FBC Midweek Service – Dec. 2, 2020

Well, good evening, how are you doing on this Wednesday evening middle of the week? I trust your week has been going well and Seeing Seeing just some real blessings maybe answers to prayer. Seeing the Lord's work in your life.

I'm glad you could join us for this Virtual midweek service anyway, and I hope it'll be a blessing to you tonight. Want to share a few prayer requests to remember is and at the end of the time together we'll we'll pray for these requests but first of all pray for Bob.

Bob was supposed to have an appointment yesterday for another round of chemo as well as Get the results from that scan that he had last week. However, he wasn't feeling well, so I put that off a week and so he won't he'll get his next round of chemo next Tuesday or Wednesday, I believe it is and then he'll find out also the results of last week's scan and then secondly, remember Heather she had this outpatient surgery on her hand Monday and Apparently the surgery went well, but just pray for her.

Recovery pray that this would heal and we'll solve the problem. She's been in a lot of pain with her hand and not able to use it effectively so pray for pray for healing and effectiveness there and then also want to pray for Hendricks this little baby that really been struggling for his life since he was born he's back in the hospital in Peoria and Had some some problems and just just just pray for him.

I was gonna be a further procedure conducted on Friday. Pray that it would be effective and that and that he'll he'll be able to get home soon. We also want to pray for our nation in this current turmoil with the elections.

As well as the the kovat Crisis pandemic whatever you want to call it. Just pray for God to be merciful to us as a people and regarding kovat thing when pray for our own region. As you are well aware Numbers seem to be up and it's affecting hospital hospitalizations and all the rest of that so I want to pray for people to be well and for people to be protected from this that if do get it that it won't be a serious matter, especially in our church family and Then also pray for those who are working with patients and coming in contact with them all the time.

Some in our congregation who are first responders one who is a nurse and Will you know comes in contact with kovat related patients? Kovat patients all the time. So pray for their protection as well so also our missionary of the week this week the hammer Meisters want to remember them in prayer and pray that the Lord would Provide for them and meet their needs as a couple and bless their ministry as They labor for the Lord in Surrey British Columbia right outside of Vancouver might notice a little different backdrop tonight.

For the midweek service. We we announced that it was we weren't gonna have in-person service, but we are planning the candlelight service on December 23rd. And that involves people in the congregation practicing singing groups and whatever.

So we opened up the church at 645 tonight for anybody Needing to practice use the auditorium for that purpose. So I got exiled to the library and so you can say Pastor Bice did it in the library with the video camera and the microphone I guess I don't know.

But anyway, that's why change of venue will probably do it this way. For the next couple of weeks up until the 23rd. I I'm just kind of guessing Unless maybe some of this cold weather will do a good number on the The the kovat germs and kind of kill it some that'd be a that would be a great blessing.

Psalm 100 and the Song of the Grateful Heart

Well tonight for our Bible study time I want to kind of can continue on the theme of Thanksgiving in a way I have been doing Some a series in Psalms just calling it the songs in the night started that on Sunday nights back before actually back before our trip to in October.

But then we got back and you know, Kovat kind of pretty much squashed Sunday nights so I moved that to the Wednesday night time, so just been taking different Psalms and Using those in the evening study time or reaching time.

And so tonight I want to go to Psalm 100 and Psalm 100 of course is the The psalm of Thanksgiving it's a song of giving thanks and encourages us to give thanks. I call it the song of the grateful heart.

So as we read the psalm together, here's what it says. I'm using the ESV. You're probably very familiar with this memorized it and again, sometimes it's good to hear These familiar passages of Scripture in a different translation just to help us Get meaning and and not kind of let our mind go into neutral because we're so used to hearing it.

So here it is Psalm 100. Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. Know that the Lord he is God it is he who made us and we are his.

We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name for the Lord is good. His steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.

