And so it's great to be here. I had a chance to hang out with the guys last night.
Sean and Ed and Todd just talking about eldership, talking about what does it mean to build a pastoral team.
Again, I've been in my church for 40 years. It started as a church plant.
40 years ago, I was recently married.
About a few months after my wife and I got married, we were looking for a church.
We found this church that had only started the week before.
So it had been planted, and then we came the second week at the church.
And we thought, hey, this is a good place. Let's don't leave.
And so we never did.
So my four kids were all raised in the church.
Nine of my 17 grandkids are in the church now.
And so I just had a chance last month to baptize my oldest granddaughter.
And so I've had this life in this church, and it's given me a passion for this text and this message.
And so we're going to jump in.
We're in Psalm 84.
I'd like for you to stand as we read God's Word.
And then we'll just exposit it in our time together.
Psalm 84.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home in the swallow and nest for herself,
where she may lay her young at your altars, O Lord of hosts.
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever seeing your praise.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baccah,
they make it a place of springs,
and the early rain covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength.
Each one appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer.
Give ear, O God of Jacob.
Behold our shield, O God.
Look on the face of your anointed.
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord is a sun and a shield.
The Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Lord, bless the preaching of your word.
This limited vessel that you have put before these people,
I pray that you would minister through me
and to me as we gather to hear and consider
what you have to say to us this morning through your word.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So I grew up in the Lutheran church.
Small church outside of Atlanta.
And Lutheran church would be a church where there's pews
and then there's a raised sort of area there called the chancel
and then an altar at the end of that.
And so the altar against the wall.
So it's kind of coming from the Catholic tradition.
So there's the focus would be on the altar.
And so as a kid looking at it, it was not an ornate church,
but I did find a certain amount of wonder there.
The woodwork, the things, I just felt like there's no place like it.
So I used to love and go and sit in church
and just imagine things about the building.
And one of the things I began to notice is
between the chancel and the altar,
there was another platform you stepped up on
and then there was some space to the altar
and there was a rail around that space.
And it mostly stayed closed, so there's a whole rail around it.
The only time it ever was opened is for communion
when the center would be moved aside
and the pastor would be able to walk up to the altar for communion.
So sitting there, I'm seven, eight years old with an imagination,
I started to think, I think the reason that rail is there
is because on the other side of that rail
is a hole that leads straight to hell.
And so to me, going to church was fascinating
because I felt like, is somebody going to fall in today?
My idea was you needed that rail
because if you didn't have that rail,
you could just be walking around up there
and actually tip over into hell and it's all over.
And so the rail was there set up
to keep us from falling into hell in the middle of church.
And then the pastor though,
and he would stand up there
and he would stand in front of this space
when they opened it up
and he would do this.
And I kind of imagined him kind of like a hockey goalie,
kind of protecting people.
He was sort of a lifeguard, right?
He just kind of, he was there to make sure,
he was ready to move
in case anybody accidentally walked up
and started to fall in.
He would grab him and send him back.
So the role of the pastor was primarily
to physically keep people from falling into hell.
So it was a place of wonder for me.
And I love going and speculating
about what it might be like to fall into hell.
And so one day I got the courage up after a service
to go up to look down into that hole.
And I walked up and I was, you know,
of course you're not supposed to be up there for your kid,
but I got up there and I'm walking up
and I go up and I peer over this rail
and all I see is just parquet floor.
You know, and I have to admit
I was a bit disappointed.
And actually, I won't say that was the reason
I was turned off from church.
But there was something in me that said
this really isn't that special a place.
It's just a building.
It's just a place people go.
And I was a jaded seven-year-old
or eight-year-old when it came to church.
It just became where my parents took me
until I got old enough not to go.
My goal today is to stir in your hearts
a love for the church,
which is awkward because you're sitting in church already.
So I'm kind of preaching literally to the choir.
But I can think we can have experiences
like I had as a kid
where we see that the church
isn't all we thought it would be
when we came or when we started going to church.
My church, where I've been for 40 years
and where I raised my family,
is not a place of continual wonder.
I'm always discovering parquet floor
where I thought wonder should be.
We can be pretty mundane.
It can feel like a place of problems.
