When Your Heart Sings to God! – Psalm 98
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 16, 2007 AM
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NOTE: You will need to be patient if you have a slower connection to view music videos that go with this sermon. Click on the link to watch in order.
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Have you ever felt so good about something that you just had to sing? I have. Last week I shared with you a little bit about this way of praising the Lord through song. But this week I want us to look at where praise truly comes from and how it can be expressed in our lives. Praise comes from the heart of a person whose life is given over to the Lord.

David often expressed his praises to God in the form of music and song. Being somewhat of an accomplished self-taught musician, David found comfort, joy, and intimacy in praising God through his music. But more than that, David also discovered that “God inhabits Israel’s praise.” (Ps. 22:3) The modes of praise are many, including the offering of sacrifices (Lev. 7:13), physical movement (2 Sam. 6:14), silence and meditation (Ps. 77:11-12), testimony (Ps. 66:16), prayer (Phil. 4:6), and a holy life (1 Pet. 1:3-9). However, praise is almost invariably linked to music, both instrumental (Ps. 150:3-5) and, especially, vocal (Ps. 98). Let’s discover what it means, when your heart sings to God…

READ: Psalm 98

I cannot help but remember things my father did with us when I look at photos of him and our family. When I go through the few things I have of his, it brings me back immediately to some of the best times I had growing up. The same should be true for the Christian. We discover from David’s Psalm that when your heart sings to God…

I. You will remember the wonderful things God has done (vv. 1-3)!

1. God remembers us, we should remember God with our praise! It should be a song that falls easily from our mouths, because redeeming love is a new melody written in our hearts by God! Christians sing “a new song,” very different from what they once sang in their old way of life. If the grace of God made a new heart in our lives, it will also put a new song on our lips! Therefore, let this “new song” be sung to praise God for the wonder He has wrought in our lives! The Redeemer has “worked salvation” for us and has overcome all difficulties for our redemption. “The LORD has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations.” We can praise Him for His sacrifice, our newness of life, and our redemption! Paul would sing, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) David would sing, “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion!” (Psalm 103:1-4) God indeed “has remembered His love and His faithfulness to the house of Israel,” by making anyone His chosen people through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Now, “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God!” When your heart sings to God, you will remember the wonderful things God has done!

EXAMPLE: Let’s join together as we remember the wonderful things God has done for us! As we do we will discover that He is indescribable!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTxZAl7ceU&mode=related&search=

It is a fact that one person can set the emotional and spiritual tone of any given situation. We know that it is also up to us how we respond to any given situation. We decide. Christians as they praise God must realize the beautiful truth that their praise influences others as well. When your heart sings to God…

II. Others will join you in singing praises (vv. 4-6)!

1. The praise of God’s people should be infectious! Notice that the Psalmist cannot contain himself because of the joy he feels. He gives us three commands we should follow if we want to join with him in praising God: We are to 1) “Shout for joy to the LORD,” 2) “burst into jubilant song,” and 3) we are to “make music to the LORD!” No confined stogy sedate smothering dusty old squeaky song will do! If we are the children of God, then we should sound like it! If we have been given the task of bringing about His kingdom here on earth until He comes again, then we should sound like it! We are to make music with the “harp,” with “the trumpet,” with “the blast of the ram’s horn,” and with our voices! As loud and as long as we can! I have often thought that one of the reasons so many people are not interested in following Jesus is not because of Jesus. He is wonderful, glorious, beautiful, gracious, and loving. No it isn’t because of Jesus so much as it is often His followers that hinder others from giving their lives to Him. Why? Because who wants to be part of those who find no reason to shout and sing about Jesus!? Paul would sing, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:35-39) When your heart sings to God, others will join you in singing praises!

EXAMPLE: How can we not come together in this place, this morning, and not praise God together? Praise should be infectious for the believer! After all, we are here to worship…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoxopsRSfdU

We miss so much in life because we are in such a hurry. I find that God is constantly whispering to us to slow down and listen to His voice. We can hear Him in His Word as we read it, in our prayers as He whispers to us, and in the music our hearts make as we live for Him. When your heart sings to God…

III. You will discover that all of creation sings praises as well (vv. 7-9)!

1. Creation is never silent in its praise of God! “Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD!” Why? Because God is coming “to judge the earth!” Creation rejoices because it knows that all things will be made new! God, when He returns, “will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.” The Apostle John, on the Isle of Patmos, “heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:3-5) Paul related, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:22) Creation wants to be restored! This sinful condition is not its natural state. God desires that His creation be restored and has made a way for it to occur through Jesus Christ! Originally, when God made all things the “the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy!” (Job 38:7) Now it is our turn to lead the singing as all things are made new. When your heart sings to God, you will discover that all creation sings praises as well!

EXAMPLE: I find it impossible not to see and hear the whole of creation singing to God! In fact, this morning when we praise God all of creation joins in our praise as well. Why is that? Because God is above all things…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9C_1imlGRE&mode=related&search=

Conclusion:
When your heart sings to God, you will remember the wonderful things God has done!
When your heart sings to God, others will join you in singing praises!
When your hearts sings to God, you will discover that all creation sings praises as well!
After all, you and I were made to worship…

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