All right, get to see you tonight.
Here we are again, meaning together.
I to, I mean, second Samuel chapter six.
Second Samuel, chapter 6. You have your Bibles tonight, if
you're a person who does not have a Bible and you don't
regularly bring a Bible come, see the leadership and we will
help you get a Bible. Okay, we want you to have a copy
of God's written word and your hand and we are Advocates of the
white pages with black ink in it and red letter.
If you have the red letter version as well, and maybe we
will write a blog post or something about why that is the
case even in this technologically advanced age but
that is not the purpose. Tonight's meeting I want to come
to this chapter, ready with our hearts open, our brother prayed
but I think it's necessary to pray again.
As we have God's word before us afresh.
Well, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts that we get
to be students of your word of the full Revelation that you
have given to mankind. Thank you, that we are not in
need of a different portion, like other people in different
parts of the world who only have certain aspects of your truth.
You have given us and blessed us with the totality of your word.
We do not take this for granted. Well, we pray that you would
energize us that you would give us the grace to receive these
Truce that you would help us edify one.
Another that this meeting would not be interrupted free from
distraction Lord, and more importantly that we would sense
your presence and power changing us as we realize what you have
to say. We give you maximum praise and
honor, more importantly, not just in our singing, but from
our obedience to your instruction, in Jesus name, we
pray. Amen.
You and I have now arrived at a very captivating, very powerful
chapter in the book of second Samuel.
And the reason for that is because this portion of
scripture details David's campaign in retrieving, the Ark
of the Covenant, and to place it in the new capital of Israel,
which is Jerusalem as we discovered last week.
Now, just just for those who might have forgotten or who are
not familiar, the Ark of the Covenant that we are going to
read about is arguably, the most important piece of furniture
that was designed for the house of worship at this time in of
History, which was known as what starts with a t known as The
Tabernacle correct, not the temple, we're not there yet,
we're at the Tabernacle still a portable tent large enough to
have a few people in it but more importantly to have certain
elements and instruments within that house of worship that had
many significant symbolic representation and purpose for
that time for the nation of Israel.
But the Ark of the Covenant was something special it was known
as God's Earthly Throne so to speak and at times we see that
God Shows the ark to speak and give instruction to his people.
That's what he actually told Moses while they were preparing
to design it. This is where I'm going to speak
to you. And another key moments, we see
that this Arc, which is really a box.
It was like a chest was used to manifest God's power against
Israel's enemies, and there's many instances of that.
And one of the strongest ones that we know of is Jericho where
the ark was taken up, and they had to go around that huge.
He many times. And it was, it was God's
presence that brought about Victory and there's there's
different moments that. I'm sure you can recall.
But more importantly, the Ark of the Covenant had a lid on it
which was known as what The Mercy Seat, correct?
And The Mercy Seat was essential piece to the sacrificial system
of Israel. And it was the Ark of the
Covenant that would be engaged with.
It would be interactive with only one day out of the year for
the purpose of God, dispensing. Some measure of Mercy to his,
sending people, which ultimately points to Jesus Christ.
We know Jesus Christ, and the cross of Calvary is where we
meet God. That is where we experience God.
That is where we know God. That is the entry point, right
there. Many things, that can be said of
that in light of Jesus Christ, but we know that David here,
Wants it. He wants it because it's been
quite a while since we even heard of the Ark of the Covenant
and we will discover why in a moment, but David wants to bring
it to the political Capital. You know why?
Because as David has now been inaugurated, as the king, he
wants to make sure as early as possible that his people would
know that he's really not the king.
He wants his people to know God is really the king.
And so now he's establishing the spiritual center place and he
wants it near him and he wants to actually overshadow him.
He wants God's presence to be the very focus of his people
though. He will be the king for quite
some time. And before we get into these
verses and can, I be honest with you, I was overwhelmed with this
chapter. There's no way we're covering
this in one setting and that's okay, but I was just Vermont
because even in the verses that we will cover I just didn't know
where to stop almost. And so before we get there we'll
see what time does and how we will be led.
I'm going to read a few verses as we did last week and we're
going to open it up to see what What observations you make from
an initial reading you guys did wonderful last week and if I can
give any instruction, is as tempting as it might be to
really go on to share what you see, just just keep it minimal.
So just for the sake of time and and it was wonderful last week,
it was just Like one person after the next, I'm going to
read a few verses. I hope you have your tool belt
on and the to about this. What simple reflective
questions? What does it say about God?
What is this? A about men?
What new testament principles of I seen this Old Testament
illustration, what's the wider context?
That helps me understand, this, what are some details names
repetitions that? I see that can help me
understand God's emphasis, in this section of scripture verse
1, David again, gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 30,000,
and David arose, and went with all the people who were with him
from Bali Judah to bring up from there, the Ark of God, which is
called, by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on
the cherubim. And they carry the Ark of God on
a new cart, and brought it out of the house of abinadab, which
was on the hill, And uzza and Ohio, the sons of abinadab were
driving the new cart with the Ark of God, and Ohio went before
the ark and David and all the house of Israel were celebrating
before the Lord with songs and lyres, and harps, and
tambourines, and castanets and symbols.
And when they came to the threshing floor of Nathan, uzza,
put out his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it for the
oxen. Stumbled.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against uzza.
And God struck him down there because of his error and he died
there beside the Ark of God. A mixture of emotion, right?
What do you see here? And your initial reading of
this? What?
Things stand out to you? Yes.
Okay, so this is the first time that he gathered God's people
together. Sure.
Okay. So we see that the ark was moved
by The Oxen on a cart. When really, it's supposed to be
done another way, and we'll get to that.
It's a key important part. Anything else.
Okay, so we see, we really like an orchestra here.
We see this, this this procession and it was, it was
wonderful. It was, it was amazing.
Yes. Yes.
Lori had something. Okay.
