Entering His Presence
Exodus 3:13-14, Matthew 14:22-33
Series: Into His Presence
March 5, 2012
Morning Service
The presence of God has been exampled through a variety of means. Scripture shows that through the history of humanity, God has sought to reveal Himself to us. These are just a few of the many different examples.
God spoke to Moses through the burning bush
God displayed His power through the Ten Plagues and the Exodus event
God led the people of Israel with a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire
God showed His presence as a fire that fell on the Temple
Jesus revealed the personal presence of God by coming to earth
The empty tomb proves the presence of God’s divine power
Pentecost shows how the presence of God can change the church
Miracle after miracle, God shows Himself to His people. He calls and waits, watches and beckons for us to follow by walking in His divine presence. Each day God speaks to our wandering hearts and beckons us to return to Him, to return to His divine presence.
Jesus is the direct example of God’s presence with His people. God displayed His presence in an amazingly unique manner, through His name. I want to look at two different passages this morning before we explore a deeper understanding of the presence of God.
13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" 14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " Exodus 3:13-14
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Matthew 14:22-33
The difficulties of life bring instability
There is nothing more unstable than a small fishing boat caught in a fierce storm. The storm was severe with pounding rain and raging winds. The severity of the storm caused large waves to rock the boat back and forth. The disciples had been on the sea during storms and knew how to handle themselves on the water. The boat was buffeted which means that it was nearly capsized. The situation looked grim because of the instability the disciples were dealing with.
Moses faced his own issues with instability. Moses had become a shepherd for his father-in-law and had developed a comfortable life. The problem is that he was not willing to give up his comfort. Moses was not willing to return to Egypt to face the destiny that God had planned.
The truth of life is often hard to face because life is filled with difficulties. Some are easier to face than others and some are more daunting than others. No matter who you are, you will face challenges and difficulties in life. The issue is not whether we have difficulties but how we handle them.
Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% of how we respond to those events. The question is how are you handling the ups and downs of life? The Bible is filled with these kinds of moments of ups and downs.
We struggle with instability on a regular basis. There is financial instability when the costs keep skyrocketing and your pay stays the same. There is an emotional instability that occurs when relationships hit rough waters and things feel like they are coming apart. There is spiritual instability when you begin to seek your way instead of God’s way.
The instability of life brings uncertainty
The disciples faced a major uncertain situation on the Sea of Galilee that storm filled night. Questions raced through their minds. Will I see my family again? Why did we get in this boat? Why did Jesus send us into this storm?
There are days that are just crazy and we feel like we’re riding out a violent storm. Life has a way of spinning us in unexpected directions. We often feel dizzy, frustrated and a more than a little motion sick riding through the storms of life. The ride is often more than we care to deal with. The up’s and down’s combined with all of the go rounds leave us uncertain. Sometimes the ride of life leaves us unsure of anything. Uncertainty left unchecked will always lead to fear.
The uncertainty of life brings fear – we fear what we do not know
Why did Moses ask the question? Who should I say is sending me? Moses did not want to do what he was being called to do. The primary reason may have been fear. Moses was afraid to return to the land of Egypt because he did not want to face the Pharaoh. Moses did not want to face the reality that he had murdered a man. Moses did not want to face the return to what was uncomfortable.
Moses had to first face his fear before he could be the leader God created him to become. Our fears often cause us to live far below the level of life that God desires for us. Moses was afraid of going back to Egypt. What are you afraid of doing for God? What does God desire you to do that you are unwilling to do because of fear?
There are four situations that most often create times of change and challenge for people. These situations are times of trials, trouble, tension and transition.
The presence of God brings power and strength to the believer. The moment that we begin to seek His divine presence, God begins to send it. God answers when we seek His face.
The Presence of God bring courage in the midst of trials
The disciples trial is the storm itself. The root of all the problems flows from the storm. Notice that the moment that Jesus gets into the boat, He speaks and peace settles among the chaos. Jesus steps in and calms the storm. The presence of God brings a sense of calm in the unending storms of life. Jesus stepped into the storm that day and brought peace. With just one word, Jesus spoke into the chaos and brought peace.
Moses has fear to deal with as well. He had been part of the Egyptian royal family and he knew exactly who he would have to face. The situation would be grim because Egypt would not set the people of Israel free. Moses had the assurance that God was sending him back as his instrument of providence.
The Presence of Christ brings comfort in the midst of trouble
The disciples experience trouble during the entire trip across the Sea of Galilee. The point when they see Jesus on the water walking toward them is the height of their trouble. The disciples believe that an angel of death has come to claim their lives.
Notice that Jesus tells the disciples to take courage. He is calling them to stand firm and to stand up in the midst of their fear. Fear does nothing but paralyze us in the midst of our calling and our commission.
When Moses is facing his uncertainty and his fear, God does something unique. Moses is given the identity of God as a sense of security. I am who I am.
The presence of Christ brings peace in the midst of tension
Moses desires to have something that will help him in the midst of the tension of telling the people that they were going to be free. Moses asks for the name of God. The word is often translated Yahweh or Jehovah. The literal meaning is I am that I am.
Jesus does not merely tell the disciples to take courage for no reason. Jesus speaks words that would have been extremely familiar to the disciples. Jesus says: it is I. This seems like nothing of importance until we examine the Greek text. Jesus is saying something amazingly powerful: ego emi, I am. It is the exact same phrase in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible that God spoke to Moses in Exodus 3. Jesus says take courage because I am God. I am here and I am with you.
The presence of Christ brings stability in the midst of transition
Jesus sends the disciples on that journey across the Sea that day. Jesus sends them out and sets them on a course that may have felt like a wrong turn. The truth is that Jesus never guides us where He does not also go with us. Jesus came walking across the wind swept sea to prove His power and His presence in the situation.
Moses was going to transition back to a life he had left behind. He was going back into the heart of enemy territory. Moses was going to face an unwilling people who were satisfied to be slaves and an leader who would refuse to let them go. God’s promise on that mountain from the burning bush was simple and profound. I am with you no matter where you go and no matter what you need to do. God spoke the words – I Am
How to experience God’s presence
Humble yourself
Why does God desire for His people to humble themselves? The word humble means to be in submission, to live in a state of surrender. When we humble ourselves, we are literally saying to God, you are in control of my life. To be humble means to be brought low.
What happens when God bends us?
1.) Bending opens us to His guidance (Psalm 25:9)
2.) Bending allows us to know His grace (Proverbs 3:34)
3.) Bending gives us a gentle heart (Matthew 11:29)
4.) Bending leads us to true greatness (Matthew 23:12)
5.) Bending gives us spiritual garments (1 Peter 5:5)
6.) Bending gives way to eternal glory (Philippians 2:8)
Pray
Prayer is the foundation of a growing relationship with God and without prayer that relationship will never truly grow. We must go deeper with God if we ever want to experience revival in our lives. Ech day we make a decision to either build up that relationship with God or to settle for where we are in our relationship with God.
The principle of prayer is flows out of the New Testament Church
1.) Prayer needs to be a continuous aspect of the church (Acts 1:14)
2.) Prayer was a major part of the life of the church (Acts 2:42)
3.) Prayer is vital to seeing a divine display of power (Acts 4:31)
Seek His Face
The Hebrew word for seek means to intend to find or to deeply desire. In essence, to seek something from God means to first have the deep desire to see it happen and then to actively and persistently pursue it.
One of the major reasons why churches in America never see a movement of God is because they don’t want it bad enough. There is a personal price that has to be paid in finding revival. It is opening yourself to the leading of the Holy Spirit and then obeying what the Spirit says.
