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welcome to everyone for our call to worship you can turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 21 Revelation chapter 21 also when you leave tonight you'll have to go out that gate that one was I couldn't get it de-iced that lock so that's the only gate open when you depart so revelation 21 beginning in verse 22 but I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple the city had no need of the Sun or of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God illuminated it the lamb as its light and the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it its gates shall not be shot at all by day there shall be no night there and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nation's into it but there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and he showed me a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street and on either side of the river was the Tree of Life which bore twelve fruits each tree yielding its fruit every month the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nation's and there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads there shall be no night there they need no lamp nor light of the Sun for the Lord God gives them light and they shall reign forever and ever amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 109 hymn number 109 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Applause] [Music] let us pray our Father in heaven it's a joy and a privilege to gather in your house again on this Sabbath evening we come before a God who is holy and glorious and righteous and a God who hears the prayers of his people not because we're good but because of the Lord Jesus Christ James can say the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much and we claim that righteousness of Jesus Christ as our own imputed to us and received by faith alone we pray that you would hear our prayers and that you would be enthroned upon the praises as we sing tonight and that God you would bless the preaching of your word and that your Holy Spirit would be at work in each of our hearts and minds that we would be strengthened with might and the inner man so that Christ may dwell richly in our hearts through faith that we would be more and more conformed unto his glorious image and that all in all of this God would be exalted and glorified the Lord you are worthy as the Prophet asked who would not fear thee o king of the nations for indeed it is they do we know that by nature we didn't fear you but by grace you've taught our hearts to fear and in this we greatly rejoice so be glorified tonight be exalted and praised and be pleased to bless your people with your presence and with your nearness we continue to pray to You Lord God for the various needs in our congregation we thank you that you tend not only to the spiritual but to the physical as well and for those who are ailing those who have various challenges in the physical realm we just commit them to you and to the word of your grace and pray that you would undertake on their behalf she would sustain your saints that you would build them up in their most holy faith and that you had caused them to know the the goodness of God is that that which cheers their heart and soul for all of us god we pray that you would bless and strengthen us spiritually we know that we all go through various seasons and trials and in afflictions and difficulties we know there's a real devil who roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and God we pray for your protection over us we know that we live in a godless world the world that is in rebellion against you and we are told to not be conformed to that world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so we pray for your grace in your help and your protection and God for our own remaining corruption that that last of the the unholy trinity we know that this is such a difficulty for each and every one we know that the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit lusts against the flesh and these two are contrary to one another we pray father that you would fill us with the spirit not just as we gather together on the Sabbath to praise you corporately but each and every day that in the secret place and our work lives as citizens as family members grant us the help to pursue those things that are pleasing in the sight of a holy God help us to resist the devil help us to forsake the things of this world and help us to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus against those remaining corruptions and even now we confess those sins and ask for forgiveness in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ what a blessed thing this is Lord God that Christ the one that knew no sin you made sin for for our sakes and that we might become the righteousness of God in EM we rejoice in this great transaction at the cross we rejoice that you have made us partakers and even again we pray that you would forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness that we may indeed bring glory to you we ask that you would bless the Saints and Vernon we thank you that they've had preachers recently we pray for the brother that is there today that you would just own that word that you would encourage that flock and that God in your time you would provide a man the labor and the word and doctrine amongst that people continue to bless Pastor Mike and Surrey we thank you for this young brother and for his faithfulness we thank you for his growth already in ministerial progress we ask that you would continue to watch over him that you would bless that work in Surrey we pray for more and more people to come and hear the gospel of salvation and believe and be saved and for us here God help us in our community to shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and give us boldness to hold forth that word of truth that has been the balm of Gilead to our own souls and we pray that you would be merciful in this city we know there are many who stand in need of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray you'd bless the churches that do preach that gospel that you would encourage and strengthen other ministers that you wouldn't strengthen and encourage other Christians and that father your churches would be places where sinners can come and hear the truth of the gospel and by grace be saved through faith in Jesus Christ the Lord and may your Saints in this community be progressing in holiness and in righteousness and may you have mercy upon this