Scripture: 2 SAMUEL 6:14-22 (NIV)
14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
Transcript
Has anyone ever heard the phrase, “Have it your way?” Burger King built their entire brand around that one idea. Do you want extra pickles? Have it your way! Do you want no onions? Have it your way! Do you want to completely redesign your order until it barely looks like anything on the menu? Have it your way! Burger King looked at every customer and said, “You’re in charge here. We’ll build it your way.”
And just to make sure you don’t forget who’s in charge, they give you one of these: a Burger King crown. Because in their restaurant, you’re royalty. You’re the king. You’re the queen. You make the decisions.
And guess what? That idea didn’t stay at the fast-food counter either. We’ve become people who expect everything to be customized around our preferences. Has anyone tried to just order a coffee recently? You walk up to the counter and ask, “Can I get a coffee?” But suddenly the interview begins. What size? Hot or iced? What kind of milk? Because there are six milks now. We’ve got oat, almond, soy, coconut, and two others I still can’t pronounce. How many shots? How much foam? Which syrup? Do you want whipped cream?
And then they ask, “Do you want it upside down?” I had to look that one up because I thought they were joking. An upside-down drink has the same ingredients; it’s just assembled in a different order. Apparently, someone looked at caramel on top and said, “No, I need that on the bottom.” And the world answered, “Of course, Your Majesty. Have it your way!”
Now, there’s nothing wrong with having preferences. You can prefer extra pickles. You can prefer oat milk. You can even prefer your caramel on the bottom. But the problem starts when we expect everything to happen our way. So here is the question I want us to wrestle with today: What happens when we try to worship God while still insisting on having it our way?
The truth is, we often bring our preferences into worship. Some of us like the new songs. Others want more hymns. Some of us like it loud. Others like it quiet. Some of us raise our hands. Others wonder why the person beside them is raising theirs.
But then the service starts, and without even knowing it, we begin giving out stars. The first song was pretty good: four stars. The second song wasn’t really my style: three stars. The slides were late: two stars. I had to stand longer than I wanted to: one star. They did communion in a different order: two stars. There wasn’t any coffee today. Can I give zero stars?
And then the sermon starts, and some of you are still giving out stars. He made me laugh: four stars. He made a good point: four stars. He went five minutes too long: one star. Before we know it, we’re no longer worshipping; we’re reviewing. We’re grading the music, judging the people around us, watching the clock, and deciding whether everything happened the way we like it.
Church, we may never say it out loud, but inside, we’re often giving the whole service a review. And without meaning to, we make ourselves the centre of worship. We say worship is about God, but we judge it by how well it pleased us.
And look, I’ve done it too, more often than I like to admit. I’ve noticed a mistake on the screen, a weird noise with the sound system, the squeak of the ceiling fan, or the light from the doors washing out the screen—and spent more time thinking about these than thinking about God.
Maybe we need to put down the scorecard, because God didn’t invite us here to review worship. He invited us to worship. Maybe the most important question isn’t, “Did I enjoy worship?” but “Did I worship?” Did I turn my attention toward God? Did I give Him my praise? Or did I spend the whole time waiting for everyone else to get my order right?
In 2 Samuel chapter 6, we find a king in the street, a queen in the window, and a question every worshipper has to answer: Who is my worship really for?
2 Samuel 6:14 says, “David danced before the Lord with all his might.” To understand why David is dancing, we need to understand what is happening. David has recently become king. He made Jerusalem the capital city, and the ark of God is being brought into the city. The ark wasn’t just an old wooden box. It reminded the people of God’s promise, God’s holiness, and God’s presence among them.
So David isn’t dancing because his favourite song came on. He isn’t dancing because the music finally reached the right volume. He isn’t dancing because everything happened the way he wanted. David is dancing because the ark—the sign of God’s presence among His people—is being brought into the city.
But while David is worshipping in the street, someone else is watching from a window. 2 Samuel 6:16 says, “Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.”
Do you see the difference? David is in the street, worshipping. Michal is in the window, watching. David is thinking about the presence of God. Michal is thinking about the appearance of David. David sees a reason to worship. Michal sees something to criticize. They are looking at the same moment, but they are seeing two completely different things. From this story, I think there are three things we need to remember about worship.
