The Purpose of the Presence of God
Psalm 15:1-5
Purpose: To show how we can walk close to our God.
Aim: I want the listener to be aware of the importance of pursuing God’s presence.
INTRODUCTION: In 1990 Michael Horton wrote an explosive book called The Agony of Deceit. In that book he exposed the false teaching of many of the modern day television preachers.
“One of the earliest and most potent threats to early Christianity came from the heretical group known as the Gnostics. Blending elements of Christianity, Greek philosophy, and oriental mysticism, the Gnostics denied the orthodox view of God, man, and the world, and Christ. The apostle John included them in the camp of the Antichrist.
“The Gnostics were so called because of their view of revelation. The word gnosis is the Greek word for “knowledge.” In many cases the Gnostic heretics did not make a frontal assault against the apostles or against the apostolic teaching of Scripture. In fact, many of them insisted that they were genuine, Bible-believing Christians. It wasn’t that they rejected the Bible; they just claimed an additional source of knowledge or insight that was superior to or at least beyond the knowledge of Scripture. The “Gnostikoi” were “those in the know.” . . . God “revealed” private, intuitive insights to them that carried nothing less than divine authority.
Here is a typical Gnostic statement:
We cannot communicate with God mentally, for He is a Spirit. But we can reach Him with our Spirit, and it is through our Spirit that we come to know God . . . This is one reason God put teachers (those who are really called to teach) in the church – to renew our minds. Many times those who teach do so with only a natural knowledge that they have gained from the Bible and other sources. But I am referring here to one of the ministry gifts. Those who are called and anointed by the Spirit to teach.
God has given us His Word, and we can feed upon that Word. This will renew our minds. But He also puts teachers in the church to renew our minds and to bring us the revelation of the knowledge of God’s Word. (Kenneth E. Hagin, Man on Three Dimensions (Tulsa, Okla. Faith Library, 1985), 1:8, 13.)
“Notice that this quotation does not include a direct assault on the Bible. The Bible is recognized as God’s word. But in order to understand the Bible we need something beyond our natural mental ability. We need the Spirit-anointed teachers to “bring us the revelation of the knowledge of God’s Word.”
“This is a typically Gnostic statement, but the quote is not from Valentinus or any of the other early Gnostics. It is from the pen of a modern missionary of Gnosticism, Kenneth E. Hagin. It is from Hagin’s Man on Three Dimensions. Hagin’s theology echoes the tripartite epistemology of early Gnosticism (man as having three separate entities: body, soul, and spirit).
Robert Tilton also claims a direct pipeline to divine revelation:
God showed me a vision that almost took my breath away. I was sucked into the Spirit…, caught away … and I found myself standing in the very presence of Almighty God. It just echoed into my being. And he said these words to me … exactly these words … “Many of my ministers pray for my people, but I want you to pray the Prayer of Agreement with them” … I have never seen the presence of God so powerful. This same anointing flooded my Spirit-man … It’s inside of me now, and I have supernatural faith to agree with you. From that day forth, as I have been faithful to that heavenly vision, I’ve seem every kind of miracle imaginable happen when I pray the Prayer of Agreement with God’s people. (Robert Tilton, newsletter from Robert Tilton Ministries, Word of Faith World Outreach Center, Box 819000, Dallas, TX 75381)
“It seems that in Robert Tilton the church is blessed with a twentieth-century apostle whose visions of revelation exceed that of the apostle John and whose miracle powers surpass that of the apostle Paul. If we are to believe Tilton’s astonishing claims, there is no reason we should not include his writings in the next edition of the New Testament.
“Paul Crouch of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), has revelatory dreams and has warmly embraced the neo-Gnostic dogma. His network has become a prime distribution center for the growing movement. Kenneth Copeland also receives phrases from God in ‛his spirit.’”[The Agony of Deceit by Michael Horton, Editor, 1990, Moody Press, pp. 38-40. 10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.]
The Bible talks a lot about walking with God. Two examples stick out: Enoch who walked with God for 300 years: Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (NAU) and Noah walked with God for at least 100 years: Genesis 6:9 . . . Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. (NAU)
How can we know if we are really walking in the presence of God?
Vs.1 I. The Questions
A. Who is seeking God’s presence now? “abide in your tent”
The word TENT pictures a couple of things for us.
First of all, the TENT refers to the Tabernacle where God’s glory dwelt. “Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp.” (Exodus 33:7 NAU)
In other words, Who are the ones who are really seeking God’s presence?
God’s presence, even if it is in a tent, gives us complete protection: “For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.” (Psalm 27:5 NAU)
The word TENT also pictures our time on earth as temporary.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived in tents. Even though they were wealthy men, they were willing to live in tents so they would be available to serve the Lord at any time. Our homes should be places where we serve the Lord, not things that keep us so busy we it takes us away from serving the Lord.
The Scripture reminds us that, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13 NAU)
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11NAU)
B. Who will be in God’s presence forever? “dwell on Your holy hill?”
ABIDE and TENT picture something temporary. DWELL and HOLY HILL picture something permanent.
