The LORD Reigns
Text: Psalm 96
Core Idea: God is calling us to sing to the Lord, declare His glory among the nations, and rejoice knowing that Jesus is coming back. Then I pray that we would commit ourselves to be immersed in the gospel as we illuminate the light of the gospel to all peoples near and far for His glory.
(Psalm 96)
1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. 3 Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. 4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and glory are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. 9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity. 11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. 12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. 13 Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for He comes, He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you, David, for sharing your story with us. I’m so thankful that God used this community to transform you and grow your love for the Lord. My prayer is that all of us would experience the same kind of transformation and growth in our love for the Lord as we continue to do life together here at Lighthouse. Well, today is a very special day for our community as we celebrate God’s faithfulness in bringing us together and carrying us through this past year. When we first met in September, last year, there were still a lot of questions, uncertainties, doubts that distracted our minds, which is why I’m just humbled, amazed by the ways that God orchestrated all things to lead us to be where we are today. And this is why today is all about Him and His sovereign grace for our community. Today, we want to praise Him for who He is and thank Him for all that He did. We want to be once again captivated by the glory and beauty of our God. We want to redirect our hearts on Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. We want to be refreshed, renewed by the strength of the Holy Spirit. We want to be reignited in our hunger for the Word and thirst after His presence in prayer. We want to recommit ourselves to love one another as Christ loved us. We want to be moved by the gospel truth, be challenged to live out the truth, and be inspired to take the truth to the world. All this to say, we want to see God exalted as we immerse ourselves in His unconditional, unfailing, unending love for us. I pray that our souls will be completely satisfied in Christ today.
Now, before I continue, I want to thank the children for joining us today. I hope you enjoyed the video. The video taught us that when we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died and came back to life to rescue us, we get to be part of God’s family forever. But that wasn’t the end of the story. The part that really stood out to me from the video was that this news was so good, so amazing that Jesus’ friends told everyone they could find about the good news. And those people told other people. And those people told other people, and on and on. And you know what? That’s still happening today – through you and me. Think about it: if you eat something really yummy, if you watch something really funny, if you get a gift that you’ve been wanting for the longest time, wouldn’t you want to tell others about it? We can’t help but tell others. Do you know why? Because our joy multiplies when we share our joy with others. Then children, and let me include our youths here as well – even if you forget everything I say today, just remember this: your joy will multiply and your love for God will grow even more when you tell others about how amazing He is. So, don’t keep this amazing news to yourself but share it with others. Tell others about Jesus and how much you love Him because this is what all of us are called to do.
In fact, that’s exactly what I want to talk about as we turn to the Word today. Several weeks ago, during our prayer meeting, something that Elliott said really stirred and convicted my heart. This is what he said (I’m paraphrasing), “There’s no doubt that our church has been blessed in so many ways. But we must be careful not to hoard these blessings to ourselves – we must learn to share these blessings to others.” It’s not like I didn’t know this – but at that moment, what he said hit me like a ton of bricks. I believe that it was a timely truth for me to hear – and hopefully for all of us as well. As we started our journey together, one of the things that I wanted to do was to help you see that the gospel wasn’t just the starting point for believers but the very foundation, motivation, and power for all that we do – and this is exactly why we started exploring through the Gospel of Mark. I wanted you to see how beautiful Jesus is and be transformed by His grace. And no doubt, we’ll continue to do that. But I think God was using Elliott to remind me that it’s time for our church to be intentional in becoming a channel for His blessings to flow outward – to be a lighthouse to the world.
If you didn’t know, our name, Lighthouse, comes from Matthew 5:14-16, which says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” When Jane, Mike, and I were thinking of a name for our church, it was amazing how all three of us thought of Lighthouse as one of our top choices. So, I shared that I thought of this name as I reflected on Matthew 5 – and after reading it, we were all convinced that this would be the name for our church. As you know, a lighthouse exists to help boats navigate their way by illuminating the sea – shining in the darkness so that they might see. In thinking of this, we chose this name to continually remind ourselves that we are the light of the world, that we’re called to let our light shine before others. Then my prayer is that our church will be intentional in letting our light shine before others as we show the world the way to our ultimate Lighthouse, Jesus Christ. So, to help us do this, to remind ourselves of this truth, let’s take a look at our passage which comes from Psalm 96. I won’t read it again since we read it already. There are three things I want to point out from this psalm:
· A CALL TO SING
· A CALL TO DECLARE
· A CALL TO REJOICE
1) A CALL TO SING
As the psalm begins, we’re told three times, “Sing to the LORD.” But it’s not just us who are called to sing to the Lord. Right from the beginning, the psalm invites all the earth to sing. In other words, the vision for singing is much broader, wider, and bigger than what we do here on Sundays. And just in case you’re wondering, this command isn’t only for those who are skilled in singing – you don’t have to be musically gifted to obey this command. This command to sing isn’t dependent on the quality of our voices but the content of our song. This psalm is all about knowing the truth that’s so magnificent, so life-changing, and so beautiful that we can’t help but sing about it. That’s what the psalmist is inviting us to do. But most importantly, he reminds us that our singing has a purpose. Verse 2 – we’re praising His name, proclaiming His salvation day after day. We’re called to worship.
