Enter His Gates — Thankfulness Is Worship’s Front Door

Dardanelle Missionary Baptist Church — Dardanelle, Arkansas

Pastor Chuck Trusty — Sunday morning service, October 11, 2026 Give Thanks · Lesson 1 of 7 · Psalm 100

► Watch this lesson on video (36:38)

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Thankfulness Is Worship’s Front Door

This is the lesson the way it was preached on Sunday morning - near word for word. The “uh”s and the starts-over are taken out; the sentences are left the way they were said. Bible verses are printed exactly as they read in the King James. Anything marked GOING DEEPER was NOT preached on Sunday morning - it is extra study for anyone who wants to dig further.

Well, it is good to see each of you in our services this morning . . . and we are going to talk this morning about how important it is to be THANKFUL. I want to start with a verse that shows us just how important being thankful to God actually is.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” - Romans 1:21 (KJV)

Now it is interesting to note that one of the very first things Jesus named, when a people drifted away or turned their back on God . . . was how that people became UNTHANKFUL. We have all heard about that house built upon the sand in Matthew chapter seven - well, the idea here this morning is that thankfulness is pretty much the FOUNDATION that is holding our lives together. Our life is either built upon the sand - we understand the metaphor there - or our house is built upon the rock. A house built upon the sand will collapse when things get stormy . . . a house built upon the rock will stand. And if we are thankful to God in our lives, well, it goes a long, long way in strengthening the very foundation of our lives.

Notice the One Hundredth Psalm, verses one through five.

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” - Psalm 100:1-5 (KJV)

Now we see five verses that we just read, and there are SEVEN commandments in these five verses . . . and right smack dab in the middle of those commandments is the commandment to enter into His gates. How? With THANKSGIVING. So the one point of our lesson this morning is this:

Thanksgiving is the way into the front door of all worship.

The point there is that we cannot worship with an unthankful heart.

The Gate Is What Comes First

Now you will notice here in the scripture that the gate is what comes FIRST. Look at verse four.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” - Psalm 100:4 (KJV)

Enter into His gates - not empty-handed. This sets up a picture of the way they worshipped back yonder in the Old Testament. The Jews went to the temple, and the first thing they encountered was the GATE. Well, when we come to worship God on Sundays and Wednesdays, what is the first thing we encounter after we get out of the parking lot? It is the front door. So I want you to picture the gate as pretty much the same thing as our front door - and they entered the gate of the Old Testament temple not empty-handed, but carrying thanksgiving.

And when we walk through the door of this church house, do we walk in empty-handed? Typically we are carrying our Bibles with us when we walk through that door. So that is a picture I want you to put in your head: the Old Testament saints went through the gates of the temple carrying thanksgiving . . . just like we walk through that back door, hopefully carrying our Bibles. And after we walk through that door carrying our Bibles, where is the next place we go? We carry our Bible into the auditorium, where we offer worship to God - where we praise God as opposed to praising one another. In the Old Testament they did it the same way every single time, and they did not deviate from it, just like we do. In order to get into the auditorium to offer worship, you have to go through the door.

Well, the idea is that the worshipper is supposed to carry something into the worship service. He is supposed to carry a thankful HEART . . . and he is supposed to carry an attitude of praise. You see, thanksgiving is equal to a thank offering - or at least it was, back in the Old Testament temple worshiping days. It was a gift to tell God, “Thank you, God.” And that is the idea behind the phrase, “enter into his gates with thanksgiving.” Do not come empty-handed. Do not come to this church house with a blank mind - “Well, what has God ever done for me? What in the world do I have to be thankful for?” When you go through that door, go through it with an attitude that you have already begun to count your blessings . . . “I am coming here to worship a God who has already blessed me this way, and this way, and this way, and this way.”

If we enter this church house with that attitude, I guarantee you our worship will go a great deal better . . . our worship will be a great deal more pleasing to God than if we come through those doors not carrying thanksgiving, but carrying a LIST of stuff that we want God to give us. You see the difference in attitude? Come through the gates of the house of worship carrying a thankful attitude - not just a wish list.

Notice the Order

Now I want you to notice the order here. Let’s look at verses seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen of the One Hundred Sixteenth Psalm.

