FPC Small Group Study Guide for the sermon on Sunday, December 14, 2014 Third Sunday in Advent – Psalm 100 “Do You Hear What I Hear? Joy” Just as songs and hymns play an important role in Christian liturgy, many suggest that the psalms played a major role in the Israelite liturgy. Theologian Walter Brueggemann asserts that in the psalms are Israel’s expression of hurt and hope, and that the two hold each other in tension. The hurt is embedded among the stories of their past, and their hope is signaled by what the Lord has already done and what he will continue to do in setting the world aright. So as Israel remembers their hurt and clings to their hope, the psalmists often interject a psalm of praise or thanksgiving. Psalm 100 is a hymn of praise, one of the most common expressions among all the psalms. Many of its elements can be found in the Doxology that we sing regularly in worship. It is marked by a summons, then a series of imperative commands, and finally the reason for participating in the summons and obeying the commands. Read Psalm 100: His Steadfast Love Endures Forever A Psalm for giving thanks. 1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 1 Verse 1 calls for an expressive jubilee! It is a command, and it is invitational and missional. It charges the whole earth to join in one voice, praising God. We are invited to come into his presence without any barrier or need for special permission (v. 2). Discuss: • According to this psalm, who is God and what is he like? • This psalm also tells us about ourselves. According to this psalm, who are we? • What things are we invited to do in response to God? • What does it mean to “Bless the Lord”? We hear it often enough, but what does it mean? The Hebrew verb tense used for the word bless is the Piel, which is used to denote intensity. Psalm 100 does not just call us to bless the Lord, it calls us to really, really bless the Lord will all our might and without abandon. C.S. Lewis said, "The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance." Apply: • Notice the community’s rejoicing, singing, praising, and thanksgiving start before they have come into the temple. Discuss what kind of changes in our lives would be needed to foster this kind of continuous praise. • The Psalter seems to be suggesting that service cultivates joy. How have you experienced this to be true? • Henri Nouwen shared, “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” In what area of your life do you need to quit trying to be superhuman? • How might it help you personally to "know that the LORD is God," that you are a creature, and "the sheep of his pasture"? Joy, not grit, is the hallmark of holy obedience. We need to be light­hearted in what we do to avoid taking ourselves too seriously. It is a cheerful revolt against self and pride. Our work is jubilant, carefree, and merry. Utter abandonment to God is done freely and with celebration. And so I urge you to enjoy this ministry of self­surrender. Don't push too hard. Hold this work lightly, joyfully. The saints throughout the ages have witnessed to this reality.... You know, of course, that they are not speaking of a silly, superficial, bubbly kind of joy like that flaunted in modern society. No, this is a deep, resonant joy that has been shaped and tempered by the fires of suffering and sorrow; joy through the cross, joy because of the cross. ~ Richard Foster 2 .