Gathering to Worship God

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Gathering to Worship God

• Songs of Ascent Practices of
• the Lifelong Journey Series 3
• Psalm 122

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• Psalm 122 ESV
• 1I was glad when they said to me,
• "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
• 2Our feet have been standing
• within your gates, O Jerusalem!
•  
• 3Jerusalem built as a city
• that is bound firmly together,
• 4to which the tribes go up,
• the tribes of the LORD,
• as was decreed for Israel,
• to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
• 5There thrones for judgment were set,
• the thrones of the house of David.

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• Psalm 122 ESV
• 6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
• "May they be secure who love you!
• 7Peace be within your walls
• and security within your towers!"
• 8For my brothers and companions sake
• I will say, "Peace be within you!"
• 9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
• I will seek your good.

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PSALM 122 THE THIRD OF THE FIRST TRIAD

• For the Hebrews, Jerusalem was the destination of
  their seasonal pilgrimage. Psalm 122 is about
  arriving in Jerusalemtheir place of worship.
• Psalm 120 Repentance Starting with a U-turn
  from the
• worldly ways trouble
• Psalm 121 Trust Looking to God for Help in
  potential
• dangers of the hills trust
• Psalm 122 Worship Gathering to Worship God
  in the city
• of God, Jerusalem triumph

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PSALM 122 THE THIRD OF THE FIRST TRIAD

• For the Hebrews, Jerusalem was the destination of
  their seasonal pilgrimage. Psalm 122 is about
  arriving in Jerusalemtheir place of worship.
• For Christians, our life itself is a pilgrimage
  to God.
• 22But you have come to Mount Zion,
• to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living
  God.
• You have come to thousands upon thousands of
  angels
• in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the
  firstborn,
• whose names are written in heaven. You have come
  to God,
• the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous
  men made perfect.
• Hebrews 1221-23

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PSALM 122 THE THIRD OF THE FIRST TRIAD

• For the Hebrews, Jerusalem was the destination of
  their seasonal pilgrimage. Psalm 122 is about
  arriving in Jerusalemtheir place of worship.
• For Christians, our life itself is a pilgrimage
  to God.
• Worship is central in our lifelong journey as the
  people of God in Christ.
• What is worship? Worship is to acknowledge the
  worth-ship of God.
• The primary reason for distorted views on worship
  is man-centeredness (i.e., worship is a means to
  an end).
• Hence, the essence of true worship is
  God-centeredness (i.e., worship is our end in
  life now and forever).

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• Bringing God-Centeredness Back to Worship
• Worship is not the performance of a routine of
  hymns and prayers and preaching and anthems. When
  the angel said to John, who had fallen at his
  feet, "Don't do that to me. Worship God (Rev.
  1910), he did not mean, recite a creed, or open
  your hymnal, or listen to a sermon. He meant
  connect with GOD! Focus on God, not the
  messenger. Concentrate on God, not the hymn tune.
  Pursue God, not just knowledge about God. And in
  all your focusing and concentrating and pursuing
  after God, seek to stir up your feelings to love
  him and honor him and admire him and fear him and
  enjoy him and savor him. Corporate worship is the
  blatant, public savoring of God in the midst of a
  very seductive Babylonian culture. Worship is the
  flagrant, open enjoyment of God as the fountain
  of life. And therefore it is a public declaration
  that God is more to be desired than all the
  pleasures of Babylon.
• - John Piper

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WHAT WORSHIP BRINGS US

• Worship brings us JOY in the presence of God.
• 1 I was glad when they said to me,
• "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
• 2 Our feet have been standing
• within your gates, O Jerusalem! (vs.1-2)
• The joy is from the homecoming experience (as
  opposed to being away from God in Meshech and
  Kedar).
• The joy is also from the company of
  brothers/sisters (as opposed to the company of
  liars and foes).
• The joy is a byproduct of coming to worship
  through repentance and obediencenot the other
  way around.
• The joy is also from the pleasures of God who
  delights in our worship.

