Rev. David Holwick Communion Sunday
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
January 5, 1985
Approaching God
Psalm 15, KJV
"Lord, who shall abide in your tabernacle? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
These are appropriate questions for anyone who would approach God, especially on Communion Sunday. The word "tabernacle" brings two ideas together. The first is the tabernacle Moses set up to worship God. The expression "holy hill" reinforces this, because the Jewish Temple is situated on a beautiful hill. But there is another idea here. The words "abide" and "dwell" point to the simple hospitality of a Bedouin in his personal tabernacle or tent. The Bible often combines these two ideas, seeing the worshiper as a guest of God.
When we draw close to God, we are in a sense coming home. But not everyone is welcome in God's house. This may seem radical because we are brought up to believe God is all-loving and all-accepting. He wouldn't turn anyone away. This is all true but you can turn him away. Even as a genuine born again Christian you can be very far from fellowship and peace with God. It may be wise for you to pass up the opportunity to take the Lord's Supper this morning. It is not because God doesn't want you but because you have more immediate issues to deal with.
Some of these issues are described in verses 2 through 5. It is interesting that the passage doesn't focus on religious things like whether you go to church every Sunday. Instead it focuses on the most religious issue of all - how your life measures up against the commandments of God. Verses 2 and 3 deal with personal conduct. David starts with our inner character:
"He that walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart."
To us, "upright" sounds like someone who walks around with their nose in the air. In other words, stuck-up and too good for other people. Christians are often accused of having this attitude and maybe we deserve it. If your faith is only a show and doesn't come from your heart, you will come across as a fake.
David has the exact opposite in mind. The Hebrew word for "upright" means something that is healthy and whole. There is no fakeness to it.
"Works righteousness"
Righteousness is a fundamental concept in the Old Testament. It is a very straightforward idea - you should do what it right. This isn't obvious to everyone. Many ethical systems are based on what promotes happiness or self-fulfillment. With these systems, you are allowed to make up your own rules as you go along. The Bible doesn't go for this. If you want to approach God, you have to accept his rules and requirements.
In the final phrase, "truth" means what is trustworthy, not just correct. What such a person says is a true indication of what they really are. Jesus agreed with this completely. He said the condition of our heart will surface in our actions sooner or later. In Mark 7 he tells his disciples -
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts (and so on). All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."
Jesus is emphasizing our darker side here but when we are cleansed by salvation a different kind of fruit should come from our hearts - the love, joy, peace and patience Paul talks about in Galatians 5.
In verse 3 David takes a different approach. You'll notice that each phrase in verse 2 is positive. In verse 3, each phrase is negative. By negative, I mean he is telling us what we shouldn't do, instead of what we should do. He wants to catch us coming and going.
The emphasis is on the way we talk about other people. Backbiting means you would rather cut them down behind their back rather than confronting them with it to their face. The Bible condemns gossip not so much because it might be inaccurate but because it adds to problems instead of solving them. If the gossip is true, only one person needs to know about it and you should go to them directly so it can be corrected.
Verse 4 deals with allegiance -
"In whose eyes a vile person is condemned but he honors them that fear the Lord."
This seems like it contradicts verse 3, which says we shouldn't put people down. What David is really dealing with here is where a person stands. Where is your loyalty? This person is not comparing themselves to others but giving his vote on what he believes in and what he doesn't. Even the world hates a chameleon. Just like a lizard that changes color depending on what's around it, so some people change their behavior and beliefs according to whomever they are around. Eventually, you'll be found out, so you might as well take your stand now.
The next three phrases show how we should deal with other people. The first concerns rash promises -
"He that swears to his own hurt, and doesn't change."
This is talking about giving an oath that backfires on you. The modern equivalent is a contract. When you put your name on the dotted line you should stand by it, even if it costs you.
The next phrase points to generosity -
"He that putteth not out his money to usury."
Usury is interest on a loan. The Bible is not against interest and profit and things like this but it is against excessive profit or making a profit on other people's misfortunes.
Verse 5 means a godly person is generous toward needy people and willing to give them a helping hand. "Not taking a reward from the innocent" reinforces this and also carries the idea that bribes do not sway us.
The psalm concludes -
"He that does these things shall never by moved."
Think "Rock of Gibraltar." Does this describe you? Are you rock-solid in your beliefs and conduct?
My sermon title actually misses the mark. The focus of this psalm is not so much on approaching God as it is having a continual fellowship with God. The qualities the psalm describes are those that God creates in us, not those he finds in us.
There is security in knowing we come today to a forgiving Savior. Literally the last phrase reads, "He shall not be moved, ever." When God is your foundation, no storm or calamity can ultimately sway you.
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Typed on July 13, 2005, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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