As we were singing that first
song, especially, I couldn't help. Brother Don Fortner wrote
those, penned those words. And I was thinking about Brother
Don, Carl Napolou, and his life is a vapor. His life
is a vapor. We've said that so many times. I'm thankful. I'm thankful we're
here. Turn with me, please, to Psalm
122. 122. The Spirit of God moved upon
David to pen these words. Verse 1, I was glad when they
said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. David
said, I rejoiced. I rejoiced when they bid unto
me, let's go where the family of God is. I would say that over the last
two and a half months since we've not been meeting together as
we once had, once did, I've been in this building every day. I've looked at this building
every day. I've been able to be here and
it's always a joy to be able to be here. But it's not until
the house of the Lord is here that it's really a joy to be
here. Very familiar passage of scripture. And it seems, just reading it,
how easily it's understood. But when we consider the majesty
of what is being said, that the Spirit of God would move upon
David, to say these words truly, the Lord is to be thanked and
praised That God's Spirit would move a man to say this, I was
glad. I was glad. Oh, I was so glad. Do you realize that it's a miracle
of God's grace that any of us want to be here? That Almighty God would move
and give a man or woman to care. To be in the presence of God's
people. The Lord gave a parable one day
and he said a sower went forth to sow. He was just a farmer,
he was going to sow some seed. And he threw some seed and some
of it fell by the wayside. The birds came and picked it
up real quick and had no impression whatsoever. Some of it fell on
some stony ground. sprung up kind of quickly there
for a minute, seemed to have an effect. But first time that
there was some trouble because of the message, because of the
gospel, because there was no root, it faded away. Some of
it fell on thorny ground. There were some thorns in there.
It was ground that looked clear, but roots were still there. And before you know it, the thorns
started coming up because of the roots there, and the next
thing you know, the thorns started to choke out the word and cares
of this world. But some of it fell on good ground.
Made good by the grace of God. New heart. And the Lord said
He produced a hundredfold, sixtyfold, thirtyfold. So that anybody wanting
to be here, it's a miracle of God's grace that God would give
them a heart to be here and then want to be here, be here, want
to be here. So David expressed that which
was truly something that caused him to rejoice. It's a privilege. It's an honor
bestowed upon sinners that have rebelled against God and that
God would do something for them and give them a heart to want
to be here. Four things concerning that joyfulness that a believer
has concerning being in the house of the Lord. David said, I was
glad. Why? are believers glad to be
in the house of the Lord. Why? Well, I'll tell you the
first reason, because this is where the Lord is. This is where
the Lord is. He said in Matthew 18, 24, where
two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them. where two or three people have
been gathered by the grace of God, the Lord said, I'm there. Just hold your place right there.
Turn over to Luke 4.16. I read this the other day and
I thought, boy, what a lesson. Luke 4.16, one verse of scripture. Well, I'll tell you what I'll
do. I'll read 14, 15, 16. Luke 4, verse 14. And Jesus returned in the power
of the Spirit into Galilee, and there went out a fame of Him
through all the region round about. He taught in their synagogues,
being glorified of all. And look, verse 16. And He came
to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. This was His hometown. Went back to His hometown. And
as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath
day and stood up for to read. It was the custom of the Lord
to be in the synagogue. He was raised in this town and
his custom was to be there where his word was being read. where
His gospel was being proclaimed in types and figures and shadows. There He was. It was His custom
and it was all there for His honor. It was for His honor. And His people were being instructed. And He desired to be there. That
was His custom. And God's people are too. Here
is the proof of the blessing of public worship. I heard Brother
Henry Mahan make this statement one time. He said, what's more
blessed, private or public worship? He said, if you say private,
he said you missed it. Oh, we joy. We joy to worship
the Lord. We joy to be able to read the
Scriptures and to seek Him in prayer But the blessedness that's
promised by the Lord is in public worship. When believers come
together for the sole purpose to hear the gospel preached,
there is something. I'm so thankful that we've had
the internet and sermon audio and stuff like that, you know,
to be able to Turn on, you watch it on your TV, your phone, wherever
you can watch it. And it's such a blessing, but
it doesn't take the place of this. This right here. This public coming together to
have rehearsed in the ears of God's people the glorious doctrine
of Christ, the truth of the gospel, the truth of God's electing and
redeeming and regenerating grace, just to be able to be in that
assembly with God's people because this is where the Lord said,
where two or three are gathered together, where man is not being
exalted, where God's being exalted. There we have the Lord's promise.
There is something special. There's something different.
There's something completely honorable about meeting together. I've heard people say, well,
I can worship God, you know, about doing this or that or fishing
or hunting or something. I can do just the same thing.
