Advance Presence: Make Him Known
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Sermon text: Psalm 96
Every word that you speak reveals what is going on inside. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). And that includes singing. So whatever it is that truly captures your heart and your mind and your attention, that is what comes out of our mouths. And you can't undo it once it comes out. If you spew anger at someone, it is because that is what was in your heart. You may say, "I didn't mean to say that", but that reality is that you didn't mean for them to hear it. Most people don't like being told what to do or how to feel. But the Psalms do just that. God has us in a journey through the Psalms and what He reveals is that He has a plan for our emotions and for our words.
If we have any hope to Advance God's presence locally and globally, our hearts have to be captured with His glory and salvation, and our mouths have to speak it and sing it.
I wonder if you have ever thought about how weird it is that we gather every week and sing some songs. Why do we do that? Is it weird for people who have never been a part of a local church to visit for the first time and be expected to sing. When you invite people to church, do you say, "I would like for you to come sing some songs with me?" Guys, when you gather the boys together to watch the game, do you first sing some songs together? Girls, when you have a girls night or girls trip, do you first say, "Oh man, I'm glad everyone made it. Before we get started, let's sing a few songs?" But for some of us, from the earliest days of our lives, as soon as we were able, week after week, we get together, and sing some songs. Why?
1.) By God's design, the Church Advances the Gospel to the Nations through singing. (v. 1-3)
God calls everyone to reach the nations. You're either going or sending/supporting.
You won't have a heart for the nations without a passion for the Gospel
You won't have a passion for the Gospel if you don't know it and treasure it. "I WANT TO WRITE A SONG ABOUT IT."
To rightly treasure the Gospel, you must give it away.
2.) Call the Nations away from false idols. (v. 4-6)
God wants us to expose the worthlessness of false gods/idols.
Every idol demands a sacrifice.
The language here is of parody... It is a play on words. Ex. "Like Combs" cover band. The word for idols is "Elilim", which sounds a little like "Elohim", but it literally means "worthless". Elilim is made by human hands, whereas Elohim made human hands.
3.) Call the Nations to God. (v. 7-9)
"Merely to abandon idols is not enough - they must acknowledge God."
Notice the emphasis on families... the natural response to hearing what God has done is to join the song! To worship Him! To find your joy, strength, and meaning... IN HIM!
The church does not ADVANCE our presence in the community and among the nations so that they will put their hope in the church... but so that they would stop being deceived and put their hope in God.
Revelation 20:3 "... so that he [Satan] might not deceive the nations any longer..."
If Satan has his heart set on the Nations, we must also! If the god of this world wants to blind the minds of unbelievers in every nation from seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we must set our hearts and our resources to unblind, to bring the reality of God home to them.
Illustration: "God is good right here!" can be said anywhere and everywhere! This is what we are saying when we are declaring His glory among the nations!
4.) Let heaven and earth rejoice! (v. 10-13)
The Lord will come to judge the earth in righteousness.
How does the future reality of God's rule on earth lead to the heaven being glad, the earth rejoicing, the sea roaring, the forest singing?
When God comes into your life, He brings steadiness. The chaos all around may still be there, but your heart is different. You are steady when the world is not.
One day, the world will be steady too. God's reign and rule will not only bring inward steadiness in the lives of those who have put their faith in Jesus, but it will bring a steadiness to a forest so that it may sing for joy to the Lord... to a sea so that it may roar of the greatness of God... to the nations so that they may be glad in Jesus... every single one.
Discipleship Questions:
Sermon text: Psalm 96
Every word that you speak reveals what is going on inside. Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). And that includes singing. So whatever it is that truly captures your heart and your mind and your attention, that is what comes out of our mouths. And you can't undo it once it comes out. If you spew anger at someone, it is because that is what was in your heart. You may say, "I didn't mean to say that", but that reality is that you didn't mean for them to hear it. Most people don't like being told what to do or how to feel. But the Psalms do just that. God has us in a journey through the Psalms and what He reveals is that He has a plan for our emotions and for our words.
If we have any hope to Advance God's presence locally and globally, our hearts have to be captured with His glory and salvation, and our mouths have to speak it and sing it.
I wonder if you have ever thought about how weird it is that we gather every week and sing some songs. Why do we do that? Is it weird for people who have never been a part of a local church to visit for the first time and be expected to sing. When you invite people to church, do you say, "I would like for you to come sing some songs with me?" Guys, when you gather the boys together to watch the game, do you first sing some songs together? Girls, when you have a girls night or girls trip, do you first say, "Oh man, I'm glad everyone made it. Before we get started, let's sing a few songs?" But for some of us, from the earliest days of our lives, as soon as we were able, week after week, we get together, and sing some songs. Why?
1.) By God's design, the Church Advances the Gospel to the Nations through singing. (v. 1-3)
God calls everyone to reach the nations. You're either going or sending/supporting.
You won't have a heart for the nations without a passion for the Gospel
You won't have a passion for the Gospel if you don't know it and treasure it. "I WANT TO WRITE A SONG ABOUT IT."
To rightly treasure the Gospel, you must give it away.
2.) Call the Nations away from false idols. (v. 4-6)
God wants us to expose the worthlessness of false gods/idols.
Every idol demands a sacrifice.
The language here is of parody... It is a play on words. Ex. "Like Combs" cover band. The word for idols is "Elilim", which sounds a little like "Elohim", but it literally means "worthless". Elilim is made by human hands, whereas Elohim made human hands.
3.) Call the Nations to God. (v. 7-9)
"Merely to abandon idols is not enough - they must acknowledge God."
Notice the emphasis on families... the natural response to hearing what God has done is to join the song! To worship Him! To find your joy, strength, and meaning... IN HIM!
The church does not ADVANCE our presence in the community and among the nations so that they will put their hope in the church... but so that they would stop being deceived and put their hope in God.
Revelation 20:3 "... so that he [Satan] might not deceive the nations any longer..."
If Satan has his heart set on the Nations, we must also! If the god of this world wants to blind the minds of unbelievers in every nation from seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we must set our hearts and our resources to unblind, to bring the reality of God home to them.
Illustration: "God is good right here!" can be said anywhere and everywhere! This is what we are saying when we are declaring His glory among the nations!
4.) Let heaven and earth rejoice! (v. 10-13)
The Lord will come to judge the earth in righteousness.
How does the future reality of God's rule on earth lead to the heaven being glad, the earth rejoicing, the sea roaring, the forest singing?
When God comes into your life, He brings steadiness. The chaos all around may still be there, but your heart is different. You are steady when the world is not.
One day, the world will be steady too. God's reign and rule will not only bring inward steadiness in the lives of those who have put their faith in Jesus, but it will bring a steadiness to a forest so that it may sing for joy to the Lord... to a sea so that it may roar of the greatness of God... to the nations so that they may be glad in Jesus... every single one.
Discipleship Questions:
- Have you ever said something out loud that you didn't mean to say out loud? Tell the group, it will be fun.
- What is the connection to our hearts and what we speak?
- Why should we care about the salvation of the nations?
- Why do you think that God calls us to call the nations away from false idols?
- Is it enough to just expose the false idols?
- Why will heaven and earth rejoice? What does that have to do with evangelism?
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