Psalm 84                                                                                                                             Stewardship I, 2009

We are able to worship

It’s still hard to be a Christian in China. Church attending children often find sudden difficulties in entering college. Government sponsored weekend camps make it easy and convenient for children to miss church. Ask people like our ELS pastor Jung Ha Kim how hard it is to get into China from South Korea. There is almost no way to get the Gospel in that country.

      On the other hand, we are able to worship. Psalm 84 makes it clear just what a gift that is from God. The gift to be able to worship I.) Is a privilege. And it’s a privilege because worshiping is not something we have to do. It’s a privilege because II.) It gives us blessings.

TR. I But to receive the blessings of worship, we need to be a part of worship. Just what are we able to do if we are able to worship?

I. A Part of the privilege of worship is having access to the house of God. Ask Chinese Christians about that. Today, did they get to walk freely to a church they could expect to be unlocked and in use? Not a chance! Such access to God’s house is a part of worship which this Psalm considers a real privilege. “My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord…”

      A lot of the teaching went on in the outside courtyards of the temple. And the Psalm writer really wanted to be there. He thought being in God’s house was like a bird being able to build a nest in the safe shadow of the temple altar. It felt cozy. Being in God’s house suggested security. It was that security and safety coming from the teaching of God’s Word which caused the Psalm writers to say: “How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!”

      Did you catch who’s house it is? “Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty.” Honestly, what do you think the chances are that you would ever get a personal invitation to the governor’s mansion in Lansing? Would our chances be any better for being asked to the White House? Getting an invitation to either one is considered a rare privilege which few get. Yet God —who is far greater than governor or president— has invited us to come to His house anytime!

      And when we come it won’t be an empty house. We will have the undivided attention of God Almighty when we come to God’s house. It doesn’t matter if it’s in this church or any other Christian gathering place. God has promised to always be present where His people gather in His name. Beyond that we even have the privilege of God living within us all the time. That means we are always able to have God with us.

APP. Ia Is that how we felt about it when we got up this morning? What were our thoughts? Was it a negative: “Oh, do I have to get up and go to church? Or was it maybe a neutral: “Oh, Sunday. I guess I’ll get ready for church.” Neither of these expresses what a privilege worship is for us. Or was it like the Psalm, a joy-filled: “How lovely is your dwelling place… my soul yearns for the courts of the Lord and I’m able to be in them!”

      But just being in God’s house isn’t the only privilege. While we are here, we have the opportunity for prayer, praise and thanksgiving. It’s true enough that God expects —even demands— praise from His people. He has performed miracles throughout history to keep our chances of Christian faith alive. He performed the ultimate miracle of sending Jesus to become human and die for our guilt.

      But while God can demand praise for being this wonderful, does he have to demand it? When we think about it even a little, don’t we want to give credit where credit is due? With God? And while we’re at it with the giving of praise, wouldn’t we also want to pray to someone who is able to do such wonderful and loving things? Wouldn’t we want to ask God to help us and others, just like this Psalm does: “Hear my prayer O Lord God Almighty… and look with favor upon your anointed one,” our King.

      The things we do in our church services are a true privilege. Not everyone can do what we do because they don’t know God as a God of mercy. Other’s can’t pray to God as a God of mercy. Others can’t pray to a God they don’t know. They can’t praise God if they don’t know the tremendous things God has done. They won’t give thanks if they don’t realize just how generous God has been with forgiveness. But you and I know. We are able to worship.

APP. Ib How much of a privilege do we actually consider it? Many of the priest and temple workers of Old Testament times moved their families and homes near the temple just so they would never miss a chance to worship God. If we have the choice of humble worship will we take it? The Psalm says: “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Will we choose worship rather than anything else we might do during Service and Bible Class time?

      In Old Testament history, God’s people of Israel eventually got tired of worship. God had to allow them to be taken away as war captives, where they would have no temple. There would be no worship. They would even wonder if there was reason to give thanks. We Americans need to pray that we don’t slide so far that the privilege of worship is taken from us, too. We can’t allow the ability to be with God and worship Him to be so common that we don’t even care anymore.

TR. II You wouldn’t think that could happen, because God continues to bring blessings to all who use that privilege to worship.

II. A Have you ever clearly pictured for yourself what’s happening in worship? It’s not just us coming into a building to sing songs, say prayer and put money in the basket. God is even more active than we are! God is coming to us in every phase of our worship service.

      He comes through His Word as we sing it and hear it. God works by His Holy Spirit to change us from enemies of God to friends of God. The Holy Spirit let’s us hear that Jesus has rescued sinners and then gives us the faith to believe it. Like the Psalm writer we have to say: “Blessed is the man who trusts in you.”

      But God doesn’t stop there. If that were the case, no one should bother coming to church once he/she has been led to faith.

      But another blessing that comes from worshiping like this is that God works in us to keep our faith alive. Ask any number of us here this morning. Was there a point when our faith was dead, or at least gasping its last living breaths? Hearing the Word of God and getting encouragement from other Christians can keep us going.

      But God even goes beyond the idea of blessing our faith. Look at all the other good things listed in this Psalm. God wants to bless us with these things, too, as we draw near in worship to hear His Word. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you…” The blessing comes because God’s strength doesn’t run out.

      Bank accounts and muscles get weak. They fail us. But God won’t. “The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield…” Take the sun away from earth and everything dies. Get it too close and everything burns. In the same way God is our source of energy and life. Yet at the same time he is a source of protection. “No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”

      When we worship God, we even learn that we can ask for all these good things from God. And those who ask receive. Worshiping God really does lead to blessings.

APP. II If you were told to walk through a mine field, would you do it? If there is a safe, wide reliable path would you more likely consider going through it? The Word of God which we hear in worship services is like a path through the spiritual and emotional mine fields of life. Worshiping God gives us the safety margin to keep going. Listening to God speak in worship provides the reassurance that something greater than chance is in charge of the world. And hearing news like that is a privilege.

CONC. So while we want Pastor Kim to succeed getting from South Korea in getting from South Korea into China so the people of China can have the privilege of freely worshiping God, let’s also be careful to guard our own privilege of worship, and use that gift from God for all it’s worth. A–men