House of the Lord

Hi this morning is going to feel maybe a little bit different than even a typical teaching that I would do. We've been going to 1st Corinthians this week, maybe next week. I'm not sure yet. But we're taking a break or going to move to Psalm 122 and I would consider this more of a devotional. If you like to categorize things in that nature shorter more of a summary of what we've been talking about over the last eight. We can just kind of my own feelings and what's going on in my heart over the last eight weeks of this time that has been just chaos weird strange. We can use all kinds of words to describe what has gone on and I we're about week for our week 5 into Stay-at-home lockdown whatever you want to call it. And I think I was about day for into installing floors at the church with some guys and I had a pretty long and rough week and I was getting ready to head into a week in which Carson if you guys listen he taught for me with Michael on the podcast kid, just a phenomenal job real thankful, but I just felt terrible, a lot of us have felt during that time and cuz it's Saturday and I was in my garage attempting to lift weights. I was just looking at them actually, but I've been doing a lot of so too tired exhausted to do that and I sat there and I just felt this empty broken I've had described in the first alley was almost like that state of depression that can see speckin Steve over somebody come over somebody and I asked myself what is wrong and I remember coming to the church and that week. I was going to work all week on the floors and Sean satterlee was a really involved and helping me almost everyday with those and we got in his truck and I was just like man just complaining. All right, I have complain church. I'm a complainer. So just so you know, I've been there done that might do it in the future. Hope not too and he looked at me and he said Brett let's talk about the good stuff. Talk about the good stuff. begin to talk about all that God has done in the last 7 years in this church and family specifically and in my life pacifically and what that did is it reoriented not only my mind but my heart and brought two sensor that God is still on the throne and God is at work and one of the things that I've noticed over the last eight weeks is how information has this power outside sources to really influence us to really speak into us to direct and actually determine a lot of our action and it's not just an 8-week. Of time that is conditioned asked to believe something but it stems all the way back to maybe the country you were born in the neighborhood you grew up in the economic status that you had all of those factors are influential in shaping how you think where you got your education from influential in shaping how you perceive and view the Through this 8 weeks there was moments where I don't know about you but my news intake was far greater than my Bible intake. There is no mr. Sunday morning roll around and I was like, I don't really want to listen to myself talk with you on Sunday morning. It's really awkward. And for the first few I'm gung-ho but it like Bow Wow out this week and there are these moments where I'm letting a lot of outside influence begin to form and shape minute. Hit me for reading a book as a team right now. It's a devotional off of renovation of the heart and it's whites come up a lot actually in our teachings and in that time but one of the things that is crucial of the book is this idea of what is forming you what is shaping you? What is the most powerful influence in your life right now? very valid and important question

There is a podcaster actually, he's a professor very brilliant man on some people in the church. Turn the on Timothy Jordan Peterson. Anybody familiar with Jordan Peterson. I know you guys are from the Air Jordan Peterson it be safe to say that when he speaks keys are religious. So he doesn't really claim one way or the other that we probably have the bed. He's not antagonistic towards religion, but he just simply has this step away View and he said something and on a podcast and it just really struck me and it went along the lines of this. This part's not a direct quote, but he said in essence you don't come to your own conclusions. They've been formed by outside Powers than this is a direct quote. He said it has been said that every individual is the conscious or unconscious follower of some influential philosopher. There's a mindset and culture Western culture society that we are independent individual self-made thinkers, but the very idea that you created and come up with him about the world around you they came from within you you were blessed with that deep inside and I'm not going to say that we don't have some Keen insight and awareness and I would say that some people are just a little bit more bold and how they express that inside and awareness as we seen But the awareness outside and it begins to form you on the inside. Everything matters and what I want to look at this morning from Psalm 122 idea of David saying let us go into the house of the Lord together. I was glad when they said to me, let us go unto the house of the Lord as followers of Jesus. Jesus has to be the most influential in shaping forming molding. Influence in our lives, even when his ways are contrary to our ways and his thoughts and actions so often are contrary to how you read the gospels you go. Yeah. I probably wouldn't have done it like them him. Excuse me. I would have done it like the disciples people don't like us what's rain down fire. Let's cast judgment on them Jesus. Let's go get them Jesus. Let's get the children out of here. They're not welcome there getting in the way of Ministry Jesus preaching in your name and doing some radical stuff, but he doesn't hang with us. Therefore. He probably not with us, right and Jesus just nope. Nope. Nope, and his stinky is so different and it's so important to spend time with Jesus in order to have this thing keep watch over us. And so when we look at this text this morning one of the things that I have missed so much about gathering with the Saints if I realize how deeply I need the body of Christ even Dollar corporate sent to help shape me for me grow me change me. Important when we sing songs together in agreement as we will take communion with one another as we maybe even have some of those cliche quick-service e conversation. I miss those I do. Because they do something inside of me and the begin to help me re-envision areas in my thinking has gone astray. that's why I believe it is so important that we stay connected because it reorients our thoughts the Republican Vision our lives and move towards Jesus like in Matthew Chapter 5 when Jesus was talking about The Sermon on the Mount he's talking about moving from way too selfish preservation to play the generous living and generous giving these re-envisioning a society that comes under who God is also allowing for Grace to Prevail but there's been failures and fault and I'll tell you what I need to be reminded that constantly Gathering with the same is incredibly important and I understand why the song This would say I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord sees weekly rhythms a gathering of spending time in community throughout the week bible studies. They are formative in shaping who we are as human how we think how they react and respond that comes from the book renovation of my heart. The heart will become a certain kind of person and the depths of our be gaining a certain type of character. What Willard is saying in this is we become a certain kind of person in the depths of our being Who You Are Stems from the inside then it flows out into the character of who you are. A lot of people want to believe that's just change them character behavioral issues and then a fixed my problems not will change me but what needs to happen their life, so we have to get down deep into our hearts. Do you actually bring about the character change that's going to happen and if it's going to be lasting it has to be something far more powerful than the other influences were getting that power outside of us is the good news of Jesus the Holy Spirit moving into a transforming changing shaping forming us.

