0:04 There's so much I can say, but I wanna reserve as much time as possible for the scriptures. And so right away, I invite you to open up your copy of God's word and meet me in Psalm 84. Psalm 84, and we will read together beginning in verse one. To the choir master according to the Giddith, a psalm of the sons of Korah, how lovely is your dwelling place, oh lord of hosts. My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the lord.
0:47 My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living god. Even the sparrow finds a home in the swallow, a nest for herself where she may lay her young at your altars, oh lord of hosts, my king and my god. Blessed are those who dwell in your house ever singing your praise, Selah. Blessed are those whose strength is in you and whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley Of Baca, they make it a place of springs.
1:19 The early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength. Each one appears before God in Zion. Oh, Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give ear, oh God of Jacob.
1:33 Behold our shield, oh God. Look on the face of your anointed. 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 the of wickedness. For the lord god is a sun and shield.
1:49 The lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Oh Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you. Lord, we ask that this psalm would come alive and that it would be real in our lives. Open the eyes of our heart to see how lovely your dwelling place is.
2:16 Lord, every person who may be weary, tired, distracted, maybe even discouraged, We pray that you would use every truth unleashed to infuse life and hope and joy. We give you thanks for this conference and for what you're about to speak to us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. The central theme of the Psalm is pretty obvious.
2:42 It's fixated on the house of the Lord. And that comes to no surprise because the author or authors of this Psalm are the sons of Korah. Now the sons of Korah, according to first Chronicles six, were Levites who were appointed by David to be the musicians in the Tabernacle and later the temple. In first Chronicles nine, we also learn that the sons of Korah were designated as gatekeepers of the house of God. They would keep watch of who comes in and who exits.
3:20 And we see here that the identity of the authors of this Psalm inform us that they are thoroughly acquainted with the place of worship that God appointed under the old covenant. Now you know this very well about human nature, that no matter how precious something may be to us, even an individual, it can be a place, it could be a position, we tend to become so familiar with it that our appreciation for it weakens over time. But when you come to the sons of Korah and what they say about the house of God, though regularly in the presence of those corridors and those courts, they do not give a cold recital or a plain description of its purpose and function. In fact, what you just read is an overwhelming sense of enthusiasm for it, and it is in this very passage where we learn why that is the case. Now we are under the new covenant.
4:22 And because of that, one of the things that has changed is that God has not established one designated location for us to offer our worship to him. Instead, according to Ephesians two twenty two, we learned that the church is now the dwelling place of God. It's amazing that Paul uses the very same language that we find in the Psalm to say that the church experienced and expressed in local gatherings across the globe is now the place where God dwells. So here's how we can apply this song. The things that the sons of Korah say about the temple can be applied to our experience in and through the church of Jesus Christ.
5:12 And this Psalm is beautifully divided into three main thoughts. It's, seen here with two Selah's found at the end of verse four and verse eight. I didn't mention the one in verse eight. That wasn't intentional. But Selah is debated among students and scholars of of what it means.
5:32 A lot of these Hebrew terms, there isn't a consensus about it. But generally, whenever you see Selah in the Psalms, it's a it's a charge for people to pause on what they just said or saying in the temple and to reflect. And sometimes those moments of silence are actually accompanied by instrumentals. And so music would be playing in the background and everybody would pause on a stanza or a verse and just meditate and marinate in what they just declared. And I believe these salas here are cues for us to divide our thoughts into why these sons of Korah were so amazed by the house of God.
6:15 The first thought is the beauty of the house of the Lord. The second is the blessing of the house of the Lord. And finally, the satisfaction found in the house of the Lord. Let's consider the beauty of the house of God. The psalmist begins by declaring the loveliness of the dwelling place of the Lord.
6:37 Now, you might think immediately that, they might be describing the architectural brilliance, the rich materials used for its construction, maybe the decoration and the design of the sanctuary. Especially if Solomon's temple is what's in view here, but the sons of Korah are not speaking about anything external. They are not talking about the outward appearance of this building. The first thing that captivates the sons of Korah is that the place where God is called to be worshiped is where he reveals himself and makes himself known. That is what made it so lovely and attractive and enthralling to the sons of Korah.
