Ps 84

Every summer we go through a different book in the Psalms—there are five altogether, and this year we’re on book 3 ( to 89).

That’s not going to happen. We’ll probably pick up the chronology again next week, but this week has been strange for me.

Through a difficult conversation with my wife last weekend, I suddenly began to realize that

I had a difficult conversation early in the week that rocked me to my core. It wasn’t the intention of the person I was talking to that I be rocked like that; she was speaking about something entirely different. But as we spoke the lines began to be drawn more and more clearly in my head, and as our conversation progressed I got this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that got bigger and bigger, because I remembered something I’d heard a long time ago from a pastor I trust.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened last week. But for some reason, this time, the things that didn’t

I was preaching at a wedding last Sunday, and I wasn’t here. I came home and I asked Loanne how things went, and she told me how things went. Things went well—the guys who set up worked hard, even though they’d never done it before and had no idea what to do; Paul preached a great message that did me good (listen to the sermon if you haven’t yet); the musicians faithfully led us in worship, as usual.

I asked Loanne how things went, and she told me how things went. Things went well—the guys who set up worked hard, even though they’d never done it before and had no idea what to do; Paul preached a great message that did me good (listen to the sermon if you haven’t yet); the musicians faithfully led us in worship, as usual.

I was preaching at a wedding last Sunday, and I wasn’t here. I came home and I asked Loanne how things went, and she told me how things went. Things went well—the guys who set up worked hard, even though they’d never done it before and had no idea what to do; Paul preached a great message that did me good (listen to the sermon if you haven’t yet); the musicians faithfully led us in worship, as usual.

Even so, as our conversation progressed I got this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

He said that within the first few years of beginning pastoral ministry in a church, what’s wrong with the church is what’s wrong with you. It’s hyperbole, of course—you guys sin too, and all of that can’t be laid at my feet. But some of it can, and some of it should. There are some harmful habits and characteristics that our church has picked up over the last four years, particularly in regards to the way we gather together on Sundays, and as much as it hurts me to say it, some of these habits come from me.

I thought about this realization long after the conversation I had; I was up in the middle of the night burping Zadie after a late-night feeding, and I felt the weight of it so strongly I couldn’t get back to sleep. I had already read through to 89 a few times preparing for this series, and I knew I would have to come here, to , today, and I knew I would have to say this.

This will make more sense as we go along, so I’ll invite you to go to , and to begin reading with me at verse 1.

The House of My God

84 To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

In , the psalmist is writing about the temple in Jerusalem, and his joy at being able to come worship in the temple. We see in v. 1:

1  How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord of hosts!

The temple in Jerusalem was the place where God manifested his presence to the people of Israel; it was the place where his people came to worship together. And we see the psalmist describe his own feeling about the temple, v. 2:

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh sing for joy

to the living God.

3  Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,

2  My soul longs, yes, faints

at your altars, O Lord of hosts,

my King and my God.

4  Blessed are those who dwell in your house,

ever singing your praise! Selah

5  Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

6  As they go through the Valley of Baca

for the courts of the Lord;

they make it a place of springs;

the early rain also covers it with pools.

7  They go from strength to strength;

It was, in a very real sense, heaven on earth: God’s presence could dwell there fully, and man could fully know God.

each one appears before God in Zion.

8  O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;

give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah

my heart and flesh sing for joy

9  Behold our shield, O God;

look on the face of your anointed!

10  For a day in your courts is better

heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

Then man sinned, and that sin separated him from God—and man has been trying to find God ever since. So God came to Abraham and promised to make a great nation of his descendants, and that this people would be his people, and he would be their God—they would have the privilege of knowing God.

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11  For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

to the living God.

the Lord bestows favor and honor.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

No good thing does he withhold

But they were sinners, and God is a holy God. So they needed a way for God to manifest his presence to them without simply destroying them. And the way God provided for that was, firstly, the tabernacle.

from those who walk uprightly.

This is the kind of language we saw in the Song of Songs a couple weeks ago; a lover speaks this way of his beloved. When I first moved to France I had to leave the country for three months while we waited for our marriage paperwork to go through, and Loanne already had a job so she had to stay here. This was before Skype or Facetime, and before phone plans where you could call the U.S. for free. So for three months we didn’t see each other, and we only spoke on the phone very occasionally.

12  O Lord of hosts,

The tabernacle was a big tent they would set up, with all the religious tools God had told them to build. The people would make sacrifices there, to atone for their sins, and only after going through a long process of rituals could they come int

blessed is the one who trusts in you!

The best way I can describe those three months is to say it was like holding my breath: you know that burning in your lungs, and in your head, when you hold your breath for a long time? I remembered my wife’s face, and I felt an ache in my heart to see her again. And when I finally came back to France, and saw her again in the airport, it was like I could finally breathe again.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

This is the feeling the psalmist describes when he is not in the temple, but he wants to be, more than anything.

And then he gives reasons why he feels this way, v. 3:

V. 3:

3  Even the sparrow finds a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,

at your altars, O Lord of hosts,

my King and my God.

The house of God is so desirable because here even the most insignificant find a place to rest, and a home. All are welcome here.

4  Blessed are those who dwell in your house,

ever singing your praise!

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

The house of God is so desirable because it is here that God’s people get to sing God’s praises. Worship for the people of Israel was not a quiet affair—there were instruments, and shouting, and dancing, and celebration.

Why? Because they had reason to celebrate! Among all the peoples in the world, God had chosen to reveal himself to them, and to save them, and to not cast them off, despite their sin against him. Among all the peoples in the world, they were the one people who were able to do that for which they were created.

Next, it is in the house of God that God provides for his people, v. 5:

5  Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

6  As they go through the Valley of Baca

they make it a place of springs;

the early rain also covers it with pools.

7  They go from strength to strength;

each one appears before God in Zion.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Now, of course God provided for his people outside of the temple too. But it was here that they felt his provision most keenly, because they would sing about it together. They would come together, and see their fellow Israelites proclaiming the same truths about the same God, singing the same songs, and their faith in God’s provision and goodness to them would be fed—to such an extent that even making their way to the temple, just being on the road to get there, would renew their strength.

Next, it is in the house of God that the people could pray that God would provide for and protect them again, v. 8:

8  O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;

give ear, O God of Jacob!

9  Behold our shield, O God;

look on the face of your anointed!

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Asking God for protection, asking God to be their shield, asking God to listen to their prayers, should have been such a ridiculous idea that they wouldn’t have dared do it. God is such a holy God, and they were such a sinful people, that the mere idea of coming into his presence, much less asking for something from his hand, should have filled them with fear.

But God consistently invited his people to come to him with their needs, and he consistently promised to protect them when they humbled themselves in this way. So they came to him with joy, and asked once again for his favor and protection, knowing that God heard and answered their prayers.

The next verse is my favorite, because it states the simplest reality at play here: the house of God was so desirable simply because it was so good to be there. V. 10:

10  For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

There is an image this always calls to mind. About ten years ago Loanne and I went on vacation to Pisa. Every evening we were there, when it was cooler out, we would go to the grassy area between the leaning tower and the church, and we would spread out on the grass and read. We read there for hours. It was wonderful: there was nowhere else we needed to be, there was nothing else we would have rather been doing. The temperature was perfect, the grass was soft, the reading was stimulating, and I was with the one person I loved more than anyone else. It was just good.

When I was a teenager my family lived in a house with a covered porch looking out on the backyard; we had comfortable chairs out there, and I would sit there for hours in the summertime, with my feet propped up and a good book on my knees. When I think about

That image is a pale reflection of what he’s talking about here.

We saw it with Jack when he was a baby, and we see it with Zadie now. Newborn babies often feel like they’re falling—the bed seems to big to them, they feel like they’re going to fall. (Very often, Zadie will be sleeping, and then suddenly pinwheel her arms around in a panic, thinking she’s about to fall.) But put those newborns in a baby carrier (particularly the slings which hold their whole bodies snug and close to you), and put that baby carrier on their mother, and they almost instantly fall asleep. They feel safe there; they feel at peace there; they are as close as possible to the one person who makes them feel better than anyone else.

The people of God loved to be in the house of God simply because it was good to be there. In the presence of a mighty God who loves you, what harm could possibly come to you? What could you possibly lack there? If you are created to look upon the glory of God and be satisfied, and you finally come to a place where that glory is fully manifest, you are satisfied—it doesn’t matter what you’re doing there. One day in that place is better than a thousand days anywhere else.

Lastly, the house of God was so desirable because it reminded them of who God is for them, and how his goodness goes far beyond what anyone would ever expect, v. 11:

11  For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does he withhold

from those who walk uprightly.

12  O Lord of hosts,

blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

When you are in the presence of the all-powerful God, and you know that because of his love and faithfulness toward you, you will never lack anything that is truly good for you, you can do nothing but exult in that place, and revel in that experience, there with your brothers and sisters.

The psalmist feels about the temple—this place of rites and rituals and sacrifices—the most intense feelings of satisfaction and joy, feelings many of us don’t even feel about coming home. These are pleasures few of us ever truly experience—not because they’re out of reach, but because we simply don’t esteem the house of God so highly.

The House of God, Today

Let’s take a step back. It’s easy to write off this psalm today, because we no longer have a temple. When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well (), he tells her that God’s presence isn’t limited to any one place or time: God’s worshipers worship him in spirit and in truth, not merely in the temple.

But this doesn’t mean that the temple, this house of God where his presence dwells, no longer exists. The author of the letter to the Hebrews writes ():

5 Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Did you see it? WE are his house. Because Christ came, and lived and died and was raised for us, we are reconciled to God. And we are reconciled to him so completely that his presence now lives in us. The people of God are his temple—we are his house.

This means that if you have faith in Christ, every day—when you are on the metro going to work, or sitting at a cubicle in your office, or at home alone in a building in which you may be the only Christian—God is there. We don’t have to go to church to be in his presence—he lives in us. This is a full and wonderful assurance we have.

But this doesn’t mean that what the psalmist describes in is no longer applicable to us.

Firstly, it still applies because when you look at how the New Testament speaks about Christians, it nearly always speaks to us in terms of the group, rather than in terms of the individual. God did not send Jesus simply to save “people;” he sent Jesus to save “a people.” It is theologically impossible to separate an individual Christian’s life with God from the church’s life with God. They always go hand-in-hand.

in the Old Testament temple, although God manifested his presence in a particular way in the temple, he was in no way confined by it. He frequently manifested his presence elsewhere. So the people didn’t celebrate coming to the temple because it was the only place God was; they celebrated because the temple was a place where God’s presence was seen and felt in a particular way.

We see the same thing in :

So it is no surprise that God commands us to come together to worship. says,

This is what we call “corporate worship”—the regular gathering of believers to worship God together.

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

“Meeting together” is one of the main ways God gives us to stir one another up to love and good works, to encourage one another in the faith; so the call to meet together regularly is not a suggestion; it is not optional; it is necessary to our faith, and the faith of our brothers and sisters.

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Christians would not continue the practice of going to the temple together, but what we see is that the worship they had usually enjoyed strictly in the temple began to take place elsewhere: in the gatherings of the churches that were being planted elsewhere. They devoted themselves to these gatherings. They did it gladly, and fervently, and God added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Secondly, still applies to us because in the Bible, God invites us to come together to worship, by describing the singular grace he gives us there.

After Christ came, the apostles went out and began planting churches in cities all over the region, and these churches celebrated their God by regularly gathering together to worship (this is what we call “corporate worship”). We see in that they “devoted themselves” to these gatherings; they would listen to the Word of God preached; they would praise God; they would enjoy fellowship with one another; they would pray together; they would serve one another with gratitude and generosity.

as the book of Acts progresses, and more and more Gentiles come to know Christ, and churches were planted in places other than Jerusalem, we see a new norm emerging: the joy and pleasure the psalmist describes for the temple begins to take place in the new churches that are planted.

And it makes perfect sense. Think of meal time. We can absolutely enjoy a meal when we’re all alone. Last year in Ireland I was waiting alone for a bus to take me back to the airport, and I enjoyed the best B.L.T. I have ever had in my life. It was sublime, and I legitimately worshiped God for having put this kind of skill into the hands of whoever prepared that sandwich.

However—and this is something Christians forget far too often—there is a particular joy, a particular pleasure, to be enjoyed when God’s people gather to worship. Even i

You see, although the context of corporate worship has changed from the time of —migrated from the temple to the gathering of believers—the character of corporate worship remains the same.

But it would have been a different experience altogether if my family had been with me.

And yet...

Brothers and sisters, although we do not need to come to church to enjoy God’s presence, something special happens when we do. There is a particular joy, a particular pleasure, a particular service, to be enjoyed when God’s people gather to worship. It is in our regular gatherings with one another that we have a unique opportunity to enjoy the presence of God together, to stir up one another to love and good works.

C.S. Lewis wrote in his Reflections on the Psalms,

The world rings with praise — lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favourite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favourite game — praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. . . . I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: ‘Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?’”

When we gather together for worship, we invite our brothers and sisters to join us in our enjoyment of God’s presence. We help those who are weak or weighted down by guilt or suffering to enjoy God as they ought. We serve those who need serving. We receive from God’s presence and God’s Word, in order that what we receive might overflow in love for others.

And in so doing, we invite our brothers and sisters to join us in our enjoyment of God’s presence. We help those who are weak or weighted down by guilt or suffering to enjoy God as they ought. We serve those who need serving. We receive from God’s presence and God’s Word, in order that what we receive might overflow in love for others. And if we do this faithfully, then what happened for the first church in Jerusalem inevitably happens for us—:

And in so doing, we invite our brothers and sisters to join us in our enjoyment of God’s presence. We help those who are weak or weighted down by guilt or suffering to enjoy God as they ought. We serve those who need serving. We receive from God’s presence and God’s Word, in order that what we receive might overflow in love for others.

And if we do this faithfully, then what happened for the first church in Jerusalem inevitably happens for us—:

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

When the people of God come together as the people of God, we are not just doing our Sunday duty, or getting our weekly Jesus-fix. We are benefiting from a particular grace God has chosen to give us through our worship, and through our service to one another. We are calling those who don’t know Christ to come to him, and we are showing them why they should WANT to come to him!

: Although the context of their worship had changed, the character of their worship remained the same.

If we really worshiped like this, would we not sing with the psalmist? If gathering together was really this way, we would understand his intense desire:

1  How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord of hosts!

2  My soul longs, yes, faints

for the courts of the Lord…

my heart and flesh sing for joy

to the living God…

10  For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

If our gatherings really looked like this,

10  For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

The Problem

If you have faith in Christ, then every day, when you are on the metro going to work, or sitting at a cubicle in your office, or at home alone in a building in which you may be the only Christian, God is there. This is a full and wonderful assurance we have.

The problem is, these days, Christians rarely do this.

Even in the OT temple: God manifested his presence in a particular way in the temple, but he was in no way confined by it.

The problem is, Christians don’t often do this. There is a massive disconnect between what Christians say they feel about church and how they actually do it.

We as a church have fallen into some problematic habits, which are partly reflective of the average age of the church (young), and partly reflective of the areas in which I myself need to grow. I could simply decide to not say anything, to not appear too critical, but if

La maison de mon Dieu (Psaume 84)

But there is a particular joy, a particular pleasure, to be enjoyed when God’s people gather to worship.

The past acts of God (v. 11-20)

Look at how the psalmist speaks about coming to the temple for worship. He is passionate about it, he is thrilled about it, he is satisfied by it.

When we love anything else that much, and know our joy depends in large part upon it, how do we approach it?

But if one thing characterizes youth, it is this: young people tend to only work really hard for things they really value. And that’s where we start to see the cracks, because if we love anything else this much, and know our joy depends in large part upon it, how do we approach it?

People in their twenties are often characterized

Think about vacation. What are we willing to do for vacation? We make allowances to arrive at our flights on time. We bring with us everything we need. We encourage others to enjoy the same joys we have (“You’ve never been to Venice? Oh it’s wonderful.”) We think ahead, and do all we can to maximize our pleasure and—if we love them—the pleasure of those with us when we get there.

We bring with us everything that is necessary.

We encourage others to enjoy the same joys we have (“You’ve never been to Venice? Oh it’s wonderful.”)

But it won’t work if you don’t also do the less fun things: booking a flight; getting travel insurance; procuring a suitcase; going through security at the airport, etc. The things

These are things we do without even thinking about them.

We think ahead, and do all we can to maximize our pleasure and—if we love them—the pleasure of those with us when we get there.

But that’s not the way many of us come to church.

There are exceptions, of course; we have many exceptions here. But on the whole, the gathering of believers for corporate worship has become for us a lazy affair. As time goes by, more and more of us come to church the way we’d go to a restaurant: we arrive whenever we want; we speak to those we know and like; we sit back and say, “Feed me,” and then wonder why we don’t get more out of the whole experience.

Many of us arrive at church in a lackadaisical manner because they don’t realize what they’re doing when they come here. If we felt about our gatherings the way the psalmist felt about the temple, chances are our gatherings would be wildly different.

Chaque été nous traversons un nouveau livre du Psautier, le livre des Psaumes—il y a cinq livres en tout, et cette année on est dans le livre 3 (les Psaumes 73 à 89).

Why do so few Christians esteem corporate worship?

Implications:

J’ai eu une discussion plus tôt cette semaine qui m’a bousculé.

Why are we dedicated and fervent for our jobs, but not to come to the house of the Lord?

God is powerful, and can do anything—including take me out of my sorrow

Ce n’était pas l’intention de la personne à qui je parlais de me bousculer,

mais au fur et à mesure qu’on parlais les lignes se sont tracées de plus en plus clairement dans mon esprit,

We make allowances to arrive at our flights on time.

et j’avais de plus en plus un sentiment de lourdeur dans mon ventre,

In corporate worship, we come to enjoy the presence of God, together (v. 10). In corporate worship, we come to receive from his hand that which we need, together (v. 11). In corporate worship, we come to renew our trust in him, together (v. 12). In other words, it is only in corporate worship that we are able to grow in our faith as a family, as a people, the way God intends us to.

We bring with us everything that is necessary.

parce que je me suis souvenu de quelque chose que j’ai entendu il y a longtemps de la part d’un pasteur en qui j’ai confiance.

10  For a day in your courts is better

Il a dit que lorsque tu commences un ministère pastoral dans une église,

We encourage others to enjoy the same joys we have (“You’ve never been to Venice? Oh it’s wonderful.”)

So what is missing? What can we do to not just say, but show each other the immensity of what’s happening when we gather together? (We’re about to get super practical.)

than a thousand elsewhere.

We think ahead, and do all we can to maximize our pleasure and—if we love them—the pleasure of those with us when we get there.

après les premières quelques années (disons trois à cinq ans),

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God

Why then do Christians arrive at church so lackadaisically?

ce qui ne va pas dans l’église, c’est ce qui ne va pas en toi.

Like I said before,

than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

C’est de l’hyperbole, évidemment—il y a des pécheurs dans chaque église, et tout n’est pas du ressort du pasteur.

Because they don’t realize what they’re doing when they come here.

In corporate worship, we come to receive from his hand that which we need—v. 11:

11  For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor.

No good thing does he withhold

from those who walk uprightly.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

In corporate worship, we come to renew our trust in him

12  O Lord of hosts,

blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Once again, I want to

Mais quand même, je me suis rendu compte que ce n’était pas entièrement faux non plus,

They are receiving from his hand that which they need. (v. 11)

et tout pasteur qui est pasteur depuis quelque temps serait d’accord, je pense.

So the question is, given these realities, how should we go about coming to corporate worship? What can we do, here at Eglise Connexion, to repair the disconnect?

They are renewing their trust in him (v. 12).

Il y a des habitudes et des traits de caractère problématiques que notre église a commencé à adopter depuis ces quatre dernières années,

So how should we go about coming to corporate worship? (These realities should and must translate to practical responses.)

et même si cela me fait mal de le dire, certaines de ces habitudes viennent de moi.

Practical Responses to the Gift of Corporate Worship

The things I’m about to mention are serious problems in our church, but like I said, I am well aware that I am the one primarily responsible for not doing more to prevent them. Everything I’m about to say, I anguished over this week: every practical response to the gift of corporate worship we see described in is a call and a challenge to myself first and foremost.

Firstly, pray to yourselves before coming here on Sundays. Pray that God would help you feel the joy of what we’re doing here as keenly as the psalmist does. Pray that we too might see corporate worship as God sees it: not as an optional add-on to an already full week, but as an integral part of how we grow into the likeness of Christ, as a body.