“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the LORD’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.” - Psalm 116:17-19 (KJV)

You will notice the way that is worded - he OFFERS thanksgiving. And once again, the idea of thanksgiving is a thank offering. You know, we pass the plate and you put a dollar or whatever it is in the offering plate, and we always think, “Well, that is the offering.” But in the days of the Old Testament they actually brought SACRIFICES . . . and the first sacrifice they gave was an offering that represented their thankfulness to God. So picture that. And notice the order: “I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.” I am going to tell You how thankful I am before I even start praying. I am going to tell You how thankful I am before I start pointing to my wish list.

So I simply want to reinforce the concept here that before one request was ever made to God in prayer, the worshipper entered into the door of a house of worship with an attitude - in this case, with a literal offering of thankfulness - and THEN he went into the auditorium to offer praise unto God.

GOING DEEPER · THE WORD BEHIND “THANKSGIVING”

Not preached on Sunday morning - extra study.

The word the psalmist uses for “thanksgiving” in verse four is the Hebrew word for the THANK OFFERING. It is the same word the Law uses for the offering a worshipper carried up the hill in his own two hands - a gift that said one thing and one thing only, “Thank You for what You have already done.” And the little heading above the psalm - “A Psalm of praise” - reads in the Hebrew “a psalm for the thank offering.” So when we read “enter into his gates with thanksgiving,” we are not reading about a feeling . . . we are reading about something carried through the door.

“Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.” - Psalm 95:2 (KJV)

The Back Door to the Want List

Now, most of our praying - and I am just being honest, I am looking at it from my own perspective - most of our praying comes through what I am going to call the BACK door . . . straight to the want list. What I mean by that is that we skip the front part, the thanksgiving part. Notice Philippians chapter four and verse six, and we are going to go back to the Eighty-ninth Psalm in just a second, so you might want to put a finger in the Psalms.

“Be careful (full of worry) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” - Philippians 4:6 (KJV)

Be careful for nothing - now that means do not be full of worry, do not be anxious about anything. And the thing that is intended to take that anxious attitude away is this: “but in every thing by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING” - thanksgiving for what we have already been blessed with - “let your requests be made known unto God.”

I always try to come up with examples that are everyday relatable. We do not do horseback rides anymore, but we all know what that means and we see it on TV all the time. Well, picture my want list to God in prayer being carried on the back of a horse . . . and what do you think that horse is? The horse is the attitude of THANKFULNESS. If thankfulness is not there, my wish list to God has nothing to carry it. Can you think of it that way?

Here is another way. If you spend any time over in Russellville you are going to get stopped at the train tracks - and what is typically at the front of the train? The ENGINE. Well, thankfulness should typically be at the front of our prayers. And what is at the back end of a train? The caboose. Oftentimes we get the two reversed and we want our wish list to pull everything . . . and if we have time, and if we are having a good day, “Oh, well, thank you, God, for my good day.” Does that mean we are not supposed to be thankful when our day is not good? Last time I checked, the Bible says that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose - now, there are some conditions in there, and I am doing that from memory, but that is close. The idea is that if we have a good day, well, yes, God has a hand in that . . . but if we have a bad day, God also has a hand in that. You remember the song - I am not going to go there - but it makes a valid point: the God on the mountain is the same God that is in the battle.

God’s Front Porch

We live in a rural community - say “rural” three times, that is one of the most difficult words there is to say - and if you go to a neighbor’s house you go up on the porch and say, “Hey, how you doing?” You have some little small talk, and THEN you get down to what you really went over there to visit with your neighbor about. Nobody who expects to get what they are needing just jumps up on the front porch, throws the door of the neighbor’s house open, goes inside, and says, “Kenneth, now this is what I want you to do.” That is just not the way it is done. If we ever did something like that, it would show that I did not have a whole lot of respect for Kenneth . . . I was not concerned about being courteous, and this is Kenneth’s house, and I am not honoring him at all - I am just barging in there making demands.

GOING DEEPER · RESPECT SHOWS UP AT THE DOOR

Not preached on Sunday morning - extra study.

Respect for God does not wait until we have found our seat - it shows up right at the door. Psalm 89:7 - “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.” The fear of the LORD we stood on last Sunday morning - that deep respect for who God is - is the very thing that makes a man stop at the porch and say hello before he asks for a single thing.

Notice the One Hundredth Psalm again, verse four. Enter into His gates with WHAT? Thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise - be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. Well, the idea of our example about barging in the front door and making demands is this: verse four is describing God’s FRONT PORCH. And thanksgiving is the greeting we are taught here to give to God out on the front porch, before we ever enter the door of His church house.

