Coming to Worship

Lessons from King David, Part 2 of 3

July 13, 1997

Psalm 24; 2 Samuel 6

"A FUNNY THING HAPPENED on the way to church..." I wonder if a play could ever be written on that theme? If we could have a video of how your family and mine, emotionally and mentally and spiritually as well as physically, arrive at their places for Sunday worship it might make for an interesting talk show theme. It is possible that Psalm 24 could be used as a lesson from David on how to come to church.

PROLOGUE - "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof..." The Psalm begins by saying what we all say we know— that God is worthy of our worship, and worship is the most satisfying activity known to humankind.

Worship, coming into God's Presence, is cause for great joy and rejoicing. To rate worship that high may seem like an extravagant statement made by a loony clergyman. It certainly is alien and far-fetched to a worldly perspective. But the fact is that it is true.

Maybe we don't give enough thought to the matter. Honestly, how did you come today? Why? There are many moods of the spirit, even many attitudes or facets of expressing our love to God. Coming into God's Presence can be celebration even while also challenging and even awesome. But it should never be casual or irreverent. The Psalmist talks about climbing the hill to the place of worship:

ASCENDING THE HILL OF THE LORD

"Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place?"

This Psalm reflects a tremendous respect for worship. David learned a lesson about worship early in his reign as king in Jerusalem; in fact the very first time he tried to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Mount Zion.

{Illus:} The Story of Uzzah: Early in David's reign in Jerusalem, shortly after he had decided to make the Mount Zion the heart of worship for his people, David (rightly) decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant from where it had been in (reverent) storage more than twenty years to the place where he had set up the Tent of Covenant. The procession began, the celebration started. But when Uzzah took hold of the Ark irreverently he was struck dead, and the dancing and singing stopped.

Then, three months later David resumed the task of bringing the Ark up the hill of the Lord. This time everything was done as best they knew in reverence and respect for God's will and God's way. This time the journey was a spectacular success. The celebration was glorious. David "danced before the Lord with all his might!" There was true worship.

God doesn't strike us dead when we seek to worship in less than perfect ways. As a matter of fact if we really seek to worship, God will never fail to receive us, for he knows our inner hearts. But I cannot help believe that many times our worship seems "dead" because of the way we have ascended the hill of the Lord.

How do you suppose people 'climb the hill' to meet God? (Yes, I mean in your quiet time, but more, in our corporate worship?)

Some come out of a sense of duty or of fire insurance.
Some come because it has become a good custom, and good people worship when Sunday rolls around.
Some people come for practical reasons. Their first consideration is getting perceived needs met, and they see worship as God's therapist's couch.
No doubt some aspects of all these approaches are valid.
Some people come with anticipation that they will meet with God. Consciously, before they ever get to the place of worship, they think of worship as somehow different from any other human gathering. It is a deliberate rendezvous with God!

But what of the worship itself? When we have arrived, what do we do?

EXPECTING THE ENTRY OF THE KING OF GLORY

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and the King of Glory shall come in!"

Corporate worship is more than a group of individuals coming together with each one 'worshiping the "god" of his/er choice.' God IS, and true worship is far more than bowing down to the "God" we have created in our own minds after our own image.

But how can we know this awesome Presence?

It is revealed from faith to faith. Cosmonaut Vs. Astronaut.

Expectation carried forward in the act of worship: Pray the hymns. Listen in the scripture lessons. Affirm in the creeds and prayers. Even listen in the sermon. "And the king of glory SHALL come in!"

{Illus: I was desperate to hear from God one summer vacation. I went to a large church in the morning— and they were having an annual business meeting and little or no scripture or worship. I wanted to hear from God. I went in the evening to a very small church. The service was impromptu and poorly prepared. But Jay Bergers was there, and he stood up to testify spontaneously. His words encouraged me. I realized I had heard from God!}

"Clean hands ... pure heart??" A willingness to be "real" with God, and say "No!" to whatever in order to say "Yes!" to Him.

Remember Jesus' story of the two men who went up to the Temple to pray? "God be merciful to me a sinner!" was the winning prayer that day!

CONCLUSION - "He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation"

{Illus: When we lived (for seven years) in Edison, New Jersey, a highlight of the year— no THE highlight of the year— was our annual vacation: two weeks at Dunn's Camps in Maine. Edison was urban— wall-to-wall cement.

Our cabin was available at twelve noon on Monday. It was a solid eight-hours of hard driving from Edison, south of NYC to Oxford, Maine, north of Portland. So at 4 a.m. we would pile into our station wagon (it was before the era of mini-vans) and with great anticipation we would set out, crossing the George Washington Bridge long before morning traffic, and we would arrive at the earliest possible moment so we would not miss any part of our allotted time.

Sometimes when we would turn down the last lane toward the water on our way to a camp, either at Camp Taconic, or Hogan Pond or wherever, a spontaneous song would break forth out of the back seats of the wagon. "We're here because we're here because we're here because we're here!" And we liked it better when the sun shone than when it rained all week, but whatever happened that "green place" in our lives was precious in anticipation, and in the time it was happening, and as a matter of fact, it still has power to warm our hearts these many, many years later.

I'm not equating the worship of God with a summer's holiday at the lake. I am saying that the true worship of God, in anticipation, and as it happens, and in remembrance, is far more, far, far more! To ascend the hill of the Lord, to stand in His holy place— to welcome the King of Glory! This is the blessing! Why don't we enjoy it every day, every week?

Prayer

O Father God, our Friend and our King!

We do NOT take for granted the great privilege we have of knowing You. Give us hearts of love for You, and help us rejoice for the sheer joy of knowing that we can be in your Presence! O King of Glory, come and live in us we pray! In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Hymn 115 Come, Christians, Join to Sing