Seeing Clearly in the Sanctuary of God

The title of this message is seeing Life Clearly in the sanctuary of God. There is a widespread movement happening in American Christianity today. It is called deconversion. Deconversion is a movement of people who at one time profess Christianity, but at some point make a public profession to abandon Christianity.

It seems that not many months go by without somebody posting something on social media announcing that they have left Christianity. More troubling is that people who deconvert from Christianity, try to get other people to deconvert from Christianity. Case in 0.1 person who deconverted from Christianity wrote a blog post entitled 10 Steps of how to deconvert from Christianity. Here are just some of those steps.

He says, quote, actively read deconversion stories to recognize you are not alone in the process. 2, trust your doubts. And 3, if you have any non-believing friends, run to them. If not, there are plenty of online resources as well as a large community of nonbelievers, don't hesitate to ask for help.

Well, close quote. Hmm. This movement of deconversion from Christianity is a reminder that the fight of faith is real. Christians everywhere struggle with doubts about God and they are searching for answers, but they're searching for it in all the wrong places.

So this morning, I want to speak to those of you who profess the name of Jesus Christ with all of your heart, and you want to know. God's ways for life, and you struggle to to wonder where God is in helping you in your situation. You may be here this Sunday, and you are on the verge of throwing in the spiritual towel. Psalm 73 has hope for you.

If you are not in that category this morning, I urge you to listen carefully because you may find yourself in the future wanting to throw in the spiritual towel. If you have your notes there, the passage, Psalm 73 is on the back, or if you have your Bible or the app that you use for the scriptures, please turn there with me. This, this psalm is a true masterpiece. Psalm 73 was written by a man named Aesaph.

He was an extraordinary man. He was a Levite, appointed to lead the choir and worship before the tabernacle. He was also appointed to minister in the temple of Solomon. He was a prophet, so he was no ordinary man.

He was a known worship leader in his day. But in Psalm 73, he retells the story of a time in his life when he envied the prosperity of the wicked. And he almost made shipwreck of faith. But he is honest and he shows us he struggled with sin and doubts about God, just like we do, which makes this Psalm extremely relevant for today.

And I, and I just love his name. His name, in, in the, in the Hebrew is pronounced, is pronounced Asaf, but for the sake of familiarity, we will use the English pronunciation today which is, is Aaph. But, but I love his name because it actually means gatherer of people. And which tells us something of his aim in Psalm 73, to gather God's children to worship.

So while the trend of the deconversion movement today is to look away from God, we are going to take ASAP's guidance and we are going to look to God in His word this morning. Amen. The way we will break up our study in Psalm 73 is we will look at five stages of ASAP's story of rescue from deconversion to delight in God. If you look at your outline with me, you will find stage number one.

Let's word the first stage this way. He found himself envious of the wicked. He found himself envious of the wicked. Look at verse one.

ASAP says, surely God is good to Israel. ASaph begins with the end. That is, he begins this psalm with what he learned after he lost sight of God. He affirms the trustworthy character of God, but what he says here is not a, just a commonplace affirmation.

No, no, no. He says, surely God is good. The word surely is a word that involves comparison. So, in effect, he says he learned that although it may seem as though God does not care, he in fact is good.

But who is he good to? That's the question. Well, he says, God is good in verse one, to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. Israel is a reference to those who are in a covenant relationship with God.

Then he identifies a portion of Israel to whom he calls the pure in heart. Taking the word pure and heart together expresses two truths. One, a total commitment to God, which is the pure. And the spiritual center of life, which is the heart.

Thus, ASAP is saying that God is good to those that are in a covenant relationship with Him. And whose life is committed to him. So, having just declared his confidence in God, he begins to retrace how he almost lost that confidence. ASAP says in verse 2, look at the text, but as for me, my feet came close to stumbling.

My steps had almost slipped. When Aesa says, but as for me, he is comparing himself first to God in verse one. He says that God is good, but he sees his own lack of goodness. He also contrasts himself to the pure in heart, where he sees his own lack of being committed to God.