7:21 Look back at your bibles at the language in verse one. How lovely is your dwelling place? Verse two, my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. If that wasn't clear enough, look at verse seven. They go from strength to strength.
7:39 Each one appears before God in Zion. So the psalmist understands that when we come to the house of God, we primarily go to meet God. This was their experience. And here's what they teach us, that wherever God is appointed for him to be worshiped is the very same place where his glory can be encountered. Is it any less true in the new covenant?
8:08 No. There are many claims made about how this is also true, and my mind goes to a man by the name of Cornelius. We can go to many scriptures to try to validate this point even in the new covenant, but think about Cornelius. You remember him. Right?
8:28 That Italian unbeliever who was a seeker of the truth. Oh, he feared God. He revealed God. He he longed to know God, but he was limited in his understanding. And so one day God appears to him, he sends an angel, and the angel commends Cornelius and lets him know, you got to find a man by the name of Peter.
8:47 He tells him where he is. He fetches for him, so that Peter can come to Cornelius and give him the message of salvation. Because all Cornelius really knew was general revelation, maybe a little bit from the Jews that he he worked with and that he loved deeply. But to know Christ, remember it all goes back to Christ. It all leads to Jesus.
9:08 And once Peter understands his mission and and the supernatural divine appointment that this is, he makes his way with his associates to the home of Cornelius. And I want you to see what Cornelius says after he gives a brief description of his backstory of why he sent for him. Look what he mentions before Peter begins to preach his sermon. In acts chapter 10 verse 33, Cornelius says, so I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore, we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.
9:54 What do you mean you're in the presence of God, Cornelius? We're actually in your living room. But even this man with his limited knowledge understood that when God's people gather and God's word is honored and engaged, the Lord is ready to reveal himself. We're here in the presence of God, and we get go to other scriptures to to to confirm this, to make it more concrete, but I wanna linger here. Because I've been thinking about Cornelius for the past two weeks.
10:28 Can I tell you why does not this remarkable man convict you? Can you not sense his eagerness, his expectation for God's truth to be made known? Peter, we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have to say by the Lord. In other words, I'm not gonna miss a single thing that you have to say, Peter. You know, there's a lot of emphasis on preachers being prepared to declare God's word, very little stress on people being ready to hear it.
11:18 And I praise God that at this conference, as pastor Ben opened up with, I've met so many of you who have come here to hear God. Not for a ministry, not for a man, to hear the voice of the Lord, and I pray that's your posture always. But I'm afraid that in settings like this across the nation, we have too many Christians who are casual. That they step into settings like this mindlessly without really understanding that they are entering into the dwelling place of God. Can I give you a word of advice?
12:00 As you prepare to go back to your churches, I make this I try to make this a habit whenever I travel or go somewhere else for the weekend, and we always try to find a local church to attend because it's the Lord's day regardless. Lord, I do my research. I I see what the church is about. They preach the Bible. I wanna hear from you.
12:23 Ask the Lord to speak to you, and when you come into the dwelling place of God, imitate Cornelius. I I know it's not easy all the time especially when you have those babies in your hands, but but at least that hunger, Lord, I wanna hear all that you have to say. I don't wanna miss a thing. Can I tell you something? God honored Cornelius.
12:47 Do you see it here in Acts 10? Look at verse 44. While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. Notice the landing place of the Holy Spirit. He fell on those who heard the word.
13:06 And we're not looking for manifestations necessarily, but there is a principle here about how revelation comes to those who are ready, who are hungry. I wonder how much and how many times the Holy Spirit has bypassed people because they don't realize that they are in the dwelling place of God. Wherever God's people are gathered, wherever his word is honored and engaged, the Lord is ready to reveal himself. And that's what the psalmist was talking about in Psalm 84. The true beauty of God's dwelling place is he's always prepared to open our eyes.
