Sermon Notes – Presence

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ONE YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN - WEEK 34

Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Matt 20:1-21:11; Ps 119:145–160

Matt 21:12-46; Ps 119:161–176

Matt 22; Ps 120

Matt 23; Ps 121–122

1 Samuel 23-24; Ps 123–124

Discussion Questions

• What stood out from the Scripture and/or the sermon?

• Tell a story about being lost in a crowd. What was it like when you were the child? What was it like when you were the parent looking for the child?

• What are people looking for in life? Where do they look? Why doesn’t it last?

• Why do Christians not look much different than non-Christians in this regard?

• What is unique about the absence of the God after Adam and Eve’s sin? What is unique about how Enoch is described in Genesis 5:24?

• Review the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. What did they have in common? How does it relate to God’s Presence?

• Describe the holy itch on our soul? What does it lead us to do?

• If God is pursuing you, how do you respond?

• What would change in your life if God’s Presence appeared to you as He did to these men?

Monday – The Satisfying Presence of God By Paul E. Collier

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...” Hebrews 10:22

When I was first saved, I fell in with “the in crowd” Christians on my college campus. They were following a very experiential walk with the Lord. We were going from experience to experience, leg-extensions (I don’t have the space to explain that!), throwing out our eyeglasses since we were healed, taking the leader’s word for everything, shunning people who were not following our leader, just to name a few! The Word of God took a back seat to all of this “fluff.” But the fluff didn’t satisfy.

The transformation came when I was introduced to discipleship, the Word of God and prayer as an integral part of my life. The presence of the Lord was not in the superficial experiences but in the riches of the Bible and seeking His face in prayer. Wow, did I grow from that moment. Devouring the Word produced a strong thirst to be closer to the Lord.

It is a troubling truth in Christianity today that many are ignorant about, or not experiencing, a continual encounter with the real, manifest presence of the Lord. The Bible tells story after story of life-changing and world altering encounters with the reality of God’s presence.

It is amazingly simple. Prayer and Bible study are the two divine tools God has given us for this supernatural encounter with Him. It isn’t fire from Heaven, being slain in the Spirit or some “goose bump experience.” It is simply, talking to God in prayer and God speaking to me through His Word. It’s simply revolutionary!

I can boldly enter into the throne room of Heaven in prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to guide me as I search the Scriptures. How exciting it is to wait on God to show His will in this spiritual exercise. He will lead you to people and places you never dreamed possible. With Him nothing is impossible.

“Your role in encountering God is simply seeking Him. If you will make time to encounter Him, open your heart, and have faith in His Word, then you will discover the wellspring of life, joy, love and transformation that is the presence of our Heavenly Father.” (A.W. Tozer)

Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “You will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Seek and find the presence of the living God today as you meditate in his Word and pray!

Tuesday – I Can’t Feel God By J.D. Greear, Ligonier.org

The greatest (and most honest) saints have always confessed that they had to walk through many valleys with no sense of God’s presence. Sometimes they nearly went deaf from the heavenly silence. Often, they stumbled helplessly in what felt like total darkness. C.S. Lewis wrote that during one of the most painful times of his life, he cried out to God and got “a door slammed in [my] face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After that, silence.” Have you ever felt that way?

Just because you feel that God is absent doesn’t mean He actually is. Just because you can’t track His footprints doesn’t mean He’s not walking beside you. If you’re a believer, that feeling of being alone is always an illusion. Yes, always. Here’s how I know.

At the cross, Jesus experienced the horror of rejection by His heavenly Father. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He cried (Matt 27:46). It wasn’t the pain of the nails that hurt Him most; it was the utter aloneness, the true abandonment. And He did it so that you and I would never have to experience it.

The essence of the cross was substitution. Jesus faced our aloneness—the utter abandonment we had brought upon ourselves through sin—so that we would never have to. The Father turned His face away from His Son so that He would never have to turn His face away from us.

So when we feel abandoned, that’s all it is—a feeling. A lying, deceptive feeling. It has to be. Jesus faced the full measure of our aloneness in our place and put it away forever. By His death, He reconciled us to God, so that we can know He will never leave us or forsake us. In some strange way we can never hope to comprehend, He was abandoned . . . for us.

