Psalm 122

What was it like in your house this morning as you prepared to come to church?

This is where it would be fun to inform you that we had actually installed hidden cameras in some of your homes and we are now going to show what happened in the screen.

That would be fun wouldn’t it.

No, that would not be fun at all!

We wouldn’t do that however I am prepared to guess that you were fairly typical of many people, may families who have come to church this morning, in fact not just here but all over the province.

For some, you were completely in control, you have done it so often and for so long that it is as though you are on auto pilot.

For others there was perhaps a bit of a rush because you “didn’t realise the time” or you couldn’t find a shoe of your collection or even your car keys.

Perhaps there was a little tension in your home as you prepared to come to church, perhaps you snapped at someone, perhaps you got cross because someone was keeping the rest back and you wanted to hurry.

Perhaps you have young children and it can be so difficult getting them ready to leave the house.

Perhaps it’s a good job we didn’t have camera’s in your homes after all!

No two families are the same.

To to journeys to church are the same either.

Here in Psalm 122 we read in verse 1:

Psalm 122:1 ESV

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

The house of the Lord that is mentioned here is the Temple in Jerusalem.

Calvin quotes: God had often told Moses, that his Sanctuary would one day have a certain and fixed place of abode; yet from the time of Moses, for the space of more than a thousand years, the Ark of the Covenant had been carried about from place to place, as if it had been in a state of pilgrimage.

At length it was revealed to David, that mount Zion was the spot where God would have his ark to be settled, and his temple built.

Deuteronomy 12:5–7 ESV

But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.

This is the place that David who wrote the Psalm is focusing on.

Once they were a people with no fixed place to worship, now that had changed and because of the temple in Jerusalem they now have a place to go.

This is their "church”.

This is the focal point of their faith and their identity as a people.

In fact, this Psalm not only makes a statement and tells a story but it also was used as a song that the pilgrims would have sung together as they made their way to church, so speak.

So then, let me ask you another question, not unlike the first one.

What was it like for you as you came to church this morning?

I sadly don’t know you as a people, I don’t know who lives where, who drives to church, who walks, who comes from a distance etc.

But everyone who is here this morning came to church either on their own or with others.

Some perhaps chatted to each other, others walked quietly, perhaps dad drove with the radio on while you sat on your phone checking facebook or replying to a message.

In fact, it is highly possible that no two people came to church the same way this morning.

In the day of David, when he wrote this Psalm things were a lot different.

People would have travelled in large family groups, small communities moving together, perhaps over many days to worship together.

Yes, there would have been times of conversation and chat but there would most definitely have been times when they sang together.

This Psalm, along with others, is often referred to as a Song of Ascent. A Palm that was sung as the people of God made their way up to church, up to the temple in Jerusalem.

As a family, when I was growing up we used to sing together in the car as we were going on holiday.

Classics such as “I see the sea, the sea sea sees me...” and “She’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes...”

It certainly beat my dad’s James Last collection or my mum’s Val Doonican greatest hits.

Today, when families go on journeys everyone listen’s to their own thing.

The Beats headphones or the Apple air-pods assure that you get to listen to whatever it is you want to listen to and you don’t have to be part of what is going on around you. Sometimes you can be caught singing along to something no one else can hear…or recognise.

In this 21st Century world we arrive for worship as individuals and in doing so perhaps we miss something.

1. The Unity of God’s people

David tells us in the very first verse that he was glad when he was asked by someone or a group of people to come to God’s house with them.

He was glad to be asked, he was glad to go and he was glad to be part of a group of people with a common goal and desire - to go and worship God together.

As they walked and sang together a sense of unity developed and they became closer and more important to each other.

I watched the Liverpool fans singing, “You’ll never walk alone” the other evening when they were playing Roma.

They were singing with one voice and with one purpose, to show unity with each other and the team on the pitch. It was an encouragement for them and for the players.

If, as individuals, they had all decided to sing their own songs or listen to something on their phones it would never have had the same impact.

But together, they changed the atmosphere.

The fact that you are here this morning is so important, for a number of reasons!

But regardless of why you think you are here this morning, your presence here today serves as an encouragement to those around you.

For me, one of the things I would want to focus on should you call me, is to strengthen the fellowship you have in this church.

Create within this church family the sense that we are all in this together and that we have our identity and unity as believers in Jesus Christ and as members of this local fellowship.

Don’t panic I’m not suggesting that we meet down the road at 11.15 and all sing together as we almost parade into church.

But there are perhaps ways we can strengthen what you already have.

How I would love for you and for me to come to this building on Sunday and use words like David in verse two:

Psalm 122:2 ESV

Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!

To come here and know how wonderful it is to come to church, your church, and be part of the body of believers in this place and to love being here worshipping the living God together.

