Our reading today is from Psalm 15.
While you turned to that, I was thinking about this this week
and I thought this was written around 3,000 years ago
under the inspiration of God.
It's not the shortest psalm, it's only short.
Psalm 117 is the shortest.
This is a close one.
Psalm 15, a psalm of David.
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from the heart.
Whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbour
and casts no slurs on others.
Who despises a vile person
but honours those who fear the Lord.
Who keeps an oath, even when it hurts.
And does not change their mind.
Who lends money to the poor without interest.
Who does not accept the bribe of the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will not be shaken.
Amen.
Yeah, my name's Dave.
I'm one of the pastors here.
If I haven't met you before,
a warm welcome to you.
Why don't we pray as we come to God's word.
Father, I praise you that
you're a God who wants us to know
that we can come to you.
That we can dwell in your presence.
But Lord, I pray that it wouldn't be based
on a false confidence
but on true and solid ground.
So I pray that you'd speak to each one of us
through your word right now.
Give us listening ears
so that we know that
we can rejoice in your presence.
praising you for saving our soul.
I pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, what's the primary characteristic
of a close walk with God?
Who is someone who's intimate,
close with God,
walking through their life?
I think some people will be
wanting to put their confidence
of acceptance with God
based on some sense of religious feeling.
So those moments of peace
and joy and awe,
often when we're in prayer or praise.
Some, I think, will rely on
kind of supernatural things
like gifts of speaking in tongues
or receiving dreams.
Surely I'm close to God
if I've got these supernatural experiences.
I think some will look at their record
of sacrifices,
what I've done for God
in the church
and in evangelism,
for social justice.
Look at my giftedness.
Look at the successes
God has blessed my efforts
for him with.
Maybe some will look at their position
and role in the church community.
Surely I'm walking closely with God
by virtue of being a pastor, right?
Some will measure their closeness to God
by their superior Bible knowledge
compared to others.
If you can articulate doctrine
really clearly and persuasively,
surely that person's close,
walking close to God, right?
And of course,
some of us
will not claim
to be close at all.
We live in a constant fear
that God isn't pleased with us.
I think Psalm 15
cuts right through
all those things,
all those sense of confidence
and even lack of confidence.
It gives us
a surprising portrait
portrait of who the Lord
accepts
and is pleased with.
So that opening question,
O Lord,
who shall
sojourn
in your tent?
Who shall dwell?
Who shall live
on your holy hill?
These two lines,
they're two pictures,
but they're asking
the same question.
The Lord's tent
pictures,
you've already learnt this
through the children's talk,
thank you, Jen.
I feel like I can relax now
because you've said it all,
I'm just going to add
some detail now.
The tabernacle,
it pictures the tabernacle.
You read the book of Exodus
and isn't it riveting,
God's miracles,
redeeming his people
from Egypt?
And then he gives the law
and then do you stop
reading Exodus?
You get into all this detail
about what?
The tabernacle.
What's the goal of salvation?
God dwelling with his people.
He wants to live
with his people.
And at the end of Exodus,
you've got this beautiful paragraph
of God dwelling
in the tabernacle
and they're journeying
through the wilderness.
When the cloud lifts,
they go out.
When it settles,
they settle.
They're being led.
They're in the presence of God,
knowing they're God's people.
The goal of salvation
was for the Lord
to live among his people.
And so this idea
of sojourning
is the idea
of being a temporary resident.
You're a foreigner
travelling through this world
like Israel
were travelling through,
journeying
to the promised land,
being led by God,
knowing you belong to God,
enjoying friendship,
fellowship
with God.
And the Lord's holy hill
pictures Jerusalem,
the place from which
he would rule his people
through his chosen king.
So dwelling on his holy hill
is you don't belong
to the nations of the world
that don't know the Lord.
You belong to his king.
You belong to his people.
You can live with God.
There is no greater joy
than to live in God's presence.
Psalm 27 verse 4
captures this poetically,
obviously, as a psalm.
One thing have I asked
of the Lord.
One thing.
What would that one thing be?
That will I seek after,
that I may dwell
in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life.
To gaze upon the beauty
of the Lord
and to inquire
in his temple.
It is the greatest thing
in life.
This question only makes sense
if being right with God
and enjoying his presence
is the best thing.
It's what we're made for.
