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JUST REJOICE! - Psalm 96:11-13

Psalm 96:11-13

 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
 Let the trees of the forest sing for joy
 before the LORD, for he is coming!
 He is coming to judge the earth.
 He will judge the world with justice,
 and the nations with his truth.

The ULTIMATE group of “us” is giving the ULTIMATE response/rejoicing because of the ULTIMATE revelation of God.

1. We rejoice…beside all He has created

2. We rejoice…before the Lord

3. We rejoice…because He’s coming back to judge

We rejoice beside (alongside) all He has created

Psalm 96:11-12

 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
 Let the trees of the forest sing for joy

Romans 8:18-22

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.  Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Isaiah 35:1-2 

Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy!  The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God.

We rejoice…before the Lord

We rejoice…because He’s coming back to judge

Psalm 96:11-13

Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
Let the trees of the forest sing for joy
 before the LORD, for he is coming!
He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
 and the nations with his truth.

Ephesians 1:10

 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.

Ephesians 1:21-22b

Now he {Christ} is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else – not only in this world but also in the world to come.  God has put all things under the authority of Christ.

 “Shaphat" judgment = Restoration

 “Shaphat” judgment = Whole, not divided.  Integrated, not disintegrated

 “Weak is the effort of my heart, and cold my warmest thought; but when I see Thee as Thou art, I’ll praise Thee as I ought”.   

John Wesley - “The Name of Jesus” (from Olney Hymns)

We rejoice…beside all He has created.  

We rejoice…before the Lord.  

We rejoice…because He’s coming back to judge

Revelation 19:6-8

Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves of the crash of loud thunder:  Praise the Lord!  For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns!  Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him.  For the time has come for the wedding and his bride (the church) has prepared herself.

Revelation 22:20

 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!  KJV says “Even So Come, Lord Jesus”.

 

 

 

Psalm 96:7-10 

7 O nations of the world, recognize the LORD; recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong.  

8 Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts.

9 Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.  

10 Tell all the nations, “The LORD reigns!”  The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.   He will judge all peoples fairly.

 

2 Samuel 6:12
Then King David was told, “The LORD has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration.

 

2 Samuel 6:14-15
And David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.

 

1 Chronicles 15:28
So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams’ horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres.

 

1 Chronicles 16:7
On that day David gave to Asaph and his fellow Levites this song of thanksgiving to the LORD.

 

1 Chronicles 16:28-31 (Ps. 96:7-10)
O nations of the world, recognize the LORD, recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong. Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, “The LORD reigns!”

 

Psalm 96:8-9
8 Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.  

 

The presentation of my offering is personal.

 
2 Samuel 6:20-22
When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD, so I celebrate before the LORD. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”

Psalm 96:10b
He will judge all peoples fairly.
 

Philippians 2:9-11
…..God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

 

The proclamation of my offering is missional.

Psalm 96:7-8
7 O nations of the world, recognize the LORD; recognize that the LORD is glorious and strong.  
8 Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts.

Psalm 96:10 
Tell all the nations, “The LORD reigns!”  The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.   He will judge all peoples fairly.

Galatians 3:6-9
In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

 

Just between us, worship not only between us.

 

 

Psalm 96:4-6
4 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be feared above all gods.
5 The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens!
6 Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

 

What do we do when our circumstances are terrifying?  

We remember to fear the Lord. 

 

Psalm 96:4
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.

 

Colossians 3:1-4
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

 

What do we do when our circumstances don’t make sense?

We remember to weigh the extremes.

 

Psalm 96:5
The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens!

 

Colossians 1:15-17
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

 

What do we do when our circumstances defeat us?

We remember the holiness of God.

 

Psalm 96:6
Honor (hode) and majesty (haddar) surround him; strength (oz) and beauty (teparah) fill his sanctuary.

 

Colossians 3:12-15
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

 

What do we do when our circumstances are terrifying?  

We remember to fear the Lord.

 

What do we do when our circumstances don’t make sense?

We remember to weigh the extremes.

 

What do we do when our circumstances defeat us?

We remember the holiness of God.

 

 

Psalm 96

1 Sing a new song to the Lord!

    Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

4 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

    He is to be feared above all gods.

5 The gods of other nations are mere idols,

    but the Lord made the heavens!

6 Honor and majesty surround him;

    strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

7 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;

    recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!

    Bring your offering and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

    Let all the earth tremble before him.

10 Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

    He will judge all peoples fairly.

11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!

    Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

    Let the trees of the forest sing for joy

13 before the Lord, for he is coming! 

   He is coming to judge the earth.

   He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.

 

John 1:16-18
From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

 

Psalm 96:1-3

1 Sing a new song to the Lord!

    Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

   Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

 

Sing for the Lord’s Sake!

 

1 Sing a new song to the Lord!

    Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

 

Lamentations 3:22-23
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

 

Isaiah 45:23
I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.

 

Colossians 3:16
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

 

Sing for the Sake of Evangelism

 

Psalm 96:2-3

2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

   Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

 

Psalm 57:9-11

9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.

    I will sing your praises among the nations.

10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.

    Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.

    May your glory shine over all the earth.

 

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man…..The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.  
-J. Piper “Let The Nations Be Glad”

 

Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.