I want you to think about how you feel whenever you decide to attend church. Do you dread going to church; do you feel complacent about it; or do you anticipate going to church with a fervent passion and desire?
In our message this morning, we’ll view a passage from Psalm that’s said to be written by the “sons of Korah.” They’re attributed with having written eleven of the psalms;(1) and in the one that we’ll be viewing today, the sons of Korah expressed a great passion to be in God’s temple; or rather, His house.
In fact, the sons of Korah were prominent in Levitical standing, where they actually served in the tabernacle and the temple.(2) They were passionate about being in God’s house, and they were still enthusiastic even though they worked and labored there all day long; and in our message this morning, we’ll discover four main reasons why we too can be passionate about coming to worship in God’s house.
A Place to Satisfy Our Passion (vv. 1-2)
How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God (Psalm 84:1-2).
Point #1: God’s house is “A Place to Satisfy Our Passion.” We see demonstrated here an extreme passion for God and His house. David once declared, “Zeal for Your house has eaten me up” (Ps 69:9); which is rendered in the New Living Translation as, “Passion for your house burns within me.” How many believers can actually confess that at one time or another they’ve been eaten up and consumed with a burning passion for the Lord?
When we come to grips with the wideness and depth of God’s grace, and His love, mercy and compassion, then our soul will begin to burn with a fire and passion that cannot be contained. We have within us the Holy Spirit who will cause us to burn with the passion of praise (Acts 2:3-4); as we yearn to worship “our God [who] is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). The sons of Korah sang elsewhere, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2).
A burning passion for the Lord will turn into an extreme thirst that requires satisfaction. Those who thirst to worship God will yearn for a house of praise in which they can openly and freely worship the Lord unencumbered by the chains of human expectations and legalism; and they will long for a place where all eyes are on Jesus. No one wants to be in a place where all eyes are focused on church members in comparison, with the intention of criticizing the worship of other believers.
True worshippers thirst for freedom in worship where they can praise the Lord in spirit and truth, and with their entire being, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him (Jn 4:23-24). Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mt 5:6). Those who are burning with a passion for the Lord, who live with an extreme thirst for God, and who are hungering for His righteousness, are awaiting fulfillment and craving it; and we must make certain that God’s house is the place where they can find it.
We see the sons of Korah passionately longing to abide in the Lord’s tabernacle. God’s house is a place to satisfy our passion – that is, our passion for Jesus Christ and our pursuit of His praise. We read, “My soul longs . . . for the courts of the Lord,” and how, “My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (Ps 84:2). We find here three parts of a person’s makeup that are mentioned – soul, heart, and flesh.
Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk 12:30). The first and greatest commandment, which is to love the Lord with everything we have, contains all three areas of passionate longing mentioned in Psalm 84:1-2. What we see in these two verses is a deep and passionate love for the Lord.
If we truly love the Lord, and hunger to praise the name of Jesus Christ, then our passion can be satisfied in God’s house. It truly is a place to satisfy our passion. So, if we’re searching for a place to let go and give it all to God, then the Lord’s house is where we need to be!
A Place for All to Take Refuge (v. 3)
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young - even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God (Psalm 84:3).
Point #2: God’s house is “A Place for All to Take Refuge.” The New Living Translation renders this verse, “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar.”
There exists a painting entitled “Peace.” It depicts waves crashing against the jagged rocks. It portrays the violence of a crushing storm. It seems anything but peaceful. But down in a small corner of the painting, tucked away in the rocks, is a little bird sitting on her nest totally oblivious to the raging storm all about. That is peace.(3)
This is what we find depicted here in verse 3; a place of peace and shelter from the raging storms of life. God’s house is a place for all to take refuge. David declared, “In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:7-8).
The word “refuge” is defined as, “shelter or protection from danger,” and “anything to which one has recourse for aid, relief, or escape.”(4) In God’s house we should be able to feel a sense of release and escape from the world. It’s a place of refuge; not just for the rich or popular; not just for those of a particular race or nationality; not just for those who were raised in a certain town; and not just for those of an appropriate age. All people are welcome to take refuge in God’s house.
In the Old Testament the Lord established “cities of refuge” for people to flee to for protection if they were wrongfully accused of a crime. We learn that these cities were established “for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them” (Lv 35:15). You see, God is a refuge and strong tower for “all” people who are seeking a place of belonging. David proclaimed, “For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings” (Psalm 61:3-4).
The Lord is a stronghold and protection for “all” who feel as though they’re refugees. In Isaiah we hear the following plea from the Lord to assist the Moabite fugitives: “Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab . . . Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees. Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer” (Isaiah 10:2-4). God is truly a refuge for all; and there are a great number of people today who feel displaced, as though they’re refugees, not knowing where they really belong.
We also see mention of the sparrow. I find it interesting how the sparrow is portrayed in the Bible. Jesus declared, “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt 10:31), and He also stated, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God” (Lk 12:6). A sparrow is looked upon as having little value; and there are people today who are lonely and hurting and feel as though they are of little worth. However, those who feel worthless are truly valued in God’s house.
