Mount Zion Is Symbolic Of The Church - Jason Schrock

It's good to be together again in the house of the Lord. I trust

we've each one been blessed as we have heard the word shared with us already.

I'd like to invite your attention this morning to a psalm to Psalm forty

eight. It's been mentioned the last few weeks and again this morning about the

ordination that we're planning for next Sunday and that there'll be a responsibility given to

a brother and his wife to help lead out in the church. And as

I think back over nearly fifty years of that myself, I had to think,

you know, what encouragement could be could be given some forty eight over

the years has meant a lot to me, and I just that I would

share some thoughts from this as well as use this as a springboard to look

at some other things. And I've entitled the message this morning. Mount Zion

is symbolic of the church, and so over the years, many times I

have thought about the words, particularly the latter part of this all which we

want to go into some to go about Zion and to check on the defenses,

and are there any holes in the wall, are there any stations that

are unmanned? And does the beauty of God and the beauty of the people

of God, do they grip us? And then I was really impressed this

time, I guess a lot more than other times. In verse thirteen,

there where it's says that ye may tell it to the generation following. I

know we've we've done quite a bit of singing this morning, but I thought

maybe we could sing the first two verses of this psalm. Here is the

way of introduction Versus one and two. Let's sing that together, great is

the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God,

in the mountain of His holiness, beautiful for Situasia, the joy of the

whole is mal Zion, on the side of the north city of the Great

King. During the time of the Kings, malt Zion was the religious center

of the people of It was also the political center of the kingdom. Jerusalem

have been chosen as the capital city, and if I would understand right,

the temple would have been built on the mount and different times this is called

Mount Zion. So in this capital city is where the kings reigned. Here's

where the temple was built. Here is where the ark of God resided.

That represented the presence of God. We can look and we will a little

bit at the historical aspect of this psalm. I'm not quite sure just when

the psalm was panned or what all was in mind there, but there would

be some times where it would where there were times where God especially defeated Israel's

enemies and saved Jerusalem. And one time of that was when Joseph that was

king. There was Moab and Ammon and Edom. They banded together and came

against the people of God, and God defeated them. That's an interesting account

how that the singers went forth to sing out towards the battle, and they

found the the that these kings had fought one with another, and they were

no longer a threat to Jerusalem. At the time of Hezekiah, the Assyria

had had come in, and the Lord had sent a slaughter there in a

great victory. And so rightly so, I think the people of Jerusalem marveled.

They said, you know, we know of what God did in the

past, how God brought his people out of Egypt. We know how that

God people out of the Red Sea and over the Jordan's on. But now

here today we have seen this great manifestation of His power. And then they

begin to look at this city, and they said, you know this,

this city is strong, it's impregnable, it has defenses in place. Well,

this morning, we'd like to go forward a little bit and turn the

page and look at this Mountain Zion as a picture of the Church with God

in the midst of her. She is victorious, and we should marvel at

the defenses that God has put in place for this city. The enemies of

God will try to destroy her, but she stands glorious even in the midst

of trials and tribulations. I think I'm going to read this entire psalm,

and maybe this will give you a little bit of a picture of what the

psalmas. Whoever wrote this, we don't know, but what they're trying to

say. Psalm forty eight. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be

praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness beautiful

for situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mountain Zion. On the

sides of the north. The city of the Great King. God is known

in her palaces for a refuge for lo the kings were assembled, they passed

by together they sow it, and so they marveled. They were troubled and

hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there and pain as of a woman

in travail. Thou breakest the ships of Tarsus with an east wind. As

we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of

Hosts, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever Cela.

We have thought of thy loving kindness, O God, in the midst

of thy temple. According to thy name, O God, is thy praise

under the ends of the earth. Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

Let them mount Zion rejoice. Let the daughters of jew to be glad because

of Thy judgments. Walk about Zion, go around about her. Tell the

towers are of Marquee, well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, that you

may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God,

forever and ever. He will be our guide, even unto death. These

last few verses have been a lot to me as I was endeavoring to help

minister in the church over the last number of years. Walk around, Just

see what's going on? Is everything in place? Are there are there weaknesses?