The first thing we need to do is remember the audience. Later in the story, Michal confronts David. She tells him that he embarrassed himself and looked foolish. David answers her in verse 21, saying, “It was before the Lord.”
Church, that is the centre of this whole story: It was before the Lord. David doesn’t say, “I danced because the crowd wanted me to.” He doesn’t say, “I danced because I wanted people to notice me.” He doesn’t say, “I danced because this is my favourite style of worship.” He says, “It was before the Lord.” David knew who his audience was.
When we forget who the audience is, we start treating worship like a show. We imagine the worship team is on the stage, we’re sitting in the audience, and our job is to decide how well they did. Did I like the songs? Was the music too loud? Were the singers good? Were the slides on time? Did everything meet my expectations?
But that isn’t how worship works. The worship team isn’t performing for us. They are helping all of us turn our attention toward God. God is the audience. We are the worshippers. Worship isn’t something we watch. Worship is something we bring.
Think about the titles people put on business cards: president, manager, director, founder, senior vice-president of something very important. Those titles may matter when you walk into the office, but they don’t matter much when you’re standing in an airport security line. The security officer isn’t impressed that you’re the president of a company. They still want you to take off your belt, empty your pockets, and put your laptop in the tray. Your title doesn’t move you to the front of the line.
Titles don’t mean much when you’re lying in a hospital bed either. Everyone has to put on one of those hospital gowns with the opening in the back. Suddenly, you’re not worried about your title anymore. You’re just trying to walk down the hallway without feeling a breeze.
There are places where our position doesn’t give us special treatment. When we come before the Lord, we don’t come as the boss, the pastor, the expert, or the important person. We come as worshippers. David may have been the king of Israel, but before the Lord, he was simply another worshipper. The same is true for us.
We may have different jobs, different titles, different amounts of money, and different levels of education. But before the Lord, we’re all the same height. At the foot of the cross, nobody stands taller than anybody else. We’re all sinners who need grace. We’re all people who need Jesus. And we’re all worshippers standing before the same King.
So the question isn’t, “What did everyone think about me?” The question is, “Was my heart turned toward God?” We can sing every word and still spend the whole time reviewing the room. Our mouths may be singing to God while our minds are grading everyone else. The question isn’t, “Did everyone around me worship correctly?” The question is, “Did I worship?”
When the song isn’t your favourite, when the slide is late, and when the music isn’t your style, you can still worship. Because the room isn’t the audience. God is. Worship is for an audience of One. Worship is before the Lord.
The second thing we need to do is release the crown. The Bible doesn’t say that David took off a real crown before he danced, but it does tell us that he was wearing a simple linen ephod. David wasn’t worried about protecting his royal image. He wasn’t standing back saying, “Kings don’t act like this.” He wasn’t thinking, “I have a reputation to protect.” He wasn’t worried that someone might think less of him.
In that moment, David wasn’t thinking about his place as king. He was worshipping the One who had made him king. David understood, “I may wear a crown in Israel, but I am not the King of kings.” That is what worship does. Worship reminds us that we aren’t on the throne. Our comfort isn’t on the throne. Our opinion isn’t on the throne. Our preference isn’t on the throne. God is on the throne.
This crown says, “Have it your way.” But worship says, “God, have Your way.” This crown says, “You are in charge.” Worship says, “God, You are in charge.” This crown says, “Everything should be made around you.” Worship says, “My life belongs to You.”
Maybe nobody walked into church today wearing a real crown, but we can still carry one. Our crown may say, “My opinion. My comfort. My tradition. My way. My reputation.” Sometimes we hold on to that crown because we think laying it down means losing something. But laying down the crown doesn’t mean you don’t matter. It means God matters most. It doesn’t mean you can’t have an opinion. It means your opinion isn’t king. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a preference. It means your preference doesn’t sit on the throne.