So he is ashamed of this actually. Look at why he's ashamed in verse 2, ASAP says, my feet came close to stumbling. My steps had almost slipped. The slipping of the feet here or the steps is figurative and it can refer to misfortune in general, but the danger is more serious than that.

The context suggests that the slipping foot was a near collapse of faith. Alexander McLaren in his commentary on Psalm 73 writes, he narrowly escaped from casting away his confidence in God. Close quote. In other words, ASAP compares his lack of stability and certainty and faith with slipping and losing his footing.

This verse tells us that his near collapse of faith came as a result of stepping away from God and onto a path characterized by envy. He says in verse 3, for I was envious. Envy is a sin Psalms 37:1 makes that clear. It says, do not fret because of evildoers.

Be not envious of wrongdoers. So Aesaph knows envy is a sin, and he admits it. But ASAP wants us to see why this step away from God to envy was so shameful. He says in verse up, that he was envious of who?

The arrogant. And as he saw the prosperity of the wicked. The arrogant, wicked are people who exemplify those who in love of self, they reject God and follow the dictates of their own heart. So ASAP was not envious of a righteous person, though this would not justify it.

He was envious of those who have no covenant relationship with God. This is like going from standing on top of Mount Everest to plunging down deep into the Pacific Ocean. This is the worst that you can fall. The rest of verse 3 tells us why he was envious.

He says, look at the text as he saw the prosperity of the wicked. The verb I saw denotes continuous action on looking and the prosperity is the Hebrew word Shalom. So it is often translated peace, it can also mean wholeness or wellness. So, whatever prosperity he was looking at, he thinks that it would have brought him some well-deserved peace or wholeness.

Is this not our problem too, though? It is not merely the intellectual problem of the prosperity of the wicked that bothers us, though this actually can be unsettling to us at times. It is often that we believe that God is not accommodating our circumstances with certain blessings that others are experiencing. The problem is envy.

Envy in effect accuses God of not being good. When I reflect on my relationship with God, there is nothing that brings me to doubt the goodness of God more than when I believe that someone else's circumstances are better than my own. Well, well, having told us that he was envious of the prosperity of the wicked, ASAP takes us a closer to see what he thought during this time of spiritual slippage. Now as you, as we make our way through verses 4 through 12, we won't spend a lot of time here, but as we move through these verses, just keep in mind that Aesaph as he is recalling this, his, these are these envious thoughts that have produced a poor outlook on life.

So it's a skewed perspective. The first thing he tells us in verse 4, ASAP says, for or because there are no pains in their death. The word pains here literally means bands like, like chains on a captive. He sees that the wicked seem to enjoy a freedom from diseases or other ills in their death, which can entail living a long and pain-free life.

Having told us, excuse me, next, Aesaph says something interesting. He says in verse 4, their body is fat. An ancient perspective of health, being fat was actually a positive attribute. And it gave the appearance of health and wealth actually.

So similar to actually the beginning of verse four, Aesaph is conveying he saw them as ones that actually are possessing this near perfect health. The further still, he sees them as ones that are free from trouble. Look at verse 5, ASAP says, they are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like the rest of mankind. These two parallel phrases, not in trouble and nor are they plague, denote a freedom from the struggle and adversities which are common to you and I.

So, now, did the wicked, we have to ask ourselves the question, did all of the wicked have no cares and no troubles? Well, of course not, they, of course they did, but in ASAP's envy, those cares and those troubles were like absent from him. Excuse me. They were absent from his gaze.

Then look at verse 6 with me. ASAP says, therefore pride is their necklace. The garment of violence covers them. This necklace of pride denotes that he saw the wicked as ones that took upon themselves the outward appearance of pride.

Then I think this is connected to what he says about their arrogance as well. So he's making this connection between their pride and their arrogance. Then he goes on and he says the garment of violence covers them. So ASAP is saying that the wicked characteristically present themselves as violent people.

In other words, they're recognized in society for being violent. Then look at the graphic image in verse 7. ASAP says, their eye bulges from fatness. The imagination of their heart run riot.