Are the things that need to be taken care of her? Are there

watched? Are there places where we need to watch a little closer? In

Psalm forty eight, here we get a picture of a city wall. And

this wall was sturdy. It had gates, and it had towers, and

it was strong enough to repel the enemy forces, and it furnished protection as

well as identity for the inhabitants of the city within the wall. Those within

the wall were included, those outside the wall were excluded. I was trying

to find a little bit more information on the physical wall of Jerusalem. It

wasn't too successful, but it was perhaps three or four miles long, and

there were a number of gates, and I'm not certain how many gates,

But at this I did find interesting. If you go to Niamiyah three,

where it tells about the how Neamiyah and the people there rebuilt the wall,

there's ten gates that are mentioned there in Niamayah three. I was reading in

one of the Bible dictionaries that said that there are were two more gates that

Niamiah did not mention. If that's true, that would be twelve gates.

And if that's true, that would give us a picture of the new Jerusalem

and Revelation that had twelve gates, and I'm not sure about that, but

that was interesting to me as I thought about that. And so there's I'm

sure there's some symbolism there, some kind. Incorporated into the wall were towers.

These towers were for observation. These towers were too for someone to be

a watchman, that they could identify the approach of an enemy. And going

back to Nehemiah three again, a towers are named nine times, and so

there was there were maybe not quite as many towers as gates were, probably

close to it. The first verse here of Psalm forty eight sets the stage

for the purpose of a place of God's habitation, and that purpose is that

he is praised. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.

That is what God desires from his people. And so I believe in a

physical stance to view the temple upon that mount, the gleaming gold, it

must have been very impressive, and the Psalma says it was beautiful for situation,

and it brings joy to the whole earth. And this morning, I

hope we can transfer these pictures of Mountain Zion to the Church, the people

of God, to the Assembly of the Saints, and in transferring this picture

to the Church of Jesus Christ in the twenty first century. We need towers

and gates, and walls and bulwarks. We need the towers, the bulwarks,

the palace is to be successful in our warfare against the enemy of our

soul. And I believe this morning that the devil has unleashed many ways to

overcome the work of Jesus Christ. In our day, in the land of

which we live, the society about us has to a great extent ascribed to

paganism, to pagan philosophy, and that there's an effort to eradicate what God

designed as the genders. There's an effort to undercut anything that speaks of godliness.

The people of our day, so many of them want nothing to do

with the Word of God and its precepts. I guess I was just a

little bit shocked the other day when it picked up the newspaper and there was

there's a headline that said something wicked is brewing on the willamot Ihfai. You

saw that or not. Something wicked just blatant, just out there, and

it tells that there's a covent of witches that we're going to paddle the Willamot

yesterday from Cerbalis to Albany. They had their pointed hats, they were going

to get their broomsticks, and they were going They would ask people to join

them because they wanted to bring adventure to the valley for Halloween. These are

the things that we face today, blatant acceptance of Satanism. Are our defenses

in place? Are we able to repel the evil about us? Another thing

on the other side of that, I think that the Church needs to be

more than just a defense mechanism. We need to be on the offense.

And I thought about it how a strong wall and strong towers and protection in

the walls of Jerusalem made it possible for the kings and the and the armies

to go forth in battle in and so I think our stance as a Church

of Jesus Christ is a willingness to battle for the cause of righteousness and holiness

in the face of evil and debauchery. Our battles must be defensive and they

must be offensive. So I'd like to look at several points here. First

of all, is the church's foundation. I don't know all that the base

of the Wall of Jerusalem was built upon, but I'm certain the builders dug

down and made sure that they had a solid base, and likely it was

stone. You look in that part of the world, there's a lot of

stone in that area. An Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah twenty eight to sixteen

says, therefore, thus saith the Lord God behold, I lay in Zion

for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone,

a sure foundation. He that believes shall not make haste. So here we

have Isaiah saying that God is going to lay a stone in Zion. Now,

at the time of Isaiah, the wall was there, it had already

been built. And so I believe that he was looking forward spiritually to a

time when there would be a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, one that

