Let's turn again to Psalm 26.
And we read verse 8 and the beginning of verse 9.
! Psalm 26, verse 8.
O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
Do not sweep my soul away with sinners.
Now this psalm is very much a psalm of devotion where David is making very clear where his heart lies.
David shows very clearly what he loves and what he hates.
He hates the congregation, the gathering of evil people, of sinners, of those who don't know the Lord, don't want the Lord.
And he shows very clearly that he loves to be in God's house with those who worship the Lord, those who are like-minded with himself.
And our choices will very often reveal where our heart lies.
The choices that we make in life as we go about life very often will indicate to us just what our heart is really about.
And so we find that in Psalm 26, 27 and 28, David is really highlighting, it's a theme that runs through the three psalms, his love of God's sanctuary.
Now as we know, God's house at this time, in David's time, was still the tabernacle.
And you remember how David had, he was saying, it's not right that I'm living in this beautiful palace.
And God's, it's being worshipped in a tent.
And so it was in his heart and his mind to build a temple for the Lord.
Now the Lord was very pleased with David's desire.
But he communicated to David, while your desire is a good one, I'm not going to let you build it.
Because you've been a man of blood.
Because your hands are red with blood.
But David had been a warrior most of his days.
But God said to him, though the desire is right, your son, who will be a man of peace, and that was Solomon, your son will build a temple for me.
So David devoted so much of his time after that towards planning as much as he could,
and of gathering as much wealth as he could for the building of the temple.
Now David is very aware in this psalm that God is the one who proves us and tests us.
He tells us that in verse 2.
That God is the one who searches our heart.
He knows absolutely everything about us.
Our motives, our desires, our inclinations.
Why we do what we do.
Our every thought, our every word, our every action.
And David is, knowing that God knows that about him, is pleading before God his integrity of life and heart.
Now we know that David was an incredibly faithful servant of God.
The life of David, as you read it, is a life that was devoted to God and served God and praised God.
Of course, David fell spectacularly.
He fell terribly.
And we know about that.
But the main thrust of David's life, the main way his life was guided,
was in order to serve the Lord and to follow the Lord all his days.
That is very, very clear in David's life.
Now David is aware that not everybody that comes to God's house comes to worship God in spirit and in truth.
That there are hypocrites.
That there are those who use religion, as it were, as a cloak to hide, to cover their evil doings.
They're hypocrites.
And David was wise enough and discerning enough to know who they were.
And he didn't want to keep company with them.
He wanted to keep company with God's people, not with the hypocrites.
And that's why he says in verse 4,
I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites.
I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.
So David's life was a life that tried to keep from the evil company
and a life that enjoyed being with the fellowship of God's people.
And we find that in David, in fact, his walking, we find that in verses 1 and 3.
He says, I have walked in my integrity.
And he says, I walk in your faithfulness.
And then again, we find, as we saw in verse 4, that he does not sit with the hypocrites.
And we find that his foot stands on level ground in verse 13.
So we see that whether David is sitting or standing or walking,
that his life is a life of dedication to the Lord.
And what an example to you and to me as well,
that in all that we're about, in our getting up, in our sitting, in our standing, and in our walking,
God was always at the forefront of everything that he did.
And I'm sure we can all identify when David says that he loves God's house.
And I'm sure most of you here would say the same.
I love God's house.
I'm sure many of you would have to say there was a day when you didn't particularly love God's house.
There might be some of you here, I don't know,
that it wasn't your practice for a long time to go to God's house.
There might be others of you, and you've been in God's house all your life,
from the time you were a little child.
And often, thinking back before coming to faith,
sometimes we went grudgingly to church.
Sometimes we went out of a sense of duty,
because we thought we'd better.
Sometimes we went because maybe we enjoyed to a certain extent.
But it wasn't our real heart.
And sometimes we went thinking that God owed us something.
You know, there were times, maybe way back,
when you thought, you know, if I go to church,
maybe God will do something for me.
We're trying to bargain with God a wee bit.
So there were various reasons why we might have gone to church.
But then a day came when that changed.
Because that day came when we began to see
that we were sinners in the hand of an angry God.
But the wonderful thing was that side by side with this discovery
was the fact that this angry God had actually made provision
for us as sinners in his Son, Jesus Christ.
And God enabled us, by his grace,
to come to Jesus and to receive Jesus as Savior.
And everything changed.
And tonight, if it's possible that you're still here
and you haven't come to accept Jesus as Savior,
I would plead with you to do so.
