O sing unto the Lord a new song

Sermon notes from Sunday 9 June 2019 am

Psalm 96

Here we find these words in the very first verses "O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth, sing unto the Lord."  The Psalmist shows us what should be on our hearts and lips, to bring glory and honour to his great name.  Haven`t we got something to sing about today as a child of God, as a believer in Christ?  The book of Psalms is a tremendous book.  In the Psalms we find there are thoughts for every occasion, for those times when we want to rejoice or for those times when we feel depressed, or fearful, or when we have great decisions to make.  The Psalms touch every emotion we have.  David penned the largest amount of the Psalms thinking about particular incidents in his life, times when he faltered and walked afar from God in deep depression and times when he was rejoicing.  They are a great encouragement to us as believers.  The Psalmist picks out certain things to help in our reading of them.  The background to this Psalm is the placing of the Ark of the Covenant in its rightful place.  It had been away from Jerusalem for many years.  David decided to bring it back - 1 Chronicles 16 verse 7.  Why should there be a new song in our hearts today?

There should be a new song because of the witness of David`s own heart.  We can only sing these Psalms when we are born again of the Spirit of God, saved by God`s grace.  A singing congregation speaks volumes.  When a man or woman sings from the depths of their heart it speaks volumes.  Psalm 40 "he put a new song in my mouth."  Until the Psalmist was lifted out of the miry clay he could not sing that song.  After he had been placed on the solid rock, something that he could depend on, it was then that God put a new song in his mouth.  The very same person lifted him, set him on a rock and put that song in his mouth.  Are we saved today?  Have you ever been to that place called Calvary, looked on the sufferings of Jesus, the one who gave his life for your sin and mine?  Think of him in the grave as he rose on the third day when they went to anoint him.  Is that your experience today?  Remember Paul and Silas lying in the prison house in Acts 16, how at midnight they sang praises unto God "and the prisoners heard them" (verse 25).  We are speaking of the experience of the heart.  Psalm 51 verse 12 "restore unto me the joy of thy salvation."  David had wandered from God and knew that he needed that restoration - "deliver me from bloodguiltiness O God, thou God of my salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness."  The Ark of the Covenant was an important piece of furniture.  It represented the very presence of God.  The Lord promised to meet the people where the Ark of the Covenant was.  When the priests came into the Ark of the Covenant they recognised God was with them.  When we enter into God`s house we are coming into a place where God has promised to meet with us.  2 Samuel 6 verse 2 David went to bring back the Ark of the Covenant.  It ended in death that day.  Uzzah had reached out to steady the cart which David had built to transport the Ark of the Covenant.  As a result of his reaching out God struck Uzzah dead.  This time around David didn`t do that.  1 Chronicles 15 David made a house for the Ark of the Covenant.  He didn`t forget about God and his word.  Is God forgotten about in our homes today?  Is God forgotten about in our relationships today?  Is God forgotten about in our workplaces today?  Is God forgotten about in our neighbourhood today?  Is there a place prepared in your heart for the God of heaven?  Or are there other things crowding in that he cannot get on the throne of your heart today?  God had commanded that no-one but the Levites were to carry the Ark of the Covenant.  David learned the lesson the second time and he made sure the Levites were in charge.  Doing things God`s way.  In Revelation 3  the Laodicean church were going through the motions.  They were a strong church, a strong congregation, had the very best of preachers, a beautiful building.  One thing they didn`t have was the presence of God because he was on the outside.  "Behold I stand at the door and knock."  The Lord was not in his rightful place.  Are there things taking up where the Lord should be in your heart today?  You know you have sinned in your heart and that sin will keep you out of heaven.  Are you prepared to deal with it?  He has to be king and Saviour.  It means you coming and allowing Christ to come into your life again.  When David set the Ark in the right place he got before the Lord and was able to say "O sing unto the Lord."  When Jesus is in his rightful place then we can really sing from our hearts.  

He could sing because of the work of their hands.  Verses 2 and 3 "show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people."  They were to serve the living God.  We cannot sing when we are out of touch with the Lord.  We need to be serving him day to day, as we read his word, praying and seeking God`s face.  Think of Paul and Silas coming to Philippi.  They had the greatest of intentions.  When they came to Philippi they began to preach and souls were saved.  A business woman named Lydia came to faith in Christ.  The devil soon came in though.  A damsel with a spirit of divination started to follow them and when they delivered her from the spirit the authorities didn`t like it.  The jailer "thrust" Paul and Silas into a cell.  They had been beaten and now were literally thrown in.  He basically opened up the door and pushed them inside.  Such violence that was used.  Paul and Silas` feet were put into stocks.  The Bible says "at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the prisoners heard them."  What a witness that must have been.  They had been beaten and thrown into a cold damp and dark cell with their feet spread apart in stocks.  All they wanted to do was to sing praises to God.  It was some witness, a deep seated work of Christ in their hearts.  Here was the work of their hands, the praise and songs from their hearts.  It had a wonderful effect on the jailer.  He cried out "what must I do to be saved.?"  It is our work to spread the gospel today.  They were showing forth God`s salvation.  Psalm 96 verse 10 "Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth, the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved; he shall judge the people righteously."  It didn`t mater what pain and suffering Paul and Silas were in they wanted everyone to hear of the good news of the Lord.  Remember the demonic who was delivered of the demons in Jesus` day.  He wanted to follow Jesus but he was told to go back to his own people, to tell them of his experience.  "For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods."  Verse 5 "but the Lord made the heavens."  He is the great creator God that we worship.  He is the one who gives life to us today.  Pharaoh said "who is the Lord that I should obey him?" (Exodus 5 verse 2)  Imagine the king of Egypt and 2 of God`s servants coming in and he says this.  Remember the Psalmist David when he was only a child, he went out with that same aim in his mind.  When everyone else cowed behind the rocks, when they wouldn`t meet the great giant, David walked down into the valley, looked into his face and said "you come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts" (1 Samuel 17 verse 45)  Is God your Saviour today?  "O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; fear before him all the earth" verse 9.  With reverence we should bow down and sing and open our hearts to him today.  Have we the respect and reverence for the Lord?  Everything else needs to go when we come into the place of God.  "When Solomon had made an end of praying the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the house.  And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord`s house." (2 Chronicles 7 verses 1 and 2)

They could sing because of the wonderful hope.  Verse 13 "for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth."    The Lord died for me, he loved me so much, he is praying for me right now but one day he is coming again for me.  Is he coming for you today?  Will you rise to meet him in the air, saved by his blood?