Manifest Presence Series
“His Presence—Our Only Hope” Part 2
(Inspired by Don Nori Sr.’s Manifest Presence: You Can Live Within The Veil)
January 18, 2015 CFBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
E Pencil Principles are traditions/methods that help in our understanding/response to the Lord at a given moment in time. (Not doctrine . . . but a principle.)
1 For example, I remember hearing sermons about the evils of dancing growing up. (I’ve never preached against dancing . . . not after watching “Footloose.”)
a Many churches get LCD projectors to display the words of songs and think hymn books are not of God. (Thank God for hymn books! They served a purpose for their season.)
aa Training Union/Discipleship Training was something many of us grew up on & now many modern Baptist churches have no idea what these are. (Not bad, wrong . . . they’re still churches even without these two.)
bb Sunday School is on Sunday (Cell Groups/Care Groups).
b There are some things that existed for the need of the moment and that moment may never come again.
2 There are “Pencil Principles” we follow in our worship/other areas of our lives that when the Manifest Presence of God comes, we erase them.
a When God comes we must be able to move, sway, and change rhythm as He sets the pace.
b When God comes to us, changes the order of things we should be able to whip out our erasers, remove our “pencil principles” and move with/in Him.
F We’re living in a time when nearly half of all Christians believe God is about to move upon His Church. (Huffington Post, go figure.)
1 Isaiah 60:1 (NASB) 1 "Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
a When the glory of the Lord arises in His church it will be visable; people will know that Lord is in our midst.
b People will come to the light!
Isaiah 60:2-3 (NKJV) 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
2 The days of counterfeiting religion are about to come to a screeching halt . . . saying you believe something and yet live like you don’t are fast coming to a close.
a The only way we’ll be able to survive is to find the true living God, discover the true/living tabernacle (His Presence) and abide in Him.
b When that day comes it will not matter if you’re a church member, choir member, pastor, SS teacher, pew warmer, possessor of great talent . . . . only God can help, give shelter & strength.
3 We won’t just believe in miracles/power of God . . . we’ll need them/Him to live from moment to moment.
a Our only hope for revival/restoration is a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for God to establish His glory among His people.
b God is moving forward with His plan as scheduled irregardless of what the world thinks, says, believes.
aa I’ve learned God isn’t happy when we get in a rut, stay in the same place too long. (IL. Dr. Croft, 20 year teacher with one year experience.)
bb We’ve always done it that way and we’ll do it that way Sunday and next Sunday and next Sunday.
c He comes in and changes things around . . . because He is the One who wants to make the decision; He is the One who chooses.
aa When His glory rises in the Church, there will be a people who will simply respond by saying, “Yes, Lord! Whatever you want to do. We’re with you.”
bb They won’t be bound by traditions, pet doctrines, pencil principles.
G The people God is raising up will know the difference between their traditions and the Will of God. (Denomination/Revelation, Not captive to Baptist/Charismatic Stream . . . they’ll flow & go where the Lord leads.)
1 The prophet Isaiah said the nations will run to the light.
a This will be a happening, occurrence in the last day church.
b His Glory will arise, abide upon the Church.
Isaiah 60:3 (NASB) 3 "Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
2 God wants to light up your life (& this church) with His Presence.
a Isaiah 62:1 (NASB) 1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, And her salvation like a torch that is burning.
Psalm 132:13-17 (NASB) 13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. 14 "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 "I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread. 16 "Her priests also I will clothe with salvation, And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy. 17 "There I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed.
aa Who is the lamp for His anointed? The Church . . . we are to be burning with His Presence!!
bb His burning presence burns the chaff, impurities, dross from us. . . causes the darkness to flee.
cc Pulls us out of ruts for His glory!
b Then & only then can be see/be in His Manifest Presence.
3 Acts 1:8 (NASB) 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
a We will be His witness not to a doctrine, system, denomination ... but of Him.
b We can broadcast on TV, Internet, Radio, Print; spend a fortune but we have zero shot of reaching the world with the Gospel that is supernaturally empowered by the Manifest Presence.
H I believe the time has come to change our emphasis from God’s omnipresence to His Manifest Presence.
1 It’s easy to say, “God is everywhere,” yet when His Manifest Presence shows up, He’s “here” in an entirely different way.
a The world needs a church that has a heart that throbs for Him, His Presence, His Word, . . . for His heart.
b God is desperately seeking the Church that wants Him to breakthrough in their midst.
aa Break man-made doctrine, denomination, traditions.
bb Human desires, flesh, personal kingdoms. . . . Have Your way in us, Lord!
cc He’ll birth the Last Day Church by immersing His people into Himself by the Holy Spirit and by fire.
2 John said, “I immerse you in water, but there is One coming who is more important than I am. I am not worthy to untie His shoe. He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire”.
Luke 3:16 (NASB) 16 John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
a We love to talk, argue, debate what the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Tongues, get saved, separate event, multiple baptisms, etc.)
aa When the Holy Spirit buries us (immerse) there is always something present . . .POWER!!!
bb Not just any power, FIRE POWER!!!
b Hebrews 12:29 (NASB) 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
“ . . . our God is like a fire which destroys everything.”
aa There’s only thing that cannot be affected by fire and that is what has already been burnt.
bb He’s a fire, but He’s a controlled fire, orderly fire, purposeful fire, specific reason . . . it doesn’t burn the precious . . . only the dross.
cc God wants a place where His Manifest Presence may rest and in that place you will find fire burning out sin, anything that should not be there.
I We are being hardened, tempered, prepared for Tribulation
Isaiah 33:14-15 (NASB) 14 Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. "Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" 15 He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, He who rejects unjust gain And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe; He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;
1 This verse, in my opinion, isn’t talking about hell/damnation, but rather His consuming fire.
a Who can survive the blazing, all consuming fire? (Those who have already been burnt, purified by its flames . . . His Presence.)
aa We have a choice on when we want to face the fire:
bb during times of tribulation that God brings upon us,
cc or face the fire when the rest of the world faces it in the time soon to come.
b In the OT, it was those whom had allowed the Holy Spirit to change them, judge them that were mightily used by God.
Isaiah 6:1-6 (NASB) 1 In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.
aa He is the purger, purifier, cleanser, smelter . . . He is the fire that makes us holy.
bb He is the heat that purifies the heart.
2 Can you say this, “I would rather have God’s Presence in my life manifested in fire than not at all?”
a If we’re not changing, if we’re wondering why there seems to be no anointing, we have to ask ourselves, “Is there no burning?”
aa To burn is to grow.
bb It’s not raised hands, charismatic smile, . . . it’s His Holy fire burning us.
b It is Him in us that produces the life, smile, that radiates with God’s Presence.
J God wants to have “a lamp for His anointed.” (His people)
1 Our response must be, “Lord, do it. Burn away the dross.”
a Teach me to run to You when . . .
aa I’m offended, hurt, wronged.
bb Teach me to run to you in every situation.
b The end result is we’ll be a prepared people whom God can use.
2 Doesn’t fire hurt? Yes it does.
a If God’s in it, how can it be bad?
b Even if we lose, we win. Even if we blow it, we profit . . . so there’s only hope for us.
Conclusion:
A People are much more receptive of the dove of the Holy Spirit than they are of the fire of the Holy Spirit. (You can’t put fire in a cage.)
1 We must be a church that welcomes His Presence in any Manifestation of His choosing.
a Not just the church, but in our lives/homes.
b This Manifest Presence is what will bring the nations to the Church.
2 It’s the same Manifest Presence that not only purges us, but also protects us.
a It’s His Manifest Presence that gives us peace of mind/heart to that know that “At your side, 1,000 people may die, or even 10,000 right beside you, but You will not be hurt!”
Psalm 91:7 (NASB) 7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.
b He is my peace, rest.
B I don’t get this from just know God is “everywhere/omnipresence”.
1 It’s emotionally, personally, and spiritually experiencing His presence in the kind of reality that says, “I know that I know that I know that Jesus Christ is with me.”
a Though I may walk through the valley . . .
b Since God is for us, who can be against us.
Hebrews 13:6 (NASB) 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"
2 As you trust in Jesus, His presence will increase in your life far beyond what you could ever ask or imagine.
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My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