Now, is that the way we approach worship? Let’s put it this way. Do we walk through that door back there with a Bible in our hand, intent on worshiping and praising God? Or am I going to leave my Bible out in the car and bring a magazine in - I am going to go through that door intent on looking at this magazine while that preacher gets up there and goes on and on and on? You see the difference? Do we enter into His courts with thanksgiving . . . or do we enter into His courts empty-handed, carrying something we value in the flesh and leaving what is valuable to God on the outside? How in the world do we expect to worship if we enter into church with that kind of attitude?

I just want to throw a cautionary note out here. I am not talking about the possible loss of our salvation, people. I am talking about God’s saved, born-again children. It is possible for a child of God to have an attitude of thankfulness for everything God has done for them . . . or it is possible for that same child of God to ignore everything God has done for them and simply live a selfish life in terms of this world. Such a child will not lose their salvation - but they will lose all the BLESSINGS that God desires to give them.

Back when I was growing up, I liked TV probably a little bit too much when I was younger. And I remember on the rare occasions when company did come to see us, the first thing Daddy did, while they were still out in the yard before they ever got in the house, was turn the TV off. Well, what was that for? It was a show of respect - this person has come to visit, and I am not going to spoil our visit by watching television and ignoring the visitor. So when we come through that door and settle down here in the auditorium to worship God, are we like watching television in our mind? Are we thinking about all the stuff that is going on out in the world and ignoring whose house this is? I have got a news flash for you . . . God can read our minds, folks. You may fool the preacher, you may fool the person sitting next to you, but no man is able to fool God.

Something else I have noticed at our house - the kids come over, and the first thing the kids do is sometimes one thing and sometimes another. They hit the door and the first thing they say is, “Where is Granny? Where is Granny? I want to give her a hug.” Oh, that is a good thing, right? But sometimes they go through the door and the first thing they say is, “Where are the cookies? Where are the cookies? Where are the cookies?” And they put Granny’s hug in second place. Well, my point is that oftentimes we do the same thing with God. We come to church looking for COOKIES, when the first thing we should do when we come to church is hug God’s neck and thank Him for what He has done for us.

GOING DEEPER · FOR THE ONE WHO CAME IN HURTING

Not preached on Sunday morning - extra study.

This is not a rule that says God will not hear a prayer that skipped the porch. Peter, sinking in the water, did not stop to say thank you first - he cried out, and he got no lecture on manners. Matthew 14:30 - “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” The gate of thanksgiving is the pattern for our daily walk . . . it is not a lock on the door for the one who is desperate.

So when was the last time we went to God in prayer and did not ask Him for anything . . . when the only purpose for our prayer was to say, “Thank You, God”? When is the last time we prayed that kind of prayer? Once again, thanksgiving is the way into the front door of all worship - we cannot worship without thanksgiving.

We Are Thankful Because of What We Know

Now, another thing that is interesting . . . why are we thankful? In regard to our relationship to God, and the things we are talking about here, we are thankful because of what we KNOW. Look first at verse three of the One Hundredth Psalm.

“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” - Psalm 100:3 (KJV)

Know ye three things. Now, has someone ever done something really good for you, really nice to you, and you benefited, but you did not know who that person was? You did not know who to thank. Or perhaps you were just so busy with life you did not even notice anybody doing anything good - you just trudged on through life. Well, you never singled anybody out to thank them because you were ignorant of what they had done for you. That is the stage I want to set here, and that is the point I want us to realize. If we are unthankful to God, there could be several reasons - we could just be rebellious, mean, whatever, selfish - and that is one lesson. But what I am talking about this morning is this: if we are unthankful to God, is it perhaps because we are IGNORANT of what God has done for us? We do not know that God has paid off the mortgage. We do not know that God has done this, this, or this. If we knew who it was, we would single them out and thank them. The purpose of the lesson this morning is so that we will know what God has done, and perhaps that knowledge will move us toward a thankful heart.

Thanksgiving is basically a CONCLUSION, if you will - a conclusion based upon things we have been made aware of in our lives. You cannot thank that neighbor for something he did while you were away if you are unaware of what your neighbor did for you. There are three facts that should draw us toward being thankful, and all three are mentioned here in verse three.

Fact one: the LORD, He is God. God is the one who spoke all things into existence. God is the one who has the power - literally the power of life and of death. Don’t you think it is appropriate to be thankful to that God?

