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Obvious Christianity – Part 4
1 John 3:1-10
May 8, 2022

We’ve been studying this text now for 3 weeks
And this morning we want to bring it to a close.

What we’re talking about here is a sort of SPIRITUAL PATERNITY TEST.
We are identifying those who are children of God
And those who are children of the devil.

And as one might assume, the DIFFERENCES ARE OBVIOUS.
(10) “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”

And I realize just in reading that verse that
It has sort of a tendency to raise the hair on the back of your neck.

After all, if you go out into the world and call someone
“a child of the devil” it is BOUND TO OFFEND them.

In fact, it is common place today for people in the world to say just the opposite about humanity. They like to say, “We are all God’s children”

And one could even quote Paul’s sermon at Athens when he confronted those non-believers saying:
Acts 17:28 “for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’”

SO IT CAN GET A LITTLE CONFUSING.
WHICH IS IT?

Is everyone a child of God like Paul said,
Or are the unredeemed actually children of the devil?

And it is worth explaining a little this morning.

All of humanity is in one sense a child of God

Hopefully our students will remember this from our recent Disciple Now, but man was created back in Genesis in the image of God.
• Man was created to be the image bearer of God to creation.
• Man was to be the representative of God to creation.

But you are aware that man fell into sin.
• That divine image was marred.
• That divine image was distorted.
• Humanity fell into rebellion and transgression and sin and lawlessness.

The usurper (the evil stepdad) entered the garden and KIDNAPPED humanity.

The reality for mankind is this.
• We are all God’s children in the sense that we were made by God in His image.
• However, we are at the same time born children of the devil because of our rebellious and fallen nature.

We are born estranged from God.
We are born at enmity with God.

We are in need of restoration.
We need for that divine image to be restored in us.
We need to be delivered from our captivity to Satan.

So it may be offensive to the world to be called a child of the devil,
BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

They have been kidnapped by him
They are owned by him.
They are enslaved by him.

John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

It is only those who have placed their faith in Christ who have been redeemed and restored back to the position of children of God.

What John is doing in 1 John is helping us recognize
Whether or not that redemption has occurred.

• Have we been redeemed?
• Have we been adopted back into God’s family?
• Or do we still walk enslaved to the devil?

The issue of 1 John 3:1-10 is that of purity or practical righteousness.

AS JOHN SO CLEARLY POINTS OUT.
You recognize a child of God by righteous living
And you recognize a child of the devil by sinful living.

Now, what we’ve been talking about the last 3 weeks is
Why Christians live righteous lives.

Again, it is NOT why they “should” live righteous lives,
But why they “do” live righteous lives.

#1 THE HOPE PRODUCING LOVE OF GOD
1 John 3:1-3

• God loved us when we were unlovable.
• God redeemed us when we did not deserve it.

And God’s love transformed us to the point that
We become unrecognizable to the world.

In reality God’s love is transforming us into the image of Christ.
It is restoring that divine image that was marred at the fall.

And God’s love comes with the ultimate hope that
One day we will actually be like Christ.

THAT IS THE CHRISTIAN HOPE.

To which John said:
(3) “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Those who have received that love and have that hope
Will naturally and instinctively seek out purity in their lives.

It is not what Christians should do, it is what they actually do.
God’s love produced hope which in turn produced righteous living.

You can tell a child of God by this mindset.

#2 THE SIN-CONQUERING WORK OF CHRIST
1 John 3:4-8

We discussed this last week with two basic questions.
1) What did Jesus come to do?
2) Did He do that in your life?

We found out that:
“He appeared in order to take away sins”
“the Song of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil”

Jesus came to break the yoke of Satan in your life.
• He came to destroy what Satan did to you all the way back in the garden.
• He came to set you free from that slavery.

And so the question is:
Has Jesus done that in your life?

For it is very simple: (6) “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.”

(7b-8a) “the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil.”

Because Jesus takes away sin from those He redeems
We then know a redeemed person by their righteous living.

So thus far we’ve seen that Christians live righteous lives
Because of the work of the first two members of the Trinity.

God’s Love & Christ’s Work both produce righteous living in the Christian
To such a degree that their redemption is obvious.

THIS MORNING we look at the third reason Christians live righteous lives.

#3 THE LIFE-CHANGING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1 John 3:9

Here we have the third member of the Trinity.
It is the Holy Spirit and we see that He also is unified in His work
To produce righteous living in the life of those who have been redeemed.

In fact, John uses the exact same DIRECT LANGUAGE yet again.
• “No one who is born of God practices sin…”
• “he cannot sin…”

There’s no ambiguity in those statements.
They are clear and direct.

So let’s discuss it a little more this morning.
• I want to break this verse down into two points this morning.
• I want to talk about “The Event” and “The Effect”.

1) THE EVENT

John says “His seed abides in him” (or “you”)

The specific event John refers to is the birth or new birth of a Christian.
That event in which they are “born of God”

So what we need to discuss this morning is:
• WHAT IS THIS?
• And: HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

• What does it mean to be “born of God”?
• What does it mean to have God’s “seed abide” in you?
• AND how does that occur?

Well first let’s read a statement from John’s gospel.
John 1:11-13 “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

That is a pretty clear and thorough statement
On the reality of being “born of God”

WE LEARN SEVERAL THINGS
We find out that being born of God is NOT A UNIVERSAL REALITY for all men, but rather it is a privilege that is granted to a person by God.

Specifically this privilege is granted only to those who receive Jesus,
Or who “believe in His name”.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God”

So it’s not a universal reality for all men.
• Not everyone is born of God.
• Not everyone is a child of God in this sense.

As we already stated, many in our world,
Though they were certainly created in the image of God,
Are in reality today children of the devil.

We also learn from this passage in John’s gospel something regarding
HOW ONE BECOMES A CHILD OF GOD.

John says they “were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

We understand birth.
• It is a common occurrence in our world.
• It is a natural occurrence that most are familiar with.

But John says become a child of God is NOT A NATURAL THING.

You don’t become a child of God by “blood”.
• In other words, it is not genetic.
• Just because your parents are Christians that does not automatically make you one.

We remember John the Baptist confronting the Pharisees.
Matthew 3:9 “and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.”

You aren’t born a Christian.
It is “not of blood”

John said it is also not “of the will of the flesh”
• Which means it is not by human effort.

Becoming a child of God is not a status you earn
Through hard work and devotion.

• It is NOT a reward for years of going to church.
• It is NOT an achievement you obtain through religious effort.
• You DON’T graduate into becoming a child of God.

John said it is also not “of the will of man”
• Which means it is not up to you.

Sinners, who have offended God through their lawless rebellion
Don’t just get to wake up in the morning and decide,
“I think I’d like to be a child of God today.”

That would be like me going up to Tommy and saying, “I’ve decided I’m going to become your child today. Go ahead and put me in the will, and Zek (your new grandson) will be hitting you up for college tuition here in a couple of months.”

You don’t become a child of God because you want to.

IT’S NOT GENETIC…
IT’S NOT EARNED…
IT’S NOT UP TO YOU…

But a person becomes a child of God when they are “born…of God”

That is, when God, (according to His sovereign love),
Determines to adopt His enemy and make them His child.

The means of that adoption occurs through the redemption of Christ and when the rebel believes in Christ, God adopts them into His family.

And THE SIMPLE POINT I want you to grasp here is that
Being born of God is NOT something you do,
It is something God does for you.

This should make sense.
How many of you had any say at all regarding your physical birth?
• Did they give you month options?
• Did they ask if you’d like your birthday in the summer or fall?
• Did you get a say in who your parents would be?

Nope, that was all determined for you.
You were a RECIPIENT of birth, NOT a DETERMINER of it.

So it is with being born of God.

Let’s look at another passage:
TURN TO: JOHN 3

You are familiar with this conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.
(READ 1-3)

You see here that Nicodemus comes at night
And he comes with a preconceived idea about Jesus.
• Namely that Jesus is “a teacher”
• And even a teacher “from God”

But Jesus blows his thinking out of the water when He says,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

• A teacher comes for the purpose of education and training.
• A teacher would come and tell you what needs to be done by you.
• A teacher comes to correct and direct and show you what to do.

