A Courageous Christian

Matthew 10:16-33

In last week’s Gospel study we read about Jesus sending out His disciples on their first mission, bringing His message throughout Galilee and Judea.  Today’s Gospel continues where last week’s left off, with Jesus telling them, and us today, that those who follow Him will face persecutions, what the cost of discipleship will entail, and also that we do not need to fear because God cares for us.  Let’s look at this teaching of the Lord Jesus, because what we read applies to all believers today, especially regarding persecution and having a bold witness.

Jesus begins His instruction to the disciples by warning them that they are being sent out like sheep among wolves (vs. 16).  Sheep are vulnerable, dependent, and gentle creatures, while wolves are aggressive, predatory, and in this situation, spiritually dangerous.  This world is not neutral to Christians.  Instead it is hostile to the Lord Jesus and His people (John 15:18-19).  Jesus told us that we need to be as wise as serpents when going out into a world that is hostile against our faith.  We need to be discerning and strategic, not naive.  He also told us to be as harmless as doves, pure, innocent, and without retaliation.  We must avoid compromise while also avoiding foolish provocation.  We may encounter threats, hardship, and even pain, but God assures us of His presence.

Continuing on, we are warned that we will also face persecution from religious and civil authorities (vs. 17-18).  We see this happening all across the globe, even in countries where we never would have expected it a few years back, but now there is persecution.  This is not a sign of failure, but of faithfulness.  God uses opposition to advance His Gospel, as it becomes a platform for witness.  When dragged before the authorities, Jesus tells us not to worry about what we will say, as He promises that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to speak (vs. 19-20).  That doesn’t mean that we don’t need to read and study God’s Word, but it is a promise that He will give us just the right words to answer those who come against us.

Jesus warns His followers that sometimes those who oppose them will be those in their own families (vs. 21-22).  Persecution may come from our siblings, our parents, or our children.  The words that “he that endures to the end shall be saved” is not salvation by endurance, but rather that endurance is the evidence of genuine salvation.  True believers will persevere, they won’t permanently fall away.  As Jesus’ followers, we are called to stand firm and share the Gospel.  We should not seek out martyrdom, nor be reckless, but instead Jesus tells us to move on when rejected (vs. 23).  Courage is not stupidity.  Christians may flee danger without denying Christ.

Our Savior faced persecution.  He was ridiculed, slandered, and called names, and we should expect similar treatment (vs. 24-25).  Opposition is normal, not the exception.  When we follow Him the world will be hostile to us.  Jesus tells us to not be afraid, but instead to speak openly and proclaim His message boldly (vs. 26-27).  There is to be no secret discipleship.  Public confession is important.  We do not need to fear men.  The worst they can do is kill the body.  Instead we must fear God (give reverential respect), as He can destroy both body and soul in hell (vs. 28).  Jesus states that there is a hell, and it is a serious thing to reject Him.  Human threats are temporary, but God’s judgment is eternal.

God is not a heartless God who doesn’t care what happens to His followers.  He loves and cares about each one of us in a personal and intimate way.  He is so involved in our lives that He knows the number of hairs that each of us has (vs. 29-31).  He loves all of His creation, so much so that He takes notice when a sparrow dies.  Don’t you think, then, that He cares more about you?

Lastly, we read about confessing or denying Christ before others (vs. 32-33).  We have two parallel truths - If we confess Christ before men, He will confess you before God the Father.  If we deny Christ before men, then He will deny you before the Father.  This is not about momentary fear, but instead a settled rejection.  Peter had a moment of fear and denied Jesus.  He had not rejected the Savior, though, and immediately repented.

In closing, as we look back over this Scripture passage, we see that we are called to be courageous Christians, ones who refuse to compromise, who speak God’s Word boldly, and who trust Him completely.  Jesus does not send His people into a world of ease, but into battle.  However, we don’t need to fear, as He goes with us and strengthens us.  In the end, Jesus promises eternal rewards for those who are faithful.

