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!
3. “A life of worldliness and sin, properly speaking, is not life at all. When Lizio, an Italian, was told of the death of his dissipated son, he replied, ‘It is no news to me; he never was alive.’ To live is to feel the spirit in contact with God, to be filled with His light, to be thrilled with His joy, to be warmed by His love, to be satisfied with His likeness.” [W.L. Watkinson, Biblical Illustrator]
4. Lord Tennyson said, "Prayer (& Praise) is like opening a sluice gate between the great ocean [of God] and our little channel – when the sea gathers itself together and flows in at full tide."
B. THE MANY BENEFITS OF BEING WITH GOD
Research shows that Christians have many benefits that unbelievers don’t have: better family lives, better mental health, better physical health, live longer, have better marriages, and produce kids more resistant to sin than non-Christians! Examples of findings:
1. A Family Research Report (1993) found “Churchgoing” was a key characteristic of VIOLENCE-FREE families.
2. BETTER MENTAL HEALTH. A Pew Research Study [1/31/2019] found “Actively religious people are more likely
than their less-religious peers to describe themselves as “very happy.” Other studies confirm better mental health.
3. LESS HEALTH PROBLEMS. A Purdue Univ. study [In Other Words, #400] of 1,473 Americans found that those who were religious were half as likely to report health problems as those who weren’t. Forbes Mag. Published a new study 3/29/2019 which stated “Science Says: Religion Is Good For Your Health.”
4. LIVE LONGER. A Minister’s Life Insurance Co. advertisement stated (backed up by research), “Ministers go to
Heaven 23% slower” than other mortals.
5. STRONGER MARRIAGES [In Other Words # 922]
a. National Divorce Rate = 1 in 3.
b. If Married in Church, Divorce Rate = 1 in 50.
c. If married in Church, attend weekly, pray & read Bible = the divorce rate is 1 in 1,105!
6. PRODUCE KIDS RESISTANT TO SEX & DRUGS. Religious faith and the determination “not to do it” were 2 of the major factors which prevented pregnancies of teens. A Rand Corp. study of 13,000 girls found them less likely to become pregnant if religious. [Aug. 21,1988 study]
7. “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” Ps. 103:2
III. IT’S A SYMBOL OF BETTER THINGS TO COME
A. BETTER DURING LIFE & BETTER AFTERWARD
1. Our joys within these earthly temples are but the beginnings and the foretastes of the joys of heaven. Our songs in earthly congregations are but representative of the vast multitude who are even now singing the new song of the redeemed.
2. And all the privileges which surround us, and in which we now delight, are only the outline of the final state of perfection when we appear in that land of which the Lord God is the light, and the glory, and the sanctuary. How glorious it shall be! (S. Bridge)
B. SHADOW OF OUR FUTURE WORSHIP
1. TODAY we get to raise our hands in worship in an earthly sanctuary – TOMORROW in the Courts of Heaven!
2. TODAY we close our eyes and, by faith, worship the Most High, whom we cannot see – TOMORROW we shall see Him as He is and behold Him in full glory & power!
3. TODAY we wear earthly garments of cotton and polyester —TOMORROW we’ll wear white robes of light & righteousness!
4. TODAY we worship with other believers, with our meager instruments and songs – TOMORROW we’ll join with the mighty angels and billions of saints, hearing heavenly choirs accompanied by millions of musicians with thunders, lightnings, explosions, and earthquakes, novas, and other percussion pieces – all rising like a sunrise, with increasing crescendo, to give God & Jesus the universal and unmatched glory!
5. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him!” 1 Cor. 2:9. ARE YOU READY FOR THAT FUTURE TO BEGIN?
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Fijian Government Silences Singing
1. In Fiji, singing hymns can get you in trouble. About one million Methodists live in the south Pacific island country, and each summer 20,000 to 50,000 of them gather for a conference. Before the conference begins, they have a massive choral contest. About 10,000 people participate. They sing hymns.
2. But in July 2009, the government shut them down. "No choral contest this year," the government said. There is a lot of turmoil in Fiji, and the government feared that the big crowd might get out of hand.
3. According to news reports, "Church officials said the government fears the conference and singing contest will lead to further political instability." Nothing like singing Methodists to make a government nervous!
4. They are on to something there, though. Christians worshiping the Lord really are dangerous—although perhaps not as those officials feared. Worshiping Jesus boldly and openly upsets the principalities & powers, the fallen angels in power. Such worship is perceived as an assault or attack on hell. It brings another kingdom into view. [Preachingtoday.com]
B. THE CALL: SONG, MATT REDMAN: “Better is One Day”
1. How lovely is Your dwelling place
O Lord Almighty for my soul longs
And even faints for you
For here my heart is satisfied
Within Your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings
Chorus
Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere
2. One thing I ask and I would seek
To see Your beauty
To find you in the place Your glory dwells
Chorus, then Bridge:
My heart and flesh cry out
For you, the living God
Your spirit's water to my soul
I've tasted and I've seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to you
I will draw near to you.
