Presence of God – Part 2 | Sunday Service | November 8, 2020

We thank God for this day that God has added in our lives. We as a Church, must understand and be convinced that meeting each other for fellowship in Christ is a blessing. Meet each other and pray for eachother especially during these times. Be it an electronic medium, that is fine, but joining together in Christ for fellowship is important.

“Pā·nāy”, the Hebrew word for Presence of God literally means, “Turn the face”. Henceforth, “Seeking the face of God”.

Today we will continue with the second part of our ongoing series, “Presence of God” (Part 2).

If we read the story of Eden Garden closely…

And 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.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

The new heaven and the new earth will not be separate from each other; the earth of the saints, their glorified, bodies, will be heavenly. The old world, with all its troubles and tumults, will have passed away. There will be no sea; this aptly represents freedom from conflicting passions, temptations, troubles, changes, and alarms; from whatever can divide or interrupt the communion of saints. This new Jerusalem is the church of God in its new and perfect state, the church triumphant. Its blessedness came wholly from God, and depends on him. The presence of God with his people in heaven, will not be interrupt as it is on earth, he will dwell with them continually. All effects of former trouble shall be done away. They have often been in tears, by reason of sin, of affliction, of the calamities of the church; but no signs, no remembrance of former sorrows shall remain. Christ makes all things new. If we are willing and desirous that the gracious Redeemer should make all things new in order hearts and nature, he will make all things new in respect of our situation, till he has brought us to enjoy complete happiness.

The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.

Those whom God pardons, must be made to know what their sin deserved. Let them go forward as they are; this was very expressive of God’s displeasure. Though he promises to make good His covenant with Abraham, in giving them Canaan, yet he denies them the tokens of His presence they had been blessed with. The people mourned for their sin. Of all the bitter fruits and consequences of sin, true penitents most lament, and dread most, God’s departure from them. Canaan itself would be no pleasant land without the Lord’s presence. Those who parted with ornaments to maintain sin, could do no less than lay aside ornaments, in token of sorrow and shame for it.

God wasn’t ready to help them because of rebellion. In our lives also we must understand that are we running after the things of this world in our life? We aren’t supposed to run after the provisions but the provider.

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Moses is very earnest with God. Thus, by the intercession of Christ, we are not only saved from ruin, but become entitled to everlasting happiness. Observe here how he pleads. We find grace in God’s sight, if we find grace in our hearts to guide and quicken us in the way of our duty. Moses speaks as one who dreaded the thought of going forward without the Lord’s presence. God’s gracious promises, and mercy towards us, should not only encourage our faith, but also excite our fervency in prayer. Observe how he speeds. See, in a type, Christ’s intercession, which he ever lives to make for all that come to God by him; and that it is not by any thing in those for whom he intercedes. Moses then entreats a sight of God’s glory, and is heard in that also. A full discovery of the glory of God, would overwhelm even Moses himself. Man is mean, and unworthy of it; weak, and could not bear it; guilty, and could not but dread it. The merciful display which is made in Christ Jesus, alone can be borne by us. The Lord granted that which would abundantly satisfy. God’s goodness is His glory; and he will have us to know him by the glory of his mercy, more than by the glory of his majesty.

What distinguishes you from others? Job? Financial Status? No…! It is the presence of God in your life as He works in you.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord , save the king! May he answer us when we call.

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

God answers when we call! Even David called for help and God answered. Seek the presence of God as a priority. Moses refused to go if God’s presence wasn’t accompanying him.

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord .’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Illustration: David Livingstone was born in Blantyre, Scotland in 1813. He was born into a home where his father used to put him on his knees and read to him stories of great missionary exploits, particularly that of Karl Gützlaff, the Dutch missionary who doubled up as a medical missionary too. Young David used to look into his father’s eyes and say, “You know, daddy, one day I’ll be a man like that. I want to be a missionary. I want to be a doctor. I want to serve God.” Many years ago, David Livingstone, back from Africa, was given the degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Glasgow. In response to the honor conferred upon him Livingstone, bronzed by the equatorial sun and gaunt from many a bout with fever, announced his intention to return to the Africa he loved: “I return with misgiving and with great gladness. For would you like me to tell you what supported me through all the years of exile among people whose language I could not understand, and whose attitude towards me was always uncertain and often hostile? It was this: ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world!’ On these words I staked everything, and they never failed!”

The question is, do we have a longing to seek the presence of God? People, God is speaking with us today. We must long for the presence of God because when He will be present with us, nobody can separate us away. When the world is running after everything of this world, we must run after presence of God.

We hope you are encouraged with today’s sermon and seeking presence of God even more. We look forward to see you again next Sunday. God bless!