James O. Davis is the founder and president of Second Billion (TM). You are invited to learn more about Second Billion by visiting www.billion.tv.
TEXT: 1 Samuel 4:1-11; 2 Samuel 6
TOPIC: Bring Back God’s Glory
Theme: How to reveal God’s Glory to people today.
BRINGING BACK GOD’S GLORY
INTRODUCTION:
When was the most thrilling day of your life? When you reflect back on your life, what day stands out from all other days? The greatest day of my life is July 15, 1973. This was the day that I repented of my sins and became a born again Christian.
What day was the most exciting day in David’s life? Do you believe the greatest day for David was when he defeated the lion or the bear? Those were great days, but not the greatest day. Do you think the most thrilling day for David was when he defeated Golitha? That was a high water mark in the life of David, but it was not the greatest day of David’s life. Do you think the happiest day for David was when he was anointed king of Israel? This was no doubt a significant day for David, but again it was not the greatest day in David’s life. I believe the greatest day for David was when God’s glory came back to Israel.
There is no doubt that the greatest and most thrilling day in David’s life was when God’s holy presence returned to Jerusalem. The most outstanding day was when revival came to Jerusalem in particular and Israel in general.
Do you desire to truly experience the reviving presence of God? Do you desire for God to reveal His glory in the Church and in our cities and in our country? Will you practice the principles for the powerful presence of God to be revealed in your ministry and in your life? Will you miss this upcoming revival and spiritual awakening in America or will you choose to play a vital role in it?
There are five distinct principles regarding this late 1990’s revival that we must apprehend and apply to our live in order to bring back God’s glory to the Church and the nation. First,
I. WE MUST NOT MANIPULATE THIS REVIVAL POWER ( I SAM. 4:1-5, 10-11)
It is our privilege and responsibility to bring this world wrapped in the golden chains of gospel and lay it at our King’s feet. Any thing short of this is high treason in heaven’s court before heaven’s king. We have an awesome opportunity in America.
The ark of the covenant was a treasure chest of blessing. The dimensions of the Ark were about 4 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. The Ark was made of wood and overlaid with pure gold. On the top of the Ark was a solid slab of gold called the Mercy Seat. Out of the mercy seat were two Cherubim with their wings out stretched. In between the wings of the Cheribum dwelled the glory of God. In the
Holy of Holies, God would reveal Himself between the Cherubim while the Mercy Seat was sprinkled with blood from the paschal lamb. This was a holy sight.
The Ark of the Covenant led them out of barrenness, led them into blessing, and led them in battle. The Ark had divine power and energy. It leveled mountains, laid waste cities, and struck dead the enemy. The Ark led the Israelites from victory to victory.
Our passage depicts the Israelites in battle against the Philistines. The Israelites are losing the battle. They have already lost 4,000 men. The Israelites have become self-sufficient. Someone had an idea for them to go and fetch the Ark of God. As an after thought, they decided to bring God into their battle plans. They only wanted God when their plans had failed them.
The Ark was kept by two immoral men who called themselves men of God. Their names were Hophni and Phinehas. These two men were living in adultery. These two men had the unmitigated gall to bring that sacred object into the battle, that it may save them.
We are in a battle today. We need to disabuse ourselves of the idea that God will bless us in- spite of our disobedience. If we bring God into the picture while we are disobeying Him, He will engineer our failure. God gets more glory in the defeat of His carnal people, than He does in their victories. God is interested in not covering sin, but exposing sin.
From then on, the battle went the way of the Philistines. The Israelites lost 30,000 foot soldiers. Ichabod was the end result of their disobedience. The wife of Phinehas, before she died, said, “God has forsaken us!” The glory was gone.
Are we putting God first in our lives or “fetching” God when all else has failed in our lives? Will we make up our mind that God will be first in our lives regardless of what happens? What has to happen before will put God first in our lives?
In this revival we must make sure that we do not try to manipulate the power of God. God will use us; we will not use Him. He must be first in all our battle plans. We must not presume upon the power of God. If there is to be spiritual victory in America, God will have to give it to us. Second,
II. WE MUST NOT TRY TO MASTER THIS REVIVAL POWER( I SAM. 4: 11; 5:1-4)
In God’s Word, after the Philistines got what they wanted, they did not want what they got. When they got God on their side, they were plagued with rats, disease, and other things. Then someone looked inside the Ark and 50,000 were slain. When they tried to capture somebody else’s God, all kinds of problems came their way.
God can not be captured. We can not use somebody else’s God or someone else’s spirituality. We can not use someone’s prayer life to obtain victory. We can not use someone else’s Bible knowledge of God. We can not use someone else’s anointing of the Holy Spirit. We can not capture someone else’s power with God. We can not have someone else’s revival. We must make up our mind to have our own personal and corporate revival from God.
We are now in the fourth generation of Pentecostalism in America. The first generation generates. The second generation motivates. The third generation speculates. The fourth generation dissipates. Today, we must believe God to take us back to the first generation experience with God. This is the kind of revival we need today.
