Between Sundays

Between Sundays | Psalms 122 & 127 July 30, 2023 Last week, we opened our new series with Psalms 120 and 121, where we saw the Lord's peace and the Lord's protection on this journey. This morning, we'll look at Psalms 122 and 127 as we continue in our series, Songs for the Journey. I can remember my first "real" job. I was a Front Desk Agent at a small hotel. I can remember being very specific about my available shifts and days I could and couldn't work. I needed Sunday's off because of church, and I needed Thursday's off because that was our midweek service. Well, I got my wish. I worked Friday and Saturday overnights, Monday mornings, and Tuesday and Wednesday nights. That's right, split days off, 3 different shifts, I'm fairly certain I haven't had a good night's sleep since before that job. I was a baby Christian, and I needed to be at church and involved in church, so I made that a priority. Unfortunately, over time that changed. As I read these Psalms this week, I was reminded that a few years ago, we did a sermon series called "Thank God it's Monday!" If my memory serves me right, a primary theme in that series was to carry the attitude of worship on Sunday into Monday and the rest of the workweek. Effectively, trying to find joy in your job or career. While there are some very good reasons people are unable to go to church, other times, people choose something over attending church. The pandemic, of course, did not help that, did it? It's no coincidence that our weekly newsletter is called "Between Sundays." It is designed to connect the message from Sunday with the rest of the week. In a way, that's what we'll attempt to do this morning. Psalm 122 is a celebration of the act of corporate worship, and Psalm 127 is a wisdom Psalm around work. These psalms are connected by the word "house" found in the opening verses of each of the Psalms. The Hebrew word is the generic word for house, but in both Psalms, it represents something different. In Psalm 122, it represents the Lord's House - specifically the tabernacle or Temple, and the great city of Jerusalem, which coincidentally will once again become the gathering place of all the saints for eternity. In Psalm 127, it represents, in a way, the fruit of that labor. Let's begin by reading Psalm 122: LET US GO TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD 122 A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF DAVID. 1 I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID TO ME, "LET US GO TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD!" 2 OUR FEET HAVE BEEN STANDING WITHIN YOUR GATES, O JERUSALEM! 3 JERUSALEM-BUILT AS A CITY THAT IS BOUND FIRMLY TOGETHER, 4 TO WHICH THE TRIBES GO UP, THE TRIBES OF THE LORD, AS WAS DECREED FOR ISRAEL, TO GIVE THANKS TO THE NAME OF THE LORD. 5 THERE THRONES FOR JUDGMENT WERE SET, THE THRONES OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. 6 PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM! "MAY THEY BE SECURE WHO LOVE YOU! 7 PEACE BE WITHIN YOUR WALLS AND SECURITY WITHIN YOUR TOWERS!" 8 FOR MY BROTHERS AND COMPANIONS' SAKE I WILL SAY, "PEACE BE WITHIN YOU!" 9 FOR THE SAKE OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD OUR GOD, I WILL SEEK YOUR GOOD. Here is our main idea that will connect these psalms for us: Genuine worship requires all your attention, all the time. This psalm identifies David as the author. Interestingly, however, is that the Temple, which is what this seems to be referencing, was not present during the time of David. As you likely know, it was Solomon, his son, who built the temple. During David's time, people went to the tabernacle - which was a portable place of worship. But, once David brough the Ark to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6, Jerusalem became the place where the Hebrews would travel for the feasts. So, this was the place where people went to worship. It was also the place where God manifested His presence. There are some additional information this text gives us in respects to the importance of Jerusalem. * Verse 5 reveals that Jerusalem was also a place of judgement, or justice. It was the seat of the King, and as such they could appeal to the King. * In 2 Samuel 7, the covenant with David would promise that one of his descendants would rule, permanently, over God's people with perfect justice and righteousness. So, what is this modern-day picture of this, since we, as Christians - new covenant believers - are not required to go to the Temple for worship? I'm sure it is fairly obvious; it is the Church. What may not be as obvious is that I'm not talking about the building that we came into today, or the one next door, or the ones down the road here, I'm talking about you. The church is not a place, it is a people. And it is in the Church where God manifests His presence, today. The implication is that we are to gather together, which is why we have a building to gather into. This is confirmed by Paul in Ephesians 2:18-22, where we read: 18 FOR THROUGH HIM WE BOTH HAVE ACCESS IN