So if the psalms are the heart cries
of God's people,
this psalm catches,
I think,
one of the most fundamental,
the most fundamental heart cry
we all wonder.
Am I acceptable to you, God?
Do you embrace me as your own?
Are we at peace?
Can I enjoy you?
Are you pleased with me?
To even ask this question,
you're on the path of wisdom.
We saw last week in Psalm 14,
the fool says in his heart,
there is no God.
Now you may not say that
with your lips,
but practically we can do that.
You won't even be caring
about this question.
But if you are caring
about this question,
you're on the path to wisdom.
The Lord wants people to come in.
He wants us to come in
to his presence.
Like a child thrives
knowing the security in the family
and their father's pleasure in them.
So what's the answer?
Who does the Lord accept?
Who does he embrace as his own?
It's not just anyone and everyone.
This psalm ought to have
the same effect on us today
as I think it would have back then
in David's day.
To pause and ask,
am I acceptable
and at peace with you, God?
Now broadly speaking,
verse 2 answers the question.
It's the person who lives blamelessly,
who does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart.
So that's a broad answer.
That's the principle answer.
And then verses 3 to 5,
we get into some specifics.
But just sticking with the principle first,
I think that phrase,
speaks truth in his heart,
is key.
So it either speaks truth in his heart
or speaks truth from the heart.
Either way,
it's saying there's truth in the heart.
It could be picking up Psalm 1.
If you remember Psalm 1,
blessed is the man
who's meditating on God's word,
God's law,
day and night.
That word meditating,
meditating is murmuring.
You're not murmuring your own thoughts
like a crazy person.
You're murmuring God's thoughts
just day and night.
There's truth in your mind and heart.
That's the blessed person.
Now if commentators write
that this psalm starts a new subunit,
so Psalm 15,
it's like this grouping of psalms
with Psalm 24
because Psalm 24
asks the same question.
Who can dwell
in your holy hill?
Now if that's the case,
in the middle of this subunit
is Psalm 19.
That's the person
who looks at creation
and goes,
and it's just shouting truth.
God is,
his glory is declared
in the heavens
and meditating
on the law of God.
The law of God
is pure
and sweeter
than honey.
It is sure
it can be relied upon.
So truth in the heart.
There's integrity.
The truth in the heart
overflows
into
true living,
right living.
So who is acceptable
to the Lord?
Who can be confident
of belonging to him
and enjoying fellowship
with him?
It's the righteous person
of integrity.
The truth of God
in the heart
overflowing
into how
we live.
So what does
righteous living
look like?
How can you see
what's in the heart?
what's the characteristic
that comes out?
What does truth
produce?
And this is where
the psalm gets
surprising,
doesn't it?
This question
of vertical
relationship
with God
suddenly turns
horizontal.
It's all about
how we treat
people.
I think
it's uncomfortable
because
if we focus
on how we treat
people
then it challenges
any other
false
kind of
religious
adherence,
all those things
I opened
the sermon with,
it challenges
those things.
The primary
mark of
spirituality
is to share
the character
of God.
love for God
will overflow
into a holy
love
for people.
It's
inseparable.
It's to
share the
family likeness,
sharing our
Father's holy
love.
We worship
him,
we want to
be like
him.
The righteous
person will
have holy
brotherly
love.
I'm
interested
too by
why these
examples
of love.
There's
lots of
things that
could have
been said
in this
Psalm about
what it
means to
love one
another.
There's so
many things
and obviously
we need
the rest
of the
Bible to
add to
this but
I just
wonder if
these things
are chosen
because
these ones
are socially
respectable
sins.
I'm going
to use
Jerry Bridges
book title.
Most people
in society
these things
aren't a
big deal
I don't
think.
They're
tolerated
even
celebrated
but if
you love
the Lord's
character
if you
know
his
character
all of
a sudden
these things
really matter.
So let's
go through
them.
Verse
three
it's the
person
who
does not
slander
with his
tongue
and does
no evil
to his
neighbour
nor takes
up a
reproach
against
his
friend.
So doing
no harm
to others
to their
reputation
even
that last
phrase
even when
they deserve
it.
So taking
up a
reproach
it's to
rebuke
it's
when they
deserve it.
I think
why that's
a problem
is it's
taking up
it's almost
like
I don't
know
you won't
let it
go.
You have
to get
vengeance.