The Problem of Negativity and the Call to Gratitude

Well, did you hear the story about the guy who? Wanted to sell his house wanted to look for something different so he called a real estate agent. Agent comes over looks over the house gets all the specs and Looks at all the features of the house and so forth and then he goes back to his office and as a real estate novelist he drafts a Description of the house puts an ad in the paper.

A couple of days later the ad appeared in the paper telling all about the positive qualities of this house and the wonderful features and so forth and the owner read that ad. Called up the agent said cancel the listing.

I I've decided, you know looking at looking at all those features. Those are the kinds of things I've been looking for. So just just take it off the market. I've decided to keep the house well. What was this problem?

This problem is one that we all probably have in our lives and that is focusing on all the negatives. The things that we don't like the things that aren't up to snuff if you will and not Appreciating the good things and that that can happen to any of us and it's about any area of our life.

Not just our house but can happen with our you know, our vehicles the things we own our Possessions not appreciating the good things about them and getting a little irked about their Idiosyncrasies or whatever but could also happen in relationships it can happen in marriages and happen with our families our in-laws and all the rest of that so that that does tend to be an inclination of Many of us and so tonight I want to challenge us from Psalm 100 this song of the grateful heart to focus on being grateful Grateful for our God and for the good things he's done for us.

A Grateful Heart Is Expected of Everyone

So notice in The first couple of verses how this grateful heart is expected. Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness come into his presence was thing was singing and in verse 4 enter into his gates.

With thanksgiving you see how this grateful heart is really expected of everyone. All you lands all the earth is to make a joyful noise to the Lord. Because all are subject to him not just not just Americans living in a one-time formerly Christian nation so to speak at least quasi Christian in many ways, but Nations on the other side of the planet Hindu nations Buddhist countries is Muslim countries all are subject to him and therefore all are expected to give praise to make a joyful noise to him and as being subject to him and He being the Lord All are dependent upon him as well.

We've mentioned in other passages how you know The Lord sets up rulers and takes them down and the Lord establishes the boundaries of nations and so on and so forth the Lord gives food even to the the creatures the animals in their season as they wait upon him all are dependent upon him and All are responsible to him whether acknowledging it or not.

All are responsible to him now. Interestingly when this was written the psalmist wrote Psalm 100. He he wrote it not even realizing that on the other side of the planet there are other peoples there are other people groups and he didn't even realize it and Yet God chose this language the Holy Spirit Inspired him to write this language and to use this terminology and to say make a joyful noise all The earth Everybody on it.

So Gratitude is expected of everyone and this gratitude is expressed in a variety of ways. One of the ways it's expressed we see in our text is through a joyful noise a resounding fanfare you think about.

I read not long ago the I kept the biography of Ulysses S. Grant and I was. It was interesting to read how he would go no matter where he went after after the success of the Civil War and So forth and he was of course the general who was leading the Union troops.

But after that success in the Civil War, it didn't matter where Grant went even in the south. There were people who welcomed him with resounding praise applause. I mean they just came out in droves to see him and when they saw him here they cheered and they you know They just had a tremendous reception.

He had a tremendous reception. It's not everywhere. He went. This is the idea. It's a resound a resounding joy a joyful noise That was made when Grant came into town. Well We're to express that joyful noise to the Lord a resounding fanfare.

Gladness, Singing, Thanksgiving, Praise, and Adoration

Well another way we express gratitude to the Lord is Through gladness the first part of verse 2 Says serve the Lord with gladness with gladness. Gladness is a response to the Lord. It's a response to our God For what he has done and This response is really Traced it's traced all through the Psalms.

You can see it over and over again As a prominent feature in the Psalms. Let me just let me just kind of. Take us through some of these Different expressions in different places in Psalm 4 verses 3 and 7 you see gladness Expressed for answers to prayer verse 3 in Psalm 4.

The psalm says but know that the Lord has set apart him the one who's godly for himself. The Lord hears when I call to him and then he says in verse 7. Really like on the basis of that hearing when I call he says you have put more joy in my heart or gladness in my heart Than they have when their grain and their wine abound.