Because time is running out.
And we've got to remember, as we sang or read here,
I love the habitation of your house,
the place where your glory dwells.
It's an amazing thought.
That the person of Jesus Christ in the Spirit
that is glorious here,
he has promised to be where his people gather together.
It's a wonderful privilege.
And it's a place above all places in the face of the earth
where we're able to meet with the Lord
and to call upon the Lord.
And every time we gather like this,
it's another opportunity to seek the Lord.
Please do, if you've never done so before,
and ask him to open your eyes
and to open your ears to hear,
your eyes to see,
and your heart to believe.
But the thing is that when we come to faith,
our love is born in our heart right away.
You think back.
Remember when you were converted?
Our love for God
and for all the things of God,
his house, his day, his people,
his word, everything.
You've got this love in your heart
for all that God is
and all the things of God.
Because love, love was born there.
When a baby is born into a family,
there is an intense love in the heart of the parents
for that little baby.
But there is also,
although the little baby cannot understand,
it's far too young to analyze or understand
in any shape or form,
there is also an intense love
in the heart of the baby for the parents.
And as time goes on,
they're able to discern the presence,
the touch.
They're able to discern
that their parents are there
and they nestle in and they love.
And so it is in the Christian life.
There is this growing love,
this growing persuasion
of God's love towards us.
And we love everything
that belongs to him.
And that's why the unbeliever
cannot understand what happens
when a person is converted.
Because maybe,
for some of you,
you think back
and the Christian life
was not your way.
You might have had respect for it,
you might have thought about it,
but it wasn't your way.
You lived for this world
and what this world would give
until this time
that you came to faith.
And your friends
couldn't understand
why
you didn't join with him
at the weekend
the way you used to.
That the fun,
the liveliness
that was part and partial
of your life
over the weekend,
you looked forward
to the weekends,
remember these days?
It shifted.
Your heart shifted.
And so they cannot understand
why you're caught up
in this life,
this church life,
which to them
is boring and dull.
But the fact is,
it's where your heart is.
It's not that somebody
says to you,
now this is what
you've got to do.
It's a natural response
in your heart.
It's what you want to do.
It's where the Lord is
and you want to be
where the Lord is.
So this is the way
that it works.
And so
we find that
as Christians
you will stand up
for the Lord.
That's what David did.
He was a kind,
he always stood up
for the Lord.
If somebody was to trample
on your father
or mother's name
and put it into the dirt
and pour scorn on it,
you would,
you would be so upset.
You would stand up
for your,
for your father,
for your mother's name.
And so it is
when we become Christians
that we stand up
for the things
of the Lord.
I'm not ashamed
to own my Lord
or to defend his cause.
Stand up,
stand up for Jesus.
We know
that that's the natural response
that goes on
within our heart.
And so
it is all
because of love.
And so
we love God's house
and that's what
the psalmist
is telling us
because
it's a place of worship.
When you and I
came here tonight,
what was it
that we came to do?
Now I know
that we would say,
well,
I want to meet
with the Lord
and I want to get
something for my soul.
And that's quite
a natural
response
and that's fine.
That's what
we should do.
But if that's all
that we do
when we come
to God's house,
then we're coming
missing
what is integral
to being here.
Because we've come
to the place
where the glory
of God dwells.
and as we heard
this morning,
praise
is vital.
It's not just
about what we
can get,
but it's what
we can give.
Because we've come
to God's house
to give Him
worship,
to adore Him,
to reverence Him,
to give to Him
what is His due.
And it's
a wonderful
privilege
that we have.
love.
And so if
somebody comes
away saying,
oh, you know,
I went to church
and I got
absolutely nothing,
then you have
to see there's
something wrong.
Because wherever
we render
praise and
thanksgiving to
God,
it is inevitable
that blessing
will follow
into our soul.
If it doesn't,
we have to
question
whether we've
come in the
right spirit.
Have we come
with the right
attitude?
Have we come
in order to
praise?
Not just to get,
but to give.
That's always
how we come
to God's house.
And again,
we come to
God's house
because it's
a place of
prayer.
As Scripture
tells us,
my house
shall be
called a
house of
prayer.
And of
course,
we know
prayer is
the heartbeat
of the
Christian life.
As we heard
today,
so much
eloquently
about prayer,
but we know
we pray
for ourselves,
we pray
for our
families,
we pray
for our
neighbors,
we pray
for the
congregation,
we pray
for the
church at
large,
we pray
for the
global
spread of
the gospel,
we pray
for our
rulers and
all in
authority over
us,
we pray
for all
these
things.