I think
this is
describing
the woman
over coffee
after the
service finishes
who just
senses that
the conversation
about someone
else is not
building up
that person
it's not
productive at
all and
so they
turn the
conversation
to another
subject matter
or even
go hey
we shouldn't
be saying
this or
they just
walk away.
I think
it's describing
that kind
of person.
It's the
man who's
criticised
who then
doesn't just
launch a
verbal attack
with the
flaws of
the person
accusing
them.
Doesn't
try and
defend
themselves
like that.
It's the
employee who
doesn't join
in the
workplace
complaining
about their
boss
or kids
at school
not joining
in in
that
insults
of that
teacher
that everyone
insults.
It's the
Christian who
doesn't get
tunnel vision
when a
brother or
sister wrongs
them,
unable to
let the
injustice
go but
who is
determined
to show
the same
grace that
they've
received.
It's not
as simple
as just
being polite
and never
saying a
negative word.
You read
Jesus,
he's the
picture of
perfect
character and
wow,
he went to
town on
some people
but it
was for
love's
sake.
God's
words,
his words
give grace
to those
who hear
even if
those words
are a
rebuke,
will care
about their
words and
the effect
on other
people.
verse 4,
in whose
eyes a
vile person
is despised
but who
honours
those who
fear the
Lord.
I think
we trip
over this
one,
don't we?
It's
in our
so-called
tolerant and
inclusive
day and
age where
everyone is
cancelling
each other
on social
media.
I'm not
convinced it's
that tolerant.
I think
we can
get past
this doesn't
seem right
when we
consider a
few things.
One is
we're all
evaluating
people.
Everyone is.
It's actually
good to
distinguish
good from
evil.
Everyone's
doing that.
It's being
part of
God's image
to do
that.
Everyone is
going,
I'm going
to embrace
this because
I think
it's good.
I'm
rejecting
that because
it's not
good.
I'm going
to give you
a challenge.
Think of
a person
you don't
like.
I'm not
encouraging you
to dwell on
this for too
long.
I'm
guessing as
well it
won't be
too hard to
think of
someone.
Take a
moment and
think about
why you
don't like
them.
What's
the criteria
you're
using?
Isn't
it so
often about
do I
think this
person will
advantage me?
Will I
profit from
accepting this
person?
Or if it
doesn't
advantage me I
might reject
them.
Either socially
if they seem
popular I'll
link up with
them.
They're not
popular I'll
avoid them.
Isn't it so
much self
centred that
we evaluate
people by?
But this
is saying
you don't
decide if
someone's
vile or
not.
It's not
saying that.
It's saying
because it
can also
mean a
rejected
person is
despised.
So in
other words
it's someone
who evaluates
people as
God sees
them.
Does God
reject them?
Does God
embrace them?
And so
too likewise.
You do
likewise.
It's not
your criteria
it's his
criteria.
And part
of God's
holy love
is that
he hates
evil.
Imagine if
God loved
evil.
What a
terrifying
thought.
Our problem
with this is
we don't
hate evil
enough.
I just
thought of
all the
comedians
we can
sometimes
listen to
and they're
just
disparaging
Jesus.
How can
we respect
this person
while they
do that?
But we
also need to
be careful
about who
is it that
God rejects
and embrace
and accepts.
We've got to be
really careful
about this
because Jesus
was a friend
of tax
collectors
and sinners
and he
reserved his
harshest
rejection
for the
religious.
So we
also have to
be careful
about how
we measure
those
who fear
the Lord
or not.
That is
holy love.
Our aim
in despising
is that we
want that
person to
repent so
that they're
at peace
with God.
Our aim
at despising
is we
don't want
that others
to be
continually
damaged by
what that
person is
doing or
let astray.
Our aim
in honouring
those who
fear the
Lord is we
want them
not to boast
in themselves,
we want them
to keep
fearing the
Lord and
encourage
others to
do likewise.
So holy
love looks
like accepting
or rejecting
people not
based on your
evaluation but
God's
evaluation,
his criteria.
people.
Then we've
got who
swears to
his own
hurt and
does not
change.
Their yes
is yes,
their no
is no,
whatever the
personal cost.
Now it's
easy to keep
promises when
it's convenient,
isn't it?
It's easy,
everyone does
that.
If it's
convenient,
sure,
I'll keep
my word.