Near the end of the Bible, John is given a picture of worship in heaven. In Revelation chapter 4, God is sitting on His throne. There is thunder. There is lightning. There are living creatures crying out, “Holy, holy, holy.” Around the throne are twenty-four elders wearing crowns. But when worship begins, they don’t adjust their crowns. They don’t compare their crowns. They don’t ask whose crown is bigger. They don’t say, “I worked hard for this. I deserve to be noticed.”
Revelation says they fall down before the One on the throne, and they lay their crowns at His feet. Then they say, “You are worthy, our Lord and God.” Think about that picture. There is a throne, and there are crowns, but the crowns don’t stay on their heads. They end up at His feet.
When we truly see how great God is, we stop trying to protect our own importance. We realize: This isn’t my throne. This isn’t my kingdom. This isn’t my moment. This isn’t about having it my way. He is worthy.
Maybe this is the picture some of us need today. We need to take the crown of preference, the crown of comfort, the crown of control, and the crown of pride, and lay it down. Because we can’t fully worship the King while still insisting that we are the king.
Spiritual growth doesn’t mean we stop having preferences. It means our preferences stop being in charge. So what crown did you carry into the room today? What preference has slowly become a demand? Worship gives us a chance to say, “God, this is what I prefer, but You are greater than my preference.” The crown doesn’t belong on our head. It belongs at His feet.
Worship is for an audience of One. Worship is before the Lord.
The third thing we need to do is step out of the window. While David worships in the street, Michal watches from the window. The longer she watches, the more critical she becomes. She doesn’t seem to notice the ark. She doesn’t seem to notice the joy. She doesn’t join the celebration. She sees David, and she despises him.
Michal is close enough to see the worship, but she is too critical to take part in it. We need to be careful, because it is possible to be in the building, hear every song, read every word, see everyone worshipping, and still remain at the window. The window is the place where we watch without joining. It is the place where we study everybody else instead of looking at our own heart.
Imagine a parade is coming down your street. There are people outside. Music is playing. Kids are waving. Everyone is celebrating. The parade is passing right in front of your house. But instead of stepping outside, you sit in your living room and watch the parade on television. The real parade is right outside your door, but you are watching it through a screen. You can see it. You can hear it. But you aren’t part of it.
That is Michal. The worship is happening right outside her window. The ark is coming into the city. The people are celebrating. David is worshipping. But Michal stays behind the glass. She can see the worship, but she won’t join it.
It is possible for us to do the same thing. We can be close to worship. We can hear the music, read the words, and watch everyone else, but never really join in. We can treat worship like something happening in front of us instead of something God is inviting us into.
Now let me be clear: This story doesn’t mean everyone has to worship exactly like David. Quiet worship can be real, and expressive worship can be real. The question is: Is my heart turned toward God? David says in verse 22, “I will become even more undignified than this.” In other words, we should care more about honouring God than protecting our image.
Maybe you are being called to sing, to pray, to raise your hands, to become still, or to stop criticizing and start thanking. Whatever your response looks like, don’t let the window keep you from the presence of God. Are you watching worship, or are you worshipping? Step away from the window and step into worship.
Worship is for an audience of One. Worship is before the Lord.
This story points us beyond David. David was a king who was willing to humble himself. But Jesus is the greater King. He left the glory of heaven and took the place of a servant. A crown was placed on His head, but it wasn’t a crown of gold. It was a crown of thorns.
In the garden, Jesus didn’t pray, “Father, have it My way.” He prayed, “Not My will, but Yours.” That is surrender. That is obedience. That is worship. We don’t lay down our crowns to make God love us. We lay them down because Jesus already laid down His life for us. We worship because He is worthy.
Worship is for an audience of One. Worship is before the Lord.
Burger King says, “Have it your way.” Starbucks will change your drink until it barely looks like coffee. But worship is different. We don’t come into the presence of God to place an order. We come to bring an offering. We don’t gather to be treated like royalty. We gather because we have come before the King—the King who created us, the King who holds us, the King who saved us, and the King who sits on the throne.
One day, every earthly kingdom will be gone. Every title will be forgotten. Every human success will lose its shine. Around the throne of God, His people will worship. And even in heaven, the crowns will come down.
So today, remember the audience, release the crown, and step out of the window. Worship is for an audience of One. Worship is before the Lord. Amen.
