Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re going to *continue* our *teaching* of the *series* that I’ve *entitled* *“Walking with God.”* *Last week* we talked about *“Those Who Will Benefit from Walking in The Presence of God.”* *Those who walk in the presence of God* *have certain characteristics* about them, *certain virtues* about their character.

And *those virtues came about* *because they had been with God*; *they* have *walked in His presence* *and* His *glory*.

*I) **One of the characteristics* that they have in their lives *is* the *boldness* *to enter into the thrown room of God*.

*A) **(Hebrews 10:19)* says, *“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”*

*1) **Those that enter into the presence of God on a regular basis* *have the boldness to do so*.

*They know that* *because of the blood of Jesus* Christ *we now have access to the throne* of God.

*a) **Not only do we have access to God’s throne*, *but* also *we have received a request* *from Him to come*.

*b) **(Hebrews 4:16)* says, *“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.”*

*(i) **That’s not a request from Paul*, but *all scripture* is given *under the inspiration of God*.

*It is God’s request that* *we would come* boldly *unto the throne of grace*.

*B) **Another characteristic* that is *found* in someone who *spends time* in *God’s presence* is that of *PRAYER and PRAISE*.

*1) **Prayer and praise* *not only get you into the presence of God*, *but it is also something that will get you* *out of the circumstances your in*.

And *it will turn your situation around*.

*a) **People that walk in God’s presence* *know the power of PRAYER and PRAISE*.

*2) **It helped Jehoshaphat* *win the victory over his enemy*.

*1st* *he had God’s Word* on the subject.

*When the armies of* *Ammon*, *Moab* and *Mount Seir* *came against Jehoshaphat*, *the Lord said that He would give them the victory*.

*a) **When Jehoshaphat* *and his men went out to battle*, *he put the* *praisers in front* *of his army* *that they would praise the Lord* *and the beauty of his holiness*.

*(i) **When they did that* *God gave them total victory*.

*They didn’t gain the victory in their own ability*, but *when they began to praise the Lord*, *the Lord began to move*.

*3) **Paul and Silas* did something very *similar*.

When *they were thrown into prison* they *began to praise the Lord*; *and the Lord began to move* *and* *they were freed* from their bondage.

*a) **Praise gains you access to the throne of God* *and* *it begins to turn your situation around*.

*b) **It brings God on the scene*.

*The Bible says*, *“God inhabits the praises of his people.”*

*4) **Thanksgiving* is *another quality* that is *found in the lives of people* *who regularly spend time in God’s presence*.

*a) *(*Psalms 100:4*) *says*, *“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving.”*

*b) **In* *(Philippians 4:6)* *it says* *that through prayer and thanksgiving* *the peace of God will fill your heart and mind*.

*C) **We can receive so many of God’s benefits* *and* *promises* *and* *blessings* *by being in His presence*, *but there is a flip side to the coin*.

*1) **If we run from God’s presence* *we can receive the opposite* *of what we want or need*.

*2) *I guess the *classic example* *of someone running from the presence of God* *is JONAH*.

*3) **Let’s take a look at it* and turn with me to *JONAH 1:1-3*.

*a) **JONAH*, as *a prophet of God*, *should have known better than to run from the presence of the Lord*.

*b) **He should have been aware* *that staying in the Will of God* *and* *in the presence of God* *is where the benefits are found*.

*(i) **But*, *like all of us do from time to time*, *JONAH* *decided he had a better plan*.

*Instead of obeying God* *and staying under God’s protection*, *he took off in another direction*.

*(ii) **It’s dangerous when you get out of God’s, umbrella of protection*.

*(iii) **Don’t ever move out of the secret place of the Most High*.

*When you run from God* *you open the door to problems*.

*4) *Look at *JONAH 1:4*.

*a) **When you run from God* *you’ll experience the opposite of all the benefits* that *we’ve been talking* about in this series.

*b) **Instead of provision*, *you’ll experience lack*.

*Instead of peace*, *you’ll experience fear*.

*Instead of health*, *you’ll receive everything the enemy tries to put on you*.

*c) **Living and walking in the presence of God has many benefits*.

*II) **Obviously*, in this series *we’ve been talking about all the good things that come out of spending time in the presence of God*, *but really it’s about more than just that*.

