The psalm that we're considering today for the Lord's Supper is Psalm 111. To give a little bit of a path forward for the summer, I was thinking that, I can't guarantee you it'll go like this, but I'm thinking that next week, in the next few weeks through the summer, we'll go through the little book of Ruth. And then after the summer, as we start the school year, my plan is to begin the book of Hebrews. So that's my plan. The Lord may change it, but that's what it is right now. So, Psalm 111 today, I thought, would be really appropriate as we come to the table of the Lord. Psalm 111, these 10 verses I will read. It's found on page 603 in your Bibles in front of you. Let's give our attention to the wonderful word of the Lord. Praise the Lord. I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. In the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. For he has caused his wondrous works to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him. He remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works in giving them the inheritance of the nations. The works of his hand are faithful and just. All his precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people. He's commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever. May the Lord bless the hearing of his word this morning. As we come to the table of the Lord this morning, I thought it would be good to take a sermon here and pause and consider what the Lord expected in the old covenant, what he expected in the days of Israel when he instituted the Passover. What was the Lord after when people came to the Passover feast? Was it a drudgery? Was the Passover feast this burdensome feast that they had to come and fulfill all these rules as we constantly think about Old Testament worship and things like this? And that's just not really the case. That's why I wanted to consider this today with you. What kind of heart was the Lord after when people came to the Passover feast? What did he delight in when people came? What did a true celebration of the Passover look like? Now that's important because though there's not a one-for-one correspondence to the Lord's Supper, this psalm celebrates Jesus. There is no doubt that this psalm celebrates the work of Jesus. Our single great feast is what the Passover anticipates. And this is what we're going to look at in the Lord's Supper, why this is such a special psalm to consider the supper today. And I want to walk you through this psalm, how it was used in the covenant community, what it says to us about the celebration of this great feast they had, the Passover and us, the Lord's Supper, and how it all anticipated the redemption that we enjoy, the redemption that we celebrate, the purchase, the praise that the Lord is worthy to receive. You'll notice here, if you look carefully at Psalms 111 and 112, they almost seem somewhat synchronized in their introduction here to the great Hallel section of Scripture, as they had these great praise psalms, as they were anticipating here, that would be sung at the Passover. Of course, these first two, Psalm 111 and 112 were the introduction to the Hallel that was sung at the Passover. The Hallel, of course, meaning the great praise that Israel was to offer when they came to worship the Lord. Songs that were sung at the Jewish festivals. These were sung at great festivals. They were meant to be happy songs. They were meant to be celebratory songs. Psalm 111 was particular, however, to the Passover feast. And that's why I chose this one today. I think it says a lot to us that can help us. This was the praise music for the Passover. This was the praise music for the Passover. I said praise music and that's just a hot button word, isn't it? Praise music for the Passover. The Passover was that commemorative and celebratory meal, remember, that celebrated the deliverance of Israel out of the land of Egypt. You remember all that the Lord did to plague Egypt. And then, of course, he said, I want you to institute, I want the Passover to be celebrated on that great night that that blood was shed of the Passover lamb. Remember, they'd take the lamb boys and girls and they'd kill that lamb and they would slit the lamb's throat and blood would be shed and remember that blood was put on the door post of the house and the angel of death would pass over not giving the people what their sins deserved if they saw the blood and that night i want you to celebrate and i want you to be ready you're coming out of egypt i'm bringing you out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm it was a great celebration and this was this was the particular psalm that celebrated this great event that's why i want to think about this psalm briefly with you this morning uh here the character as we come to the table that the character of true praise that is really accented in this psalm and captured for us in this psalm and then the reason for true praise that is explained and then the the way of true praise if you struggle with praise here's your psalm. This will give you what you need. This will help you to understand what God loves, what praise is, what it sounds like, what pleases him. So let's start with this this character of true praise that is here captured where you notice that the first words of the psalm are praise the Lord. Praise the Lord with a great exclamation point. It captures the energy of the psalmist who wants to praise the lord the psalm is describing this here you'll notice here the description to have us join in but in this first person i will give thanks to the lord with my whole heart in the company of the upright and the congregation so right from the beginning you notice here there's something about the attitude of the psalmist that is that is so beautiful isn't it the attitude that is captured here. It's really an attitude that is one of joy and happiness, thinking about the great privilege that we have to come together as the people of the Lord and gather in the congregation and to praise him. I will give thanks. I will sing his praise. And notice, with my whole heart, everything that I am, all my, what we say, faculties, we talk about the will and the mind and the affection. Everything that we are when we think about the heart characterizes here has gripped him to give the Lord true praise. I love to gather. Listen to this. I am overjoyed to gather with the saints. I am a happy