“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:” - Isaiah 45:5 (KJV)

I have done good things for you, and you do not have a clue who I am . . . well, that is on us. The point is there is no one else for us to thank.

Fact two: God made us on purpose. “It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.” He made us on purpose, in His own image. Well, what do you mean by the image of God? There are three that bear record in heaven - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost - and we are made in God’s image. We have a mind, we have a body, and we have a spirit. We think with our mind, we feel with our body, and our spirit is the part that has life. We could chase that further, but we are going to stop there. And the Bible tells us that God created the earth to be inhabited - inhabited by who? To give US a home.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” - Genesis 1:27 (KJV)

Don’t you think God deserves a thank-you for making us - for giving us a place to live?

Fact three: we belong to Him. We are the sheep of His pasture. Now this is kind of against our culture - we do not know a whole lot about shepherds and sheep - but basically a shepherd is the individual who literally takes care of the sheep. Sheep are not like a bunch of cows. Sheep, I have read, are about the dumbest animals on the earth . . . just dumb as a box of rocks. Well, the shepherd takes care of those sheep, and that is what the shepherd does. And the PASTURE is the field where the shepherd feeds the sheep.

So let’s transition from an agricultural scene to a spiritual scene. Jesus is the Great Shepherd. We are those dumb sheep. And where does Jesus feed us spiritually? Does the New Testament church pop into anybody’s mind? That is the pasture . . . that is the field - the area where the Shepherd, Jesus Christ, feeds us as His sheep. So you might wonder, “Well, what is the purpose of the church?” If you want to spend your life hungry, okay, then spend that life as a child of God OUTSIDE of the church - because the church is where the feed is.

A thankful heart is aware of all three of these facts: the LORD is God . . . He has made us, and we did not make ourselves . . . and we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. We possess a thankful heart because we are aware of what God has done for us. Now, if you are aware of what God has done for you and you just do not care, well, that is a whole different kettle of fish, and we are not going to go there this morning. But if you are a saved, born-again child of God and you are made aware of just some of what God has done for you, then you cannot help but develop a thankful attitude toward God.

GOING DEEPER · WHO BOUGHT THE GROCERIES

Not preached on Sunday morning - extra study.

Think about a child at the supper table. That child did not buy the groceries . . . did not cook the meal . . . and did not build the table it is sitting at. Nothing on that table is a result of anything he did. But a child who has been raised right - raised to respect God and to respect his mama and daddy - says “thank you” anyway. Not because he feels like it on that particular night, but because he knows where the supper actually came from. It was a GIFT. The thanks we offer comes from what we know about the kindness and the mercy of God.

And the sheep have more to be thankful for than just the pasture. They have the Shepherd - because of how the Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep. John 10:11 - “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” And everything a sheep needs comes from the Shepherd. Psalm 23:1-2 - “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” We can always look past our circumstance to the circumstance of the cross.

Thankfulness Does Not Depend on the Weather

Let’s look at verse five.

“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” - Psalm 100:5 (KJV)

I have seen this so many times I have lost count. Everything is going good, we are on the mountaintop, and, “Oh, I am thankful to God” . . . but that thankfulness evaporates when we are no longer on the mountaintop and we are down in the valley. Thankfulness is not dependent upon circumstances. The God we love, serve, and are thankful to on the mountaintop is the exact same God who is in charge of everything when we are down in the valley. God’s purpose is not to keep us on the mountaintop - God’s purpose is to teach us, to mold us, to shape us into what we need to be. Sometimes we need that mountaintop experience, but we also need those valley experiences.

I am thinking of a sculptor, or a whittler. I want to whittle this stick of wood and make a certain shape, and I cannot shape that wood without cutting something OFF. We cannot be shaped into the Christians God desires us to be without ever having something cut off of our lives. So feelings come and feelings go . . . but God’s goodness, mercy, and truth are always strong, and they are always available to us. Is our thank-you something that is built upon how our week has gone - or is our thank-you built upon who God is, as the One who is holding our particular week?

The Homework

I have asked our musicians to come forward as we prepare for an invitational hymn, and I am going to give you a homework assignment. I am putting before you the idea that every prayer you offer this week, you offer that prayer through the gate of thanksgiving.

