Celebrating God

Have your Bibles with you today. Turn with me if you would to second Samuel chapter 6 will start off in verses 12 through 15 and was told King David. The Lord has blessed the household of Obed Edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed Edom to the city of David with rejoicing and with those who bore the ark of the Lord gone six steps. He sacrificed an ox the fat and animal. David danced before the Lord with all of his mind, and David was wearing a linen effort. So David all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn that with me as we go to our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, we have a request today. Teach us to worship some of us have gone the church all of our lives but we don't worship you as we should.

We come into our sanctuary. Our minds are a million miles away teach us through this passage to focus to put business and politics personal problems to the side to place all of our attention on you.

Help us to do what David did. He rejoiced in you to express love to you he was a phony. He wasn't contrived. It was real. We confess to you, Lord, that too often our worship is stale and unfeeling forgiveness. Help us to experience your presence as David did. We desire to know more about you, but we also desire to know you. We want our worship to be intimate and powerful. We don't all show work personal glory. We want to reverence you want Jesus to be exalted. So help us to get self out of the way so that you would become her everything, keep my lips from air this morning. It's in Jesus precious, holy name that I pray, amen may be seated in last week's message. We saw David in an absolute dilemma. David is become the king of Israel.

He has defeated the Jebusites run them out of a Jerusalem, and now is made Jerusalem the very capital of Israel. And so in order to honor God. He builds a tabernacle on Mount Zion, which is the highest spot all in in all of Jerusalem and so then he sends his men down to the home of ability I have in order that they might get the ark of the covenant, and that they might bring it back in place. It in the tabernacle, that worship might take place, and it might just be a glorious and wonderful time. The higher singers he hires musicians he hires dancers to come in invisibly and verbally worship as the ark is being brought back transported into Jerusalem, let me tell you he is on cloud nine. He is just pumped up about this event and what's taken place. So the procession started in the ark was placed on a cart that was driven by two oxen, Ohio and other two of the sons of a bitter dab. Were they are in front and beside the cart and the cart was headed toward Jerusalem as the cart was moving one of the oxen's stepped in a hole and stumbled, and when that happened the cart begin to shake and the ark began to toddler back and forth, and us. One of the priests at one of the sons of ability they have reached up to stop it to keep it from falling down in the dirt and when he did he view he lost his life. The Scripture says that the Lord's trucking. David was shocked and absolutely bewildered. What in the world had God done. David did not understand this and David got angry with God and he and he got afraid of God, and he wanted to run from the Lord. Finally, David told his men to go and take the the ark and bring it to the house of Obed Edom and put it in that house and David said when God gives me direction then I'll tell you what to do. From that point on. That takes us to the passage that we are looking at the day off. Got five points only share with you.

Number one the regulative principle of worship. Look at the verses 12 through 13. It was told King David. The Lord has blessed the household of Obed Edom and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God to the house of Obed Edom to the city of David with rejoicing and with those who bore the ark of the Lord gone six steps he sacrificed in oxen of fat and animal.

The ark stayed in the home of Obed Edom for a period of about three months while that was going on. David was off by himself and he was deep in study he was seeking the Lord.

He was praying for direction and he was absolutely devouring the word of God.

He went to the fourth chapter of numbers and he found in the fourth chapter of numbers.

A description of and a plan of how the ark of the covenant was to be transported and he found out that when the ark of the covenant was transported. It was supposed to have have been covered with goatskin so that nobody could look into it and then the ark of the covenant was to be picked up by the priest and it was to be carried only on the sanctified shoulders of the priesthood when David read that he absolutely trembled. He should we have done it all wrong. We have copied the world we we have tried to copy how the pagan philistines have carried the ark carelessly carried the ark. He said we have been pragmatic. We've been expedient. We have done it the way the world did it. We did it the way it felt good to us. The way it felt right to us and in doing that. We dishonored God and we brought shame to his name. So David came out of the study pumped up and went back to the house of Obed Edom, and by that time, he was amazed at what happened.

They are, because the ark being there, the Lord just blessed amid immensely and he saw what God had done.

It was a beautiful thing.

But then David said, blessed God. This time were going to do it right and he said to them in this time were going to obey God and he taught them how to carried our count was to be transported as it was to be transported on the sanctified shoulders of the priesthood and he shared with them. I'm sure a sermon sermon on the holiness of God and I can just imagine hearing David say I was wrong to to be angry at God. I was wrong as I could be to fear God and to run away from him and to approach him as if I were a slave to him to a mean-spirited master. He said my God forgive me for that. The priest picked up the ark of the covenant. They took six steps and David stopped him and then David said, let's offer a sacrifice to the Lord, and he killed in oxen and they offered another sacrifice right there after only six steps to honor and reverence God. I spoke with you last week about the regulative principle of worship and what that means is, is that when we worship God, we are only to worship God in the way that he is prescribed for us to worship. We can't worship God. Just because it might feel good to us, or because this is kind of the expedient way to do it or this is the way the world does things in the works of the world, why not for us. No, the Scripture tells us that we are to worship God. Only in the way that he prescribes to be worship and you know what the Bible doesn't do that just for worship with the Bible gives us instruction on everything in life on our morality on our ethics on our relationships fix our culture in America has deteriorated into a cesspool.