The eye bulging out with fatness means they're just, they're swelling with self-indulgence. It's coming out of them. And when he says, ASAP says, the imaginations of the heart run riot, riot, the word imaginations denote the idea of the idolatries of the heart. So, when he says that they run riot, he gives this picture of the like the idols flowing out of them.

Like they always get what they want, whatever their hearts desire, they get it. Then look at verse 8, he says, they mock and speak wickedly of oppression. They speak from on high. They speak, they mock, meaning that they use their tongues to make jokes about the misfortunes of others, but it doesn't stop with the jokes, he says they actually use their tongues as an instrument of evil oppression.

Then ASAP says in the last part of verse 8 that they speak from on high. they're so powerful, he says in effect that they are elevated above the rest of humanity. Then look at verse 9, he says, they set their mouths against the heavens and their tongue parades through the earth. In this sentence, ASAP sees that their words or their commands enforce the allegiance of everyone everywhere.

What they say goes. Well, he doesn't stop there. He keeps going and ASAP wants us to tell us how others were responding to this wicked person. He says in verse 10, Therefore, his people return to this place and waters of abundance are drunk by them.

This verse is actually challenging to interpret. while I, some people actually look at the first, words his people, and they think it's referring to God's people, and I know that I have a lot more to learn about this verse. But what it seems to me that the thrust of this passage, especially with the word therefore here in this section, is leading us to see that his people returned to this place means that those who associate with the wicked return to him. And what do his people do when they return to him?

Well, verse 10 says that They, and the waters of abundance are drunk by them. Allan Ross writes, quote, the waters of abundance probably refers more widely to the abundant life of prosperity and pleasure that is so intriguing. Close quote. Ross's comments are helpful here.

From ASAP's perspective, the associates of the wicked were turning to them to drink their words of prosperity and their schemes of prosperity so that they too could be prosperous. And ASaph was tempted to drink that water too, in his envy. From ASAP's view, the wicked, they have this powerful position in society that has just captured the world. From this elevated plane where their powers, where they have power, the wicked have this boldness to speak against God.

We see this boldness in verse 11. I'm going through the water up here, by the way. Look at verse 11. He says, they say that is, the wicked says, how does God know?

And is there knowledge with the Most High? These two rhetorical questions represent the words of the wicked, and the questions are drawn from the fact that their wickedness has not been hindered. The implied answer of the wicked is a resounding no. No, God has no knowledge.

No, he has no interest in the conduct of mankind. Undoubtedly, these taunts affected ASAP too. Now, having told us a lot about how he sees the wicked, he summarizes everything in verse 12. Look, look at what he says, behold, meaning, this is what I want you to see.

Behold, these are the wicked and always at ease, and they have increased in wealth. He says in effect, they're carefree and have a comfortable life, and increase in wealth. Which is a word that actually means. Might and power.

Excuse me. Thanks. But do you see what ASaph's perspective here was? he sees this world where the wicked are almost sovereign and God is not existing at all.

can you remember a time when you were small and you actually lost sight of your father in like a crowded place? it's like that feeling of desolation. It's like he's like saying, God, where are you? But he only sees a partial picture.

Thus, the real trouble for ASaph was that he didn't see God. In all of this. Consequentially, he began pondering if following God was truly worth it. This leads us to the second stage of Aesaph's story of rescue from deconversion to delight in God.

Let's word the second stage this way. He found himself thinking that godliness is worthless. He found himself thinking that godliness is worthless. Let's read verse 13 together.

He says, Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure. And washed my hands in innocence. When he says I have kept my heart pure, he alludes to ceremonial rituals of purification that indicated that a person was clean for worship. And the continuance of this ceremony of cleansing reinforces the idea that you were committed to God.

But his heart commitment to God began to wane when he saw no earthly reward for keeping his heart pure. When he says, in vain I have kept my heart pure, the word in vain literally means emptiness. So in essence, he says, where is my reward for godliness? Or as we would put it, what is the advantage of being a Christian if those who are not Christians get what I want and I don't get it?