So not just that, they didn't do it the way God, prescribed them
to carry this, holy this, holy Ark, but they copied somebody
else. And that's really the root of
this which is an important observation to this is a
familiar passage and I'm glad most of you here are
understanding what's taking place here, but we're going to
ask a little for fresh Revelation as well.
Anything else? Any other observations?
Yes. Yeah.
So this celebration quickly turned into a tragedy and I
think what we're going to learn is just because there is
exuberance and joy and noise doesn't necessarily mean that
God is happy. Yes, anything else.
Anything else is stands out? Okay.
Yes corgis. Yeah.
So there's a little there's something going on here with
Susana hiya. Why are they the ones who are
kind of leading the way for the ark to be transported to the
place of Jerusalem? Yes.
You were correct, there is a sovereign thing happening for
the ox to stumble. At this point, it's an
interesting place for the Sox to stumble and you'll see that if
you are with us until the end of this session, great
observations, anything else? Yes.
The Lord is teaching them obedience through a very very
hard lesson through discipline. Yes.
And it's going to teach us something.
Anything else? Yes, Grace.
Very good, David arose but the David seek God's guidance.
He's going to seek something but we're not going to see him
seeking God unfortunately. Yes, maybe a couple of more and
then we'll continue. Very good.
Did you hear that the emphasis on a new cart?
Now we talked already about the cart and new cart.
We're always enamored about new things, aren't we?
We'll see why that's dangerous for the church.
Anything else, great observations.
As you and I come to this text, this will be extremely
instructive for us in Understanding God's holiness,
God's holiness and how his terms of worship are what we subscribe
to no matter what the goal of our worship or Ministry or
planning or implementing is. And so as you and I come here,
We should also have in our Bibles ready.
First Corinthians or rather First Chronicles 13.
That will be a helpful passage to parallel this with because in
the first two verses we see that David gathered, all the chosen
men of Israel 30,000 and he arose and went with all the
people but it's in first Chronicles 13.
And the first few verses that we see in detail what David said
and did to get the people to join him in this project to
acquire the Since of God, symbolized with The Arc.
And so, look at verse 1, a first Chronicles 13 to understand
verse 1 and 2 of chapter 6 of second Samuel in a clearer way.
David consulted with the commanders of thousands of
hundreds with every leader. And David said, to all this
assembly of Israel, if it seems good to you and from the Lord,
Our God let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all
the lands of Israel as well as to the priests and Evite's in
the cities that have pasturelands that they may be
gathered with us, or to us. Then let us bring again the Ark
of our God to us for. We did not seek it in the days
of Saul all the assembly agreed to do.
So for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people, many
things can be said of this passage.
Let me give you just two one thing that stands out to me.
In light of this is how David brings to the attention of the
people that the Ark of God was not sought after during the
reign of Saul, That is an indictment, yet again of saws,
leadership as the nation's King. Because what this says, is that
for 40 years, there was no effort made by Saul to revive,
the people's concern for the things of God.
And I think a text like that is incredibly insightful to help us
understand the tragedies of this man's life, as well as the
nation's. Leave God out and watch what
unwanted things will come in. You cannot neglect God from his
rightful place and at the same time believe that you can be
exempt from Pain. Unnecessary pain.
At least chaos, confusion, oppression or division.
Saul, here is a very sobering illustration, and a wonderful
case study. Of the depths of the darkness
that you and I can discover when we fail to actively acknowledge
and honor God. That is true individually and
that is true on a national scale, happened to Israel.
And so here's what you have to understand, sincere worship,
joyful submission to God, is what stabilizes US.
It stabilizes your life, your heart, it stabilizes society.
And again, when you fail to place God, where he deserves to
be you open yourself and those around you to Untold disaster,
and that's what happened with sauce.
That is, you want to know why? Saw was the way he was.
You want to know why was such a dark period in Israel's history?
Because of this God was not in his thinking, God was not his
planning. God was not in his meditation,
God was not in his nothing and that translated to everything
else that happened in that period of Israel Nation.
But what's interesting here is the contrast David is the one
who is now initiating the project to say.
We need to get back to focusing on God.
He's the one who does it. But listen, he doesn't just
initiate it. He inspires a people to be a
part of it. And what I find.
So encouraging here is that all the assembly agreed to do.
So they said, let's do it. Let's do it.
And all it took was one person. One person to remind them, that
there is a God, and we are under him, and he has blessings in the
place of obedience. And there are curses in the
place of Disobedience. Let's get back in alignment.
Let's get back to pursuing, him and honoring him, and loving
him. And the people said we're behind
you. David It would be dishonest for
me to say that it will always be the case that one person's
godliness will awaken other people to spiritual fervor.
That would be untrue, but at the same time, the scriptures does
not does not cancel that possibility out, right?
The scripture even even pushes us to say, you know, if you
pursue the Lord with greater greater intensity, one of the
blessings that make come out of it as a others will also catch a
fire and they will also pursue and realize that there is a joy
in this place of putting God in the center, piece of who you
are. And that's exactly what David
does. His Zeal, inspired the Zeal of
others. And here's the thing, that's not
just true for David. That is true in the New
Testament as well. You know, I'm going through
second Corinthians in my personal reading and something
popped out to me in a portion of that text that people are a
little bit nervous around and it's a portion of Texas speaks
about giving right second Corinthians. 8, Second
Corinthians 9, but it's in 2nd Corinthians 9, that there is a
phrase. There that bless me this
morning. I want you to see it because
it's tied into this. So go to Second Corinthians 9
very quickly. And I want you to see verse 2,
he speaking to the Corinthian Christians and he is reminding
them of something that they've done whether knowingly or
unknowingly. He wants to remind them of
something. That's really, really important
for us to understand in our pursuit of.
Not just God, but zealous Pursuit Of God.
Look at verse 2. Fry know your Readiness.
