Living In Zion - Pastor David Kanski
Rules to First Chronicles. Chapter 16 going to be up there in just a minute, but also it is Page 431 in your pew. Bibles If you don't have your Bible with you. First Chronicles chapter 16.
This is one of those passages that has a lot of interesting names in it. So we'll see how we do getting through this beginning of first one. And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent, which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. When David had finished offering the burnt offerings in the peace offerings, he blessed, the people, in the name of the Lord. He distributed to every one of Israel, both men and women everyone. A loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a racing cake. He appointed some of the Levites as a Minister's before the Ark of the Lord, even to celebrate and to thank and to praise the Lord, God of Israel ASAP the chief and 2nd to him. Zachariah.
Show me. Remove. Jackie l. Eliad. Benaiah obededom with musical instruments Harps. Liars also ASAP playing cymbals and Benaiah the priest, blue trumpets continually before the Ark of the Covenant of God. Then on that day, David first assigned ASAP and his relatives to give, thanks to the Lord. Oh give thanks to the Lord call upon his name. Make known his deeds among the peoples sing to him. Sing praises to Him, speak of all his wonders glory in His. Holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord. Be glad seek the Lord and his strength seek his face. Continually. Remember, his wonderful Deeds, which he has done his marvellous and the judgments from his mouth. And then skipping down to verse 37. So, he left ASAP and his relatives there before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark continually as every day's work require spray.
Heavenly Father. Lord Jesus, spirit of God. We're so grateful for the opportunity to gather together in your name. So grateful to be able to look into your precious word together. And so grateful that we can depend on your Holy Spirit, to be our teacher, spirit of God. We just asked for your ministry of guidance and Revelation today. As we look into your word, may you be to us the spirit of wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of our God. We pray in Jesus name.
The events described in. This chapter chapter 16 of 1st Chronicles took place at the very beginning of David's reign. As the king of Israel. Several weeks ago. I shared a message with you which was focused on the fact that David chose as the very first priority of his reign. And that was to bring the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark of God, back to the center of the life of the nation. The Ark of the Lord was a sacred chest constructed, according to the pattern. God had given Moses on Sinai. It was designed to be a symbol of the Throne of God. The ark was designated as the only piece of furniture in the holy of holies, and it was before, it was there in the holy of holies above the ark. That God made his presence known among his people. The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord represented, the tangible presence of God, among his people. New York is the place of God's presence. And yet, it had been washed to Israel for over 20 years. In the people of Israel, at that time, had become so spiritually. Bankrupt, that no one cared enough about regaining the presence of God, to undertake the restoration of the Ark, no one cared enough. Until David became king. Dave admitted his number one, priority as king to bring back the ark. This representation of the presence of God into the center of the nation. David, nothing was more important than the presence of God. David understood that if the nation was ever going to flourish, if they were ever going to realize victory over the many powerful enemies.
It would only come about. To the restoration of the presence of God. The New Testament teaches us in, Romans, 15:4 and again in 1st Corinthians, 10:11 that everything that happened to God's people in the Old Testament happened to them as an example. Those things were written down for our instruction. We who are the New Testament, people of God? The principal is revealed in these events from David's life, have an application to our lives. Like David, we also face enemies in our lives, but the enemies we wrestle with are not flesh and blood. The enemies, we face each and every day are the enemies of fear. Anxiety. Anger. Depression. Shame. Temptation. Worldly desires. The fiery darts of the evil one. Even our own thoughts wage war against us were told in the New Testament. And the only way that we are going to experience victory in our lives is to do what David did. We need to make it our number one, priority to bring the presence of God into our lives each and every day. Fruitfulness and victory are merely. The byproduct of having a life filled with the presence of God. That's the message for us from this account from David's life. Am I the last message? We looked at chapter 15, The First Chronicles to learn how we bring the presence of God into our lives. Verses 14 and 16 of 1st Chronicles, 15. Tell us that when the priest and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord. God David had the lead singers with instruments of music to raise sounds of joy. Inverse 25, you read that. They brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with joy. In verse 28, we read That's all Israel. Brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with shouting, with sounds of the horn with trumpets with loud, sounding symbols, and with liars and harps. There's 29 tells us that King David was dancing and celebrating before the Arca as the ark was brought up. And what this tells us is that the way they brought the presence of God into the center of the nation was through worship. In the spiritual principle that we are to draw from this account of the bringing up of the yard, is that it is through worship and praise and thanksgiving that we bring the presence of God into our lives and that we enter into the experience of his presence. Psalm 100 verse 4. Exhorts us to enter his gates with Thanksgiving, enter his courts with praise give thanks to him bless his name. It's through Thanksgiving and praise that. We enter into the presence of the Lord. Some at-44 declares. They are ever praising. You. According to Psalm 140 verse 13, surely the righteous will give thanks to your name. The upright went well in your presence. And then Psalm 22:3, we read that we Are Holy. Oh thou that inhabits the Praises of Israel. When we praise God, we are constructing a habitation for him. Spiritually speaking. When We Worship the Lord and rejoice in him, we are preparing a place for his presence in our lives.