So there's gladness in response to answered prayer in Psalm 16. There's gladness in the heart from the counsel that the Lord gives. Verses 7 through 9 say this. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel in the night.

Also, my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand. I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices. My flesh also dwells secure.

My heart is glad. My heart is glad because the Lord gives me counsel. He instructs me and that gives me stability. Gladness for the counsel of the Word of God. And then in Psalm 21 verse 6 There's gladness expressed just for the abundant blessings that the Lord gives to us.

It says you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with the joy of your presence. Here is the gladness with the awareness that God is present and one of the ways he Expresses that presence is by the pouring out of his blessing.

Psalm 30 verse 11 says you have turned for me my mourning that is my weeping into dancing. You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with with gladness. Here there is an expression of gladness because of Deliverance from a threat to the psalmist well-being.

So when your well-being is threatened and God in his grace and mercy delivers you from that threat. How do you respond? You respond with a heart of gratitude that is expressed through gladness. Psalm 48 verse 11 says let Mount Zion be glad.

Let the daughters of Judah rejoice. Because of your judge your judgments. God's judgments are his evaluation of things so Rejoice or be glad when the fact in the fact that God has revealed his Evaluation of things his judgments.

Are you glad for that? Aren't you aren't you grateful and thankful to the Lord that You can find in his word what God thinks about different things. That that sure helps us in our decision-making, doesn't it?

I believe it does and we should therefore be grateful and in Psalm 51 verse 8 if you understand if you Recognize Psalm 51, you know, that is David's Penitential is a psalm of penitent penitence and repentance for his sin.

Well verse 8 says let me hear joy and gladness. Let the bones that you have broken rejoice here joy and gladness on what basis the basis of forgiven sin. Oh when you have sinned against the Lord and his spirit convicts you and you go to the Lord in Repentance and confession and you bow before him with a broken heart.

You say Oh Lord. I I've sinned I have sinned again. And this is the way I've sinned. I I am Lord have mercy on me a sinner. Would you please forgive me and you have the promise of first John 1 9 and you get up from your get up from your knees and rejoice with gladness that God's God's Word has promised forgiveness to those who are truly Repentant forgiven sin is a reason for gladness and expression of Thanksgiving.

And then in Psalm 92 verse 4, he says for you Oh Lord have made me glad by your work at the works of your hands. I sing for joy When the Lord has worked in a clear and evident manner It should evoke gladness in our hearts and thanksgiving in our hearts.

Look back over this past year. It's been a tough year. Hasn't it in so many ways? But yet, how has the Lord? Evidently worked. How has he worked. May that working of the Lord the clear evidence of his work Evoke gladness in your heart and thanksgiving to him.

And then in Psalm 97 verses 10 and 11 He says oh you who love the Lord hate evil he preserves the lives of his saints. He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous and joy or gladness for the upright in heart.

Oh Here we are filled with gladness and heart in our heart when the Lord preserves us from evil. When he preserves us from evil. Again you can probably think back and sometimes maybe recently where you were headed in a direction that could easily have well, it could easily have been harmful hurtful destructive because it was sinful and Yet God in his grace and by the working of his spirit He hedged up your way.

He prevented you from going that direction the Lord preserved you from evil. Oh Be glad for that give thanks to the Lord for it. And then in Psalm 118 verses 22 through 24 It says the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

And of course you recognize how the Peter Applied this passage to the Lord Jesus Christ. So the stone Jesus the builders rejected He's become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has established Christ as this cause the cornerstone. Let's rejoice and be glad in it. Glad that our God has established the cornerstone of our very existence our eternal existence the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 122 verse 1 says I was glad when they said to me. Let us go to the house of the Lord work. We've kind of had this Amplified. I think this year haven't we it was that period of time middle of March until the middle of May.

When we did not meet at all. Nobody and we just completely locked down services and said nobody can come to church and That got to be a very long drawn-out thing and there are some who still do not feel Comfortable getting out to public services and and I can understand that with this kovat mess going around.