Church promises amazing things
but sometimes delivers parquet floors.
Psalm 84 is written about an Old Testament worshiper
anticipating amazing things
on the way, really, to church.
But that's not without reason.
When people gathered at the temple,
which is the reference of this text,
that's where he's headed,
God met with them.
It wasn't just the place of God.
It wasn't just representative God.
It was the presence of God that they sought.
We who live on this side of the resurrection
who are partakers of the new covenant,
who have the presence of God within us
through the indwelling Holy Spirit,
and who have had our sins permanently atoned for
by the blood of Jesus Christ,
we don't take literal journeys
to a literal temple.
We ourselves are the temple
when we gather together.
The Apostle Peter makes this point.
1 Peter 2, he says,
As you come to him,
a living stone rejected by men
in the sight of God,
chosen and precious.
You yourselves, like living stones,
are being built up as a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood,
to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Peter is stirring in New Testament believers
the heartbeat of Psalm 84.
We should anticipate amazing things
when we gather as God's spiritual house.
Our spiritual journey in Christ
is not just a private thing.
And friends, you are probably aware
everybody seems to be on some spiritual journey
these days.
And many of those people profess the name of Christ,
but they primarily view their relationship
with Christ as an individual thing,
as an internal thing,
as a quiet, reverential thing,
or as a pilgrimage of sorts,
but it's private pilgrimage.
The Bible doesn't teach us that.
The New Testament teaches us,
Peter teaches us,
that we all are the spiritual house
where personal spiritual journeys find meaning.
My basic point is simply this.
Your spiritual journey needs the church.
And I have three points coming out of that
from the text.
There's no better place to call home
than the church.
I'm basically making the argument.
There's no better place to call home
than the church.
Number two,
there's no better place
to make a difference
than the church.
And number three,
there's no better place
to prepare for eternity
than the church.
So our first point,
there's no better place
to call home
than the church.
Let's go back to verse 1
through verse 4.
Verse 4.
Now to get this psalm,
you need to put yourself
in the mindset
of an Israelite of old,
living out in some village
in the countryside.
There's no church,
as we know it.
There's no Bible study.
There's no worship service.
The things that build your faith
happen somewhere else.
In Jerusalem,
more specifically,
at the temple of Jerusalem.
If we transport this
to current thinking,
imagine being in a small town
in the middle of New Hampshire.
You want to be a good Christian,
but you don't have any
functional access to God
in your town.
No way to offer prayers.
No way to hear the Word.
God isn't going to meet you there.
You have to go to Boston.
That's where God meets with people.
You can be a good Jew,
a good follower in your village,
but you can only meet with God
in Jerusalem.
So you plan and you save
and you prepare
for a pilgrimage to the temple.
It's at the temple
where you get access to God.
It's at the temple
where you receive the peace of God.
It's at the temple
where you can experience God Himself.
It's at God's house
where you feel truly at home.
So the psalmist begins
with his longing.
How lovely is your dwelling place.
My soul longs,
yes,
faints,
for the courts of the Lord.
This is serious longing.
The King James Version says,
my heart and flesh cry out.
One commentator translates it,
my whole being craved,
yes,
exhausted itself
for Yahweh's courtyards.
What is he craving?
The temple?
Stone building?
No,
he loves the temple,
but he loves it
because it's the dwelling place
of the living God.
It's the temple
where God promises
to meet with people,
with poor,
guilty sinners,
to extend His mercy
and awaken joy in them.
That's what the pilgrim
longs for.
Not a good seat at the show,
not an experience
to add to his Instagram,
not to fulfill
a religious responsibility.
We don't know much
about the psalmist.
He's a son of Korah,
which means his life
was devoted to worship,
but he's in a place
where apparently
he can't fill out
what he believes
is his primary purpose.
He needs to go
to Jerusalem,
to the temple.
What we do know
is that the one thing
he most wanted
was to meet with God
and he had to find
his way to God
to do that.
But friends,
we are so different.
The God we meet
has come to us,
has left Boston,
and come to New Hampshire,
has sought us out.
In Christ,
God ended the temple
worship system forever.
He broke out
from the confines
of temple
to the world
in Jesus.