Now pause what's he doing? He's reminding the Corinthian
Christians to be a part of this project to make a contribution
to the church in Jerusalem. That was that was in need of
financial aid. So he's teaching them but he
makes a personal by saying fry know your Readiness of which I
boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that aquella
has been ready since last year. In other words, they've been
ready to do this since last year they've been making
preparations. And for this offering a year ago
and he's telling the Church of Macedonia, notice what he says
and your Zeal has stirred up most of them.
Your Zeal has stirred up the Macedonian Church and you go to
Second Corinthians 8 and you see how great that Zeal was
Macedonian Christians at this time?
We're extremely poor and yet they best says, They begged.
Paul to be a part of this relief poor but they're saying, please
Paul don't hold us back from being a part of this.
We want to give to this relief. And what did that come from the
Corinthians? The Corinthians inspired that
Zeal in the macedonians and Paul saying hey you were the ones
that sparked this And don't lose your fire.
Now, it was because of you that the macedonians are getting
excited, don't lose your excitement.
Listen, I've met over the years, many sincere godly people who
love the Lord and they want to see their husbands love the
Lord. They want to see their wives
come to love the Lord with a passion.
They want to see their children be serious.
They want to see their group of friends that they grew up with
that. That struggle in are lukewarm at
times to be with them and pursuing God, right?
Are you one? Who says, if you're not part of
this church, or if you're a part of the church, I want to see my
church be more serious. About the things of God, I don't
want to just hear a message on Sunday and then talk afterwards
as though, God wasn't in the room.
If that's you may I give you honest advice and exhortation
from the scripture be fervent yourself.
Be fervent yourself first because at the same time, a lot
of these people who make these kind of comments and have these
desires are not at that place. I know that place that's not
always the case. But sometimes that is the case
and the lack of concern around them dampens their fire.
And so it's almost as though they are dependent upon others
to be at that place before they come to that place, that's not
how it works. It's not how it works.
And so if you want to contribute to the possibility of others
around you that you love Love. To be consumed with the things
of God. Well you get there first and
ride that wave long enough and don't be so sporadic yourself
and don't be so inconsistent yourself.
Do you want to know how passionate David was about?
The are coming to Jerusalem? It wasn't a two-week thing.
It wasn't a post conference experience.
It was so obvious to those around him.
That there is a psalmist who wrote in observation of David
Zeal, his desire for the arc, there's anybody know that song
what number it is. What song?
No, but you're close, not little bit more numbers.
You have to get into the 100's actually, Okay, you want to see
it? Psalm, 132 look at the first
five. Verses I want you to see the
description of David's passion. Because we all have different
understandings of what true passion is for.
God. Some people believe their
passion for God because they don't go to the bars on Fridays
and they come to Bible study. Well that's nice but notice
notice what? Absolutely consumed David.
In verse 1 of Psalm 132 a song of ascents.
We read remember O Lord. Here's what the psalmist says.
Remember O Lord, in David's favor.
All the hardships. He endured.
Yes. We studied all those hardships
and some not in scripture. I'm sure how he swore to the
Lord and vowed to the mighty one of Jacob.
I this is what David said. I will not enter my house or get
into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or Slumber to
my eyelids until I find Place for the Lord.
A dwelling place for the mighty one of Jacob.
That's the kind of Desire that Sparks something in those around
you. That's that's what can even Mark
and Nation. The psalmist here was so
impressed by, obviously inspired by the spirit to write about
this and you. And I have to understand that
it's that kind of, if that's, that's the kind of zeal that
will rub off on others and perhaps even cause them to be in
the same place as you or even exceed.
You and so, If there's no prayer in your home, be the first one
to pray. Right?
If your friends are not, if they're inconsistent from being
in this place and how they are outside of this place, initiate
something initiate conversations about the Lord initiate
testimonies, but more than anything else, just live it for
yourself. And you never know who might be
watching and who might share in that Joy because the salt of
your life has made them thirsty for Living Water.
I may offer also word of caution even in that, right?
Because the Temptation and the pitfall that somebody can have
in that pursuit of the Lord, with Zeal is to become
spiritually. Proud, that's the danger.
And so what happens is you now because you know, that there's
something different about you and that God does consume you
and you love the Lord and you Fellowship differently than
others and your priorities are different than others.
That can very, very easily cause you look down on others.
Did you notice the attitude in the language of David?
When he addressed his people to join him in this project?
Go back to 1st Chronicles, 13. What did he say?
How did he say it with tenderness?
If it seems good to you in verse 2, if it seems good to you like
that's that's graceful, that's inviting.
That's soft, that's attractive. And then you read, there's
another, there's another word that reoccurs over and over, let
us let us Let us let us. Let's do this together.
I'm no higher than you. I'm not greater than you.
I'm not Superior than you. Let's do this together.
I'm on the same level as you. And I want us to see the beauty.
That's, would you join me in this?
And so many people who are zealous can fall into the Trap
of actually being repulsive. because there's an arrogance
that comes with their passion and there's this sense of you
just haven't arrived to where I'm at, And guess what?
If you're there you already lost.
There is no hope for those around you even want what you
have? In fact, true Zeal, choose your
true holding. His true godliness, does not
need to be advertised, it doesn't, you don't have to boast
about what you know, or what you've done.
Fire doesn't scream, that's it and Fire doesn't put up,
advertisements in the neighborhood that I one of the
houses are burning, does it know people see the fire and it
attracts And I want you to believe that about your pursuit
of the Lord, you don't have to trumpet, you don't have to Glow,
you don't have to come to a place where you bully people, or
make them feel small because you're somewhere where they're
not. In fact, Davey here contrast
another king who had the exact opposite Spirit.
He was an extremely zealous King, he did a lot for Israel at
a time where many people would not do what he did, but he had
literally the exact opposite and he overestimated his
faithfulness to God? Does anybody have an idea who
I'm talking about? He's not, he's not that much of
a known character, but once you see this, you're going to,
you're going to realize why these two are Polar Opposites,
who is the king? Or the king that did so much
damage to Baal worship. Close, but no good, guess very
good jehu and jehu in the middle of this campaign of cleansing.