I will be honest with A lot of the blame on that on the modern day church. We have not stood under the standards of God's word.

We have capitulated to the culture and Stephen Nichols tremendous book a time for compliments and use pastor Rob Vale is an example of capitulation. Rob Vale was given his opinion on Oprah Winfrey's TV show I want to just read you what said there. He said I think culture is already where it should be in the church will continue to be even more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2000 years ago as their best defense is time for the church to catch up. Vale says in order to do so we need to look past ancient letters instead of looking at the dusty pages of the Bible. We need to look in front of you at the flesh and blood people who love each other and just want to go through life with someone. Stephen Nichols said that Rob Vale was saying in this ignore the Bible. It's irrelevant to life in the 21st century capitulate to culture and cultural norms and cultural pressures. The cultures they are, let's catch up. Bill tells us joined by a tragically growing number of others. Vale can only see the surface. The present cultures blocking his vision.

Rob Vale is just an individual but entire Protestant denominations and Christian institutions were also choosing the predilections of culture over God's word, they care more about the drumbeat of our day than the very words of God when we see so many people changing their views. It can look like a time to capitulate, but it's not, let me ask you something. A question how important is the word of God to you personally.

If you miss a day of study in the word of God you feel dry if not you all to first Peter chapter 2 verse two says as newborn babes we are to desire the pure milk of the word in Psalm one it was David who said this Blessed is a man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standards in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night. First Corinthians chapter 3, Paul was jumping on the Corinthians, because of their weakness. He said by by this time, he set out to be able to to be feeding you the meat of the word, the deep things of God is to but I can't do that have to feed you the milk of the word because you're so weak in the Scripture in Hebrews chapter 5 the writer of Hebrews says by this time you ought to be teachers, but he said you can't teach because you don't know what the word of God has to say.

Our cultures become an increasingly anti-God and anti-Scripture, unless God intervenes with the miracle of spiritual awakening in our nation, and I pray to God that he will, but if that doesn't happen, America's going to fall. And America might fall, but you know what the true church will not. Jesus said on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. People stand stand for truth stand for the Lord standards do not compromise do not capitulate point to rejoicing in the Lord. Look at verse 14 to 15 and David danced before the Lord with all his might and David was wearing a linen effort. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord was shouting and with the sound of the horn yet. David was pumped up when he killed Goliath and he was filled with excitement when he went out and defeated the Amalekites and brought his family back home. He was really excited when they anointed him to be the new king of Israel. But those times were like nothing compared to what he's experiencing here as the ark is being carried and transported back to Jerusalem to be placed in the in the tabernacle he is. I can just imagine the tears rolling down his cheeks. He is so excited and the Scripture says that he is dancing before the Lord is not cut some convoluted fleshly sensual dance. This is not showing display of emotion is a genuine heart felt God honoring worship. I don't care for churches that focus on loud worldly flesh, excited, pretentious, self exalting worship, but I tell you this Blessed God.

If we can't get excited about knowing the king of kings and Lord of lords. And God help us, who will listen when you think about what Jesus did for you on the cross, how we suffered hit your hell for you. Does that not make you weep when you think about the resurrection. The mighty resurrection from the dead that he came up out of that grave does that not excite you and make you one. Rejoice when you think about being with Christ for all of eternity face-to-face with him worshiping him with all your heart. Can you just act is if it's no big deal, but we can't do that. I remember when I was first called in the ministry. My pastor Thurman Stone asked me if I would preach on Easter Sunday morning at 7 o'clock for men's prayer breakfast and I agreed to do so when the end and and on the front row. That morning there was a young man that had been saved for about two weeks. He was all excited. He was sharing with everybody that would listen to him about what the Lord had done for them.

So I got up in the pulpit not started out with Jesus in the grave and I looked at that young man, he was already get Nancy. I counted just kind of going around in this area and moving around in his seat. They are in and I looked at him and I started off with Jesus in the grave and I moved from Jesus in the grave and is moving toward the resurrection Annex could see he was moving along with me and then I said, low in the grave. He lay Jesus my Savior torn the bars away. I looked down at that young man his eyes as were as big as saucers and that I raise my voice. How's it up from the grave he arose with the mighty power slows us in Jesus came out of that grave alive 00 live in that young man jumped up in the air and he pumped his fiesta and he said.old everybody is, looked at Amon become sheepishly sat back down in his seat and when the service was over, one of the elderly deacons in the church, walked over to him said son what happened to you and he simple sorry said I am a new Christian.

