Embracing the Transformative Power of God's Presence
Summary
Growing up in this very community, I’ve witnessed firsthand the power and faithfulness of God’s presence among His people. From my earliest days, carried into this church as a baby, to meeting my wife in Sunday school, my life has been shaped by the generosity and spiritual legacy of this house. Today, we reflect on the profound truth that Jesus’ presence changes everything. Every person who encountered Him—whether blind, broken, or outcast—was transformed. He carried the presence of God with humility, not demanding to be served but serving others, and after His resurrection, He sent His Spirit so that we too could carry God’s presence.
But carrying God’s presence is not something to be taken lightly or treated casually. The story of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6 reminds us of the weight and reverence required. The Ark was not just a box; it represented the very presence and glory of God. When Israel lost the Ark, they mourned not for the object, but for the departure of God’s glory. David’s determination to bring it back, even risking the lives of 30,000 soldiers, shows us how vital God’s presence is to our completeness and joy.
We were created to thrive in God’s presence, just as fish need water and plants need soil. Without it, we wither spiritually and revert to old patterns of brokenness. No system, light, or program can replace the transforming power of God’s presence in our lives, our churches, and our homes. It is His presence that restores, heals, and brings true freedom.
Yet, reverence is essential. When David’s men tried to transport the Ark on a cart, disregarding God’s instructions, tragedy struck. Good intentions are not enough; God desires obedience and honor. The threshing floor, where Uzzah died, symbolizes the place where authenticity is separated from mere tradition. Only those who truly revere God’s presence experience its blessing.
This reverence must extend to our homes. As parents, we are stewards of God’s children, and inviting His presence through prayer and the Word brings stability and peace. Our emotions should not rule our households; God’s truth and presence should. When we carry His presence with care, we become a blessing to others, and our lives overflow with worship, even if misunderstood by those around us. Let us be a people who seek, honor, and protect the presence of God above all else.
Key Takeaways
- The presence of God is not a casual accessory to our lives; it is the very environment in which we were created to thrive. Just as a fish cannot survive outside of water, we cannot flourish spiritually apart from God’s nearness. When we drift from His presence, we inevitably return to old patterns of brokenness and emptiness, but in His presence, we find true joy, peace, and completeness. [11:06]
- Reverence for God’s presence is not about rigid perfection but about honoring His holiness above our convenience or preferences. The tragedy of Uzzah’s death reminds us that good intentions do not excuse disobedience; God’s ways are not to be shortcut or made “easier” for our sake. True reverence means aligning our actions with God’s instructions, even when it is inconvenient or countercultural. [22:52]
- Authenticity in worship and pursuit of God’s presence will often expose the difference between those who are genuinely seeking Him and those who are merely going through religious motions. The threshing floor is a place of separation, where the genuine is distinguished from the superficial. God desires hearts that are real, not just hands that are busy. [26:57]
- The presence of God is meant to permeate not just our gatherings but our homes. As parents and leaders, we are called to create an environment where God’s Word is spoken and His presence is welcomed. When our households are ruled by God’s truth rather than our shifting emotions, our children experience stability, peace, and a living example of faith. [19:53]
- Carrying God’s presence will sometimes make us misunderstood or even despised by others, as David was by Michal. Yet, undignified worship and wholehearted devotion are precious to God, even if they seem foolish to the world. The blessing and favor of God rest on those who honor His presence above human approval, while irreverence leads to spiritual barrenness. [36:13]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Personal Testimony and Gratitude
[02:00] - The Transforming Presence of Jesus
[03:50] - The Ark of the Covenant: Symbol of God’s Presence
[06:19] - The Loss of God’s Glory and Its Impact
[08:23] - David’s Mission to Retrieve the Ark
[10:25] - The Necessity of God’s Presence for Fulfillment
[12:21] - Sunday Reflections: Brokenness and Restoration
[16:49] - The Presence of God in Our Homes
[19:53] - Parenting and the Authority of God’s Truth
[21:49] - The Danger of Casual Attitudes Toward God
[23:50] - Uzzah’s Error and the Threshing Floor
[29:10] - Blessing Through Reverence: Obed-Edom’s House
[31:13] - David’s Worship and Michal’s Contempt
[36:13] - The Paradox of Reverence and Undignified Worship
[38:44] - Reach Paramount: A House for God’s Presence
[39:14] - Closing and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Presence of God—Reverence, Transformation, and Blessing
---
### Bible Reading
- 2 Samuel 6:1-23 (David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem; Uzzah’s death; Obed-Edom’s blessing; David’s worship and Michal’s contempt)
---
### Observation Questions
1. What specific instructions did God give about how the Ark of the Covenant was to be transported, and how did David’s men initially fail to follow them?
