Psalm 26 Sermon PART 3 — I Will Wash Mine Hands in Innocency

Puritan preaching, Reformed theology, spoken-word sermon

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[intro]
[English Puritan Theological Sermon]
[Meeting-house acoustic]
[Single sustained very low note]
[Faint atmosphere]
[Preacher — continuing, turning from separation toward worship]

[SECTION SIX — The Turn Toward Worship]
[Low note sustained]
[Preacher — measured, pastoral]

The psalm now turns 
from the rejection of evil company 
to the embrace of holy worship.

I will wash mine hands in innocency,
so will I compass thine altar, O Lord,
that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving,
and tell of all thy wondrous works.

This is a crucial movement, beloved.

The believer does not merely separate from evil.
He turns positively toward worship.

This is essential to understand, dear brethren.
Mere separation from evil is not the Christian life.
The believer who has separated from evil 
but has not turned toward worship 
has performed only half of what is required.

The Pharisees of the Lord's day 
had separated from evil company.
They were scrupulous about whom they ate with, 
whom they touched, 
whom they associated with.
But many of them had not turned toward true worship.
Their separations had become ends in themselves.
Their purity had become a substitute for piety.

The psalm before us 
shows us the proper sequence.
Separate from evil company.
But then turn toward worship.
Compass the altar of God.
Publish thanksgiving with the voice.
Tell of all his wondrous works.

The negative discipline of separation 
finds its completion 
in the positive discipline of worship.

[SECTION SEVEN — The Habitation of Thy House]
[Low note steady]
[Preacher — pastoral, warming]

The psalm continues with one of the most beautiful confessions 
in the entire Psalter.

Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house,
and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

Hear the love that is named here, dear brethren.

The believer loves the habitation of God's house.
Not merely attends it.
Not merely visits it on appointed days.
Loves it.
With the kind of love 
that draws the soul toward a place 
because that place is where the beloved is found.

This is the test 
of whether worship has become 
what it ought to be in the believer's life.

Do you love the gathered worship of God's people?
Not endure it.
Not perform it from duty.
Love it.
With longing.
With anticipation.
With the affections of one 
who finds his soul nourished 
in no other place quite as deeply.

I tell you plainly, beloved, 
that the believer whose love for the assembly of God's people 
has grown cold 
should examine himself 
to discover why this is so.
Either some sin has dimmed his vision 
of the glory present in the assembly, 
or the assembly itself has failed 
to display the glory it ought to display, 
or both at once.

But the proper state of the regenerate soul 
is to love the habitation of God's house 
and the place where his honor dwells.

[SECTION EIGHT — Worship as Spiritual Warfare]
[Low note warming]
[Preacher — theological, building]

I must add one further matter at this point 
that the modern church has largely forgotten.

Worship itself is spiritual warfare.

The gathered assembly 
that compasses the altar of God 
and publishes thanksgiving with the voice 
is engaged in actual combat 
against the three enemies we have named.

Against the flesh — 
because the flesh hates worship 
and would draw the soul away 
to its own preferred pleasures.

Against the world — 
because the world has its own gatherings 
that compete for the soul's loyalty 
and its own thanksgivings 
to its own false gods.

Against the devil — 
because the devil hates the worship of the true God 
above all things 
and works actively to disrupt, distract, 
and discourage the assembly of the saints.

When the believer enters into worship, 
he is not retreating from the battle.
He is engaging the battle 
at one of its most consequential points.

The Sunday assembly 
is not the believer's rest from spiritual warfare.
It is the believer's most concentrated act 
of spiritual warfare in the week.

Understand this rightly, dear brethren, 
and you will understand 
why the enemy works so hard 
to keep believers from gathered worship, 
why distractions multiply 
on the morning of the Lord's day, 
why even the regenerate find themselves 
strangely reluctant to assemble 
when assembly is most needed.

These things are not accidents.
They are the marks of the warfare 
that you are in 
whether you have recognized it or not.

[end]

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[intro] [English Puritan Theological Sermon] [Meeting-house acoustic] [Single sustained very low note] [Faint atmosphere] [Preacher — continuing, turning from separation toward worship] [SECTION SIX — The Turn Toward Worship] [Low note sustained] [Preacher — measured, pastoral] The psalm now turns from the rejection of evil company to the embrace of holy worship. I will wash mine hands in innocency, so will I compass thine altar, O Lord, that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. This is a crucial movement, beloved. The believer does not merely separate from evil. He turns positively toward worship. This is essential to understand, dear brethren. Mere separation from evil is not the Christian life. The believer who has separated from evil but has not turned toward worship has performed only half of what is required. The Pharisees of the Lord's day had separated from evil company. They were scrupulous about whom they ate with, whom they touched, whom they associated with. But many of them had not turned toward true worship. Their separations had become ends in themselves. Their purity had become a substitute for piety. The psalm before us shows us the proper sequence. Separate from evil company. But then turn toward worship. Compass the altar of God. Publish thanksgiving with the voice. Tell of all his wondrous works. The negative discipline of separation finds its completion in the positive discipline of worship. [SECTION SEVEN — The Habitation of Thy House] [Low note steady] [Preacher — pastoral, warming] The psalm continues with one of the most beautiful confessions in the entire Psalter. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth. Hear the love that is named here, dear brethren. The believer loves the habitation of God's house. Not merely attends it. Not merely visits it on appointed days. Loves it. With the kind of love that draws the soul toward a place because that place is where the beloved is found. This is the test of whether worship has become what it ought to be in the believer's life. Do you love the gathered worship of God's people? Not endure it. Not perform it from duty. Love it. With longing. With anticipation. With the affections of one who finds his soul nourished in no other place quite as deeply. I tell you plainly, beloved, that the believer whose love for the assembly of God's people has grown cold should examine himself to discover why this is so. Either some sin has dimmed his vision of the glory present in the assembly, or the assembly itself has failed to display the glory it ought to display, or both at once. But the proper state of the regenerate soul is to love the habitation of God's house and the place where his honor dwells. [SECTION EIGHT — Worship as Spiritual Warfare] [Low note warming] [Preacher — theological, building] I must add one further matter at this point that the modern church has largely forgotten. Worship itself is spiritual warfare. The gathered assembly that compasses the altar of God and publishes thanksgiving with the voice is engaged in actual combat against the three enemies we have named. Against the flesh — because the flesh hates worship and would draw the soul away to its own preferred pleasures. Against the world — because the world has its own gatherings that compete for the soul's loyalty and its own thanksgivings to its own false gods. Against the devil — because the devil hates the worship of the true God above all things and works actively to disrupt, distract, and discourage the assembly of the saints. When the believer enters into worship, he is not retreating from the battle. He is engaging the battle at one of its most consequential points. The Sunday assembly is not the believer's rest from spiritual warfare. It is the believer's most concentrated act of spiritual warfare in the week. Understand this rightly, dear brethren, and you will understand why the enemy works so hard to keep believers from gathered worship, why distractions multiply on the morning of the Lord's day, why even the regenerate find themselves strangely reluctant to assemble when assembly is most needed. These things are not accidents. They are the marks of the warfare that you are in whether you have recognized it or not. [end]

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