John says this
in the first chapter
of his gospel,
the word of God
became flesh
and dwelt among us.
And you probably know
that word dwelt
is a corresponding
Greek word
for the same
Hebrew concept
that's in verse 1
of this song.
How lovely
is your dwelling place.
Literally,
he templed,
he tabernacled
with us.
And because of
the Holy Spirit,
the tabernacle
of God
now dwells
with us
and in us
as the people
of God.
We are
the temple
of God
because
he dwells
within us.
When we gather
together,
we set up
in essentially
the tent
of God
wherever we are.
I had a chance
to be Friday night
with one of the
small groups here.
And,
you know,
they're just
eating dinner
and chatting
and talking,
but you're aware
in that moment
that up and down
this street,
people are meeting
and gathering
and talking.
But the temple
of God
is here
because the people
are gathered
in Jesus' name.
Wherever you meet,
that's why you want
to be in
your CGs
because it's a chance
in the middle
of the week
to express
that tabernacle
experience
with one another.
God's presence
is God's presence.
We've seen that.
But there's
something else
as well.
Verse 3
helps us see
why we need
this dwelling
place of God.
You see,
the dwelling
place of God
isn't just
a great place.
It's also
the safe place
for us.
It's the place
of safety.
Look at verse 3.
Even the sparrow
finds a home
and the swallow
a nest
for herself
where she may
lay her young
at your altars,
O Lord of hosts.
So small birds
make their nests
near the altar.
What does that mean?
We've got to call
the exterminator.
We've got to fire
the custodian.
We've got to turn it
into a bird sanctuary.
What does that mean?
No, the metaphor
here is one of
safety and protection.
Remember Jesus'
words from the
Sermon on the Mount.
Look at the birds
of the air.
They neither sow
nor reap
nor gather in barns
and yet your
heavenly Father
feeds them.
Are you not
of more value
than they?
Now we have to
understand this
verse
in the context
of the world
around the Jews.
It's good to keep
in mind the altars
of other religions
during the psalmist's
time.
These were altars
where children
were sacrificed
to appease
the anger
of tribal gods.
They're altars
where slaves
were forced
to perform
abominable acts
to satisfy
the lusts
of God.
yet the place
where the Lord
of hosts
dwells
even the
holy altar
that no one
can approach
out of fear
of death
without atonement
for their sin
is a nesting
place
for the small
and the weak.
If the temple
can be a home
for pigeons
is what
the point of that
that it can be
a home
for pilgrims
as well.
If the church
can be a home
for pigeons
it can be a home
for pilgrims
as well.
In college
I was a Marxist.
I was an atheist
Marxist.
That was my degree.
That's what I studied.
And about
two and a half
months before
I graduated
I was radically
unexpectedly
converted
to Christ.
And this was
down in
North Carolina
where I went
to college.
And my first
experience
going to a
church
as a
new believer
was at
Fort Bragg,
North Carolina.
A church
that had been
started
and was run
by
army
paratrooper
rangers.
It was just
full of
military.
Literally
a week
before
I had been
talking about
I had been
railing on
America
as a
military state.
The next
week I
find myself
surrounded by
military
in a church.
And at that
point my
appearance
hadn't changed
all that much.
I did not
look like I
fit in.
I clearly
didn't fit in.
I didn't know
how to relate.
These people
around me
they're all
jarheadish.
and they
were all
very fit
which is
a big thing.
And they
just seemed
it was just
intimidating to
me.
And then we
started to sing
and I realized
they're singing
with a passion.
They're weeping
as they're
singing.
And I
started to
realize
I'm nothing
like these
guys.
But I think
I fit
more here
than I do
anywhere else
I've ever
been.
I graduated
went back
home to
Atlanta
looked for
a church
found one
out east
of Atlanta
out in the
sticks
and it
was a rural
church.
It was good
sort of a
charismatic
Baptist split.
I was neither
charismatic or
Baptist at the
time.
But I went
and I just
found this is a
crazy place.
None of these
people
I have been
studying marks
for the last
three years.
None of these
people have
ever gone to
college.
I don't know
what to say
to them.
I don't know
how to relate
to them.
When they
would tithe
they would
literally have
a table up
front and
people would
put vegetables
there.