city and also God we pray for the persecuted Church we were reminded this morning of just how good we have it in our country and how difficult it is for others that face atheism that face Islam or Buddhism or various other religions false religions there that are at enmity with the living and true God and we know that they take that aggression out upon the people of God and so we pray for your Saints that you would watch over them that you would strengthen them that you would enable them to persevere in the midst of trial and difficulty in affliction and we pray these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well please turn with me in your Trinity hymnals again to number 173 hymn number 173 will stand as we sing together [Music] you could turn in your Bibles to first Kings chapter eight first Kings chapter eight because of the weather the Lord supper will be next Sunday evening so we'll get right to the sermon so that people are able to get home safely the Lord willing after our service this evening but this morning we looked at Stephens defense or began to look at Stephens defense in Acts chapter seven and one of the charges laid against Stephen was that he was anti temple so because we consumed it were concerned a lot with the temple I thought it would be good for us to look at the dedication of the temple under Solomon in first Kings chapter 8 I just want to read verses 22 to 53 it is the longest section it does contain the prayer of Solomon on that particular occasion so beginning in verse 22 then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the Assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven and he said Lord God of Israel there is no god in heaven above or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their hearts you have kept what you promised your servant David my father you have both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand as it is this day therefore Lord God of Israel now keep what you promised your servant David my father saying you shall not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne of Israel only if your sons take heed to their way that they walk before me as you have walked before me and now I pray o God of Israel let your word come true which you have spoken to your servant David my father but will God indeed dwell on the earth behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you how much lasts this temple which I have built yet regard the prayer of your servant in his supplication o Lord my God and listen to the cry and the prayer which your servant is praying before you today that your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day toward the place of which you said my name shall be there that you may hear the prayer which is servant makes toward this place and may you hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place here in heaven your dwelling place and when you hear forgive when anyone sins against his neighbor and is forced to take an oath and comes and takes an oath before your altar in this temple then here in heaven and act in judges servants condemning the wicked bringing his way on his head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness when your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turned back to you and confess your name and pray and make supplication to you in this temple then here in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land which you gave to their fathers when the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you afflict them then here in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants your people Israel that you may teach them the good way in which they should walk and send rain on your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance when there is famine in the land pestilence or blight or mildew locusts are grasshoppers when their enemy beseeches them in the land of their cities whatever plague or whatever sickness there is whatever prayer whatever supplication is made by anyone or by all your people Israel when each one knows the plague of his own heart and spreads out his hands toward this temple then here in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and give to everyone according to all his ways whose heart you know for you alone know the hearts of all the sons of men that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers moreover concerning a foreigner who is not of your people Israel but has come come from a far country for your name's sake for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your outstretched arm when he comes and prays toward this temple here in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you that all peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you as do your people Israel and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by your name when your people go out to battle against their enemy wherever you send them and when they pray to the Lord toward the city which you have chosen in the temple which I have built for your name then here in heaven their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause when they sin against you for there is no one who does not sin and you become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy and they take them captive to the land of the enemy far or near yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive and repent and make supplication to you in the land of those who took them captive saying we have sinned and done wrong we have committed wickedness and when they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive and pray to you toward their land which you gave to their fathers the city which you have chosen in the temple which I have built for your name then here in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication and maintained their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against you and grant them compassion before those who took them captive that they may have compassion on them for they are your people and your inheritance whom you brought out of Egypt out of the iron furnace that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant and the supplication of your people Israel to listen to them whenever they call to you when you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your inheritance as you spoke by your servant Moses when you brought our fathers out of Egypt Oh Lord God and so it was when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord that he rose from before the altar of the Lord from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven then he stood and blessed all the Assembly of Israel with a loud voice saying blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised there has not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised through his servant Moses may the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers may he not leave us nor forsake us that he may incline our hearts to himself to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments which he commanded our fathers and may these words of mine with which I have made supplication before the Lord be near the Lord our God day and night that he may meet that he may maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel as each day may require that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God there is no other that your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God to walk in his statutes and keep his Commandments as at this day amen let us pray our Father we thank you for the written word we thank you for this prayer of Solomon and for the great theology that it contains and we would pray now that your spirit would help us to understand the passage as well god help us to apply the passage in our own lives we know that our timeless principles contained here we know father that you do to demand you require that your people your covenant people saved by grace walk in obedience unto you grant us help from on high and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well just to give a bit of a context observation on the context basically Solomon builds the temple according to chapter 5 verse 1 to chapter 7 verse 51 and here in Chapter 8 Solomon dedicates the chat the temple and it's broken down into several sections first we see the Ark is brought into the temple verses 1 to 13 then there are these words of Thanksgiving from Solomon in verses 14 to 21 there is this prayer of dedication that we just read in verses 22 to 53 and then the benediction pronounced on the assembly in verses 54 to 61 and then finally the dedication of the temple proper by Solomon in verses 62 to 66 so this was a key event in Israel's history remember up to this point they had a tabernacle they had sort of a mobile dwelling place for God when they were in the wilderness when they initially come into the land of Canaan David wants to build a house for God God tells him no I'm gonna build a house for you basically serving a dynasty will come or arise from David and that the promise of house building would be Solomon in terms of the temple but the larger context with reference to that promised by God to David is fulfilled in Jesus Christ he is the son of God who comes from the line of David that ultimately builds a house for God and of his kingdom there shall be no end but as I said I think there's a lot of good practical lessons in this prayer of Solomon I want to just look at it briefly by way of exposition and then spend the bulk of our time tonight making some application with reference to this prayer note first the foundation of his prayer it is theology proper in verses 22 to 30 solomon was an excellent theologian solomon doesn't start to pray God do this God do that first Solomon muses upon reflects upon meditates upon and rehearses in prayer who God is this is a good thing to do when we're at the throne of grace spend time rehearsing who God is praise if glorify Him consider the various perfections that the scripture tells us concerning God the specific ones highlighted here perfections are what we may call attributes are the incomparability of God there's no one like you Solomon says there is no God on earth like you he asserts that in verse 23 he speaks concerning the faithfulness of God in verses 24 to 26 a faithfulness that you and I can testify to a faithfulness that does see and appreciate God's work God's kindness God's mercy as well he asserts the transcendence of God in verse 27 and transcendent simply means that God is removed from us there's a great big distinction between God and between us there's what's called the creator creature distinction all that is not God is creature and is in a completely different category of being God alone occupies the category of creator and he is transcendent that means he is far removed from the creature notice that in verse 27 but will God indeed dwell on the earth behold heaven the heaven of heavens cannot contain you how much less this temple which I have built this was Stevens emphasis before the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter 7 they thought that the building contained God they had become idolaters based on that supposition and so Steven points out that that's not the case he cites the prophet Isaiah who says essentially what Solomon says in this instance God is majestic God is holy you cannot build a place a dwelling place that does contain God so he highlights the transcendence of God but then as well in verses 28 to 30 he highlights what's called the imminence of God and essentially what imminence means is that God is near us on the one hand he's transcendent and removed but on the other hand he's near us he is imminent and it's not just by virtue of his omnipresence but it's by virtue of the fact that he is creator and we are creature God is near to his people God hears the prayers of his people God forgives the sins of his people now these two doctrines are maintained in Christianity if you get rid of one of them you're going to end up as a heretic the pantheist who teaches that everything is God has a doctrine of God's imminence but he doesn't have a doctrine of transcendence versus the deist who has the doctrine of transcendence but he doesn't have the doctrine of imminence so to maintain Christianity we affirm and confess that God is both transcendent and imminent this is particular to Christian theism so the foundation of Solomon's prayer is theology proper notice secondly the petitions of Solomon's prayer forgiveness is a central theme forgiveness is a central theme in the petitions from verses 31 to 51 notice in the first place Solomon requests assistance with reference to the adjudication of civil matters in verses 31 and 32 Solomon requests that God aids him and desist sin and and and renders him able to bring justice to bear within the body politic of Israel Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived course except for the Lord Jesus Christ Solomon's wisdom is on display in 1st Kings chapter 3 when those two harlots come before him this was a demonstration of Solomon's wisdom and yet Solomon realizes that in the government of this kingdom of Israel there are going to be things that are outside of his ability and his competency level so he asks God to be in the midst of the people so that the righteous will be vindicated and the wicked will be punished notice secondly Solomon is in many respects as well praying with Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 opened up before him Leviticus 26 in Deuteronomy 28 specifying not only the blessings for Israel when they occupy the land but also the curses upon Israel when they occupy the land and they do not maintain faithfulness to God and so Solomon now begins to think through what will happen if the people are disobedient in the land they will reap the curses associated with the Covenant in Deuteronomy chapter 28 he says notice in verses 33 and 34 when Israel is defeated by enemies they will humble themselves they will call upon God and you God in heaven hear and forgive so those things are replete throughout this site yet the next section he speaks of drought sent by God in verses 35 and 36 again curses associated with the Covenant in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 when this drought comes the people hopefully will humble themselves they'll confess their sins you hear from heaven and forgive their sins in the next section in verses 37 to 40 famine and pestilence and other disasters again prescribed according to Deuteronomy 28 when this happens the people will humble themselves and the people will call upon you and in heaven hear and forgive and then notice in verses 41 and 42 it's not necessarily a request for forgiveness but it's a request or a petition that all the nations may come to know the God of Israel notice in verse 41 moreover concerning a foreigner who is not of your people Israel but has come from a far country for your namesake for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your outstretched arm when he comes and prays toward this temple here in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you that all peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you as do your people Israel and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by your name see there was this hope there was this desire it was connected to the promise made to Abraham that in Abraham's seed all the families of the earth would be blessed and so Sullivan wants Gentile inclusion in the Covenant promises of God now this is ultimately realized in and through the New Covenant the work of the Lord Jesus Christ but it's already being prayed for in this instance and then notice he requests God's presence in battle according to verses 44 and 45 when we go out to battle wherever you send them when they pray to the Lord toward the city which you have chosen in the temple which I have built for your name then here in heaven their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause and then the last reference in verses 46 to 51 has to do with exile exile Solomon already conscious of the curses in Deuteronomy where a lot of Deuteronomy 28 is given to this particular theme of Exile prays this when they are captured when they are defeated when they go into enemy countries when they are exiled by you when they pray to you here in heaven forgive their sin and restore them to the land and he refers to God bringing them out of bondage in Egypt what's the implication if God could bring them out of Egypt he can certainly bring them out of Babylon if God could bring them out of Egypt he can certainly bring them out of one of these other foreign nations that have that have exiled the people of Israel so that's sort of an overview of the prayer itself theology proper is the foundation and then these particular petitions which seems sees forgiveness as a central theme now in terms of some points of application with reference to the section as a whole I want to first know the faithfulness of God toward his people I think this is always a good application for us as God's people it's always good for us to rehearse this as God's people and it's always good for us to see it in display on the pages of Holy Scripture note in the first place the faithfulness of God toward Abraham chapter 8 verse 56 notice what he says blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised there has not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised through his servant Moses got Abraham must be Moses I'm thinking of their the the Lord actually it is Abraham giving rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised that was the promise to Abraham of rest in the land but as well his fidelity toward Moses but also go back to the beginning of the prayer with reference to his faithfulness to David - David David wanted to build that house for God God said no David because you're a man of war and so Solomon is going to build the house and Solomon recognizes the faithfulness of God to his father David God's faithfulness is replete throughout the page pages of Scripture and if you look specifically at verses 23 to 26 he said and he said Lord God of Israel there's no God in heaven above you above or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their hearts now notice in verse 24 you have kept what you promised your servant David my father you have both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand as it is this day see that is something that you and I can testify to in light of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ see at the particular time that Solomon prayed this the full application or fulfillment or realization of second Samuel 7 hadn't taken place it wasn't the case that the Son of God prophesied in 2nd samuel 7 had come to build the house for god we see that son of david we appreciate that reality we know that we are participants in the very house that christ is building remember in matthew 16 we consider this morning in the theology study Peter confesses thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God Jesus pronounces a blessing upon him blessed are You Simon bar Jonah for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my father in heaven revealed this to you see Jesus exultant Sovereign Grace not in the free will of Peter and then he goes on to say and you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church so on this confession that Christ is the son of the Living God the Son of the Living God now builds a house for God Allah second Samuel 7 we see the faithfulness of God notice what David or rather Solomon goes on to say in verse 25 look at verse 24 again you have kept what you