13:46 And this is all over in the bible. I mean, this just came to me before the service. I was thinking about another son of Korah. Did you know that Samuel the prophet is a descendant of Korah? You find that in first Chronicles.
13:59 And this young boy was devoted to the house of God from an early age, and the story of his calling is found in the house of God while he was sleeping in it. And I believe there's even a principle there, though the calling of Samuel was so direct and so unique, all scriptures breathe out by God to give us instruction. This is very known, but maybe you've missed some details in first Samuel three. Let's go there together and look at the call of Samuel and see what we can learn about it pertaining to this truth, that the beauty of God's house is how he can reveal himself. In first Samuel three beginning in verse three, the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was.
14:51 Then the Lord called Samuel and he said, here I am, and ran to Eli and said, here I am, for you called me. But he said, I I did not call. Lie down again. So he went and lay down. And the Lord called again Samuel.
15:10 And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, here I am for you called me. But he said, I did not call my son. Lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time, and he arose and went to Eli and said, here I am, for you called me.
15:31 Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, go lie down, then if he calls you, you shall say, speak Lord for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. You know what touches me about this passage? Many people focus on Samuel's immediate response even though he's unlearned, immature, how he was willing to serve at any moment.
16:04 But look at it from God's perspective. Do you see the patience of God in this? Do you see his persistence in this? Samuel, and he goes and he finds Eli. Samuel, and he goes and he finds Eli again.
16:22 Samuel, yet again. Again, Samuel, he he did not yet know the Lord. He he couldn't hear his voice or at least understand the source of it. And I think here we have a principle of how even those in the house of God miss how God is trying to speak to them. We're not looking for audible voices here, but in the same way that Samuel did not have the capacity or the maturity to understand that God himself wanted to contact him directly, I'm afraid that there are many people who don't have that level of expectation when God's word is being proclaimed, that he's actually trying to speak to you.
17:09 See Samuel confused God's voice with man's voice and I'm afraid also there are people who step into moments like this, maybe even week after week, and it never crosses their mind that perhaps God actually wants to address me, and so they miss a lot. Eli, with all these problems, at least had enough discernment to realize that it was the Lord calling Samuel. So he gave Samuel some advice, and he acted on it. And I want you to see what happens in first Samuel three verse 10. And the Lord came and stood calling as other times.
17:51 Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said, speak for your servant hears. Then the Lord said to Samuel, behold, I'm about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears, it will tingle. Again, the patience of the Lord, it it shows us how even though we miss it, even though we're not paying attention, even though we are not we're not at a place where we can actually believe that God wants to unveil himself to us, God still tries to get our attention. And then Eli said, look.
18:27 If he speaks to you again, mention how you are his servant and you are ready to hear his instruction. And the moment Samuel approaches the voice of God with a readiness to comply, God revealed more. He didn't say, speak for your student is listening, as though he wanted to acquire more information. That's how some people approach the word of God. Open my eyes.
18:58 I wanna know more stuff. Speak for your servant is listening. What's the difference? I wanna know what you have to say so that I can obey it. So I can change my life in accordance with your word.
19:18 And that's when God provided more. Pray that prayer. Pray that prayer when you come to the scriptures. Pray that prayer as you stroll in to your church sanctuary. Speak for your servant is listening.
19:36 Notice something else. Did Samuel obey Eli completely? What did he ask him to say? Say speak Lord for your servant is listening. Go back to what Samuel said to the Lord.
19:57 Speak at the end of verse 10, for your servant hears. He omitted lord. Did you see that? It's in every translation by the way. It's not just an ESV thing.
20:12 Why did he not say Lord? I think the context tells us because he did not know the Lord. And so I think to him, it was unfamiliar. It was new. Maybe he feared.
20:25 Maybe he was very cautious. But reflects the the stage of his development. He couldn't even put the covenant name of God on his lips. And even though he didn't say lord the way Eli told him to, God still spoke to him. So we see the patience of God, but we also see the grace of God.
