Presence
Well, let's get started with a word of Prayer. Grace's father. We thank you that we can gather in your house. We thank you for your spirit being here in our and strength and truly. It is Father for where we are who know you and love you. So is your spirit? Father may you teach us may you guide us and may you give wisdom to our lives as we look at your word and father. May your spirit fully touch me that as I speak. I would be humbly yielded to you that every word that comes from me would truly be f word that is also come from you. Thank you for this in Jesus name. Amen. Well, we're working through a series this month because it is a month of Thanksgiving and that we're looking at God's great gifts to you and last week. We looked at the greatest gift of all and that's the gift of Salvation because that truly is the gift that changes our life that the pathway of our life is when we become Believers in what Jesus Christ did on the cross. He died to save our sins. He shed his blood to cover those sins so that we could be acceptable to the Living God. And when we are acceptable he walks with us through life. So that's the first step. That is the beginning of a life that is walked with worthiness before the Living God. So these next three are things that happen when we take a look. I'd God and accept what he's done for us. We're going to look at present his presence in our lives today next week. We'll look at purpose and I know week will look at them. I lost it. I lost my thought but will be will be looking at that God's work in our lives. Anyway, we want to look at God's presence today, you know, and I was looking at this Sunday school lesson this last week. I read a poem that was written by Thomas Merton right at the end of it and we didn't cover in Sunday school today. So I'll cover it now. I think it's a great idea to look at God being with us in it and just a person examining their life before the Living God and I think it will lead us into what we're looking at. It says my God my Lord God. I have no idea where I'm going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end, you know, and that's all our lives. That's where we are. Now. Do I now nor do I really know myself and the fact that I think I am moving your will does not mean that I hope I have that desire in all that. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me in the right Road. Though I may know nothing about it. Therefore. I will trust you always know I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will fear not for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. You know where I am.
God's presence is powerful and mighty and sometimes we get the idea that God is present in our lives to make sure we're operating his way. You know, he's that spirit that is ready to beat us in the head when we don't follow his path, but I think that's not a particularly good view of who God is and what he wants for our lives. You see God created us in the very beginning to be in a relationship with him. A relationship that is good and pleasing and all its ways and his Spirit lives in US Jesus Christ lives in us not to condemn has he didn't come into the world to condemn us help us live the life that we have chosen if you've chode. To give your life to Jesus Christ to accept Lord and Savior you've chosen to have him participate in your life. And that's what he wants to do. And he wants to help you live a life that gives you power and strength and energy to overcome the evils of this world to live a life of Purity and righteousness. He wants us to Faithfully follow him. And so his spirit is going to be weird be working with us to do that. Very thing. He's not there to beat us in the head. He's there to help guide us. Now the question for each and every one of us is is that what I want do I really want God guiding me and leaving me. The hopeful answer is yes. I really do want that. I want him to be a part of my life and be with me just as the poet stated in his life. I don't know if I'm going the right way, but I know that if my desire is to follow the Living God that he will guide me in that path. And I can trust him to do that. Are opening a verses Psalm 139. That's one of my favorite songs. I it's written by David and he's looking at life in so many different aspects in this song man. He's looking at how God is there to touch your hearts. We're going to leave read verses 5 through 12 to start us off here says you hem me in behind and before you've laid your hand upon me. Wow, Incredible. God has laid his hand upon your life. Individually, he's thinking of you. Such knowledge is too wonderful to me for me too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up into the heavens you are there if I make my bed in the depths you're there if I rise on the wings of the Dawn if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. Then say beat me just guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me. Even the darkness will not be dark to you the night will shine like a day for darkness is as light to you. You see God's presence. Is there not to harm but to help the guy doesn't help us on the ways to truth. If salvation is your claim that ought to be your desire in all you do because that is truly what makes a difference in your life. If you live your life is the world want you to live your making no difference. If you live your life. As God has called you to live. It makes all the difference in the world. And he can use you mightily in this world. God sees everything You know, sometimes we think that well there are moments when okay, I'm all by myself. Nobody sees me nothing. You know, what I choose to do is just right with me, but that's not the true God Is there is there whether you know him or don't know him. The fact is if you know him he's there with you in.
Continuing on in Psalm 139 we go all the way to verse 24 it said see if there is any offensive way in me. And Lead Me in the way Everlasting you say ultimately as we go through this life and we take a look at this and we know okay God is here and he is with me. I need to see that he is seeing my life and wanting me to find the right path. And so I confess to him when I'm wrong and it to help me do the right to follow his righteous and holy path. Why because he's continually present there. He is with me. He is there. Nothing is hidden from him Solomon in his wisdom. He writes This Book of Ecclesiastes and it's an examination of life. If you ever want to think about life and all that's going on, you know, read the Ecclesiastes. It may open your eyes to some ideas of what life is all about and he goes through leaves and in often States this life is meaningless life is meaningless. It's meaningless, except if God is active and working in you cuz he gets to the end the very end of the song star of the of the book lazy ass 12 the last chapter. The last verse 14 for God will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden third is good or evil. He's looked at life and he sees that okay. I have a choice in life. And if I'm not a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't have any way to make good choices. So life really truly becomes meaningless because in the end it's lost its Willie guide me through it. And so I give it to him and it becomes good. No matter what the circumstance might be will take a look at that a little bit later, but there is nothing hidden from the living room. I think that okay. I am free to make a decision on my own we truly are not because the spirit of God is there in the Wise Way You know, he's our conscience in some respects. Jeremiah 23:24 says can anyone hide and secret places so that I cannot see him declares the Lord do not I feel the heavens and the Earth declares the Lord.
There's no way I can run. I'd from him and make a decision that is separate from who he is in my life. If he truly is my savior. He's in my lot is one of the guy each and every moment ever.
involved in doing things Do you see God in those circumstances for your life when you hop in the car and are ready to Coos Bay or Roseburg or something? You say a prayer and say Lord be with Me Guide Me Help Me on the way. Do you start your job and say Lord? This is your day in my life. May I be a listening to you and what I do? When you care for your family will heard may I truly be a rich blessing to my family and help them? You know, he is everywhere do we seek him? He's right there is living inside you are you seeking him?
Is uncontained there's nothing that can keep him from it from you Solomon once again easy. Is dedicating the temple that is spent years building and he's got this from Minges Temple that he's built them. It's wonderful and everybody's out there praising and they're offering sacrifices, you know, but he's a wise guy and he's come to understand that this Temple is, you know, kind of the meeting place for people with God but God is everywhere. He says these words in 1st Kings 8:27. It says but will the Lord really dwell on it on Earth the heavens even the highest Heaven cannot contain you how much less this Temple.
You know, he is everywhere. He's Spread throughout the world, but think about this is also in this Temple. You are a temple of the Living God if you have trusted in him, you are held by his hand if you've trusted in him. And so this Temple is your meeting place with God here is where you meet him in that life that you are. You're not separated from him.
for the believer, this is Above most important because it is the difference between whether you live a life that is worthy of the calling you've been called to or whether you live a live. It means nothing. Is your life truly dedicated to him?
Isaiah is writing in Isaiah. 43:1 ASA is writing about the Jews in this case. But essentially he's writing about Believers. And in this case has I read through this. I'm going to put as an individual you a Believer and as the people of Israel, it's like the church it says bed. Now, this is what the Lord says he who created you owed. Jacob are old person.
He who formed you? Oh Israel, Oro Church fear. Not for I have redeemed you I have summoned You by name? You are mine.
If I've chosen to follow God if I've accepted his Redemptive theme scheme in my life as my Lord and my king I belonged to him. He is mine. What do you think? His desire is for me to be? He wants me to be like him. His desire is that my life becomes ever molded to his image? And so he's going to be working with me day by day. To get me to that point. And the big question for me is am I listening to God now? Or am I trying to get away and do my own thing? Am I listening to the one who truly owns me who I've given my life over to? Or am I listening to the world and its desire for me? I am God's possession. Am I acting as God's possession? He is in you, you know, I mentioned that a few times it dwells in each of Our Lives. That's the great thing that happened when I came to know him as my Lord and Savior, you know, I was a little five year old kid went running up front in church after the after the sermon at The Thing Marvel has happened at that point. I was changed. I became a new creature. And you know why? I became a new creature in me and you had to change me and so he washed away those sins and I begin clean and holy. And then the miraculous came God ended well in me. In the spirit of the Living God in the person of Jesus Christ. He dwells in me. That's what scripture tells me reading in Romans 8 verses 9 and 10. It says you are ever are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the spirit if the spirit of God lives in and if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you your body is dead because of sin is washed away. But yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. God has made me righteous and holy and his desire is to keep me there and that's what the spirit of the Living God that is what Jesus Christ is doing in my life. And as we read through the rest of that chapter, we read that the holy spirit is intervening with the Living God on my behalf in heaven. And so is Jesus Christ? Is not only working in your life down here, but he's working with the Living God. speaking on your behalf before he
God made a promise to you and I who believe in him?
Many years ago hundreds of years ago, perhaps the pedrick family decided there was a family verse if they wanted to hold on to. They went to his giving over the Reigns of a he's wanting to know that God is with him. Universe 8. He says the Lord himself goes before you and will be with he will never leave you nor forsake. You do not be afraid do not be discouraged.