person to go up to the house of the Lord to worship. I want to be with the congregation of the people. There's nothing more fulfilling than to be with God's people and together to sing his praise and to enjoy him in the congregation with my whole heart. Notice here the congregation is being summoned through this to praise the Lord with all of the heart. There's something that is so special as we come together today that the world does not have. The world can't have this. This is a holy gathering. This is not common. When we come to this table this morning, this is something specifically given as a holy table to God's people, a gift from God to his people that is not open to the world. It is closed to the world. It is open to the believer. That's why this is special. That's why we have to give warnings about coming to the table of unbelievers and those who don't believe to partake of something that could be deadly to them. This is special. And notice here that he describes how joyful he is to come out, all of the stresses and troubles of the world. And this was probably the super Sabbath that we considered in John where the Passover and the Sabbath came together and they're coming up to worship and he's singing to the Lord and he gets to praise the Lord with the congregation, with my whole heart. I will do this. I will go up on the Sabbath and I will worship the Lord with all of who I am. I will give him the praise that is due to his name. I will worship him in the beauty of his holiness. Something has happened to him. Something is very important. He has been driven to the courts of the Lord. Now, this is where I think the psalm is a little challenging for American worshipers. You see why I said that it's showing us the character of true praise. We need to consider a little bit what that looks like and what the character is of true praise. We as Americans are somewhat challenged by this. We start, you can almost start by breaking this down and thinking about what the first question might be. What is the attitude of us? What is your attitude in coming up to the house of the Lord today? Did it look anything like this? Was there any sort of desire to get up out of bed and do this? I really appreciated something that was said at Rena DeYoung's memorial the other day, that there's a challenge in our own history, a challenge that I have felt many years in our particular tradition, as to whether we view worship and we view being reformed, and we view who we are as just our culture? That's a really good question. Is it just our culture? Or have we really embraced this as the heart of our faith, what we believe? And has it affected the whole heart? Has it got into the whole heart? Or is this just the culture? That's a good question. That's a fair question. Because when it gets into the heart, it transcends culture. You see, if this is just culture, the heart's absent. If this is just what I have to do, the heart's absent. But if it comes out of the whole heart, then praise is genuine. Then praise is genuine. You see the challenge today. This is particularly true when it comes to praise in worship, especially we have been trained in the broader Christian culture today, especially our church culture, that how we feel when we come to worship is determined by the success that we are able to create from the music. If I can just have that good feeling, then I worship. That's what we think. That's how we've been trained. Does that create praise? That's the crucial question I want to press you on a little bit up front here. Does that create true praise? The character of true praise. Do we always have to achieve sort of concert-like success to reach praise? Long pause. Do we always have to achieve that? I think, I kind of get it. I've understand it in the pressures of our culture. Some have come to view that we like the Escondido URC, but we recognize that praise in this place will just always be bad. I've heard that. It's just not very good here. I want to challenge that. We always think there's something that's lacking that the church is doing that is not right, and that's why it's not working well. What do you want? What are you after? Well, I just, I want to feel better. Listen carefully as I say this. I'm not convinced, I am convinced that a lot of what is called praise today is not even heard by the Lord. I'm convinced he turns his ear from it. Psalms say that. Yeah, he turns his ear not only away from vain repetitions, but also empty hearts that have empty theology. You know, emotions and feelings have to rise to something higher than animals, than what they have, right? Animals have emotions and animals have feelings and they all want to feel good. I was reading the fourth grade lesson. This is what I do in my spare time. And I want you to listen to this for a minute. This is our Sunday school lesson. Fourth grade, I think. Class four. In class four. What does it mean to mistreat God's name? I know, I know. It means swearing and using God's name when you swear. I guess that's what taking God's name in vain means, huh? Yes. But did you know that taking God's name in vain also means not paying attention in worship? Saying and singing God's name without reverence? Saying the Apostles' Creed and not believing the words? Wow! I didn't realize we could use God's name wrongly when we worship. That's like an inspired lesson. That is fabulous. That is absolutely fabulous. Boys and girls, that's a good lesson. The psalmist just said, true praise comes from a heart full that is somewhat overwhelmed. Loving to gather together with the saints. Why? That's what's next. Why and how? Well, he says it. Great are the works of the Lord, notice this. This is such a wonderful verse, beloved. Verse 2, great are the works of the Lord studied by all who delight in them. That is such a great verse. True praise, what makes me want to get up out of bed and praise the Lord, that makes me eager to see his people, that there is, and this is a good word, that we lost in our church culture today. There is a preparation for worship. There is a preparation for praise that requires something of your mind. It requires a kind of preparation. I say preparation for worship, and I say preparation for praise. It's not, ready, one, two, three, four, let's go. It's not how praise works in God's kingdom. That's how it works in the world. What leads to true praise? something the