Universal Call to Worship and God's Righteousness

Devotional

Day 1: Renewed Worship Through a New Song

Worship is not merely about singing; it is about experiencing a renewed awareness of God's love and grace. Psalm 96 calls us to sing a new song to the Lord, which signifies a fresh encounter with His mercies. This new song is not about novelty but about keeping our worship vibrant and alive, reflecting the ever-new mercies of God. It is a call for all the earth to join in this worship, recognizing that God is not a local deity but the Lord of all creation. This universal call to worship is beautifully fulfilled in Revelation 5:9, where all of redeemed humanity praises God with a new song. [02:29]

Psalm 40:3 (ESV): "He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord."

Reflection: What is one way you can refresh your worship this week to reflect a renewed awareness of God's love and grace in your life?

Day 2: Proclaiming Salvation Daily

The good news of God's salvation is timeless and never becomes old. Psalm 96 encourages us to proclaim this good news from day to day, recognizing that it remains as powerful and relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. This daily proclamation is a reminder that God's glory, described as the majestic aura of His divine presence, is something we are to declare among the nations. The psalmist reminds us that God is great and greatly to be praised, not with empty words but with an understanding of His greatness in love, power, holiness, and justice. [05:05]

Isaiah 12:4-5 (ESV): "And you will say in that day: 'Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.'"

Reflection: How can you incorporate the proclamation of God's salvation into your daily routine, and who can you share this good news with today?

Day 3: The Substance of God's Glory

God's glory is the majestic aura of His divine presence, and His greatness is evident in His love, power, holiness, and justice. Psalm 96 calls us to declare God's glory among the nations, emphasizing that our praise should be thoughtful and intelligent, recognizing the substance and weight of God's glory. This understanding of God's greatness should lead us to praise Him not with empty words but with a deep appreciation of His impressive nature. [06:23]

Habakkuk 2:14 (ESV): "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

Reflection: In what ways can you deepen your understanding of God's glory and greatness, and how can this understanding transform your worship?

Day 4: Sacrificial Worship

True worship involves giving to God, not just receiving. Psalm 96 calls us to give to the Lord the glory due to His name, emphasizing that our worship should be sacrificial, recognizing God's holiness and beauty. This call to worship is not just for individuals but for all families of the earth, connecting back to God's promise to Abraham that all families would be blessed through him. Sacrificial worship is an appropriate response to God's greatness, acknowledging His holiness and beauty. [17:31]

1 Chronicles 16:29 (ESV): "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness."

Reflection: What is one specific way you can offer a sacrifice of worship to God this week, acknowledging His holiness and beauty?

Day 5: Creation's Joy in God's Righteous Judgment

The promise of God's righteous judgment is a reason for all creation to rejoice. Psalm 96 speaks to all creation, inviting the heavens, earth, sea, and fields to rejoice because the Lord is coming to judge the earth with righteousness and truth. This judgment is not something to fear but to rejoice in, as it promises justice and righteousness for all creation. When God sets things right, creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption, sharing in the joy of renewed humanity. [27:08]

Romans 8:21-22 (ESV): "That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now."

Reflection: How can you join in creation's joy and anticipation of God's righteous judgment, and what steps can you take to align your life with His justice and righteousness?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 96 is a profound call to worship that extends from the people of God to the nations and ultimately to all of creation. This psalm, possibly authored by David, invites us to sing a new song to the Lord, emphasizing the freshness and excellence of our worship. Singing a new song is not just about novelty but about a renewed awareness of God's love and grace. It is a call for all the earth to join in this worship, recognizing that God is not a local deity but the Lord of all creation. This universal call to worship is beautifully fulfilled in Revelation 5:9, where all of redeemed humanity praises God with a new song.

The psalm encourages us to proclaim the good news of God's salvation daily, emphasizing that this good news never becomes old or stale. God's glory, described as the majestic aura of His divine presence, is something we are to declare among the nations. This glory is weighty and substantial, reflecting God's impressive nature. The psalmist reminds us that God is great and greatly to be praised, not with empty words but with an understanding of His greatness in love, power, holiness, and justice.

The psalm also calls us to give to the Lord the glory due to His name, emphasizing that our worship should be sacrificial, recognizing God's holiness and beauty. This call to worship is not just for individuals but for all families of the earth, connecting back to God's promise to Abraham that all families would be blessed through him. The psalm concludes with a declaration to the nations that the Lord reigns and will judge the peoples righteously. This judgment is not something to fear but to rejoice in, as it promises justice and righteousness for all creation.

Finally, the psalm speaks to all creation, inviting the heavens, earth, sea, and fields to rejoice because the Lord is coming to judge the earth with righteousness and truth. This is a promise of restoration and renewal, not just for humanity but for all creation, which will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. This psalm points us to Jesus Christ, who embodies the good news of salvation, the strength and beauty of God, and the righteous judge who will set all things right.

Key Takeaways

1. new mercies of God. [02:29]
2. Proclaim the Good News Daily: The good news of God's salvation is timeless and never becomes old. We are called to proclaim this good news from day to day, recognizing that it remains as powerful and relevant today as it was two thousand years ago.

3. God's Glory and Greatness: God's glory is the majestic aura of His divine presence, and His greatness is evident in His love, power, holiness, and justice. Our praise should be thoughtful and intelligent, recognizing the substance and weight of God's glory.

4. Worship with Sacrifice: True worship involves giving to God, not just receiving. We are called to bring offerings and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, recognizing that sacrifice is an appropriate response to God's greatness.

