Going to God’s House

Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.)

If you’ve ever been on a long road trip—especially with family— There comes a moment, after hours of driving, countless bathroom stops, and backseat bickering, when you round a corner and there it is: the Grand Canyon! And suddenly, everyone perks up.

All the crankiness fades. You’ve arrived. And you come to really know and feel that the destination was worth the journey.

That’s the feeling Psalm 122 gives us. It’s a song of arrival—a joyful, worshipful sigh of relief and delight.

The journey of the Christian life is often hard. The road is long, the world is hostile, and your spiritual tank runs low. And that raises a real question:

Why keep going? Why gather with God’s people? Why make the effort—week after week, season after season—to be part of the church? Is it really worth it?

Psalm 122 answers that question with a resounding yes.

Let’s see this for ourselves now in the Word of God…

Scripture

Grab your Bibles, and turn with me to Psalm 122. If you need to use a pew Bible, you’ll find today’s text on page 612. Once you’re there, please stand with me if you are able and follow along with me as I read...

Psalm 122 ESV

A Song of Ascents. Of David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, 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. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.

This God’s Word!

Prayer

Father in Heaven, as we spend time in Your Word this morning, may the Holy Spirit spark a renewed joy and anticipation for gathering in the presence of Christ. Change our hearts this morning and make us more like Jesus. — Amen!

Intro: Formal (give context to passage, setting the scene, big idea)

Psalm 122 is the third in the Songs of Ascent—these are pilgrim psalms sung by Israelites on the way to Jerusalem for the annual feasts.

Psalm 120 begins in the lowlands of spiritual distress: the psalmist cries out from a land of lies and hostility, far from God’s people.

Psalm 121 moves through the journey itself, facing real dangers along the way, yet trusting the Lord’s protection.

And now, Psalm 122 is the moment of arrival. The pilgrim is no longer surrounded by deceitful tongues, but by worshiping brothers and sisters. No longer walking toward the city—his feet are standing within its gates.

This psalm overflows with gladness—not because the travel was easy, but because the destination is glorious: the place where God dwells with His people.

This is the message of Psalm 122 in one sentence:

The joy of God’s people is found in gathering where God dwells.

To unpack this, we are going to walk through this Psalm by asking 3 questions:

Where is the House of the Lord?

Why Should We Be Glad to Go There?

What Should We Desire for the House of the Lord?

Let’s walk through this Psalm and rediscover the joy of gathering where God dwells.

Where Is the House of the Lord?

Now, you might think the answer is obvious.

“Pastor, the psalmist tells us in verse 2—‘Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!’ The House of the Lord is in Jerusalem!”

And yes—at the time this psalm was written, that was exactly right. But to understand this psalm as New Covenant believers, we need to see it through a wider biblical lens—a three-part timeline: Past, Present, and Future.

Wherever God chooses to manifest His unique, special, covenantal presence, that is the House of the Lord.

The House of the LORD in the PAST

Deuteronomy 12:5 tells us that under the Old Covenant, God chose Jerusalem as the place where His name would dwell:

“But you shall seek the place that the LORD your God will choose… to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go.”

That place was eventually the temple—built by Solomon.

When the temple was dedicated, a cloud filled the temple (1 Kings 8), just as it had earlier filled the tabernacle in Exodus 40.

That cloud was not weather related—it was a visible sign that confirmed God’s glorious presence among His people.

And this cloud, this fire—is a thread that runs throughout Scripture, signaling God’s dwelling presence:

In Exodus 3: God appears to Moses in a burning bush.

In Exodus 13: He leads Israel by a cloud by day and fire by night.

In Exodus 19: Mount Sinai trembles with smoke and fire as God descends to give His Law.

But all the way back in Genesis 15: God ratified His covenant with Abraham (the first Israelite) when He appeared as a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch.

So yes—in the past, the House of the Lord was Jerusalem. And the psalmist was glad, because he was going to the place where God dwelt among His people.

The House of the LORD in the PRESENT

But what about now? Is the House of the Lord still in Jerusalem?

Not geographically—but spiritually.

In the Gospels, God’s presence was no longer in a building but in a Person—Jesus Christ — Emmanuel: GOD WITH US!

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…

Jesus even said in John 2, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”—in saying this Jesus clearly identified His body as the new temple.

Then after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, something amazing happened:

In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, tongues of fire appeared above the heads of the believers. Why?

Because God was saying: “This is now where I dwell.”

The church is now the temple—the new House of the Lord!

Listen to how clearly the New Testament says this:

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

1 Peter 2:5 ESV

you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house...

