Life Of Celebration

Me

Today is the day our country celebrates Independence Day and today there are lots of celebrations all over this country

Today in this Church St. Croix is having a time of celebrations

And this can cause people to sometimes question

Should Christian people be having times of Celebrations

Now let me start of by first telling you all somethign about me

Basically I grew up in the church environment and I remember when I would go to churches and see how people are behaving during the worship especially the Pentecostal people -

You know pentecostal people are different

They noisy

The like to shout, they like to scream

I would be looking at these people during my early years of church and wonder - why do they have to get on so.

Why so noisy

I couldnt understand it

Here’s the thing

There are other christian denominations who will tell you that you are totally wrong to do that

In fact some organisations will tell you that it is wrong to have musical instruments in church

What kinda devil music you playing with having a guitar and drums in church

Church people are supposed to be sombre

Supposed to be quiet

Not with all this noise and jumping and screaming etc

Basically thats how I used to think as well when now getting started in chruch

We

Now I am sure that some of you sitting here today may have felt the same

Why all this celebrating and noise when you come to church

Why all this dancing and shouting

Why all this celebrating

Today it does not matter what is my opinion on the matter or your opinion about celebrating - let us look into the word of God and turn to 2 Samuel 6:16-23

God

2 Samuel 6:14–23 NIV

14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes. 20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” 23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

When I look at this scripture 3 things stands out about David

1. David had a reason to celebrate

In this biblical passage we find David dancing with all his might before the

Lord. David is dancing because he was finally able to bring the Ark of the Covenant

back to Jerusalem. It had been captured by the Philistines and David was able to

bring it to its rightful place. The Ark of the Covenant symbolized God's presence for

the Israelites, so it was very important to David. He was so excited he danced

before the Lord.

When people celebrate something they are excited.

You cant help but see it in their eyes

When a person scores a goal in football they take off their jerseys even though it gets them a yellow card.

They do no care because they have a reason to celebrate

2. Not only did David have a reason to celebrate - he chose to celebrate

2 Samuel 6:14 NIV

14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might,

For David he chose to dance before the Lord because he was so happy

So to those who say you cant dance in church - let them see that it is in the Bible

There is nothing wrong with dancing while you are excited about the Lord

3. David made no apology for celebrating

2 Samuel 6:20–22 NIV

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

Michal the daughter of Saul was disgusted with David and how he celebrated

You half naked and embarassting yourself

David looked at her and said you feel this embarassing - man i will behave worst if i have to

For David he knew what the Lord meant to him and his presence and he was joyful

You

So how does this apply to you

Just like David you have a reason to celebrate Jesus

Every single one of you know what Jesus has brought you out of

I dont know your testimony but you have a reson to lift Jesus higher

Some of you survived Covid some of you survived Cancer

Not only do you have a reason but you need to celebrate Jesus and let the World know what he has done for you

Make no apology for celebrating Jesus

Today the entire country is celebrating Independence and they are not apologiig for doing so

Neither should you apologize for lifting Jesus higher

so follow the example of David and celebrate the presence of God

We

Imagine what it would look like if we the church are known as a people who celebrate

People would want what we have

They would want this joy that is unspeakable and full of Gloy

Instead of gossipping and back biting each other - may we known as a people who celebrate together

it is clear from Scripture that celebration is a spiritual discipline that God desires for us to practice. It was never his will for Christians to live dry, boring lives and that is why we see celebrations both commanded and practiced throughout the Bible.

I would like to leave you with this quote

Richard Foster in his classic book, Celebration of Discipline,

Celebration is central to all the Spiritual Disciplines. Without a joyful spirit of festivity the Disciplines become dull, death-breathing tools in the hands of modern Pharisees.

Continue to celebrate and lift Jesus higher not just today but throughout your life