Sunday June 21, 2015 Phone: 570.829.5216 Pastor David Miklas e-mail: pastormiklas@aol.com Message: Psalm 23 - #19 Text: Psalm 23:1-6 Dwelling In the House of the LORD Forever Introduction: For some 18 weeks now, every phrase of Psalm 23 has become a message in and of itself and I trust it has refreshed your souls. So let s again read these words, The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) HE maketh me to lie down in green pastures: HE leadeth me beside the still waters. (3) HE restoreth my soul: HE leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for THOU art with me; THY rod and THY staff they comfort me. (5) Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: THOU anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. This Psalm opens with those breath-taking words The LORD is my shepherd Now, it closes with the equally positive affirmation, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Here is a sheep so utterly satisfied with its lot in life, so fully contented with the care it receives, so much at home with the shepherd that there is not a shred of desire for a change. I believe in many ways we can say, there s only one place like home and that is home. The reason for this is rather obvious, because home isn t a PLACE where we live; home is PEOPLE. Home is where it is, because of who is there. This is what the Psalmist has said in this last phrase of verse 6, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Now with the Shepherd, our wants have been met. We have been moved into the green pastures. We have been taken by the still waters for rest and refreshment. We have had our souls restored when we have strayed. We have been led down the paths of righteousness. We have been comforted with the rod and staff as we have walked through the valley of the shadow of death. We have been anointed with oil when we were tormented by the various parasites in life. We have been refreshed with the cup of blessings of goodness and mercy all the days of our lives. But now we look beyond and see the glorious prospect that the psalmist sees and that is a place where we are going to dwell forever with the Lord. The word house used here has a wider meaning than what we might attach to it. Normally we speak of the house of the Lord as the meeting place of God s people. However, in the Old Testament, the phrase the house of the LORD is used not only to identify a future place, but also to speak of the house of the Lord down here. For example: In Psalm 27:4 we read, One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. Page 1
In Psalm 122:1 we read, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. In the New Testament as Jesus stood in the temple he warned the religious leaders of his day in Matthew 21:13, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Here again we are reminded that there is a place where we gather to worship that is called the House of the Lord. Let me pause to say something about this earthly house of God that today we call the church. I am of the opinion that when the church functions the way it should meaning: When we love each other the way we should, When we preach the Word the way we should, When we sing the hymns with heart as we should, When we live like we should in a godly manner, and When we come to church and give our tithe in recognition of the blessings of God like we should upon the first day of the week, The church ought to provide a little glimpse of what it will be like to live in the house of the LORD forever. For a good number of years in our first and third ministry, I needed to travel some three or four weeks out of the year either to a conference or Christian college to recruit teachers and staff. I enjoyed my time while I was there, but the best part of the trip was when I stepped off the plane and came home. However, what David shares with us in Psalm 23 is something: Far more meaningful, Far more glorious, and Far more exciting than any home-coming we have ever enjoyed in this life. David shares the prospect that one day we shall go home to be with the LORD and we shall be with Him forever more! May I remind you that as believers God has not saved us to live in this world forever, but to one day go to live forever in Heaven. And the farther along we walk in this world we become more and more aware this world is not our home, we are just passing through. Yes, as you and I grow older, more and more of our friends, family and relatives are going to glory land: All of my Sunday School teachers are there. All of my aunts, uncles, and in-laws are there along with my parents. And there are many you know also. We could go on and on naming the saints of God we know who have left this earth; friends and relatives who were saved and are now in HEAVEN. Someone wrote My loved ones are gathering yonder My friends too, are passing away; And soon I shall join their bright number, And dwell in eternity's day. They're safe now in glory with Jesus Their trials and battles are past. They ve overcome sin and the tempter, To gain a crown that will last. I'm bound for that beautiful city, Page 2
My Lord has prepared for His own, Where all the redeemed of all ages sing "GLORY," around the WHITE THRONE. Sometimes, I grow homesick for HEAVEN And the GLORIES I then shall behold, What a joy that will be, when my Saviour I ll see, In that beautiful city of gold. For those of us who have been born into the family of God by faith we have a destiny in our soul and that destiny is eternity with Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3:20-21 we read, For our conversation (citizenship ) is in HEAVEN; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. In Colossian 3:1-4 we read, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. In I Thessalonians 4:13-18 we read, But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words. The hymn writer wrote: This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through. My treasures are laid up, Somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckoned me from Heaven's open door. And I can't feel at home in this world anymore. O Lord, you know I have no friend like you, If Heaven is not my home, then Lord, what will I do? The angels beckoned me from Heaven's open door, And I can't feel at home in this world anymore. The New Testament commentary on the last phrase in Psalm 23:6, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. is found in John 14:1-6 where we read, Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (4) And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (5) Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? (6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. In verse 2 Jesus said to His disciples He would be leaving them to go and prepare a place for them. Let me impress upon you that when we leave this earth, we are going to a place. Jesus did not say, Page 3
I go to prepare a DREAM for you, or I go to prepare an EXISTENCE for you, or I go to prepare a VISION or VACUUM for you. Jesus said, I go to prepare a PLACE. As we approach this city, we need to look upon it as REAL as this building is real. Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you. The Bible describes that place - Heaven, in a number of ways: Heaven is referred to as a Country in Hebrews 11:16, But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: It is described as a COUNTRY so that we may understand that Heaven is a vast territory. Heaven is referred to as a CITY in Revelation 21:2 we read, And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Here God is reminding us that Heaven is a place with walls and streets that will contain a vast number of people from all nations of the world. Heaven is referred to as a KINGDOM in Matthew 5:20, For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Here God is telling us that Heaven will be an orderly place that will be governed righteously. Heaven is referred to as a PARADISE in Revelation 2:7, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. This gives us the idea that all of the delights we enjoy here on earth will be multiplied 100 s of times over in our Father s house. In Revelation 21:1-22:7 God described Heaven for us, its walls of jasper, its gates of pearl, its foundation of precious stones, its street of pure gold. In that eternal city, there is no need for the sun or moon, because there is no night, for the glory of God and the Lamb light up heaven. Not only does God describe what will be in heaven for us to enjoy FOREVER but He also tells us things that you will not find there. Here is a list in the words of the song What A Day That Will Be. There is coming a day when no heart aches shall come, No more clouds in the sky, No more tears to dim the eyes; All is peace for evermore on that happy golden shore. WHAT A DAY, GLORIOUS DAY THAT WILL BE. There'll be no sorrow there, No more burdens to bear. No more sickness, No pain, No more parting over there; And forevermore I will be with the one who died for me. WHAT A DAY, GLORIOUS DAY THAT WILL BE What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His Face, the One who saved me by His grace; And when he takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promise land, WHAT A DAY, GLORIOUS DAY THAT WILL BE. In John 14 we are told Jesus is going to prepare a place for us. Notice in verse 2, In my Father's house are many mansions: Now let me point out to you some of the important facts about this eternity with God. First: There is a PROGRAM God has ordained for our future. And that program involves the preparation of an eternal place for all those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. Page 4
Remember, Christ has purchased the right to place us in Heaven at the expense of His own blood. He bought for us a place and He used his own blood as the payment. 2000 years ago, Jesus went to the cross and there shed His blood for the sins of all mankind. Now my friends, we can be sure Heaven is ours if we put our faith in Christ. That is the only way you can make your reservation for heaven. There is no mansion in my Father s House for anyone who has not personally accepted Christ as Savior. You may question, How do you know when you place your faith in Christ you have a place in Heaven? As your pastor, I can only give you the assurance from scripture in John 3:36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Second: There is a PROMISE attached to this place. Jesus said in verse 3, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Again in I Thessalonians 4:17 we read, Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Whenever it will be, at Death or at the Rapture, He will personally come back to escort us to heaven. Remember Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. God is preparing this place NOW so that we will not be having such a transitional problem when we get there. From the Scripture, when Jesus was explaining His death and the future for His people, some of His disciples had a hard time understanding. For