Experiencing The Presence of God - 1
Becoming
Aware of the Presence of God
Hebrews
13:5,6
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
22 July, 2007 AM BBC
Ballincollig
May 1, 2016 PM BBC
Ballincollig
I.
Introduction
(Hebrews 13:5,6)
A.
We have
invented all kinds of sensors these days:
radar, sonar, heat sensors, temperature sensors, motion sensors, light
sensors, rain sensors – these are things can sense faint starlight in
telescopes, faint winds, faint echoes of enemy airplanes at vast
distances, etc
B.
But too many
have no way of sensing the presence of God.
Believe me,
God is present – it is sensing Him that is our problem!
C.
Questions:
1.
Does He
REALLY promise to never leave us?
2.
Why don’t we
feel Him more?
3.
How Can We
Become More Aware of His Presence?
4.
What’s it
like when He is Near?
D.
Young David
had trouble sensing God’s presence
1.
Psalm 10:1
Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in
times of trouble?
2.
But most of
the time had the right awareness (Psalm 139:1-13)
a.
139:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast
searched me, and known me.
b.
2
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest
my thought afar off.
c.
3
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted
with all my ways.
d.
4
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou
knowest it altogether.
e.
5
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon
me.
f.
6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot
attain unto it.
g.
7
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from
thy presence?
h.
8
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in
hell, behold, thou art there.
i.
9
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost
parts of the sea;
j.
10
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold
me.
k.
11
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night
shall be light about me.
l.
12
Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as
the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
m.
13
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my
mother's womb.
E.
Job had a
real hard time with handling it (Job 23:8-12)
1.
Job 23:8
Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I
cannot perceive him:
2.
Job 23:9
On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he
hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
3.
Job 23:10
But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I
shall come forth as gold.
4.
Job 23:11
My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not
declined.
5.
Job 23:12
Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have
esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
6.
But in the
end, he spoke as if face to face with GOD (Job 38:1-4)
F.
You and I
are in good company!
II.
Message -
Experiencing The Presence of God Today – Part 1
A.
The Promise
of Christ’s Presence
(Hebrews
13:5,6)
1.
God’s
Presence was Lost at First (Gen 1:26-28; 3:8)
a.
God and His
creation were together at first – no divisions at all! All of creation
had it good!
b.
Adam and Eve
knew only the presence of God – never knew what it meant to be without
God in all their thoughts, and in every aspect of their daily lives –
every aspect!
c.
Then Satan
drove a wedge between mankind and God (Gen 3:8) – a gap the size of this
universe! Now all of creation groans because of the separation
2.
But
THANKFULLY, God wanted us back! He seeks to be with us, and for us to
want to be with Him (2Co 6:16)! Not just to be with good people, but us
rebels (Psa 68:18), and the harlots, and publicans, and ALL sinners.
3.
God is not
far from anyone (Act 17:27)
That they should seek the Lord, if
haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from
every one of us:
4.
God’s
Presence was Typified (shown) THROUGHOUT the Old Testament
a.
Mount Sinai
(Psalm 68:8) – awesome, fearful, VERY real!
b.
Cloud by Day
and Fire by Night
during the travels through the Wilderness to the promised Land (Ex
23:20-22) – THE Angel of the Lord (Ps 34:7)
c.
The Holy
Spirit would come and go on people’s lives – as on Samson, Saul, David
(Psalm 51:10,11)
d.
Fire filling
the Tabernacle and the Temple
– the glory of His presence (Ex 33:7-11)
5.
God promised
that one day, He would dwell with His people, personally and
permanently, by the efforts of the Messiah (2Cor 6:16)
B.
The Problems
with that Presence
(John 1:10,11)
1.
He is
already near and therefore easily taken for granted. That’s why the
atheist does not find God
2.
He can be
missed – go unnoticed
a.
He can be in
our lives and we not notice Him (kind of scary to think that we can miss
the Almighty God in our midst)!
b.
