ORDER IN THE COURT… TESTIMONY OF GOD’S PRESENCE….
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
ALL THE WITNESS THAT WILL COME BEFORE US TODAY WILL BE ASKED TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH….
LET US DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE: IS OUR GOD IS A VERY INVITING GOD… DOES HIS PRESENCE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Isaiah 54:2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
THE BATTLE OF EXTERNAL VS INTERNAL.
DO WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE IN WHITE WASH AND WASH WHITE?
Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
I was traveling playing music. We were playing in Rose Hill, Virginia. We set up our music and changed into our suits.
I was standing leaning on the glass door watching the traffic go back. I watch a long hair young man walking on the other side of the road. The Pastor came up and saw the long haired dude and said: IF THAT YOUNG MAN TRIED TO COME IN HERE, I WOULD ASK HIM TO LET ME CUT HIS HAIR BEFORE HE COULD COME IN…? My thought was you have to catch the fish, before you can clean him? After the service was over we were loading the equipment in the trailer and the long hair boy came up to me. He said: I really enjoy the music and the singing tonight. I asked him: Why didn’t you come in the church. He said: I KNOW I AM NOT WELCOMED, SO I LISTEN OUTSIDE? The young man had a tender heart and tears ran down our faces. That was 45 years ago. I often ponder the potential of that young man?
Often times we see the Pharisee’s religion fussing about EXTERNALS… We seem to always desire to change everyone’s EXTERNAL HABITS and we should realize this is absolutely impossible. A JESUS RELATIONSHIP CHANGES THE EXTERNALS BY CHANGING THE INTERNAL… We do not QUIT OLD HABITS, we come to know WE SUBSTITUDE THE OLD HABIT WITH A NEW ONE, A BETTER ME COMES BY ESTABLISHING A NEW ATTITUDE AND A NEW LOVE from the INSIDE OUT. We need Good’s presence.
THE MIRACLE OF A CHANGED LIFE COMES BY HAVING HEARING THE DIVINE HEARTBEAT… AS JOHN DID.
Recall the chorus:
HE IS HERE, HALLELUJAH; HE IS HERE, AMEN; HE IS HERE HOLY, HOLY; AND I WILL BLESS HIS NAME AGAIN; HE IS HERE LISTEN CLOSELY, HEAR HIM CALLING OUT YOUR NAME, HE IS HERE, YOU CAN TOUCH HIM AND YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
TEXT:
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) So do not fear, 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.
Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (MSG) Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
LET US LEARN A REAL LESSON HERE… THERE WAS 153 FISH, YET THE NETS DID NOT BREAK… BUT THE REAL LESSON IS THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT COMING INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND HIS SON JESUS…
John 21:9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
JESUS VISITS FOR THE INNER CIRCLE FOR THE THIRD TIME after the cross. AS JESUS IS PREPARING TO RETURN TO THE FATHER. JESUS UNDERSTOOD HOW IMPORTANT PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS WERE TO ESTABLISH PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND COME INTO THE PRESENCE BEHIND THE VEIL… Jesus invites us to know him in a personal way. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A RELIGION, IT IS A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP. The closer we walk and talk with God the GREATER THAN is released in our daily life style.
WHAT ARE MY PHYSICAL GOALS AND PRIOTITIES? WHAT ARE MY SPIIRITUAL GOALS AND PRIORITIES? I HAVE LEARNED AS I MATURED, MY MAIN GOAL IS TO KNOW THE TRUTH AND TO KNOW JESUS’ MIGHTY POWER AND HIS SUFFERINGS…
We often MISIDENTIFY the reality because we get CONFUSED BY OUR PERSPECTIVES. Every person thinks their perspective is correct.
Let me tell you about a farmer and his family. They had a deep well that Grandpa had dug many years ago. The family’s life depended on that well. The water was always so pure and cool. That hand pump stayed busy pulling water out of the well. There had to be water for the animals. There was water for drinking and cooking. There was water for washing the clothes and taking baths.
One day the father drew water out of the well and he noticed that was a strange odor? Seems the animals smelled the water and they refused to drink? So the family discussed the well water problem and decided the screws must be lose and so the boys took the tools and tighten up everything. Still the problem of the smell and it seemed to grow worse. So they thought there must be rust getting into the water. So Pappy drove to town and purchased some expensive lead free paint, and they painted the pump. Problem solved? No, each day the smell was worse each day.
One day the county agent came out to the farm and smelled the water and he said: THIS IS NOT AN EXTERNAL PROBLEM, THIS IS AN INTERNAL PROBLEM. So the agent had the boys pull the old pump out of the well. The agent looked down the well and there the old cat had fell down the well and was dead. They pulled the old dead cat of the well and put the shiny old pump back in the well. They pumped and pumped until the well was dry. They had to clean out the inside of all the water. The dependable spring refilled the well. The farm agent pour some safe chemicals in to purify the water.
In a few days the old well was again the life source of the farm and the family. The problem was not EXTERNAL, the problem was INTERNAL. Many family problems, many church problems, many of our society problems are MORE THAN EXTERNAL ISSUES… The external is what we observe. The real issues ARE INTERNAL… WE ARE LACKING PERSONAL TIME WITH THE WORD OF GOD. The word of God does the work of God. BE HONEST COULD THERE BE A DEAD CAT IN THE WELL. Strife, lack of unity, judgmental words, critical spirits, long tongues, idleness, busybodies? Could we just need to spend more time IN THE PRESENCE OF A HOLY GOD…
Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Philippians 3:10 (NLT) I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
Philippians 3:10 (MSG) I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.
WHEN WE CAN’T --- IT IS GOD’S OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT HE CAN…
GOD’S PRESENCES MAKES A DIFFERENCE --- GOD IS LOOKING TO BE INVITED TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO HIS WORK.
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
LET US COME TO THE COURT ROOM: CAN WE UNDERSTAND GOD’S PRESENCE MADE A DIFFERENCE FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF HISTORY…GOD WAS PRESENCE AT THE CREATION … GOD’S PRESENCE MADE THE DIFFERENCE…
IN THE BEGINNING GOD… Gen. 1:1
God said: LET THERE BE LIGHT…
Let us make man… God’s presence…
NOAH, STAND BEFORE THE JUDGE AND TELL US, HOW? NOAH WHAT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOU? GOD MADE THE DIFFERENCE: GOD’S PRESENCE WAS WITH NOAH… GOD MADE THE DIFFERENCE WITH 8 PEOPLE… GOD’S PRESENCE WAS THERE BEFORE THE STORM, DURING THE STORM AND AFTER THE STORM… GOD WILL MAKE AWAY …
What if Noah had shut the door? He would have opened it and the ship would have sank with thousands of people, not God’s plan.
Genesis 7:16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
God was there.
ABRAHAM, ORDER IN THIS COURT… ABRAHAM YOU ESTABLISHED THE WORK OF FAITHFULNESS FOR GOD… WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE?
Abraham invited God to diner with him. They walked and talked together… The difference was the presence of God.
James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
ENOCH, WILL YOU GIVE A WITNESS? ENOCH, YOU BUILD A CITY AND YOU MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. ENOCH COULD YOU SPEAK WHAT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOU? WHY DO YOU STAND OUT IN YOUR GENERATION? ENOCH KNEW THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
MOSES, DO YOU PROMISE TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH? HOW DID YOU DO IT? MOSES YOU ARE PROBABLY NOTED AS ONE OF THE BEST LEADERS THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOW, WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN YOU? MOSES WOULD SAY ONE DAY MADE THE DIFFERENCE… I PUT ON MY SHOES JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DAY: THEN I MET GOD OUT IN THE DESERT.
Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
ANYTHING ELSE MOSES? MOSES WOULD YOU TELL US. MOSES WOULD SAY: GOD’S PRESENCE WAS WITH ME DAILY…
A CLOUD BY DAY, AND A PILLAR OF FIRE BY NIGHT.
Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
THE GLORY OF GOD’S DIVINE PRESENCE --- THE SHEKINAH GLORY THE GLORY CLOUD OF GOD’S PRESENCE RESTED OVER THE TABERANCLE AND ON THE MOUNTAIN TOPS… LEAVING EGYPT, CROSSING THE RED SEA…
HEY, LET’S CALL JOSHUA TO THE WITNESS STAND… HEY, JOSHUA HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN MOSES DIED AND LEFT THE MESS TO YOU? JOSHUA SAYS: GOD DID IT, NOT ME… THE PROMISE WAS BEFORE US… GOD WAS WITH ME….
Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
OUR NEXT WIITNESS TO TESITIFY ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS DAVID…
I was a boy out in the field and a BEAR tried to kill my sheep. Oh, yeah remember there was a lion, I killed it too, God was with me…
I stood before a huge giant and blessed God, God was with me.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
God was with me in the VALLEY of the shadow…
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
WE NOW CALL A GREAT TRUSTED LEADER OF HIS DAY, DANIEL TO THE WIITNESS STAND… DANIEL WE KNOW YOUR LIFE WAS AT DIFFICULT TIME IN HISTORY AND YOU WAS A CAPTIVE. WE ARE DISCUSSING DOES GOD’S PRESENCE MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
For time sake let’s ask you to tell us about THE LIONS’ DEN. Was you afraid? Was God’s presence there with you?
Daniel 6:19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? 21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. 22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
LET US SKIP DOWN THROUGH MANY YEARS OF HISTORY AND CALL PETER TO THE WITNESS STAND… PETER WHAT HAVE YOU TO SAY TO THIS ROOM OF PEOPLE TODAY…
Peter would say: I loved Jesus but I let him down. That old rooster told the story of my failure. That is why we love fried chicken today. I was up and down, in and out until Jesus sent the promise of the Holy Spirit. God’s presence made a difference in me, I was the loud mouth… but I preached the Pentecost’s message: WHAT MEANTH THIS….
Acts 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
GOD’S PRESENCE CHANGED ME INSIDE AND OUTSIDE AND I BOLDLY STOOD AND PREACHED WHILE THEY MOCKED ME…
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MORE THAT WILL TESTIFY OF THE PRESENCE OF JESUS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE… EMMANUEL--- GOOD IS WITH US…
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
WE HAVE A STANDING INVITATION TO COME INTO THE PRESENCE OF A HOLY GOD…
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
CONCLUSION: NOW I ASK YOU: DO YOU SOLEMNLY PROMISE TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. DON, will you come for to the stand: HAS JESUS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE? Shirley come forward, Tell us the difference Jesus has made in your heart? Fleta will you testify? CAN I GET A WITNESS, JESUS MAKES A DIFFERENCE? Is there someone here that will invite Jesus into your heart to make a difference?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
