June 01, 2025 | Ptr Peter Tanchi
WORSHIP IS SINGING
Psalm 96:1-2 begins with a command to SING to the LORD. When we come to worship, do we sing to the Lord or to ourselves? Worship is singing out of delight in Him. The encouragement was even to sing a NEW SONG – we often worship God for our past experiences, but this reminds us that our worship must come from our fresh experiences with God. It must be our lifestyle. We count our blessings, be filled with the Spirit, and our perspective changes, empowering us to always give thanks for ALL things, even in the seemingly bad situations (Ephesians 5:18-20).
WORSHIP IS PROCLAIMING
Psalm 96:2-3 commands us to proclaim the good news of His salvation day to day. Worship is proclaiming the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. What do we declare and proclaim? We worship because “great is the LORD” – we worship the Creator of the heavens and the great splendor (Psalm 96:4-5). The combination of strength and beauty in the Lord reminds us that worship is about proclaiming the goodness of God. When we share the gospel, we proclaim God’s salvation and the good news about the love and faithfulness of God, even when we go through very challenging times in our lives. Like Horatio Spafford who wrote “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL”– we sing even with our challenges!
WORSHIP IS GIVING
What do we mean by giving? Psalm 96:7-9 commands us to “ascribe to the LORD” which means to recognize and give unto God what is due Him. The command includes bringing an offering to the Lord, but what do we give Him? Deuteronomy 16:16-17 tells us that when we worship, we bring something to the Lord. It is in recognition of the fact that God owns everything, and we give back to Him as an antidote to materialism. We are to practice “proportionate giving” (giving according to our ability), and the minimum is the tithe (ten percent). In the New Testament, Jesus observed how people worshipped God. He acknowledged the poor widow who gave out of her poverty (Luke 21:1-4). Jesus did not scold the woman and instead appreciated the woman’s heart to give. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 also shows that Paul practiced proportionate giving. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 is a great reminder: God loves a cheerful giver! It is a privilege to be able to recognize God’s ownership of everything. We can give without worship but cannot worship without giving!
Psalm 96 also says to “worship the Lord in holy attire” – to honor and to adorn, to live a life of worship! The New Testament way of doing this is to present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices which is a spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1).
WORSHIP IS ANTICIPATING
The power of anticipation has been proven by experiments – those who anticipate and have hope in them are able to keep fighting and striving for life! Psalm 96:10-11 exalts the reign of the LORD, and notes that He will judge the people with equity. Even the fields and the trees of the forest will “sing for joy” at the coming of the Lord to judge the heavens and the earth (vv. 12-13)! The entire universe will sing for joy because the King is returning to judge with righteousness and faithfulness. Vengeance is the Lord’s, so we don’t take our own revenge (Romans 12:19). We must see things on the side of heaven – clearly, there will be justice. On the day of His return, the distinction between the righteous and the wicked will be made very clear (Malachi 3:17-18). We are commanded to continue preaching and testifying about this coming judgment (Acts 10:42). The Bible paints a picture of the “day of great wrath” and also paints a picture of His return as a time of joy and worship for those who truly belong to Him (Revelation 6:16-17, 11:15-17). When Jesus comes back, we will not only have God’s presence with us, but the removal of death, mourning, crying, or pain, as He makes all things NEW (Revelation 21:3-4). As we wait, Paul tells believers to always abound in God’s work (1 Corinthians 15:58) as we, like Paul, look forward to the Righteous Judge, and the rewards that come to those who love His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). May we find ourselves on the side of righteousness on the day of judgment as we live a life of worship today.