"IT'S A CELEBRATION!"

>>>Title of this message is “It’s A Celebration”-a message about worship.

>>>Worship is typically thought of as singing (praise), but it is actually a lifestyle. However this message focuses on praise.

>>>(Illust.)Growing up as MPK, other people always expected me to be just as musical/engaged as my family. Plus everyone always “getting on to students” for not singing.

>>>This actually turned me off to worship.

>>>It wasn’t until I actually began growing in my walk w/Jesus that I began to truly love the praise/musical side of worship. It was because of Who God is to me.

*I always make sure I am engaged in the worship time before preaching.

*The YG will have a time of worship.

>>>Worship is celebration but also reflection-singing, dancing, shouting, clapping, silence, tears, etc. can all be a response to God.

>>>This message is not to guilt/lecture/or manipulate people, but to look at Scripture to see what it says about the worship of God’s people.

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2 Samuel 6:12–16 “Now it was reported to King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy. And so it was, that when those carrying the ark of the Lord marched six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened steer. And David was dancing before the Lord with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet. Then it happened, as the ark of the Lord was coming into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she was contemptuous of him in her heart.”

>>>The ark of God/covenant represented God’s holy presence w/His people.

>>>The ark was taken by Eli’s son into battle as a good luck charm that resulted in their death as well as Eli’s and the ark being captured by the Philistines.

*Ended up in Kiriath-Jearim

>>>David sought to bring the ark back to Jerusalem but failed due to Uzzah’s disobedience-left at house of Obed-edom.

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2 Samuel 6:12 “Now it was reported to King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” So David went and brought the ark of God up from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with joy.”

>>>David finally had success in bringing the ark back to Jerusalem. This was joyful/happy occasion. DON’T MISS THE SIGNIFICANCE!

>>>The ark was essentially God’s presence, and Jerusalem in Israel’s capital. God was being brought back into the capital city of His people-where the power/influence flows, where the ruler belongs.

>>>Timeline of events

*Samuel was prophet/judge after Eli’s death-40-60yrs; died during King Saul reign; x years before King David

*The day Eli died was last time ark was in Jerusalem. The ark was out of Jerusalem at least 40-60yrs.

>>>David was bringing the ark up in joy because God was finally back in His rightful place.

THERE WAS JOY BECAUSE GOD WAS IN HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE.

>>>Joy is not a feeling as much as it is an attitude/way of living. Our joy comes from God being in His rightful place in our hearts. This is what stems our worship.

>>>Struggling to worship?-How distant is God seeming to you? What things have taken God’s place in your heart?

*This will affect our corporate/individual worship.

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2 Samuel 6:13–14 “And so it was, that when those carrying the ark of the Lord marched six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened steer. And David was dancing before the Lord with all his strength, and David was wearing a linen ephod.”

>>>David’s ceremony was one of sacrifice, dancing, trumpets, and shouting.

>>>(v.14) David danced w/all his might-everything that he had.

Psalm 30:11 “You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have untied my sackcloth and encircled me with joy,”

Psalm 150:4 “Praise Him with tambourine and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.”

>>>David was wearing ONLY a linen ephod.

*An ephod was a priestly vest of front/back piece attached and tightened w/belt. This was put on over priest robes.

*Linen represented the purity/holiness priests were to have.

>>>Interpreting all of it.

*Wearing the ephod-coming to God in purity/innocence

*ONLY wearing the ephod-there was a humility David had. He was not wearing royal robes. He had “degraded” himself as he worshiped, showing how he thought of himself compared to God.

*Dancing-David was unaffected/didn’t get to him/not worried about what was thought of him.

>>>This was all done “before the LORD”.

*Meaning “before”/“in front of”/“ahead of”/“in God’s presence”

THERE WAS PURE, HUMBLE, AND UNASHAMED REJOICING IN GOD’S PRESENCE.

2 Samuel 6:21 “But David said to Michal, “I was before the Lord, who preferred me to your father and to all his house, to appoint me as ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. So I will celebrate before the Lord!”

>>>David had a reason to celebrate.

>>>When we come together to sing, this is our time to worship God w/everything we have-to “disrobe” our hearts in purity/innocence worshiping God however led (hand raising, reflecting, singing, crying). We are in God’s presence.

*Job of worship leaders: proclaiming that God is here-let’s worship!

>>>Our praise to Jesus (corporately/individually) is just as important as Bible reading/prayer/serving/fam devos/evangelism.

>>>Tying back to “joy point”: a lack of worship is a lack of working (God’s working). God’s work in our lives is the reason we have to worship.

*Cannot worship if sin is present/not humble/concerned how we may look.

*There should be nothing but rejoicing for God’s people when we are in God’s presence.

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2 Samuel 6:15–16 “So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with joyful shouting and the sound of the trumpet. Then it happened, as the ark of the Lord was coming into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she was contemptuous of him in her heart.”

>>>There is another character introduced in the story-David’s wife Michal (daughter of Saul)

>>>She is watching “through the window”.

*She was not participating in anything that was happening in the city.

>>>She saw David leaping/dancing and was “contemptuous” of him.

*“contemptuous” means “despised”/“look w/contempt”. There was a bitterness she had toward David as he worshiped before God.

*She considered him undignified for what he was doing.

>>>There was no joy, no purity (bitterness/idolatry), no humility, was ashamed.

>>>It was said after her confrontation w/David that she had no child until she died.

THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT RESPONSES.

>>>David’s response-rejoicing; Michal’s response-contempt/bitterness.

>>>Not everyone is going to respond w/worship. They may insult, reject, or ignore.

*This is true of people on the outside of the church but can also include those on the inside-scoffing at the praise and worship of Christ.

>>>This is a true distance from God.

>>>You are either participating in the celebration and worship or looking from the window at a distance. This indicates a problem within your heart.

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>>>The people of God are a people of celebration and praise to God. It is the response we should have to the One we say we follow.

*Singing/reflection/crying/shouting/dancing/hand-raising/prayer.

>>>We see that David could dance in God’s presence because God was back where He should be, and David knew Who God was to him/he was to God.

>>>We also see Michal in the distance scorning her own husband-not paying attention to the work that God was doing around her.

>>>Worship is a celebration. Are you a part of it?