psalm says very specifically. All the great works of the Lord, listen to me, are studied. That word means sought out. That takes effort. Sought out only by those who delight in those works. I think we get to the heart here of why we complain that we just don't feel much joy in our life at times. and the heart of why we feel that our faith just doesn't have a lot of excitement. I've heard that a lot over the years. Almost inevitably, I will hear the person say, it has everything to do with the church's failure to bring right praise. And I stop and who's failure? Who's failure? Proper praise and worship of God comes an overflowing heart that is taken from seeking out the works of the Lord. That's what the psalm is saying to us, and that expresses itself in loving to come and gather that way. These works have to be sought out by those who love the learning about the Lord's works. I think this is why when Jesus spoke the word, you have in the pattern in the New Testament that then they would sing. And after he spoke the word, the singing that took place after took on a whole new kind of moment that it never could have created up front. The best song you'll sing today is not the first song in worship. That's what we think. We think if we can, if we can grab the emotions and get them going for 20 minutes, then we'll have true praise and we'll create something. Not true. Not true. Not in God's economy. The best song you'll sing today will be Psalm 111 after this sermon. Why? Because the truth of God's word has done a creative work in the heart and you have been taken by his work and then you're singing that truth. It always has a different effect when that happens. It's real that way. It's true that way. That's why when your heart's right after this, if your heart's right after this sermon, Psalm 111 is going to be really special when we sing it. I promise you. Praise doesn't come cheaply. Praise doesn't come cheaply. Look at the character of true praise out of an overflowing heart that has studied the works of the Lord and is taken by those works and wants to come and express that in the congregation of the assembly together with great joy. So notice then here, as the psalm moves, you need to ask yourself through this, if you find the praise of the Lord unfulfilling in your life, how much are you really giving to studying the works of the Lord? That's your task. That's what you have to think about and not just blame the church. That's important. So here we are, the psalmist is not just speaking about the works of creation, now we want to move a little bit into what he's saying here. He's speaking of something that is very important here about the works of the Lord, very specific about the works of the Lord. Here we are looking at true praise and what it looks like and what it sounds like in the reason for true praise. Notice in verse 3, full of splendor and majesty is his work. And his righteousness endures forever. He's caused his wondrous works to be remembered. I'm not totally convinced that's the right construction. The placement of remembered there memorial is in a post-positive, what we call position. What that means is the translation, and other translations have captured this, and I think they're right, Reads like this, full of splendor and majesty is his work. A memorial he has made for his wondrous, wonderful works. God did certain things throughout history, in Israel's history, that would help them. He did wonderful things to help them that were accessible to them. He set up memorials for them. The memorials were set up. It wasn't just remembering, but remembering is important. We'll look at that with the supper here briefly. We sometimes, I think, overreact to that, but it is an important aspect to the Lord's Supper when Jesus said, do this in remembrance of me. It was contemplating what the memorial celebrated. It was to be understood, and as you understood the memorial, then praise flowed. That's how it was to work. So I'll prove it. Remember when the Philistines were harassing Israel and Israel was in a spiritual decline and in darkness and they had put the ark out in the middle of the battlefield and all of that darkness and finally a lamb was slaughtered and worship became true again. And as that happened, a stone was set up, an Ebenezer stone of help. They would always remember the Lord's deliverance that day. God has given us all kinds of helps along the way, hasn't he? Memorial was a big word. Remembering was a big word throughout history. You think of in Israel's history. Notice verse 5, for instance. He provides food for those who fear him. He always did. In Exodus 16, we have the account of God providing manna for the children of Israel in the wilderness. And the Lord commanded Moses, fill an omer with it to be kept for the generations. That they might see the bread which I fed you with in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt. That food in that omer would be passed around. And boys and girls, look. This is the very food that God provided Israel in the wilderness and delivered them with. Look at it. He was so faithful. He always fed them. He always cared for them. He loved them. Verse 6 says he gave them the heritage of the nations. He gave them the land. Maybe the first thing that came to mind was the awesome work of God cutting off the waters of Jordan so that the ark would be carried to the other side. But notice, Joshua was commanded, remember, to put 12 stones there. And in the midst of the Jordan to be a memorial of God's great work of giving them the land and bringing them into the land. Verse 7, the works of the Lord's hands are faithful and just. All his precepts are trustworthy. They are established forever and ever to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He gave them his law on tablets of stone. Here's my question. What were they like to him all along the way? Well, they hated his food. And they hated his worship. They were never satisfied with his worship. You know that? That's the golden calf event. Got to the mountain. This isn't going well. This is boring. God's somewhere out there, and he hasn't come to deliver. Give us another God. And so they fashioned the golden calf. And they said, this is Yahweh who brought you out of Egypt. And then they had a rocking wow worship service out there. is there no graves in egypt that you've taken us away to die in the wilderness