I Have Seen The Lord

I Have Seen the Lord

Introduction

Good to be back from vacation- and yes, contrary to last weeks speaker, I did take a vacation.

I do understand where Pastor Jay is coming from- many Christians do not have a sense of laboring in the fields or building God’s Kingdom.

I do believe it is good to regularly get away from our everyday schedules to … refresh our bodies/minds, seek God’s heart for our lives, and refocus on what is really important.

We are in a spiritual race and I want to finish it well.

One of the questions I am wrestling with- I am 63- how can I finish strong, what does the Lord have for me to do in the next 15-20 years?

Each of us needs to ask the same question … how can I run the race I am in and complete the next 10 years successfully, what is it God has for me/how can I do it well.

Listened to- Pastor Tony’s/Jay’s words.

Both words-timely/challenging-personally/corporately.

I want to build on the theme of their words so I am going to start by reviewing their words.

Review- Pastor Tony’s Word

1. Dedication of Solomon’s Temple

In 2 Chr 7- dedicating the new temple Solomon built.

Temple was the place of God’s presence … 2 Chr 5:13-14

Today we are God’s temple …

1 Pet 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God … NASU

As they were dedicating the temple …

2 Chr 7:1-3

Pastor Tony made a very astute observation …

For God’s fire to fall on us today, there must also be an offering or a sacrifice.

In other words, what are we putting before God?

Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

In order to experience … fire of God, His glory, and His presence

… we must make ourselves available to Him.

Are we giving God something to pour out His fire on?

How much of me is for God, how much for myself?

2. Kings and Priests

In Rv 5:10 we are called kings and priests and

in 1 Pet 2:9 we are called a royal priesthood.

Kings govern/priests intercede on behalf of people.

The church has been given the authority to … govern the world through intercession.

Therefore, the church, by not praying, has created a void into which unrighteous rulers have stepped.

We have an incredible responsibility/opportunity.

Review- Pastor Jay challenged us as well

God is returning for a glorious church …

The church is a people, where the presence, the power, the acts, the nature, and the character of God are in sustained manifestation. Pastor Jay

As we position ourselves to stand in His presence and His glory, we will be transformed into His image.

1 Cor 15:49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. NASU

God is looking for a people that are not too busy to … cultivate His presence into their daily routines.

Pastor Jay talked about God shaking the nations.

I do not see America pressing in, I see America adjusting. Pastor Jay

There is a place to make adjustments, but we cannot just adjust/trim, we must press into God.

There is great revelation that has come out of the church in American, but the application is very weak. Pastor Jay

For those who take it, the opportunity to sit under anointed teachers in this country is unlimited.

Our difficulty comes in practically living those truths.

I Have Seen the Lord

Zephaniah- prophetic book …

on one level speaks of God’s judgment- Babylonian captivity, on another level speaks of the judgment of God that will fall on the world at the end of the age.

Zep 1:1-4a, 6

We often view God’s judgment falling on those we consider to be wicked people.

Who is he talking about here (v6) …

1. Those who once followed God and now are not

2. Those who do not take time to inquire of Him

I am not worried about #1, but #2 is troubling.

Many times I allow the responsibility/busyness of life to rob me from time I would take to inquire of God.

I allow the urgent to outweigh the important, or I allow other things to fill my life and push God out.

Zep 1:12

What does it mean to be stagnant in spirit?

Stagnant- river that has stopped flowing/now blocked.

Stagnant heart- a heart that is not flowing, advancing, developing with respect to the things of God.

Some translations use the word- complacent.