Didn't we have a great weekend
last weekend? Turn to Psalm 123. I'm sorry,
Psalm 122. David is speaking of public worship
when he speaks in verse one. I was glad when they said unto
me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy
gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city
that is compact together. whether the tribes go up, the
tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give
thanks unto the name of the Lord. For there are set thrones of
judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that love
thee. Peace be within thy walls. and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions'
sake, I will now say, peace be within thee. Because of the house
of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that we might have
our feet. In this great heavenly city. Lord. Truly, by thy grace. We're glad. When it was said into us, let
us go into the house of the Lord. Lord, we ask that your gospel
would be preached in the power of your spirit. and that we might
be enabled to worship in spirit and in truth and bow down before
thee. Lord, we confess our sin. We
pray for forgiveness and cleansing and how we thank you for the
forgiveness of sin. Lord, we pray that you would
give us the grace. To love you more. We pray that you would give us
the grace to love one another more. We pray that you would order
our steps in your word and let no iniquity have dominion over
us. Bless us for the Lord's sake. Be with all your people wherever
they meet together. And Lord, we pray for our nation. We pray for our leaders. We pray
that you would guide and direct them, that we might live a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. And Lord, we pray
for our world. It's your world. It belongs to
you. And we're so thankful that you
are absolutely sovereign over all the affairs of this life.
Now bless us for Christ's sake, in his name we pray, amen. Now this verse of scripture has
quite often been used to introduce vacation Bible schools all over
the world. You'll have this verse quoted,
I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house
of the Lord. Now, what I want us to think
about is how the Lord inspired this statement. And David said
this about public worship, what we're doing right now. I was
glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the
Lord. The Lord said, where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there I am. in the midst of them. The Lord is called he that walketh
among the seven candlesticks, the seven churches. This is David's
statement with regard to public worship. What about private worship? Well,
I know this, if I've got a bad attitude about public worship,
my attitude about private worship is worse. And in reality, the
most special private worship goes on in public worship. Oh,
how glorious that is. Now, can you say, can I say I
was glad when they said to me, Let us go unto the house of the
Lord. Now, if Christ is here, I want
to be here. Somebody says, can you be legalistic
about public worship? Well, you can be legalistic about
anything. I realize that. But anytime the gospel is preached
and Christ has promised to be there, I want to be here. Well,
I don't want to be legalistic about it. You know, I think it's
interesting the way we can make a statement like that, but we're
going to make sure our kids, you're being legalistic about
making your kids go to school every day. You're being legalistic
about going to work, but we don't think in those terms, do we? Oh, I was glad when they said
to me, let us go under the house of the Lord, where the gospel
is preached, where his people gather together, where his word
is opened. I was glad. May the Lord put
that in my heart. You know, I'm glad when I'm glad,
because I'm not always glad. You know, I mean, sometimes my
attitude is not as it should be, as yours is not as it should
be, as we all gotta say that. But aren't you thankful when
the Lord gives you the grace to feel in your heart, I was
glad when they said to me, Let us go unto the house of the Lord. Now remember, this is a psalm
of ascent, and I think this is where they're traveling to the
public worship, and there was like a 3,000 foot incline that
they had to go, and now they're finally saying, our feet stand
within thy gates, O Jerusalem. And Jerusalem represents the
church. Now he was speaking of a physical
city in Israel. But I have no doubt that he understood
he's talking about the church. I was glad and. To stand in the
church is to stand in Christ, isn't it? This is not just talking
about being in a physical place called a church. This is being
in the Lord Jesus Christ. I was glad when I could stand
in thy gates, in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, turn
with me for a moment to Revelation 21. You know, this psalm has been used,
and maybe you even thought about it when we were reading it. We
need to support Jerusalem. We need to support Israel. If
we do that, the Lord's blessing is upon us. If we support the
nation of Israel and we fight against their enemies. Well,
I love the nation of Israel. I love the United States. And
I hope I love every country. But this is not about being supportive
of one particular country at all. It's not that. He's talking
about Jerusalem. Now look in Revelation 21. Verses
one and two, and I saw a new heaven and a
new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed
away and there was no more sea, no more separation is what that
means. How many times have you been on the beach and you looked
at the ocean and you thought, what's on the other side of that?
