When We Have Lost Our Song

Temple Baptist Church - 5-1-2011

Psalm 100

Introduction:

A. Psalm 100 is one of the most quotable and notable of all of the Psalms. The Psalms are what we call the “Hymn Book” of Israel. As many of our songs that we sing in church, these Psalms cover many different events in the lives of God’s people.

1. Songs that relate to the “night” experiences of God’s people.

2. Songs about great trails and needs.

3. Songs about the silences of God when the troubled saint can find no answers.

4. Songs of divine deliverance.

5. Songs of great praise as well as great problems. Life is a “roller coaster” with times of plenty as well as times of need.

6. Songs in times of health as well as times of sickness.

7. Songs in times of triumph as well as times to tragedy.

B. In Psalm 100, we find a song of praise—a song of thanksgiving that goes far beyond our trials and triumphs.

1. A song of thanks giving and praise, not because of our situation but because of our Saviour!

2. We, as God’s people, have much to rejoice in this morning.

C. The psalmist said to “come before his presence with singing!” You may say, “I have nothing to sing about this morning!” It shows in:

1. Lack of Singing – I watch and find that some people never sing! Singing is vital to worship! It is not to be pre-eminent but it is to be a prelude to worship.

2. Lackluster Singing – Simply going through the motions with no true worship involved. Worship is a personal thing, not just a church thing. God seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and truth.

D. Either a lack of or lackluster singing can be caused by:

1. A Worried Heart

2. A Worn Heart

3. A Worldly Heart

E. We are all affected to some degree by our circumstances when they become greater than our God!

1. We become discouraged because of the length of our valley.

2. We become disappointed because things don’t turn out as they should.

3. We become disquieted because we no longer expect a good end.

4. Yes, the winds and waves are often “boisterous” but we have not drowned yet.

5. Our boat often “takes on a little water” but the Lord is still in our “ship.”

6. We often feel forsaken and on our own but he still never leaves us nor forsakes us!

F. Our “song” has a lot to do with our perception of God. We all would agree that He is sovereign, all powerful, all knowing, ever capable but now our circumstances have shrouded Him. We become as a bottle in smoke.

G. There are many things that we should be thankful for this morning:

1. We live in the greatest country in the world.

2. We live safe in a world of tension and disaster.

3. We still drive in spite of the gas prices.

4. We are full and literally have need of nothing.

5. Food, clothing, shelter, freedom, health, etc. We have it all.

H. But, being thankful for these temporal things will not sustain you and I when the trials of life bombard us. We will take them for granted and our spiritual eyes become fixed upon our problems. A steak dinner will become just another meal; our new car will become just another automobile; our homes become just another building; our freedoms become a blessing unnoticed; and our rejoicing turns to heaviness when we “lose our song!” We simply go through the motions of worship.

Psalms 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?

I. Our song is to be a song of worship. “Come before his presence with singing.”

1. Our singing should be Christ centered– about God

2. Our singing should be Christ directed – toward and to God

3. Our singing should be Christ honoring - enthusiastic for God

J. This Psalm shows us the reason for our singing. “Know ye that the Lord he is God!” What causes us to sing is just to know who He is.

1. We Can Sing Because He Is God And He Is Good!

a. He was before all things, He will be after all things, by Him all things consist, He controls, He is forever the Sovereign of the universe!

b. He made us, we did not evolve! Created in His image, we are the crowning element of His creation.

c. We that are saved are His people. We are His children by faith. He loves us with an everlasting love!

d. We are the “sheep of his pasture.” As sheep we are led and, in “his pasture,” we are fed. He leads us into green pastures and beside of “still waters.” He restores our souls! He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name sake; We are His and He is ours! As a Shepherd, He watches over, protects, and cares for His “lambs.”

2. We Can Sing Because He Is God And He Is Merciful!

a. Because of His mercies, we are not consumed. He hath not rewarded us after our iniquities. God has been better to us than we have been to Him! If we got what we all deserved, we would spend an eternity in a Christless hell!

b. Because His mercy is everlasting! His mercy is new every morning and His compassions fail not. No matter how much we fail, He forgives. He loves as no man is capable of loving and finds in us “no fault at all!” We are dressed in the righteousness of God through the precious blood of Christ.

3. We Can Sing because He Is A God Of Truth!

a. We have God’s Word to guide us.

b. We have God’s Promises to encourage us.

c. We have God’s Word! We often believe that we can die by it but cannot trust it to live by it. His Word has been magnified above His name and what He says will come to pass. It ENDURETH every attempt by Satan and satanic man to discredit or change it. Every “jot and tittle” shall come to pass!

Conclusion: We are to come before His presence with singing: not because of what we have or what is happing in our lives, but because of who He is!