Israel was surrounded by nations that worshiped gods other than the true God of Israel. And they had many of them (the god of the sun, of the storm, of water, of grain, of fertility, and so on). Sadly, these nations believed that the gods they ultimately created were worthy of their trust. So, they loved them, served them, and obeyed them. But listen to how God viewed these so-called gods in Isaiah 44:14, 16-18, “He cut down cedars… Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, ‘Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.’ From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, ‘Save me! You are my god!’ They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand.” Children and Anchor, can you imagine if your dad did this at a campsite? He gets a huge branch – takes a part of it to start the fire, then uses other parts to help you roast a marshmallow and takes another part to make an image, and tells you, “This is our God. Let’s bow down.” It’s absolutely ridiculous, weird. But that’s how God sees idols. In fact, that’s what we see in our passage today. Verse 5, “For all the gods of the nations are idols.” The Hebrew word for “gods” is Elohim while the Hebrew word for “idols” is elilim which literally means worthless, useless. Then the psalmist was saying something like this: “Your mighty gods are mighty useless.” Today, our idols go by other names: popularity, pleasure, power, approval, money, independence, materialism, beauty, comfort, control, and more. But God is to be feared above all of them. He will have no rivals. Here’s the reason: verse 5 – the idols are nothing (they produce nothing, they preserve nothing), but God made the heavens. He is the beginning and the end – the Creator of all things. Every living thing finds life through Him. He alone is worthy to be praised.
Now, why do I emphasize this as we think about becoming a blessing to others, illuminating the gospel light to the world? Because true worship is always the foundation of our missions. We cannot invite the nations to sing if we’re not singing ourselves. How can we call others to live under His authority when we’re not doing it ourselves? How can we call others to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances when we’re constantly filled with worries and bitterness? But when we’ve been captured by His beauty, when we see that He alone is the one true God, that He is to be above all gods, that He is incomparably glorious, it would be utterly impossible for us to keep ourselves from singing and inviting others to join in this song. True worship cultivates a heart for the lost, for the nations because possession of faith always leads to proclamation of faith. Inward conviction leads to an outward expression. Pastor John Piper said it clearly: “When the flame of worship burns with the heat of God’s true worth, the light of missions will shine to the darkest peoples on earth. Where passion for God is weak, zeal for missions will be weak. Of course, missions is not the goal. It is the means. Missions is not God’s ultimate goal, worship is.” My desire is that as we look forward to many years together at Lighthouse, we would be even more passionate in worshiping, adoring, and serving the Lord with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths – and that this love for the Lord would cause us not to hoard these blessings but to take them out beyond these four walls, which leads to my next point.
2) A CALL TO DECLARE
Let’s look at two verses. Verse 3, “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.” And verse 10, “Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns.’” David tells us that God’s not sitting on His throne with His arms crossed, thinking, “I hope everything works out.” No, the Lord is reigning over us – He’s actively involved in our lives and all that happens in the world. Nothing happens apart from His knowledge – and even when it seems like life is spinning madly out of control, He hasn’t stopped reigning. Everything is under His sovereign rule. David tells us in verse 10, under God’s reign, “The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved.” God’s rule brings security and stability. Then knowing this, we’re now called to declare God’s worth to the nations. His glory, His strength, His reign are all the reasons why He deserves our worship. And in this invitation, David makes it very clear, “This God is not like your idols. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness. Tremble before Him.” They are to approach Him with reverence and awe of His divine majesty and presence. They’re invited to surrender and submit to God. This God is to be feared above all gods.