But indeed, the situation is still worse than that. Aesaph says in verse 14, 4, or because I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning. The word stricken here is the same word for plague he used in verse 5. This play on words indicates that he compared himself to the wicked who are not plagued.

The word chastened here speaks of punishment. So in effect, as opposed to the easy existence of the wicked, his life was met with adversities that to him looked like punishments. we know what this is like. This could have been the, the physical adversities, but it's also likely the spiritual pains of rebuke upon his conscience that he saw as punishments.

All of us feel that, right? And whenever we take our eyes off God and begin to compare our circumstances with others, we think that God is punishing us. Yet even in this low point in his walk with God, ASAP is still a believer. We see that, and he demonstrates that actually next in verse 15.

He says, verse 15, ASAP, if I had said, I will speak thus, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. ASAP is saying here that if he were to speak about the wicked and how they prosper and how there seems to be this lack of reward for godliness, if he were to speak about these things, it would have been an act of betrayal against God's children. The word betrayal here means to to deal treacherously or unfaithfully. As in breaking his covenant responsibilities.

Back in 2019, Hillsong, songwriter Marty Simpson expressed his doubts about God in an Instagram post when he wrote, Why is the Bible full of contradictions? How can God be loved, yet send people to a place, hell, all because they don't believe? How can God be loved yet, excuse me, and then a lot of things help people change, not one version of God. I am just keeping it real.

It's keeping it real. ASAP would have saw what Marty did as an act of betrayal. Even in our doubts, Christians have a responsibility to our community to uphold the character of God in our lives and in our speech. And, and so that we don't cause other Christians to stumble.

Although Aesaph was convicted about what not to say to God's children, this conviction did not solve his problem. In fact, his situation only seemed to worsen. Look at verse 16. ASAP says, when I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight.

In verse 16, ASAP is saying that as he tries to understand how it is that the wicked prophet and how he tries to understand the true reward and the value of faithfulness to God, but he, he can't understand, he can't, he doesn't, he doesn't understand the answer. He, he saw it as troublesome, meaning it was a it was a wearing effort on the mind. When we try, you and I, when we try to make sense of our circumstances or compare ourselves with the circumstances of others, it is inevitable that we will conclude that we get the short end of the stick.

Following ASaph from his introductory affirmation of faith in the goodness of God, to now his toilsome effort of trying to understand if following God was truly worth it.

We see him actually in a spiritual crisis. He is ready to fall. But just when the waves of doubt threaten to swallow him in the abyss of despair, there comes a turning point in the 3rd stage of his story of rescue from deconversion to delight in God. Let's word the 3rd stage this way.

He came into the sanctuary of God. He came into the sanctuary of God. At this point, guys, there's only a half a verse actually in this section because I want to emphasize that this is a crucial turning point in the Psalm. When we saw ASaph last, he was under intense mental anguish, and it seems his faith in God is failing.

And let's take a moment just to ponder what ASaph could have done. At this point, ASAP could have felt that God is disappointed with him and said, given how badly I've acted, there is no way God wants to see me right now. I will just stay away from the sanctuary. He could have said, I am just going to figure this out on my own.

I'm not going to go to the sanctuary. He could have said, all this mental work is just too hard, it's not worth it. I don't need the anxiety. Listen to a part of the deconversion story of the former Christian that I shared at the beginning of the sermon.

He says, quote, I was a Christian for approximately 27 years until the Jenga Tower of contradictions between belief and facts came crashing down. I could no longer sustain the mental effort it required to maintain belief against the overwhelming lack of evidence for that belief. Now, I do not believe in God. ASAP could have said that he had mental anguish too.

He could have deconverted. But Aesaph doesn't do these things. Well, what does he do? Well, look at verse 17.

Aesaph says, Until I came into the sanctuary of God. Then I perceived their end. Let's stop there. This is a very remarkable to me.

It it it is remarkable that in the midst of this, this great spiritual crisis, ASaph thinks I'm gonna go into the sanctuary of God. Now, for ASaph, the sanctuary of God is a literal building. This is likely referring to the, the great temple of Solomon. We know that Aesaph entered the great temple of Solomon on another occasion.

