Psalm 96 What is Worship?
Is the church too committed to pleasing the flesh in worship and forgetting the Spirit?
“If you seek peace, you will not find it; if you seek Christ, you will find peace. If you seek joy, you will not find it; if you seek Christ, you will find joy. If you seek holiness, you will not find it; if you seek Christ, you will find holiness.”
Louie Giglio
This is a long, image-heavy post. If you are reading this in email and it gets cut off, click through to Substack to see the rest.
Several days ago, a FaceBook friend who is a missionary to Asia and lives in Taiwan posted the first graphic. He was preparing a sermon on Psalm 96. I’m consciously refraining from using his name for reasons of possible persecution, given the region the Spirit has called him to work. Make no mistake, this man and his family are called to this work. Of that, I have no doubt.
From the moment I saw the graphic above, the Holy Spirit kept popping it back in front of me, into my thoughts, and this man’s comments or posts on my screen. I’m getting pretty good and picking up on when God wants me to write something. When this man offered to send me his power point graphics, I began to think I might have to rethink my writing priorities for today. When he sent the files, I had zero intention of writing this post today. The Holy Spirit had other plans. Let’s get into those plans now.
The title of his sermon was What is Worship, and his theme scripture was from John 4:24 and Romans 12:1. I wasn’t given any notes on that passage, but it’s a good one based on the sermon title. The point of these two passages is that our worship of God is not a fleshly activity though we can only do it in the body. True worship of God is in the spirit because His kingdom is not of the flesh but of the spirit. Therefore, He cares more about what is in our hearts, what motivates us, and the “why” of our actions than He does the actions themselves.
All images are used with permission from the author.
24“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24 (NASB95)
1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Romans 12:1 (NASB95)
I will post all of Psalm 96 now and then take it in pieces. I opened the file, and the Spirit took over from there. My notes flowed very quickly and smoothly onto the page. I will present the slides as they occur and connect with what I was taking notes on. Sometimes, two slides will come together before I present any of my comments. Also, the first slide with the quote from Louie Giglio is from the man’s sermon, but it also spoke to me. I have goals and things I want to accomplish, but we must seek Christ first. Everything else flows from there.
31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:31–34 (NASB95)
Here is Psalm 96. You will note some differences in translation between what I’ve posted below and the slides from his sermon. I’m using the NASB, and he uses a Chinese version of the KJV that is in almost all the churches he preaches in.
1Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
3Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
4For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.
9Worship the Lord in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
12Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13Before the Lord, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness.
Psalm 96:1–13 (NASB95)
Verse one starts my notes.
1Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Psalm 96:1 (NASB95)
Several years ago, I did an Advent series and year-long small group lesson based on Ephesians 4:21-24. This verse and the “new song” reminded me of that series. The point is you are the new song, your life. When we realize Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit offer a better way, we are supposed to put off the old ways, the old creature, the old “man,” and become a new self, a new creature in the love of Jesus Christ. This means no longer doing the things we did before and doing new things. When the Holy Spirit helps us connect with God’s Word to realize He doesn’t like something we previously thought was just fine, we should shift to a new way of thinking and living and take a step on the new path.
21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Ephesians 4:21–24 (NASB95)
Verses 2-4 speak to our overarching purpose on this earth: to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples of all people. However, in verse four, the Psalmist talks about God being feared. This concept is misused by some, maligned by many, and misunderstood by most Christians. Proverbs 1:1-7 is one of my favorite passages and helps to explain this concept of “the Fear of the Lord.” Here are the verses from the Psalm and then the Proverbs passage. For the record, the preacher also used Proverbs 9:10 and Matthew 10:28. My scripture are different but the same sentiment with added emphasis on a few points.
2Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
3Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
4For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
Psalm 96:2–4 (NASB95)
Here is the Proverbs 1 passage the Psalm verses pointed me to.
1The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding,
3To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;
4To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion,
5A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles.
7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:1–7 (NASB95
What is “Fear of the Lord?” According to the Proverb, it is the beginning of knowledge. What is knowledge? Knowledge is information about a subject, all of it, the good and the bad. We take that knowledge and try to discern the good from the bad. As we apply what we’ve decided, we gain from experience what works and doesn’t work. What we learn that aligns with God’s Ways becomes wisdom. Those very smart individuals can learn by being taught by other people who already went through it and learned the lessons so we don’t have to go through the hardship. Those people can be taught by instruction and are considered wise people of understanding. For the rest of us, myself included, we have to learn things the hard way. Fear of the Lord is our understanding of how powerful He is because He created every molecule and even the sciencey stuff that makes up the molecules. God has that much power, and still, He takes time to care about you and me individually.
6“Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
7“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
Luke 12:6–7 (NASB95)
Verses 5-7 expand on this “Fear of the Lord” beyond knowing He knows everything, made everything, can unmake anything (including you and me), and has ultimate power over all creation. Those who follow a Christian path need to actively acknowledge God’s full power over His creation, but there’s a reason for this.
