Forsaking a Hardened Heart for a Heart of Worship

Psalm 95

I. A Warning. (8-11)

A. Against a hardened heart. (8-9)

1. Israel experienced wonderful victories. Plagues, Passover, freedom, presence of God

2. Israel began to experience heart problems. Exodus 17:1-7

The heart is always the first thing to go. See verse 10 “err” stray, wander. Had been fixed on God. They had been in church too long. They began to grumble @ Moses. They were no longer amazed at the miraculous. They were forgetful of their deliverance. They were not content with their food.

3. God was exciting as long as He was doing what they wanted. Deliver us, feed us protect us

4. God was exciting as long as He was going where they wanted to go. Giants in land

The symptoms of the heart problem were Israel’s complaining (discontent) and lack of faith.

B. Against Grieving God. (10)

1. God has a heart. V. 10 & 11 teaches He is grieved and angered. God loves, hates, rejoices; He is not removed from the experience of emotion. This generation grieved God 40 years! God has a heart and too often people break it.

2. Accustaion 1- You brought us to the desert to kill us! Did they really think that?

3. Accusation 2- You don’t love us. “Why did you do this to us?”

4. Accusation 3- You aren’t powerful enough to save us. Refused to enter Promise Land

Israel attacked the character of God. They implied He was a terrible God void of love and weaker than the gods of the heathen nations. This greatly grieved God.

C. Against Missing the Promised Land. (11)

1. God was provoked to wrath by this generation. “wrath” (Aph) refers to the nose. Used in this way because when a person gets extremely anger it shows in the flaring of nostrils.

2. God promised they would not enter the Promised Land. His patience was exhausted.

3. These people thought they were going to the Promised Land but they didn’t make it.

II. Lessons for our Generation.

A. Be watchful over your own heart.

1. Emotions will fade, love will remain. Determine if you love God or if you just got excited about Him.

2. Recognize the symptoms of heart problems. Forget what He has done, not thankful, grumble, complain, not amazed at His works.

3. Be honest with yourself. Do I find pleasure in being who God wants me to be, going where He wants me to go and doing what He wants me to do?

B. Be sensitive to the heart of God.

1. God is concerned about what you believe about Him.

2. God is concerned about what you say about Him.

3. God is concerned with your actions. He is grieved by your sin.

C. Be careful about your salvation.

1. A series of small steps can create miles between you and God.

2. You can think you are on the way to the Promised Land and die in the wilderness instead.

III. An Invitation to Worship. (1-7) Worship is the key to being thankful. The Psalmist gives us expressions of worship that will keep our hearts from hardening.

A. Recognize the Greatness of God.

1. The Only God. God is called LORD, Rock of our salvation, a Great God, a Great King above all gods, Our Maker, & God. What if there were only one quarter in world and you had it? It would be valuable, you would feel honored, protect it. Only one God, He is valuable and He is yours!

2. A Covenant God. “LORD” The only God that can make a deal with you! God has committed Himself to us through Christ. You have an inheritance!!!

3. Our King. The wonder is that He has chosen to be our King.

B. Give Gratitude to God.

1. Through song. (1) sing unto the Lord, not to one another, to HIM! Does me no good to tell others how much I love my wife if I don’t tell her. Our songs should be emotional because they are prayers to God! “You are my strength when I am weak…Worthy is Your Name!”

2. Through shouting. “joyful noise” to split the ears, to suddenly shout or make a loud noise, as with a trumpet blast. “To the Rock of our salvation” The smitten rock was what brought water to Israel. Israel probably shouted when they saw that water coming from the rock. Paul said that Rock was Jesus (1 Cor. 10:4)! When we see our salvation flowing from the crucified Lord Jesus we ought to shout!!!

3. Through giving of thanks. (2) Let us never forget to thank God. Let us never cease to.

C. Recognize the Gentleness of God.

1. He is our Maker. (6) The Great Potter’s hands have formed us. They are still forming us. As our Maker He is concerned about us. He is connected to us like nothing else in creation is. We bear His image. We are His handiwork down to the very detail. We can kneel before Him in faith. He will not harm us. He has made us. The artist won’t destroy His own painting; the sculptor won’t destroy his own statue.

2. He is our Shepherd. (7) In context with this Psalm, God was leading His sheep (Israel) to the green pastures of the Promised Land. But they refused to go and wandered as lost sheep in the wilderness until they died. God is a Good shepherd. Why do we run from Him? Perhaps it’s the pain of Him removing some debris caught in our wool. Maybe it’s the fear of leaving the field we know for a new wide open space. We can trust God. He is a gentle God. He loves us. Three times we are told to “Come” (1, 2, and 6). Let us do that. Let us come to God with tender hearts and a thankful spirit.