More Than A Song, Part 4
Type: Sunday Morning Service
Series: More Than A Song
Sermon: Heart For Worship
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
Worship is more than just singing or attending church. It's about connecting with God in spirit and truth like David, the Biblical king who passionately pursued God's presence. We learned that worship requires order and reverence, but also enthusiasm and genuine expression. David's story of bringing the Ark back to Jerusalem shows us that to truly honor God, we need to actively seek His presence and make Him the center of our lives – just like the Ark was placed at the center of the community. At the end of the day, worship is about making God our number one priority.
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
A Heart for Worship
In discussions about faith and connection with God, the theme of worship arises prominently. The concept of worship seems to transcend mere practice and taps into the essence of our existence and relationship with the Divine. This piece aims to explore the importance of worship, drawing insights primarily from the character of David—a man celebrated for his heart for God.
Understanding Worship in Spirit and Truth
Worship is often described as ascribing worth or value to God. In John 4:24, it’s articulated: "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." Here, the duality of "spirit" can be interpreted as engaging with God at a profound level while also approaching worship with enthusiasm and sincerity. True worship requires order and respect within our expressions of faith.
The Pursuit of God’s Presence
The story of David highlights the necessity of pursuing God’s presence. The Ark of the Covenant, a representation of God's presence amongst His people, symbolizes this pursuit. David recognized that for any true relationship with God to flourish, his people needed to seek His tangible presence. This undertaking requires intentional effort, reminding us that God does not simply show up uninvited. Instead, our relationships with Him necessitate pursuit, just as David pursued his heart’s desire for God.
Setting Priorities for Worship
Establishing priorities in life can often lead to profound changes. According to Exodus 8:1, the purpose of God freeing the Israelites from Egypt was for them to worship Him. Worship stood at the forefront of their journey, teaching that God should be the center of our lives, much as He was central to the Israelite camp at Mount Sinai. David’s paramount desire was expressed in Psalm 27:4, where he emphasizes dwelling in the house of the Lord—showing that God's presence was his ultimate priority.
Respecting and Handling God’s Presence
An important lesson derived from the narrative of David’s gathering of the Ark is the proper handling of God’s presence. The incident where Uzzah was struck down due to a careless touch serves as a sobering reminder for believers today. God's presence is not to be approached lightly or casually. Acknowledging God’s holiness requires reverence, preparation, and adherence to His instructions. Just as the priests of old sanctified themselves, we too must prepare our hearts and minds before engaging in worship.
Preparation for Worship
Preparation is a crucial element of worship. The Bible recommends an intentional approach—sanctifying ourselves before entering into God's presence. This can involve practical steps such as preparing oneself spiritually on Saturday nights, incorporating worship music into our daily lives, and making a conscious effort to engage in worship with purpose. We are the temple of God, and our readiness reflects our respect and desire to honor His presence.
Displaying Passion in Worship
Authentic worship cannot be hidden. It requires an expression of passion and dedication. David’s enthusiasm in worship exemplifies how love for God can manifest as unshackled and unashamed adoration. Much like how fans exhibit exuberance for their favorite sports teams, our love for God should overflow into our worship. Embracing our freedom in worship means casting off any societal constraints and truly letting our praises resonate.
Conclusion: A Continuous Invitation
Ultimately, worship isn’t confined to a church service or a single moment of encounter. It is an ongoing lifestyle of inviting God to dwell within us even beyond Sunday. Just as David sought God's constant presence, we too must ask ourselves whether we have truly invited Him to be part of our everyday existence. Through passionate worship and a heart attuned to His presence, we can cultivate a divine relationship that flourishes in all aspects of life.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Reflecting on Worship
What does worship mean to you personally? How do you express your worship for God in everyday life?
Lessons from David
Discuss how David's story and his pursuit of God's presence can be an example for us today. What actions can we take to place God at the center of our lives?
Spirit and Truth
How can we ensure our worship is in spirit and truth? What does that balance look like in practice?
