Continuing our discussion of God's Favorite House, based on Acts 15:16 "After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild and I will restore it."
In 1 Chronicles 13, David transported the Ark of the New Covenant. In verse 9, Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark, touching it. "The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the Ark. So he died there before God."
The Ark of the Covenant spent 37 years in the tent tabernacle because God wouldn't let David build the tabernacle he wanted to.
How badly do YOU want to experience God's presence?
What will we do if He quits knocking?
You can't preserve your dignity and experience His deity...
Let go and attract God's attention.
If we want this sanctuary to be God's favorite house, we have to have revival. Let go of the past and experience repentance. Do you genuinely want to stop sinning?
God cannot ignore a contrite heart. Ps. 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart..."
David tried to do it, move the Ark, in his own power, his own way - he failed to do it God's way. He moved the Ark by putting it on a cart pulled by oxen. When it was unsteady, Uzzah reached out and touched it to steady it. God struck him down because he touched it. God wanted it moved on the shoulders of priests. So they carried it 7-10 miles by men, not pulled by oxen. They would take six steps, stop and make sacrifices. They did this for the entire 7-10 mile trip. How long do you think it took them to make the trip?
A lot of sweat went into moving the ark. Sweat means transfer of value. We must sweat to earn our income and must be willing to give tithes. 1) work - transfer our efforts and 2) worship - transfer our time.
We need to know WHO God is.
Open the gates of heaven so God's grace will come down on us. Worship is the key component to this.
There are 5 distinct ways to open the gates, to release God's presence in our church:
1. tithes
2. persecution
3. persistence (open, seek, knock)
4. unity
5. worship
What do YOU want in life? in church?
