Okay, this evening then we're
going to look at Psalm 100. Psalm 100. Notice it says, the
Psalm of thanksgiving. The Psalm of praise. When we're
praising the Lord, we're giving thanks, aren't we? When we praise
Him. It's called the Psalm of praise,
and it has been one of my favorite Psalms. And it has been of all
the Lord's people. Also, it's called, there in the
marginal reference, the Psalm of thanksgiving. We have so much
to be thankful for, so much to be thankful for, even though
we have trials and we have troubles and we have heartaches, but we
still have so much, so much to be thankful for. God chose us
to be his people. I can't get past that. God chose
us to show grace unto us and make us a trophy of his love
and object of his grace. I can't get over that. Now Wander
Newton said amazing grace. It is amazing when we consider
God is holy and we are sinful and yet he shows mercy to us.
Well, praise the Lord. We give thanks. We give thanks
unto the Lord. This is the only psalm that contains
that title, a psalm of thanksgiving or a psalm of praise. But this
little Psalm, Psalm 105 verses is full of thanksgiving and adoration
that the believer has toward the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. If there's one thing that sums
up our attitude and the attitude of every believer, it has to
be this. We are indeed thankful unto the
Lord. We're thankful unto the Lord.
Hold your place there at Psalm 100 and turn back a couple pages
to Psalm 92. Psalm 92 verse 1. It's a good thing to give thanks
unto the Lord. It's a good thing. And to sing
praises unto His name. O Most High, He's a Most High
for evermore, to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning
and Thy faithfulness every night. Oh, we give thanks. We give thanks
unto the Lord. And we're going to study as we
go through 1 Thessalonians in chapter 5. You're familiar with
these verses. Rejoice evermore. Pray without
ceasing. In everything give thanks. For
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Now that's
a big statement. In everything give thanks, in
everything we are to be. That's the attitude and life
of the believer, is giving thanks unto the Lord. Giving thanks.
You see, all we are, all we know, All that we ever will be is because
of the Lord's sovereign grace, sovereign mercy, and sovereign
love. We can say with Paul, I am what
I am. By the grace of God. By the grace
of God. You remember from our study in
1 Corinthians chapter 4, where the apostle says this, For who
maketh thee to differ from another? What do you have that you didn't
receive? Now if you did receive it, why
dost thou glory as if you have not received it? Everything we
have, everything we know, everything we ever will be, is by His grace. He has made us to differ. Now
look at verse 1. Psalm 100 verse 1. Make this
joyful noise unto the Lord. It's just not making a bunch
of noise and a bunch of confusion. This is making a joyful noise,
a joyful sound unto the Lord. It's a distinction of a sound
of thanksgiving and worship to the Lord. It's not a noise of
confusion. You ever get in a large crowd
and it's just a roar, isn't it? It's just a noise. You can't
really distinguish anything. It's just a roar of noise. That's not what this is talking
about. This is a distinction and making a joyful sound unto
the Lord. It's a sound of Thanksgiving.
It's a sound of praise and worship unto the Lord. This is repeated
in several Psalms. If you look back at Psalm 95,
turn back over there, Oh come, he says, verse 1, Psalm 95, Oh
come, let us sing unto the Lord, let us make a joyful noise unto
the rock of our salvation. And then look at Psalm Psalm
98 verse 4. He says it again. Psalm 98 verse
4. Make a joyful noise unto the
Lord all the earth. Make a loud noise. Rejoice and
rejoice and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with a harp
with a harp or a voice of praise, a voice of a psalm. So it is
right and a good thing to sing praises unto the Lord. This psalm,
like many other psalms, breathes the same gladness. It's filled
with the same hope that all nations or all people shall bow and worship
our Lord and confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is God our
Savior. We confess that now, and every
believer confesses that now, but one day soon. When they stand,
all nations and all people shall stand before the Lord, they'll
be made to bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory
of God the Father. Every knee's gonna bow, every
tongue's gonna confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. We do now because He made us
willing in the day of His power. All people of the earth, Make
a joyful noise unto the Lord, unto Jehovah our Savior. Shout for joy, sound an alarm,
blow the trumpet, let it be known among men that the Lord our God
reigneth, reigneth, that our God is God alone and above all
gods. When I got here early Sunday
morning, To clean up after the flood, I sat down at my desk
and I turned over here. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you. I turned over here, when I came over here early Sunday
morning, knowing what had happened and
knowing what we were about to do in this cleanup, cleaning
up the flood mud. Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent
reigneth. Hallelujah, praise the Lord,
the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. And then it says this, and here's
what caught my attention. Okay, there's a statement, the
Lord reigneth. But then it says, let us be glad
and rejoice. Now, the Lord does reign, and
some people say, well, that's not fair, that's not right. I
don't think he should have control over all things. Well, God's
people say, they say, hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent,
almighty reigneth. Let us be glad, and let us rejoice. The Lord does all things right
and well, and we're in his hand. Everything he sends our way is
for our good. Our God is in the heavens and
he has done whatsoever he had pleased. No greater message the
believer delights to hear. then God reigns over all things. He reigns in creation, He's sovereign
in creation, He's sovereign in providence, and He's certainly
sovereign in salvation, is He not? No greater message gives
the believer comfort and delight that God, our God, has done all
things well. Serve the Lord, verse 2, serve
the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with saying,
saying, serve the Lord. I like what the old preacher
told the young ambitious believer where he said, I want to serve
the Lord. And the old preacher man said,
well, do it. Serve the Lord. That's our desire,
is it not, for a believer to serve, to be His service? to
be in his service, to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. No
service can be real unto the Lord that is not motivated by
genuine love and gratitude. We serve him out of love. The
love of Christ constrains us. We serve him out of gratitude.
