A Blueprint For Worship
Happy Father's Day! I think I say this every year on Father's Day, but dads, it matters that you are here. It matters that you chose to worship with your family this morning, when there are many other things you could be doing. The fact is that a father is the most influential person in a family. There’s a reason we joke about having daddy issues…it’s not really a joke. There’s a lot of pressure on dads, which is why we let you build your own trail mix this morning. You deserve something special….
In all seriousness, we have to be intentional as fathers. We can’t just expect to be a good dad without any forethought or planning. That goes for anything in life. When Brittany and I got married, we spent time discussing what we wanted to define our relationship and family. At the beginning of a season, a coach will decide what kind of team he wants to build and how he will do it. When we started this church, we laid out a vision for where we wanted to go and how we would get there. We still tweak things as we go, but when we define our purpose upfront, it provides clear direction and objectives, which helps keep us from ending up with a result we never intended, much like a blueprint for a building.
Today, we’re looking at Psalm 30. If you have your Bibles, you can go ahead and turn there. When you get there, you might notice a heading at the top of the chapter. The CSB says, “Joy in the Morning. A psalm; a dedication song for the house. Of David.”
Other translations say, “A song of dedication for the temple.”
It’s not actually clear whether this was a song written to dedicate David’s physical house or the temple. David didn’t build the temple; his son, Solomon, did, but David could have written this to be used in the future. Or it’s possible this was a song written to dedicate his personal house to the Lord. It doesn’t really change the meaning either way. What’s important is that we see David declaring the purpose of this building. We still see this done all the time. When a new building is built, there’s a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and often it’s dedicated to someone or some purpose. It’s a defining moment, remembering all the work done to get to that point, but also setting a clear purpose for the future…whether it’s business, education, or ministry.
The challenge for us today, and why I think this just happens to be a fitting Psalm for Father’s Day, is to consider what we have or what we are dedicating our lives, and even our families, to. Have you defined the purpose of your life? Have you defined the purpose of your family?
Here’s the thing that I noticed about David’s song of dedication: it models its mission. In other words, David doesn’t just describe all the things he wants to happen in this house; he does it. And what is “it” - worship. So, what we end up with through this song is a blueprint for worship. Like the plans used for the very house he’s dedicating, David gives us a blueprint for worship that we can follow for our own lives. And we’re going to break down this blueprint to see how we can follow it ourselves, because if we follow Jesus, our purpose is to worship Him, and the Bible tells us that we are His temple, His dwelling place. If you’re not a Christ-follower, then use this blueprint to examine your life and ask if you currently have a worthwhile purpose…one that will last into eternity.
Let’s look at the first 3 verses:
1 I will exalt you, Lord,
because you have lifted me up
and have not allowed my enemies
to triumph over me.
2 Lord my God,
I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from Sheol;
you spared me from among those
going down to the Pit.
The first thing David lays out in this blueprint is A Foundation for Worship.
Everyone knows the foundation is the most important part of any building. Without it, there’s nothing secure for the structure to stand on. There has to be something solid for the walls to attach to. And for David, his foundation for worship is the work God has done. In these first few verses, he recounts at least 4 major things God has done for him. He says, “You lifted me up, you’ve given me victory over my enemies, you heard my cry for help and healed me, and you spared me from the Pit.”
This is David’s testimony of God’s work in his life. The word testimony comes from the Latin word testimonium, which means witness, proof, or evidence. It’s because of what David has witnessed and experienced that he says he will exalt the Lord. I imagine that David is thinking back to the day that he was brought in from the field as a boy and Samuel anointed him as the future king of Israel. I imagine he’s thinking back to the battlefield where he stood, victorious over Goliath; he’s thinking about the caves where he hid from Saul, as well as all the victories in battle, and even to the brokenness he felt when Nathan confronted him about his sin.
If we’re going to follow this blueprint for worship and dedicate our lives to the Lord, then we have to start by reflecting on what God has done. Where is the evidence of his presence in your life? Where have you seen his hand at work? We’re so quick to forget the past as we get focused on the obstacles in front of us. If you’ve ever hiked a mountain, you know that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the uphill climb in front of you, but as you move up the mountain, you can turn around and see how far you’ve come. It’s great motivation to keep going because you’ve already come so far, so why stop now? In the same way, David is teaching us that our worship has to start with turning around and seeing how far we’ve come…not by our own strength or power, but remembering that over every peak and through every valley, God has carried us through. Ultimately, like David, this is praise for our salvation. We look back and thank God that through Jesus, he made a way for us to be delivered from the pit of Hell. That’s the greatest work of all! This is the foundation for our worship.
Let’s look at verses 4 and 5.
4 Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones,
and praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may stay overnight,
but there is joy in the morning.
The next page of David’s blueprint is An Appeal to Worship.