Nicodemus was looking for a teacher.
(But being a child of God is not something you do, remember?)

Jesus corrected him,
• “You don’t need a teacher, you need a miracle!”
• You need to be re-born.
• You need to scrap all of this and start over.

The statement certainly puzzled Nicodemus.
(READ 4)

It didn’t make sense.
Such a birth is not possible for man to accomplish.

(That’s what we just said wasn’t it?
It’s not something you do, but something God does for you)

Jesus goes on to explain.
(READ 5-8)
• What does Jesus mean by this?
• What is He talking about?

Jesus is making a reference to an Old Testament promise.

Jesus said “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

So first it was “born again”
Now it is “born of water and of the Spirit”

TURN TO: EZEKIEL 36:22

Know that at this point
• Israel had offended God and were now being judged by having been exiled to Babylon.
• God had given them the Law and they had failed to keep it.
• Their punishment was that they were kicked out of the land.

However
Ezekiel spoke of a day when God would forgive and restore them.
(READ 22-24)

Clearly God has a plan of restoration.

(READ 25-28)

Do you see what Jesus spoke of there?
“born of water and of the Spirit”

When Jesus tells Nicodemus he needs to be born again
Jesus is referring to this reality that Ezekiel spoke of.

“Nicodemus you don’t need to be instructed better, you need for God’s Spirit to move into your life and change you from the inside out.”

And look at what Ezekiel said.
What is the CHIEF THING that God’s Spirit will do your life?

(27) “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes…”

God’s Spirit will cause obedience.

This is what we call the New Covenant.
Jeremiah spoke of it as well.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

You see it there as well don’t you?
God said, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it…”

What is that?
• That is the Holy Spirit moving in.
• That is being born again.
• That is being born of God.

It is something God does in your life.
• You aren’t born that way…
• You don’t do it through your efforts…
• You don’t obtain it by your will…

God does it out of love and through the work of Jesus,
And by sending the Holy Spirit into your life.

He changes you from the inside out.
He washes you and causes you to be obedient through the Spirit.

When we ask: HOW IS ONE BORN OF GOD?
That is how.

• God set His love on you.
• Christ came and removed your sin.
• The Holy Spirit moved in and changed your life.

But we also asked: WHY IS ONE BORN OF GOD?
Why does this happen?

I mean, let’s think about it.
We already know that through Jesus we are justified.

That is to say that His righteousness was credited to us,
We are declared forgiven, and there is no condemnation for us.

In that sense, we have been saved.
We are headed to heaven.
We are forgiven.

But God didn’t stop there.
It didn’t end with the empty tomb or even the ascension.

There was another monumental event that occurred after the cross,
After the resurrection, even after the ascension.

The Holy Spirit was sent to us at Pentecost.

Peter explained it like this:
Acts 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”

And here’s something to ponder:
• If Christ finished it on the cross and purchased our redemption…
• If Christ sealed our salvation by conquering death and rising from the dead…
• If Christ ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father to intercede…

All of those things speak to the completion of salvation.

Then why did God send the Holy Spirit?
Why did God orchestrate the new birth?

This should be obvious, and from John’s perspective it is.

The Holy Spirit was sent to produce righteousness in us.

He was sent to wash us…
He was sent to cause us to obey…
He was sent to make us new…

I asked you a couple of weeks ago, but it is so clear.
• If I told you that God put a public speaking spirit in you, what would you expect to be able to do?
• If I told you that God put a cooking spirit withing you, what would you expect that to do to your life?

And so, if I tell you that God put the Holy Spirit within you,
What sort of effect would you expect that to have?

So we saw THE EVENT.
God caused us to be His children by redeeming us and placing His Spirit within us.

That is the event
2) THE EFFECT

We see that word “because” jump out at us twice.

“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

• What is the effect of being born of God?
• What is the effect of having God’s seed or God’s Spirit abide in you?

HOLINESS
• “No one who is born of God practices sin”
• “he cannot sin”

WHY?
• “because His seed abides in him”
• “because he is born of God”

When the new birth occurs, which is God’s Spirit moving in causing obedience, the slavery to sin is removed.

That person is now changed.
That person is now transformed.

God places a new Spirit; the Holy Spirit; into the believer
Which has a profound effect on their life.

The most often quoted verse here is:
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

And this is because of the new birth
In which God’s Spirit moved in and changed you.

John says, “No one who is born of God practices sin”

That is to say,
• Their entire disposition regarding sin has changed.
• They no longer desire to live in it.
• They no longer desire to practice it.

Romans 8:12-17 “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

When the Spirit of God moves in, He changes the persons desires.
1. They receive a love for God which causes them to call Him “Abba! Father!”
2. They are “being led by the Spirit” which indicates that they now live by His desires not their old ones.
3. And “they are putting to death the deeds of the flesh”

That is the effect God’s Spirit has on their own will.
That is the effect God’s Spirit has on their own desires.
When He moves in, He changes the heart; He changes the will.

The new believer no longer wants sin.
The new believer no longer desires sin.
In fact, they hate it in their life.

Galatians 4:6-7 “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”

He changes your entire disposition.
• God’s Law is written on the heart…
• The heart of stone is replaced with a heart of flesh…
• Enmity with God is replaced with love for God…
• Hatred of God’s Law is replaced with love for God’s Law…

You didn’t do it, the Spirit did it in you.
But it changes you.
And God’s Spirit causes a person to no longer want to practice sin.

In fact, John says, “he cannot sin”

And again, it is a mistake to assume John is saying that Christians never sin at all.
Clearly they do and they confess it according to 1 John 1:9

No, what John is saying here is that
Not only does the Spirit change your attitude toward sin,
But He also is actively at work to keep you from sinning.

The Spirit of God WILL NOT ALLOW one of His to remain in sin.

TURN TO: GALATIANS 5:16

(READ 16-17)

Paul says that if you follow the Spirit, you will not follow the flesh.
It won’t happen.

WHY?
(17) “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

The flesh and the Spirit are polar opposites and sworn enemies.

And it is the Spirit who is “against the flesh”.
“So that you may not do the things that you please.”

You are all familiar with that Romans 7 passage
Where Paul lamented not being able to conquer the flesh.

Remember: “For what I am doing I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”

• There you had Paul fighting the flesh with the flesh and he was losing.
• He even later begs to be set free, which Jesus did.
• And then Jesus gave His Spirit.

Galatians 5 is the follow up to that scenario.
After we are saved God then places His Spirit into the believer
And the Spirit fights the flesh.

When Paul says, “so that you may not do the things that you please”
He means is that “so that you won’t do the things that please the flesh”

You’re not alone in that battle anymore.
HE JOINS THE FIGHT!

The Holy Spirit won’t let you stay in sin.

I always liked the statement of Adrian Rogers who said, “God doesn’t make it where a Christian cannot sin. He makes it where a Christian cannot sin and enjoy it.”

That is true!
• He places misery with it!
• He places mourning with it!

The Holy Spirit will make you miserable when you try to live in sin.
Indeed, a believer cannot do it long.

And that is what John is saying here.
“he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

Because of the presence of God’s Spirit,
A believer cannot stay in a lifelong pattern of sin.

That is the 3rd reason Christians live pure lives.
1. They have been given hope through the love of God that produces a desire for purity.
2. They have been set free through the work of Christ that results in Christ cleansing and sanctifying.
3. They have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit who will not let them stay in sin.

And then John SUMS UP the entire segment with this pointed verse.
(10) “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”

“By this…are obvious”
John extinguishes all debate here.

If there is no righteousness or if there is no brotherly love
THERE IS NO SALVATION.

And so upon completion of this text
We really have to do a moment of SELF-EVALUATION.

This text should either give GREAT ASSURANCE or GREAT ANGUISH

This text will either AFFIRM YOU as a child of God
Or EXPOSE YOU as a child of the devil.

And whatever you learn,
The response should then become obvious as well.