we need to believe in. And we believe that he was prophesying concerning Jesus

Christ. Jesus Christ is the foundation. He is a cornerstone. I'm going

to read a couple passages in relation to this. First of all, in

First Corinthians three, verses nine to fifteen, we have that verse. I

think we probably all know for other foundation. Can no man lay than that

is laid, which is Jesus Christ. It is said that that was one

of the favorite verses of Menosimons. Other foundation can no man lay. But

I'm going to read first grit Is three verses nine to fifteen, where it

portrays how there is this foundation, and how we need to build upon that,

and how we need to build with good building material and not wood hand

stubble verse nine. For we are laborers together with God. Ye are God's

husband. Three year are God's building according to the grace of God which is

given unto us as a wise master builder. I have laid the foundation,

and another buildeth they're on. But let every man take heed how he buildeth

thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which

is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation gold,

silver, precious stones, wood, haze stubble, every man's work shall be

made manifest, for the days shall declare it, because it shall be revealed

by fire, And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it

is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall

receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer

laws, but he himself shall be saved. Yet so is by fire.

So the thought here is that the foundation is sure, and that foundation is

Jesus Christ. And that is a foundation for the church. And as we

come to church, and as we have members meetings, and as we have

ordinations, and then we do various things in the church, we're building What

with what? What kind of material are we building with? Is it golden

and let's see a gold and silver and precious stones? Or are we building

with woodhands double that which will not endure? Going over to Ephesians two verses

nineteen to twenty two, Now therefore, year you're no more strangers and coners,

but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, and

are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being

the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fairly framed together growth onto an holy

temple in the Lord, in whom we also are builded together for inhabitation of

God through the Spirit. So this gives a little extension of this foundation.

Jesus Christ is a cornerstone, and a cornerstone everything needs to line up according

to that cornerstone. And Paul and writing the Defesians here then said that the

apostles and the prophets are the foundation, and they are identified with Jesus Christ.

And so that that would give me the belief that the church, if

the church is going to be successful, needs to line up with the teachings

of the apostles and the prophets. And where do we find that. When

we find that in the Word of God and the words that they spoke to,

the inspiration of the Holy Spirit need to be important to us. Every

inspired word written, I believe lines up with the life and the teachings of

the cornerstone, Jesus Christ. And so any attempt to build a church on

man's reasonings and philosophy will be feutile. It must be built on Jesus Christ

and his word. Anything else is built is building on sand, and it

will crumble. And so as we walk about her, as we view the

where she is today, let's make sure of the foundation. Let's make sure

what we're building is on the foundation, which is none other than Jesus Christ

himself and the Apostles and prophets. Secondly, let's look at the churches of

protection in warfare in past millenniums, particularly, just because there was a wall

around the city was not a sure sign that the enemy would be repelled.

It was a good it was a good start, but you know, the

enemy could come with battering rams, try to break down that wall, do

what they could to to break it down. And I believe this morning that

the church today is being bombarded with battering rams of unbelief, of false teaching,

of outright disregard of the Word of God, and no regard for the

holiness of God. So what are walls for. I think we need walls

to divide, to define where truth begins and where it ends. We need

walls to define when we are within are without the perimeters of the church.

And even though some don't appreciate a statement such as this, I believe that

walls. I believe that our written statement of belief and practices is a wall.

It tells it helps to repel that which is would militate against our spiritual

lives. Well, you know, then there's a say, well, that's

not important, and maybe we dismantle a part of the wall. But let's

keep in mind that a wall keeps out and a wall keeps in and I

think I think we experience that. So let's think a little bit about the

wall being a place of inclusion, that we are on the inside, that

we are included in what the wall defines. You know, in a pasture,

when there's a fence, it defines the perimeters of where an animal is

to feed, and if he gets out of that those perimeters, that's out

of bounds. And probably most of us have had some experience along that line.

But you know, I think there's parallels in the church. There is

safety when we are in protection of the wall, but when we disregard the

wall, there's nothing to protect us from the ravages of evil. But who

should be included inside the wall, Well, those that are inside the wall

should be the people of God, not the evildoers, not the unregenerate,

not the scoffers. I was looking a little bit in doctrines of the Bible

and I was impressed. And just a little section there in the church it

said Gospel requirements for admission. So what do we require to be within the

walls of Maltzion? And I'm going to quote a sentence here. The popular

idea of church membership is to receive all who want to unite with the church.

