Joy in the House of the King

Psalm of the day: Psalm 119:17-24

Psalm 119:17–24 ESV

Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times. You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments. Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies. Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes. Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.

Scripture Memorization: Psalm 121:1-2

Psalm 121:1–2 ESV

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Advent Reading 2 (C-G’s)

Isaiah 11:1–5 ESV

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

Advent is the time to prepare for Christmas,

to prepare for Christ’s promised coming, long ago and any minute.

As we prepare on this second Sunday of Advent,

we know God is calling us to something new, and it will be difficult,

but we have a promise in Isaiah,

a promise that God made,

a promise of new life where everyone thought it was impossible.

God has promised a new shoot from Jesse’s dead stump,

a new shoot with the Spirit of God,

bringing wisdom and understanding,

giving direction, building strength and knowledge.

This shoot won’t judge by appearances,

but will judge the needy by what is right and the poor with justice.

The wicked will be toppled with a breath,

and righteousness and faithfulness will be built up in the land

(Someone lights two PURPLE Candles)

In the light of this second Advent candle,

we get ready for the hard work of God’s promise.

Thanks be to God, who keeps every promise to us!

May the Lord be with your spirit and Grace be with you.

Sermon:

1

Speaker 1

00:00

Well once again, and as always, good morning church. We'll get to the rest of that later, as today we will be turning our attention to Psalm 122. This Psalm is a Psalm that I joked. That I would preach it. And then I sat down and. Wanted to preach it, but then realized.

00:27

It's kind of a hard Psalm. To preach. As we look at this Psalm, I want us to remember before I even read it. We need to remember a few. We'll pull out the big words early today, hermeneutical. Details what is hermeneutical? It means how we read and how we understand the Bible.

00:49

That's the short, easy way to do this. You're hermeneutics is it's the science. Of how we read and understand the Bible. And so, for us, one of the most important things we remember is our location. In God's Plan of Redemption, we don't live in the time of Abraham when God was covenanting with one man and his family.

01:11

We don't live in the time of Moses as God is writing the law to everyone. We don't live in the time of Exile when these songs would be sung as the Exiles return. We live. In the inter-adventel time. The time in between the first coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

01:35

And so that means how we read scripture and how we understand and how we apply these things. It matters that we understand these sorts of things. I'll leave that there. We're going to cover this a lot in detail as we go through this Psalm. But let's start by reading it.

01:51

Good Morning Church, Psalm 122, verse 1. I was glad when they said to me. Let us go to the house of the Lord. Our feet have been standing within your gate, so Jerusalem. Jerusalem, built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord.

02:13

As was decreed for Israel to give thanks to the name of the Lord. Their 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 companion's sake, I will say, peace be within you.

02:36

For the sake of the House of the Lord, Our God, I will seek your good. These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open our time together with a word of prayer. Dear Lord, we do. Thank you. For your goodness and Grace. We thank you for you have made us glad we are glad as we come into your house as we come to gather together and hear as we come together to hear your word.

03:05

We ask that you would speak to our hearts to our souls and our minds. May you by your spirit work within us, bringing to us illumination and understanding. I ask that you would reveal your truth, your life, your goodness to us, Jesus name that we pray. Amen. And amen.

03:27

I bring up this topic of hermeneutics and understanding our place in Redemptive history. Because this Psalm. In our currents geopolitical context. Could be very loaded. It could be misunderstood in many different ways. It could be used to say things it was never really meant to say, but we could also minimize and say things that it was meant to say and just ignore them.

03:59

And so it's important we understand where we are. As we come to this Psalm, but we also understand the timelessness of God's word. The. Speaks much. About the holy city of God. Jerusalem. Every stanza, the first two verses there it is. Our Feats have been standing within your Gates.

04:21

Verse 3, Jerusalem, built as a city that is bound together. Verse 6 famously, we've all heard this verse. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. And so it's important we understand what's being referenced. What's not being said and how we can can ascertain what's going on here? And here's my basic.

04:43

We're not going to get into the details of this. This is a loaded, difficult topic that many people much smarter than me and wiser than me have debated and and we can go around in circles here. So let me tell you my quick way to make sure we can all get something useful and beautiful and wonderful from God's word.

