Oh, you're good with it? Okay, guys, kids, if you want to go in, now would be the right time.
What's her name? Kayla.
Okay, guys, we've been talking about presence, huh? And there's, I always, this is a third, this is a third bit on presence, and I think it'll go into seven or eight or nine, and Eddie will be talking about that too. And so, let me start off with what I always say about presence.
Moses got the hang of it, and he said in Exodus 33, 11 to 17, that what else will distinguish me and your people from all the other peoples on the face of the earth? What else will distinguish me from your people than all the other peoples of the face of the earth? In the sense, guys, that there is nothing else that distinguishes us from the world than this thing called the presence of God.
And I don't mind repeating this a hundred times, because we've got to know this. It's not our worship, it's not our buildings, it's not the quality of preaching, it's not the power that we occasionally see in a worship service. No, no, no, no. The one thing that distinguishes us 24-7 from the rest of the world is this thing called the presence of God.
God to come to grips with that. It's the only thing that distinguishes you, eh? So, my ass will get used to it. It's a way of functioning. Oh, by the way, Elmer and Anna here, say hi to them. Good to see you guys. No, really, I meant that in the nicest way. Yeah.
Guys, and we said, the other thing we said is his presence, his presence will do two things. It gives life, abundant life, and it destroys the works of the world.
The works of the destroyer. Thank you.
So, one, the only thing that distinguishes us from the rest of the world is that God has now chosen to dwell not in our midst, but in us. That's what distinguishes us from the rest of the world. Never been a species like this in whom God lives. Never been a species like this.
Six thousand years of human history or more than that, depending on whether you're older or newer. The point is there is no other species that has God living in them. This is what keeps us, makes us different from the rest of the world.
And if his presence is in us, then his presence does two things. It gives abundant life and it destroys the work of the destroyer. And so today what we want to do is we want to look at four core factors that are central to understanding and practicing the presence of God. Four core factors that are central to understanding and practicing the presence of God.
So let's look at it. Turn to Psalm 105. Psalm 105.
Guys, get used to this. This is who you are. You're supposed to be life givers and destroyers of the work of the destroyer. How do we go about it? That's what we're going to talk about. Four core factors that help us both grasp and practice the presence of God.
If you're a believer, if you have given your life to Christ, this is who you are whether you like it or not. And we said last week that there is the presence of God and then there is this thing called manifesting the presence of God. One is given, you have the presence of God if you are a believer.
Not a junior Holy Spirit, not a junior God, but all of God. So that is established. But there's a gap between having the presence of God in me and manifesting his presence. And so what we're trying to do is come up, not come up, examine four core factors central to understanding and practicing his presence.
Go to Psalm 105.37 onwards. Psalm 105.37. I'm reading from the ESV. Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold. And there was, look at this, just look at this, 600,000 or a million people. Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold and there was none among them, none among his tribes who stumbled. Another way of saying it is there was none among them who was feeble.
Now one sick person, just imagine that, a million people and not one sick person. And God wasn't dwelling in them, he was dwelling outside them but in their midst. Not one sick person. People died because of plagues and stuff like that but none died because of being feeble because God sustained them just by his sheer presence outside of them.
And the Old Testament is supposed to be the shadow and we are supposed to live in the substance. And yet there seems to be such a gap. Then he brought out Israel with silver and gold and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. Egypt was glad when they departed for the dread of them had fallen upon it. He spread a cloud for a covering and fire to give light by night. They asked and he bought a
He brought quail and gave them bread or manna from heaven in abundance. He opened the rock and water gushed out. It flowed through the desert like a river. For he remembered his holy promise and Abraham his servant so he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing and he gave them the lands of the nations. They took possession of the fruit of the people's toil that they might keep his statutes and observe the laws. Praise the Lord.
Look at Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteron
29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 29. Deuteronomy 25. Deuteronomy 20. DeuteronomyP sacrificed
that you may know that I am the Lord your God. And when you came to this place,
Sihon, the king of Heshbon and Oed, the king of Bashan, came out against us to battle, but we
defeated them. We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Rubanites, the Gedites,
the half-tribal of the Manesites. Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them
that you may prosper in all that you do. Guys, why are we reading this? Just to understand that
His presence in the Old Testament was made known to both Israel and to the nations around by the
cloud and the fire, by the supply of bread, water out of a rock, by safety from snakes and scorpions,
by the defeat of heathen armies, clothes and shoes shoes that did not wear out,
feet that did not swell. You know, I forgot that earlier this year one of the things we had said
is that this year is a year where we try to examine this whole idea of no decay.
And I've forgotten that. And Joan was talking about how houses around her were being, the windows
were being redone. And one of the prayers she was praying was, Father, you had said to us that this
is a year of no decay. And I pray that the windows be sound. And they checked windows on her right,
on her left. And the one place where there was no decay was her window. And it reminded me again
that this was the year when we had talked about how we'll examine this whole idea of no decay.
How do we get to a place of no decay? By beginning to both grasp and practice this thing called the
presence of God because He is a life giver, life giver. She might need help.
Yeah, guys, this is why we need to understand this. No decay. The other thing we need to grasp is
we are so accustomed to the history of God but we're not accustomed with the truth that this God
is supernatural. We are so accustomed to God's history. We love reading the Old Testament.
I've said stuff like their shoes didn't wear out, their clothes didn't wear out. All that is good.
