Psalm 95

Order of Service

• Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord (based on Psalm 98)
• Call to Worship — Psalm 98:1-9
• Hymn — Come, Let Us Sing unto the Lord
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith (Westminster Shorter Catechism)
• Scripture Reading — Ezra 4:1-16
• Hymn — The Lord's My Light (Psalm 27)
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn — Abide with Me
• Sermon
• Hymn — How Firm a Foundation
• Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14

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Sermon Title: Worship God or Perish — The Ultimatum of Psalm 95

Scripture: Psalm 95:1-11

I. The Call to Worship God with Rejoicing (vv. 1–2)

A. The psalmist commands exuberant, wholehearted praise — joyful shouting fit for a king who saves his people B. The Lord is called the rock of our salvation, a reference to the water-giving rock in the wilderness (Exodus 17)

1. Paul identifies that rock as Christ in 1 Corinthians 10
2. If Christ is your rock, come before him with great praise and thanksgiving C. There is no room for apathetic mumbling, disengaged lip service, or distracted hearing of God's word

II. Worship in the Reality of God's Presence and Person (vv. 2–5)

A. God is specially present when his people gather for worship (cf. Exodus 33:15) B. Three truths about who God is that fuel worship:

1. The Lord is a great God — Psalm 113; Psalm 145 — his greatness is unsearchable
2. The Lord is a great king above all gods — he rules all things visible and invisible; any power other beings possess is derivative and subject to his sovereign will
3. The Lord is the Creator — the depths, the mountains, the sea, and the dry land are all his (Genesis 1–2); unlike localized pagan idols, he made it all and is over all

III. Worship God with Reverence (v. 6)

A. The three Hebrew verbs — worship, bow down, kneel — all mean to prostrate oneself; this is face-down-in-the-dirt humility before almighty God B. This reverence is not servile fear before a tyrant; it is inseparable from the joyful shouting of vv. 1–2 C. Reflecting on who God is and what he has done, the believer cannot help but bow down trembling with joy

IV. Worship in Relationship to God as Shepherd (v. 7a)

A. He is our God — his commitment is constant; his care is all-sufficient and personal B. We are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand — he is no hireling C. Psalm 23 — the Lord is my shepherd; Jesus is the good shepherd who knows his sheep

V. The Ultimatum: Do Not Harden Your Hearts (vv. 7b–11)

A. The warning is taken up in full by the author of Hebrews (Hebrews 3:7–11; Hebrews 4:3); Derek Kidner notes it "forbids us to confine its thrust to Israel" — the today is this very moment B. The ultimatum is time-sensitive — today, not tomorrow; you may not have tomorrow

1. Thomas Fuller: "You cannot repent too soon because you do not know how soon it may be too late"
2. Today is the day of salvation C. The ultimatum requires sensitive ears — God speaks through his inspired word (Hebrews 1:1-2); the Holy Spirit spoke through the human author (Hebrews 3:7); we must ask for understanding and be doers, not merely hearers D. The ultimatum is heart-related — Israel went astray in their heart (v. 10)
3. Proverbs 4:23 — guard your heart with all diligence
4. Mark 7 — evil proceeds from within, out of the heart
5. Hebrews 3:12 — take care lest there be an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God E. The ultimatum is historically illustrated by Israel in the wilderness (vv. 8–10)
6. Despite miraculous deliverance from Egypt and sustenance in the wilderness, Israel grumbled repeatedly — at Marah (Exodus 15), at Massah and Meribah (Exodus 17), over meat and bread (Numbers 11)
7. God's ways include loving discipline so we might share in his holiness; we test God when we complain rather than submit
8. It is not wrong to pray for deliverance, but if God prolongs the trial we must not grumble, shake our fists, or turn back
9. Paul: these things happened as examples for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10) F. The ultimatum is dreadfully enforced — "I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest" (v. 11)
10. God's oath makes the curse irrevocable; Israel crossed the line of no return at the report of the ten spies
11. Only Joshua and Caleb of those 20 and older who witnessed the Exodus entered the land
12. The author of Hebrews applies this to eternal salvation, not merely land promises — not entering God's rest means missing out on eternal life
13. Unbelief expressed through grumbling, apathy in worship, and hardness of heart may evidence that one remains under God's judgment

VI. The Call to Respond

A. If you have an evil, unbelieving heart — repent today; do not tarry; flee to Christ B. If the call to worship gives you joy overflowing with thanksgiving — make a joyful noise, for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised