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.
But when it comes to going to the house of the Lord, we can be 100 per cent sure that God is home.
Jerusalem wasn’t just a city—it was the place where God chose to put His name. In Deuteronomy 12:5, God told the people to seek the place He would choose “to put His name and make His habitation there.” Later, in 1 Kings 11:36, He made it plain: Jerusalem was that place. It was the city of His presence. So when the pilgrims arrived, they weren’t knocking on an empty door. They knew Someone was home. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelled there. And when we gather in sacred space—even today—we’re not just hoping God might show up. We’re coming to the place where He’s already waiting.
In the same way, we know God is home whenever we call on Him. Not just on Sundays and Wednesday nights. All day. Everyday. 24/7/365. We have that assurance because Paul teaches in the New Testament that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. That means whereever we are, there God is. He isn’t confined to a physical or geographical location. That is why Hebrews 4:16 says we can with confidence approach the the throne of grace.
[
JFK Jr. Photo]
This is one of my favorite images—it’s of John F. Kennedy Jr. playing hide and seek in the oval office while His father worked at the Resolute Desk. What allowed JFK Jr. that kind of access and confidence? It was because of the relationship with his father.
3. We want what’s inside.
The biggest difference maker in how we feel about knocking on a door is how much we want what’s inside. A party with friends. The first date with the girl of your dreams? The house that’s known for giving out full sized candy bars at Halloween, and not those little fun-sized things?
The Psalmist knew when he came to Jerusalem, he would find three things inside, and he wanted those three things:
A. Unity (v. 3)
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
Verse 3 says, “Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together” (ESV). I love how the CSB puts it: “built as a city should be, solidly united.” That’s not just a description of ancient stonework—it’s a vision for the people of God. This is how a city should be. Not fragmented, not fraying at the edges, but solidly united.
In the New Testament, Paul said we are being “built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
This means that when we gather, God’s presence is made manifest in our unity. Not just when we all show up, but when we show up together—with one heart, one mind, one Spirit.
Remember the context of this psalm as a pilgrim song. Three times a year, Jerusalem was the place where all the tribes came together. They might have been separated throughout the year by their tribes, their villages, their jobs, their dialect, or their geography, but they were united in their worship of God.
And church, that is a picture of how we are to be. Today, the church is often the only place where people from every background, generation, and political view gather around something greater than themselves. The only difference is that the Jews were commanded to gather three times a year. As Christians, we are called to worship together every week!
Justice (v. 5)
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
Jerusalem was not only the center of worship, but also the seat of justice. A “throne of judgment” was where where disputes were settled, wrongs were made right, and God's righteousness was applied to real life.
In a broken world, we long for justice. A place where truth is upheld and mercy reigns.
So when we gather in worship, we come before the same God whose throne is founded on righteousness and justice (Psalm 89:14). Worship isn’t an escape from the problems of the world—it’s the place where we remember who the true Judge is.
In God's presence, we are reminded of what matters to God. Our hearts are convicted. Our relationships are examined. True justice begins in the sanctuary, as God's people are re-formed by His Word, and then sent out to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8).
So when we enter sacred space, we don't just sing about grace—we sit beneath a throne of justice. And that gives hope to a weary, unjust world.
Peace (v. 6-9)
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
This final section of the psalm starts with a a prayer— “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem”
The name Jerusalem itself contains the Hebrew root shalom—meaning peace, wholeness, well-being. In a sense, Jerusalem literally means “city of peace.”
But throughout its history, Jerusalem has often been anything but peaceful. It has been conquered, divided, disputed, and bloodied. Even today, Jerusalem is divided—Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Armenian. Tension runs through every quarter.
You can feel tension as you move from one quarter to the next, especially as you are walking through the Muslim quarter. If your tour includes Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock now stands, you have to go through a security checkpoint. If your tour guide is Jewish, he will have to wait outside the security perimeter.
But the longing in David’s heart is that Jerusalem would once again live up to its name. That it would be a place of security within and stability without. A place where the presence of God brings peace to the people of God.
As Christians, we are to understand this as a command—pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We long for peace within her walls, and security within her towers.
But Peace isn’t passive. It doesn’t just happen. It must be spoken, sought, protected, pursued.
