Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Psalm 100 NIV
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
This short and beloved Psalm urges us to come before God with praise. Notice, however, verse 4, which also emphasizes showing up at God’s place of worship. Jesus taught this in the memorable story of the great banquet which we heard last Sunday. To worship is to demonstrate that God is worthy. We demonstrate this not only with words, but by actually showing up at God’s house. This shows God that we think he is more important than shopping, golfing, going to Starbucks, or sleeping in on the Sabbath. What are your most common excuses for skipping worship? Think of how those excuses are making you more important than God.