So where is the House of the Lord today? It’s in the church—not in a building, but in the gathered people of God, who are filled with His Spirit.

The House of the LORD in the FUTURE

As glorious as that is, even that is not the end of the story.

Because we still live in a fallen world. The church still wrestles with sin. We long for more.

But the day is coming when God will once again visibly and permanently dwell with His people—face to face.

Listen to this hope from Revelation 21

Revelation 21:1–3 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Then John observes later in verse 22, that there will be no more temple, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb will be the temple. No more distance. No more sin. Only presence. Only glory. Only joy.

So…

In the Past – God’s presence dwelled in Jerusalem’s temple.

In the Present – God’s presence dwells in Christ’s Church.

In the Future – God’s presence will dwell in the New Jerusalem forever.

What ties them all together?

It’s not the buildings. It’s not the geography. It’s the presence of the LORD.

And that’s why the psalmist says in verse 1:

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’”

Because the joy of God’s people is found in gathering where God dwells.

Now before we move on. I want to challenge you to wrestle with the implications of the gathered church today being the “House of the LORD.”

How would it change your attitude if you came to church each week with the conviction that the presence of God Himself uniquely dwells here!?

Would church feel like more of a duty or a delight?! — Remember the psalmist was GLAD when they said to him, “Let us go to the House of the LORD.”

Sometimes we drag ourselves to church half-heartedly — But if we really believed this is where God meets with us, how could we not be glad like the psalmist — when mom or dad wake you up saying, it’s time to get ready for church.

May going to church feel more like Christmas morning in the heart of a child! Overflowing with anticipation and excitement!

If we really believed the church is the House of the LORD where God’s presence dwells, maybe we wouldn’t try to fit it in among all the other activities that compete for our time.

Instead we would build our lives around gathering weekly with the church for worship!

May this truth encourage you to come each week expecting to meet with God, to hear from His Word, and to be strengthened by His presence among His people.

Now the fact that the church is where God dwells should be reason enough to delight to be here each week. But what is it that happens here specifically that actually increases our delight to gather here? — This is our 2nd big question Psalm 122 answers in verses 3-5…

Why Should We Be Glad to Go There?

Why Should We Be Glad to Go to the House of the Lord? (vv. 3–5) Because here, we experience unity in diversity, gratitude rooted in grace, and lives shaped by the truth of God’s Word.

Unity in Diversity (vv.3–4)

Verses 3-4 tell us Jerusalem was “built as a city that is bound firmly together.” And notice—that’s where the tribes go up. These were twelve very different tribes. They had distinct customs, dialects, and even tensions!

But what united them wasn’t geography or culture—it was worship. God called them all to one place, under one name, to worship one Lord.

Under the New Covenant, that diversity has only expanded. Christ didn’t just unite the twelve tribes—He brought in people from every tribe and tongue. And through the blood of His cross, Ephesians 2 tells us He didn’t just remove cultural barriers—He killed hostility and created one new man!

Hear Paul’s words:

Ephesians 2:22 ESV

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

This means the local church is not a social club of people who naturally get along. It's a supernatural gathering of people who would never be together—except for Christ!

So don’t miss what’s happening when you look around this room on a Sunday morning. What you see here is the fulfillment of God's eternal plan—to build a new humanity in Christ, united not by bloodline, but by faith.

So, when you gather here to worship each week, don’t just tolerate diversity in the church — TREASURE IT!

Taken interest in believers from other generations, cultures, and life experiences.

Let the gospel be the common ground you intentionally build on.

This is not a judgment against other churches, but there is a trend in the modern church to make worship spaces very dark and turn the lights down and the music way up to help people focus on their own individual experience with God in worship.

We have intentionally avoided this trend because theologically, we think it is vital to our worship for you to see and hear each other when we gather for worship!

When we worship, we should marvel at and appreciate what God has built and bound firmly together!

So, don’t let modern individualism train you to think worship is primarily a private experience.

Sit where you can see and hear others worship.

Sing knowing that your voice can strengthen and encourage someone else’s faith.

Don’t consume church, let God build you into it and bind you firmly together with His people!

The individualism of our culture has also influenced people to believe they don’t need the church. I’ve heard some tell me they can experience God better in nature or solitude or private devotional times with the LORD.

And these are all good things — Jesus Himself regularly spent time in solitude and prayer with the Father.

But these things should not be excuses to neglect gathering with the church. Because by God’s design there is a unique expression of God’s presence that is only found when we gather.

