Sermon Tone Analysis

*WORSHIPPING GOD WITHOUT GETTING ZAPPED *

* *

TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO: *2 SAMUEL 6:1-23** (**NIV**)*

 

I READ ABOUT A PREACHER WHO BOUGHT A HORSE FROM ONE OF THE MEN IN HIS CHURCH.

THE PREACHER WAS TOLD,

“NOW THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL HORSE.

IF YOU WANT IT TO RUN,

YOU GOTTA SAY               *“PRAISE THE LORD!”*

 IF YOU WANT IT TO STOP, THEN SAY *“AMEN!”* \\ \\ SO THE PASTOR GETS ON THE HORSE AND SAYS *“PRAISE THE LORD!*” AND THE HORSE BEGINS TO GALLOP THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE.

FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE PASTOR SEES A CLIFF UP AHEAD.

BUT HE CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT HE’S SUPPOSED TO SAY.

HE SAYS “*WHOA!

STOP!

HALT!

LET ME OFF!” \\ * \\ FINALLY, AT THE LAST SECOND, HE REMEMBERS

AND HE SAYS “*AMEN*!”

 

THE HORSE STOPS RIGHT AT THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF.

THE PASTOR WIPES HIS BROW AND SAYS “WHEW!

*PRAISE THE LORD*!” \\ \\

 

\\ * *

*2 SAMUEL 6:1-23 (NIV) \\ \\ *

*6**     DAVID AGAIN BROUGHT TOGETHER OUT OF ISRAEL CHOSEN MEN, THIRTY THOUSAND IN ALL. 2 HE AND ALL HIS MEN SET OUT FROM BAALAH OF JUDAH TO BRING UP FROM THERE THE ARK OF GOD, WHICH IS CALLED BY THE NAME, THE NAME OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY, WHO IS ENTHRONED BETWEEN THE CHERUBIM THAT ARE ON THE ARK. 3 THEY SET THE ARK OF GOD ON A NEW CART AND BROUGHT IT FROM THE HOUSE OF ABINADAB, WHICH WAS ON THE HILL.

UZZAH AND AHIO, SONS OF ABINADAB, WERE GUIDING THE NEW CART 4 WITH THE ARK OF GOD ON IT,C AND AHIO WAS WALKING IN FRONT OF IT. 5 DAVID AND THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL WERE CELEBRATING WITH ALL THEIR MIGHT BEFORE THE LORD, WITH SONGS AND WITH HARPS, LYRES, TAMBOURINES, SISTRUMS AND CYMBALS.

*

*6 **WHEN THEY CAME TO THE THRESHING FLOOR OF NACON, UZZAH REACHED OUT AND TOOK HOLD OF THE ARK OF GOD, BECAUSE THE OXEN STUMBLED.

7 THE LORD’S ANGER BURNED AGAINST UZZAH BECAUSE OF HIS IRREVERENT ACT; THEREFORE GOD STRUCK HIM DOWN AND HE DIED THERE BESIDE THE ARK OF GOD.

*

*8 **THEN DAVID WAS ANGRY BECAUSE THE LORD’S WRATH HAD BROKEN OUT AGAINST UZZAH, AND TO THIS DAY THAT PLACE IS CALLED PEREZ UZZAH.*

*9 **DAVID WAS AFRAID OF THE LORD THAT DAY AND SAID, “HOW CAN THE ARK OF THE LORD EVER COME TO ME?” 10 HE WAS NOT WILLING TO TAKE THE ARK OF THE LORD TO BE WITH HIM IN THE CITY OF DAVID.

INSTEAD, HE TOOK IT ASIDE TO THE HOUSE OF OBED-EDOM THE GITTITE.

11 THE ARK OF THE LORD REMAINED IN THE HOUSE OF OBED-EDOM THE GITTITE FOR THREE MONTHS, AND THE LORD BLESSED HIM AND HIS ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD.

*

*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.” SO DAVID WENT DOWN AND BROUGHT UP THE ARK OF GOD FROM THE HOUSE OF OBED-EDOM TO THE CITY OF DAVID WITH REJOICING.

13 WHEN THOSE WHO WERE CARRYING THE ARK OF THE LORD HAD TAKEN SIX STEPS, HE SACRIFICED A BULL AND A FATTENED CALF.

14 DAVID, WEARING A LINEN EPHOD, DANCED BEFORE THE LORD WITH ALL HIS MIGHT, 15 WHILE HE AND THE ENTIRE HOUSE OF ISRAEL BROUGHT UP THE ARK OF THE LORD WITH SHOUTS AND THE SOUND OF TRUMPETS.

*

*16 **AS THE ARK OF THE LORD WAS ENTERING THE CITY OF DAVID, MICHAL DAUGHTER OF SAUL WATCHED FROM A WINDOW.

AND WHEN SHE SAW KING DAVID LEAPING AND DANCING BEFORE THE LORD, SHE DESPISED HIM IN HER HEART.

*

*17 **THEY BROUGHT THE ARK OF THE LORD AND SET IT IN ITS PLACE INSIDE THE TENT THAT DAVID HAD PITCHED FOR IT, AND DAVID SACRIFICED BURNT OFFERINGS AND FELLOWSHIP OFFERINGS BEFORE THE LORD.

18 AFTER HE HAD FINISHED SACRIFICING THE BURNT OFFERINGS AND FELLOWSHIP OFFERINGS, HE BLESSED THE PEOPLE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY.

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.

