Well, good morning, everyone. It's great to be back with you. I was a student here at
! Bruntsfield, so it's a real joy. It's kind of odd to be this side of the platform, but it's great fun.
I, as mentioned, my name's Ben. I'm a pastor in training just down the road at a church called
Charlotte Chapel. We're so thankful for you guys' partnership in the gospel. We pray for you regularly
and it's a joy to bring God's word to you this morning. Let me just pray again briefly and then
let's get cracking. Dear God, as we come to your word, comfort us, challenge us, change us, we pray.
Lead us into the comfort that is only found in your presence. In your name, amen.
Amen. Okay. I think at times church feels weak and ugly. Big statement to making someone else's
church right in front of their pastor. But I think it's true, right? Here's what I mean.
If your church is anything like mine, and I think it probably is, you feel its weakness.
You know, and it's summer and like loads of people are away and it just feels empty and you've got
a guest preacher from down the road. You feel weak. Do you know when that dear old saint dies,
you feel the weight. Or when that family who are so plugged in move on to another church and you're
just left feeling, oh, we're weak. Do you know when for decades you try and reach the people who I can
literally see into the living room right now, and yet they just seem to close the curtains,
shut the door and want nothing to do with church. We feel weak, don't we? Not only that,
at times church is ugly. We argue with each other. Our sin just seems to get in the way all the time.
You don't need to be around church long to feel that what we're doing here is in a sense,
weak and ugly. In Psalm 48, this great song for God's people, we together this morning are invited to
walk around Zion, this great city of the living God, and to see its beauty and to see its safety.
Now there is so much biblical theology tied up in Zion. But we need to keep this in mind. As we walk around,
we this morning are being invited to see everything that these verses point towards.
In our weakness and ugliness, we are being invited to see the beauty and safety of Christ.
The beauty and safety that is ours now is his new covenant people, the church, and the beauty and
safety of the Zion to come in heaven with him forever. And so if we ever feel weak,
I pray that Psalm 48 will be like a booster shot to our souls. As we gaze on the great God of Zion
in his beautiful city, we might see that Christ's church right here in Brunsfield, even in its weakness
and ugliness, is the most beautiful and safe thing that you could ever be a part of.
And so to help us along that path, I think Psalm 48 invites us to do four things.
And the first one is this. You this morning are invited to delight in God's presence.
Our psalm begins, verse number one.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. In the city of our God, his holy mountain.
In the last few psalms, we've been encouraged to praise the sovereign Lord, the one who is exalted.
He is the fortress for his people, Psalm 46. He's the one who reigns over all the nations, Psalm 47.
And he's the one, as we begin Psalm 48, who is worthy of all praise.
But we're not invited just to look.
This morning, we are invited to enter his dwelling,
to ascend his holy mountain and into this great city of God,
Zion,
where we see in verse number two,
that it is beautiful in its loftiness.
The joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Saphon,
is Mount Zion,
in the city of the great king.
Right, just get your mind on the most beautiful place you've ever been.
Right, just
right up front.
Got it?
The place that we've been invited to look at,
blows it out of the water.
This is the most beautiful place you can ever imagine.
Saphon literally just means far north,
which we know from Isaiah 14,
is meant to be a reference to this great mountain,
far higher than anything in Jerusalem.
You see, for the Israelites,
the people of God of old,
Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem is where the temple was.
This great symbol of God's dwelling.
But the mountain's not very high.
And yet here this morning,
the psalmist invites them,
the psalmist invites us,
not to consider a physical place,
but they are painting a picture
of the presence of God.
Beautiful.
Joyful.
Lofty.
High.
It is meant to lift our eyes.
This is where the great king,
our God,
dwells.
He himself is in her citadels.
Verse 3.
He has shown himself to be her fortress.
Now we have to understand this.
This great city is beautiful and safe,
not because of its architecture,
not because of its high walls,
but because God is there.
And where God dwells,
it's the joy of all the earth.