The land of Baal worship. Says something that really
stinks with pride. It's so unattractive.
It's so it just makes you kind of squirm.
And it shows you it's a reminder of the danger that even if you
are doing awesome things for God and destroying Idols around, you
yourself can make yourself an idol.
Second Kings. Look at this, is this one verse.
So simple, so clear. Turn those sacred pages to
Second Kings very quickly. I want you to see this in verse
10. Excuse me, verse 16 of chapter
10. He addresses Jehan adapt.
And look what he says in second Kings chapter 10, verse 16. and
he said, come with me and see my Zeal for the Lord.
If I was Joanna W what I said? No, thanks.
Come with me and see my Zeal for the Lord.
Region, whose life. He did wonderful things to deal
with the national compromise of his day, but as she sought to
destroy idolatry, he ended up worshipping his own Zeal.
Admiring his own Zeal. Elevating himself in comparison
to others. And it's the complete opposite.
Attitude, come with me and see my Zeal.
What did they even said? Let us let us, let us pure Zeal,
pure passion that is Honorable to God.
That will that will win people's hearts does not say, I know more
than you. I'm better than you.
You may not say that out of your lips and my slip here and there.
But it doesn't even say it in the heart. you realize even when
people are different levels of spirituality that you are, you
are just as susceptible as falling into that trap, you can
easily be in a season where you don't think about God at all,
almost And you know, that whatever is happening in your
heart, whatever is happening through your life is by the
grace of God, and you want others to share in the joy that
you have. Complete opposite attitude of
this man. And so we see here that as Jay
who pronounces house L is he is David wants to Simply allow his
life to do the talking and now scroll down to verse 31 of
Second Kings, 10. Look at how the holy spirit
gives commentary of J whose faithfulness and Devotion to
God, you ready for this verse 31?
But Jay who was not careful to walk in the law of the Lord, the
god of Israel with all his heart.
He did not turn from the sins of jeroboam, which he meet is.
Wilkinson. God had a different opinion
about jehu. Got a different opinion about
jehu and that's scary that we can think differently about
ourselves that how God sees us. And so I want to, I want to be
where God wants me to be. And I want I want to know more
than anything that God is pleased with what he sees.
I don't want to be pleased with what I see.
I want to know that God is pleased.
That is the safest place to be and I hope that is a place that
you will be if you want to see others come alive in Jesus
Christ, come alive in Jesus Christ and stay alive in Jesus
Christ. Long enough for people to say
that's the real deal. You know the reason why so many
can't buy into this, Because we don't, we don't stay in the
place of fervency, long enough for people to ultimately be
convinced. I can tell you this even about
the unbelieving world. When I was in college, I would
be teased. I would be persecuted, I will be
mocked. I don't want to sound like a
martyr because my suffering was nothing in comparison to what
other people are enduring. But I would tell you, I would be
made fun of in front of the whole class and all these
things. And this is the thought that
came to mind. Especially with a couple
particular people. They want to press me and they
want to, they want to squeeze me enough to see if what I have is
the real thing or if I'm willing to cave with a little bit of
pressure in my life. And would you know one of those
people ultimately after a whole year came and asked me, what is
it about? Jesus Why are you the way you
are? When all that time they were on
an Evangelistic campaign to see what I have is sincere and true
people watch and want to see, are you willing to cave?
Is this? Just a fad, are you going to
give in? Are you just like everybody else
that? Just yes one day no the other
stay there and watch out people will be blessed by it.
Second Samuel, chapter six, that's come to verse 3.
David was able to get this. This group of people, the
leaders, the people of Israel to be on their feet and now they're
going to the countryside to get the ark from the house of
abinadab in the countryside. And so they come And the careful
student, as many of already observed will already know that
there are red flags to this whole thing.
And the red flags is the way that they got the arc.
We read here, that the way that they got the ark was by placing
it on a new cart. And to drive that new cart to
Jerusalem, You heard it already. I'll just say it again, for the
sake. Of those who haven't heard God
had given clear instructions back in numbers, how the ark was
to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites and not just the
Levites, but a specific family from the Levites who's that
family? Starts with a k.
So we see here that there is a specific particular surgical
instruction and they just dismiss the completely They put
it on a new arc. And this is under David's
leadership. Where did David get this idea?
From somebody already said it but this is that anybody miss
it. Where did, where did he get this
idea from, to put this arc on a new car?
The Philistines, the Philistines capture the ark back and first,
Samuel. And after capturing the ark,
they realized you can't mess with this Arc.
In other words, The Arc can take care of itself because the
presence of the Ark in enemy territory brought about plagues
and judgment. They said we got ourselves in a
Messier, they send it back and the instructions were send it
back on a new cart. So it arrives on a new cart and
Makes you wonder if David being backslidden with the Philistines
for over a year, adopted worldly philosophies, during that time.
And now when he came to his chance, to bring about this
wonderful fulfillment of the Ark of God being Central again.
He slips into the place. A putting it on a new cart.
What's the lesson here? The lesson is very obvious.
Israel, use the carnal method to accomplish a righteous goal in
the Temptation. Here is the Temptation
throughout all generations. Because what you will see here
is regardless of the intention regardless of the, the ambition,
the desired goal. God is not just concerned about
what you're doing. He's also concerned about how
you do it. He's very particular, he is
Holy, he has clear instructions and so God is Not merely
impressed by us doing it for a god-honoring reason even or in
the name of God. He's given obvious.
Clear, instructions of how we should go about it, the ends
never justify the means ever. It might for others, not for
God, the result of something or the motor for something is not
the only thing that glorifies God.
The means is what he prioritizes more than anything else.
Despite the result, it's the means trusting in his wisdom
submitting to his precepts. Got have you said to do it this
way? Then we will do it this way. for
some reason, David doesn't Does anybody have an idea?
