The joyful wonder of life in Christ's church

Now, having sung it, let's now read it together. If you're using a church Bible, it's there on page 622.

This one has a title that reminds us that it's a psalm that was written by King David, now being sung by a group of exiled believers.

Psalm 122, a song of ascents of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to praise the name of the Lord according to the statutes given to Israel.

There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May those who love you be secure.

May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, peace be within you.

For the sake of the house of the Lord, our God, I will seek your prosperity. Amen.

So in Psalm 122, we're going to think about the joyful wonder of life in Christ's church.

But just to begin here, I wonder if we can identify with the pilgrims in their sense of joy of arriving.

Finally, we're here.

Here's the final of a trio of Psalms. Psalm 120, we thought about. Here they are far from Jerusalem and they're living with great distress, surrounded by lies and enemies and aggression.

Psalm 121, they've been on the journey and there's been many dangers that God has protected.

But now, Psalm 122, they've reached their destination.

And there's joy in arriving because now here they are, God's people.

They're in God's city and they get to praise together with others.

And for us here today, I hope that we'll get to experience some of that joy in miniature, the joy of Jerusalem,

as we gather together knowing we meet with God today.

And also that it will give us a sense of expectation and longing for the perfect joy in that perfect city that we read about in Revelation 21.

But a second way to think about this psalm that might be helpful for us is to ask the question, what makes a city great?

You know, why does David have joy in this city of Jerusalem in particular?

Some of you may see this every year.

The Economist magazine does a livability report trying to decide through various factors.

So they'll look at education and transport and infrastructure and culture and climate.

They'll put these 30 things together and they'll decide what's the best city in the world to live in.

And this year, according to The Economist, the best city to live in is Copenhagen over in Denmark.

Edinburgh comes in quite a lowly 64th, but it's still a nice city to live in.

But for King David, as he's approaching and then reaches Jerusalem, what does he celebrate about his city?

What makes it such a great, livable, wonderful city?

He's got a different set of factors to The Economist.

For him, it's the joy of worship because Jerusalem represents God's physical address on the earth.

Here is where sacrifice can be made to atone for sin so that people can be reconciled to God.

What gets him excited is the joy that he finds in gathering with others to meet with God to sing his praise.

So as we come into Psalm 122, it's highlighting for us something of the wonder of what Christ's church offers to us and to the world, as we will see.

And it also causes us to look forward with a sense of anticipation to the city to come whose builder is God.

So let's get into our text.

First couple of verses, let's think about the joy of Christ's church.

So we've been told that David is the writer, so he is the worship leader.

And the theme of his journey and his song is joy.

There's the joy of arriving, and there's also the joy of access.

So think about the joy of arriving.

I rejoiced with those who said to me, let's go to the house of the Lord.

So that's a statement of faith.

Here is David saying, being among God's people, getting to be in God's presence, that's what makes me glad and joyful.

And there's a determination, let us go.

This is a journey that's going to be hard, but it's a journey worth making for David and for those pilgrims who will go with him.

But he is delighted to do it because he gets to meet with God.

Jerusalem, you may know, is a city that was special to David.

You can read about it in 2 Samuel 5 and 6.

One of the first acts that he does as king is he conquers the city of Jerusalem, and he makes it his royal city.

Jerusalem is the place where the 12 tribes are united together to acknowledge that David is going to be their true king.

And David very quickly takes the ark of God, representing the presence of God, and he brings that to Jerusalem.

And so the rule of King David is connected with the rule of the one true God and his worship.

And so he has this joy.

So he's been far away.

Maybe he's been on a military campaign, and now the enemies have been defeated.

Now the war is over, and he's told, let's go back.

It's time to go home.

And he's got joy because it's about God's people and God's praise.

So there's the joy of arriving, but there's also the joy of access because we notice there in verse 1,

the focus for him is, let's go to the house of the Lord.

And you notice Lord is in capitals.

That's the personal covenant name of the Lord God.

So there is joy because he gets to meet the covenant God who meets with his people there.

He gets to worship the holy God, the almighty maker of heaven and earth, who has acted to become their redeemer.

He has joy because when he goes to the house of the Lord, he knows sacrifices are made so that that right relationship between God and people can be restored and people can be reconciled.

And so there's joy here.

Verse 2, our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.

And the joy of standing in those gates is because this is the city of God.

These are the gates of God.

And those gates wonderfully are open so that sinful people saved by God's mercy and grace, well, they can draw near.