20:45 That God met Samuel where he was at. All Samuel needed to do was just approach him with the humility and the readiness to receive from his word, and God honored that. And sometimes people come to sessions like this and they feel intimidated, maybe even overwhelmed. They're not where they think they should be, maybe undeserving, maybe weak, maybe lagging behind in comparison to their peers. Listen, if you just come before God's word with a brokenness and a lowliness and a desperation, he will meet you where you're at.
21:20 I remember when I first got saved and I attended conferences. I wanted to go to every conference possible. If it was a Spanish speaking church, Indian I'm telling you, I've been to different cultures. I was the only one standing out. I didn't care if if people were coming to worship and the Bible is being preached.
21:33 Sign me up. And I remember one conference. I've I've shared this before, so forgive me. I don't use too many stories in sermons. The preacher said, turn to the book of Hebrews.
21:48 I think Hebrews, Jews, it's gotta be in the old testament. So I'm going through the old testament. I'm like, where is Hebrews? And the person beside me says, it's to the right. Keep going to the right of your Bible, and I found it.
22:01 That's where I was at when I started. That's where it began. And by God's grace, now I can chew on chews like Melchizedek. He meets us where we're at. He sees our efforts, and he guides us step by step, but he can't work with you if you don't have a desire.
22:23 He can't. Samuel was like, you know what? I already tried this three times. I'm tired. I don't want the Lord to speak to me.
22:31 Maybe in the morning, I'll do it. But no, he was ready, step by step. And that leads me to another point of why the house of God was so lovely to the sons of Korah. Yes, it's because where God reveals himself, but also it's a place of acceptance. Here's what I mean.
22:50 Come back to Psalm 84. Look at verse three. Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young at your altars, oh Lord of hosts, my king and my God. So I believe it was the first summer I was saved. I had an opportunity to intern at two different churches in two different cities in Canada.
23:12 I decided to go with one, the one where it was in my hometown. And I was there for the summer and I worked in the front of the church and the the church that we were at had, automatic doors. And so it was in the summertime and I guess somebody had walked through the doors and it was on a weekday and whoever opened those doors, they invited a bird. A small little bird just just flew in and it's flying around the sanctuary, and finally, it landed and settled right at the front. And so an employee there, we were following it, trying to chase it, and and it just stayed right there.
23:49 And the person took a picture and sent it to the other leaders of the church and put this verse in the text message. Even the sparrow finds a home in the swallow and nest for itself. At your altars, oh lord. And I think that's what's happening with the sons of Korah. I believe that they were ministering in the temple courts, and they noticed in the crevices, in little corners, there were little birds building their homes, chirping.
24:18 Here they are singing God's praises and sacrifices are happening, and for some reason, the sons of Korah noticed birds. That's strange to add to a worship song, especially because these birds are not majestic sparrows, swallows. A peacock? Sure. A parrot, maybe.
24:43 But these birds are so common. They're so overlooked. That's the point. Jesus uses sparrows in many of his teachings, does he not? You remember where he said in Matthew ten twenty nine that two sparrows are sold for how many?
24:59 A penny. You can go to the market with 1p and you can buy two of these birds, and yet not one of them falls down without God's consent. Not one of them dies without God's permission. And I believe that's exactly what's happening here with the observation of the psalmist. That these little birds were in the courts of God, and God made no command, no decree to shoo them away, to crush their little nest, to keep it free from any any kind of pollution, any kind of disturbance.
25:38 No. The psalmist says, God, you even let these sparrows build and raise their babies in your presence. An illustration of the wide open arms of God, and how marginalized, overlooked, and other spheres in society you may be despised, rejected, made fun of, but there's something about the house of God that welcomes the sparrow. Small, weak, under resourced, vulnerable, you have a place in God's house. And if there is anyone who understood the abundance of God's acceptance, it was the sons of Korah.
