![\"Faithfully](\"http:\/\/www.all-creatures.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/lambleft.jpg\")
<\/a>A Sermon Delivered to
\nThe Compassion Internet Church<\/p>\n
12 July 2015<\/p>\n
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor<\/p>\n
Scripture References:<\/p>\n
2 Samuel 6:1-19
\nEphesians 1:1-14<\/p>\n
Faithfully living God\u2019s will is something we should be doing all the time, naturally.<\/p>\n
Faithfully living God\u2019s will is doing exactly what Jesus taught us to pray for: \u201cThy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.\u201d (Matthew 6:10)<\/p>\n
In this Bible study, we will look at some passages of Scripture that speak about the ways that people are faithfully living God\u2019s will and also how they are not.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s begin by looking at 2 Samuel 6:1-19\u2026<\/p>\n
1. Now David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.<\/p>\n
2. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.<\/p>\n
God did not direct David to do this.<\/p>\n
This is something David is doing in his own pride, for at this time, he is not faithfully living in God\u2019s heavenly will.<\/p>\n
3. And they placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were leading the new cart.<\/p>\n
4. So they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s instructions were that the Ark was only to be moved by the priests and carried on poles on the shoulders of these men, which is not what they are doing.<\/p>\n
Note the results.<\/p>\n
5. Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals.<\/p>\n
Playing music or singing praise songs does not mean that the people doing these things are faithfully living God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n
6. But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it.<\/p>\n
7. And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God.<\/p>\n
8. And David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, and that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day.<\/p>\n
9. So David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”<\/p>\n
Note carefully David\u2019s words: “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”<\/p>\n
These are still the expressions of human pride, for he wants the ark to come to him, and not necessarily where God wants the ark to be housed.<\/p>\n
We all are to be faithfully living God\u2019s will, and not our own will.<\/p>\n
10. And David was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.<\/p>\n
11. Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.<\/p>\n
12. Now it was told King David, saying, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness.<\/p>\n
But this time the ark was moved in the method that God prescribed; but even then, not everything was done in the heavenly will of God.<\/p>\n
13. And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.<\/p>\n
God desires obedience and not sacrifice, and all this killing is not an act of faithfully living God\u2019s will, but an act of human will trying to appease God.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the only one who enjoys the shedding of blood is the devil.<\/p>\n
14. And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod.<\/p>\n
And once again we need to remember that singing and dancing before the Lord is no indication that the people are faithfully living God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n
15. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.<\/p>\n
16. Then it happened as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.<\/p>\n
Is this an indication that Michal sees the hypocrisy in David\u2019s actions?<\/p>\n
We may never know, but she also is not faithfully living God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n
17. So they brought in the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.<\/p>\n
18. And when David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.<\/p>\n
19. Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
Even though all of these things are being done before the Lord does not mean that they are in His heavenly will.<\/p>\n
And based upon the way this passage is written, it sure seems that David is trying to glorify himself before the people more than he is glorifying God.<\/p>\n
We are to be faithfully living God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n
With this in mind, let\u2019s take a look at Ephesians 1:1-14\u2026<\/p>\n
1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:<\/p>\n
2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
One of the unfortunate problems we face in the church today is that not everyone who claims to be faithful, and perhaps even think of themselves as being faithful are actually wholly faithful in the heavenly will of God; they leave things out, particularly when it comes to helping to free creation from its present corruption.<\/p>\n
They are not faithfully living God\u2019s will, which is a major problem we face in the world today.<\/p>\n
3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,<\/p>\n
4. just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love<\/p>\n
He has indeed done this for all of us, but unfortunately most people also still want to live in the corrupt ways of this world with all its pain, suffering, bloodshed, and death, particularly when it comes to animals.<\/p>\n
Animals are for the most part treated as commodities instead of our fellow living beings, who were created by God just as He created us.<\/p>\n
5. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,<\/p>\n
6. to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.<\/p>\n
Then why do so many people still want to live in the corrupt ways of this world instead of faithfully living God\u2019s will?<\/p>\n
7. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,<\/p>\n
A vital part of the redemption cycle is that we repent of our former evil and worldly ways, which opens our hearts and souls to God\u2019s forgiveness and redemption.<\/p>\n
8. which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight.<\/p>\n
9. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him<\/p>\n
God has made these mysteries known to us, even if we don\u2019t accept them and fight against them.<\/p>\n
This means that just about every person really knows about the horrible pain and suffering that is inflicted upon animals by our fellow human beings, but they choose to ignore it or turn a blind eye to it.<\/p>\n
We are to be faithfully living God\u2019s will, and not the corrupt ways of this world.<\/p>\n
10. with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him<\/p>\n
11. also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,<\/p>\n
12. to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.<\/p>\n
How can people truly praise God while they knowingly live in the corrupt ways of this world?<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t believe they can, for we were once there ourselves, and have come to realize that we never had His glory in us until we repented, accepted His forgiveness, and became peacemaking children of God who seek to do everything in their power to help free creation from its present corruption.<\/p>\n
13. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation \u2014\u00a0 having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,<\/p>\n
Belief is really a passive word, but faith is acting upon that belief, which is the evidence that we are true children of God.<\/p>\n
14. who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
\nNASB<\/p>\n
If we really want to live in the praise of His glory, then we will also resolve in our hearts and souls to turn from our former worldly ways and faithfully live God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n
Amen.<\/p>\n
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