01-Mar-2020 – Ps. Melvin – His Presence
Exodus 33:15,16
15-16 Moses said, “If your presence doesn’t take the lead here, call this trip off right now. How else will it be known that you’re with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we’re special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?”
Moses wanted to forgo going into the Promised land, if God did not go with them. The only distinguishing factor was God’s presence.
Moses knew what was more important, more valuable – His Presence.
In scripture, God’s presence is manifested in 3 ways-
Omnipresence
Prov 15:3
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Gods Inner presence
1 Cor 6:19
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Manifested Presence
This is God standing with you, walking with you.
Psalm 139:7
7-12 Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;
night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.
Why is His manifested presence important? Are we walking in His presence?
There are problems every Monday morning. It’s not the problems, but it’s who you go with.
- Sin hides you from the Manifested presence of God
Gen 3:8
8 And they heard the [c]sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the [d]cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
When you sin, you always hide from the presence of God.
In Exodus, God had asked Israel to apply the blood of a lamb on the doorposts – To have the Angel of death pass over.
The Angel of death did not care about whether the person inside was worthy or not – Just whether the blood was on the door post.
Manifested presence is what God does for you which you cannot do by yourself.
- You can choose to leave the Manifested Presence of God
Gen 4:16
16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
Jonah 1:1-3
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
You may try to run away from the presence of God, but God will not let you go.
It’s important to recognize and listen to the voice of God.
John 10:27
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
When you go in his perfect Will, there will be trials and pain – But at the end, there is joy and peace.
Jonah willfully disobeyed God – This caused him to leave the presence of God.
When you’re not in the presence of God, all you see is negative.
You may come to church & attend the service – Yet be out of His presence.
- Entering His presence
- In Thanksgiving
Psalm 95:1
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
- With Singing
Psalm 100:2
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, [a]all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Everything that you do will prosper.
You carry His presence with you.
Lamentation 3:22-24
God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.
It does not matter if you had a bad or good day. It only matters that you are in His presence.