In America, we have second hand religion. We watch other people worship on television and to others preach. Yet, the message goes in our ears and out without reaching our hearts. We try to manufacture another person’s revival in our own life or church. This is second hand experiences. In this upcoming revival, we must ask God to each of our churches a divinely designed revival to fit each unique congregation. Yes, there will be similar God-given principles in operation. Yet, the practicalities will be individually tailored to meet the personality of each local church. If you try to capture somebody else’s God, you are asking for trouble. Third,
III. WE MUST NOT TRY TO MANAGE REVIVAL POWER ( 2 Sam. 6:1-5)
The Ark eventually ended up in Abinadab’s house. It was there for 20 years. Then, David wanted the Ark brought to Jerusalem. David wanted the conscience presence of God in his life and his nation. A whole generation has been raised in Israel without a glimpse of the glory of God. They have seen pictures of the Ark of the Covenant in text books, but not the real thing. They have heard about the revivals of the past, but not experienced it their lives. This is the same condition in American culture.
The following epidisode turned into an ignominious failure. The story ended up tragically. David try to transport the Ark in a way, that was contrary to Scripture (Ex. 25:13-15 ). The Koathites, a group in the tribe of Levi were the priests who were to transport the Ark by using the staves that were designed to go through the rings. The Ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the priests.
Yet, David set the Ark on a new cart. Where did David learn this? He learned it from the Philistines (1 Sam. 6: 7). The Philistines had given the Ark to the Israelites on a new cart. However, the Philistines did not know better. David should have obeyed the Word of God. David had wonderful men (30,000), good method (new cart), good music, great motive, but it was the wrong way to do it.
There is great danger in bringing Philistine philosophy into our churches and philosophy into our ministries. It is dangerous to try to manage the power of God.
We pray for the glory of God to be revealed, but will try to manage the way God does it and when God does it. Did you know that God has sacred methods? The following are some examples of sacred methods that are not be changed in the Church: Tithing; the local church; prayer; one on one evangelism; Bible study; corporate worship; preaching; the Baptism in the Holy Spirit; and many more.
In this revival, we must be willing to allow God to give us the methods for building the local church. Most of these methods are in the Bible. They are unchanging. Years ago, we use to use the saying, "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." Yet, it is settled whether we believe it or not. God is not asking us for our opinion. There are sacred methods to experiencing revival in the Church and an awakening in our nation. Fourth,
IV. WE MUST NOT MINIMIZE REVIVAL POWER ( 2 Sam. 6:6-7)
As the story continues, the cart is making its way to Jerusalem. Everything is fine until the cart it a rough spot in the road. How do you respond to God went you hit a rough spot in the road? Do you still honor God?
Uzzah laid unholy hands on a holy thing. He trivialized God. In Numbers 4:15, God had given a solemn warning. He said, "If thou shalt touch any holy thing, thou shalt die."
Are you spiritual kamikaze? Are you trivializing the holiness of God? If we lay unholy hands on holy things, we will minister death instead of life.
The Scripture indicates that David is upset with God over the death of Uzzah. Yet, David knew how the Ark was to be transported. David refuses to take the Ark any further. He sees Obed-Edom’s house. The ark is taken to Obed-Edom’s house.
Obed-Edom has to decide what he is going to do with the Ark. He is allowed to house the Ark because he is a Levite. He has to decide to where he is going to put the Ark. They carry the Ark into the house of Obed-Edom.
The Bible states that God blessed Obed-Edom and everything that pertain unto his household because God was in their house. Mom and dad got along better. The family was happier. The money went further. The children got along with each better other and their parents. Revival came to their home. Do you revival in your home? Do you desire for it to be known in your neighborhood that God is visiting and blessing your home? In this revival God wants to bring miracles to marriages and change the very character of our lives. Fifth,
V. WE MUST NOT MISAPPROIATE THIS REVIVAL POWER ( 2 Sam. 6:14-22)
The day comes when David hears about the revival in Obed-Edom’s house. So, David knows it is time for Jerusalem and Israel to experience the glory of God. David leads his people in revival. Imagine the scene. The Ark is taken from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem. This is front of the procession of 30,000 men. He is not wearing his kingly robe or crown, but only a linen ephod. David was illustrating to his people that in the presence of the King of kings, we are all servants. There are no big shots or little shots in true revival.
Every body enjoyed this new revival in Jerusalem except one person. This person was David’s wife Michal. She did no like revival meetings. Michal was trying to systemize and formalize God. The root problem was she was filled with spiritual pride. Michal was upset because David was happy about worshiping God.
While Michal was up in her ivory tower, the ordinary people were down below.
Michal despised David in her heart. Her dignity will not allow her to enjoy the greatest day Israel. Michal did not know the difference between dignity and rigermorteous. Do you?
CONCLUSION:
Will you miss this upcoming revival in America or will you be in the middle of this last day harvest? Will you allow the things you do not understand come in between of the reviving presence of God? Will you apprehend and apply the principles that bring back the glory of God to the Church and to the nation? In this revival we will either be blessed or broken by the principles of God. It is time for us to make sure that we do not manipulate, master, manage, minimize, or misapproiate revival power from God. The choice is our’s.