26:27 The sons of Korah have an interesting legacy. Their father, Korah, is notorious for his rebellion against God established authority. The story is found in number 16 where Korah and his associates were so envious of Moses and Aaron that they began to lust for their positions, and they began to make problems because of it. And so they confronted Moses and Aaron not realizing that they were actually confronting God. And so a series of things takes place.
27:00 God gives them even time to repent. They refuse. They're stubborn. And so he says, you know what? I'm gonna make an example out of you.
27:11 So the tribe of Korah, his family, and those who linked with him in that attempt to usurp the leadership of Moses and Aaron, They were swiftly disciplined in a terrifying act of divine judgment, and God goes beyond that and says, I'm going to make an example of them. I'm going to set up a memorial so that future generations will not make the same mistake. And it's amazing. Korah shows up more than once in the New Testament as an example even for believers. He's not an obscure figure in the bible.
27:45 I want you to see what God told Moses to do to help teach and warn the people that would follow. Number 16. Look here with me in verse 38. Now to make sense of this, at one point, Moses commanded Korah and the rebels with him to take censors, which was an a priestly instrument. And it was a way of saying, okay.
28:17 If you're really a priest, let's see if God's gonna approve of you. Now they were judged and their censors were left behind, so God wants to do something with those censors. Look at verse 38 of of numbers 16. As for the censors of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. For they offered them before the Lord, and they became holy.
28:40 Thus, they shall be assigned to the people of Israel. So Eliezer the priest took the bronze censors, which those were burned and had the people of Israel, so that no outsider rather offers, and they hammered out of a covering for the altar to be a reminder to the people of Israel so that no outsider who is not of the descendants of Aaron should draw near to burn incense before the Lord, lest he become like Korah and his company as the Lord said to him through Moses. So take those sensors that were held by those rebels, burn them, and and beat them so that they become a covering, a lid for the altar. The very first thing that you would see when you entered into the tabernacle. That's where all the sacrifices took place.
29:22 And I want this lid to stand as a memorial so that when any worshiper would enter into the courts of God, they would see that lid, and they would be reminded god is holy, and god has established people and leaders, and to envy and fight for positions and to not be satisfied where God has called me is treading on dangerous ground. The sons of Korah ministered in the tabernacle. The sons of Korah ministered in the temple. The sons of Korah would have seen that lid, And it would have been a reminder to them, our father made a fool of himself. Our family name stands as a memorial forever of how God is holy.
30:25 He is ready to judge those who hold on to the rebellion. God allowed the sons of Korah to still worship in the house of God. You'll find out why at the end of the message. But imagine what it would have been like for an Israelite to come and offer their sacrifice, and they would see that lid, and they would be reminded of what you just heard. And yet in that very same scene, they would look up, and they would see sons of Korah as a mini choir singing the praises of God.
30:56 So they would look at this lid, and they would say, god is infinitely just and pure and real. He does not mess around. And as he's meditating on that, in his peripheral, he sees the sons of Korah and he goes, but god is gracious. Because he let the sons of Korah worship and minister in his court still? So you see why now in this Psalm, he goes, even the sparrow is welcomed.
31:30 God is a god of great grace. It doesn't hold your lineage. It doesn't hold your upbringing, your parents, generational patterns against you, even your own record, even your own wrong. So they're overwhelmed. This is why they think that the house of God is so lovely because it's a place of acceptance, but there's also the blessing of the house of the Lord.
31:58 And before we go there, I wanna make mention of one more thing. Look here at verse four of Psalm 84. He says here, blessed are those who dwell in your house ever singing your praise, Selah. Notice that he didn't say blessed are those who visit your house, who come for Christmas and Easter, who dwell. In other words, people know you enough to say they're probably at church more than they are at home in a sense.
32:37 It speaks about a commitment, a consistency. You know, there are so many people, and I know there are different reasons why people are frustrated with their local church or or with other believers. But I'm afraid so many people sabotage their experience of the beauty of God's house because they don't stay there long enough to see God work. They want God to speak right there, right then. They want God to open their eyes right away instead of maybe prolonged sessions, sermons, teachings.
