1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,760 Today's reading is Psalm 100, a psalm for giving grateful praise. 2 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,680 Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,040 Worship the Lord with gladness. 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,120 Come before him with joyful songs. 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:17,560 Know that the Lord is God. 6 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,000 It is he who made us and we are his. 7 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,560 We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 8 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,240 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. 9 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,160 Give thanks to him and praise his name. 10 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,040 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever. 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,280 His faithfulness continues through all generations. 12 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:42,960 The word of the Lord. 13 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:44,960 Well, good morning, Trinity. 14 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,840 It's good to be with you this morning on this summer Sunday. 15 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,800 It is, I know that there are more people than usual perhaps joining online. 16 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,400 Probably enjoying lovely cottages, but it's great that we are here. 17 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,440 And I think today we're going to learn why it's important for us to come together to praise. 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,040 Just last weekend, I had a wonderful experience. 19 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,360 My wife and I were at a wedding, actually Sunday last week. 20 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,440 And that was a bit unusual because it was really quite heartwarming. 21 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:19,720 It was two, a colleague of Yvonne's whose husband died a few years ago. 22 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,720 She ended up marrying another widower from her street. 23 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:30,760 They had been neighbors for something like 25 years, but after they sort of refound and reconnected in love. 24 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:31,480 And it was fun. 25 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:32,440 You know, it was beautiful. 26 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,000 It was at a winery in Niagara on the lake. 27 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:41,000 And I know a highlight for so many people when they go to a wedding is usually the wedding dance. 28 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:42,600 And it was the case there. 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:47,160 Now, I will say that I am a watcher of the dancing, not a dancer. 30 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,800 I am about the world's worst dancer. 31 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:55,720 However, there's something about watching and listening to the music play and see kids of all generations. 32 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:03,160 You know, older people, younger people coming together and just celebrating, kind of letting loose and enjoying time together. 33 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:11,160 But chances are, if you've been to a wedding any time in the past in a while, there are kind of a set of party songs, like a party playlist. 34 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,760 That probably some of these songs you'd find listed. 35 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:18,040 And depending on your generation, but it may even sound familiar. 36 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:22,360 Songs that are usually upbeat, cheerful. 37 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:28,520 These are not songs that kind of deep folk songs that kind of express longing and sadness. 38 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,720 No, it's kind of upbeat, cheerful, one note kind of songs. 39 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,280 Like things like, here's the list that I came up with. 40 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,760 I Got a Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas. 41 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:38,280 I got a feeling. 42 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,560 Or how about Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars? 43 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:43,960 Trust me, I was playing this in the car yesterday. 44 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,680 I cannot get an Uptown Funk out of my head. 45 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:47,480 It's been there. 46 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,920 Or Can't Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake. 47 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,120 Shake It Off by Taylor Swift. 48 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:56,920 How about Happy by Pharrell Williams? 49 00:02:56,920 --> 00:02:59,480 These are all probably pretty familiar. 50 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:06,520 Well, as we think about those songs today, this is kind of connecting into the last. 51 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:13,080 This is the last installment of our summer sermon series where we have been looking at the Psalms. 52 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:13,560 Right? 53 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:19,480 Since July, we have explored how the Psalms are a collection of Psalms and prayers and poems 54 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,520 that express a wide range of human emotions. 55 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,840 Joy, sorrow, anger, gratitude, and of course, praise. 56 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:33,640 These songs, we go to the Psalms and we read them because in some ways they give us the words to 57 00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:36,680 help us express our feelings to the Lord. 58 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:43,240 Just looking back, Rob kicked us off at early July on why we should sing in the first place, Psalm 96. 59 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,520 We have looked at songs of protection, Psalm 91. 60 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,320 Songs about lasting truth, 145. 61 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:56,040 Songs that keep us going in times of sadness, Psalm 42. 62 00:03:56,040 --> 00:04:00,200 Songs of comfort and songs of fire, Psalms 46 and 63. 63 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:05,640 But today's Psalm, Psalm 100, which we just had read a minute ago, it's a great way to end 64 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:10,920 because it brings all these pieces together and it's just pure praise. 