Bless, Psalm 134

Thank you for the time that we have. Freely turn to it in the study at Todd and molded by it. Artist we observe the heart of the worst for this morning. We just pray that you would instill truths in us that maybe we've never seen before. Thank you, and we praise you for your son Jesus. Is the reason why we worship you?

For this is precious.

Psalm 134 sza song song of ascent

first one

Come Bless the Lord all ye Servants of the Lord who Stand By Night in the house of the Lord What's up, your hands to the holy Place bless the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion. He who made Heaven year?

Again, Holy Spirit. We invite you into our hearts to shape and mold. understanding of you Jesus name

like what I said earlier today is the 5th Sunday of December. And when we have 5 Sundays in the month chick breaking our series whatever we're doing just so happens. We're in between Series right now and we turn into the Psalms to particularly to observe. The worst fear of God in Psalms are very complex or Hundreds of different ways we can approach him in in hundreds of different ways. We should approach him we can look at the book of Psalms is that we can look at the book of Psalms is the emotional book of the Bible. There's just an endless endless ways. We can approach to buy approach the Psalms in each individual song has its own flavor and its own purpose.

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34 oz of water called the Psalms of ascent What the Psalms of ascent or what their purpose was at least in ancient Israel was he songs song Use Me were were sung and recited ssur we as in as individual Israelites were traveling to Jerusalem for either a sacrifice for a festival or really as you are in your own Hometown. Everybody Israel lived in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a city capital of Israel. And so maybe you like maybe you were a Jana you lived here. 3240 miles away in the northern part of Israel River, you would travel you were supposed to travel there multiple times a year for the festival's know Passover was meant to be celebrated near at first the Tabernacle in the temple and singles travel together. Everybody was supposed to come together and and when the temple is built the temple still in Jerusalem in Jerusalem sits on this hell more than a hill. It's not quite a mountain, but it's also not quite as hell. uofu a journey to Jerusalem in NSU started to to go up that Tell your heart so that in a lot of ways you didn't waste any time once you got to the temple. Especially when you didn't live near the temple regularly go to the most Israelites probably only visited Jerusalem once a year at most if they did that it's it's expensive to travel in the ancient world difficulty traveling traveling each. Would you if you take a break from tending your flocks or your your crops or whatever it is you do for a living across money all sorts of stuff hinders you from going to the temple and so-so going to the temple is extremely important. They don't want to waste any time. And so on their Journey, they would prepare their hearts to go to go into the temple so that when they got there they were focused. I want to do three things that I want to talk about three things today all of them sort of briefly. The first what's the Israelites were doing with the Psalms of ascent and maybe try to apply and the concept of the songs of the sent to us today? Look at more particularly Psalm 134 and what it what it meant. Then what its purpose was then and then spending how that applies to us today. Who needs our path here the first thing we talked about this idea of preparing our hearts for something. This is something that I think. We always can grow in. Be prepared for Tinker would be prepared for Sunday Sunday morning service or even Wednesday night bible study as humans. We don't typically operate in on and off settings, right we know immediately and shift from one thing to the next 20 to 30 minutes away from their job because you don't just you don't just walk out of your your your place of work and walk into your home and immediately have turned everything off specially if you work in a in a place where you're using your mind a lot maybe maybe this is isn't as applied to two people who are in manual labor jobs, but really everybody who works in the manual labor job. You still using your brain, right? You're still thinking about that. You're still thinking about the the house that you have to frame or the cross that you need to bring in even though you're going to do that.

Immediately shift from work brain to home brain in any of us actually have a really hard time Shifting the whole brain in this is why a lot of people have difficulties in their marriages were thinking about their kids somewhere else work frame and turn on home bring. So then once you get with your family you're focused on your phone.

We do this with all sorts of things not just with work to give you kind of a a sillier example.

Racine Tailgaters, maybe some of you are Tailgaters. I'm not a Tailgater myself, and I'm not really a sports guy. I like spending more time before the game during the game, but the purpose of tailgating having fun with friends. It's the kind of prepare you eat. I'm getting ready for the game.

Worshipping God is way too important. To start about it when they walked in the door.

It's really easy to get on a high horse. When it's your job to be here. I recognize this and I recognize that I'm I've been late in the past. I've been ill ill prepared or in the wrong mental state in the car. But Church isn't just about social Gathering. It's about something so much more important. vacation of God and we have really looked.

We can do it all week long. Dedicate an hour and a half a week on Wednesday night. So so maybe if we even if we had that extra time to stay another hour and a half hour and a half to three hours out of what is it 162 hours a week.

Would benefit from observing this Israelite practice of preparing our hearts this week. Are on our way to church. I listen to audiobooks pretty much exclusively whenever I'm driving and my radio doesn't really work. Very good while I like to sing in my car. I personally am I like listen to books from my house to hear whatever they're turning my attention towards the Lord. I also get here fairly early. I get here somewhere between 5:30 and 6. I practice my sermon right when I get here and then there's about an hour to an hour and a half in between in between me finishing practicing measurement. In other people actually starting to get your sometimes West. Does the whole schedule off at?

Just just be but to prepare my heart because the worship of God is far too important to not be prepared. I don't want to waste a minute of this time of whenever we start singing or whatever the band starts playing on the way to single second shifting my attention turning turning the switch on and waiting for you know, the hard drives to boot up.

Do you prepare your heart you think about church before you walk in the door?

Venture a guess because I recognize that were probably pretty typical you don't

But you prepare your heart to worship God on your way to church. Before you leave for church we're getting dressed in the morning. Why do people have you know stereos in sin and stereo systems in their homes where you could be playing? You could be playing worship music as you get ready. To turn to Incline your heart towards the Lord's best worship and serve him once you get here.

Are you spending more time alone?

I'm not.

As we look at Psalm 134 this this song is is interesting. Like I said, it's a Psalm of ascent.

But it's it's different than the other songs of ascent because it seems like in were clued into this because it's the last of the 15 songs of it seems like this supposed to be song at the end. So you come to the temple to make a sacrifice?

And Passover is a week-long festival. Seems like this song is supposed to be sung at the close of the night.

Worship the next day. or for worship into the future So just kind of chew audiences here. The first we see in the first two verses Come Bless the Lord all you Servants of the Lord and then it is specifies more particularly in the second stanza who Stand By Night in the house of the Lord. A further definition of how do we do this? How do we bless the Lord lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord. 1 Is myself and Wes? Recipients one is myself in West Branch. I'm going to say this and I'm going to explain why I'm going to say that why I say this. You the congregation are The Voice? Can you speak to the leaders of worship within the congregation that is serving and worshipping God? Shut the servants that are being talked about here in verse 1. The servants are the Levites. This is this is still based on context. We're still making an assumption here. But but I think it's a fairly good one. Just call you Servants of the Lord who Stand By Night in the house of the Lord House of Barbie the temple really the only people who are left in the temple at night.

Are the Levites are interesting in Israel Israel or Jacob who is later? Renamed Israel by God becomes the patriarch of the people of Israel. He has 12 sons become 12 tribes of Israel. What's interesting is that Joseph who sent off in Egypt split into two tribes Manasseh and Ephraim Manasseh kind of gets interesting 1/2 Drive.

Children who who are going to be tribes, but one of them is taken out and set aside for a different task when you talk about the 12 tribes of Israel. What you're actually talking about is 11 sons and two grandsons. Let me say that a different way cuz that was incorrect 10 sons in two grandsons. Joseph is kind of high is remote and Levi are

With reading the people of Israel in the worship and service of the Lord. Not given multiple different jobs. Some of them are spread out throughout the land. So you got all these different spread out and all of the way where the Israelites settled in well and cities in the cities of the land. These Levites would be most associated with pastoral counselors of today. The regular tea interact with the people who helped him to the emotional and physical in all the old life has offered the day-to-day Life movie. Now before the Babylonian exile, there's no preachers. It's that the people that's our people of the temple. That's where you worship. God synagogues were not a thing at church was not a thing as regular Sunday or for them Saturday Services. Haven't done yet.

