HOLINESS-Psalm 99. GRATITUDE-Psalm 100

Holy, Holy, Holy (Ps 99:1-9). “Let them praise your great and awesome name—he is holy.” “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.” “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy” (Ps 99:3, 5, 9).

Holiness prompts Gratitude (Ps 100:1-5). A psalm. For giving grateful praise. “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.” “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:1, 4).

HOLINESS, the primary attribute of God. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa 6:3). Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come” (Rev 4:8).

* What does it mean that God is holy? (Psalm 99) How is God holy?

1. God’s name is holy (Ps 99:1-3).
2. God’s judgment is holy (Ps 99:4-5).
3. God’s forgiveness is holy (Ps 99:6-9).

* What should you do because God is holy? (Psalm 100)

1. Worship God loudly and joyfully (Psalm 100:1). 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
2. Serve God gladly (Psalm 100:2). 2 Corinthians 9:7.
3. Thank God consistently and continually (Psalm 100:4). 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
4. Love God intelligently and intimately (Psalm 100:3, 5). Love God for who He is, for to know God is love God. So…

* …how do you come to know that God is God?

• * “Love the Lord your God with…” (Mk 12:30).
• * “…my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hos 4:6).
• * “Do not conform to …, but be transformed by …” (Rom 12:2).
• * “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18).
• * “… whatever is … think about such things” (Phil 4:8).

* How might your biblical knowledge help you or deceive you?

• * “…but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Gen 2:17).
• * “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?” “You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 38:2; 42:3).
• * “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.” “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov 18:15; 1:7).
• * “Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” “Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?” “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (Ps 19:2; 94:10; 139:6).
• * “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering” (Lk 11:52).

God wants more than fans (Ps 100:1); He wants followers (Ps 100:2a). God wants you to serve him not just with emotion (Ps 100:1) but also with motion (Ps 100:2a), the motion of obedience. Spiritual maturity is not measured by glorious singing (Ps 100:1) as much as by glad serving (Ps 100:2a).

You don’t have to be sad to be sanctified. You don’t have to be gloomy in order to be holy (Ps 100:1-2).