Secondly, come regularly. Many of you, we only see 50% of the time. I know this is Paris, and everyone leaves on the weekends. But just because it’s accepted behavior for the rest of Paris doesn’t mean it should be acceptable for us.

When you look at how the New Testament speaks about Christians, it nearly always speaks to us in terms of the group, rather than in terms of the individual. God did not send Jesus simply to save “people;” he sent Jesus to save “a people.” It is theologically impossible to separate an individual Christian’s life with God from the church’s life with God. They always go hand-in-hand.

So it is no surprise that God commands us to come together to worship. says,

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

“Meeting together” is one of the main ways God gives us to stir one another up to love and good works, to encourage one another in the faith; so the call to meet together regularly is not a suggestion; it is not optional; it is necessary to our faith, and the faith of our brothers and sisters.

Thirdly—and I’ve said this before, but it is far from the least important—come early. This is one of the areas where the church has taken after me—I need to ask your forgiveness for this. Very quickly I got into the habit of starting the service quite late; initially because I hadn’t planned well enough to have everything ready on time, and then after a while, because if I started on time, most people wouldn’t be here.

Typically in our church, if the service starts at 11:00, visitors arrive at 10:45, and the first people in the church begin to arrive at 11:05 or 11:10—and sometimes as late as 11:45. So we don’t actually start the service before 11:15, because if we started on time most of us wouldn’t be here, and we don’t want to ask first-time visitors to sing songs they don’t know all by themselves.

What time do we show up for a movie? Or a train taking us on vacation?

It sounds silly, but coming to service consistently late says something about its importance to us—at least it does to those visitors who have been waiting for a half an hour, or those brothers and sisters who showed up at 9:30 to serve everyone else by setting up and praying and getting ready to welcome people.

It says, if I may be blunt, that this gathering is not important enough to plan ahead for—after all, what time do we show up for a movie? or a train taking us on vacation? I’m sure that most of you don’t actually esteem the gathering this little—but that it is the unintended message it sends.

I know that most of you don’t actually esteem the gathering this little—but that it is the unintended message it sends.

So for the sake of your brothers and sisters who are serving you, whom you could serve; for the sake of those visitors who are perhaps wanting to know more about Jesus and who will otherwise be waiting a long time alone, don’t just aim to come on time. Aim to come early, to serve those who need serving, to encourage those who need encouraging, and to prepare yourselves for worship. Don’t let yourself fall for the lie which says, “This is Paris; everyone arrives late.”

Brothers and sisters, we are not Parisians—we are citizens of the kingdom of God. Let’s bring our native culture to bear here.

2  My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord

for the courts of the Lord;

After all, if we felt the same desire as the psalmist—My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord—we would get to those courts as soon as humanly possible.

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Fourthly, invite others to come. This is something our church has typically done well, but it has gone down a good deal this past year. We know why—it’s called the 80% rule, and it says that at least 20% of our chairs should always be empty, because when people start realizing there’s nowhere to sit, they stop inviting people.

Last year, around October, that happened: the church grew to such an extent that we simply ran out of chairs. We use all of our chairs, and all of the chairs the Espace Saint-Martin have available for us, and it’s simply not enough. So as we stopped adding chairs, the church stopped growing.

The 80% rule is a pretty accurate rule—but let’s not let it be an excuse.

Up until the last hundred years or so, most Christians stood during corporate worship; there were no chairs, except for the disabled or elderly. I promise you—if you invite people, and there’s nowhere to sit, our members will get up and stand in the back, or sit on the floor (just like four weeks ago, when everyone showed up for the morning service).

Let’s not punt on our call to make disciples of all nations, for whatever reason. Because you love your God, speak about your God. Invite others to know your God. Bring them to the courts of the Lord, so that they might see and know why we love him.

Fifth: serve one another when you are here. If you come early, there will be things to do. Many people have come to the church and asked how they can serve, and my answer is invariably the same: come early enough to help set up, or to help welcome people if we’re done.

Ce que je dis aura plus de sens alors qu’on progresse, alors je vous invite à aller au Psaume 84.

Come on time.

Look out for those who are alone, and speak to them. Seek out those who seem uncomfortable, and welcome them. Ask people how you can pray for them, and then pray for them, right then and there! There are countless ways we can serve one another every week, ways which have nothing to do with programs or teams or schedules or tasks. As we read earlier, let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.

Au Psaume 84, le psalmiste écrit un chant qui célèbre le pèlerinage pour aller louer au temple de Jérusalem.

Invite others to come.

Finally, enjoy God’s presence together. Biblically, the corporate gathering of the church has always comprised four main ingredients: prayer, the reading of Scripture, worship, and preaching.

Pray before, during and after the service.

Enjoy God’s presence together by praying together. A group of Christians meets here every Sunday at 10:00 to pray. Come early and pray. Or like I said, ask each other how you can pray, and don’t wait. Don’t hesitate, if you feel compelled, to lift your voice in prayer during the worship service—whether it’s in between songs or during a designated moment of prayer. Pray together.

Enjoy God’s presence together through the reading of the Word. In every worship service, before or after the sermon, there are at least two moments when Scripture is read aloud. Don’t consider these moments mere filler, to fill the space between songs. When Scripture is read, God is speaking to us. Listen to his voice together. Respond to his voice in prayer and song. Honor God by the way you listen to his Word read.

Serve one another when you are here.

Il décrit sa joie de pouvoir venir louer dans le temple,

et ce qu’on voit ici est un écart assez grand entre la manière qu’il estime la louange rassemblée dans le temple,

Enjoy God’s presence together

Enjoy God’s presence together through worship. Last Sunday France won the World Cup. In the streets, in bars and homes all across the capitol, the city resounded with the sound of La Marseillaise being sung at full volume, to the bursting of vocal chords.

in prayer

et comment nous estimons la louange rassemblée à l’église.

I don’t want to make anyone feel guilty, but think about it—if you celebrated with the rest of the country, how did you sing La Marseillaise last week? How did you clap for our team? How did you shout in celebration?

Compare that to how you sing to your Lord every week, and you may have an idea of what’s off.

Our church sings well—many of you have been musically trained, and know how to sing harmony that complements the melody. That’s wonderful, and it shouldn’t stop. But worship is more than knowing how to sing. V. 2: not just my flesh (my mouth), but my HEART and flesh sing for JOY to the living God.

my heart and flesh sing for joy

to the living God.

If we would break a lung celebrating our team after the World Cup, what does the God who created us and saved us and redeemed us and made us his own deserve? Worship like he deserves it.

Finally, enjoy God’s presence in listening to God speak through the preaching of his Word. In , Paul gives Timothy a very serious command, and he begins by letting Timothy know just how serious he is:

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

La maison de mon Dieu

in worship (compare the way we sing with the way most of us sang La Marseillaise last Sunday)

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom [a serious charge if I’ve ever heard one], 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

in listening to God speak through his Word.

Commençons à lire à partir du v. 1 :

It would be difficult to give a heavier weight to a command than this one—“Timothy, Jesus is watching you read this; he knows that you have received this command; and he will judge you if you don’t follow through.” This is no light command.