If you are a child of God then praise God for such blessed assurance.
• Praise Him for loving you with such a great love.
• Praise Christ for removing your sin and destroying Satan’s grip on you.
• Praise the Holy Spirit for changing your heart and for fighting against your flesh.

God is saving you from sin and He should be praised for that.

If you are a child of the devil then it is time to repent.
• It is time to receive Christ and believe in His name.
• It is time to humble yourself about your sin and lawlessness.
• It is time to cry out for mercy and plead for redemption.

And the good news is that if you are motivated to do any of those things, it is evidence that God is already at work in you.

• For you wouldn’t even see your sin if it weren’t for Him.
• And you wouldn’t be aware of the coming judgment if it weren’t for Him.
• And you wouldn’t even be motivated to cry out to Christ if it weren’t for Him.

Even being exposed is a mercy of God
And if He has done that to you, respond to Him!

Cry out and believe in Christ.
Confess Him as Lord and trust Him with your life.
DON’T IGNORE WHAT IS OBVIOUS.

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Anticipating Worship: The Fellowship of Suffering
Psalms 123
May 1, 2022

You know that we are currently in this section in our study of Psalms
Where we see a common sub-heading: “A Song of Ascents”

• This was the unofficial hymn book of the pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem.
• And they were songs that were sung in anticipation of gathering with the saints in Jerusalem for worship.

We enjoy them because they help us to evaluate and focus on
The true blessings and joys of corporate worship.

In a day in which the priority of attending corporate worship has slipped,
It is a wonderful thing to be reminded of the true value that is found there.

And thus far we have clearly seen a progression.

We started in Psalms 120
• With a Psalmist who lamented that he lived among liars.
• He dwelled with people who had no interest in peace.
• He anticipated worship as a place of sanctuary from an evil world.

In Psalms 121
• It was time for our Psalmist to start his journey, but it would be a difficult one.
• He thought about the hills and the weather and the dangers of travel
• He prayed for God to help him safely arrive.

In Psalms 122
• Our Psalmist entered the gates of Jerusalem, and we saw the joy of arrival.
• The excitement of just being in a place where the redeemed gathered was sheer joy to him.
• And he was motivated to pray that this city would always be a city of peace and prosperity.

Well tonight the progression continues
As he now looks past his contemporaries and past the hills he will walk
And past the city he has entered.

Now he lifts his eyes to the One he came to worship.
Now he approaches the heavenly throne.

We then understand certainly that this request
Must have been the heaviest upon his heart.

It is almost pictured like this: “As soon as I get to Jerusalem I know what I’m going to ask God.”

This was his burning issue.
This was the big one.

And it all has to do with the CONTEMPT and ILL-TREATMENT
That he has received from the world.

Look at verses 3-4
“Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us, For we are greatly filled with contempt. Our soul is greatly filled With the scoffing of those who are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud.”

In Psalms 120 he lamented that he lived among liars.
In Psalms 123 we find that the resentment was mutual.

The world in which he lived didn’t care much for him either.

Our Psalmist was the subject of their “contempt” and their “scoffing”

“contempt” is a word that speaks of “great disdain and mockery”.

Maybe you’ve watched a legal drama on television
And saw a time in which someone was held “in contempt of court”.

That means “they failed to properly respect the authority of the court
Or that they made a mockery of the legal system.”

THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.

It is the Hebrew word BUZ (booz)

In Genesis 38:23 it is translated “laughingstock”
In Proverbs 12:8 it is translated “despised”

It is actually a word that is used for the eternal fate of the wicked.
Daniel 12:2 “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”

The Psalmist says that this is what he has felt from the world around him.
• He is not respected
• He is despised
• He is laughed at
• He is mocked

He says “we are greatly filled with contempt”
We are also filled “with the scoffing of those who are at ease”

“scoffing” is another term for “mocking or derision”.

And it comes from “those who are at ease”

In one sense it is people who have an easy life.
Perhaps it is the wealthy or the fortunate
And they belittle those who have nothing.

That could certainly be part of it.

But perhaps a better for translation of the word here would be “undisturbed” or “complacent”

(That is how the word is used in Isaiah 32)

Isaiah 32:9-11 “Rise up, you women who are at ease, And hear my voice; Give ear to my word, You complacent daughters. Within a year and a few days You will be troubled, O complacent daughters; For the vintage is ended, And the fruit gathering will not come. Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent daughters; Strip, undress and put sackcloth on your waist,”

It was people who may have experienced an easy life,
But more than that they just had an arrogant smugness
About the things of God.

They had life all figured out, they didn’t need God.
They were doing fine on their own.

To some extent this is the mindset of anyone
Who doesn’t feel the need to participate in worship.

But at it’s root it is simply a pagan mentality.
These people are fine without God…so they think.

And they throw “contempt” on those who would seek and trust God.
They are “the proud” who scoff at those who seek God.

Now, Scripture is clear about the fate of these arrogant people.

Psalms 37:7-15 “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy, To slay those who are upright in conduct. Their sword will enter their own heart, And their bows will be broken.”

Psalms 37:35-40 “I have seen a wicked, violent man Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a posterity. But transgressors will be altogether destroyed; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.”

Psalms 49:16-20 “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself— And though men praise you when you do well for yourself— He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.”

Our Sunday School class has been studying Zechariah and we remember God’s disdain about this very thing.

Zechariah 1:14-15 “So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. “But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.”

God does not take kindly to the world’s attitude toward His people.
God does not reward those who choose the world and ignore everyone else.

AND THE PSALMIST KNOWS THIS.

WE KNOW IT TO.
We’ve read the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.
• We know that in this life that rich man had good things but in the afterlife he received bad things.

We’ve read of the Rich Young Ruler
• And how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

We listened as Jesus pronounced woe
• Upon those who laugh now or who were well-fed now, or who were loved by the world now, as they are clearly told that eternity won’t have such favor for them.

We know what the Bible says about those proud and complacent and smug scoffers who hold God’s people in contempt.

AND SO DOES THE PSALMIST.

In fact, when he draws near to God in Jerusalem
That is item number one on his agenda to present to the Lord.

There is a personal anticipation on his part to draw near to God and cry out to Him regarding the contempt he has had to walk through at the hands of arrogant men.

So let’s look at his personal anticipation a moment.

Two main points we see here.
#1 HIS LOOK
Psalms 123:1-2

Verse 1 is such a great verse of awareness and contemplation.

“To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!”

Lets talk first about:
1) THE DIRECTION (1)

“To You” “and not to another” the Psalmist might have said.

Jeremiah reminded us:
Jeremiah 17:5-8 “Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD. “For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.”

The Psalmist taught us:
Psalms 118:8-9 “It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes.”

Clearly our Psalmist knows that.
• He didn’t come to Jerusalem to appeal to David.
• He didn’t come to Jerusalem to appeal to the masses.
• He is here to appeal to God.

“To You I lift up my eyes”

AND THE REASON of course is because “You…are enthroned in the heavens!”

Psalms 115:3 “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”

Psalms 113:4-8 “The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, Who is enthroned on high, Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth? He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the needy from the ash heap, To make them sit with princes, With the princes of His people.”

Our Psalmist knew that God dwells in the heavens.
• The earth is but His foot-stool.
• The temple is but a man-made sanctuary to symbolize his presence.
• For even Solomon said “Heaven and the highest heavens could not
contain” Him.

He is the chief authority.
He is the ultimate sovereign.

• If God says it, it is so.
• If God decrees it, it will happen.

And that is why our Psalmist comes to God.

But not only is our God the supreme authority,
BUT HE IS A GRACIOUS ONE AS WELL.

• He is not a Tyrant
• He is not cruel or mean
• He is not disinterested in the plight of humanity
He is certainly not negligent toward the needs of His children

Psalms 103:8-14 “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.”

Our God is perhaps best known in the fact that
He does not treat us as we deserve.

We have spoken many times about His remarkable CHECED
That He richly gives to those whom He has chosen.

Jesus reminded us of God’s loving nature to answer the prayers of His children.

Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

So it is no wonder our Psalmist begins by lifting his eyes to God.
He is suffering contempt from the world.
He is scoffed at and mocked.
He has become a laughingstock.

