Passionate Praise Patrol

Introduction

What is somethig that excites you to the point where you cant sit still?

Open up with Jay McSwain’s use of “passion” in his PLACE method.

His definitions:

“A strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm or desire for anything.”

“A burning desire for something that causes your emotions to rise where you desire it more than anything.”

“Something that energizes you to the point that simply doing it is your reward.”

But passion isnt always pretty. There are times when passion makes you look like the hero. That lifeguard who jumped in to rescue me when I felt myself going under water in highschool because I listened to my friends that encouraged me to simply push off the wall and not look down. Passion can make you look like the villian. You take away the latest gaming console. You confiscate the cell phone because your child has brought home grades that dont refelct their true intellect. There are other times, passion will just make you look like a fool. *you could sing to your wife here...

Ranger’s first baseman Nathaniel Lowe taking his shirt of during the parade following the Ranger’s parade celebrating their first World Series Championship

Focus: This passage presents a picture of a man determined to be in the presence of God and determinted to praise God.

Function: We are called to be passionate in our praise and service to God in the face of patrolling discouragement.

Big Idea: Praise to please God, not people.

Background (We need a new place!)

In chapter 5 David is 30 years old and the elders from all of Israel come to anont him as king. His reign spans over 40 years. It begin with seven and a half years in Hebron.

Location and Geography The ancient city of Hebron has been identified with the modern site Tell er-Rumeide (or Tel Hevron in Hebrew), which is located amid the modern city of Hebron or El Khalil in the West Bank. Hebron is situated along the spine of the Judean hill country approximately 37 miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea, 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem, and 23 miles northeast of Beersheba.

Charles H. Wilson, “Hebron,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah died in Hebron.

It was time for David to move and for the next 33 years he would reign in the capital city of Jerusalem. While Saul was king the ark of the covenant was neglected and located at Abinadab’s house. David wanted his kingdhip to be different and recognized that because it was the Lord who anointed and appointed him, it was the Lord that needed to be near him. The ark of God to be moved fromAbinidab’s house in Baale-judah to the new crib in Jerusalem. The issue is while David was so excited to transport what was the presence of God, he disobeyed God’s instructions in how to transport the ark of God. In Exodus 25 there was instruction on how to construct it and in Deuteronomy 10 there were instructions as to who was to carry it. David took the easy way out and just put it on an ox cart. When the cart tipped in 2 Samuel 6, Uzzah reached out to grab it and ended up being struck dead because the ark cant just be handled any kind of way by anybody. Dont let your excitement in serving God cause you to disobey God in the process. Samuel told Saul in 1 Samuel 15 “Obedience is better than sacrifice...”

After this occurrance, David was upset and fearful to bring the ark to his house so he left it at Obed-Edom’s house. But when presence of the Lord is in your house, blessings come. Word got back to David about how blessed Obed-Edom’s house was and he figured “I want some of those blessings, let’s bring it to the crib.” So here we are.

Praise Foundations

Definition from Janis (Productivity Guy): Praise is a form of social interaction that expresses recognition, reassurance or encouragement

Dr. Roger Barrier says “Praise is unidirectional. We praise God. He does not praise us. Praise is our acknowledgement of His power, authority, wisdom and worthiness. Praise does not require a response from the one who is being praised...Praise has to do with our telling God and others how wonderful He is. Praise has to do with shouting forth of his marvelous character, compassion, and marvelous creation, just to name a few of his powerful attributes.”

David’s praise was in the form of dancing (mə·ḵar·kêr (kaw-rar')— 1 Occ.) more specifically translated, whirling

Lisa Tolin at TODAY asked figure skaters from the Olympic team the question “Why dont figure skaters get dizzy?” "We do get dizzy, but we get used to it," Bradie Tennell, who won bronze with Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, told TODAY. "We just practice skating while we’re dizzy, and sometimes blinking a lot after you spin helps. So if I’m ever skating and you see me, like, blinking really fast, that’s why."

If professional whirlers get dizzy after whirling, what do you think a warrior king does after whirling?

“When the worship was in the proper order it was still filled with gladness and joy. It is a mistake to feel that “real” worship must be subdued, solemn, or only in a minor key.” https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-samuel-6/

David’s praise was directing. (v15)

Our praise should be influential.

Dont miss verse 14 though! David danced with all his “MIGHT” (‘ōz (oze) — 35 Occ.) strength, power (physical or personal, or social, or political)

examples:

Exodus 15:2 1st occurrance “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation...” (personal)

Judges 9:51 “There was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and citizens of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.” (its a physical location that serves a social purpose)

I would argue that in this transpiration David embodies all 4 manifestations

physical - he dancing (whirling)

personal - since we are introduced to David in 1 Samuel 16, the Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord was on him after he was anointed by the prophet Samuel

social - he’s demonstrating this in the presence of others

political - he’s the king

David’s influence comes with his position (king). It is a position of ultimate authority over his kingdom that has led men into battle, women into matrimony, and nations into subjection. But as David seemingly takes on the role of exhorter, it also leads the people into praise and worship to God.

Our God-given infleunce should be used to lead others to the tabernacle of praise, the alter of confession, and the cross of submission.

David’s praise was directed. (v.14,16,21 - “before the LORD”)

Our praise should be intentnioal.

Misdirected praise can lead to pride and pride Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18) When the people started singing Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands,Saul got angry, jealous, and malitious because he thought he deserved the praise.

Deuteronomy 10:21 “He is your praise and he is your God, who has done for you these great and awe-inspiring works your eyes have seen.”

Psalm 75:1 “We give thanks to you, God; we give thanks to you, for your name is near. People tell about your wondrous works.”

Jeremiah 20:13 “Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord, for he rescues the life of the needy from evil people.”

David’s praise was despised. (v16)

Our praise will bring investigators.

David’s praise was despised by Micah

David’s wife (should be his greatest supporter)

Saul’s daughter (David’s greatest emeny)

It’s one thing to be despised by an ememy; its another thing to be despised by family.

“Pirates look out for loaded vessels.” (Spurgeon) David was on his way home to bless his family and Micah got in the way to disrupt his peace and intercept the blessing of his family.

Its easy to watch from a window with a disposition of disgust when youre focused on people and not present in the praise focused on the Lord. There are too many window watchers in the church! Watching denomnational polity, watching budgets and buildings, watching congregational size, watching, political movements, watching outfits, watching, the length of the service, watching the types of songs, watching what they got on, watching…WATCHING and not WORSHIPPING

David’s praise was determined. (v21-22)

Our praise should have infrastructure

If a faith that fizzles before the finish was fickle from the start, then a praise that’s predicated on people or problems was simply performance.

David’s determiniation emanated from David’s reflection of God’s soverignty and faithfulness to him. David recognized that he had brothers that looked better than him when Samuel came to Jesse’s house, but God still anointed him. He recognized that his only invitation to the battleground with Goliath was to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers, but God gave him victory over the giant. He recognized that when the king wants you dead you’re dead, but God allowed him to escape Saul’s hatred multiple times.

“This expression of David’s heart showed that he had a genuine emotional link to God. There are two great errors in this area – the error of making emotions the center of our Christian life and the error of an emotionally detached Christian life. In the Christian life, emotions must not be manipulated, and they must not be repressed.” https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-samuel-6/

Beginning of close:

Oct 26, 1960: American League awards expansion franchise to Washington, D.C. following transfer of Calvin Griffith's franchise to Minnesota. Nov 17, 1960: General Elwood R. (Pete) Quesada's bid for the Washington franchise is approved by American League. Apr 10, 1961: President John F. Kennedy throws out the first pitch as 26,724 watch the Washington Senators lose to Chicago White Sox, 4-3 at Griffith Stadium in the franchise's first game. Over the course of the next 60 years this team expereinced many transitions from location changes from Washington D.C. to Arlington, TX, to name changes from the Senators to the Rangers, to changes in coaching and managers, and owners, and players, and stadiums. This team has expereinced 6 straight losing seasons and 94 losses last season. I’m sure people were talking. But while people were talking they began strategizing and they began paying, spending over $800 million over the last 2 off seasons. With such an astronomical amount being spent and a history making World Series win just a few days ago, people continued talking. But i got a chance to watch some of the parade just a few miles from here and its evidence that while for years people were talking, and while over the past couple years the franchise was paying, it all led to a position of praising. Ranger’s first baseman Nathaniel Lowe taking his shirt of during the parade following the Ranger’s parade celebrating their first World Series Championship. In the midst of the spectators, speculators, persecutors, doubters, and haters, he realized he has a reason to praise.

In a higher, holier sense, there are some reflections that you probably have about all the ways God has made in your life and that should build up an infrastructure of praise in your life to where people, places, and prediciments dont block or mute it.

Close

Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Hebrews 13:15 “Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.”

Psalm 150 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

There's a praise on the inside That I can't keep to myself A holler stirring up From the depths of my soul So excuse me if I seem a little giddy Or maybe even strange But praise is the way I say thanks