He said this was my first Easter as a Christian and he said I just got excited.

He said Wilson why did you say hot dog.

You could've said hello. You're a manner or praise the Lord or something religious and he said sorry said I've only been a Christian for two weeks.

He said I don't know the language, yet he said I know Jesus and I love him with all my heart and little Deacon started crying and he said you know he said I think that hot dog that just came out of your lips was sweeter to the ears of my God than a hallelujah have ever said you know he was right. That's how David is feeling here.

He's not concerned about rocking the boat.

He's not concerned about how it looks.

He's not concerned about what people thinks he just excited about his God, what a beautiful picture.

Verse 14 says that David danced before the Lord, and he was wearing a linen effort. So this was not a fleshly type dance he had taken off his kingly garment and related to the side underneath. There was a priestly garment called an F and went all the way down to his feet. Why take off the kingly garment because he wanted everybody knows that he's not looking at himself like he's a big shot. He wants everybody to know that that he's just like they are.

These needs the grace of God just like they need the grace of God.

When we say that the day is the is that the grounds all level at the foot of the cross. Let me say this, when did David experience this all-consuming overwhelming joy of the Lord, when did he experience it when he went to the word of God when he studied the word of God when he when he obeyed the word of God. And when he obeyed the word of God with nothing held back.

He the that that's when things changed when he put himself all only on the shelf and he put God in his word to the forefront and God just blessed his socks off with joy when you ask you something you dealing with a a a a patsy and struggle of the pets in your life right now. Are you struggling with the which is spiritual frustration and you think well I just kinda got a hold onto a little bit of the world, and I got a hold onto a little bit of fleshly things so I can get at least some temporary happiness of friends.

God is better than that for you and I can promise you this. If you do what David did here you go to the word of God. You obey the word of God, you come to the Lord, with nothing held back giving your all to Christ, you can experience the joy that just like David had here obtained. When that happens when that takes place, then less loses its power when that takes place.

Alcohol loses its power. Materialism loses its power and bitterness loses its power.

Is that not what we want is that not war after they carry the ark up to the tabernacle. Mount Zion and then they placed it in that tabernacle I can't take sister .3.

Michael's contemptuous criticism. Look at verses 16 through 20 is ark of the Lord came in the city of David Michael, the daughter Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord and she despised him in her heart, and they brought in the ark of the Lord said in this place inside the tent that David pitched for and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord and when David finished offering, the burnt offerings and peace offerings.

He blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts, and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women a cake of bread a portion of meat take of raisins to each one, and all the people departed these to his house and David returned to bless his household, but Michael the daughter. Saul came out to meet David and said how the king of Israel honored himself. The day uncovered himself the day before the eyes of the servant female servants is one of the vulgar fellas shamelessly uncovers himself to. If there's any passage in the Scripture that backs up Paul's command for us to not be spiritually unequally yoked with each other. I think this is the passage David is just experience one of the greatest spiritual experiences he will ever experience in his whole life and his wife Michael didn't have a clue as to what's going on with David. She she hears a she's in the house and and she hears the singers and the dancers and the musicians and this noise, irritates her sick. She goes over the window. She looks out the window and there's David dancing before the ark. That's interesting in verse 16 that when she is mentioned she's not call David's wife she's call Saul's daughter think the Holy Spirit is making a connection with her and Saul was Saul like Saul a pasta sized Paul Saul turned away from the Lord. Saul turned away from the Lord God Jehovah and gave himself over to Satanic witchcraft. He died an idol worshiping heathen. He died a lost man. What about Michael, I see the same thing in her first Samuel chapter 19 verse 13 tells us that she had a stockpile of idols in her home. Richard Phillips of the following this unhappy marriage reminds us that when it comes to a believer spouse.

No amount of political or career advantage, no vast sum of inherited wealth and no essential beauty or social charm can compensate for a heart that is cold for the Lord and his calls. God designed marriage to be a bonded companionship involving the unity of body, heart and spirit.

They shall become one flesh. God said, yet without true spiritual companionship.

This unity serves more to cripple than to bless. For this reason, wise and godly men will remember the precept of Proverbs 31, 30, and all their thoughts of marriage. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised man I don't know about you but when I studied this passage this week.