ONE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER. 19 SO THEN YOU ARE NO LONGER STRANGERS AND ALIENS, BUT YOU ARE FELLOW CITIZENS WITH THE SAINTS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD, 20 BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS, CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF BEING THE CORNERSTONE, 21 IN WHOM THE WHOLE STRUCTURE, BEING JOINED TOGETHER, GROWS INTO A HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD. 22 IN HIM YOU ALSO ARE BEING BUILT TOGETHER INTO A DWELLING PLACE FOR GOD BY THE SPIRIT. So, Psalm 122 teaches us the basics of ... PREPARING FOR WORSHIP Early 2010 is when my wife and I began searching for a church in our new home, Tucson. We visited two churches. One down on Cortaro Farms, and Thornydale Family Church. I was looking for something contemporary, while Natalie was looking for something more traditional. We found Thornydale Family Church to be a good mix of the two. While, we're no Jerusalem, this is where we've been coming since early 2010 to worship with our church family. This Psalm gives us at least three things that we can do as we prepare for worship. First: * Have a glad heart (1) o The gathering of the saints should not be a burdensome thing. o Jesus taught in Matthew 5, that if you have an issue with another saint, that should be addressed before the sacrifice is given at the altar. o Now, of course, we don't have an altar, and no one is performing sacrifices, but the principle remains. We must have a clear and clean heart before the Lord in worship. o David, in this psalm, was excited. o What gets you excited? o How do you prepare your heart and be glad as you come to worship each week? o Maybe understanding what worship does could help. o Peterson, in his book, "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction" noted several things worship does for our relationship with the Lord. * Worship provides structure and order to our lives. * Worship nurtures our need to be in relationship with God. * Worship centers our attention on the things of God. o Having a glad heart requires that our priorities are in order. The gathering of the saints should hold priority in our lives, personal and corporate worship should be a priority. As such, next we should ... * Pray for your church (6-8) o This psalm speaks of the need to pray for peace over Jerusalem. o There is so much in the Bible regarding Jerusalem. Prophesies that have been fulfilled, and others that are to be fulfilled. o Peace in a place of worship is critical to the development and the growth of the worshipper. o Notice that in verse 6, David speaks of both peace and of security - prosper in the King James. * The word for peace is shalom, and as we discussed the last two weeks, shalom is a state mind and confidence in the Lord, and that word secure denotes a state of relaxation and leisure. It's sort of that calm in chaos type of feeling. That's the confidence of God at work in you. o The Psalmist is saying, "pray for peace and security" for your church. * Now, recall what we spoke about earlier, when we're speaking of the church, we're speaking of the people here. o While, some of you have a longer commute than others. May I recommend that you pray for the church when you're on your way here? * Pray for the time of worship through music * Pray for the Word of God to be proclaimed * Pray for hearts to be changed * Pray that Ryan doesn't preach too long o Next ... * Pray for the good of the Body (8-9) o We're - of course - speaking of the Body of Christ, the Church. o In a world that is full of hate and sin, when one enters a place of worship, they should be comfortable because they are with family in the House of the Lord. But, as J. Vernon McGee loves to say, here is where the rubber meets the road. Let's face it. It is easy to be thankful, have an attitude of gratitude and worship when we're here at church, isn't it? Earlier, we said in our main idea: Genuine worship requires all your attention, all the time. This includes between Sundays. Psalm 127 - as mentioned earlier - is a wisdom psalm around work. Let's read the psalm and discuss this period between Sundays: UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE 127 A SONG OF ASCENTS. OF SOLOMON. 1 UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE, THOSE WHO BUILD IT LABOR IN VAIN. UNLESS THE LORD WATCHES OVER THE CITY, THE WATCHMAN STAYS AWAKE IN VAIN. 2 IT IS IN VAIN THAT YOU RISE UP EARLY AND GO LATE TO REST, EATING THE BREAD OF ANXIOUS TOIL; FOR HE GIVES TO HIS BELOVED SLEEP. 3 BEHOLD, CHILDREN ARE A HERITAGE FROM THE LORD, THE FRUIT OF THE WOMB A REWARD. 4 LIKE ARROWS IN THE HAND OF A WARRIOR ARE THE CHILDREN OF ONE'S YOUTH. 