In verse in 2 Chronicles chapter 5 verse 12, we see that Asaph is at the coronation of the temple. He is found worshiping in the presence of God. So, he enters the sanctuary here in Psalm 73 as a man that has ministered before in the presence of God. Martin Lloyd Jones writes, quote, the people under the old dispensation, when they went to the temple, they went there to meet with God.

This man ASaph was certainly entering into the presence of God. Close quote. Martin Lloyd Jones's comments help us to see that Aesaph went to meet with God to get his perspective. The verb perceived in verse 17 here, implies that he has gained a new insight.

He came to see life from God's way. It is no doubt in my mind that the word of God was brought to bear upon his life and correcting his misjudgment. Interesting though, Aesaph likely enters the sanctuary of God to get clarity about his circumstances and the prosperity of the wicked. But you will see in the next verse that God doesn't tell ASAP everything that he wants to know.

He tells him what is needful for his faith. This is true for us too. We should not tarry in bringing our perplexity to God's word to correct our misjudgment, but we should also understand that God's word does not tell us everything. What do?

God's word does, it does not tell us why our faithful Christians die young. It doesn't tell us why Christian families have children that are diagnosed with cancer. For ASAP and us coming to God in the sanctuary is not about coming to know the mysteries of life. It's about coming to know God.

In the first perspective, ASaph receives about God, receives about God is his response to the wicked. This brings us to our fourth stage of ASaph's story of rescue from deconversion to delight in God. Let's word the fourth stage this way. He expresses a true perspective of the wicked.

He expresses a true perspective of the wicked. Let's read about this final judgment that ASAP perceives. In verse 18, ASAP says, surely you have set them in slippery places. You cast them down to destruction.

it is not surprising to me that the wicked are cast down. we see that coming, right? But it is surprising, however, that God has set them on that slippery foundation and that he casts them down. So evidently, God has divinely placed these wicked men in prosperous condition, not with the intent to bless them.

But with the intent for destruction. In verse 4 through 12, they were, they were elevated above the rest of humanity. But it is from that plane of elevation of pride and trusting in the security of their prosperity, God will cast them down to destruction. But this destruction will come upon them as a surprise.

Look at verse 19 where Aesaph says, how they are destroyed in a moment. They are utterly swept away by terrors. This verse 19 implies that the wicked were always exposed to sudden and unexpected destruction, but they can't foresee it. They are at ease, happy, without any trouble, not caring for their sins, not caring for their souls.

They cannot see the importance of their eternal destiny, all the while their life can be taken from them in a moment. Like the waves of a tsunami, they're swept away by the terrors of God's judgment. What horror. Look at verse 20.

ASAP says, and like a dream. When one awakes, oh Lord, when aroused, you will despise their form. what a picture, ASAP sees that they are like a dream. The wicked man who was once seemed so free and powerful.

God in his time will respond to the wicked with such swiftness, it will be as if the wicked never were a reality. And he will no longer be patient with them as he has been. He will actually despise their form. And ASa sees this so clearly in the sanctuary.

Of God. Having perceived God's final and future judgment. And having trusted him to be the decisive power in responding to the wicked, ASAP is primed for God to reveal to him the true reward of faith. This leads us to our last stage of his rescue, ASAP's rescue from deconversion to delight in God.

Let's word the 5th stage this way. He celebrates the goodness of his own inheritance in God. He celebrates the goodness of his own inheritance in God. Let's read verse 21.

ASAP says, when my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, and let's stop there for a moment. This is extraordinary depth to Aes Saph's repentance here. He says that he was bitter and as a man who was pierced within. The expression bitter and pierced within denotes a distasteful and mental anguish associated with repentance.

In verse 2, Aesaph confesses his envy of the wicked. In verse 15, he saw that if he went public with his words, his actions would have resulted in betrayal, and now in the sanctuary, he recognizes his affront against God. In the same vein of repentance, verse 22 gives us profound insight and why he failed to see clearly from God. Look at verse 22, ASAP says, Then I was senseless and ignorant.

