Thursday, July 19, 2018

"Doing the Right Thing Wrong”

2 Samuel 6:1-13

         David again assembled all the best soldiers in Israel, 30,000 men. He and all the people with him left Baalah in Judah to bring God's ark to Jerusalem. (The ark is called by the name of the LORD of Armies, who is enthroned over the angels. ) David and his men put God's ark on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's home on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were guiding the new cart. They brought it from Abinadab's home, with Ahio walking ahead of the ark. David and the entire nation of Israel were celebrating in the LORD's presence with all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

But when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out for the ark of God and grabbed it. The LORD became angry with Uzzah, so God killed him there for his lack of respect. He died beside the ark of God.

David was angry because the LORD had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah The Striking of Uzzah today.) David was afraid of the LORD that day. "How can the ark of the LORD come to my city?" he asked. So David wouldn't bring the ark of the LORD with him to the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath. The ark of the LORD stayed at the home of Obed Edom from Gath for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed Edom and his whole family.

King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed Edom's home and everything he owns because of the ark of God." Then David joyfully went to get the ark of God from Obed Edom's house and bring it to the City of David. When those who carried the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

Sermon:    Doing the Right Thing Wrong”

There is a song titled “Right Place Wrong Time”. Some of the lyrics are,

“I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time

I'd have said the right thing but I must have used the wrong line

I'd have took the right road but I must have took a wrong turn

Would've made the right move but I made it at the wrong time

I been on the right road but I must have used the wrong car 

Now this is not an endorsement of the song. As a matter of fact some of the other lyrics describe a life definitely that has taken a wrong turn. However it demonstrates the human ability to be right and wrong at the same time. Why do some people do good things for the wrong reason?

Here is an example of doing the right thing for the wrong reason. The Huffington Post** reported, “Some of the reasons why people give to charity may be considered selfish.

[Let that soak in a minute]

People give to increase their social standing, gain publicity, attend a fun party, receive a tax advantage, feel smug to their friends—or just because it makes them feel good about themselves.”up

I've seen these people in churches. They make a big show of their giving. They often talk about how much they've given. And they certainly want the tax credit.

Trust me, I have nothing against large donations. I believe that God is a great multiplier. Two loaves and fishes fishes can feed thousands and still have excess.

Donations given for the right reason and to further the work of the Lord and wonderful things. And, yes, those donations given for the wrong reason, still spend just the same.

But God's  blessing is different. Those who give for God's glory reserve a greater blessing. Because those who give seeking man's praise have already received their poor reward, the praise of man

Jesus saw this in his time also. In the gospel of Mark chapter 12 and verses 38-44 it is recorded, “As he taught, he said, "Watch out for the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces,  and to have the front seats in synagogues and the places of honor at dinners. They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The scribes will receive the most severe punishment."   

As Jesus sat facing the temple offering box, he watched how much money people put into it. Many rich people put in large amounts.  A poor widow dropped in two small coins, worth less than a cent. He called his disciples and said to them, "I can guarantee this truth: This poor widow has given more than all the others.  All of them have given what they could spare. But she, in her poverty, has given everything she had to live on."  

There is something very special about sacrificial giving, seeking nothing in return, that the Lord favors. But that is also a sermon for another day.

To understand the importance of the ark to the people you need a little of its history.

Good tells Moses in Exodus 25:10-22
"Make an ark of acacia wood 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.  Cover it with pure gold inside and out, and put a gold molding around it. Cast four gold rings for it, and fasten them to its four feet, two rings on each side.  Make poles of acacia wood, and cover them with gold. Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry it. The poles must stay in the rings of the ark. Never remove them.  Then you will put into the ark the words of my promise which I will give you. "Make a throne of mercy to cover the ark out of pure gold 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. Make two angels out of hammered gold for the two ends of the throne of mercy,  one on each end. Form the angels and the throne of mercy out of one piece of gold. The angels should have their wings spread above the throne of mercy, overshadowing it. They should face each other, looking at the throne of mercy. After you put into the ark the words of my promise which I will give you, place the throne of mercy on top.  I will be above the throne of mercy between the angels whenever I meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.

