Title: True Worship (Psalm 96:1-13)
It is a kind of praise that worships God's holy reign. Only Jehovah God has majesty and power. We ought to give him glory. Believers must be faithful to their Christian duties through true worship.
1. Praise the new song!(1-5).
When the human soul is deeply moved by God's love and grace, praise is the essential response. The content of praise is salvation. The one to be praised is the one and only living God.
The praise of the saints is a song of the soul and a new song because it is a song learned from God.
2. Worship in the sanctuary (6-9)
God meets with people in his sanctuary and gives grace there. Today, he meets his people through worship in the church, the body of the Lord.
Only through Jesus Christ, the sanctuary, can we meet God. Through Christ, we receive the grace of redemption and become a new person.
(2 Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
With a new mindset and a new personality, I must return the praise of thanksgiving to God every day. The creation must give back all glory and honor to God.
(Romans 11:36) “You once disobeyed God, but now you have found mercy because of Israel’s disobedience.”
3. The saints must return the proper glory to God (8-12)
Giving is one of the elements of worship. You must give your heart, devotion, time, and body to the Lord. Also, a gift is a prerequisite. You must offer something beautiful and holy. And give it with joy and thanksgiving. What is separate from the beautiful is holy. We deserve to give everything to God because we receive everything from God. The Lord is looking for people who truly worship.
(Romans 12:1-2) “Therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Therefore, we must live a holy and beautiful life in the sight of God. (Psalm 96:9) “Worship the Lord with what is beautiful and holy; tremble before him, all the earth.”
To live a holy life, you must have a deep communion with God. Only holy beings can have communion with God. Through Jesus Christ, the saints have obtained a holy status that enables them to have communion with God. However, if the life continues to follow the old sinful disposition, and if we do not cast off the old habits and the dirty and ugly life in our sins, we cannot enter into deep fellowship with the Lord. That is why they do not receive grace, stumble and suffer difficulties.
Let's move on to a holy life by living a life devoted to worship, evangelism, nurturing and service!