[0:00] Could I extend a warm welcome to this service of worship and to any who may be joining through the YouTube link.
[0:11] Let us worship God by singing to His praise from Psalm 27, page 236 of the Psalm book.
[0:24] Psalm 27, page 236 at verse 4. One thing I of the Lord desired and will seek to obtain, that all days of my life I may within God's house remain, that I the beauty of the Lord behold me and admire, and that I in His holy place may reverently inquire.
[0:54] For He in His pavilion shall me hide in evil days, in secret of His tent me hide, and on a rock me raise.
[1:06] And now, even at this present time, mine head shall lifted be above all those that are my foes and round encompass me.
[1:20] Therefore unto His tabernacle I'll sacrifice His bring of joyfulness. I'll sing. Yea, I to God will praises sing.
[1:34] Let us sing these verses. One thing I of the Lord desired. One thing I of the Lord desired and will seek to obtain, that all days of my life I may within God's house I may within God's house I may.
[2:14] That I the beauty of the Lord behold me and admire, and that I in His holy place I may repкивently In advanced life and be quite, and we may değerenden God's Word And western King can't be The Lord is safe to die, and on our road near is.
[3:17] And now in the darkest present time, I had shined in me.
[3:32] Above all those that are my foes, and round them compass me.
[3:47] Therefore unto this tabernacle, I'll sacrifice the spring of joyfulness.
[4:08] I'll sing, yea, I do, for the places to be.
[4:24] Let us engage in prayer. Eternal and ever-blessed Lord, we are reminded at the beginning of the psalm that we have sung, that you are the light of the psalmist.
[4:44] And you are light, for in you there is no darkness at all. And we understand from his statement that you are the one who gives him understanding and illumination about the teachings of thy truth.
[5:05] We thank thee that thou art still engaged in illuminating and enlightening sinful hearts and mind as the one who is always the light.
[5:21] Help us to share today in the sentiment of the psalmist. We understand that as king, he had many responsibilities, many duties to attend to.
[5:35] But we also understand that there was one thing that superseded everything else. One thing I of the Lord desired and will seek to obtain that all days of my life I may within God's house remain.
[6:00] Grant, O Lord, that we too share in that intensity of desire that characterized thy servant who looked to thee above everything else in life and who sought to see the glory and the beauty of Almighty God as revealed within the course of his house.
[6:28] May we share in that desire as we gather today to worship thy great and holy name that we too might behold the glory and the beauty and the greatness of Almighty God as it is revealed to us in Christ Jesus, thy Son through the teaching and ministry of thy Holy Spirit.
[6:56] We pray thy blessing today on every home and family gathered to this building. Grant thy blessing on each and all according to their varied needs.
[7:10] Bless those unable to be present and those who may be struggling with ill health, whether mental or physical. We commit them to thy care and keeping in the knowledge that thou wert able to provide for them and do for them above and beyond what we can ask or even think.
[7:35] Minister tenderly to all who are laid aside, we pray thee. We give thee thanks for the encouragement given to the congregation in past days where others came to join the nucleus of thy people in this part of thy vineyard and especially those who made public profession of faith for the first time by coming to the Lord's table.
[8:06] We rejoice in that news and we are truly delighted to learn of others coming to associate themselves with the people of God.
[8:25] Delighted to hear of those who have come to public profession of the Lord Jesus Christ as their light and their salvation as the one whom they desire above all else in life.
[8:45] We pray that the congregation may be encouraged by the professions that have been made and that they may go from strength to strength.
[8:57] Bless thy servant whom thou hast set over them in holy things. Grant that thou wouldst bless his ministry among them. Uphold and sustain him, we pray thee and grant that he may see further fruit for his labor as he continues in the ministry and office to which thou hast called.
[9:23] Bless the seed sown by the former assistant of the congregation and bless the young man who is beginning the work of the training of the ministry in their midst.
[9:40] Uphold and we pray thee and sustain and we give thee thanks that there are others rising up who are burdened to share the good news in Jesus Christ.
[9:54] Remember our world in days of trouble and days of war. We pray for the nation of Ukraine and the citizens of that nation and those who are believing people among the nation as they face the unleashing of armament by President Putin and those who support him.