There's the importance, God would be in the midst of his people and will speak to them from above it. It contained the ten commandments, the Law by which His people would be judged. But more importantly, it was the Mercy seat, the place from which God dispensed His Mercy, His loving forgiveness.

It foreshadowed the coming of Christ who would be God among us, fulfilling the law and freeing us from it.

David had the right idea. He was going to return the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. That is where it belonged in the Tabernacle, the tent of meeting.

But were David's motives pure? Was he doing it for the glory of God? Or was he doing it for the glory of his kingdom and it's king? Only God and he knew what was in his heart.

Here is the Reader’s Digest version of what had gone before: Twenty years earlier the ark had been captured when the Israelites had tried to use it as a good luck charm in an unsanctioned war against the Philistines.  The Philistines had it, however, it brought the Philistines nothing but trouble. For seven straight months they died, or developed tumors and were also overrun by mice. So they sent the ark away. That however is a sermon for another day.

During the reign of King Saul the ark had been hidden away for twenty years and God no longer spoke to the people directly, but only through the words of prophet.

David now came to get it back. To be clear, they didn't need to fight a battle to win it back. The Philistines were more than happy to be rid of it.

It was a good idea to take it back to Jerusalem and the Tabernacle. To once more place it behind the veil of the holy of holies. To once more offer right and pure sacrifices to God.

However, David went about it the wrong way. His plan was to have a nation wide party to celebrate the and return. He tried to plan it so that it would involve the entire nation in a celebration of praise and Thanksgiving.

There were all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals. It was too be a glorious spectacle.

Here is the error that they were guilty of, they carried the ark on a cart. True it was a new cart that David had ordered constructed specifically for this purpose. It had never carried any other load.

And now it held the ark, a very special box the contained three amazing artifacts, the actual stone tables of the ten commandments that Moses received from God, a sealed jar with manna from the time of the Exodus, and Aaron’s staff that grew buds, flowers, and almonds. You can read more about that in numbers 17:1-12.


But this was much more than a fancy gold covered box. The top was the gold lid with two cherubim beaten out of the ends of it to cover and create the space into which God presence would appear.

The ark was the most holy item to the people of Israel. And it most definitely was not to be transported on an ox cart.

The ark was made with loops on the sides into which long poles were placed. And then special priests, the Koh-a-thites had the responsibility to bear the ark upon their shoulders,  

Though covered in gold, the ark was not such a heavy burden that they couldn't have, among them, carried it back to Jerusalem in the manner God had appointed. That is by the use of the poles on the shoulders of the special priests.

I wonder how so wise and good a man as David was, that understood so much of the law of God, came to be guilty of such an oversight and had the ark placed upon a cart.

The Lord had given Specific Instructions as to how the ark was to be moved and by whom it was to be moved. David didn't do that until after a disaster resulted in the death of one of his men.

And then David became afraid of the ark. He felt that it was too powerful to enter his city. Rather than continue to move it back to Israel, David left it in the home of Obed Edom.

It stayed there for three months and might have stayed longer if David hadn't received word that Obed Edom had been blessed because of the ark's presence.

This time, David went joyful and properly prepared to bring the ark back to where it belonged.  

This time the priest came, hoisted it to their shoulders and took six steps.

Just six steps!

At that point, David halted the process and offered a proper sacrifice to God before they continued their journey home. At last the right thing in the right way.

What can we take away from this story that is relevant to us?

Hear this parable. There once was a man who had a grand idea to reorganize his department at work. It was going to be streamlined and much more efficient. He ordered the changes to be made. A major piece of the change was to remove a wall and make a larger, open work space. Rather than hire a contractor and construction crew, his existing employees were to do the work themselves. It was reasoned that not only would it be cost effective but it also would give the workers a sense of ownership of the remodeled buildings. It was a grand idea.