And
surely we
should love
God's
house,
because as
it says in
Scripture,
it's a place
where prayer
is want
to be made.
Surely we
want to be
where prayer
is being
made.
And again,
we love
God's house
because we
come to the
place where
we meet
with family,
with new
brothers and
new sisters
in the
Lord.
It's one of
the things
when you
become a
Christian,
you realize
you're entering
into a big
family,
a family of
new brothers
and new
sisters,
and we
learn from
one another.
We're
encouraged by
one another,
sometimes even
rebuked by
one another,
but it's
always,
or should
be,
in love.
And again,
God's house
is a place
of God's
word.
And great
things are
done through
God's word.
When we
come to
God's
house,
as we
said,
we want
to be
nourished,
we want
to be
fed,
we want
to be
built up.
It is a
place,
as I said
earlier on,
where faith
begins.
Faith,
we're told,
comes by
hearing,
and hearing
by the
word of
God.
And
wherever
the word
is preached,
wherever
the word
is read,
then it's
always an
opportunity
for God
to speak
through that
word into
a patient
soul.
It could
be the
reading of
the psalm,
the singing
of the
psalm,
the reading
of scripture,
the preaching
of the
word,
but it's
a word,
it's a
word,
and we
pray that
the word
will do
its good.
God
said,
my word
will not
return to
me void.
And so,
this is a
place where
God's word
is at
work.
It's a
place where
God's word
affects our
souls.
We're
taught,
you look
back over
your life,
you were
taught many
things in
here.
You were
reminded of
many things
in here.
As we
know,
teaching,
a teacher
knows that
teaching isn't
simply about
teaching something
new all the
time.
If you
start to
teach
something,
there is
no way
the whole
class are
going to
grasp right
away what
you've taught
in one
go.
A lot of
teaching
involves
repetition
and reminding.
And so it
is under
God's word.
We don't
remember
everything we've
been taught.
And even
things we do
remember,
often we need
to be told
it again
and again
because while
it's there,
it's not
having any
impact on
our lives.
We're living
as if we
never heard
it at all.
And so it's
important for
us to be
under the
word,
to be taught
from the
word,
and to be
reminded
again and
again of
what the
word is
actually
saying to
us.
And God's
house is a
place of
comfort.
Many a
time,
I'm sure
we've come
in here and
we felt
very low,
broken,
grieved,
sad.
And yet,
when we've
come in,
a change
has taken
place because
God is at
work.
And through
his spirit,
he's,
through the
word,
it's reaching
into our
hearts,
it's touching
us.
And so a
healing begins,
a healing
process has
started.
It's also a
place of
refuge.
Many a
time we've
come in
here and
we might
feel anxious,
are vulnerable,
are unsure.
And we're
looking out
into a
future that
we're filled
with anxiety
about it,
but we
come into
God's
house.
And through
the reading
or the
singing,
God brings
his word to
bear upon
your situation
and you're
strengthened by
it.
Sometimes
when we
come to
God's
house,
we're
rebuked
by the
word.
God
brings
before us
through his
word.
What we
need to
hear brings
before us
our sin.
Sin that
we know
about but
have
dismissed.
Sin that
is
unconfessed.
Sin we're
ignorant of.
Many a
time under
God's
word we've
been brought
face to
face with
this.
And God
rebukes us.
That's
necessary.
Now there's
many other
things we could
say about
God's house
and love for
God's house,
but there's
one other
thing I'm
going to
say.
It's
not just
David who
loves God's
house,
not just
us who
loves God's
house.
God loves
his house.
God loves
this house
and all the
other places
of worship,
of worship
in spirit
and in truth
in Stornoway
far more than
any other
home in
Stornoway.
God loves
the gates
of Zion.
We sang it.
God loves
the gates
of Zion.
That is
speaking about
his dwelling
place, his
sanctuary, more
than all the
dwellings of
Jacob, all
the houses of
Israel that
were dotted
all over.
The one
place that
God loved
above all
was his
place.
So we've
always got to
remember that
God puts a
high place
upon the
place where
we gather
together, the
place where
his honor
and the
place where
his glory
is.
But then
we find the
psalmist taking
a complete
change of
direction and
he says,
do not sweep
my soul
away with
sinners.
Do not sweep
my soul
away with
sinners.