And I I know I've talked to some who have said I can't wait to get back to church. I can't wait to get back to church and I know That when they come into the house of the Lord after that long hiatus. Long time being apart from the Lord's house.

They'll be glad. They'll be glad when the announcement was proclaimed. Let's go to the house of the Lord. You don't have to worry about getting kovat any longer. How glad our heart would be. And then in Psalm 126 verse 3 The psalmist says the Lord has done great things for us and we are glad.

Oh. We're glad in heart when we recognize the Lord has done some great things for us. Well think back on those things look at those things. And so This heart of gratitude is expressed through gladness.

Another way it's expressed from our psalm is through singing through singing and that is an expression of gladness. Verse 2 says serve the Lord with gladness and then it's kind of like a Parallelism. The second part of that verse says come into his presence.

There's that serving part it has to do with worshiping come into his presence with singing with singing a singing heart that is expressed through singing lips is a way in which we Express gratitude to our God.

And then another way, of course is just through thanksgiving. Proper first part of verse 4 come and enter into his gates with thanksgiving and here He's referring to some specialized specific verbalized Expressions of gratitude.

It's it's what you should do. I hope you do I'm sure you do. When you receive a gift you write a thank-you card to express gratitude to that individual for that specific gift for their thoughtfulness of you and so forth at that at this particular time or on this particular occasion.

Yet another way we express gladness is through praise through praise again, the last part of verse 4 says In the middle of the verse is enter into his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.

Now the distinction here the nuance here of praise is that it has to do with the extolling of the virtues of God of his character. He's good. He's generous. He's loyal. He's strong. He's responsive. He's kind he's just and on and on you can go with all of the different facets Aspects of the character of God and each one of those things is Praiseworthy.

You can mention these to the Lord and praise him for his goodness for his generosity. For his grace for his loyalty for his mercy and so on and so forth praise expresses gratitude. And yet another expression of gratitude is Adoration.

Adoration. Adoring him. Oh come let us adore him not just Christ the Lord the baby in the manger but our God in all of his splendor. Bless his name. The last part of verse 4 says bless his name. Blessing him or adoring him is Truly Appreciating and admiring the qualities that you see in your God.

Gratitude in Corporate Worship and the Presence of God

So praise or gratitude is Expected. It's expected in God's presence as well in the first part of verse 4 again enter his gates with thanksgiving. Now, this of course is a reference to the gates of the temple when the people of Israel and maybe even the gates of the city as The Jewish people would travel from for pilgrim festivals.

They would enter into the gates of the city and then they would enter into the gates of the temple. That are enter into the gates with thanksgiving. Well, this is expected not only of the Old Testament Jewish pilgrim or Worshipper at the temple, but this is expected of us at church Corporately when we gather together think of what Paul wrote to the Colossians in Colossians 3 verses 15 to 17.

He said this he said let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and Be thankful be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Here's the singing part right teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. Giving thanks to God the Father Through him. So here Paul is Exhorting us as New Testament believers to come into his presence with thanksgiving.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. So when we go to church when we gather together as God's people. What should the attitude of our heart be? It should be one of gratitude. And there may be a lot of things going on in life that weigh you down and burden you down and I fully Understand that I get that and yet and yet we're coming together to turn our attention to our God and who he is what he is like what he has done and Even in the turmoil and the crises of life.

There are there are evidences of the work of God of the character of God. For which we can give thanks. So when we come together our coming together should be with a personal attitude of Gratitude. Coming into his presence with thanksgiving so a grateful heart is expected, but then our text also shows us that a grateful heart is responsive it's responsive and not responsive to circumstances necessarily.

In fact, we're not to be focused on circumstances when it comes to gratitude and circumstances can be quite deceptive. You realize that do you not? Remember in Daniel chapter 6 you familiar with the story of Daniel.

Chapter 6 is the Is the chapter where Daniel ends up in the lion's den and listen to what Daniel says in chapter 6 verse 10. It says when Daniel knew that the document had been signed. You remember what that document was?

