Pastor Kris Freeman

Pleasant Union General Baptist Church

Sunday morning, June 29, 2008

And They Brought Worship

 

Text: 1 Chronicles 16

 

This is the story of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant, which symbolized the presence of God to the Hebrew people of the Old Testament, back into the tabernacle for worship.

 

There is a direct order to the worship as signified by David, the king.

 

David was not a high priest, but serving as king, put on the high priestly ephod and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings on behalf of the people of Israel. The burnt offerings gave a fragrance of which God could receive by the burning of incense, and the peace offerings were made for the repentance of sin, similar to that of Aaron as the high priest on the Day of Atonement.

 

While David was not a high priest, the Bible clearly states the line of Christ descending from the line of David. David was in the line of Melchizedek, who served as both high priest and king, and Christ the savior and the ultimate high priest, would come from this line.

 

After David offered up sacrifice, he blessed the people.

-          It is an important step we understand that for the key to answered prayer, we must offer up a sacrificial prayer for forgiveness of our sin. Isaiah 59 is clear that God will hide his face from us because of our transgressions. Unrepentant sin can block your prayer life before God.

-          When David offered up peace offerings, he then blessed the people with food, by giving them bread, meat and cake of raisins.

 

David then appointed ministers to serve in worship. These men are named and the Hebrew word used to describe them is sharat, an honorable, high-level servant. They were called to serve God and to serve one another. This principle still applies in the church today.

 

There were three things following offering and repentance which were present in the worship service that could serve as a model for the modern church:

 

1. Commemorate Where God has brought you from
2. Thank What God has done for you
3. Praise Who God is

 

In the following passage, David offers a psalm which is repeated in the Bible in Psalm 105. During this psalm, the following things which center on God are all applied (followed by the number of times they are referenced):

 

1. Praise (19)
2. Remember (14)
3. Give thanks (8)
4. Make known who God is (7)
5. Rejoice (4)
6. Sing (3)
7. Seek (2)
8. Call (1)
9. Bring (1)

 

What is when we brought worship unto God, it was completely centered on being a blessing to Him? So often, we enter worship looking for what God can do for us. But this group of people all came to the tabernacle with a focus on bringing to God what He is deserving of.

 

I think all our church needs in worship is a slight change in focus. A service that is not centered on style of music, or dress, or even the type of people which is in it but rather a service where Gods people have gathered to serve Him.

 

Be a minister, for you are an honorable servant He has called into His kingdom.

 

Be blessed,