The Blessings of God’s House

Temple Baptist Church - 9-9-2012

 

Psalms 134

 

Introduction:

A. I preached out of this chapter last week concerning the church of the end times. I believe that all of us that know anything about the Bible know what time it is spiritually. We are living in the Midnight Hour and Jesus could come any moment. As the world sleeps spiritually, God’s children are to watch and pray.

B. I do not want to reiterate last week’s message but do want to key in on the first and last verse of this Psalm. Verse 1 gives us several important things to contemplate in the hour in which we live.

1. The importance of God’s House. Hebrews 10:25 says, “and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” When God places this kind of emphasis upon something, we had better take notice. One of the most important things in your life at this time is your church! I cannot stress that enough. Be watchful when the world de-emphasizes something that God emphasizes!

2. The importance of our times. Night is a time of spiritual darkness in the Bible. We live in the most exciting time in the history of the world. I believe that we are the generation that will not see death. Our times are both exciting and expectant!

3. The importance of standing. This verse does not say attending and sitting. The emphasis is upon the word stand. There are many who are attending but few standing as the Laodicean Church marches on down the road of compromise.

4. The importance of serving. “All ye servants of the Lord” speaks of a special group within the end time church. So many have given up who once took their part in the work of the local church. This entire Psalm is written about and to those special people who understand the importance of God’s work and continue to do so in spite of the direction taken by the majority.

C. Now, let us look at the 3^rd verse for a few minutes.

1. We see the power of the Lord. When I look up into the heavens, they declare the glory of God and I see his handiwork. Voyager 1 was launched September 5, 1977. Those were the days of the 8 track tape player! Voyager 1 still has not even reached the end of our solar system, much less flying beyond the reaches of our galaxy. God simply spoke all that we see plus the seemingly endless reaches of the heavens into existence. If God can do this (and He did), then truly nothing shall be impossible with Him.

2. We see the possessions of the Lord. Since He made it all, He owns it all. His resources are limitless and He can bestow upon whom He wills. In His wonderful omniscience, He has chosen to bestow upon you and I His local church.

3. We see the blessing of the Lord. Here we find His promise to bless those servants of His who stand in His house in the Night Season! This blessing is not found by those who just attend irregularly and are neither standing nor serving. The blessings are not just monetary but are found within the local church. These are blessings that only those who love the Lord and His church find.

1. The Blessing of Contemplation. Psalms 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. (We come to church to think about Him! When we get out of church, we become more worldly minded and lose our perspective of just who and what He is! We come to church to see Him!)

2. The Blessing of Satisfaction. Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. (I have spent the last 34 years of my life consistently in church and I have to say that I am satisfied! It is a joy to come to church and, though I so often come empty, I invariably leave full. I seek nothing to replace church with as coming here is irreplaceable in my life.)

3. The Blessing of Worship. Psalms 135:1-2 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD. 2 Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God, (It is a place or worship. A place where the Lord is the pre-eminent One and His name is glorified.)

4. The Blessing of Fellowship. Colossians 2:1-2 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; (2) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; (“knit together with love” means interwoven or mingled. Paul was writing to the Colossians concerning both them and the condition of the Laodicean Church [the end time church age]. We do not come to church as individuals and leave the same way. Our lives are “knit” together with the love of Christ and love for each other.)

Psalms 55:14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. (Hebrews 10:25 says, “Exhorting one another.” It is a blessing, when I am discouraged, to be able to come to the church and see all of you!)

5. The Blessing of Giving. Psalms 66:13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, (What a blessing to be able to pay my tithe and give to missions! I enjoy making out our check each week as well as putting money in the offering plate during each other service. Giving is no chore to my wife and me. I feel that it is a privilege that God has given to me.)

6. The Blessing of Spiritual Growth. Psalms 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. (The Lord has spiritually matured me in church. I have grown from a babe to full maturity through a wonderful diet of God’s Word. The sincere milk of God’s Word leads to strong meat!)

7. The Blessing of Holiness. Psalms 93:5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever. (No foul language, no vile jokes, and no nudity! I don’t need to turn my head or cover my ears. I can invite people to Temple and not have to worry about what they will hear or see.)

8. The Blessing of Testimony. Psalms 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. (I love to hear people get up and brag on the Lord. The Lord has been better to all of us than we deserve. We have an opportunity to brag on Him every service.)

9. House of Fruit Bearing - Psalms 92:13-14 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. (14) They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; (I have watched families for years and come to this conclusion: faithful families have their problems just like everyone else but God blesses them in the end for their faithfulness. Fruitful, fat and flourishing!)

10. The Blessing of Constraint - Psalms 122:1, 9 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD…Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good. (People who get out of church almost invariably end up ship wrecked spiritually. They blame everything and everyone for leaving church but take their problems with them and end up a mess family wise. Remaining faithful to God’s house has kept me from giving in to the desires of the flesh.)