[10:24] O Lord, we pray for a day of peace a day of cessation of hostility. We know that thou art in overall control as the supreme sovereign Lord and that thou art able to bring conflict to an end sometimes by means unthought of by man.
[10:48] Men place their confidence in the power that they have momentarily. and in the armament at their disposal. But the believer places his hope and confidence in the power of an omnipotent God who is able to do things that are far above the power of any military power or strength however mighty it may appear.
[11:17] And so, O Lord, we pray that thou wouldst bring about a cessation of hostilities and the saving of lives. Grant, O Lord, that thou wouldst be with those who are fleeing their homes, those who are displaced, those who are grieving, those who are facing hardship.
[11:42] Grant, O Lord, that thou wouldst draw near to them as the God of mighty grace and the God of great power. Help us as we turn to thy truth.
[11:54] Lead us and guide us we pray thee. Cleanse in the blood. In Jesus' name we ask it with forgiveness of sin. Amen. Amen. Let us now read from the scriptures of the New Testament from the Gospel according to John chapter 14.
[12:19] Gospel according to John chapter 14 from verse 1 to verse 14. Let not your hearts be troubled.
[12:31] Believe in God. believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you.
[12:46] And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am you may be also.
[13:00] And you know the way to where I am going. Thomas said to him Lord we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?
[13:13] Jesus said to him I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
[13:25] If you had known me you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. Philip said to him Lord show us the Father and it is enough for us.
[13:44] Jesus said to him have I been with you so long and you still do not know me Philip. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.
[13:55] how can you say show us the Father. Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
[14:18] Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. or else believe on account of the works themselves.
[14:30] Truly truly I say to you whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father.
[14:44] Whatever you ask in my name this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name I will do it.
[15:00] Amen and may God bless to us that reading from his truth. Let us further sing to his praise from Psalm 84 in the Singed Psalms verse and page 112.
[15:17] Amen How delightful are your dwellings O almighty Lord to me for your courts my soul is yearning in your house I long to be heart and flesh cry out aloud for the true and living God even sparrows find their dwelling and the swallow builds a nest near your altar Lord almighty where our offspring may have rest blessed whose home is your abode they are ever praising God blessed are those whose strength is in you those who have a pilgrim's mind pools from autumn rains refresh them springs and bakers veil they find strength increasing
[16:25] Zionward they go on their way to God let us sing these verses how delightful are your dwellings how delightful are your dwellings almighty Lord to me for your courts my soul is yearning in your house I long to be heart and flesh I am for the true and living Lord even sparrows find their dwelling and the sorrow will build the nest near your altar
[17:39] Lord almighty where the cross-string may have rest blessed blessed blessed are those who strength is in you those who have them who have tried in you in our village who have been and weBride will charge into the mountains and your government have go on their way to God.
[18:50] Could I now ask you to turn to the Old Testament, to the book of Psalms and Psalm 23. The book of Psalms and Psalm 23.
[19:10] We may read the whole psalm. A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
[19:24] He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
[19:36] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
[19:50] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.
[20:01] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord.
[20:12] And I would like to take as our text this morning, the last words of the psalm. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord.
[20:25] There are not many parts of the Bible that are so well known, at least in our highland circles as the 23rd Psalm, or even wider afield throughout the whole of the UK.
[20:47] I hesitate to say globally, because I remember conducting a marriage service in the Detroit area way back in 1995.
[21:04] The service took place on the Henry Ford estate, in the church that Ford had built for his then workforce.
[21:20] In 1995, it was more often used for special occasions, like wedding services. It was maintained in pristine condition.
[21:35] I had suggested having Psalm 23 to the Tsunamese in grace on the order of service, naively thinking that the psalm and the Tsun had global recognition.
[21:51] But to my immense consternation, the guests who were gathered to that service gave no recognition whatsoever.
[22:03] That soon became very apparent. The presenter sang solo. Fortunately, he had a strong, melodious voice.
[22:15] So, I learned a lesson that day, not to make the assumption that everywhere you go, the parts of Scripture that are so familiar to yourself are not always familiar to others.
[22:35] In our area, how often do we sing the words of this little psalm? And because we do, and are so familiar with the wording, perhaps we do not stop to reflect on the depth of meaning that is contained within this little psalm.
