15/03/2017: Psalm 122 | “Our own house, our own city” | Gill Wolfaardt

Psalm 122  The Message

When they said “ Lets go to the house of God”, my heart leaped for joy

And now we’re here, Oh Jerusalem, inside Jerusalem’s walls!

Jerusalem a well built city, as a place for worship!

Th city to which the tribe 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 the righteous judgement are set here, famous David thrones.

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 he house of our God, God , I’ll do my best for You.

Todays lesson focuses on our church, our body of believers,our lives and their significance to our church and our town.

We all come from different backgrounds, different church cultures and some from no church at all. We are held  together by our faith in Jesus and the fundamental core of our belief and by the love of God.

My testimony

I tell you this to show how different we are. And each of you has a story to tell. Think of the wonderful relationships you have in this church that you would never have had if you weren’t here.

Can you say with the psalmist that your heart leaps for joy to come to church. No church is perfect but just as a coal will soon fade and get cold if its removed from the fire so we are kept on fire by our fellowship with other believers. The local church is a vital necessity and is where we live out our faith. We need to reach out to the unchurched and bring them in. We do that by staying in close fellowship with Jesus and each other.

Our gifts must operate inside and outside of the church. Remember Shepherds don’t produce lambs , sheep do!

Jeremiah 29:7 “Seek the peace and welfare of the place to which I have called you; and pray to the Lord for it, for in the welfare of the city in which you live, you will have welfare”

This  was written to the people of God who were in captivity in Babylon. In a sense we are aliens here on earth,our real and final home being heaven. So we can pray for and influence Plett.

God knows where we are. He planted us here and He knows our gifts, our personality and He wants to use us in unique ways as His witnesses.

Ephesians 2:10  “ For we are God’s own handiwork ( His workmanship ) recreated in Christ Jesus for good works which God predestined ( planned beforehand) for us. (  Taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them ( living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.)

Proverbs 3: 5 & 6  “ Lean on , trust in, and be confident in the Lord     with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct and make  straight and  plain you paths.”

Joy comes from a life of obedience and abiding in Christ. Do the things He has called you to do and say no to the things He has not called you to do.

John 15:9-11 ; Eph 5:5-18

My Prayer from Psalm 122

“ Lord, our hearts thrill to be among Your people, to be Your Holy temple here in Plettenberg Bay.

Thank You for this well built body You have called us into, our place of worship and loving care,

A place where our thanks can overflow to You, our Lord and personal Saviour.

Thank You that we receive Your word which disciplines us, changes us and matures us.

The word which saves our souls.

We thank You for righteous judgement in this place and for Truth and Integrity and unity.

We pray for peace each for each other and we will do our best for You and for each other

so that people will see that we are Your disciples.

In Jesus name,

AMEN, SO BE IT.