what have you done to bring us bringing us up out of egypt is this not what we said you in egypt leave us alone that we may serve the egyptians for it would have been better to serve the egyptians than to die in the wilderness what would you do with a kid who acted like that to you they get to the mountain so unsatisfied God says that's it I'm done with these people I'm done they hate my worship they complain about that they complain about the food they're never satisfied I've given them everything Moses says you can't you made a covenant you can't wipe them out you have to fulfill your word I think this is right where we are in the song I think this is what's going through the mind as they're singing there is a centerpiece to this psalm a chiasm if we I can't show you the whole structure I don't have the time but the centerpiece of this psalm is for be gracious and compassionate is the Lord, you know where that came from, right after the golden calf event, that he didn't give them what their sins deserve. And all before this, the Lord had set up the greatest memorial in Old Testament Israel. The greatest remembrance of the Lord was the Passover, that God had instituted a Passover of his memorial, of his wonderful works when he delivered them from slavery, and the institution of the Passover. The Israelite was to eat that lamb in memorial and in a celebration of all that God had done to deliver them forever. That was to be an ordinance forever. He caused his wondrous works to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him. He remembers his covenant forever, the covenant of grace. He remembers it. He does. How have you been to him, beloved? Let's be honest. You sit here full. He's given you homes and good things and children and families and all this manner of blessing. What do you really lack, really and he tells you to live by faith because you're in a wilderness journey you're going to get the beautific vision you're going to get you're going to get sight and glory it's going to be wonderful all that's held out for you and are you real patient along the way are you pushing his worship are you satisfied with the lord do you moan against where he has you do you complain against his food even when he's given you everything do you rarely pray as you should do you acknowledge him in the morning do you bless his holy name or do you keep jumping those stupid idols do you keep returning to them you come to worship and you want something more exciting don't you and a memorial's been set up week after week he comes to you and what does he say to you through his word I love you I'll cover your sins I'm merciful and compassionate slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness I remember my covenant forever Return to me from your idols every week. Verse 9, he sent redemption to his people. He's commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. Look, for all the glorious works that God had performed in Israel, think about this. This was a people to whom redemption had been sent. They didn't even ask for it. He sent it. Luther says the chief subject of this psalm is the remembrance of Christ. And therefore, it's fitting for New Testament Christians to understand this. Listen, as a call, does the land only represent Palestine? It was the word only for them. And the whole Bible says, no, it's for you too. All of this. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead. I am the living bread which comes down from heaven. Those who ate the manna died, but those who partake of the bread from heaven will live forever. A lamb was slaughtered in the institution of the Passover. Paul says, that's our Jesus. He is our Passover. What a memorial has been set up today. We are about to partake in full remembrance of the body of Christ that was broken for us to have our souls nourished on his shed blood, a shed body and crucified, crucified body and shed blood so that you can be sure that he loves you and cares for you and that he's provided for you and that he's forgiven you. Now, let's talk about praise again to close this out. Praise the Lord with your whole heart. the psalmist just says notice we don't have the psalmist just telling us to do this in remembrance of his work just for them jesus said do this in remembrance of me that's what we're doing right now so so so how should this penetrate the heart today of all that we have to hear think about of all that the lord has done jesus says remember me Spurgeon this do in remembrance of me Christians have many treasures to lock up in the cabinet of memory they ought to remember their election chosen of God before time began they ought to be mindful of their effectual calling for which they were called of God and rescued by the power of the Holy Spirit they ought to remember their special deliverances all that he's done for them and the mercies that he's bestowed upon them but there's one who should embalm in their souls with the most costly spices, one who above all other gifts of God deserves to be had in perpetual remembrance. Forget not his person. The text says, do this in remembrance of me. It is Christ's glorious person which ought to be of our remembrance. It is his image which should be enshrined in every temple of the Holy Spirit. You want to praise him properly today? You want to worship God in the way that he loves? Isn't that what's most important? Not just about how you feel, but in the way that God loves to be worshiped. Verse 9, he sent redemption to his people. He commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. When you are worshiping God properly, guess where it goes? you fall in reverence before him. You know, back to our little thing. Yeah, but did you know that taking God's name in vain also means not paying attention in worship? Saying and singing God's name without reverence? Saying the Apostles' Creed and not believing the words, wow, I didn't realize we could worship God wrongly like that. Holy is the Lord. When you are so taken by the God of Israel who's loved you, who is a consuming fire and given his son for you, having studied the work of Jesus, now we can talk about praise. Now we can talk about worship. Now we can come and sing, can't we? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It just was shown to you what wisdom is. All those who practice it have a good understanding. Praise the Lord. His praise endures forever.