All I could do was praise God for the wife that he gave me. I'm glad that he gave me a wife that sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm glad that me and my wife are equally yoked. I'm glad that I have a wife that understands the ministry that way and many times are gonna be times I get called out and I'm not able to spend time with her. Like I want to like she wants me to. And she doesn't resent that she prays for me and she encourages me when I asked Cindy if she would marry me. She went to her mom told her mom about it. Mom said how in the world are you going be a preacher's wife and and she said well I love Jesus and I love Doug. I think that's enough and it is enough. I praise God, the Lord's given me a wife that is on this same page spiritually as I am you know what I'm looking out to some men right now who can say the very same thing in that a blessing you have no idea what a blessing that is if you're not in that situation, but it's a blessed and most of us here today can say just that David could not say that with Michael.

The Scripture says here that Michael despised David in her heart and she went out of the house and she met them outside so she could publicly rebuking and she's talking with all the sarcasm and she says I'll look it.

David, the king of Israel has, and he honored himself today. Look at what he's done he's taken off his road in front of all these young ladies out here showing himself that he's no better than they are. Richard Phillips said believers who product prioritize worship in church life for sacrificially given them sales to world missions to talk about Jesus and his gospel in casual conversation or merely failed to conform to the interest and fashions of worldly society can expect to be regarded as social oddities or even dangerous extremist.

Our motives are likely to be misrepresented and our actions looked on with the embarrassed contempt with which Michael greeted David for failing to uphold his fleshly pride .4's David short reply. Look at verse 21 to 22.

And David said to Michael, it was before the Lord. He chose me above your father, and above all his tales to appoint me as Prince over Israel, the people of Lord and I will celebrate before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this and I will be abased in your eyes by the female servants of whom you spoken by them. I shall be held in honor. Proverbs 15 one says a soft answer turns away wrath. David did not take that counsel and there was a reason for that. They Michael his wife needed to be rebuked you not rebuking her because she a personally ridiculed him.

He's rebuking her because she doesn't understand the worship of the true and living God.

David said it was before the Lord, that I did this Michael is all concerned about decorum. She's all concerned about appearances. She wants David to to appear to be regal.

She wants him to have this and Biot's of of stapling this. What does David say he says no.

I took my kingly garment off when I am before the Lord, I am nothing but Yahweh's servant.

Then he said this in Yahweh chose me was he talking about their he's talking about the blessing of election. God chose you have had critics through my years as a minister who have criticized Calvinist and said you guys are nothing but a bunch of the proud and arrogant people talking to have God chose you all know the true crack Calvinist is not proud and arrogant. He is humble to the ground because of what cod is done for him. He knows that he's nothing. I know that I'm a sinner.

I know that I have. I have disobeyed and broken God's law. I stepped on God's heart of broken God's commandments. If anybody deserves hail I deserve hail but I'm going to heaven. Why not because I deserve it. I don't not because I'm good. Not because I put out special spiritual effort, but I'm going to heaven because God reached down in the muck in the mire of this world pulled me up either.

This nastiness washed me with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and gave me eternal life. In my get to brag, Michael B.

Arrogant, I got nothing to brag about but Jesus Christ himself and that's what David is saying here he is so excited about this and in first Peter chapter 2 verse nine Peter said the same thing.

He said this, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

David site was saying. Michael you don't have a clue. You can't understand the importance of worship because you don't understand the true and living God. Michael was all all called up in decorum and appearance in an ritual.

David said those things don't even matter.

What matters is your relationship to God and your fellowship with him very quickly .5. Michael's loss of blessing verse 23 and Michael her daughter. Saul had no child to the day of her death know what's going on here to David divorce her know what happened, I believe, and I think it's implied here that David cut off marital intimacy with Michael.

I think at this point in time, they did sleep with each other ever again. I think they work. Had they were related in in marriage so they were marital.

He related but there was no intimacy in their marriage folks. What a powerful statement to the church. Is that how you want to relate to God. You want to claim his name, but have no fellowship with him you want to face him at the judgment seat of Christ, and so will Lord, I'm sorry but I just didn't have time to worship. I didn't really want to give up the only day of the week that I don't have to work. I wanted that for myself.

I didn't want to take my my time that so special to me and spend it with my nose and the word of God, I'm sorry. God help us not to die like Michael and Baroness, and absolute misery. God help us to know and love Jesus where he is our everything are absolute everything is pray. Heavenly father Michael should put the fear of God into every Harkness room. She is a picture of nominal Christianity, which is not really Christianity at all. She was all concerned about the rituals, the decorum, the appearance that she had no real heart for God. The last verse of this chapter, lets us know that her nominal faith led to a barren fruitless life, no joy, no peace, no fellowship. She spent the rest of her life without marital intimacy. Dear God, have mercy on us, keep us close to your heart. Don't let sin become trivial to us.

Don't let worship become boring. May we hunger after holiness and may we be dissatisfied into you and you alone are satisfaction. May our kids see our dependency on you. May our spouses see our longing for you help us to worship you in spirit and in truth and make it real, not phony for us in Jesus precious and holy name we pray. Amen