Psalm 122 - God's People as the City of God

Introduction

This morning for those who are Christians: Have you ever woke up on a Sunday morning and thought, “I really do not want to go to church this morning?” I have done that many times. A lot of times it has to do with how much responsibility that I carry on this day of the week because I am a pastor. It can feel overwhelming.

Our lack of desire and lack of grandeur in our hearts when we think about the church and her gathering is probably stemming from many things. For us, Sundays are hard because we have 3 young kids who take a lot to get out the door. And on top of that, We are typically at the church before everyone else. My wife and I made an agreement that, by God’s grace, we would always try and go to church together. And this is what we have tried to do. So this makes Sundays hard at times with me preaching, or leading worship, or leading pre-service prayers, having a meeting + trying to get the kids ready and out the door on time.

Or maybe you are not a Christian and you are here this morning, and you do not understand what is actually happening here. You may not understand what the church is. We sing, we read the Bible, we hear someone speak, we meet new people who we have nothing in common with, and we do this every week. “Whats the purpose?” You may ask. These are good questions that deserve answers.

IF you are in either one of those camps, you probably feel the tension and doubt that leaves you asking, “Is the church really worth my time, effort, or commitment?” I think this is a valid question.

But I think to trivialize or normalize the gathering of the saints - or to trivialize this redemption community that, if you are a Christian, you find yourself in today - is to misunderstand what God has really done in Christ. I think the psalmist in Psalm 122 would ask us as we find ourselves sluggish on a Sunday morning or not wanting to go to the home group you are a part of, or for those who are not Christians asking “What is the purpose?”, I think he would ask us: “Do you realize what it is that God is doing in the world?”

The psalmist saw something in God’s activity in the world and was stirred in his heart. When his friends asked him about going to worship in the temple in the city of Jerusalem, he was filled with joy. He lived for these moments because he knew that it pressed into the ultimate questions in his life: Who am I? Who is God? What is life about?

Psalm 122 starts with this unwritten tension. HE is joyful when his friends invite him to the temple because the rest of his experience is in real life, probably not joyful. Mundane. Frustrating.

So when the psalmist hears his friends talking about the temple, he was reminded and directed - and even dreamed - of the city where God would establish his reign in the world. Where the people would be with their God and God would be with their people.

And this tension that we feel where we hear the promises of God in the Gospel, but our experience proves these promises distant; the psalmist pushes us through this tension to a place of trust and expectancy that God would prove good on His promises. He looks at the city of God, where God’s people would gather in worship around the presence of God in the temple, and he is joyful. He is expectant. He is looking to God knowing that there is something amazing about this city. He was probably recalling all of the stories he had heard through the years, the smells, the sights and sounds, and, paired with the promises of the Gospel, he knows there is no greater place on earth than here in the presence of God. He is joyful. He is joyful IN God.

To really understand what this psalm is about you must understand what the city of Jerusalem was.

Jerusalem was the city built on the promise of God that He would reestablish what was lost in the Garden of Eden. Jerusalem was the city built around the presence of God, where the temple of God was found. In this city, there was security that God was with His people. The prosperity and flourishing of this city was the surety that God was surely with His people. His presence with His people was the reason why it was a city (1) bound firmly together or “Well-built” (CSB), (2) devoted to worship (122:4-“give thanks”), and (3) a place where Justice reigns (122:5-“thrones of judgment”).

And when Jesus comes, He globalizes the presence of God where it would not be exclusive to the city of Jerusalem anymore. He globalizes what was local. God would dwell with His people who called upon His name, in faith receiving all that Jesus did for God’s people at the cross and in the resurrection. Now, God’s presence was not confound to the physical temple in Jerusalem, but in the spiritual temple of our hearts. Jerusalem was the beginning of what was going to be global. Now, the benefits of true worship, true community, and real justice would be felt wherever there was a community of believers gathered around the name of Jesus. And this community would be a foretaste of a coming reality where all of creation would be made new. The knowledge of the Glory of God would penetrate into all the world and cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

And Whereas Jerusalem was a symbol of the presence of God and the place where the benefits of His Kingdom and presence could be felt and experienced in the world, the church of Jesus Christ - God’s people - is the same. The church is the place where God reigns, just as the prophet Isaiah says and as Paul echoes that, “Our God reigns!” With the coming of Jesus, we see not just a city that one must travel to to rightly worship God and experience His presence, but a people who has God among them. Like Matthew 18 says, where there is a gathering in faith, submitted to His word, He is among us.