First fruits
were really
the first
fruits of
their gardens.
And I
don't have
anything.
I'm not like
any of these
people here.
But yet again
I had this
experience.
I'm nothing
like anybody
here.
But this
feels more
like home
than any
place else
I go.
We are
in a
culture
that insists
that my
individuality
is affirmed
in its
entirety
the way
I want
it affirmed.
And for
us to
have
relationship
to us
to be
in a
space
together
there must
be an
affirmation
of my
individuality
and how
I want
to express
it.
Acceptance
is based
on total
affirmation.
Relationship
requires total
affirmation.
That's not
the church.
You may
come from
very different
backgrounds.
very different
places in the
country.
Maybe
different
places
outside of
the
country.
My
church
is made
up of
people
who have
professional
degrees and
people who
have never
finished high
school.
And people
who have had
long term
drug habits
and people
who are
in law
enforcement.
It's just
a variety.
People who
are 90
years old.
People who
are 10
years old.
Five
years old.
And it's
not even
that diverse
a place.
We probably
have maybe
20 or 25
different ethnicities
in the church.
But it's not
that diverse.
But what
draws us
together is
not the
things we
share from
the world.
When we
come together
we don't
build our
acceptance on
affirmation of
our individualism.
We build it
on a shared
need for
mercy and
grace at
the throne
of God.
That's what
binds us all
together.
We are
needy people.
The one
thing you
and I
have in
common is
our need.
And that
we look to
the one who
can fill it.
And out of
that we have
fellowship with
one another.
But it's not
just a home.
The church is
not just a
home.
Point two,
there's no
better place
to make a
difference than
the church.
Verse five,
blessed are
those whose
strength is in
you.
I'm just
going to
get a quick
water here.
Whose
strength is
in you.
And whose
heart are
the highways
to Zion.
As they
go through
the valley
of Bacah
they make
it a place
of springs.
The early
rain also
covers it
with pools.
They go
from strength
to strength.
Each one
appearing before
God in
Zion.
Verses five
through seven
describe the
processional to
the temple.
This is to be
understood both
as a physical
journey,
traveling,
but also an
inner journey.
Note verse
five,
in whose
heart are
the highways
to Zion.
Long before
the psalmist
embarks on the
physical journey
to this
temple,
his heart
has mapped
out the
way.
Can you
see the
expectancy?
This is not
a cold
heart expecting
church to
change it.
This is a
heart prepared.
This is a
person who is
longing for
something he
cannot get in
the other way
and so he's
going.
He's got a
heart set on
pilgrimage as
the New
International
Version
translates it.
Where's your
heart these
days?
Do you
have a
heart
indifferent
to God
during the
week?
Is your
heart
distracted?
I don't
know if
you're like
me,
but my
heart,
apart from
the gathering
of the
saints,
is incredibly
distracted.
I have
seven different
teams I
need to
follow as
a fan.
I've got to
have seven
different
fandom,
and I've
got hats
for them
all.
And it
just depends
on the
season,
which hat
I wear.
But I
have to
devote
myself to
following
these
seven
teams in
order to
be a
faithful
fan.
I love
music.
I have
so many
interests in
my life.
I love
history.
I'm
reading and
researching and
studying and
writing on
history.
These are
all distractions
for me.
I think
they are a
godly expression
of who I
am, but
I can be
distracted.
Church can
be something
I'm trying
to fit in.
You might
be distracted
with other
things.
Or you
might be
someone who
sort of
lives and
has that
life where
you kind
of live
down and
you hope
that the
service on
Sunday or
some other
activity will
keep things
going for
you.
You depend
on the
gathering for
your heart
desire before
the Lord.
Do you
struggle with
those things?
Certainly
I do.
What the
psalmist is
showing us
is that our
heart should
be mapping
the highway
to Zion
every day.
Do you
map the
highway to
Zion every
day in
your heart?
We learn in
verse 6 that
the journey
isn't just a
cakewalk.
This valley
of Bacca is
not a place
where you
want to
camp.
In the
Hebrew it
can be
translated
valley of
weeping or
the valley
of tears.
It isn't so
much a
literal place
as it is
an unavoidable
experience.