promised your servant David my father you've both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand as it is this day verse 25 therefore Lord God of Israel now keep what you promised your servant David my father saying you shall not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne of Israel only if your sons take heed to their way that they walk before me as you have walked before me you see the logic of Solomon's prayer because you have been faithful God we will ask you to continue to be faithful in other words you have tried and proven God and therefore you continue to try and prove God that's how the people of God are supposed to live Spurgeon said it that way pray as a people who have tried and proven their God when is God ever led us down when has God ever left us when has God ever forsaken us now I realize in the midst of trial in the midst of affliction we often go to those sorts of places we think that perhaps God has abandoned us later on in this particular prayer the solomon recognizes that God sends affliction so that the afflicted come to him in a way that they hadn't previously brethren afflictions and trials and hardships and pain does not and should never be interpreted as to me that God is no longer present with his people he says he covenants he promises he swears I will never leave you nor will I forsake you and in the context that that's used in the book of Hebrews in its new covenant sort of setting it's yes spiritual but it's well physical he's never gonna leave us he's never gonna forsake us in the context of not being a covetous people don't be that sort of people God promises I will never leave you nor forsake you secondly we ought to appreciate something about the presence of God among his people remember the doctrine of imminence first his holiness necessitates sacrifice look at verse 5 in first kings aid this is when the art is brought into the temple and in verse 5 we read also King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with them were with him before the ark sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude and then again in verses 62 to 64 then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord and Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings which he offered to the Lord 22,000 bowls in one hundred and twenty thousand sheep so the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord on the same day the King consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord for there he offered burnt offerings grain offerings and the fat of the piece offerings because the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive the burnt offerings the grain offerings in the fat of the piece offerings God's holiness necessitates sacrifice we don't just run into the presence of God we are far defiled with sin we are polluted we are wicked we are evil we have transgressed God's law we don't do what he says the only way of approach is through sacrifice will praise God Almighty the Lamb of God has come to take away the sin of the world so we have access to God through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ in terms of his presence it promotes reverential awe or it ought to promote reverential awe notice in verses 10 and 11 and it came to pass when the priest came out of the holy place that the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priest could not continue ministering because of the cloud for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord that glory of God Most High ought to promote in the people of God a reverential awe we talked about that yesterday in theology as well I saw on Twitter Tod Pruett gave this clip to a particular church and he said ladies and gentlemen behold modern-day evangelicalism and it was a church service that would celebrate Superbowl Sunday in the very worship of Almighty God serving chicken wings today having a rock band today doing all those sorts of things that's not the reverential awe that you see at the dedication of the temple the glory of God so filled the place that the priest could no longer maintain occupancy in it in their reverential awe fear before the Lord see we've lost sight of that today this idea of a good god-fearing Christian which used to be commonplace to identify the people of God now it raises eyebrows huh how could you be a people that that want to fear God how could we be a people that don't fear God he's most high he's glorious he's he's awesome he's majestic he's he's excellent we should fear we should have reverential awe we shouldn't be about chattiness in his presence we shouldn't be about games and jocularity and frivolity when we come into the house of God it's to have dealings with the God of the house and therefore we ought not to engage as if he's our equal or he's our fellow or he's our companion he is God most high Deuteronomy 4 Hebrews chapter 12 tells us that God is a consuming fire now I would argue that that reverential awe will be accompanied with joy because the people of God redeemed by the grace of God on the one hand they reference this God they fear this God but on the other hand they do so happily and joyfully because their sins are forgiven their their debts are forgiven their their canceled they've received the righteousness of Jesus cry so that reverential law is always mingled with joy as well his nearness produces dependence on the part of the people of God that's the essence of the prayer the petitions in 31 to 51 what is Solomon saying God we are in this land we have this temple but we are always a dependent people upon you there's never going to be a time god when we don't need you and he happens to outline the times when they sin against God when they rebel against God and they reap the curses of the Covenant that is what it is that's going to cause them to continue to be dependent upon God give her ask the question why affliction why trouble why difficulty have your ask the question why remain in corruption in the heart of God's people it's to promote dependence upon God what would happen if we were never afflicted what would happen if we were never tried what would happen if we didn't have remaining corruption I'm not suggesting we should love remaining corruption but I am suggesting we should appreciate the theological rationale at least one of the theological rationale for this remaining corruption it keeps us dependent upon God what's the wise man say in proverbs 32 things I request of you before I die one of them is give me neither poverty nor riches why if I'm poor I'll go out and steal