“The Big Bounce”
Pt. 2 - Bump Basics
Text:
1 Chronicles 13:1-14
David consulted with all of his leaders, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds. Then David addressed the entire assembly of Israel, "If it seems right to you, and it is God's will, let's invite all our relatives wherever they are throughout Israel, along with their relatives, including their priests and Levites from their cities and surrounding pastures, to join us. And let's bring the Chest of our God back—the Chest that was out of sight, out of mind during the days of Saul." (3 and let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.)
The entire assembly of Israel agreed—everybody agreed that it was the right thing to do. So David gathered all Israel together, from Egypt's Pond of Horus in the southwest to the Pass of Hamath in the northeast, to go and get the Chest of God from Kiriath Jearim.
Then David and all Israel went to Baalah (Kiriath Jearim) in Judah to bring back the Chest of God, the "Cherubim-Throne-of-God," where God's Name is invoked. They moved the Chest of God on a brand-new cart from the house of Abinadab with Uzzah and Ahio in charge. In procession with the Chest of God, David and all Israel worshiped exuberantly in song and dance, with a marching band of all kinds of instruments.
When they were at the threshing floor of Kidon, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah grabbed the Chest to keep it from falling off. God erupted in anger against Uzzah and killed him because he grabbed the Chest. He died on the spot—in the presence of God. David lost his temper, angry because God exploded against Uzzah; the place is still called Perez Uzzah (Exploded Uzzah). David was terrified of God that day; he said, "How can I possibly continue this parade with the Chest of God?" So David called off the parade of the Chest to the City of David; instead he stored it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The Chest of God was in storage in the house of Obed-Edom for three months. God blessed the family of Obed-Edom and everything around him.
2 Samuel 6:6 - When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, so Uzzah reached out and grabbed the Chest of God.
2 Samuel 6:12-15 - It was reported to King David that God had prospered Obed-Edom and his entire household because of the Chest of God. So David thought, "I'll get that blessing for myself," (Does anyone see enough blessing on your life that they want the blessing that you have?) and went and brought up the Chest of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David, celebrating extravagantly all the way, with frequent sacrifices of choice bulls. (KJV says offered sacrifice every six steps) David, ceremonially dressed in priest's linen, danced with great abandon before God. The whole country was with him as he accompanied the Chest of God with shouts and trumpet blasts.
Introduction
A wise man once said “An unexamined life is not worth living.” This message is about examining your life.
A. Someone else's cart won't withstand your bump.
The cart had worked for the enemies of Israel, but their cart didn't work for David. David's cart wasn't suited to handle the bump. David learned very quickly that you cannot ride someone else's cart. When the bump comes their cart won't carry you! David tried to copy the method and experience of the Philistines. It worked for them so he thought if it was good enough for them it is good enough for him. There is a prescribed way or in other words each man must work out his own salvation, relationship, experience with fear and trembling. You can’t make it on your mom’s, pastor’s, or best friend’s, spouses relationship or revelation. Just because the row you sit on got blessed doesn’t mean you can just ride along on the cart and go home testifying that your life has been changed if it hasn’t been. Just because the cart got the glory for them doesn’t mean it will work for you. Learn from them, but don’t try to substitute their ride for yours. Get your own presence. Get your own experience. Get your own relationship and revelation. Get the blessing for yourself! Invite others to go, but be so determined in your own heart that if you have to do it by yourself you will. We are cart coveters. We covet carts because it is easier than doing the hard work for ourselves. Too many of us are guilty of trying to live in the overflow. We never get in for ourselves we just hope and pray that some of the overflow will come to us. It is time to get your own ride! It is time to press in for yourself, worship for yourself, pray for yourself, read for yourself! What is God's prescribed method for you to get glory?
David found out that someone else's cart won't handle the bumps he would face.
B. Worship doesn't make a cart cool!
No more carts! That cart was a sin. That wasn't the prescribed method of transporting the glory of God. The people saw the ark on the cart and worshipped like crazy. The problem is you can't out worship a curse that you are bringing on yourself by direct disobedience. I won't tithe, but I will worship my way into a blessing. That is a cart attempt at being blessed! I won't serve, but I will worship a little harder in service. I won't break my addiction to porn, but I will spin and shout! Unfortunately as soon as the bump comes you are doomed for destruction because your cart won't handle the bump. You can't worship your cart into being approved by God. You can't worship your way into a blessing that your lifestyle contradicts. David's disobedience wasn't ignored because they worshipped. You will remember I said it like this last year . . . radical obedience in one are of your life will not dismiss radical disobedience in another area of your life!
