“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.
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.”
Psalm 100 (NASB95)
Psalm 100 is a Psalm of thanksgiving
The psalmist is so thankful it is hard not to get caught up in his infectious joy. We think of passing on sickness, but did you think about how God uses His people to pass on joy?! This is what the psalmist is doing here. Let's go quickly through this Psalm and identify all the times he calls us to praise God! Read them aloud.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth
Such shouting comes from within, from a heart full of joy.
Matt. 12:34 says, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (NASB95)
All the earth is a proclamation that all creation is to praise Him.
Psalm 65:13, "The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. (NASB95)
Isaiah 49:13, "Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! (NASB95)
Shouting to the Lord is here is to be done in a concert with others--corporate worship.
Serve the LORD with gladness
Your hearts are to be filled not only with joy, but with gladness which is coupled with service.
Rom. 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual service of worship” (NASB95)
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Remember, you are coming before the Holy Lord, entering into His presence.
Songs that come from the heart filled with joy.
Songs that overflow out of the abundance of grace that has been given you, first of all, in the cross of Christ, and second all the other blessings you receive.
Health, love, food, children, work, etc.
Songs that exalt the Lord.
Music that honors, exalts, and glorifies the Lord.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
The gate is an entrance to a city and the court is an enclosure for the vicinity of a king or other dignified person. If a human being is permitted to enter into the city of the King of Heaven and to go even as far as into the enclosure of his palace, then thanksgiving and praise should follow.
In church.
Among believers.
In prayer.
And His courts with praise
Who else is worthy of such great praise?
Praise be to God because of His great mercy in Jesus our Savior.
Give thanks to Him; bless His name.
Why give thanks?
Because the Lord is God
We are convinced that we worship the Almighty God. With all His power and might He has revealed Himself to us.
You can only know the Lord God through the Son Jesus Christ. In Matt. 11:27 Jesus said, "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (NASB95)
John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (NASB95)
Because he made us – He is creator
Psalm 95:6, “Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” (NASB95)
Because He is the Shepherd --You are His sheep
Psalm 79:13, "Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” (NASB95)
Psalm 95:7, "...for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” (NASB95)
Because You are His people -- He is the Savior.
Psalm 71:23, "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you -- I, whom you have redeemed.” (NASB95)
Because the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
True worship is an acknowledgement of (as well as a flow from) the knowledge of the goodness of the Lord.
It should flow out of the abundance of the love, gratitude, and appreciation that dwells in your heart--because of Jesus!!
The salvation of the Lord will be eternal. We will enjoy the fellowship of the holy Lord in His presence forever.
Conclusion
Through Psalm 100, you are called to worship and you are even told how to worship.
True worship comes from the heart.
Will you shout for joy to the Lord?
Will you give Him thanks?
Will you praise His name?
Will you serve Him with gladness?
To better glorify God, remember that it is He who has made you; you are His people, redeemed by His Son; remember that He is good and faithful.
That way, it will be easier for you to shout for joy, give Him thanks, praise His name and be glad.