But then there's the Levites that were talking about today.

You have the janitor type Levites who are to keep the temple in good in working order cleaning pick some things like that. There are sweating astrostart to be visual, but they're the ones doing the the physical work of the sacrifices. When you have the Levites for the worshipper for a set aside to be the music maker. Fact this is actually one of the largest groups in the leave it levitical World Levites are everywhere the Levites were people song.

In the Levites, they didn't have other jobs their task was to serve and worship God and to lead the people that wrote to serve and worship God and they were supported by the rest of the nation. This is what the tide is. The tide was given to the to the temple to be dispersed amongst the Levites so that the Levites won't have to work. The reality is is it some of them still work? Some of them still had other jobs and didn't do things particular.

But you probably as much as we can simplify things or compare. It is most at SS close as we can to today.

Answer the Levites were they were vocational ministers. They do their jobs were to lead the people in the worship of God. proclamation of the good news of God in the word of God chaplains after the Babylonian exile and synagogues I jesus goes into the temple. He opens up the scroll and he preaches from it very similar to what I do today in Jesus obviously has an inside track and also to make song. Well West's Not just not just the same songs, but to help guide and direct you to learn and understand what it means to sing songs to help Advance you and your understanding of different types of genres of music in to write new songs. Is all things that West doesn't and the church supports him mostly because we believe that it's biblical principle.

Did Israelites would say to the Levites to bless the Lord?

It said twice bless the Lord bless the Lord to start and by the way blessed Lord's again. I said in the past and I and I still I still agree with it in the context of what I said in the past. I don't think I said it wrong Lee said that before I met the primaries thing that I do. for others is to preach Consider myself to be a preacher before I am anything else? I do teach Wednesday nights more teaching interacting with other people, but it's not. What what I should be as a minister of the Lord is first and foremost. one who glorify God

a negative example to try to show you what I mean. But a month ago, we were talking now in America who are hiring pastors who are not believers.

Let me say this the right way is best equipped to fully understand all of the mass the mass of intricacies of the literary magnificent.

My my training my degree is not in literature. Do every single day of my life is to study literature. And so some people study literature all their lives to go to school to understand posters. To teach you everything that there is to know about the Bible and so church is calling me. Let me hire a patent or somebody will understand this agree with it.

But that's the watch it. I disagree with that because past just like this.

The primary task of the Ministers of the Gospel all the Ministers of of God's good news. It's not to share it with others. But to glorify and bless God.

A good leader has been to where they're going.

Aren't you getting to a a caravan Drive in a caravan down to Florida you put the person who's been there in the front? The person who is, you know directionally challenged and has never been, you know outside of Wayne County. That person in the front.

A good leader knows where they're going.

What's what's your what are we doing?

To bless the Lord what we mean by bless the Lord when we when we say this is we we give him his just deserves. God the Creator the sustainer of the universe deserves all of our honor all of our Glory all of everything we can give to the Lord. In fact, she's the only one who rightly Onsen. And so our primary to serve and worship him and Gurion on. To answer the question. What about feeding the poor take care of the orphans and widows all these things that we talked about over there. Also think we should do. But if we're not persons primarily glorifying God is our hearts with our voices and with our actions. And by the way, our actions are those things that I just said. Then we are not actually doing anything.

And you say bless the Lord leave for the nitrous. We're about to enter into the temple and worship God you leader of us. In this task should first and primarily bless the Lord. The first time this is said I think it's a it's a it's a voice thing.

Understand and use your communication skills to do. So in the second one verse two. It says your hands to lift up your holy Hands In Worship.

It's a physical posture that supposed to represent something about our spiritual life. Right? We lift up our hands and pray that we are wholly in ourselves. But this is a look at what what my soul is doing this is this is what it looks like.

That's fine. Just a minute ago.