But what
about if it
costs you to
keep your
word?
I think
this is
picturing the
wife of
an inconsiderate,
self-centered,
harsh and
critical husband
who feels
desperately
lonely but
keeps seeking
his eternal
good,
forbearing and
faithfully keeping
her vows.
That won't
feel all too
nice,
but that
person needs
to know.
God is
pleased.
It's the
employee who
does quality
work, even
if their
superiors are
pressuring them
to cut
corners and
not keep
whatever promises
the work
made to
make money
or save
time.
It's a
person who
loses sleep,
loses money,
loses opportunities,
loses approval of
people because
they made a
prior commitment.
I think it's
much easier to
go with what
you feel like
doing in the
moment.
It's much
harder to
work out all
these commitments,
which ones do I
need to keep to
honour the Lord?
Why is this the
case?
Because a family
likeness, love for
the God who is
faithful to his
word, will mean a
holy love for
people.
I will care
about my
word.
Verse 5a, who
does not put
out his money
at interest and
does not take up
a bribe against
the innocent.
This person
isn't ruled by
thinking, what
can I gain out
of this?
They're ruled by
compassion.
How can I help
this person in
need?
Now, Old
Testament law,
Exodus 22, 25,
it emphasises to
the Israelite, do
not charge
interest to a
poor Israelite.
Israelite.
It specifies the
poor Israelite.
And there was
different standards
for how you do
business among
Israelites and with
foreigners.
So I'll let you do
some research in
that.
But I think the
main point here is
it's not to take
advantage of someone
who is in need.
Someone who needs
help, oh great, I
can make a profit.
You're not even
thinking that way.
It's how can I
use what I've got
for your sake?
Well, at the
moment it's the
landlord who
doesn't charge
excessive rent
simply because the
market allows them
to.
It's the building
report, I read
ABC article, it's
the building report
experts who don't
hide the defects
in a building
report.
simply to get
more business
from the real
estate agents.
It's not
accepting that
kind of bribe.
I think this
one applies.
I think it's the
Christian GP
who now might
have to risk
their job and
their reputation
not to prescribe
the abortion
pill.
people.
It's not
taking that
security at the
cost of the
innocent.
It's the
person who
lends what
they own
without the
desire to get
favours in
return.
They're ruled by
compassion, not
by what they can
gain.
It's the
person who
defends the
person wrongly
accused.
It's hard to
speak up when
that happens,
isn't it?
It's really hard
because you might
be the one who's
attacked then.
I think all
these things are
rather normal,
aren't they?
I don't know if
you agree with
me.
I think they're
pretty common.
It's just normal,
even respectable,
even respectable
among Christians
sometimes.
But they all
destroy community.
The Lord
accepts and
is pleased with
those who share
his family
likeness, who
have a holy
love because
they worship a
God of holy
love.
The Lord
accepts the
one who would
rather live at
peace with the
Lord knowing
they are his
rather than be
at home in
this sinful
world.
So the one
who does these
things will
never be moved.
What a
promise.
The problem
is obvious,
isn't it?
If we don't
do these things,
we've got to
admit that we're
not listening to
his rule.
We've got to
admit more than
that.
We don't
actually love
his character
as we ought.
his acceptance
and pleasure
in us
isn't prized
as we
ought to
prize it.
How can
I dwell
with peace
and confidence
with God
and his
holy hill
if I
don't do
these things?
Well,
this is where
the Psalms
help us as
well.
we need
a righteous
king.
On our
own,
we can't
stand,
but we
need a
righteous
king who
can represent
us,
who can
fight for
us.
As Psalm
24 asks
this same
question again,
who shall
ascend the
hill of
the Lord?
That Psalm
ends by
picturing these
gates,
these ancient
doors,
and it's the
gates to God's
city are
shut.
Sinners
cannot come
in.
But that
Psalm ends
going,
but there
is a
king.
When he
walks up to
those doors,
they will
open.
There is a
king of
glory who
opens the
way into
paradise.
It's
Psalm 2.
God has
set up his
righteous king
on his
holy hill.
people.
We need
to take
refuge in
him.
So we
can't stand
on our
own.
The Psalms
point us
to a
king, a
righteous
king.
Obviously
David failed
at that.
Who is the
king of
glory?
It's the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
And look
at the one
he accepts.