Gratitude Rooted in Grace (v.4b)

Now the tribes didn’t just gather in Jerusalem out of obligation—they came to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

And what made their worship distinct from pagan rituals was this: they didn’t gather to earn God’s favor; they gathered because they already had it.

We gather each week not to win God’s approval but to celebrate what Christ has already done!

We don’t come to gain mercy—we come because mercy found us.

We don’t sing and pray and hear the Word to earn grace—we do it as a response to grace already given.

So, when you come to church prepare your hearts ahead of time to bring your gratitude with you!

Even if your week has been hard —especially then— let grace remind you that God’s favor is still yours!

Let that gratitude flavor your prayers, invigorate your singing, and make you eager to hear the Word of God read and preached!

Shaped by God’s Word (v.5)

Verse 5 mentions thrones of judgment being set in Jerusalem. These weren’t just civic courts—they were symbols of God’s reign among His people.

Eugene Peterson puts it well:

“Judgment is the decisive word by which God straightens things out and puts things right.”

And under the New Covenant, where do those judgments happen? They come from Christ who is on His throne in heaven and rules His Church by His Spirit and Word.

Today we hear His judgments proclaimed in our gatherings when His Word is read and preached.

When we gather for worship, God’s Word is not just explained—it DOES something in us.

It reshapes our hearts,

Renews our minds,

Rebukes our sin,

Awakens our joy,

And orders our lives.

That’s why our gatherings are saturated with the Word:

We are called to worship by His Word.

We sing the truths of His Word.

We pray informed by His Word.

We preach His Word.

And we are sent out with His Word.

May we rejoice to hear God’s judgments as Psalm 97 says:

Psalm 97:8 ESV

Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O Lord.

So, why should you be glad to come to church?

Because when we gather, we don’t just go through the motions—

We experience the beauty of gospel-shaped unity in diversity,

The joy of giving thanks,

And the grace of being shaped by God’s Word.

But all of this leads us to a final question…

If this is what the church is—and what happens here when we gather—then what should we desire for the house of the Lord?

Let’s look at verses 6–9.

What Should We Desire for the House of the Lord?

In this final section of the psalm, we are called to pray for and labor for the peace, rest, and goodness of God's people. The psalmist models what it looks like to desire the flourishing of the place where God dwells with His people.

Now, many have read verse 6—“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”—as a command to pray specifically for the modern political city of Jerusalem in the nation of Israel. But to interpret it that way confuses the past, present, and future storyline of redemptive history that we’ve already traced.

Does this mean we shouldn’t pray for the modern city of Jerusalem? Of course not. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2 to pray for all people and all nations—that includes every country in the Middle East, including Israel. So if you regularly pray for the people of Israel, that’s a good thing! Just don’t mistake this verse as a direct command to do so.

Under the New Covenant, we understand that the city where God now dwells is not a place, but a people—the church, the body of Christ. So, the “Jerusalem” of verse 6 now finds its clearest expression in the community of believers gathered together in Christ.

So, what are we to desire and pray for?

3) We Pray for Peace (Shalom)

The word peace (shalom) occurs three times in three verses. If you remember back to our time in Psalm 121, I unpacked the depth and richness of this word. But let me remind you briefly with another quote from Eugene Peterson:

Shalom is one of the richest words in the Bible. You can no more define it by looking up its meaning in the dictionary than you can define a person by his or her social security number. It gathers all aspects of wholeness that result from God’s will being completed in us. It is the work of God that, when complete releases streams of living water in us and pulsates with eternal life.

In other words, shalom is not just the absence of conflict—it’s the fullness, wholeness, harmony, and flourishing, that God has planned for His people

That’s what we are to pray for when we pray for the church. And yes, we should hope that all people—including the modern people of Israel—would come to know that true shalom by turning to Jesus Christ as their Savior. But here, the command is focused on praying for the flourishing of God’s gathered people.

Now let me gently point out something important: if we are commanded to pray for peace in the church, it means peace is often lacking. Some of you have felt that firsthand. You’ve experienced tension, conflict, or wounds in a church setting.

Please hear me—I don’t want to minimize your pain. But to walk away from the church entirely is to misunderstand what the church is. The church is a family of redeemed sinners—people saved by grace, still in process.

By God’s mercy, we are no longer what we once were, but we are not yet what we will one day be. And until that day comes, we are all being shaped—slowly, painfully, and gloriously—into the image of Christ.

That’s why we pray for peace.

If you’ve been hurt by a church: Let me gently say to you: Don’t give up. We don’t come to church because it’s always comfortable — we come because this is where God is present and building His House — His people.

