Pastor Matt Pierson
Stir Up / Christ the King Sunday
1 Chronicles 16:8-36
“You never go away from us, yet we have difficulty in returning to you. Come Lord, stir us up and call us back. Kindle and seize us. Be our fire and our sweetness.” – Augustine
1 Chronicles 16:8-36
- David’s Song of Thanks
- On the occasion of the ark being placed in the tent in Jerusalem
- The ark had been on an approx. 100 year journey
- David appointed that “thanksgiving be sung to the Lord.”
David’s Song of Thanks found also in the Psalms:
- 1 Chronicles 16:8-22 = Psalm 105:1-15
- 1 Chronicles 16:23-33 = Psalm 96:1-10, 11-13
Indicatives of 1 Chronicles 16:
- He is a covenant-making and a covenant-keeping God. (v. 15, 16)
- He is a saving God. (v. 23, 35)
- He is a God who remembers. (v. 15, 19-22)
- He is an everlasting God. (v. 36)
Imperatives of 1 Chronicles 16:
- Give thanks to the Lord
- Seek the Lord
- Remember His wondrous works and His covenant
- Tell of His salvation
- Declare His glory
- Worship the Lord
Christ the King offers:
- Grace for our past
- Courage for our present
- Hope for our future
Discussion Questions
- Which of the imperatives listed from 1 Chronicles 16 jumps out as something that you should focus on over the coming week?
- Are there aspects of your own kingdom you need to let go before being able to honestly say “Lord, Thy kingdom come”?
- As we head into the Advent season, what can you do to help “stir up” the wills of those around you, encouraging them to return to God as the source of their refreshment?
“Because in no other person but the historic Jesus of Nazareth has God become man and lived a human life on earth, died to bear the penalty of our sins and been raised from death and exalted to glory, there is no other Savior, for there is no other person who is qualified to save.”
– John Stott, The Authentic Jesus
“Christ’s way of life is a holy attack on everything that leaks the brightness out of our lives or detracts from the promised joy of our faith. It demolishes anything that promises liberation but, in fact, imprisons us in boredom. Following Him evokes a life pursued heartily and meaningfully.”
– Eugene Peterson, On Living Well
“Before we pray, ‘Lord, Thy kingdom come,’ we must be willing to pray, ‘My kingdom go.’”
– Alan Redpath
The reality of Christ the King coming to us doesn’t mean the darkness doesn’t exist, but it does mean there is one greater than the darkness who has come, who has defeated death, our greatest enemy, and has promised to return to make ALL things right.
Call & Response
1 Chronicles 16:8-13, 34
A: Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; Make known his deeds among the peoples!
B: Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Tell of all His wondrous works!
A: Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
B: Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His presence continually!
A: Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles and the judgements He has uttered.
B: O offspring of Israel His servant, Children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
ALL: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His steadfast love endures forever!
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
– Acts 3:19 (NASB)