I want to continue this steam this morning by looking at First Chronicles chapter 16. A nurse's wanted to be read. And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent, which David had pitched for it. And they offered David has finished offering, the burnt offering and the peace offering. He blessed, the people, in the name of the Lord. How to prepare a specific place for the Ark of God in Jerusalem. Inside the city of Jerusalem, just beside the king's Palace. There was a Hill Called Mount Zion. And it was there on Mount Zion that David directed, The Ten, the Tabernacle, where he would bring the Ark of the Lord, God. It was there on Mount Zion that David discovered that the very center and meaning of his existence was to worship God with all his spirit, with all his soul with all his body. David assigned people to offer up worship and praise continually before God on Zion. According to verse for of profound, it was sixteen. He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the Ark of the Lord to celebrate and to thank and to praise the Lord God of Israel verses 5 and 6, say that tarps and liar, symbols and trumpets were sounded continually before the ark. Anniversary 7, we're told that David has signed ASAP and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord. Any verse 37, David left ASAP, and his relatives are there before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark continually as every day's work required. It was there full time job. To thank and praise God. Twenty-four hours a day that tent on Zion which how is the Earth was filled with non-stop praise? For David worship was not something you offer to God, when you feel like it. David offered worship continually because God is continually Worthy. And because praise is due his name. David Worship the Lord in the beauty of his Holiness. Because praise is fitting for his Godly ones. What ship became a way of life for David on Zion. And as a result David was brought into such intimate fellowship with the Lord, that he was permitted to enter into the immediate presence of God without the mediation of a priest. And that I never been allowed before. That was never done before but David came into such a place of intimacy with God that he was invited into the very presence of God. On Zion, David was established in God's Presence by grace through faith. And in that tent on Mount, Zion David ministered before the Lord as a priest. Offering up to God, not the sacrifices of bulls or goats, or grain offering, but instead bringing spiritual sacrifice of praise and worship. The song, 27, David proclaimed in the day of trouble. He will conceal me in his Tabernacle, in the secret place of his tent. He will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock and now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of Joy. I will sing. Yes. I will sing praises to the Lord.
In Psalm 116 verse 17. He says Tuesday, I shall offer a sacrifice of Thanksgiving and call upon the name of the Lord. And in Psalm 141 verse to May my prayer be counted as incense before you the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. Most of the Psalms were written during this time. As sacrifices of Praise before God on Zion. And as the worship of God, became the central focus of David's life gladness and joy and strength in God's presence, became the chief characteristics of his life. If we don't understand about David's life of Israel thrived under his leadership, but it was at this time that he spent with God in the presence of the Lord on Mount. Zion. That is the secret to his life. Drop the songs David declares over and over again. The Lord is my strength. The Lord is my joy. He is the sun in my sky. He is the song of My Life. He is my portion. He is my rock.
The Ark of the Lord remained there on Mount, Zion over 30 years. And during that glorious period of time. This man was permitted to know the Manifest presence of God as an ongoing experiential reality in his life. And God did that. Because what happened in David life was meant to be an example.
It was an example for the instruction of God's New Testament table. David's experience on Mount, Zion has become the model. Of what God desires for all of his people.
The life of worship and intimacy God brought David into their foreshadowed. What Jesus has made possible in the life of every new testament, believer. To experience the reality of God's present as David did on Mount, Zion is intended to be the normal Christian Life.
Image of David's this insight into David's life. It wasn't given so we could put David on a pedestal and say, oh, isn't it wonderful that at a certain point back in history, people could relate to God. That way, know these things were written down.
This kind of intimacy In Worship in the presence of God is meant to be the normal Christian Life.
From the time of David onwards, the name of Zion became a symbol, a metaphor for living in the presence of the Lord. Throughout the prophetic books and even into the New Testament, the word of God equates intimate fellowship with god, with coming to Mount Zion.
Both Isaiah, 35:10 and Isaiah 5111 speak of the day. When The Ransom of the Lord will return. And come with joyful shouting with Everlasting Joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy and sorrow and sighing will flee away. It is to be the experience of all God's people in the presence of God Everlasting Joy upon their heads. Magnussen. Joy sorrow and sighing fleeing away. Jeremiah 31, verses 12 through, 14 declares. They shut come and Shout for Joy on the height of Zion and they should be radiant over the Bounty of the Lord. In their life shall be like a watered garden and they shall never language again. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance and the young man and the old together for I will turn their mourning into joy and Will Comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. And I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord. And then the New Testament. Hebrews chapter 12, declares you have not come to a mountain that cannot be touched and to a blazing fire Into Darkness and Gloom and Whirlwind you have come to Mount, Zion. Enter the city of the Living. God the heavenly Jerusalem. Add to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant. Enter cheese sprinkled blood.
And Hebrews 13:15 exhorts us to him. Then let us continually offer up a praise to God. That is the fruit of lips that give thanks to his name. Those are the sacrifices that God expects and deserves from his people, the sacrifice of praise. The fruit of our lips that give thanks to his name over and over again in scripture. We are commanded to praise the Lord over and over again in scripture. We are commanded to give. Thanks to the Lord to worship Him and two sitting praises to our God.
The word praise in scripture is the Hebrew word halal. It's where we get our word, hallelujah. Allow me to post. It means to be very excited about claim. It involves a crying out to express Joy. To enjoy to the fullest to celebrate, we have to boast in the Lord.
The word which is translated as giving, thanks or Thanksgiving in Scripture. Is the Hebrew word yada? It means to acknowledge to exalt to confess. It is the Declaration of what is true? In giving. Thanks. We take knowledge. What is true about our God? We express thankfulness for his character and for who he is to us and for us. In Psalm 18 David declares. I love you. Oh, Lord my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my Fortress. And my deliverer, my God, my rock and my shield and the Horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised and I am saved from my enemies God. He's merely acknowledging the truth about God. He's making a statement about what is true. This is the way it is. The Lord is my strength. The Lord is my rock is my Fortress. He is my deliverer, my refuge, my shield, my salvation, my stronghold. I Love You. Lord, you are worthy to be praised. He's confessing and acknowledging and giving thanks for who the Lord is?
The Hebrew word for worship is the word Choctaw. It means to bow down. To prostrate oneself. This is the word that expresses profound reverence for God. Adoring all and wonder.
The most common word for worship in the New Testament is the Greek word for Scannell. according to Kittle's Greek, Lexicon prestinario refers to, Reverend, adoration
Translated literally, it means to kiss or to bow down or to prostrate oneself. Each of these words review aspects of our Priestly Ministry of worship to God. Anderson other aspect of our worship. That is an essential part of our ministry, and that is singing.
36 times in scripture. We are commanded to sing to the Lord.
Professor Graham Welch, who is the chair of musical education at University College in London, has documented. A great many physical and psychological benefits of singing. Including the importance of stinging in child development.
Put in the 1700 Jonathan Edwards, the most significant Theologian of the Great Awakening. Spoke about the spiritual benefit of singing. Edwards said, the duty of singing praises to God seems to be given holy to excite and express religious affection. The purpose of singing praises to God is to cultivate into Stirrup within us or affections for God.
We can't go beyond worship. There is no higher purpose in life. Worship is the reason we were created. And it is, the reason we were redeemed Ephesians chapter, 1 worship is seen as the ultimate purpose behind all that God has done in us. And for us, if we destined us to adoption as Sons through Jesus Christ, himself to the praise of the glory of his grace. First 11, we have obtained, an inheritance to the end, that we who were the first to Hope in Christ should be to the praise of his glory and verse 13. You were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise to the praise of his glory.
John 4:24, Jesus declared an hour is coming and now is When the true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and in truth. For such people. The father seeks to be his worshippers.
The father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit. And in truth. Could there be a greater motivation for worship. Father is sick.
The fundamental core longing of our existence is to be in proper relationship with God. I truly know God and see him. Is to be in a posture of worship. To be in that state of worship, is the highest Joy of all created beings. And if you had any experiences of true worship in your life, you know what I'm talking about? You know, that there is no joy, no pleasure, no entertainment. No attraction. No, Amusement in this life. That brings absolute complete fulfillment. Like that, which we experience in the presence of God.
It would not be possible. For God to create a world. In which he is, not the greatest good. Think about that. Would it be possible for God to create a world in which there was something greater and of more value? Then himself.
It would be impossible. So to say that God desires worshippers. It's to say that he desires our greatest good.
He desires that we would know that highest state of existence that purpose, for which we were created.
What commanded in scripture to gather with other believers to worship God together? Psalm 107 verse 32 exulting in the congregation of the people. Psalm 111, verse 1. Give thanks to the Lord in the company of the upright and in the assembly. Psalm 139 verse 1. Sing his praise in the congregation of The Godly ones. When we gather together as God's people to worship him, it is powerful. I believe that there is nothing. That we do in our lives, that is more important than worshipping God in the Assembly of the Saints. And I've said it many many times that if this church existed for no other purpose, it exists because God is worshipped here.
If I think about the trials and tribulations, we've gone through as a church. I think that this is why we still exist is because God is worship here. I believe that it is impossible to be spiritually healthy unless you are regularly gathering with God's people to worship.
But as important as corporate worship is our worship of. God must not be limited to Sunday mornings.
Worship is to be a part of our Lives everyday. When I tell people that they should be singing to the Lord everyday, I get strange looks. It's not something people are used to do. Leave it to the professionals, right? No, we are commanded to sing again, and again, and again to sing praises to God, not just on Sunday morning, but every day of Our Lives on 34 one. I Will Bless The Lord at all times.
Psalm 71 8, my mouth is filled with your praises and with your glory all day long. Psalm 145 verse two, every day. I will bless you. I will praise your name forever and ever. Psalm 63 verse for. I will bless you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in your name. It's on 113, verse 3, from the rising of the sun to its setting. The name of the Lord is to be praised. I could have included many more verses. But I didn't want your eyes to glaze over. So. Alluded to just those five. All day everyday, as long as I live. His praise will continually be in my mouth.
God desires for us to worship Him continuously because he wants us to experience the reality and the joy of his presence in our lives everyday.
Humans were created and designed. To find complete satisfaction. And our deepest fulfillment only in the knowledge and presence of God, in The Shining fourth of his Beauty. His goodness, his worth. In the experience of God's revelation of himself to us personally and intimately.
Psalm 37:4. We are commanded to delight yourself in the Lord commanded to praise were commanded to worship were commanded to give. Thanks. We're commanded to sing and we are commanded to Delight ourselves in the Lord. God, we have
Who commands us to be satisfied with his goodness? Who commands us to serve him with gladness?
That's about I Want To Worship.
Because we are burdened with sinful flesh. And we live in a fallen world. We don't always feel like worshipping God or delighting in him. Do we?
But even when I don't feel like it, God is worthy of my praise.
So, we praise him. Because praise is fitting for The Godly wants. The Psalms give us example, after example, of those who lifted up their souls and their voices in, Praise, even when their feelings were pulling them in a different direction. And when they did, that change takes place. Their motions and their affections are stirred to reflect the joy of the reality of God's presence. So I'm 63 vs 1 + 5 gives us an especially good example that this is the song that David compose during his Wilderness wandering Universe when he starts out. Oh God, you are my God. I Seek You earnestly. My soul. Thirsts for you. My flesh Longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
But then by the time, he gets to verse three because your steadfast love is better. Will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live. I will lift up my hands in your name. My soul is satisfied with marrow and fatness in my mouth off of Praises with joyful lips. He starts out in a dry and weary land. He starts out in a place of emotional dryness. But he ends up with an offering of Praise from joyful lips. Any experiences satisfaction as with Marilyn fatness, the energy says my soul will be satisfied as with the richest.
Worship becomes a feast for the soul. What causes us to taste the goodness of God? Apprehend is glory and to experience the sweetness of his grace.
2nd Corinthians 4:6 declares for God. He said, light, let light shine out of darkness, is the one who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
As a result of what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross. We have been reconciled to God, that we might be hold his glory and that we might rejoice in him. When the gospel? Shines into our hearts. The glory of God is unveiled. Is unfathomable worth and value? And our hearts are awakened to worship and adore him into cherish him Above All Else.
The Westminster. Catechism, puts it this way. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. How's that for a destiny? How's that? For a goal in life? Ohio's, purpose, in life is to enjoy God and to Delight in him. And God is most glorified in US. When we are most satisfied in him. When are passion for him exceeds all other Passions? God wants us to know him. He longs to make himself known to us. That we might Delight in him. In the words of Psalm 16:11, you will make known to me, the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy. For us as believers. The Facts of Life is the path to fullest of joy in the presence of the Lord.
The essence of Salvation is that as God is restored to his rightful place as a supreme value in the human heart. We experience our purpose for living the worship and praise that flow from our heart. Is the evidence that we are. The redeemed of the Lord. The curse has been lifted. The veil has been removed. Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing until Ian. And everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads. They shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.