But the Bible holds a different standard. So in other words, we

don't just accept someone within a church fellowship just because they want to be there.

But there's some other requirements, and the writer there goes on and lists

four requirements. First is faith. The flipping and jailer asked what he must

do to be saved, and Paul told him believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is faith. Second is repentance. Peter on the day of Pentecost

said repent and be baptized. And then this article here in this book says

this, receive into the church anyone who is willing to come, and the

chances are that you have as Simon the Sorcerer and Anonyus or some other converted

member. Third is conversion. Conversion is essential to salvation. Peter said in

Acts three nineteen. Repent you therefore and be converted, that your sins may

be blotted out, and just briefly or simply. Conversion is turning away from

that which one had formerly been a part of, to turn the other way.

And fourth is obedience to obey the word of God, to obey the

precepts of the Church. Here's another quote from that little passage. The convert

who comes dictating terms of the church is a convert on and name. And

so I'd say this morning, there is such a blessing in being included,

such a blessing to be a part of fellow believers. We can band together,

we can glorify God, we can we can praise Him together, we

can work together for the furthest of His kingdom. There's one cause, there's

one God and one Lord and one baptism. All right, then I'd like

to go next number four to the church, the Church's towers of vigilance.

So we mentioned that the uh the wall around Mount Zion there had towers,

and what was their purpose. Well, there were watchmen that were set on

the wall to keep vigilant watch for anyone approaching, whether it be danger or

whether it be a friendly person. I'm going to read just a little portion

here in Second Samuel eighteen, just as illustration. I found this interesting.

This was at the time of when after the battle with with Absalom, and

David was sitting in the in the city there, and he was wondering,

you know, what kind of message is going to come. And so there

was a There was somebody that went and watched and gave him a report.

And this is this is how how a tower works. Second Samuel, eighteen,

verses twenty four to twenty seven. And David sat between the two gates,

and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate under the wall

and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold a man running alone and

the rock. The watchman cried and told the king, and the king said,

if he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth. And he

came a pace and drew near. And the washman saw another man running,

and the waschman called him the porter, and said, behold another man running

alone. And the king said, he also bringeth tidings. And the waschman

said, me, thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of

Jimez, the son of Zadok. And the king said, he is a

good man and cometh with good tidings. Just an example of how that worked.

There was somebody that would be watching to see, oh, yeah,

look at here, here's somebody coming. Is he friend or foe? Does

he bring good tidings or to bring evil tidings? God appointed Ezekiel as a

watchman. In Ezekiel three seventeen, he said, son of Man, I

have made the watchman under the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at

my mouth and give them warning from me. And then I'm going to read

a little bit from Ezekiel thirty three, where command was given how to watch,

what to do? Ezekiel thirty three, first seven verses. Again,

the word of the Lord came into me, saying, son of Man,

speak to the children of thy people, and say in them, when I

bring the sword upon the land, if the people of the land take a

man of their coasts and set him for their watchman. If when he seeth

the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet and warn the people.

Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning, if

the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own

head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning, his

blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall be shall deliver

his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not

the trumpet, and the people be not warned. If the sword come and

take any person from among them. He is taken away in his iniquity.

But his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. So thou, o,

son of Man, I have set the watchmen under the house of Israel.

Therefore thou shalt hear the word and my mouth and warn them from me.

And so what God was telling is ekal here is there's going to be

battle, and there's going there's going to be bloodshed, there's going to be

death. And so if a watchman is set on the wall, and that

watchman sees danger coming and war, blows the trumpet and warns the people,

And if the people don't take cover and get out of there, and they

lose their life, their blood is on their own hands because they didn't do

anything about it. But if the washman sees the enemy coming, doesn't say

a word, doesn't blow the trumpet, and they come and destroy the people,

then the blood would be on the watchman's hands. That's that's what he

was saying here. Now that's old testament. But how about the how about

the church today? I believe God wants us to have and to be watchmen.

