Give Thanks

Give Thanks Psalm 100

Emmanuel Christian Church 11.12.23

INTRODUCTION: Exactly how does one say "thank you" to God? After all he's done for us, there must be some better way to get the message across then to speak two little words! King David gives us some help with this dilemma in Psalm 100. Here, in his own personal outpouring of thanks to God, David gives us some practical ways to practice real thanksgiving to God. As I read this Psalm, listen carefully for the ACTION words...

Psalms 100:1 SHOUT for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 WORSHIP the LORD with gladness; COME before him with joyful songs. 3 KNOW that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 ENTER his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

PROPOSITION: Genuine thanksgiving to God is not just about words- it's about ACTIONS! In this one Psalm, I count at least SIX things we can do to express our THANKSGIVING to God.

#1 SHOUT for joy (vs.1)
- Reasons we shout: anger, to get attention, etc. - THE reason for shouting to God- JOY

  • -  Some people would find such an outpouring of emotion completely irreligious.YES, there is a time and place to be silent before the LORD, BUT there is also a time to shout and sing before the LORD!

  • -  God would love to see us get as excited about our relationship with Him!

  • -  God’s people have ALWAYS shouted! They shouted and the walls of Jericho fell. They shouted when the foundation for the Tempe was laid. They shouted on the day when Jesus the Messiah rode into Jerusalem!

    APPLICATION: God calls us to love Him with all of our HEART. Shouts of joy begin in the HEART. And while we should NEVER let our emotions lead our faith, they most certainly will reveal our faith! It’s OK to let the tears

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flow during the song service. It’s OK to greet one another with a holy embrace. It’s OK to make joyous, vocal gratitude to God a regular part of your day!

SPECIAL NOTE:
Look at the last three words of verse 1: “All the earth”. One is left

wondering;

“With all the conflict around the globe these days, with all the many people who either do not know God, or worship false gods- is there ever coming a day when “all the earth” will shout for joy to the Lord?”

YES! I want to share with you these words of prophecy from God’s Word:

Isaiah 19:23 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 24 In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25 The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

Isaiah 56:7 7 “....my house will be called a house of prayer for ALL nations.”

Isaiah 66:18 “And I...am about to come and gather ALL nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.

#2 WORSHIP the Lord with gladness (vs.2)
- Actually, the word translated here “worship” can also be translated

“SERVE”!

APPLICATION: “Worship” is not as simple as singing songs on Sunday morning! “Worship” is the sum total of our life’s work deliberately done for the glory of God. Now, THAT’S a different way of thinking about the subject!

- QUESTION: “Are you, HAPPY to be busy using your spiritual gift, time and wealth in SERVING your KING?”

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  • -  A hireling grumbles about his work and does the bare minimum so as to just get by. For him, serving God isn’t a life call- it’s just a job (and one that he’s not terribly fond of)!

  • -  The true friend of God goes the extra mile, not counting the personal cost. His service is a privileged opportunity!

    APPLICATION: Having a good attitude (GENUINE GLADNESS) in the midst of your service for God is just one practical way of expressing your THANKFUL GRATITUDE to Him.

    #3 “COME before him with joyful songs” (a continuation of our service attitude)

    - What is your demeanor when you come to God? Cowering, or do you “whistle while you work”?

    - God loves for His children to rejoice in His presence! APPLICATION: Go before the throne of God with confidence, not

    arrogance; joy, not fear.

    #4 “KNOW the Lord” (vs.3) - He is God (His superiority)

  • -  This requires our personal dethroning. (Sometimes I think we should re-write the lyrics to the popular worship song (The Heart of Worship) to say “It’s all about me!”

  • -  This requires the death of our pride. When you think of all your accomplishments (whether they be life goals or spiritual, emotional growth) what can you honestly claim to have attained through your own effort?

    - He is Creator (His power)
    - God creates, we manipulate- we must never forget this.
    - Furthermore, we are part of the Creation - we must never forget our

    place!
    - He is     Provider (our dependence)

    - We are His sheep - totally helpless, needing His protection! - He is the Shepherd - our total Provider, leading us in “green

    pastures” and “beside still waters”.

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APPLICATION: It is a deliberate choice we make to constantly bring to mind our knowledge of who God is and what He’s done. Daily prayer is an excellent vehicle for this.

#5 “ENTER His gates” (vs.4)

  • -  Entering His gates is a figure of speech for prayer.

  • -  The content of our prayers speaks volumes concerning our gratitude to

    God.
    APPLICATION: Are your prayers dominated with requests, or thanksgiving? Seek balance in your prayer time.

    - The content of our prayers...
    - Thanksgiving - adoration to God for     what He's done. - Praise - adoration to God for who he is.

    #6 RECOGNIZE the reasons (vs.5)
    - David mentions two things God has done that give us cause for

    thanksgiving. Recognizing these two things is a good place for us to

    start in our personal thanksgiving. - The two reasons:

    - His enduring love - God is forever seeking the lost and rebellious. His desire is that all men come to repentance. Do you remember how God patiently sought you?’’

    2 Peter 3:9 “...(God) is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

    - His faithfulness - God keeps his word. This fact is the basis for our security in salvation.

    2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

    CONCLUSION: Real thanksgiving to God is about our recognizing who He is and what He’s done- then allowing the gratitude of that realization to move us to actions of adoration for Him. Are you ready for that in your life?