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• 10His delight is not in the strength of the
  horse,
• nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
• 11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear
  him,
• in those who hope in his steadfast love.
• Psalm 14710-11

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WHAT WORSHIP BRINGS US

• 2) Worship brings us UNITY in all diverse people
  of God.
• 3 Jerusalembuilt as a city
• that is bound firmly together,
• 4to which the tribes go up,
• the tribes of the LORD,
• as was decreed for Israel,
• to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
• 5There thrones for judgment were set,
• the thrones of the house of David. (VS.3-5)

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WHAT WORSHIP BRINGS US

• 2) Worship brings us UNITY in all diverse people
  of God.
• The architectural and societal unity of Jerusalem
  is a reflection of Gods sovereign plan for the
  unity of all who are in Christ.

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• 9After this I looked, and behold, a great
  multitude that no one could number, from every
  nation, from all tribes and peoples and
  languages, standing before the throne and before
  the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm
  branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a
  loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who
  sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 11And all
  the angels were standing around the throne and
  around the elders and the four living creatures,
  and they fell on their faces before the throne
  and worshiped God, 12saying, "Amen! Blessing and
  glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and
  power and might be to our God forever and ever!
  Amen."
• - Revelation 79-12

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WHAT WORSHIP BRINGS US

• 2) Worship brings us UNITY in all diverse people
  of God.
• The architectural and societal unity of Jerusalem
  is a reflection of Gods sovereign plan for the
  unity of all who are in Christ.
• What brings unity is not diplomacy or tolerance
  but the focus on worshipping Godthe decree to
  give thanks to the name of one true God (revealed
  in Scripture).
• This unity in true worship results in true
  fellowship.
• 24And let us consider how we may spur one another
  
• on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give
  up
• meeting together, as some are in the habit of
  doing,
• but let us encourage one anotherand all the more
  
• as you see the Day approaching.
• Hebrews 1024-25

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WHAT WORSHIP BRINGS US

• Worship brings us a DEEPER AWARENESS of our need
  for God and his continuous work.
•  6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
• "May they be secure who love you!
• 7Peace be within your walls
• and security within your towers!"
• 8For my brothers and companions sake
• I will say, "Peace be within you!"
• 9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
• I will seek your good. (vs.6-9)

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WHAT WORSHIP BRINGS US

• Worship brings us a DEEPER AWARENESS of our need
  for God and his continuous work.
• For the Israelites, this prayer was literal
  because their Jerusalem was in this world. but
  for us, it is a prayer for Gods continuous work
  for the Church.
• Peace shalom and security shalvah is a result
  of Gods sovereign rule and care.
• Tasting Gods goodness in worship opens our eyes
  to our deeper need for God.

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• Whetting Our Appetite for God
• Worship does not satisfy our hunger for Godit
  whets our appetite. Our need for God is not taken
  care of by engaging in worshipit deepens. It
  overflows the hour and permeates the week. The
  need is expressed in a desire for peace and
  security. Our everyday needs are changed by the
  act of worship. We are no longer living from hand
  to mouth, greedily scrambling through the human
  rat race to make the best we can out of a mean
  existence. Our basic needs suddenly become worthy
  of the dignity of creatures made in the image of
  God peace and security. . . Worship initiates
  an extended, daily participation in peace and
  prosperity so that we share in our daily rounds
  what God initiates and continues in Jesus Christ.
• - Eugene Peterson

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• Praying the Songs of Ascent 3 -- Psalm 122
  MSG
• 1-2 When they said, "Let's go to the house of
  God,"
• my heart leaped for joy.
• And now we're here, O Jerusalem,
• inside Jerusalem's walls!
•  
• 3-5 Jerusalem, well-built city,
• built as a place for worship!
• The city to which the tribes ascend,
• all God's tribes go up to worship,
• To give thanks to the name of God
• this is what it means to be Israel.
• Thrones for righteous judgment
• are set there, famous David-thrones.

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• Praying the Songs of Ascent 3 -- Psalm 122
  MSG
• 6-9 Pray for Jerusalem's peace!
• Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers!
• Friendly insiders, get along!
• Hostile outsiders, keep your distance!
• For the sake of my family and friends,
• I say it again live in peace!
• For the sake of the house of our God,
• I'll do my very best for you.

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PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE

• Be deliberate to practice TRUE WORSHIP.
• Change your attitude toward corporate worship.
• Change your priority concerning the regular
  rhythm of worship.
• Change your focus to God-centeredness in
  worship.
• Pray for A DEEPER HUNGER FOR GOD within CrossWay!
• Pray for yourself first.
• Pray for and encourage others to worship with
  you.
• Pray for Gods mercy and grace on CrossWay!

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