That is kind
of gathering
up what is
to be thrown
away.
gathering away
what is to
be just
got rid
of.
Now you
and I
know that
there's a
gathering of
souls going
on all
the time,
every day
and every
night.
Death is
never silent.
One after
another,
after another,
after another
is being taken
out of this
world.
There's this
constant
movement from
time into
eternity.
And it's
a very,
very solemn
thing.
But we
know that
there are
only two
destinies.
The Bible
makes it
very clear
that every
soul that
departs this
world will
either go to
heaven or
go to
hell.
Nowhere else.
There's no
total annihilation,
there's no
purgatory,
there's nothing
else.
either to
heaven or
to hell.
And each
is gathered
to his own
place.
And the
Lord is in
complete control
of that
gathering.
He makes
no mistakes.
God knows
who are
his.
He says
that in
his word,
I know
my own.
He knows
everyone that
belongs to
him.
But he also
knows everyone
that doesn't.
There are
no errors
with the
Lord.
This is
the Lord's
prerogative.
He's in
control of
this.
The church
has no
say in
where a
soul goes.
The
Kirk
session can
admit into
membership,
that's what
the Kirk
session does,
but the
Kirk
session can
never admit
any soul
into glory.
That is
the Lord's
work.
And that
is why
David is
here saying,
sweep
not my
soul
away with
sinners.
Because
David has
a full
knowledge
of what
sin is,
how sinners
live,
and what
their end
is going
to be.
And so
David is
coming there
from God's
house and
enjoying the
fullness of
his sanctuary,
having seen,
yes,
the hypocrites,
and he's
saying,
Lord,
do not sweep
away my
soul with
sinners.
church.
Now,
some people
are surprised
at this
prayer,
and they
say,
well,
why is
David making
a prayer
like this?
But you
know what?
I'm sure
everyone who
loves the
Lord has
prayed this
prayer or
something very
similar to
it.
If you're a
Christian,
I'm perfectly
sure that
you have
prayed,
if you
didn't pray
these exact
words,
you prayed
words which
were very,
very similar
to it.
So why
does David
pray this?
Why do
you and
I pray
something like
this?
Well,
is it not
for the
fear that
we've been
deceived?
Not that
God has
deceived us.
Not that
the offer
of salvation
deceives us.
Not that
the work of
Christ deceives
us.
But that
we have
deceived
ourselves
into thinking
that we're
something we're
not.
Christians
when actually
we aren't.
And that's
why we
would pray
a prayer
like that.
So what
causes us
to think
like that?
How is it
that if you've
been following
the Lord
for many,
many years
that you
find yourself
exactly
here?
Well,
there are
many things
I'm just
going to
suggest to.
One is
the discovery
of our
own heart
where all
we get
glimpses of
the sheer
corruption
and the
vile
thoughts,
everything that
goes on
within our
heart.
And we
thought
years ago
that by the
time we
reached this
stage
that we
would be
so holy
in lifestyle,
so Christ-like
that we
would have
grown so
much.
And yet
we get a
glimpse in
and we
say,
oh,
woe is
me,
for I'm
undone.
Oh,
wretched man
that I
am.
And so
there is
this
ongoing
discovery
of what
we're
really
like.
But side
by side
with that,
there is
also the
temptations
from Satan.
Now,
it's very
hard to
distinguish
sometimes
the
difference
between
our sin
and Satan's
temptation.
But there
is a
difference.
Because all
of a sudden
Satan will
come to
us and
he'll try
and deceive
us.
And he'll
say,
you're not
really a
Christian.
You're not
a Christian
because of
this or
because of
that.
And sometimes
he'll get
us for a
while.
And we
believe it
and it
disturbs us.
It really
affects us
deeply.
And so we
have this
fear.
What if I
come short?
I'm sure
there aren't
too many.
I know
some
Christians
who have
been blessed
with wonderful
assurance all
their days.
But a lot
of Christians
sometimes fear,
what if I
come short?
What if
at the end
of the day
I don't
make it?
Well,
see this
prayer.
I believe
that this
prayer can
only be
prayed by
the godly,
by the
Christian.
It's
prayed by
David
genuinely,
sincerely.
This is a
Christian's
prayer.
You see,
the world
lives its
own and
the world
lives its
own way.
The Christian
lives their
own and
the Christian
lives his
and her
own way.
The Lord
is building
up his
church.
But despite
all the faults
and failings
that we have,
we love each
other and we
want to be
part of each
other.
