Praise and Worship exhortation sample can make a big difference on your next Sunday sermon. Aside from preparing yourself to preach, anointed praise and worship songs also help in bringing people’s attention to the church service. Read more on opening words for praise and worship and introduction before praise and worship .
When you are preaching an exhorbitant message of praise and worship, the word really needs to evoke it. The words of exhortations should not be common but unique, and the rhetorical devices like puns and political allusions should be tactful. You could be saying a lot in praise and worship sermon example.
People of God, we gather today to worship you. We come to give thanks for all that you have done and are doing in our lives. We want to lift up your name and praise you for your goodness, grace and mercy. You are so good! You are so merciful! And we are grateful that you have made us into your children.
God, we love you! We praise you! We worship you!
Praise and worship exhortation sample
Praise and worship is a way to express our love for God. When we praise God, we are praising Him for who He is and what He has done for us. The Bible says that “praise befits the upright” (Psalm 33:1). Praising God helps us focus not on ourselves but on God and His power. It helps us forget about our problems, especially if they are big ones. Praise can also help us be thankful for all that God has done for us because we see how good He is compared to how bad many things could have been if it weren’t for Him!
List 10 Praise and worship exhortation sample
10 Praise and Worship Exhortation Samples
1. Reflect on God’s faithfulness
Take a moment to reflect on all the ways God has been faithful in your life. Even in the midst of trials and challenges, God has never failed you. Let your heart overflow with gratitude as you meditate on His faithfulness.
2. Lift up your praises like incense
Just as incense rises up to the heavens, let your praises ascend to God. Offer Him your heartfelt worship, knowing that it is a sweet aroma to His ears.
3. Declare God’s goodness
Declare aloud the goodness of God in your life. Speak of His mighty deeds and His unfailing love. Let your words be filled with praise and thanksgiving.
4. Surrender all to God in worship
Surrender every area of your life to God in worship. Lay down your fears, worries, and doubts at His feet, and let His peace and presence fill your heart.
5. Sing a new song to the Lord
Sing a new song to the Lord, expressing your love and adoration for Him. Let your voice be lifted in praise, drawing you closer to His presence.
6. Enter His gates with thanksgiving
Enter into God’s presence with a heart of thanksgiving. Approach Him with gratitude for all He has done and all He is yet to do in your life.
7. Proclaim His greatness
Proclaim the greatness of God in your worship. Magnify His name and exalt Him above all else. He is worthy of all honor and glory.
8. Dance and shout for joy
Let your worship be expressed through joyful dancing and shouts of praise. Celebrate the goodness of God with boldness and exuberance.
9. Seek His face in worship
Seek the face of God in worship, desiring to encounter His presence in a deeper way. Open your heart to receive His love and grace in abundance.
10. Give thanks in all circumstances
Give thanks to God in all circumstances, knowing that He is in control and working all things for your good. Let your worship be a testimony of faith and trust in His unfailing love.
The Importance of Praise in Worship
The difference between praise and worship is that praise is speaking about the goodness of God, while worship is giving God glory. Worship is a response to His love. Praise and worship are important because they allow you to connect with God through words, music and action.
Biblical Example of Praise & Worship
Biblical Example of Praise & Worship
The Bible is full of praise and worship. To understand what the Bible says about praise and worship, we need to look at the examples provided by God in his Word. When we see how he expects us to praise him, we will be able to understand how important it is for us as Christians to express our gratitude towards Him through song and worship.
In the Old Testament, we find several examples of people praising God:
- Moses (Exodus 15)
- Miriam (Exodus 15)
- David (Psalm 136)
Biblical Example of Praise in Suffering
One of the most powerful examples of praise and worship in the Bible is found in Job. Job was a man who praised God despite his suffering. He followed the Lord, and he was rewarded for it. His example can be used to give you strength during your time of suffering, because he serves as an example of how to praise God and follow Him regardless of what happens to us in life.
Worship and Life
In the midst of our worship and praise, we should not forget that this is a lifestyle. It is not just a Sunday thing or something that happens at an event. Worship is a response to God and His wonderful acts in our lives. This can be expressed through music, but it’s not limited to musical expression alone. Worship is more than simply singing; it involves giving thanks for all He has done for us and for using His word as guidance in every area of our lives.