His praise turns into an invitation for others to join in the worship. He’s not content to sing this song alone; he wants others to see that God is worthy and join in the singing, which is a sign of true exaltation. I think Emmanuel made this point last week, but when we experience something amazing, we don’t keep it to ourselves. We tell other people.
I have 3 daughters, and thankfully, I haven’t had this experience yet, but I know one day they are going to come to me and tell me there’s a boy they want to date. And, I’m not the dad who’s going to start cleaning my shotgun…But I am going to ask them why. Why this guy? And if they can’t tell me at least five or six winning characteristics, then I’m probably not going to be on board. I need some convincing evidence to make me a believer.
Here in verses 4 and 5, David gives some really good reasons for joining in his song. His foundation for worship was based on what God has done, but his appeal for worship is based on who God is. Some of the characteristics are spelled out, but others are implied: he says God is holy, he’s patient, merciful, gracious, kind, eternal, trustworthy… and we could keep going, but these show the substance of who God is.
In my mind, this is like the framework on the blueprint. The frame of a building is like the skeleton of the structure. From the walls to the roof, the frame gives a house its shape and structure. So, if the foundation is the work of God’s hand that we can anchor to, his attributes form the framework of our worship. This is important because we often can’t see what God is doing when we’re in the middle of the work, just like you can’t see the foundation of your house if you're standing in the middle of the living room. But we can always look around and see the framework of his character. He has revealed himself to us through the Bible, creation, and the testimony of others. So, we may not know what he’s doing, but we can know who he is.
This is crucial for our worship, but also as we encourage others to worship. Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all nations, and making disciples means making more worshippers of Jesus. This is what David is modeling for us here. “Here’s what God has done for me. You should worship him, too, because this is who he is.” I think too often we overlook the responsibility we have in this. We are called to lead others to worship Jesus, but do our lives, our attitudes, our words, and our habits give a clear picture of who God is? Are we giving convincing evidence to join in the worship? Dads, are you showing your family who Jesus is? As a father, are you reflecting your heavenly Father?
I know I have a lot of room to grow in this. Some days I’m a terrible reflection of God, so I’m not saying we have to have it all together or pretend to be something we aren’t. Notice, even David points out life isn’t going to be great all the time. We’re going to have hard days; sometimes hard weeks or years. Look at verse 6.
6 When I was secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you showed your favor,
you made me stand like a strong mountain;
when you hid your face, I was terrified.
8 Lord, I called to you;
I sought favor from my Lord:
9 “What gain is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me;
Lord, be my helper.”
Things were all good for a while. David was confident, maybe a little bit cocky, but then things got real…they got hard. David is showing us a sincerity in worship. If we think of this in terms of a blueprint, this phase is installing the doors and windows. Doors and windows give access to the house. Without them, we are stuck on the outside. We can admire the structure, but we can’t get inside. But here, David is allowing us in by exposing his identity. He’s shown us what God has done, he’s told us who God is, and now he’s showing us who he is. And what we see is a man who has had some high highs and some low lows. He’s been on the mountaintop and he’s been in the valley.
One of the great things about the Psalms is the raw emotions they contain. David and the other psalmists were not afraid to be vulnerable in their songs and prayers. They weren’t afraid to be honest with God and others about their doubts, questions, and struggles. They knew it doesn’t do any good to pretend that life or our faith is good all the time. I grew up in the church, and there was a lot of spiritual bypassing that took place. Spiritual bypass is when we give a canned response like, “I’m good; just gotta trust God,”… but on the inside, we’re questioning everything about God. I’m sure you’ve probably experienced this when someone tells you, “Everything’s going to be ok. God’s in control.” Ah, you’re right! I feel all better now! It’s true, but as an impersonal response, it’s helpful. Because what’s being communicated is, just shut the doors, close the blinds, and don’t let anyone see what’s going on inside.
Now, in recent years, there’s been a shift away from that mentality and a move towards authenticity, which is better but can also be problematic. The authentic approach tends to be no-holds-barred. We’re going to come right out with all our junk and “be real.” The problem with this is, a) it’s not always appropriate or helpful to air all of our issues, and b) there’s a difference between being authentic and vulnerable. Being authentic can be like spray painting a list of our sins and shortcomings on the front of the house as if we’re proud of them. On the other hand, being vulnerable means being honest about our issues, while opening the door and letting others come in to speak truth to our hearts. It’s a difference in posture and a willingness to ask for help.
We don’t always like to ask for help. Dads, this is especially true for us. We don’t like to show our weaknesses. We want our families to think we have all the answers. We can fool our kids when they’re little, but when they become teenagers, the gig is up. Our wives, on the other hand, are on to us from day one. Sometimes they are just nice and play along. What I’ve learned is that I wish I had been more vulnerable all along, with my family, my friends, and even with God. Now in my 40s, I’m playing catch-up. I put up a facade for many years, and learning how to open up those doors has been a pivotal but painful process. I’ve had some raw and painful conversations with God, but I’ve learned that he’s more than able to handle my doubts, questions, and even my anger. I’ve allowed my wife to see me completely broken, afraid, and exposed for who I really am, and I’ve learned that she’s going to love me anyway. I’m thankful for the men in my small group who’ve allowed me to be vulnerable with them and have challenged me, supported me, and pointed me back to Jesus. I need all the help I can get.
David models sincere worship. He opens the door and lets us see who he really is: a man after God’s own heart, but who still struggles with his faith… a man who knows the darkness of night, but continues to believe that joy comes in the morning. This leads us to the last two verses of the song.
11 You turned my lament into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 so that I can sing to you and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
The last piece of the blueprint is a commitment to worship. This is a final response to the previous three observations that David gave: What God has done, Who God is, Who David is, and in response, What David will do. This is like the paint and decor of the house that make it unique. It’s always fun to go into someone’s house and see how it’s decorated. It can tell you a lot about what they are committed to. If you’ve been to our house, you know there are a lot of books, a piano, and a big table for our family and friends to sit and eat. Learning, music, and family are all things that we’ve committed to in our home.
What I really appreciate about these two verses is that David moves straight from his vulnerability to this vow of commitment. He doesn’t allow his questions or doubts to deter his worship. Even through the hard times, he will continue to sing.
This reminds me of Joshua 24:15. After leading the Israelites into the promised land, through all the battles and hardships, Joshua gathers the nation together to renew their covenant with God. He starts by reminding the people of all that God did to get them to this point, and in doing so, he is reminding them of who God is. He proved that he is powerful, faithful, a deliverer, and a promise keeper. Then Joshua calls them to a moment of vulnerability, because he’s not going to assume that everyone is on the same page. He invites them to get real:
“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:15)
Joshua knows that we come to a point where we have to decide how we’re going to respond to God. We have to respond when we hear the Gospel. Are we going to accept that we need a savior? Are we going to put our trust in him? Or are we going to reject him?
But we also have to make that decision daily. Every day, we are faced with whether we are going to worship the gods of the land or the God of the Bible. Are we going to worship the god of success and financial gain, the god of indulgence, the god of comfort and entertainment, the god of fear and anxiety…all of which demand increasingly more from us? Or are we going to worship the one true God who gave everything for us?
Sometimes we say we are choosing to worship the God of the Bible, but we’re silent about it. I don’t just mean with our words, but with our actions. The walls of our lives don’t exactly display what we say we believe. David said he won’t be silent! You may remember the story of David dancing before the ark as the priests carried it into the city, and his wife was embarrassed. She didn’t think his behavior was befitting a king, but what did David tell her? “You’re right, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this…” He was willing to hold back in worship out of fear of what others might think!
Sometimes we have dance parties at our house. Our kids used to love it. Now they hate it. I think it's because Brittany and I are such good dancers, they’re jealous…But it’s freeing when you come to a place where you aren’t controlled by what other people think. The reality is, we don’t have a problem with this in other areas of life. When you watch your favorite football team, you aren’t worried about holding back. You cheer! When you watch a great movie, you don’t hold back. You tell people about it. When your kid wins an award or takes home the trophy, you celebrate it. You post it all over Instagram. When it comes to our faith, why are we concerned about what other people think?
We have to decide who we are going to worship and make a commitment to be all in, whether we’re on the mountaintop or down in the valley. That may mean it’s time to do some redecorating. It may be time to get rid of some things….do a little spring cleaning (TV shows, social media, unhealthy habits, sin…). Most of us need to do that pretty frequently because all that junk starts to pile up quickly, and it stands in the way of our commitment to worship. In fact, this is the Big Idea of the message: Dedicate your house to the Lord every day…. Dedicate your house to the Lord every day. Declare the purpose of your life to be a house of worship. Dads (and moms) declare the purpose of your family to be a house of worship. Declare the purpose of your actual house to be a house of worship. Every morning when you wake up, in the middle of the day when things get sideways, as often as you need to declare it….
David has given us a blueprint to follow.
1. Lay your foundation by starting with the Gospel. Remember all the things God has done, especially the sacrifice Jesus made to save you.
2. Build the framework with the character of God. Making him visible will lead others to join in the worship. Our mission is to be disciples who make disciples.
3. Make sure you have doors and windows that allow access. Invite people into your life; people who can speak truth and point you back to the Gospel. Be vulnerable. Be connected.
4. Decorate with the name of Jesus. Commit to worship no matter what. Get rid of anything that distracts you from your purpose.
Dedicate your house to the Lord every day. The Westminster Catechism says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. This year, as we focus on the theme of joy, we have to remember that our worship is the key that unlocks our joy. If our hearts are hoping in anything other than Jesus, it will eventually lead to despair, and that darkness will eventually consume us. But if we keep coming back to the one that will never fail, our sorrow may last for a season, but joy will come in the morning.
