Psalm 84:1-4
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young-
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.

How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place

A major goal in many people's lives is the opportunity to have their own dwelling place. Whether it be an apartment, a rented house, or a home that they have purchased or built, many long to have their own place and the ability if possible to do what they want with that place whether it be to decorate it or to remodel it. Until they realize their dream, they yearn for that place.

Another example of how people yearn for their own place is homesickness. Maybe it has happened to you. It was that first sleep over, your first trip to camp, going off to college. Although you were excited about your new experience, you became so ill pining for your own bed and the familiar surroundings of your home, that you could not enjoy the experience.

Those who are forced to move from their own homes face the same uneasiness. The transition for example, from the home you lived in for decades to another house or to the nursing home can be traumatic.

If you have ever had any of these feelings (desire to have your own place, homesickness, or trauma of moving) then you know from experience what the Psalmist is talking about in his desire to be in the house of the Lord.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

The temple he referred to was the first permanent temple built to the glory of God. In 1400 BC God had instructed Moses to build the Tent of Meeting. Although somewhat elaborate, it still was just a portable structure which could be moved from place to place. It wasn't until over 400 years later that Solomon built the first temple. The descriptions of if in the Bible tell us that it was magnificent. It towered above the surrounding buildings and landscape, rising almost five stories high making it the tallest building in Israel. It was made of massive stone blocks and decorated with gold and other fine metals. It was a central place of worship for four hundred years and the Holy of Holies was filled with the presence of God.

The Psalmist yearned to be in the courts not just because the building was so wonderful, but because in this building he could worship the true God and be sure of wonderful promises. It was here that he would praise God in the assembly with many other devout believers. His attitude can be summarized in this way: (Psalm 122)

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."

Sadly, not everyone rejoiced with those who said to them, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." In time God punished the people who were more concerned about their own homes, who were unjust to the poor, who robbed God in tithes and offerings, who brought diseased animals for sacrifice, and who engaged in the immoral worship of false gods of fertility, and who sought help from foreign powers instead of from God. After centuries of apostasy, God sent the Babylonians who destroyed his own house of worship so completely that not one stone of the original temple can be identified. Even though the temple would later be rebuilt while Zerubbabel was king and then extensively remodeled by King Herod during the lifetime of Jesus, that temple would also be destroyed (almost 2000 years ago) and the spot of the temple remains basically a vacant lot to this day with only a Moslem Mosque on that site.

So in one sense, we can no longer rejoice with those who say to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." Because that house of the Lord no longer exists on earth.

And yet, we can correctly call our church building not the house of the Lord but a house of the Lord.. This church building was built with one specific purpose. It is to be a place where Christians can gather to hear the Word of God, have the sacraments administered, and to praise him in worship. Even the architecture reveals that primary purpose. Focus is on the altar from which we receive the word of God and toward which we offer our praise.

This church building has stood here for fifty years. For several generations it has been a key focal place in the life of this congregation. True, there are more magnificent church buildings (not in Lowell but in the county, state, nation, and world.) True, there are less as well. But this is our church. This is the place we have chosen to worship God. This is the place we own and care for and are to make every effort to keep in good shape and improve as it is built and used to the glory of God.

How do you feel about coming here to this place? Do you yearn for it as much as a family yearns to have its own dwelling place? Are you homesick when you can't be here even if it is for just one Thursday night? How will you feel when you realize that you can't come here anymore because of health reasons? Can you honestly say with the Psalmist, "I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord."?

I hope that continues to be your attitude and that you can be instrumental in fostering that attitude with those who know who have become like the Israelites and who no longer loved the Lord and who had his temple taken away from them. I pray that we will continue to yearn, even faint for the courts of the Lord. Because God promises a wonderful blessing to those who worship him.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.

This blessing for those who praise God is eternal. What was unique about the tent of meeting and the subsequent temple is that they are a pattern for what is in heaven. Hebrews 8:5
5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

David expressed this confidence of being able to receive the blessing of being in the eternal house of the Lord (even though he never say the temple) with these words from Psalm 23
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Conclusion: And so this weekend we give thanks to God for this church building. Although we don't know how long it will last, we can be confident that the house of the Lord in heaven is eternal. Those whose hearts yearn, even faint for the courts of the Lord and cry out to the living God will be blessed with being in that eternal house forever. Amen.