[23:00] It is pregnant with meaning and significance. It may be a statement of the obvious, but it was a psalm that was written by a shepherd, David, the son of Jesse, before being anointed to be king in Israel by the prophet Samuel on the express instructions of the Lord.
[23:28] David was a shepherd. And the experience and knowledge which he gained as a shepherd comes across in the wording of the psalm.
[23:45] However, he was not only anointed to become king over Israel, but he was also to be their spiritual under-shepherd, as the second book of Samuel makes known in chapter 5, tells us how all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, Behold, we are your bone and flesh.
[24:12] And the Lord said to you, You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel. So not only was he anointed to be king, but he was also designated to be their spiritual shepherd.
[24:32] And that is brilliantly summarized for us in Psalm 78, where you find in the Sing Psalms version, he chose his servant David, bringing him from tending sheep to be shepherd of his people, God's inheritance to keep.
[24:53] You may also remember the message that was communicated to King David, as he was then, by the Old Testament prophet Nathan, when David wished to build a house for the ark of the Lord.
[25:10] Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wheresoever you went.
[25:23] Then the message continues. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever. Before me, your throne shall be established forever.
[25:37] On the content of that message, fill David with sheer amazement. And you find him stating, Who am I, O Lord God?
[25:51] And what is my house that you have brought me thus far? And not only is there sheer amazement on the part of the king, but you also see the humility that characterized the life of this man.
[26:12] And that is to be admired, because by nature, man is not naturally humble. It takes grace to humble people before God.
[26:28] And yet, despite how knowledgeable and skillful he was as a shepherd, he too required a shepherd, one to pastor him spiritually.
[26:41] At the beginning of the psalm, he makes it abundantly plain who he considers to be his pastor. From this pastor, he finds strength and guidance.
[26:56] And he makes this staggering statement, The Lord is my shepherd. How often have you repeated these words? And when you repeat them, what do they suggest to your mind?
[27:12] Do they bring up many images before your mind when you consider just that simple phrase, The Lord is my shepherd. Because they are very suggestive.
[27:28] Well, this is how one person expressed it. The king of love, my shepherd is, whose goodness never fails, or faileth never.
[27:40] And so, at the conclusion of this masterpiece, you find David stating his conviction, I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
[27:52] There is no maybe about this. Maybe I shall dwell. That's not what he's saying. But there is, it is very definite.
[28:04] The key to entering the house of the Lord forever is to be able to declare with David, The Lord is my shepherd. It's a bold statement of faith on the part of the psalmist.
[28:21] And you know, have you considered the converse? Because I believe David could also state the converse. David could say, The shepherd is my Lord.
[28:34] The great I am who pastors my soul. To him I give service and obedience as Lord over my life.
[28:44] So not only was he looking to the shepherd, to pastor him, to guide him, to feed him, to lead him through the wilderness of life, but he was also serving and obedient to the one whom he regarded as his Lord.
[29:03] And so therefore, he has no doubt about taking up residence in the house of the Lord. It's a certainty. He has every confidence in the grace and loving kindness of the Lord.
[29:18] You know, we live in an uncertain world. Our providence often tells us how uncertain life can be.
[29:30] We are still seeing the effect. of a virus that cannot be detected by the naked eye. It is that small. And at times, it appeared to spread like a wild moore fire, totally out of control.
[29:50] And most of you know how moore fires can spread at a terrific rate. It has made us familiar, the virus with new terms, lockdown, self-isolating, social distancing, terms with which we are now so familiar after the last two years that they trip off the tongue.
[30:19] COVID-19, a global problem. Nations boast in military and economic strengths. And we are seeing the brutal consequences of such military power being unleashed in the country of Ukraine.
[30:38] What the consequences of this invasion will be remains to be seen. But does COVID-19 not show us how foolish it is to boast in the things that we do boast in when a sovereign God who has foreordained all things whatsoever comes to pass can so quickly paralyze nations with illnesses like COVID-19.
[31:14] you remember when the Syrian army surrounded Samaria. Things looked very bleak for the citizens of Samaria.
[31:30] The rich were having poor fare. The poor were becoming cannibals. Things were dire.
[31:42] seemed impossible that anything would happen. And you remember the prediction of the prophet of God Elisha at this time tomorrow that there would be plenty seed to be found at the gate of the city of Samaria.
