ELCT – SOUTHERN DIOCESE
4TH LORD’S DAY AFTER EASTER (CANTATE DOMINO) SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG
THEME OF THE WEEK: COME AND PRAISE OUR GOD
Ps 57:7-11; Rev 15:2-5; PSALM 100: TMW 257
Dear Servants of God, here is today’s Bible Study for next Sunday:
TWO THINGS TO CONSIDER
Read the Explanations of the Sermon of the Bishop on Sing to the Lord Sunday, the reasons for the Call to Praise God to people all over the world have been explained in detail.
I wish that on Sunday we would lead God’s people with enough flavors of Praising God in reality, not just with WORDS OR SERMONS that they are used to. I pray that everyone who will stand on Sunday to lead the Congregation in this word will see how they can do CREATIVITY SO THAT THE WORSHIP HAS A TRUE TOUCH OF SINGING OR Praising God WITH THEIR MOUTH. Below I point out the main points of praising God as the lessons lead us. Welcome very much in the Lord.
PSALM 57:7 – 11
In the verses given to us of that Psalm, I see three main things
The state of the Worshiper – he was a God-fearing man, who understood the greatness of God, and that greatness of God touched him and gave him faith and a heart filled with enthusiasm to the extent that his mouth uttered profound words from the depths of his heart, words that describe God as He is. He says, “O God, my heart is steadfast, my heart is steadfast.”
Here we learn for today’s God-fearing people, in order to understand the GREATNESS of GOD, we must enter into deep contemplation on the work of GOD and His Actions, and then our mouths will utter profound words of praise to GOD for His Great Things and His wonders.
He inspires his heart and mind, to rise up to praise God with musical instruments. Verse 8, says, “AWAKE…. AWAKE, HARP, I WILL AWAKE AT DAWN..”
Here we learn that: After the Reflection of the Greatness, majesty, glory and wonders of God, let us take the step of Praising God for His beauty and Holiness using our mouths and instruments. Then you can invite the congregation to do so in action, because you will have prepared all the choirs, singers and have chosen songs of true praise, to rise and give God His praise.
The third main point Verse 9-11: The song itself of Praising God for His kindness and faithfulness to us. Here we remember His mercy, His love, His faithfulness and care for us. There is one passage that says, “Receive praise, Lord, Receive praise, Lord, honor and glory we give to You, receive praise, Lord….”
REVELATION 15:2-5
In that lesson of Revelation, John saw deep and wonderful things in the spirit in the language of pictures. Verse 2 he sees a sea of glass mixed with fire. The sea of glass means, the holiness and tranquility of heaven, “fire” symbolizing the judgment or persecution of faith that the saints experienced while on earth. The victors of faith on earth get a chance in heaven to glorify and praise God forever.
Those saints who conquered on earth, sing the song of Moses and the Lamb – Moses is mentioned as a symbol of the Great Victory of bringing people out of slavery to the Promised Land. The Lamb, deserves all the praise, because he himself is a conqueror and conquered the world against the enemy (satan) who ruled the world. The Lamb bought the world with the price and value of his Blood. By the BLOOD of JESUS humans were redeemed, so only conquerors through Christ our Savior by the great sign of the Cross. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
These conquerors sang, “Great and marvelous are your works, O LORD God Almighty; just and true are your ways…”
These, seeing that there should be no human who does not praise GOD, for He alone is worthy of such greatness, say, “Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? (Verse 4).
The lesson of Revelation invites the whole world to fear the Lord and glorify Him. However, we can go through announcements to invite people to come and join us in praising God who alone is worthy to receive praise.
SERMON STUDY
PSALM 100
This Psalm, if you read and repeat and meditate deeply and for a while, then you will see the UNIQUENESS, GREATNESS, GOODNESS, GLORY, DOMINION AND UNMEASURE AUTHORITY of our GOD. Its explanations refer to the Bishop’s Explanations he sent us. Here I point out a few main things to give us motivation and reasons to RISE TO GLORIFY OUR GOD IN REALITY FOR HIS GOODNESS AND GREATNESS THAT IS UNSPEAKABLE BY HIS STANDARDS.
