Scripture: Psalm 23

I. The LORD invites you to His home forever.

A. The shepherd is leading David to His own home. It is the house of the LORD that David will dwell in forever (vs. 6). In vs. 4 King David sang about how he would fear no evil in the valley of the shadow of death. The reason he would not be afraid was that you, the LORD, are with me. At the end of the psalm, we see that the LORD wants to be with us not only on this earth. He wants to live with us in his house forever. While we do have homes here on earth we’re not really home. Not yet. We won’t reach home until we get to the house of the LORD.

B. When David thought of the house of the LORD, he thought of the tabernacle/temple in Jerusalem. Psalm 27:4: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” Saint Augustine said, “The person who is truly happy is not so much the one who has what he or she loves, but the one who loves what is worthy of love.” It is God above all else who is worthy of our love.

II. The LORD invites you to Himself.

A. The heart of the Bible is found in the four words of Psalm 23:4: you are with me. But the climax of the Bible’s story is found in vs. 6: “And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” The plot of the Bible’s story is made up of just four words: Creation. Fall. Redemption. Restoration. Psalm 23:6 tells the restoration part of the story. We will be completely restored to a right relationship with God when come into His presence in heaven.

B. There is one major piece of architecture that is missing in the new Jerusalem. Revelation 21:22: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” Paradise restored will look like Revelation 21:3-4: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Application:
There is nothing better than being home with Jesus.

Sources:
The Bible
Commentaries by David Gibson, James Hamilton Jr., Allen Ross, Christopher Ash.

Sermon Discussion Questions

1) When was the last time you were homesick? What did that feel like? Why is it good to feel homesick for heaven and the house of the LORD?
2) Why are Christians eager to go to heaven? If you are not eager to be with Christ in heaven, how can that change in you?
3) Why is there no temple in the new Jerusalem? What is more important than the building of the temple? What does God desire with us?