C. Bumps are the threshold of harvest!
I want you to notice the timing of the bump that David faces. David's bump reveals a great truth that we must learn. It is right when David arrives at the threshing floor, the place of harvest that he experiences the big bump! Isn’t it interesting that the bounce always comes right at the place of harvest? Right at the place of breakthrough? If we would learn this we would quit giving up at the place of the bump! Hang on just a little longer. If you can hang on past the bump harvest will come! The bump can stop you if you focus on the bump. It never fails right when you think you are about to move into breakthrough and triumph the bump will come, but hang on! The devil knows you are on the brink and he is trying to get you to stop short! When you hit a bump you ought to focus on harvest!
D. Bump don't reveal weakness.
Uzzah means “He is Strong”. It doesn’t matter how strong you think you are you will hit a bump. You may be the most talented, gifted person in the house, but that won’t excuse from the big bounce. A bounce is coming. Some of us feel like we are beyond the reach of a bounce. Bumps expose the fallacy of strength! Some of us are too tough for a bump! Some of us miss blessings because we want to be seen as tough! In our weakness He is made strong! Our strength builds walls/blockades to His strength! Without bumps we would trust us!
E. Bumps are prepared.
A bounce is prepared for you. The threshing floor where the bump happened, according to 2 Samuel 6, was at a place called “Nacon”. Nacon means “Prepared”. Your bump is prepared for you. Why? Does God just enjoy knocking you down? Does He just want to make your walk difficult? No, He prepares a bump for you because God doesn’t want you to arrive at places that you can not occupy.
He bounces us to reveal our lack. Don’t despise the bump. Understand that God prepares those places to shake us. Otherwise we would trick ourselves into thinking that everything is O.K. and that God is approving of the way we are living because everything is going so smoothly. He prepares bumps so that we don’t prepare excuses! Prepared bumps keep God from having to prepare rescues!
You thought your thought life was O.K., you thought your relationship was alright, you thought the habit was unnoticed, you thought the attitude was overlooked but He prepares bumps to reveal areas that must be dealt with in our life. If we are to handle and contain the glory of God then He must confront us and shake us until we come clean. We think our bump not only took us by surprise, but caught God off guard too! Your bump was prepared!
Look at someone and tell them, “Your big bounce is coming!” The bounce helps us to get everything in order and in line. Don’t fight it. Don’t get scared. Don’t get mad about it. Don’t despise it. God is just getting your ready to handle His glory! If you are still being bumped, then it is an indication that God has new levels of glory and blessing for you to experience but He can't let you arrive in new levels with your old level of faith, relationship, and holiness (old wineskins can't handle new wine)!
Have you been bounced lately? Has your world been shaken recently? Don't despise the bounce even if the bounce produced death! The bounce is simply rattling you back to relationship!
F. The bump is supposed to bounce you but not stop you!
Too many of us never bounce back from the bump. We experience a tough moment and we stop and never move/try/attempt again. David teaches us to embrace the bump. The bump simply caused him to realize that he had to get it right. So 3 months later he returns.
Some of us need to realize that the bump was strictly go get our attention. It was a wake up call.
David goes about it differently this time. He gets the priests together and they sanctify themselves before God. This time he gets rid of the cart. He isn’t trying to get by on somebody else’s ride. He doesn’t let the applause and celebration mislead him into believing everything was O.K. Notice the other thing he does. The first time he just gets that ark and starts home oblivious about using the correct order. This time after every sixth step he stops and checks to make sure that the journey is being done right. For 7 to 10 miles from Obed-Edom to Jerusalem they stop after every sixth step and offer a sacrifice. There was still applause and celebration, but David stopped after the sixth step to check in to make sure everything was right and that they had God’s approval.
The big bounce you feel is an attempt to get you to stop and check in. The shaking, confusion, distress you feel is God trying to get your attention so that you will stop in your journey long enough to get it right. If you experienced a bump in your last relationship maybe that was to get your attention before you get into a new one. Maybe the bump at work was supposed to get your attention before you start the new job!
Have you checked your walk or have you thrown in the towel? The bump was supposed to wake you up to the fact that have taken too many steps. You need to stop and make sure everything is in order. Every 6th step pause, hesitate and see if all is well with your soul! (That is why Sunday is important you have taken 6 steps this week on the 7th step you need to check back in!)
I remind you of Romans 12:1 which tells us it is our duty to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. Annie Dillard said, “A life without sacrifice is an abomination.” It is time to stop and offer ourselves again. How many steps have you taken? It is absolutely essential for you to check in prior to the bump and then again after the bump! Some of you have endured a life altering, journey changing bump but have you checked in lately? Have you taken steps, made decisions, altered your path without stopping to check in! It is time to go back and make a sacrifice!