We are so accustomed to history and we think He's an awesome God. We sing that in songs but we're
not accustomed to the truth that God is supernatural, that He does supernatural things very naturally.
But this isn't necessarily the place where we function.
What happens when your windows are not sound? You call the guy who fixes a window. What happens
when you're running out of money? You find ways to fix it. What happens when someone is lying
outside the church and because he's had some kind of an attack? You begin to call 911. Nothing wrong
with it. Thank God we call 911. But may the first reaction that comes from you not be natural
because it somehow doesn't align with a supernatural God.
The first reaction of Jesus was always I serve a supernatural father.
This is why God was kind of cheesed off with King Hezekiah or Assa. King Assa, he says when you got
sick you resorted to the physicians first and yet he's the one who suggested that he was a great
physician. Paul suggested remedies for Timothy. I'll drive you to the doctor if I need to but
please remember that the first resort is always God. Guys we're trying to become a people.
We're not trying to be healthy, wealthy and wise. That's not the gospel. But we are trying to become
a people here. What is God looking for? What has He been looking for from the beginning of the
earth? Adam, He was looking for a people who would dominate the rest of the earth. Where did He place
Adam? First He placed him in a garden in Eden and said from here on I want you to go and
multiply, go forth and multiply and dominate the earth. What did He do with Jacob? 12 of them,
then 70 of them, then a whole nation. He's looking for a people. A people and let me start here man.
Let Acts 29 be a people who understand that God is supernatural. So the first response to anything
is oh God you are supernatural. What can I first get off you that is supernatural?
What can I first get off you that is supernatural before I resort to natural means?
Want to live like this man, don't you? That's when they see a supernatural God. Otherwise they see a
people who, I believe Billy Graham said this, 95% of all activities in a church would go on tomorrow
left.
95% of all activities in a church would still go on without you even noticing anything missing
if the Holy Spirit left yesterday. We think the Holy Spirit hasn't left because the Antichrist
shouldn't come in. No, no, no, no, He hasn't left because we haven't gotten it straight yet.
So the same question needs to be asked of us. Okay Jacob, tomorrow the Holy Spirit left.
How much of your life would be affected? Thank God man that it won't be 90, I mean there'll be
huge chunks of my life that will be severely crippled in the Spirit of God left yesterday.
But we don't want a Jacob or a Fred or a Chris. Doesn't count for nothing. The days of superstars
are over. We want a people man. We want a people who begin to engage in this. That's what we're
looking for. So begin to think like that and remember what we said in the beginning of the
year. No decay. Begin to work towards it. See guys in the Old Testament, His presence was always
hidden in the cloud. I mean if you read, let's go to Exodus 24 17. Exodus 24 17. Hey if we finish
late today it's Marcus's fault. You know that right? Yeah we'll forgive him. Exodus 24 17.
Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the
mountain in the sight of Israel. Moses entered the cloud. There was this cloud that would always
look at another one. Numbers 9 15. Numbers 9 15.
On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the 10th of the
testimony and at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning.
So in the Old Testament, His presence was always hidden by the cloud and I think there was only one
time when they actually beheld His presence in its full glory. Just once I think. Go to Leviticus 9
23 and you don't see the cloud. I mean everywhere else they say that a cloud entered the tabernacle
and the priests could not stand in Solomon's time. But there was this one instance perhaps
in Leviticus 9 23 where they actually didn't have a cloud but beheld His glory.
That must have been mind-blowing man.
Starting at verse 22. Leviticus 9 22. Then Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people and blessed
them and he came down from the offering, the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace
offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting and when they came out they blessed the
people and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people which was not heard of.
For once Israel catches a glimpse of the glory of the Lord and there is no cloud to cover it.
This is how it was in the Old Testament. Today it's not a cloud guys but His presence is hidden in us.
It's not a cloud anymore. It's veiled in flesh just as it was with Jesus.
Today the presence of God was veiled in Jesus and the one occasion they actually see it was when He
unzipped His earth suit and they saw Him transfigured on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Otherwise how did they see the presence of God in a carpenter? He made it evident man. He made it
evident through external manifestation of the power of God. It's the same thing today. The presence
of God is hidden in Jeff. He can't unzip His earth suit and stand on
Gals Mountain and show anybody anything because that's not who He is.
So what does Jeff have to do? Now Jeff has to begin to manifest the evidence of the presence of God
through things that he does that makes Jesus evident. This is what people are being called to do.
It also includes the freedom of the spirit.
We'll come there when we go to the next one. Guys external manifestation is what makes evident His
glory and what's His glory? Splendor, power, weight, magnificence, gladness, strength,
everything coupled into this one word called Kabod and who contains it now? Jacob.
Two things that this does say when we begin to manifest the presence of God which is in us,
two things happen. One, people realize that there's a new kingdom in town.
The manifestation of the presence is evidence of the kingdom. How will they know there's an
invisible kingdom here when I manifest the presence of God? How will they know the splendor,
the magnificence, the weight, the strength and the gladness of God when I manifest the presence of
strength and the gladness of God when I manifested? This is where we are heading. I have the presence.
I have to learn to manifest them. Guys let me throw something else at you that might bother you.
You need to confront your mortality. Some of you are 50, 60, 70. How much time do you have left?
Let's take out that. Some of you are 30, 40, 50. Why do you think you've got tons of time left?