I was like a beast before you. In these terms, senseless and ignorant, ASAP first confesses his thinking was foolish, that he behaved as a man who had no spiritual understanding and discernment. When he says, I was like a beast before you, it means that he behaved like an animal before God. Animals do not think about spiritual matters, they only live by their sight and their natural senses.

So ASaph confesses, in effect, that he trusted in his natural senses. That is, he trusted in his own judgment. Not God's. And believers, this is repentance.

And in the moments of repentance in the sanctuary, ASaph receives waves upon waves of God's grace. And we see the first tidal waves of that grace crashing along the shores of ASAP's faith in verse 23, where ASAP says, nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have taken hold of my right hand. Let's stop right there.

This is the great nevertheless of God's grace. ASAP sees his own lack of spiritual understanding, but he recognized he is continually with God. He says, in effect, I have behaved so foolishly toward you. I was bitter.

I was a beast before you, but you kept me, God. Though I don't deserve to be in your presence, I am here with you. He celebrates that God did not leave him, and he will not leave his side for a moment. And then he comes to the 2nd tidal wave of this grace in verse 23.

ASAP says, you have taken hold of my right hand. In this picture, God, who is at the right hand, is in the place of honor. But even more beautiful than that. God is the powerful one who takes the right hand of the weak and needy believer.

Taking of the right hand denotes that God is his, his protector, his rescuer. In ASAP's view, having faith in God means to trust that God will sustain his faith and rescue him when he is about to fall. Then We come to the 3rd tidal wave of grace. Aesa says in verse 24, With your counsel, you will guide me and afterwards, receive me into glory.

What a wonderful assurance. You will guide me. It is a progressive action, denoting that those that are being kept by God continually experience the counsel of his guidance. We are not left in this world without his guidance, no matter how perplexed we feel.

God guides his children through life by the counsel of his word. then ASAP builds on the assurance of God's guidance and says, and afterwards receive me into glory. He sees that that all of life is a journey of being guided and received into God's glory, where he will experience the true peace and true wholeness with God. Jude, in the book of Jude, he writes in his beloved doxology in verse 24, he says, listen to these words.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy. What a wonderful promise. Then we come to one of the most beautiful verses in all of the Psalms. Many of you probably have this verse written down in your Bible, and if you don't, you probably should.

Look at verse 25. ASaph declares, who have I in heaven but you? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth. At this point, it's like, it's like ASAP has been elevated to another world.

In this verb, desire, in in in the last part of verse 25 refers to taking joy and delight or pleasure in God. And the word heaven and earth, similar to verse 9 that we talked about, it is a way of saying anything and everywhere. ASAP is saying that he prefers to have God before all other things everywhere. Before any possessions or before any earthly enjoyment, because he has reserved the chiefest seat of delight in his heart for God.

I think our hearts can have a similar posture of delight towards God too. By counting our blessings. When we celebrate God's grace, that he has not destroyed us like the wicked. That he holds our faith, that he guides us, and that he counsels us, and that he receives us into glory.

When we think about these things, we allow our hearts to ascend, to appreciate the goodness of God. In verse 26 brings us closer to see how God saw God with such unrivaled desire. Look at verse 26. ASAP says, my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

First, Aesaph praises God that even when his heart and his flesh fail, Which is to say that even in death, even when his mortal eyes are closed, God is his strength and his portion forever. As a Levite ASAP actually had the assurance that God was his portion. In Deuteronomy, chapter 18 verses 1 through 2. The tribes of Israel were given an inheritance of land.

But, we were given an inheritance of land, but God said to the Levites that they will not be allotted a portion of land, but that God was to be their portion in life. They were to trust the Lord for whatever he provided for them. This is what Aesaph has forgotten, but now he has remembered it because he entered the sanctuary of God. Finally, We come to the two essential lessons ASAP learned.

And they are both of warning and of assurance. In verse 27 is the warning. ASAP says verse 27. For behold.