05:02

God's word is timeless.

05:09

When this song was written, this is a song of David. When David wrote this song, could the people rightly sing this song as they came into the city of Jerusalem? Yes. In the time of Solomon, as the temple is being built, could the people rightly sing this song as they are coming to God's holy city?

05:30

Yes. Could the people in the time of Exile before they came back when they are captive in Babylon and Jerusalem is not at peace? There is no peace there. There's no Temple. The walls have been destroyed. Could the people rightly sing this song? Yes. As the people came back from Exile and Ezra Nehemiah are building the walls, and they're building the temple back up.

05:59

Could the people rightly sing these songs? Yes. They could, in the time of Jesus, when Jerusalem was under Roman occupation, could the people of God rightly sing this song? Yes, ad70. When the temple is destroyed. Could the people of God sing and rejoice in this song? Yes. In the Middle Ages, when Jerusalem was not a city underneath the rule of of, it was underneath the rules of caliphates, and we can get into the history and why the Crusades have.

06:28

Could the people of God rightly sing this song? Yes. Before Israel was made a nation after World War II. Could the people of God rightly sing this song? Yes. And now, in the year 2025, with all the wars and difficulty and strife and trials and troubles, can the people of God sing this song?

06:51

Yes. And that is because no matter how we feel about what's going on in Jerusalem and this, no matter where we want to go there. What is true, is this? Psalm speaks to the heart of God's people because it speaks of the house of the king. To drive this point home.

07:12

We're speaking of the House of the king. This is why they say, let us go to the house of the Lord, David wrote. This, David, wrote this a song of a sense of David. David wrote this before the temple was built. Because David. Saw something bigger and greater. I think we can say of David.

07:34

What we also say of Abraham, we read it in Hebrews that Abraham his, he had faith, and he looked forward to a city whose Builder an architect was God. So too, David, when he speaks here of the House of the Lord. The house of the king? There's more than just a physical temple on Earth in mind here.

07:56

Verse 5 the reason we know this is speaking of the house of God's King, verse 5. They're the Thrones of judgment were set the Thrones of the House of David. This is speaking of God in his rule as king. Verse 9 for the sake of the House of the Lord, Our God.

08:15

I will seek your good at the heart of this. Psalm is praise for the house of the king. And because of our place in Redemptive history, we know exactly who the king is. It's Jesus. And the house of the king. The way we're going to approach it. I know, I'm taking lots of shortcuts here.

08:39

I'm asking you to have faith to trust me, and if you want, if this is burdening your soul? Please come talk to me at any point ever, and we can discuss how I got exactly here. But for the house of the king. I'll just direct you to know and understand how I start every sermon.

09:00

I was glad when they said to me. Let us go to the house of the Lord. That's here. That's the church. And it's more than just this building. Because this building could burn down to tomorrow and next Sunday, we're meeting in the park over there, and I would still, I promise, you, I would still start with.

09:18

I was glad when they said to me, let us go and Worship in the house of the Lord. Because it's where God's people are gathered together, where those who are underneath the authority of the king, the headship of the king the church is gathered. That's what we are speaking of here.

09:35

The gathered people of God. That's why David could sing it. That's why the Exiles could sing it. That's why every one of God's people for all time can sing this when they are gathered together. I was glad when they said to me, we are speaking of the House of the king.

09:49

The gathered collection of the? Of God. That's your introductory matter. And there's a lot there, I know.

09:59

But there is. When God's people gather together in the house? Of the king. That's our first point in the house of the king. There is Joy. The psalm starts. I was glad. This idea of being glad is deeper than just like, oh yeah, it's nice. I like it. You know, I was glad when we went to the movies because I like going to the movies.

10:27

There's something deeper and more richer. It's, it's an enriching and a gladdening of the heart. It's something profound within us when God's people together. When God's people gather together under the authority and headship of the king. So that we can rightly say we are the house of the king, the gathered body of Believers when we come together.

10:49

There should be. There's joy that unites us joy that binds us joy that is there. The thought of going together to gather as God's people. I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord. It enriched, it enlivened and encouraged my heart.