We must confront our mortality. Sure you got your tickets booked to heaven
but when was that the main thing? I must confront the fact that I'll be
50 in two years. It's not like I got another 50 years to go man
It's not like I got another 50 years to go man
because I think I'll
won't have you guys to celebrate my 100th birthday with.
That was just such a kind thought that I had.
Anyways, some of you might still be around to celebrate my 100th birthday but the point of this
guys, confront your mortality and get with this quickly. Get with this quickly. Some of you are 70, 72.
When will we get to this?
Don't you want to leave the earth having manifested the presence of God with the people?
Why else are you here on earth? Two reasons man. To reveal the father and to reveal the father's business.
What other reason do you have on earth?
There's only two reasons you're here on earth. If you're a Christian. If not you've got plenty of other reasons.
But there are only two reasons or three.
To reveal the father.
To reveal the father's business and to see the Canucks win a Stanley Cup.
They played well last night man. They're playing Calgary tonight.
Here's the point guys. Your only reason to be here on earth is to reveal the father and to reveal the father's business.
You have no other purpose here on earth.
And it is revealed that you're here on earth.
To reveal the father's business. You have no other purpose here on earth.
And it is revealed not through talk but through actual manifestation and that's where this body is heading.
So that's factor one. Any questions, comments before we move on?
Any questions? Other than that one?
Any questions guys?
Okay.
The second core factor to understand and practice his presence is character guys. His character.
Character is basically Christ-likeness and Christ-likeness fosters presence.
See everybody hungers for miracles and stuff like that eh?
They love the idea of signs and wonders and presence but it cannot be fostered the way it should happen if character is missing.
We're not talking about gifts here.
We're talking about manifesting the presence of God because he flows through you at different times doing different things.
We're not even talking about gifts right now.
It's just a sheer presence of God.
But for that to happen character is so important because the greater the revelation of Christ in my life,
the greater the manifestation of his presence.
Let me say that again.
The greater the revelation of Christ in my life, the greater the manifestation of his presence and the evidence of the kingdom.
By the way, what did Jesus say to John the Baptist's disciples when they came and said,
What did he say?
He didn't say I'm the real deal.
He said go tell John, Luke 7 22,
Go tell John that the sick are being healed, the dead are being raised, the lepers are being cleansed,
the gospel is being preached, the blind receive sight and the lame walk.
What did he say about the kingdom of God?
If I cast out demons by the spirit of God, then know that the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Guys, this will happen regardless of whether we partake in it or not.
John 14 declares it very clearly that the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.
It's going to happen.
It's not wishful thinking.
God didn't wishfully think hmm might be a good idea if my glory covers the earth as the water covers the seas.
No, he said it will.
Buy into it guys.
This is where the older you get the faster you got to learn this.
How do we then nurture Christ-likeness so that we become people who manifest the presence of God?
Here are three or four different ways we can do that guys.
One, I love what 1 Chronicles 16, 27 says.
David says this and I'm quoting it out of the New King, out of the King James.
1 Chronicles 16, 27 says,
Oh God, in your presence, in your presence,
in your presence, in your presence,
1 Chronicles 16, 27 says,
Oh God, in your presence,
are honor and splendor,
and strength and gladness are in your place.
So let me say that again.
Honor and splendor are in your presence,
and strength and gladness are in your place.
One of the ways you nurture presence,
before you can manifest presence guys,
is by indulging in the presence of God yourself.
Hey, you know what I do on Sunday mornings?
I don't prepare or pray for the service of anything of that sort.
All that has to be happening on Saturday and stuff like that.
I just print out my notes on Sunday morning.
But the only thing I do on Sunday mornings is get up and indulge in Him.
Because I know that in His presence are honor and splendor,
and in His place are strength and gladness.
And if I can walk aware of His presence,
remember the word for presence is panim in Hebrew.
And strangely enough, we talked about this two weeks ago,
that panim is the same word that we use for presence and for face.
So when God says, my presence will go with you,
my face will shine upon you, the word use is the same.
The word for presence is panim,
the word for face is panim.
How do I manifest His presence if I haven't engaged His presence?
I don't think this is just a Sunday thing,
but it's vital on Sundays because there is nothing I can give you
other than a bunch of notes if I haven't indulged in His presence.
So most of the things that happen during the service
are not stuff that I'm flying by the seat of my pants,
it's stuff that happens during your time of engaging.
Guys, this is how you need to go to work.
This is how Jesus went to work.
Don't think Jesus started going up the mountain
when He was 30, because now He had a public ministry.
As a carpenter, I suggest to you
that He had already cultivated the habit.
Where in the mornings He'd still go up the mountain and engage God.
Because He knew, because David had written it,
and He was growing up and learning it,
Mom probably taught Him that.
Hey Jesus, go check out 1st Chronicles 16, 27.
And He goes, checks it out, and in there it says,
Honor and splendor are in your presence,
strength and gladness are in your place.
Hey, having a miserable week is a great way to start.
Engage Him, man.
Strength and gladness are in His presence.
If you're having a miserable week,
you're not too prone to going to God and thank Him for life.
I'm so happy.
So why did Markas go to the hospital?
Why not just be miserable and stay out there on the,
outside the door?
We have tremendous sense when it comes to earthly things
as to how to solve them when things are wrong.
But when it comes to spiritual,
uh, dizziness,
we won't call 911.
We won't, uh, want to go and have a checkup.
We won't want to go and fix things.