An invitation to make the whole world rejoice. The whole world, approximately 8:2 Billion people, we are invited to make the Lord God rejoice in His worthiness (v. 1).
An invitation to serve Him with joy and gladness (v. 2). Reflect on yourself and myself, do I serve God with joy, or to the point of being pushed? LET’S REFLECT THAT WORD TO SERVE OUR GOD WITH JOY. For we who serve GOD as our MAIN work, THE WORLD SHOULD SEE US AS HAPPY, BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE SERVICE OF GREAT JOY. And you, my friend, ask yourself, how do sadness, resentment, heaviness, difficulty, stumbling blocks, discouragement and despair come to us? It is our own, but the service of GOD himself, has a promise to serve Him with JOY, for it is a service of HOLYNESS, OF BLESSING, OF GRACE, OF JOY, and He has promised us, IF HIS FACE IS WITH US, HE WILL GIVE US COMFORT, GOD’S GIFT TO US IS TO GIVE US COMFORT (Joshua 1:13; Ex 33:14), and the PROMISE OF JOY ALSO (Isa 65:18). On the contrary. Reflect again, is it your humanity and the weakness that I see that I lack joy in the work of the LORD? But the Lord’s work of rejoicing, let us make our congregants feel that their presence in church is not a burden, but rather an opportunity for them to be happy and joyful with their God.
The Great Attributes of Our GOD and His Worth to Be Praised (Verse 3): Let the world and its people know that the LORD is GOD, He is the ONE WHO CREATED US, who made us exist, and WE ARE ONLY HIS PEOPLE. His joy, to save us, to give us eternal life, is to feed us, to care for us, to fight for us and to give us open blessings. Out there, the weather gives us all kinds of food, all kinds of care, and even today we exist because our GOD has given us permission to exist. Why don’t we raise our mouths to praise and sing to GOD even for these few things. TAKE TIME, MEDITATE, THE THINGS THAT GOD HAS BLESSED YOU, your existence, your life, your family, your plans, the weather, your activities. Meditate, His creation and His wonders, contemplate the various creatures and then you and I have been placed above all. WE ARE THE RULERS OF ALL CREATIONS ON THE EARTH. May this elevate us to give God His glory.
Because of God’s goodness and mercy and faithfulness, and all his works toward us (v. 4), we are invited to make processions into our yards, homes, and churches with shouts of praise, songs of thanksgiving, rewarding, exalting, and praising the LORD for HIS WONDERS AND HIS WORKS FOR US HUMANS AND OTHER CREATURES, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH (v. 5).
WITH THAT, YOU AND I HAVE BEEN REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, HE WAS BORN FOR US, WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED FREELY BY GRACE, WE ARE PROTECTED (PSALM 121), WE ARE CARED FOR, WE ARE BLESSED, WE ARE GUIDED, AND HE PROVIDES US WITH MANY GOOD THINGS BY HIS UNFORTUNATE LOVE AND MERCY.
WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CENTER, YOU CAN INVITE YOUR WORSHIPPERS NOW TO STAND AND PRAISE GOD IN A UNIQUE WAY WITH A BEAUTIFUL SONG OF YOUR CHOICE, INCLUDING THE SONG GIVEN US 257. SING WITH A VARIETY, LOUD VOICE, INSTRUMENTS BE PLAYED, CLAPPING, DRUM, LYRICS, AND LOUD VOICES BE SUNG. SINGING TWO, THREE, JOINT SONGS WITH SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS, YOU WILL HAVE DONE JUSTICE TO YOUR PEOPLE, THEY WILL COME OUT WITH HEARTS CRYING FOR JOY AND JOY AND IT IS A HEALING OF THE SOUL ALSO. LET US MAKE IT A TRULY DAY OF JOY FOR OUR GOD.
I WISH YOU THE JOY AND JOY OF CANTETE DOMINO, SING TO THE LORD A NEW HYMN 2026, with the main idea of COME AND PRAISE OUR GOD. AMEN.
Rev. Obias Kilagwa
Secretary of the CE Department
ELCT – Southern Diocese