Why David used a new car? Why do you think he did it?
People debate, whether he was ignorant of the law or not.
People say, he knew very well what he was doing.
Some people say he would just wasn't aware of the part of the
Bible. You didn't show up to Friday
night that one night about what you do with The Arc.
Why did David put the Ark on a cart?
Can I give you my suggestion? Where was the house of abinadab?
The text tells you, huh, on the hill.
Where was Jerusalem situated? Was it a hilly area or is it a
flat area? Its mountainous?
So here's David's thinking it's much easier.
To go up and down these Hills and to carry the Ark of God.
It's much more convenient, much less effort and we'll even get
there faster. If we do this with wheels,
instead of depending on the shoulders of men, And the
natural man says, hallelujah Innovative.
Wonderful sounds great. But is it right?
It is not right, just because it's lighter, just because it's
faster. Just because it seems to bring
about quicker results. Does not mean God Smiles at it.
And that is the exact, well, a major reason why?
Christians and Christian Ministries today.
Do not completely rely and apply the word of God to how they
serve the Lord. It's more convenient to the
flesh. Why pray?
Why why fast? Why preach why?
Wait on God, when we can do this this and this and even see
things happen, At a faster rate. And so the church has to hear
what God is saying here. That we are always in danger.
Of looking at easier ways more attractive ways, it's new and
then, apply that to how we do ministry.
Do you know how many churches are encouraged to start their
churches to see their churches? Grow?
Would you like to know how? Here's a popular method, create
a survey go to your neighborhood and on that survey asks people
who are not saved or not regenerate who are not born
again, ask them. What would you like to see on a
weekly service at your local church?
And gather the data and try to and try to balance Holiness and
and worldliness and bring something that will bring people
and keep them and grow. The days of Simply trusting
God's word. Are quickly being replaced by
seeking that which is more convenient and appealing to the
Flesh and that's what you're having today.
If you didn't recognize it. What do you where do you think
they got this idea of preaching? Be replaced with shorter.
Ted Talk Like sermons. Because some of these Ministries
have been told, people want to be out of church by noon, they
have things to do, they have to go take care of their Garden.
They want to go watch the football game.
They got to go here, they got to go there so come on let's just
get it. Going communion service just do
it. Quickly just say a couple words
and she said we gotta go people have stuff to do on the Lord's
Day. Come on you got to be relaxed.
If you want people to be receptive you can't be so
confrontational. You just got to be relaxed.
And let people see that you're kind of like on a porch setting
talking back and forth and people's attention spans are.
Very not very large these days because of everything just the
day that we're living in. So just kind of give like one
key truth and drive it and look the Bible like it's complicated
and people don't understand the depths of it.
So just just buff it up with as many stories as possible.
You got to get footnotes though because then people will you
know they'll call you a heretic or unbiblical.
So where did this come from? Came from somewhere.
Came from the Philistines, that's where it came from.
And you, and I have to understand that.
This is a danger. More than ever today.
You know why? Because our brother said it, the
emphasis here is not just the cart, but a new cart new, new
new, new new new, right. And the time that we're living
in, there has never been a mass production at the pace that we
are knowing of newness. Right.
Just think about how many apps and Trends have come and gone in
the past five years things that were exciting and captivating.
Two years ago is lame and old and boring today.
And because we're people living in this kind of a world, very
easily can that stuff creep in and US say, we need to do it new
new. We gotta, we gotta freshen
things up, man. And so let's do virtual reality
church and let's baptize people and fake water.
People don't want to go and get wet and have to change and then
if they come in and their hair is not done, all right.
Virtual reality Church, um, Live stream.
Listen, let me say something. Okay.
Just because the world produces things does not mean the church
has to apply everything. Okay.
Just because the world produces things does not mean we have to
apply absolutely everything because we can get very we can
get a very tricky situations. So you know how many let me just
tell you this, you know, how many churches today as I'm
speaking are suffering actually. Most churches are suffering in a
post covid world because I'm a great percentage of those
congregations have realized they can do church and their living
room. And something that's a blessing
of people are watching. Now, God bless you, that helps
for those who are sick, who can't make it, who are injured?
We want to utilize that tool but if you're not careful, it can
substitute obedience. And so, just like the new cart.
I was just talking to people in the past few weeks people in
leadership in churches, large chunks of the people are not
coming regular anymore. Why?
Because it's just easier to do church when you watch and you
can do other things and get more done.
It's a new cart. It's a new car.
So be careful, be careful watching if you're a leader, be
careful, just because it's new just because it's a fad.
Just because people are talking about it.
Just because it seems more convenient, does not mean we
need to apply it to church. We got to go back to the ancient
paths as Jeremiah talked about. and so, We see in the remaining
of this verse and these verses the fruit, the fruit of what
happens when you do not subscribe and give yourself
completely to what it is that God says, how we should do
worship, how we should do ministry, how we should do
Christianity? Let me just give you two
observations notice in verse 5 and David.
And all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with
songs and lyres, and harps, and tambourines, and castanets.
And Here's what happens when you try to do it the Philistine way,
instead of the biblical way. You got noise but you don't have
true worship. You produce noise, but you don't
get true substance. You get large numbers and you
get a lot of activity, but it's void of the presence of God,
it's void of his pleasure. If you were to read that verse
in isolation, would you be impressed?
I might be. Wow, this is something very holy
that's going on, but you know what?
It was in God's eyes and empty production.
It was an empty production. It was literally just a show.
And that's what happens to a Ministry.
When it deviates from Total obedience to God's word it
forfeits true God honoring worship.
And we often make the mistake of being impressed by that which
which seems exciting, which seems loud.
They're shouting. There's clapping what an
exciting atmosphere. God must be blessing.
This place. Not necessarily not necessarily.
Here's a key example where you can have all of the hoopla.