33:08 He can do things in a moment. Sure. They don't stay long enough to see how God saves souls and transforms people, and renews them, and reconciles relationships, and brings in the most unlikely. And again, meets people who are the most unlikely and does a miracle in their lives. Only for those who dwell can they see the beauty of God's house.
33:38 Let's go on to the blessing of the house of the Lord in verse five. He says here, blessed are those whose strength is in you and whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley Of Baca, they make it a place of springs. The early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength.
33:57 Each one appears before God in Zion. One of the clear benefits of dwelling in the house of God is that there is a genuine strength that is imparted by the God of that house. This is what he highlights here. The psalmist doesn't simply say, blessed are those who find their strength. They're not just happy.
34:18 He specifically highlights those in whose hearts are the highways to Zion. Like, if you were to open up their hearts, you would see that the direction of their longings is centered on where God meets his people. And the psalmist confirms that it is those whose hearts are so committed to the sacred call of assembling and to meet with God with his people. Those kind of people will tap into a special strength. And the strength is so real, so profound that it's not confined to your experience in the house of God.
34:59 That strength that God puts in those whose hearts love where his presence is, where his people meet will go beyond those meetings. And that's why he says in verse six, this is really interesting. They go through the Valley Of Bakkah. They make it a place of springs. Their early rain also covers it with pools.
35:27 Now there is no Valley Of Bakkah. Some say that this is an actual location that those who are making pilgrimage to the temple three times out of the year would have to cross in order to get to Jerusalem, but there is nothing of the sort. Some try to force it geographically, but I think what's happening here is that the psalmist is is speaking metaphorically. He's being honest and realistic about the journey of our lives, even those who love God. Baca means tears, valley of tears.
36:01 And here's what he wants to teach us, that even for those whose hearts love God's house, love God's people, want to hear from him, they are not immune from tears. They will know trials. They will know sorrow. They will know disappointment. And I don't wanna elaborate on that.
36:19 We all know this. That there will be moments where you will weep, where you will cry. And not because you're overwhelmed by the presence of God, but because of being overwhelmed by other circumstances. But that's not the main point. He he goes on to say that, yes, they will go through the Valley Of Baca, but they will transform it into something else.
36:45 This dry desert like environment that makes the trek all the more difficult can actually be transformed. Notice what he says here. He says that they will turn it into what? A place of springs. Their early rain also covers it with pools.
37:03 So here's the meaning. The strength that God deposits in the hearts of God's people whose hearts are set on God's house can actually radically renew the experience of any valley, even one of tears. So so no matter how challenging the environment, how dry the resources, how heated the circumstances, how difficult the companions, there is something that god can do in you that changes the things around you. And listen, that strength can be so potent and so supernatural that you can even enter into any environment and be a blessing to that valley. That's what Christians should be, by the way.
37:53 And instead of being worn down as you press on, what does he say? They go from strength to strength. They become stronger and stronger. But listen, that replenishment, that overflowing reality is reserved for those whose hearts have the highways to Zion. God honors people who honor his house.
38:19 And one of the blessings is that even beyond the house of God, they can transform environments, and their experience of valleys can be renewed. And if you're listening to this and you're thinking from strength to strength, brother, I'm hanging by a thread. I barely made it here. I don't wanna give an overly simplistic solution, but let me just apply this text to your situation if I may. Can you truly ask yourself what possesses your heart?
39:00 God's house, God's presence, God's people. What compartment does it fit in here? Because this is reserved for those who prioritize those realities. And if you're honest enough to say that's that's not true of me, then make it your prayer tonight. Don't you love it here that in the middle of this look at verse eight of Psalm 84.
39:26 He breaks out in prayer. Oh, Lord, God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give here, oh, God of Jacob. Like, he just stops and he just turns to the Lord and he just cries out to God. And I love how he calls God, out of all the titles he has, the God of Jacob.
39:40 Why do you think that is? I think in part because Jacob had issues. He had problems and God was still gracious to Jacob. Patient. You know, people, often preach and teach that text in Genesis where Jacob remember wrestling with God?