This question is really asking, Who is saved? David is not assuming that his readers are going to heaven because they are Jews. Like the rich religious ruler who came to Jesus and asked: “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18 NAU)
The Lord does not offer temporary help. “Let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.” (Psalm 61:4 NAU)
God does not tolerate evil: “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You.” (Psalm 5:4 NAU)
God requires holiness to be in His presence: “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification [holiness] without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 NAU)
So the question is posed: “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?” (Psalm 24:3 NAU)
“For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‛I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isaiah 57:15 NAU)
Vs.2-5b II. The Answers
Vs.2 A. The inward character of those who are seeking God’s presence
1. They are sincere “walks with integrity”
“Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‛I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless.’” (Genesis 17:1 NAU)
“For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.” (2 Corinthians 1:12 NAU)
Hypocrites, by ritual services, may feign faith, but their temper, works, and words toward their fellow-men, betray their hypocrisy.[From Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft]
In other words, ✔ Hypocrites, may be religious and pretend to have faith, but their temper, actions and words reveal their hypocrisy.
2. Their goal is doing right “works righteousness”
“Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” (1 John 3:7 NAU)
Our lives should be in harmony with God’s standards. ✔ We should have command oriented lives, not feeling oriented lives.
If you love the presence of God, then you will make doing right a daily priority. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33NAU)
3. They are honest with themselves “truth in his heart”
What he says to others he also thinks in his heart. For example, he doesn’t deceive himself into thinking he likes a person, when he can’t stand to be in the same room with them.
"9 The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NAU)
He not only shows love for others and he also has love for others in his heart.
He doesn’t flatter: “2 They speak falsehood to one another; with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. 3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things; 4 who have said, ‛With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’” (Psalm 12:2-4 NAU)
“16 There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:16-17 NAU)
Vs.3-5a B. The outward actions of those who are seeking God’s presence
Vs.3a 1. They don’t spread negative things about others “does not slander”
The word SLANDER pictures a man with a long nose and a sharp tongue.
“The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the body.” (Proverbs 26:22 NAU)
Slander can technically be the truth. “At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.” (1 Timothy 5:13 NAU)
Matthew Henry describes a godly person this way, “If an ill-natured character of his neighbor be given him, or an ill-natured story be told him, he will disprove it if he can; if not, it shall die with him and go no further. His charity will cover a multitude of sins.” [From Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.]
Vs.3b 2. They don’t hurt others “Nor does evil to his neighbor”
EVIL means “badness, suffering, misfortune or destruction.”
He is not the kind of person who generally leaves others hurting. “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32 NAU)
✔ He makes the best of everybody, and the worst of nobody. – Matthew Henry [From Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.]
“The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.” (Proverbs 25:23 NAU)
Vs.3c 3. They don’t ridicule others “Nor take up a reproach”
REPROACH cherpah means: reproach, scorn a) taunt, scorn (upon enemy) b) reproach (resting upon the condition of shame, disgrace) c) a reproach (an object)[From The Online Bible Thayer’s Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright (c)1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.]
No name calling, no making fun of others, no stepping on others so that you look taller.
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 NAU)
Vs.4a 4. They avoid worthless people “a reprobate is despised”
“Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.” (Proverbs 25:26 NAU)
“Do not be deceived: ‛Bad company corrupts good morals.’” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NAU)
Shouldn’t this command reflect what we watch on TV?
“4 I do not sit with deceitful men, nor will I go with pretenders. 5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.” (Psalm 26:4-5 NAU)
“6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;” (Ephesians 5:6-11 NAU)
“Depart from me, evildoers, that I may observe the commandments of my God.” (Psalm 119:115 NAU)
Vs.4b 5. They honor godly people “honors those who fear the Lord”
“As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” (Psalm 16:3 NAU)
“My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.” (Psalm 101:6 NAU)
“I am a companion of all those who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts.” (Psalm 119:63 NAU)
Vs.4c 6. They keep their word “swears...and does not change”
He performs what he promises even when it works out to be to his own disadvantage. Promised to have devotions? prayer? finish a project for the boss?
Vs.5a 7. They don’t take financial advantage of others “his money at interest”
INTEREST signifies “bitting”, i.e., he doesn’t put the bite on someone.
A Christian must be careful not to take advantage of those who are vulnerable.
Vs.5b 8. They don’t let money rule them “does not take a bribe”
Money will not influence decisions.
Vs.5c III. The Promise “He who does these things will never be shaken”
“Those who trust in the Lord Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.” (Psalm 125:1 NAU)
What makes a person who lives in the presence of God so strong? He lives his life with a sense of direction from God and he knows he is secure in God.
CONCLUSION: ✔ Every true living member of the church, like the church itself, is built upon a rock, which the gates of hell cannot prevail against. Matthew Henry [From Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.]
Are you building your life on the rock of Jesus Christ, or are you trying to make it through life resting on your own strength?
