Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord

Sunday September 13, 2015 Phone: 570.829.5216 Pastor David Miklas e-mail: pastormiklas@aol.com Message: Christian Life Text: Psalm 122; Ephesians 3:20-21 Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord Introduction: Let me begin this message with a question, Just how important is the church to you and to your family? Do you readily have an answer to that question? Before you answer, turn with me to our text found in Psalm 122. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. (2) Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. (3) Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: (4) Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. (5) For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. (6) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. (7) Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. (8) For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. (9) Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good. Again notice verse 1, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Psalm 122 is a psalm of David. It is a song which was sung by the people as they went up to Jerusalem to worship. The invitation was given Let us go into the house of the LORD." The acceptation is indicated I was glad when they said unto me The participation is understood as participation in holy worship. David's heart was in the worship of God - he delighted to go into the house of the Lord. Going into the house of the Lord does the following: First: We are made mindful of God. Entering into a place of Worship makes us think of God's love, God's Son, and God's grace. We are made to think also of God's mercy and of God's judgment. Second: We are made aware of our needs. As needy creatures we must have God's help. David expressed it many times in the Psalms. He knew that he must depend upon God. The Apostle Paul felt this, also, and spoke of it in many of his letters. He called upon people to pray for him. Third: We are reminded of God's provision for our Souls. The soul is eternal. Man has turned to sin, and sin brings a lost condition. Therefore, salvation is the primary need of the child of God. Yes, and I say that another one of our primary needs is to go into the house of the Lord to worship Him. It was written of Abraham "...there builded he an altar " Wherever Abraham went, he erected altars unto the Lord. These altars commemorated the mercies of God and were the gathering places of the family for stated periods of worship. Gradually, the landscape became dotted with these stone altars, reminding the Israelites that it was a sacred land. Altars were erected by Noah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and others. At first, altars were crudely constructed, but later they became elaborate and were composed of expensive metals and jewels. Again, here is our text from Psalm 122:1, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Now, for a few moments, let us think of the negative side of this matter of worship. Page 1

In Hebrews 10:25 we are instructed, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Number 1: Absenting yourself from the house of God is the first step to backsliding. I refer, of course, to the child of God who turns away from the Lord's house. You can excuse this command, but you cannot deny the fact that in reality you are backsliding in heart. This was also true in the Old Testament day. Often, the Israelites turned away from their place of worship; and when they did, they backslid. In their backslidden condition, God sent judgment upon them. Sometimes even heathen nations were used to whip them back into line and to bring them back to the place of worship. The safeguard against backsliding is faithful worship. I ve often wondered what would happen if people were as intense and committed and determined about church as they are about sports or any number of other pastimes. This was reinforced some years back in a piece which illustrated fourteen excuses a person might use for quitting sports. The analogy isn t hard to figure out. Every time I went, they asked me for money. The people with whom I had to sit didn t seem very friendly. The seats were too hard and not comfortable. The coach never came to call on me. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree. I was sitting with some hypocrites they came only to see what others were wearing. Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home. The band played numbers that I had never heard before. The games are scheduled when I want to do other things. Since I read a book on sports; I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow. Nobody came up and introduced themselves to me. It s always too hot or cold in the stadium. An usher offended me. I don t want to take my children, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best. Number 2: Absenting yourself from the house of God leads to neglect of the Word of God. The Word stimulates Worship. The house of God reminds us of the eternal Word of God and our need of it. The world is so much with us. We are so hard-pressed with the many duties of every day that the Bible sometimes is shoved into the background of life. It should not be. It should have one of the first places in your life as you read and study it. Let me remind you of a true fact The message you miss is the message that you should have heard, because it was the one you either needed at that moment or the one you will need in the near future. Number 3: Absenting yourself from the house of God will weaken your resistance of sin. How easy it is for a Christian to turn to sin when he gets away from the place of worship. Spiritual food strengthens. Absence of spiritual food weakens. Number 4: Absenting yourself from the house of God will cause you to lose your best friends. The best friends are Christian friends! Friends who will stand Page 2

by you in the hours of need are those who know the Saviour. But, when you stay away from the house of God, you lose touch with your best friends. During this hour in the house of the Lord, you are being called upon to give true worship unto God. Your worship must be genuine. God knows when you are sincere. To secure His favor and blessing, you must come in sincerity before Him. Now, consider the following. First: True WORSHIP means JOY. David said, I was glad. In God's house, we have joy of fellowship. Remember this song? "Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. Before our Father's throne, We pour our ardent prayers; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares. We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. "When we asunder part It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again." There is a sacred joy of fellowship among the people of God. We should desire this and look for it. In God's house, we have unity in spirit. Such unity is not found in the world, not in politics, not in business, not in schools. It is best felt in this day in fundamental, gospel churches. In God's house we have the blessing of songs. Where else can you find such expressiveness of joy? All hail the power of Jesus name Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem And crown Him Lord of all. Let every kindred, every tribe, On this terrestrial ball; To Him all majesty ascribe, And crown Him Lord of all." In a world of sadness, you need the joy which is found in the house of God. Everyone should rejoice when you come so that you might worship and that you might have the joy of the Lord filling your hearts. We come together for the preaching of the Word. We come together in God's house to honor Him. We come to acknowledge that He is all and in all. We come to confess our need of Him, as poor finite creatures. Page 3