Two Men and Two Acts

Romans 5:12-19

The older we get, the more we can look back over our life and see that there were certain actions of ours that changed the whole trajectory of our life.  Maybe it was a certain job we applied for and got, or going on a date with a certain person.  Perhaps it was an angry reaction to something.  Some of these reactions turned our life onto a good course or path, while others maybe caused some bad things to happen.  Many times our actions will affect others lives, as well as our own, both positively or negatively, sometimes for several generations.  Often this is within our own family, like a blessing or curse handed down.  There was one action that a person took that affected each and every one of his descendants in a horribly, terrible way.  Our Scripture today describes this, and how someone else’s action brought a cure.  Let’s look at what this could be.

As we begin our Scripture study from the Book of Romans, the person whose actions affected each of his descendants is Adam.  Adam is the forefather of each and everyone of us, our over 100x great grandfather.  As we read in the second chapter of Genesis, God gave Adam one instruction, and that was not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17).  Sure enough, not too much later Adam disobeyed and brought sin into the world.  Sin entered the human race through Adam, and death is the direct result of sin (vs. 12).  Death spread to all men because all have sinned.  All mankind sinned in Adam, not merely because of imitating his actions.  Adam acted as the representative of the human race, and when he sinned, we sinned in him.  Therefore, all humans are born spiritually dead and corrupted.

As the Apostle Paul continues, he instructs us that death reigned even before the Law of Moses was given (vs. 13-14).  People died even when they had not broken a specific command like Adam did.  Therefore, death cannot be explained merely by one’s personal sins.  Death proved that Adam’s guilt was imputed or assigned to all mankind.   We can look back and see that we have received an awful inheritance because of one man's terrible action.  We inherited it just like eye color or height.  Is this our doomed destiny?  Let’s continue on.

Paul now contrasts two people - Adam and the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 15-17).  Adam’s one sin brought many offenses which resulted in condemnation, which causes death to reign.  However there is good news!  Jesus’ one act of obedience brings grace, justification, and causes believers to reign in life.  Jesus was obedient to God the Father by living a sinless life, and then taking our sins upon Himself and dying in our place upon the Cross.  When we believe and accept what Jesus did for us, His righteousness is imputed to us, or put on our account.  That is God’s gift to us.  Salvation is not earned, it is a gift.

As our Scripture continues we see that Adam and his act of disobedience brought condemnation for everyone.  However, Jesus’ obedience  brought justification to all who believe (vs. 18-19).  Adam’s disobedience made all sinners, but Jesus’ obedience made many righteous.  The “all” in Adam is literal, as all humanity has inherited Adam’s original sin.  However the “all” in Jesus refers to all those who have come to Jesus in faith, personally accepting His death as payment for their sins.  It is not a basis for the false teaching of universalism.

Adam’s sin brought condemnation and death to all people.  Through the righteous act of Jesus upon the cross, God provides eternal life and a righteous standing before Him.  Jesus’ act of love and obedience was powerful enough to overcome Adam’s one act of disobedience.

Adam and Jesus Christ are the two heads of humanity.  Adam is the natural head, and he brought death.  Jesus is the spiritual head, and He brings life.  Every person is in one of these two realms.  All people are born in Adam.  Only the gospel will transfer them into Christ.  When you come to Jesus for salvation your identity is no longer tied to Adam’s failure, but it is tied to Jesus’ victory.

In closing, we see that there were two men and two acts that affected and shaped all of humanity.  Just as a single, microscopic mold spore can multiply and spread mold throughout a building, a single act of disobedience caused widespread condemnation.  However, a single act of obedience, that of Jesus Christ, can reverse that and bring forgiveness of sins and salvation to all who have faith and believe in Him.

Drowning in Troubles

Psalm 69:1-18

Bodies of water, such as the ocean, a lake, and also a river, can be a beautiful thing to sit and watch, especially on a nice evening.  On a warm summer afternoon, people venture in to cool off, and children play along the shore.  However those same beautiful waters can turn from calm and placid to stormy, wild, and dangerous in just a matter of minutes.  Then, instead of something nice to be around, it has become a threat to our life.  Problems in our life are like that.  One moment everything is fine, and then the next it is threatening to drown us.  In our psalm today, we read of a desperate prayer that David made when his troubles and his enemies were overwhelming him like a flood, and he felt as if he was drowning.  This psalm also prophetically foreshadows the sufferings of the Lord Jesus.  Let’s take a look.