And even in that picture, there's a great recognition of here is what Jesus offers in the gospel.

Jesus himself will tell us he is the true temple.

He is the true house of God.

To meet with God, we need to know Jesus.

He gives us access to life with the true and living God as the one true and living God.

He offered not an animal but himself as the sacrifice so that our sin can be covered and we can draw near.

And it's through Jesus that we're brought into covenant relationship with the living God.

So the joy of arriving and the joy of access are here.

But we need to think about ourselves today because David connected his joy to physical, geographical Jerusalem, but we don't do that.

Our hope is in a different city, isn't it?

As Paul writes in the New Testament to Christians in the letter to the Galatians, the Jerusalem that is above is free and she is our mother.

Or in Philippians, our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So for us as Christians, we read Jerusalem in Psalm 122 and the joy there and we think about the joy of the new Jerusalem.

The new heavens and the earth that we read of in Revelation 21.

But at the same time, we need to understand that the church every Sunday is for us a tiny slice of joy.

Because every time we gather here, God meets with us.

Every time we open the Bible, God speaks to us.

Every time we think about Jesus, we're reminded that He's made that sacrifice so that we have access and can draw near.

So we share something of this joy.

Just take a moment and think about this.

Why do we do what we do?

For many of us, we've been Christians for a long time.

We come to church week by week.

What are we doing here?

Think of the church, something like an oasis in our city.

Here is a moment to rest and be refreshed away from all our busyness.

Away from all the pressures that we live in day by day.

Away from those attempts to make a name for ourselves.

Here is an invitation to the living God to come and be refreshed.

And to find the life that we were made for and the God that we were made for.

And so we come eagerly because we want to taste and see that God is good.

And we want to experience the peace and the joy that He offers in Jesus.

So it's a reminder that as we come to church, we come ready and eager to receive joy from our good God.

To make this a place of joy for ourselves and for one another.

Because while what happens in here can often seem so ordinary.

You know, maybe thousands of times we've sung a psalm or a hymn or we've opened the Bible together.

But truly it's also at the same time extraordinary.

Ordinary building.

But we're met with by an extraordinary God.

We have the promise that Jesus comes to meet with us.

That the Spirit is at work through His Word.

And He is the one who would fill us with this joy.

The joy of knowing Him.

The joy of having our sins forgiven.

The joy of King Jesus ministering to us in His Word and through His people.

So Psalm 120 reminds us of the joy of Christ's church.

Secondly, it speaks to us of the wonder of Christ's church.

There in the center, verses 3 to 5.

So Alec Mateer, the Bible commentator, he makes a striking comment.

He says,

The church is a place where the world's problems are solved.

Full stop.

Now I don't know how you react to that.

Maybe if we are inclined to be cynical, we might say,

Well I thought the church sometimes, well that is the problem, not the solution.

Or maybe if we think about a skeptical approach to that statement.

Well, I think the church is irrelevant to the needs of a modern world.

Maybe the church just needs to kind of mind its own business and do its own thing.

And let the world get on with its work.

But what we have as we look at the center of Psalm 122 is a reason why we can humbly say

that the south side of Edinburgh, that the city of Edinburgh needs us and churches like us.

Because we're given a vision of God's design for His church

and God's wonderful goal for our life together.

That we're seeing this is who God wants us to be

and there is a goodness in this for ourselves and for our weary world.

Three things Christ and His church offers the world.

First of all, security in an uncertain world.

Look at verse 3.

Think about the image.

Jerusalem is built like a city that's closely compacted together.

So, the image.

Here's a city with well-constructed walls and towers.

Everything in its right place.

So, that means protection.

That means security.

That means community on the inside.

That Jerusalem, representing Christ's church,

is to be a place of security and safety

in a sometimes dangerous and often uncertain world.

These pilgrims, as they've been traveling,

well, they've been living in a war zone

and they've been traveling through hazards.

But Jerusalem, well, that's peace and rest and security.

Now, I think many of us,

we can easily identify with the sense of uncertainty.

We worry about our kids growing up.

We wonder as young adults about our employment opportunities

or housing situation or relationships.

Or we switch on the news and we see tragedy seems to be ever present.

And we need to remember that into this uncertain world,

God sent His Son Jesus and He came to be a Savior

by giving His life as a sacrifice

so that trusting in Him we might have eternal security.

What Jesus offers the world is a secure salvation,

life with God now and forevermore.

What Jesus offers is a secure identity

to be known as a child of God.