And though he may have found no help or relief in the world,
He knows where to look and so he lifts his eyes to God.

So we see the direction of his look.
2) THE DESCRIPTION (2a)

Our Psalmist gives an analogy of exactly the way in which he is looking to God.

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God.”

Two analogies which mean the same thing.
• “As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master”
• “As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress”

You might be TEMPTED here to see this in the light of SUBMISSION.

One could paint the picture of a focused servant who’s only job is to patiently watch and listen for the directive of his master so that he might quickly jump in compliance.

Or you could make the same analogy regarding a hand maid who sits patiently listening only for the call of her mistress that she might spring to fill the need.

And certainly both of these roles have submission in common.

But that is NOT THE POINT to which the Psalmist is driving.

As you will see, he isn’t looking for his next assignment,
Our Psalmist is looking for grace.

(3) “Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us”

Our Psalmist wants relief.
Our Psalmist wants deliverance.

He uses this analogy to point out his DILIGENCE IN SEEKING God.

His diligence in seeking God for grace
Can be likened to the diligence of a servant or the diligence of a maid.

As their focus is continually upon their master,
So his focus is continually upon God.

He is looking to God and he refuses to turn his eyes away.
He is looking to God and he refuses to look anywhere else.

We think of a child who wants something from their mother.
That child will ask, and then will stand there and stare at their mother until they get an answer.

That is how our Psalmist is looking to God.
There is a commitment and a diligence here.

And that ties directly to the third aspect of his look.
3) THE DURATION (2b)

“Until He is gracious to us.”

• He is looking to God and he won’t look away until God comes through.
• He’s got nowhere else to go.
• He’s got no other hope.
• And he refuses to leave.

Luke 18:1-8 “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

A familiar story, but a tremendously convicting one as well.

In that parable we are reminded that
Faith often looks like patience in our prayer life.

Our faith is in fact proven by our diligence and our patience.
We come to God and we keep looking until He moves or answers.

That is clearly what our Psalmist is doing.
• In his affliction and in his contempt he has now come to Jerusalem
• And he is lifting his eyes to heaven that he might call upon God
• And he’s not going anywhere until God demonstrates grace to him.

Now that’s his look.

#2 HIS LONGING
Psalms 123:3-4

As we clearly said, his longing is for relief.

(3) “Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us”

And you know why.
He is a laughingstock and has been filled with contempt.

And his cry is that God would show him grace.
The KJV actually translates this verse, “have mercy”

He has found no relief in the world, but he appeals for it from God.

So we have here a Psalmist who has been chewed up in the world.
• He said he lived among liars, but his pain has been more than that.
• They have lied about him and they have scoffed at him.
• He was eager to come to Jerusalem that he might seek the God of heaven
• And find mercy and grace and relief from his affliction.

He came because he wanted mercy.

(And we learn a lot there about seeking God
And seeking Him for mercy in a difficult world)

Well that is all clear, but at this point I suppose WE HAVE TO ASK.

WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH LONGING FOR CORPORATE WORSHIP?

This is “A Song of Ascents”

Couldn’t this man simply have prayed this prayer while he dwelt along in his own country?

Could not this prayer have been prayed from his own closet at home?

He clearly indicated that God is “enthroned in the heavens”
So it’s not even like he felt as though
He had to be in Jerusalem to offer this prayer.

• Why is this one of these songs of ascents?
• What does this have to do with corporate worship?

Well, there is a SUBTLE INDICATION in this Psalm that I hope will make it obvious why the pilgrims sang this song on their journey.

If you’ll notice
The Psalmist started as a single pilgrim with a solitary request.

“I” lift up “my” eyes.
He was one man who had suffered scorn
And he was traveling to Jerusalem that he might call upon God.

But no doubt as he traveled along the way it wouldn’t be long before he joined other travelers, perhaps even a caravan.

Certainly by the time he entered the gates of the city he saw plenty of others who had made the journey just as he did.

And by the end of his prayer,
It’s no longer “I” and “me”

“So OUR eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to US. Be gracious to US, O LORD, be gracious to US. For WE are greatly filled with contempt. OUR soul is greatly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.”

“I” becomes “we”
“Me” becomes “our”

What do you suppose has changed his tune or his perspective?
THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING

He was not alone in his plight.
He was not the only Israelite who had been scorned by the world.

As he walked along the road and as he entered the city
He was welcomed by others who had endured
The same sufferings that he walks through.

AND THIS IS A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT.

1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”

SUFFERING IS DIFFICULT,
But is there not relief and encouragement
In hearing the testimony of others?

• Some who sympathize with your pain…
• Others who have stories of victory and deliverance from when they were in your shoes…

That is what Peter references.
“the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world”

“accomplished” there DOESN’T mean endured.
It is not just common suffering.

“accomplished” is EPITELEO
It means “to bring to an end” or “to execute” or “to complete”

It comes from the same root word as that famous announcement
Jesus made on the cross, “It is finished”

Peter spoke of the encouragement we receive from other believers
When we see how they have completed or finished their sufferings.

It not only fuels our hope
But it encourages our faith to continue looking to God.

God delivered them, may He also deliver me.

THE POINT IS that there is fellowship in our sufferings.

Consider Jesus’ teaching on prayer (The Model Prayer)
Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”

You hear the same focus in that prayer don’t you?
• “Give US this day our daily bread”
• “Forgive US our debts, as WE forgive OUR debtors.”
• “And do not lead US into temptation, but deliver US from evil”

These are all subtle reminders that
Our walk of faith was never intended to be in a vacuum.

We were never meant to “go it alone”.
An integral part of our walk and our growth and encouragement
Comes from the presence of other believers.

Imagine now the sheer joy and relief that strikes our Psalmist.
• He has left a country of pagan liars who scoff at him and dish contempt upon him.
• He has entered a city of worshipers who have been enduring the same struggles that he has.

That is a fellowship you cannot get apart from corporate worship.

You can most certainly (and you should)
Pray to God about your struggles in your closet at home.

But there is also a tremendous encouragement in gathering with the saints and sharing the fellowship that comes from suffering.

Remember when the apostles suffered at the hands of the Sanhedrin and were commanded to not preach anymore?

Do you remember what they did after that threat?
Acts 4:23-31 “When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? ‘THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.’ “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”

What a blessing the congregation was to the apostles there!

Consider the book of Hebrews.
Remember they wanted to quit.

• The writer gave that strong warning in chapter 10 that if you shrink back the Lord will have no pleasure in you.
• And then to encourage them he gave them Hebrews 11.

What is Hebrews 11?
It is the record of other men and women who suffered just like them but who trusted God and endured.

And then the writer said:
Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

TAKE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THEM!
Let the saints lift your spirits that they endured as well.

DO YOU SEE WHY YOU NEED THE CORPORATE FELLOWSHIP?

But encouragement to continue is NOT THE ONLY BENEFIT.

When you suffer in this world for your faith and then you come to church and see other men and women of God suffering the same way, that doesn’t just bring encouragement it also bring ASSURANCE.

Listen to Jesus here:
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Do you hear what Jesus said?
• When I suffer contempt and scoffing…
• When I become a laughingstock…
• That just puts me in good company!

That is how the world treated the prophets and the apostles.

1 Corinthians 4:11-13 “To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.”

So when you come to the church there is encouragement
And there is assurance that your faith is real!

Beyond that, that leads to a fellowship even with Jesus!

Philippians 3:10 “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”

Paul wanted the fellowship of His sufferings.

Well what did Jesus say to that?
Matthew 10:24-25 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!”

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.”

There is assurance that is also produced here.
• When we suffer as Jesus did…
• When we suffer as the apostles did…
• When we suffer as other saints do…

It gives us the greatest form of assurance
That the faith we possess is the same that they possessed.

But how will you know that unless you gather with the saints in fellowship?

The fellowship of suffering is a tremendous reason
To faithfully attend corporate worship.

It’s not that we long to gather and just dump out all our pains and problems to one another,
But what a blessing to know that our journey is not unique.

Others are walking the same path.
And their suffering can be a tremendous encouragement to me.

