What is God’s purpose?
People could come up with lots of valid suggestions. To show his love, to save sinners, to be more glorified. It’s difficult to focus on one thing. But what we can say is that his purpose is to dwell with, to be with people.
Revelation 20
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”a for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’b or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
This is the pinnacle, the end point, the destination. This is what it’s all about. This is what it’s all been leading up to. The whole of history has been moving to this point.
God’s purpose is for his presence to be with man
But his presence with people is not just the destination of history. It’s what he wants all along the way. We sometimes treat God as if he is unwilling to be with us. That somehow we need to twist his arm. Maybe this comes from a wrong concept of what the Lord is like. We think that he is disapproving of us. If only we could get God to come.
Throughout history he has invaded this world with his presence. In the OT he dwelt/ lived/ presenced himself in the tabernacle. In the temple. In a cloud. In a pillar of fire. In tongues of fire. In rushing wind. It’s his desire. It’s his idea not ours.
Now when I look at the bible I see that God’s presence is to be experienced. Again and again. It is manifested. God’s presence not just theory or theology or something we only believe by faith. Solomon built the temple and when it was dedicated to God it was filled with his glory. They didn’t believe by faith that he was present. They knew it. Our western christianity can be too much believe by faith and too little experience the reality and we settle for that.
So today I’m looking at God’s presence.
So what does it mean that God is present?
So God is everywhere – in that sense he is present. In fact everything holds together in him – Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
But then he is in us as believers – God dwells/lives in us by his spirit.
1 John 4:13 – By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit
1 Corinthians 6:19 – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit
Ok so especially present in individual believers.
But then Jesus said this – where two or three are gathered I am in the midst. So maybe a sense of greater intensity. You’ve got the presence on your own, but there is also something about being with other believers.
Eph 2:21 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Then we are told Psalm 22 he inhabits our praises – as we praise he is even more present
Worship – entering into his presence – it’s a kind of multiplication.
We can think of God’s presence as an either or. For me as a person I’m present or not. But I wonder if we should better think of it as a greater measure or greater intensity of his presence.
So revelation 20 is the greatest fulfillment of his presence.
So what does this mean when we gather together?
When we come to gather as the house of God we don’t come just to see our friends, drink the coffee or to do our christian duty. We come for his presence – a greater measure of his presence. The church, (the people of God not the building) is the dwelling place of God – his presence. We come because we expect God to be here. And normal is for God’s presence to be made manifest. That may be through peace, through joy, through healings and miracles happening, through him speaking.
And so then we need to ask – is that really what I’m coming for? Am I intentional in that? Am I helping myself and others to know and experience his presence.
God’s Presence in Difficulty
Knowing God’s presence even in difficulty and perplexity.
Life has stress and hardship and complications. We can have too much counselling, too much good advice. I know that the more intensely I’m in his presence the more my perspective changes. Things that seemed so important become less so. Disappointments become less of an issue. I get strength to overcome. I get more love for people who have hurt me. One of the best things we can do for people is to help them to know and experience his presence more. Discipling can be over-focussed on changing behaviour. But change needs to come from within and the starting point of that change needs to be encounter with God
Psalm 73 David’s list of complaints and things that troubled him
Verse 16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply 17till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny
It’s when we come into his presence – the sanctuary is about where God is.
It troubled me, till I entered his presence, then I understood.
Revelation comes from the presence of God. It can be revelation or a different perspective.
In his presence God speaks – it may be very practical not “spiritual” Everything about our times together should be focussed on knowing his presence more.
Trouble – does it cause us to press deeper into his presence or does it cause us to run away or remain distant
What do you want to say? What do you want to do?
Honouring the Presence of God
We need to handle the presence of God well
In the book of Samuel the ark had been re-captured from Israel’s enemies. They are bringing the ark back to Jerusalem.
This may seem a laudable thing to do. They put the ark on a cart which was never in gods plan and when a man called Uzzah reached out and touched the ark he died.
The lesson here is that we need to handle the presence of God well. It’s not casual. God had designed it so that it should be the priests who carry the presence of God. People were to carry the presence not a cart.
We are all priests – but it is US – not our methods and organization. Gods presence is about people not methods or programmes or buildings. Don’t copy what other churches do! So many churches chase the latest fad. God is blessing this thing over here, so if we do the same thing God will bless us the same way! No – God is not manipulated like that.
God did not bless David’s method of bringing back the ark!
So David left the ark at obed edoms house – and he and his family prospered. What does this tell us? The presence of God brings genuine prosperity. Prospering is not the goal – presence is the goal, prospering is the by product. What did he do to deserve this blessing. Nothing other than a willingness to host the presence of God.
The presence of God distinguishes us
A distinguishing feature – the presence of god
Moses said this -“If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
This is what distinguishes us – not that we read the bible, go to church, not that we are more law abiding citizens etc but that we have the presence of God.
We long for God to do more healings, for more evangelistic breakthrough, for our town to be transformed. We can do all sorts of praying, have all sorts of plans and activities but what will make the difference is a greater intensity of god’s presence.
God is looking for habitation not visitation.
Response – seek a greater measure of his presence.