What do we watch for? Well? I think thought of danger and

apathy, compromise heresy. So now I have a question with his ordination next

week? Are we ordaining a watchman? Is that what we're doing? Yes?

And maybe, but shouldn't we all be watchmen? I don't think it

just I don't think it just goes for the ordained. I think a healthy

church has all watching. All right, then let's uh, let's look a

little bit more at the at the gates, the church has doors of entrance.

A door is placed to keep out that which is undesirable or even harmful.

We all have doors in our house. What's the purpose of those?

Those purposes are to keep out and to keep in? Are they not?

And so the gates of Jerusalem kept out invaders. I don't think I'm going

to take the time to read this, but it's interesting to read the last

chapter of Neamiah. Niamiah had been gone for a while and he came back,

and he was appalled at what was going on. There were people that

were coming and were selling goods on the Sabbath day. They'd come right into

Jerusalem and sell the goods. And Neamiah says, what's wrong with you people?

We can't do that, and he shut the gates to shut out the

intruders that wanted to come and sell their goods on the Sabbath day. And

so I believe that the church is exclusive, and we endeavor to keep out

that which defiles. Now, one thing that we have practiced as a church

is what we call close communion. Now that's not closed, but close communion.

We extend communion to those of like faith in practice and exclude those who

do not adhere to what we believe to be true practice of the Gospel of

Christ. As I was thinking about that, I thought about a brother no

longer living. He had a large family, and he poured himself into trying

to raise his family for the Lord, just put forth a lot of effort.

He told me he lamented one day, he says, you know,

he said, there's not a want of my children with which I can take

community. And he was heartbroken. Why couldn't he take communion? Well,

I think probably most of those children would have still claimed to believe in Jesus,

but they weren't practicing what he felt was important to be in communion with

them. And so and so we do include and exclude. I'm going to

read. I'm going to read from second, John and Jaden, you'll have

to excuse maybe this is just a little bit of a prelude to the next

lesson. I'm going to read verses seven to eleven. For many deceivers are

entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the

flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we

lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full

reward. Whosoever transgresses and abideth not the Doctor of Christ hath not God.

He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both a father and

the Son. If there come any unto you, any unto you, and

bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him

God's speed, For he that biddeth him God's speed is partaker of his evil

deeds. So here the picture is, if there's someone that comes that's false,

don't accept them, or you are become a partaker of that. Titus

Iree ten to eleven says a man that is a heretic after the first and

second ammonition, reject knowing that he that is such as subverted and sinneth being

condemned of himself. All right, then, just a few thoughts on the

gates that not just at repel, but the gates that include that those that

are within their safety, within the fold of the Great chepher And I had

to think of the of the Psalm twenty three where he says that the writer

there referring to the great shepherds, that I will not want. I'm fed

in green pastors, and he satisfies my thirst. He makes me to be

at rest. So on, I think that those within the walls and within

the gates enjoyed the blessings of the ordinances of the Church. The ordinances are

practiced within the brotherhood, and there's mutual encouragement to help us on a spiritual

journey. Then I'd like to think just a little bit yet about the Church's

glory. Here in Psalm forty eight, it talks about the palaces. You

know, within the walls of Jerusalem stood a magnificent temple, And this temple

was placed on the mountain, and all who approached the city could see the

gleam and the globe story of this structure. And how I must have thrilled

men and women as they gazed on the beauty of that structure. And I

often wondered, as the pilgrims came from various parts of the land of Israel,

they came to the city for one of the festivals, maybe the pass

Over one of them, how they must have strained to get that first glimpse

of the temple, the beauty of the temple. You know, when we're

driving, we often try to see if we can see Mount Hood and it's

kind of a I don't know, it just does something to you when you

just see that magnificent mountain as sunshining on. Now, you know, we

don't get to see it quite often because because of cloud cover and so on.

But my fellow brothers and sisters here in this church, do others strain

to get a glimpse, to get a view of the beauty of the church

and halsey, or isn't it there? Do their hearts thrill with wonder as

if you this body of Jesus in the midst of the darkness of this world.

And I believe that when there is true glory in the church, that's

a defense against the enemies of God. In the presence of God is the

glory of the Church. And so just a few observations that I'd like to

close with. I didn't say in closing, but I say to close with.