65 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:17,000 It's kind of like the party playlist of the Psalms, the party mix of the Psalms. 66 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,520 So let me just say a few words about Psalm 100. 67 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:25,000 It's definitely one of the most well-known of the Psalms and it's a short song. 68 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:30,120 It's only five verses, but it's a song that's been written by the great John F. Kennedy. 69 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:34,680 But it's packed with practical wisdom that can shape our daily lives. 70 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:41,880 Now it's probably sounded familiar to you because we see it in a bunch of different places in our life as Christians. 71 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:49,960 So first of all, in liturgy, many churches, no matter what the denomination, will sometimes use Psalm 100 as a call to worship. 72 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:54,920 It's a short psalm. It kind of sets the tone for the praise for the service. 73 00:04:54,920 --> 00:05:01,160 Now if we were in a more formal version of the Anglican morning prayer service, which is what happens when we don't have communion, 74 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,520 there's usually a stricter liturgy that follows. 75 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:09,240 And one of the pieces of that is what's called the Jubilate, which is actually this psalm. 76 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:14,680 So anytime people come together, it's this psalm that's part of that liturgy. 77 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:19,000 You may also be familiar with it from music. 78 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,560 You might know this tune. 79 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:31,560 We think of that as the doxology, but it actually was originally written as all people that on earth do dwell. 80 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:37,560 And the name of that tune is actually called Old Hundredth because it's based on Psalm 100. 81 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:43,960 And then also we may be familiar with this because it's often part of a personal devotion. 82 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:45,560 It's easy to memorize. 83 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:52,520 In fact, I remember it from my childhood. You know, in my church growing up, scripture memory was a big deal. 84 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:59,320 Now interestingly, even though we read in church from the NIV, you were only ever allowed to memorize scripture from the King James Version. 85 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:00,520 I don't know why. 86 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:06,920 So I have all these kind of King James Versions, verses in my mind that I remember when I was a kid. 87 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:13,240 The first one I think that I learned was John 3.16, but the second one was actually Psalm 100. 88 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:27,320 And I realized that in part because my parents gave us an album by a gospel group that actually is still around today, the Gaither Trio. 89 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:28,840 You know the Bill Gaither Trio? 90 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:32,680 You sometimes see them if you're an insomniac like me in the middle of the night. 91 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:36,600 You'll sometimes see their big gatherings on YesTV or something. 92 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:43,640 But they put out a gospel album in 1975, believe it or not, called I'm a Promise. 93 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:49,640 And one of the songs starts with the kids reciting this song, Psalm 100. 94 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:57,560 And so whenever I think about Psalm 100, I actually think about it with little kids with kind of southern accents saying this. 95 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:04,920 And so as I was thinking about getting ready for this today, I actually found the album and a little snippet of this. 96 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:11,640 And so I was going to have us all read Psalm 100, but why don't we let the Bill Gaither Trio kids say it out loud. 97 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:40,760 Let's take a listen. 98 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:48,520 We can keep going for a while here. 99 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:49,880 But the Lord is good. 100 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,880 So whenever I read this song, I always think of the Lord is good. 101 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,560 But it is part of personal devotion because it's part of who we are. 102 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,920 But let me give you a little bit more background about Psalm 100. 103 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,120 Sorry, the clicker is jumping ahead here. 104 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:05,640 There we go. 105 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,920 Well, first of all, we're not actually sure who wrote this song. 106 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,600 Sometimes in the book of Psalms, it says, you know, a Psalm of David or whatever. 107 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:14,680 This one is not quite sure. 108 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:19,720 But as we heard when it was read, we are given instructions right off at the top. 109 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:25,760 And it says this song is for giving thanks or for grateful praise. 110 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:32,000 So we know actually that this song was also part of the liturgy of the ancient Israelites. 111 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:35,280 It was to accompany what they called a thank offering. 112 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,600 So you see that in the in Leviticus, Leviticus seven, for example. 113 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:46,920 It was a specific kind of ritual, an offering, a peace offering that was given to God as an expression of gratitude. 114 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,040 And the way it worked is that worshippers would bring food. 115 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,320 They bring bread, but also an animal to sacrifice. 116 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:58,560 But compared to some of the other sacrifices they did, they didn't just destroy the animal. 117 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:02,520 They actually kept part of it, shared it as a meal together. 118 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:04,440 So as part of that, thank offering. 119 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:13,560 It helped cultivate a spirit of gratitude, included community of all people and acknowledged God's ongoing provision. 