5. Creation's Joy in God's Judgment: The promise of God's righteous judgment is a reason for all creation to rejoice. When God sets things right, creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption, sharing in the joy of renewed humanity.

** [02:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - Introduction to Psalm 96
[01:17] - Worship with a New Song
[02:59] - Praise from All the Earth
[04:38] - Proclaiming Salvation Daily
[05:59] - Declaring God's Glory
[07:04] - Reasons for God's Praise
[08:49] - God Above All Gods
[10:15] - The Reality of God's Creation
[12:30] - Giving Glory to God
[14:07] - Families of the Peoples
[16:45] - Sacrificial Worship
[19:41] - Declaration to the Nations
[23:41] - Joyful Creation
[28:04] - God's Righteous Judgment
[33:08] - Pointing to Jesus Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Psalm 96

Bible Reading:
- Psalm 96
- Revelation 5:9
- Romans 8:21

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Observation Questions:

What does Psalm 96 invite us to do, and who is included in this invitation? ([01:29])
How does the psalmist describe God's glory, and what are we encouraged to do with it? ([05:42])
According to the sermon, what is the significance of singing a "new song" to the Lord? ([02:15])
What is the relationship between God's judgment and creation's joy as described in the sermon? ([23:41])

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the call to "sing a new song" reflect a renewed awareness of God's love and grace? What might this look like in a believer's life? ([02:29])
In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's glory is both substantial and weighty? How should this understanding affect our worship? ([06:23])
The sermon mentions that God's judgment is something to rejoice in. How can this perspective change the way we view justice in our world today? ([23:41])
How does the promise of creation's renewal in Romans 8:21 relate to the themes of restoration and renewal in Psalm 96? ([26:34])

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your current worship practices. How can you incorporate the idea of singing a "new song" to keep your worship vibrant and alive? ([02:29])
The sermon emphasizes proclaiming the good news of God's salvation daily. What are some practical ways you can share this good news in your daily interactions? ([05:05])
Consider the areas in your life where you can give God the glory due to His name. What specific actions can you take to honor God in these areas? ([12:57])
How can you make your worship more sacrificial, recognizing God's holiness and beauty? What might you need to give up or change to achieve this? ([17:31])
The sermon speaks of creation rejoicing in God's righteous judgment. How can you contribute to the care and stewardship of creation in your community? ([23:41])
Identify a situation in your life where you long for justice. How can you find peace in the promise of God's righteous judgment? ([22:43])
Reflect on the strength and beauty of God as seen in Jesus Christ. How can you embody these attributes in your relationships and daily life? ([34:24])

Sermon Clips

O sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth sing to the Lord, bless his name proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day declare his glory among the nations his wonders among all peoples you have to love how psalm 96 begins with that simple declaration to you to me to every one of us sing to the Lord a new song. [00:01:29]

Now God loves to receive the rejoicing and praise of his people, especially expressed in song, I mean we can worship and praise God just with our words of course, but he loves it in song but we could say especially the new song and you know a new song can come from old saints as they gain a fresh awareness of God's love. [00:02:00]

Proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day that means that we should never stop proclaiming the good news of his salvation do it from day to day do it today and do it tomorrow do it from day to day this is good news that never gets old you know when it says that we should proclaim the good news of his salvation. [00:04:45]

The good news of what God has given us in Jesus Christ is just as good today as it was two thousand years ago and so we can proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day just as it says there in verse 3 we can declare his glory among the nations now what's the idea of glory what does it mean to declare the glory of God. [00:05:27]

Well glory is not an easy word to define we just kind of think of it as being just sort of the uh well I like what James Montgomery Boyce said about this he called it the majestic aura of the divine presence in other words it's just what surrounds God and what is part of God it's the emanation of his person it is his glory. [00:05:55]

The original Hebrew word for glory khabad it really refers to something impressive or heavy it has substance it has weight to it and that's what our God is he's filled with light he's filled with these emanations of his strength and his power and his wonder but it is all marked by something very impressive something very weighty. [00:06:23]

The psalmist was not interested in giving God empty praise unthinking praise no he spoke intelligently why do I praise God look it's not just like I'm on a whoo yay God team it's much more has much more substance than that you see now he's going to speak regarding the greatness of God and he notices that the greatness of God makes him greatly to be praised. [00:07:40]

God is marked by strength and beauty we see a lot of things in our world that are strong but not beautiful and we see a lot of things in our world that are beautiful but not strong in God we have this amazing combination of strength and beauty I like what Charles Spurgeon had to say about that he said in him are combined all that is mighty and lovely powerful and resplendent. [00:11:18]

Give to the Lord the glory do his name you see here it calls upon all the families of the peoples that's the phrase used in verse 7 to give glory and strength that belong to God and that are in all of his being now I want you to notice first of all the emphasis of this it's repeated three times you notice that in verse seven give to the Lord o families of the peoples. [00:13:03]

Understand this we come into God's presence to receive of course we come to receive but also to give to him we give him our time we give him our attention we give him our worship our surrender our service our resources and much more we should not come to church or to the gatherings of God's people we should not come to church with the thinking that we are there just to take. [00:15:57]

The psalmist called the world to worship God in the recognition of his holiness and to see that there is a beauty connected to his holiness now beauty and holiness are not often connected ideas in our popular culture we think of something beautiful we don't think of it as being holy we think of something being holy we don't think of it as being beautiful. [00:18:00]

The Lord reigns the world also is firmly established it shall not be moved and he shall judge the peoples righteously here the psalmist whether it was David or somebody else is stirring up the nations okay say this among the nations this theme of speaking to the entire earth that continues on it's calling the people of the world to worship and to honor God as they should. [00:19:48]

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