But when it comes to natural things,
boy do we know how it works.
We got the numbers stuck on our fridge, man.
I've got to be able to engage God on a,
uh, here Father, I come to indulge you.
So does it mean waking up early?
Yeah. Do I like it?
Usually not.
I'm talking about a Sunday.
Every other day I can wake up whenever I want.
Because that's what pastors do in case you didn't know.
So the first thing is guys,
and think of this, when is David,
when is David saying these words in 1st Chronicles 16, 27?
Guys, he's just brought the Ark
and he's placing the Ark under the tent in Zion.
And David is singing.
Now the Ark was the presence of God in those days.
So he should have said, great, I brought the Ark,
I put it in Zion, good enough.
That's not what he does.
He's placing the Ark there and he's singing.
Hey Father, even as I place the Ark here,
I know that in your presence is strength and gladness.
In your place is honor and splendor.
What a place to start, man.
I so invite you to do that.
There'll be days when you miss it, so what?
Get up the next day.
Or do it in the evening, maybe you're a night person.
You've got nothing you want to ask God.
You just want to indulge him.
Let me go back to what I was saying.
Guys, God is looking for a people.
He's looking for a body.
He's not looking for elbows and noses
and stuff like that to work things out for him.
You cannot be the church sitting at home.
You cannot be the church.
That is not the biblical definition of that.
We've already talked about that a million times.
We've talked about that.
Your significance comes from what you're a part of.
Paul used to travel with three, four, five people.
But he never used to say, I'm having church.
He traveled with five, sometimes eight people
when you read some of the accounts and acts.
He was traveling with eight people
and at the end of the day he would say,
and when we came to this town, we went to the church.
As in the place where the body meets.
Just remember that.
Coming back to character.
The second thing we can do, guys.
It is easy to live out of the sovereignty of God.
But it's hard to live out of
knowing the voice and the nature of God.
I would recommend that if you want the presence of God
to be in your heart,
you want the presence of God to be manifest through you.
Stop living in the sovereignty of God.
And I'll explain what that means.
It is easy to live saying,
oh whatever God does, I'm fine with it.
Kesarasara, whatever will be, will be.
If God does this, great.
If God doesn't do this, great.
If I make a mistake, great.
He'll be loving and He'll correct me.
And if I get it right, great. Praise the Lord.
Try that with your wife, man.
Try that with your wife after 10 years of marriage.
Even two years of marriage.
Two years from now, if you don't know her favorite color,
her favorite chocolate, her favorite restaurant,
her favorite shoes,
her favorite handbag,
it'll be a miserable anniversary.
But no pressure.
Just go for some high-funded name like Prada, Gucci, and all this stuff.
It always works.
Yeah.
And then go get a second job.
Guys, the point is this, guys.
We prefer living out of the sovereignty of God.
If you want to manifest this presence,
you cannot live out of the sovereignty of God.
I would suggest to you,
don't even learn from people who live out of the sovereignty of God.
Follow people who know His voice and nature.
Those are the ones you will learn from.
Because anybody can do the Ksir-as-sir-a thingy.
If you want to manifest the presence of God,
you have to know His voice and nature.
Walk in the knowledge of Him, not in His sovereignty.
This whole thing about His ways are higher than mine,
His thoughts are higher than mine,
don't even think about Him.
Just go out and walk in His presence.
The whole thing about His ways are higher than mine,
His thoughts are higher than mine.
Great. That was in the Old Testament.
And those guys found it difficult.
Some of them got it even in the Old Testament.
But what does Romans say?
We now have the mind of Christ.
His sheep hear His voice.
Begin to practice it.
Thirdly,
if you want to manifest the presence,
practice long obedience in the same direction.
Practice long obedience in the same direction
when you are hard pressed,
as in squeezed,
when you are perplexed,
as in at a loss in terms of what you should do.
When you are thrown down,
as in struck down.
When you are being attacked spiritually.
Long obedience in the same direction.
Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians 3.
Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians 4, 7 onwards.
Where he says,
there are times when I am at a loss,
I don't know what to do.
There are times when I have been spiritually terrorized by enemies.
There are times when I am surrounded
and there is tremendous pressure on me.
But through this all,
even when I am hunted by my enemies,
the one thing I know is,
sure things are difficult,
but that is when the life of Christ in me is revealed more than ever.
Long obedience in the same direction.
It doesn't matter whether you are the cause of it.
Too bad, it is too late to fix that.
But long obedience in the same direction.
Because the life of Christ becomes more and more evident.
And at the end of the day,
what is the manifestation of the presence?
The presence of God showing through this flesh
because it no longer veils what is inside.
Go ahead.
There are some things that I am going through because I caused them.
It is not some kind of a...
It is not persecution.
It is not a satanic attack.
It is nothing of that sort.
I made the mistake and I am paying the consequences.
But even in the consequences,
now to stand and say,
okay, I messed up,
but I will continue in long obedience in the same direction.
And in the process of doing that,
I will continue to do that.
And I will continue to do that.
And I am going to be in the same direction.
And in the process, Christ and me will be revealed to people.
And the more my character is formed,
the more the presence of God flows without problems.
Just as a cloud hit him then,
this hides him now.
Long obedience in the same direction
causes this jar of clay to no longer hide the treasure.
And it only happens when I am able to go through being struck down, perplexed at a loss, sometimes battered,
sometimes spiritually tyrannized, sometimes hunted down by enemies.
I still have the ability to maintain long obedience in the same direction.
It reveals Christ. 2 Corinthians 4, 7 onwards talks about this.
Tell me one guy in the Hebrews chapter 11 thingy who didn't go through it.
Anyone in Hebrews chapter 11 who didn't go through it.
Go ahead Maria.
Will our character be changed through suffering?
Depends on whether I engage in long obedience in the same direction or long complain and moaning in the same direction.
Because Israel was tested in the desert and they didn't continue in long obedience in the same direction.
God had to come to them and say 10 times you have tested me.
Because character is not necessarily developed because I go through a tough time.
It depends.
Any other questions?
The last point I want to add to this character formation thing is guys, and this is something that we have a deficit in in this church.
And we've talked about this in the past.
We need to develop a fearless confidence in voicing the story of God's saving action through Christ.
Let me repeat that again.
We have to begin to develop fearless confidence in voicing the story of God's saving action through Christ.
We have to develop a fearless confidence in voicing the story of God's saving action in and through Christ.
We prefer not speaking about it.
Let me put it another way.
We prefer not preaching the gospel.
We prefer the other thing that some guy said, which he said it correctly, but we engage in that.
I don't want to speak words.
Just look at my life.
Guys, some of us, our lives don't match up every day to what it should be.
So we might actually begin speaking to.
We can't not voice.
I love Acts 4, 28 and 29.
They've just been beaten up and they've been sent back.
They're sitting in this room and here is their prayer.
Oh God, we've just been beaten up and we're sitting here in this room.
Now, when you look upon the threats that we have just been issued and when you give us fearless confidence to still preach your word boldly and as we do,
will you or Jesus, Holy servant of God, stretch out your arm to do miracle signs and wonders?
And the next verse says, and the place shook and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Canadians are known for not being able to voice what is within them.
And Acts 29 has that disease too.
To voice the story of God saving action.
Guys, it will always bring the manifest presence of God.
Remember, we've said this a few times, any manifestation that is not followed by the voice of God can go into deception.
That's what's happening around the world.
You see manifestations, there is no voice that follows it.
And so any manifestation is now accepted as Holy Spirit.
Every manifestation is followed by the voice.
Remember that.
Burning bush, voice.
Double lighting on Jesus, voice.
Clouds above as Jesus is hanging on the cross, voice.
Saul falls off his donkey or horse, voice.
Every manifestation is followed by a voice.
And therefore it's vital that we voice the story of God saving action through Christ.
If you want to see his presence now begin to break forth in signs, miracles and wonders, why?
Because he validates the voice.
He validates the story of Christ.
Mark 16, last few verses.
And Jesus endorsed what they said and worked with them.
I love that, worked with them.
That's perhaps Mark's way of writing it.
Any questions before we go on?
Go ahead, Maria.
How can I...the best way to do it is the example I always give.
If you and Jeff come to my house you'll see that it's on the 12th floor right opposite the airport.
And for about 400 days I would sit with a book on airplanes, with binoculars,
with a receiver that would listen to planes flying in, the traffic control and the cockpit.
And some of you from the church bought me a wind sock for my birthday.
And I put that on my balcony so I know which way the wind is blowing.
And I spent about 400 days watching these planes.
Today I can tell you what plane it is just by listening to the engines.
I don't need to see the plane.
And if the plane is on time I can even tell you the time without looking at the plane.
Why? Because I practice getting used to the sound of the engine.
So how do we hear God? Two ways.
One, begin to know his nature.
Two, begin to practice asking and listening.
Asking and listening. How long will it take? 400 days?
And then when you get there you'll realize that, okay, another 400 days.
But you get to a point where you cannot not hear him.
And secondly you get to a point where you get to know his nature so well that you know when it's not him.
When there's a harsh word put in.
When there's something destructive in what you hear.
When there's something that's slightly crooked.
You know, this isn't my father. This isn't how my father speaks to me.
So much so, Mariam, that God deals with each child differently.
So the way he deals with Matt will be different from the way he deals with Rachel.
Because he knows Matt's heart and he knows Rachel's heart.
And he knows how each one needs to be spoken to just as you spoke differently to your two boys.
That's why we need to know his nature, man.
His nature and his interaction with you is so different.
When I assume that he speaks to you like he speaks to me, I do you harm.
So when I share stories of how he speaks, that may not ever be the way he indulges you.
Because you're a completely different package that he created.
The next thing, guys, the next core factor that...
Fred, I don't know if Matt told you these services go on for a while, eh?
The preacher is kind of long-winded, so...
Daddy wants.
Oh, good.
What?
The next thing is...
The next core factor that helps us both understand and practice the presence of God is rest.
And we touched on it last time.
Guys, if you live the life of another, you will display the presence of another.
If you live the life of another, you will display the presence of another.
You know, I'm not repeating this because it's some great line.
It's just because we need to understand this.
Jacob, if you begin to live the life of another as the one who lives in you,
you will begin to display the presence of another.
Go to Ezekiel 44.
It's been a while since we read the scripture.
Ezekiel 44.
Such a strange, amazing scripture.
Ezekiel 44.
17.
Wayne, if you can come up with one of those acronyms or whatever you call that thing to remember this, that'll be cool.
Ezekiel 44, verse 17.
Here's what it says.
And he's talking about priests, see?
And here's what he says.
These priests shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.
When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear linen garments.