39:59 You remember that passage? And and they use that as a text to encourage people. You need to find God, grab a hold of him, and wrestle him until you are blessed. Have you heard I've heard it preached like that. Here's the problem.
40:11 Jacob didn't go out and find God. God found Jacob. Read it carefully. He's there terrified of his brother Esau. I don't know.
40:18 He's gonna come out there. And God shows up, manifests in human form, and wrestles Jacob. So it's not so much Jacob getting something out of God. It's God getting something out of Jacob. And when Jacob realizes this, he then wrestles, and then he says, I won't let you go until you bless me.
40:38 But here you have the psalmist saying, what? Oh, God of Jacob. Maybe that's how you have to address God tonight because you're more like Jacob than anything else. Takes you a long time to get it. Takes very painful experiences before you learn.
40:57 And it takes more than one encounter with Christ before you just give up. And the God of Jacob is still willing to hear you. The same God that he is praying to here is the same God who said, Samuel okay Eli, where are you? Samuel Samuel. He's patient with us.
41:20 He's patient with you. The blessing of God's house is that there is an impartation of strength according to the psalm. I'm not making this up. That is able to carry you through life, through many valleys. And how true it is that you can't walk through this life by yourself.
41:41 You're not designed to. You're meant to plant your feet where God's people are, where his presence loves to make himself known. And in that, you are energized and you are animated to deal with the tears and the weeping. Lastly, the satisfaction found in God's house. It's in the most popular verse of the Psalm, the most memorized songs have been written about it, verse 10.
42:12 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. 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.
42:26 Oh, Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you. Now here's how most people interpret verse 10. I rather go to church on Sunday morning than spend any time in the hot spots of the world. The clubs, the bars, the resorts. I'd rather be at Maranatha conference twenty twenty five than use your imagination.
42:56 Is that what he's really saying here? I mean, that's a good application, but it's more profound than that. Who's writing this psalm? The sons of Korah. These sons of Korah know their bibles.
43:08 These sons of Korah know their history. Notice the language is so precise. I rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my god than dwell in the tents of wickedness. See the lights? Numbers 16.
43:27 It's worth going there. And look at verse 25. Again, we come back to the notorious story of Korah and the original rebellion. Numbers 16 verse 25. Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
43:55 And he spoke to the congregation saying, depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins. So they got away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones. What happens next? The earth opens up and swallows them all alive.
44:27 Do you see please read your old testament, please. You're gonna miss out. Psalm eighty four ten is not about me not going to that neighborhood or going to that place where Christians shouldn't go. He's talking about his own family. I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
44:48 And here we come back to number 16. Moses says before God judges Korah and those with him, please depart from the tents of these wicked men. That's exactly what the sons of Korah had in mind when they wrote this song. Implying what? Here's the application.
45:05 God, you're more satisfying to me than anything my parents could offer, than anything my siblings could share, than anything that a house full of relatives or people who share my blood could provide. What kind of experience have you had with God to be able to say that? And so much so, this was so real to them. God's presence, his glory was so much more precious than anything that the sons of Korah, even in this context in number 16, made the choice to separate from their loved ones. Now you wouldn't get that if you just stayed here number 16, especially when you look at the end of verse 27 because we read that together with their wives, their sons, and their little ones.
45:53 So from this, you say, okay. It's Korah and his whole household. They were all judged. Keep reading numbers. Go to numbers 26.
46:04 This is when Moses was instructed to create a new census for the people of Israel in the wilderness. And in this census, you learn something about the sons of Korah. Numbers twenty six eleven. But the sons of Korah did not die. So that completes the story number 16.
46:26 Here's what happens. Moses says, depart. Listen. The Lord spoke to me. These men are in trouble.
46:32 Everybody, please walk away from their tents. If you just stayed in Number 16, you would think, well, there goes the line of Korah. But in numbers 26, some of the sons of Korah, when they heard Moses, you know what they did? And they watch their family get judged by God. And years go by, and they reflect on that moment, and they say, I'd rather be a doorkeeper than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
47:18 I choose God over everybody. Let me say something in closing. There are many other things we can address. I'll just land it here. God did not create you.