And what Jesus offers is a secure hope

with no prospect of losses.

So there is security in an uncertain world.

There's secondly, the offer of harmony in a divided world.

Look at verse four with me.

That's where the tribes go up.

They're the tribes of the Lord

to praise the name of the Lord.

And just to recognize this is unity but not uniformity.

So these 12 tribes,

so we live in Scotland right now.

We're in Scotland.

Scotland's a small nation.

But we have many different cultures.

You know, Edinburgh is not Glasgow.

The central belt is not the same as the highlands.

And the same was true for Israel.

Different regions, different clans,

doing different kind of works.

What bound them together,

their common bond,

was a unity forged in worship.

They gather together as one to praise the name of the Lord.

A reminder that for us as Christians,

our unity is found in Jesus.

All of us can see fracturing and division within the world.

That's really easy to see, isn't it?

At the global level of conflicts,

in our realms of national politics,

we see fracturing and division in our communities

and on our streets.

And for many of us,

we feel the pain in our own family circumstances.

And what God gives by way of an answer

is His Son and His church.

So think again about Jesus coming into a divided world,

a hostile world.

And how did Jesus live?

Jesus lived a life of love, didn't He?

A love that covers over wrongs.

Read the Gospels and you discover in Jesus

a love that crosses difference

and boundaries and barriers

in order to bring people into God's kingdom.

In the good news of the Lord Jesus,

there is a love that binds up

where often we tend to break.

And now as the church,

we are the people of Jesus.

And we are called to make that love visible.

A love that's a blessing to us

and to our world.

Jesus came as the Prince of Peace,

making peace with our God,

but also bringing peace with people

as our sins are forgiven

and as the Spirit is poured into our hearts.

And so churches are called to be places

of healing and harmony.

Places in a community

where everyone can be welcomed,

where people can feel able to belong

before they believe.

So there is security, there's harmony.

And thirdly, there is the promise of justice

in an unjust world.

Verse five,

there stand the thrones for judgment,

the thrones of the house of David.

So the picture here

is a reminder of the connection

between Israel's king and Israel's justice.

That one of the key duties of King David

and other kings

was to deliver

and to secure

God's justice for God's people

as he lived out and practiced God's law.

Now, we need to be very careful.

So we absolutely say

the church should be a place

that pursues and practices justice for all.

It should be a place

that defends the cause of the weak and helpless.

It should provide a safe space

for any and all who come through our doors.

But as we take a look through church history,

as we think about church scandals

across the world and in our own nation,

we recognize that all too often we fail.

That the name of Jesus is dragged through the mud

by those who profess the name of Jesus.

But yet,

by God's grace,

we do offer real hope

to our world

because we point not to ourselves

in our imperfection,

but we point to Jesus

as the true and perfect king.

And to that promise

that he will return one day

and he will establish

true and perfect justice,

that a day is coming

when every wrong will be dealt with,

when everyone will stand

before his judgment seat.

But it's also important

for us to recognize

and to be thankful for the fact

that Christians and churches do work.

And I think the OM work,

the Logoship is one example of that,

that churches and Christians

do work to care for the poor,

that they do pursue justice for the oppressed,

that they do promote dignity

for all of life,

here and across the world.

And all of that done

in the name of Jesus,

the King who rules with justice.

And for us as Christians too,

here is a hope that we can cling to

when we are treated badly

for being Christians,

when we're slandered,

when we're overlooked or shamed

because we own Jesus as Lord,

the judge of the earth

will do right.

That justice and salvation

is coming.

Last week,

we were in another chapter

in Revelation,

Revelation 7,

that beautiful picture

of worshipers

gathered from every nation

and tribe

and culture and language

all around the throne

of Jesus,

the King

who brings justice

and salvation

for all those

who trust Him.

So, we've seen the joy,

we've seen the wonder.

Let's finish

thinking about the peace

of Christ's church.

It's there in verses 6 to 9.

So, again,

we've been following

these pilgrims on their journey.

They've come from

an environment

filled with lies

and hate.

They've come through

the dangers of life

on the road

and now they've reached

their goal

and their goal

is Jerusalem.

And Jerusalem is

the city of shalom,

the city of peace.

In verses 6 to 8,

we find the church

at prayer,

pray for the peace

of Jerusalem,

seeking the peace

of God,

seeking it for the sake

of friends and family,

for the wider community.

And in verse 9,

we find the church

getting to work

to seek peace

and prosperity.

For the sake

of the house

of the Lord,

our God,

I will seek

your prosperity.

