Worship: The Privilege Of Perspective Series

WORSHIP:

THE PRIVILEGE OF PERSPECTIVE

Psalm 84:1-12

S: The Four Marks of the Church

Th: Worship

Pr: We are to delight in God’s Presence.

?: Why?

KW: Perspectives

TS: Since we are to delight in God’s Presence, we will find

in our study of Psalm 84 three perspectives that will explain why we are to do so.

The _____ perspective that explains why we are to delight in God’s Presence is that He is our…

I. SANCTUARY

II. STRENGTH

III. SUPPLIER

RMBC 3/19/00 AM

INTRODUCTION:

ILL Notebook: Perspective (C & H)

In the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin’s mom is speaking to him and she says:

M: Calvin, will you gather the trash, please?

C: Why should I? What do I get in return?!

M: We will feed, clothe, shelter, and educate you throughout your entire youth.

C: (as he is carrying out the trash) I really hate having things put in perspective.

Well, poor Calvin.

But it makes me wonder…

1. How do you feel about having matters put into perspective?

Sometimes, we know that we need perspective.

We know that we are not being objective.

We know that we are seeing things from our view only.

And sometimes it is painful for a time, because we see that we are wrong.

In the end, though, we are glad.

For…

2. Getting a new perspective often helps us “see things as they really are.”

We are introduced to “reality.”

It is something that we are missing and the real stuff gets filled in.

TRANSITION:

We have finished our 50-Day Adventure and what an adventure it has been.

I hope that you enjoyed it nearly as much as I did.

I found it to be a wonderful challenge because I want to be like Jesus.

It is my prayer that you do too.

Today we begin a four-part series on what is historically known as the four marks of the church.

Dick Murphy, in his study on Thursday night, called them the four pillars.

I think that is an apt description.

For these pillars serve as the basic construction of the church.

We build around these.

And when we do, we are effective in glorifying God (our vertical relationship) and we are effective in making disciples (our horizontal relationship).

Now before we speak of this first pillar, let me say in keeping with our theme for the year that…

1. The church ought to be “a place of grace.”

This should be a place where God’s grace is evident, very evident.

It should be evident in two ways.

We should be able to acknowledge by experience that God is a God of Grace.

He has extended His favor to us and we celebrate that.

Grace also should be evident by our activity.

In other words, we are to be people of grace.

The qualities that God has shown us we also extend to others.

Having said that, let us recognize that…

2. We experience God’s grace in worship.

In worship, we discover that He is a God that is at work in our lives.

He is at work in my heart.

He is at work in our hearts.

He works in us individually.

And He works in us collectively.

In worship, we discover there is this matter of God’s Presence.

And so, as we return each time, we rediscover over and over that God is here.

And in the midst of this discovery and rediscovery, we find that God is favoring us.

His grace is constantly at work.

It is not a one-time thing.

It is continual.

There is an appropriate response to all of this, that is…

3. WE ARE TO DELIGHT IN GOD’S PRESENCE.

You know…God is here.

He is not far off.

He is close.

During the advent season, we often find ourselves calling Jesus, Immanuel.

The truth of the incarnation is not something that is a past event.

The concept of Immanuel is a present reality.

He is the “with-us God,” and He is here.

But though God is here, we often miss Him.

There are barriers that need to be broken down that keep us from Him and He from us.

Our priorities, our desires, and even our sins get in the way.

They prevent us from the enjoyment that God has for us.

There is, though, plenty of reason to delight in His Presence.

So…

4. Since we are to delight in God’s Presence, we will find in our study of Psalm 84 three perspectives that will explain why it is to our benefit.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first perspective that explains why we are to delight in God’s Presence is that He is our SANCTUARY (1-4).

(1) How lovely is your dwelling place, O 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, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young--a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. (4) Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.