Now, I am going to go through the prayer . . . and I want you to recall to your mind what you are thankful for. Pick THREE things. And not just general stuff - “I am glad to be an American,” or whatever - but, boy, I dodged the bullet on that one. Anybody ever been there? Well, who do you think nudged you over so that bullet did not hit you? I am speaking metaphorically. What about that person - “Preacher, I just could not have done that without so-and-so”? That is a blessing from God, and that is something we should be thankful for. What about when circumstances just kind of start falling in around us, and, “Man, I never expected that to work out” . . . but you know, it did? Duh. These are things we should be thankful for.

GOING DEEPER · THREE THINGS, NAMED PLAINLY

Not preached on Sunday morning - extra study.

When we said to name three things before we ask for one, we meant specific things, not general ones. Name the MERCY God extended to us this week - the one we know for certain we did not deserve. Name the PERSON who helped us, who was a blessing to us this week. And name the PROVISION we received - the help that came in just when it was needed. “I could not have made it through the winter with that hole in my roof.” That kind of thing.

And here is what we will find out, if we do this assignment. The worshipper who comes in through the gate of thanksgiving is a person who is already worshiping by the time he gets to the courts . . . and half of what he came in to complain about looks entirely different from inside the house of worship. So which door have we been coming in - the front door or the back door?

And one other little caveat. I do not know how y’all do at mealtime, but what we should all do when we sit down and put our feet under the table is pray out loud - thank God for the meal, and thank Him for His blessings. If you do not do that, I strongly encourage you to begin doing it. And for those who have little children - where in the world do you think they are going to learn how to pray if we do not teach them? If Mom and Daddy never pray in front of them, how are they ever going to learn to pray, or what to pray for? It would not hurt a single thing for your children at the supper table to hear Daddy pray out loud, “God, thank You for the food, and thank You for that neighbor who really helped me get out of that mine. I do not know what I would have done without their help.” There is nothing wrong with that. Nothing to be ashamed of . . . and that is not being Pentecostalish.

Have you ever been upset because somebody came up to you and said, “Thank you for what you did”? Has it ever rubbed you the wrong way? Well, have you ever been a little upset because somebody OWED you a thank-you and it never came? Do we really want to offend God like that? I would a lot rather God be glad that I thanked Him than a little bit put out with me because I did not thank Him. “Oh, well, I am thankful, but I am too ashamed to say it out loud where other people can hear.” We need to pray about these things.

To Rejoice in God's Power

  

   Ps 33: 1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
   2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

   3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

   4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

   5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. 

   6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

    7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

    8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

    9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

   Beginning here in verse #6 we are told that everything that was made . . . was made or brought into being – by the spoken word of God.

   In the book of Genesis during the seven days of creation . . . God SAID “let there be ____ “ and there was ____”

  To gather the waters of the sea together as an heap – refers to how that it was “the power of God” that formed the seas – This describes how God simply “commanded” the dry land to appear (when in the days of Genesis) He gathered the waters together to form the sea . . .

    This should not appear to be strange to us . . . for in Mark 4 we read where Jesus commands both the wind and the sea . . .

    Mark 4: 35 ¶ And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

    36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

    37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

    38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

    39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

    40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

    41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

   To answer the question of “The kind of man that Jesus is” . . . we are told here in the 33 Psalm that He is the kind of man that should be praised . . .

   Jesus was present during the days of Genesis . . . we are told in John 1: 1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    2 The same was in the beginning with God.

    3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

    4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

    5 ¶ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

   And in verse 14 of this same chapter we are told that this WORD became the literal flesh of the man we know in the scriptures as Jesus Christ.

    14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

   This passage teaches us WHY Jesus had the power in Mark 4 to command the wind and sea . . . Jesus had the power to command them . . . because just a few years before this (about 4000 before) He was with God in the beginning . . . 

   In fact in the days of Genesis He WAS God . . . and all things were made by Him . . . Psalms 33:7 contains the phrase “to lay up the depth in storehouses” . . . this refers to the layer of water that is found under the earth – to what we refer to today as the “underground” water table – 

   In the days before the flood of Noah – it is believed that the continents actually floated on layers of water the way we know they today “float” on layers of molten rock called magma . . . and the flood resulted when “the 

   fountains of the deep were broken up” and this vast layer of underground water that God had caused to be “laid up in the depth in storehouses” was suddenly released . . . and the result was the Great Flood of Noah.

   Gen 8: 1  And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;

   2 The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

   If the heavens and the earth came into being by the word of God – then this same God still has power over His creation . . . and if we are Indeed His   creation – then we have a responsibility to fear, to honor and to respect our creator . . .