They shall have nothing of wool on them while they minister at the gates of the inner court and within.
Hey guys, see if you can undo this echo.
Verse 18.
They shall have linen turbans.
They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waist.
They shall not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat.
So, I'm away from the piano.
If you want it, then hear it on the tape.
Start at me like that.
Wayne, see if you can do something.
Thanks, Matt.
Mark, this is okay.
We're doing some more tests.
Mark, this is okay.
They're doing some more tests.
Yeah.
Thanks, Wayne.
Thanks, Matt.
Okay.
So guys, here's what the scripture is saying.
Priests had to wear linen turbans and linen loincloths or underwear.
Why?
So that they wouldn't sweat.
Why would God be concerned with a few priests perspiring during worship?
And yet, it's part of what God is saying here.
And the point is this, guys, and I know we talked about this in 2011.
The turban represents the mind and the loins always represents strength.
And the one thing that God does not want me to engage in when I am working for him,
which is 24-7, not because I'm a pastor, because I'm just like you.
That's what you're doing.
Is that we are not supposed to perspire or use or exert human wisdom or human strength
in anything that we do for him.
We do not usher in his presence with either human wisdom or human strength.
This is why they were asked to wear linen turbans and linen undergarments
so that they would not perspire.
Not because God was afraid of a little perspiration.
He was concerned with, listen, when you walk before me,
you will do nothing that comes out of your human wisdom or human strength.
If we want to manifest presence, the one thing we'll have to let go of
is we refuse to use human wisdom or human strength
to manifest the presence of God.
Let me put it this way, guys.
You were born again to live the life of another.
This is why you were born again.
You weren't born again to live the life you used to live,
which is your own life, which was crucified and put on the cross.
We've talked about it in Christ's life.
You were born again to live the life of another
so that you may work the works of another.
This is why you and I were born again, man.
And this is rest.
I've got to make up my mind and say I will desist from using human wisdom
and human strength to usher in the presence of God.
When I lead worship, we'll do nothing like that.
When I speak, we'll not try to use words that will impress you.
Nothing I do will be done to usher in the presence of God
because that is a sheer work of the Spirit of God.
And it's the same when you're at work, when you're parenting,
when you're taking care of your child, when you're with your husband.
Wherever you are, it's the same thing.
It's not the same thing when you're at work, when you're at work,
it must be a work of the Spirit.
I can do nothing except obey what I hear and do.
It must be a work of the Spirit.
I can do nothing except hear and obey.
Questions, comments?
Guys, we've got to live this way.
If you want to manifest the presence of God, we've got to live this way.
So when Marcus is lying there, usher in the presence of God,
he is life, speak life, undo death, destroy the works of the destroyer.
No one's going to die coming to church.
Place a life.
I told you about a church that someone died in, right?
And the 911 guys came and it took them 20 minutes to find out who it was.
Didn't tell you that one?
Anyways.
Got to live the life of another so we can work the works of another.
Question me on it, guys.
Do you think it's practical? Can you do it?
Why you do nothing other than human wisdom and human strength.
You first hear and obey and then you use your wisdom as he shows you to
and you use your strength as he shows you to.
You never start with that.
Yeah, so part of the whole thing is God is the Spirit.
God is the Spirit.
Yeah, so part of the whole thing is got to learn how to hear, man.
Because the people who hear walk right.
Initially, God may use outward signs to lead me because I am so five senses.
But his intent is, okay, Jacob, I show you things on outside like I used to do with the Old Testament people.
But you're not an Old Testament people.
I want you to be a New Testament person.
So now he shifts outside signs to perhaps my mind because I still filter things through my mind.
And he says, Jacob, well, good.
You're receiving things in your thinking.
But let's take it one place deeper, Jacob, like my son used to.
Let me begin to speak in your spirit where you know because I live in your spirit.
So it might start with externals.
That is how I started.
Like I told you, half my messages used to come from billboards.
I never told you that because that would be terrible.
But as you progress, you get to know it here, man, in your spirit.
Guys, it's the only way to live if you want his presence known.
You know why?
Because what is it that gets in between God's presence and the world?
What is it that gets between God's presence and the world?
My strength.
I know the things I'm capable of doing.
Get into both and you begin to function in a way that is so God.
There's another cool scripture, Deuteronomy 11, 10 to 12.
Deuteronomy 11, 10 to 12.
I've been to the Holy See, and I've been to the Holy See.
Deuteronomy 11, 10 to 12.
I bet you haven't read this one.
Or you haven't read this for a while.
Deuteronomy 11, 10 to 12.
Here's what it says.
For the land that you're entering to take possession of is not like the land of Egypt
from which you've come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it like a garden of vegetables.
But the land that you're going to possess is a land of hills and valleys
which drinks water by rain from heaven, a land that the Lord your God cares for.
The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
See, we are still partaking in a life that we seed, we till, we sow, we plant, we water.
And God is saying, listen, I'm bringing you into a place where I watch over the land, I know how to water it.
I'll tell you how to co-labor, but just do what I tell you and nothing else.
What a way to live, guys. Do you see Jesus was a model?
Remember, he was a carpenter for years, man, and then he did three and a half years as a pastor or a teacher.
Or a teacher or whatever you want to call him. So he knew both sides of it and he lived this.
He didn't suddenly shift at 30 years saying, I live a holy life now.
Because then he wouldn't rise up from the dead. He'd have stayed dead.
