Who Can Live with God?

This is a sermon based on Psalm 15 in which the author begins by asking the question, "Who may abide in thy tabernacle and who may dwell in thy holy hill?" The message speaks about the qualities that are necessary in the life of the individual who wishes to live in the presence of God. A video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached may be viewed by clicking here. 

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Throughout the years that I have been in ministry, I have observed that people often express an interest in knowing the answer to the question, “What must I do to go to heaven?” You remember that there was a “certain ruler” who posed such a question to Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk. 18:18)

Out of all those who ask that question, there is a significant number of people who are really asking, “What is the MINIMUM I must do to get into heaven?” In other words, it seems like what many people actually mean is this, “I want to keep living the way I please, but I sure would like to make sure I make it to heaven instead of losing my soul in hell.” I fear that those who come to the Lord with this kind of thinking and motive may not find the answer they desire. Yes, God does want us to desire to go to heaven and be with him for eternity. But I believe our Scripture lesson today shows us that there are other equally important desires that He wants us to possess and exhibit.

The question as posed a few moments ago, asks, “What must I DO?” Perhaps the more important question is this, “Who must I BE?”

The question that King David asked in the first verse of Psalms 15 was this, “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?”

After we briefly consider the opening question, we will explore the qualities that are present in the life of this person who desires to “live with God.” 

I.          The Question Everyone Should Ask (v. 1)

“tabernacle” – lit. tent; some commentaries us the word “sanctuary.”

It originally was the structure that Moses made according to the design and plans given by God. It was created to be a place where God’s holy presence would be manifested and where Moses, and subsequent high priests, could commune with God and receive instructions from God, as well as make atonement for the people.

2 Samuel 6 describes the events when David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and had it placed in a tent structure that he had made for it. The original tabernacle and its furnishings were not brought to Jerusalem until later during the reign of Solomon. (Joyce Baldwin, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries)

“holy hill” – This was another way to refer to Mount Zion (Jerusalem) where the Ark of the Covenant was placed after David became king. Mount Zion was one of the hills upon which Jerusalem was built, and later became a name for the whole city.

“abide/dwell” – Commentaries tell us that both of these terms denote a temporary residence, since no one actually lived in the sanctuary. Therefore, these words really stress the idea of having communion with God. (TOTC; Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

(Willem A. Vangemeren, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) As the pilgrims approached Jerusalem—the city of God, where his “sanctuary” was located on the “holy hill”—they had to examine themselves before entering the courts of God’s sanctuary.

King David is asking the question that each and every person should ask. What kind of person should I be if I want to live / commune with God? Maybe we could phrase it like this: “What needs to be the defining characteristics of my life in order for me to fit in the presence of God?”

I keep remembering the words of Dr. John Oswalt in his book, Called to Be Holy. He emphasized the fact that the 10 commandments were not given to Israel as a means for them to earn God’s salvation. God had already saved them, delivered them from Egypt, and accepted them as His people by His infinite grace. When God spelled out the 10 commandments, He was describing the commands or principles one must follow in order to live in the presence of a holy God. And, that seems to be the force of this question that the Psalmist is asking.

II.        The Qualities Everyone Should Seek (vv. 2-5a)

The response to the question in verse 1 is found in verses 2-5.

The qualities that are given appear in both positive and negative forms. (i.e., some attitudes/actions they do, and others they avoid) The qualities are also distinguishable between character and conduct.

Compare Psalm 24:3-4 (NKJV) Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? ⁴  He who has clean hands [conduct] and a pure heart [character]….

A. Holy Character (v. 2a, b)

“walks uprightly” – a moral way of life; blameless; “lives marked by ethical rightness.” (Vangemeren & Baldwin)

The work “walk” refers to the way someone lives. It seems to be talking about conduct, however this term is referring to the motivating principle for living, rather than specific actions, such as those listed in the following verses.

“works righteousness” – A quality that probably should be taken as a companion/parallel thought with “walks uprightly.”

According to Joyce Baldwin (TOTC), the word for righteousness means “they do the right thing and act morally.”

(Vangemeren) Righteousness is a dynamic term describing God or humans in relationship with people. The righteous do what is right; they live in accordance with God’s expectations (see 4:1).

