Who Shall Abide? - How to Remain Faithful to Church

Temple Baptist Church - 7-9-2023

Psalm 15

 

Introduction:

 

A.  This Psalm is one of faithfulness or the lack thereof concerning the House of the Lord.

 

1.  Church attendance is not optional with the Lord.  Hebrews 10:22-25  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  (23)  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)  (24)  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  (25)  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

 

2.  Church attendance is not optional to the spiritual believer.  Psalms 122:1-2  I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.  (2)  Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

 

Acts 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

 

B.  As the “manner of some is” in Hebrews 10:25 continues to grow, I believe that it is essential to take a biblical look at some of the reasons behind unfaithfulness.  King David, who wrote this Psalm fielded the question to the Lord in verse 1 and would seem to be the Lord answered in verses 2-5.  The Psalm is summed up in the last sentence of the Psalm.

 

C.  Verse 1.  A Question to be Pondered.  “LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?” (Psalms 15:1)  Let us define some terms to get a proper understanding of the question that David asked the LORD.

 

1.  Abide.  To turn aside for lodging or other important things.  To gather or sojourn.  To use or to wait for a time.  We often sing the song, “Abide With Me.”  Abide with me, fast falls the evening tide; the darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide.

 

Genesis 19:2  And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

 

 

2.  Dwell.  A permanent stay, to remain or inhabit.  A residence where we live.

 

Psalms 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 

3.  Tabernacle.  This comes from a root word in Hebrew that means to be clear or to shine.

 

4.  Holy Hill.  A mountain or high place that can easily been seen.  A holy place where God has chosen.

 

D.  The Tabernacle was the place where God inhabited and spoke to the people of Israel.  In our day, it would be the Local Church, the place where God intended for His children to meet, pray, and attend to the Word of God.

 

E.  The Local Church is a place to where we are to turn aside permanently on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, “not forsaking” has turned into a “general forsaking” as most “church members” attend either not at all or on an irregular basis.

 

F.  Will you abide in God’s house?  Will you continue to dwell in God’s house?  David listed some things that will cause you to stay with their opposites, things that will cause you to leave.

 

G.  King David set forth some things that, if attended to, can keep you faithful to church.

 

1.  Verse 2.  He is right Upwardly.  To Abide and Dwell, one must be Right Upward with God.

 

a.  He must Walk Right. “He that walketh uprightly”  Where he goes.

 

b.  He must Work Right.  “He … that worketh righteousness”  What he does.

 

c.  His Words must be Right.  “He … speaketh truth in his heart”  What he says.

 

2.  Verse 3.  He is right Outwardly.  To Abide and Dwell, one must be Right with Others.

 

a.  He does not speak evil of others.  “backbiteth not”

 

b.  He does not injure others.  “nor doeth evil”

 

c.  He does not engage in bad conversations with others. “nor taketh up a reproach”

 

3.  Verse 4.  He is Right Inwardly.  It Abide and Dwell, on must be right with Self.

 

a.  He sees Right.  “In whose eyes a vile person is condemned”

 

b.  He deals Right.  “swearth to his own hurt and changeth not”

 

c.  He continues Right.  “and changeth not”

 

4.  Verse 5.  He is Right Financially.

 

a.  Honest in his finances.  “putteth not out his money to usury”

 

b.  Honest in his financial gain.  “nor taketh reward against the innocent”

 

5.  Verse 5.  He is now Right in his Faithfulness.

 

a.  Who this person Is.  “He that doeth these things”

 

b.  Who this person Will Be.  “shall never be moved”

 

Psalms 92:12-15  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  (13)  Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.  (14)  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;  (15)  To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.