   Pr 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

  To deny God as creator – is to give man no reason to fear God – and without a reason to fear/respect God . . . a man will never find knowledge – wisdom

  – or understanding . . . knowledge of God as creator teaches man the wisdom of seeking God (we seek God in order to avoid the pain of being separated from God) . . . eternal separation from God is what occurs in a place called HELL as a result of condemnation.

   and knowledge of condemnation – this is what teaches man to “understand” the consequences of what it means to reject God . . . Wisdom allows us

   to see “the difference” between right and wrong . . . knowledge is what puts "a face" on the truth so that it can be recognized through wisdom . . . and 

   then there is the motive for seeking knowledge and wisdom . . . and that motive is called “understanding” as we realize the consequences of walking through life blind – without any idea of God’s definition of what is truly right or wrong . . . 

   the fool is guided through life by HIS OWN concept of right and wrong . . . while the man who fears God is guided by how his creator has defined right and wrong . . .

    Pr 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

   Wisdom teaches us that the right thing to do is to obey God . . . knowledge teaches us WHO God is (He is Holy – He is our creator) . . . understanding

   teaches us that the smart thing to do . . . is to give in (or surrender) to the one who has power over the wind and the sea and to allow Him to also have power over our lives . . . 

The goodness of God

    Ps 33: 1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

   In a previous lesson – we determined that it was appropriate for “the righteous man” to have a thankful attitude toward God . . . and that the song of the righteous man’s
heart “for which God desires to hear from His people” is a song of praise . .  . 

   the type of song which God desires to hear from our heart is a “song of humility” – a song of thanksgiving . . . 

    and to play such a song “skilfully with a loud noise” refers to the fact that “as God’s people” we have become accustomed to a life of humility – and that we

    have NOT forsaken obedience to the commandment of God that we live in humility and forsake pride . . . so that as we become friends with humility and the enemy of pride . . . we

    also become strangers to rebellion against “God’s will for our lives” . . .  

   To be skillful and to play loudly – indicates that we have learned to allow our lives to be guided by a

    thankful attitude toward God . . . and that this attitude “speaks” from our lives so loudly – that “pride” and “haughtiness of spirit” are no longer part of our lives . . .

    Having learned to put God upon the throne of our lives . . . we now understand (and practice) the scripture in Pr 3: 6 which tells us . . . In ALL THY WAYS acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

    For the Word of The Lord is right . . . and all of the works of God are “according” to (or follow along the path of) His Truth . . . 

   The Bible teaches us that . . . God loves “to forgive” . . . and every man’s life (from Adam to the present) has been filled with “God given opportunities” to seek God’s eternal forgiveness of the sin of unbelief . . .

    John 3: 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is NOT condemned: but he that believeth not IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, “because” he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

    The Psalmist continues . . . For “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” which means that the world is full of the mercy and the kindness of God . . . 

   we see this in how God extends His hand of forgiveness to ALL men . . . we see the impartial goodness of the Lord as He allows it to rain upon the just as well as upon the unjust – we see this in God’s patience toward each of us 

   every time we are overtaken by rebellion . . . we see the goodness of God in how God upholds the governments of the world to maintain order among mankind (the countries of the world that are God fearing as well as those who have forsaken God – we share equally in this blessing) . . . 

    we see the goodness of God in the spring time which gives ALL men hope for the future . . . 

   We see the goodness of God in the Summer time which gives ALL men the strength/opportunity to work toward their dreams . . .

   

   We see the goodness of God in “the fall” which reminds each of us (or it should) that the strength of our youth is something that will one day end . . .

   We see the goodness of God in the winter of our lives which reminds us of God’s love – God’s patience – of our mortality – and of the reality of the eternal hope that we have in Christ.

   As we continue now with Ps 33: 6 we learn that . . .
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them (were created/made) by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

   It was not by the “chance of evolution” . . . but it was “By the word of the LORD” (that) the heavens (were) made; and all the host of them (also being
made) by the breath of his mouth (His spoken Word when He said in Genesis . . . Let there be ____ and there was _____ . . .

   this knowledge of our creation is simply an expansion of how the goodness of God is in all the earth . . .

This refers to how the heavens above us were literally created (not by changing or reforming what was already in existence) but that all of these
things were literally brought into being by the spoken Word of God . . .

