100 and the title of my message this morning is one that many of you will recognize. It was from a concert last semester in the eighth and the theme is you a lot today or praising the Lord.

So let's look at this Psalm 100 Psalm 100. As we read it together. I'll read out loud as you read along silently.

Notice that the author calls it a Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God. It is he that have made us and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankful and to him and bless his name for the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and is truth and duress to all generations. The title of Psalm 100 is actually quite unique it is entitled. A Psalm of praise. No other Psalm has this title and no other no other Psalm starts in this manner, therefore, Psalm 100 is intended to have a special emphasis for all of God's people. The Psalm is called a Psalm of praise and the Hebrew word for praise is the word toad.

Now if you ever go to the land of Israel.

You will learn and say the word toad all the time because it simply means.

Thank you. That's the expression of gratitude, but it also has the idea of confessing something out loud something verbally so it can be a song of thanksgiving and praise to God, so this Psalm is intended. Therefore, to be confess or to be song for the purpose of praising and thanking the Lord. So when did they do this when the base saying this almost sounded suggested that this song was sung at the time when a thank offering was made in the temple. So if you go back in the Old Testament read, for example, the book of Leviticus you read in the first seven chapters about all of these offerings and these offerings were given at certain times for specific purposes. These offerings were animals being sacrificed during the temple worship and they were an expression of gratitude and thanksgiving to God. Especially if he did something for you in the sense of delivering you or protecting you from evil.

God kept you he protected you. How do you thanking you give a thank offering.

Psalm 50 verse 14 offering to God Thanksgiving pay bivalves into the most high call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver the and thou shalt glorify me in it.

Of course we all understand this because when God does something to protect this we say, praise the Lord thank you Lord. Some also some also have suggested that this almost song by pilgrims on their perception as they were going to the Temple of Jerusalem for the annual religious festival so they would travel in large groups, caravans, and they would saying all along the way.

In this procession actually continues today. If you'd ever to go to the land of Israel.

Make sure you try to go down to what they call the Western Wall or the hotel and go on a Friday evening. That's when the Sabbath begins and you'll see groups sometimes 30 or 40 young men who are coming from the yeshiva. That's where young men study the word of God or they study the town mood and then on Friday they have what they call Shabbat prayers and so they go from the yeshiva down to the hotel and sometimes it's three or four or five or six blocks maybe 1/2 a mile away where they study and come down to pray but they come down in a procession and they come down classic Jewish ship there there coming down.

Sometimes her hands around their shoulders or their arms wrapped around each other and they come down with that with that Jewish jig and dance in their singing and their praising the Lord it's it's it's just cool and they are singing Psalms of thanksgiving to God. So whether it's during an offering or during a procession. Psalm 100 servers to instruct us in something and that is to understand the heart and the part of the worship of God. AW toes you describe worship as the missing jewel in the church. He went on to say God wants worship first before workers. Indeed, the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the art of worship. Perhaps you've heard the statement you can be busy and not necessarily be godly busyness doesn't produce godliness, and the best people who serve the Lord and work for the Lord, are the people who are constantly worshiping the Lord so according to Psalm 100. He is telling us here that the focus of our worship should be the Lord himself go back through and read it 15 times you'll see either the word Lord or him or his or God is very clear that worship is not about you.

Worship is about him. Worship is not a means to another and what it does for me, but it is an end in itself, all worship is about God and I personally don't think that we will ever get church right if we don't get worship right. The purpose of church is to come and worship God is worship that drives the engine of the church and when worship is not driving the engine of the church. The church always gets off track.

So how do we appropriately worship God, and that's what the Psalm is all about the author here if you go back and study it. You'll see it gives seven divine imperatives commands that directs our worship of God and it's just like he's barking them out with orders may take them as they appear here in order.

The first command is the command to shout verse one make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

It's the celebration that takes place in the presence of the king listen to first Samuel 10 verse 24 Samuel said all the people do you see him on the Lord's chosen.

There is none like him among all the people and all the people shouted. Long live the king, they shouted to show their loyalty to the king. It also means to shout because we believe that God reigns make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth break forth into joyous song and saying praises with trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the king, the Lord of Israel. Psalm 98, so the church we have something to shout about. Therefore, we ought to shout how we praise God we shall the number two. The second thing is were to serve the Lord with gladness.

We are to serve or worship and actually the two go together for the word serve means worship, but in worship there is service. For example, God commanded the Jewish people to keep the Passover every year. It was a time of worship, but it was also called a service listen Exodus 1225 initial come the past when you become to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised that you shall keep this service so when they were celebrating the Passover. It was something that they were doing, but at the same time they were worshiping God. Then we come to Romans chapter 12 verse one and we see in the New Testament where our service is also a part of our worship. Many of you know, this verse you memorize this verse is talking about devoting our bodies to live for God's glory.