This psalm which David wrote begins immediately with his anguished and distressed prayer to God for deliverance (vs. 1-3).  He cried out for God’s rescue because his problems were like flood waters around him.  Anyone who has ever been in a serious flood knows that this is a dangerous situation.  David was totally helpless, and felt like he was emotionally drowning.  He was physically and spiritually exhausted, weary from crying, his throat was parched, and his eyes failed while waiting for God’s help.  This was not poetic exaggeration.  This was the Holy Spirit’s inspired record of a believer who was crushed under real affliction.  This also foreshadowed Jesus Christ’s suffering, especially His thirst (John 19:28).  As we study the first half of this psalm, we will see several parallels with the Savior.

Sometimes our problems come through our own faults and sins.  However, at other times they come through no fault of our own.  David’s enemies were attacking him without a cause, for no reason (vs. 4).  The Gospels directly apply this verse to Jesus (John 15:25).  David’s experience of unjust hatred prophetically figured that of what Jesus would endure.  The world’s hatred of God’s people is ultimately hatred of God Himself.

David then turns to confession of his sins (vs. 5).  This is not because these problems are a direct result of any specific sin, but he does this as a confession of humility.  David was a sinner, as we all are, and he was suffering unjustly.  Jesus was the sinless One who suffered on behalf of sinners.

David humbly prayed that the behavior and actions he had in response to his suffering would not cause shame to God’s people (vs. 6-7). He was suffering reproach for God’s sake. This also prophesied Jesus, who bore reproach for the Father’s glory (Romans 15:3).  Our response to suffering should never bring reproach on God’s Name.

One distressing thing that can happen when we are drowning in our problems or going through suffering is that our family and friends may step away or even abandon us.  David felt that (vs. 8).  He felt estranged from his own family.  Jesus also literally experienced this (John 7:5).  Another verse that is directly applied to Jesus is verse 9, for having zeal for God’s house.  The New Testament applied this to Jesus' cleansing of the Temple (John 2:17).

David was mocked, ridiculed, and slandered (vs. 10-12).  Community leaders gossiped about him.  And imagine how humiliating it would be to have the town drunks make songs about you!  This, though, mirrored the humiliation that Jesus endured during His earthly ministry and crucifixion.  David continued to pray that God, in His mercy and covenant love, would rescue him from these deep waters (vs. 13-15).  He asked God to hear him, draw near and deliver him (vs. 16-18).  This is the heart-cry of every suffering believer.  God’s nearness should be our greatest comfort.

Psalm 69 is one of the clearest prophetic psalms, showing Jesus’ suffering.  We see that He was hated without a cause, that He was consumed with a zeal for the Father and His holiness.  We see that Jesus bore reproach and suffered physically, including intense thirst, for which He was given gall and vinegar, shown later in the psalm in verse 21.

This psalm shows us that believers can, and often do, go through suffering, not because of any sins they committed, but because of righteousness.  This is contrary to what some preachers falsely teach, that believers should only have health, wealth, and prosperity.  We can follow David’s model on how to pray when overwhelmed, with honest lament, humble confession, having confidence in God’s character, and expectation of deliverance.  David did not hide his anguish, and neither do we need to.  Just as Jesus was hated without a cause, we can expect the world’s hatred, as well.

God hears the cries of His people even when the waters rise and strength fails.  Jesus entered the depths of suffering, not only to sympathize with us, but also to redeem us.  Therefore, no Christian ever suffers alone.

Jeremiah's Despair

Jeremiah 20:7-13

The Old Testament Scripture passage this week from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer takes us to the Prophet Jeremiah.  The messages that the Lord gave Jeremiah to bring to the people of Judah during the final years before the Babylonian captivity were not easy ones.  His ministry was a difficult, and often dangerous one. In today’s Scripture we will read how Jeremiah had consistently obeyed God, bringing His message, no matter how negatively and angrily the people received it, and yet things only got worse for him, so much so that he wanted to quit the ministry.  Let’s look at God’s Word for today.