Here is a man who knew that his father tends the garden, waters it, that he's not going to be like he was in Egypt.
As I'm saying this, some of the thinking this is so impractical.
It is so impractical because we've been steeped in a culture that demands of us a different lifestyle.
We don't even know how to think like this, guys.
Time to start doing it, huh?
So what is this garden that he's placed in? It's a garden called the kingdom, man.
He's placed us in the kingdom and he's placed the kingdom in me.
Order, on one hand God places me in the kingdom, on the other hand he places the kingdom in me.
That is the garden he's taken care of.
This gardener called God is tending a garden called the kingdom.
It's invisible, people can't see it.
But the day I got born again, I got planted into this kingdom, man.
And then the strange thing is the king lives in me.
Therefore not only am I placed in the kingdom, the kingdom is placed in me.
And how does God water this garden? It's a repeat of Genesis, man.
Genesis, man, remember there is no plan B. God is always taking us back to plan A.
And plan A was there was this place called Eden.
In Eden there was a garden and God took man and plonked him in the garden and said,
now I'll tell you what to do.
Just tender as I tell you.
I'm the guy who takes care of it anyways.
And so how did he water the garden?
Beautiful. Genesis 2 verse 6.
And a mist or a spring would come forth and would water the garden.
You begin to come into a place of rest and you will find a strange thing happening.
You will find mists or streams or springs of God rising and flowing over you and flowing out of you, man.
Because you've gotten out of the way.
Your life gets watered by God because there are springs obviously from the Holy Spirit.
But I put it in a different way.
When you enter into a place of rest, not only do these springs of this mist rise and water you,
it does flow out of you also.
I like my mist times, man.
I get up in the morning and I'm in the morning and I'm in the morning.
I like my streams, man.
I get up, one of the things that I look forward to is just to have mists, springs, streams of God flow over me.
I'm not talking about some soaking time or some listen to some music and go into a trance time.
No, no, no, no.
I'm talking about springs and streams are rising because something about the Holy Spirit within you starts coming up, man,
and begins to water your day, your life, your week, your trip, your month and what you need to meet.
My reaction perhaps would have been different out there if I hadn't had times of just loving the mist.
Come back at me. I'm not angry. I'm just excited.
So what did it look like this morning?
I mean you should try it. Just look at all that God did in Psalm 105.
Father you provide water out of a rock and you did that in the Old Testament?
Father when is the last time you didn't slake my thirst?
How about you had them walk through deserts where there were scorpions and snakes?
Yeah that doesn't happen on Main Street but I remember the scripture that you spoke on
spoke in Mark which said that you've given me authority to trample over serpents and scorpions.
The Holy Spirit is the most dangerous spirit in the world and he lives in me
and I trample over serpents and scorpions.
And then at some point oh shucks father you are shade and you break into a song saying
Gosh lord you are shade. When was the last time you didn't cover me?
When was the last time I read this and didn't go over thinking oh shucks I never saw that before.
When was the last time I got scared that I didn't have money even though there was no money in the bank?
It just goes on and on and on man. Engage in mistimes. Questions? Comments?
Okay let's go to the last bit. Faith. The fourth core factor in both understanding and expressing
or practicing the presence of God is this thing called faith. Why is that important?
Because it helps us anchor the presence of heaven here on earth. It helps us anchor the presence of
heaven here on earth. Guys if I am the gateway through which heaven or the will of God is
to be established here on earth. If I am the gateway through which the will of God in heaven
is to be established here on earth that faith is the vehicle. Let me say that again. We talked about
this. Jacob woke up and looked around. He saw after the dream of the ladder and he says oh shucks this
is the house of God and I was not even aware of it. This is the gateway of heaven. Same principle now.
Oh shucks this is the house of God and I was not even aware of it. I am the gateway of heaven but
if you are the gateway of heaven then the vehicle that God uses for the will of God from heaven to
be established on the earth through you is faith. Hey go listen to this tape. It will begin to make
sense as you listen to it two or three times. I've repeated this sentence to me about maybe
14 times in the last 24 hours that if I am the gateway of heaven
and God establishes his will here on earth through me then the vehicle he uses is faith.
Remember Matthew 16 19. Listen Jacob listen Matt listen Wayne.
Whatsoever I have already forbidden in heaven you can go ahead and forbid here on earth
and whatsoever I've lose or permitted or allowed or called lawful in heaven you can go ahead and
declare that as lawful permitted and legit here on earth. Just go ahead and do it. It requires faith man.
He said that in Matthew 16 19. So what is required of me? It is required of me that I establish a
culture of faith. It's required of me that in my life I establish a culture of faith
that perceives accurately. That perceives what God is doing in heaven accurately.
How do we see that? Again it comes back to hearing. About what do you want me to do next?
Father how do I deal with this? Father this man's lying on the floor. What do you want me to do?
Father this man's lying on the floor. What do you want me to do? Father what do you want me to say?
You should just inundate him with questions till he says my god this boy asks too many questions.
What do you want me to do father? What do you want me to do father?
So you need to establish a culture of faith so that your perception can be accurate
because remember this we talked about this two years ago. What you see is what you believe. What
you believe is what you confess and what you confess is what you do. What you see is what you
believe. What you believe is what you say and what you say is what you do. Therefore if my perception
is not accurate if I don't establish this way of functioning where father I will see before I speak
or do. If that doesn't become a natural way of living then what I see may not be accurate and
therefore it jaundices everything else because now what I see is not accurate therefore what I
believe is not accurate therefore what I say is not accurate and therefore what I do is not accurate.