120 00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:14,880 So it was used in liturgy. 121 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:23,400 But it was also if you look at it where it's collected in the Book of Psalms, it's part of what some people have called the kingship Psalms. 122 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:28,560 This starts at Psalm 93 and ends at Psalm 100, which we're looking at today. 123 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:34,040 If you look at these songs, Psalms compared to kind of the tone of some of the others in the book, 124 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:38,880 they're distinct in their focus on God's rule, God's rule over all. 125 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:43,480 It offers powerful messages of hope, justice and universal worship. 126 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:50,400 The idea that we all need to come together in these Psalms, God is portrayed as the ultimate ruler. 127 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,320 It reminds us of God's ultimate control over history. 128 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,360 It provides comfort and assurance that he's in control. 129 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:06,600 But not only that, but we also learn from these Psalms that God is a king whose reign is characterized by justice and righteousness. 130 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:13,160 And I tell you, the Israelites were all too familiar with kings who let them down from time to time, even King David, who wrote a bunch of the Psalms. 131 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:14,280 Right. 132 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,600 So unlike human kings, God could be trusted. 133 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:24,640 And so that really drives us into what I would say are three big themes in the Psalms. 134 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,080 There's a lot we can explore to learn. 135 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:32,440 It's about praise, identity and gratitude. 136 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:39,360 When I sent the sermon notes to Rob this past week, and I encourage you to follow along as we go through that if you got those coming in, 137 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,480 Rob said, hey, you've got three points in your sermon. 138 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:43,240 You're ready to be ordained. 139 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,360 I thought, oh, is that that's all it takes? 140 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:46,720 There we go. 141 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:53,360 But compared to a lot of the other Psalms that we've heard, where sometimes, you know, if you read the narrative through the Psalms, 142 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:57,360 certainly because they're usually are longer, sometimes it's about praise. 143 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:02,360 And then they go in and say, but, Lord, I'm having so much trouble or my enemies are against me or smite them, please, will you? 144 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,760 And then at the end, it's kind of come back to praise again. 145 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,840 Psalm 100 is kind of like a one note song. 146 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,000 It's like those party songs you see at the wedding. 147 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:10,960 Right. 148 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:13,240 This it's just pure praise. 149 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:17,720 But even in those five verses, there's a lot for us to consider. 150 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:24,880 So in those Psalms, themes in the in the Psalm, they encourage us to praise God because of his goodness and love. 151 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:33,840 Now, just before we dive into those three themes, I will say that over the years, I've had the experience of being able to give advice to people who are making presentations, 152 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,920 whether it's the boards or speeches or whatever. 153 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,560 And I've done lots myself. 154 00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:46,720 I always say that we want to make sure that as you present, you ask yourself about your audience, what do you want them to know? 155 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,680 What do you want them to do? 156 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:51,120 And how do you want them to feel? 157 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,760 And the best presentations tick all those boxes. 158 00:11:53,760 --> 00:12:00,000 And what I would say is that whoever wrote the Psalm, Psalm 100, captured all of those things for us. 159 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,800 So even as you hear me talk about these themes, think about what is the knowledge that we want to have? 160 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,680 What is this song telling us that we should do? 161 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:11,920 But also, what's the expectation around how we should feel? 162 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:14,160 So it's not just pure feeling. 163 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,080 So in other words, that we're kind of up and down depending on our mood. 164 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,360 And it's not just about pure head knowledge. 165 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:21,160 It's about bringing those things together. 166 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,640 So keep that in mind as we go through it. 167 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,640 Well, let's examine the main themes. 168 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:35,480 First of all, as we look at Psalm 100, Psalm 100 right from the beginning prescribes praise. 169 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:40,200 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord or sing songs of joy. 170 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:41,640 It doesn't ask for permission. 171 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,760 It says, hey, if you're up to it, if you're feeling it, how about praising? 172 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:46,760 No, it says coming right out. 173 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:54,400 Your goal, your job as a follower of God, follower of the maker of the universe is to praise. 174 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,520 In the face of this king, we have to praise. 175 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:04,040 And by the way, it doesn't say you need to praise only when it's beautiful or quiet or, you know, subdued. 176 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:10,520 In fact, if you look at verse one, the top one is in the New International Version, which we read today. 