[32:01] And you remember the person who was in a position of power and authority next to the king. you remember him speaking and saying is God going to open windows in heaven and bring down the seed?
[32:26] He didn't believe a word of it. Neither did many others. And you remember how God brought that siege to an end. the Syrian army thought they heard reinforcement surrounding them on all sides and they fled for their lives and they left everything behind.
[32:49] And you remember the four lepers who were outside the city taking advantage of all that was found that had been left behind by the Syrian forces and then bringing the good news to the residents of Samaria.
[33:08] Well, God is speaking to us in the providences that we find in life today. Did we care to listen? Many people resent the intervention of things like the COVID virus in our world.
[33:28] It interferes with our lives, with our plans, with our sporting arrangements, with our holiday arrangements, with our daily living. Much more than that, it has brought pain and suffering and death into many, many families.
[33:44] It has left many feeling isolated and lonely, cut off. Add to that the increase in mental health problems. For some employers, it has caused huge financial difficulties, especially in the service industries, from which some feel unable to continue.
[34:03] And we are now told that the worst is over. My fear is that we as a generation will behave like Pharaoh of old in Egypt.
[34:16] What was true of Pharaoh? After each divine intervention, we are told, he hardened his heart. There does not appear to be a national turning to God, but an even greater determination to enjoy the pleasures of sin.
[34:38] Much uncertainty in life, but this man, David, whatever the uncertainties in his own individual life threw up, he had this conviction, I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
[34:52] speaking with assurance and certainty, the assurance and the certainty of faith about a place where he shall dwell.
[35:04] And the reason that he can speak with such certainty, as I have already stated, the Lord is my shepherd. A person who can say, I belong to the flock of which the Lord himself is shepherd, I have heard and recognized his voice, and I follow him, I am led and pastored by the covenant keeping God.
[35:28] And though believers experience the presence of the shepherd throughout this life, they know that they are not yet at home, they are but pilgrims traveling through a strange land, their hearts long for the heavenly country where the heavenly shepherd dwells.
[35:49] while they live by God's promises and experiences grace in this life, they live by faith and not by sight and hope for what they have not yet received.
[36:04] They can identify with Abraham and other patriarchs of whom it is said, these all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
[36:26] Well, what do we understand by the phrase the house of the Lord? Secondly, why was David so desirous of being in the house of the Lord?
[36:38] And thirdly, when would he dwell in the house of the Lord? What do we understand by the phrase the house of the Lord? Why was David so desirous of being in the house of the Lord?
[36:52] When would he dwell in the house of the Lord? What do we understand by the phrase the house of the Lord? You know, the phrase the house of conjures up in your mind everything you associate with the persons or persons occupying a particular house?
[37:18] Is that not so? When you think of the house of someone, you think of the persons who occupy the house. They may be kind, they may be gentle, they may be gracious, they may be friendly, they may be welcoming and so on, and loving.
[37:39] Or you may think of them in other ways, which are not quite so complimentary. But here in the psalm, the house of the Lord could be understood to apply to the tabernacle, or the temple, or the church of Christ in the world, or even heaven itself.
[38:02] The psalmist makes it plain from the 84th psalm, how desirous he was to be in the tabernacle. And that's not a psalm by David, incidentally.
[38:13] How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts, my soul long, ye faints for the courts of the Lord. And I think many in our 21st century could relate to that yearning, and especially when lockdown did not permit even limited gatherings.
[38:36] And it is still possibly a deterrent to some people attending public worship. The psalmist makes known, and we sung about it in the first psalm today, that there is one desire in his own life that takes precedence over all others, that he might be found in the presence of God and behold his glory.
[39:02] One thing I of the Lord his heart will seek to obtain, that all days of my life I may within God's house remain. God's house. And he tells us why, that I, the beauty of the Lord, behold me and admire, that I in his holy place may reverently inquire.
[39:24] God's love. And that tells us something of the strong desire in the life of the psalmist to be in communion with God.
[39:40] The psalmist also makes it clear that he goes with joy and a sense of anticipation to the house of the Lord. And his joy is added to by the prospect of others also going up to the house of the Lord.
