Knocking On Heaven's Door (Psalm 122)

For a lot of people, there are few things more intimidating than knocking on a door. Think of the tension: at the closed door of your boss’s office. The front door of your prom date’s house. The front door of a neighbor’s house when you have girl scout cookies to sell.

Knocking on a door can be terrifying, especially if you have no idea what kind of reception you are going to get from the person on the other side of the door. For most of this going to someone’s house and knocking on the door gives us some sense of anxiety, or uncertainty, or dread.

So it’s kind of remarkable that David begins Psalm 122 with the declaration “I was GLAD when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

To go to the house of the Lord is to be in the presence of the Lord. So what David is really saying is, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us be in the presence of the Lord.’”

Are you able to say that this morning? This isn’t just a pep rally sermon to get you pumped up about church attendance. This is about being in God’s presence.

Does the idea of being in God’s presence fill you with dread or delight? Anxiety or exaltation? To get back to the door illustration, what makes the difference between a door we dread and a door we delight in? Three things:

• When we’ve been invited

• When we know someone is home

• When we want what is inside.

We are going to see all three as we read Psalm 122. So if you are physically able, please stand to honor the reading of God’s Word:

[READ PSALM 122]

[PRAY]

Background: the Psalms of Ascent

Psalm 122 is the third of fifteen Psalms referred to as the “Psalms of Ascent.” They were the songs the Jews would sing together as they made their pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

The term "ascent" reflects both the physical elevation—Jerusalem sits about 2,500 feet above sea level—and the spiritual direction of these pilgrimages. You weren’t just climbing a mountain; you were drawing near to God.

And here's what’s beautiful: these songs weren’t meant to be sung alone. They were communal. Don’t miss the plural in verse 1— Let us go to the house of the Lord. These songs were sung together, in family clusters, tribal groups, in community.

[sidebar— I hope as we’ve gone through this series in the Psalms that you’ve found yourself enjoying corporate worship more. There’s something about singing together— illustration, silent DJ night]

Based on verse two, this is the arrival song. The pilgrims have been journeying for days by this point, and now, their feet are standing within the very gates of the holy city. They are knocking on heaven’s door. And the first thing that gives them the confidence and the boldness to knock is that they’ve been invited.

1. We’ve been invited.

David opens with joy. Not just at arriving—but at being invited. There’s something deeply moving about those first words: “I rejoiced with those who said to me.” Someone spoke the invitation, and it stirred something in David.

This wasn’t a casual road trip. God Himself had extended the invitation. In Deuteronomy 16:16, He commanded that three times a year—at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths—“all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place He will choose.” Eventually, that place became Jerusalem—the city where God set His name and made His presence known. So when David responds to the invitation to go to the house of the Lord, it was more than a “save the date” card. It was more like a subpoena. The calendar was marked. The way was set. The invitation was from God Himself.

In the New Testament, we see the same call—to draw near, to gather, to come before the Lord together. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” Even after the temple was destroyed, the gathered people of God remained the sacred space where His Spirit dwells.

God promises that when we draw near to him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). He’s not going to stand us up.

There is power in setting aside time for worship. There is something formative about returning to the house of the Lord again and again. And you know you can do it because you’ve been invited.

2. We know somebody’s home.

Knocking on a door is easier when you know someone is home. There’s nothing more awkward than standing on a front porch, ringing the doorbell, and not knowing for sure if the person is at home.