What do we do, then, when we feel alone? Simply: walk by faith, not by sight. You must re-believe the gospel, that God has removed the full extent of the curse—all that could ever separate you from Him—and has given you Christ’s complete righteousness in its place. You must re-believe that in His finished work you couldn’t be closer to Him than you are right now, regardless of how you feel. And you must re-claim the promises of God, most of which are made to us for times in which God appears distant.

The gospel declares to us that God has made Himself close to us in Christ, holding us even tighter than a mother holds a newborn child (Isa. 49:15). When our feelings tell us that is not true, we must defy those feelings with faith in God’s promise.

So when you can’t “feel” God, be assured, He’s there. The cross assures you that He is. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Nothing can ever separate you from His love. He has united Himself, through His Spirit, inextricably to you. And just as He has done in the great saints of old, the Spirit is likely doing His best work in you in those dark times.

Read the article at www.ligonier.org.

Wednesday – Who’s Listening? By George Volpe

“Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving…”

Psalm 95:2

A commercial I saw today had these words: “Social distancing brings us closer together.” I suppose you could argue that’s true in some convoluted way. But in the strictest sense, distance does not nourish relationships. That’s also true with God. One attribute of God that demonstrates His desire to develop His relationship with us is His communication. Since the beginning of time God has been communicating with people.

He walked with Adam and Eve and spoke with them in the Garden of Eden. He spoke to Abraham and Joseph in dreams. He spoke to Moses from the midst of a burning bush. He spoke with others in various ways, but God has always carefully chosen who He speaks to in order to accomplish His plan and purpose.

The vast majority of us have never heard the actual voice of God. It seems like He is so silent. Is that true? Is God not communicating with us? Actually, He is communicating with us all the time. We’re just not listening.

Have you ever been next to someone lately and when you spoke to them you got no response? You speak and they act like you’re invisible. That didn’t use to be the norm. Years ago, when I was next to someone and I spoke to them, I normally received a response, even if it was just a polite acknowledgement. Now people have ear buds and phone plugs in their ears. They’re listening to music or whatever, but they can’t hear someone right next to them. Kind of like social distancing in their own world, except that you’re right next to them. But the hard truth is, I’ve done that with God. I think we all have.

The Bible says Heaven declares the glory of God. God speaks through His creation, but people are not listening. God spoke to Israel repeatedly. “Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my speech.” (Isaiah 28:23) But Israel was not listening. Jesus said, “Why do you not understand my speech (expression)? It’s because you cannot hear my word (spiritual meaning).” And for all the wrong reasons, we too are not diligently listening. We’ve come to accept waving at Jesus rather than walking with Him.

I cannot demonstrate my love for my wife every day by a quick “good morning” while I rush out the door. She loves when I spend time with her, sharing and communicating with her. I think that was implanted in her heart by God, who wants the same thing from me. I need to truly spend time with Him, actively engaged in His presence.

Read Luke 10.

Thursday By Kenny Tibbetts

Scripture “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100

Pause 1. What does this passage say about God’s presence?

2. Psalm 100 offers three distinct ways in which we should approach God. What are they?

1) _________________________________________________ 2) _________________________________________________

3) _________________________________________________

3. When desiring closeness with God, have you ever thanked and praised Him? Did you feel closer to God as a result?

Pursue Take just a few moments and commit to memory Psalm 100:5: “For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Praise God and draw near to Him in that praise.

Pray Give God glory for what He has done and for who He is. Thank God for His goodness.

Friday – What is His Name? By David Dickmann

"If I come to the people of Israel … and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"

Exodus 3:1-15

It has been said that Moses’ life can be divided into three groups of 40 years. The first 40 he was Pharaoh’s grandson by adoption. The second 40 he was a no-name shepherd in the wilderness. The third 40 he was the leader of the people of Israel: judge, prophet and priest. It’s as if he was at the top of the world’s system for 40 years, at the bottom of the world’s system for 40 years, and then the leader of God’s people for 40 years.