[[22:20]]
2. What happened to Uzzah when he reached out to steady the Ark, and where did this event take place?
[[24:05]]
3. How did the presence of the Ark affect the household of Obed-Edom?
[[29:10]]
4. How did David respond when the Ark was finally brought into Jerusalem, and how did Michal react to his worship?
[[31:13]]
---
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think God responded so severely to Uzzah’s action, even though his intentions may have been good? What does this reveal about God’s holiness and our approach to His presence?
[[25:26]]
2. The sermon compares the presence of God to water for fish and soil for plants. What does this analogy suggest about our spiritual health and dependence on God’s presence?
[[11:06]]
3. What does the threshing floor represent in this story, and how does it relate to authenticity versus tradition in our worship and pursuit of God?
[[26:57]]
4. Why do you think Michal despised David’s worship, and what does her reaction teach us about the difference between outward religious appearance and genuine devotion?
[[33:13]]
---
### Application Questions
1. The sermon says, “We were designed to be in His presence…when you uproot a Christian out of the presence of God, he or she begins to die spiritually.” What are some signs in your own life that you are thriving—or withering—spiritually? What practical steps can you take to stay rooted in God’s presence this week?
[[11:34]]
2. David risked the lives of 30,000 soldiers to bring back the Ark, showing how vital God’s presence was to him. What are you willing to risk or change in your life to prioritize God’s presence? Is there something you need to let go of or rearrange to make space for Him?
[[10:25]]
3. The story of Uzzah warns that good intentions are not enough—God desires obedience and reverence. Are there areas in your life where you have tried to “shortcut” God’s instructions or make things more convenient for yourself? What would it look like to honor God’s ways, even when it’s inconvenient?
[[22:52]]
4. The sermon challenges parents to make God’s Word and presence central in their homes, rather than letting emotions rule. If you are a parent or leader in your home, what is one specific way you can invite God’s presence into your daily family routine this week? If you’re not a parent, how can you help create an environment of God’s presence where you live?
[[19:53]]
5. David’s undignified worship was misunderstood and even despised by Michal, but it was precious to God. Have you ever felt embarrassed or held back in your worship or devotion because of what others might think? What would it look like for you to worship God with greater authenticity and freedom, regardless of others’ opinions?
[[36:13]]
6. The threshing floor is described as a place where authenticity is separated from mere tradition. Are there any “traditions” or routines in your spiritual life that have become empty or routine? How can you pursue a more authentic relationship with God this season?
[[26:57]]
7. The blessing of Obed-Edom’s house came from treating God’s presence with care and reverence. What is one area of your life—work, relationships, finances, etc.—where you want to invite God’s presence and blessing by honoring Him more intentionally?
[[29:10]]
---
Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to pray for a deeper hunger for God’s presence, for hearts that honor Him above convenience or tradition, and for courage to worship and live authentically before Him and others.
Devotional
Day 1: Thriving Only in the Environment of God’s Presence
The presence of God is not a casual accessory to our lives; it is the very environment in which we were created to thrive. Just as a fish cannot survive outside of water, we cannot flourish spiritually apart from God’s nearness. When we drift from His presence, we inevitably return to old patterns of brokenness and emptiness, but in His presence, we find true joy, peace, and completeness. Without God’s presence, no program, system, or effort can bring lasting restoration or freedom. It is His presence that sustains and transforms every part of our lives, churches, and homes.