5 BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO FILLS HIS QUIVER WITH THEM! HE SHALL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME WHEN HE SPEAKS WITH HIS ENEMIES IN THE GATE. Solomon is credited with this Psalm. The central theme in this psalm is work. We can trace the theology of work all the way back to Genesis 1, where the Lord God Himself worked six days on creation, and rested on the seventh day. He declared His work "good," and He wants us to have the same attitude towards work. The danger, however, is putting too much of us in our work, and less God in our work. Even as a pastor, it is easy to do that. Every once and awhile, I'll get approached after the service, or I'll get an email in the week telling me how "good" the sermon was. For me - a new pastor - that is very much appreciated and very encouraging, but I know I must be careful not to take the credit for that work. As Solomon says in the opening verse, "UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE, THOSE WHO BUILD IT LABOR IN VAIN." Has that ever happened to you? I can recall working on a project for work, and spending hours on it, only for it not to be utilized or approved. In the life of a Christian, everything we do must be built on the foundation of the Lord. Everything. This psalm hits home, literally. The opening two verses speaks to his work, this toil, and the last three verses speak to the home. This is what happens between Sundays, and the Psalmist reveals to us at least three things about ... WORSHIPPING GOD AFTER SUNDAY First: * Worship God through your work. (1) o Paul gives us one of the clearest commands about work in his letter to the Colossians: * 3:23-24 says: 23 WHATEVER YOU DO, WORK HEARTILY, AS FOR THE LORD AND NOT FOR MEN, 24 KNOWING THAT FROM THE LORD YOU WILL RECEIVE THE INHERITANCE AS YOUR REWARD. YOU ARE SERVING THE LORD CHRIST. * I used to have verse 23 taped on my desk at work as a constant reminder that serving the Lord is Worship. * This includes any work that you do. As a stay at home parent, as a volunteer, wherever you are serving, we serve the Lord. o I was guilty of it for years, compartmentalizing my work life and my spiritual life. o The Bible never makes them separate from one another. o For the Christian, our entire lives should be a reflection of the Lord o Some practical ways we can include the Lord in our work include: * Praying on your way into the office * Do you do that? Do you ask the Lord to use you to bless someone? Do you ask the Lord to give you opportunities to share Him with someone? Do you ask Him to help you honor Him in words and in deed? * Serve others * One of the favorite parts of my job when I was working in hospitality is that I got paid to serve others. * Helping someone with the copier, or cleaning out the coffee pot in the breakroom, cleaning the table off after you eat for the next person ... these are acts of service - seen and unseen - that show your character. * When we serve others, we show them that we care. * Be kind * When I was working in HR for the call center, I had an employee thank me for being kind and listening to her. * She didn't have anything serious to talk about, but I gave her my attention and was kind, and that meant the world to her. o The next thing we see from this psalm is the command to ... * Don't be anxious. (1b-2) o I know this one is difficult. o We all experience anxiety at some point or another. o The latter part of verse 1 and verse 2 describe the anxious watchman losing sleep. o Like the word "secure" we saw in Psalm 122, the idea of sleep and rest here relates to having the right state of mind, and trust in the Lord, as He works in our lives. o This requires us giving and surrendering all to Him. o This means we need to trust God in what He provides, instead of worrying about it and losing sleep. o I've had countless sleepless nights - as I'm sure many of you have as well. * For me, I'm just about worthless when I don't get enough sleep. * Remember, idleness and laziness is sin. o Next, and lastly, we should ... * Count your blessings. (3-5) o Verses 3-5 uses the example of children and identifies them as both a heritage and as a reward. o One commentator stated that children are like arrows, in that they need to be carefully shaped and formed, they need to be guided with skill and strength, and they need to be aimed and given direction. o The foundation - of course - must be the Lord and His ways. o This idea of a quiver implies that the reward is enough. o For some of you, no children, one child, or three, or four ... that's the quiver that the Lord has provided and planned for you. o That means, with whatever He has provided, that is what we worship with, serve with, and honor God with. These two psalms were connected by the word "house." Jesus once said that a house divided against itself will not stand. That goes for the house of God, and for our homes. I hope you saw this morning that genuine worship requires all your attention, all the time. That all the time includes every moment between now and when we all gather again next week. I hope that these psalms helps us to see how we must worship God, not just in this building, with these people, but daily, right where God has placed you. We are to honor God with our worship. We are to honor God with our service. We are to honor God in our homes. We are to honor God between Sundays. Let's pray. 2