September 28, 2008

Lesson: 1 Chronicles 16.23-34

Sermon Title: Cry of Creation

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INTRODUCTION:

Power Lesson (1)

A Sunday school teacher said to her children, "We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a higher power.

Can anybody tell me what it is?"

One child blurted out, "Aces!"

  1. Of course we know, recognize and worship a higher power that we call God.

  2. It is God who plays a huge role in the story of the movement of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem.

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MAIN BODY

  1. David's decision to bring the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem had some repercussions for some of his people.

    1. The Ark was a holy object.

      1. No one was to touch it.

      2. It could only be carried by the Levites appointed to the task with the poles that were permanently attached for that purpose.

    2. This time the ark was on a new cart pulled by unbroken oxen.

      1. When the procession reached the thrashing floor of Nacon, the cart began to tip, Uzzah reached out to steady the ark and was killed.

      2. So David let the ark stay in the home of Obed-edom the Gittite.

      3. The ark stayed there for three months, and Obed-edom was greatly blessed.

    3. On hearing this David decided to bring the Ark to Jerusalem where he had prepared a tent for it.

      1. This time the Levites carried the ark and it arrived safely.

      2. The Ark arrived with dancing and singing.

      3. You can read about in 1 Chronicles 15.25-29

25So David and the elders of Israel, and the commanders of the thousands, went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with rejoicing. 26And because God helped the Levites who were carrying
the ark of the covenant of the LORD, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams.

27David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers; and David wore a linen ephod. 28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres.

29As the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing; and she despised him in her heart.

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  1. David composed a song for the occasion that was given to Asaph to put to music.

    1. You can find the song in 1 Chronicles 16.8-34.

    2. It is an incredible song of praise and joy.

      1. Give Thanks to the Lord

8O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name,
    make known his deeds among the peoples.
9Sing to him, sing praises to him,
    tell of all his wonderful works.
10Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
11Seek the LORD and his strength,
    seek his presence continually.
12Remember the wonderful works he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
13O offspring of his servant Israel,
    children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

      1. He is the LORD, there is no other.

      2. He is the initiator and keeper of the covenant.

14He is the LORD our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.
 15Remember his covenant forever,
    the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
 16the covenant that he made with Abraham,
    his sworn promise to Isaac,
17which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
18saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan
    as your portion for an inheritance."

      1. He is the protector of the remnant.

19When they were few in number,
    of little account, and strangers in the land,
20wandering from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another people,
21he allowed no one to oppress them;
    he rebuked kings on their account,
22saying, "Do not touch my anointed ones;
    do my prophets no harm."

      1. So sing to the Lord, all the earth.

23Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
    Tell of his salvation from day to day.
24Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples.
25For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
    he is to be revered above all gods.
26For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
    but the LORD made the heavens.
27Honor and majesty are before him;
    strength and joy are in his place.
 28Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
29Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
    bring an offering, and come before him.
    Worship the LORD in holy splendor;
 30tremble before him, all the earth.
    The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
31Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,
    and let them say among the nations, "The LORD is king!"
32Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it.
33Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.
34O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

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  1. Our situation is different from David's.

    1. We do not have a tent, we have a ceiling.

    2. We do not have an ark, we have a table.

    3. We do not have a huge choir and a big band, we have the exuberance of the singing of songs and hymns to the accompaniment of a piano.

  2. We too often do not experience the joy nor give expression to our exuberance in dance and song.

    1. What happens?

    2. I read a book review of by Peter W. Marty in The Christian Century. (2)

      1. He does not name the book, nor the author.

"OCCASIONALLY a publisher sends a book manuscript my way, asking for a review to aid some front-end marketing. It happened again last week. I didn't have time to read and review the book, nor did I have great interest in it. In this case, the author had written a treatise on why the church has thoroughly failed young adults. Disillusionment and disappointment are favorite words in her argument. The author asks, with more cynicism than innocence, "What does going to church every Sunday really have to do with anything?"

"My first response to the book is: If your expectations in life are unreal, your disappointments will be huge. If in starting a family your expectation is that you will enjoy unceasing harmony, selfless devotion of kids to parents, and a constant romance of support and togetherness-look out! Your fall will be great. If your expectation for church is the thrill of one euphoric experience after another. you'll probably never return. If on the other hand you view the church of Jesus Christ like a verdant garden, you may feast forever. Yes, it's full of sweet corn and manure, both holiness and holy mess But it is still the garden of God's grace.

"My second response is: Church is always about more than satisfying personal desires and hanging around like-minded people. At least it ought to be. It is a community where we have a realistic shot at being changed, once we've immersed our lives in the joys and sorrows of everyone else's life, It offers an unsurpassed opportunity to suddenly stop life, at least once a week. and give collective thanks for blessings too many to number.

"My third response is: Some of the beauty and significance of church is total mystery. Why certain people would bother to love others. forgive others and serve others in the peculiarly Christlike way they do is beyond comprehension. Metaphorically speaking. it's like a jumble of words coming together to form an unexplainably rich poem.

    1. I believe that this helps us to develop a viewpoint that enables us to experience the exuberant joy of being a member of the family of God.

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CONCLUSION:

  1. God is with us, wherever we are and whatever we face.

    1. This is the message of David's song.

    2. This is the message of Jesus

    3. This is the cry of all creation.

  2. Let us rejoice and give thanks.

    1. God is on our side. (3)

Rabbi Feldman had been having trouble with his congregation. It seemed they could agree upon nothing, and controversy filled the air until the Sabbath itself became an area of conflict, and unhappiness filled the synagogue.

The president of the congregation said, "Rabbi, this cannot be allowed to continue. Come, there must be a conference, and we must settle all areas of dispute once and for all."

"Agreed," said the rabbi.

At the appointed time, therefore, the rabbi, the president and 10 elders met in the conference room of the synagogue, sitting about a magnificent mahogany table. One by one the issues were dealt with and on each issue, it became more and more apparent that the rabbi was a lonely voice in the wilderness.

The president said, "Come, Rabbi, enough of this. Let us vote and allow the majority to rule." He passed out the slips of paper, and each man made his mark. The slips were collected and the president said, "You may examine them, Rabbi. It is 11 to one against you. We have the majority."

Whereupon the rabbi rose to his feet in offended majesty. "So," he said, "you now think because of the vote that you are right and I am wrong. Well, that is not so. I stand here" -- and he raised his arms impressively -- "and call upon the Holy One of Israel to give us a sign that I am right and you are wrong."

And as he said so, there came a frightful crack of thunder and a brilliant flash of lightning that struck the mahogany table and cracked it in two. The room was filled with smoke and fumes and the president and the elders were hurled to the floor.

Through the carnage, the rabbi remained erect and untouched, his eyes flashing and a grim smile on his face.

Slowly, the president lifted himself above what was left of the table. His hair was singed, his glasses were hanging from one ear, his clothing was in disarray.

He said, "All right, 11 to two. We still have the majority."

    1. It is not 11 to two.

    2. It is 11 to one.

  1. God is in his heaven and all is right with life, at least the lives of those who put their trust in him.

Amen!

1. Pastor Tim [posts@cybersaltlists.org]

2. Peter W. Marty. A metaphor for congregational life. The Poetry of Sheep. The Christian Century September 9, 2008, p. 10.

3. Isaac Asimov, Asimov Laughs Again (New York: HarperCollins, 1992), 72.

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