Sunday Rewind 7.16.06

Here's a summary of yesterday's sermon. May God bless you as you consider His Word.

Scripture Lesson: 2 Samuel 6:1-19.

David learned a hard lesson about God's presence the day he decided to move the Ark of the Covenant from Abinidab's home to Jerusalem. His first attempt ended in disaster because David tried to place himself as the central focus of a fantastic military celebration. Success came only when David placed God's presence as the central focus of a grand worship celebration.

David's experience teaches some important lessons about worship.

First, worship isn't about us. We live in a culture that caters to personal preference. But worship isn't about what we want. It's about what God wants. It's not about what we get out of it. It's about us putting ourselves into it. Worship isn't about us.

Second, God cares about more than our attitude. I've often heard people use the excuse, "God knows my heart". How did that work out for Uzzah? Surely he had best intentions when he touched the Ark. Yet God struck him dead. Yes, God cares about our attitude. But apparently, He cares about more than just our attitude.

Third, worship is not a spectator experience. Entertainment is such a prominent feature of American life. And every Sunday, many people gather to watch a worship service. So did Michal. She was watching from the window, and got all bent out of shape at David's behavior. Worship is not a spectator experience.

Worship is a serious matter. It's not about the right order of service, style of music, clothing, furniture placement, architecture or any other "ox cart" we choose to place worship on. It's a time of celebrating how great God is. It's a time of listening patiently for God's voice. It's a time of responding to God's voice in attitude and action.

And when it really happens, worship is fantastic.