177 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:12,520 Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. 178 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:16,440 I actually love the one from that I remember as a kid from King James Version. 179 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:22,680 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands. 180 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:27,880 It's good because I also know that not everyone is a beautiful singer. 181 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:32,240 And if you feel constrained as you come to church or even in your own time of worship that God is going to be 182 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:37,320 listening to whether your tone or whatever, that's not the case. 183 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,200 It's the enthusiasm that God is looking for. 184 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:45,880 As I was thinking about this, I came across, I couldn't resist including this quote from the actor Colin Firth. 185 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:53,800 He said, my singing voice is somewhere between a drunken apology and a plumbing problem. 186 00:13:53,800 --> 00:14:03,400 Even Colin Firth, if he was led this way, could express shouts of joy to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. 187 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:09,160 And the Psalm tells us as part of these kingship songs that we want to join all of creation, 188 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:10,760 all the earth in doing so. 189 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,720 That's what we see again and again, this theme that it's not just us. 190 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:18,280 We are part of creation expressing its love for God. 191 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:21,720 And here's another example from Psalm 96, another one of these Psalms. 192 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,240 Let the heavens rejoice. 193 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:24,920 Let the earth be glad. 194 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,400 The sea resound and all that is in it. 195 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:30,440 Let the fields be jubilant and everything in them. 196 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,160 Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. 197 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,880 All creation rejoice before the Lord. 198 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:42,760 We learn from these songs that worship is meant to be a universal act. 199 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:47,800 But what does it mean to worship with gladness, come before the Lord with joyful songs? 200 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:52,280 Well, the Psalm does encourage us to come before the Lord with singing. 201 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:57,160 But more importantly, it's coming before the Lord with joy. 202 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:01,640 Not begrudgingly, but because we are responding to God's goodness. 203 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,440 Praise lifts our spirits. 204 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:07,720 Praise helps us to enter into God's presence. 205 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,840 And praise helps us remember God's blessing. 206 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,800 A firm truth, we look forward together. 207 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,800 And we remember what that one true God, that amazing King did yesterday, 208 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:22,120 what he's doing today, what he will do going forward. 209 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:23,960 So how should we praise? 210 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:28,760 Well, first here, I want to encourage us is let's let loose. 211 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:35,720 Like those wedding party songs, this Psalm wants us to praise our King with abandon and without hesitation. 212 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,680 I had to drive across town yesterday on 407. 213 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:44,520 And so I thought, you know, I'm just going to listen to those songs on my little wedding party playlist that I had as I was thinking about this. 214 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:49,720 No matter what I could do, I couldn't kind of make myself not kind of bop along, right? 215 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:50,680 Because it didn't really matter. 216 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:51,720 There was nobody there. 217 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:53,880 I could let loose. 218 00:15:53,880 --> 00:16:00,840 This Psalm encouraged us to kind of let go, to get out of our heads and into our body and just praise. 219 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,600 Nothing should hinder us from entering into God's presence. 220 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:10,360 And what's interesting is compare this to what the situation was for those Israelites at that time who wanted to praise, 221 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:17,880 if they wanted to enter into, as the song says, as the Psalm says, into God's courts, into through his gates. 222 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:24,520 You know, back in the time, the only person who really could enter into God's presence was the chief priest. 223 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:32,360 Once a year, the chief priest was allowed to go into what they called the Holy of Holies behind this curtain where the Ark of the Covenant was. 224 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:38,840 And it was so seen as only that person with that rank and that role could do that. 225 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:46,040 And in fact, it was so they considered it so dangerous that before the priest went in there, they tied a ribbon around his ankle. 226 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:50,440 So that in case he was overcome somehow, they could drag him back out. 227 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,480 That's a hindrance to getting into God's presence. 228 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,520 But Psalm 100 says, no, it's stripping all of that away. 229 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:03,960 Come as you are, no matter who you are, no matter what your background is, what your rank is. 230 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,560 Now, I mentioned that we don't really know who wrote this song. 231 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,440 It's possible that David did. 232 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,280 And it's clear that he actually was no stranger for letting loose in praise. 233 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:18,680 So this is a picture of King David in Second Samuel. 234 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:23,480 He makes this amazing opportunity of bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. 