5For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Psalm 96:5–7 (NASB95)
Why should we “Fear the Lord” beyond just recognizing He can unmake us? Because He set everything in motion, He has the sole authority to declare what is good and bad, what is worthy of praise in Heaven, and what is worthy of condemnation to Hell. Once we internalize and understand this truth, we begin our journey to true understanding and wisdom.
6Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.
7Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:6–9 (NASB95)
Verse 8 is very important in this Psalm. In my opinion, it is the second most important verse. Verse 9 is the most important. The preacher used Deuteronomy 8:18 to emphasize his point. That passage emphasizes the Psalmist’s point that God is to be revered, and it is from Him that all things flow. Let’s look at the Deuteronomy passage first, then verse 8.
17“Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’
18“But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
19“It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish.
Deuteronomy 8:17–19 (NASB95)
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.
Psalm 96:8 (NASB95)
“Bring an offering.” What can we offer the Lord of all Creation that makes molecules, air, planets, and the sky? We can “bring” Him the only thing He craves. Us.
18Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:18–20 (NASB95)
“For you have been bought with a price.” That price is the blood of Jesus Christ sacrificed for all the world and each of us individually. God came down out of Heaven and took on the form of Man to show us His love for His creation. This sets us right against the Law with Him so that we have imputed righteousness from the Pure and Spotless Lamb of God. Our understanding of this purchase should then cause us to want to make it look as good as possible before being presented to the buyer. We worship in the spirit, but that spirit is housed in the flesh, in a body we have been given conservatorship of, stewardship of, and responsibility for.
The preacher uses the example of the Widow’s Mite to emphasize his point.
42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.
43Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury;
44for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:42–44 (NASB95)
This example is one of giving our all. This giving shouldn’t be from our excess that leaves us comfortable. The Widow gave in such a way that it demonstrated and defined her belief in the cause to which she gave. If we are only giving out of our excess, we are demonstrating that our comfort is more important to us, and we don’t really believe we are building up where moth and rust do not destroy. I admit I am fully as guilty of this as anyone else. I find it far easier to give out of what is left over rather than first before I figure out what I think I need. This leads back to the Giglio quote. Seek ye first, Christ and all these things will be added to you. Let’s move on.
Verse 9 is the key verse, in my opinion.
9Worship the Lord in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Psalm 96:9 (NASB95)
What is “holy attire?” We were warned precisely what this was a very long time ago. It was hinted at in the 1 Corinthians passage above in a very overt way. Jesus gives us a warning very plainly in Revelation.
3‘So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
4‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
5‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Revelation 3:3–6 (NASB95)
Overcomes. Remember what you have received. Remember what you have heard in church, read in devotions, and understood through the Holy Spirit. Those who apply what they have learned to become the new self, the new creature, and throw off the old ways will be clothed in white garments, and Jesus will speak their name before God in Heaven. Judgment. It is coming, and it will be applied by the One who knows what really is good and bad.
Verses 10-13 conclude the Psalm and talk about the judgment of Jesus. This judgment isn’t what you or I want it to be, thought it said, or believed it should be. This judgment is righteous from the One who has the final say and created it all. We could, and probably do, have a great many things understood incorrectly about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and His Ways. Those mistakes are no reason to lose hope as long as we get this one thing right. That one thing is detailed in Romans by Paul.
19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.
22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:19–23 (NASB95)
“…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The free gift. It has no cost, which is good because it is priceless. Our faith that Jesus really did die for each of us to set us right with God regardless of our mistakes or what we get wrong is the true hope of the world, not our 401k, jobs, cars, or prepper supplies laid in for the Zombie Apocalypse. Jesus. Period.
That’s the last verse in the Psalm, so why continue writing? Well, there’s a tad bit more. The free gift is just that, free. It doesn’t cost us anything other than our belief, but there is a warning along with it from Matthew.
20“So then, you will know them by their fruits.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:20–23 (NASB95)
I do not want to hear the words, “I never knew you.” I want to be told, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” So, what are we to do? The answer comes from Matthew again and are the verses right after those above.
24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
27“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
Matthew 7:24–27 (NASB95)
We need a house built on a firm foundation. The cornerstone is that stone the builders rejected. Such a house can withstand any storm, any tumult, any tribulation. We are to build our house on “the rock.” That rock is Jesus and the ways of God. We study His Word to discern His Ways so we can emulate them and build up our house. But, if we follow the ways of the World, we are building on the shifting sand. The storm will tear that house down, and the inhabitant will be asked to depart because the judge will have never known them. Which house do you want to live in?
The preacher finishes his presentation with a summary slide containing all his points to answer the question What is Worship? I present it here to spark your further study. The numbers in parentheses refer to the verses in Psalm 96.