[11:06]
“By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137:1-4 ESV)
Reflection: What specific habits or distractions are currently pulling you away from God’s presence, and what practical step can you take today to reorient your daily life toward thriving in His nearness?
Day 2: Honoring God’s Holiness Above Convenience
Reverence for God’s presence is not about rigid perfection but about honoring His holiness above our convenience or preferences. The story of Uzzah’s death reminds us that good intentions do not excuse disobedience; God’s ways are not to be shortcut or made “easier” for our sake. True reverence means aligning our actions with God’s instructions, even when it is inconvenient or countercultural. It is a call to respect the weight and glory of God’s presence, not treating it casually or carelessly. This reverence protects us from spiritual harm and opens the door to God’s blessing.
[22:52]
“Thus you shall consecrate the Levites and present them as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may perform the service of the Lord. They shall enter to do the service of the tent of meeting, and you shall cleanse them and offer them as a wave offering.” (Numbers 8:11-12 ESV)
Reflection: Identify one area in your life where you have been tempted to take shortcuts or treat God’s commands lightly. How can you choose obedience and honor God’s holiness in that area starting today?
Day 3: Authenticity Distinguishes True Worship
Authenticity in worship and pursuit of God’s presence will often expose the difference between those who are genuinely seeking Him and those who are merely going through religious motions. The threshing floor symbolizes a place of separation where the genuine is distinguished from the superficial. God desires hearts that are real, not just hands that are busy. This calls for honest self-examination and a willingness to lay aside pretense, embracing vulnerability before God. Only then can His presence bring true blessing and transformation.
[26:57]
“‘Bring out the people to me, that I may know whether they will follow my law or not.’ And the people of Israel said to Moses, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do.’ And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.” (Exodus 24:7 ESV)
Reflection: In what ways might you be engaging in religious activity without genuine heart involvement? What is one step you can take to cultivate deeper authenticity in your worship and relationship with God?
Day 4: Establishing God’s Presence in Our Homes
The presence of God is meant to permeate not just our gatherings but our homes. As parents and leaders, we are called to create an environment where God’s Word is spoken and His presence is welcomed. When our households are ruled by God’s truth rather than our shifting emotions, our children experience stability, peace, and a living example of faith. Inviting God’s presence through prayer and Scripture brings spiritual authority and peace that guards the family. This stewardship is vital for nurturing faith and resilience in the next generation.
[19:53]
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” (Proverbs 22:6-8 ESV)
Reflection: What specific practices can you introduce or strengthen in your home to ensure God’s presence is welcomed and His truth governs your family’s daily life?
Day 5: Embracing Undignified Worship Despite Misunderstanding
Carrying God’s presence will sometimes make us misunderstood or even despised by others, as David was by Michal. Yet, undignified worship and wholehearted devotion are precious to God, even if they seem foolish to the world. The blessing and favor of God rest on those who honor His presence above human approval, while irreverence leads to spiritual barrenness. This paradox calls believers to courageously worship with abandon, prioritizing God’s pleasure over social acceptance or reputation. True reverence often looks like joyful humility that breaks cultural expectations.
[36:13]
“Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.” (2 Samuel 6:14-15 ESV)
Reflection: Is there an area in your worship or spiritual life where fear of others’ opinions is holding you back? How can you choose to worship God with wholehearted abandon today, regardless of misunderstanding?