235 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:31,880 And he is so overcome with praise and emotion that the scripture, and if you read the King James, he stripped naked and danced before the Lord. 236 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:33,480 Now, chances are he wasn't actually naked. 237 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:35,640 He was wearing kind of this priestly garment. 238 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:38,040 This is a photo of it, a picture of it. 239 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:42,360 But it reminds me of the quote, you know, sing like no one is listening. 240 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:44,840 Love like you've never been hurt. 241 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:50,760 Dance like no one's watching and live like it's heaven on earth. 242 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,560 So as we think about this, you don't have to be naked. 243 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:55,320 You don't have to strip off in front of this. 244 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,400 But are you constrained by this? 245 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:01,320 Where do you feel constrained in your praise and in your prayer? 246 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:04,760 Maybe you were too concerned about what others might see or hear. 247 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:10,840 So first, let's let loose as we loosen our inhibitions in the face of God. 248 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:15,400 Second, we should sing loud. 249 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,960 We should sing loud. 250 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:24,760 It's not about keeping our praise to ourselves, but actually about joining with the praise of others. 251 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:29,560 Now, if you're like me and our family, when the Olympics are on, it just becomes this big event, right? 252 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:36,440 We just have the television on nonstop and usually on multiple screens because we just love the competition so much. 253 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:44,840 But there are moments when you can feel like the whole country of Canada is kind of glued to your seat and watching what's going on. 254 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:50,280 You know, an example for me was watching the Canadian 4x100 relay team, right? 255 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:54,200 André Degrasse, he'd had a couple of tough other races. 256 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:57,960 And then out of the blue, the underdog country came out to win the gold medal. 257 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,920 We were sort of cheering from our seats. 258 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:07,240 It's that experience, those moments of being loud that we want to let people know. 259 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:11,800 We want to join together and praise together. 260 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,000 I had a very different experience of this just this past week. 261 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:21,880 On Monday, I had a wedding on Sunday, but we went to a wedding of a family friend in Pennsylvania on Monday. 262 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:26,440 She was a singer, a musician, an artist. 263 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:35,560 And so just as the beginning of the service filled the church, her husband, now a widower, stood up and said, 264 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:44,680 What Susan really wants, would have wanted, is for you as we sing these hymns, to sing them loud, sing together. 265 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:52,360 And so when that first song, that first hymn came surrounded by people, the volume in that church was unbelievable. 266 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:58,200 And it was a sense of praise that transcended anything nice we could have said about Susan, who was a wonderful person. 267 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:03,400 But it was a chance for coming together and singing out loud. 268 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:11,160 But third, as we praise, we also want to celebrate love that lasts. 269 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:14,440 The Psalms last verse actually says that God's love endures forever. 270 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,960 It endures, continues through generations. 271 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:23,720 And so when we praise, we praise God for this fantastic, steadfast love. 272 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:31,240 Now, in lots of weddings, including the one I was at last week, you'll hear 1 Corinthians 13 read, you know, often, you know, love is patient, love is kind. 273 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:35,000 It's interesting because it's actually, we actually had it read at our wedding as well. 274 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,920 It's actually not about romantic love. It's actually an exhortation. 275 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:48,040 But one of the key pieces that I love is talks about this love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 276 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,560 Love never ends. 277 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:57,080 As we praise, the Psalm tells us that God's love in a sense is inexhaustible. 278 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:02,040 And it compares actually to the transient nature of human love. 279 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:04,040 Society's view of love is that it's temporary. 280 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:10,520 It's like a flame of a matchstick that gets blown out, eventually burns out. 281 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:19,040 But as we think about this, Psalm 100, as it prescribes praise, it's part of our response to God's majesty and his steadfast love. 282 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:23,800 OK, so the second theme, it prescribes praise. 283 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:27,440 It also, we are inspired by identity. 284 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:28,640 What identity are we talking about? 285 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:35,160 Well, first of all, we have to ask who God says he is and then who God says we are. 286 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:40,440 And then we also have to reflect on whose we are. 287 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:49,960 The Psalm first tells us that the Lord is God, that is, that emphasis on being a king, the God that we serve is both creator and king. 288 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:51,920 And again, we see this imperative. 