What Is Worship?
Worship is a gift we give to God. It is an act of obedience in which we acknowledge Him as our sovereign and most high God. Worship is an expression of love and appreciation for all He has done for us, including salvation through Jesus Christ. Worship includes the response of our bodies, minds, hearts, emotions, souls and will given freely to the Lord in adoration and praise.
Worship is not merely singing songs or listening to music during church services; rather true worship must be a matter of the heart. When we worship God with our whole being (minds/hearts/emotions) then it becomes evident that we are truly giving ourselves over fully unto Him—and thus true worship begins!
The Importance of Worship
Worship is a way of life for Christians, and it’s something we should all strive to do. Your worship will never be perfect (because you are not perfect), but that’s okay because everyone else’s isn’t either.
We can always do more worship, and we should always be learning new ways to better worship God and reflect his spirit in our lives.
How Do We Correctly Worship God?
As you read through this list, you can see that worshiping God is not a one-size-fits all activity. Worshippers are encouraged to give, praise, sing, obey and rejoice along with praying. This means that we don’t just pray and sit back like robots while God does all the work; rather, we are active participants in our relationship with God.
We should also note that there is an emphasis on congregational singing in worshiping God: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). Songs about God help us learn about Him more intimately and worship Him more deeply. Scripture commands us to “sing psalms with thanksgiving” (Psalm 95:2). As Christians gather together for corporate worship services each week, they should be encouraged to sing songs about Jesus—not only because it will improve their singing ability but also because it will give them opportunities to lift up their voices in song before God!
How to Worship the Lord with Joy, Laughter, and Singing
God is our strength, our rock and salvation. He is also our joy, song, helper, refuge and shield. He heals us and delivers us from evil.
Here are some ways you can worship the Lord with the joy of your salvation:
- Praise Him when you wake up in the morning by singing a praise song or saying a prayer of thanksgiving to Him for giving you another day on earth to serve Him and glorify His name.
- Sing praises as you go about your daily activities at home or work. You could sing “Oh Happy Day” or “Thank You for Making Me.” You might even try writing your own songs of praise! The best way to do this is by reading Psalms 95-100 – these are called Hallelujah Psalms because they begin with those words (Hallelujah means Praise God).
Praise God in His Sanctuary; Praise Him in His Mighty Heavens!
- Praise God in His Sanctuary;
- Praise Him in His Mighty Heavens!
There is a lot we can learn from the Bible about praise and worship.
There is a lot we can learn from the Bible about praise and worship.
We are called to praise God for who he is, for what he has done, and for what he will do. In fact, the Bible tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). So when we have faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we show this by giving him thanks through praise and worship! We should also be thankful for all that God has provided us with; praising him does not just mean singing songs about how good he is—it also means thanking him for all of his blessings in our lives!
The most important thing about praise is recognizing the sovereignty of God over everything that happens here on earth: “All things come from You…for You formed my inward parts; You wove me together in my mother’s womb…For Your eyes saw my unformed body; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me…I thank you because I am fearfully made; Wonderful are Your works…Your eyes saw my substance still being imperfect; And in Your book they were all written The days that were ordained for me…How precious also are Your thoughts to me O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them they would outnumber the sand. When I wake up – You are there. When I lie down – You are there. Whether awake or asleep – My soul knows no rest till it finds itself at home with you again
Benefits of Praise and Worship
Praise and worship is a powerful part of our walk with God, and is appropriate for every day and every hour (I Chronicles 23:30; Psalm 92:2; Psalm 59:16). It’s commanded by God, but just like all the other things He tells us to do, it is followed by blessings. When we choose to worship in faith, despite our feelings, God sets in motions things only seen in the spiritual realm. What goes on in the spiritual realm will eventually show up for our eyes to see in the natural. All it takes is a believing heart that will glorify God in the best and the worst of times!
Here are ten benefits that follow true praise and worship. Put praise into practice and watch God’s power work for you!
INVITES THE PRESENCE OF GOD
2 Chronicles 5:11-14
And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions), and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets—indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:
“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
BRINGS VICTORY
2 Chronicles 20:15-20
And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.
So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.