I will never leave you he will be with you. Just keep your eye on your focus on him later on Gan comes to himself and says pretty much similar the same words. But he says keep an eye on upon me if you want me to walk with you. You have to look at me. You have to walk with me and they're
are you taking advantage of God's presence in your life? That's a huge question for every one of us and it's a daily question God's presence. Am I seeking him in every moment that I'm going along? You know, the Bible tells us to be in continuous prayer continuous prayer is recognizing that God is in me, and he's wanting to guide me. Am I truly seeking that out? Is he a part of my life am I taking advantage of his presence in his power? We ought to be we ought to be? the psalmist ASAP chapter 73 he writes these words yet. I'm always with you. You hold me by my right hand you guide me with your counsel and afterward you will take me into Glory. Yes, I recognize god with you. It is the hope that you have to maintain the line that he desires from you and for me. As I keep my eyes on him. I have that life that he promised me. He is. a continual helper to me God wants to be my help and my guide you doesn't want to beat me into submission. He wants to guide me in the righteousness and Holiness. He wants to guide me in the truth jumping back Isaiah chapter 41 this time you sit so do not for I am with you do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. You say God is promising to be with us as we trust in him.
How much we need that how much we need that? He promises to be our guide or hope our strength in all that we do that he wrote a lot of Psalms. Probably most famous is Psalm 23. And in Psalm 23, he starts It Out by recognizing who's in charge. If you ever read that notice those first words that he fixing that song. He says these words the Lord is my shepherd is my shepherd. You see the rest of the song doesn't mean anything if the Lord is not your Shepherd. Restless arm is a waste of time for you to read if he is not your Shepherd. It starts. There is the Lord my shepherd. Is he the one that is going to guide me it goes on goes on Dell not be in want he makes me lie down in Green Pastures. He leads me beside Quiet Waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the face for his namesake. You know, all those things are true. if he's your Shepherd if he's your guy if your take yield your life day by day Moment by moment into his hand he pushed you.
Shouldn't you behave is your possessor once you to behave you're standing and guidance for everything you do? He does hear you when you cry out to him. He is listening. He hears your voice. He wants to respond to you and give you wisdom and understanding for what you're facing in life because you don't know the future. You don't know what's coming. But he does because he's living there as well as he's living in the moment now with you.
We started off reading chapter 1 17 verses 1 through 7. Let's read the first verse again. I love the Lord heard my voice. He heard My Cry.
Do you believe that God heard your cry for Mercy? It is listening to your voice that he's changed you and made you an eternal creature of goodness and rightness if you trusted him as Lord and savior he has. So are you listening to his voicemail? Are you seeking in as you walked to his desire is to bring goodness in your life? He wants you to have a life that is good and righteous and holy that imitates M that gives love.
In all that you do.
And that's his desire Romans 8:28 another big verse for us and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose. If he is your lord and savior, you've been called according to his purpose and there is nothing that you can face in this world that will drive him away. He is there to guide you he is living in you and he is walking with you through every circumstance whether it is joyfulness and celebration or whether it's grief and suffering. He is there and never be driven away finish off reading that the chapter 8 of Romans and he goes through all of this. There's nothing that will drive him away as we trust in him. and we seeking
God is present in your life. He has the desire to help you and I become all that we can be. But it comes down to our willingness to accept that presents and yield to it in our lives. If we yield to it and allow him to do his work, we will be changed.
Continually into his image and his desire in our hearts will overflow with joy and thankfulness for his work in our lives because we'll actually see it. You know, there are some Christians did wonder this God really exist is he really involved in my life and part of that problem is that they've never truly yielded their loss to the presence of God who lives there.
And that's the call of the Living God. He wants you to understand I am there. I am with you. I am ready to help you and guide you through all the circumstances of life. And when you take a look at the various circumstances of life. And you wonder whether God is operating in those.
Because no matter how hard they might become. Is there any is using it to bring good into your life?
You can face the struggles of life because God is there to make it good and right and righteous. trusting all the way
Grace's Father in heaven, we thank you for your presence. Oh Father.
Thank you that you live in our lives in the lives of those who have called upon you and trusted you to be Lord our Lots O Lord, may we rejoice in that and may we take advantage by moment day by day? But father there may be some here who have never gotten to that point where they've trusted you as Lord and Savior and so I cry out to you now to be touching that hard helping them to see that they need someone to be with them forever and ever and you have made that promise that you will be if they just simply trust help them to make that staff of trust of yielding their lives into your hands of trusting the Salvation that you alone can bring by covering all the evil that is in their lives and wiping it away through the precious blood that Jesus Christ died on the cross. Oh Father touch lives now moving them and help them to see you. In Jesus name amen.