289 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,480 It says, know that the Lord is God. 290 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,640 Doesn't say feel that the Lord is God. 291 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:57,680 Know that the Lord is God. 292 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:00,680 It's that head and heart balance. 293 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:07,680 But this is not just a ruler that we worship or praise because he's in charge. 294 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:10,680 We also learn about the nature of God in the short Psalm. 295 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,280 We hear that our God is what? 296 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,120 Good. 297 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:19,760 We hear that phrase, it's so simple, but we explore in the Bible. 298 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:20,320 What does it mean? 299 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:24,440 We learn that God actually sets the standard for goodness. 300 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:28,480 Goodness is actually compassion, love, it's care. 301 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:29,720 God has no evil. 302 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:32,400 His intentions and motivations are pure. 303 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,840 We see this again and again in parts of the scripture. 304 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,760 Psalm 145, the Lord is good to everyone. 305 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:40,160 He showers compassion. 306 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:46,720 Psalm 86, oh, Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive. 307 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:54,880 And then Jesus himself says, who is good but God alone? 308 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:56,120 So we serve this God. 309 00:22:56,120 --> 00:22:56,720 He's a king. 310 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:58,280 We know who he is. 311 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:02,000 The Lord is God, but he's also good. 312 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,560 But we also need to learn who we are in God's sight. 313 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:06,760 We are made by God. 314 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:08,760 Friends, we aren't accidents. 315 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:15,520 We were created with divine intention and we were made by God in his image. 316 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:19,960 David expresses this in Psalm 139, one of my favorite Psalms, when he says, 317 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:22,240 for you form my inmost park, my inmost being. 318 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:27,040 You, Lord, knit me together in my mother's womb. 319 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:28,760 We're precious to him. 320 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:29,520 He knows us. 321 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:30,400 He created us. 322 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,520 He loves us. 323 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:40,120 But we also see that when we learn who we are, we also learn whose we are in this Psalm. 324 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:43,640 The Psalm tells us that we are his people. 325 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:44,880 God wants us. 326 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:47,640 He wants to be in a relationship with us. 327 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:52,280 More than a thousand years after this Psalm was written, God proved this through the powerful 328 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,880 work of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. 329 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:01,040 And God ultimately accomplished this work of salvation because his heart beat for his 330 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,240 people. 331 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,840 He couldn't have it any other way. 332 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:12,360 Psalm 17, we say, God, keep us as the apple of your eye, the center of your being. 333 00:24:12,360 --> 00:24:15,600 Hide me in the shadow of your wings. 334 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,080 And we know that he won't abandon us. 335 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:24,200 Another image that we see in this Psalm is similar to what we see maybe in Psalm 23, 336 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:26,000 which is that we are his sheep. 337 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:26,720 He cares for us. 338 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:31,080 So it says we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. 339 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,280 This is maybe the one moment in the Psalm where the tone shifts a little bit from this 340 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:39,320 exuberant praise to just for a moment bringing us back to the calm of the sheep and the 341 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:43,000 shepherd beside the babbling brook. 342 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:44,880 Now I was actually interested. 343 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,960 I also thought another song, and this may actually be from the Gators when I thought 344 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:49,880 about this this morning. 345 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:54,280 I also learned as a kid the song that said, talked about the sheep of his pasture and 346 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,640 went like this, no matter how bad we are, Jesus loves us. 347 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:03,240 No matter how far we go, he'll always carry us home. 348 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:05,880 Well, we know from this picture that God is with us. 349 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:06,600 He's the shepherd. 350 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,280 He's with us in the field. 351 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:08,880 He leads. 352 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:09,680 He protects. 353 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:11,080 He disciplines. 354 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:14,160 But if he strays, he comes to get us. 355 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:19,280 And as we look ahead in 1 Peter 5, we actually see the link to who the Bible calls the chief 356 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,800 shepherd, Jesus. 357 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:26,640 So as we reflect on the fact that we find our praise anchored in the identity of who 358 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:32,160 God is and who we are, we remember that we're God's creation, his people, the sheep of his 359 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:34,840 pasture. 360 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:37,800 Our world wants to define us differently, right? 