What is Worship?

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 1 DECEMBER 2024 am – MR LAWRENCE KENNEDY

2 SAMUEL 6 VERSES 1 TO 19

As I go around different fellowships, I notice some things that are very familiar and also other things very different.  One of the things is the style of worship.  Some like ourselves is traditional but some have taken it further.  They simply have an opening and closing worship in a service.  They have reduced the biblical context of worship.  Worship is the primary reason why we meet, to lift our voices in praise to God.  The other extremes have bands and singers with the people in the congregation not involved at all in worship.  What is worship?   There are many different opinions on what worship is.  One theological opinion is worship is the believers response to love and mercy and grace of God.  Another theological response is worship on earth is the rehearsal for the life in heaven.  A W Tozer said “worship is to be personally and hopelessly in love with God.”  That is worship.

David’s Dream – 2 Samuel 7 verses 1 to 3.  His dream was to bring the ark of the covenant back to the central place where it should always have been – in Jerusalem.  Worship starts with a dream, a longing to know God better.  Martin Luther King stood at the Lincoln memorial in Washington on 28 August 1963 and gave what is now known as the “I have a Dream” speech – “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.  I have a dream today!”  There were 200,000 people standing in front of him that day.  David had a longing, a passion to build a house for God.  A place for the ark of the covenant to dwell, a place that would speak of God’s presence.  That it might rest among the people.  It was a shattered dream because he was a man of war and he had to gather all the wood, gold and fine furnishings and leave it to his son Solomon to later build – 2 Chronicles 22.  He still had this longing at this point in our story.  He didn’t know it would be refused.  Step 1 was to fulfil his dream – to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.  The most sacred possession.  Back in 1 Samuel 6 the ark had been captured by the Philistines in war.  They put it in the temple of their god Dagon and it stayed there for 7 months.  God sent a plague and they wanted to be rid of the ark so they put it on a truck that was to be pulled by donkeys.  They set it loose and the donkeys brought it back to Jerusalem.  It stayed in the home of Abinadab for 20 years.  The ark of the covenant contained the pot of manna, the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments and Aaron’s rod that budded.  David’s dream was to bring the ark of covenant from Abinadab’s house to the central place in Jerusalem.  I have a dream that the gospel and the things of God might be at the centre of our nation again.  That Christ might have the primary place in our nation, in our fellowships and homes.  That we might know harmony, unity and blessing.  That we might know the almighty power, presence and purity of God.  I want to see God at the centre of all we do.  That true worship would be common as breathing.  That the Christian Institute would be made redundant, no longer needed.  I dream that Christ might be central.  That we will cope with illness because we will know our great physician.  That we will cope with depression because we will know the God of all comfort.  That we will cope with weakness because we will know the source of strength.  It all started with one individual – David and his dream to get the ark of the covenant back into Jerusalem.  My dream could start with one individual even here.  Worship always starts with a dream, a longing for God.

David’s design.  God’s design was always for the ark to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites, the priestly tribe.  It was so precious, not touched with human hands.  Moses was given instructions that on the side of the ark of the covenant there were rings.  2 poles were put through these rings and 4 groups of men would carry the ark on their shoulders.  No hand would touch the ark of the covenant.  David decided to break the old tradition.  He had a new vision, a modern innovation.  He designed a cart to be pulled by animals – verses 3 and 4.  That is how the Philistines did it.  Imagine as the new cart was brought to the house of Abinadab and the people saw it that the older people were not happy.  It had not been done this way before.  It was never carried by animals before.  The young were delighted.  Tradition was boring, how will you reach people with the gospel, you need to bring it up to date.  David’s design of the ark didn’t consider the command of God or the holiness of ark.  We do need people with vision, we do need to reach a new generation.  To a media driven generation.  David learned to his cost, in pursuit of vision and innovation, to never forget the commands of God or the holiness of God.  Let’s bring the ark back to Jerusalem, make God’s presence central again.  David’s design was novel.  A new cart pulled by oxen.  Some would have loved it but God didn’t.  Never forget the commands of God or the holiness of the things of God.