But let me read it to you in the ESV I read it to you in the King James and you'll see how that one translator uses the different idea, but it's the same thing. Verse one of the using the ESV, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship that listed the King James, have a seat. You therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable in the God which is your reasonable service.

So what is it mean same thing that we worship God by serving God we worship him with gladness. A joyful God is glorified by his joyful service. We serve God in our everyday tasks when we serve him joyfully and cheerfully all the time. My whole day can be a worship towards God.

If the guy do what I do for his glory. And I do it joyfully. But in contrast, those who don't serve him with gladness eventually demonstrate that there really not his true servants. Deuteronomy 2847 because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart because of the abundance of all things. Therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you time and time again, Israel failed to serve God with gladness in incurred God's judgment. So how do we worship the Lord. We worship him by serving him with gladness the notice. The third command verse two he says come before his presence with singing. Now most of you realize just the basic way that Hebrew poor tree has usually two lines in the first line. Parallels the second line either.

It compares or contrasts. This is a comparison the command to serve the Lord with gladness parallels the command of the congregation to come before his presence with joyful singing.

So it's speaking about our worship of God corporately.

Corporate worship should be filled with loud joyful singing to the Lord have ever been in a company of Baptist preachers singing.

They make definitely a joyful noise.

They may not be beautiful in song, but there loud and that's beautiful all Psalm 95 verse two let us come into his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise for the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. Music is obviously vital as a vital aspect of our worship.

Therefore we assist. We should strive to make our musical choices and worship in the light of the nature of God and we see that in these first two verses for notice. He gives the command shout worship income in Sukkot company with words like jubilant happy and joyful. So at the very least, we should come before his presence with singing with the spirit of joy do you sing joyfully. Now many of you do, but some of you need to inform your face when you come to Chapel, especially when you say because you should be excited that we can saying about the Lord.

The notice, the fourth commandment, he said no no you that little the Lord he is God.

It is he that hath made us and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture is interesting that this is the center command of the seven I believe that genuine biblical worship is not uncontrolled emotion but it's intelligent communication.

It's knowledge is based on knowing the Lord, but is not just had knowledge because the word no here means to be intimately familiar with another person. It's the word that is used to describe the relationship between Adam and his wife Eve. Adam knew Eve and true worship. There is an experiential relationship with our exclusive God and by exclusive, it means that he is the only God is the only one. So what is it that we know about the Lord our God, and he tells us here in verse three he says that God is both transcendent and God is eminent.

God is far greater than we can ever imagine. Therefore, we should be humble and God is much closer to us than we could ever realize we should be comforted. God is both our create tour and he is our shepherd. Is he that hath made us and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. We are his people by creation he made us we are his. His sheep by redemption. He has saved us and them both ways, God claims us as his own. So therefore how do I worship God I worship God by growing and my knowledge of who God is and what God is done for me. So when I read my Bible in the morning and spend time in the word and meditate on that bad is worshiping God because I'm growing in my knowledge of who he is in the notice. The fifth command. He said enter enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise the temple in Jerusalem was the place that God chose for his presence to dwell. Therefore, it was a place where the Jews were commanded to come and worship. They were to come up to Jerusalem and they are worship God, and during their annual festivals and this would be to be so neat. Thousands of Jewish pilgrims would ascend to the holy city in order to worship God in the temple as the worshipers entered into the city. You can only imagine the enthusiasm for as they would come walking through the golden gates they would have allowed shouts of thanksgiving would that be awesome. Thousands of people coming through and shouting.

The only places we see that today are people going to football games know going to watch Clemson play 80,000 people. How would you like to go to the city of Jerusalem with with 80,000 people going up to praise God as they made their way up to the temple mount. They would enter into the large courtyard and there they would be singing songs of praise. In other something that is freeing about praising God.

I free myself when I praise God, you know what I Freeman free myself from self focus it were all self-centered. We all think about what everybody else thinks about us.

And so when I praise God I freeing myself from what other people think I'm freeing myself or my own insecurities because my life is full of insecurity when I praise God, I focus on him. Praise builds up a greater sense of confidence and strength in God. I personally believe that there is a manliness to praise because there is this this this giving of myself over to God, what would it be like if we started coming in Chapel and we were singing, praising God instead of texting we came walking in. Praise God I'm in Chapel today, a man and I much rather be here than in English 102, a man praise the Lord I get to be with God's people.