I guess. arms outstretched to jump into his father's this is about I think rather what what the song is saying here, which is most likely David the psalmist the same here. Let's get to work.

things that you do in the First Amendment

This is your call to myself your call. Let me give you some formations here. if you ever in any situations

call LaSalle.

because this is this this is what find everything else that we should be doing.

initial response is response verse 3 just met the Lord bless you from Zion. Who made heaven in Earth?

It's just kind of. twofold

You're the recipient.

But you're not. Who is being told? You are to receive a blessing from the Lord. But it is only as a minister of the Gospel of today West is a levite of today. Who is calling?

The tell God what to do. God Of Heaven creator of everything everyone and everything. all powerful mighty

Do this thing? It sounds silly. Can you imagine saying that's a guy? That's what's being said here. This is what the worst broken. He's calling on God to fulfill a promise.

From start to finish in scripture. This is what God is telling us near you.

Do you recognize this? Only reason why there is separation between us and God.

or God's choice or God's decision It's all of us. We are the ones who rebelled against we are the ones who have turned our backs from Genesis chapter 3. Revelation is God's attempt to show us near us. This is what it means for God to bless us monetary. Doesn't mean two things that we have it means Crescent. Which by the way far outweighs anything that weekend?

So, how does this happen?

I'll be honest doesn't happen as well as it should but I think what it is is. Through the week is I prepare for Sunday in Cypress.

My heart is inclined toward you.

I don't I don't preach to make sounds or to hear myself talk. Rather don't like to listen to myself talk. Might be shocking.

The reason why I get up yours because I want you through the words that are coming out of my mouth with your hopefully days in the Holy Spirit to us toward God. Charles Spurgeon, when am I? Pastor Heroes He talks in his letters to his lectures to his students about about the prayer life of the pastor. He talks about laboring over the sermons for those people in his congregation who do not know the Lord. I just been a conviction of mine for a few months now. It's it's been something that is always been a pattern of mine, but never quite to that extent.

I pray for many of you by name. Whenever I prepare my sermons. And not every week. Do I pray for every name in this room?

I think this is what the song is saying. I think this is what the heart of the worshipper is. Desire for God to bless those who hear the good news with his present.

So what do we do with this?

How do we how do we respond like the psalmist?

I think it's too full. number one We recognize the monsters importance of what we're doing.

What we do here on a Sunday morning is not just task that we check off a list. We are approaching the Throne of the almighty God of the universe.

every second of it to count

last sound arrogant But that starts with leadership.

sharks with me

whenever I stand up here.

it's not just a resounding symbol I just did Gone playing in the background doesn't have any effect.

What is the movement of the spirit?

So the challenge to you because of that truth.

Call me to it.

Tell me to that truth.

In response to that follow up to that. depraved blessing upon you all

we have a very simple and complex Life to Live

simple in that it really boils down to that one truth. We are here to glorify God. We're here to glorify God in all that we do.

It's complex. manifests itself in infinitely

show me to stand up here and tell you this is how I this is

Or rather I'm going to ask you to challenge yourself. Challenge ourselves to think about was it mean for me.

To cherish my time with the Lord on a Sunday morning. What does it mean for me to cherish my time with the Lord on a Tuesday at 3 p.m. Whenever your job is starting to get stressful? What does it mean for me to bless God? In all that I Endeavor to do with history.

And how can I? Pass that blessing on to those who are around. Sure will only ever come from the spirit of God.

Help me father.

are in heaven

I ask that you would fill our hearts today. with your spirit

ask that you would grant us.

Power and strength like we've never seen before.

for no other reason Indigo FIU

but you are worthy of everything. so we can give an infant So we asked you would help us to give all the weekend. It will give you honor.

Will give you praise. Will give you worship.

Will glorify your name not just with the words that come out of our mouths or actions as well. That we were then bless each other. We bless those who are around us. Those who we both know and don't know.

Lord bless your people from Zion You made heaven.

And your son Jesus Precious Moment.

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