The spiritual
journey will
take you
through desolate
places.
Right now
there are
names and
faces of
people in
my congregation
and my
fellowship
world who
are in
the valley
of Bacca.
Some facing
death.
Some I
deal a lot
with the
older saints.
Some realizing
they've gotten
to a place
and because
of the
decisions
they've
made they
don't have
enough income
to make
it and
retire.
They have
to keep
working longer
than they
really should.
Some whose
families have
fractured.
Who can't
even speak
to their
children.
People who
are at
odds with
one of their
marriages
that are
struggling
and are
in strife.
people who
are struggling.
There was
the prophetic
words today.
I really
appreciated
that these
inward
things we
hide and
protect rather
than bring
into the
light and
receive healing
for.
People whose
life experiences
are dry and
brittle and
barren.
Their souls
are parched
and the heat
of trial has
beaten them
down.
I wish
one of the
challenges of
being a
pastor is
you're exposed
to so much
human suffering
but you
can't rescue
anyone from
it.
You walk
alongside
people in
sadness and
in tragedy
and in
suffering and
sometimes walk
them right into
eternity with
no answers to
what they were
dealing with.
I wish
these people
could take
the bypass
could take
495
around the
valley.
I wish we
could airlift
them out
but we
can't.
no spiritual
journey goes
around the
valley of
tears.
But pilgrims
are never
left to their
own resources
in the
valley.
Look at
verses 6
and 7.
As they go
through the
valley of
Baccah they
make it a
place of
springs.
The early
rain also
covers it
with pools.
They go
from strength
to strength.
Each one
appears before
God in
Zion.
We have
the promises
in our
valley of
God's
sustaining
grace.
The early
rain, the
soaking rain
that our
souls need
because they're
dry.
This is a
promise of
God's blessing
and provision
when and
where you
need it in
the dry
places on
your pilgrim
journey.
You need
watering in
the dryness
of your
soul.
Not only
that, as
we as
God's
pilgrims, we
won't fall
short of the
goal.
There's a
promise here
as well.
Every
pilgrim, each
will appear
before the
God of
Zion.
We begin
the journey
in need, we
travel through
trial, but we
are sustained
for the journey
along the way
and we're
guaranteed to
make it to
the end.
That's the
promise.
each one
appears before
the God
in Zion.
How?
Because we
have the
Lord of
hosts,
literally the
God of
divine armies
who clears
the path and
makes sure
nothing's going
to get in
the way of
us completing
the journey.
But there's
something you
might not expect
too, and this
is really
interesting.
In verse 6,
the psalmist
says,
as they go
through the
valley of
Bacchah,
they make it
a place of
springs.
In other
words, not
only does God
meet them in
the valley,
but God
meets other
people because
of them as
they journey
through the
valley of
tears.
One
commentator says
it like this,
the context
indicates that
the valley is
arid, but
transformed by
the presence
of the
joyful pilgrims.
The rains
follow the
pilgrim journey.
Where the
pilgrims go,
the rain will
come.
When pilgrim
Christians gather,
pilgrim
Christians make
a difference.
So do you
realize that
you're not just
saved to become
a good church
goer.
You're not just
saved to come
into this
community where
it feels safe
and where you
find acceptance
and where you
can build
relationships and
you can order
your life around
the things of
God.
Jesus didn't
come to earth
to make
church goers.
He came to
redeem sinners
and turn them
into true
worshipers and
then to send
them out into
a dry and
broken world
as witnesses
!
And missionaries,
yes, and as
church planners.
I believe at
some point
there will be
people sent out
from this
church as
church planners.
We're planning
a church in
September,
about 35-40
minutes from
where our
church is,
and some of
the people who
are going on
that church
plant are
people who
were in my
community group
back in
1989.
They've been
in the church
for almost as
long as I
have, and
now they're
going to start
a church
plant.
I'm sending
out some
of my oldest
and dearest
friends to
help start
this church
because they
believe that
the church is
not simply the
place of
gathering,
it's the
place of
mission.
It's the
place of
impact.
Brothers and
sisters, the
world is a
valley of
tears.
People hold
up well at
times.
they distract
themselves where
they can.
They try to
make things
better where
possible, but
you and I, we
have the
difference maker.
