There are two basic reasons for worshipping the Lord: He is God and He is good.  Ironically, both of these words seem to be related in English, as in other European languages, almost as if to say, “God alone is the Good One”—something that Jesus Himself said.  Together, these two themes form the simple outline of Psalm 100:

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!  Come into his presence with singing!

        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.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!  Give thanks to him; bless his name!

        For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

Do you see the simple outline?

Be joyful, glad, and sing, knowing that the Lord is God.

Give thanks, praise, and bless, knowing that the Lord is good.

Are we?  Do we?

Interestingly, out of all the commands of the Bible, one would think that commands such as “Rejoice!” or “Be glad!” would be some of the easiest to obey.  Who would not want to be joyful?  And yet, in our everyday experience, joy is often elusive, and our loss of joy shows we have lost sight of God as God!  We need to know this afresh, and this becomes one of the chief reasons to come before Him, week after week, in public worship.

Another chief reason for coming to worship is thanksgiving.  Literally, the command is to make verbal confession about the Lord.  Public worship is a confession of faith.  If there is anything this psalm pushes against, it is a deer-stand Christians who refuses to come public with his faith, joining with fellow believers in united song.  There is no “moment of silence” here!

In thanking God, let us remember that God is good, not indulgent.  His eye is on the long-term that lasts “to all generations.”  Our faith must eye the same.

So there you go.  The Lord is God and the Lord is good.

Everything we have is from Him, and everything we have from Him is good.

Therefore, let us come and worship.