Reflection Psalm 8:1-9

There is a story about a church that had a man in the choir who couldn’t sing. Others tried to help him find other places of ministry in the church but he insisted on being in the choir. The choir director became so desperate that he went to the pastor. “Pastor, you have to do something with brother Jones. If you can’t persuade him to leave the choir then I quit and most of the choir will quit too. Help us!” The pastor went to the man and suggested that he leave the choir. “Why should I leave?” “Several people have told me you can’t sing.” “That’s nothing. Fifty have told me you can’t preach and you are still here.”

-When we reflect on the nature and work of God, we should respond with worship.

I. God Deserves Our Worship vv. 1, 9

In our passage this morning, we get some good instruction from King David on the nature of worship.

Why should we worship God?

First, we see that He deserves our worship

David reminds us of the majesty of God

This is one of those church words that we frequently use but never really consider

To say that God is majestic is to reflect on His superiority; He is great and bigger and grander than anything else that exists

This matters because worship grounds us in reality

It gives us an accurate picture of the gravity of God and grounds our lives in Him

It reorients and right-sizes our view of ourselves and the world around us

Fundamentally, when we recognize the grandeur of God, we are simply living according to the truth and saying goodbye to unreality!

To become a Christian is to accept an extra dimension to life. From the Christian's point of view the notable thing about the unbeliever's world is how much smaller it is. The unbeliever is imprisoned in a decaying universe.  Imagine you took a child to the theater to see some tragedy like, say, Hamlet, at the end of which the stage is littered with corpses. And suppose you had difficulty comforting the child afterward, so distressed was he at the spectacle of the deaths. "But the man who played Hamlet is not really dead," you explain. "He is an actor. He also lives a life outside the theater. He has a wife and family and, far from being dead, he is probably now at home with them enjoying a late supper.":

II. God Provides Strength v. 2

Second, we see that worship is God’s tool for strengthening His people in spiritual warfare

David notes that we are living in a state of warfare; God has enemies and they work to distract, discourage, and destroy His people

How does God establish His strength to overcome these enemies? Through the praise of His weakest servants

In His infinite wisdom, God uses the praises of babies and infants to silence His foes

The forces of spiritual darkness cannot overcome the power of God formed as His people praise Him

When we get to this place, I think we are swimming in deep waters

We must not make more of this than is appropriate

However, we must not pretend that it is less than what God says it is

Our “strong place” in life is a life filled with worship; God uses our simple, heartfelt praise to bring profound victories. Things change when God’s people worship Him

Likewise, we must understand is deeply invested in us not worshipping; it is a weapon that He cannot overcome!

When you “don’t feel like it”, when you’re distracted from worship, and you’re disgruntled about style or content, please remember what is feeding this impulse

We have an enemy who does not want God to be glorified and who cannot stand against His worship; the Enemy’s best bet is to hinder praise at all costs!

When we simply persist in worship, we find the strength that we need to face the challenges of our lives

Worship is a weapon of warfare:

-Joshua and the children march and shout and the walls of Jericho fall

-Jehoshaphat prays and God takes care of the battle for His people

-Paul and Silas sing in the night in a Philippian jail and the prison is opened for them

-In Revelation, the saints overcome their great enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony

III. God Cares for You vv. 3-4

Third, we see that God genuinely cares for us

David starts with a big picture view, the scope of the Universe

He is overwhelmed by the grandeur of the heavens, the moon, and the stars

He recognizes his relative insignificance, yet with a pause

The God who created all of this is “mindful” of man

God is concerned with humanity as a whole and individuals in a particular way

He provides particular to us and is concerned for the details of our lives

I hope that we don’t lose sight of this: You are significant in God’s sight

Sometimes in our focus on the majesty of God, we miss His tender care

He is not interested in consuming you; you are not a bug on the windshield of His purposes.

You are an object of His purpose.

He intends to join you to Himself, as His child

Galatians 4:4–7

[4] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. [6] And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” [7] So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV)

IV. God Has a Position and a Purpose for You vv. 5-8

Finally, we see that God has a position and a purpose for you

David reflects on our position:

We are below God, and even operate in a different realm than the heavenly beings, for a little while

This is not to debase humanity, but to help us understand just where we fit into God’s design

We were created in the image and likeness of God and He intends to restore that broken image completely

You were made for God and He has a made a way for you to be restored to Him through Jesus

David calls us to look upwards to God’s intended purpose for us:

The rest of the created order is under our feet; we have dominion over it

We are intended to be God’s agents of dominion, through whom He expresses His authority over creation

All of this ought to stagger us:

God does not need us, but He does have a desire for us

God wants you to know Him, trust Him, experience His care, and participate in His work

When we reflect on this, it ought to motivate us to worship

David closes the psalm out where He started

Our Lord is majestic; He is worthy of our praise. Will we praise Him?

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Worship

Many years ago, Thomas K. Beecher once substituted for his famous brother, Henry Ward Beecher, at the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, New York. Many curiosity seekers had come to hear the renowned Henry Beecher speak. Therefore, when Thomas Beecher appeared in the pulpit instead, some people got up and started for the doors. Sensing that they were disappointed because he was substituting for his brother, Thomas raised his hand for silence and announced, “All those who came here this morning to worship Henry Ward Beecher may withdraw from the church; all who came to worship God may remain.”

The example of godly leaders is helpful, but only the Savior is worthy of our worship and devotion.1506