We are not the
difference makers.
The pilgrims in
the valley are
not the rain,
but because they
are there, God
brings the
rain.
He is the
difference maker.
It's not our
morality that
makes a
difference.
It's not our
politics that
makes a
difference.
It isn't our
religion that
makes a
difference.
It's God
with us on
the journey.
That's the
thing the world
truly needs, and
that's who people
encounter when they
encounter the
church.
This community
around you
needs you here.
Wherever you
meet in this
community,
community.
And I do
pray and hope
that there will
be a permanent
location for you.
I know how hard
it is in an
urban area to
find a building
that you can
afford and
occupy.
And it might
be part of
your mission
that at least
for a while
you're in the
community but
not visible in
your own
building.
But it
doesn't mean
you don't
have presence.
It doesn't
mean that the
very fact that
you're here is
God's blessing
on this
community.
God puts
you here in
this dry and
weary land
because He
intends to
reach people
through you.
He intends
to rain
mercy and
grace on
this community
because you're
here.
Addicts don't
just need
recovery.
They need the
company that
are redeemed.
The sexually
broken and
confused don't
need moral
persuasion.
They need
compelling pictures
of men and
women living
with joy in
God's design
for singleness
and marriage.
I as a
Marxist
atheist did
not need
a different
philosophy.
I needed
a Savior.
The lost
don't need
maps.
They need
guides.
The world
doesn't need
the weight
of more
religion.
The world
needs the
water of life
pooling up
in dry
places
because the
people of
God go
where there
is no
life.
Brothers
and sisters,
whatever you
are, be
the church.
Make a
difference.
And let's
see the third
point.
There's no
better place to
prepare for
eternity than
the church.
Verse 8,
O Lord,
God of hosts,
hear my prayer,
give ear,
O God of
Jacob.
Behold our
shield, O God,
look on the
face of your
anointed,
for a day in
your courts is
better than a
thousand elsewhere.
I'd rather be a
doorkeeper in the
house of my God
than dwell in the
tents of wickedness.
For the Lord,
God is a sun and
shield.
The Lord bestows
favor and honor.
No good thing
does he withhold
from those who
walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the
one who trusts in
you.
Verses 8 to 10
are the point of
the journey.
To worship God.
The reason I'm
going is to hear
from God, to
engage with God,
to know God,
to worship God.
The main reason
the pilgrim leaves
everything and
makes the journey
is to worship
God, the God
that he knows.
It's not about
him, it's about
God.
There's simply no
place he'd rather
be.
You can see that
in his declaration
in verse 10.
A day in your
courts is better
than a thousand
elsewhere.
I'd rather be a
doorkeeper in the
house of my God
than dwell in the
tents of wickedness.
This isn't about
humility.
Well, you know
what?
I don't need to
have a big role
here in the church.
I can just serve
in various ways.
I don't need to
be noticed.
It's not about
that.
This is about
location.
This is about
where I orient.
I'll sacrifice
all this world
gives to me
to be close
with God.
As Charles
Spurgeon
commented,
even a glimpse
of the love
of God
is better
than ages
spent in
the pleasure
of sin.
I found
that out
in 1981.
You in
various ways
have found
that out
through your
lives.
If you're
here today
and you've
not tasted
and seen
that the
Lord is
good,
once you
do,
it will
change your
view of
everything in
your life.
life.
Why?
Because life
is more
than this
world has
to offer.
And life
is beyond
what this
world contains.
Being in
God's house
is preparation
for life
in the
eternal
kingdom.
We're going
to take
communion
at the end
of this
service.
And the
reason we
take communion
is in some
sense not only
to recognize
what has been
done but
is a
foretaste
of a
meal that
is to
come.
If we're
part of
any church
for any
length of
time we'll
find ourselves
wondering a
lot of
things.
Is this
the best
fit for
me?
Do I
like it
here?
Am I
going to
have to
sacrifice
something in
my life
to stay
here?
Am I
going to
have to
change
my plans
for my
future in
order to
be a
part of
what's
going on
here?
Is there
something
better?
Some
place with
less
problems?
Some
place with
better
ministry?
Is the
church going
in the
direction I
want to
go?