Jeremiah lived from approximately 650 to 570 BC.  His ministry was to the Kingdom of Judah right prior and during the years of attack by the Babylonian empire, the people being taken into captivity, and the destruction of the city of Jerusalem.  This judgment upon the nation was because of their idolatry and disobedience to God’s Law.  Jeremiah preached that this judgment would come, and for the people to repent and return to the Lord.  Everywhere they went, there was Jeremiah, bringing God’s message of judgment, of repentance, urging them to return to Yahweh and follow His ways.  That was not a message which they wanted to hear, and they let him know in many ways.  His ministry brought him nothing but hostility, ridicule, and suffering.  He had been beaten, imprisoned, and even thrown into a muddy, sodden, miry pit.  It’s no wonder that Jeremiah was depressed and discouraged!

As our Scripture begins, Jeremiah had just been beaten and imprisoned by Pashur the priest.  He was sitting in his harsh prison cell where he poured out his inner turmoil before God.  His prayer went back and forth between despair and faith.  As Jeremiah began his lament to the Lord, he claimed that the Lord “induced” or “persuaded” him into this ministry (vs. 7).  God’s call to him and this ministry had overwhelmed any resistance he had.  But now he saw that this ministry was bringing him only reproach and even danger from the people.  It seemed that every message that the Lord gave him to proclaim was one of judgment, which brought anger from the people (vs. 8).

God’s truth will often provoke a hostile reaction from the world (John 15:18-20).  We also know that a faithful ministry will frequently bring suffering (II Timothy 3:12).  It is not a popular thing to confront the world with its sin!

There were times when Jeremiah tried to stop preaching.  Being of a more mild-mannered nature than some of the other bolder prophets, he did not like confrontation.  However, God’s Word became like a burning fire in his bones (vs. 9).  He could not keep quiet for long, and he returned to bringing the Lord’s message.  God’s Word is living and active, as we read in Hebrews 4:12.  Jeremiah could not keep silent for long.  With the Holy Spirit empowering him, his human fear was set aside.  As believers today, we have the message of life.  Let’s not be afraid to share it with others.

As Jeremiah went about his work for the Lord, he knew about and even heard the plots that his enemies made (vs. 10).  Even some of his friends and acquaintances stood off and did not come to his defense in his time of need.  Faithfulness to God may isolate us from others.  Standing for the Lord and His truth and Word often means standing alone (II Timothy 4:16-17).

Halfway through this Scripture passage, Jeremiah shifted from feeling deep despair to having confidence (vs. 11).  God’s presence with him outweighed all of the opposition he was facing.  Jeremiah knew the Lord was true, just, and loving.  Under all of his anger, he trusted Him, so he left this whole situation in God’s hands and rested in the peace He brought.  God has promised us that He will defend His servants who faithfully obey Him (Romans 8:31).  The wicked will ultimately fail, and divine justice is certain even if it is delayed.  Jeremiah didn’t exact his own vengeance upon his enemies (vs. 12).  He submitted all judgment to God (Romans 12:19).

Our Scripture ends with Jeremiah giving praise to the Lord (vs. 13).  As we see, he praised God before he even saw his deliverance.  When we have faith in God, we can praise Him based on His promises, not on our circumstances.  Jeremiah could not keep silent when he had the message from God’s Word, and his enemies could not silence him. Although he struggled with deep discouragement, Jeremiah had a Helper through all of his trouble.  God promised Jeremiah when He called him to this ministry that He would be with him through it all (Jeremiah 1:19).  He did not desert His prophet then, and He will not desert us now.

