Sermon: In the presence of God
Have we ever considered what it’s like to be in the presence of a Holy & Mighty God?
- In the presence of God,
- Moses’ face glowed, & his hair turned white.
- Soldiers fell as dead men by His Words.
- The woman with the issue of blood knew that if she could just touch Him, she would
be healed.
- Nicodemus was captivated by Him. In such a way that he secretly met with Him.
* Elements obeyed Him.
- The winds stopped, the sea calmed at His voice.
- There was nothing but darkness, & He spoke, & created all things.
*Q- Could there be a greater being with such great compassion, & understanding?
- Jesus wept at Lazarus’ death
- Jesus healed the Centurion’s servant from afar, because of his faith!
- Although Jesus came for the Jews first. The Syrophoenician woman came to
him, & asked that he would tend to the dog such as she was. She knew she
wasn’t a Jew, but her daughter was possessed. There was no hope for her,
save Christ. Jesus, in a word, cast the demon out, & made the girl whole.
Q- What would it be like to stand in His presence?
- Think of what is called The shikinah Glory of God.
- The mere eye cannot look upon God, & His Power will surely overtake any.
- But this Power was veiled in a tabernacle, a pillar of clouds, a temple, & in Jesus.
- Here is Today’s message: The presence of God, in power & form, is veiled today, but
soon we shall see His true form!
- Let’s open our Bibles now.
Colossians 2:9-10
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
- Jesus is God! We come to Him, & call on Him continually.
- He is that great power, that great form, & that Great God in which we bow to, &
serve.
Q- Would you come before His presence with me? As we talk to God the Father, through Jesus (God the Son), & in the power of the Holy Spirit (God the Spirit).
- This is the Godhead, & it’s the God in whom we’ve known before anything was
created.
Prayer
- Immense Power walked this earth, wrapped in flesh.
- Imagine what it looked like as the great pillar of cloud went before the Israelites as
they made their way to Succoth(sook-kohth)
- The same Presence was displayed before the Israelites eyes, but so many didn’t
recognize it.
Matthew 11:20-24
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
- The Godhead was working right in front of them!
Q- How could anyone look upon this Glory, & not see that it is God?
- I think it is for the same reason Pharaoh couldn’t see it when this great pillar of
cloud kept him from reaching the Israelites.
- If Pharaoh would have been listening, He would have remembered Moses had
asked for his people to leave to worship their God.
- They Left, & Pharaoh was meeting their God!
Q- Could Pharaoh not see because God had blinded him?
- Scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
Q- Does that mean God made Pharaoh to be lost forever?
- I don’t think that’s it.
Q- What would blind Pharaoh?
- There’s someone better than you Pharaoh. There it is! Just the thought of God
hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
- Pharaoh didn’t see the pillar of cloud, or even his own carts falling apart in chasing
the Israelites as God.
- The only thing Pharaoh saw was, I am king.
- Jesus performed the majority of His miracles & parables in Galilee.
- They still did not see Him as God.
Q- What could blind them so much?
- Even Paul Couldn’t understand it why they couldn’t see God in the flesh.
Romans 9:31-33
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
- It was the hearts of the Israelites that kept them from recognizing Jesus as God.
- They had their routine, & their set ways. They couldn’t stray from them.
- Now, Think of us today.
- The presence, the form of God is all around us.
- The Holy Spirit is Here amongst us, & in Christ we are complete.
- The same awe, & amazement, like seeing the pillar of cloud, & Jesus, should be
with us every time we gather to worship, & everywhere we go.
Q- Is it?
- In making more videos with scripture here lately. I have found myself looking more &
more at the clouds. I see the beauty & wonder of God’s creation. I think of how
amazing it would be if Jesus would suddenly appear in those clouds.
- Then I remember, I used to never look up & study the clouds.
Q- Do you know why that is?
- It’s because I never gave myself the time to stop & look.
* Listen.
- Pharaoh didn’t stop, & listen
- The Israelites didn’t stop, & listen
- The same thing is asked for us today.
Revelation 3:20
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.
- Listen. Jesus knocks upon the door of our heart, but if we will not open the door & let
Him in. We will never see Him, & we will be forever lost.
Q- What does it take to open our ears & hear who Jesus is, & know who we are?
- We’re sinners in need of a savior.
- I will close with the sinner’s prayer again today. The Lord has been putting a
greater desire on me for those who are closed in. Those who may be too afraid to
attend church. I want them to realize they can come into a relationship with Him.
He can come into their heart. They just have to ask Him to. Then, we must tell
people about knowing Him, because Jesus said He would be ashamed of us
before the Father. If we are ashamed of Him.
- So, for any that would pray, God is listening. Pray with me.
Prayer
"God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin. However, I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe that His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, for saving me and forgiving me! Amen!"
- I hope that God is using Grayson Baptist Church greater now than ever before, & that
His family is growing greater than ever before.
- So as the family grows, let’s feel the presence of the One that saved us, & let’s sing,
- Washed in the Blood.
Prayer
