COMING TO THE KINGS HOUSE

Psalm 24 KJV

A Psalm of David. 1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

Introduction: When we get the opportunity to meet an important leader or celebrity, most of us get excited and spend a good bit of time an energy getting prepared. Many will try on different clothes before finally selecting what they will wear.

Others carefully rehearse what they will say. some will actually stand in front of a mirror to practice mannerisms, gestures, and smiles. We do these things because we want to be at our very best when meeting someone who is considered important.

Psalm 24 is about preparing for an audience with the most magnificent and memorable personality of all times: the Lord, the King of glory. While the setting for this psalm is not definitely known, most commentators agree that David composed it for a specific event: the entrance of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem (1 Chr. 13-16).

David had a different heart..... being a man after God’s own heart (Ac. 13:22), David longed to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He fully understood the importance of the Lord’s presence among His people. When that day finally arrived, it was a day of great celebration. Scripture records that the people shouted and sounded trumpets, and David “danced before the Lord with all his might” (2S. 6:12- 15).

Acknowledge the Lord (vv. 1-2)

Seek to enter and stand in the Lord’s holy presence (vv. 3-6)

See the Lord as the conquering King (vv.7-10)

Acknowledge the Lord (vv. 1-2)

When we seek to enter the Lord’s presence, we should reflect on His supremacy. His unique majesty is displayed for us daily in the heavens and the earth.

God owns the earth, everything and everyone in the world. God owns everything and He has lend it to us. We are merely stewards of His property, His world.

God created the earth, both above and beneath the oceans

By what right does God claim title to the earth and everything in it?

Simply stated, it is His because He made it. The almighty spoke the earth into existence out of nothing (Ge. 1-2). And then, from these basic materials, He crafted the man and woman as well as the animal population ( Ge. 2:7).

Thought 1. Consider these great truths from the subject of this psalm—entering into the presence of the LORD: First, we were created for God, for His pleasure and for the purpose of worshipping Him (Col. 1:16; Re. 4:11).

This bears repeating: God’s true purpose for making us was for Himself. We were made to have a relationship with Him, to know Him and the majestic glory of His presence. God’s eternal purpose is to “point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us …” (Ep. 2:7, NLT).

Through His creation, God has revealed Himself to us. His existence, unlimited power, and authority over us are understood through observing His marvelous works. We know that there is a God and that we are accountable to Him because of His creation (Ro. 1:20).Second, in seeking to enter God’s presence, we must realize that we have absolutely nothing to offer Him.

For example, in most cultures it was, and still is, customary to offer gifts when entering the presence of a king or some other dignitary. So it is when we approach God. There is absolutely nothing we can give to Him that is not already His.

We have nothing to offer that gains His favor, nothing that claims His attention, nothing that merits His kindness. We are completely bankrupt, destitute in every way: physically, materially, and spiritually. We have nothing that He needs.

He grants us the privilege of entering His presence because of His pure grace and favor—totally unmerited on our part.Third, we realize what an indescribable privilege it is to be invited into the presence of the LORD. Think about it: the God who created the earth wants to fellowship with us!

Scripture records that in the very beginning of time, God walked in the Garden of Eden seeking communion with Adam and Eve (Ge. 3:8–9). What a wonderful truth! God longs to have fellowship with us.

He desires us. Not our possessions, but us. Not anything we offer Him, but our hearts, our time, our companionship, and our affection. For this reason, we should seek to enter His presence and to spend very special times of fellowship with Him.“For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof” (1 Co. 10:26).

Seek to enter and stand in the Lord’s holy presence (vv. 3-6)