10 things to Understand about God Presence
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Jesus is watching you
Designed for Descipleship
July 2 2017
Rev Shawn C. Lund
· Jesus is watching you
A burglar broke into a home and was looking around. He heard a soft voice say, "Jesus is watching you". Thinking it was just his imagination, he continued his search. Again the voice said "Jesus is watching you". He turned his flashlight around and saw a parrot in a cage. He asked the parrot if he was the one talking and the parrot said, "yes." He asked the parrot what his name was and the parrot said, "Moses." The burglar asked, "what kind of people would name a parrot Moses?" The parrot said, "the same kind of people who would name their German Shepherd Jesus".
Golf during church
The Pastor woke up Sunday morning and realizing it was an exceptionally beautiful and sunny early spring day, decided he just had to play golf. So.... he told the associate pastor that he was feeling sick and convinced him to preach for him that day. As soon as the associate pastor left the room, the Pastor headed out of town to a golf course about forty miles away. This way he knew he wouldn't accidentally meet anyone he knew from his church.
Setting up on the first tee, he was alone. After all, it was Sunday morning and everyone else was in church! At about this time, Saint Peter leaned over to the Lord while looking down from heaven and exclaimed,
"You're not going to let him get away with this, are you?" The Lord sighed, and said, "No, I guess not."Just then he hit the ball and it shot straight towards the pin, dropping just short of it, rolled up and fell into the hole. IT WAS A 435 YARD HOLE IN ONE! Saint Peter was astonished. He looked at the Lord and asked,
"Why did you let him do that?"The Lord smiled and replied,
"Who's he going to tell?"
· Today I want to discuss a very important topic
· It’s what I would call a foundational message, so I’m glad you’re here today!
· If we don’t gather an understanding of this, everything we do will be done in vain
· Life will be dull and mundane,
· Or It will feel like you’re going 100 miles an hour but getting no where!
· What am I referring to?
Practicing the presence of God
· What does it mean to practice the Presence of God?
·
Brother Lawrence
· He began life as Nicholas Herman, born to peasant parents in Lorraine, France. As a young man, his poverty forced him into joining the army, and thus he was guaranteed meals and a small stipend. During this period, Herman had an experience that set him on a unique spiritual journey; it wasn't, characteristically, a supernatural vision, but a supernatural clarity into a common sight.
· In the deep of winter, Herman looked at a barren tree, stripped of leaves and fruit, waiting silently and patiently for the sure hope of summer abundance. Gazing at the tree, Herman grasped for the first time the extravagance of God's grace and the unfailing sovereignty of divine providence. Like the tree, he himself was seemingly dead, but God had life waiting for him, and the turn of seasons would bring fullness. At that moment, he said, that leafless tree "first flashed in upon my soul the fact of God," and a love for God that never after ceased to burn.
· Sometime later, an injury forced his retirement from the army, and after a stint as a footman, he sought a place where he could suffer for his failures. He thus entered a monastery in Paris as Brother Lawrence.
In this weeks email we included a link to a audio book of brother Lawrence’s book
I’d encourage you to take a listen
10 things to understand about God’s presence…
1) His Presence is Everywhere
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
And blessed be His glorious name forever;
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen, and Amen.
eg wifi…need a device to pick it up
And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory Amen, and Amen.
2) Holy Spirit is with us forever
2) Holy Spirit is with us forever
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
O.T. Gods presence dwelt in His tabernacle/temple
NT God’s presence dwell in His people
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
3) Seek will find
3) Seek will find
‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
4) We can Hide/ignore His Presence
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
5) His presence is Mandatory for Success
Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”
6) In His presence we find Rest
6) In His presence we find Rest
And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”
7) In His presence Fullness of Joy
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
8) In His presence is Provision
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 promised you.”
9) In His presence there is No Fear
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
10) In His presence His Love is made perfect
10) In His presence His Love is made perfect
No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
How do we practice His Presence?