Unfortunately, the wall they removed was a load bearing wall. In simple terms, it was the wall that held up the roof. No wall. No roof.

Look into your own life for examples of good ideas that turned out all wrong.

That incredible deal from that infomercial … only three easy payments of $39.99.

That time you thought you'd save money by doing the repairs yourself.

The incredible new diet plan.

The short cut down that dark highway.

Well you've got the picture, right?

Perhaps it was lack of planning. Or perhaps … just perhaps, it hadn't been prayed about. It hadn't been brought before the Lord, not sought His blessing, His input, His guidance.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; (the right thing, in the right time, and in the right way) and all these things shall be added unto you. Amen.

Monday, July 16, 2018

Surprise!

Isaiah 40:28-31
Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The eternal God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn't grow tired or become weary. His understanding is beyond reach.  

He gives strength to those who grow tired and increases the strength of those who are weak.  Even young people grow tired and become weary, and young men will stumble and fall.

Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the LORD will be renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won't become weary. They will walk and won't grow tired.  


2 Corinthians 12:2-10

I know a follower of Christ who was snatched away to the third heaven fourteen years ago. I don't know whether this happened to him physically or spiritually. Only God knows.  I know that this person was snatched away to paradise where he heard things that can't be expressed in words, things that humans cannot put into words.

        I don't know whether this happened to him physically or spiritually. Only God knows.  I'll brag about this person, but I won't brag about myself unless it's about my weaknesses.

          If I ever wanted to brag, I wouldn't be a fool. Instead, I would be telling the truth. But I'm going to spare you so that no one may think more of me than what he sees or hears about me,  especially because of the excessive number of revelations that I've had.

         Therefore, to keep me from becoming conceited, I am forced to deal with a recurring problem. That problem, Satan's messenger, torments me to keep me from being conceited.  

         I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me.  But he told me: "My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak." So I will brag even more about my weaknesses in order that Christ's power will live in me.

          Therefore, I accept weakness, mistreatment, hardship, persecution, and difficulties suffered for Christ. It's clear that when I'm weak, I'm strong.  


Sermon:   “Surprise”

When I chose these scriptures, I had in mind to write about God giving us strength, or being our strength when we are weak. The Bible is full of times God chose the weak, the broken, the outcast, and most unlikely people to do mighty things. That would be an easy sermon to write.

But something happened on the way to the sermon. God forced a right turn in my thinking. I needed to take the time to focus on my own spiritual needs.

Sometimes writing these sermons is easy. It is like when it go to the word of God I'm stepping into a raging river that just overflows and overpowers me and fills me. I want to stay and play and splash and dive and exult in the vastness of God's love.

However sometimes it's like going to a dry well and all I can hear is the echo of my own voice. HELLO! Hello. hello? Nothing. Not even the chirping if crickets.

The psalms of David are remarkable. I'm sure that he would be diagnosed as manic depressive. He would go from lows where he would cry out, “(Psalms 10:1)Why are you so distant, LORD? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?  And (Psalms 13:1-2) “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I make decisions alone with sorrow in my heart day after day?”

I don't feel depressed but there are days when the Lord seems to be so distant and uncaring. I know. I know. It's not true but if feels that way sometimes. And David knew that feeling and he would write these sad and beautiful words expressing his feelings of loss and abandonment.

He also knew what to do when those emotions flooded over him. Listen to Psalm 63:1-8 written by David about when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God.
   At dawn I search for you.
       My soul thirsts for you.
       My body longs for you
           in a dry, parched land where there is no water.
2 So I look for you in the holy place
   to see your power and your glory.
3 My lips will praise you
   because your mercy is better than life itself.
4 So I will thank you as long as I live.
   I will lift up my hands to pray in your name.
5 You satisfy my soul with the richest foods.
   My mouth will sing your praise with joyful lips.
6 As I lie on my bed, I remember you.
   Through the long hours of the night, I think about you.
7 You have been my help.
   In the shadow of your wings, I sing joyfully.
8 My soul clings to you.
   Your right hand supports me.

