Summit Church Podcast
When Did You Forget God Is Good? | Ashlae Ortiz
(upbeat music) - Hey, thanks so much for joining us on the Summit Church Podcast. We want to connect you to a relationship with God and all that he has in store for you. We hope this inspires you, strengthens your faith, and gives you hope to live out your best days now. Enjoy the message. - Man, what a turnout on a Wednesday night. This is awesome. The body of Christ getting together to break some bread. But as I was kind of worshiping in the back, I was just kind of compelled in my spirit to give honor, where honor is due, and to Nathan Robertson, to Rick Evans, to Nathan, to Jeff Brooks, to Chris Luna, events after event. They are being the hands and feet of Jesus. They are the unsung heroes. They have the late nights from Wednesdays, long Sundays, and they just do a phenomenal job of letting us enter into the presence. And so I just want to say thank you to a phenomenal tech team, and all that they do. And so, yeah, they deserve it. So I am pumped. I am pumped. So is there anyone in here who loves the Lord? All right. So I am preaching to two people today. Those people who love the Lord, and those who are trying to figure out if they do or not. And so, if you love Jesus, I'm gonna ask you a question that I hope if you're struggling with, you can answer and you can reconcile. And so the title of tonight's message is, when did you forget God is good? Wow, that was a good response. Yeah, sounds like some of you might have forgot. So I'm excited. I'm excited. But like Memo said, my name is Ashley. I have the wonderful privilege of being the youth pastor. We're all my students at, yeah, shout out. And so if you guys don't mind our first core value in our student ministry is read your Bible. And so we are gonna read 2 Samuel chapter seven verse one. And just so you know, I'm aware it's a bit of a cliffhanger, but that's why we're reading it. And so this is what it says. It says, "When the king had settled into his palace, "and the Lord had given him rest on every side "from all of his enemies." Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for tonight. Lord, we thank you that we get the opportunity in this country to worship you freely. Lord, I just pray that we wouldn't forget how sacred it is to gather in your name. Lord, I just pray that you would soften our hearts and that you would open our ears to the things that you would have to say to us. Lord, I pray over every person that they would come to realize that you are good and you will always be good. Lord, I pray over anyone in this room who comes in here with doubts or questions about your goodness. Lord, I just pray that you would reveal yourself to them. Lord, I pray that I would get out of the way and that you would be front and center. We say all of this in Jesus' name. Amen, and amen. And so David is my favorite character in the Bible. Let hands down. I don't know how many messages I preach about David. Number one, 'cause he always describes himself as handsome. I'm like, that's my kind of guy. If I was to write something about myself, I'm gonna make sure I include handsome. And so David was that guy. He was the king. He was a warrior, but he loved to worship. He wrote poems. He had a soft side. He loved God relentlessly and he messed up. So I like David. I can relate to David. And so all of David's life, the first time we encounter him, he's a young boy who is left out. He's kind of the, what is it? The black goose or? The black sheep, thank you, see? I tried to stay away from negative talk about myself. So I don't really know those terms. I'm blessed and highly favorite. I'm the head and not the tail. I'm above and not beneath. So David, David has this long journey with God. He's known God since he was born in a pew like some of you. And so he's been, he knows who God is. He knows about God. And so the Bible tells us that he was a shepherd boy. And as he was out there taking care of the sheep, is a middle school and high school age boy. He was writing songs. He was talking to God. And then he found out that one day he was going to be king. And so he's been waiting all of these years to be king. And finally the time has come where he gets to be king. And so we're gonna be reading second Samuel chapter six today. And so David, it's his turn, which means he gets to call the shots. And so he starts going city to city and he's winning battle after battle. He now has a family and children. The people love him. He's the king of Israel. He's just like, man, I'm on top of the world. And he's loving it. And for some of us, you can look back. I know for our students, we can look back at camp whenever we felt on top of the world and we're all in this big old room, like a chosen conference. Shout out, chosen authority in the lower south lobby. You can register? I wasn't paid to say that. It'll change your life. And so some conferences, some places, these big God moments, we look back on and we're like, man, I love that. I was with all my chosen sisters and we were crying and we didn't care our makeup was messed up. It was just so holy and God was good. Or maybe you remember a baptism and how sacred the moment felt or dear worship. You got a little goose bump and you're like, whoa, that's the Lord for sure. And so we remember these good moments and just how awesome it was and your quiet time in the morning and just ooh, the weather's just right and your coffee's not too hot and it's not cold and it's ooh, I love you, Lord. David is in a good moment. He said, man, I just want more good, good, good. I just want to keep finding more and more and more. And so David said, you know what? The arc of the covenant is not in Jerusalem where it should be and since good things are going, let's go get another good thing. Let's bring the presence of God to where we live. And so David decides to make a decision that he's gonna put all of his chips on the table. Second Samuel, chapter six, verse one, it says this. This is one of the first drafts we ever see in history. It says, David again, he assembled all the fit young men in Israel, 30,000. He gathers all of them, 30,000. I