Again, this word seems to be describing the underlying principle of this person’s life even though conduct is implied. The specific ways that uprightness and righteousness are displayed in the conduct or lifestyle of this person are spelled out in the remainder of verse 2 through the first part of verse 5. It is possible to do a lot of the right actions, but not for the right reasons. “Walking uprightly” and “working righteousness” address the inner motives of the heart as well as the conduct.

B. Holy Conduct (vv. 2c-5a)

“speaks truth” – (Vangemeren) … fidelity between the heart and the speech… integrity.

Opposite quality described in Psalm 12:2 (NKJV) They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

“does not backbite with tongue” – lit. slander. One of the root meanings is “spy out.” i.e., Looking for things to gossip about to hurt another’s reputation.

“does no evil to neighbor” – the word for “evil” has many variant meanings including harm, affliction, distress, grief, wickedness, etc., etc. “Neighbor” – lit. means close friend. (Jesus broadens the definition of “neighbor” in the NT parable of the “Good Samaritan.”)

“does not reproach” – forms an idiom — “casts a slur.” The wise neither initiate nor rejoice in the reproach of their associates. (Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised)

v. 4 seems a little harsh to our ears perhaps. “… in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord.”

(EBC) The vile (i.e., rejected or scorned) person is a reprobate known for his evil deeds…. The designation refers not to the occasional offender who needs restoration (cf. Gal 6:1) but to those determined in their way.

So this righteous person who seeks to dwell in the house of God is one who honors the godly, rather than the wicked, and is able to distinguish between the two. It is alarming to see the number of professing Christians who are willing to give honor and praise to those who are waging war against the moral values of God’s eternal Word.

Is trustworthy to a fault (v. 5a). When the righteous gives his word, he can be trusted to keep his word, even if it ends up costing him dearly.

This is one area I need to pay closer attention to. It’s so easy to say yes to a request, but then find out later I can’t do it. My reason may be legitimate, but it damages the reliability of my word anyway. I need to be more careful to not make promises or even imply a promise before knowing for sure I can fulfill it.

Usury – high interest. Prohibited in the Law for an Israelite to charge high interest on a fellow Israelite who has need of help.

In other words, he doesn’t cheat borrowers or take advantage of their adverse circumstances. (This is common sense and natural response for anyone who has the uprightness and righteous character we mentioned at the beginning.)

Doesn’t sellout (justice). It was common at times, but strictly forbidden by God to accept a bribe in the administration of justice, either as a judge or as a witness. It has often been said, “Everyone has his price.” But not the man or woman who desires to live with God.

Even though there are a total of ten characteristics or qualities listed in this Psalm, they obviously are not intended to reflect the entire Decalogue (Ten Commandments), because nothing is mentioned about murder, adultery, etc. However, several of these state in a general way what the commandments say in a specific way.

In all of these qualities described in these verses, we can sum them up as both Jesus and Paul do in the NT. All the law and the prophets can be summed up in these two: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

Note: Something else I have repeatedly stated and reminded us of… These qualities of godly or righteous conduct and character cannot be possessed and performed in and of our own strength or effort. It requires the cleansing and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

III.       The Promise Everyone Should Hear (v. 5b)

Psalm 15:5 (NKJV) … He who does these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 1:3 (NKJV) He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Conclusion:

Heaven wouldn’t be heaven without Jesus. So, am I ready to live in His presence? 

We have been talking about the kind of character and the kind of conduct that a person has who is able to live with God; to dwell in His sanctuary and live on His holy hill. In summary, that person who can live with God is one who is essentially like God in his heart motives and life conduct. It is the person that is growing more and more like Jesus each day.

The song I chose for our closing song today is hopefully the testimony of each one here today.

I Want to Be Like Jesus

He Did It All for Me

Using the classic "suffering servant" text from Isaiah 53:4-6, this sermon was delivered for a worship service in which the sacrament of communion was shared. The message emphasizes the theme that Christ sacrificed Himself for each of us, even though we live over two thousand years after His crucifixion. A video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was given can be viewed by clicking here.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

You no doubt have seen the title of my message already. Many of you will recognize it as the title of a popular song recorded by the Oak Ridge Boys and perhaps other groups.