I get to hear God's word. Amen. There's something about that that is altering of your life and in the next two commands. He says give thanks and praise.

Be thankful and to him and bless his name these last two commands are simple but very focused.

Thanksgiving is road rooted in the idea of throwing something or casting something he's talking about throwing on God.

Verbal confessions of thanksgiving we read this in the book of Hebrews 13 verse 15 by Hamlet. Therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name confessing his name throwing Thanksgiving at them all the time that you're living your life are you throwing a God Thanksgiving all day long, Lord, thank you, thank you for this. When you pray for food. Thank you Lord when you get out of bed in the morning. Thank you Lord when you walk in the class.

Thank you Lord when you pay your school bill. Thank you Lord when you graduate.

Thank you Lord is to be all day long hurling thanksgiving to God in the notice, the word bless word bless means to Neil Dale so true worship actually is infused with humble gratitude. There's a humility is balance with this joyful exciting gratitude in the same time. This humble honoring of God. There's this there's this sort of being lifted up and at the same time going, Dale. And so if I were to summarize what we've studied thus far. I would say it this way and this is from a quote from Steve Lawson in his book on salt pieces approaching God is a high privilege for all believers. Such an audience before heaven's King should be carried out with the reverence of one coming before the monarch of the universe.

All believers must come properly before God's throne and worship such a privileged audience before the sovereign king requires gladness of heart joyful singing expressions of thanksgiving and songs of praise as we conclude this morning. The psalmist here basically tells us why it is that we should be engaged in worshiping God why he gives these seven different commands to us and he concludes in verse five why we should be engaged in intense worship and why we should praise number one. He said because the Lord is good God is good Maine season. He's benevolent.

He's a giver by as I've mentioned before, but we have now three grandsons and and we miss him we face time and the cute Shiloh comes a global man, I just want to pull out my wallet and start throwing money at a you know my wife begins to speak a different language is called grandma Lang. She never talks to me that way it's like this transformation and all you want to do is is actually spoiled them. You will the parents to take care of everything else.

But you want to spoil them. Do you know that God spoils us, because God is good to us all the time.

Any any wants to be good. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those that asking every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, why should we praise God because God is good to but not only is God good to us, but his mercy is everlasting. Mercy is God, not giving us what we deserve what we deserve is judgment on the other side of judgment is mercy and God is merciful to us, even in spite of our sin and the word mercy here means that God is made a covenant with us. Therefore, he will be always loyal to love us.

The Lord is bound himself to us in an eternal covenant is rooted in the character of his eternal love, and it is expressed for us on the cross. Every time I look at the cross. I know God loves me and therefore we should praise the Lord your merciful Lord you don't give me what I deserve. Lord, if you judge me for my thoughts and my attitudes, my responses, my reactions, Lord, where would I stand. None of us are good is no such thing as perfection. It doesn't exist. We all mess up, and yet God still loves us a man still loves me and then finally, why should we praise God because his truth endures to all generations. That means that God is trustworthy.

When God makes a promise he keeps it. How awesome is this I can go back in a promise in this book that was written 3000 years ago are 2000 years ago. And that promise is as powerful and is effective today as when it was penned by inspiration God has made promises in the past, and he keeps them in the present and he will keep them throughout all eternity. God is worthy of our praise because God's truth. His faithfulness endures to all generations. So as we leave the day. Praise God by as weak as we labor today. I wake up the body next to you wake up dude, man. I'm not a boring preacher, you're just a boring listener wake up man this is good preaching them in. Thank you for agreeing with me that we pray father, thank you that you love us. Thank you that your good, thank you that your merciful thank you Lord that you are faithful Lord, we praise you, we worship you. We want our hearts to be filled with you, Lord, help us to find our strength as a strength Lord in praise and may we be people who praise you Lord bless us that this time of break, protect us, keep us more from ourselves. Don't let anybody here do something that they'll live to regret but help them to make right choices every day in your will. In Jesus name, amen.

My listening friend. Can I ask you a question.

Have you received the crucified resurrected Jesus as your own personal savior.

No doubt God is speaking to your heart. There's a knock on the door of your heart and he's asking to come in.

Would you personally individually right now. Call upon the name of the Lord ask Jesus to be your savior for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Let me urge you to do that right now. May God bless you. You been listening to a sermon from Dr. Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University from the study serious encountering God, which is a study from the book of Psalms we would urge you to get a copy of the study booklet so you can follow along as you listen to the sermons you can get the booklet on Kendall or get a printed copy from our website. The Daily Platform.com.

Thanks for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue the study of Psalms here on The Daily Platform