mean, I'm just thinking about this story because I like to think I'm a fit young man. If David was walking down the street, he's like, hey, Ashley, let's go. What? No, I'm married. I don't wanna know. Like, how did this go about? What was this decision and fit? Was it like you had to do 50 push-ups, run two miles? I don't know. But David said, no, I'm gonna take everything good. I'm gonna put everything on the table and we're gonna go bring the presence of God back to the city of David. And so David gathers all of these young men, all of his chips are on the table and he was going all out for God. I mean, why wouldn't he go all out for God when God just keeps being good and good? He's the king of the world. No one, you know, he's beaten the Philistines twice at this point. I mean, he killed Goliath, he's killed a bear, he's killed a lion, everything's going great. And so verse three, David takes all of his troops, they gather the ark and verse three, God was loaded up on a cart. It says they set the ark of God on a new cart and transported it from Abinab's house, which was on the hill. Uza and however you would like to pronounce that you can, we're guiding the cart. Uza's name, we're gonna focus on. And so they're walking back with the cart. It's about eight miles is what we see geographically. And so David and his army, they fit God onto their little earthly bubble. Okay, God's good and we're gonna put him on this cart and we're gonna go back to the city and more good things are gonna come our way and we just can't wait to see what's going to happen. And so verse five, David is in great spirits. He is in great spirits. This is David in the whole house of Israel we're dancing before the Lord with all kinds of firwood instruments, liars, harps, tamarines, systems and symbols. Could you imagine 30,000 of us like we just did the Walla go dancing? Just, oh God, you're so good. I love you, love. Oh God, sprinkler, I'm a youth pastor. I gotta keep y'all engaged. They're dancing, dancing before the Lord. They are on top of the world. There's 30,000, you probably couldn't even see the end of it. They're just in line, a whole army, just praising God. They're on fire and they're loving the Lord and just like God, I cannot believe that we now have your presence back with us. I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. I love you, all of a sudden as everyone's walking, you hear a scream in the distance. Hey, hey, David's like, what's going on? What happened? As they were transporting the ark and everyone was dancing around it. In the middle of the goodness of God, the ark began to slip because of the ox. And one of David's friends reached out to try to catch it. Verse six, it says this. When they came to Nacken's threshing floor, Uza reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. Some of us were like, that's a smart thing to do. We don't want God to touch the floor because we don't let the American flag touch the ground. Why would we want God to touch the ground? Who wouldn't do that? And so in the middle of the party, one man reaches out and touches the ark. Verse seven, it says this. Then the Lord's anger burned against Uza and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence and he died there next to the ark of God. What? I don't know about you, I read that, I said, what? They were just partying 30,000 strong. Like, let's go! Look, I mean, if I was in the front, I would have finished the whole way. I would have looked back, everyone was crying behind me. What's going on? He died! He's dead! What do you mean he's dead? He touched the ark! I thought that was a good thing. What do you mean, let's go! But in the middle of the party, in the middle of God's goodness, God did something that they did not agree with. And so David sees his friend dead because of God's decision. I can only imagine what is running through David's mind to think that this good God who made me king took my friend. Verse eight and nine, I think, is a lot. I think verse eight and nine is where a lot of people live. I've seen the goodness, oh yeah, yeah, God's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love God. But David was angry because of the Lord's outburst against Uza. And so he named that place outburst against Uza. That's also why I like David. He wasn't very creative, he just coulda, really? All right, smart man. Verse nine, David feared the Lord that day and he said, how can the ark of the Lord ever come to me? And the question that I would love to ask David in that moment, and I'm sure we can see the answer is, when did you forget that he's good? And so oftentimes in our life, in American life, it's easy to recognize when God's being good to us. And then all of a sudden when something happens or we read something in the Bible that we disagree with, we then begin to think, this isn't the good God I thought he was. This is a natural feeling. David felt this way, he was angry with God. It's okay to have questions with the Lord. I just wanna tell you that. If you have questions about God, ask him. God is a very good God, and I hope I can prove that to you. And so David's friend dies. David is now angry with the Lord because he disagrees with his decision. And now he is fearful to worship the God that he grew up praising. I think I could name four people in my close circle who have been in this moment. Well, you don't understand my life. You don't understand what I've been through. It's hard for me to even read my Bible because I don't even wanna talk to this God anymore. So verse 10, David said he was not willing to bring the ark of the Lord to the city of David. Instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed Edom of Gath. And so many times, whenever we come to a crossroad, when something happens that we do not understand, we say, "You know what, Lord, I think you should go that way. I'm gonna go this way." And maybe we can circle back. But I don't understand why you did what you did. I don't understand why they died. I don't understand why they got sick. I don't understand why I got divorced. I don't understand why my kids don't talk to me. I don't understand why I got laid off. I don't understand. I don't understand. I don't understand. And we say, "Lord, you can go that way." I miss the moment in the conference when I got restoration. I miss the moment in my morning time when I felt you close. But in this moment, I think you should go that way. And I'm gonna go this way. And David in his flesh made a decision that was untrue about God, that I could no longer be close to this God. And so why don't you go that way and I'll go this way? And so David now lives his life for three months without the presence of the Lord. And so could you imagine three months is a king of a nation without the wisdom of God, especially for David? I just can't imagine. And so David is now in a position that so many people around us, even believers are in. David is a believer in Yahweh, the one true living God, but he has doubts about him. And so many people in your work, in your school, in your house have doubts about a good God. And David is living for three months questioning. How is he good when he killed my friend when we were praising him? When I was literally taking off my clothes just about. What I don't understand God. I have so many questions about what happened. And I'm sure some of you are in this boat. You have questions about God. You've done the church thing. You've lived a life with God's goodness, but some things are happening right now that are creating a lot of questions. Verse 12 is where this story changes. And verse 12 is where I really want you to begin to challenge yourself, because here at First Wednesday we want to go from glory to glory. We want to go higher. Verse 12, something changes for David. And I hope you can recognize why. It was told to King David, the Lord has blessed Obed Edom's family. And all that belongs to him because of the Ark of God. So David went and had the Ark of God brought up from Obed Edom's house to the city of David with rejoicing. What? The question is why? Well, it's the third word. It was told. Who are you reminding that God's good? There's some stories that you've lived through. There's some miracles you've seen. There's breakthrough you've had in your life. And the goal of the Christian is that we would tell others that God is still good. David was sinning in a palace for three months and it wasn't until someone told him, "Hey, the God that you think hurts you is still good. Hey, the God that you pushed away is still being good to people." And so David heard the word of the Lord. That God is still good. And so I come to you tonight to remind you that God is still good. And even though you may have sent him his way and you went yours, he's still in the miracle working business. He's still in the healing business. He's still in the prodigal son business. He is still in this business. God is still good. And when David heard about the goodness of the Lord, his spirit bubble and he said, "You know what? How could I have forgotten what God has brought me through from a boy left in the field to killing a giant, to now leading his people? This God is someone that I just need to run back to." So he goes to him and he says, "I want to bring you back with rejoicing." And my prayer tonight is for those of us who may have questions that we could say, "Lord, you are good, and I want to bring you back into my life with rejoicing." And so David is making his way back with the arc of the covenant. And he is now rejoicing before the Lord. And so for those of you who are receiving the blessings of God, can I remind you of the importance of echoing God's goodness? Because sometimes, or maybe even most of the time, we can spark a small flame that can turn into a wildfire. You see, this little flame that started in David's heart, you're about to recognize the wildfire that happened. And so verse 14 and 15, it says, "David was dancing with all his might before the Lord, wearing a linen ephod. He and the whole house of Israel." It doesn't say David was compelled back to the man that died, all 30,000 who saw the man died, who had questions of the Lord. The whole house was now returned because one man was reminded that God is good and it set off a wildfire in the nation. And so your ability to share God's goodness, it could just change your job. It could just change your house. It could just change the way that you view life because David went from three months cooped up in a castle to now he's just wearing his linen ephod, dancing on the street. And so David welcomes back God. But one thing that I love about this is that instead of loading it up on a cart like he did the first time, like the Philstines did, this is a little deeper message. This is something Clarence would probably teach. Is Pastor Clarence in here? No, yeah, if y'all got questions about the deeper meanings, go to him. Instead of loading it on a cart, he now carries it the way that God asked. And so David welcomes back God on God's terms. Lord, I know I disagreed with your word before but now I want you back and I want you to reveal to me on why it bothered me. Lord, I know I was in a season of life and I was angry. Lord, would you reveal to me what I needed to learn in that season? David welcomed back the Lord on God's terms and he was rejoicing about it. He said, Lord, I want to honor you and I thank you for what you have done. And so David is now dancing along the way and he's coming and everyone's shouting and the Ramshorn is blowing and it's just, it's a party all over again. I mean, I wish we could have a party of 30,000 people going down the street. Could you imagine what would happen? It's so they're dancing but the Bible says there's one person who's in a window and her name is Michael. And it says that she saw David dancing in the street and it says that she despised what he was doing. She didn't understand why David was doing what he was, why are you dancing the way you're dancing? Why are you standing in the front of the church lifting your hands going crazy? Why you got a jump when you worship? Why are you yelling so loud? Why do you want to pray before every minute? Why is going on? Some people despise whenever you want to say no. If you understood, when I pushed him away and he came back, oh, trust me, I'm going to dance however I want to dance. He deserves what he deserves. And so I'm going to give him every part of me. And so the thing I love about this story in verse 20, it says, when David returned home to bless his household, Saul's daughter, Michael came out to meet him and this is what she said. Oh, how the king of Israel honored himself today. He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects, like a vulgar person would expose himself. You see, some of you need breakthrough tonight. Some of you need to welcome the ark back into your city. You see, the ark was the presence of God. It was a foreshadow of the Holy Spirit. And some of us would just say, Holy Spirit, would you come back to me? Holy Spirit, I'm now open to you. And when I come forward tonight, I don't care what my friend thinks about me. I don't care the judgment they may place on me. They don't understand what is happening to me in the spirit. And David responds in verse 21 and 22. I'm going to read the end of 21 and the rest of 22. And David responds and he says this. In 21 and 22, do we have that? If we don't, it's okay, I have my B-I-B-L-E. And this was David's response. She said, I'm going to read again what she said. She said how the King of Israel honored himself today. He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects, like a vulgar person would expose himself. And so David responded at the end of 21. He said this, he said, I will dance before the Lord. And I will dishonor myself and humble myself even more. However, by the slave girls you spoke about, I will be honored. You see, the thing is, David knew in his spirit, no, the things and the decisions I'm making, they're no longer for me. They are for God. And whatever it may look like to the world, let it be. But what it is to my Father in heaven who said, I am okay enough to come back to that for some reason I am deemed worthy and the eyes of God for him to want to dwell with me again after I was in a crossroad of life. And I said, Lord, I don't really like you right now. How good of a king is it that at the moment David came back and said, Lord, would you come back to my city? That there was no hesitation from a God that is so good and filled with mercy and love and kindness that he allowed David to walk back to his city and dance before him after David basically said, I no longer want the God who granted me his kingdom. You see, there is a God who is alive today that without hesitation, he's welcoming you back. And he wants to walk with you back to the city. That is your soul. He wants to dwell with you among your soul. And we'll end here, chapter seven, verse one. David has now returned with the Lord. And so when the king had settled into his palace and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies. You see, the thing is David was restless without the Lord. There's some of you tonight that you need rest. And when the art comes back to the city, you'll be able to take a deep breath tonight. And so we're gonna have the prayer team available here on the sides to pray with you. If you would like to do that, I'm gonna give an altar call in just a minute. But I want everyone to really reflect and think, is there a moment I forgot that God is good? And so I come to you tonight to say that we still have a king who is filled with compassion in his eyes, with mercy in his hands. And he just wants to say, hey, let's take the walk back to the city together. And so with every head bowed, I just wanna pray a prayer over you. And then I'm gonna say a second prayer for those of you who want to receive the arc back, to receive God into your life. And so Heavenly Father, I pray over every person under the sound of my voice here tonight. Lord, that right now in the spirit, they would begin to see that they have a king who is smiling at them. That they have a king who is not mad at them. But they have a God who lets them call him Father. And so Lord, I just pray right now, Lord, that they would recognize that feeling they have in their stomach is the Holy Spirit, beginning to compel them to invite you back into their lives. That they would not hesitate in this moment. So Lord, right now we give you this moment as we get ready to go back into worship. And so if there's anyone here right now, and you say, you know what Ashley, that's me. I went my way and God went his way. And I just need to reconnect. If that's you, I wanna encourage you to stand up and make the walk to the city and just make your way to the front so our prayer team can pray with you. They're available, if that's you, one step of faith, one step of faith is all it takes. You see the Lord is patient and kind. He's not gonna intrude into your life. He says, knock. And so if you would like to reconnect with the Lord, tonight's your night. Because what better time than right now? So I'm gonna pray and we're gonna enter back into worship. My prayer is that you would have a conversation with the Lord, and so as everyone stands to their feet, you guys can stand to your feet and I just wanna pray. Heavenly Father, we come before you as your children. We come before you as children who sometimes we don't understand why the Father decides what he decides. Lord, in this moment, we recognize that you are good and that you are holy. Lord, in this moment, we want to walk back with rejoicing. We want to enter into your gates with thanksgiving. And so Lord, in our spirit, would you allow us to jump and to shout, Lord, would you remind us of the moment that you saved us from a deep, deep pit? Lord, would you remind us of the time that you brought us back home? And so Lord, for the rest of tonight, Lord, we thank you and we honor you. Lord, we expect you to move, that we are excited to see your kingdom come and your will be done in San Antonio as it is in heaven. And we say all of this in Jesus' name. Amen. (upbeat music) - Thanks again for joining us. If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to subscribe and share it with a friend. You can hear more messages by visiting SummitSA.com. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)