Here are the lyrics to that song:

Once a man whom we know as the Son of God 

Hung upon a cruel tree

He suffered pain as no mortal man

He took my place He did it all for me

When I step inside of those gates of pearl 

And the Master's face I see

I'll gladly kneel at His nail-scarred feet

Oh praise the Lord He did it all for me

He did it all for me

Each drop of blood was shed for even me

When the Savior cried bowed His head and died

Oh praise the Lord He did all for me

Oh praise the Lord He did it all for me

This is the song that came to my mind as I began thinking about the message I felt led to bring today.

I recently read excerpts from a sermon by A.W. Tozer titled, “Who Put Jesus on the Cross?” I will be sharing a few quotes from his sermon as we go through the message today. Because we are sharing the sacrament of communion today, I want to speak to you today about the fact that His suffering and death were all for you and all for me.

As we look at this familiar text in Isaiah, there are at least two lessons we should learn from the passage.

I.          We must assume ownership for our sins.

(The Tozer Pulpit, vol. 6, Gerald Smith, editor) – “Let us not eloquently blame Judas nor Pilate… Let us not curse the Jews for delivering Jesus to be crucified… Oh, they were guilty, certainly! But they were our accomplices in crime.”

⁵  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

“transgressions” – a rebellion or revolt; (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) The fundamental idea of the root is a breach of relationships, civil or religious, between two parties… This masculine noun represents those who reject God’s authority.

“iniquities” – a perversion, or guilt; (TWOT)The basic meaning of the verb, "to bend, twist, distort," can be seen in its concrete, nontheological uses… "infraction, crooked behavior, perversion, iniquity, etc."…. it denotes both the deed and its consequences, the misdeed and its punishment.

“peace” – the condition of reconciliation that was the goal of the suffering.

Look at the pronouns used here in verses 5 & 6.

OUR transgressions; OUR iniquities; OUR peace… The LORD laid on Him the iniquities of US all. Yes, there were/are others who must assume ownership for their participation, but we all know that no one has ever found pardon and comfort by placing the blame on others.

Wherever we read in the Bible that Jesus died for the sins of the world, it is always imperative that we personalize it and remember that it was our “transgressions” and our “iniquities” that were the cause of His suffering and death. When we partake of the emblems of communion, it should be a vivid reminder of our sins and cause us to take ownership of our guilt, which made it necessary for Him to die.

II.        We must assume responsibility for His suffering.

Not only must we take ownership for our sins (i.e., transgressions and iniquities), but we must assume responsibility for His suffering. There are plenty of biblical references that describe the suffering of Christ as He paid the price of redemption, but we want to specifically look at the words used by the prophet here.

Isaiah 53:4-6 (NKJV) ⁴ … we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶ … the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

“stricken” – from root meaning to touch; to strike, inflict a blow (possibly fatal)

“smitten” – to hit, strike or beat;

“afflicted” – from root meaning looking down or browbeating; to depress (literally or figuratively); humiliate?

“wounded” – pierced, thus fatally wounded or slain.

“bruised” – crushed or broken; (TWOT) God did crush his servant… This emphasizes the emotional and spiritual suffering of the Savior as he became sin for us….

“chastisement” – reproof, correction, discipline

“stripes” – Tozer – “The meaning… in the original language is not a pleasant description. It means to be actually hurt and injured until the entire body is black and blue as one great bruise.”

“laid on him” – to lay a burden

All of these descriptive words stress the kind of suffering the Lord endured for us.

(Lyrics of song: The Hammer, by Ray Boltz - chorus)

And I cried, "Who nailed Him there?
This Child of peace and mercy
Who nailed Him there?
Come and face me like a man
Who nailed Him there?"

And the crowd began to mock me
I cried, "Oh my God, I do not understand"
Then I turned and saw the hammer
In my hand.

(Song writer/singer speaking)

I nailed Him there
The child of peace and mercy
I nailed Him there
I am the guilty man

I nailed Him there
With my sins and my transgressions
I cried, "Oh my God, now I understand
When I turned and saw the hammer in my hand"

Tozer – The suffering of Jesus Christ was not punitive (punishment)… not for anything He Himself had done… The suffering of Jesus was corrective… that it might begin in suffering and end in healing.