What are the people doing over there? I thought that, maybe
you have, but it's just separation. There's no more separation. And
now look what he says. And I, John, saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband. Look in verse 10. And he carried
me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed
me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
heaven from God, having the glory of God, and her light was like
unto a stone, most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear
as crystal, and had a great a wall great and high, and had twelve
gates, and at the gate twelve angels, and the names written
thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children
of Israel." Now this is talking about the church clothed with
this beautiful garment. You know, this is glorious. Notice the church is said to
come down from heaven. If I'm in the church I came down
from heaven in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is
the church and what a blessing this is. And this is what David's
talking about. Turn to Hebrews chapter 12 for just a moment. Our feet shall stand within thy
gates, O Jerusalem. Look at this description of the
church. Verse 22, but you are come unto
Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God. the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven.
That's the church role I want to be on. Names written in heaven. And to God, the judge of all,
and to the spirit of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the
mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling
that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Now that is the
church. The new heavenly Jerusalem. Now look in verse three. Jerusalem is builded as a city
that is compact together. That word compact means union. They're one. They're one with
Christ. They're one with one another.
Now, who built this city? Christ said, upon this rock will
I build my church. Christ is the builder of this
city. That's what makes it so important. This is not built
by a man. For some reason, when I hear
people say, well, I planted this church, I'm a church planter,
it just irritates me. You don't plant a church. Christ
builded his church. Upon this rock, this confession
of me, will I build my church? That's what's so special about
being in the church of the living God. the heavenly Jerusalem. Turn with me for a moment to
Ephesians chapter four. Verse one, I therefore the prisoner of the
Lord. I love the way Paul says this.
He was riding from a prison cell, filthy, Uncomfortable, but what does
he call himself? A prisoner of the Lord. Isn't
it great to be his prisoner? I wouldn't want to be anything
else. I beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
you are called with all Now isn't that glorious that the first
thing he mentions is humility? That's what the word lowliness
means. Humility. I've been thinking about this
thing of humility. I'm afraid I don't know anywhere near of
it as I should, but I want you to think about this. Name me
one humble person that you don't like. Bet you can't think of
one. Humility is so beautiful. And
yet pride and arrogance is so ugly and disgusting. The first
thing he mentions, and what is humility? It's a just estimate
of yourself. That's what it is. It's not fake.
It's not put on when you act humble. No, no, don't act humble.
Be humble. May the Lord put that in our
hearts. The first thing he mentions is
in all lowliness, this just estimate of yourself. What's a just estimate
of myself? I'm a sinner. That's just, isn't
it? Saved by the grace of God. That's a just estimate. Now,
with all lowliness and meekness, that's an attitude before God,
meek, whatever he does is right. With long suffering, forbearing
one another in love. Now, what that word forbearing
means is putting up with one another. In love, putting up
with one another. I mean, if you're, if you're
going to be around me, you're going to put up with me. I mean,
somebody says, no, you don't know me then. If you're around
me, you're going to put, all of us are like that aren't we?
Put up with one another. In love. Endeavoring. To keep the unity of the spirit
and the bond of peace. Oh, I don't want to be contentious. I want to keep the unity of the
spirit. Now here's what I want you to see. There's one body.
The church of the living God. There's one body. There's one
spirit, God the Holy Spirit. He's the one who's taught us
all. Even as you're called in one
hope of your calling, there's only one hope. The only hope
I have is that Jesus Christ represented me. I don't have any other hope. It's that he kept the law for
me. That he paid for my sins when he died on the cross. That
I was justified when he was raised from the dead. All my hope is
in him. There's one hope. And every believer
shares the same hope, don't we? The hope that is in him. There's
one hope of your calling. There's one Lord, the Lord Jesus
Christ. There's one faith. You know,
I love thinking about this. Every believer believes the exact
same thing. There's not a diversity of faith.
There's one faith. We look to Christ alone. That's the only faith there is.