BUT I’LL TELL YOU ONE OTHER THING.
It is a blessing when your pain can be an encouragement to someone else.

One of the things that we so often look for in our struggle
Is to find some sort of redeeming purpose in it.

We ask God “Why?”
And often times that is a question we can’t answer.

But when someone looks at you and says, “The way you are enduring through your trial is encouraging me.”

• Does that not lift your spirits in your own affliction?
• Does that not redeem to some degree your pain?
• Does that not give at least a little purpose to your trial?

And that is encouraging!

AND I HOPE YOU GET THE IDEA.
• Our Psalmist could have stayed home and prayed about this in his closet,
• But much of the grace which God would bestow upon him would actually come
through the corporate worship he was commanded to attend.

Attending church is not a burden, it is such a rich blessing.

And tonight we see it in the form of THE FELLOWSHIP OF SUFFERING.

Download Here:

Obvious Christianity – Part 3
1 John 3:1-10 (4-8)
May 1, 2022

As you know, we are currently in the middle of our study of 1 John
And the overwhelming theme has been clear.

1 John 5:13 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

The epistle of 1 John is an epistle ultimately meant
To give assurance to the Redeemed.

1 JOHN IS A PATERNITY TEST.
It carries us through various tests and points of examination
To help us determine who our Father is.

And the way John does so is really obvious and fascinating.
He reminds us of THE CHARACTER OF GOD
And then asks us to see IF WE SHARE in any of His attributes.

For example:
1 John 1:5-6 “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;”

• It is a simple of issue of whether or not you bear the resemblance of your Father?

Or consider:
1 John 2:4-6 “The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

• Do you walk like Him?
• It’s built on the understanding that a son will walk like his father.

Or consider:
1 John 2:8-10 “On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

• Does your love for others resemble His love for others?

You get the idea.
After all, how can one say he is someone’s child
When there is absolutely no resemblance whatsoever?

Well that is theme that John continues on here in chapter 3.

As I’ve told you, I believe this section to be sort of the heart of the letter.
It is perhaps the MOST DIRECT AND BOLD PATERNITY TEST
That John delivers in the entire epistle.

We read in verse 10:
“By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”

And that is what we then are discussing: OBVIOUS CHRISTIANITY
• Do you resemble your Father at all?
• Do you resemble Christ at all?
• Or do you look more like that usurper who slipped into the garden?

AND THE ISSUE AT HAND IS PURITY.
Namely that Christians live pure and righteous lives.

In these 10 verses John gives us 3 reasons why Christians live pure lives.

These AREN’T 3 reasons why a Christian “should” live a righteous life.
These ARE 3 reasons why Christians DO live righteous lives.

We’ve already seen the first one.
#1 THE HOPE PRODUCING LOVE OF GOD
1 John 3:1-3

The simple point is that
God’s love is an active love that changes us.

It is a redeeming love that makes us different from the world
And is ultimately making us like Christ.

And that is the Christian hope now.
That one day we will no longer sin, but will be like Christ.

And that hope causes us to purify ourselves.

(3) “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Christians will instinctively begin to strive for the perfect purity
That is one day promised them in Christ.

That is one of the reasons that Christians live righteous lives.
The Hope Producing Love of God

This morning let’s move on to the second reason.
#2 THE SIN CONQUERING WORK OF CHRIST
1 John 3:4-8

We’ll work through it, but it really is AS SIMPLE AS THIS:
What did Jesus come to do? & Has He done that in your life?

• If you tell me Jesus came to make people tall, then has He made you tall?
• If you tell me Jesus came to make people skinny, then has He made you skinny?
• If you tell me Jesus came to make people speak Spanish, then do you speak Spanish?

You get the idea.

If you want to know if you are a Christian
Then ask yourself what Christ came to do
And then ask yourself if He has done that in your life.

Well let’s look at what John has to say here.

And we’re going to bounce around inside these 4 verses a little
Because John’s argument isn’t really laid out in a linear fashion,
But I think you’ll see it fine by the time we’re done.

Let’s break these 4 verses down into 4 points that will help us understand what John is saying a little better.

1) A DEFINITION (4)

“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”

First John begins here by giving us a better understanding of what sin is.
In a sense he is defining sin.

Now we could do a vocabulary test here.

I can tell you that the word for “sin” John uses is: HAMARTIA
And that word simply means “to miss the mark”

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

So there is a sense in which it just means to fail to reach the goal.
It is a failure to live up to God’s righteous standard.

But here’s the problem with that understanding.
It has been easily softened by humanity; especially our culture.

How many times have you heard someone say:
• “Well we all fall short.”
• “Everybody sins”
• “I’m only human”

What I mean is this: Humanity has sort of softened their understanding of sin simply because we all do it.

We treat it as nonchalantly as a basketball player who misses the free throw
Or the baseball player who strikes out.

We just sort of shrug it off and say, “Oh well, it happens to everybody.”

And with such a mindset sin loses its sting.
With such a mindset sin loses its sinfulness.

We don’t view it as that big of a deal.

Well perhaps John’s definition here will help you better understand sin.

For John says, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”

John defines sin with a different word there.
“lawlessness” translates ANOMIA

And it refers to “being one without law or a lawless person”.
It speaks of “one who holds the law in contempt or who is rebellious”.

And I hope you understand what John is doing here.

He is taking a nonchalant view of sin
And trying to help you see it through God’s eyes.

Sin may seem insignificant to you
But to God it is the very epitome of rebellion.
It is cosmic treason.
It is insubordination.

Let me take you back to the day God instituted His Law and remind you of the seriousness of the scene.

Exodus 24:3-8 “Then Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do!” Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. Then he arose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

Here you have Moses reading all the words of the covenant to the people.
• He is reiterating the Law to them.
• And they agreed to obey all of it.

And did you catch what Moses did then?
He took the blood of the peace offering and he sprinkled it on the people.

Imagine that: You just agreed to obey all the commands of God and the first thing that happens is you get sprinkled with blood.

What was that?
It was the stipulations of the agreement.

Hebrews 9:19-22 “For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU.” And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

So we read that and ask:
What is the penalty for breaking the Law? (death)
This is serious.

Listen to Jesus:
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

What John is doing here is
Making sure you understand that sin is not insignificant.

Sin is utter rebellion against the God of the universe.
• It is not God-like
• It is not of little consequence
• It is a big deal

And as John goes further you will see that
The practice of sin is an indication of lostness.

So first John gives us a definition
2) A DISTINCTION (5b, 8b)

In the middle of these 5 verses John gives us here a contrast.

As a human you are actually a child of one of only two fathers.
You are either a child of God or you are a child of the devil.

There is no 3rd family.
There is no other option.

And so John here identifies the defining characteristics
That distinguish those two families from one another.

And the chief difference between them is that
One of them is righteous and one them is not.

Look at Jesus:
(5b) “in Him there is no sin.”

Then look at the Devil
(8b) “for the devil has sinned from the beginning.”

So John has just defined sin for us and then he points out that
Jesus never did it and the devil has always done it.

The distinction between the two couldn’t be clearer.
Their defining characteristics are polar opposites.

“in [Jesus] there is no sin.”

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

John 8:29 “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”

Matthew 3:17 “and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

In fact, we just celebrated Easter which is the forensic proof that Jesus was without sin.
• He never sinned, not once.
• He never said a sinful word…
• He never thought a sinful thought…
• He never had a sinful motive…
• He never did a sinful deed…

Jesus never sinned; AT ALL; EVER

The same most certainly cannot be said about the devil.
“the devil has sinned from the beginning.”

We barely make it 3 chapters into the Bible
Before the devil shows up with all his lies and deceptions.

Jesus called him “the father of lies”
And “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44)

We won’t go into all of it this morning,
But Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 both speak of this fallen angel who had such jealousy of God’s glory that he rebelled and swept 1/3 of the angels of heaven away with him.

Satan is anything but compliant.
Oh, he is forced to submit to whatever God says,
But rebellion and lawlessness are in his heart.

He is a liar and a thief and rebel and usurper
And a murderer and a slanderer and an adversary.

The simple and obvious point that we gain here is that
Jesus and the devil are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Would you agree with that?

John 14:30 “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;

Jesus is the very epitome of righteousness
And the devil is the very epitome of lawlessness.

3) A DECEPTION (6-8a)

“No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil;”

Here we are confronted again with the deception of the day.

Apparently there were some who practiced sin quite regularly
And yet still claimed to be children of God.

AND JOHN BALKS AT THAT.
That’s a lie!

If you see a person who walks like the devil, talks like the devil, and acts like the devil, it shouldn’t be too hard to tell who their daddy is.

If you see a person who walks like Jesus, talks like Jesus, and acts like Jesus, then that should be obvious as well.

Does that make sense?

Jesus said the same thing, only with a bit of a different analogy.
Matthew 7:16-20 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

It’s the same point here.
You’ve probably heard the analogy before, “He’s a chip off the old block”
Or “The apple didn’t fall very far from the tree.”

Do you want to know who your daddy is?
Then tell me who you walk like.

That’s the point.
• We first talk about sin,
• And then we talk about how Jesus never sinned and the devil always does
• And then we ask which one you act like.

But to come out and say, “I’m a Christian” while living like the devil
IS A TERRIBLE DECEPTION.

We talked about it last week, but I’ll mention it again.
This concept of the supposed “Carnal Christian” is a faulty concept.

John couldn’t be clearer:
“No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.”

The tense of that verb “sins” does indicate the ongoing practice of sin,
Not a momentary stumble.

BUT THE POINT IS CLEAR.

And if that wasn’t clear enough, he’ll say it again:
“the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”

And if that still doesn’t clear it up:
“the one who practices sin is of the devil;”

Now that helps us identify whether a person is a Christian or not,
But we want to know WHY Christians live righteous lives.

Someone might say:
“OK preacher, maybe the devil is my biological father, but I’ve been adopted into the kingdom. I’m not a genetic child of Jesus; I’m an adopted child. That’s why I look like the devil even though I’m a child of Jesus.”

LET ME SHOW YOU WHY THAT DOESN’T WASH.

It’s the 4th point here.
4) A DECLARATION (5a, 6c)

In these 5 verses John shows you TWO THINGS JESUS CAME TO DO.

In fact John actually twice uses the word “appeared”
• It is the mission of Jesus.
• It is why He came.

(5a) “You know that He appeared in order to take away sins;”

(8c) “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

Those are two distinct statements
But they are in effect saying the same thing.

And they answer for us the question why Christians live righteous lives.

It is because when Jesus adopts someone one,
He also cleanses them.

• IT IS TRUE that God loved us when we were sinners.
• IT IS TRUE that Christ died for us while we were sinners.
• BUT IT IS ALSO TRUE that when Christ adopted us He cleansed us.

And in fact, He keeps on cleansing us.

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”

Or remember that famous scene in the upper room
When Jesus is washing the disciple’s feet.

Remember when He comes to Peter?
John 13:6-8 “So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

THAT’S A STRONG STATEMENT.
If you don’t let me purify you, then you can’t stay with Me.

Remember the parable of the wedding banquet?
Remember that guy who tried to enter without wedding clothes? (righteousness)

Matthew 22:11-13 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Consider what Jesus taught about church discipline.
Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

Are you getting this?

It is true that Jesus was and is a friend of sinners.
It is true that Jesus loved the unlovely.
But Jesus doesn’t let any of them stay in their sin.

Before He redeemed the woman at the well, did He not first confront the sin in her life?

Do you remember the cripple he healed at the Bethesda pool?
Do you remember His command to that man?
John 5:13-14 “But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

What did He tell that woman caught in adultery?
John 8:10-11 “Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

So this notion that you can be an adopted sinner
Who is a Christian that still looks like the devil IS A FARCE.

Everyone Jesus adopts He cleans.
• He came “to take away sins”
• He came “to destroy the works of the devil”

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

And think for a moment HOW HE DID THIS.

“to take away sins” gives us such a mental picture. (Day of Atonement)
• How that one goat was sacrificed on God’s altar.
• How that scapegoat what was sent away to carry away the sin of God’s people.

And we remember that our Lord was also crucified outside of the city.
How he was buried in the tomb.
OUR SIN WAS IMPUTED TO HIM AND HE CARRIED IT AWAY.

We think about how He destroyed the works of the devil.

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

Jesus destroyed the devil’s power by disarming him.
The entire power of the devil has been the threat of death,
But Jesus conquered death and Satan lost his power.

1 Corinthians 15:56-57 “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

SO THINK ABOUT THIS.
• We have Jesus, who came to this earth and lived totally without sin.
• He then took our sin upon Himself and carried it away.
• He did so by carrying it to the cross where He would die.
• And He would rise from the dead to crush Satan’s power.

That is a pretty big mission IN ORDER TO SET YOU FREE from sin.

Now the question is this:
Do you suppose that
• Jesus would come to this earth
• And resist all that temptation
• And live a holy life
• And take our sin upon Himself
• And suffer our reproach and shame
• And die upon a cross
• And be stuck in a tomb
• And rise from the dead
JUST TO LEAVE HIS CHILDREN IN THEIR SIN?

And the answer is a resounding NO!

Certainly God loved us when we were sinners.
Certainly Christ died for us when we were sinners.

BUT HE ALSO SET US FREE FROM OUR SIN
SO THAT WE MIGHT BE RIGHTEOUS.

Do you remember PAUL’S TORTUROUS LAMENT in Romans 7?
Where he moaned and groaned because despite his efforts he continues to do the very thing he hates?

Romans 7:19 “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”

Remember his wail?
Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

You want to see his answer:
Romans 7:25-8:4 “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Do you see it?
JESUS CHRIST SET HIM FREE!

• Jesus “appeared in order to take away sins”
• Jesus “appeared…to destroy the works of the devil”
• Paul said “He condemned sin in the flesh”

This is why Christians live righteous lives.
Because Jesus Christ set us free from the Law of sin and of death.

It is also why non-believers CAN’T live righteous lives.
Apart from Jesus, they have not been set free and they are slaves.

We’re running out of time, but go back and read Romans 6.

There you have that infamous question about believers being ok with living in sin simply because they are under grace.

And Paul emphatically answers, “May it never be!”

WHY?

Romans 6:5-6 “For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;”

WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN
Through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Romans 6:17-18 “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

This is why Christians live righteous lives!
• It is NOT why they should, it IS why they do.
• We are now “slaves of righteousness”

The work of Christ in our lives
Has produced a slavery to righteous living.

And the only question left to ask this morning is this:
DID CHRIST DO THAT FOR YOU?
• If He has then you will walk in righteousness – YOU HAVE ASSURANCE
• If He has not, then you will walk in sin – YOU NEED CHRIST

WHO IS YOUR FATHER?

This is why we say that Christians live righteous lives because of the sin-conquering work of Christ.

We celebrate the fact that He came and conquered my sin.
We celebrate the fact that He set us free.

And that is a celebration we are going to have this morning.

We are going to partake of the Lord’s Supper.
We do this to remember the sin-conquering work of Christ.

That’s why Paul said:
1 Corinthians 5:8 “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

When you take this Lord’s supper, do it in righteousness.

1 Corinthians 11:27-32 “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.”

What a great time of worship and self-examination this table is.

And listen to that warning.
• This table is for the redeemed.
• It is for those who yielded their lives to Christ.

• It is NOT for those who would partake because it’s trendy or cool.
• It is NOT for those who would prefer to live in sin and partake anyway.

• Paul said when you do that you “shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord”.

• Paul even said that’s why people in the Corinthian church were dying.

Here we come to celebrate the work of Christ on our behalf
And we remember that His work is a sin purifying work.

If He is doing that in your life then come to this table and celebrate.
If He is not, do not make a mockery of it by partaking.

So now we come to our time of preparation for each of us to examine ourselves and then to partake in the table of the Lord.

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Anticipating Worship: The Joy of Arrival
Psalms 122
April 24, 2022

Tonight we return to our study of Psalms
And specifically these Songs of Ascents.

