READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l “All that God does is done well!” This understanding comes from the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism and second in authority only to the Hebrew Bible. We should keep this thought in mind as we enter to worship the Lord. Let us be thankful for all that God has done for us! In Psalm 95 we see three very clear commands of worship.
A) Grateful Rejoicing (Psalm 95:1–7)
In Wesley Sanctuary the traditional worship service starts with a ‘Call to Worship’. In verses 1 and 6 we see the command ‘Come!’. The people of God are called to assemble for the purpose of worship and joyfully and loudly sing his praise. We can be wholehearted and unashamed because we remember that God is our refuge and rescuer. He is worthy of our worship! This is an activity we should enter into intentionally and not drift into church preoccupied and distracted. True worship must be authentic. Verses 3 and 7 give us the reasons why we worship. He is a great God and a great king; he is the creator and sustainer. In verses 4–5 we learn that God is in control and the owner; he created everything whether mountains, sea or dry land. We are created by the hand of God and also sustained by the hand of God. Worship does not come naturally and requires effort. We must humble ourselves and make confessions asking for forgiveness before we worship. If we do not prepare our hearts we cannot expect to encounter God. Worship services are not meant for us to sit back and enjoy but for us to make every effort to prepare ourselves to meet God! Being a few minutes early would give us time to quieten down, reflect, thank God and pray a simple prayer to ask him to help us be ready to hear his Word.
B) Greater Reverence (Psalm 95:6–7b)
In these verses we see the same basic elements such as command to worship and reasons for praise. Joy is succeeded by awe as we encourage each other to bow before him. The three verbs in verse 6 – worship, bow and kneel – paint a picture of getting low before God. We surrender and submit which is the correct posture for the ‘created’ before the ‘creator’. In return God extends personal care. We are the sheep of his hand (verse 7). We should not focus on what we get out of church but on what we can give to God. Note the change of tone as the psalm progresses from standing in God’s presence with loud and joyful rejoicing to bowing before him with awe-inspired reverence! Our posture and hearts change from praise to prostration. The words ‘Our Maker’ in verse 6 refer to God being the one who made Israel his own special people and therefore made us his own personal flock. Our creator is also intimately related to us as our redeemer. How is my posture before the Lord this morning? What am I modelling to my children? It would be good for our families to join us in worship services. We can all reflect on how we can be more intentional and reverent as we come to worship services with less chit-chat and checking our phones and more thought given to the one we come to honour.
C) Genuine Response (Psalm 95:7c–11)
In verses 1–7 we have the ‘what’ (joyful singing), ‘why’ (he is our great God) and ‘how’ (in surrender and submission) of worship. In verses 8–11 the author moves from worship to warning. We are reminded that worship is never meant to be a mindless activity and a genuine response is one of obedience. If we retain hard and disobedient hearts we have not surrendered and cannot respond genuinely. The psalmist is considering the challenge of obedience and recalls Meribah (dispute) and Massah (testing) which brings to mind the Israelites in the wilderness and how they rebelled against God and caused Moses to be banned from entering the Promised Land (Exodus 17:1–17). The two names link two crisis situations that the Israelites found themselves in. The Israelites would not trust God for his presence or provision. How are our hearts? Do we trust God fully? Delayed obedience is disobedience. Are we training our children to obey? Without obedience there is no true discipleship. The Bible says that God will loathe us and be grieved by our disobedience and we will forfeit his blessings. Hebrews 3:7 speaks to us in the present tense urging us ‘TODAY’ to hear his voice and avoid hardening our hearts. When our worship grows stale so does our passion for Christ. Today is the last day of the liturgical year and known as Christ the King Sunday. We acknowledge that everything in creation and culture must submit to Christ! Let us accept this invitation to actively and joyfully submit to Christ’s rule taking the opportunity to re-align and re-submit ourselves to the full lordship of Christ.
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Study Scripture
a. What does Psalm 95 reveal about who God is and how we are to worship Him?
b. How does Psalm 95 balance joyful celebration and reverent submission? - Recall Sermon
a. Which part of the sermon challenged or encouraged you most, and why?
b. How did the sermon broaden or correct your understanding of worship as a disciple of Jesus? - Relate Personally
a. What barriers (distractions, dryness, complacency, busyness, unbelief) hinder you from worshipping deeply and sincerely?
b. In what ways is God inviting you to respond with greater joy, gratitude, humility, or obedience? - Commit to Action
a. What is one concrete step you will take this week to grow as a worshipping disciple? (eg, preparing your heart, arriving earlier, engaging more fully, practicing daily worship)?
b. How will you make space in your daily rhythm to hear God’s voice and avoid hardening your heart (Psalm 95:7–8)?
