When God is at Home with You
2 Sam. 6:9-12
INTRO: Does Jesus live at your house?
"Does Jesus live at your house?"
I heard a child once ask:
Her little brow was furrowed
As she struggled with a task.
I saw her eyes were shadowed,
Her face marked with a tear;
The voice a wee bit wistful
For the answer she might hear.
"He used to live at our house,
With Mamma—Daddy, too.
But now He’s gone away somewhere.
I don’t know what to do;
For Daddy’s not the same today,
And Mamma laughs no more.
They never bother much with me;
They say I’m just a bore.
"It didn’t used to be this way
With Jesus in our home,
For every night my daddy came,
When all my curls were combed,
To help me say my bedtime prayer
(And Mamma helped me, too);
And they’d smile and tuck me in,
But now—they never do.
"Could you tell me where Jesus is,
For everything seems black?
We want Him in our house again;
We want Him to come back.
And when He comes we’ll keep Him,
For we truly need Him so—
If Jesus lives at your house,
Oh, don’t ever let Him go!"
The child then turned and left me
While I pursued my way
And thought of many home fires
That could be bright today.
Does Jesus live at your house?
How much these words portend.
Yea! On this question’s answer
Our hopes—our all—depend.
A. Today we will see the difference the Lord makes in a home
1. To do that we shall first see mistakes turn to tragedy
2. But in that, one man’s home will also be blessed
B. Uzzah’s Blunder
1. For 40+ years the Ark had remained in Kirjathjearim a town
approx 8 miles west of Jerusalem
a. David decides it is time to bring the Ark to the capital
Jerusalem
b. He places the Ark on a cart pull by oxen
1. WRONG! Priests were to carry it on their houlders using the staves
c. While traveling the oxen stumbles & the Ark shakes & is
about to fall to the earth
d. Uazzah reaches out to save the Ark, to keep it from falling
2. God instantly kills Uzzah
a. God requires complete perfect obedience
1. Good intentions are not good enough with God
3. This shocks, discourages & makes King David fearful
a. He has to rethink taking the Ark to Jerusalem
b. So He places at a local residents. Obededom’s home
I. The ARK: The Seat of God
A. The Precious Instrument of Worship
1. Box of Gold
a. Containing: Tablets, bowl of manna & Aaron’s Rod
2. Mercy Seat
a. Cherubim’s stretched out wings facing inward
3. Center of Worship
a. God’s presence, High Priest annual atonement sacrifice
b. Only touched 1x a year with blood by only the High Priest
4. Untouchable: Only the high priest. Levites could carry it but
only with staves or long poles for handles
a. Through out Lev. Law the priests were warned about
handling holy things or die
1. Handle all Holy things with consecrated hands or suffer
2. The Ark specially handle with Holy Care
B. The visual Presence of God
1. Where Ark is…. God is
a. Led the people in the wilderness from camp to camp to the
promised land
b. Led the Army of Israel around Jericho
c. Led armies in many many other battles
2. His Seat of Judgment & Mercy
a. When the leader. Prophet, King needed guidance
1. Called for the Ark so as to call upon God’s leadership
3. Israel’s confidence, God is with us
C. No Guarantee of His Presence
1. Ai’s defeat
2. Israel army defeated by Philistines Eli Priest
3. Symbol of God’s presence & blessings
a. Need more than religious artifacts, furniture & rituals to
obtain God’s blessings
II. God at home in our home
**Simeon the Hermit Five year old Brian was impressed by the story of Simeon the Stylite, a Syrian hermit who lived in the 5th century. This man was admired as a saint because he lived for more than 35 years on a platform atop a high pillar. Determined to follow Simeon’s example, Brian put the kitchen stool on the table and started his perilous climb. When his mother heard some strange sounds in the kitchen, she came in, and shouted, “Brian! Get down before you break your neck!” As the youngster obeyed, he muttered, “You can’t even become a saint in your own house.”
A. Obededom’s Predicament
1. 3 month visitor but didn’t know how long, could have been
longer
a. Not a short stay,
b. God already lived in this home & was always welcome
2. To honor God is to:
a. Protect his family
b. Bring blessings to his home
B. Does God Reign in your home?
1. Christ is our Ark; in & by him God manifests his favor, &
accepts our prayers & praises.
a. The ark especially typified Christ & his mediation, in
which the name of Jehovah & all his glories are displayed.
2. How can we honor the Lord in our home?
a. Love Him supremely
1. No other gods, Dagon broken
2. Revere God’s Presence
1Pe 2:7-8 Unto you therefore which believe [he is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
a. Though could be dangerous, He wasn’t uncomfortable with God in
charge
b. Some are afraid of God being in control
1. Might have to do something, give more money, quit pleasurable
sins, go on missions be a preacher
3. Worship: Dad Obededom Family Priest
b. Obey Him Explicitly
1. Not short cuts, or convenience but totally
2. Good Intentions are not good enough
a. Uzzah had good intentions
b. David had good intentions both wrong
3. God’s way is the ONLY way!
a. Worship in Spirit and in Truth
1. Spirit is Spirit Led, touches our soul, experience His presence,
Glorious, awesome.
a. David was feeling good but missed out on the truth by placing
the Ark on the cart
2. TRUTH is God, Right, only acceptable, according to His Word
c. Be Available to Him for Use, Say Yes Lord!
1. Obededom had an opportunity to serve the Lord, He said yes
a. Though inconvenient to Him & family, even dangerous
b. He could NOT afford to turned down such opportunity
a. Acknowledge Him in every area of your life
Pr 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
1. Live by faith not by sight, habit, tradition or fear
2. Give Him the Credit, the Glory & Praise He deserves
a. Make Christ, the Bible & church a Priority
3. Be an every day Christian, not just a Sunday morning church goer
III. Blessings from Honor
A. David’s Serious Mistake
1. Uzzah’s good intentions, but fatal flaw
2. David’s Good intentions but costly
a. Neither David or Uzzah honored God
1. They thought they were, but disobedience never honors God
*It is never right to do wrong to do right
b. Want to Honor God? Do it His way!
1. Faith that God’s way is best, when God set up things He knew what
He was talking about
2. Trust God with your life, your family, your time, your money
3. The Lord directs in each of these areas, when we do it His way
a. Less complications, less troubles & Blessings are assured
B. Obededom’s Faith, Obedience rewarded
1. God no doubt had been supreme in the home for a long time
a. The Ark just proved it to all observers
b. He Honored God by honor that which is Holy
1. Him nor his family touched the Ark
a. Curiosity, could have got him or any of the family, they believed
the word
2. Where do you think he kept the Ark?
a. He kept it in a place of value & honor, not the barn or back room
2. Blessing to His home
a. God honored Obededom’s faith, obedience & honor
b. Blessed in such a way all that observed could see the
difference of having God in his home
3. Example to his King & nation
a. David anger & fear
b. Obededom welcomed & honored God the right way
4. What about when Jesus comes to your house?
a. Never will? Should already reign as King
b. God’s messenger can come for a visit Heb 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
c. remember what Jesus says Mt 25:43-45 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me.