example: In John 14:5 we have Thomas who said, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus answered in verse 6, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. In John 13:36-38 we read, Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. (37) Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? (Here Jesus was saying to Peter you can t follow me now but you will after you die.) I am so glad to say as I live on this side of the cross and beyond this time when Christ spoke to His disciples, I have the promise of this passage and many others that tell me one day if I have by faith taken Jesus as my Savior I will be with the Lord in Heaven, Amen! Third: There is a PERSON: In Revelation 22:1 we read of, "the throne of God and the lamb." Who is the Lamb in heaven? It is our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. Someone wrote, If the FOUNDATIONS were concrete and steel, this would still be HEAVEN as long as JESUS is there. If the GATES were made of oak and not pearls, this would still be HEAVEN as long as Christ is still on the throne. If the STREETS were asphalt filled with pot holes, this would still be HEAVEN as long as the SAVIOUR is there. If the RIVER was like the dirty Jordan, this would still be HEAVEN because JESUS is there. If the TREE OF LIFE was bearing no fruit, this would still be HEAVEN because our LORD is there, and Page 5
If the THRONE was made of vinyl, and If the MANSIONS were cottages, and If the MERCY SEAT was covered with tin, and If the ARK was nothing more than knotty-pine, and If the WALLS of the city were of stucco, PRAISE GOD, THIS IS HEAVEN TO ME, WHERE EVER I MAY BE, IF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THERE! The very last message Dr. G Beachcamp Vick preached was on HEAVEN. Those who heard it, said it sounded as If he knew he was on his way. He passed away the next day. This was just his farewell address. Listen to the concluding words of that message. Who of us would not gladly exchange our city of earth for that city, which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God? Who of us wouldn't gladly exchange an old city like this with its sin and temptation, its filth, its bickering, its imperfections, its tears for that city build by God's own hand where nothing that destroys or mars or blemishes can enter? That, my friend, is the sure portion of the child of God. Who of us wouldn't gladly exchange an old world like this that is torn by wars and rumors of wars for that beautiful place of ineffable joy where peace shall flow like a river? Who of us wouldn't gladly exchange bodies like these, subject to heat and cold, to hunger and to thirst, to pain and disease, temptation, sin, weariness, death itself, for bodies over which none of these things - heat and cold and hunger and thirst, pain and weariness, and sin and temptation and disease and death SHALL HAVE NO POWER? That I say is the sure potion of the people of God. Who of us wouldn't gladly exchange bodies like these, where the eye grows dim with the shedding of many salty tears, where the shoulders become stooped with the bearing of the burdens of years, where the footsteps become faltering, where the face is lined with the pen of time, and etched upon our countenance is the story of every sorrow which besets us? Thank God, we will one day exchange these old bodies for bodies which are fashioned anew like unto the glorified body of our resurrected Lord! Who of us wouldn't gladly exchange the companionships of earth, companionships with people like you and me, so imperfect, so quick-tempered, so apt to speak the hasty, thoughtless word that would wound even those we love best, for the companionship and the fellowship with God's heroes of the faith, for patriarchs, prophets, priests and kings, for those children of God who have borne the burdens of life, who have fought its battles and have won the INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN? That, my friends, is the sure portion of the children of God. There is a land that is fairer than day And by Faith we can see it afar, For the Father waits over the way, to prepare For us a dwelling place there. Again In Psalm 23:6 the Psalmist said, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. So let me say a word to those of us who are anticipating the realities of Heaven. Jesus said to us, "Occupy until I come." In other words, until we reach heaven, "Stay busy for Jesus," as we remember the words of the song, "Let us LABOR for the master from the dawn till setting sun Let us TALK of all His wondrous love and care Then when all of life is over and our WORK on earth is done And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there! Page 6
But in the meantime let us keep on WORKING and keep on TALKING for Jesus. Let me say a word to that one who perhaps is here this morning and not sure of HEAVEN. The Bible tells us: "For what profiteth a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul..." "For neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under HEAVEN given among men whereby we must be saved." It would be good to end this sermon with this question, Where are you going to spend eternity? Will it be in HEAVEN, in my Father s house, or will it be in Hell, a place of eternal damnation and darkness? *********************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon Dwelling In the House of the LORD, Forever, 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, 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 7