We see this happen in the book of Acts, which is a book in the New Testament about how this Gospel of Jesus Christ goes forward in the world. Here, in the city of Jerusalem, God does something brand new. He sends his presence through the Holy Spirit to dwell on all who believe in Jesus as Lord. And one of the early leaders of the church named Peter says this:

“[Jesus] has poured out [the Holy Spirit, the presence of God, which is]what you both see and hear.” Acts 2:33

This is the church. This is what we are called into now as we trend toward the moment where the earth will be filled with a knowledge of Him. We get to participate in this outpost of Heaven where God is on the throne of David. We get to bow in humble joyful submission to the King of Kings now because there will be a day then where the whole earth does this. This is the church. If you believe in Jesus today or come to believe in Him maybe even right now, you will be filled with the Holy Spirit and welcomed into this city of God’s people where God is on the throne as His Kingdom is established.

I think this psalm today shows us why there is much more going on in our gathering, and in the life of the church, than we may feel at times. This psalm shows us that where we are found clinging to the Gospel - the promises of God in the person and work of Christ - there is something miraculous happening in our midst.

So over the next few moments, I want to show us how David’s words here in Psalm 122 - where he is talking about the beautiful city of Jerusalem and his journey to worship in the temple - gives us insight into how we should view and understand what the church is and how the church worship and lives in this world together as God’s people.

This is my main point this morning:

The church is a blood-bought community of worshippers who labor to see His Kingdom established on earth as it is in heaven.

The Psalmist David gives us 3 indicatives - what God has built in the city of Jerusalem which gives us clarity on what He is doing in the world through Jesus - and 3 Imperatives - what we should do in response to these great and glorious realities.

God builds a community bound firmly together by the blood of Christ (“Jerusalem, built as a city should be, solidly united [CSB]”) 122:3

The psalmist says that this city of God, Jerusalem, is a city “bound firmly together.”

Ephesians 1:10 - “as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” In Jesus, God has broken down every wall of hostility we place in between each other. Whether it be ethnic, racial, social barriers or anything else. God is re-creating humanity through the one man Jesus Christ where we are united underneath the name Jesus Christ. Therefore, The church is a place of relational flourishing, where all tribes and languages and peoples and nations lived in unity with one another because of God in the Gospel The NT uses the language of Family. We are “Bound firmly together/Solidly united” like a family, what should be the deepest relationships you have in your life.

The church is not “like” family; it is family. In Christ, God has created a family called the church. I think it’s important we do not use “family” as a metaphor. The church actually IS a family. It should be taken literally. The church as “family” has implication to how we think of the church and structure the church. It’s not primarily an organization; it’s primarily a family. It’s not primarily a commercial enterprise; it is primarily a family. The church is not a mission; it’s the family of God.Ephesians 2:19 - “So then.. you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” A household. A family.

And this language of “bound firmly together” is not speaking about what we experience or how we feel. The City of God being “bound firmly together” is an objective reality.

The main point here is this: God has built something totally countercultural in the church. There is nothing like it. We are bound together through the REAL power of the Gospel. And our intimacy with one another, our commitment to one another, our love for one another is not based upon a common hobby, expectation, or our performance. It is based on the love of God in Christ. Our love for one another is not dependent on what we have in common. It is blood-bought. An objective reality.