Quotes
Jesus his presence on the earth changed absolutely everything and it changed everything for every single person that encountered him, if you were a blind man in that day and you caught yourself up in the presence of Jesus you might be healed of your blindness if you were full of demons and you were caught up in the presence of Jesus you might be set free that afternoon the outcasts began to be embraced the dead were even raised and people started to follow Jesus not just because of his teaching but because of this presence about him something radiated from him he carried the very presence of God because he was God. [00:02:09]
When we receive the presence and power of God in our life it is not something to be taken lightly it's not something we could be irreverent with we cannot treat it casually and that's where I want to share this Old Testament text to really help us understand this in 2 Samuel chapter 6 you guys can start to turn there or we'll have the verses on the screen but David has just taken over as king in the city of Jerusalem and like any transition of power whenever there is a new authority there's always some big changes right so we just had a president elected there's executive orders there's new policy changes well whenever a king would come into power as well sometimes they would obliterate their former uh successors or if they took over a place so David is about to create some transition here he's about to create some changes but the first thing that he does David decides that the number one task is to go and retrieve back the ark of the covenant so that it can come to its resting place once again there in Jerusalem. [00:03:33]
This ark even though it was shaped like a box all of those things along with its contents uh the the tabernacle that it dwelt in this represented the very presence of God when Israel would travel at the front of the line at the front of the line would be priests who would carry this ark showing us that the presence of God leads the way for his people we chase after his presence when Israel was wandering through the desert for 40 years God would guide his people by by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night and whenever that pillar or that cloud that fire would move the people would pack up they would leave because if the presence of God left they wanted to follow it. [00:05:09]
If there's one thing I I really want you to receive from this message is that as people of God we need to fight and chase after the presence and once we have obtained it we carry it well and once we are carrying it we never let it go amen this is why we are all here this morning you could be anywhere else this morning but you've chosen to be here because being in his presence is better than being in the presence of anyone else in fact once you've been in his presence being in the presence of anyone else is kind of underwhelming but when you are here you're transformed when you are here you are changed you're set free amen you begin to sing you begin to dance you begin to be joyful you begin to not care about what the people around you think because once you are in the presence of the one who saved you all that matters to you is his approval no one else. [00:06:50]
So here as his first order of business King David is embarking on this mission this military-like extraction for those of you guys who've seen the movie Saving Private Ryan it's about this troop of soldiers who go and their job is to retrieve back this man and this is a big mission for David they're going not to retrieve back a person but they're going to bring back the ark of the covenant now here's the thing they aren't looking for war they're not looking for trouble they're here to bring back the ark but I want you to see how important this mission is to David it is so important that he brings 30,000 troops with him to bring back a box that's a lot that is a lot of troops but I want you to see how important the presence of God is to his people that up until this point this is the biggest military extraction for Israel and certainly for David and he is saying "All right if we're going to go and we're going to bring this back we aren't looking for war but we're bringing 30,000 men with us because if they are going to try to get this ark back they're going to need to go to through 30,000 men first." Does that show you how important this is for David they are not willing to lose this ark again and what this shows me and what I think it should help you and I understand is that David and his soldiers were willing to risk their lives because without the ark without the presence and nearness of God they were incomplete. [00:09:01]
Think about what your life was like before you had his presence there was brokenness there was pain there was despair there was hopelessness you were searching for something to satisfy your soul but nothing satisfied you like him and so he forever changed you think about this we were designed to be in his presence this is true of all of God's creation when God wanted to create fish he spoke to the water when God wanted to create plants trees he spoke to the soil he created things to thrive in a certain environment so what happens when you take a fish out of the water out of its god-esigned environment it dies when you uproot a tree when you uproot a plant out of its God-esigned environment it dies what happens when you uproot a Christian out of the presence of God he and she begins to die spiritually this is where we are meant to thrive and exist church without his presence we retreat back to our old life the old life of brokenness the old life of sin. [00:10:50]
