Scripture Psalm 98:1-9
INTRODUCTION QUESTIONS
1) What
is your favorite song? That is a hard question (Anything by Chicago or Stevie
Wonder. Pharrell “Happy” Shout to the Lord - Breathe / Impossible Dream)
2) Is
there a song that pretty well exemplifies your life? (I got the joy joy joy joy
down in my heart)
3) What
would Jesus say is the name of your Life-Song. In other words, if your life
were a song, what would it be called? What is your Life Song and how well are
you living it?
Psalm 98:1-9
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his
right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. (What is this NEW SONG? It is a different song than had
been sung - Job 38:4-7 "Where
were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,
Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?
"On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the
morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” The song till this point was the song of CREATION - the
NEW song the church needs to sing is the song of SALVATION. God saved his children from slavery in Egypt
through the red sea and now saves his children in Ohio through his red blood.
2 The Lord has made his salvation known and
revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have
seen the salvation of our God.
Have
you seen the salvation of God? The most important question you will ever answer
is - have I seen and received the salvation of God in Jesus Christ? If you have
not - you cannot sing this new song. If you have received his salvation you
cannot keep from singing this new song. Setting aside metal illness and clinical
depression -I am astounded at how many people in the church of Jesus Christ
have a LifeSong that looks like they are singing it with a mouth full of
lemons. The song of salvation came at a great and horrible price but its end is
one of joy and jubilation. How can we be so dreary when the gospel is so
cheery?
4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst
into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with
the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's
horn — shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Just
the mention of a few instruments is not exhaustive - it is representative. It
does not mean there should be a trio of harps, trumpets, and rams’ horns with
someone singing. It means every musical instrument known to man, including our
voice and in fact (for those who have a really bad singing voice) it means we
should sing with the voice of our heart. The best actors no longer are just
saying lines but become the part. The best dancers no longer count their steps
but move to the music. The best singers are not those who memorized the melody
and note patterns but who sing from a place deep within as if connecting to the
music - lyric and sound. The one who would sing a New Song with whatever
instrument she would use sings it from the depths of the soul that reaches all
the way to eternity.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world,
and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the
mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the Lord, for he
comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the
peoples with equity.
Who is
lastly called upon to sing this New Song according to this particular Psalm?
Who? The sea and everything in it - the rivers to clap the mountains to sing
for joy - again it is not exhaustive but representative of what? The whole
earth or ALL OF CREATION. What was the song being sung before this new song? It
was the song of creation - it was the greatest thing known to man up till now.
Creation was worth singing about - it was mankind’s LifeSong. But now that God
has revealed it and Jesus has offered it, even the first song - creation is to
join in and sing a New Song that is greater than the first.
ADDED: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has
done marvelous things!
This vision of God in the past and the future creates the
song of the present.
Do you believe that Jesus was in
the mind of God when through human authorship he had Psalm 98 penned? When
Salvation is mentioned? When the strong arm of the Lord is mentioned? When
singing a new song is mentioned? When the Lord doing great things is mentioned?
When judgement of the wicked is mentioned? Was that about Jesus way before he
was born or is that reading Jesus back into the Old Testament? Well, why not
ask Jesus’ mother what she thinks about that.
Mary was pregnant with Jesus,
confused about what was happening, she traveled to her relative Elizabeth who
also had a miraculous pregnancy in her old age and when they met, among other
things, Elizabeth said to Mary: Luke 1:45-55
Blessed is she who has believed
that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
And Mary said (No, Mary sang):
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for
he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all
generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for
me — holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation
to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered
those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from
their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good
things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he
said to our fathers."
Mary saw the
connection between God’s salvation in Psalm 98 and God’s salvation through her
son Jesus for whom we need to sing a NEW SONG!!!
Victory over
sin; and guilt; and death - only come at God’s strong arm, God’s right hand and no
one else can deliver us as he can. Col 3:1-4 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds
on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you
also will appear with him in glory.
Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things
“Every Praise is to our God. Every word of worship with one
accord.”
Here is a person who was singing with emptiness not
connecting the church songs to his LifeSong
Empty hands held high such small
sacrifice Now joined with my life I sing in vain tonight
Here is that same person making the
connection that worship goes beyond Sunday into every area of life and life
itself becomes a NEW LIFE-SONG!
Lord I give my life A living
sacrifice To reach a world in need To be your hands and feet
So may the words I say And the
things I do Make my lifesong sing Bring a smile to you.
Have you heard the LifeSong of
Lauren McCain?
Lauren McCain was one of the students killed at
Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. The freshman from Shawnee, Oklahoma left a
powerful statement about her faith on her personal web site. The 20-year-old
had written, “The purpose and love of
my life is Jesus Christ. I don’t have to argue religion, philosophy, or
historical evidence because I KNOW Him.”
No comments:
Post a Comment