That’s why David doesn’t just pray for peace—he promises to pursue it.
8 For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.
What does that have to do with the church today?
Just this: the church is now the city where God has chosen to dwell. The church is the new temple. The new Jerusalem. Not because we’ve replaced Israel, but because we’ve been grafted in through Christ (Romans 11). God’s Spirit no longer dwells in one city, but in His gathered people.
And just like ancient Jerusalem, we are called to live up to our name. To be a city of peace. To pray for peace within our walls. To speak peace for the sake of our brothers and sisters. And not just to pray for peace—but to pursue it.
So when David prays, “Peace be within you,” we can pray the same for our own churches. And when he says, “For the sake of the house of the Lord, I will seek your good,” we can echo that too.
Because wherever God’s people gather in His name, that place becomes an outpost of the City of Peace. And we are called to live like it.
So How Do We Live Psalm 122 Today?
Now, is it fair to apply Psalm 122 to coming to church today? We’re not under the old covenant. But the shape of the life of worship hasn’t changed—we’re still a pilgrim people, still responding to God’s invitation to gather, to remember, to renew. The early church didn’t go to the temple—they became the temple.
So how do we live Psalm 122?
Come Expectantly
Don’t let church become ordinary. Walk in each week like you’re knocking on heaven’s door. Come expectantly. Come joyfully. Come ready.
Come Habitually
Even when it’s hard. Even when it’s dry. Worship is not always about what you feel—it’s about where you’re headed. Keep walking.
Pursue Peace
Psalm 122 doesn’t just pray for peace—it works for it. What would it look like for you to bring peace into your church family? Your home? Your city?
Invite Others
Don’t underestimate the power of invitation. “I rejoiced with those who said to me…” Who might rejoice if you said to them, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord”?
Conclusion: Jesus Knocks Too
So the question today isn’t just: Have you gone to church? The question is: Are you meeting God when you go?
Because we still believe that God’s presence is made manifest in this sacred space. We have the promise from Matthew 18:20, ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.’ That means any time the church gathers—whether in a sanctuary, a living room, a beach retreat, or a hospital room—we become the place where God’s glory dwells.
And here’s the best part: Jesus is the door. In John 10:7-9 he told His disciples,
John 10:7–9 ESV
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
Notice that this is an exclusive claim. Jesus didn’t say He was a door but that He was the door.
All who came before Him, and anyone who has come since he ascended, are thieves and robbers. Don’t listen to them.
But in one stunning reversal, Revelation 3:20 shows us something even more astonishing:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.”
Not only do we knock on heaven’s door—Jesus is already come to knock on ours. The one who is the way, the truth, and the life is also the one who stands patiently, lovingly, at the threshold of our lives, asking to be let in.
This is grace. This is the gospel.
Jesus is not just waiting behind the veil—He tore it in two.
Invitation
So the question now is simple—but eternal:
Have you opened the door to Him?
You may have walked into this room today thinking you were just coming to church.
But what if this sacred space, on this sacred day, is the moment when Jesus is knocking on your door? He’s not asking for perfection. He’s not waiting for you to get your life cleaned up.
He’s asking for your heart. For your trust. For your “yes.” The same Jesus who welcomed pilgrims into the house of the Lord is now welcoming you into His presence. Not just for a moment, but forever.
If you’ve never opened the door to Jesus, today is the day. You can pray right where you are, or come forward and let someone pray with you. And if you’re already a believer, maybe your altar call is to recommit—to stop just going to sacred spaces and start meeting God there again. To pursue peace. To live with joy. To open the door daily.
Whatever it is, the door is open. Will you step through it?
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for inviting us into sacred space today. Thank You that when we knock, You open the door. And thank You that even when we hesitate, You come knocking on the door of our hearts.
Right now, we open that door to You.
For those who are seeking You for the first time—meet them with mercy. Wash them in Your grace. Welcome them into Your presence. For those returning to You—remind them that the door has never been shut. That Your love is still here. That peace is still possible.
And for all of us, Lord—teach us to treasure this place. Make us a united people. A people who long for justice. A people who pursue peace because we have stood in Your presence.
Jesus, You are the Door. And today, give someone the courage to step through in faith. Amen.
