King By Right, Not By Vote
Matthew Maher
• We don't gather to elect Him as King. We gather to exalt Him because He is King.
Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! — Psalm 47:1
• Worship calls for contributors, not spectators.
For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. — Psalm 47:2
He will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah — Psalm 47:3-4
• Whatever God chooses for us is always for us.
God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. — Psalm 47:5
Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. — Psalm 47:6-7
• Worshipping God calls for your attention, not just your attendance.
God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. — Psalm 47:8
• We do not deserve to approach this throne but by the grace of the Lamb.
The princes of the people have gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. — Psalm 47:9
Discussion Questions
1. Psalm 47 opens with a call to clap hands and shout to God — physical, expressive acts of worship. How do you typically engage in worship, and what would it look like for you to move from being a spectator to a contributor?
2. The sermon draws a distinction between attending worship and actually paying attention in worship. What tends to pull your focus away from God during a worship gathering, and what helps you stay present?
3. Slide 6 says, "Whatever God chooses for us is always for us." Psalm 47:3-4 describes God choosing Israel's inheritance out of love. Is there an area of your life right now where it's hard to trust that what God has chosen is truly for your good?
4. The message reminds us that we do not deserve to approach God's throne except by the grace of the Lamb. How does that reality shape the way you think about coming to God — whether in corporate worship or in your personal prayer life?
5. Psalm 47 repeatedly calls God "King over all the earth" — not just over Israel, but over every nation and people. How does recognizing God's universal kingship change the way you see the circumstances, relationships, or cultural pressures you're navigating right now?