Listen I
get it.
You don't
think pastors
think about
that when it
comes to
church?
And we
run them
and we
ask who's
in charge
here?
What is
going on?
How did
the church
get this
way?
We have
questions about
church as
well.
It's why
many ministers
I think the
average lifespan
of a minister
career is about
seven or eight
years.
men lose
sight in
ministry of
what they're
there for.
But when we
wrestle with
those questions
we cannot
treat the
church like
anything else
we belong
to.
The church
is not
something we
attend.
Friends the
church is
who we
are.
as we
were singing
today I
just had
this burden
I felt
this from
the Lord
and this
isn't directed
anybody or
is concerned
but I
know that
being in
this location
you've come
here many of
you come
here for
school or
for a job
and that
you have
a path
that's somewhat
uncertain about
what happens
after this
and you're
committed to
this church
and you're
faithful to
this church
but you're
in some
sense thinking
well okay
but where's
my career
going to
take me
where's my
vision
what am I
doing
do I go
back home
what happens
if I have
kids
and how hard
is it to
live in an
urban environment
that's so
expensive
all those
things I
get it
and I
don't expect
most people
to be like
me and
stay in
the same
church for
40 years
that took
amount of
various places
along the way
I had to
make choices
and they
were not
choices that
were easily
made
but my
burden is
this and
I think I
can speak
for Sean
and the
other guys
as a
pastor I'm
not nearly
so concerned
about people
staying in
my church
people will
leave my
church
people have
left my
church
people have
disagreed with
me or with
our church
and have
left on
principal
reasons
people have
gotten upset
with something
and have
left on
personal
reasons
my concern
is not
that people
have to all
stay in the
same church
my concern
is so many
people leave
a church
without
knowing where
they're going
to go
and I'll
just tell you
from 40
years of
experience
and 30
something years
as a
pastor
when people
just leave
a church
with no
idea of
where they're
going to
go
they never
improve
spiritually
they wander
together
because we're
not
redeemed
to be
looking around
for the
next church
or to
leave
churches
we're
unhappy
with
we're
redeemed
to be
part of
a
community
to work
with one
another
God may
lead you
somewhere else
if God
is leading
you somewhere
else
because of
your profession
or your
career
there's
nothing
there's no
sin in
that
God
will do
that
God
brought
you
here
because of
those
decisions
if Sean
said
unless you
came here
to be
involved
in this
church
I don't
want you
here
this
would be
an empty
room
maybe
seven or
eight people
who came
just for
this church
no
but
so we
recognize
as
pastors
people
will come
to our
churches
because
God
brought
them
to an
area
and we're
grateful
for that
in the
same way
we want
to be
releasing
to people
who feel
called
to somewhere
else
my
appeal
is this
don't
be
someone
who's
committed
to just
your
church
or not
be
a
person
of the
church
be
someone
who
says
wherever
I
go
I
am
going
to
commit
to
God's
people
I'm
not
going
anywhere
in my
life
where I
don't
know
I'll
find
a
church
if
you
go
somewhere
take
a
job
go
somewhere
just
relocate
to
another
area
and you
don't
know
where
you're
going
in
terms
of a
fellowship
then I
think
you've
got
it
backwards
search
for that
church
is
there
a
church
for
me
there
doesn't
have
to
be
a
sovereign
grace
church
is
there
a
church
that
I
can
get
involved
with
are
there
people
there
are
there
pastors
who
could
care
for
me
when
people
do
that
even
if
they
leave
unhappy
when
someone
comes
to
me
and
says
I
help
you
go
look
you
might
find
there's
a
great
church
for
you
and
I
can
bless
you
to
go
there
you
may
find
in
looking
there
really
isn't
something
better
and
I
don't
want
you
to
feel
like
you
burned
your
bridges
here
the
nature
of
the
believer
is
an
acknowledgement
that
wherever
I
go
I
meant
to
be
part
of
the
church
and
I
make
that
a
priority
that's
my
burden
for
you
that
you
would
do
that
you
see
according
to
the
Bible
the
church
is
the
only
thing
on
this
earth
that
will
matter
in
heaven
read
Revelation
22
we
are
the
ones
who
are
robed
in
righteousness
the
church
we
have
the
right
to
the
tree
of
life
the
church
and
we
can
enter
into
the
city
of
God
we
the
church
the
dwelling
place
of
God
brothers
and
sisters
if
Jesus
isn't
alive
and
reigning
in
glory
for
the
good
of
his
church
then
what
you're
doing
here
is
a
waste
of
your
time
if
there
isn't
anything
beyond
this
existence
we
have
on
this
planet
then
what
you're
doing
here
is
a
waste
of
time
if
we're
just
carbon
and
chemicals
or
we're
just
highly
developed
mammals
then
what
we're
doing
here
is
a
waste
of
time
but
if
the
Bible
is
true
and
this
world
is
not
all
there
is
and
we
are
created
in
the
image
of
God
and
know
him
to
find
joy
in
him
and
if
there's
a
place
prepared
for
us
where
we
will
be
with
Jesus
for
eternity
then
what
you're
doing
here
today
has
monumental
value
it
is
weekly
daily
preparation
for
eternity
it's
what
we
do
as
the
people
of
God
together
that
prepares
us
for
eternity
makes
a
difference
in
this
world
and
gives
forgiven
sinners
a
home
close
the
quote
from
J.