There is not a single system that can save a soul there is not a single light that would influence or compel somebody to be drawn to the Lord it is the gospel and it is his presence which is why we need it in the church there is a uh Sunday morning routine that I have my wife and I we get ready i'm sure you guys do you brush your teeth hopefully you shower you do all those kinds of things my wife and I we have a a personal Sunday morning liturgy that we go through and one of those things is we listen to either one of two songs we either listen to the wrestler by Bruce Springsteen or we listen to this song uh by Johnny Cash called Sunday Morning Coming Down maybe you've heard of it a few years ago i got really into classic country and I'm going to be honest I only started doing it to annoy my wife i was like she'd get in the car and I'd put on Merl Haggard and she'd be like "What the heck is going on here?" But here's the thing be careful what you dabble in because classic country kind of took me over we both ended up falling in love with it. [00:12:01]
But this song by Johnny Cash i want to share some of the lyrics with you johnny Cash sings he says "I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head that doesn't hurt." He says "I smoked and drank my n my mind the night before." He says "The beer I drank for breakfast wasn't bad so I had another one for dessert." And then he says that he fumbles to the closet to put on his cleanest dirty shirt before stumbling all hung over down to meet the day and as he's walking down the street he says that he smells that somebody's cooking fried chicken and all of a sudden he remembers oh this is Sunday people are people are home they're they're after church they're making their after church meal and so he smells this fried chicken and he says that there's something about a Sunday that makes me wish that I was stoned there's something in a Sunday that makes me feel alone there's something in a Sunday that reminds me of something I had but lost along the way and then he says "There's nothing short of dying that's half as lonesome as the sleeping city sidewalk and Sunday morning coming down." [00:13:10]
Here's the thing when you and I think of Sunday we think of the joy of the Lord we think of communally worshiping together we think of experiencing a great message but there are other people that we have to be painfully aware of this when they think of a Sunday they only feel despair i remind myself that there are very real broken lives out there who need restoration just like this friends you may love Sunday i love Sunday it is my favorite day of the week like you don't understand i I grew up in the church i grew up in ministry since I was a kid all I wanted was two things i wanted to preach the gospel and have a race car bed in church i am halfway there but here's the thing as much as I love Sunday I look at this song and I look at these lyrics and I look at this man and when he thinks of Sunday he doesn't think about the joy he thinks about that manipulative pastor he used to have he thinks about his so-called Christian friends who gossiped about him and his family this man when he left the church he never heard from anyone in the church again this man has only experienced brokenness and so I listen to this and I asked myself what would I say to him if he walked into the church and here's what I would say if I encountered this man i would tell him "Brother I have good news that you don't have to live in despair that you don't have to live with this kind of brokenness you don't have to come on a Sunday wishing that you were stoned you don't have to have a beer for breakfast and another one for dessert you don't have to live like this that there is a very real father who loves him that there is a very real son of that father who gave his life for him and that he can experience freedom from his brokenness amen." [00:14:08]
What we win them with is what we're going to keep them with and so if they come in and all they experience is really good preaching man I don't know how long it's going to last but if they experience the presence no one can taste that and run away they are changed forever amen that's why we need the presence in the church can I tell you the next place we mostly need the presence is in our home we need our presence his presence in our home what if I told you parents right now I could take most of the pressure off of your parenting here it is it's very simple they are his not yours and in fact he loves them more than you and I know you love them i know you'll die for them probably right but I know that our king loves them even more than you. [00:16:32]
One of the uh habits of our of our home my wife and I we read the Bible with our kids and one of the reasons why I love reading the Bible with my kids is because we believe that the Bible is the written word of God which means that when we read it aloud it becomes the spoken word of God can you imagine what would happen in your marriage in your home to have his spoken word echoing throughout the rooms and halls of your house whoa what would that do for your peace of mind what would that do for your marriage the other day uh I was uh reading the Bible with my daughter Harper and we're reading some story and after we're like "Okay well what should we pray for?" And uh I was like "Are there any friends any of your little middle school friends who you want to pray for?" And she has this friend who by definition her own admission is a little bit witchy she's into some witchy things she's she uh she listens to some pretty witchy music and so I asked her "Well why don't we pray for this young friend?" And my daughter goes "Oh I don't know like she could like I don't think she could ever ever be saved." And and I don't judge her okay this girl's wild but I was like "Why why do you why do you think that?" She's like "Well she's just too bad like she's a witch and all these things." And I was like "Okay." So so I began to tell her about that story where Jesus heals a man who is possessed by probably thousands of demons and the Bible says that this man it's like something out of a horror movie he would walk and live amongst the tombstones he would cut himself with rocks people tried chaining him down nothing could restrain him imagine being the family of that man that seems pretty unforgivable well this seems pretty unsavable and so I was like this man everything in his life that was broken was healed by a mere word that Jesus spoke i was like is your little friend worse than that she goes "Nah I don't think she is." I was like Harper there is no one that is outside of his reach there is the enemy's grip is not stronger than God's friend and so I love these moments and I would never get to have these wonderful gospel moments with my daughter unless we read the Bible together can I tell you something most of your problems can be solved if you just had his presence in your home. [00:17:24]
