Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Bible Study / Summer Psalms

Psalm 66 Part 2  06/09/01

Review: Last week as we looked at the first 7 verses of Ps. 66, I said that  authentic biblical worship exists in a creative tension. On the one hand there is the corporate worship of the gathered church. On  the other hand, there is the personal worship of the individual. Whenever this tension is broken great damage is done.

     Either the individual believes that there is no true worship outside the corporate gathering on Sundays and don't offer worship to God during the week. Or they believe that there is no need for corporate worship and stay home to worship God individually at the beach or in the park. Both ideas damage God's church and hurt His people.

     I said that Ps 66 testifies to maintaining that tension. Verse 1 begins by calling the whole earth to shout joyfully to the Lord in worship. In vs 8, the psalmist speaks specifically of corporate worship. And then in vs 13 the psalmist tells of his own personal worship experience.

     The idea is that our individual acts of worship only have their greatest meaning in the larger context of corporate worship.

     As we looked at Ps. 66:1-7 we saw that God requires praise from everyone, believer and unbeliever alike. Not because He is narcissistic but because it is His due and it is for our good. But because of sin, humanity forgets to praise God at best and refuses at its worst.  So God's Word constantly reminds us all to give praise to our creator God.

     Some of the ways we worship God, according to vs 1-7 are by shouting, singing, praising and giving thanks when we come together on Sunday mornings.

    I said that these acts of worship are universal and are necessarily and rightfully emotion laden. But worship is not about our emotions or experience, it is about God and His glory. One day all will worship God either by force or by love. But for now, those who love the Lord must set the example of being a people of enthusiastic and wholehearted praise to God together as one before the whole world.

     This morning I want to look at the rest of Ps. 66 which speaks of both corporate gathered worship and individual personal worship and how we need to hold them in tension.

Transition: Turn to Ps. 66:8 where we will see the...

II. Corporate Praise of God's Kingship  (Ps. 66:8-12)
Read: Ps. 66:8

     Here we see a change in the mood of the text. Vs 1-7 speak about praising God...to shout joyfully to God. But notice now in vs 8-12 the pronouns used are different. O Bless, OUR God. Corporate worship of God by His redeemed people involves blessing and praising God, together because God is specifically and specially our God.

     There is a corporate special relationship between God and his church and therefore a deeper responsibility to worship Him publicly in praise. What this is saying is that the church, you and I have a greater reason to praise God and with that a greater responsibility is placed upon us the church to sound forth God's praise to all creation.

Sidebar: Praise has many faces in God's church.  There is not one way to properly or rightly praise God in corporate worship. I would like to take a few minutes to discuss what praise looks like when offered corporately by God's gathered people.

ILL: Spurgeon has said  'God's people have always been and will always be a praising people. God created us and chose us that we might be the praise of His glory. The song of praise began at creation when the 'morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy' (Job 38:7) the song of praise was heard as the angels announced Christ's birth. The song of praise has been proclaimed and sung by pastors, hymn writers and singers throughout the centuries.
And he said it is rehearsed each week by worshipping communities everywhere as they prepare for a new song of praise and worship that will continue throughout eternity.'

     Well, back to the text. Why do we offer our praise, in it's many diverse forms, to God? The psalmist tells us. It is because of what God has done for us.

Read: Ps. 66:9-12

     According to vs 9 we praise God because he keeps us IN LIFE. That means that He not only gave us life by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, He continues to sustain our life by the same Spirit. This is not talking about physical life but spiritual life. We praise God because He keeps us as His own.

     Also in vs 9 we see that we praise God because He watches over our path so that our feet do not slip. This does not mean we do not sin or take wrong steps in life. It means God does not allow us to fall so that we will not get up again. It is connected to His sustaining us in our Life in Christ. Living and standing is the believers condition through divine grace. Immortal and immovable are those whom God preserves. Our God is worthy of our praise!

     In vs 10-12 the psalmist gives us another reason for the people of God to praise their creator and redeemer. He tells us that even though the road God may lead us has many trials and difficulties, that road always leads to a place of abundance. Those who trust in God are a wealthy people. Think about  your life before you came to faith in Christ....Think about your life since you have been saved... We must shout joyfully to God in gratitude for His many blessing to us. And more awaits! Amen?

     What is the nature of our wealth and abundance? CH Spurgeon said ' Instead of  the net, liberty; instead of a burden on the loins, a crown on our heads; instead of men riding over us, we shall rule over the nations.' We praise God corporately because He is leading His church to the promise land, to the place where God's presence dwells and His blessings overflow.