No, no, no can't. Not according to the word of
the Lord. This is where God's people come and when they assemble
together, this is the habitation of God through the Spirit. The
Lord is in this place. Nowhere else, nowhere else are
we assured of Christ's presence in this way to bless and to rule
and direct through His gospel for the comfort and salvation
of His people. Right here, public worship. I know that the Lord is omnipresent. I know that. You know that. You know that. He's omnipresent. He's everywhere. By Him, all
things consist. You know that. He promised, I'm
never going to leave you. I'm never going to forsake you. But, hold your place right there. Turn to Song of Solomon 3. Song
of Solomon. Chapter 3. I want to read something to you
that was a real blessing while I was studying for this message
right here. Song of Solomon 3. I want to
read the first five verses. Song of Solomon 3. I just said that the Lord is
omnipresent. I just said that the Lord, by
Him, all things consist. I just said, He said, I promise
you, I promise you, I will never leave you and I'll never forsake
you. Now we know that so, don't we? I'm gonna read this passage. Song of Solomon three, one to
five. By night on my bed, I sought Him whom my soul loveth.
I sought Him, but I found Him not. Now didn't the Lord promise,
I'll never leave you and I'll never forsake you? Yeah. Isn't He omnipresent? Yeah. Well,
what's going on here? There's times when the Lord,
for reasons known only to Himself, withdraws our awareness of His
presence. I will rise, verse 2, and go
about the city and the streets, I'll broadway, I'll seek Him,
whom my soul loveth, I sought him, but I found him not. The watchman that go about the
city found me, to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed
from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth." and would not
let him go till I brought him into my mother's house, into
the chamber of her that conceived me. I charge you, O daughters
of Jerusalem, by the rose and by the hinds of the field, that
you stir not up nor awake my love till he pleads." Do you
know what a believer's attitude is? There are times when a believer
may be doing or considering certain things in our lives, know the mind of the Lord. Trying
to know whether or not the Lord's in this. You ever said this,
well, I believe the Lord's in it. What are you saying? I believe
that God's blessing is upon it. I believe the Lord is, you know,
but there may be times that we question whether or not it's
the good pleasure of the Lord for something that we're considering.
I want to know God's will. I want to know. I want to know.
I want to know if the Lord's in this or that or the other.
I'm praying about it, but I can tell you this, I never have to
wonder whether or not the Lord's in assembling with His people. Shulamite here, Song of Solomon,
on her bed she communed, but she couldn't find the Lord. She
didn't know, she didn't know. And when you don't know what
the Lord's doing, You just, you can't settle down. I can't. I
get all, tore all to pieces, Pat. I just, I don't know. I
don't know. I don't know. But I know he's
here. I know he's here. David said,
I'm glad. I was glad when they said, let's
go to the house of the Lord. Why? Because God's there. I know
he's here. Brother Henry made these statements
on this scripture, Hebrews 10.25, not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting
one another and so much the more as we see the day approaching.
Brother Henry said the Lord concerning the day of assembling ourselves
together, God appointed it. The Lord is glorified in it and
he approves of it. Then David said, secondly, I
was glad when they said unto me, I was glad when they said
unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. I'm glad because
in that request from others, there's the evidence of God's
grace to sinners. If the Lord's done something
for me and He's done something for somebody else, you rejoice
when there's somebody else that wants to be there. I'm so thankful
that you wanted to be here. I'm so thankful that God would
give you a heart. I know this. John 6, 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out. You know what God's people do?
In their heart, they come to the Lord. They come to Him. I've
said this, it's been many times, I'd be out in another city, something
like that, and Glenda didn't go with me, and every time I
thought about her, every time I thought about her, my heart
went to her. I'd come to her. You know, in
our heart, we come to the Lord. But I'm going to tell you something.
There's an act of obedience, not just because somebody came
and sat in a pew. Anybody can come sit in a pew.
But in their heart, when they come together because they know
the Lord's here, and they come to Him. He that cometh to me
in the heart, I will in no wise cast out. There's something that
has happened. I'm so thankful that they said
unto me, let us. Why did they say that? Well,
Ezekiel 36, 27 says, I'm gonna put my spirit within you. I'm
gonna cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my
judgments and do them. We're so glad that we see the
grace of God. This is what happened when Barnabas
went to Antioch. He was sent there to go and preach. When he got there, it said in
Acts 11.23, when he came and had seen the grace of God. This
is what I'm doing right here. There's some they's here. It
said unto me, let us I'd get a call from some of you saying,
when are we going to meet again? When are we going to come back
together again? I miss being here. I'd be so
glad when we come back together. Me too. Me too. I want to be here. When he saw
the grace of God, he was glad and exhorted them all that with
purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. I'm glad, turn to Acts 2 41,
I'm glad because this is where my family is. I'm so thankful when I'm able
to go and see my kids. I see my kids very, very seldom
and talk to them a lot. But buddy, I'm telling you, there's
nothing like being with them. You know, being able to see them, all those grandkids. Look at
Acts 2 verse 41 to 47. And they that gladly received
his word were baptized. The same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles doctrine and fellowship. Look at this right
there. They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and
in fellowship. What were they doing? They all
had a heart for the gospel. The Gospel of Christ, they all
had a heart for the Lord Himself and His truth. And they were
there steadfastly continuing in the Apostles doctrine and
fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers. And fear came upon
every soul. They respected the Lord. And many wonders and signs were
done by the apostles, and all that believed were together.