Compassion for the Lost Sheep

Matthew 9:35 - 10:15

Sometimes, when we are working on a project with several other people, when the workload is large, and we have a specific deadline to get this work done, it helps to split up into groups, each one handling a specific area.  Jesus and His disciples had the goal of reaching the people of Israel with His message of salvation.  Jesus also had a limited amount of time, as He knew that the time of His sacrifice upon the Cross was getting closer.  So for a short period of time, He would send out His disciples, two by two, to go separately to various communities in Galilee and Judea, bringing His message.  Our Gospel passage today speaks of this, as this is the first time that Jesus sends out the twelve on a preaching mission.  As we read our Scripture, we will see Jesus’ compassion for lost sinners, His calling of laborers, His commissioning of the disciples, and His warning that the Gospel ministry will bring both divine power and earthly opposition.

As we begin our Scripture passage, we read of Jesus going about the villages of Galilee, teaching the Gospel, preaching, and healing the sick (vs. 35-36).  Large crowds, multitudes, would gather around Him wherever He went.  Rather than getting irritated and worn out with their constant neediness, Jesus had compassion on them.  The Greek word here is splagchnizomai, which means having a deep, gut-level compassion.  The people were weary and scattered.  They were like sheep with no shepherd.  A sheep without a shepherd is in constant danger.  They can be victims of predators, disease, hunger, and an unshorn sheep quickly becomes a mess.  They were in this shape because Israel’s spiritual leaders had failed them.  People today, all across our communities are in the same spiritual shape.  Jesus had compassion on the people then, and He does today, as well.  Lost humanity is helpless without the Good Shepherd.

Looking out at the people Jesus saw that they were like a field of grain, ready for the spiritual harvest (vs. 37-38).  However there were few workers.  After His resurrection, when He would send the disciples out into the world, not just locally, the fields would be larger, and even more workers would be needed, so He told the disciples that they were to pray for more workers.  The fields are ripe now.  The harvest is ready now.  We are to be His laborers now, going out into the fields of our communities, country, and world, to bring in the harvest of souls for His kingdom.

Responding to the compassion He felt for these lost sheep, Jesus commissioned His twelve disciples to go out and bring His message throughout Galilee and Judea (vs. 1-4).  These twelve were not the only disciples that Jesus had.  There were others who followed Him closely.  These twelve were His core inner circle, and among the twelve there were three (Peter, James, and John), who were even closer, and witnessed some things the others didn’t.  However, these twelve were ordinary men - some were fishermen, there was a tax collector, and also a zealot.  God delights in using unlikely people to accomplish great things for Him.

Jesus instructed the twelve that at this time they were not to preach to Gentiles or to Samaritans, but to only go “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (vs. 5-6).  We might wonder why He was excluding Gentiles and Samaritans.  Weren’t they worthy of salvation?  Of course they were/are, however this was a temporary, mission-specific restriction.  Israel must receive the kingdom offer first, and then later the Gospel would expand to all nations (Matthew 28:19).  The message to be preached was that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (vs. 7).  It is a call to repentance and to be ready to accept God’s chosen Messiah.

Jesus gave the disciples the ability to perform some miracles, such as healing, casting out demons, and even raising the dead (vs. 8).  These miracles would authenticate their message, and demonstrate the arrival of the Messiah.  God freely gave them and us salvation and spiritual gifts, so they were to freely offer them to others.  We are not to commercialize God’s ministry.  They were also instructed to be dependent upon God for their needs by not taking excessive money or extra supplies with them (vs. 9-10).  This would teach them to have faith in God for their needs, and prevent any accusations of greed.  The disciples were to find in each community a household that was receptive to their message and stay with them (vs. 11-13).

As we know, when we share the Gospel with others, some will accept and others will reject us.  Jesus instructed that if a town rejected the twelve, they were to shake off the dust of their feet as a symbolic act of testimony against them (vs. 14-15).  This would underscore the seriousness of rejecting the Gospel truth.  People will be held accountable before God for when they hear the Gospel message.  For those who reject the Gospel, judgment is real, it is certain, and it will be severe.

In closing, we see that Jesus has compassion on the lost, the unsaved.  He so dearly wants them to hear His message and come to Him for salvation.  As Jesus said, the harvest is ready now, it remains plentiful.  Laborers need to go out bringing His message.  We are those laborers, and we need to bring the Gospel to the lost.  God will provide for our needs to do this.  He still provides for those who obey His call.  Faithfulness to Jesus will bring both fruit and resistance.  Those who hear the Gospel are accountable for their response.  As believers we need to pray, to go, to trust, and to proclaim the Lord Jesus with boldness and compassion.