    Gen 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6 And God said . . . and it was so . . .

   This is the goodness of God as shown to us in the creation . . . As His creation . . . we are not an accident of nature but we belong to God . . . 

   and God has A PURPOSE for each of our lives . . . and part of that purpose – is to be REMINDED that we have a creator who loves us and who wants to forgive us

PS 33: 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

When we speak of the creation – and specifically of God as the creator - I am reminded of what we read in II Peter 3: 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

You see – the point to denying God as creator – is simply a convenient way to avoid the realization of judgment . . . 

   

   if there is no intelligent design then there can be no intelligent “designer” . . . or no-one – or no power to which we can be held accountable – which infers that there is NO JUDGMENT . . . 

   we will end this lesson here – with the idea that if Satan is successful (by any means at all) in convincing any man that there is no Judgment . . . 

   then Satan has gained possession of that man’s soul . . . Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

   If this one verse in The Bible is not true . . . then none of the remaining verses should matter to us at all . . . Are you prepared for the day of judgment that awaits you after this life is over?

Rejoice in the Lord

   Psalms 33: 1-7
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

   In verse #1 we read . . . Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

  We are told here to rejoice or to be joyful “in the Lord” which refers to how we (as a righteous man) should be grateful (or happy) about our relationship with the Lord.

We also learn that this idea of "rejoicing" is specifically directed toward those who are righteous (which refers to the man who is living within the boundaries of God’s law). 

The idea being – that the man who has forsaken God’s Law – is a man who doesn’t have much to rejoice about . . . running from God is not a pleasant experience in any man's life.

This first verse ends by telling us that "praise" which is talking about (confession – and thanksgiving) are things that are appropriate (suitable - or fit) to be found in the life of a just man (a man whose “path of life” is not perfect but straight or directed within God's will).

Ps 33: 2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

“Praise the Lord” simply refers lifting the Lord up – it means to put God in His proper place in our lives by living with an attitude of thankfulness an humility . . . to praise

the Lord with harp – with the psaltery – or with an an instrument of ten strings – and for us to sing . . . refers to how we sometimes express the joy in our heart with song and music . . . 

  

  I think what we are being taught here – is simply that it is entirely appropriate (in our worship of God) to sing praises unto God from a thankful heart . . .

The new song that is referred to here - is the idea singing a fresh song (or singing with a renewed since of thankfulness) . . . and when we are told to play skillfully – this does not mean that (in our worship) God wants us to be “professional grade” musicians . . .

   What He is telling us – is that God desires our “songs of praise” to be beautiful (not necessarily in melody) but in respect to how our songs should reflect a thankful heart – a heart that really does
love and admire God . . . this is the “fresh sound” for which God listens – this is “the type of song” that god is hoping to hear among his children . . .

4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

“The word of the Lord” – is a phrase that can properly be considered as "how" God has chosen to provide for us . . . We learn here that the provisions which God has provided for us – are things that are good, they are things which are right – and they are just exactly what we need . . .

Everything that God does is steady – everything that God does is true – and everything that God does is “right down the line”.

Ps 33: 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

At first glance – the phrase “For God to love righteousness AND judgment” appears to contradict one another . . . why would God love judgment when for the most part "judgment" means pain – injury – death . . .? 

  2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

You see – the idea that God loves judgment – does not mean that

  God loves condemnation – but it means that God loves the idea of extending a pardon – to those who repent.

In our first verse the word “Righteousness” refers to the description of a man whose character is upright – just – or virtuous . . . a righteous man . . .

We can easily understand why God would love this type of character . . . But now let’s consider the word “Judgment” as it is used here . . . this is actually a legal term – it literally refers to a verdict – or to being sentenced in a court of law – it actually refers to “the act” of
justice or to the ultimate concept of being “fair” according to the dictates of the law (in this case God’s Law) . . .

  This concept of abiding by The Law is good for those on the right side of God’s Law . . . Now this does not refer to the ability to live a sinless life (because this cannot be achieved) – but it does refer
to the willingness to live in humility and obedience as we admit our faults (confess) our faults and repent . . . 

   But this concept of justice or being fair is not a good thing for those who live on the wrong side of the law . . . referring to those who live in pride such that they refuse to see their faults – they refuse
to admit any guilt and they never seek the forgiveness of God’s pardon . . . 

  which should cause each of us to consider the question of "which side of God’s law have we chosen to live our lives on . . ."