God, not even be in it at all. But because we're very soulish,
we're easily persuaded by. What seems to be true success.
When in fact, it's a failure. It's a failure.
And so you have to understand something.
If you want to be one to measure yourself, more.
Importantly, if you want to look at anybody who claims to be
Godly, any Ministry that came to claims to be God.
Honoring, the, the basic thing you have to do is, is What's
Happening Here in alignment to the scriptures.
It's as simple as that, no matter how impressive it may
seem. Is it lined up to the word of
God. People always ask me how that
the Q&A. How do I know what's Church to
be a part of very simple. Look at all that they're doing.
And see how much they exalt God's word over it.
That's it. That's it.
I've talked to many people over the years.
All that place man. It has awesome worship.
What they mean is the worship. Band is really good.
Okay. Oh that place man.
I whenever that guy talks I cry, why do you cry?
Okay, you cry. That's my I can show you a clip
on YouTube of people crying. Because they believed that there
were Disciples of Jesus reincarnated and they were told
tell us about the crucifixion and they were telling them about
the crucifixion because they're part of a cult of a guy who
believes that he is. Jesus Christ return on the
earth, okay? You cry.
Is it lined up to the word of God?
Is it according to the scripture?
It's as clear as that. But let me, let me make this
point as well, because here's the opposite extreme.
Now, you have people who consider themselves fundamental
conservative serious, bible-believing.
A verse by verse and there's no passion.
Every time they come to church, you think it's a funeral
service. Hello the Lord resurrected from
the dead. And so you have the opposite
attitude to and here's here's here's what I want to say.
If there's anybody who should be exploding with joy and gladness,
it's those who are walking in the truth.
That's who and we see that later on where when David comes back
to do it the right way, he's dancing before the Lord not
recommending that But he comes to Jerusalem with great gladness
great gladness. So this shouldn't be this, this,
this weird divide, where if you are biblical and you are sound
your stiff as a board. But you have people here who are
not sound, who are not in alignment to God's word about
their passion, and their just emotional people.
So now what you have is you equate emotion with heresy, and
if you're serious in your Godly, you just whatever.
I don't get that. I really don't see that in the
Bible. So what happens when you do the
Philistine way, you got noise but you don't have true worship.
You want to worship do it? The way the Bible says, and let
the joy of walking in the truth, translate in the way, you sing
the way, you serve, the way you Fellowship, the way you
represent them on the Earth. verse 6 & 7, it's not just
noise, but we see here that long enough, you will bring spiritual
death, Let me read this to you again.
And when they came to the threshing floor of Nathan, uzza,
put out his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it for the
oxen stumbled. Somebody said it earlier, isn't
it? Fascinating that eventually The
Oxen stumbled and it wasn't on a hill.
It was on a flat surface, a threshing floor. and the point I
want to make is that when you try to do it a different way
than God's way eventually, it's going to disappoint you.
Eventually it's going to not work.
Something is going to go wrong and that's exactly what happens
here right? We see that God's holy work
cannot be carried but by Unholy means God's presence is
incompatible with us doing things in the flesh.
And so the ark stumbles, in such a way it jolts where it looks
like the ark is going to slip off and fall to the ground.
And the thing that you take out of here is that it's going to
Fail. It's never going to work.
And so let me give you an example of this.
When you have people who strategize and say, let's just
try to get the people in. And the way we're going to get
the people in is avoid the controversial subjects.
Let's not press on sin. Let's not talk about the current
events that deal with morality. Let's just let's just get people
to feel good, you know this what happens?
You get the place packed. I mean you can do it within a
year. You have a you have a
charismatic enough person, a really talented band with pretty
people. Oh, you're set And what happens
is you get people coming in and what not do you do when you need
to talk about those issues? What's going to happen now when
you need to address homosexuality, when you need to
address the biblical principles about gender, what are you going
to do now? And you have people as I'm
speaking who are in that dilemma because they did it by starting
and putting the thing on the, on the, on the cart and now when
they come down the road they realize well I don't know if
we're seeing true disciples out of this, I don't know which
they're seeing their social media posts or their
congregation. They're seeing what they believe
about political things that are dealing with morality and
they're scared. So now we got to talk about and
now The try to talk about it. They know that they're going to
lose most of the people. Well some might say, Well
they're never going to talk about it, then they'll just keep
using the same method. Fine.
You want to go down Road, that's what you're going to get death.
That's where you're going to get.
You want to stay in that lane. This is what you're gonna get.
You're going to get God's discipline.
And that's exactly what happens. Who's that does?
What to the arc? What did you do?
Touches it, God, strikes and dead.
What's the point there? Well, it didn't start with.
It was a touching, the art. It started with them.
Putting the Ark on a cart. One spiritual compromise will
always lead to another. Always. so here's what happens
when you're lenient and relax and when you, when you ignore
one tenets of the faith or one aspect that is clear in the word
of God in due time in order to maintain the hoopla, in order to
move forward and what you think is Success, you're going to have
to compromise on something else and another thing and then
another thing and then another thing until what God shuts, the
thing down, Enough is enough. And he disciplines.
And that's exactly what happens here.
They went from putting the Ark on a cart tuza now touching the
ark and God wanted to make an example of them and said, no.
And he turns the lights off. So to speak the party's over.
And more can be said about this but let me make this, let me
actually ask this question. Who are those who are in the
category of the most susceptible to making this mistake of being
light with God's word, you might be surprised by the answer.
Who are those who are most susceptible to meet being light
and Casual about the things of God, and the word of God, and
the commands of God, if you want to yes.
Very good. Did you hear the answer?
Those who are constantly surrounded by the things of God?
And how do you know that? Okay.
Personal experience, good. Well, that's good.
But there's another thing to according to the huh, nadav, and
avihu is another example. Sure.
But our example is right here, all you got to do is again,
remember your tool belt. You still have it on, right?
One of the tools is, how does the wider context, help me
understand this present portion of scripture.