Out of gratitude, not out of fear of punishment, not out of
promise of reward. The Apostle Paul calls himself
on several occasions written in the Word of God, he always
refers to himself as the servant of the Lord. And sometimes he
says, I'm an apostle, but mostly I'm the servant of the Lord,
a willing, loving bond servant who serves his master, who serves
his Lord because he wants to. God's given us a want to, to
serve him. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of his power. And oh, by the way, the Lord
Jesus Christ, God says of him, behold my servant. Behold my
servant in whom I'm well pleased." What a privilege God's given
us to serve the Lord, to be a believer, and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
How do we serve the Lord Jesus Christ? By serving His people,
by loving and forgiving and serving one another, helping one another,
sharing with one another, I've had, I don't know how many text
messages and phone calls. The word goes out fast with all
the internet connections and cell phones and text messages,
but I've had many, many preachers that I know and other churches
who have contacted me concerned. They always ask, you need any
help? What can we do? How can we help you? How can
we be of assistance to you? And that's what God's people
do. They love to serve the Lord by helping and serving one another. And then it says the second part
of verse two, come before his presence with singing. Come to
the Lord. You know, that's the message
of the gospel. The message of the gospel is
don't stay away. Don't stay away. The Lord said,
come. He said, you laboring and heavy
laden. He said, come to me, I'll give
you rest. I love that scripture in Hebrews chapter four, where
it talks about seeing that we have a great high priest that
is seated in the heavenlies on the right hand of God, who attempted
and tested in all points like as we are yet without sin. And
then it says, let us therefore come boldly. unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
in our time of need. Come as you are, mercy beggars. That's what we are. We come to
the Lord as mercy beggars. Lord, have mercy upon me, the
sinner. That's our prayer. That's our
constant prayer, is it not? I had one man, I think I've told
you this before, but I had one man He'd been a believer for
a long time, and he came to the place one point, and he said,
I just don't know what to pray for. I just don't know how to
pray. I said, I'll tell you seven words. God, be merciful to me, the sinner. That's our prayer, is it not?
God, show mercy to me, the sinner. And you know what? The Lord never
turns a mercy beggar away. Not one time in the Scripture.
Anybody that came to the Lord Jesus Christ seeking mercy, they
had mercy received from the Lord. Now look at verse 3. Psalm 100
verse 3. Know you that the Lord, the Lord,
He is God. He is God. I am, He said many
times in the Prophecy of Isaiah, he said, I am the Lord, beside
me there is none else. I am God, and beside me there
is none else. I'm the only just God and Savior. Know ye that the Lord, He is
our God. Now what a privilege to call
Him our Father, our God, our Lord. Now watch this, it is He
that made us. It is He that made us. We didn't
make ourselves. We didn't create ourselves. He
made us. And not we ourselves. We didn't
make ourselves. We are His people. We are the
sheep of His pasture. You see that? Verse 3. The Lord,
He is God. He is God. Jehovah is our God. He is God, our Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ is God,
our Savior. I like what Thomas said. When
the Lord appeared to him, the risen Lord, you remember Thomas
said, I won't believe Peter and John told Thomas that the Lord
is risen. He said, I won't believe that
until I see the nail prints in his hand. And when the Lord appeared
to him and showed him his hands, you remember what Thomas said?