So, what happened that changed his life at the end of the second 40 years? The short answer is that he had an encounter with God. God appeared to him as flaming fire out of the midst of a bush. It was this encounter with God that changed Moses’ life.

Ever since sin entered the world, encounters with God have been changing the lives of worldly people. Consider the list in Hebrews chapter 11: Noah, Abraham, Samson, the prophets just to name a few. Ordinary people in the world’s eyes, who through an encounter with God became extraordinary people and faced down extraordinary circumstances and prevailed.

There is an interesting conversation that takes place between God and Moses at the flaming bush. Moses receives his commission to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and then asks God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them? ” God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.’"

We often think like Moses when we recognize our commission from God to do His will. Who am I to do this? It’s too difficult? But it’s not about who I am, it’s about who God is! It is this great I AM who calls us into relationship with Himself.

John, greeting the churches in Asia, in the Book of Revelation writes, “grace and peace to you from Him who was, and who is and who is to come.” (Revelation 1:4) This Gospel message of grace and peace is from the great I AM, the One who called Moses into a relationship with Himself, the One who calls us into relationship with Himself, and the One who gives us what we need to do His will.

Weekend – Presence By Phillip Hamm

“And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.”

Exodus 25:16

We were designed to be in the Presence of God. When we walk in His

Presence daily, we trade our stress, worry, and anxiety for the peace, calm, and rest He offers.

Scripture reveals God continues to pursue us, inviting us into His Presence. We saw God’s pursuit of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses last week. This Sunday we will see how God’s Presence came in a powerful way through the Tabernacle and the Temple.

To prepare for worship this Sunday, read Exodus 25:10-22.

Announcements

1) On Campus Services

The campus is open for live Sunday on-campus services. Bring your face covering, we will observe the Manatee County resolution requiring face masks. If you are not feeling well or have had a recent exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID, we ask that you stay home and continue to watch services online.

Encounter Service at 9:15 am Celebration Services at 9:15 & 10:45 am

Childcare will be available for birth through Pre-K. All other children will worship with their families. Welcome Home!

Please continue to pray for one another, call one another, and reach out to those who are specifically struggling. Connect with each other through our zoom classes, online prayer meetings, social media and corporate worship services. We know there is no replacement for being together, but these options can help you feel connected.

2) SERVE Saturday This SERVE Saturday will look a bit different, but we will have the opportunity to make a great impact on our community through your prayer and service. For a complete list of project opportunities click here for the SERVE Saturday page of our website. All of the projects allow for social distancing with groups gathering at a project location, the church, or families/individuals working alone. (Projects may continue to be added in the next couple weeks.) You can sign up online or stop by the Information Desk in the Welcome Center on Sundays for assistance. For more information, contact the church office at 941-722-7795.

3) Baptism

If you feel called to take the next step in faith, you may be ready for baptism. Baptism is a public declaration that you are a new creation through your faith in Jesus Christ. For more information, call the church office (941-722-7795) and ask to speak to a pastor about your baptism.

4) Choir & Orchestra Rehearsals

Choir and Orchestra Rehearsals will resume on Wednesday, September 2. Meet in the Worship Center. We will observe social distancing guidelines - bring your masks. Enter the campus through the Welcome Center.

Choir rehearsal begins at 6 pm Orchestra rehearsal begins at 7 pm

Stay Connected: Remember your neighbors, continue to share Jesus, and help them wherever

possible. If their needs exceed your ability to assist, give the church office a call and we will do our best to help you help them.

• Invite your friends and neighbors to watch live services on Sunday at 9:15 or 10:45 am. We recommend staying consistent with our state officials’ guidelines of limiting the number who gather at one time.

• Have Bible studies in your home utilizing resources from RightNowMedia • Reach out by phone to another church member or visitor to ask how they are doing.

Please continue to financially support your church and local charities as they

experience an increase in requests for assistance from members and the local community.

You can give by using online giving, through the FBCP App, or mailing a check to: First Baptist Church 1020 4th St. W. Palmetto, FL 34221

You can communicate with us at 941-722-7795 or e-mail through the church

website: www.fbcpalmetto.com.