He accepts
the one who
confesses their
lack of love
for people.
He accepts
the one with
a broken
and contrite
heart.
He will
not despise
a broken
and contrite
heart.
But he
will reject
as vile
those who
trust in
their own
righteousness.
In the
Lord Jesus
you will
never be
moved.
through him
we have
permanent
access to
God's
throne of
grace with
confidence.
Even
taking that
idea of
tent, he
is set up
he is the
tent now as
the children
that Jen
brought out.
We are in
him.
We are
united to
him.
He is
even in
us by
his spirit.
He's set
up his
home in
his people.
And then
he empowers
us to
have this
family
likeness to
love.
In
him, he
and us
we can
walk and
rest in
the presence
of God
even as
we are
foreigners
in this
self-centered
world.
So
please hear
me correctly.
Let me be
clear.
Doing
good things
do not
save us.
You cannot
add to
your full
access and
acceptance to
God what
Jesus has
done.
You can't
add to
it.
But
while we're
saved by
faith alone,
faith is
never alone.
His grace
not only
saves, it
transforms.
forms.
One
Peter
talks about
Christians
understanding
who we
are.
We are
elect
exiles.
We are
sojourners.
We don't
belong in
this world
anymore because
we've been
chosen out
of the
world.
We don't
belong.
We're
foreigners
here.
And then
having been
born again,
Peter says
to us in
1.22,
having purified
your souls by
your obedience
to the
truth.
What's
coming next?
What was
that salvation
for?
Having been
purified so
that you're
acceptable to
God.
What's
that for?
For a
sincere,
brotherly
love.
Love one
another
earnestly
from a
pure
heart
since
you have
been
born
again.
The
primary
measure of
a close
walk with
God,
of spiritual
maturity,
of love
for God,
belonging to
his household,
it is not
religious
feelings.
It's not
what you
sacrifice to
God.
It's not
doing great
things for
God.
It's not
your knowledge,
Bible
knowledge.
God's
love.
The primary
measure of
a close
walk with
God is
holy,
brotherly
love.
I was
reading 1
Corinthians 13
this week.
You can
have tongues
of angels,
but if you
don't have
love, you're
just a
clanging
dong.
You've
got to
have love.
You can
have insights
into the
most profound
spiritual
realities of
everything,
and if
you don't
have love,
I am
nothing.
What a
state.
You can
give your
body to
the flames,
you can
sacrifice
all, but
if you
don't have
love,
it's to
no point.
Wow.
The measure
of a close
walk with
God is
holy,
brotherly
love,
because that
reflects the
holy love of
our Father,
the family
likeness.
love,
so you
can be
confident
you're
walking
closely
with
God
when the
truth of
Christ
overflows
into
brotherly
love.
Beware of
false
confidences,
but this
psalm encourages
us.
We are to
know we
will never
be moved.
I find
that a
great
encouragement
because to
do these
things, to
love in
this way,
it could
move you.
It could
cost your
reputation,
it could
cost money,
your business,
it could
cost your
job, it
could cost
friends and
family.
You might
feel incredibly
moved, but
the promise
here is you
need to know
that loving
like this,
you're
reflecting
the
Father.
You will
not be
moved from
his
acceptance
and embrace
of you.
Our
Father wants
us to know
we will
never be
moved from
him,
to know
we belong
to the
Lord's
household,
and so
expressing
that in
brotherly
love.
Why don't
we pray?
Let's pray.
thank you
Lord that
while we're
still sinners,
Christ died
for us.
Thank you
that in
our righteous
king we
have peace
with God.
God, thank
you that we
have access
into this
grace in
which we
stand, having
been filled
with your
love by
your spirit.
Lord, we
give all the
praise to
you for
making us
fully part
of your
people,
fully acceptable
to you because
of the Lord
Jesus.
and I
pray that
out of
that, out
of our
thankfulness,
that we
would want
to be
like you,
that we
would set
our hope
fully on
the grace
that we're
going to
receive when
you return,
that we
are looking
forward to
the home
of righteousness
while we
are living
in exile
and journeying
as sojourners
in this
life.
Lord, help
us set
our hope
on that
home of
righteousness
when we'll
see you
face to
face so
that we
can express
that and
give honour
to you by
the way
that we
love one
another.
In Jesus'
name I
pray.
Amen.