And this is an aspect of that.

We should get excited about gathering with the Saints not realize that I'm short on time again, and we got about 5 minutes to cruise through three points. So we're going to do that here. I want to unpack Psalm 122. Why is the stalinist Glad David Hart was absolutely individually into the worship of God. What does he say? I was glad when I said to myself, let me go to the house of the Lord. That sounds very American Christianity. Doesn't it? Yeah, it's my day to hang with Jesus at my church at my place. Do my thing. No, he goes. I'm glad to get to worship. There's an individual aspect when they said to me let go to the house of the Lord. There's this doubling down of Joy because he himself gets to participate in the worship and singing of God's but it's others who are inviting him into this. Process it brings joy to his heart when others come alongside of him and said, let's go Worship the Lord together on this text specifically John Calvin wrote. I take the light in the company of those who a luer me to the service of God that's important because I take the light who lures you into the service of God. Who's that person cheering you on saying let's go worship God together. That's exactly what Sean did for me in the car? No, we didn't belt out bless. The Lord may be the only song I can almost see Auntie on or is greater than just the Singapore has this movement on my heart to join Sean and praising God for everything he's doing which radically reshaped the rest of my day. Because it helped to reorient me and put my vision on Jesus. Cool lowers you what? Are you Allure, who are you bringing along with Calvin doesn't stop there. He says and offers themselves to me as companions. The pretty good it just kind of blasting out. Hey come to church a join me and that's super encouraging and in like 3 weeks. Please keep doing that for now. We're going to try to just like chill without getting thrown in jail. That's the goal right now. So you can laugh it's funny. So here's the deal who who is the companion invite you I want to walk with you in it. I want to Stand By Your Side in it take the light in the companion that's going to the house cod with you because inevitably you might be on the other side of the I don't really want to be there today. I don't really want to delight in God today and then you got somebody over luring and then also walking with you in it, but he says that we may go to the sanctuary together. I love this idea together Christianity is not an elite. ISM belief system is not a racial belief system. It isn't anybody who would respond to the god belief system is not just a system. It is V truth the way the life and Jesus is invited us into this life. And he says join me let's join together in worshipping God. I was glad when they said let us go into the house of the Lord sadly many of our Lives Duty often robs us of Joy, doesn't it? One thing when you want to do something for somebody that's another thing when somebody tells you to do something for them and I would say neither scenario. Let's try to have great attitude. But our response in that are in the action of doing is really different but I can't I just really want to do this to bless this person when it's just a joy Duty often robs us of joy.

And I think we probably are cells found ourselves in areas of not delighting in gathering of God's people. And I would imagine part of the reason you're here at this weekend it because you actually missed this. Like what not a great time to just bow out and say not yet. Not me not okay with it and no one would say a thing. We're saying let's come together as joyful ever those who can't we're encouraging them for at risk and are worried to worship God in their homes. And we bring them in with a please play worship God together with Regenerist and serving God together got to change our perspective when we come together. Why number to going to the place of worship the Gathering we come here with an intent to worship God together. If you listen to the podcast, please don't raise hands if we don't even know but you listened we really encourage you to steady your heart to put away the dishes to just sit down and do that. I guarantee even at your best this probably feels different. Aren't at our purpose getting to sing with one another taking communion together with something unique about coming together as the body of Christ and I'm not advocating that you can't worship God when you walk out of these doors. I hope you do and I hope you do with intensity and ferocity and if you go for it, but there's something unique about gathering with the church. Why number 3 United worship, let us go into the house together. Nothing will compensate for this United worship. So I work all together now structure size liturgy order of service. Those things might change their might be some personal preference in them. But as We Gather something unique happens, why is that married this quote and I might get us into a time of worship and praise. It comes from a guy by the name of Spencer Jones He says there is a fervor In prayer and a hardness in phrase when many souls are out poured in the one and many voices are united in the other which solitary worship does not know there's an influence and uttered Truth spoken in the sympathetic hearing of a hundred heart, but you know book can communicate in the silent chamber. There's a sacred Joy which gladdens the Pure Heart in the anticipation and in the fact of public Worship in the act of public worship of which is a serious mistake to deprive ourselves of the early Church in Acts, 2:42, the gather together in the temple breaking bread in their homes, praying adhering to the apostles Doctrine benefits with gladness and sincerity in their hearts. Someone eat 122. I was glad when they said to me. Let us go into the house of the Lord Acts chapter to the church continued in this for the gladness and a joy why Jesus has done for us. The world can be crazy and falling apart. And if I feel more real and ever there's a real reality in which we Center of South pond. Ugly bacon Gathering here. We could be United and encouraged in that Prime. God thank you.

Before your word different the truth of who you are your generosity and your goodness to us. Call me with the light and who you are and what you're done. Maybe we sing praises because you are God and you are God you are who we build our life upon. We don't like you we worship you we praise you in Jesus name. Amen.