5. In God's Family, We Gather Together

Advent Song

Introduction

Big House by Audio Adrenaline

In God’s Family

We Remember

We Celebrate New Birth

We Remind Ourselves of What Really Matters

We Give Thanks

We Gather Together

Psalm 122 (NIV) and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV)

Body

The house of the Lord is no longer a place—it’s a people together. The temple is no longer a building—it’s the gathering of the church.

In God’s family, we gather together because when we gather together we become the house of God.

Exposition

A “temple” is the intersection of Heaven and Earth.

In God’s house there is...

Joy (Ps 122:1)

Unity (Ps 122:3-4)

The Hebrew behind the phrase “closely compacted together” literally means to take different pieces and bind them together to make one whole thing.

Illustration: Like Lego bricks…

Praise (Ps 122:4)

Righteousness (Ps 122:5)

Application

All of these things flow from a life that is centered in the worship of God.

“Note that the object of these gatherings was to give thanks, not primarily to seek unity or prosperity. Unity and prosperity were gifts.” ~ Derek Kidner

Psalm 122:4 M:BCL

The city to which the tribes ascend, all God’s tribes go up to worship, To give thanks to the name of God— this is what it means to be Israel.

When we come together in the presence of God and our Christian brothers and sisters who love us, our weary souls find rest, our broken hearts are mended, our lives are re-prioritized, our fears are removed, our burdens are lightened, our spirits are lifted, and our hope is restored.

Ps 122:1… Where are you looking for happiness this Christmas season?

Conclusion: Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Read Ps 122:6-9 again.

“What Jerusalem was to the Israelite, the church is to the Christian.” ~ Derek Kidner

Pray for churches here, across our nation, and around the world, including Afghanistan.