[39:55] I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. Perhaps it is not true of everyone, but many have a particular affinity with the area of their birth and where they were brought up.
[40:12] But even then, I'm not sure that for those who have that affinity, that they can fully grasp what it meant for those Jewish travelers who made the journey to Jerusalem at stated times of the year.
[40:32] When they arrived in Jerusalem, it meant so much to them. I cannot from personal experience ever speak of being there to appreciate the level of intensity and joy they experienced.
[40:53] But I think I do know a little of the joy of seeing people going up to the house of God. When I occupied the months in Kinloch, there was a particular window which looked towards the church car park area.
[41:15] Before leaving to conduct the service, I sometimes watched people gathering to the church building to worship.
[41:26] And I rejoiced. I rejoiced even more when I saw people gather who were infrequent attenders or sometimes who had been non-attenders.
[41:41] I cannot put into words the feelings of great joy that filled my heart when I saw people gathering to the church for worship.
[41:55] And David loved the house of the Lord on earth. He was never disappointed by going to God's house. He knew that the cloud of God's presence covered the tabernacle and the brightness of God's glory shone within the sanctuary.
[42:15] And he himself tells of going to the house of God. Because that with the multitude I heretofore had gone with them into God's house, I went with voice of joy and praise.
[42:31] And we can say that one reason for his going with the multitude to God's house, that he might experience what he had experienced in the past. What was that? That I thy power may behold the brightness of thy face as I have seen thee heretofore within thy holy place.
[42:50] And can you not say too that that has been true and is still true of you? Deciders of experiencing the blessings you experienced in the past and seeing the power and the glory of the Lord revealed to you through the truth.
[43:10] Don't you seek that yet? David's confession with regard to these matters was, O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
[43:26] And if you are here today in Christ, you can follow that. From personal experience, David knew that God's dealings with his people were closely connected with the house of the Lord.
[43:40] Hence, his desire to dwell there forever. The revelation of the glory and communion with God moved David to vow that he would never depart from the house of God.
[43:55] Every aspect of worship in the tabernacle represented the Messiah to come. When David saw the lamb that was slain for a burnt offering, did he think of the Messiah who was to come and who would be like a lamb that is led to the slaughter?
[44:16] In the shedding of blood associated with sacrifice, did he understand that without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sin? No basis for approach to God and no communion with God because you find him writing in sacrifice and offering, you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear, burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
[44:39] Then I said, behold, I have come in the scroll of the book, it is written of me, I delight to do your will, O my God, your law is within my heart. Now these words can be applied ultimately to the Lord himself, the Lord Jesus Christ.
[44:55] We know at least that David understood however dimly that without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin of communion with God. How do we know that?
[45:06] Because you find him writing, behold your delight in truth, in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart, and then he pleads, purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
[45:21] And you may be saying, how about there's no indication of blood shed there? How about there is? Hyssop, it was a plant that was often found growing in cracks and a wall, and when it pulled out, when you pulled it out, it resembled a small brush, and it was what the children of Israel used when they were leaving Egypt.
[45:43] You remember the instructions given to them, take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin, and you remember what the Lord promised, when I see the blood, I will pass over.
[46:02] Again, the hyssop was used to sprinkle blood on a leper, or to sprinkle water on the tent, and on all the furnishings, and on the persons who were there, and to ever touch the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave.
[46:17] So I see its use, the use of hyssop. I see David's use of it as reference to the blood, to the need for blood to be shed.
[46:27] Again, did David see the golden candlestick as symbolic of the coming Messiah, as the true light, so that Jehovah's face could shine on him with grace and mercy, for he writes, in your light, do we see light?
[46:42] All the furniture of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle itself directed David to Christ, as his justification, his sanctification, his light, his nourishment, intercessor, and savior.
[47:00] And his acknowledgement of that is, I believe, enshrined in the words you find in Psalm 36, they feast on the abundance of your house.
[47:11] And implied in that statement, there is satiation in your house, the house of the Lord. So the house of the Lord, we can say, a place that is deeply attractive and desirable, to the worshipper of the living God.
[47:31] It is a place where God reveals his glory, a place where God speaks to our hearts, a place of worship where blessing is enjoyed and received, a place of joyous Christian fellowship, the house of the Lord.
