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Committed to the House of God
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.
Sermon Summary: This sermon oultine looks at the Psalmist's great love for the “house of God.” In the New Testament, the Church is the house of God!
1 Timothy 3:15, KJV But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the HOUSE of God, which is the CHURCH of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
•• Paul wrote to Timothy that “the HOUSE of God ... is the CHURCH” of God.
•• Jesus Himself had great respect for that house:
• Matthew 21:13 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’ ”
• At age 12, found by His parents in the Temple, Jesus said, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49)
• “...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...” (Ephesians 5:25).
Psalms 27:4-6 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. [5] For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. [6] Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
•• [vs. 4] “One thing I ask...” — a single-minded focus. I am a “house of the Lord” believer.
•• [4] “This is what I seek” — His House! Not a casual, random following after God. No, but a focused, targeted goal: the House of the Lord.
• Not just letting it happen, but pursuing it.
• “...to dwell in” His house. An unflagging commitment before God to be in church.
•• [4] “All the days of my life” — a lifelong priority.
• I thank God for the gray hairs I see in church ... and the younger saints, too.
•• [4] “to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” — the Church is a place where we are brought into contact with, and into manifestation of, God’s “beauty,” His glory, His splendor, His majesty...
•• [4] “to seek Him in His temple” —
• “to seek Him” = an active pursuing of the Lord
• “to seek Him” = we come together as a church to seek the Lord, not the meeting of our needs!
[vs. 5] If you approach the house of the Lord as above —
•• You will be blessed.
•• [5] “In the day of trouble He will keep [you] safe.”
•• [5] “...safe in His dwelling” — there is a corporate safety and strength in the congregation of the Lord.
•• [5] “He will hide [you] in the shelter of His tabernacle” — that hints at a closeness to His presence ... “hidden” under His wings (Ps. 91).
• Again, “shelter [in] His tabernacle.” The church is a place of safety, of security, of well-being.
•• [5] You’ll find yourself “set...high upon a rock” — Christ the Rock, on whom the Church is built.
[vs. 6] “Then,” anchored and rooted in the house of God —
•• [6] You’ll be “exalted above the enemies who surround [you]” — physical enemies, spiritual ones, circumstantial ones...
•• [6] You’ll find yourself giving “shouts of joy” — where? ... “at His tabernacle.” Church is a joy-inducing thing.
•• [6] Your heart will overflow with “sing[ing] and mak[ing] music to the Lord” — one of the signs of the Spirit-filled life (Ephesians 5:18-19).
Psalms 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life...
Preached at South Valley Church, Phoenix, Oregon, December 28, 2005
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We invite you to read our related sermon outline entitled The House of God Is Christ's Church.
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of the Zondervan Corporation. All rights reserved.
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© 2005, James H. Feeney, All rights reserved.
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