Sermon
Lanier Christian Church
July 12, 2015
David Simpson
Seeking the King of Glory
Psalm 24
Psalm 24 (NIV)
Of David. A psalm.
1
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2
for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
3
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.[a]
5
They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
6
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.[b][c]
7
Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
9
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
I was inspired by my grandson Jacob to share this message today. He read Psalm 24 to us last Sunday at our family worship time at the beach. And he reminded me of this same psalm this past Thursday after the funeral of my preacher and mentor, Jim Nipper.
When a child can grasp the power of God's Word and remember it, can't we as adults be moved as well? Can't we allow our often hardened hearts to be softened a bit by the piercing truth of what God has to say to us in the Bible?
As you know, our family absolutely loves music. All of us. It is part of our daily routine. So many of the songs we listen to and sing are based directly on scripture. So when I read Psalm 24 again the other day, I was reminded once again that this is a song, an ancient Hebrew song and a powerful one at that. It was written to describe David's triumphant return of the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem.
David was concerned who was worthy to bring the ark back into the city...or who was worthy to open the gates..or who would stand before the ark in the holy place. As I read the psalm one more time I was reminded that sometimes we are a bit too careless when we come before God. We too should be concerned about how we approach God. I need reminders that he is not my best buddy...he is the King of Glory, the Creator of all things, and the one who holds my future, and yet I am His child. So, as I read the words of Psalm 24, there were several admonitions that jumped out at me that should determine how we approach God on a daily basis.
1. WE SHOULD BE FILLED WITH WONDER AND AWE. SLIDE
I can almost picture David sitting down with his harp and composing this song. Perhaps he had just returned from a trip to the sea of Galilee or the shores of the Mediterannean.
You can't go to the beach and experience the waves and the seemingly endless sea and not be moved. Or, to view the spectacular sunrise over the ocean or behold the stars on a moonless night and not be filled with awe.
Did you see that conjuction of the stars...planets... on July 1st? There were two bright lights in the sky....they appeared like two bright double stars...but they were really the planets Venus and Jupiter.
They were bright - light a headlight in the sky....and it got your attention. In reality the two planets are millions of miles apart, and more than that ... to think Venus is 162 million miles away from earth ...and Saturn is 746 million miles away. Yet, their unique combination in the night sky got my attention. (You can see them still throughout July).
An article about this unique appearance in the heavens was on the CNN website and it began with these words: Put down the cell phone. Go outside. Look up. (Michael Pearson, CNN - "Double Star Moment for Jupiter and Venus - July 1, 2015)
That identifies the problem many of us have. We don't put down our cells phones. We don't go outside after dark. We don't look up. And because of that we miss the wonder and awe of God's creation. So accept the challenge: Put down the cell phone, computer, or TV....Go outside and Look up...and behold how awesome our God really is!
And as this psalm reminds us...to think God started his creation with the seas! You perhaps know Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." ...but do you know Genesis 1:2 "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
The water was his foundation for building. It's mind boggling really. We don't build on water. We like dirt, rock, land...something more secure. But God often begins life with water. Seeds remain dormant until you add water, and then the life of a plant begins. A baby is born and what happens? The water breaks. A new life in Christ takes place when one is baptized in water. Jesus said to Nicodemus as recorded in John 3:5 ... “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit." What a wonderful awesome God we have.
Psalm 24 says.... The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
We still don't understand the oceans. They are the most unexplored part of our planet. But water was the foundation for his creation. Even today, scientists and astronomers look for one thing when they send probes to another planet...water. Why, because it proves the existance of life. And what does God look for in us to prove the existence of a spiritual life....living water. Jesus said in John 7:38 "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
Our amazing awesome God will provide water for us in heaven as well. It is for our eternal survival.
Revelation 7:17 tells us: For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” (NIV)
Jacque Costeau the great explorer of the ocean depths once said........ "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."
For the Christian, it is more than the sea, it is all of God's creation that should instill wonder and awe in each of us.
We must lift up our heads and fill our lives with wonder and awe for God and who He is and what He has done. Maybe that's what the songwriter wanted us to experience when he wrote these words:
"Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made. ....
2. WE SHOULD APPROACH GOD WITH A PURE HEART.
Yes, God made all of creation and the heavens, but when God made us, he created his masterpiece. He gave us life and a soul...a literal heart and a spiritual heart. And just as He wants us to drink of His pure, living water, He wants us to have pure hearts. For the one who gave us living water asks of us not to pollute it.
Being around my grandchildren for a week reminded me of the innocence and purity of a child. They are so inquisitive.
Jacob is asking daily now what different expressions mean. He overheard me last week as I was describing a time when someone I sought to help lied to me about their situation: "I got had," I said. What does that mean grandaddy? Well, I fumbled for an answer, but today I would say, it means someone did not have a pure heart.