And they had all things in common. They sold their possessions and
goods and parted them to all men as every man had need, and
they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, breaking
bread house to house, did eat their meat with singleness of
gladness, and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor
with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily, such as should be saved." What's happening? The Lord blessed
it. He blessed it. He blessed what He had raised
up. He blessed what He had imparted
to them. He gave them a heart to be there.
They were so thrilled. That was their family. You that
know Him, I bet you you'd be like me. I'm Louisiana. I got a lot of
family back in Louisiana. But there's a lot of them in
my family that don't know God. They're my family. I love them. But it's not like this. It's
not the same. There's joy. There's gladness in brethren
meeting together that just surpasses any earthly Communions. Look at Philippians 1. Lord willing,
I'm going to preach out of this passage in the next service.
Philippians chapter 1, verse 3 to 5. The Apostle Paul said to the church
of Philippi, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Always
in every prayer of mine for you all, making request with joy
for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.
I thank God. I look around and I can tell
you this, as the Lord is my witness, there's not one person in here,
as God is my witness, that I don't pray for. I'm calling your names,
every one of you. I'm looking at all of you. I'm
so thankful, thankful that God has given us a heart To be together,
this is our family. And fourthly, Paul said, I'm
glad. I mean, David, he was glad. Why
is a believer glad? I'm glad because the Lord's there.
I'm glad because that's my family. I'm glad because I can see the
grace of God. But here's, I've mentioned this
already, but I'm going to say it again. I'm glad that I want
to be here. I'm glad that I want to be here. I come from a kind of a rougher
edged background. And people that I used to know
seem to always be a little surprised when they find out what I do. I understand. I understand. But
I can tell you this. I'm so thankful that the Lord's
given me a heart. I want to be here. The older
I get, the more I realize this life is truly a vapor. I mean, here, gone. Right now. And that the Lord
would give me a heart to be here is truly gladness to me. Psalm 84.10 says, for a day in
thy courts is better than a thousand without being in the court of
the Lord. One day is better than heaven.
David said, I wouldn't trade a thousand days of not being
there for one day of being there. I'd rather be a doorkeeper. He
said, I'd rather sit on the threshold in the house of God than to dwell
in the tents of wickedness. I know there's a lot of positions
of earthly honor that this world considers great, but oh, that
He'd give me a heart to be where He is honored, to be where His
Word is preached, to be where His people meet. Listen to this,
David said, Psalm 65, For blessed is the man that thou choosest,
and causeth to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy
courts, We shall be satisfied with the goodness of our house,
even of the holy temple. Psalm 84, I'm gonna wrap this
up. Psalm 84, verse four. Blessed, Psalm 84, four. Blessed
are they that dwell in thy house. And like I said, I'm thankful
for this building, but this is not the house. This is where
the house meets. They will still be praising Thee. Come what may. God's people bless
the Lord in what we call good times. They bless Him in rougher
times. But I tell you this. They're
gonna leave this world blessing the Lord. Thankful, thankful. I wrote that little excerpt Brother
Don wrote just before he was taken into glory, which I'm convinced,
I'm convinced he was. I can't remember it all, but
I remember this one part. He said, what a blessing. He
told Brother Lindsey Campbell, that song director there, he
said, I want you to read this to the folks for me. He said,
what a joy, what a privilege it's been to have been with you
for 40 years, been your pastor. He said to have beheld the grace
of God. But he said, there's no joy like
knowing that very soon, he said, I'll be able to walk by faith,
walk by faith into glory and immediately see by sight, perfect
sight. He said, there's no joy like
that. I thought, boy, what a testimony. God's people will still rejoice. I pray that God be pleased to
renew again, as I said before. our realization of the joy of
being able to meet together. This right here, this is what
we've done right here this morning. There's nothing, there's nothing,
there's nothing that takes place of this, nothing. There's nothing
that's more important than this right here. This is where God
meets. This is where God's people come together. It's where he
blesses the word. And I pray he's blessed it to
us today for his glory and our good. Amen.