We have to remember church we are raising future pastors future teachers future worship leaders prophets prophetesses we need his presence in our home and you know the beautiful thing about the presence and the truth of God is that it's consistent it doesn't change i had to ask myself recently over the past year is the presence and truth of God the major authority in my home or is it my emotions do you want to do a quick test to see if you're running your house out of your emotions ask yourself do the rules change every day let me lay out a little story for you it might be triggering let's just say you come home from work one day the house is a mess it's loud everything is hectic everything is crazy but it doesn't bother you in fact you think the kids are being pretty cute like oh yeah you're taking pictures it looks all great but then the next day you come home from work same amount of mess on the ground same amount of noise and all of a sudden you're about to get set off you know what that means it means you're ruling your house out of your emotions you were in a good mood one day so everything was okay you're in a bad mood the next day so you're being a jerk how can any child be expected to thrive in an environment where they don't know what kind kind of mom or dad they're going to have from one day to the next. [00:19:45]
When you have the presence when you have the truth of his word it's consistent they know that they have a man of God as their dad they know that they have a woman of God as their mom and they know that they don't have to fear which one they're going to get amen. [00:21:27]
But here's the thing, that's exactly what they did they didn't stop to think that this box was not like any other box and that when God calls you to do something and he gives orders he expects it to be done his way even if it's inconvenient for you you see this box was not like any other box so it couldn't be carried like any other box there would have been rings on the side they would have stuck poles through it levites these priests would be the only ones allowed to carry this ark church even though they threw this thing on a cart they had to remember that God is a God of order this does not mean that Israel or you and I had to be perfect but it does mean that God demands reverence i believe that nothing could be more foolish than having a casual attitude about Jesus there are some who despise him there are some who hate the church but for a Christian to treat his pres his presence casually is just as dangerous. [00:22:08]
God is not answerable to us we are answerable to him he is not obliged to do things our way what's wild is it doesn't even matter whether he pleases you what matters supremely is that he excuse me is that you and I please him that is the way it should be now let's look at these next few verses just to see how important this is to God. [00:23:20]
So after they retrieve this ark they begin to celebrate there's singing there's dancing when all of a sudden all of the celebration comes to a halt when the unthinkable happens they come to this threshing floor of naked and the oxen that is pulling the cart begins to stumble and so the cart begins to waver and a man named Usuza goes probably with good intentions to go and hold the ark to stop it from falling on the ground and the Bible says that this act kindles the Lord's anger and Usuza is struck down by God and killed right where he stands now here's the thing usuza in this moment is probably not motivated by irreverence he's probably not trying to be sacriiggious and yet this error violated the holiness of God samuel is very clear he says that God struck him down because of his error and what's interesting is that this offense happens at a place called the threshing floor of naked if you don't know what a threshing floor is in the ancient world when you would harvest grain there is wheat and then surrounding that wheat is a thin husk known as the chaff and so in the ancient world tribes would have this flat area in their community where with stones and wheels sometimes their hands and feet they would thresh this wheat until that thin layer of chaff would begin to come off the wheat and what they would do is they would grab these baskets and they would throw it into the air the seed would fall back down into the basket that is good it would be used to make bread but then that thin wasted layer would blow away with the wind jesus in the book of na Matthew he likened the threshing floor to when God separates believers from non-believers the wheat he sets aside and the chaff he says is carried away by the wind into the fire in other words this threshing floor is separ separates the good from the bad it separates the genuine from the disingenuous and isn't it interesting that at this place this man Usuza who was there to retrieve back the ark with his king his irreverent heart was exposed and he was killed right where he stood isn't that wild let me tell you something the threshing floor will always separate those who are real and authentic and the ones who are just here for tradition the ones who are just here for the religious aspect of it you see it exposed his careless heart that he would dare touch the presence of God in this way. [00:25:06]