So what is the command? V. 2:

2 ...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

The Greek word for “preach” used here is the verb κηρύσσω, which literally means to “proclaim,” or to “herald.” It’s more than simply teaching. Heralding is what town criers used to do: they’d go into the town square, and they would transmit a message from the King by proclaiming that message. And the people who heard this message were compelled to take what was said with the utmost seriousness because it was not the word of the heralder; it was the word of the King.

1Au chef de chœur, sur la guitthith.

Obviously a preacher may not be faithful to the Word of God; that is why all of you have Bibles, so you can test what we say here against the Word of God, and if we are ever unfaithful in what we say, you are absolutely free to reject it.

But if we do preach the Word faithfully, that’s another story, because the faithful preaching of the Word is one of the main ways God has ordained to speak to us through his Spirit. When a preacher preaches faithfully, he is proclaiming the Word of God to the people of God, and God’s Word is what the Spirit uses to mold us into the image of Christ.

Psaume des descendants de Koré.

When a pastor preaches, he is showing his congregation what it looks like to dig into the Word, to hear what God tells us as his people, and to respond to that Word. Faithful preaching is a lesson in worship. So we enjoy God’s presence together by watching a man stand up and worship the Lord through the faithful exposition of the Word, and by responding to that Word in worship and obedience.

Brothers and sisters, it is no light thing we do when we gather together for worship. And I am sorry I haven’t better shaped the life of this church to reflect that. The good news is that it’s never too late—when the Word of God exposes areas in our hearts that need growth, we can always repent of that, and respond in obedience.

Let us be faithful to what corporate worship actually is. It is the regular gathering of believers in the presence of God, to express our desire for God, our love for God, our need for God, our submission to God, our dependence on God, and our gratitude to God. Let us be faithful, not just in our enthusiasm and joy and warmth, but in the small details that communicate larger truths to those around us. Let us gather in such a way that when people see what happens here when we come together for worship, the implicit message might be resoundingly clear:

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! Our souls long, yes, faint for the courts of the Lord; our hearts and flesh sing for joy to the living God. A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere!”

O Lord of hosts!

2  My soul longs, yes, faints

for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh sing for joy

to the living God.

A day in your courts is better

Anon, 2016. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

than a thousand elsewhere.

2 Combien tes résidences sont aimées,

Eternel, maître de l’univers!

Les « résidences » dont il est question ici, c’est le temple à Jérusalem, car le temple était le lieu où Dieu manifestait sa présence au peuple d’Israël.

C’est là où le peuple se rassemblait pour rencontrer Dieu et pour le louer.

Et nous voyons le psalmiste décrire son propre sentiment du temple, v. 3 :

3Mon âme soupire et même languit

après les parvis de l’Eternel.

Tout mon être pousse des cris de joie

vers le Dieu vivant. ”

Quand Loanne et moi avons déménagé en France il y a 14 ans,

après quelques mois je devais quitter le territoire pendant trois mois,

parce que je suis entré en tant que touriste,

et nous attendions encore que notre mariage soit validé par l’état français.

Loanne avait déjà un travail ici, alors elle devait rester, et je suis reparti aux U.S.

C’était avant Skype, avant Facetime, et avant ces plans téléphonique où on pouvait appeler les U.S. gratuitement.

Alors pendant trois mois nous ne nous sommes pas vus, et nous n’avons parlé au téléphone que très occasionnellement.

La meilleure manière dont je peux décrire ces trois mois,

c’est de dire que c’était comme si je me tenais en apnée :

vous savez, ce brulement dans les poumons, et dans la tête, quand on tient son souffle pendant longtemps ?

Je me souvenais du visage de ma femme, et mon cœur me faisait mal tant que je ne la voyais pas.

Quand enfin je suis revenu en France, et je l’ai revue à l’aéroport, c’était comme si je pouvais enfin respirer de nouveau—

je ne l’oublierai jamais.

C’est le sentiment que le psalmiste décrit ici : il n’est pas dans le temple, mais il veut y être, plus que tout.

Et après il donne des raisons pour lesquelles il ressent cela, v. 4 :

4Même le moineau trouve une maison,

et l’hirondelle un nid où elle dépose ses petits.

Moi, je soupire après tes autels,

Eternel, maître de l’univers,

mon roi et mon Dieu!

La maison de Dieu est désirable parce qu’ici, même les plus insignifiants trouvent un lieu de repos, et un chez soi.

Tous sont les bienvenues ici.

5Heureux ceux qui habitent ta maison:

ils peuvent te célébrer sans cesse.

La maison de Dieu est désirable parce que c’est ici que le peuple de Dieu peuvent chanter les louanges à Dieu.

La louange pour le peuple de Dieu n’était pas une affaire calme—il y avait des instruments, des cris, des danses, et beaucoup de célébration.

Pourquoi ? Parce qu’ils avaient des raisons pour célébrer !

Parmi tous les peuples du monde, Dieu avait choisi de se révéler à eux, et de les sauver, et de ne pas les rejeter malgré leur péché contre lui.

Parmi tous les peuples de la terre, ils étaient le seul peuple qui étaient capables de faire ce pour quoi ils étaient créés.

Ensuite, dans la maison de Dieu, Dieu pourvoit aux besoins de son peuple, v. 6 :

6Heureux ceux qui trouvent leur force en toi:

ils trouvent dans leur cœur des chemins tout tracés.

7Lorsqu’ils traversent la vallée des pleurs,

ils la transforment en un lieu plein de sources,

et la pluie la couvre aussi de bénédictions.

8Leur force augmente pendant la marche,

et ils se présentent devant Dieu à Sion.

Evidemment Dieu pourvoyait aux besoins de son peuple en dehors du temple aussi.

Mais c’était ici que le peuple ressentait sa provision le plus clairement, parce qu’ils en chantaient ensemble.

Ils se rassemblaient,

et voyaient leurs compatriotes israélites qui proclamaient les mêmes vérités sur le même Dieu,

chantaient les mêmes cantiques,

et leur foi dans la provision et dans la bonté de Dieu étaient nourries—

tellement nourries que même faire le chemin vers le temple, même être simplement sur le chemin pour y aller, renouvelait leur force.

Ensuite, c’est dans la maison de Dieu que le peuple de Dieu pouvait prier que Dieu pourvoie pour eux et les protège encore, v. 9 :

9Eternel, Dieu de l’univers, écoute ma prière!

Prête l’oreille, Dieu de Jacob!          –Pause.

10Toi qui es notre bouclier, vois, ô Dieu,

regarde le visage de celui que tu as désigné par onction!

Demander de la protection de Dieu,

demander à Dieu d’être leur bouclier,

demander à Dieu d’écouter leurs prières,

aurait dû être une idée tellement ridicule qu’ils n’auraient pas dû y penser.

Dieu est un Dieu tellement saint, et ils étaient un peuple tellement pécheur,

que la simple idée de venir dans sa présence,

d’autant moins lui demander quelque chose,

aurait dû les remplir de peur.

