Mensa Otabil - Planted in the House of the Lord (10/02/2025)
Psalm 92:13: Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. A fruitful person must not only be planted by the rivers of water but must also be planted in the house of the Lord. There are two places God wants to plant us: by the rivers of water and in His house. The passage says that when we’re planted in the house of the Lord, we flourish in the courts of our God. Where we get planted or where we settle ourselves is important; it’s critical, it’s crucial to how our life turns out. That’s why someone advised us earlier not to sit, walk, or stand with certain people but to be planted by the rivers of water and in the courts of our God.
So, how do we get planted in the Lord and in the courts of our God? The three ways I want to discuss: one is that we must be planted in Christ. We must be planted in Christ, which means we must have Christ in our hearts and must be in Him. We must be committed to Him; we must have a sense that we are saved and an assurance that we belong to Christ. Many times, people say, «Well, I belong to Jesus; I am a Christian; I go to church,» but they don’t have an assurance that they fully belong to Him and that He fully belongs to them. You must have that firmness. When we say something is planted, it means that it is firm. To be planted in Christ means that you are firmly established in Him. You know Him as your Lord; you have no doubts that He is in your heart, and your Christian life is on solid ground. That is being planted in Christ.
That’s the first way we get planted. The second is to be planted in a community of believers, or what we normally call the church. To be planted in the house of the Lord means we spend time and fellowship with the people of God. Of course, not everybody in the church is perfect. Once you’ve been in church, you know that there are all kinds of people who come. The church is several things: it’s the house of God and also a place for God to work on people and make them better. There are people in church whose lives are not together, but they are still in church. However, that doesn’t mean we can decide not to go to church. It’s important that we are planted in a community of believers; surround yourself with people who share your faith, with whom you can pray and spend time studying the Bible. You have to be planted in the house of God.
So, that is the second thing: be planted in Christ. Number two: be planted with a community of believers. Number three: we must be part of the mission of Christ. Jesus Christ has committed His work to the church. As imperfect as the church is, as flawed as it may be, it is the agency that does the work of Christ—bringing people to the saving knowledge of Christ and helping them grow in knowledge and understanding of the things of God. We have to be part of that work. You don’t just go to a church to belong; you go to a church also to contribute, to be part of the work of the church. Look at your church, whichever one you attend, and observe all the different activities that happen. Some people sing, some usher, some clean, and others do various tasks. Find out which role you will play in your church.
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. If you want to flourish, then be properly planted in the house of the Lord. Let’s share a word of prayer together. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, I am planted in You and in Your house. Help me to flourish as Your child. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.» May the Lord cause you to flourish and increase on every side. In Jesus' name, I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.