In Revelation 7:12, we find the angels standing before the throne of God and worshipping God. They were "Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God forever and ever. Amen." Second: True WORSHIP means TEARS. In Ezra10:1 we read, Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting, himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore." In Psalms 126:5-6 we read, They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. (6) He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him." True worship means tears. Tears will come when we see our sins. Peter denied the Lord, and after the cock crew three times, he went out and wept bitterly. There must be more shedding of tears over our sins. This is a day of few tears! No one seems to be greatly moved about situations of this day. When was the last time you wept over your sins in confession unto God? When was the last time you wept over other dire needs, concerns and problems you are facing? When was the last time you wept over a sinner? Tears come when we see the rebellion of men toward God and righteousness. I believe that true worship will cause us to see our rebellious attitudes. Tears come when we realize that many are going to hell. True worship and a faithful preaching of the Word should allow us to see that men are lost and condemned. Our loved ones, without Christ, are lost and hell-bound. Our friends, without the Saviour, are lost forever. Third: True WORSHIP means TRANSFORMATION. Salvation is the first essential but with all of us, Christ must take over. In Romans 12:1-2 where we read, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. I wish that I could say that everything necessary was done at your conversion, but that s not true! Oh, yes, your salvation is settled; but our Bible points out in a thousand places that we are not only to be saved, but we are to be transformed. We are to live the life of faith; and we are to battle the world, the flesh, and the devil. This is what Paul dealt with in Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. He was calling for a full commitment of the man unto his God. The reason why Paul did this in such an intense way is given to us in I Corinthians 9:25-27 where we read, Page 4

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. (26) I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: (27) But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. Was Paul saying that he was afraid of losing his salvation? Not at all! He was afraid that he might be put aside, put on the shelf, rendered useless in the service of Christ. He did not want to be a castaway. He wanted to be a usable vessel for the Glory of God, True worship of God will bring the solution to home problems, business problems, and personal problems. True worship puts God in His rightful place in the home, the business, and the school. True worship reveals at once that some things do not go together such as worship and sin, worship and lust, worship and levity, worship and worldliness, worship and selfishness, worship and division. True worship will lead to the transformation which will mean death to self and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. True worship will lead all of us to submission to the will of God: In Ephesians 5:1 we read, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. First: True WORSHIP means JOY. Second: True WORSHIP means TEARS. Third: True WORSHIP means TRANSFORMATION. Fourth: True WORSHIP means SHARING. When we worship God, we want to share with others what God has given unto us. Worship is not for a selfish end. It is true that in our worship we are made right with God, but this is not the end of our worship. We want to share with others what we have. Sharing means HELPING THE NEEDY. The heart of the true worshipper will be open help to others. True worship means missions to the end of the earth. True missions mean extending our hand to help those in our church who have needs. Sometimes that means helping them with prayer, alms when you can and even giving a hand physically when possible. You cannot worship God in truth unless you have a heart for people. Sharing means GIVING. True worship means giving the tithe which is required, and then giving the offering. Again, listen to these two passages of scripture. First from Malachi 3:10-11, Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. Page 5

Second from I Corinthians 16:1-2, Now concerning the collection for the saints (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him Sharing means EVANGELISM. I am referring to evangelism in the local church. True worship will lead to visitation and revivals. Evangelism should be a daily thing with God s people either in giving a tract, or personally sharing the gospel with someone. What is it that is closing your lips? What is keeping you from giving your testimony for Christ? Is it the way you live your life, or is it just plain indifference? Sharing means CARING FOR OTHERS. This was the heart and spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ Others. A concern for others will mean that we are following in the steps of the Lord Jesus Christ. Others Lord, Yes others, let that be my motto! We have dealt with the matter of true worship. We have said that true worship means joy, true worship means tears, true worship means transformation, and true worship means sharing. Just how important is the church to you and to your family? Can you honestly say, quoting from Psalm 122:1, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. *********************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord, right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please let me know. Please send an e-mail to pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMON will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikbbm@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216. Page 6