But you
know,
if you're
tonight a
Christian,
there's
nothing that
fills you
with more
dread than
that you
be lost,
that your
soul would
be swept
away.
But there's
more than
that.
There's a
longing in
your heart,
isn't there?
For when you
will be rid
of sin
altogether.
Now,
there's the
big difference
between the
Christian and
the non-Christian.
the non-Christian
doesn't long
for sin to
be removed.
They might
long for
certain sins
to be removed.
They might
long for
quite a lot
of sins
to be removed.
But sin
in general
is more
attractive to
them than
Jesus Christ.
Because by
living,
by becoming
a Christian,
your whole
future,
as you see
it,
your whole
longing,
is for
the day
when you
will be
in a
sinless
environment,
completely
sinless
yourself,
serving a
sinless
saviour
forever and
ever,
in his
immediate
presence.
And only
the Christian
wants that.
Those who
don't love
the Lord
cannot love
that.
And the
reason I
say that
is because
right here
and right
now,
a person
who isn't
a Christian
would say,
I don't
think I
could live
that kind
of life
where my
life is
lived in
service to
the Lord.
I want to
live my
own life.
Well,
if that's
how it is
here,
how do you
think it
would be
intensified
a thousand
fold in
glory?
You see,
you can
understand very
clearly tonight
where you
really are.
Where are
your desires?
Where are
your longings?
Are you
somebody who
says,
I long
for the
return of
Jesus?
I long
for the
day when
I will be
forever with
him.
Or are you
saying tonight,
oh, don't
come tonight,
Lord.
I'm not
ready.
Well, do
you know,
if you're
actually saying
that, you're
not in a
good place,
but you
are.
You're
recognizing
your need.
And your
need is
such that
you need
Jesus right
now.
Because as
we said,
our days
are flying
by.
There are
no second
chances.
Once we
breathe or
last, it's
over.
The destiny
is finalized.
So you
make sure
that Jesus
tonight,
before you
go to here,
ask him that
Jesus will
become your
Lord and
your Savior.
And your
heart will
change, your
desires will
change.
And you
will also
pray that
prayer,
do not
sweep me
away with
sinners,
and long
to be in
the presence
of Christ
forever.
Let us
pray.
O Lord,
our God,
we give
thanks for
what your
word teaches
us.
We give
thanks that
your house
is the
house where
your glory
is displayed.
Your house
is the place
that you
love.
We pray
that we
may love
it too.
and we
pray,
Lord,
that you
will not
sweep away
any here
tonight into
the lostness
of eternity,
but that we
will all be
gathered,
gathered
together in
the glory of
Emmanuel's land.
Have mercy
upon us,
we pray.
Cleanse us
from our
every sin.
In Jesus'
name we
ask all.
Amen.
We're going
to conclude
singing in
Psalm 84.
The 84th
Psalm,
this is from
the Scottish
Psalter,
Psalm 84,
I'm going
to sing
verses 1
to 3,
double
verse 3.
Page
338,
How lovely
is thy
dwelling place,
O Lord
of hosts
to me,
the tabernacles
of thy
grace,
how pleasant
Lord they
be,
my thirsty
soul longs
vehemently,
yea,
faints thy
courts to
see,
my very
heart and
flesh cry
out,
O living
God,
for thee.
Behold,
the sparrow
finds out
an house
wherein to
rest,
the swallow
also for
herself hath
purchased a
nest,
even thine
own altars
where she
save her
young ones
forth may
bring,
O thou
almighty
Lord of
hosts,
who art
my God
and King.
The
June
Thompson
Hawker,
Psalm 84,
1 to
the double
verse 3.
How lovely
is thy
dwelling
place.
How lovely
is thy
dwelling
place,
O Lord,
of those
to me.
The
tabernacles
of thy
gates,
how pleasant
Lord may
be.
My
thirsty
soul
of
swimming
and
live,
it
pains
like
wars
to see.
By
many
heart
and
flesh
I
am,
O living
God,
for thee.
behold,
the
shadow
findeth
out
and
knows
when to
rest.
The
swallow
also
for
herself
hath
purchased
said and
rest.
In
thy
known
altars
where
she
saved,
our
young
ones
forth
may
bring.
O
thou
almighty
Lord
of
hosts
who
art
thy
God
and
King.
Now may
the grace,
mercy and
peace of
God the
Father,
Son and
Holy Spirit
rest and
abide upon
each one of
you now
and forever
more.
Amen.
Thank you.