Not Christ and, not Christ and my works, not Christ and my experience,
Christ alone. That's the one faith, that's
the faith of God's elect. There's one baptism, baptism
by mercy, what it represents, the gospel, union with Christ.
There's one God, the God of the Bible and Father of all who is
above all and through all and in you all. Now this is what
he means when he says Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact
together. Oh, the union of this, but look
at what verse four says, whether the tribes go up. Not tribe singular,
tribe plural. Now I think this is glorious.
While the church is in this compact city, one, yet there's such diversity
in the church. I love that. You all look at
these people, you, they're such different people, diversity,
and you are who you are. And you are who the Lord made
you to be. You have your own unique personality. There's nobody like you. You're a part of what is called
the tribes. what glorious diversity there
is in the church, the tribes. Whether the tribes go up, the
tribes of the Lord, and here's where they're going, unto the
testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. Now, the testimony of Israel
is the Ark of the Covenant. It's called several times in
the scriptures, the testimony. This is God's testimony. What
a glorious and simple testimony this is. The Ark of the Covenant.
It was in the Holy of Holies. And you remember what was in
that Ark? The law. Jesus Christ, my righteousness. Aaron's raw but budded. Jesus
Christ, my life. Manna. Jesus Christ, my sustenance. He's my righteousness, He's my
life. And I'm not just saying for me
to live as Christ, I'm saying He is my life. His life is my
life before God. And all I derive spiritual sustenance
from is feeding on Him. And this is the testimony of
the Lord. This is what He testifies, that blood sprinkled on the ark.
And the high priest goes in by himself. Christ represents me
by himself. He puts the blood on. God accepts. The atonement is accepted. That's
the testimony of the Lord. Whether the tribes go up, the
tribes of Israel unto the testimony of the Lord to give thanks unto
the name of the Lord. Now, this is what we're doing
right now. His name is his attributes. His holiness. His absolute sovereignty,
His absolute justice, His independence, His omnipotence, His omniscience. When we think of His name, when
we think of His character, when we think of His, I love thinking
of this, He's not in the universe, the universe is in Him. He holds
it in the palm of His hand. Glorious Lord, in what we're
giving thanks unto the name of the Lord. Aren't you thankful
for his attributes? Aren't you thankful that he is
the way he is? Aren't you thankful that he's absolutely just, that
he's sovereign? We give thanks unto the name
of the Lord. Verse five, for there in Jerusalem,
in the church, for there are set thrones of judgment. The thrones of the house of David. Thrones of judgment. Now the thrones speak of sovereignty. That's what the throne always
represents. It means he's absolutely in control. And I love the way
he says the thrones of judgment. The gospel is God's righteous judgment. What is meant by that? That means
because of what Christ did, God's judgment demands my salvation. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth. For therein, in the gospel, is
the righteousness of God revealed. Now, if you'd ask anybody out
on the street, what does the gospel reveal about God? They'd
say, well, he's merciful. He's love. And I'm not going
to take issue with that, although I know they don't understand
what they're saying when they make a statement like that. But
what does the gospel first reveal? The righteousness of God. His righteousness first in my
damnation. If he sent me to hell, just and
holy is his name. You believe that? Would he be
right in passing you by? But righteous in my salvation,
not just merciful, not just gracious, no, righteous, sin punished,
God making the way to be just and justify the ungodly. There
are set thrones of judgment. Don't you love the righteousness
of the gospel? Righteous. God is righteous in bringing
every one of his people into heaven. I'll be there because
I don't have any sin. I'll be there because I have
perfect righteousness before God. I'll be there because God's
righteousness demands me to be there because of what Christ
did for me. This gospel is a righteous gospel. There are set thrones of judgment. the thrones of the house of David,
the greater David, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look what he says
in verse six. He's talking about, um, Jerusalem. Remember, and that's, that's
the church pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper
that love thee. Now, like I said, this is a verse
of scripture that many governments have used. Well, if, if we're,
if we're behind Israel, Particularly since 1949 when it became the
nation the way it did, and I don't understand all the history behind