The Role of Preparation
How do you prepare your heart for worship? What are some ways we can better prepare ourselves to meet with God?
Worship in Community
How can our group or church do better at worshiping together? How can we encourage each other to make worship a priority?
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In this sermon, Pastor Tom focused on the importance of worshiping God in spirit and truth, mentioning scripture like 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 13, where David seeks to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem.
Historically, these passages are set in the time of King David, around the 10th century BC in ancient Israel. This was a period of political and spiritual significance as David established Jerusalem as the central place of worship.
The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred chest that contained the Ten Commandments and was considered the dwelling place of God's presence. Moving the Ark was not merely a physical act but a significant spiritual event for Israel, symbolizing God's tangible presence among His people.
During King David's reign, worship practices were being defined and formalized, with the Ark representing God's promise and covenant. Understanding this, the cultural and religious emphasis was on creating environments where God's presence was honored and revered, indicative of David's sincere heart for worship. This context helps us appreciate the depth of importance for proper reverence and preparation in worship that Pastor Tom emphasized.
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Introduction
Hey kids! Today, we’re going to talk about something very special—worship! Worship is how we show God that we love Him and value Him the most because He is so amazing! Just like King David, who loved God with all his heart, we too can have a heart for worship. Are you ready to learn more about it through stories, games, and crafts? Let’s go!
Scripture
We’re going to read from John 4:24 which says, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." This reminds us that worship is not only a special activity but also how we feel inside!
Craft: Worship Flags
Materials Needed:
Colored paper
Craft sticks
Markers or crayons
Glue
Scissors
Ribbon or streamers (optional)
Instructions:
Take a piece of colored paper—this will be your flag.
Draw or write something that represents how you worship God. It could be a heart, a cross, or words like "I love Jesus!"
Cut out your shape.
Glue the colored paper onto a craft stick to create a flag.
(Optional) You can add ribbons or streamers to your flag for extra decoration!
Once your flag is ready, you can wave it during our worship time at the end!
Game: Worship Freeze Dance
How to Play:
Play some worship music (You can use a popular worship song).
Everyone will dance freely while the music is playing.
When the music stops, everyone must freeze in place!
If anyone moves, they are out!
The last person remaining is the winner!
After fun dancing, discuss why we worship and how it makes us feel to express our love to God!
Discussion Questions
What does it mean to worship God?
How can we worship God outside of church?
What did David do to show he loved God?
Can you think of a way you can make worship part of your everyday life?
How does worship make you feel?
Wrap Up with Prayer
Let’s close our lesson with a prayer!
"Dear God, thank You for loving us so much. Help us to have hearts that worship You in everything we do. May we express our love for You with joy and excitement like David did. Thank You for always being with us. Amen!" -
Good morning. Good morning. I'm excited to see you here on a hot summer day I was telling everyone about four months ago. Ah, Vegas heat, Florida heat. What's the difference?
There's a difference. Just thought I'd let you guys know if you didn't know it already. There is definitely a difference. Today's message is entitled A Heart for Worship. And so I'm going to be speaking from my heart today.
I've always been a rather passionate and excitable person. My wife will tell you when that's about something good, it's really, really good. And when it's not so good, it's not so good. Passion seems to run in my veins. And so one of my favorite characters in the Bible is David, a man after God's own heart who can say amen.
I mean, he's a great example. And so you might say. An example of what, Pastor? Well, kind of. I don't want to say this is my theme verse, but this is kind of where I've been coming from over the last four weeks as we've dove into this series on praising and worshiping God.
And It's John, chapter 4, verse 24. And. And this is what it says. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. And so if you've been in the church for any period of time, you've heard at least one message on this scripture and maybe multiple messages on this scripture.
And it never fails to amaze me that every time I hear a message, there's just a little different twist of on it, which makes sense to me because we can't really explain God in one message. Who can say amen? There's just way too much about who he is and what he's like and what his character is. But we see from here that God is spirit. In other words, he doesn't have a body like we have a body.