So I have a few here this morning. Let's take a good look

at the church. Let's look at her protections, let's desire to be within

her walls. Let's look at the one who is in her midst, taching

her day by day. And so as we walk about Zion today, what

do we see? What do we see as we walk around Zion? Are

the defenses in place? Is someone chipping away at the wall? Are the

gates serving their purposes? Are there watchmen that are posted on the wall?

Does she gleam? Is she devoid of defilement? I'd like to say that

there's many, many things that I appreciate about our church here. Over the

years, I've seen a people willing to take a stand for truth and right

and endeavoring to do so. I've seen a people willing to welcome and include

others that want to identify with us. And I think probably on the whole,

we have not been overly critical of others that have a little different view

than we do. We've not tried to operate our church in a way just

to satisfy other people, while it's the same time trying to be sent to

other churches and their beliefs and practices. I've enjoyed and appreciated working together with

the leadership in this church. We have different views on various issues, been

able to work together and come to a consensus and move forward, And I've

since a desire to be true followers of Jesus Christ. Those are some of

the things I see when I walk around Zion. But there's also some other

things that I wonder about, some things that may be concerned. Maybe I

had to think about. Maybe some of our strengths can also be our weaknesses.

Maybe we've been too willing to take up the attitude and live and let

live. You know, if you don't bother me, I won't bother you,

rather than working together as a brotherhood concerned when it seems we are more

interested in how many church services we can eliminate, rather than having a strong

desire to assemble as a people of God. Along that line, I my

just mentioned pray meeting. I've been encouraged. It seems like this kind of

ebbs and flows. Recently, it seems like there's been more interests, and

I'm encouraged there, but so often there's just a pitiful few. I wanted

to say this sometime, and I guess this is probably as good at times

as any, but it's really been interesting to me, and I guess a

challenge in visiting in the state of Arkansas. If we drive around the community

on a Wednesday evening, those churches parking lots are full. I don't care

if it's a Menonite, if it's a Baptist, if it's Pentecostal, if

it's Church of God. Those parking lots are full. What's going on?

Just because they're in the Bible Belt. Don't we need prayer as much as

they do. But I've just really been impressed with that, and I'm concerned

when there seems to be not much desire to maintain conservative practices. And I

could go into things there, but I guess I won't. And I would

say this yet that even though I've tried to serve the Tangent and Halsey congregation

all these years, I'm sure I've failed many times to be the example I

should have been, could have been, and to be the watchman that I

could have been. I might also say, I know there's been some question

with his ordination coming up, what does that mean for for me? We've

discussed that as a ministry and decided that my workload and involvement should probably decrease.

I don't intend to step out completely, but I would just ask you

to ask you to pray that God would give me the grace to step back

and let others fill this role. So going back again now in this time,

inclosing to Psalm forty eight, Jerusalem is situated on a high plain,

on a table land, one of the highest points in Israel, and on

all sides except the north, there are deep ravines. Jesus said that we

are a light to the world. We are a city that's said on the

hill that cannot be hid. And so as followers of Jesus, we're going

to be seen. We're going to be scrutinized, having epistles known and read

of all men. And so when others view our church, they will see

something. What do they see? Do they see a strong fortification against the

world. Do they see a city build upon a solid foundation. Do they

see glory or turmoil? Do they see a group that's standing for right?

And is it enmity with the system of the world, or do they see

us as making peace treaty with evil and its forces. Do they see us

as a church that's victorious? Do they see a church that is building for

the future or one that's mainly concerned for the conference of today. So I'd

like to challenge us this morning, that we each one walk around Zion.

Let's view its towers, Let's view its bulwarks, Let's view its palaces,

and what do you see. Let's think about the strengths and the weaknesses that

ye may tell it to the generation following. I'd like to close with two

verses in Hebrews twelve, verses twenty two and twenty three. But ye are

come under Mount Zion, and under the city of the Living God, the

heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly

and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in Heaven, and to God,

the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

What a privilege we have to be a part of that of that people,

coming to Mount Zion and being a part of God's people. By the Lord bless