11:10

When I go to the house of the Lord when I gather together with God's people, there's nothing inside of me that. Though I still carry my burdens, though I still carry my trials, though I still carry my troubles. I come together with God's people, and I am enlivened. And there's gladness that Wells up in my soul.

11:34

And it's deeper. This is. We often speak right of the difference between happiness and joy. I mean, happiness can come and go, but the joy of the Lord is our strength, gladness. Is an enriching of joy in our lives. So, in spite of and despite of all of the things that we go through.

11:54

We have this gladness. When we go and worship in the house of the Lord, it is good. When our feet are standing within. The gates of the House of the king. There is joy and gladness. It's good for us.

12:15

Paul, what elsewhere say in the book of Hebrews? He'll say. Do not neglect meeting together, as is the habit of some. This is the positive way to say, Paul says, don't neglect to meet together. Because when you do that, you will ship back your faith. There's some they've neglected to meet together.

12:32

Their faith is Shipwrecked. They've let others astray. It's bad. Don't do that. Here's the positive way to say this. There's joy and gladness when we meet together. When the the gathered people of God come together in the house of the king. There's. And gladness. There's also. Order. Jerusalem, built as a city that is bound firmly.

13:02

Together. This is the first way we understand order. There's a a tightness and a closeness. How appropriate that we are looking at this Psalm before. We have our congregational meeting after service today. Because when we gather. The things that bind us together. Are much more important than anything that would seek to drive us apart.

13:31

The people of God, the gathered people of God who Gather in the house of the king. We are bound together tightly, and there is order and peace. Originally for this point, I'd written there's unity and praise. We'll get to the praise part, but Unity order. Because we are under the headship of the king, there's a right and orderly and correct.

13:54

Way to do this? The city is bound firmly together. Verse 4 the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord. Even as we speak of tribes, this is the order. God is the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons. They became the 12 tribes of Israel.

14:12

One of his sons, Joseph, gave his inheritance to his two sons. They're the half tribes. But there's an order. We have tribes within tribes. You have Clans within clans. You have families. We see this order in God's people from the beginning. There's order the tribes who has decreed to do what give thanks.

14:35

To the name of the Lord. There is praise. It's in our Unity. This is the. When the king rules in the house of the king when the king Reigns in the house of the king, and we then his people come and gather together. Our hearts are enliven with joy.

14:52

There is goodness and gladness that Wells up within us. And there's order. This order is seen in our Unity as we are bound firmly together. This order is seen in our praise. God's people gather for one reason. To praise the name of the Lord.

15:15

If you go to Seminary, you talk to pastors. You do this sort of stuff. Why do God's people gather together and there's a lot of lofty answers you can give to this? And I would say all of those are right. And God's people gather together. You'll hear this one word and Sacrament.

15:31

Why do we come together for word and sacrament to hear from God's word, the preaching of God's word, the reading of God's word, the singing of God's word and sacrament, baptism, and Lord's supper. We take it together. That's why we gather, I think that's right. Why do we gather together?

15:48

What we said in our last point because it's good for God's people to meet together to not shipwrecks our soul to meet together brings joy and gladness. That's part of it. But over all of that. God's people gather together to praise. And within this order. Within this. Structure that God has given to us, wherein the king Reigns, and we all come into his house.

16:16

There's also verse 5 tells us judgment. There. The Thrones for judgment were set the Thrones of the. Of David. God rules and Reigns. And as he rules, there is order, and as he Reigns, we praise His holy name. This is part of what's what Kindles? Joy within us. When we look to the reign of the king?

16:46

The one who's Seated on the throne? The one who, having made sacrifice once for all time. Is now seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, our King, Jesus. When we come into his house. And we see the Thrones of judgment were set as we think. When I come to Advent, I think it's very important.

17:06

We remember the first coming little baby Jesus and the manger, and we keep our eyes focused on the second coming. The king, who will come to rule and Reign and when he comes and reigns. He will come in judgment. He will judge the Nations. He will judge with equity and goodness and righteousness.

