Building on the Foundations: the Importance of PWT! Part 3

[You can download the podcast of this message from www.lifechurchchelmsford.com the day after it is preached].

We are continuing with our theme of Building on the Foundations. In the last few weeks we started to look at praise, worship and thanksgiving as models of worship before God.

So far we have discovered:

“Praise is for the nature of God, worship is for the presence of God and thanksgiving is for the provision of God,” (Bill Johnson paraphrased).

Praise is the Invitation for the Presence of God.

Praise is the frame in which the picture of worship hangs.

Worship is our response to God’s invitation to enter His presence.

Basecamp Scripture:
Psalm 100:1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

If praise is our invitation for the presence of God, and worship is our response to God’s invitation for us to enter His presence, then thanksgiving is the common thread that pulls the two together.

Thanksgiving become a glue between praise and worship. Without thanksgiving we would not be motivated to praise God. Without thanksgiving there would be no desire to worship.

Today (in our second service) we have witnessed the dedication of a sweet baby girl. This is an act of thanksgiving to God.

What does thanksgiving look like? Again, as with praise and worship, there are things that we can observe, (first service only).

Thanksgiving

Shuwr - strolling minstrelsy, to sing, singer (man or woman)

Psalm 18:49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.

Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song; Play skilfully with a shout of joy.

Psalm 144:9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to you...

Praise, if you recall, involved the word for played music on an instrument, Zamar. Thanksgiving involves the voice is and often, although not always, partnered by musical instruments. Thanksgiving is vocal!

Todah - an extension of the hand, avowal, adoration, a choir of worshipers, confession, sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving.

Psalm 50:14 Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.

Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalms 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him, and bless his name.

Todah is a corporate expression of thanksgiving. It also involves the raising of hand[s] in thanksgiving. It is a sign of confession of worship.

It is pointing towards, symbolically, the One whom we worship.

Yadah - to use, hold out the hand, to throw (a stone or arrow) at or away, to revere or worship (with extended hands, praise thankful, thanksgiving).

Psalm 33:2 Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to him with an instrument of ten strings.

Psalm 61:8 So I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Psalm 18:49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.

This is slightly different to Todah. It is a lifting of the hands, but in a way that is throwing the glory back to God. It is showing on the outside the deliberate direction of worship.

Over the last three weeks I have focussed on the ten most common words for praise, worship and thanksgiving. There are lots of others and you may find it helpful to look at this simplified list http://www.justworship.com/hebrewpraisewords.php .

Thanksgiving begins somewhere else though. It begins in the heart. It is more than simply gratitude for what we have. Without God in our life we may be grateful for what we have but our gratitude is centred upon us, our achievements, our ability, our self-sufficiency. Christians realise the meaning of life is not found in things but in a relationship with God!

Thanksgiving is the well from which we draw our worship of God.

Let’s return briefly to our basecamp passage of Psalm 100 and see the characteristics of thanksgiving.

1. Joy

Psalm 100:1 Shout for joy to the Lord,

Church is not a place for the miserable to join together and be more miserable. It’s the place where true joy is expressed!

2. Gladness

Psalm 100: 2 Worship the Lord with gladness;

Again another word that might be different to people’s expectation of what church looks like. Yes, there are times for solemnity in worship, but when we arrive is not one of them.

Psalm 122:1: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. (KJV).

Gladness is the preparation for church! it is the state of mind we should be in when coming!

3. Reliance

Psalm 100:3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

This verse shows three roles of God.

• God is in Charge

God is God and we are not.

• God is Creator

If you create something, you are greater than what you have created. You have every right over that which you have made.

• God is Shepherd

The Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)

This is not some abject need for a crutch for the week but a recognition of the limitations of humanity! Besides, crutches are for the injured, Christians are healed and some of the strongest people I know!

4. Thankfulness

Psalm 100: 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

You can’t give thanks unless you are thankful.

Thanksgiving is what flows out of a thankful heart. It is a basic stance of the Christian.

We are thankful for the following things:

• Salvation

Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

When we did not know God even existed, He sent Jesus to die to take our punishment for sins.

• God’s Love

Psalm 63:3: Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

In fact God’s love is better than anything! You can insert what ever you want in the following blank and God’s love is better than it!

God’s love is better than

• Forgiveness

Psalm 32: 1-2: Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When you are forgiven by God, with no possible means of earning that or paying it back, thanksgiving is the response!

5. Gratitude

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Three reasons to be grateful:

• God is good

God’s goodness is displayed in the life of the Christian, over and over again. This does not mean a trouble free life, but God’s goodness is always evident.

This goodness can be experienced. The Bible tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).

• God loves you

He does not change His mind about loving you. He is not fickle.

He loves with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

• God is consistent and constant

God is consistent in His faithfulness. He does not abandon you. He walks with you. He is constant and faithful.

Romans 11: 36: “Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.” (MSG).

Wrapping this up:

Thanksgiving is vital if we are to connect with God in praise and worship.

The invitation to give thanks to Him is open to everyone but to be truly understood the offer of forgiveness and salvation has to be considered and accepted.