What's Your Problem With Praise?
Notes
Transcript
Attention Grabber 1
Attention Grabber 1
Do you know someone who does not know how to buy gifts?
buy underwear for a 7 year old boy on Christmas (unless it is Super Hero)
buy vacuum for Mom on Mother’s Day
we are going to talk about that today
Background
Background
God, David, and Me
David is continuing to establish his capital Jerusalem: captured it, fortified it, now making it the center of worship
to do this, David wants to bring the ark
God commanded Moses to build it over 400 years before
God gave him strict specifications
a wooden box 3 feet 9 inches long, 2 feet 3 inches wide and 2 feet 3 inches high. In it were the tablets of the law that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai, a jar of manna, and the rod of the first high priest, Aaron
this wooden box was to be covered in gold
have rings that poles could be slid through so that it could be carried and never touched
It was Israel’s most important possession, God’s presence dwelt there)
and David is bringing it to the new capital
There are two main questions for us to consider in this sermon
1st question: Is there a problem with YOUR praise?
1st question: Is there a problem with YOUR praise?
don’t think about my praise or your neighbor’s praise
the question is addressed to you . . . .
1 Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all.
2 He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim.
3 They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart
4 that carried the Ark of God. Ahio walked in front of the Ark.
5 David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.
everything looking good, going according to plan, even got a brand new cart to carry the ark
but one problem: not only was God very specific on the dimensions of the ark, God was very specific on how it was to be transported
it was supposed to be carried by the Levites (priests) - this was very clearly stated in Exodus and Numbers,
but David said I got this!
I know about the presence of God
His blessings are all over my life
God’s favor has been with me for a long time
I’m David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel
my songs are not just on on a top 40 list, they are in the Bible!
And O what a celebration! What praise! singing songs and a full band!
6 But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God.
7 Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.
but when they arrived at the threshing floor, the oxen stumble
the threshing floor was where you separated the wheat from the chaff, good from the bad, usable from the unusable
like going through a jar of coins and separating the money from the buttons, paper clips, peppermints
what’s going to happen when your Christian life arrives at the threshing floor? Will there be a “stumble”
what percentage of your life is really dedicated to God?
i know you praise him, but how sold out are you?
i know you sing, but how much control do you give God?
Uzzah reaches out to steady the ark, and God kills him!
seems unfair - but God did promise in Numbers 4:15 this would happen
who knows what else transpired during this event
in any case, the point for today’s word is that God was not pleased
When you get to the threshing floors of life, what you have ignored will come back to bite you
mine threshing floor (one of mine) was college
doing what I wanted to do - fun, party,
getting distant from God and could not hear his voice
God didn’t kill me, but about 3 years of life were wasted making bad decisions
8 David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.
9 David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, “How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?”
10 So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.
Now David is angry too
now it’s really his fault, but He is angry (just like us)
“How can I ever bring the ark?” . . . look at the rings on the ark, slide some poles through those
He knew the answer, but he is so disgusted, he basically says, “forget it then, take it to Obed-edom’s house”
ever get mad at God and send your blessing away
stop coming to church - could have got a word to encourage you
stop praying - could have received an answer
stop giving - could have reaped a blessing
stop speaking to someone - they were the one that could have helped you
calm down and be careful
11 The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.
12 Then King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration.
13 After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.
Obed-edom is blessed so much (and everybody in his household) by the presence of God that David said we got to get it to Jerusalem
notice this time that David has the ark carried!
there ought to come a time when you say, “Let me do it God’s way!”
Now you must address the first question . . .
Is there a problem with YOUR praise?
Is there a problem with YOUR praise?
are you like David?
You love God, but you don’t want to give him what he asks for, what he requires
or what take the time to find out what he asks for
David set it up well, full band and all, but failed to give God what he required
bad gift giver
you could spend $300 on NFL gear, send it to me in a NFL box, have it delivered
but if you put a Philadelphia Eagle’s jersey in there, I will not be pleased
in fact I will be irritated, especially since you know I told you I like the Cowboys
Is there a problem with your praise?
Yeah, you have decent church attendance, your outfit is on point, you’ve sing with the congregation, you raisedyour hands in praise every now and then
but you should answer the question, “Is there a problem with your praise?”
the wrapper/oustside is set up well, but the gift is not what God ask for?
