“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name. Selah’” – Psalm 66:1-4
This is a psalm of thanksgiving intended for a universal audience. The instruction is not simply for the disciples of God, but for every inhabitant of the earth. The recipient of the global praise is Yahweh alone. This form of praise for God is unconditional for his past and present actions. The only response offered for God’s great deeds is a universal appreciation and glorification.
The heart of the Christian journey is to bring glory to God. As we evangelize and send missionaries into the world we share the joy given to us. The gospel of Christ is the greatest message ever delivered. It is the best news we could share with the lost. John Piper said, “The whole Christian message from beginning to end is good news of great joy.”[1] Uncontrollable pleasure comes from acquiring the saving relationship found only in the gospel. Taking that joy to the nations results in our missionaries producing glorious praise in the world.
Our missionaries bring joy to the nations and praise of the Lord when they take the good news of the gospel into the world. Our missionaries become purveyors of bliss as they minister cross-culturally. The result of the work of missionaries multiplies praise of the Lord. We do missions so the praise and worship of God can be increased. It is definitive. The Lord has spoken it and thus it is true. When we go and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ the nations respond by singing praises to God. Our simple obedience of proclamation of truth results in the praising of the name of Christ. If you want to see true celebration and adoration, tell the truth to a liar. Let the lost hear the way and the result will be greater glory to God being heaped on our Savior as those deceived by the world’s lies first learn to bow before the mercy and justice of Christ.
[1] John Piper, Sermons from John Piper (2000–2014) (Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God, 2014).