BRINGS DELIVERANCE FROM ENEMIES
Psalm 18:3
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
SATISFIES THE SOUL
Psalm 63:1-5
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
REPELS DEPRESSION
Isaiah 61:3
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
BRINGS LIBERTY
Acts 16:25-26
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
BRINGS JOY
Psalm 100:4
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
DRAWS MEN TO GOD
John 12:32
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.
STRENGTHENS OUR FAITH
Romans 4:20
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God …
BRINGS US CLOSER TO GOD
James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you . . .
introduction before praise and worship tagalog
Praise and worship exhortation sample
- Sing with the spirit, sing with the mind. Let the words of your mouth be filled with good things. Declare the greatness of God and His Kingdom in all they do.
- Let your speech be always with grace and seasoned with salt, that you may know how to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
- Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.
- Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Words Of Exhortation Worship
The message today will be on Psalm 100. Let me first read this psalm and may God by His Holy Spirit just bless the reading of it to your mind and heart. Hear the word of the LORD
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that 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.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
Thus ends the reading of this psalm in God’s inspired, holy, infallible word. Psalm 100 is altogether a psalm of praise. It is a psalm of giving thanks to God, especially, yes, for the unparalleled blessing of gathering for true worship in His house, and coming together as His people to magnify God’s Triune Name and all His wondrous works!
Let us look at this praise psalm under the theme, “Seven Joyful exhortations to praise God, supported with three endless gospel reasons for doing so.” With this theme we will be simply just following through the text of the psalm. But with the seven exhortations in the psalm there are two important observations to make, one of which we will highlight before considering the seven exhortations and the other we will highlight after having gone through them.
What is the first special point not to miss about Psalm 100 and the sevenfold call to praise and thank God? From vs. 1 we see it is a call inviting all the earth to join! What does it say at the end of vs. 1? “All ye lands.” That means, all peoples that on earth do dwell, come now and learn about true and joyful praise and worship before God! When God’s people truly worship, they desire always that more would come to know God and worship Him with them. There is only one true God, and He is so great and gracious and glorious! When you know Him in spirit and truth, by God’s grace, you want the whole world to know and follow Him too, and to worship the LORD with you and all His people everywhere.
A good question to ask here is, “Do you too have this care and prayer that the whole world may be blessed with the gospel word of God?” If we truly worship the LORD, won’t that show in hearty care for the unsaved? We live in a dark, sinful, fallen world under the curse of God’s righteous judgment, left to itself. Clearly, Psalm 100 calls God’s people to think of those around us with its call to “All ye lands”, yes, to all people that on earth do dwell. True Christian worship and praise to the LORD is not only so God-focused but also very Christian-witness minded, evangelical minded. You see, the Bible teaches so clearly, and this all true Christians come to realize, there is only one true God and apart from Christ as Saviour and Lord, people remain in their sins and under the certain and just sentence of God’s wrath against them. But the God of Psalm 100 is the God of gracious and glorious salvation, and oh, that all would come to know and worship Him in spirit and truth! No sinner, coming in repentance and faith before God as revealed in Christ, the Saviour of sinners, need be left outside from the congregation of true worshippers of God! The gospel invitation to come and worship God in spirit and truth is yet extended to all, sincerely and freely. Do you hear it from this praise psalm the call in its opening verse to all lands, all peoples, to come and worship the one true God too?
Will you this day go to church and worship God with all your mind and heart, and caring that others might worship Him in spirit and truth along with you? Here let me read a short poem someone wrote entitled, ‘WHY DO WE GO TO CHURCH?’
Some go to church to take a walk;
Some go there to laugh and talk;
Some go there to meet a friend;
Some go there their time to spend;
Some go there to meet a lover;
Some go there a fault to cover;
Some go there for speculation;
Some go there for observation;
Some go there to doze and nod;
The wise go there to worship God.
Yes, the wise by God’s grace, go to church to worship the LORD. And, surely, just looking now at the sevenfold exhortation in connection with worshipping God that Psalm 100 gives, it becomes obvious, doesn’t it, why it is so wise to worship the LORD? Here let us just go through each exhortation making some comments in application as we do so.