He was not
overpowering when He was here – He is not overpowering now either
c.
People
misunderstand the goodness, and quietness of God - mistake His grace and
kindness and patience, for absence!
d.
Jesus, as
the Man, was missed by so many people because they had the wrong
expectations of Him – wanted a Genie, a King, but not a Saviour!
3.
He really is
not wanted. By nature, we don’t want Him around – anymore than we want
our little brother, or our big brother around! (Psalm 14:1)
a.
The wicked
wish that there were no God; he practically believes that there is none.
b.
Psalm 14
expresses the prevailing feelings of a sinner about God:
1)
He wishes
there were none, and practically believes that there is none – he has a
secret wish to have no dependence upon him
2)
He doesn’t
want to recognize his dependence upon any being;
3)
He doesn’t
want to confess that he himself is a sinner in trouble with God;
4)
He doesn’t
want to pray;
5)
He doesn’t
want to seek aid of God, in the business of life, in the pursuit of his
plans, or even in sickness and affliction
6)
He doesn’t
want to accept to the terms of reconciliation and salvation proposed by
God, unwilling to repent, to believe, to submit to His sovereignty, to
acknowledge his indebtedness to mere grace for the hope of eternal life.
4.
He is by
nature, against us, and we against Him (Gal 5:17; James 4:4)
a.
His very
nature upsets us, rubs us the wrong way! As a preacher once declared,
TURN THE CAT AROUND!
b.
He is the
very opposite of what we like, and want – He is holy
1)
Wicked
people will not seek after God - they live without prayer, and they live
without God.
2)
They have
many thoughts, many projects and devices, but no seeking to God in any
of them, no submission to His will nor aim at his glory.
3)
Men will not
seek after God because they think they have no need of him, their own
hands are sufficient for them; they think it a thing below them to be
“religious”.
4)
Self-Sufficiency, not thinking we need God (PRIDE) sends most people to
a devil’s hell!
5.
When we DO
want His presence, our sin that we hold onto, blocks Him (Isa 59:1,2)
6.
When you
DON’T sense God’s presence (like king Saul), THAT should be all the
warning you need to get alone and get right with God!
C.
The Person
of that Presence
(Matthew 1:23) is Jesus! The Jesus of the Bible! Not the Jesus of your
own imagination, or of the modern church, or of the movies!
1.
Not just a
spiritual “force” or feeling, but a real Person! Physically here! (1John
1:1,2)
a.
Just as REAL
as your wife, your husband, your child, your parent
b.
Their
presence gives a feeling, but take note of their PRESENCE before looking
for a feeling!
2.
His name is
“Emmanuel” - Jesus is “God With Us!”
3.
He was here,
2,000 years ago, but not known (John 1:10, 30,31)
4.
He grew up
as a tender plant among people (Isaiah 52:1,2) – He was not immune to
pain, and troubles
5.
He was
actually, physically present with mankind for 33 and 1/2 years
6.
Then He had
to physically leave – why?
a.
He was only
in one place at a time
b.
So He HAD to
leave – so that He could be with everyone, no matter where they would
be. He came to prove He wants to be with us, and then He left physically
so that He actually COULD be with us, in in our hearts, and in our
spirit (Eph 3:17; Rom 8:9)!
c.
His
ascension would allow Him to be present everywhere in the Person of the
Holy Spirit (John 14:16; 16:7; 14:23)
III.
Conclusion
- How Can We Become More Aware of His Presence?
A.
Pray always
– That is your signal to Him, that you are seeking HIM! He is in the
place of prayer (Proverbs 8:17), not of work! To sense God (who is a
spiritual being), you must be in spirit yourself (praying) – (Rev 1:10)
B.
Listen to
Him speak from His own words
– you will have “fellowship” with him (1John 1:1-4). Take the time to
read and listen! He will show up!
C.
There are
six more things to do…
D.
Next Week!
E.
Until then,
I will give you this one last Scripture… Jeremiah 29:13 |