Text: Psalm 84                                                                                              Calvary 082309
Title: “The Joy of Worship”

Jock about the man who left church to get a hair cut J

In July on the news there was a story about a Florida man who rammed his car into a church, when arrested he tolled officers that he wanted to be “closer to Jesus.”
The officers found the man’s car partially inside the church when they arrived on the scene. The church had 10 K$ in damages and the man was taken to jail and placed on suicide watchJ
I pray that everyone here knows that they don’t need to ram your car into church in order to be close to GodJ

Worship for us is a privilege, it is a chance for us to rejoice in our faith in God and in our relationship with him. The problem is that it’s our nature to fall into rutenes and run the risk of turning worship into a chore or just something that we do regularly, like going to the grocery store, or paying bills.

So it’s important for us to frequently visit the Psalms because they often remind us of how wonderful our relationship with God is, and how privileged and honored we aught to be to have it. And perhaps in doing so, our joy and excitement about worshiping God will be renewed.

Psalm 84 along with several other psalms, are called pilgrim poems/songs. They were well known poems that were often sung either as people journeyed to worship at the temple. Or when they were unable to go worship for some reason and longed for the opportunity.

At least once a year people from every corner of the land would make an annual pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem to worship and sacrifice. For many the journey was long and difficult and perhaps to help them pass the time they would sing these songs of longing for God and for worshiping and encountering him at the temple.

The Psalmist here is longing for God and his house. You can feel this intense desire for God’s presence and a longing to be with the company of God’s people.
We can think of this journey as either a metaphor for our coming to church to worship every week, or for our faith journey with the Lord. And regardless of which one you’re thinking off, ask yourself do I have this longing, this passion to meet with God?

The opening sentences of this Psalm say
        “How lovely is your dwelling place, O lord Almighty!      
                My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord.
                        My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

Vs 2 echo’s the command Moses gave to God’s people back in Deuteronomy 6 …
This kind of adoration involves our whole being. We must love our Lord God with all our hearts, souls, and with all our mind and strength.
For those of us who have been a Christian for a long time, Do you still have this longing for God? or has it faded away.
Has our relationship with God become just like any other relationship that we have, it became one among many.

I’m sure we cling to God when we are going through difficult times. In times when something very important is happening in our lives, we try to grab hold of Jesus and ask that our prayers and petitions be granted?
It is good that we know how to cling to God when we are in difficult situations, but let us not only long for God in such times. We need to thirst for His words and long to draw closer to Him every day, Because we are pilgrims on this earth; we need God’s constant guidance and strength.

We come and we worship which is wonderful, but ask yourself, what is my attitude as I worship? What impression are you giving God?
Is it a feeling of just another thing that we do in the week or is their excitement, enthusiasm, and eagerness to worship the Lord?

For those who made this journey, this pilgrimage, their priority was clear. They left home on a long and very uncomfortable trip that often took days, leaving behind their jobs and their friends. All this trouble simply to worship the Lord.

Perhaps the lack of a challenge to come to worship has contributed to us loosing some of the excitement and joy of worship. Non of us go through any obstacles or dangers to come to worship. Did it take a couple of days or even a couple of hours for anyone to get to church this morning? Did you arrive on the back of a Donkey to worshipJ? Are you loosing time from work or form you pay to be here?

In countries where there is religious persecutions they say that it is easy to see the joy and celebration of worship every week. Because people face challenges just to come to worship and they know that at any time something could happen and they can miss the opportunity to worship.

So for us we need to recognize the privilege of freely worshiping and rejoice in the fact that we are here in this beautiful sanctuary worshiping the lord without any worry.
It is a reason to be excited and happy about worshiping and giving thanks and praise to God.

You can also come and spend time praying and worshiping God any time you want.
The Psalmist here is jealous of the birds that next near God’s house.

“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young. A place near your alter, O Lord Almighty, my king and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”

The temple was the highest place around and so birds would next in its walls.

So as people approached the temple they would see birds flying in and out of the nests that are in the high places in the temple. So the Psalmist looks at these birds and is jealous, and wonders how great it would be to live in the house of the Lord. he sais, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they are ever praising you.”
People who lived in the city could see the temple from most places in town and so they had a constant reminder of God’s presence.
One of the things that amazed me when I first moved in the area is that wherever I went I saw churches. within walking distance from this building just 3 or 4 blocks there are at least 5 churches that I can think of. And if you expand that distance to a few more blocks that number at least doubles.

We have constant reminders of the Lord, are we paying attention?
Are we ever praising God?

The Psalm sais, “as they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs….. they go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”

The valley of Baca could either be a difficult place that they go through in their journey or if we’re seeing it as a metaphor for our journey through life then it can refer to times in our faith journey where we face difficulties and challenges. When I first read this Psalm I thought that it was saying that when difficult times come. God takes care of us. But it’s saying when the pilgrims go through the Valley of Baca, THEY make it a place of springs.”

We wonder why is there so much hurt and suffering in the world, and question whether or not God cares. This Psalm is saying that God’s people are the ones providing healing and joy. As God’s people we are the ones called and charged to help the suffering, the sick, and the broken hearted. Through our singing, our worship, and in our relationship with God. each of us are called to share that joy, that love, and that compassion with the world.

So perhaps the reason for all the bad things that are happening in the world is not because God has turned his back on us but perhaps because we have lost the joy that we have for God and in return have turned our backs not just on God but on each other.

I want you to know that the Presbyterian church in particular is known in many parts of the world for living out this joy of worshiping God by taking care of one another.
Whenever missionaries went to another country for the last 200 years or so, when a congregation was established they built 3 buildings; a church, a hospital, and a school.

And as we rejoice in worshiping God and serving others. It says that we go “from strength to strength. Till each appear before God.”
As we rejoice in our relationship with God and worship him with celebration and excitement. Our journey with God and with God’s family, grows stronger, we go from strength to strength and are able to deal better with lifes challenges and are also able to serve others and lead them to the joy of the Lord.

Happiness is not the ceaseless pursuit of material well-being, but the entrusting of our lives and future to God.

Ps 63:3, “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”

True happiness is taking refuge in God. Ultimate goodness is to be near God.

The Psalm ends with the a declaration. “O Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you”

Let us trust in the lord, and rejoice in worshiping and serving him. Amen.