and dishonor God but if I'm rich I'm inclined to forget God see that's the problem when everything is going well when there is no trial when there is no affliction when there is no struggle or battle there is this lack of dependence upon the Lord God so I'm not going to say tonight take courage from the fact that you have remaining corruption I would never go that far but it would suggest there is a theological rationale for it it keeps you humble and it keeps you dependent and it keeps you at the throne of grace and then finally in terms of the presence of God among his people notice that his blessing his blessing results in joy and gladness look at verse 66 this is after the dedication this is a summary and it says in verse 66 on the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the Lord had done for his servant David and for Israel his people you see that's what the presence of God yields that's what the presence of God produces we often refer to Psalm 122 on the Lord's Day I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord so there's this anticipation on the part of David there's this gladness of heart on the part of David he goes on Sabbath to the house of God and he knows that there he's going to meet with God well hopefully at the end of the Sabbath day we have glad hearts we have joy because we have been in the presence of God Almighty hopefully it's not oh I'm so glad the day is over I'm so glad that long sermon is over I'm so glad the tedium of sitting in church for all that time is over no we got to commune with the Living God today we got to enjoy the presence of God in a corporate setting God loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob and he promises his blessing in his presence in the new covenant era in the churches of Jesus Christ what what better thing is there than to be in the house of God so we see the faithfulness of God toward his people the presence of God among his people thirdly the centrality of theology proper in prayer the the centrality of theology proper in prayer let me let me explain what I need theology proper means the doctrine of God himself theology is a broad statement it means the study of God to be sure it means the doctrine of God the we use theology as more of a general reference to any sort of religious study any sort of study of Scripture when we say theology proper we mean specifically theology proper that which is proper to God God the Father Son and Holy Spirit and Solomon as I said begins as prayer extolling the perfections of God Almighty he doesn't just run into the presence of God and say give us he first adores he first meditates upon he first rehearses he first tells himself with the later Divine's at Westminster would say God is spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom pow holiness just as goodness and truth we need to understand as we use that word attribute we ought not to have a a prop an improper understanding it's not as if all of these things make up God all of it is in God is God God is his attributes the doctrine of divine simplicity demands that understanding the attributes the perfections are are more for us to appreciate this God in fact turreted explains it in this way he says the divine attributes are the essential properties by which God makes himself known to us who are weak and those by which he is distinguished from creatures or they are those which are attributed to him according to the measure of our conception in order to explain his nature he goes on to say now the definitions of the divine properties are rather of our conceptions conceiving God under this or that relation then of the thing itself which is one and most simple essentially what he is saying is that you don't look at God and say well he's thirty-three percent love he's 33 percent justice he's 33 and a third percent whatever else it's not as if God is composite it's not as if God is made-up it's not as if God has put together that's what the doctrine of divine simplicity demands we read that he's without parts according to our confession of faith that's the doctrine of divine simplicity there's not sort of material or God's stuff out there that comes together and produces God there's nothing before God there's nothing outside of God there's nothing pre-existent to God he's not composed of parts he's not put together that means that he is his attributes and we need to understand that when we hear the word attribute it's something we attribute to God but it's not the case that he is composed of those particular things now I tried to make that as simple as I could no pun on simple there Isaac got that but if you're confused or you want more information you can email eyes just maybe one other quote Herman bobbing says whatever God is he is that completely and simultaneously and then he quotes Agustin God has no properties but is pure essence that's the thing it's no properties he's a simple beings not composed of parts not that there's all these sorts of things that conglomerate lee form or shape God that's just not the way God is as scripture reveals him so we back to Agustin God has no properties but is pure essence God's properties are really the same as his essence they neither differ from his essence nor do they differ materially from each other in other words when we think attributes when we think perfections we cannot think these are the things that make up God rather it's from our vantage point it's according to the manner of man their accommodations to us so that we can appreciate and appropriate who God is and what he does in terms of his creatures now know those attributes outlined by Solomon the incomparability of God verse 23 in first Kings 8 verse 23 Lord God of heaven Lord God of Israel there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their hearts this is the same statement that comes from the song of moses in exodus 15:11 there is no god like you this is the same question posed by the prophet Micah in Micah 7 who is a God like you what's the answer there is no God like you because no gods of the earth will forgive the iniquities of their people no gods in the earth will pardon the sins and transgressions of their people but Micah praises God for the incomparability scene in that attribute or rather scene in that expression of his goodness in the forgiveness of sin he goes on as I've said to promote the faithfulness of God an attribute a perfection that you and I ought to consider David's comments in terms of verses 25 and 26 the reality that God has shown himself faithful and then