Mais Dieu invitait toujours son peuple à venir à lui avec leurs besoins,

et il leur promettait de les protéger lorsqu’ils s’humiliaient de cette manière.

Alors ils venaient dans sa présence avec joie, et demandaient encore sa faveur et sa protection, sachant que Dieu entendait et répondait à leurs prières.

Le prochain verset est mon préféré, parce qu’il décrit la réalité la plus simple en jeu ici :

la maison de Dieu était tellement désirable simplement parce qu’il est bon d’y être. V. 11 :

11Mieux vaut un jour dans tes parvis

que 1000 ailleurs.

Je préfère me tenir sur le seuil de la maison de mon Dieu

plutôt que d’habiter sous les tentes des méchants…

Il y a une dizaine d’années (avant que les enfants arrivent) Loanne et moi sommes allés en vacances à Pise.

Chaque soirée de notre séjour, quand il faisait moins chaud,

on allait sur la pelouse entre la tour de Pise et la cathédrale,

et on se mettait sur l’herbe et on bouquinait.

On lisait là pendant des heures.

C’était merveilleux : on ne devait être nulle part d’autre, on n’avait rien d’autre à faire.

La température est parfaite, l’herbe était douce, la lecture était stimulante,

et j’étais avec la personne que j’aimais plus que n’importe qui d’autre. C’était juste bon.

Cette image est un reflet très pale de ce dont le psalmiste parle ici.

Le peuple de Dieu aimait être dans la maison de Dieu simplement parce que c’était bon d’y être.

Dans la présence d’un Dieu puissant qui t’aime, quel mal pourrait t’arriver ?

Qu’est-ce qui pourrait te manquer ?

Si tu es créé pour contempler la gloire de Dieu et en être satisfait,

et tu arrives enfin à l’endroit où cette gloire est pleinement manifestée, tu es satisfait—

peu importe ce que tu y fais.

Un jour dans ce lieu est meilleur que mille jours ailleurs.

Dernièrement, la maison de Dieu était désirable parce qu’elle leur rappelait qui Dieu était pour eux, et que sa bonté va bien au-delà de ce à quoi ils pourraient s’attendre. V. 12 :

12 …car l’Eternel Dieu est un soleil et un bouclier.

L’Eternel donne la grâce et la gloire,

il ne refuse aucun bien

à ceux qui marchent dans l’intégrité.

13Eternel, maître de l’univers,

heureux l’homme qui se confie en toi!

Quand tu es dans la présence du Dieu tout-puissant,

et tu sais que grâce à son amour et sa fidélité envers toi,

il ne te manquera jamais rien de ce qui est bon pour toi,

tu ne peux que t’exulter dans ce lieu, et te réjouir de cette expérience, là avec tes frères et sœurs.

Le psalmiste ressent pour le temple—ce lieu de rites et de rituels et de sacrifices—

les sentiments les plus intenses de satisfaction et de joie,

des sentiments que la plupart d’entre nous ne ressentons jamais.

Ce sont des plaisirs que peu de gens ont vécu—

non pas parce qu’ils sont hors de notre portée,

mais simplement parce que nous n’estimons pas la maison de Dieu comme le psalmiste.

La maison de Dieu, aujourd’hui

Aujourd’hui, il est facile de ne pas prendre ce psaume trop au sérieux, parce qu’on n’a plus le temple aujourd’hui.

Quand Jésus parlait à la femme samaritaine (Jean 4.21-24),

il lui dit que la présence de Dieu n’est pas limitée à un endroit ou à une époque :

les adorateurs de Dieu le louent en esprit et en vérité, pas seulement dans le temple.

Alors le contexte est différent.

Mais ça ne veut pas dire que le temple, cette maison de Dieu où sa présence réside, n’existe plus.

L’auteur de la lettre aux Hébreux écrit (Hébreux 3.5-6) :

5 Moïse a été fidèle dans toute la maison de Dieu comme serviteur, pour témoigner de ce qui allait être dit, 6mais Christ l’est comme Fils à la tête de sa maison. Or sa maison, c’est nous, pourvu que nous retenions [fermement jusqu’à la fin] la confiance et l’espérance dont nous tirons notre fierté.

Vous le voyez ? Sa maison, c’est NOUS.

Puisque Jésus est venu, puisqu’il est vécu et mort et ressuscité pour nous, nous sommes réconciliés à Dieu—

réconciliés si complètement que sa présence vit maintenant en nous.

Le peuple de Dieu est son temple—nous sommes sa maison.

Ça veut dire que si vous avez la foi en Christ, alors chaque jour—

quand vous êtes dans le métro en route pour le travail,

ou assis à votre bureau,

ou chez vous seul dans un bâtiment dans lequel vous êtes peut-être le seul chrétien—

Dieu est là.

Nous ne devons pas venir à l’église pour être dans sa présence—il vit en nous.

C’est une assurance pleine et merveilleuse que nous avons.

Mais ça ne veut pas dire que ce que le psalmiste décrit dans le Psaume 84 n’est plus applicable pour nous.

Après que Christ soit venu, les apôtres sont partis et ils ont implanté des églises partout,

et ces églises célébraient Dieu en se rassemblant régulièrement pour louer (c’est ce qu’on appelle « la louange rassemblée »).

Nous voyons dans Actes 2 qu’ils se consacraient, « persévéraient », dans ces rassemblements ;

ils écoutaient la Parole de Dieu prêchée ;

ils chantaient des cantiques ;

ils se réjouissaient de l’amour fraternel les uns avec les autres ;

ils priaient ensemble ;

ils se servaient mutuellement avec reconnaissance et générosité.

Vous voyez, même si le contexte de la louange rassemblée a changé depuis l’époque du Psaume 84—

s’est déplacé du temple au rassemblement des chrétiens—

le caractère de la louange rassemblée reste le même.

Frères et sœurs, même si on n’a pas besoin de venir à l’église pour se réjouir de la présence de Dieu, quelque chose de particulier a lieu quand on le fait.

Il y a une joie particulière, un plaisir particulier, un service particulier, lorsque le peuple de Dieu se rassemble pour louer.

C’est dans nos rassemblements réguliers que nous avons une opportunité unique de se réjouir de la présence de Dieu ensemble,

une opportunité unique de nous inciter à l’amour et à de belles œuvres (Hébreux 10.24).

Et la raison pour laquelle c’est si important, c’est parce que ce n’est pas la fin :

la joie que nous avons dans la présence de Dieu quand on se rassemble pour louer n’est qu’un reflet de la joie que nous aurons dans sa présence pour toute l’éternité—

encore une fois, tous ensemble.

La présence de Dieu habitait ses maisons sur terre (le tabernacle et le temple) ;

Dieu nous a fait sa maison en Jésus-Christ (l’église) ;

et un jour Christ reviendra nous amener vivre dans sa maison (les nouveaux cieux et la nouvelle terre).

