Worshiping the Right Way”
2 Samuel 6
Intro: Have you ever been dissatisfied with a worship service? I’m sure not here, but maybe somewhere else. Well, this morning we want to talk about the “right” way to worship. But lest you get me wrong, I’m not talking about the method. There is no one right method of worship. Rather I’m talking about our attitude of worship. What makes worship meaningful for us? Let’s learn about our worship this morning from the lesson of David.
Read 2 S 6:1-5
Let’s look first at
I. Characteristics of David’s worship -
*worship was corporate - whole house of Israel - (5) - worship can be done individually, but this morning we’re talking about corporate worship. In the OT it was the nation; in the NT we look at the church. God designed a corporate dynamic to worship - we gather together to bring praise to God.
*Worship was initiated by a leader - (5) we see David is here the one who leads the people in their worship of the Lord. God desires all things in the church to be done decently and in order (1 Cor 14:40). He does not want mass confusion, but to have structured worship. That’s not to say there can’t be spontaneity, but not chaos.
*Worship involved great energy - (5,14) - were celebrating with all their might - in a good worship service, you should involve yourself as a participant, not just a spectator. We don’t need to perspire to have good worship, but neither do we need to avoid physical expression.
*Worship involved awareness of the presence of God - (5) before the LORD - as they enter into giving their praise, they are aware of God’s presence. Far too often we come to worship and never meet with the LORD.
#a little boy knelt by his bed one Sunday night and prayed, “Dear Lord, I had a great time at church today. You should have been there!”
#or sometimes we are like the SS teacher - in telling her elementary class about Solomon’s building the temple, the children were inattentive. Until, she mentioned that when the temple was finished the presence of the Lord filled the temple. The children were all excited. She soon discovered though, that their excitement was not the joy that God had come to dwell with man, but their delight in thinking about a huge building filled with presents from God.
--which would we rather have? The presence of God, or presents from God??
*Worship involved singing - (5) celebrating . . . with songs - praise is really a celebration
The Jews are a people who know how to celebrate. David was a gifted musician who wrote hundreds of songs. Everyone likes singing - we just don’t all like the same type of singing.
One of the biggest areas of fighting in the church is not over who gets to teach SS, or who won the most people to the Lord, or who gets to sit in the front pew. It’s over the style of music we sing. Some think we should speed up the music and speed up the sermon. Others think we should slow down the music and speed up the sermon!
Guess what - if you come into worship one Sunday and we’re singing songs that don’t move you, PRAISE GOD! Why?? Because your brother or sister in Christ might be moved to love God more and serve him by the music that doesn’t speak to your heart. Next week the songs that don’t minister to them might inspire your heart! Let’s not fight about music styles, but be one in the spirit!
*Worship involves instruments - (5) harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. -- It is okay to use a variety of instruments in our worship. Some people think there can be no instruments, or only just a piano or organ. Now I’ll be the first to admit, David never used a synthesizer or electronic keyboard - but if he had one, he wouldn’t have had any place to plug it in!
*Worship involves praise - (15) he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
-David and the Israelites enter Jerusalem giving shouts of praise to the LORD. I’m not saying we should be shouting in the church service, but it is a shame that sometimes we get more excited about a ball game than we do the eternal destiny of our closest friends. We need to care a little less about Michigan State and a little more about the city of Fort Wayne!
-David shows excitement as he celebrates his praise to the LORD.
*Worship involves giving - (17) David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. - David gave to the LORD that which cost him personally. We need to give financially to the house of God. God has been blessing our church this year. We have been paying all of our bills as they come due. But there are some here who have missed out on the blessing of giving to God. The first portion of our income belongs to the LORD. It’s a shame everyone does not realize this. Some actually keep for themselves that which belongs to God.
*Worship involves prayer - or in this context “blessing” - (18) he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty. - David leaves his praising to ask God’s blessing upon the people.
As we look at David’s worship, we are reminded about what our worship should include. But let’s go on to look at some
II. Pitfalls of Worship -
A. Doing the right thing in the wrong way - (3) They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. - David wants to bring up the ark. But he doesn’t bring it up God’s way.
1 Chron. 15:15 - And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD. David was supposed to carry the ark - but he did things his own way. It is easy to get caught up with emotion or a feeling, to think that God is in something. But God ‘s will is never contrary to his word.
#Some people leave their spouse for someone else and say, “God wants us together -- or -- God wouldn’t want us to be unhappy.” NO!! God wants us to be obedient.
#In some churches, people worship God in ways that don’t please God. Even though people have sincere desire to honor God, they don’t obey God’s word. We must make sure in our worship that we do right things in right ways.
B. Getting Angry at the Lord - (8) - Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah. How easy it is for us to get mad at God. If God doesn’t work just the way we want, we get mad. If we don’t get our prayers answered the way we think we should, we get angry at God. If the sermon is too long, the music is too fast, or the people aren’t friendly, we think we had a bad worship service and we blame God.
C. Discouragement - (9) In discouragement, David asked, "How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?" He gives up on getting the ark for three months. Sometimes we find it easy to be discouraged when we don’t get what we want out of worship. We change churches easily, or just stay away from church altogether. Sometimes we give up on worship, when during those dry times is the very time we need to worship the most.
D. Ridicule - (20) Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would." David’s own wife ridiculed him for his worship. Sometimes we are content to worship until someone makes fun of us or ridicules our church. Sometimes we care more about being accepted by others than by being accepted by God.
III. Encouragements to worship
A. Worship brings blessing - (12) - Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God. While David lost the blessing because he didn’t retrieve the ark, others were blessed. When we stay away from church, we just hurt ourselves. If we want to be blessed, let’s worship God.
B. Worship starts with confession - (17) David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD. David’s worship starts with his offering sacrifice for his sins. Today, we come to worship, but need our hearts to be right with God. Mt. 5:23 - Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Let’s make sure our hearts are ready to worship.
C. Worship takes preparation - (17) - They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it. David had taken some steps before he went to get the ark. In our worship, we need to take some steps to prepare for worship. Hopefully the musicians have practiced. Hopefully I have prepared a message. Hopefully we have brought our tithes to the Lord. And hopefully each of us has prepared our hearts. Much worship is hindered because our hearts are not prepared to worship.
Concl: One of the most logical dynamics of worship is that it has an end. (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. While we are always to be in prayer, meditating on the word, and walking in the spirit, our corporate worship has an end. Some of you have been waiting for 20 minutes for this morning’s worship to end. We can’t just live for the pep rally - the pep rally is to prepare us for the game. Worship prepares us to go out and live out our faith and be salt and light in the world. Let’s go home and live out our faith.
Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