47:32 He did not put you on this planet so that you can know your mom or your dad or to have memories and friendships with your siblings. God didn't put you on this earth to find a spouse and to place your whole identity in that marriage. God didn't even make you to create a family. God made you to walk with God. That's why you're here.
48:00 All those other things are gifts. All those other things are grace. All those other things are wonderful, but those are not your purpose. You were made to walk with your maker. Because in the end, when you and I do die, and we will all die, everything in this life will dissolve.
48:23 And the only thing that will be left is a face to face encounter with the one who made you and died for you. That's what it comes down to. You should love your wife. You should love your husband. You should love your family.
48:38 You should love your church. You should love your pastors. You should love anybody and everybody, not more than God. Without God those things wouldn't be real to you anyway. They wouldn't be available to you.
48:51 The satisfaction in God's house. Maybe this is inspirational to you, maybe it's moving to you, maybe it's curious to you, maybe it's strange to you. It's like this is extreme, and this in no way is a suggestion that we're extreme, and this in no way is a suggestion that we neglect our families. There are people who do that, even ministers, or despise them, or ignore them, or not responsible or faithful or loving to them, or realistic with them. I'm not talking about an ultra spirituality that that makes you weird, but I am talking about a real satisfaction in God that transforms your whole outlook and every relationship you have, that can bring you to a place that even if your own loved ones hate God and invite you to do the same or charge you or threaten you to disobey God, you can say, I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God.
49:43 And there are millions of Christians who are paying that price today, who have been chased out of their homes, who have lost loved ones, but who can say, I'm better off. Is that real to you? Is that something you can say? Is is Psalm 84 a Psalm where you can say, amen. That's true of me.
50:08 If not, cry out to the God of Jacob tonight. Change my heart, Lord. Help me see the beauty of your house. Help me see the blessing of your house. Help me know the satisfaction in your house, and he'll do it.
50:21 If he did it for the sons of Korah, if he does it for the sparrow, how much more you have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen? Be encouraged. Just just sit and sail. Yeah?
50:40 And just use this last evening, almost a Friday evening again. Use this Saturday evening to just bask in these truths and commune with your God, and and maybe God can open your eyes because the beauty of his dwelling place is that he reveals himself. Lord, we thank you for this psalm, How rich it is. What a strong reminder of the value and the treasure of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, you have proven to us over and over in these Psalms how you are for our joy and our delight, our rest, our satisfaction.
51:32 And Lord, now we ask, like Cornelius, we are all here in the presence of God to know all that you have to say to us. Lord, you have spoken and help us now in response, speak back to you. In Jesus' name. Amen. The praise team will come.
51:55 No rush. Meditate. Pray. Maybe some of you here have have come from the same church. Maybe pray together.
52:06 Pray that God would use your ministry, your meetings as an arena where his glory is known. Maybe some of you here, you come from a church that struggles. You know, we didn't touch on it, but David also prayed for the anointed one. He prayed for the shield. He wasn't speaking about God.
52:30 He was speaking about the king. And it seems out of place when he says, oh God, the shield, your anointed one, bless him, shine your face upon him. Why is he praying for the king in a psalm about the house of God? Because the king was God's agent to protect Jerusalem and the temple. And I believe the psalmist was so desperate for God's house to be preserved, the freedoms of it, that he even asked God to preserve the king so the king can guard the house of God.
52:58 Pray for your leaders. Pray for your pastors. Pray for those maybe who who do orchestrate their ministry so casually, they don't really have that reverence and that expectation for God to make himself known. I just really want to turn this into a place of prayer, and then we'll sing and then we'll enjoy a time of fellowship, but let's not rush this. Right?
53:19 Can we do that? Bow your heads. Maybe pray with somebody if you'd like. Just a few moments before we continue to sing to the Lord. Alright?