Gresham
Machen
is
there
no
refuge
from
strife
is
there
no
place
of
refreshing
where
a
man
can
prepare
for
the
battle
of
life
is
there
no
!
place
where
two
or
three
can
gather
in
Jesus
name
to
forget
for
the
moment
all
those
things
that
divide
nation
from
nation
and
race
from
race
to
forget
the
puzzling
problems
of
industrial
strife
to
unite
in
overflowing
gratitude
at the
foot of
the
cross
if
there
be
such
a
place
then
that
is
the
house
of
God
and
the
gate
of
heaven
and
from
under
that
threshold
of
that
house
will
go
forth
a river
that
will
revive
a weary
world
what
you
are
doing
here
matters
for
eternity
how
lovely
is your
dwelling
place
oh
lord
almighty
let's
pray
heavenly
father
lord
i do
pray
over
this
church
god
that
you
would
establish
it
here
lord
the
mission
of
this
church
knows
that
it's
meant
to be
part
of
a
community
where
many
people
are
coming
here
for
studies
and
they
come
here
thinking
this
is
a
temporary
stay
and
for
many
of
it
is
but
lord
there's
no
reason
why
this
church
can't
be
used
to
prepare
disciples
to
be
missionaries
elsewhere
there's
no
reason
why
this
church
can't
be
a
refuge
for
the
broken
the
outwardly
successful
but
the
inwardly
broken
people
where
this
church
can't
be
a
place
where
politics
are
left
at
the
door
where
ideologies
are
not
trivialized
but
are
not
accentuated
in
identity
where
men
and
women
can
relate
to
one
another
with
honor
and
respect
and
build
something
the
world
doesn't
fully
grasp
but
needs
to
see
lord
where
the
gospel
goes
forth
not
just
from
the
pulpit
but
from
our
lives
our
lives
gathered
together
and
our
lives
expressed
as
we
encourage
one
another
in
mission
and
evangelism
lord
that
there
would
be
people
who
come
here
because
they
met
somebody
from
this
church
and
when
they
come
they
say
well
it
wasn't
you
it
wasn't
something
special
about
you
it's
this
is
what
the
people
of
god
are
like
this
is
amazing
i
to
really
settle
in
community
and
do
the
work
you
called
us
to
do
so
i
pray
for
that
oh god
i pray
for
uh
this
coming
year
lord
for
students
coming
in
people
coming
in
because
of
the
schools
because
of
the
industries
here
lord
i
pray
that
you
would
draw
them
in
to
this
church
!
there
are
!
good
!
in
this
area
lord
i
pray
that
this
church
would
never
see
itself
as
distinctly
superior
but
would
just
simply
be
a
one
of
a
number
of
gospel
preaching
churches
in
an
area
where
there
are
not
nearly
enough
gospel
preaching
churches
i
pray
that
you
would
you
would
use
this
church
mightily
and
that
you
would
bless
it
oh
god
in
its
mission
and
I
ask
this
in
Jesus
name
amen
!
amen