Psalms 120 – 134 is sort of the UNOFFICIAL HYMNAL of Israel for those specific times in which they traveled to Jerusalem for one of those 4 major feasts.

We certainly see them in their historical relevance and understand them from that ancient Jewish perspective.

However, at the same time we see them as songs to be sung even today by those who still love the physical gathering of the people of God.

And in a day when physical church attendance is dropping in priority
It is a breath of fresh air to us to be reminded what a blessing it is
To gather physically with the saints to worship the Lord.

We’ve already seen 2 of these Psalms
And we see A SMALL PROGRESSION emerge.

Psalms 120 showed us a Psalmist who was ready to make the journey to Jerusalem for worship.

• He lived among liars.
• He lived among people who didn’t want peace.
• He was eager to travel to Jerusalem simply as a sanctuary from evil.

And that is certainly one of the blessings of gathering with the saints.
For a brief moment we get a reprieve from the immorality and filth and deception and anger of the world and we enter a sanctuary of truth and justice.

Psalms 121 showed us the Psalmist as he stepped out his door to make the journey.

• He contemplated the rough terrain and the high hills.
• He contemplated the weather and the elements.
• He contemplated the dangers of evil men and camping at night.
• And yet he trusted that God would protect him on his journey.

And while we likely don’t fret too much the physical journey to church,
We do understand the hardships of journey to Zion.

And we rejoice in God’s grace to keep us from stumbling
As we anticipate the great eternal gathering of the saints.

So thus far we’ve seen
• Our Psalmist anticipate worship.
• Our Psalmist begin the journey.

In Psalms 122 he arrives safely in Jerusalem.

(2) “Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem”

And don’t read that verse without first remembering the prayer of Psalms 121.

Psalms 121:1-8 “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.”

Psalms 122:2 indicates that all of those hopes were fulfilled.
• God did help.
• God did shade.
• God did keep.
• God did guard.

And now the Psalmist has safely arrived in the city he set out to reach.
That alone is grounds for a song of worship.

But the thrust of Psalms 122 is not the journey he has completed
But rather the joy that he has now arrived
Where his heart longed to be.

And so TONIGHT as we study this Psalm
We contemplate the joy of arriving at worship.

• What do you feel when you pull up in the parking lot?
• What do you expect when you walk in the doors?
• What is your anticipation?
• And even, how do you pray for what is about to occur?

That is what we see in our Psalmist tonight.

We’re going to break this Psalm into 2 main points
#1 THE PLACE HE LOVES
Psalms 122:1-5

This Psalm begins with a great statement that is well worth pondering.
“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

Now we know that even genuine believers can fall out of habit in regard to attendance.
• Hebrews 10 makes it clear that it was “the habit of some” to skip the actual assembly of the saints.
• So it is possible that even the redeemed can be influenced by external circumstances and temptations and fall into the sinful habit of skipping the assembly.

BUT…
Neglect of worship or dread of worship
Is NOT the natural view of the believer.

Dreading worship is an anomaly, it is an aberration,
It is a consequence of a sinful influence.

Once redemption occurs the normal and natural occurrence is that
The believer will be eager to “go to the house of the LORD”

Consider the early church.
Acts 2:43-47 “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

And of course you remember how later we read:
• That no one had any need for people were even selling their land and bringing
the proceeds in to feed this newly formed church.

And think about it for a moment.
Pentecost occurred during “The Feast of Weeks”.
That was one of those feasts where everyone was required to attend.

And while they were there, the Holy Spirit arrived
And Peter preached resulting in the salvation of 3,000 souls.

At that time there was 1 church on the entire planet.
(I suppose there’s always 1 church, but at that time there was 1 church location)

If these new believers went back home they went with no church. It’s no wonder they stayed, and it’s remarkable that the others sacrificed to allow them to stay.

We call that joy in the gathering.
They loved it.

I remember when we were preparing to go to Africa the first time in 2005 and none of us really knew anything about what to expect.

I was reading some Southern Baptist literature about IMB missions in Africa. And one of the articles said, “Be aware that many of these churches are comprised of new believers and they don’t realize that worship services don’t have to last all day.”

The point is, when a person is saved,
Eagerness to attend worship is a natural occurrence.

Sort of like how a new believer will long to read the Bible – they’ll also long for the saints.
It always puzzles me when we see someone claim salvation on Sunday morning
And then not even return for Sunday night.

When a person is redeemed their desire for worship is natural.

If there is not a desire to worship with the saints in your life,
It DOESN’T necessarily indicate that you are lost,
But at the very least you are BACKSLIDDEN.

The Psalmist said, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

And then we get his STATEMENT OF SATISFACTION.
(2) “Our feet are standing withing your gates, O Jerusalem,”

We’re here!
We’ve made it!

I think it’s worth mentioning at this point
THE PHYSICAL ASPECT of what is occurring.

I hear people say it, and they aren’t wrong.
Things like, “The building is not the church, the people are the church.”

Certainly that is true.
But, I understand growing to love a building or a location.

Does your house not hold memories?
Do you not have locations you fondly remember?
• For sure, if your house burned, you’d rejoice in your family getting out safely.
You’d recognize that wood and bricks aren’t the truest value.
• And yet, there would still be a sadness for that house was the gathering of
so many good memories and moments.

I don’t have a problem with people loving the church’s location
Or even the building.

It is a hallowed place.
It is an important location.

There is something wonderful about pulling up in the parking lot
And walking inside these doors.

I certainly don’t feel the same about entering the grocery store
As I feel about entering this place.

I’m ok with a delight even in the physical location.
Our Psalmist is glad.

His “feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem”

BUT LET’S CONSIDER HIS TRUEST GLADNESS.
• What are his expectations?
• Why is he so glad?
• What is he anticipating?

Well he’s going to give you 3 reasons he is so glad to worship.
These are 3 things that certainly give us joy as we gather here as well.

1) He loves the: FELLOWSHIP AND UNITY (3)

“Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is compact together.”

I DON’T THINK he’s marveling at the architecture or city plan here.
I know the disciples did that from time to time.

One Bible translation translated this verse, “Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is at unity with itself.”

The idea is tightness.
The idea is togetherness.
The idea is unity.

• This man traveled from far away to enter this city for worship.
• And as his feet landed in Jerusalem he saw people from all over the country side.

BUT GUESS WHY THEY WERE ALL HERE.
They had all traveled here for the exact same reason.

I think about when we take the youth to camp, or when I’ve gone to a pastor’s conference.
• You pull up and get out of the vehicle and you know that everyone here is here
for the exact same reason as me.
• And there’s a great unity and a fellowship in that unity.

And this is one of the reasons we love to come to a place of worship.
(You miss this when you just try to worship alone or worship online)

The church was meant to enjoy this unity.

You are aware of the foundation for this:
John 17:20-21 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

• That wasn’t just everyone getting along.
• Jesus was talking about common spiritual life.

But that is certainly the basis for our unity.
It’s why we all get along

Paul fleshed out the idea of practical unity for us.
Ephesians 4:1-6 “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

This is how we come.
• “one body”
• “one Spirit”
• “one hope”
• “one Lord”
• “one faith”
• “one baptism”
• “one God and Father”

And the real joy is in knowing that this is shared by everyone here.

I was actually thinking about this as I was sitting on the stage at Jayton before preaching a funeral this past Friday.

There is an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FEEL when sitting in church on a Sunday preparing to preach versus sitting at a funeral and preparing to preach.

For the most part, when I preach here on Sundays there is an overwhelming sense that the majority are eager to hear what is going to be said.
• You can feel the unity and its calming and encouraging to know that you are
preaching to people for the most part want to hear it.

But at a funeral that is not the feeling you get.
• There is totally different feeling as you realize that there will be many in the
room who absolutely do not want to hear a sermon.

It is that UNITY OF FELLOWSHIP that makes gathering here so great.
• We are unified in Spirit.
• We are unified in hope.
• We are unified in the Lord.

You can’t get that anywhere else in the world.

That is one of the reasons our Psalmist is so happy to be in Jerusalem
And it’s why we are happy to be here.

