The Three P's

Sermon: The Three P’s

(Presence, Promises, & Power OF GOD)

Jennifer Mears 6/21/2006

Before Christ was crucified –man had to offer a blood sacrifice (animal)

To enter God’s Presence

To Inherit His Promises

To Experience The Power of God

The holy temple in those days BEFORE CHRIST death was divided into two portions,

outer room called the Holy Place (where priests served)

inner room called the Holy of Holies. (represented God’s presence)

Holy Of Holies: sacred place…so sacred that:

the only person allowed in was the high priest -ONLY one day of year to make atonement for the sins of himself and the people. He would pass through the curtain only ONCE per year

was separated from the rest of the temple by an elaborate and beautifully embroidered curtain.

According to Jewish descriptions of the temple, this curtain was massive in size—measuring some 30 feet wide, 60 feet high and three inches thick.

Matthew 27:50-51: "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom ..."

Its tearing in two from top to bottom at Jesus’ death was a shocking and confusing event! How could God let something like that happen within His temple?

God himself deliberately tore the curtain to make a point!

—that mankind’s sins, which had cut us off from Him (Isaiah 59:2), could now be forgiven through Jesus Christ’s shed blood.

Hebrews 10:19-22 explains that a new High Priest, Jesus Christ, through the sacrifice of Himself superceded this ritual for all time and gives mankind direct access to God:

Hebrews 10:19-22 "Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (NRSV).

Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we enjoy direct access to the throne of our merciful, loving Creator.

WE should never forget! ALWAYS REMEMBER that:

1. His Presence Is With Us!

2. His Promises Are For Us!

3. His Power Is Within Us! SING “Let The Veil Down”

1. God’s Presence Is With You

He will never leave you

NEVER leave

NEVER forsake

EVER present

****Genesis 28:15

15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

HE SAYS HERE --- I AM WITH YOU!

This is when Jacob was running away from the CONSEQUENCES of his own lies

God mercifully chose to reaffirm/confirm (remind him) His Promises to Jacob

Jacob was in NO position to earn God’s Favor at this time BUT God STILL promised to be with him

God and heaven had come down to the very place Jacob was ---where Jacob was sleeping

****Exodus 33:14

14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

“My Presence” translated from Hebrew writings literally means “MY FACE” (what a revelation)

God’s Face shining on you…You have His Attention…His Favor

THIS IS AN EXTRORDINARY PROMISE OF GOD!

Psalm 16:11

11 You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

· Joy unspeakable and full of the Glory of God!

· David in this passage is speaking of God’s Promise of escape from death through eternal life WHAT A PROMISE!

· Eternal life given through Jesus – The Resurrected Savior To ALL who will accept Him & confess Him as their personal savior and who seek atonement (forgiveness) of their sin through The Blood He shed for ALL

Psalm 22:03

You ARE holy! And enthroned in the praise of Israel

· God inhabits (lives within) our praise…the praise of His People!

***Psalm 34:7

7 The angel[a] of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him,

And delivers them.

· God surrounding / hovering over the believer

· NO NEED TO FEAR (even in worst of times, even in the most desperate and dangerous of times)

Because:

***Psalm 34:15

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their cry.

Psalm 34:19

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 46: 1 -2

1 God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

· The beginning of a Psalm of TRUST

· God CAN deliver no matter the battle….or the storm….or the circumstance