[47:50] Why was David so desirous of being in the house of the Lord? Well, can I suggest that David loved God's house because he came face to face with God there?
[48:08] And I'm even going to suggest that he found Christ there in looking forward to the coming of the Savior. In finding Christ, he found communion with God.
[48:23] He beheld his power and glory. No wonder that God's house was his joy and his delight.
[48:35] He longed to search after Christ in all the types, shadows, and ceremonies of the tabernacle. And the more he saw of Christ, the more he found comfort in sorrow, deliverance from doubt, victory over unbelief, solutions to problems, answers to prayers, strength and weakness, above all forgiveness of sin and peace with God.
[49:02] How unforgettable were his experiences of times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. God, and if you are in Christ today, then that is true of you too.
[49:17] David could also speak of times of access to God and joy in the tabernacle. He could draw near to his father like a child confessing his sins in assurance of forgiveness.
[49:30] I acknowledge my sin to you. I did not cover my iniquity, he writes. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgive the iniquity of my sin.
[49:41] So in difficulties, David found guidance from God's unerring wisdom. In danger, he found that God was his refuge.
[49:51] In darkness and death, he learned to trust, to rest on the truth and the faithfulness of his God who promised never to leave or to forsake.
[50:02] So you find him writing in Psalm 5, God's love. I will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.
[50:18] And the same God who made worship so attractive to David makes worship still attractive to his people today.
[50:30] From the newest believer to the most advanced believer in grace, ready to put off the earthly tent house, all God's people are welcomed to the house and the ordinances of God.
[50:46] And where there is indeed a true hunger and a thirsting for the truth, they can say with the psalmist, how lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts.
[51:00] My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
[51:13] Can you follow that this morning? It is good to gather to the place of worship to glorify his great name, remembering, of course, that he is the object of worship and not the actual building.
[51:31] good to meet with Christ, as the word proclaimed. And when that happens, have you not said on numerous occasions, this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
[51:54] It was like heaven on earth, as you were richly blessed in the fellowship of the Lord's people. When you found Christ in the preaching of the word, in the observance of the sacrament, in the singing of his praise, in the prayers of his people, does that not make the place of worship delightful and pleasant when you sat down under the shadow of the Lord?
[52:23] Why was David so desirous of the house of the Lord, that he might meet with the Lord and see more of his glory? What do we understand by the phrase the house of the Lord?
[52:34] Finally, when would he dwell in the house of the Lord? There are and have been times in your life, have there not, when you really wanted to stay in the house of the Lord on earth?
[52:51] perhaps like Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration, you were saying, Lord, it is good for us to be here.
[53:04] And you didn't want to hear the words, arise, let us go from here. Because you were momentarily transported. And yet you have to leave the place of worship.
[53:20] irrespective of how transported you may have been and face life in the world. A world full of tribulation, temptation, hostility, and suffering.
[53:39] And when the psalmist stated, I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, I believe he was looking beyond the temporal towards the eternal dwelling.
[53:52] Like Abraham before him, he was looking toward the city, forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
[54:04] His eyes were fixed on a place of permanent residence when this fleeting life would be over. and because he trusts in a covenant keeping Lord, he has the firm conviction, I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
[54:25] Remember, the New Testament speaks of it as the father's house. In other words, it is suggesting to us as we read in John's Gospel, that it is a family residence with no shortage of accommodation.
[54:45] Oh, how blessed is the transition from grace to glory. You know, when grace comes into your heart and into your life, it is such a transforming experience.
[55:06] But it is but a small illustration of the transition from grace to glory. Goodness and mercy had followed David throughout his life, and their goodness and mercy surround him on every side.
[55:32] How can we describe the unspeakable joy of the soul as he or she enters into glory, fully satisfied with what they see and hear.
[55:46] No dissatisfaction there. And among other things, they behold the face of their beloved shepherd.
[55:57] They will come with grateful adoration and worship the one who has fulfilled all his promises and surpassed every believer's highest expectations.
[56:11] Who can conceive of the joyous gratitude with which they participate in the song that fills the heavens as it brings out to him who loves us.
[56:24] Thus freed us from our sins by his blood made us a kingdom priest to his God and Father to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
[56:36] Amen. There is no wrong in glory. There is no iniquity found there. You can hear no evil.