It is beautiful and safe.
Last year,
I went to Rome.
It's beautiful.
And like every other tourist in the world,
I went to St.
Peter's Basilica,
right in the heart of the Vatican.
And as you walk around,
it really is one of the most beautiful buildings
I think man's ever made.
You see all the statues
and the art
and the craftsmanship
is just breathtaking.
Everywhere you go,
you're told to stand
behind these wee velvet ropes.
There's whole sections
that you're not even allowed to enter
and there's men in like
sharp black tailored suits
with earpieces
looking menacing.
They're not there to protect you,
are they?
They're there to protect
this great city,
the Vatican,
from you.
Even as you're invited
to kind of look on,
its beauty is always held at a distance.
In Psalm 48,
we,
you this morning,
are invited
not just to gaze
on the beauty of Zion,
but its king
has allowed you to enter
with full access
somewhere which makes
St. Peter's look like
that mingin Edema Uni
building across the meadows.
You see in Christ,
we are brought
into the very dwelling place of God.
Just try and wrap your head around that.
Through faith
and repentance,
we have been brought
into the throne room
of the living God,
no velvet ropes,
to delight
in the beauty
of his presence.
That's the language
of Ephesians 2,
isn't it?
This morning,
however you feel
coming to church,
if you're a Christian,
God has raised you up
with Christ
and seated you
with him
in the heavenly realms
in Christ Jesus.
There is a very real sense
in which
you are already
in Zion.
And it is beautiful
and safe
because it's where God is.
And we're not just
seated there
with him,
he is here
with us
now.
By being united
to Jesus,
his spirit
dwells
in us.
And so this morning
on a rainy
Sunday
in Brunsfield,
Christ is making
his church beautiful.
Not because you've got
a beautiful building,
because right now
his presence
is in
all who believe.
And he is building
us this morning
into
a living
temple,
even in our weakness
and imperfection.
Even as we long
for the Zion,
heaven
to come,
belonging to church,
is belonging
into the great
city of God
as the people
of God
now.
Maybe we just
feel
weak
because we fall
into a trap
of thinking
church is about us.
We come this morning
thinking about
the route
we're serving on
or the person
we need to speak to
or just the thing
we need to get done.
Now,
firstly this morning
we are invited
and reminded
before we do
anything else
that as we gather
as his church
we have been brought
into his beautiful
presence
to gaze
on the beauty
of the God
of Zion.
And so
having been brought
in,
God says
look around
and delight
that before you
do anything else
you might say
this morning
great is the Lord
and most
worthy
of praise.
We're invited
to delight
in his presence.
Secondly,
they were invited
to know
his protection.
In the
Psalm,
this great city
comes under attack.
Do you see that
in verse number four?
When the kings
joined forces,
when they advanced
together.
Now,
we're not giving
any detail
of which kings.
To guess
would just be
speculation.
But we know
against God's
great kingdom
there's always
been rebellion.
We're back
in Psalm 2.
It's the
nation's kings
conspiring
together
against God.
What unites
them?
Well,
it's rebellion
against
God.
It's really
a summary
of sinful
human
rebellion
against the
God Almighty.
And yet,
as these kings
approach the city,
they saw her
and were
astounded.
Verse five.
They fled
in terror.
Trembling
sees them
there.
Pain like that
of a woman
in labor.
You destroyed
them like
ships of
Tarshish,
shattered
by an
east wind.
Faced with
the strength
and the beauty
of the city
in which God
dwells,
the forces
of rebellion
are forced
to flee.
They're left
trembling and
astounded
before God.
Their pain
is that of a
woman in labor,
unbearable
and inescapable.
And ultimately,
they're destroyed.
I'll be honest,
I've got no idea
what's going on
with the ships
of Tarshish.
I wasn't
convinced by
anyone that
does.
And yet,
it's clearly a
picture of
overwhelming
strength and
majesty,
isn't it?
And yet,
faced with
the living
God,
the ships
are sunk
and rebellion
is shattered.