He lives in a plane, a realm of existence that is above and beyond the physical existence that we all exist in. But it says that we need to worship him in spirit and in truth. So there are some theologians who will tell you that you need to connect with God at a spiritual level in order to worship him. And that is true. Okay, but then there are other theologians who will say that that word spirit actually has a dual meaning.
It means the spiritual realm, but it also means with gusto, spirit, excitement, enthusiasm, that you've got to give your all. If you're really worshiping God, who can say amen? But that doesn't give you license just to go crazy. You know what I'm saying? It doesn't give you license to do anything you want and say, oh, I was just worshiping God.
There needs to be an order to worship, and that's what this truth part is. Our worship needs to be based on what the Bible says is appropriate and orderly in God's house and in God's automobile and in God's homes and all of those kinds of things. So when I'm thinking about worship, we're probably gonna spend at least six weeks talking about the subject, and I'm discovering it's hard to explain. Worship is hard to explain in just one sermon or one verse. The English word worship, it means to ascribe worth or value to something.
And so when we worship God, we're saying he's worthy, he's valuable, he's the most valuable thing in the entire universe. But as we've been discussing the last two weeks, in the Hebrew language, there are seven different worship words, all translated praise. And each one has a different physical expression associated with it. There's singing and shouting and giving and thanking and bowing. Not borrowing.
Okay, don't borrow. Bowing and making a complete fool of oneself. I want you to think about that for a second. Have you ever made a fool of yourself for God? We've all probably made fools of ourselves, but have we done it for God?
So when I started thinking about that, what popped into my mind was the Greek word for worship, which is proskineo. And it literally means to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand. So here's the question that I want you to have in the forefront of your mind here today when it comes to worship. Are you a tail wagging, sloppy kissing dog, or are you a coy, uninterested cat?
No offense to you cat owners, but you did not buy a cat because you wanted to have a friend. Okay? You didn't buy a cat because you wanted to walk in the door and have the cat come up and jump in your lap and all that stuff. The cat doesn't even care that you're there, but your dog will make a fool of him or Herself. That dog doesn't care how long you've been gone.
That dog doesn't care how you've treated him. He will love you. She will love you to the very end. Who knows that to be true. Okay?
And so I want to be a dog.
Please don't make that one of the highlights for this message today. All right? That will not work out very well. So I was talking about David and how the scripture says that David had a heart after God. And so I was trying to find a David story that would communicate this heart for worship idea.
So I went back and I started reading through first and second Samuel and one and two chronic. And I came across this story of David going and getting in the ark in second Samuel, chapter six. And it's a beautiful story. It's about 20 verses. That's it.
And then I remembered, oh, the story's also found in First Chronicles. So listen, this story is so important, it's repeated twice, once in a shortened version about 20 verses, and one in a. Actually takes four complete chapters to tell the story, to help you to understand that there's a lot of time that went by in order for this to happen. So this is the story that we're gonna focus on today. Is David going to get the ark of God?
And it begins in 1st Chronicles, chapter 13, verses 3 and 4. This is what it says where David says, let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we've not inquired at it since the days of Saul. Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So I want you to get the picture here. Since the days of Saul, there's been no ark.
The ark literally represents the presence of God. And yet there's been no presence of God for a minimum of 30, possibly up to 40 entire years. Saul ruled the kingdom on his own. He ruled the kingdom in the power of the flesh. And David is saying, I don't want to do that.
So all of the focus, all of the attention is going back to get the ark. Now, when I say ark, I'm not referring to something like Noah's ark. It's not a boat. It doesn't float. It is a little fancy box about 4ft long and about 2ft wide, and it's inlaid with gold.
And there's two big angels that sit on the top. And there's, like, this little plate, it's called the mercy seat, that sits in between these two angels. And you actually had to put blood in that plate as a sacrifice. And a little blue flame, say blue. A little blue flame would flicker in between these two angels wings.
And it was the literal presence of God. It could be seen, it could be sensed, it could be felt. And David is saying, I'm going to pursue. Pursue God's presence. Point number one.
