Better Is One Day In Your Courts

BETTER IS ONE DAY IN YOUR COURTS

Ps. 84:10

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament, was once giving a group of his constituents a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the course of the visit, the group happened to meet Lord Hailsham, then lord chancellor, wearing all the regalia of his office.

2. Hailsham recognized Marten among the group and cried, "Neil!" Not daring to question or disobey the "command," the entire band of visitors promptly fell to their knees! [Today in the Word, July 30, 1993]

3. Thank God we don’t kneel before anyone but the Lord Jesus Christ!

B. TEXT

1How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home...a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. 10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Ps. 84:1-4,10.

C. THESIS

1. William Temple defines WORSHIP as “the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose.

2. WHY is one day in God’s courts better than a thousand elsewhere? For three reasons: first, it’s where we meet with God; second, God’s presence imparts many pleasures and benefits; and third, the blessings of being with Him now are only a down payment of the full inheritance we will receive when we enter the glories of Heaven and eternal life!

I. IT’S WHERE WE MEET GOD!

A. NO MEETING IS SWEETER, THAN WITH GOD

1. One minute of bliss with God is better than 1,000 years without God. It’s better because getting to meet the CREATOR is such a PRIVILEGE!

2. Years ago, I got to attend a meeting in Independence, MO., and see Ronald Reagan in person. The whole town was silent and in awe as the two Chinook helicopters circled and then landed. Then I heard the words of that truly great man & patriot. I’ll never forget that moment. But how much more special is 5 minutes with the Creator of the Universe, the ever-living God of power and might! Like Paul said, “Oh, that I might know Him!”

3. I’ve been to Israel and touched old stone stairs that Jesus actually walked on. In the center of the Garden of Gethsemane is a large slab of rock that Christ probably prayed against. In the recently dug-up synagogue at Korazim is a “Moses’ seat” (visiting teachers sat in when they taught) that Jesus undoubtedly sat in when He spoke in that synagogue. When I touched those ancient artifacts, I felt how close I was to connecting with Jesus. But how much better is it to be in God’s house & feel His living Spirit now? How much better to praise Him in the present than contemplate Him in the past!

B. IMPORTANCE OF BEING WITH GOD’S PEOPLE

1. God, of course, is everywhere, but He manifests His presence more definitely, some places. As the priests sang and offered sacrifices in the Temple, it filled with the cloud of God’s visible presence (Ex. 40:34-35; 1 Kgs. 8:11). God told the Israelites He would dwell there.

2. God no longer dwells in buildings built by man (Acts 7:48; 17:24), but in human hearts. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them” (Mt. 18:20, AMP).

3. When believers gather, Jesus is among them in an exponential manner. That’s one of the major reasons church is not optional for Christians, but a must. The Holy Spirit is present, the spiritual gifts are manifested and God’s will is made clear, in the collective wisdom & discernment of the saints (from Scripture).

II. THE PLEASURES & BENEFITS OF GOD

A. THE PLEASURES WE RECEIVE THERE

1. David said, “In Your presence is fulness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore!” Ps. 16:11. Communion with God gives a greater satisfaction & pleasure than all the gratifications of time and sense.

2. The briefest life experiencing God’s goodness is better than the longest life of worldliness. "One day in Thy courts is better than" a thousand at Disney World, or in the Bahamas, or at the best restaurant in America, or on the most elite trip a person can think of – it would be better to be in God’s House!