As we come to the communion table, we do so realizing that we must assume responsibility for Jesus’ suffering and His death. The awareness of this responsibility is included in repentance. Repentance is the act of turning away from sin and turning toward God. It is the reversal of direction. But the Bible says that “godly sorrow produces repentance” (2 Cor. 7:10).

That “sorrow” as Tozer says, is “remorse for the share we had in the revolt that wounded Jesus Christ, our Lord.” The godly sorrow is the result of owning up to our responsibility for His pain, His suffering and His death. That is why we can say the deeper the repentance is, the greater the commitment and loyalty will be. The greater our grasp of our role in the Lord’s suffering is, the more reluctant we will be to turn aside and go back to unbelief and sin.

Tozer – Many years ago, an historic group of Presbyterians were awed by the wonder and the mystery of Christ's having come in the flesh to give Himself as an offering for every man’s sin.

Those humble Christians said to one another: “Let us walk softly and search our hearts and wait on God and seek His face throughout the next three months. Then we will come to the communion table with our hearts prepared – lest the table of our Lord should become a common and careless thing.

Conclusion:

At the beginning of the message I quoted the lyrics of the song: “He Did It All for Me.” “Each drop of blood was shed for even me. When the Savior cried, bowed His head and died, oh praise the Lord, He did it all for me!”

Let us sing a hymn before we share the emblems of communion.

Song: A Wonderful Fountain  

Home for Supper

This is a sermon based on Rev. 19:7-9 that focuses on the subject of the "marriage supper of the Lamb." In this message Pastor Les provides Scriptures to support these three observations: 1) The bridegroom/Lamb is Christ. 2) The bride is the church. and 3) It is a great celebration. A video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was given can be viewed by clicking here.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

I suppose if I would ask, almost all of you could quote verbatim many of the phrases that you have heard from your parents or your spouses. There is a phrase that I heard many times from my mother as I was growing up, and I’ve heard that same phrase from my wife. It goes like this, “Make sure you’re home for supper!” Or, if it was in the form of a question, “Will you be home for supper?”

Well, I find myself not using the word, “supper” much anymore. We always referred to our meals as breakfast, dinner and supper. However, the more appropriate designation now days seems to be, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since it is still in style to say “breakfast,” I still know when to show up if I am invited somewhere for breakfast. The same is true if I am invited to supper, but if I’m invited for dinner, I’ll need more information in order to know if I am supposed to show up at mid-day or early evening!

I have learned through various sources that it is not very common these days for families to sit down together for a supper meal. Many years ago, when my wife was still teaching Spanish in a Christian high school in Ohio, she asked her students how many of them eat any meals together regularly and there were only a few students who raised their hands. Eating supper together is an excellent time for families to bond, learn about each other’s day and engage in some good old-fashioned communication. I, for one, would advocate bringing back sit-down suppers for families everywhere. I must say it is tragic that so many families these days are so busy running in all directions that they rarely find time to sit down and eat a meal together.

The message I felt God prompting me to bring for today is also about a supper. The supper about which I am speaking today is infinitely more important than all the suppers that have ever been prepared or eaten. I am speaking about the supper that is described in the Bible as “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” As we consider the reference in Revelation regarding the marriage supper of the Lamb, there are three observations I wish to point out.

1.         The bridegroom is Christ.

Mark 2:18-19 (NKJV) The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" ¹⁹ And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.

John 3:29 (NKJV) He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.

Throughout the New Testament, the Lamb is portrayed in two main roles.

The Lamb is the perfect sacrifice to take away the sins of the world.

John 1:29 (KJV) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

1 Peter 1:19 (KJV) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

The Lamb is also the mighty warrior who destroys all the forces of evil in the world.

Revelation 17:14 (KJV) These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

The Lamb is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and He is the bridegroom for this marriage that is described here.

2.         The bride is the Church.

2 Corinthians 11:2 (NKJV)  For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Revelation 21:2 (KJV) And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:9-10 (NKJV) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife." ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Some commentators propose that these verses are symbolic and portraying the church as a city. Others believe that the city (place and description) is to be understood literally. I would say this, if it is literal, then it is only referred to as “the bride” because it is where the bride (the church) dwells. Most, if not all, of the other references to “wife” or “bride” in Scripture show it to be a people (the church), not a city.

The bride / church is a holy people.

(Vic Reasoner, A Fundamental Wesleyan Commentary on Revelation) She was given clean white robes and she maintains her purity through faith in the blood (1 John 1:7; 3:2-3).

1 John 1:7 (NKJV) But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Revelation 7:14 (NKJV) And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(Reasoner) Notice that clean white linen garments were given her to wear, yet she must make herself ready (vv 7-8). In Ephesians 5:26 Christ cleansed his wife…

Ephesians 5:25-26 (NKJV) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

…in 2 Corinthians 7:1 the Church is exhorted to cleanse herself.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Rev. 19:8b … for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

(Reasoner) [Adam] Clarke explained that the fine linen is not the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers, but “that which the grace and Spirit of Christ has [produced] in them.”

The bride of the Lamb is the church, which is made up of all those who have been made righteous through the righteousness of Christ that has been credited to them and imparted to them. If you and I want to be “home for supper,” we need to make sure that we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and are walking in the light of His holy Word. We must be trusting completely in the sacrifice He made and faithfully striving to obey His Word in daily conduct.

3.         The supper is a great celebration.

(Reasoner) There were two major events in a Jewish marriage. The betrothal and the wedding were normally separated by twelve months. The two individuals were considered husband and wife, and were obligated to faithfulness, at the time of the [betrothal] (Gen 29:21; Deut 22:23-24). The betrothal was a covenant agreement which was considered binding and was only broken by divorce. Notice that in v 7 the bride is already called the “wife,” even before the marriage ceremony and supper…. In the same way, the Church is [as the] the betrothed wife of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2), but the wedding does not take place until [Rev.] 21:9.

It would be more accurate to say that the betrothal is on earth and the marriage in heaven. In betrothal both parties “plight” their “troth.” “Plight” means “pledge” and “troth” is related to the word “truth.” Thus, they enter into a covenant agreement, promising to be true to their word and keep faith.

There are several passages in the Gospels in which Jesus portrays the kingdom of God as a feast. One example is:

Matthew 8:11 (NKJV) And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

“sit down” – lit. recline; implies reclining at the table, which was the customary way to eat meals.

In this Matthew text, Jesus declares that there will be Gentiles and peoples from all points of the compass who will come and feast with the patriarchs, but the unbelieving Jews will be kept / cast out.

(R.T. France, Tyndale NT Commentary) The imagery is that of the Messianic banquet (cf. 26:29; Luke 14:15; 22:30), a prominent theme in Jewish eschatological expectation…

Rev. 19:7 “let us rejoice and be glad…”

Rev. 19:9 …'Blessed [happy] are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'

The references to joy, gladness and blessedness all imply a time of great celebration. Sorrow and pain are absent, rejoicing and celebration are the characteristics of this feast.

Conclusion:

(Jewish Domestic Customs and Life in Interpreting the Gospels) After all the preparations for the marriage had been made and the betrothal period was completed, there was a marriage parade which followed. Often this seems to have taken place at night, at which time the bride was brought to the bridegroom's house. Heaton, for example, notes:

The actual wedding ceremony consisted of the bridegroom's bringing the bride to his own home. Specially dressed for the occasion, he sets off in the procession with his friends to meet the bride at her father's house.... The wedding procession [including many friends of the bride and bridegroom carrying lamps/torches] returned to the bridegroom's house (with what hilarity and singing we are left to imagine) and then [after the marriage was consummated] there began a [massive] feast which lasted anything up to a week, or even [two weeks] (Judges 14:12).

Matthew 25 is picturing such a wedding parade. It is at night and it seems that certain unmarried friends of the bridegroom wait to join this parade. These details make interesting the background which Christ was referring to in this parable of the ten virgins. … Christ seems to liken the friends to those who will be prepared to enter the kingdom (the marriage feast) when He returns.

Matthew 25:13 (NKJV) Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

I don’t know about you, but I anticipate being present at this wedding feast! I want to stay alert and keep my torch/lamp burning brightly. I am trusting in the shed blood of the Lamb and the righteousness that His sacrifice provides. Most of all, I am anxious to see the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world. What a day that will be! What a celebration!

Closing Song: What a Day That Will Be