that, but people think if we back Israel, God's mercy is on
us. God's grace is on us. God's going
to prosper us if we back Israel. That's not what it means. I mean,
I hate all the trouble that's going on in the Middle East,
don't you? I mean, the stuff that's going on right now in
Palestine and Gaza and, you know, you do pray for the peace of
Jerusalem, but this is talking about the peace that's in the
heavenly Jerusalem. Pray for the peace. of Jerusalem,
they shall prosper that love thee. Now the peace he's speaking
of is the peace of the gospel. He's not talking about peace
between nations. He's talking about this peace,
having been justified. By faith, we have peace with
God. Oh, the peace of knowing that
everything God requires of this sinner, I have in Jesus Christ
and all God requires of me. He's got it. And he's at peace
with me. He's not mad at me. He's not
angry with me. I'm accepted in the beloved,
that peace, that's the peace of Jerusalem. That's the, the
peace of his precious blood, the peace of having his righteousness
as your personal righteousness before God. Now, you know, the
folks who love Jerusalem or the folks who are in Jerusalem, the
church of the Lord, Jesus Christ, they love each other. You know,
everybody that loves Jesus Christ, I'm for that person. I love them. I'm on their side. They're on
my side. We're in him. And everyone who loves Jerusalem,
they're going to prosper before God. Now that's not talking about
material prosperity. It's talking about your soul
is going to prosper. Those who love Jerusalem, they
shall prosper that love thee. Now look what verse seven says.
I love this. Peace within thy walls. and prosperity within
thy palaces. Now this speaks of being in Christ.
The peace there is simply being in him. Accepted, now listen
to that word, accepted. Accepted by God in the beloved. Does that give you peace? That God accepts you. You know,
I don't think there's anything more ridiculous than, uh, won't
you accept Jesus as your personal savior? Won't you accept Jesus?
That is, that's offensive, isn't it? As if he's up for your acceptance
or rejection. He's accepted of the father.
He's loved of the father. And so, but to think that I'm
accepted, embraced. God puts his arms around me in
complete love in the beloved. Now that's the peace that's within
thy walls, oh Jerusalem. Think of this verse of scripture
in Colossians 2.10, you are complete in him. Lacking nothing, perfect
in him. Of him are you in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. If any man be in Christ, He is
a new creation. He's something he was not before. A new creation created in Christ
Jesus. Now, what a glorious place to
be. In him. Now, peace or within
him? Are peace within these walls?
No. But being in the church. That's
the house of the Lord. It's not a physical place. It's being in Him, the heavenly
Jerusalem. Peace within thy walls, O Jerusalem. Peace be within thy walls and
prosperity within thy palaces. Now, for my brethren and companions'
sake, I will now say, peace be within me. Here's this word again,
peace be within me. And I love the way he calls My
brethren and my companions, what a glorious thing it is to have
brethren. I'm Christ's little brother.
He said, both he that sanctifies and they are sanctified are all
one for the witch cause. He's not ashamed to call them
brethren. Christ will own me as his. That's my little brother.
He's mine. And we're brethren and we're
companions. We love one another. We love
his gospel. We love one another. For my brethren
and companions sake, I will now say, peace be within me. Oh,
don't you? Don't you love His people having
peace? The joy and peace of believing is what Paul calls it in Romans
15, 13. The joy and the peace of believing. He says in verse nine, because
of the house of the Lord our God, that's the church, that's
the New Jerusalem, that's every believer. I was glad when they
said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Because
of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good. Now, I pray that the Lord puts
this in my heart and that he puts this in your heart. I will
seek thy good. Jonathan Edwards' grandson, Timothy
Dwight, wrote this hymn, we have it in our hymn books, we sing
it. I love thy kingdom, Lord, the place of thine abode, the
church, our blessed redeemer saved with his own precious blood. I love thy church, O God, her
walls before thee stand, dear as the apple of thine eye, engraven
on thy hand. For her my tears shall fall,
for her my prayers ascend, for her my cares and toils be given,
till toils and cares shall end. Beyond my highest joy I prize
her heavenly ways, Her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns
of love and praise. Sure as the truth shall last,
to Zion shall be given the brightest glories earth can yield and brighter
bliss of heaven." I was glad when they said it
to me. Let us go unto the house of the
Lord. Amen.