17:27

God will judge there, the judgment. The Thrones for judgment were set. The Thrones of the House of David, who sits on the throne of the House of David for all time, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. That's the point. We do not look. To some Earthly King. We do not look for judgment and Justice and goodness anywhere other than Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

17:57

For there, the Thrones of judgment were set. The Thrones of the house of David. That's the point. When we come to the house of the king, there is Joy. I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. There is order, we are bound firmly together.

18:17

We are gathered together. As we also think of this idea of tribes, I think it's important we note. We still see this sort of. You'll hear a lot. Let me take a step back and I'll hear it this way if you read through. Literature, and a lot of these other things people will.

18:40

They will bemoan. What they would call the tribalism of modern Evangelicalism, which the tribalism modern evangelism that sounds like a bad thing. And when they speak of this, usually people talk about, you know, we have all these denominations in this church and that church and this church, and that why can't all the churches just get along?

19:02

Let me hear that. And I understand the heart behind it, and I think there's a good heart behind it. But this is where I've landed. I think there's a good amount of. Tribalism, for lack of a better way to put it. Because we have our church. And this is who we submit.

19:24

This is who we are accountable to. Ultimately to the Lord, but in the local congregation, it's here. And so we, we hold each other accountable because there's order. We have congregational meetings. There's order. We have Elders deacons because there's order. We do that. Here is this local bottom. We do so with unity and praise, and there is joy and goodness.

19:54

When we do these things. For the final points, pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, it says. Well, how do we interpret this? It's in a modern, and I'm saying we need to think this. Primarily okay. First and foremost, there are secondary ways we read this, but the primary way we should read this.

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Is as speaking to the gathered people of God. The church. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. Well, what is being said here? I believe this is it. It's not that difficult in the house of the king. There is peace.

20:35

Peace should be what rules and Reigns in all of our Lives? But peace should be the mark. Of the gathered people of God.

20:49

I say, every time I announce our annual congregational meeting, which we're having this afternoon, I say this and I'll say it again right now. If you remember, you have to be here. You don't have to. We do take attendance, though. We'll know if you're not. But if you're just a guest or someone checking out the church and not a member?

21:09

And you started thinking, like, well, why should I be a member? What? What does that gain mean? I recommend you come to a congregational meeting. In my prayer before every congregational meeting. As I prepare my heart every time, as I'm preparing the report book that we're going to go through as I think through how we're going to structure and organize and go through the meeting.

21:30

This is my prayer that there would be peace. Among God's people. So, we pray for peace. At the tail end of coven. When pastors were were dropping like flies, and I mean that they were just quitting their job. And I would. I would meet with pastors and I'd talk to people in town people in nomination.

21:54

I would talk to pastors. The number one complaint that that I would hear from pastors all the time after covet coming out of coven. There's no peace. The the warring and bickering of the world had crept into the church. And so, to say it, frankly, and honestly, I would talk to.

22:16

I remember speaking to one Pastor. He said, I have two congregations. I had the congregation of those people who. Wear their masks Faithfully. But then, their brothers and sisters in Christ come to church, not wearing masks. And, and they look at them, and they they say you're not. A they, they begin to demean them.

22:38

There's no peace. The other congregation. Is the people who? Enjoy the freedom that they have, and so they come. They're not wearing any masks. And they look at the people wearing masks. They say you are following the command of man and not God. They demean them as well. And there's bickering, and there is no peace.

23:02

You know, blessedly, I got to say. You know, I don't really feel that struggle in our church. I feel like we love each other pretty well. And there was some of us wearing masks for longer than others of us. It's okay. There's still peace.

23:26

Well, partially because it's built on everything that's come before because we have joy together. And if I have joy in seeing you and being with you that Joy matters more than any external thing. Why, because there's order? Because there's unity and praise together because we are bound firmly together and what unites us is infinitely stronger than anything that could try to divide us.

23:50

Stronger than any political stronger than anything stronger than anything else in. This universe is our savior, and if we have that in common, if we have that in common, we can be bound together and we can make it through anything. I believe this from the bottom of my heart.

