God's Presence

I would start by saying that I have read hundreds of christian books, listened to even more christian sermons and read the bible over the last 30 years and I thank each person, knowingly and unknowingly, who has sown into my life. My sermons are an amalgamation of all I have learnt.

• David made the decision to be in the presence of the Lord

• David loved God’s presence – Psalm 27:4

”One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.”

• David set aside time to be in the presence of God – 2 Samuel 6:1

“Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim.”

• We need to have a heart like David that seeks the presence of God. And when David brings the ark into the City of David we can see how he reacts to the event in 2 Samuel 6:13-14

“And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. Then David danced before the Lord with all his might and David was wearing a linen ephod.”

• David went six paces then sacrificed. Six is the number of man. We as ‘man’ can only go so far, in our own strength. We need God and here he sacrifices.

Worship

• As David ushers in the ark, he dances. He is worshipping God. Dancing is an outward expression of worship, using your body to communicate your heart the same as:

o Raising hands or waving a flag

o Kneeling or laying prostrate

o Singing or playing an instrument

• David’s expression was for God. He danced before the Lord, there were many people there but they were not his focus. God was.

Fully Involved

• David danced with all his might. This is not a half-hearted act. He was fully committed to the moment. When we worship in whatever form we should also be fully committed. No:

o Mind wandering

o One eye on the clock

o Scheduling it in the commercials

• Make the decision and do it with all our might. David was so free he didn't care what was happening around him. He was into it.

• The bible in Hebrew reveals it as:

o Force

o Boldness

o Loud

o Power

o Strength

Wear an ephod

• One of the misconceptions about David dancing is that he did it naked or in his underwear. This isn't accurate. The bible says that he wore a linen ephod.

• An ephod is what the priests wore. Why does the bible tell us what he wore? To show that he was in the dress, attitude and physically manifesting the act of ministering to the Lord.

• Our call is to worship and minister to the Lord. He took off his kingly robes:

o forget the fact that you may be a Pastor, Prophet, Teacher, Evangelist, Healer, Apostle, Leader or how well schooled we are in the Word of God.

o forget what the world thinks of you be it in reverence or scorn, your status or position

o forget our religion

• When all is said and done it is about us and God.

Result

• When we overflow with God, we overflow with others. We cannot help but give. David gave to:

o The children of Israel – 2 Samuel 6:18-19

“And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men to everyone a loft of bread, a piece of meat and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.”

o His household – 2 Samuel 6:20

“Then David returned to bless his household...”

• David like Moses was manifesting God. Moses’ face shone with the glory of God and David’s act of giving shone with the glory of God.

• We become givers of our:

o Time

o Money

o Ourselves

Comparison

• We have Michal and Michal was watching the ark of the Lord entering the city. 2 Samuel 6:16

“Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord and she despised him in her heart.”