No Longer Enemies

Romans 5:6-11

In the movies we sometimes see the hero give his life for the woman that he loves, or a mother sacrificing herself for the lives of her children.  Fortunately in real life this doesn’t need to happen that often, but many people would not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for those that they love, such as their children.  However, do we ever see someone voluntarily step up to die in the place of a convicted criminal, particularly one whose crime was against them personally?  I don’t recall ever hearing of that happening.  Oh yes, there is one time that I know of.  That is what happened when the Lord Jesus died on the Cross for us, His enemies.  This is what the Apostle Paul writes about in our Scripture today from the Book of Romans.

As our Scripture passage begins, Paul gives four descriptions of people who are lost and unsaved.  First they are “without strength” (vs. 6).  This isn’t speaking of physical strength, for as we know, many unsaved are physically fit and strong.  It is speaking of being spiritually powerless.  They are unable to save themselves from eternal damnation, unable to reform themselves from their sinful ways, and unable to come to God on their own.  Next, they are “ungodly” (vs. 6).  They aren’t good, morally decent people, or even just neutral.  God calls the unsaved ungodly.  Third, they are “sinners” (vs. 8).  The Bible doesn’t describe the unsaved as just merely people who have made some mistakes, but as those who have violated God’s Laws.  Lastly, they are described as God’s “enemies” (vs. 10).  Before becoming saved, they are not God’s friends just waiting to be invited in.  They are hostile rebels.  Humanity is not basically good.  We are radically fallen creatures.  Salvation is not God helping good people become better.  It is God rescuing His enemies.

In the first half of our Scripture passage we see Paul contrasting human love with divine love (vs. 6-8).  As mentioned at the start, I described how sometimes someone may die for someone they love.  Occasionally we might see someone die for a “righteous” or “good” person, if they were admirable or noble enough.  However, in contrast, we see God’s love for mankind when His Son, Jesus, died for us while we were ungodly, sinful, and hostile against Him. The Cross is the greatest proof of the unchanging demonstration  of God’s love.  This is not a sentimental love.  It is sacrificial, holy, and rooted in what Jesus did on the Cross.

In the second half of our Scripture passage Paul describes salvation in three stages (vs. 9-10).  First, we are justified by Jesus’ Blood (vs. 9).  Jesus Christ’s shed Blood satisfied God’s just judgment against sin.  This is substitutionary atonement - the sinless Jesus dying in place of the sinner, atoning for their sins.  Jesus died for us, in our place, bearing the wrath we deserved.  It is not by any “good” works that we earn salvation, it is only through accepting His death on the Cross on our behalf.  Next we are “saved from wrath” (vs. 9).  People don’t like to think of God’s wrath, preferring to think of Him as only a loving God, but His wrath is real and it is righteous.  However, if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we will never face it because Jesus bore that wrath in our place on the Cross.  Because of this, those who are believers are reconciled to God (vs. 10).  The hostility between us and God is removed and the relationship is restored.

First, Christ died for us when we were His enemies.  Then when we accept Him as our Savior, personally accepting what He did on our behalf, then we are reconciled to God, and we shall be saved by His life.  Because God did the harder thing, saving us when we were His enemies, He will certainly do the easier thing, keeping us saved and protected now that we are His children.  Our relationship with God is no longer based on fear, but is based on His love for us (vs. 11).

“Saved by His life” refers to Jesus’ resurrected, ongoing, intercessory life (vs. 10).  Because Jesus lives, our salvation is secure!  Our justification is permanent.  We cannot lose it, nor will it ever run out or expire.  Our reconciliation will never be undone.  Contrary to what some may teach, our salvation is eternally secure.