24:08

Because together we've understood that there's order, and the ultimate order is, we are all underneath the headship of the king, and we are all doing our best to live and understand how the King has commanded us. And so, as we live that out, there will be peace. But then, on top of that, it's imperative, we come, and we pray for peace.

24:31

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. May they be secure, who love you peace within your walls, security within your towers for my brothers, and companion's sake. I will say, peace be with you. David is saying here that the peace of God's people matters for our sake for your sake for my sake.

24:49

For all of our sake. Together we have peace, and so I pray for peace for you. I pray for peace Among Us. I pray for peace in the world. I pray for peace in this church. In this upcoming congregation, I pray for peace during the meeting at all times in all things I pray for the peace that passes.

25:05

Understanding that is given to us in the house of the king because of the work of our King Jesus Christ. For the sake of the House of the Lord. I will seek your good. How can we ensure peace? It's this. It's verse nine.

25:24

If you were to say David, you have to look at this Psalm. And you have to find one point of application. The first one would be. I'm going to start every sermon with. I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord.

25:36

Okay. Take that aside. More broad application will be my one application that I would give to all of us.

25:46

We seek the.

25:51

Of the gathered body of Believers. We lay aside our own wants and needs and desires, lifting one another up.

26:03

So that God receives glory, honor and praise, and his house is built up for the sake of the House of the Lord Our God. I will seek your God. I will seek the good of God's people. If we want to see something very interesting here in all of this Psalm, there's a phrase that's used only here.

26:27

For the first time here. We go and worship in the house of the Lord. We go. There's tribes, the tribes of the Lord. Were there? We give thanks to the name of the Lord.

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For the sake of the House of the Lord. Our God! David has placed this small little phrase right after the word Lord.

26:55

Elsewhere, we read in other verses. He's the Lord, my God. And that's correct. When Moses is writing, we read lots of commands. Deuteronomy says this a lot, the Lord your God. That's also correct. He's my God. He's also the Lord your God. But what does David say here? He says, the Lord, Our God.

27:18

He's our God! Again, what unites us is greater than anything they could seek to divide us. And for the sake. And for the glory. And for the sake of the House of the Lord, Our God, my God, and your God ours together. I will seek the good of God's people.

27:38

What's the point? So, why? Every Sunday. Do I say? So, I add my wording here. I was glad when they said, let's go, and Worship in the house of the Lord. I add the worship part. Why? Well, because, as we come down here? We are decreed to give thanks.

27:57

We pray for Pete. It's all worship that we do in this Psalm, so I've added that, but. Why do I start every Sunday that way?

2

Speaker 2

28:11

Cuz I'm glad.

1

Speaker 1

28:13

To come together and worship with God's people. It's profoundly impacting to my soul. And it's deeper than just the privilege of coming up here. The weighty heavy responsibility of coming up here before you and trying to bring God's word and share God's word, though that's part of it. But, but why do I feel the way because we're God's people gather together? Because we're here in the house of the Lord? But there's joy. And there's goodness. The most heartbreaking thing I? Weep. When I hear of other pastors? And if his trials and trouble is difficult, there's Strife and Division and Brokenness and hurt inside of the church.

29:01

And we had asked him. Are you glad? When they say, let's, let's go. It's time to go to church. And there's far too many pastors who say no. It's nothing but heartache and difficulty. And I know I'm in for a fight. Every time I show up, my heart breaks for. We talk to people. Talks, I I, we all know this person. Would you be glad to go to church? I won't go to church. There's too much hurt. I've been wronged they've done bad. People are hypocrite. I won't go to church because there's nothing good at church.

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It's heartbreak. Because I'm glad. Because I know God, I know what he's done.

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And there's so many who miss that point.

29:51

And so, when we come to the house of the king. Should be gladness and joy. Order, Unity, and praise. We should pray for peace. That the God of Peace would grant us peace that as we live together in peace, that peace would go out to the world around us that we would be ambassadors of the peace of God that we would be peace makers. Blessed are the peacemakers Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5. And we have peace, not because of anything external. We have peace because we've prayed about it. We've focused on it because we have Unity. We are bound together under the order of the kingship of Jesus.

30:32

And our hearts are filled. With joy. Let's pray.