It was a document that his peers his colleagues Had gone to the king and said to the king. Make a law that nobody can bow down or worship or pray to any other God other than you. Oh king and if they do Let them get executed.

It'll be it'd be a death sentence if they violate this order and the king thought oh that sounds like a pretty good idea. I can be the I can be the head dog. So he went ahead and signed the decree and not realizing that.

This is going to affect his one of his favorite advisors Daniel, so he signed the decree. Well When daniel saw that the document had been signed when he knew that the document had been signed. He went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward jerusalem.

He got down on his knees three times a day. And listen to what he did he prayed and he gave thanks. Before his god as he had done previously. Did you get that? Even even knowing that the king had just signed this decree.

That anybody who bows down and prays to to to any god so knowing that as daniel gets on his knees. Opens the windows toward jerusalem and prays toward jerusalem to yahweh his god. That he could be executed for it.

What did he do? He gave thanks. He gave thanks this is a pretty bad set of circumstances for daniel and yet He's giving thanks. Circumstances that seem bad may actually be good and circumstances that we think are good may actually be bad.

Circumstances can be very deceptive. We know that you've experienced that enough in your life. And our circumstances are always changing. What may be wonderful today may be miserable tomorrow and vice versa and yet We are to give thanks.

We're to have a heart of gratitude at all times. Why. Well because. Because a grateful heart is responsive not to our circumstances, but to our god. Where our heart is primarily focused on god. Knowing who he is as the psalmist exhorts us.

He says know The lord that he is god. Know that the lord and that's in all caps. So it's talking about yahweh the covenant-keeping faithful steadfast love. God yahweh know that yahweh. Is god the all-powerful sovereign elohim?

Is a personal covenant-keeping god yahweh. Knowing who he is. Should evoke a heart of gratitude and knowing what he's done as the psalm points out one of his. One of his premier acts his premier works in verse three.

It is he. Who made us? He made us. What has god done? Well, he created you. He created you. Now on one hand that of course gives him the right of ownership, doesn't he? Doesn't it? If he made you he owns you.

And he made you. But it also does another thing it eliminates so much of our dissatisfaction. With how we're created. And those unchangeables about our lives. And instead of grumbling about those things and and and you know complaining about those things.

Is he who made us. He made us. And we are his. We are his. He not only made us, but he redeemed us. He redeemed us. The last part of verse three says. We are his we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

We are his sheep. He treats us. He treats us as a good shepherd. Takes care of his sheep and there's so much that can be said about that. There's a whole psalm about that psalm 23 the lord jesus himself describes himself as the good shepherd who.

Who tends to and takes care of his sheep and doesn't allow any of them to? To be lost. What has he done? He's created you and he's redeemed you. He's made you his own. He's made you one of his sheep tended by the good shepherd.

So our heart of gratitude is focused on our god who he is what he's done. And what he is like? What he is like. Verse five talks about what he's like. What does he say? He's good. He is good and there is that saying.

Some people have it as a plaque in their home and it's almost become You know somewhat cliche. But just because it is so well known and popular and put on plaques doesn't make it any less true. God is good all the time.

He is good. The lord Yahweh is good. And it goes on to say his steadfast love endures forever. There's that quality of yahweh. He is a he is a god of steadfast love. His steadfast love is everlasting.

He's faithful and true to his covenant to his word and what he has said. And he elaborates on that a little bit when he says at the end of the verse. His faithfulness abides to all generations. His faithfulness is to all generations.

He is absolutely trustworthy For everybody for all time. He wasn't just trustworthy for the psalmist in the old testament period. He's trustworthy for you and for me in the 21st century. So as our as our hearts and our minds are primarily focused on our god.

A grateful heart is a response to who he is. What he is like and what he's done. And a grateful heart lastly is a life-changing thing. Having a grateful heart will change your life. Having a grateful heart creates a positive attitude in our worship and we saw that in verse two.