Brothers and sisters, do you truly believe that God alone deserves our worship? Pastor John Piper said, “Missions exist because worship doesn’t.” In other words, the reason we must go out with the gospel is that there are many who don’t see that God alone is worthy of our worship. Do you want Him to be praised by the nations? Then let me ask you: how far are you willing to go to make this a reality not only in your own life but in the lives of many others? Think of it this way: if we choose to be silent, we’re not just doing injustice to the people (because we’re letting them worship worthless things), but we’re letting God’s glory be stolen by these false gods. Then I pray that we would be a community that cares about the souls of the lost but more importantly, a community that cares about the glory of God. We’re not here because we have a common interest; we’re here because we love the Lord, because we firmly believe that God is worthy of our worship – that He is holy, majestic, glorious beyond our imagination. I love what Bob Kauflin said, “Those who celebrate the Lord’s saving reign now won’t rest until all creation joins in the song.” I pray that our church won’t rest until the people in our lives and the nations join in the song we’re singing. May we not be satisfied with just singing this song. This news is too good. God is too great. This news must be proclaimed and sung until all creation joins with us to sing, “The Lord reigns!” Jesus alone is the source of true life, comfort to those who are suffering, an answer to those who are searching, and the only way to eternal joy. Then let us go and declare this to the world for this is why we, the church, exist.
3) A CALL TO REJOICE
Let’s look at verse 11, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the LORD.” Now, what will surprise you is the reason for this celebration – verse 13, “For He comes, He comes to judge the earth.” All creation will celebrate because God is coming to judge. Now, how is that good news? How can Judgment Day be exciting? In order to understand this, we must understand what Judgment Day entails. On Judgment Day, God the Judge will demand payment from everyone for everything that they have done wrong. No injustice will go unaddressed. Every heart that rebelled against God would be judged. Everything in disarray will be brought into order. Everything wrong will be made right. In other words, when God comes back to judge, the world will be renewed – everything will be made new.
This certainly seems like an exciting thing to look forward to. But is it? It might be if you’re innocent and sinless. But what if you’re not? What if you’re guilty of sin and evil? Can this be really something you look forward to – something to be excited about? David says, “There is a way.” Listen to the latter part of verse 13, “He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.” God will judge the world in righteousness and holiness. He will be perfectly just and absolutely fair. No sin will go unpunished. But it also says that God will remain faithful to His people – faithful to what? His promises. Time after time, God promised that He would send a Messiah who will make all things right, who will bring a Kingdom that will last forever. And even though the psalmist could not see this Messiah, we know who that is. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” The Bible tells us that because of His great love for us, in His faithfulness, He sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to bear the penalty of our sins on the cross so that we can be forgiven, so that we can be made new, so that we can be adopted as the children of God. There will be no more injustice, no more pain, no more tears for death has been conquered in Christ. This is the good news that we’re called to sing and declare. This is the reason we can receive the coming of God’s judgment with joy and celebration.
Friends, are you looking forward to Judgment Day? If not, then I invite you to turn to Jesus today. It’s not too late. Jesus died on the cross bearing the wrath of God for you and me – you just need to believe and accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. Friends, repent and give your life to Jesus. When that day comes, no one will regret choosing to live under God’s reign. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Revelation 5:9-10 says, “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’” The song will never stop. Then will you join us today in singing this song? Let Him give you a reason to rejoice.
Lighthouse church, what does this mean for us? I’ll just share one thing for now – hopefully, we’ll talk more about this in the coming year. Here’s the application: don’t miss the opportunities to join where the Spirit is already at work. When I visited India many years ago, our team had an opportunity to do VBS for 250 children from a village in the countryside. Now, they were absolutely unruly and uncontrollable. They were stealing crayons, ripping the coloring pages into pieces – it was absolutely chaotic. I was angry, frustrated – yelling at the kids, complaining in my heart. But at that moment, seeing this, one of the pastors said with a huge smile on his face, “How wonderful to see that God has brought so many children to hear the good news for the first time!” I was literally stunned. Here I was, complaining about the kids – but here was this pastor, seeing this as an opportunity to share the gospel knowing that it was God who brought them to us. I had to travel so far to learn this, but I pray that you’ll have ears to hear this today. Brothers and sisters, God is already orchestrating the lives of the people around you so that they may have an opportunity to hear the gospel through you. Some of them may be your family members, your friends, those you work with, those you play hockey with, other parents from your child’s school, and even those you complain about – God is bringing them to you so that you can minister to them, love them, and possibly share the gospel with them. Then don’t miss out on an opportunity to join God and witness Him at work.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, God is calling us to sing to the Lord, declare His glory among the nations, and rejoice knowing that Jesus is coming back. Then as we celebrate all that God did this past year, I pray that we would commit ourselves to be immersed in the gospel as we illuminate the light of the gospel to all peoples near and far for His glory.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) How has God blessed you through the Lighthouse community? How is this community transforming you and growing your love for the Lord? How would you like to pray for this community? (Spend some time praying for the church at the end.)
2) How is worship (singing to the Lord) related to missions (declaring to the nations)?
3) How can you grow as true worshipers of God? How can you grow in discipleship (learning about Jesus, learning from Jesus, and learning to be like Jesus as we invite, teach, and help others to do the same)? How can we become a more effective, intentional disciple-making church?