The psalm begins, saying: “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD.” That beginning tells us right away to praise and thank the LORD as God calls for is not something boring or negative and only sad and depressing. No way! You see, God the LORD is so wonderful that praising and thanking Him for Who He is as faithful covenant keeping Triune God and all His works and ways can only rightly mean coming before Him with joyful noise, with shouting of praise and worship and holy awe and adoration! The word, noise, in our day suggests something more or less unharmonious and chaotic, but the text means more, coming before God with a joyful noise, in character with God’s majesty and glory, and coming with beautiful harmony and shouts of praise before Him. May that often be heard from Christian churches across the lands and in this whole wide world. Will you too, by God’s grace, pledge and participate in making a joyful noise to the LORD in reverent, humble, hearty praises to HIM, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Will you gather with God’s people to make a joyful noise unto the LORD?
The second exhortation given is, “Serve the LORD with gladness.” Do you notice what is brought out here right away is that our worship should not just be a temporary matter, only a Sunday habit? No, but let our worship of God be so true and genuine that the whole of our lives are worshipful, also from Monday to Saturday too. Shall you and I show, by God’s grace, when making a joyful noise on Sundays in worship, we mean it in spirit and truth, but also serving the LORD with gladness all the days of our life, in all the responsibilities we have? This is what Psalm 100 calls for, and don’t miss that adverbial phrase, Serve the LORD with gladness.” The Psalm itself will give us three endless reasons always to serve the LORD with gladness. There is only reason for infinite sadness worshipping and serving any other god or idol of man’s making, because that is all false and vain religion. But coming to the God of the Bible and worshipping and serving Him there is only reason to do so with gladness because He is not only the one true God, but the LORD is so great and gracious tremendous Saviour God for us. Oh, all ye lands come to worship Him for that is the only way of true and everlasting blessing for body and soul, in life and death, in this life and the life hereafter.
So also the third exhortation states, “Come before his presence with singing.” This is God’s call to His people, as many as turn from sinful worldly ways and follow Him in spirit and truth. “Come before his presence with singing.” The Lord through His gracious glorious saving works and ways gives songs for the heart, songs in the night, songs in the day, songs for the whole pilgrimage of life, yes, even in the valley of the shadow of death. I think here of the words of a song based on Psalm 23.
Whatever ill betides me, He will restore and bless;
For His Name’s sake He guides me,
In paths of righteousness.
Thy rod and staff shall cheer me,
In death’s dark vale and shade,
For Thou wilt then be near me: I shall not be afraid.”
This is what God’s people may know and always be assured of with the LORD as their Shepherd, Keeper, and Guide. The Christian religion is a singing religion like none else, and for very solid reasons too.
It is lamentable that today in too many churches the people hardly sing. Have you ever stopped to reflect how rarely do people in general sing songs in our times? There is a lot of entertainment singing in our sinful unbelieving world, but God leads His people through His saving grace and help to become a singing people to His praise! “Come before His presence with singing” exhorts this psalm. Will you sing praises to God today also with God’s people in the place of worship?
Verse 3 mentions the fourth exhortation, and adds it with some further explanation. “Know ye that 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.” This exhortation is calling us to be thinking believers, and genuine, thankful, humble followers of the LORD. We are not just to be mouthing words in worship of God but to be truly acquainted with Him. We are to know Him in our hearts and daily experience Him, in personal acquaintance and fellowship with Him. Do you know God as your one and only Saviour God, so desperately needed by you too on account of your sins and sinfulness by nature, but also so wonderfully rich toward you as Saviour God in and through Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Saviour? When you know God as Saviour God in your heart and life experience, then you realize with the psalmist, salvation is of the LORD. It is never because of anything in us, but all His sovereign grace and power when you and I may belong to the LORD and be among His people, His true worshippers.
It is not we ourselves that made us in creation at the beginning and it is not we ourselves that renew and make us part of God’s re-creation in Christ Jesus. No, of ourselves we are like blind, wandering, foolish, helpless sheep. God’s people referred to as sheep in the Bible is not a compliment to us ever! And the psalmist here in vs. 3 in this psalm of thanksgiving and praise shows he also realizes this when he says, “We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” It is all grace and more grace alone when you and I truly belong to God’s people and are numbered among His sheep. Are you too so confessing faith in the LORD, personally and in your own heart and life? There is a difference between knowing about God as Saviour God and actually you yourself experiencing the LORD as your Saviour God whom you yourself so need and earnestly call upon and daily look to and follow. Do you understand that difference? And does the LORD know you as someone who knows and loves Him as Saviour of sinners? We read of Peter in John 21:17 saying to Jesus, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” Is this your honest testimony before God too, dear friends?