361 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,760 By our achievements, by our possessions, maybe by our social status. 362 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,520 But Psalm 100 tells us something different. 363 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:48,720 And knowing this actually should bring us a deep sense of peace and security. 364 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:55,440 If we belong to God, we can trust him to care for us, just as a shepherd cares for his sheep. 365 00:25:55,440 --> 00:26:00,320 Doesn't mean that life will be easy, but it does mean that we can trust that we're never 366 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:05,400 alone, that our worth is found in God, not in the opinions of others. 367 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:07,520 So we need to remind ourselves about this identity. 368 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,120 God's creation, his beloved. 369 00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:14,680 And it provides a foundation of confidence and peace. 370 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:22,440 Well our last theme, and by no means the least, is that our praise is to be grounded in gratitude. 371 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:26,120 Praise and thanks are connected in the Psalm, right from that heading at the beginning for 372 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:27,780 grateful praise. 373 00:26:27,780 --> 00:26:30,160 And each element supports the other. 374 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,040 And this is a theme we see throughout scripture. 375 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:36,840 First Thessalonians, for example, Paul says, give thanks in all circumstances, for this 376 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:39,400 is God's will for you. 377 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:43,000 Paul was no stranger to difficulty, but he learned to give thanks. 378 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,240 He understood that he was among the people of God. 379 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:46,240 He was in. 380 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:50,880 And we realize that when we're counted as one of the people of God, we can respond in 381 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:52,240 the same way. 382 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:56,680 It should be that we can't contain our gratitude. 383 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:59,000 But what does it mean, and how should we give thanks to God? 384 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,320 Well first we should give thanks together. 385 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:06,920 The Hebrew word that we translate giving thanks, it actually means to praise or give public 386 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:08,920 acknowledgement. 387 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:13,440 It's that we are to tell others what God has done. 388 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,640 It's different than like sending somebody a thank you note on a small piece of paper. 389 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,000 It's like one of those big cards that you send to somebody, you know, where everybody 390 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:21,640 signs. 391 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:23,380 We're giving gratitude together. 392 00:27:23,380 --> 00:27:25,680 So it's significant when we gather in church like this. 393 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,200 It's not something we can just do on our own. 394 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:33,280 But we say thanks to God and it's linked to our praise. 395 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:38,240 Second as we give thanks, we also respond to God's truth. 396 00:27:38,240 --> 00:27:42,600 Giving thanks to God helps believers focus on the truth and promises of God, like those 397 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:45,680 truths about God's identity and ours. 398 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:50,040 And focusing on the truth and the promises of God, it emboldens our faith and encourages 399 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:51,040 us. 400 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:55,240 And it's one of those moments where we can affirm the truth and the knowledge of who 401 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:59,280 God is and who we are, even when we may feel different. 402 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:05,040 Being faithful is to thank even in circumstances. 403 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:10,680 And then third, as we're grounded in gratitude, we need to turn our thanks into action. 404 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:13,280 Gratitude is not just a feeling, it's a practice. 405 00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:16,080 It's something that we can cultivate in our lives. 406 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:21,360 In verse two, in many of the English translations, it says serve the Lord with gladness. 407 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:25,160 That idea of service, when we focus on God's goodness, his love, his faithfulness, we see 408 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,720 life differently. 409 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:34,440 Gratitude actually shifts our perspective from what we lack to what we have, from our 410 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:38,800 problems to God's provision. 411 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:43,120 And when I talk to donors in the organization that I lead, World Vision, so often I ask 412 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,320 them, why are you giving? 413 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:45,320 Why are you being so generous? 414 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:47,880 And they will say, because I am blessed. 415 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:50,280 I want to give back. 416 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:55,120 This attitude of gratitude, if you will, compels them to share and to give to others, to give 417 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,520 and to serve. 418 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:01,080 Well, Psalm 100 packs a lot. 419 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:06,520 It gives us a lot of encouraging information in just those five verses. 420 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:10,560 But we see how it prescribes and requires us to praise God. 421 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:15,720 Our praise is founded on that identity that we have, who he's created us to be and how 422 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:17,040 he cares for us. 423 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:21,440 And it connects our praise with thanksgiving. 