We see here that 20 and Ohio were the ones who are driving
the thing, right? And uzza was the one who put his
hand. Well, here's my question
whoo-hoo. Are these men?
Where do they come from? Which house were they?
Were they a part of? I've been at that.
Have you heard his name before? yes, when First Samuel good.
When Okay, turn there to First. Samuel chapter seven.
I want you to see this for yourself.
First Samuel chapter 7. It's a good verse one.
And the men of curia, theorem came and took up the Ark of the
Lord and brought it to the house of who I've been a dab.
Okay. So they brought the ark to the
house of abinadab on the hill and they consecrated his son
Eliezer to have charge of the Ark of the Lord.
Now before we go to verse 2, so that is where the ark was for
quite some time. Does anybody know the amount of
time that the ark was in a been adapts home?
Very good. Next verse tells us, we see her
from that day. The ark was lodged from the day
that the ark was Lodge at Korea, theorem a long time.
Passed some 20 years who were whose own Ohio, the sons of
abinadab implying, what they grew up around the presence of
God. So, this is for those who grew
up in the church, this is where those who grew up in Christ
honoring home. This is, for those who heard the
name of Jesus as early as you can remember.
Okay, there's a danger for such people.
And the danger is so clear as a not.
I mean some of you might be experiencing it right now,
you're tuned out. This is like whatever.
Man, I hope. Now you're here on a Friday
night. Hope you're here for the right
reason. But we see here that the danger,
for those who grow up around the presence of God is that you fail
to proceed moving forward, in life, with great caution.
About how you walk with him. And so there is no more this
sense of a reverence for God. That's lost.
And there's a familiarity that causes you to flirt with the
line of outright this honor. And carelessness.
And so here's the thing, if you're a person who has grown up
in the church, And if you can be honest and reflect on your
growth in the Lord, if you're a growing more and more.
In different if you have lost that sense of awe, if you don't
tremble anymore, as God's word is being preached by men who
tremble. At God's word, you're in a
dangerous place. You are.
You're in like, code, red, alerts.
Something needs to happen to my heart because the opposite
should be happening in your walk with the Lord.
I'm under the conviction that if you grew up in a house that
feared and honored, God and 20 years has passed, You should
have every year, every moment grown, in a greater fear of him,
as you learn more and more of his Holiness of his love, his
mercy of his wonderful power, not the opposite effect. and
that is, unfortunately the case here and it is the case for many
These men were comfortable. They were casual.
They lost that sense of splendor.
And some might push back on what I'm saying.
Now by saying booza, these helping got out, I mean, The
Oxen stumbled and choose a put out his hand and he wasn't doing
an evil thing. He wasn't doing a vile thing, he
was doing a good thing. and so I'm just curious to know of
maybe this is your first time hearing it, maybe you've read it
before who here if you're honest and it's not a sin to confess
this was a little bit shook by reading about what happened to
choose us so quickly when he did this, anybody, okay, that's okay
if it's a case So you read this and you think Lord are, why did
you have to bring such Swift judgment?
Why something? So immediate no voice from
Heaven. No warning, no call.
Nothing. Well we already discussed why
God had laid out. So obviously in his word these
men should have known better but especially especially to Za
especially Ohio because here's my question.
Now, what was the predicament? What was the context that
brought the ark to his front step to even begin with?
Do you remember why it was that the Ark of the Covenant came to
the house of abinadab was it because they want some Lottery?
What was it? What was the context behind
that? The Philistines sent back the
ark? The ark comes back within the
borders of Israel. And then something happens
between that moment and the Ark being dropped off to this house.
Who remembers it. The people looked into the ark
and God struck 70 of them. And the people mourned because
the Lord had struck the people and they were fearful.
And they said, we don't want to handle this thing, so they send
it to the house of abinadab. And here's the point that I'm
trying to make Huzzah new that. So what I'm trying to make the
point, I'm trying to make is that who's had more than just,
the clear prescription of God's word telling him what to do with
the ark, he had personal experience.
He personally with his own eyes and his own ears, his old
upbringing was around the realization that God can
actually manifest his Holiness and judge God is not to be
played with God in a holy way, may use this word is dangerous.
He's dangerous around, casual attitudes around his presence
and he Dubai was another example.
He knew that firsthand he had the privilege and honor that
many of the Israelites would never known.
He grew up with the ark. You know how significant that is
only the high priest. Once a year would come into
close proximity with such a thing that Arc, I don't know
where it was placed in the garage and delivery, it was
close enough for him to see it and know, it was there every
single day for 20. So before we start charging God,
for being unfair realized who were dealing with here, this
isn't a stranger, this isn't just a teenager that doesn't he
hasn't matured yet? This is a grown man who knew
full, well what God was capable of namely what this Arc is
capable of. And he's still presumed that he
can put his filthy carnal sinful hands on the presence of God.
So we might be shocked to see what happened here with Sousa.
But humans have a tendency pay attention to this point.
We have a tendency to be surprised at the wrong things
that we read of in the Bible. We do.
We look at things. And we tend to question the
wrong side of the equation. And what I want you to
understand is that there is a better question to ask, then why
did God kill ooza so quick? You ready for this?
Why didn't God kill everybody? Why didn't God destroy them all?
Especially the leaders, even David who are organizers behind
this illegal procession. and so somebody, I heard the story of
somebody who asked a preacher Pastor.
I'm so conflicted by that verse in Romans 9, where says, Jacob I
loved and Esau I hated How can God hate, Esau?
Now, I understand hate to be a different way than how we
understand. Hey, we'll get to that when we
get the Romans 9 and like 2048, okay?
Jacob, I loved Esau I hated how can God Hades saw?
You know what the preacher said? That's not my problem.
My question is, how can God loved Jacob.
How can God love a Despicable deceiving Trickster?