David’s disaster- verses 6 and 7.  They arrived at the threshing floor.  The ground was uneven.  They were dancing and singing, having a great celebration  We are going to Jerusalem.  The unevenness of the ark unsettles the oxen.  One of the drivers puts out his hand to steady the ark when suddenly God strikes him dead.  Is that not a bit severe?  Surely he was trying to do a good thing?  It would have been disastrous if the ark had fallen, if it had broken?  Surely we would have done the same thing?  Uzzah dies on the spot.  The rejoicing turns to mourning.  What did he do wrong?  A lot of believers struggle here.  It seems unfair.  Uzzah was the son of Abinadab.  He was familiar with the ark.  It had stayed in his house for 20 years.  It was like a piece of the furniture in his house.  People would come to his door and ask to see the ark.  He would invite them to see it. Uzzah put out his hand, showing how familiar he was with the things of God.  How casual he treated it.  That is why God struck him down.  The things of God had become common place.  Just another piece of furniture.  Blaze, didn’t mean much to him.  He grew up with it.  He was showing everyone how familiar he had become, casual with the things of God.  Have you become over familiar, too casual with spiritual things?  If God struck us down like this Uzzah the funeral directors would be very busy, the graveyards would be full.  It is sad that God’s people have become too casual with the house of God.  Suddenly the old things of God have become common place.  The sense of awe and wonder and holiness seems to be mistreated.  We have become too blaze, informal, take it or leave it.  It robs us of our impact as salt and light.  We do church without a sense of awe and wonder.  We sing hymns without thinking of them.  We have fallen out among ourselves.  Satan is thrilled.  David realised his mistake – verse 9 “And David was afraid of the Lord that day.”  That is the right kind of fear and the worst kind of fear – a fear of God.  A sense of greatness and majesty of God.  He is so far above us, his ways are past finding out.  David’s dream – he wanted to bring the ark back to Jerusalem, to make God central in the middle of the nation.  David’s design – let’s never be blaze, to become too familiar with the things of God.  To forget about the command of God.  Let’s do it the way the heathen do it – put it on a cart, pull it with oxen.  It led to disaster.  So familiar with God Uzzah reached out and God struck him dead.

David’s dancing.  The ark was left for 3 months in Obededom’s house and God generously blessed the home.  Of course he does – God blesses the home where Christ is central.  He blessed his family and him because of their action.  After 3 months David decides to try again.  This time he has done his homework.  He doesn’t care what the young people think or the modernists think.  He is going to follow the instructions of the Mosaic law.  He makes some poles and the priests carry the ark of the covenant on the shoulders.  He went further – after 6 steps he stopped to make a sacrifice of a bull and fatted calf.  He didn’t overstep his position.  When they finally reached the city of Jerusalem the fulfilment and significance of the occasion was not lost.  The moment is overwhelming.  There is some weeping, some rejoicing, some singing, some applauding.  David forgets the dignity of being a king and danced before the Lord.  He danced with all his might.  What’s the point?  This is not in the context of service or sacrifice but in celebration.  He is not putting on a show to attract attention.  It was an outward expression of a deep passion for God.  David worshipped with all his heart.  He is not promoting dancing at all.  It is an outward expression of the passion for God’s presence.  Unashamed devotion made him worship God with all his heart.  Michal his wife did not like his display.  If you do this there will always be people who will dampen your enthusiasm, throw cold water on it.  God loves a heart that is passionate and in love with him, excited about the things of God.  Mary in John 12 goes into her bedroom in Bethany.  There she picks up a wooden box and opens it up.  It contains spikenard, pure nard and costly.  That was her dowry – if a man came along and offered marriage she had this for the expenses.  If a man did not come along this was her capital for the future.  If Mary was to die they would use the box to pay for her burial costs.  All her future was in that box.  If someone proposed marriage, if she needed savings or needed to be buried that box would be broken and used.  One day she lifted the box and broke the seal.  She came out and bowed down on her knees before the Saviour.  She anointed his feet with her spikenard.  The whole room was filled with the fragrance.  Judas complained “why was this not sold and the money given to the poor?”  Why did he say this?  Because he was a thief  There is always someone to criticise in the church.  There will always be a Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet.  And a Martha taking care of the catering in the church.  But there will always also be a Judas – one to criticise in every fellowship.  Mary did something else that day.  She unbraided her hair and wiped the Lord’s feet with her hair.  That was not done in public in those days.  To do that was a sign of low morals, a woman of the street.  You unbraided your hair for your husband in the privacy of the bedroom.  Mary unbraids her hair.  This is extravagant worship.  David worshipped as he danced before the Lord.  It pleased the Lord.  We must maintain a spiritual scriptural balance in worship.  There is no excuse for half hearted worship.  It starts with a dream, it follows God’s design and pattern.  Sometimes it leads to disaster when people get overfamiliar and God has to act in judgment.  David danced.  Outrageous extravagant love for God.  I hope you have a dream, that you follow God’s design.  Be careful you don’t have disaster by being overfamiliar.  Don’t forget the dancing – outrageous, extravagant, unrestrained love expressed to God.