God's presence must say must. It must be pursued. I'm here to tell you that he doesn't just show up uninvited. You must invite God into this house every day. And listen to me.
I know he's already here. I know he's omnipresent. But there is something called the glory or the manifested presence of God that. That can come thicker and thicker and thicker. I want to be empowered by the glory of God.
Who can say amen? That's what I want in my life. I want to feel it, I want to sense it, I want to see it, I want to know it. And God says, it's available. If it's available in the Old Testament, it's available in the New.
Who can say amen? Okay? So God's presence must be pursued. Pursuit is one of the keys of true love. Without pursuit, there can be no real relationship.
Pursuit involves thoughtfulness, intentionality, investment. And all of this is on display in this story of David pursuing the presence of God. So I've pursued one person in my life with all my might. And her name is Robin, and she sits right over here, okay? And I remember 41 years ago, I was set up on a blind date to go out with this girl.
And we went out. We were out for less than three hours. And afterwards, my roommates, well, what do you think of Robin? And I said, you're probably not gonna believe this, but we're gonna start dating in January, we're gonna get engaged in the summer, and we're gonna get married in the fall. And that's exactly what happened.
But listen, listen, listen. I couldn't let her know that right away, right? They've got a term for that. It's called stalker.
And so I just accidentally showed up at her campus in the month of January. I was going there to visit someone else, and, oh, Robin, what are you doing here? I mean, this is called pursuing. Back then, stalking Today. All right?
So you gotta be careful about these things. But I remember when she. The school year was over and she had to go back to California where she lived. And I'm thinking, wait a minute, I don't like this at all. And so I'm like, what am I going to do?
About it. Well, I decided I'd call her on a regular basis. But back then, a one hour phone call cost $20. You guys remember that? I mean, long distance charges were ridiculous back then.
There were no cell phones, nothing like that. So I started writing letters almost every other day, sending out letters. Finally, I decided, you know what? I want to be in her presence. So I quit my job, packed my bags, moved to California, and I proposed.
Thank the Lord. She said, yes. But listen, this is exactly what David is doing with God. He is going all in, 100% with God. He was the king.
He could have ruled the same way that Saul ruled. But he said, no, I'm not going to do that. The only way I can rule this country is if God rules with me. And actually, if God rules me, who can say amen? And so he went after the presence of God.
Exodus, chapter 25, verse 22 says this. And there God says, I will meet you and I will speak with you. From above the mercy seat, from between the two angels which are on the ark of the testimony, David took God at his word. If I get the ark, I will be able to talk to God. If I get to the ark, I may be able to see God face to face the same way that Moses did.
So the ark represents literally God's presence. David was 100% all in. God became his number one priority. Now, listen, God's presence must be our priority. Amen.
I mean, this isn't something we should be casual about. U.S. news and World Report, about 10, 12 years ago, before they went out of business, had this article, 50 ways to improve your life. And their number one way to improve your life was to set priorities. They said, if you do this, you will figure out what's most important to you and the rest will simply follow. So do you know that the entire reason that God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, most people think it's to send them into the promised land.
But that's not it. Listen. Exodus, chapter 8, verse 1. Then the Lord said to Moses, go to Pharaoh and say to him, this is what the Lord says. Let my people go so that they may worship me.
Did you hear that? Number one reason why they left the land of Egypt was to worship God even before entering the promised land. And then they didn't go straight to the promised land. They had a pit stop at Mount Sinai, where they learned, Listen. To worship God, that was the whole purpose.
Now you might say, pastor, no, I think the purpose of Mount Sinai was to get the ten Commandments. You're right. It was to get the ten Commandments. And the first commandment is what Worship God. The second commandment is what?
Don't worship anything other than God. So the priority of the commandments is worshiping God. The reason for deliverance was worshiping God. And while they were at Mount Sinai, God actually rearranged the configuration of the 12 tribes of Israel. In other words, there were three tribes that he placed to the north, there were three tribes that He Placed to the south, there were three tribes that he placed to the east, and there were three tribes that he placed to the west.
And in the center was the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. He was teaching them that God must be number one. God must be the center of everything you do. Who can say Amen later on? David writes this in Psalm 27:4.
And this is unusual because David is the king. That means he has access to to all the wealth, all the money, all the entertainment, all the fun. David literally can do anything he wants. Listen to what he says in Psalm 27:4. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him all or pursue him in his temple.
David's top priority was God's presence. So much so that he wanted to spend all of his time with God and nowhere else. So it makes sense that in this story he's going after the Ark. Let's continue this story in 1st Chronicles 13:7 12. This is what it says.
So they carried the Ark of God on a new cartoon from the house of Abinidab and USA and Ahio drove the cart. Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals and with trumpets. And when they came to Chidon's threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him because he put his hand on the ark and he died there before God.
Just took all the air out of the balloon, didn't it? Did you get the picture? They're celebrating, they're worshiping, they're cheering, they're excited. They're doing this for God. And all of a sudden someone dies.
The next verse tells us that David gets angry at God. God's angry at them. David's angry at God. So you know what David does? He literally leaves God on the side of the road and takes his guys and they go back to Jerusalem.
He's pouting because God doesn't behave the way he wants God to behave. How much does that sound like you and I, where all of a sudden we don't get what we want and so we blame God. We get angry at God, and God is not responsible in any way, shape or form. Learn the lessons of this story. God's presence must be handled properly.
We cannot trifle, say trifle. We cannot trifle with God's presence. God is to be revered. God is to be holy. Remember the verse that we started this with.
God must be worshiped in spirit. Yet enthusiasm counts, but also in truth. It can't be one without the other. Both have to be apart. And hear this.
The truth is, God had already given Israel instructions on what to do with the ark. And Uzzah should have known better. Uzzah grew up in a priest's family. He had access to the word. He obviously didn't read it, because if you read it, you'll know what to do.
He carelessly. Listen. He carelessly disregarded God's instructions. It's sad because sometimes we do the exact same thing. How?
Well, when we have the instructions of God and we think he's obligated to bless us, even though we don't do what he says we're supposed to do, he's not obligated to do anything. Only if you follow the word. So, number one, don't carelessly handle God's presence. Number two, don't casually handle God's presence. They carelessly threw it on an ox cart.
They casually touched it with their own hands, even though they were instructed never to do that. You might say, pastor, what does that have to do with us? It has to do with us when we have habits that disrespect God in His own house. It happens when we are perpetually late for service again and again and again. Oh, it's only three minutes.
Oh, it's only five minutes. Oh, God will understand. Hear me. If we really believe that the king is in the room like we just sang about, would you really be late for an audience with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords? No one would be late.
By our tardiness, we are telling everybody we don't believe he's really there.
But what's really happening is we're disrespecting him. And so his manifested presence is not able to fall as heavily as he would like, like it. Because, listen, people don't die any longer under these circumstances. But the principles of the Old Testament still are true today. Today, something in the spirit realm dies.
Something in our relationship with him dies. When we're inattentive during praise and worship, when our minds are wandering during praise and worship, we're disrespecting God. And something doesn't grow the way it should grow. When we critically handle God's presence, it is a sad, sad indictment on where our hearts and our spirits really are. So let me help you with this.
Number two. Preparation. Must say must. Preparation must be made for God's presence. And after his initial failure, David took a different approach.
In verses 12 and 13, you find out that he did a little bit of research. He decided to look into the Bible and scriptures and talk to the priests himself and figure out what needs to be done before we flippantly just go and do what we think we can do. He said to them, you and he's speaking to a certain group. You are the heads of the Father's houses of the Levites. Number one, sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I prepared for it for.
Because you did not do it the first time. The Lord our God broke out against us because we did not consult him about the property order. Have you ever considered that, that there is a proper order to worship? It's not what we want, it's not how we feel. It's not according to our desires or whims or anything like that.
God is a holy God and He must be respected. In 2nd Samuel, chapter 6, verse 10, there's a little phrase that is used that is different from the Chronicles rendition. And it says this, that the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of hosts. In other words, we can't even say his name. We have to call it the God, the Name that we know him by.
We don't say it out loud because he's so holy. We actually should probably bow down a little bit. Maybe we should get on our hands and our faces a little bit. Maybe this is the way we should approach God. Every single time we come into this house, maybe we should be on our stomachs, on our faces, because he is holy.
Who can say Amen? That's the God we serve. Holy, holy, righteous, good. But they didn't even consult him. David goes on, and he prepares the place well.
First he prepared the priests and then he prepared the place. Do you Understand that you are both a priest and a place. You. It's not this physical building. You're the thing, you're the entity, you're the priest that needs to be prepared.
Prepared. We have an obligation to prepare ourselves for worship. We shouldn't come to church to worship. We should come to church worshiping. Who can say amen?
Listen, listen, listen. This starts on Saturday nights. If you go to bed at 2 o' clock in the morning, you're not prepared for worship. I'm just letting you know you need to get appropriate sleep the night before. You should turn praise and worship music on in your house.
As you're getting ready, as you're walking in the door. You should be singing, you should be celebrating. You should be ready to serve the unbeliever who doesn't even know why they walk through the doors. But they came here because someone invited them. Who can say amen?
And if we're not ready, how are they going to know? Know what needs to be done? See, first the priests had to sanctify themselves. The priests would go through this elaborate ceremony to cleanse themselves of all of this guilt. Now this message is not meant to make you feel guilty, all right?
Even though the devil's going to cause you to feel that way. It's kind of like this little four year old boy, he's walking along the beach with his father and his father, Father looks at him and says, son, where did all this sand come from? And the boy responds, I don't know Dad, I didn't do it.
This isn't to make people feel guilty. This is to liberate us and free us to true worship. Who can say amen? I mean, God wants us to know how to worship him and what's expected of him. The priests back then, they had to sacrifice animals.
Blood had to be shed on a regular basis because it did not cleanse men's hearts, literally. But Jesus blood has been shed. No more blood needs to be shed. Who can say Amen? He did it, died once and for all.
It never has to happen again. Repentance is always a good way to start our times of worship. Get clean, clear the air, ask for forgiveness. Second, David prepared a literal tabernacle to house God's presence. Now this is one of the most fascinating stories in all of the Bible and we don't have the time to get into that this morning.
But we know Moses tabernacle and how fancy it was. We know Solomon's temple and how beautiful and fancy it was. And David's tent Was nothing more. More than a canopy. Are you hearing me?
David's tent was nothing physically in comparison to Moses, tabernacle, and Solomon's temple. But you know what Amos tells us? That God is going to rebuild David's fallen tent. Not Moses, tabernacle, not Sabbath, not Solomon's temple, but David's fallen tent. What is going on here?
Well, we have to understand that we are the tabernacle of God. First Corinthians 3:16. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? Who can say Amen? The first time David went to get the Ark, they were plain church.
How do I know that? Because they literally copied the pagan way of moving the holy. Did you know this? So 40 years before, the Philistines defeat Saul in a battle and they steal the ark, they take it to one of their towns, and they set it next to Dagon, their God. And in the middle of the night, Dagon falls over and breaks his face.
And so the Philistines are like, oh, we don't think Israel's God is happy with us, so we're gonna put it on a new cart and just see where the oxen take it. And the oxen took the Ark back to Israel. That's where it goes. And so they believed that they had honored the Israel God by sending it back where it belongs. So all these guys do at the beginning of first Chronicles, chapter 13 and second Samuel, chapter 6 is they copied the Philistines by putting it on a new cart.
Listen, the reason why this didn't work is because it was the easy and convenient thing to do. Be careful. Americans. We want easy. We want community.
We want convenient. We want our services to last 20, 30 minutes, maybe 60 minutes. And we want to get out of here so we can get to lunch. God is not on our schedules. Who can say amen?
He's not on our schedules. God's way demands heart, not just the motions. The Ark. Listen to this. The presence of God must be carried on the shoulders of priests.
It must be carried. The presence of God is carried by you and by me. Sweat and sacrifice are an expected part of true worship. The scripture goes on. So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders by its poles, as Moses was commanded according to the word of the Lord. Are you getting this? You can have someone else bring the glory, or you can bring it in yourself. But it's going to take some work. It's going to take some sweat off suffering.
It's going to take some energy. David's initial effort was a desire for God's blessing without the accompanying burden. It is a burden. It is a sacrifice of praise to do what God wants us to do. It reminds me of this lady, she was cleaning out her freezer in the garage.
And I don't know how long you've had your freezer, so they can last for years and years. And so she'd lived in the house for over 20 years, and she found a Butterball turkey at the very bottom. And she pulls it out, and sure enough, the expiration date was 20 years previous. And so she called up Butterball and she said, hey, I found this turkey in the bottom of my freezer, and I was just wondering if I could serve it. And the person said, well, I don't know, I'm gonna have to get a supervisor on this one.
So that's what they did. They went and found out, and the person came back and said, you know what? Yes, you can serve it. I know the expiration date says 20 years ago, but if it has been frozen for 20 years, you can still eat it. It's still edible, but it's probably lost all of its flavor.
She goes, that's not a problem. I'll just give it to the church.
What does the Old Testament say? Only an animal without blemish, only the first fruits, only what is best, only what costs you the most. Hey, listen, I don't want to be rude or cruel, but I'm tired of getting bags of clothes dumped on our doorstep as if you're doing God a favor. If you're too embarrassed to tell us what you're given, maybe you should take it somewhere else, because God demands your best, not your leftovers. Amen.
I know this is harsh, and we. We think that we're doing a good thing, but do we really believe that? I mean, wouldn't it be better to go buy a person a brand new outfit than what doesn't fit you any longer? I know this is radical thinking, but listen to what I'm saying. Worship demands only the best.
Some people expect someone else to do the hard work of bringing God's glory to church. They act like the worship team and the pastors are the oxen and it's their responsibility to bring the presence of God. But I'm here to tell you it's your responsibility because you are the priest. First Peter, chapter two, verse Nine. But you're a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
God's special possession that you may declare the praises of his who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. So what happened after David did what he was supposed to do? Number three. Passion for God's presence must be displayed. Did you know you can't hide your love for God?
I mean, I've asked men this before. Women I've never had this problem with. But I've asked men, have you told your wife that you love her? And this is what the men will say? Well, she knows I love her.
What a stupid answer. I'm just telling you. No, she wants to hear it. You need to say it the same way that you need to say it to God. Not because he's needy, but you and I are needy.
And for us to get the benefit, because there is a benefit to worship, we have to do it in the process, proper order. That means we have to tell him, I love you. You're awesome. You're number one. I will make a fool of myself.
I could care less. Because he's the only thing that matters who can say Amen. He's it. There's two words I want you to think about as we start wrapping this up. Number one is unshackled and number two is unashamed.
There is a song by Mary. Mary. This is a. No. You know this song?
Huh? It's called Shackles. Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance. I just want to praise you. I just want to praise you.
You broke the chains. That's the chains of sin. So, you know, now I can lift my hands. I'm going to praise you and I'm going to praise you. Listen, worship is now about freedom.
Once we get the order right, it's about freedom from the past. It's about freedom from old traditions that shackle us. It's about freedom from even our own personalities. If our personalities are so shy and introverted that we're afraid of lifting the hand, God is saying, this is the one environment where you can do this. In Jesus name, unashamedly, who can say Amen.
Amen. Thank you. We're free from the prison of sin and death and circumstance. That Exodus story that I talked about earlier, it's really a study in the power of worship. To release people in order for them to be successful in the promised land.
The first thing God had to teach them was how to worship. If we really dedicate our hearts to worship, there will be no end to what God can do in our church. I'm just letting you know. Every seat in this house could be filled. If we learn to worship God, nothing else matters.