He fell down and worshiped the Lord and said, my Lord and my
God. He is God over all, blessed forever. The Lord does know us. The Lord
does know His people. The foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. Believers, He knows us. Believers do know the Lord and
worship Him. as he's revealed in the book
of God as the Lord God Almighty. You see, true worship is not
ignorant worship. We don't worship an unknown God.
We worship the God of the Scripture, the God who is God, the God who's
revealed in the Word of God. I like what the Apostle says
in 2 Timothy where he says, I know whom I have believed. I know
whom I have believed. I'm persuaded He is able to keep
that which I've committed unto Him against that day. What have
we committed unto Him? Everything. Everything. Everything. He made us. You see that in verse 3 there? He made us. He made us. Not only in the original creation,
God created Adam in his own image, in his own likeness, but also
in reference to this new creation, in regeneration, the Lord making
us new creatures in Christ. We are his workmanship, created
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He lifted us from a dunghill.
He made us kings and priests unto our God. You remember the
verse in Revelation chapter 1. It's unto Him who loved us and
washed us from our sin in His own blood. To Him be all the
honor and glory both now and forever. He made us, not we ourselves. We read this a moment ago. Let
me read it to you again. 1 Samuel chapter 2. The Lord
maketh poor. And the Lord maketh rich. He
brings low and he lifts up. He raises up the poor out of
the dust. He lifted up the beggar from the dunghill to set him
among princes, to make them inherit the throne of glory. We've been
made heirs of God, and joined heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ,
for the pillars of the Lord are the earth, and He set the world
upon them. He made us, not we ourselves. We don't make ourselves into
new creatures. This is the work of God. You
remember from Philippians chapter 1 and chapter 2, where it said,
God who hath begun a good work in you, He will perform it. And then chapter 2, it says that
God who worketh in us both the will and the do of His good pleasure,
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory
through the Lord Jesus Christ. So He made us Not we ourselves. We didn't make ourselves believers. Some men live as if they made
themselves. They call themselves, well, he's
a self-made man. And they brag about what they've
done, what they've accomplished. Believers don't talk that way.
He made us new creatures in Christ. Therefore, believers worship
him and honor him. We are His and He belongs to
us. Know ye that the Lord, He is
God. We own Him as such, bow to Him
as such, worship Him as such. It is He that made us, not we
ourselves. We didn't make ourselves. We are His people. See that? We are His people. and the sheep
of his pasture. Now how are we his people? By
covenant mercies. You know the word covenant in
the scriptures used over 250 times. God is a covenant God. A covenant God. We are his people
by his covenant of mercy. The Savior is the Lord Jesus
Christ is our great shepherd. Because the Lord is our shepherd
we shall not want We're His by covenant mercies, we're His by
covenant choice. Remember our Lord said to His
apostles, you didn't choose me, I chose you unto salvation. So we're His people by His choice. Covenant choice, covenant mercies.
We're His people by covenant purchase, right? He bought us
with His own blood. He bought us. We're no more our
own, we're bought with a price. What a great price. He gave His
life. He shed His blood to put away
our sins. We are redeemed with the precious
blood of Christ. We're healed by a covenant call.
He calls us to Himself by His purpose and grace. And we're
healed by a covenant sealing. We're sealed with the Holy Spirit
of promise. for his people. That was David's
hope, wasn't it? On his deathbed, God had made
with me an everlasting covenant, ordering all things in short,
this is all my hope and all my salvation. Covenant mercies.
We gladly own him as all our salvation. My beloved is mine
and I'm his. I'm his. Isn't that a good verse?
Know ye that the Lord, he is God and it is he that made us.
Not we ourselves. We are His people. And we are
the sheep. We are the sheep of His pasture. You remember John chapter 10
where He said, I lay down my life for the sheep. Call His
name Jesus. He shall save His people from
their sin. You see, we're His by His choice.
He bought us with His own blood. Now look at verse 4. Now enter
into His gates. He said, I am the door, by me
if any man enter in, he shall be saved. Enter into His gates,
His presence, and do so with thanksgiving. Enter into His
courts with praise. Be ye thankful unto Him and bless
His name. I like that Psalm. Turn one page,
I believe it is Psalm 103. Bless His name. Bless His name. Look at Psalm 103 verse 1. Psalm
103 verse 1. Bless the Lord. Oh my soul, and all that is within
me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and
forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquity,
who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction,
who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies.