A sparrow is also seen as being alone without even a place to land. In the book of Psalm we read, “I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop” (102:7), and Proverbs declares, “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight” (26:2). There are people today who feel all alone, as though they have no place of belonging, and no people to call their family; however, those who can’t seem to find a place to land, they having a landing strip in Jesus, and they can call the Father’s house their home.
David said of the Lord that He is “a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation” (Ps 68:5). In God’s “holy habitation,” or in His tabernacle, He becomes a Father to the fatherless! For those who feel “dis-placed” you now have “a-place” in the Lord’s house!
A Place to Bless and Be Blessed (v. 4)
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they will still be praising You. Selah (Psalm 84:4).
Point #3: God’s house is “A Place to Bless and Be Blessed.” We were created to bless and praise the Lord in worship. In blessing God we too are blessed, as we find fulfillment. A key term that we find here is the word “dwell.” If we “dwell” in the Lord’s house then we will be blessed. This word means, “to live or stay as a permanent resident,” and to “reside.”(5) This word has the same meaning as the word “abide,”(6) and Jesus stated that if we will abide in Him then we will bear much fruit (Jn 15:5). “Dwelling” and “abiding” in God’s house will lead to blessing, for the more we’re with God, the more we’ll know Him and experience His power and presence.
James said, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Jas 4:8), but we have to draw near to Him first, and this begins with our praises and adoration. It commences with bowing down before the Lord in worship. God draws near to us when we praise Him, for David declared, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Ps 22:3, KJV). God shows up and visits us whenever we praise Him, because He “inhabits” our praises and He’s “enthroned” in our praises (NKJV)!
God’s house is a place to bless and be blessed. As we praise the Lord, He will visit us with His presence; and as He visits us, it will be impossible to refrain from praising Him in return! We will feel compelled to keep on praising the Lord because of the indescribable blessing of His presence in our life!
A Place We Would Rather Be (v. 10)
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalm 84:10).
Point #4: God’s house is “A Place We Would Rather Be.” The New Living Translation renders this verse, “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.”
God’s house is a place we would rather be. We’ve probably all seen the “I’d rather be” bumper stickers. We can be following a car down the highway and read such statements as, “I’d rather be driving a Titleist,” “I’d rather be flying,” or perhaps, “I’d rather be fishing.” The statement “I’d rather be” implies dissatisfaction with one’s current state of existence. There are a lot of these bumper stickers today, which could imply that there are actually “some” people who are dissatisfied with life.
Whenever we think about a place that we would rather be, can we honestly say, “I’d rather be in church?” That’s what the sons of Korah stated; and I truly believe that when we come to experience the benefits of God’s house, that we too will be able to declare, “I would rather be . . . in the house of my God!”
The sons of Korah said they would rather be a doorkeeper in God’s house than dwell in the tents of wickedness. I’m sure most of us are familiar with the guards at Buckingham Palace who stand in the same spot all day long. The sons of Korah said they would have rather been a guard restricted to one spot all day long at the entrance of the temple, than to roam about freely at the feasts and parties of those who worshipped their riches instead of worshipping God.
In the Hymn entitled “I’d Rather Have Jesus,” Rhea Miller wrote, “I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause; I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause; I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame; I’d rather be true to His holy name. Than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin’s dread sway; I’d rather have Jesus than anything, this world affords today.” Can we honestly say that we would rather have Jesus than riches or fame? Can we proclaim that we would rather be in church, than at a professional basketball or football ballgame? Have we arrived at the point where we would rather be in church than driving our Titleist?
When we discover that in God’s house our passion can be satisfied, that we can find a place of refuge, and that we will be blessed as we lift up praises to the Lord, then we’ll be able to declare that “God’s house is a place I’d rather be!”
Time of Reflection
We’ve looked at four reasons why we can have a passion for God’s house. First of all, in God’s house we can find satisfaction and fulfillment for our passion and hunger to worship the Lord. Secondly, in God’s house we can find a place of refuge and belonging. Thirdly, in God’s house we can find a place of blessing that fills the emptiness inside; and last of all, we will discover that God’s house is much better than any other place we could be, and that it’s also a place we would rather be.
I hope you’ve already experienced for yourself these main reasons to be passionate about God’s house, and for attending church. This passion begins when you actually come to understand the depth of God’s grace, His love, and His mercy and compassion for you; and this understanding occurs when you, in faith, trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.
NOTES
(1) M. G. Easton, “Korah,” Easton’s Bible Dictionary, on Logos 2.1E CD-ROM (Oak Harbor, WA: 1996).
(2) M. G. Easton, “Korahites.”
(3) Michael P. Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1997), p. 260.
(4) “Refuge,” Dictionary.com: dictionary.reference.com/browse/refuge (Accessed October 2006).
(5) “Dwell,” Dictionary.com: dictionary.reference.com/browse/dwell (Accessed October 2006).
(6) “Abide,” Dictionary.com: dictionary.reference.com/browse/abide (Accessed October 2006).