Challenge me on that. Disagree if you I mean not for the heck of it but if you don't agree.
It's a way to function man. So in Ranita's situation what does she need to do? Establish an environment
of faith a culture of faith where she now begins she and Maurice and the kids begin to say okay
father accurate perception is what we need. We know what's happening around us. We know there are
documents that come through the mail but accurate perception is what we see so that we begin to
believe what you're going to do so that we can begin to speak what you're going to you were
already saying so that we begin to do it. Same with what's her name? Lorian and Ryan. What do
they see now when they saw their dad and husband on the floor? What do they believe now? What do
they speak? What do they do? This is not a name it claim it thing. This is accurate perception.
Name it claim it was never accurate perception. It was ridiculously inaccurate.
God would be showing them a horse and they would begin to see it roll choice.
I love Colossians 3 verses 1 and 2 just don't turn to it. Listen to this from the message.
I sent this to somebody a few days ago. Listen to it. Don't don't turn to it. It's from the message.
So guys if you're serious about living this new resurrection life that Christ act like it. Let me
say that again. If you're serious about living this new resurrection life that Christ act like it. Let
me say that again. If you're serious about living this new resurrection life that Christ act like it.
Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along eyes to the ground. Absorb
with the things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is going on around Christ.
That's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Let me read the last bit again. Don't
shuffle along eyes to the ground. Absorb with things right in front of you. Look up and be
alert to what is going around going on around Christ. That's where the action is. See things
from his perspective. We're going to learn this man. Once perception is accurate guys then the
next two steps, the next one step is pretty simple. Not really.
The expression of faith is joyful obedience. Once you've seen accurately now you have to
do what you need to do now that you've seen it. But seeing is so vital guys. Hey if you can't
encourage people into faith don't encourage them into your faithlessness. Just be quiet.
So go ahead.
How do you know your perception is right? One good question. How do you know your perception is right?
Initially I'd go and check with somebody else saying hey this is what I sense God saying. What
do you think? That's what I would do. But as time goes by I'll find that because I'm getting to know
the nature of God better through the word I'm getting his heart right. And then if you're getting
it right it will be borne out by the results. It'll be borne out by the results. Not always but usually.
I mean Joseph got it right but boy did he think it was wrong for almost 10 years before he became
Prime Minister. Half the guys in Hebrews chapter 11 didn't see what they were believing for come to
pass. But that didn't mean they were wrong. So initially I would start by going and checking.
And not saying can you validate me but do you think I'm wrong? That's why people have got to
put people in our lives right. Who we can go and check with. But important to get perception right.
And if you can't encourage me with your faith then be quiet and don't encourage me with your
faithlessness. Because I am in such a sensitive place in a crisis that if you have faith to speak
to me speak it. But if you don't have faith to speak to me don't give me platitudes and don't
tell me what you read on Google. Because I can do that myself. And don't tell me what happened to
your granddad and your grandmom because that ain't helping either.
It doesn't help me. It scares the heck out of me.
That it happened to your granddad so I'm next in line even though I'm not related to you.
So encourage me with your faith or be quiet.
Let me conclude. The expression of faith is joyful obedience. The expression of faith is joyful
obedience. And joyful obedience has this ability to open the heavens and activate the supernatural.
Joyful obedience. Whenever I engage in joyful obedience I can't think of a time when I engaged
I can't think of a time when I engaged in joyful obedience and something supernatural
did not happen even though the demand God was making was ridiculous.
Joyful obedience opens the heavens and activates the supernatural.
It's the only way and the thing with obedience guys is we love obeying God but we hate order here
on earth. We won't talk about that today. But just as God's agency on earth is the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Spirit's agency on earth is man.
So obedience and order work through people. I love following God's orders.
I love following the Holy Spirit but I don't like it when the Holy Spirit says to me
follow Elmer because he'll teach you what I want you to learn. That I don't like.
That's why we have these wonderful Christian expressions. I only learn from the Holy Spirit.
That is the most religious
um
poppycock and what's the other word gobbledygook
Paris fallacy that that I will learn from the Holy Spirit but he is my teacher.
Nothing like that man. Not true. Any questions before we go ahead?
Yeah.
Um there is a time for asking others because sometimes what happens is my understanding of
this is limited and therefore even when I try to correct my perception I'm still getting it wrong
because I don't understand this and this is why God has placed in our midst equipers,
apostles, pastors, teachers, evangelists and and
prophets and this doesn't mean some guy who stands at the pulpit. This means many of us
are sitting here and don't know that we are equipers. This is why God has placed them so
that we come into a place where we begin to get trained to do it ourselves. The whole idea is
that you become so adept at hearing God that you do not need a prophet to tell you what to do
but in the process of training God uses people.
So when I have doubts about my perception I still call up Eddie man and I say hey Eddie this is what
I'm thinking of doing. What do you think? Not because I want him to direct my life but because
I want to sound it off somebody but am I getting better and calling Eddie less? Yes.
That's there too. If I make you dependent on me you should leave this church.
I don't want to leave. Really? Because if my intent is to make you dependent on me
you're in the wrong place. You should leave. It's not a good place.
Pastors love that eh?
Questions?
Please Matt
Sorry