Matthew Henry comments: We should not only agree with one another, but excite and stir up one another, to go to worship God in public. Let us go; not, “You go and pray for us, and we will stay at home;”

No, let’s go together to worship God in this place as we invite neighbours and friends come with us.

If you have a living faith and you believe in where this church is aiming to go then you will want to invite people and we will see an increase in numbers and the growth of God’s Kingdom here in Ballygowan.

2. United in purpose

Let’s take a moment to look at verses 3-5

Psalm 122:3–5 ESV

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.

In all the information I have received regarding this church I have been encouraged. You have gone through a tough period but you are still here today.

You have a hope for the future, the future of this church.

This church didn’t just spring up a few years ago or a decade or two ago.

No, your witness in this place has lasted almost 180 years!

There is a heritage here, there is a faith and witness that has been handed down to the generations that have faithfully turned up each year to worship the Lord in this place.

However, it is not enough for a church to have a heritage and a history.

It must also have a future.

You.... because you believe that there is a future in this place and you are here this morning because you say, “I want to be part of that future.”

Yet the future is never properly shaped by the past, rather it is always shaped in the present, in the here and now.

Look at how David describes 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.

“Bound firmly together - a city knit together” - This is a sign of unity.

I have never built a wall, I have watched other’s do it and I know how important it is to have a wall that has each stone built firmly together.

A strong wall, a secure wall, a wall that protects those inside and keeps trouble outside.

So for David, Jerusalem was a place where there was an obvious expression of unity.

But more than that, do you notice the words he uses here?

“Bound firmly together - a city knit together” - not built together but bound together.

Here David is not referring simply to the walls of Jerusalem but to the people of Jerusalem that they too are united because there is unity and in their unity they are strong.

He talks about the “tribes of the Lord” -

In the book of Joshua we can read that each tribe was allotted its own land.

And yet, Jerusalem served as a central place to unite the tribes geographically and in their worship.

They came from different places, different areas and yet they were united by their affiliation to the Lord. The tribes of the Lord.

They came to worship with one mind:

Paul writes to the believers in Corinth and says:

1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

As I have said I am encouraged that from what I have read and been told there is a unity in this place and that is such an important base to build the future upon.

Many of you have worshipped in this building for many many years.

This church means a lot to you.

It contains many cherished memories of times with loved ones.

You maybe even have raised children and grandchildren in this church.

I understand and I respect that.

PAUSE

But I’m guessing that not everyone is here today.

Not everyone who could be here today is here today.

Some “tribes” are missing.

Some who used to worship in this place are no longer here.

My friends, it’s time to bring them back.

The disengaged, the disillusioned, the hurt, those who have strayed or become careless or lost...

It’s time to bring them back.

It’s time to invest in youth and and be culturally relevant to young couples and young families.

These tribes came identifying themselves as the Lord’s people, from different places and backgrounds with the sole purpose “to give thanks to the name of the Lord.”

In our worship we give thanks to the Lord for the past and His sustaining power but we also give all thanks to Him that He has a plan and a purpose for the witness of His people in this place, in this town and in the surrounding area.

Finally, let’s look at the closing verses of this Psalm, verses 6-9

Psalm 122:6–9 ESV

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.

3. Unity marks out God’s people

David mentions peace three times in these few verses.

When we read the world “peace” we tend to automatically think of peace in the sense of no more fighting or a cessation of conflict.

Yet the Hebrew word that is used here is “Shalom”

A Bible dictionary describes it as:

A state of wholeness (Heb. šālôm “well-being”) and security embracing both the physical and spiritual dimensions and relating not only to the individual, but also to entire communities and relationships among persons.

So what David is saying is that the unity that the people have will in turn brings peace, the idea of blessing and wellbeing not just to those who go to the temple but to the community of Jerusalem.

In other-words the unity of God’s people should be apparent to everyone and should set God’s people apart, mark them out as God’s people and that they should bless the community they are part of.

Jesus told those listening to Him in:

Matthew 5:13–16 ESV

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

David wanted to see the people of God knowing and enjoying this Peace, this state of wellbeing and blessing but he also wanted it to be for the wider community too.

Therefore as God’s people, we need to be active in the mission field on our doorstep, calling all people into a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

I conclude with the final verse:

English Standard Version Psalm 122

9  For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,

I will seek your good.

For the sake of the Temple of Jerusalem, the building that stood for the presence of God in the midst of the people of God, David simply said - “I will seek your good.”

Effort is implied here. "I will seek"; I will throw my energies into it; my powers, my faculties, my property, my time, my influence, my connections, my family, my house, all that I have under my command shall, as far as I have power to command, and as far as God gives me ability to turn them to such a use, be employed in an effort to promote the interests of Zion.

Joseph Irons, 1786-1852.

This is what I pledge to you this morning, “I will seek your good - with all that I am and all that I have for the Glory of God in this place.”

Let us pray: