The Road of Good Intentions

Title- The Road of Good Intentions

Passage- 2 Samuel 6:1-11

Attention- How many of you have ever bought a piece of furniture that needed to be assembled

From Walmart or Ikea

Maybe it was a simple bookshelf or a complicated entertainment center...

What is the first thing you do? You take a good long look at the picture on the box

That is your end goal

Then you open the box

You spread out all the parts

You look over all the hardware

You take the 50 page instruction book and toss it to the side and get building

Those instructions are only suggested guidelines…or worst case

I don’t know how many pieces of this kind of furniture we bought early in marriage and how much less stress would have been there if I would have just read the instructions!!!

I had the best intentions...

I was building what was on the box...

Most of the time I would skip a step or assemble something too soon and have to disassemble and reassemble and so on

What if I had just humbled myself and read and followed the instructions?

This is where we find David this week

Introduction

A lot has happened since the passage we looked at last week and where we are today.

There has been a struggle between David and Saul’s son Ish-bosheth

This is prompted by a man named Abner.

It leads Israel into a civil war

The Scriptures tell us in Chapter 3:1 that David grew in strength while the house of Saul grew weaker

Then Abner, the one who pushed Saul’s son to make a move for the throne, sees that David is growing stronger he deserts and joins up with David.

When Joab, the commander of David’s army, hears that he is at peace with Abner he is enraged because Abner killed his brother in a battle.

So Joab plots and and murders Abner

After the murder of Abner Ish-bosheh is assasinated

It is at this point, after all the bloodshed, that David becomes king over all of Israel…and shortly after Jerusalem becomes their capital

When the Philistines hear of David becoming king they want to challenge him and I think are a bit upset after the events of him living in their country and lying to them and taking advantage of them

David sought out the Lord as to how to deal with the Philistines and the Lord guided David to victory

This is were we find David this morning

I think feeling like honoring God for all that He has done to guide and direct David to this point

David decides that it would be a good thing to bring the Arc of the Covenant to Jerusalem.

And I would agree with David…I think that even God agrees with David

There is a problem though

And unless you pay attention you might miss it

What is the main driving point (CPS)?

Friends, right motives don’t override wrong actions

Why does the CPS matter, what is the consequence?

Transition

I. David had a desire to do a good thing(1-2)

Explain

The Arc of the Covenant was where God dwelt with His people during the wilderness wanderings.

It was between the cherubim where God’s Shekina Glory dwelt

Bridge to today

The Arc was the visual representation of God’s presence with Israel

Now that David walk of faith is back on track he sees God as the one doing the work on his behalf

Because of this David desires to bring the Arc to rest in Jerusalem

David, the king, now has a home and the Arc which represents the one who put David on the throne should be present in the new capital of Jerusalem as well

There is nothing wrong with David’s desire…as I said earlier, I don’t see why God would have issue with it either.

Bridge to today

There are moments like this for us today

You don’t have a chapter and verse but you know what God wants you to do

God works like this at times

Relevance

These are the moments where we need to be walking in step with God in order that we can hear his still small voice

So that we know Him and His Word well enough that we are assured that what we are desiring is in fact a good thing.

Why does this matter?

Once you have determined that the desire you have is good, according to the standards given by God, then you keep walking

When Joshua marched around Jericho it was a good thing.

But what if after 4 or 5 days Joshua said, I think thats enough…they would not have experienced one of the greatest military victories in the OT

They would have come short of God’s plan and desire for them

When God starts us moving, it’s our responsibility to keep moving until HE puts on the brakes

You are the vehicle by which God works in this world, God is the driver

In the same way that when your driving your car doesn’t decide to stop....or turn (at least I hope it doesn’t)

Similarily you are not the one driving....at least you ought not to be

God is to be the one in the drivers seat guiding you down the path He knows is best for you...

Transition

II. David did a good thing in a wrong way(2-5)

Explain

Yes, David wanted to do a good thing by bringing the Arc to Jerusalem...

The problem is that he did it the way HE thought was best, not the way GOD knew was best

Everything looks good on the surface...

What does David use to move the Arc?

Verse 3 A brand spanking new cart…probably state of the art…the best of the best

And in verse 5 they had all the house of Israel and musicians following along

It sounds like quite a parade...

As they are traveling along they hit a bumpy spot and the Ark shakes on the brand new cart

In response Uzzah puts his hand out to steady the Arc...

Like David wanting to bring the Arc to Jerusalem, this is not in and of itself a morally wrong action

But there is a problem...

David is going about doing a good thing the wrong way

Exodus 25:10-15

spells out for them very specifically how the Arc and all the instruments were to be transported

What is not in or ?

A brand spanking new cart

So on the surface what David is doing looks really good...

But the method by which he is going about it is all wrong

David was not only not following God’s standard…he was actually following how the Philistines would have done it

In THe Israelites bring the Arc to a battle with the Phillistines as a good luck charm and it gets stolen

Then the Arc brings the Philistines nothing but problems,

How do they return the Arc?

1 Samuel 6:7–8 KJV 1900

Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

On a brand new cart…sound familiar?

Relevance

Maybe you wonder, whats the big deal…so he didn’t use the staves through the rings and carry it, he used a BRAND NEW cart

The big deal is that GOD SAID...

It isn’t about what popular opinion says or what seems the best or even what we have done for the last generation

If God says there is a specific way to do something it is our responsibility to obey…accurately

Not in a way that is comfortable to us

Or a way that is convienient

His way!!

We are to follow God and His standards…not those set by the world around us

Bridge to today

There is a lot that goes on in the church that is based off of anything and everything except what God says

From music standards to worship styles...

As CI Schofiels says “The church is full of Philistine ways of doing service to Christ”

We are not to follow the world around us…we are to follow God and His Word

Why does this matter?

Why does all of this matter?

Lets move on the the third and final point and find out

Transition

III. There are consequences to all of our actions regardless the intent (5-11)

Explain

Because David followed after the Philistines and used a new cart instead of how God said…Uzzah reacts to the shaking of the Ark and puts out his hand and steadies the Arc

This is against how God directed them to move the Arc and Uzzah dies as a result.

Relevance

Did David have good intentions in bringing the Arc back? Yes

Did Uzzah have good intentions in steadying the Arc? Yes

But both actions were contrary to what God declared in His word

Regardless how well intentioned someone is there is a standard and if it is not met there are consequences

Does the consequence seem harsh…honestly, yeah..it does seem a bit harsh but I am not God

I am not the standard

Therefore I am not to question the direct commands of God, I am to obey them

Bridge to today

To be completely honest one of the biggest problem in churches today is the setting aside of God’s standards

Of making less of what He declares in His word.

You hear statements like...

A loving God wouldn’t send people to hell

We all worship the same God

I am a good person, I think God will let me into heaven

Why does this matter?

The problem is that we are not the one who sets the standard

God does

And He is the standard

The second problem is that there is nothing that we can do to meet His standard

We need Jesus Christs blood sacrifice on our behalf in order to be righteous before God

Romans 3:10 KJV 1900

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans

None of us, on our own can meet the standard of God’s holiness

Just go through the 10 commandments and see how far you get...

It is our sin that keeps us from God…that inability to meet His standard

Romans 3:23 KJV 1900

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

We have all fallen short of the standard God has put forth

But in His grace and mercy God sent his son to take our punishment in order that we could have our sins forgiven and have that lost relationship with Him restored

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Even in our sin, God loved us enough to send His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins

Maybe you are here and you are thinking, ok....I am a sinner, now what, what can I do

Romans 10:9 KJV 1900

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans

Call out to him, admit your sin, believe in Him and repent of your sins

You will then have a restored relationship with your creator

There are a lot of ways the world thinks are ok to get to heaven...

The Bible gives us one

Faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ

You can try your own way but there will be consequences

Or you can listen to God…through His word and know the truth of the Gospel

And experience the peace and mercy of God in your life

In a moment we will close with a song and if the Lord has convicted you this morning won’t you come forward and we will have someone pray with you…show you from God’s word how to know your sins are forgiven.

Review of the Principles and the Sermon Proposition

Challenge to act now (your part)…immanence

Visualize Audience Implementation

Final Statement

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes with me?

Closing Hymn