How important that you and I understand when Psalm 100 gives also this exhortation, “Know ye that the LORD he is God”, what the psalmist is urging for is no superficial worship. Not just going through external worship routine but rather that you and I and so many others worship God in spirit and truth. The Father seeks such to worship Him, and that we worship Him with our whole being, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength! God’s call here is that in true Christian worship, especially with the gospel word preached and applied, people truly come to know and trust and love and serve the LORD as precious Saviour of sinners. Oh, how we need the Holy Spirit and His gracious ministry and power accompanying and applying to mind and heart the gospel word, that truly people know the LORD and more and more come to know Him! Will you too pray for this, that in places of Christian worship all over the world, every week again, there isn’t just a form of religion without knowing the power thereof? But rather, wherever Christian worship services are held, that by God’s grace through His Word and Spirit and power, the people worship in spirit and truth, knowing the LORD as God, as Saviour God so infinitely precious and glorious beyond all words to express!
So the psalm goes on stating in a fifth exhortation to God’s worshipping people, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.” Isn’t the idea here that we should always see the worship services as so extra special and such a blessed gift of God for us here on earth? The privilege and distinct blessing of Christian worship is so splendid and precious, to God Himself surely, but also for all God’s true people. True Christians miss it greatly when not able to attend the worship services regularly. How David so longed for the worship services in his day, and you are not a healthy Christian if this is not also your conviction and witness. To be among the people of God and under the blessing of God and under the Word and two sacraments of God and so gathered with the one true Triune God is heaven on earth for God’s true people, when it is well. Each time again, in various degrees, it is truly like a little foretaste of the heavenly and perfect eternal worship to come for all sinners saved by God’s grace.
Oh, the privilege for you and me to be willing and able freely to worship in spirit and truth from week to week! Isn’t the worth of that immeasurable and just so helpful and delightful? Truly, you and I can’t do anything greater ever and more worthwhile ever, than worshipping God, entering His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Is this your conviction and confession as well? What reasons in worship to be thankful to Him, our God, who deals so bountifully with us in Christian worship, giving opportunities still to come into His house and to hear His gospel word!
“….be thankful unto him” is the sixth exhortation in Psalm 100, and who will not admit that never can we be reminded enough of this exhortation? How quickly you and I can become shamefully unthankful even when so many blessings in life are given to us. Are you living thankfully before the Lord this day, whatever your circumstances and situation even? Any single blessing in life for us sinful people of ourselves is more than any of us ever deserves. Is this your conviction and confession of faith too? And we may cast all our cares upon the Lord, cares for body and soul, in life and death, and we have a Saviour God who hears our cries and truly cares more than anyone can ever tell or know!
“…be thankful unto him.” What a convicting word, really, and it is followed by this last exhortation, the seventh of Psalm 100, “and bless his name.” “Bless his name” means to acknowledge God and honor Him, magnify and praise Him for Who He is, for all His gracious and glorious works and ways, yes, also with us and for us. Here we should think most of all, of course, of the unspeakable gift of His Son, the promised Messiah. In the fullness of time Jesus came, sent by the Father, anointed by the Holy Spirit, to seek and to save sinners and through the gospel to gather and build and preserve His church from all generations in the whole world! In Psalm 103 we hear the psalmist, David, say, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies…” When you come to know God and trust and follow Him, what reasons you will find ever to be thankful to Him and to bless His Name! Is this your Christian testimony as well?
Here I come to my second observation about these seven exhortations from Psalm 100. Remember the first observation? How this old hundredth psalm so urging for true worship and praise to God is with an evangelistic emphasis, that is, with a care and call to the whole world so to come before the Lord, to worship Him in spirit and truth and thankful praises! What is the second observation to notice and remember? Well, did you notice too that the central exhortation in this psalm is found in vs. 3? Yes, that exhortation, “Know ye that the LORD he is God” is, so to speak, sandwiched between the three opening exhortations and the three concluding exhortations. This middle exhortation is also the heart and center of true and joyful and meaningful and precious worship of God! How important that we never forget this. True worship and thankful praises to God comes in the way of knowing God as revealed in His Word and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Is this your conviction and experience?