Dans ces trois incarnations de la maison de Dieu, le peuple de Dieu fait la même chose.

Lorsqu’on se rassemble pour louer, nous invitons nos frères et sœurs à nous rejoindre dans notre joie à la présence de Dieu.

Nous aidons ceux qui sont faibles ou accablés par la culpabilité ou la souffrance pour se réjouir en Dieu comme ils devraient faire.

Nous servons ceux qui ont besoin de service.

Nous recevons de la présence de Dieu et de la Parole de Dieu, afin que ce que nous recevions puisse déborder en amour pour les autres.

L’écart

Le problème, c’est que les chrétiens ne font pas souvent ça.

Il y a un écart assez grand entre la manière dont le psalmiste vient à la maison de Dieu pour le louer ensemble avec le peuple,

et la manière dont nous nous rassemblons pour le louer ensemble avec le corps de Christ.

Regardez à la manière dont le psalmiste parle de venir au temple pour louer.

Il en est passionné, il en est stimulé, il en est satisfait.

Quand nous aimons quelque chose à ce point,

et nous savons que notre joie dépend en grande partie de cette chose,

comment est-ce que nous nous en approchons ?

Pensez aux vacances. Qu’est-ce que nous sommes prêts à faire pour les vacances ?

Nous faisons ce qu’il faut pour arriver à l’aéroport à l’heure.

Nous apportons tout ce qu’il nous faut pour le voyage.

Nous encourageons les autres à trouver les mêmes joies que nous

(« Tu n’as jamais été à Venise ? Oh, c’est merveilleux »).

Nous y réfléchissons en amont, et nous faisons tout ce qu’on peut pour maximiser notre plaisir, et—si on les aime—le plaisir de ceux qui seront avec nous.

Ce sont les choses que nous faisons sans même réfléchir.

Mais ce n’est pas ainsi que la plupart d’entre nous venons à l’église.

Il y a des exceptions, évidemment ; nous avons plusieurs exceptions ici.

Mais globalement, le rassemblement des croyants pour la louange rassemblée est devenu pour nous une affaire assez fainéante.

Avec le temps, de plus en plus de chrétiens viennent à l’église de la même manière qu’on irait à un restaurant :

on arrive quand on veut ;

on parle à ceux qu’on connaît et qu’on aime (et on ne fait pas trop attention aux gens sur la table à côté) ;

on attend que Dieu arrive à notre table pour prendre notre commande…

et puis on se demande pourquoi on ne tire pas plus de l’expérience.

Le psalmiste pense à une seule chose : la joie de se rassembler avec le peuple pour louer.

Il anticipe les joies de chanter les louanges de Dieu.

Il anticipe les joies du service.

Il poursuit sa route vers le temple, et on voit bien que rien ne pourrait l’en détourner,

parce qu’il n’y a nulle part où il préfère être.

Les chrétiens d’aujourd’hui arrivent à l’église de manière aussi relaxe parce qu’ils ne réalisent pas ce qu’ils font quand ils viennent ici.

Si nous ressentions pour nos rassemblements la même chose que le psalmiste ressentait pour le temple,

nos rassemblements seraient bien différents.

Alors qu’est-ce qui manque ?

De quelle manière Dieu nous appelle-t-il à venir quand on se rassemble ?

(On va devenir super pratique ici—

on va essayer de voir ce que nous devons faire ici et aujourd’hui pour être fidèle au Psaume 84,

pour répondre au grand don que Dieu nous donne en nous appelant à nous rassembler pour louer.)

Réponses pratiques

D’abord, priez le Psaume 84 avant de venir ici le dimanche.

Priez que Dieu vous aide à ressentir la joie de ce que nous faisons ici aussi clairement que le psalmiste.

Priez que nous voyions la louange rassemblée comme Dieu la voit :

non pas comme un ajout optionnel à une semaine déjà remplie,

mais comme une partie intégrante de notre sanctification, en tant que le corps de Christ.

Deuxièmement, venez régulièrement.

(Je sais qu’on est en pleines vacances d’été, et que beaucoup de monde est parti à cause de ça.)

Mais je serai honnête—en plein milieu de l’année scolaire, plusieurs d’entre vous, on ne vous voit que 50% du temps.

Je sais qu’on est à Paris, et que tout le monde fait beaucoup de voyages.

Mais le fait que c’est ainsi que le reste de Paris vit ne veut pas dire que nous devrions vivre de la même manière.

Quand on voit la manière dont le Nouveau Testament parle des chrétiens, il en parle presque toujours en termes du groupe, plutôt qu’en termes de l’individuel.

Dieu n’a pas simplement envoyé Jésus pour sauver « les gens » ;

il a envoyé Jésus pour sauver un peuple.

Il est théologiquement impossible de séparer la vie d’un chrétien individuel avec Dieu de la vie de l’église avec Dieu.

Elles vont toujours ensemble.

Alors il n’est pas surprenant que Dieu nous ordonne à nous rassembler régulièrement pour louer. Hébreux 10.24-25 dit :

24 Veillons les uns sur les autres pour nous inciter à l’amour et à de belles œuvres. 25N’abandonnons pas notre assemblée, comme certains en ont l’habitude, mais encourageons-nous mutuellement. Faites cela d’autant plus que vous voyez s’approcher le jour.

Le rassemblement des chrétiens est un des moyens que Dieu nous donne pour nous inciter à l’amour et à de belles œuvres,

pour nous encourager mutuellement dans la foi ;

alors l’appel à ne pas négliger notre assemblée n’est pas une suggestion ;

ce n’est pas optionnel ;

c’est nécessaire pour notre foi, et pour la foi de nos frères et sœurs.

Troisièmement—et je l’ai déjà dit, mais c’est loin d’être le moins important—venez en avance.

Voici un des domaines où l’église a hérité de moi—je dois vous demander pardon pour cela.

Assez rapidement j’ai prendre l’habitude de commencer le culte en retard ;

initialement parce que je n’avais pas assez bien planifié pour que tout soit prêt à l’heure,

et puis après quelque temps,

parce que si nous commencions à l’heure,

la plupart des gens ne seraient pas là.

Typiquement dans notre église,

si le culte commence à 11h,

les visiteurs arrivent à 10h45,

et les premières personnes de l’église commencent à arriver vers 11h, 11h05, 11h10—

parfois aussi tard que 11h45.

Alors on ne commence pas le culte avant 11h15,

parce que si on commençait à l’heure la plupart d’entre nous ne seraient pas là,

et on ne veut pas demander à des visiteurs de chanter tous seuls des chants qu’ils ne connaissent pas.

Ça peut sembler hors sujet—mais je vous assure que c’est faux.

Venir toujours en retard à l’église communique un message implicite sur son importance pour nous—

peut-être pas pour nous, mais certainement pour ces visiteurs qui attendent depuis une demi heure,

ou pour ces frères et sœurs qui sont arrivés à 9h30 pour servir tout le monde en mettant en place la salle, en priant, en se préparant à accueillir.