*A) **Really* *it’s about restoration*; *restoring us to the condition that mankind was in* *before Adam’s fall*.

*1) **As we’ve seen*, *before the Fall*, *man was equipped to fellowship with God with perfect ease*.

*a) **Adam and Eve* *would walk with God in the cool of the day*, *and* *enjoy His company*.

*b) **According to* *(Psalms 8:5)* *God made man just a little Lord than himself* *and* *had CROWN HIM WITH GLORY and honor*.

*c) **In other words*, *man was literally CLOTHED in the Glory of God*.

*2) **That explains why Adam and Eve* *didn’t know they were naked* *until they had sinned*.

*Their rebellion and fall* *caused that covering of glory to be removed*.

*a) **When that happened*, *2 things became evident to Adam and Eve*.

*b) **1st*, *they saw they were naked* *and* *needed to cover themselves*.

*3) *Turn with me to *Genesis 3:7*.

*a) **2nd*, *they were no longer able* *to walk and talk with God* *with the intimacy they had before*.

*b) *Look at *Genesis 3:8*.

*c) **Without this covering of glory*, *there was no way they could stand in the pure holiness of God’s presence* *and they knew it*.

*4) **From that moment on the Bible* *is essentially an unfolding story of God’s plan to restore to man* *the coat of glory** he had lost*.

*a) **Why was this so important to God?*

*(i) **It might seem hard for us to comprehend* *but without this covering and cloak of glory* *there was no fellowship with God* *and* *God values are fellowship*.

*(ii) **He missed that level of intimacy he had enjoyed with Adam*.

*b) **That’s just an amazing truth*.

*God desires our company so much* *that he was willing to send His Son* *to restore us to fellowship with Him*.

*(i) **Jesus entrance into this earth was all part of God’s master plan to restore man to fellowship with Himself*.

*B) **So you might be wondering* *what I mean when I said*, *“Regaining This Cloak of Glory.”*

*1) **What has to be done to regain it?*

*And when do we regain it?*

*2) **The answer is really twofold*.

*1st* *we progressively regain the former glory* *as we spend time in the presence of God*.

*a) **Spending time in God’s presence transforms us into His image*.

*b) *Turn with me to *2 Corinthians 3:18*.

*(i) **When we spend time in the presence of God* *there is a transformation-taking place*.

*We are being transformed* *more and more into his image*.

*3) *Turn with me to *Romans 12:2.*

*a) **We know that transformation comes* *as we renew our minds to the Word* of God.

*b) **According to* *(JOHN 1:14)* that *Jesus who is full glory* *is the WORD*.

*(i) **You’re being transformed into the image and glory of God* *by spending time with the Lord in the WORD*.

*4) *Turn to *Romans 8:28-29*.

*a) **The part that I wanted you to see is found right in the middle of verse 29* *it says*, *“He* *(God)* *also did predestinated* *(or foreordained us)* *to be conformed* *(which means changed into the same)* *to the image of His Son.”*

*b) **We already quoted* to you (*JOHN 1:14*) *which says that* *Jesus God’s son* *is already full of glory*.

*(i) **It’s God’s plan for us* *to be transformed into the image* *of his son* *full of glory*.

*(ii) **The more time we spend with God* *the more we’re going to be transformed into his image*.

*C) **A moment ago* *I said the answer to the question* *“When do we regain this coat of glory”* *is twofold*.

*1) **We already covered the* *1st* *and* *that is* *in part* *by spending time in His presence*.

*2) **The* *2nd* *part of this restoration* (*restoration of glory*) *will not occur until heaven*.

*a) **This restoration of all that Adam had* *and* *maybe even more* *will take place the moment we are instantly transformed at the coming of the Lord Jesus* Christ.

*b) *Turn to *1st Corinthians 15:51-53*.

*3) **This day is not far off*, *but look at what JOHN said about the Rapture in* *1 JOHN 3:1-2*.

*4) **Until then*, *you and I have the privilege of fellowshipping* *with God on a daily basis*.

*And as you do* *you and I are being transformed* *from glory to glory* *until the day He appears*.

W. O. L. C. C. Sunday, February 22nd, 1998