This is why also we have as the heart and center in our worship services, every time again, the preaching and teaching of God’s holy gospel word. How thankful we can be, and should be too, that as churches of the Reformation, the pulpit is central in the church. I hardly need to tell you though, we should never just take this for granted. In all too many churches today, the pulpit is not central but so much else is, sadly so, for that trend is not to God’s honor and leads to the weakening and apostasy of the visible churches in all too many cases and places. Oh, that the pure and powerful, Word-based, Spirit-anointed preaching of the holy word of God and the full counsel of God, from all 66 books altogether, would always be authoritatively and faithfully and lovingly preached in the Christian churches in this world, and that everything else of church life and ministry revolve around that focus! Beware of false churches promoting more themselves and their own kingdoms rather than the precious gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church and kingdom. A faithful Christian church aims ever to point to Christ Jesus as Saviour of sinners, given by God the Father and made known to us by the Holy Spirit. After all, only His is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever!
This brings us back to the psalm and our theme concerning it: “Seven joyful exhortations to praise God supported with three endless gospel reasons for doing so.”
Where and what are these three reasons ever and again to worship and praise God in the sevenfold way Psalm 100 calls for? They are all found in vs.5 which serves really as the whole basis and foundation for this worshipful thanksgiving psalm. What does it say in that last verse? “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” What endless gospel reasons are given here ever to seek and serve and worship and praise the Lord with joyful gladness and hearty singing and jubilant exaltation!
The LORD is only always good and as the Belgic Confession states in the opening Article 1 telling of the attributes of God, the LORD in His whole Triune Being and in all His works and ways is only always an “overflowing fountain of all good.” The LORD never has and never will do anything but that which is always good and right and true. It is in Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen again that we also see the goodness of God revealed in infinite measure. God’s goodness is so magnificent that the LORD has brought perfect justice and perfect mercy to meet together in perfect harmony in the plan and work of the perfect salvation of sinners through Christ and Him crucified. In Psalm 107 we read several times, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.” And the opening phrase reads, “O, give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good.” It is God’s goodness that He, rather than destroy this world to everlasting destruction with the fall of sin, ordained and accomplished a plan to redeem the world and to save His people from their sins, even as many as trust and obey Him. The LORD is good! Never can we exhaust the meaning and extent of that gospel reality, especially as made known to us in and with Christ Jesus, the Saviour of sinners.
The same is the case, isn’t it, with the second reason for worship and praise to God, namely, that His mercy is everlasting. The word for mercy here in the Hebrew is the precious covenant term referring to God’s lovingkindness. The multitude of God mercies and lovingkindnesses to us and for us in and through Christ Jesus can never be counted nor depleted! God’s lovingkindness towards sinful people like you and me is forever inexhaustible because of Jesus’ person and work with His shed blood as Saviour of sinners. God is a covenant faithful God full of tender mercies and lovingkindnesses for all who trust and follow Him and who worship Him in spirit and truth as Psalm 100 also calls for us to do. Oh yes, that is still the one-time all-time gospel message, also today.
And how can we be sure of this gospel and for what reason should we and must we ever hold it high and front and center? It is that last phrase of the psalm, “and his truth endureth to all generations”, literally to generation and generation. As long as this world continues, God’s one-time all-time word as given in the Bible and revealed in Christ and His gospel remains the abiding truth that changes not, never ever! We stand on a solid foundation just staying with God’s simple, profound, holy, inerrant word. The combination too of God being only always infinitely good, and His lovingkindness everlasting, and His truth enduring from generation to generation surely gives so much comfort in the gospel way and so much urgency ever to stay in the gospel way, and never to waver from it. Is this your hearty confession and resolve too, by God’s grace?
I end now then just repeating our theme based on the whole of Psalm 100. Seven joyful exhortations to praise God with three endless gospel reasons for doing so! Why not read through the psalm for yourself again with this theme in mind, and pray God it may be your song and melody in mind and heart as God intends for all who trust and follow His gospel word. Amen.