prayer based on that for God to continue to be faithful notice in verse 26 and now I pray O God of Israel let your word come true which you have spoken to your servant David my father Ralph Davis says in short act in the future as you have acted today Yahweh's fidelity in the past becomes the basis for expecting the same in the future God has joined I love this fidelity and expectancy fidelity and expectancy when he has shown himself faithful he creates on the part of his people an expectancy in further faithfulness that's not blasphemous that is not untoward that is the way the people of God pray the people of God know their God they know he won't leave them they know he won't forsake them and based on his conduct in the past they pray that in the present that God would continue to maintain that path in the future and then as I mentioned the transcendence and the imminence of God two things that must be maintained and we're going to be pantheists or going to be deists and both pantheism and deism is absolutely positively wrong it is heretical theism is the idea that God is like a watchmaker a clock maker he makes the the clock and then he winds it up and then he puts it on the mantel of the fireplace and he just sorts of sort of forgets about it that's deism there's no doctrine of imminence God is not present God is not with God is not hearing God is not answering God is not forgiving as people but pantheism is equally equally master that teaches that God is everything a brethren that is not the case there is this great chasm this Great Divide between the creator and the creature and then the final perfection or attribute we ought to recognize that Salomon refers to is actually found in verse 60 verse 60 that's why I read that section because in verse 60 says that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God there is no other this is the singularity of God the singularity of God this can be further sub setted and specifically we find the unity of singularity buff Inc explains there is but one divine being that in virtue of the nature of that being God cannot be more than one being and consequently that all other beings exist only from him through him and to him hence this attribute teaches God's absolute oneness and uniqueness we need to confess this and we need to maintain this before we finish on the practical lessons for God's people I would suggest that the church really needs to take theology proper seriously the church really needs to know who their God is the church needs to see in our confession of faith yes there's a whole lot of statements in terms of perfections with reference to his most loving he's most gracious he's most merciful but those sort of three foundational or fundamental attributes or perfections of God divine simplicity and divine impossibility and divine in corporeality that means he's without body so when the confession says he's without body parts and passions this is probably where the church is the weakest without body parts and passions this is foundational the very grammar of theology depends on an understanding of those particulars I think we're all good on divine noncorporeal ''tis without body that's what Jesus says God is spirit according to John chapter four but it's the without passions the without parts that I think is a bit more confusing for the people of God because we just don't think about it we don't hear messages on this we don't always attend the confession studies where these things are explained hopefully in detail but these are absolutely crucial things for the people of God to know and it's not because you need to be a PhD or because you need to have all of this you know you need to read bhave and an Augusta it's for the comfort of your soul to know your God produces comfort to know your God produces encouragement to know your God produces happiness and joy to realize the doctrine of divine impossibility secures the reality that he's most loving he's not gonna diminish in his love for me he's not gonna get less loving toward me of course not he's impassable it is impossible for God to change to undergo change either from without or from within that's a beautiful thing isn't it now that doesn't mean we should go out and sin and let grace abound but to realize that God's love for us in the language of our confession is most its most loving that that's a world of comfort for the believer now finally in terms of some practical stuff notice the centrality of the word of God for the people of God it's intriguing they bring the ark of the covenant-- into the temple and notice what's in it according to verse 9 nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb when the Lord God or when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt house Paul house says God's presence God's Word and God's covenant with Israel are inextricably linked in other words the word is paramount for the people of God it's a good practical lesson in terms of first Kings 8 and the dedication of the temple but in terms of 2019 in Chilliwack BC secondly the necessity of obedience from the heart Solomon stresses that now you've heard me say it and I hope I'll die saying it we are not saved by our obedience we are saved by Jesus obedience we are saved by the work of Jesus Christ is his life of obedience and his death at Calvary satisfies those things that sinners desperately need we need a righteousness that avails with God we have it because of Jesus righteousness we need forgiveness from sin to blot out our transgression we have it because of Jesus death at the cross so we're not saved by our obedience were saved by the obedience of another that's where if this was a black church in Southern California everybody would say Amen because that's a glorious thought were not saved by our obedience were saved by Christ's obedience now having been saved as the people of God who are undergoing sanctification we are called to obey God out of a pure heart so everybody get that the doctrine of justification God by grace through faith justifies us the doctrine of sanctification the Spirit of God is working in us both to will and do according to his good pleasure the justification the work of Christ is that work that is done outside of us for us and the work of sanctification is that work of God by the Spirit in us to further conform us under the image of Jesus Christ now look at Solomon's emphasis here on the necessity of obedience from the heart verse 40 he says that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers verse 58 that he may incline our