God's city
is shown
to be
impregnable.
Do you notice
there's not even
a fight?
The mere
sight of
where God
dwells
sends the
enemy running.
And the
psalmists
are left
knowing only
the protection
of their God.
As we have
heard,
so we have
seen.
In the city
of the Lord
Almighty,
in the city
of our
God,
God makes
her secure
forever.
Do you notice
there's two
responses to
seeing Zion.
There is
trembling fear
for the kings
who oppose
God.
And there is
unending
assurance
and safety
for his
people.
Because to
be in God's
presence is
beautiful
and safe.
this morning
we are
invited to
hear and
to see
with the
eyes of
faith the
protection that
is found
in God's
kingdom.
And the
impregnability
of his
church
in a
hostile
world.
Where your
neighbour still
won't come to
church.
When the
church down
the road
abandons the
teaching of
God.
When you
look around
Brunsfield
Evangelical and
are tempted to
think,
flip me,
we are so
helplessly
weak.
Know this.
God will
establish his
city forever
as the risen
Christ gathers
his church
against which
the gates of
Hades will
not and
cannot prevail.
Christ has
defeated sin
and death.
Satan awaits
his certain
destruction.
God's kingdom
will grow.
His city is
secure.
And therefore
so are you.
Regardless of
how you feel
this morning,
if you are
in Jesus
being united
to him by
faith,
you have
been brought
under his
protection.
Against
which all
the kings
of earth
can only
tremble and
flee.
I know
that at
times
life's hard,
isn't it?
So when we
feel weak,
when life's
just a slog,
when the
thought of
facing another
day just
feels too
much,
Psalm 48
says,
look around.
See your
brothers and
sisters in
this room.
as you read
your Bible
tomorrow morning,
you are
invited to
hear and
see in
the pages
of scripture
and in
the life
of this
church that
your future
with God
has already
begun.
That he will
keep you and
he will bring
you into the
heavenly Zion
which he
himself makes
secure.
Have you
heard?
Do you
see?
in the
city of
the Lord
Almighty,
in the
city of
our God,
God makes
her secure
forever.
Thirdly,
we are
invited to
praise his
love.
Read to me
from verse
number nine.
Within your
temple, O
God, we
meditate on
your unfailing
love.
Like your
name, O
God, your
praise reaches
to the ends
of the earth.
your right
hand is
filled with
righteousness.
Mount Zion
rejoices.
The villages
of Judah
are glad
because of
your judgment.
Did you
notice we
read in
verses nine
to eleven
in this
great story
of a
beautiful city
of a
thwarted
attack,
absolutely
nothing
happens.
It's like
the psalmist
having seen
the glory
of Zion
just has
to take
a wee
moment,
just take
it all
in.
And yet
we move
from
gazing
upon the
city
to entering
its gates
and now
we find
ourselves
in its
very
centre,
the
temple
in God's
dwelling
that we
might know
his love.
love.
This is
why his
presence is
beautiful.
This is
why his
presence is
safe because
it is where
we see
and know
his love.
This is so
much more
than affection.
This is
hesed love,
unfailing,
promise
keeping
love.
This is
the love
that has
brought
rebellious,
sin-stained
people into
the very
presence of
the beautiful,
great,
and holy
God.
This is
the love
which delivered
his people
of old
despite their
constant
moaning
and rebellion.
The love
that allowed
them to
experience
temporarily
the blessings
of being
in God's
presence.
love.
It's a love
which allowed
them to
say,
this great
God,
that's our
God.
And this
is the love
which has
now been
revealed
fully in
Christ.
A love
which was
displayed in
8K
Ultra HD
as he
willingly
went to
die on
the cross.
Taking the
punishment for
our sin and
it's a love
which is
secure because
it is sealed
right now
in the
risen Jesus
who reigns
with all
authority in
his city.
God has
kept his
promises of
old and
is delivering
for himself
a people
from every
corner of
the globe.
So the
people of
God, the
citizens of
Zion,
the villages
of Judah,
it's a
picture of
all God's
covenant
people are
just left
rejoicing.
As they
reflect on
God's
unfailing
love to
them,
they are
glad,
they're
overflowing
with praise
at the
God of
Zion,
the
beautiful
one who
has kept
them safe.
I wonder
what's made
you truly
glad this
summer.
Maybe for
some it's
just the
opportunity to
have a
break.
Do you
remember two
weeks ago we
had seven
days of
sun and
it was
just glorious,
made me
glad.
A couple
days ago I
was walking
along the
meadows and
I saw a
dog catch a
frisbee from
like, it
must have
been 150
metres.
And I
tell you
what, in
that moment
my wee
heart was
glad.
If only
gladness
lasted longer
than a
holiday,
lasted longer
than a
fleeting
Scottish
summer,
lasted longer
than that
big guy
could throw
a frisbee.
Here's the
beauty of
Psalm 48.
If you
want gladness
that lasts,
it's available
to you.
It is by
meditating on
God's unfailing
love to you
in Christ.
If you're a
Christian this
morning, just
take a moment
and just
reflect on
your own
testimony.
It's like
a hundred
different stories
in this room
and yet one
thing that we
all share
in common.
We were in
rebellion against
God and we
have been brought
to knowing
Christ, he's
unfailing love
together.
So I take so
much encouragement
from the fact
that this
morning we
can be glad,
that this
morning we
can praise
him even at
a time when
the church
feels weak,
when it feels
perhaps small,
perhaps even
when you feel
this morning
that you
are just
clinging
onto your
faith by
your
fingernails.
Because our
gladness, the
gladness of the
people of God
is never in
acting we do
well.
Isn't our
church just
growing?
Doesn't just
all seem to be
well in my
life?
Our source of
gladness is
wholly outside
of ourselves.
We're glad not
to do with
anything because
of ourselves,
but because of
God's
judgments.
We are glad
because we
have a
perfect, just
judge who
will defeat
evil.
We are glad
because of our
safety now in
Christ and we
are glad because
we are certain
that he will
keep his people
safe.
God is
doing
so as we
look around
Brunsfield
Evangelical this
morning, I
hope we see
that God is
doing something
here.
Amongst us
now that is
unbeatable.
Every single
testament in this
church is
evidence of
that.
All of us
deserve to be
left trembling
before God and
then destroyed
like ships
against a rock
because of his
great love,
can sit this
morning able to
rejoice and
praise his
unfailing love
in the safety
of the city
of God.
So you
better believe
you can sing
this psalm
in weakness
because we
together this
morning sing
of the one
who is
strong.
we are
singing of
the strength
the safety
the unfailing
love of God
with a certain
hope of a
future where
we will
rejoice in
heavenly Zion
forever.
When my
wee heart
when your
wee heart
will forever
be glad.
So much
better than a
dog with a
frisbee in there.
and yet I
know in a
room this
size
there's almost
certainly people
who don't know
this gladness
for themselves
who are still
just exploring
life with
Jesus.
If that's you
this morning
I pray that you
will see there
is a beauty
and a safety
in Jesus
that nothing
in this world
can come close
to.
Whatever's
going on in
your life
this morning
you can be
glad by
knowing the
love of God.
It starts
by seeing
that your
rebellion of
him is
futile.
And yet
at the
cross of
Christ
rebellious
people
are offered
to come
to Jesus
and find
the gladness
of an
eternity
dwelling of
God.
We are
invited to
praise his
love.
And lastly
we're invited
to proclaim
his glory.
the
psalmist
finishes by
saying in
verse number
12
read it
with me
walk around
Zion
go around
her
count her
towers
consider well
her ramparts
view her
citadels
that you
might tell
of them
to the
next
generation
for this
God
is our
God
forever
and ever
he will
be our
guide
even
to the
end.
As the
psalm closes
for the
first time
we're
given
something
to do.
God's
people are
told to
walk
to go
to count
to consider
because you
see
meditating
on God's
love
always moves
God's
people
to action.
The
heroes are
told to
walk around
the city
to take
it all
in
to bask
in its
glory
count in
the towers
to see
for themselves
how safe
the ramparts
are
to look
at the
beauty
of the
citadel.
Why?
That you
might tell
the next
generation
the people
of God
having seen
the city
of God
are to
become
like a
walking
tourist
boat.
I'm
studying
with a
French
guy.
He is
the most
French
man the
world
has ever
known.
And every
summer he
goes back
to France
and he
came home
a couple
of days
ago and
my goodness
me that
man cannot
stop talking
about France.
He looks
at the rain
coming out
of the sky
and he
just pines
for the
sun of
France.
I walked
up on
Monroe
with him
recently and
he looked
around and
said why
do you
Scottish
people even
bother doing
this?
If you've
seen the
Alps it's
not even
worth it.
Right?
He loves
France so
much.
Having
seen its
beauty he
just
overflows
with it.
Here's the
thing that
infuriates me
about that.
It really
makes me
want to
go.
This is
how God's
people are
to be
about Zion.
And yet
do you
notice its
citizens
having gazed
on the city
they never
say oh
what a
wonderful
place.
They're
left saying
what a
wonderful
God.
God's
life.
As they
see the
glory of
what he
has built
they say
oh you
have got
to know
the king
who dwells
there.
The church
is to
ponder on
what God
is doing
and then
proclaim
him to
the
generations
to come.
You see
we this
morning as
Christ
church
don't just
offer
the
goods
kids
program.
We
don't
just
offer
a nice
cup
of tea.
We don't
just
offer
a nice
space
to come
out of
the rain
because we're
not competing
with the
world.
We are
primarily
proclaiming
the glory
of God.
We are
saying look
at our
king.
He is
safe.
He is
beautiful.
He is
glorious
and you've
got to
know him
because
this
God
that's
our
God
forever
and ever.
He will
be our
guide
even to
the end.
The
God of
verse
one
great
and
worthy
of all
praise.
The
one who
dwells
in his
magnificent
city
Zion
that's
my
God.
If
you're
a
Christian
this
morning
that's
your
God.
Not
for a
while.
Not
dependent
on how
we go
in our
Christian
walk
but
forever
and
ever.
You
see we
are
given
confidence
as
God's
people
of
where
we
are
going
together
because
we
are
given
confidence
in
who
is
taking
us
there.
So
the
church
is
given
assurance
that
even
in
our
weakness
even
in
our
times
and
our
ugliness
as we
look around
the ramparts
through the
eyes of
faith
we know
that means
I'm safe
in Jesus.
That means
I have a
beauty that
the world
cannot
touch.
That means
when all
is said
and done
those who
care nothing
for Jesus
will be
terrified
as they
see the
glory of
his
church.
An
old
wise guy
called
Dietrich
Bonhoeffer
commenting
on the
Psalms
and this
one
in
particular
described
it like
this
and this
is how
we'll
close.
What
Zion
and the
temple
were for
the
Israelites
is for
us the
church of
God
in the
world.
The
gracious
God
present
in
Christ
to
its
congregation
is the
end
of all
joy
of all
thanksgiving
and all
yearning.
it is
beautiful
and safe.
Let's
pray.
Dear God
and Heavenly
Father,
thank you
that you
are the
God who
is beautiful
and safe.
Thank you
that through
faith in
Christ you
are making
us beautiful
and safe.
Thank you
that we
have a
home in
heaven with
you that
is forever
secure,
forever
beautiful
and forever
safe.
Lord, in
our weakness
now, please
let us lift
our eyes,
help us by
your spirit to
gaze on the
beauty of
Zion and
then to be
those who
are just so
desperate to
tell the next
generation.
I pray these
things in your
name and for
your glory.
Amen.