You Can't Undress In Front Of Everybody

TITLE: YOU CAN’T UNDRESS IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY

SCRIPTURE: II SAMUEL 6:12-23

I am excited and thrilled to make this transition with PPWC into this Auditorium on the Oklahoma City Campus of Langston University. I believe we are positioned for God to do great things with this ministry and the many opportunities and doors that will be opened for our congregation to share the Gospel. I am not sure why God did things the way He did. I am simply glad that we passed the test and are positioned for the next move of God in this place.

As God has now positioned us to experience a new level in Him, there are some things we need to understand as a Church family. When the Lord led me to this text, I was not sure exactly what He was saying to me in an effort to help move the Congregation forward. After spending time with God and Wrestling with this Scripture Text; I believe that God is cautioning us to be on the lookout for those that will not understand our Dance and our Praise.

I believe God would have us to know this morning through our text for examination that “You Can’t Undress In Front of Everybody.” I watch my grandchildren as they are growing up and changing so quickly as they develop their unique personalities. Our oldest grandchild turned 7 last week. I remember when she was born and the first few years after her birth:

• I was able to bath her as an infant

• I was able to put her in bath tub when she was a little older

• I was able to get her out of the tub and dressed for the day or for bed time

• But now Pop-Pop is not allowed in the bathroom during bathing time

• She does not want me there

• Now she runs through the living room wrapped in a towel telling me Pop-Pop turn your head as she dashes through to her bedroom

• Now she just wants her Mother and Grandmother to help her during bathing and dressing time

• She has begun to recognize, even in her young life – “You Can’t Undress In Front of Everybody.”

This is the lesson that we are able to extract through our Biblical reading for the hour. In the midst of this text we find that the KING DANCED BEFORE THE LORD. Dancing is considered RADICAL WORSHIP – to some and NECESSITY to others. It is seen as UNUSUAL - OUT OF THE ORDINARY - EXTREME - and FOR SOME UNNECESSARY. But David will show us through close examination of the text that it is important. But perhaps the real question is how did we get here, what brought this on? It really begins in I SAMUEL CH. 5 & 6 -

• The ark of God had been taken by people who believed that since Israel prospered with the ark so will they

• We need to understand that other people will not prosper with your blessing

• Can I FOOTNOTE for a minute?

• You may have lost something but the person who found it can’t enjoy it because it is your blessing

• Someone may have taken something but

• Someone may have stolen something but

• Whether it was accident, coincidence , or happenstance they can’t enjoy it because it is your blessing

The blessing can only be a blessing to the one to whom it was assigned

• They stole the ark and put it in Ashdod where it knocked over Dagon

• They move it to Gath and there he caused tumors

• They moved it to Ekron it caused trouble there too

• They sent the Ark back to the people it belonged too

• It’s only a Blessing if it has your Name on it

• The Ark was out of Place

• David said we must bring the Ark of God back where it belongs

David is now King of Israel – all twelve tribes. He has lived through his wilderness education, He is back in touch with God and finally accepting his exonerated role. He is thirty years old, perhaps out of his boyhood experiences when he freely talked about God and His power, when he felt the need of his nation to rediscover God. But, how does he bring God back into the center of his country?

• He may have remembered it, or heard about it

• But he wanted to find and return the only physical symbol of God’s presence to his nation

• The Ark of the Covenant

• Faith in God, reinforced by the Ark, would unify his people and give them a central faith to withstand the idolatry of the neighboring nations