Serve the lord with gladness. For the christian the true child of god. Worshiping the lord is not drudgery. It's not something you endure. It's something you Enjoy, it's not a mere ritual. It's it's a delight.

It's a delight. And when we gather together as god's people, I trust that that that is your attitude your heart spirit that. This is a delight to come together With god's people to worship our god. Serving him with gladness and in verse four that grateful heart Creates a positive atmosphere with god's people when we do gather for worship.

Verse four again enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Enter into his courts with praise. Oh I trust that that is your not only desire. But your experience when you come together with god's people.

You enter with thanksgiving you enter with a heart of praise. And as we do that corporately as we do that together the more of us who gather together with that kind of a spirit in our heart. Us grateful heart it changes our lives.

So I wonder this evening if your focus has been too much on the problems and the challenges of life and the The hurts the pains the failures the threats and all those things that can rob us of a grateful heart.

If so, I I understand that I understand exactly how easy that is to do to fall into such a way of thinking and so forth, but Psalm 100 gives us a better way. Gives us a better approach. It's the answer gives us the answer.

Look at your god instead be thankful unto him and praise his name. Well, let's close our time together tonight in prayer. We'll give thanks to the lord for who he is and for what he has done. But then let's also remember these matters in prayer tonight as well.

So let's pray together. Shall we? So our father and our god we are Grateful this evening for all that you are. All that you have done we thank you tonight that You have created us and made us as your people.

And everyone listening who knows christ as his savior Can doubly rejoice not only have you created us, but you have redeemed us. Thank you for that gracious redemption. For your mercy upon us. And making us Your people sheep of the pasture of the lord.

Jesus christ. So father, thank you and thank you for what you have done. Even this year in the midst of all the crises and the difficulties and the challenges. You have done so much for us your people you have preserved and protected.

You've provided for us. You've met every need that we've had. And even as we are threatened by an unseen virus. That could bring us down bring us to our knees. Lay us up in the bed of affliction. Lord, even if that were to come our into our doors.

You are good. And we're grateful thankful for your goodness. And we're thankful that you are Our god you hear you listen. Your love is steadfast. Your faithfulness to your covenant is unchanging Unending and we can count on that even as we pray tonight and we do pray we pray for Your people who are hurting.

And even in the sound of my voice, there are some whose hearts are very heavy. They're burdened down with a great deal of care and and a load of weight on their shoulders. Our father. I pray that you might ease that burden.

I pray that you might Encourage that heart to turn to you To cast all those anxieties and cares upon you. Father, there are those who are hurting physically. I pray for heather that you would give healing to her hand and ease the pain.

And reduce the need for any medication. I pray that the healing would be Efficient and swift and she would get full use of that hand again we pray for harold and the strengthening of his shoulder and pray for progress there.

And we pray for Kathy and the ongoing strengthening of her knee and pray that you would. You would continue to bless and see help her to see progress and may this be a delight to her soul. And we pray for bob and pray that you would encourage him and may he be feeling a little better today than he was yesterday.

As he anticipates next week in the getting of results from that cat scan. I pray that you you would give peace of mind and heart confidence in Your plan and your purpose for him. I pray that you would just bless him and jerry both during these days.

And then father we pray for our nation. We pray for our president and pray for the outcome of the recent election. Lord, we pray for peace in this land. From all the turmoil that is going on not only related to the election, but in every other way.

Lord, we pray about the covid crisis and pray for People in our community that are suffering. We pray that you would be gracious and give healing. We pray that we pray that those who are frontline working with those Who are ill?

In the hospital we pray for our nurses think of rebecca and just pray that You would give her grace and strength and also protect her from Getting sick and protect her family as well. And other nurses and doctors in the health care Profession just protect them.

And father we pray for. We pray also for our shut-ins and those who are not able to get out. This time of isolation is a difficult time for them as well. Just be gracious to each one. And father we thank you that on this lord's day we can worship you as your people and we pray that we would worship you with a grateful heart.