I also feel that “my soul thirsts for you, Lord. My body longs for you in a dry, parched land where there is no water.”

I know, when I feel that way, what I have to do. That's when I have to dig a little deeper in the well, dig a little deeper in the storehouse of God's love.

I know that it's not the depth of the well that is the problem. God's well is unimaginably deep. God who filled the oceans has enough. God, the creator of the universe (or possibly universes) has no limits. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He will never run low on the living water that we need to refresh our souls.

If the well isn’t dry … which it isn’t … why am I feeling dried up inside? Have you ever felt that? Have you ever reached the limit of what you have to give? You’ve given 110% just like they asked for. And now … and now you are operating on a deficit. Your spiritual, emotional, physical, financial bank is worse than empty … it’s overdrawn.

You're so far down that you have to look up to see the bottom.


Ever felt that way?

Why do I let myself get like that, when God's storehouse is full and his well is running over?

It's the size of the bucket that I take to the well that's the problem.

Sometimes I'm so sure of my own abilities that I go to the well carrying only a teaspoon … after all, I already know what I'm going to write in my sermon.  

I forget who is the source of that living water. And I forget to take a great big drink. To drink like a camel, filling my hump.

I forget to keep my spirit, my soul, hydrated.

Once my then three year old great granddaughter came and rested her arms of my recliner, looked me in the eye and said in a concerned voice, “Grandpa, you shouldn't drink coffee. It won't keep you hydrated.” And she is right. It won't keep you hydrated.

Sometimes my spirit becomes dehydrated.

Do you know what I mean? Have you been there?

I said earlier that God forced a right turn in my thinking. Well, just to make sure I was listening, He sent a message by way of Facebook. Yep! His messages arrive in many ways. The Bible, words of a friend, sermons, songs, roadside signs, and even social media

This one arrived on Facebook from a pastor friend of mine. She wrote (and I quote):

“As I walked in the door on Friday morning, the nurse looked up and said, “I’m sorry, he’s gone”. I couldn’t believe it. I just knew I would have one last time to tell him I love him.

I stood in shock looking at his body and trying to understand but not refusing to trust God to get us through this. I thought about the times I could have called, should have called, had the opportunity to visit but didn’t.

Then my focus shifted...I shifted into Minister mode and went to prepare my Father and Aunt knowing they were only a few steps behind me. I focused on assisting everyone else to process what we were experiencing.

But in the midst of it I never allowed myself to process what I was experiencing too. I simply ministered to everyone else.

When I returned home I went right back to the normal swing of life. I got up, went to work, answered calls and texts like normal. When I was leaving work I was asked about the trip and it hit me.  

I couldn’t use ministry to push my emotions to the side and I had to stop and deal with it.

This is so common for many Pastors, Ministers, and other Christians. We focus on being there for everyone else and forget to allow ourselves time to grieve. We forget that we are human and have feelings like everyone else.

Let’s be clear, I know what God’s word says regarding grieving. But understand that he never said we aren’t allowed to. He just told us to not grieve as the world does because we know there’s life after this life. Uncle JR is in the presence of the Lord and enjoying time with his parents who knew the Lord too.

So today, I’m allowing myself time to reflect and enjoy memories. I’m allowing myself an opportunity to express the emotions of never being able to see my Uncle again. Then I’m going to stand up and bless the Lord with my whole heart and rejoice because my God is so good!

If I haven’t told you lately, know that I love you! I’m going to try to get better at not being so caught up in ministry that I miss the moments and time I’ve been allowed with family. Have a blessed day!”

End of quote.

She did a great job of sharing how we can be so busy doing the “right thing” the “good thing” that we forget to do the, ”God thing”, to stop and listen, to refresh and refuel, to return to the well and drink deeply of the living water.

So my prayer for myself and for all of you is,

“Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.*

Amen.