All that prevents this love and deep unity with one another is destroyed at the Cross. All that prevents our deep commitment to one another is destroyed through the work of Christ. So you are freed to love one another! Free to give yourself in relationship to your brothers and sisters here, because it is not about who they are or what they do. It is about who He is. Maybe you are here this morning and feel that pain, bitterness, or anger toward others in the church. I want to encourage you to take this to the Cross. Go before the Lord in prayer and allow Jesus to heal your heart. Not long ago, I was reading through the story of Abraham in the book of Genesis and talking about how foundational all of that was to the Christian faith with our family. And our little girl Ezra listened intently and responded to me by saying this:

“So [daddy , what you are saying is this:] the Kingdom of God is the whole family of the whole world sitting at the dinner table with Jesus.” God is building a worshipping community through the Gospel (“where… the LORD’s tribes, go up to give thanks to the name of the LORD.” [CSB]) 122:4

A place where the Glory of God in the face of Christ was the central unifying theme of all that was done. That rightly worshipped Jesus in spirit and truth.

John 4 - The day is coming where this worship in Jerusalem would happen in Spirit and truth in all of the hearts that would call upon the name of Jesus. God is doing something new through Christ where we do not have to go to Jerusalem, but we would worship Him in Spirit and truth. Right where you are. Right here this morning.

I remember flying to Istanbul a couple years ago on Turkish Airlines. Being based out of a muslim country, They have this feature on their eterntainment system where if you are a muslim you can know where Mecca is at all times so that you can make sure you are facing the right way when you pray.

But Jesus is introducing something totally different with his coming. He says, “There will be a day where my people will be so renewed in their hearts and so set upon God that they will be able to worship me no matter where they are.” Jesus has totally changed the paradigm of how we relate to God now. One thing our church says regularly is this (its actually one of our values): We exist for the glory of God. All that we do. All that we are is about Jesus. Our mission statement is that “we exist to spread the supremacy of Jesus to our city and beyond.” But notice what this worship is. We have located that this worship happens in Spirit and truth. But what is the nature of the worship? The psalmist says it is “Giving Thanks.”

We are not earning anything. We are not working toward anything. We are not worshipping so God would bless us. We worship because God has already blessed us. Our worship is giving thanks. And this is a spiritual reality. God has filled us with an internal witness of the beauty of who He is revealed in the work of His SON. So the church worships. We do not have to go to Jerusalem to do this. We have fellowship with God through the Gospel of Jesus no matter where we are at.

So we erupt with praise when we get out of bed in the morning. We erupt with praise at every point in our lives because our hearts cannot contain our thankfulness for what God has done

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16 But we also gather regularly to remember as a unified, blood-bought people, what God has done for us in Christ. To sing, exult, rejoice in the Gospel together. God is building a community of biblical justice (“Thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David [CSB]’) 122:5

A place where the reign of God would be established where every wrong would be righted and all brokenness would be healed. The world should be able to look at the church and see a different world. The church should be kind of like an embassy.

I was watching a movie recently called “Argo.” It is about the crazy and true events that transpired in Iran back in the 70’s when the US Embassy was overran by Iranians and the workers in the embassy hid out for weeks until a rescue mission.

At the beginning of the movie, there is a juxtaposition that the film does between two scenes: (1) is the chaos that is going on outside of the embassy where Iranians are trying to take down the walls; and (2) is the environment inside the embassy. And although the embassy was located in Iran, it felt like they were in America. They spoke the same language, they understood one another, they were friends and has commonalities and bonds unlike what they could have with those outside of the embassy. They also understood collectively what the state should do and how it should be ran. It was a totally different environment from what was outside.

And if you were an American in Iran, or any country for the matter, you know that when things go south, you have this embassy that, once you step inside, is like being in America. This is what the church should be like. The church is an embassy of heaven. Or an Outpost of heaven, like I said earlier. When someone steps in to the firmly bound community of the church, they should experience the culture of heaven: where every wrong will be made right. Where pain is dealt with, not stuffed. Where we see past racial barriers, socio-economic status, past history, relationship status and are united under the one name Jesus Christ.

Where the abused will be heard and action will be taken Where the unloveable will be loved Where the porn addict can share open and honestly with no judgment Where the nominal Christian can be open about their struggles and welcomed back in. Where all is made right, and longed for, and hoped in as God’s people wait for the coming of God’s Kingdom

So he ends this psalm by saying “pray for peace.” But there is deeper understanding of this than what first meets the eye. Jerusalem literally is derived from the hebrew word for “peace.” So essentially the word Jerusalem represents the peaceful city of God. This city where the “shalom” peace that comes from God permeates an entire city because the presence of God dwells there.