Bless the Lord. He, we bless Him because He's
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Enter into His gates, enter into
His presence with thanksgiving and then bless His name. Bless
His holy name. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Give thanks unto the Lord. Under the law, the Jewish people
could not enter into the Holy of Holies, only the priest of
God. The Gentiles were only permitted in the outer court of the temple,
but our Lord Jesus Christ says, come boldly with liberty unto
me. We're made nigh unto God by the
blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have access only through
our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus. Turn to Romans chapter
5. Hold your place there. Psalm 100. Look at Romans chapter
5 on this word access. We have access unto God the Father. You remember he said, I am the
way, the truth, the life. No man come to the Father but
by me. Romans 5, look at verse 1. being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5,
1, now look at verse 2, by whom also we have access. We have
access by faith into His grace wherein we stand and rejoice
in the hope of the glory of God. We rejoice. We have access unto
God through our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we
read this too in Ephesians chapter Chapter 2, He reconciled us unto
God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby,
and came and preached peace to you which were far off, and to
them which were nigh. For through Him we both have
access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore you are
no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints and of the household of God. Enter into His presence with
thanksgiving. Enter into His court with praise. Be thankful unto
Him and bless His name. Bless His name. Now look at verse
5. For the Lord, that word for can
be rendered because, because the Lord is good. The Lord is
good. The Lord is holy. But the Lord
is good. Holy goodness. His mercy is everlasting. His truth to all generations. Generation after generation.
His truth, you know, truth never changes. Lives always change. Truth never changes, never needs
an upgrade or Anything about truth is always
truth. Now, three things, and I'll let
you, I'll quit. The Lord is good. The Lord is
good. The Lord, Naaman 1.7 said, The
Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of trouble, and he knoweth
them that trust him. The Lord is good. 1 John 1.5
said, The Lord is light, And in Him is no darkness at all.
In 1 John 4, verse 8, it says, God is love. Not a God of love,
but God is love. And the Lord, Psalm 99, verse
9 said, the Lord is holy. The Lord is holy. He's in His holy temple. The
Lord is good. The Lord is love. The Lord is
light. And we say this, the Lord is
salvation. He is salvation. The Lord is
my light and my salvation. Psalm 27 verse 1. The Lord is
my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? One old preacher
of the past said this, the Lord is good both in a providential
way and in a way of grace. And he does good. He is a good
shepherd that laid down his life for his sheep. He's a good Samaritan
that pours wine and oil of his love and grace and his precious
blood. to the healing wounds made by
sin, the healing of our wounds made by sin. While he was on
the earth, he went about doing good to the bodies and souls
of men, and he continued to do good unto them. and therefore
should be praised and served and worshipped." He is the Good
Shepherd, the Good Savior. He is. The Lord is good. And then it says, secondly, the
Lord is merciful. The Lord is good, and the Lord,
His mercy is everlasting. I'm everlasting to everlasting.
You remember, turn a few pages over to that one Psalm 136. You
remember how that goes? Psalm 136. In every verse, I
believe it is in Psalm 136, we read, look at verse 1. Oh, give
thanks unto the Lord, for He is good. Why? For His mercy endureth
forever. Oh, give thanks unto the God
of gods, for His mercy endureth forever. O give thanks to the
Lord of Lords, for his mercy endureth forever. To him who
alone doeth great wonders, for his mercy endureth forever. To him that by wisdom made the
heavens, For his mercy endureth forever. You can read all the
way down through there. His mercy, his mercy is everlasting
mercy. He's been ours from all eternity
and shall be ours world without end. You cannot exhaust the mercy
of God. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. You
see, it's of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed. The
third thing he says in that verse 5, excuse me, the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and
His truth, His truth endureth, His truth endureth. His truth
is His word, it's His gospel. His gospel, his word, his truth
shall endure forever and ever. From everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God. His word and his testimony, he
said, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall
never pass away. This also refers to his faithfulness. The Lord is faithful to all of
His promises. How many promises has the Lord
kept? He's made a lot of promises.
How many promises has He kept? All of them. All of them. Our heart leaps for joy as we
bow before one who has never broken His word or changed His
purpose. There are some things that's
impossible for God to do. He cannot change. And he cannot
lie. Our heart leaps for joy as we
bow before the one who has never broken his word or changed his
promise. We're fully persuaded like Abraham
of old of all that God promised. He is able to perform. I like
what Solomon prayed at the temple. When they dedicated that temple,
he said, Lord, of all that you have spoken, not one word has
failed. Not one word has failed. Of all
that God has promised, not one word has failed. In 2 Corinthians
1, verse 20, This is what we read. For the
Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us,
even by me and Silas and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in Him
was yes. All the promises of God in Him
are yes. And in Him. Amen. To the glory of God, our Father. The Lord is good. His mercy,
boy, it's everlasting. And his truth, his gospel, endures
forever and ever and ever.