Church, may we not be peace-breakers (who stir up trouble).

Neither may we be peace-fakers (who avoid conflict).

May we be peace-makers who believe the best about one another and are quick to forgive.

2) We Desire Security (Rest)

Verse 7 continues, “May they be secure who love you.” The word translated secure carries the idea of being at rest, or at ease. This is the kind of rest someone experiences, who knows that their life is held in the sovereign and merciful hands of God.

Don’t you long for that kind of rest in your soul? We desire this not only for ourselves, but for one another—for our church to be a place where God’s people experience rest for their souls knowing they are in God’s care.

Let me challenge you to pray for church family that they would know this rest more and more deeply.

3) We Seek the Good of God's People

Finally, verse 9: “For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.” The psalmist ends with a resolve: I will seek the good of the people of God.

Now, shouldn’t we desire goodness for all people, not just the church? Absolutely. But Scripture shows us that there’s an order of priority. Paul echoes this in Galatians 6:10

Galatians 6:10 ESV

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

The church is meant to be a place where the goodness of God begins in acts of love and service to one another—but then overflows to the rest of the world!

My wife and I recently visited Angela Galligan, who just had her baby girl, Sophia. Angela shared how the hospital staff asked her if she had any support at home. And she was able to say, with joy and confidence, “Yes—my church family is already bringing meals to our house.”

The nurse was stunned. She’d never seen that kind of kindness from a church before.

Praise God for that. And praise God for every local church that displays His love in tangible ways. This is what the church does at its best—when it lives out the beauty of the gospel it proclaims.

So, let me ask yo…

Who is someone in our church you can serve this week in some way?

Who might need encouragement from a phone call, a note, or a visit?

Who could you bring a meal to who is going through a difficult season?

Closing Transition

If we truly believe that the church is where God’s presence dwells—then let’s live like it. Let’s be a people of peace in a world of conflict, a people of rest in a world of striving, a people of goodness in a world of self-interest. Let’s not just attend church, let’s be the church—and love her, pray for her, serve her, and fight for her flourishing. All for the sake of Christ who purchased her with His own blood.

Conclusion/Response (Gospel & Repent/Believe)

We began today with the psalmists joyful cry: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” His heart overflowed with delight at the thought of being in God’s presence, among God’s people, in the place where God had chosen to dwell.

But as we trace that hope forward in the storyline of Scripture, we come to a moment filled with deep irony.

Centuries later, Jesus—the very presence of God in the flesh—entered that same Jerusalem. But instead of being filled with joy — He wept over it. Saying…

Luke 19:42 ESV

saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

Jesus wept because the people who were called to seek the peace of Jerusalem had rejected the only One who could give it.

Their eyes were blind to the Prince of Peace, standing right before them.

And in a tragic irony, they crucified the One who came to bring them peace.

In John 11:48, the religious leaders feared that if more people followed Jesus, the Romans would come and take away both their temple and their nation.”

But in their rejection of Jesus, they lost both.

And still today, many believe the same way. Maybe you have too. You long for peace—for safety, for stability, for wholeness—but you’re trying to have it by building your own version of “Jerusalem” apart from Jesus.

You think if you can just get your life in order, or stay religious enough, or succeed enough, it will hold together. But it won’t.

Let me speak this as clearly as I can: Peace with God is not found in your morality, your success, your rituals, or your own righteousness. Peace with God is found in Christ crucified and risen—who was rejected in your place so that you could be drawn near.

If you’ve never trusted in Jesus, turn to Him today. Lay down your efforts to have peace without Him. Leave behind your crumbling kingdom. Come to Jesus— and receive Him as your Savior, your peace, your joy.

And if you are in Christ— Then let Psalm 122 recalibrate your joy.

The church is not just a religious service. It’s not just a weekly obligation. It is the gathered household of God—the place where Jesus dwells among His people.

So don’t come lightly. Don’t come casually. Don’t come distracted. Come joyfully. Come expectantly. Come gratefully. Because Jesus is here.

Prayer

Closing Song: We Are Called To Be God’s People

Benediction

Take your next step [Orange Card]

Baptism, Membership, Discipleship, Learn more about Jesus…

**Come receive prayer after the service.

Church, we are not just saved to sit—we are saved to go. We are the dwelling place of God in the world. So as you go this week, live as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, love one another as members of His household, and seek the peace of the city where God has placed you— all for the glory of Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

Now receive this benediction from 1 Peter 2:9–10

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”