So consider what the psalmist is saying. He is basically saying, “Pray that the city of God would live up to its name. That the peaceful city would be peaceful. That the House of Peace would be peaceful. That it would live up to its name. That the inhabitants of this city would be so fixed upon this future reality, that the experience of this city here and now - as the promises of God draw near - would be essentially an outpost of a future and eternal Kingdom.

And as God dwells thru His Spirit among us - among Engage Albany - we can receive the same imperative. The NT Scriptures speak to us today: that the church would live up to its great and glorious Gospel. THat we would realize in our hearts what God has purchased through His Son and, in response, our culture would become a Gospel culture. Our churches would become built upon the present and coming reality of God’s Kingdom. Our decisions would be made based upon a bold and deep, abiding faith in Jesus. Our conversations and fellowship would be about the glory of God in Christ.

Keys to Peace: How do we live up to the Gospel? What are the keys to the “Peace” that David is saying we should “pray” for and seek after? How do we embody this Kingdom that God has called us into?

GOSPEL: “May they be secure who love you!”

We would be secure in God’s love for us as we look to others, serve others, and seek to see the church healthy.

Alex Early, Pastor in Seattle, said this: I quit praying "God, use me for your glory" years ago. Reason being is that I didn't mean it. What I meant by it was "God make me look good in front of a religious crowd."So I started praying, "Abba, help me grow in your love for me. Help me live out of the center." -Alex Early Imagine how different your life might be - and how impactful you would be in the local church - if all of your motivation in your life for all that you do was rooted in God’s love for you.

Non-Christian: Believe the Gospel, and you will encounter a love unlike anything else in the world. Nominal Christian: Your lack of assimilating your life to the way of Jesus is rooted in a truncated understanding of God’s love for you.

Causes: relationship with dad, Family, abuse, past, guilt, shame, fear Turn to Him and He will restore all the years the locust have eaten and you will learn that you can truly give of yourself to others because Christ has given of Himself to you. COMMUNITY: “Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!”

David continues and says that the church should be a peaceful place.

If God has done the unthinkable in Christ (BOUnd firmly together) then hear the imperative of, “There should be peace amidst His people.”

It is not the Porn addict that is primarily killing the church, but the Gossip and slanderer. The greatest problem facing the church today is not the world but the church herself. The most dangerous hindrances to our mission are found inside, not outside. In the pews, not DC. We mainly need to hold up mirrors, not magnifying glasses. Dane Ortlund If you are here and you are harboring bitterness to your brother or sister, or maybe you are angry at someone here because they have hurt. DO not let the sun go down on your anger. Talk to them today. Repent today. Go hand in hand back to Jesus together and find an overflowing fountain of mercy and grace in Him.

Phil 1:27 - “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel..” MISSION: “I will seek your good”

What can you do to see the church healthy? Ask yourself, “What is God calling me to do to serve the church.”

Think about this reality: God has plucked us up and placed us in a tightly bound community of God’s people through the power of the Gospel. He has oriented us on Worshipping Him, and he is making all things right in the world through this Gospel, and it starts here in the church. Therefore, lay down your life for the church. Make the church a significant part of your life. Covenant with your brothers and sisters.

David was filled with joy when he thought about the city of God’s people where the presence of GOd dwelt, because there was something beautiful that GOd was doing. Charles Spurgeon says, “The Church is the greatest place on earth.” I pray that today you are filled with the love of God in Christ in such a way that you are filled with so much love for the church.

• the psalmist was filled with joy at the thought of returning to Jerusalem because he knows that the city of GOd is where all things are made right in the world

• Jerusalem is bound firmly together where all of GOd’s people can come

• Jerusalem is a place where God’s people gather in worship

• Jerusalem is a place where justice flows like a river

• Therefore, may those who love GOd’s people seek to see her live up to her name.