424 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:25,560 Putting it all together, one commentator says that we can capture the reason why we praise 425 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:30,640 with this party mix of a Psalm in this summary, simply to say the Lord is good, the Lord is 426 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:32,480 God, and God is good. 427 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:36,640 If you take that away, that's a reminder for us. 428 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:42,960 That's why we shouldn't hesitate to make a joyful noise. 429 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:49,080 As I said at the start, this is the last of our series on the Psalms in summer playlist. 430 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:50,920 God loves our songs. 431 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:52,760 He loves our praise. 432 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:56,600 In Psalm 22, it actually says that God inhabits the praise of his people. 433 00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:02,660 The image, if you see it, it's like our praise is a throne that he sits on. 434 00:30:02,660 --> 00:30:06,880 When we praise and when we sing, we connect with God and he shows up in powerful ways. 435 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:10,880 Did you know there are actually more passages in the Bible around singing than there are 436 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,280 about prayer? 437 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:19,160 And that's because there's a way of connecting through praise and song different from other 438 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:20,160 ways. 439 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,080 And, you know, I was thinking about some examples of my own life. 440 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,960 When I travel, particularly on the continent of Africa, there is no meeting or group or 441 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:33,500 visit that doesn't start with exuberant praise and dancing. 442 00:30:33,500 --> 00:30:38,220 It goes above and beyond any language barrier, situation, cultural barrier. 443 00:30:38,220 --> 00:30:43,040 That brings us together in celebration. 444 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:46,720 My mother actually told me recently about visiting her sister who is in a long-term 445 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,580 care facility in a memory care unit. 446 00:30:49,580 --> 00:30:52,780 She has challenge with dementia and so on. 447 00:30:52,780 --> 00:30:55,360 But recently, her sisters were together and she was invited. 448 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,000 She used to be a church pianist for many, many years. 449 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:05,800 I was invited to come to the piano and she was able to play hymns of praise, even beyond 450 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:08,000 what she was able to communicate. 451 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:12,920 It connects us in something inside in a different way. 452 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,640 I remember the moment when we were gathering around my father who died a number of years 453 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:17,640 ago. 454 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:21,800 And, you know, what we were compelled to do for both the comfort of those family members 455 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:27,160 who were around him but also for him was to sing hymns around him. 456 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:32,880 Because there's a way of connecting that songs and praise allows us to do that. 457 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:36,200 And then finally, probably one of the most significant moments for me was in 2018. 458 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:38,680 I was in the Central African Republic. 459 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:43,640 It's probably one of the most challenging places of the world to be a child. 460 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:48,640 Ongoing conflict, desperation, food insecurity, displacement. 461 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:52,680 And I was feeling frustrated, I have to admit, at the end of the week, recognizing just what 462 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:58,600 a gap there was between the resources available to help and the needs of children and families 463 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:00,340 on the ground. 464 00:32:00,340 --> 00:32:03,760 And we'd sat in meetings and so on and we were getting ready for another day of that. 465 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:06,640 But before we did it, it was actually Palm Sunday. 466 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:10,980 And we joined with the local church in one of the remote areas. 467 00:32:10,980 --> 00:32:13,880 And we were invited to take part in their Hosanna procession. 468 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:16,720 I know I've told this story before, but I think it's worth repeating today as we think 469 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,920 about it. 470 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,900 Unlike what we might do here where we might wave a palm frond, we gathered together as 471 00:32:22,900 --> 00:32:32,400 families, as hundreds of people, and we circled and walked around the entire village. 472 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:34,440 Worshipping and worshiping in the midst of this. 473 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,360 And what I would say is probably one of the darkest parts of the world. 474 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:40,480 I was feeling the injustice. 475 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:45,720 But as we gathered and went back and found our way back into the church to start our 476 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:51,160 service, I recognized that through that praise, I was actually helping to declare that the 477 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:57,240 King, the God, the creator cares for his people and breaks through all the difficulties that 478 00:32:57,240 --> 00:32:58,240 we have. 479 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:06,520 The sin, the injustice, and it was a powerful way as we made a joyful noise together. 480 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:10,240 So as you leave today, as we leave today, I encourage you to take all of these Psalms 481 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:13,880 and today especially Psalm 100 with you. 482 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:19,760 Let's make a joyful noise in our daily lives, remembering who we are in God and giving thanks 483 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:23,360 for his endless goodness and love. 484 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:29,040 May the Psalm not only be part of our worship, but a part of your life, a way of life that 485 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:34,280 draws us closer to God and transforms how we see the world. 486 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:58,680 Amen.