Who continually Dishonored God for decades until he finally got
it. See, we're asking the wrong
question, a lot of the times and the cause of, that is a lack of
a mature and honest comprehension of the character
of God. In his Holiness and in his
majesty, while also failing to understand the absolute vileness
of who we are in comparison to him.
That's what it is. and the more you come into this word and the
more you realize who God is The last things you will be able to
question. Because it all falls into place
when you understand who he is. I think that's that's really the
reason because we look at uzza and we go how when in fact we
should be looking at God and saying how And the way we save
ourselves from doing what David did, what was David's reaction
to this remind me inverse a David was angry.
David was angry because the Lord had broken out again Souza.
That's what you have a lot today.
People angry at God, people upset with God, people accusing
God, how could you, how could you?
How could you? Why would you?
Why would you How can God allow
suffering? Let me give you a different
question. How can God?
So holy so pure. So brilliant.
Make a way for us to escape Eternal suffering.
I'm not, I'm not here to minimize legitimate questions.
I'm not here to say that, I'm not saying that that's proof of
a lack of maturity, but I'm saying when it, when it gets us
to a place like David where we become will become those, who
sit in the Judgment seat against God, that's a dangerous place to
be. And it's proof of a lack of
understanding of who God really is.
And so, David goes from anger to verse 9 to afraid.
He was afraid. This man was confused.
He was confused. He really was.
And you know how he's going to be rescued from this confusion.
I'm not going to take you there, but when you go to 1st
Chronicles 15, he realizes that the way we're going to do this
in a second attempt because the first attempt fail, this is
going to be a second attempt it by doing it by, do order, the
way that God laid it out. So that's how you save yourself
from a lot of confusion when you just go to the word, really.
But let me end on this point. Our brother brought it up and it
is a good point. Why do you think God allowed
this to happen, where it happened?
Where did it happen again? The threshing floor of naked.
What happens at a threshing floor?
Very good. What happens on the threshing
floors? You would have sheaves laid out
on a flat surface, and then you would have some oxen, or
different animals. And sometimes you would have
people with sticks and they would beat on the sheaves until
the hard external part is separated from, from the edible
part in other way. And another way of doing is that
you would take a mixture of things and you would take it
with a winnowing fork, and you would on a windy day, throw it
up into the air and the wind would blow.
And then the chaff would be removed and the grain would fall
to the ground and you would gather it as a harvest. and God
in the place where separation took place made a statement
There needs to be separation between the holy and the Unholy.
And I wonder if that click for them, it clicks for us because
we have the aerial view of the whole thing.
I wonder if it clicked for them in the same way that in life,
there are things that are separate and that's what those
laws are all about, by the way, you've probably heard it from
somebody who says, you don't believe that you should have any
approval of gay people. A, why are you wearing a
different piece of cloth? And why do you do this?
And why do you put grain in here and not the same agriculture?
Why do you do that? The whole thing is not about
necessarily. Just arbitrary random rules,
it's the principle of Separation.
That's what God is trying to communicate.
In those tax there is the uncommon, there's a common,
there is the holy there's the Unholy and in the place where
day-to-day activity took place, where there would be a
separation that occurred? God says, I want that in my
people. I want that for my church.
I want that in you. And here's the danger when we
refuse to after being exposed to so much especially after being
exposed with so much of what we grew up with.
We invoke God's discipline. We invoke God's discipline.
And here's what David learn and verse 8.
And that place is called Perez Souza.
Perez Souza to this day last week.
David named something else. Something what did he named that
place? Yeah, ball press seam, the Lord
of what breakthrough. So what did he learn?
Their God can break through like a flood and bring about a
blessing immediately in a second, God can turn things
around and the next chapter he realized Pres whoosah which
means breaking out again Sousa. That this God also can break out
in discipline. In judgment. and severity, and
not just in kindness, and David was angry at first He took a
deep breath. He was afraid.
He steps back. He does what the people did with
the house of abinadab, he takes the ark and he puts it in
another house, the house of obededom, and we will learn next
week. What will happen from there?
Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for this this
study for stimulating, our hearts Lord, we pray that in
this place. You would see a people who love
to obey the pattern of your word.
Help us in all things. to be able to say we do this because
God said, we do it this way because God said, we go this way
because God said, Lord. Would you rescue us from the
trap of familiarity? Would you keep us from coming to
a place where we can touch the arc?
we can defile that, which is holy, And without thinking twice
about it. Lord, we pray that we would not
be a statistic among those who become so familiar that we
become numb in the process because we've heard the stories.
And we know the gospel Because we've been to meetings and
enough conferences to hear these things over and over again,
where we lose our sense of the Majesty of Jesus Christ.
If anything Lord, would you be merciful enough that the more we
grow in years, the more we grow in our, aw, Lord help us resist
that temptation. Of the new cart.
As a ministry, as a church Even in our own lives help us hold on
to the ancient paths. And Lord though I may be slower
though may require more we want the true fruit of the spirit.
We want the true results that come when we trust the holy
spirit's leading and so, Lord, in this place, we gladly allow
you to separate us from the world.
We glad you. And we gladly invite you to
remove all the chaff We gladly invite you to say oh God make us
pure like you are pure. Holy Like You Are Holy, lovely.
Like you were lovely. And Lord help us really
understand. That even one person in this
place who is really committed and ignited by your spirit can
touch those around us without any effort on our part to try to
persuade them day after day. But just the live this out we
honor you we want to worship you tonight because you are the Holy
One you are awesome and mighty and glorious.
And we see you for who you are. We do not assume that you are
like us. And so, Lord.
We say how, how can you a mighty being be mindful of men to love
us, individually to care for us to actually have a plan for each
of Our Lives? That you have ordained before
the world was even created, how can it be that such a glorious
being loves us. So we are amazed that you Lord
that you would even consider saving us mere creatures that
came from the Dust. And you chose for us to be your
Abode. We are amazed at your presence
in Jesus name, we pray. Amen, let's stand as we close
together. Worshiping the Lord