Those who are far from you will perish. You have destroyed all of those who are unfaithful to you. Those that are far from, those that are far from God refers to those that have no covenant relationship with God. Those who are unfaithful to God refer to those who were committed to God perhaps outwardly or perhaps with their words, but inevitably they break covenant because they were never were committed to him in their hearts.

The far away and the unfaithful alike trust in themselves to be saved, and they alike will be destroyed. Observe the assurance that we find for believers in verse 28, ASAP says, but as for me, The nearness of God is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works. The expression, the nearness of God actually denotes the action of drawing near to God, or drawing near, excuse me.

On one level, this verse could mean, it could be saying that the action of Aesaph to draw near to God is good. But I think what best sums up what has been happening in this story is not so much of Aesaph drawing near to God, as much as God's actions to draw near to ASaph. God drawing near to Asaph is seen and how he holds his faith, and how he guides him, and how he counsels him and how he receives him into glory. The pure in heart.

are not perfect, but they draw near to him who is perfect. May all who take refuge in God tell of the amazing work of the wonderful presence and the assurance of God's grace. as we Move, close here, as we worked through this Psalm, we have witnessed the psalmist on a journey, going from frustration and envy to a place of contentment and joy. And how did he get to this good place?

Well, he went to the sanctuary of God. He went into the presence of God where he began to see things in their proper light, and this transformed his perspective and his attitude. I think there are a handful of practical takeaways that we can draw from our study of this psalm this morning. First of all, as believers in the New Testament, we have been brought near to the presence of God through the blood of Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 2:13 makes that clear. We do not enter, have to enter into a literal sanctuary or a temple to be in God's presence. 1 Corinthians 3:16 teaches us that God's temple is our bodies and it is inhabited by the Holy Spirit. Practically speaking, this means that God's spirit is with us.

Pract we enter into his presence wherever we are as we meditate on scriptures throughout the day. We can also enter the sanctuary of God through private devotion and prayer. We can also enter the sanctuary of God for corporate worship here at church, as a means of receiving perspective on the supreme value of God for how to live the godly life. When you come to church, allow the preaching of the word, the singing, the fellowship, and the care group, the whole worship experience, allow those things to shape your faith and your perspective on life.

If you are here today, and you are not in a covenant relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, ASaph describes you as far from God. You cannot enter into God's presence in heaven on your own. You must deconvert from trusting yourself and convert to Jesus by repenting of your sins and believing in Him. You must, you must do that today.

You do not know what sudden terrors await you after this day is over. Do not wait and run to Jesus Christ now. While there is still time. If you are here today and you profess the name of Jesus Christ, and you came to church this morning wanting to know God's ways for your life, but you doubted God, and you wondered if God could help your situation.

If you were on the verge of throwing in the spiritual towel, I want you to be encouraged to throw your gaze upon Jesus Christ. It was Jesus Christ whose hands were pierced for you. It was Jesus Christ who drank the bitter cup of God's wrath for you. If there was anybody on planet Earth who had the right to be bitter at God, it was Jesus Christ.

For he was perfect and without sin, but he committed himself to God, he entrusted himself to God, he didn't deconvert, and he praised God, and he died so that we will be entered into the sanctuary with him. He is our only access. Amen. This is how we enter into the sanctuary of God.

By turning, turning our gaze from the, the charms and the allurements of the world that entice us away from him. And we look to the glories of Jesus Christ. That's the way. Let me pray for our time.

God. You shower unmerited blessings on those who are committed to you. We know that. Now I pray, Lord.

That that that you will keep us from, from envying the possessions of of those that are around us. God, would you grant us contentment with what you give to us? Calls us to remember, to count all of the wonderful blessings that we have in Christ Jesus. It is good, Lord, it is so good to be near to you in your sanctuary because you teach us truth.

You give us something that that no one else can give to us. You have the answers to our troubled soul. And oh Lord, may the perspective of all who trusts in You, take the long look into eternity and consider the glory of your presence. In Jesus' name, amen.