Perhaps you feel unloved in life, that no one genuinely cares about or loves you.  Maybe you feel that you could never be good enough to deserve anyone’s love, especially that of God.  Here we see that God has thought of you as being so special that He sent His only Son to die for your sins.  He did this while you and I were still sinners.  He didn’t wait for us to “clean up”.  We never need to question God’s love.  The Cross is the final answer.  Our salvation is secure, as Christ’s living intercession guarantees it.  For those who have come to Jesus in repentance, we are no longer enemies, but are now friends with God.

Come With Thanksgiving and Praise

Psalm 100

If you had been invited to Buckingham Palace with a small group of people to personally meet King Charles, would you go with a sour look on your face, grumbling and complaining?  Would you go looking bored, acting like you would rather be anywhere else?  And would you be dressed in your casual, lounge around the house clothes?  Not likely!  As you would be approaching the palace, before you even entered, you would make sure that everything was just right, smile, gracious words prepared.  How is it then, that when we are actually invited into the royal courts of Someone who is infinitely greater than any king on earth, we often come in a grousing manner? Our psalm for this morning speaks of the way we ought to present ourselves when coming into the Lord’s presence.  Let’s take a look.

Though written by an unknown author, Psalm 100 is one of the more well-known psalms, being a part of many different churches' liturgies.  It is a universal call to joyful worship.  It speaks of the character of God - His sovereignty as Creator, His covenant relationship with His people, and His unchanging goodness, mercy, and truth.  The writer calls upon God’s people to come into His presence with both joyful worship (vs. 1-3) and thankful worship (vs. 4-5).  We have reason to be joyful because God made us, and we are His people and sheep.  We have reason to be thankful because God is good, merciful, and His truth will endure forever.

As our psalm opens, the author instructs us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, to bring Him joyful worship (vs. 1).  This isn’t a suggestion, it is a command.  Worship of Yahweh is not optional, and is a proper response to His rule over all creation.  Next we are instructed to serve Yahweh with gladness and singing (vs. 2).  We serve Him by our worship, by ministering to others, and by being obedient to His Word.  True worship should not be a cold ritual.  He has spoken in His Word many times over that He does not want worship that is merely formal, but instead should be heartfelt (Isaiah 29:13).

Verse 3 is the theological center of our psalm, as it speaks three truths.  The first is that it is God who has made us.  He is our Creator and we are the creatures.  This verse refutes the claims of both atheism and evolution.  Man did not evolve from some one-celled creature in a murky swamp.  He was created by a loving God.  Worship begins when we acknowledge this and His absolute authority.  The second truth in this verse is that we are Yahweh’s people.  He owns us both by creation and by covenant, the New Covenant we have through Jesus.  Lastly, we see that we are the sheep of His pasture.  God is our Shepherd and we are His dependent sheep.  This verse anticipates Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  As a Good Shepherd He cares for us, giving us guidance and protection.

Our psalm now shifts from looking at who God is to how we should respond to Him (vs. 4).  Our psalmist instructs us that when we enter Yahweh’s gates and divine royal court, we should come with thanksgiving and praise.  Complaining and ingratitude is incompatible with worship (Philippians 2:14).  Praising God is the first step towards entering His presence.  If we are going to see His glory, thanksgiving is the door that will lead us into God’s throne room.

When we give thanks to God, it shouldn’t just be a mere “thank you”, but instead where we can’t say enough about the Lord and what He does for us.  Blessing His Name shows honor and homage to God, recognizing His Name as higher than any other name.  We affirm His power and goodness, and commit ourselves to joining His cause.

Verse 5 tells us some of the reasons why God deserves our worship.  One is that He is a good God.  He is morally perfect and benevolent, and His goodness is the foundation of our trust.  God also has everlasting mercy.  It is unending, and not dependent on human merit.  This points forward to the cross, where mercy is fully revealed.  Then we see God’s enduring truth.  His Word is eternally reliable and His promises never expire.  God is absolutely perfect and holy, which means that He alone is the standard of all righteousness.  Since the expression of the Father’s goodness is revealed in His actions, all that He does is just and right because He cannot violate His own nature.

Satan wants us to believe that God is distant, angry, and a wrathful judge, waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can clobber us.  However, God is the ultimate expression of love itself.  As we learn through this psalm, God is good, and His mercy will go on forever.