     God's gathered people offer in corporate worship praise in many ways, all of which are pleasing to God and all of which distinguish us from the world who refuses to even say thanks to God for the good He, in His grace, has given to them.  We are a blessed people and it is our duty to bless God and to show forth His praise to the nations....and to person sitting next to you.

Transition: Corporate worship is one voice giving praise to God. But it is also a voluntary, and personal  act and no two people prepare for worship in the same way, nor expresses it in like fashion.

    The joyful shouts of the nations and of the church fade away and the psalmist is left standing alone. In this final part of our text, he speaks first to God then to the congregation. Turn to vs 13 where the psalmist now speaks of...

III. Individual Praise of God's Kingship(Ps. 66:13-20)
Read: PS 66:13-15

 A. The Psalmist addresses God in worship(vs. 13-15)

     The Psalmist, encouraging the world and the church to praise God, now practices what he preaches. The psalmist speaks of himself...personal, experiential...I...me...my. He says he will go to the Temple and offer worship to God, as has been prescribed by God. The psalmist says in  vs 13-15 that he will make the necessary sacrifices that are worthy of a man of his wealth and position.

      The offering of the rams, bulls and male goats were prescribed for the wealthy, as acceptable offerings. It was not the same for all people, as the animals used for sacrificial worship depended upon the relative wealth of the one making the offering to God as an act of worship. The psalmist offering would be pleasing to God, when done from a pure and thankful heart, one where there was no hidden sin.

     Again, notice the individualism in OT worship. Acceptable worship was varied for different people based on their financial situation. I wonder if there is not some relevance today.  Does God require the exact same kind of cookie cutter worship from everybody regardless of age, socio-economic level, gender, culture or geography?  If diversity of acceptable worship existed in the OT as a principal, is it possible that that same principal exists in the NT?

Read: Acts 15:1,5-11, 13, 19-20;  1 Cor. 14:26, 40

     When we consider the biblical worship of the individual (those acts/gestures in worship that either have biblical precedence or a positive description or are not strictly prohibited in Scripture) what is to be our chief consideration?

Read:  1 Cor. 14:26, 40;   Rom. 15:7

     We are not to judge the 'quality' of corporate worship by our own personal manner of worship. If the individuals worship is within biblical parameters, then it is acceptable to God when the heart is pure. We are to make the sacrifice of praise that is required of us and not judge the expression of others who are doing the same thing...offering their own sacrifice of praise that is required of them by God.

    B. The Psalmist addresses the people in worship (vs 16-20)

Read: Ps 66:16-19

     Here is the psalmists personal testimony to the congregation. If the Psalmist were here this morning, he would give this testimony of what God has done for him. And notice the boldness...

     It is not enough to know in your heart what God has done for you. it is not enough to thank Him in your personal prayer closet. It must become a witness to others...a personal witness of God's amazing love.

     What was his personal testimony? The psalmist had evidently been in some pickle. But, trusting God, the psalmist called out to Him for help, for deliverance from whatever tough time he was experiencing and God answered his prayer. The psalmist personal testimony was that God answered his prayer! Has God ever answered a prayer for you? Has He? Later in the service, I want to encourage you to tell us about it so that we might be encouraged and praise God  with you.

ILL:  CH Spurgeon said this 'I say for Christians to stand up, on proper occasions and bear their experiential testimony to the faithfulness and goodness of God. How may we blush and be ashamed, that we have so much conversation in the world and so little about what God hath done for our souls? It is a very bad sign upon us in our day that the things of God are generally postponed; while either the affairs of state, or the circumstances of outward life, or other things, perhaps of a more trifling nature are the general subjects of our conversation.'

     How does the psalmist end His testimony and this psalm? By offering a word of praise...I bet it was a shout, a joyful shout...

Read: Ps. 66:20

 'Blessed be God!' God's glory is the conclusion to his personal testimony and to the corporate worship described in this psalm.

Conclusion

     Someone once said 'What is won by prayer is worn in praise'. What are you wearing this morning? Self satisfaction, critical spirit, spiritual pride, or God's Praise!

Let me end with a final quote from CH Spurgeon on Ps. 66

 It is not left to our opinion whether we shall praise God or not. Praise is God's righteous due and every Christian as a  recipient of God grace is bound to praise God from day to day. Do not image that you can discharge your duty to your God without songs of praise. Let not your harp then hang upon the willows, but take it down, and strive, with a grateful heart, to bring forth it's loudest music. Arise and chant his praise. With every mornings dawn, lift up your notes of thanksgiving and let every setting sun be followed with your song. Girdle the earth with your praises; surround it with an atmosphere of melody, and God himself will harken form heaven and accept your music.'