hearts to himself to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments which he commanded our fathers see keeping Commandments as the people of God is not legalism keeping Commandments as the people of God is what the people of God are supposed to do this is Jesus point in the upper room when he says if you love me you will keep my Commandments that that word legalism gets bandied about a lot and I think there's various ways to explain or define legalism legalism most certainly not is not a most certainly not actually obeying God's law by the power of the Holy Spirit that's not legalism that's biblical Christianity that that's sanctification and then notice in verse 61 let your heart therefore beat loyal to the Lord our God to walk in his statutes and keep his Commandments as at this day so we see the centrality of the Word of God for the people of God secondly the necessity of obedience from the heart thirdly the perpetual need for forgiveness do you see that in in Solomon's prayer do you see that emphasis in Solomon's prayer all these things are going to happen to them in subsequent history and when they pray when they cry to you here in heaven and forgive them forgive them forgive them forgive them brethren that is the reality of the Christian life you and I are taught by our master to pray forgive us this day or give us this day our daily bread we're told as well to to ask God to forgive us from our sins why is that because we continue to sin laughing as if it's for Volvo volunteer or jocular but Romans 7 and Galatians 5 tells us there's gonna be this necessity for the people of God to cry out to God for continued forgiveness Christ is paid for all of our sins Christ is atone for all of our sins so some might say well why do I need to continue to pray for the forgiveness of sins well there is that reality where God the judge acquits us God the judge declares not guilty but in terms of our relationship with God the Father we want to maintain short accounts with them we want to know his smiling face we want to know that communion with our Lord and that's the place that daily forgiveness has in the lives of God's people notes specifically in first Kings 8 verse 38 whatever prayer whatever supplication is made by anyone and by all your people Israel when each one knows the plague of his own heart and spreads out his hands toward this temple it's not an intriguing way for a brother to describe what's happening in the lives of God's people when we know the plague of our own heart so I would suggest that if we don't know the plague of our own heart we need to start studying the Bible more we need to start reflecting more accurately on Romans 7 and on Galatians 5 we need to look at the spiritual essence of the law of God because this is something the people of God do surmise they do see they do view in themselves they know the plague of their own heart and knowing that plague of their own heart what do they do they cry out to God wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death and then notice in verse 46 when they sin against you for there's no one who does not sin sinless perfectionism is heresy the reality is is that the people of God stand in need of the forgiveness of God and they have been promised that forgiveness by God himself and then the final practical observation I want to look at is the usefulness of afflictions notice in verse 35 when the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin notice because you afflict them because you afflict them why did God do this because it turned you from that unto him turn over to psalm 119 probably one of the clearest expressions of this particular truth psalm 119 specifically at verse 67 psalm 119 verse 67 before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep your words verse 71 it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learn your statutes Spurgeon on verse 67 here in psalm 119 says grace is in that heart which profits by its chastening it is of no use to plough a barren soil when there is no spiritual life affliction works no spiritual benefit but where the hardest sound trouble awakens conscience wandering is confessed the soul becomes again obedient to the command and continues to be so whipping will not turn a rebel into a child but to the true child a touch of the rod is a sure corrective before his trouble he wandered but after it he kept within the hedge of the word and found good pasture for his soul the trial tethered him to his proper place it kept him and then he kept God's word sweet are the uses of adversity and this is one of them it puts a bridle upon transgression and furnishes a spur for holiness Luther said I never knew the meaning of God's word until I came into affliction I have always found it one of my best school masters I think that's a better approach to affliction than those fools who say well there's an evidence of your lack of faith shame on those wicked men to ever tell anybody that sort of a thing when Davidic stoles the affliction of God because before it I went astray but now I keep your word you see afflictions are designed by our Father and the way that chastening comes from fathers and mothers today toward their children we don't spank them because we hate them we don't spank them because we we despise them it's because we love that and that's what God communicates throughout to his people so those are some practical things we ought to appreciate the tip illogical significance of the chapter as all as we saw today in Stephen the temple points to Christ Christ has come we're no longer attached to a temple that is situated in Jerusalem but rather now the temple is God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit there is no temple there for the father and the lamb or God and the lamb are its temple well let's close in a word of Prayer our Father we thank you for this prayer this section in first Kings eight and for the great things it teaches us in terms of theology and in terms of practical religion I pray that you'd help us to meditate upon these things not just tonight but to perhaps visit it again in the coming weeks and help us God to see those things that are important in godly man at the throne of grace go with us now again we pray for protection as we travel these roads we thank you that you are sovereign over everything over weather patterns over snow rain Sun all of these things are under the sovereign control of our great and our glorious God keep us watch over us and protect us we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed you