So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in 
holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with 
everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I’m 
commandments and regulations of God that I’m commanding you today-live a good life. – 
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 

The introduction was centered around love & respect. You can’t have one without the other. 

What do you think is involved in “living in His presence in holy reverence”?   
Is it cowering in fear in the corner?   
Is it tip-toe-ing around God’s holy presence?  


I. Uzzah’s Really Bad Idea: A lot of time on the backstory.  
✓ What the “Ark of the Covenant” was.   
✓ Why it was at Abinidab’s house for 20 years.   
✓ What the specific rules were that God had established in order to move it with “holy 
reverence”.  
✓ How Uzzah broke all the rules in his behaviour but more importantly how he didn’t love and 
respect this physical, visible presence of almighty God.   

“Uzzah was in charge (he thought) of God, and meant to stay in charge. Uzzah had God 
where he wanted him and intended to keep him there. The eventual consequence of this kind 
of live is death, for God will not be managed. God will not be put and kept in a box, whether 
the box is constructed of crafted wood or hewn stone or brilliant ideas or fine feelings. We 
don’t take care of God; God takes care of us.”  – Eugene Peterson (Leap Over a Wall) 
After understanding all of that — do you agree with Eugene Peterson’s statement? 


II. David Worships No Matter What 
✓ Whether you raise your hands, whether you dance a little bit at your seat or whether you are 
very still and reverent — the style doesn’t matter but what does matter is whether we stop 
ourselves from “Getting Too Into It.”              
“I don’t want the people beside me to think I’m weird.”  If that’s the thought in your head — 
take a lesson from David and Michal — let it go. 
Agree or disagree with this sermon excerpt?   
What does it mean for you to actually “Get really into it” 


III. Psalm 24 The King of Glory Enters 
✓ Psalm 24 is connected to the whole account in 2 Samuel 6 of David bringing the Ark of the 
Covenant into Jerusalem. Our whole Fall sermon series connects the narrative (story) part of 
the Bible with a specific Psalm. 

How does knowing the backstory change your reading of this Psalm? 

✓ Excerpt from Pastor/Author Mark Buchanan’s book Your God Is Too Safe.  
A conversation following a funeral he performed: 
“Thank you,” she said. “That was so nice what you said. It was really nice. I’m religious too. 
The family always asks me to pray for the weather when we go golfing.” 

This milquetoast-pampering deity is nothing but a cosmic lackey, an errand boy we call on to 
make our golf games pleasant or to help us escape reality for a little while and then summarily 
dismiss. Worship Him? Revere Him? Die for Him? 
Believe that he died a cruel and bloody death for us? You must be kidding. 


Is there a danger in treating The Father, Son & Holy Spirit: One God in just a nice, religious way 
who becomes our “Cosmic lackey”? Is Mark Buchanan overstating it?