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

“Mercy” is related to the idea of compassion – while “the judgment” referred to here in James is related to condemnation (damnation).

God loves mercy – God loves to find the character of righteousness (humility) within the lives of His Children . . . 

   In keeping with our text verses -- it is suitable – it is appropriate – it is expected that God will find an attitude of “thankful praise” in such a man’s’ life (that is in the life of a righteous man).

God does not love condemnation – but God does love “the verdict of forgiveness” which is rendered (given/applied) in respect to those
who are washed in His blood through faith and repentance.  

Why worship?

Matt 16: 1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

“The Pharisees and the Sadducees” were religious leaders with much “political influence” during the time in which Jesus lived . . . Jesus was 

perceived by these political/religious groups “as a threat” to their brand of religion . . . In today's society - it would be like the Presidential 

candidates endorsing a particular religion . . . And as their “religion” increased – their “power base” would also increase . . . in the days of Jesus – because of the way in which religion and politics were 

intertwined – the religious views of “The Jew” were also his political views and the “Pharisees and the Sadducees” basically served as

opposing “party platforms” similar to the Democrat and Republican “platforms” which today allow each of us to identify ourselves with a particular “ideology” - which contain elements of political as well as religious concepts  . . . 

Well Jesus represented what amounted to (in His day) a THIRD party . . . Jesus was not a political activist at all – He repeatedly said and taught “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars ’ and render unto 

God the things that are God’s . . . So the reality of it was - that Jesus was not a threat to the political climate of the day but He was a threat to the religion of the day . . . Jesus 

never once attempted to revolutionize the Roman government – but He did come to reform the Jewish way of “worship”.

Matt 22: 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

The question here is . . . Is it lawful for a disciple of Jesus (a Christian) to pay taxes to the Roman Government?

 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

 21 They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

 22 When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Now this would have been a perfect opportunity for Jesus to have begun His political reform – The Roman government was one of the most corrupt institutions man has ever been a part of . . . there was graft – there was 

greed – taxes were high –and TAX MONEY was used to support this corrupt institution . . . but rather than resist (we find that as our example) Jesus paid His taxes to support a government that certainly did not spend that money in the pursuit of righteousness . . .

Matt 17: 24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?

 25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?

 26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

 27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

So Jesus was not interested in politics – and Jesus was not interested in changing the tax code to ensure that tax money was not used for things that He did not agree with  . . .  

We know this to be true or else He would not have paid taxes Himself – and He would have surely encouraged all of His disciples not to pay taxes either . . . but Jesus followed the law of the land . . . and until the law of 

the land opposes God’s law - so that like Daniel we must perform “one” at the expense of “the other” . . . we should follow Jesus’ example . . . and be good citizens of what is often a corrupt system . . . 

Like Jesus our purpose is not to reform our government . . . but rather “as God’s people” our purpose is to sustain (maintain) a particular way of worship (often in the midst of much corruption) by “making disciples” and teaching those disciples what Jesus has taught us. 

Matthew 28: 19 (To the church – to the true worshipers) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus was not a politician . . . Jesus did not come to this earth to establish a new form of government – Jesus came to this earth for TWO reasons only

1)  To seek and to save that which was lost . . . by giving Himself a ransom for many and

2)  To fulfill the Old Testament pattern of worship (under the Law of Moses) and to put in its’ place The New Testament pattern of worship

(which He did through the New Testament Church).  All of the rules – all of the sacrifices – all of the things which defined the Old Testament way of

worship were replaced by a New Testament (by a New commandment) or a new law . . . that no longer required all of the symbols – and all of the

sacrifices which the worshiper under the Law of Moses was obligated to offer/perform . . .

Mt 5:17 (Jesus said) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Jesus came to fulfill “God’s will” in regard to teaching His people the method and the meaning of proper worship . . . Jesus was not a politician

Jesus was a teacher of righteousness . . . And in the society of His day - everything was OK until Jesus begin to show how God’s definition of

righteousness – was very "different" compared to how the Pharisees and the Sadducees had defined righteousness.  Righteousness that is defined by good works (worshiper centered) . . . defines a system of worship that is 

based upon how good a person the worshiper is . . . while righteousness that is defined by humility and submission . . . defines a system of worship that is based upon how good GOD is . . .

Pr 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

And this difference of attitude is what The New Testament system of worship is designed to teach us . . . Not how good WE are . . . but rather how good GOD is.