Yes, the King of Glory IS approachable, but He requires a pure heart. That seems like an impossible request. All of us are sinners. Even if our actions are pure, our motives, our hearts, our thoughts are often impure. Even the writer of Proverbs asked: " Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? - Proverbs 20:9
Well, the answer is that none of us can. Our hearts are marred by sin. But Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8). So how can we possibly seek after and approach God Almighty...the King of Glory?
Hebrews 10:21-23 (NIV)
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
As the priests of the Old Testament were sprinkled with the sacrificial blood of the lambs and washed with water before ministering in the tabernacle or temple, so you and I now have the privilege of standing like priests in approaching God, drawing near to Him, approaching Him humbly and personally in worship. WHY? Because our hearts have been made pure by the blood of Jesus, and we are washed as in baptism, purified through His Holy Spirit to stand with a pure heart before Him. But, understand, it's because of what He's done for us.
The King of Glory, through Jesus, has offered Himself to open the way to Him. That's how much He wants a relationship with us. That's how much He loves us. His blood covers my sins. His life gave me life. His cleansing gave me a pure heart. We must respond to this greatest of gifts. That's what worship is all about. It's not about me. It's about Him. Honoring Him with the living sacrifice of our lives. Jesus himself said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6 NIV
So I am able to approach the very King of Glory because HE made a way. I simply need to walk in that way. Live in it. Abide by it. Any other way is a false way. Any idol, that draws our attention and allegiance and loyalty is a false one.
What idols distract you from seeking the King of Glory? What distractions draw you away from, not toward, an awesome worship and praise for who He is? What could possibly be more rewarding than the eternal blessing that comes only for those who yield their hearts to Him?
Psalm 24 speaks in similar terms to what is later revealed by Jesus when he said: The pure in heart will see God. This psalm uses the word "vindication." All who are enemies of the cross will one day know that the King of Glory reigns. All who are pure in heart will see their faith translated into sight. All who are tired will find their rest. All those who are troubled will find their burdens lifted. All who are broken will be made whole. All who are weary travelers in this world will find their home, their peaceful home with Him.
All who have died in Christ will live again.
We will be able to stand in the very holy place of God one day because He has given us a heart and a home. So lift up your head, quit wallowing in your sorrow and your pain, and know that one day we'll walk through those gates and experience the fulfillment of his every promise. And all of our hopes will be turned into a glorious reality.
So lastly today...3. WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET THE AWESOME POWER OF ALMIGHTY GOD.
PSALM 24 says:
8
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
9
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory.
What a powerful God we serve! Enough of our casual approaches to God! We serve an awesome, mighty, powerful God! But sometimes you would never know it.
We doubt God...instead of trust Him.
We mumble our prayers...instead of approaching His throne with confidence.
We whisper our songs...instead of shout His praises.
We question God...instead of sharing our belief in Him.
We live as if there is no tomorrow, when God has given us the greatest of tomorows.
We approach God with a weak faith...when we should bow before Him with the greatest of faith, knowing He is the Lord Almighty, the King of Glory...and there is none like Him!
We must be those who bow before Almighty God every day and seek His strength. Why? Because we're in a spiritual battle every day that we arise. And it is the Lord himself that is mighty in battle. Our own strength and mental ability is not enough. God knows we're in a battle, and he stands ready to strengthen us with His power. We are the ones who so often do not realize that the evil one wants to destroy our lives and faith and hope. He stands ready to attack at any given moment...but God is greater. The Lord is strong and mighty and will overcome any attack that Satan throws at us...if our strength is in the Lord.
So that's why we need worship and prayer and devotion to God every day...because the devil never quits, and God never abandons us. Every day we must remind ourselves of the awesome power of Almighty God.
I witnessed the power of the ocean waves last week. I witnessed the power of thunder and lightning in the afternoon storms. I witnessed the power of the moon's gravity as it controlled the tides. And each wave and each storm and each low tide and high tide reminded me that:
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory. (Psalm 24 NIV)
So lift up your heads, my brothers and sisters, the King of Glory wants to come into your life. The Awesome, Almighty, Creator, King of Glory...wants to be a part of your life - every... single ....day. The least we can do is bow humbly before Him and give Him our praise and offer Him our lives.
It's church camp season, and when I was a kid, we would sing a song to close the vesper service each evening. Want you give your heart to the King of Glory....He wants so much to have a relationship with you. Let's sing this great song:
Into my heart, into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
Come in today, come in to stay;
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
Out of my heart, out of my heart,
Shine out of my heart, Lord Jesus;
Shine out today, shine out alway;
Shine out of my heart, Lord Jesus."
