God In The House

NKJ – Psalm 127:1 <A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.> Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

 The Psalms of Ascent are a collection of psalms in the Bible, Psalms 120–134, that were sung by Jewish pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. The psalms were also sung by Levitical priests as they entered the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s temple.

Purpose

• The Psalms of Ascent reminded the Hebrew people of their nomadic faith roots and the Exodus journey.
• They also served to bolster the energy and enthusiasm of travellers heading to Jerusalem for festivals and feasts.
• The psalms express the affliction of life, while also extolling God as the source of life.

Some Psalms of Ascent

• Psalm 120: Calls on the Lord for deliverance
• Psalm 121: The Lord is your keeper
• Psalm 122: Speaks of the joy the Israelites felt when they made their pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem Psalm 123: Pleads for God’s mercy
• Psalm 124: God is our help in trouble
• Psalm 84: A pilgrimage song that was meant to bolster the determination of travellers heading to Jerusalem.

Theme / Focus for this Morning: Knowing and participating in what it takes for God to be/bless our house! (I do want to emphasize, for this occasion, the local church…our local church, Christian Life Church.

Transition: With that in mind, let me transition to the accompanying text that I want to use from 2 Chronicles and we can start in chapter 1.

Solomon has built ‘the temple’

• 2 Chronicles 1:1, ‘Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the LORD his God was with him and made him very powerful’. (2Ch 1:1 NLT)

I. God’s House was established by/through God’s Favor – 2 Chron. 1:1

• Psalm 5:12 ‘For you bless the godly, O LORD; you surround them with your shield of love’. (NLT)
  
• Psalm 84:1,“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
  
  
  
• NKJ  Genesis 18:3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.
• NLT  Genesis 18:3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while.

II. God’s House called for a whole and complete assembly (everyone). 2 Chronicles 1:2

NLT ‘Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel — the generals and captains of the army,1 the judges, and all the political and clan leaders.’

• Mark 3:25 “And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand’. (NKJ)

• In the Bible, Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand” (Matthew 12:25).
  • Jesus used this expression to warn the Pharisees, who were trying to disprove everything he did.

Question: What are some of the causes of division in the church?

• Doctrinal Issues
• Political Issues
• Gossip, Pride, and fear
• Spiritual and emotional immaturity

All Things to All Men

1 Corinthians 9:22, which says, “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some”

• Means to become all things to all people in order to edify others
• Means to show equal respect to all people
• Means to avoid stumbling weak or strong, the ungodly or the gracious

III. God’s House was Initiated by Acts of Worship. 2 Chron. 1:3

NLT  ‘Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle1 was located there’. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the LORD’s servant, had made in the wilderness.) (2Ch 1:3 NLT)

Worship is the act of showing devotion to a higher power, such as a deity or God. It can be a way to bring a community together, or to establish a personal relationship with a higher power.

Examples/Expressions of Worship

Physical actions

Lifting hands: A way to praise God

Clapping: A way to praise God

Bowing: A way to show respect to God

Dancing: A way to praise God

Playing instruments: A way to praise God

Standing in awe: A way to show respect to God

Moving your feet: A way to praise God

Spoken words

Singing: A way to praise God

Shouting: A way to praise God

Praying: A way to express worship

Speaking words of praise: A way to express worship

Emotions

Weeping: A way to express worship

Joy: A way to express worship

Awe: A way to express worship

• The Bible encourages people to use their bodies to worship God. Many Christians believe that these expressions are not just outward displays, but are a way to acknowledge God’s love, majesty, and sovereignty.

IV. A Claim on the Continuation of Previous Promises – 2 Chron. 1: 9

NLT ‘O LORD God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth!’ (NLT)

• God’s promises are found in the Bible, the Quran, and other religious texts. These promises include protection, guidance, forgiveness, and eternal life.

V. Continued Wisdom and Knowledge – 2 Chronicles 1:10

2 Chronicles 1:10 ‘Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly,1 for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?” (NLT)

Jeremiah 10:12 ‘But God made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens’. (Jer 10:12 NLT)

Ezekiel 28:5 ‘Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud’. (Eze 28:5 NLT)