Le message implicite, si je peux être franc, c’est que ce rassemblement n’est pas assez important pour se préparer à l’avance pour lui.

Le psalmiste dit : Mon âme soupire et même languit après les parvis de l’Eternel.

Il ne dit pas : Mon âme soupire et même languit après les parvis de l’Eternel…sauf si je peux faire un peu la grasse mat’.

Comprenez-moi bien : je suis sûr que la plupart d’entre vous n’estimez pas vraiment ce rassemblement si peu—

mais c’est bien le message non voulu que ça communique.

Alors pour vos frères et sœurs qui vous servent, et que vous pourriez servir ;

pour ces visiteurs qui attendent peut-être pour mieux connaître Jésus-Christ et qui devront attendre seuls, ne cherchez pas à arriver à l’heure ;

visez de venir en avance, pour servir ceux qui ont besoin de service,

pour encourager ceux qui ont besoin d’être encouragés,

et pour vous préparer à louer.

Et si ça veut dire qu’on reste dehors moins tard le samedi soir, alors, ça ne vaut pas le coup ?

Qu’est-ce qui est plus important ?

D’où devrait venir notre vrai repos ?

Si nous ressentions ce même désir ardent que le psalmiste ressent,

nous ferions ce qu’il faut pour arriver à ces parvis dès que possible.

Quatrièmement : servez-vous les uns les autres pendant que vous êtes là.

Si vous venez en avance, il y aura des choses à faire.

Plusieurs gens sont venus à l’église et ont demandé comment ils peuvent servir, et ma réponse est toujours la même :

venez assez en avance pour aider à mettre en place,

ou pour aider à accueillir les gens si on a terminé.

Veillez sur ceux qui sont seuls, et parlez-leur.

Cherchez ceux qui semblent mal à l’aise, et accueillez-les.

Demandez aux gens comment vous pouvez prier pour eux, et puis priez pour eux, au moment même !

Il y a bien des manières dont nous pouvons nous servir chaque semaine,

qui n’ont rien à voir avec des programmes ou des équipes ou des plannings ou des tâches à faire.

Comme on a lu tout à l’heure, Veillons les uns sur les autres pour nous inciter à l’amour et à de belles œuvres.

Enfin, réjouissez-vous ensemble de la présence de Dieu.

Bibliquement, les rassemblements de l’église a toujours inclut quatre éléments essentiels :

la prière,

la lecture publique de la Bible,

la louange,

et la prédication.

Réjouissez-vous ensemble de la présence de Dieu en priant ensemble.

Un groupe de chrétiens se réunit ici chaque dimanche à 10h pour prier.

Venez à 10h et priez avec eux.

Ou comme j’ai dit, demandez à quelqu’un comment vous pouvez prier pour eux, et n’attendez pas.

N’hésitez pas, si vous en ressentez le désir, à lever la voix dans la prière pendant le culte—

que ce soit entre les chants ou pendant un moment désigné pour la prière.

Priez ensemble.

Réjouissez-vous de la présence de Dieu à travers la lecture de la Parole.

Dans chaque culte, avant ou après la prédication, il y a au moins deux moments où la Bible est lue à haute voix.

Ne considérez pas ces moments comme du simple « coussin, » pour remplir l’espace entre des chants.

Lorsque l’Écriture est lue, Dieu nous parle. Écoutez sa voix ensemble.

Répondez à sa voix dans la prière et dans le chant.

Honorez Dieu par la manière dont vous écoutez sa Parole lue.

Réjouissez-vous de la présence de Dieu en le louant ensemble.

Dimanche dernier, France a gagné la Coupe du monde.

Dans les rues, dans les bars, et dans les maisons partout dans la capitale,

la ville a résonné du son de La Marseillaise,

chantée à pleins poumons,

jusqu’à l’épuisement de leurs voix.

Je ne veux pas culpabiliser qui que ce soit,

mais si vous avez célébré avec le reste du pays, comment avez-vous chanté La Marseillaise dimanche dernier ?

Comment avez-vous applaudi notre équipe ?

Comment avez-vous crié en célébration ?

Maintenant—comparez ça à la manière dont vous chantez au Seigneur chaque semaine.

Notre église chante bien—c’est un des grands plaisirs de ma semaine de vous entendre chanter.

Plusieurs d’entre vous ont eu une éducation musicale, et savent chanter des contre-voix qui complimentent la mélodie.

C’est merveilleux, et il ne faut pas que ça s’arrête.

Mais la louange, c’est plus que savoir chanter.

V. 3 : pas seulement ma bouche, mais Tout mon être pousse des CRIS DE JOIE vers le Dieu vivant.

Si nous sommes prêts à casser nos cordes vocales pour célébrer notre équipe après la Coupe du monde,

qu’est-ce que le Dieu qui nous a créés et nous a sauvés et nous a rachetés et nous a adoptés—qu’est-ce qu’il mérite ?

Louons-le comme il mérite—

de tout notre être, poussons des cris de joie vers le Dieu vivant.

Enfin, réjouissez-vous de la présence de Dieu ensemble en écoutant Dieu parler à travers la prédication de sa Parole.

Quand un pasteur prêche fidèlement la Parole (et j’ai bien dit fidèlement),

il montre à son assemblée à quoi ça ressemble de creuser dans la Parole,

d’entendre ce que Dieu dit à son peuple,

et de répondre à cette Parole en obéissance et en louange.

La prédication fidèle est une leçon de louange.

Alors nous nous réjouissons de la présence de Dieu ensemble en écoutant sa Parole fidèlement prêchée,

et en répondant à sa Parole en louange et en obéissance avec le prédicateur.

Frères et sœurs, ce n’est pas une chose légère que nous faisons ici lorsque nous nous rassemblons pour louer.

Et je suis désolé que je n’ai pas mieux fait pour former la vie de l’église afin de refléter cela.

La bonne nouvelle, c’est qu’il n’est jamais trop tard—

lorsque la Parole de Dieu expose des domaines dans nos cœurs qui ont besoin de changer,

nous pouvons toujours nous repentir de cela, et y répondre en obéissance.

Alors soyons fidèles à ce qu’est vraiment la louange rassemblée.

C’est le rassemblement régulier des croyants dans la présence de Dieu,

pour exprimer notre désir de Dieu,

notre amour pour Dieu,

notre besoin de Dieu,

notre soumission à Dieu,

notre dépendance de Dieu,

et notre reconnaissance à Dieu,

un rassemblement dont Dieu se sert pour nous conformer à son Fils.

Soyons fidèles, non seulement dans notre enthousiasme et notre joie,

mais dans dans les petits détails qui communiquent des vérités plus grandes à ceux qui nous entourent.

Rassemblons-nous d’une telle manière à ce que lorsque nous nous rassemblons pour louer,

le message implicite soit abondamment clair :

Combien tes résidences sont aimées, Eternel, maître de l’univers! Nos âmes soupirent et même languissent après les parvis de l’Eternel. Mieux vaut un jour dans tes parvis que 1000 ailleurs.