Programs don't matter. Songs don't matter. Buildings don't matter. We don't have to build another building. We don't have to put in another parking spot.
If we learn to worship God, hell can't stop what's going to happen in Jesus name. It won't happen. All we have to do is unashamedly, unreservedly worship our God. Sometimes I'm tickled when I go to a sporting event because sporting fanatics are some of the craziest people I've ever seen in my life. I mean, I remember going to a Minnesota Vikings football game like 50 years ago.
So this is a long time ago. And this is when they were, I think, at Met Stadium. So we were outside in the snow, the wind, the cold, and it was like 10, 15 below zero, wind blowing. And there's this game going on out there. And there's this guy painted purple.
He has no shirt on. He's going like this. Now, I'm sure he had something inside of him called beer. All right? You know, but.
But he's unashamed of this gigantic stomach painting his face purple. I mean, these guys, they put these big foam fingers on, they wear hats that don't fit their heads and they are screaming like banshees, but they love their team. How much more should the church love God? How much more should we love our Savior Jesus Christ? Worship isn't about being dignified.
It's about being devoted. The story concludes the. Like this. Second Samuel, chapter six, verse 20 through 22. So.
So David finally gets the ark back and he is blessing all the people. It says he blesses them all. So. So when the presence of God shows up, it's meant to bless everybody. And so he's blessing them all.
And then it says, listen. Then David returns to bless his own household. And Michael, the daughter of Sarah Saul, came out to meet David and said, how glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself. Now, listen. All he did was remove his royal garments and put on a priestly ephod.
That's it. In other words, he was identifying with the people. He was saying, when it comes to God, we're all on level footing. When it comes to the foot of the cross, we're all exactly the same. Who can say Amen?
It's not about position. It's not about wealth. It's not about any of those things. And Michael, his wife, was embarrassed that her husband acted in such a base manner. It says shamelessly.
So David says to Michael, it was before the Lord who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore, I will play music before the Lord, and I will be even more undignified than this. Therefore, Michael, the daughter of Saul, had not no children to the day of her death. Do you understand that barrenness for a woman back then was worse than death itself. So when you casually or carelessly handle the presence of God, it can result in something dying.
And when you are critical in regards to praise and worship, it can cause no fruit to be manifested in your life. We need to be careful in this one area. It is number one. It is the most important thing. Nothing is more important than this.
So let me close with this. David exhorts us to seek God with all of our might, to worship him with singing, shouting, testimonies, testimonies of his goodness, giving, thanksgiving, dancing, twirling, kneeling, blessing, rejoicing, raising hands and sacrificing. I want to reiterate this one point as we wrap it up, because it's so important. If we've not sacrificed, we've probably not worshiped every single six steps. Remember, they got the Ark.
They're about eight, ten miles away from Jerusalem. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. They put the ark down and they sacrifice. They sing, they shout. They put the ark back up on the shoulder.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. And they put the ark down and they sacrifice again. Hundreds and hundreds of animals, blood soaking the walkway all the way from wherever it was, eight to ten straight miles, all in honor of God. I'm here to tell you it cost them a lot. But listen, listen, I already said it.
This exhibition of worship is why I believe Amos tells us that God will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. This tent reflected the true heart of worship more than Moses, Tabernacle or Solomon's temple. It was personal. And it reflected the pursuit and the power passion of one person, David, to experience God literally 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, it was a canopy.
That means there was. There was the. The ark right there with the blue flame. Everybody say everybody. Everybody who walked by would see it.
There were singers and doorkeepers and worshipers that were asleep. Signed, singing, playing, sacrificing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I don't know how long it lasted. I don't know if it was a year, I don't know if it was five years. I don't know if it lasted until temple built the temple or Solomon built the temple.
But it lasted for a long, long time. And so David was looking for more than a Sunday morning visitation. He was looking for God to move in permanently. You are the temple of God. Have you invited him to live with you 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