There’s another reason he loves that place so much.
2) He loves the: FRUIT OF REDEMPTION (4)

“To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD – an ordinance for Israel – To give thanks to the name of the LORD.”

Look at the Individual Elements of the things he notices.
• He sees DIVERSITY – “the tribes”
• He sees REDEMPTION – “tribes of the LORD”
• He sees OBEDIENCE – “an ordinance for Israel”
• He sees GRATITUDE – “To give thanks”

What does that mean?

Here you have people from different backgrounds and different cultures.
• They are from different geographic regions.
• They speak different languages.
• They like different foods.
• They look different.

And yet, the one thing they have in common is that
They have all been redeemed by the LORD.

THEY ARE HIS TRIBES.

And they are here because He commanded them to come
• This is a congregation of people who obey the Lord.
• This is a gathering of people who prioritize worship.

And they eagerly come to give thanks to the God who has redeemed them.
• This is a people of gratitude.
• They aren’t here to grumble.

THESE PEOPLE (despite their differences)
ALL ACT LIKE SAVED PEOPLE.

THE CHURCH IS UNIQUE LIKE THAT

This is the joy that many of you have felt on THE MISSION FIELD.

• You walk into a church building on the other side of the world.
• They sing a song in a language you don’t know.
• Every word you speak has to be interpreted.
• They dress differently…
• They eat different food…
• They look different…

AND YET YOU RICHLY FELLOWSHIP WITH THEM – WHY?
Because they have been saved by the same God who saved you,
And they love Him too.

It’s the only thing you have in common and that is more than enough.

Galatians 3:28-29 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

We might say “neither African nor American, neither Asian nor Hispanic”
And this of course is a foretaste of heaven.
Revelation 7:9-12 “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

What a great joy!
We are all unique, but we share this common bond of redemption.

AND EVEN BEYOND THAT
We actually enjoy the diversity of our own personal differences,

Because even our differences are uniquely designed
For the edification of the body.

• Paul reminded us that not everyone is an eye or a foot or a hand.
• The Holy Spirit uses each of us differently, but always for the same end goal
which is the edification of the body.

AND THAT IS A TRUE JOY IN GATHERING TOGETHER.

What the Psalmist recognizes as he looks over the diverse crowds
Is that they all share the common bond of redemption.

No matter where they came from or what their particular interests are,
They are all here in obedience to the Lord to give thanks to Him!

That makes church a wonderful place to be.
Why would you want to be any place else?

There’s a third thing he loves.
3) FORESHADOW OF JUSTICE (5)

“For there thrones were set for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.”

This of course doesn’t just reference the temple, but all of Jerusalem.
He recognizes David’s throne.

And it is a throne of justice.
• It of course was a foreshadow of the coming Messiah who would reign on David’s throne.

Isaiah 11:1-5 “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”

THAT KING IS COMING.

• Currently it was David’s throne and the Messiah was not yet here.
• But you did have all Israel gathered together in submission to that throne.
• And it was a picture of a coming promise that one day the true King would arrive and he would rule from that throne in justice over the whole world.

And this is something we love about the gathering of the saints today.

When we gather in this building
• We certainly want to obey Scripture and submit to the governing authorities,
• We certainly want to honor the king as Scripture teaches.

But at our core the reality remains that we serve 1 King.
We serve Jesus Christ.

We are citizens of a heavenly kingdom.
We bow the knee to heaven’s king.

• We aren’t ruled by earthly powers…
• We aren’t ruled by logic…
• We aren’t governed by majority…

THE CHURCH IS NOT A DEMOCRACY!
IT IS A THEOCRACY.
Christ is head!
Christ is King!
Christ is Lord!

We bow to Him, we follow Him, we serve Him.
What He says goes.

And what you see currently in the church
Is a picture of what it will one day be like on the whole earth.

It is a foretaste of glory divine.
It is a foretaste of Christ’s millennial reign!

And it is one of the things we love about being here.

SO PICTURE NOW OUR PSALMIST ENTERING JERUSALEM.
His feet walked through the gates and joy fills his soul.
• He is among those who are redeemed.
• He is among those who are here for the same reason he is.
• He is among those who serve heaven’s king.

It is enough to make one wish
We could gather in this place and never leave.

THIS IS THE PLACE HE LOVES.

And we love this place.
• It’s more than bricks and lumber. (though we love that too)
• It is a place where the redeemed gather.
• It is a place where we come for the same purpose.
• It is a place where we get a taste of what is coming some day.

How could you not be glad when they say to you, “Let us go to the house of the LORD”?

We love this place!

The Place He Loves
#2 THE PRAYER HE SOLICITS
Psalms 122:6-9

Solicits may not actually be a strong enough word.
It reads more like a command.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:”

First of all you recognize that the word “peace”
Dominates these final 4 verses.
There is a reason for that.

The Hebrew word for “peace” is SHALOM
Which runs very closely to the word Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was to be the city of peace.

Remember when the writer of Hebrews spoke about Melchizedek
Hebrews 7:1-2 “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.”

“Salem” there is “peace”

That is true for the church as well.
This ought to be a place of peace.

Remember back in Psalms 120
This is why the Psalmist wanted to come so bad.
Psalms 120:6-7 “Too long has my soul had its dwelling With those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, They are for war.”

This place should be a place of peace.
And the Psalmist TELLS YOU TO PRAY to that end.

“May they prosper who love you. May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces.”

Do you want a prayer to pray for the church?
THERE IT IS.

• Pray for God to bless those who love the church.
• Pray that peace will abound within the walls of this church.
• Pray that prosperity will be here.

Now, someone might balk at that initially and say, “That sounds a little bit like the prosperity gospel.”

No, this guy isn’t hoping that serving the church will make him rich,
He’s praying that the church will prosper and be a place of peace.

WHY?

Well, there’s 2 reasons.
(8) “For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.”

He prays for peace and prosperity for the church
Because a prospering peaceful church benefits his brothers and friends.

We certainly don’t put our hope in temporal things,
And we certainly steer away from the love of money.

However, we still understand that when the church does well and walks in peace that it is a blessing to those who worship there.

• How many youth have enjoyed going to camp because of the prosperity of the
church?
• Where do things like DiscipleNow come from?
• It is a blessing to have air conditioning and a church van and padded pews
• And food to serve on Wednesday nights, etc.

We are grateful for God’s provision and blessing and prosperity
Which He pours upon His church and we even pray for it.

IT BENEFITS THE SAINTS.

But there’s another reason he prays for the church’s peace and prosperity.
(9) “For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.”

He wants Jerusalem to prosper
Because it DIRECTLY effects the house of worship.
And thus it INDIRECTLY attributes to the glory of God.

We pray for the church to prosper to the glory of God.
We pray for the church to be at peace to the glory of God.

• We certainly understand that the church has always thrived through persecution, and should it come we would not fear.
• Yet, when called to pray, we pray for peace;

We certainly don’t desire a church that does not dwell in peace.
Paul rebuked the Corinthians several times for the divisions among them.
We pray for peace.

2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

We pray for the prosperity of the church to the glory of God.
• What a blessing to be able to send money to others
• We think of the Philippians giving to help the Jerusalem saints
• As one put it: “We are blessed to be a blessing, with enough to give enough”

We plead with God to make His church dwell in peace and prosperity.

It is a blessing to have such a place where we can freely and openly proclaim the gospel and worship God in song.

We thank God for blessings like instruments and people who can play them, for air conditioning and lights and things of that nature.

BUT WHEN YOU CONTEMPLATE IT ALL
What do we learn here?

Namely that the gathering of the redeemed is a place of joy!
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD”
• It is a joy to the soul to be afforded the privilege of attending this place.
• It is a joy to the soul to gather with the redeemed.
• We pray that it is a gathering that makes other people glad as well.
• We pray that it is a gathering that glorifies God and makes Him glad.

And we pray that it remains that way.
We pray for the peace and prosperity of this place.

For this place represents far more to us than just a building.
This is the building where we worship God.

May it always be pure joy just to walk through the doors!

Psalms 100 “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.”