Here is a people

filled with joy.

Here is a people

filled with prayer.

Here is a people

getting to work,

wanting the good

of others

for the glory

of God.

And it all ties up

with this idea

of peace.

So, what does

the word peace mean?

Why do we struggle

with it?

And how can we

have it?

Now, people often

ask with a sense

of longing,

but also perhaps

a sense of despair,

how can anyone

find real peace

in a world of chaos?

When bombs fall,

when cars are torched,

when disease

and tragedy

strike without warning,

when friendships

can be shattered

by cruel words

and deception.

We long for peace,

but can peace

be found.

Psalm 122

ends with us

in the city

of peace

with prayers

for peace

and a commitment

to seek peace.

And all of it

takes us,

verse 9,

to the house

of the Lord.

And that's key

for us

because the Bible

teaches us

over and over

it's with our God

and with His Son,

the Lord Jesus,

that deep

and lasting peace

is found.

Now, when the Bible

speaks of peace

or shalom,

to use the familiar

Hebrew word,

what is that pointing to?

What is it saying

to us?

And we need to understand,

so I guess in English

when we think about peace,

we often think about

the absence

of hostility

or warfare.

That's part of it,

but it's more than that.

Peace,

according to the Bible,

is a flourishing

in all of life.

It's where everything

under God

is in its right place.

It's well-being

in all aspects of life,

physical,

emotional,

social,

and spiritual.

It's a peace

that runs deeper

than circumstances

because it's a peace

that's rooted

in a life

with the God

of peace.

So what Psalm 122

introduces us to

and closes us with

is God's peace,

a peace that we can have,

that we can have peace

with God

through Christ

because we have been

reconciled

through His blood,

that we can have

in Jesus

peace in our hearts

through prayer

and through worship,

and we have a peace

to pursue

with others

in a divided world.

So we hear the church

being called

to pray for peace,

to be peacemakers,

to seek the best

for others,

to call one another

into life

with this God

who offers peace

with Himself

and peace in our hearts.

and we're called

to work for that peace,

to make what God

offers visible,

to be as a community

of brothers and sisters

in Christ,

a community that shows

a love that reconciles,

to practice a unity

and a harmony

that cuts across differences,

a security that is rooted

in a relationship

with our Creator.

Because we understand

as a church

that people

in every age,

every generation,

in every culture

and community

needs this God

and needs this peace

in their lives.

Are we persuaded

by that?

For King David

and the Old Testament

pilgrims,

Jerusalem was like

a safe haven.

It was an oasis

for them.

It was a place of rest

in a world of war

and aggression

of suffering and death.

I can find peace

because the God of peace

is here

and I'm invited

to know Him.

Some of you

will be familiar

with the Oxford mathematician

John Lennox.

He's been a great spokesman

for the Christian faith

for decades now.

I came across

a snippet

from an interview

just a few weeks ago

and he said,

I've been interrogating

the Christian faith

for over 30 years.

The claims of Christianity

for 30 years

and he said

to the guy

he was talking with

who wasn't a Christian,

Jesus offers a peace

I could find

nowhere else.

this man who'd done

so much for Jesus,

lived for decades,

great wisdom

into the world

of mathematics.

What he came back to

was the joy

of having peace

in his heart.

when I know

I have real forgiveness

from God

then I have

peace.

Jesus came

to fulfill

that longing

to be the prince

of peace

who gives peace

by his sacrificial death

to establish

an eternal

kingdom of peace

and it's a kingdom

that he invites us

into

to begin

to taste it

right now

to know

that all is well

between us

and our God

and to practice

peace and unity

with one another

and all the while

knowing

the best

is still to come.

Let's pray

to our God

together.

Lord,

we thank you

for what Jerusalem

represented for David,

the place

where he could meet

with you,

be with your people,

to have the joy

and rest

of being

with the God

of peace

and Lord,

we ask

that you would

give to us

a slice

of that

even today

the joy

of knowing

that you are here

and that you are

meeting with us,

you're speaking

to us

from your word

and by your spirit

that you would

give to us

and give to our world

that peace

that passes

all understanding,

that peace

that we so badly

need

to be reconciled

with our God

and with others.

Now Lord,

we ask

that you would

help us

as a church

to practice

and to pursue

and to pray

for peace,

to be a place

known for security

and harmony

and justice,

that we would

point to the King

who gives all that

for now

and forever.

Teach us

and help us,

we ask,

in Jesus' name.

Amen.