How We Worship
Lessons From Psalm 136 - Part 1
Warren Wiersbe, the later pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, was a prolific author and esteemed theologian. Here is a quote from his writings that I believe is fitting as an introductory thought. Wiersbe said this in relation to Psalm 136:
The psalm reviews God’s dealings with His people and turns history into theology and theology into worship. If our worship is not based on history – what God had done in this world – then it lacks a theological message and it is not true worship at all.[1]
I’ve said this many times before and it bears repeating: worship is praising God for His worthiness. Worship is honoring God for who He is as He has revealed Himself to us both in our individual lives and our corporate lives as an ecclesia. Worship focuses our hearts, minds, and souls on the only one worthy of our worship – our God, whom we may call Yahweh, or Jehovah, or Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Singing praises to God is commanded in the Scriptures. Here is an example.
Psalm 96
1 Sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
3 Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13 Before the Lord, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.
There are several things that are noteworthy in Psalm 96. In verse 1 all the earth is called to worship God. That requires all the inhabitants of the earth to recognize that God is their creator.
In verse 2 worshipers are called to bless His name. That means that we are to praise Him for His love, joy, peace, patience, grace, mercy, goodness, and forgiveness, to name a few things that God is. When we bless His name we are recognizing the many ways in which God has revealed Himself to us.
We also see in verse 2 that all those who belong to God by faith, who are His sons and daughters through saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are to proclaim this good news of salvation every day of our lives.
This implies several significant things. First, it speaks of our gratitude to Him for our salvation. We speak of what we know. All people who are born again have a testimony. Our testimony is that our great God saves!
The apostle John wrote of his testimony in 19:35: “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.”
John also wrote concerning God’s testimony of Himself and His Son, Jesus Christ. In John’s first epistle, he said: “If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. (1 John 5:9-10).
That testimony concerning the Son was what the angels delivered in what we commonly call the Christmas story from Luke 2.
1Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Luke 2:1-14
This was God’s plan and promise in Genesis 3 being revealed.
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
God desires that all people everywhere come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility as sons and daughters of God to tell everyone the good news that Jesus saves. That was in fact Jesus’ final instructions to the disciples before He ascended into heaven. Go tell everyone about Me and the salvation I have secured for all who will believe.
16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This “whosoever will believe” is one of the most astounding facts of the Gospel. It excludes no one. The only way to biblically speak of inclusion is in terms of the Gospel. We find this truth throughout the Scriptures.
Speaking of Israel, Joel records God speaking thus:
30 “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire and columns of smoke. 31 “The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood
before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls (Joel 2:30-32).
To all inhabitants of the earth Jesus declares this in the book of Revelation 22:12-17.
12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
The apostle Paul reminds us of the power of God that is inherent in this message of whosoever will may come to saving faith.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17
Jesus said: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life: (John 8:12).
We will continue our study in Part 2.
Pastor Mike
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[1] W.W. Wiersbe, Be Exultant Logos Bible Software
.