Sermon Tone Analysis

OPENING

We are continuing today with our sermon series, “Fitting the Pieces Together.”

Two weeks ago, we talked about how each of us are Living Stones, being built up by God into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to Him.

Last week we defined our mission statement as, “Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known.”

I asked you to join me in making a commitment to know Jesus more in 2022 and to draw closer to Him.

And to also let the dust of the Rabbi, Jesus Christ, and His Word, become such a part of who we are that we can’t help but get some of that dust on others when we come in contact with them, so that we can reach as many people as possible in 2022 with the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Now that we know our mission, we are going to set our vision.

Remember our vision defines the intended results of our mission.

Our vision is going to define what, I believe, God is wanting to accomplish through Farm Hill Church.

This is not just my vision.

I believe this is God’s vision for us.

We are going to begin today with our first vision statement, to be a church “Where the Presence of God is Present.”

In other words, this should be a dwelling place of the presence and the Spirit of God.

That when people walk through the doors, or when they drive up in the parking lot, or even when they just drive by or walk by on the road, that they can feel that there is something different about this place.

That they can sense the power and the anointing of the Holy Ghost.

That they can sense that there are some people here who are passionate about Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known.

That they are drawn to this place, like a moth to a flame.

Not because of who we are, but because of who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and what He can do for them!

And because the true fire of the Holy Ghost is here!

Not a fake fire!

But a true fire!

Not just a form of Godliness!

But the true power of the Holy Spirit to back it up!

SCRIPTURE

MESSAGE

I just feel like something good is about to happen!

I just feel like something good is on its way!

I sense in my spirit that God is ready to begin to do some great and mighty things in our midst!

I feel like God is fitting the pieces together!

I feel like God is gathering some Living Stones and placing us together to be a church where His Spirit dwells!

But there are a few things that we must make sure are happening in us first in order for this to become a reality.

If Two of You Shall Agree

In our Scripture text this morning, Jesus begins by saying that our Heavenly Father will hear and answer our prayers when we can get at least two people to agree together on what they are asking for.

Therefore, in order for the presence of God to be present in our church, we must have agreement or unity with one another.

In Acts Chapter 2, right before the Holy Ghost fell on the 120 believers gathered in the upper room, the Bible says that they were in “one accord.”

That doesn’t mean they were all crammed in the same car.

Some of you got it.

Some of you will get it later when you’re on the way home.

It means that they were in agreement.

They were gathered together for the same purpose and were united in their desire to experience a move of God.

The Bible also tells us:

It is good and pleasing to the Lord when we are operating in unity with each other.

Jesus said, if we can get at least two believers to agree together, God will pay attention and show up!

We will be a powerful church, because His presence will be present.

When we as a church get in agreement with each other and become unified in a Christ-centered mission and vision, the gates of hell cannot prevail against us!

Where Two or Three are Gathered Together in Jesus’ Name

It doesn’t take a huge crowd to make a powerful church!

Jesus said that where two or three are gathered together in His name, He will be in the midst of them.

That tells me that Jesus loves small churches just like He loves the big ones!

That tells me that Jesus is here with us right now, because I believe that we have way more than two or three that are gathered together here today in His name!

Gathering together in His name is absolutely essential!

We can gather for all kinds of reasons.

But unless we are gathered together in His name, it is not the type of church Jesus wants to build.

Gathering together in His name means that we are known by Him and His name.

That brings us back to "Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known.”

Gathering together in His name also means that He is the central focus of our meeting.

In other words, when we gather, we are to gather around Jesus.

When we do this, Jesus promised to be in the midst of us.

He didn’t say that He would only be up front where the preacher is at, or where the worship team is at.

He said He would be in the midst of us, right in the middle of us.

That means that the Spirit and presence of God is available to as many that want to experience it.

We don’t have to depend on a high priest to enter God’s presence for us.

I love our Catholic friends, but we don’t need a Pope to be a mediator between us and God.

Jesus Christ himself is now our Great High Priest and He is the only Mediator and Intercessor we need to approach God’s throne and experience His presence!

You need to realize that you hold the key to the moving and operating of the presence of God! Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.

Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.

You can bind or quench the Spirit of God by walking in here with the wrong attitude.

By refusing to participate in praise and worship.

By refusing to accept and respond to the Word of God.

But you can also loose the Spirit of God by walking in here with the right attitude.

By coming together in unity with your brothers and sisters across the aisle and gathering together in the name of Jesus!

If you’ll do that I promise you the songs will sound sweeter!

You won’t be hardly able to contain yourself waiting in anticipation for Jaxon to take up the tithes and offering so that you can give!

You’ll get engaged in the service by offering your praise and worship to the God who redeemed you!

And God’s presence will be present in our midst!

When we get at least two or three people together, who are in unity, and who are gathered in Jesus’ name, God’s presence will be present!

Three Areas We Need to Focus On

There are three areas that we need to focus on to make sure we are a church “Where God’s Presence is Present:” Prayer, Praise, and Preaching.

A House of Prayer

Jesus said that His house should be called a “House of Prayer.”

Jesus says this after turning over tables and running some people out of the Temple because they were using God’s House to take advantage of people financially in order to make a profit.

But the message that Jesus makes here is clear.

His house should be known as a house of prayer.

That means, as a church, we must make prayer our priority.

In order to be a church “Where the Presence of God is Present,” we must begin with making it a house of prayer.

I don’t care how much you and I have been praying lately; we need to be praying more.

God desires the prayers of His people.

He wants us to ask, seek, and knock for the things that we need.

He wants us to spend time talking to Him.

He wants us to spend time listening for His voice when He speaks to us.

Prayer gets God’s attention.

God hears the prayers of His people.

And He will answer our prayers according to His will.

But we need to pray humbly.

We also must prayer fervently, or with some fire or passion.

We need some prayer warriors who know how to touch Heaven.

Who have spent some time in a prayer closet.

Who have been in contact with God.

If we’ll start spending some time on our knees in prayer to God, we will be a church “Where the Presence of God is Present.”

A House of Praise