[56:48] You can receive no spiritual harm. The Redeemer is seen in his glorified human nature and he fills every believer's heart with their thoughts and is the theme of the conversation of glorified souls and the object of their adoration.
[57:13] They take inexpressible delight in his presence as they give vent to their adoration of praise. And you know no one who enters that place will say to another did I not tell you that this is how it would be.
[57:36] You remember the apostle Paul. He was lifted up to the third heaven and he was unable to put into words what he heard. And you remember what he wrote.
[57:46] He heard things that cannot be told which man may not utter. so the answer to the question when would he enter the house of God forever.
[57:59] You remember the shorter category than puts it at death. The soul immediately passes into glory. But that's not the end of the story. Their bodies are to be raised.
[58:13] United to the soul in an unbreakable and eternal union. the body is equipped to occupy and dwell in glory. They are released from bondage to corruption.
[58:27] They most certainly obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. And what was written by the apostle Paul will then be most gloriously realized.
[58:41] And so we will always be with the Lord. the sound of the last trumpet will indicate that the year of the Lord's redeemed has arrived.
[58:58] They need no longer be afraid. They are eternally secure in the house of the Lord, surrounded by the three persons of the Godhead.
[59:10] They are led to fountains of living waters, and God wipes all tears from their eyes. But know the question for you and I today is this.
[59:22] Will we take up residence in God's house? Is it not evident from the words of this little son that only those for whom the Lord is their shepherd have a place we serve there?
[59:39] If we are not following him in this life and enjoy the great benefits of that faith relationship with him, then we cannot expect to be with him in that residence of eternal glory.
[59:55] The psalmist could say that his life was lived with God. That's why he had this unshakable conviction, I will dwell, I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
[60:08] I want to conclude with a solemn note, something I read, a note that was found with a young drug addict who committed suicide, and the note that was found by his body went like this, King drugs are my shepherd, I shall always want.
[60:33] They make me lie down in the gutters, they lead me beside troubled waters, they destroy my soul, they lead me in the paths of wickedness for the effort's sake, yea, I shall walk through the valley of poverty and will fear all evil, for your drugs are with me, your needle and capsule try to comfort me, you strip the table of groceries in the presence of my family, you rob my head of reason, my cup of sorrow runs over, surely drug addiction shall stalk me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the damned forever.
[61:24] No, I am not suggesting that anyone present here today is struggling with addiction issues, but if you are, there is help to be found, it's not a hopeless world, there is help to give you help with your addiction, but substitute your own idol, whatever it might be in the place of King drugs, and you will see the end of your idol rule in your life.
[61:53] The world, sin and Satan, which you serve if you are not serving Christ, demands much from you, and their wage results in death.
[62:08] So let me ask you finally, are you still living on rebellion road? Is your address there on rebellion road?
[62:20] Resenting God for all your church going? Or have you moved and taken up residence in Grace Avenue, or on Redemption Street?
[62:32] Because if you have, you can be sure there is an apartment reserved for you in God's house, that place of everlasting joy and eternal residence.
[62:48] Let us pray. Ever blessed Lord, oh, may we be found today as those who are on a journey towards a glorious destination, who have a reserved apartment in God's house, in that place of everlasting communion and fellowship and joy and love in the presence of the Great Shepherd, who is Lord of the life of every person who trusts in him and the glory shall be thine.
[63:36] In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen. Let us conclude by singing from Psalm 23, the Scottish Psalter version, page 229.
[63:51] Psalm 239.
[64:21] Psalm 239.
[64:51] My dwelling place shall be. Let us sing the whole psalm. The Lord's my shepherd. The Lord's my shepherd, I am not want.
[65:12] He wakes me down to lie. when pastures green he leadeth me the quiet waters high.
[65:36] My soul he doth restore again and me to walk the fake within the paths of righteousness in for this own is is is safe.
[66:14] Yea, though I walk in death have failed, yet will my fear not ill, for thou are with me and thy road and stop me comfort still.
[66:50] My people love has furnished shed in presence of my foes, my head thou dost with oil anoint and might of our clothes.
[67:28] goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me and live cross eyes forever more my dwelling place shall be now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit rest on and abide with you all now and forever Amen Amen
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