Experiencing The Presence of God - 2
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 8, 2016 PM BBC
Ballincollig
I.
Introduction
(Hebrews 13:5,6)
A.
The presence
of God - 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.
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?
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.
Elijah
neglected God’s presence (1Kings 19:9-14)!
II.
Last Week -
Experiencing The Presence of God Today – Part 1
A.
The Promise
of Christ’s Presence
(Hebrews
13:5,6)
1.
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
2.
He was
always reminding people He is there
3.
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)
4.
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 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!
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)
C.
The Person
of that Presence
is Jesus (Matthew 1:23)!
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!”
III.
Message -
Experiencing The Presence of God Today – Part 2
A.
The Place of
His Presence
– where is the Lord Jesus then?
1.
After the
resurrection, Jesus took 40 days to fully leave: Why? One of the reasons
was to teach us how He would show up in our lives.
2.
We need to
look for Him in these areas
a.
When things
are going so well, you will not find much awareness of God’s presence,
(even though he IS there too), like you will…
b.
In your
Disasters (John 20:11-16) – He is there when you feel all is lost
c.
In our
Failures (1Cor 15:4,5) – Peter was a failure, and yet Jesus appeared
just to Him, to encourage him
d.
In our
Confusion (Lk 24:13-32)
e.
In our
Prayer times (Psalm 145:18)
f.
In our
Church Meetings (John 20:19,24,26-28; Matthew 18:20)
g.
In our
Busy-ness (John 21:5,6) – He is not for Sundays only, and for troubles
only, but for all time!
h.
In our
Troubles and sufferings (Psalm 46:1; Heb 13:6)
i.
In our
Praises (Psalm 22:3)
j.
Best of all,
in our Conversion (Acts 9:4-6)
3.
Thank God
that the Lord God of heaven is not very far from anyone (Acts 17:27),
except the wicked (Proverbs 15:29)
B.
The Power of
that Presence
– The Effect of Jesus being Near You! What’s it like being Near to God?
1.
It is scary
– awesome! Terrifying! (Ex 19:10,11,16-18; 20:19-22) Don’t buy this lie
that says there is just sweet peace only when you are close to God – no,
there is also some serious fear, awesome fear that realises GOD is near,
and is very big!
2.
It will
humble you (John 20:25-28)
3.
It is clean
- Your life will become cleaner and cleaner in His presence (Isa 6:1-7;
Psalm 19:7)
4.
Your heart
will burn with right passions (Lk 24:32) the right kind of loves
a.
Love for His
words in this Book!
b.
Love for
souls getting saved like you did
c.
Love for the
hearing of truth and Bible preaching – won’t be able to get enough
d.
Love for
pure things, clean things and not filthy wicked things coming in your
mind
e.
Love for God
– yearning to spend time walking with Him
f.
Love for
your family as the gift from God that they are
g.
Love for the
future – no fear of anything in the future now!
5.
Your whole
outlook will be different (2Cor 13:5)
a.
A reprobate
is a faker, fraud, an actor – not the real deal
b.
If you truly
ARE born again, if Jesus Christ truly IS IN you, then…
1)
Your
strength will be constantly renewed - He is your strength
2)
You will
have joy when it should be impossible to have it - He is your joy
3)
You will be
full of hope and joy – because He is your expectation
4)
You will
believe God when there seems to be no sense in it – because He cannot
fail
5)
You will be
satisfied, because He is all your need – if you just know He is near!
IV.
Conclusion
- How Can We Become More Aware of His Presence?
In Reverse
on the Powerpoint
A.
Live in
obedience to God’s word
(John 14:21) – He is never near the rebel – He actually ignores the
prayers of those that hate Him! But oh how He shows Himself in the life
of his people when they do His will!
B.
Praise God a
lot!
Bless the Lord for little things – quit complaining
C.
Humble
Yourself
– seriously humble yourself (1Peter 5:5) to everyone around you, and
then to God
1.
Confess and
own up to any and all sin in your heart of hearts
2.
Be wrong –
some of you need to be wrong about your religion, your self-sufficiency,
etc
3.
Accept God’s
work on your life through people you don’t like!
D.
Gather
together as believers
(Mt 18:20; John 20:19, 26) – missing church, prayer
meetings, means missing the presence of the Lord Jesus!
E.
Be Quiet
(1Thes 4:11) – no TV, Radio, You-tube, phones, schedule. Take time
everyday to train all your thoughts and your worship on Jesus, on things
above, and on dependence upon God!
F.
Seek Him,
not just His blessings
(Jer 29:13; John 6:26; James 4:8)
1.
People only
want a “God” that is treats them good! Quit seeking the THINGS you can
get out of God, and just seek to know HIM!
2.
Move closer
to Him by moving things out of the way that block your closeness to Him
(James 4:8)
G.
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!
H.
Walk with
God in Prayer - 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)
I.
Believe
Jesus’ Promise
“I will never leave you” “Lo I am with you…” |