27 November 2005
1 Chronicles 16:34
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
Camp Walker, Taegu, South Korea
BIG IDEA: BELIEVERS SHOULD GO ALL OUT AND WORSHIP GOD.
REFERENCES: 2 Samuel 6:14-21; 1 Chronicles 13-16; James 1:17 ( Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with w2hom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning); 1 Chronicles 16:34 (O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever); Deut. 16:11-15 (Law indicating that shall rejoice in the Lord); Numbers 4 (God’s standard for moving The Ark of The Lord); 2 Samuel 6:4-8 (Uzzah is killed); 1 Chronicles 15:27-29 (The record of Queen Michal); 1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV (In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you). Col. 1:23-24 KJV (If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church);
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: 1 Chronicles 16:34
II. READ THE PERICOPE: 1 CHRONICLES 16:34
III. READ THE TEXT: 1 CHRONICLES 16:34 KJV - (O give thanks unto the
LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever).
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to go all out and worship God.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “In Everything Give Thanks”
INTRODUCTION: It has been said that true worship involves giving God His Worth.
Someone else has said, “Worship is seeing what God is worth and giving him what he’s worth.”
Yet, another has said that there’s something about worship that can drive even a king to strip down and leap up.
********************* TAKE 5 BEATS *******************
MOVE 1: In the Book of Colossians 1:24, we find ourselves witnessing Paul’s confession of having rejoice even in the midst of suffering …
a. The word of God says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”.
b. Now, it was only by the grace of God that the Apostle Paul was able to accomplish some of his feats.
c. Still, it sounds like, Paul at the time this passage came to life, would get an A in the course dubbed, “trials and tribulations …”
d. … because he is able to rejoice in the midst of pain and suffering.
**********************TAKE 5 BEATS *****************
MOVE 2: Honestly, I have been saved for quite some time, and I’m still not proud of how I handle some trials.
a. For you see, I don’t always handle my trials, and my circumstances like Paul.
b. Don’t get me wrong. I wish I did, but I don’t.
c. For you see, unlike many of you, I sometimes find myself whining and complaining about situations and circumstances.
d. I don’t always rejoice. And that’s not all …sometimes even after God has blessed me, and shown His favor in my life, I’m still somewhat reluctant to SHOW HIM THE KIND OF AFFECTION and ADORATION that He desires in worship.
e. Honestly, you would think that after all God has done for me, I would give Him thanks in everything.
f. For it was this same Apostle Paul that said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – In all things give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you.
**********************TAKE 5 BEATS**************
MOVE 3: Now … my brothers and sisters … one would think … the miracles that God has performed in my life, along, would be enough for me to give Him the worship that he desire.
a. One would think … the companion that He – and He alone – has bless me with … and …
b. … the ministry that He has blessed me to be apart of, and the family that He has loaned to me on this earth …. Would be enough for me to give God Him Worship, when He wants it.
c. But, that’s not the case. Because, sometimes, I’m even hesitant to go all out and worship Him in church.
d. Now, don’t get me wrong. The Bible says, in the Book of Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything … there’s a time to rejoice; and there’s a time to sorrow.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS******************
MOVE 4: But, what I’m addressing today is the fact that I sometimes … find myself being dignified when I shouldn’t be dignified …
a. Sometimes … I find myself being reserve when I should simply cut-loose for Jesus …
b. Sometimes I find myself being cool when I should be sweating for Jesus …
c. Sometimes, I find myself petting my feet; when I should just take off my shoes and dance LIKE DAVID DANCE.
***********************TAKE 5 BEATS ***************
MOVE 5: This past Thursday, 24 November 2005, Americans celebrated Thanksgiving.
a. On Wednesday evening – prior to Thanksgiving - this community came together at the chapel to collectively worship.
b. We called it an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Worship Service.
c. We had people from many of the worship services on post – collectively worshipping together.
d. The service was well represented by our Catholic Community, Multicultural Gospel Service Community, Camp Henry Gospel Service Community, and our Protestant Community.
e. Well, I can’t speak for you, but personally, I was guilty of initially holding back and trying not to offend anyone with my style of worship.
f. I tried not to raise my hands;
***********************TAKE 5 BEATS***************
MOVE 6: I tried not to offend anyone by avoiding my usual blurts of amen;
a. I tried not to offend anyone by not standing and clapping my hands.
b. But it didn’t last long.
c. Something happened to me, while MCGS was singing: “Give Thanks…”.
d. Suddenly, I decided that if I was going to be offensive to anyone … I would just have to be offensive; but God had been too good to me … for me not to OPENLY GIVE HIM THANKS.
**********************TAKE 5 BEATS*****************
MOVE 7: Likewise, in our scripture this afternoon, we find King David in a precarious situation.
a. You may recall, the last time (just months ago) David broke out in a dance – a priest by the name of Uzzah died.
b. For don’t you remember, David and the people of God had just started celebrating the return of the Lord’s Covenant from the Philistines,
c. when the animal-led carriage hit a bump in the road, and the Ark of The Covenant started falling, …
d. … and Father Uzzah tried to prevent it from hitting the ground … but he DEFILED the Ark by touching it.
e. Consequently, he died on the spot. … because he disobey the Lord’s instructions of not touching the Ark.
f. As a results, of Father Uzzah’s Death, the Bible indicates David was angry with God.
g. Because Father Uzzah was a good man, and an awesome priest.
******************TAKE 5 BEATS******************
MOVE 8: Therefore, this time, David was a bit more courteous …
a. He insured that the priests were abreast of the rules identified in Numbers 4, and Deuteronomy 17 - regarding transporting the Ark.
b. David was so grateful that The Ark of the Covenant was being carried to Zion that He broke-out into a religious dance.
c. Later, he was confronted by his wife, Michal, …
d. Michal, wanted to know why King David couldn’t be dignified in front of the people …
e. She wanted to know why he had to embarrass her … in the company of the slave girls …
f. David in so many words, reminded his wife and Queen, that his purpose on earth was not to avoid embarrassment …
g. … But to Worship God
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS *****************
CELEBRATION … My brothers and my sisters … my intent is not to embarrass you … BUT WHEN I THINK OF THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD … AND ALL THAT HE’S DONE FOR ME … MY SOUL CRIES OUT ALLELUJA … THANK GOD FOR SAVING ME …
I’M GONNA DANCE … LIKE DAVID … DANCE …
I WANNA SING … LIKE DAVID SANG …
