Getting to the right place is a journey that involves endurance, determination, and even sacrifice. Faith leads the way, helping us to go from strength to strength, discovering that surprising blessings unfold.
The journey in Psalm 84 is the account fo a pilgrim coming over a long, hard trek to get to the Holy City, Jerusalem, and upon gaining the first sight of its glorious Temple. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! With the destination within sight, the pilgrim recounts the blessings of the house of God, the place where God is believed to reside and meet his faithful people.
The psalm transitions to prayer as the pilgrim becomes worshiper within the Temple itself. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Notice how "the wicked" dwell in "tents." Even though the wicked may in fact have mansions and palaces, those are mere "tents" compared to the humble little one of faith who dwells in the shadow of the Temple of God.
Clearly, the psalmist's journey was an arduous one. When we consider the beginning Luke 19, we find Jesus the pilgrim, making his journey toward his destiny in the Holy City of Jerusalem. His passage through Jericho was likely the cause of considerable excitement in town.
Even it's wealthy tax collector, Zacchaeus, is stirred up. He must see this Jesus of Nazareth, but being a short fellow, he can't see over the crowd. He runs ahead and climbs a tree. That not only got Jesus' attention, but also a request for Zacchaeus to host Jesus for the night. How doubly exciting!
But tax collectors for the Romans were regarded as sinners and unclean, cooperating with pagan Gentile authorities in the exploitation of the Roman subjects, his fellow Jews. The muttering and grumbling starts immediately. But Zacchaeus is prepared to change his life in a dramatic way, willing to make major sacrifices to give witness to his faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The whole story is below in the sermon video, and note the downloads below the video panel.
The journey in Psalm 84 is the account fo a pilgrim coming over a long, hard trek to get to the Holy City, Jerusalem, and upon gaining the first sight of its glorious Temple. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! With the destination within sight, the pilgrim recounts the blessings of the house of God, the place where God is believed to reside and meet his faithful people.
The psalm transitions to prayer as the pilgrim becomes worshiper within the Temple itself. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Notice how "the wicked" dwell in "tents." Even though the wicked may in fact have mansions and palaces, those are mere "tents" compared to the humble little one of faith who dwells in the shadow of the Temple of God.
Clearly, the psalmist's journey was an arduous one. When we consider the beginning Luke 19, we find Jesus the pilgrim, making his journey toward his destiny in the Holy City of Jerusalem. His passage through Jericho was likely the cause of considerable excitement in town.
Even it's wealthy tax collector, Zacchaeus, is stirred up. He must see this Jesus of Nazareth, but being a short fellow, he can't see over the crowd. He runs ahead and climbs a tree. That not only got Jesus' attention, but also a request for Zacchaeus to host Jesus for the night. How doubly exciting!
But tax collectors for the Romans were regarded as sinners and unclean, cooperating with pagan Gentile authorities in the exploitation of the Roman subjects, his fellow Jews. The muttering and grumbling starts immediately. But Zacchaeus is prepared to change his life in a dramatic way, willing to make major sacrifices to give witness to his faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The whole story is below in the sermon video, and note the downloads below the video panel.
| 10-30-16-ff-answers.pdf |
| 10-30-16-going_from_strength_to_strength.pdf |