*

*20 **WHEN DAVID RETURNED HOME TO BLESS HIS HOUSEHOLD, 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!” *

*21 **DAVID SAID TO MICHAL, “IT WAS BEFORE THE LORD, WHO CHOSE ME RATHER THAN YOUR FATHER OR ANYONE FROM HIS HOUSE WHEN HE APPOINTED ME RULER OVER THE LORD’S PEOPLE ISRAEL—I WILL CELEBRATE BEFORE THE LORD.

22 I WILL BECOME EVEN MORE UNDIGNIFIED THAN THIS, AND I WILL BE HUMILIATED IN MY OWN EYES.

BUT BY THESE SLAVE GIRLS YOU SPOKE OF, I WILL BE HELD IN HONOR.”

*

*23 **AND MICHAL DAUGHTER OF SAUL HAD NO CHILDREN TO THE DAY OF HER DEATH.

*

 

\\ TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE “RIGHT WAY” TO WORSHIP THE LORD!

 

WE’RE GOING TO SEE THAT WORSHIP NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT AND IT NEEDS TO BE WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

AND THEN WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO DO WORSHIP.

\\ \\

 

IN *2 SAMUEL 6*, DAVID HAS JUST RECIENTLY BEEN MADE KING OVER ALL OF ISRAEL.

HE SAYS TO HIMSELF “I’VE GOT THIS BEAUTIFUL PALACE RIGHT HERE IN JERUSALEM.

BUT I WISH THE ARK OF GOD WERE HERE TOO.” \\ \\ SO HE DECIDED TO TAKE 30,000 MEN,

GO TO THE HOUSE OF ABINIDAB, GET THE ARK.

PUT IT ON AN OXCART,

 

AND WITH THE OXEN PULLING THE ARK, HEAD BACK TO JERUSALEM.

AND SO THIS IS WHAT DAVID DOES.

THE BAND IS PLAYING!

THE PEOPLE ARE SINGING!

THEY'RE CELEBRATING GOOD TIMES,

 AND EVERYTHING IS JUST AWESOME! \\ \\ BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ANIMALS STUMBLE.

A GUY NAMED UZZAH REACHES OUT TO KEEP THE ARK FROM FALLING TO THE GROUND.

AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE WORSHIP SERVICE IS OVER.

\\ \\

 

\\  

ACCORDING TO *NUMBERS 4:15*,

THE ARK SIGNIFIES GOD’S HOLY PRESENCE.

NOBODY'S ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT.

AND SO GOD STRIKES UZZAH DOWN.

NOW YOU'RE PROBABLY SAYING “WOAHHH!!!

THE POOR GUY WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP!

WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE?”

 

EVEN KING DAVID WASN’T SURE WHAT HAPPENED!

_________________________________________________________ \\ \\ *YOU’RE *PROBABLY THINKING,

“MAN, I'M I GLAD I'M NOT  A MEMBER OF THAT CHURCH!

I PROBABLY WOULDN’T LAST TWO WEEKS!

 

ONE TINY MISTAKE, AND ZAP!!!! I’M HISTORY!”

______________________________________________________ \\ \\ WHY WAS GOD SO QUICK TO PUNISH UZZAH?

IF WE DIG A LITTLE DEEPER,

 

WE FIND THAT THE PEOPLE *MADE THREE BIG MISTAKES.

*

 

*MISTAKE NUMBER ONE*: LOOK AT VERSE THREE.

IT SAYS THAT *DAVID’S MEN* PUT THE ARK ON AN OXCART.

BUT IN *1 CHRONICLES 15:13-15* IT SAYS THAT

NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TRANSPORT THE ARK

EXCEPT THE PRIESTS.

*SO THAT’S STRIKE ONE.

\\ \\ *

*MISTAKE NUMBER TWO**:* *1 CHRONICLES 15:13* SAYS THAT

YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO MOVE THE ARK AT ALL

UNLESS YOU HAVE GOD’S PERMISSION.

DAVID NEVER INQUIRED OF GOD IF THIS WAS OK TO DO.

 

*THAT’S STRIKE TWO.

\\ \\ *

\\ *MISTAKE NUMBER THREE*: YOU DEFINITELY DON’T WANT TO PUT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT ON AN OXCART!

I WONDER WHY DAVID DID PUT THE ARK ON AN OXCART.

MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THE PHILISTINES SENT THE ARK BACK TO JERUSALEM.

MAYBE A CART JUST SEEMED TO BE THE EASIEST WAY TO MOVE THE ARK.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.

 

THE ARK WAS A RECTANGULAR SHAPED BOX WITH TWO RINGS ON EACH END.

 

*EXODUS 25:13* SAYS THAT

THE PRIESTS ARE SUPPOSED TO PUT TWO LONG WOODEN POLES HORIZONTALLY THROUGH THOSE RINGS

 

AND THEN THEY WOULD CARRY THE ARK ON THEIR SHOULDERS.

BUT THEY IGNORED GOD’S WORD.

*THAT'S STRIKE THREE.

\\ **----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \\ *THE POINT IS THAT WHEN WE GATHER TOGETHER IN THE PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD,

WORSHIP NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT.

IF WE SHOW OUR LOVE FOR JESUS BY READING THE BIBLE AND KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS

AND PRAYING TO HIM, THEN WE’LL BE FINE.

\\ \\

BUT IF WE IGNORE WHAT JESUS SAYS

AND DO WHATEVER WE FEEL LIKE DOING,