Examples
Examples
Money - you are praising him well enough but not giving the Money he asks for
Letting your light shine - we can’t beat you praising him, you get into it! but after you leave these 4 walls, you are done with God till next time, lay Mr. or Ms. Christian aside - (back to acting a fool)
treat people - your praise game is on fire, you even hollered out “glory” one time . . . but you won’t forgive, in fact you plan on getting them back when the opportunity avails itself
praise itself - you just kind of do your own thing, “I’m more of a sway side to side kind of guy”
nothing wrong with swaying
but the Bible does say to sing, shout, dance, lift hands, make joyful noise
and you say, “but that’s not me”
that’s ok because the praise is not for you, it’s for God! Give him what he wants
I would Chambers a Washington hat, Jones a Indy shirt, Thompson a ram’s cup . . .
also notice that what God wants requires the Levites (priests)
some people try to please God apart from the church or apart from church leadership
I just kind of do my own thing, don’t want to be beholden to anybody
don’t want to acknowledge any type of leadership
I want the presence of the Lord but don’t want to involve the preachers or the church
you better give God what he wants!
quit trying to make your own religion!
not a Christian but a Bobian, Sue Ellian, Dimitrian
if you are God have at it
if i were to make my own, I would forbid husbands to ask their wives where they want to eat for dinner, we would just pick
but the Bible says, we are to love our wives . . . so husbands we just have to take it
what do you want?
it doesn’t matter, you pick, whatever you decided
how about Subway, uhhh I don’t want that
Boston Market, we had that two days ago
Popeye’s chicken, last time they were slow . . .
but that’s what God wants, so give it to God
just keep giving suggestions until they finally tell you where they want to go
just as important, note that what God wants is written down!
When we present God the gift of our lives,
the praise is like the outstide, the wrapping . . . and that should be awesome
but he expects that the contents on the inside (the lifestyle) to be what he asked for
as a Christian, you are the ark, carrying his presence (Holy Spirit)
your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
and he expects you to CARRY yourself a certain way
and if you don’t, there is something wrong with your praise, and your praise won’t make it pass the threshing floor
2nd question . . . .
Do you have a problem with MY praise?
Do you have a problem with MY praise?
does it bother you that I wave my hand, sing out loud, cry sometimes
do you think it is a little too much when I dance in the sanctuary
maybe you wish that since I am a pastor, I should be more dignified and tone it down a little
that’s the next question to consider
14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.
15 So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.
16 But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.
David is dancing!!! Hard! Jumping (warrior, he is athletic)
there is shouting and and celebration and horn blowing!
but everybody is not shouting!
David’s first wife sees something she does not like.
anyway. . . .
17 They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.
18 When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
19 Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes.
ark is taken to hit’s proper place
offerings are made
David gives gifts
all around wonderful service!
20 When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”
and when David returns home, Michal lets him have it!
embarrassing yourself in front of the servants!
all that dancing and leaping
exposing yourself - not showing nakedness but not wearing kingly attire either
you are the king, you should have had some sense of dignity!
again, the 2nd question . . .
Do you have a problem with MY praise?
Do you have a problem with MY praise?
remember the outward expression of praise is like the outward wrapping on a gift
do you have a problem with how I am wrapping my gift
you are like a husband when a wife buys a $5 gift bag for a $10 gift card . . . too much
I just want to slap that card in their hands
my wife, “I can’t give them a gift in this!”
but you must understand that God is God, and he wants it all
he is with the wives on this one
he wants and awesome gift (your life), wrapped awesomely (your praise)
the song says, “He deserves it!”
Why? David gives the answer. He “read” Michal
21 David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.
First of all, I was not dancing for the servants, I was dancing for God
my praise belongs to God
the God who chose me instead of your daddy! instead of your brothers
did he just say that!?
did he go there?
yes he did!
for some reason God picked me, so I WILL celebrate before the Lord!
I praise because God chose me! I praise because I am the king!
I praise because God blessed me! Kept me! Protected me!
David is saying that the the “higher” you think you are, the higher your praise should be!
and I have the same testimony as David:
God could have blessed somebody else, but he chose to bless me
I don’t know why God favored me like he did, oh but I’m he did
I don’t know why God saved my dad and I from a burning car when I was in the 2nd grade
I don’t know why God gave me a scholarship to college that I wasn’t looking for
I don’t know why God saved my son, Josiah when we thought Sherry had miscarried, Oh but I’m
I don’t know why over the past 10 years, 3 times God moved someone to give us $1,000 out of the blue, right when we needed it . . . oh but I’m
i’ve got to praise Him, I’ve got to try my best to live right, and gift wrap it up in some over the top praise
22 Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”
23 So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.
and you know what? Just talking about it is making me even more thankful
counting my blessings makes me more grateful!
you ain’t see nothing yet! I’m going to praise him even more
my dad says, “before I take my praise back, I’ll add more to it”
and you know what Michal, the servants will get it, they’ll understand
they will admire the fact that I know where my blessings come from
and Michal remained barren, childless
don’t know what all of that means
but I do know that if my praise is sincere, it’s wise to NOT have a problem with my praise
Call to Christ
Call to Christ
living in the age of making your own god and your own way to heaven
the true way to heaven, Christianity you don’t have to work your way to heaven and your salvation is guaranteed, yet people still want to make up their own way
just say, I believe in God
most think just go to church
most think just try to be nice
but there are written instructions
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
accept him as Lord, pledge allegiance to him
believe in all the suffer bled and died and rose again stuff
and you will be saved!