Here's the thing usuza would never have been put in this position if the people of God were carrying his presence the way that they were instructed to if they had bothered to read their scriptures if they had bothered to learn a little bit about God's presence they would see that God demands that his be presence his ark be carried a certain type of way not on a cart if they had just done what they were supposed to do in the first place not try to take a shortcut not try to throw it on the cart not try to make it easy not try to make the presence convenient this never would have happened a life would have been saved and yet this upsets David because David has forgotten that God is not honored by our failure to comply with his commands. [00:27:36]
So what he does is he abandons this project he takes the ark aside this very thing that he was passionate about obtaining the presence of God and he gives it to this house of Oed Edom where the ark is going to stay for three months and do you know what happens they treat the ark with care with reverence and the Bible says God blesses the house of Oedam. [00:28:44]
So David hears about this household being blessed and all of a sudden he has a change of heart he remembers the mission that God called him to he remembers about bringing the ark back into Jerusalem and so he hears that Oed Edom is blessed and so he is excited so he restarts the mission he retrieves the ark from Oed Edom and look at the difference in his attitude after just six steps of not carrying it with a cart carrying it the way it's supposed to be carried they stop to rejoice and offer sacrifices do you see how much care and and uh reverence is going towards this project now and the Bible says that David danced he danced with all of his might before the Lord and the Bible says that he dances while wearing this linen epha this is priestly attire so look at what all we have seen David embody as Bible readers up until this point we've seen David the sheep herder we've seen David the giant killer defender of Israel we've seen David the king David the poet and here we see David as priest do you know what priests do they simply revere protect and chase after the presence of God and you and I are his kingdom of priests amen amen. [00:30:01]
How interesting is it that David in the presence of the ark danced and McCall away from the presence despised wow this is what happens when you are in the presence of God and your friends and family are not they begin to look at your life they begin to see the provision they begin to see the blessing the abundance and they look and they start to despise have you ever been in a church service same event two different experiences or even many different experiences i've been in church services man i see people getting touched by God they're raising their hands they're worshiping they're all over the floor they're weeping they're dancing and I'm sitting there wondering when the service is going to end i'm sitting there wondering "Okay I wonder how much that cost or this or I wonder what are they going to do after blah blah blah blah blah." You can be near the presence of God and still not experience it and you begin to despise what God is doing in other hearts let us never become like that amen. [00:33:08]
When you begin to genuinely seek after the presence of God in your life you begin to sing you begin to dance you begin to shout all of those things but it will upset the people around you who are not near him it'll upset the people around you who are not caught up in his presence they won't even want you to be a part of it and yet that should cause us to still celebrate. [00:34:10]
Here is this paradox of reverence in our heart just because you may go through the motions just because you may have good intentions it may still be irreverent but that also means just because the person next to you is singing pretty loud just because the person next to you is dancing mightily that could still be holy and reverent before the king and then David says "You think that was wild?" He said "I will make myself even more contemptable than this." He says "You think that was crazy just you wait and see." He's like "I will dance even wilder than this." And the chapter ends with this interesting point that McCall never had a child until the end of her days. [00:36:28]
Those who are protective and rever the presence of God receive the blessing they receive the anointing and those who are irreverent they lose it they lose his nearness they lose his protection the blessings from him so here's this interesting tension that we have to walk is that we must be reverent and yet not rigid guys I was a very religious young man i would see people rolling all over the ground i would see people with their flags all these things and I thought it was just for show until the Lord touched my heart until I myself was caught up in his presence and then I finally understood is that when I am face to face or my gaze has matched his gaze I don't care about anybody else i don't care about what you guys are thinking what anybody else is thinking i just want to be one with my king. [00:37:07]
So how do we ask ourselves excuse me what do we ask ourselves should we carry him and if we are going to carry his glory carry his presence we don't carry an ark anymore we carry the spirit of the living God within us do we treat it casually do we treat it reverently the reason why I'm very grateful to be at Reach Paramount this morning is I believe that Reach Paramount is an OED edom house that it's a house that will treat the presence of God with care that we don't seek first performance that we don't seek first attention we seek his presence and when you do that his presence shows up isn't that beautiful. [00:38:23]
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