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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 22nd July 2007 PMLETS REMEMBER GOD'S PRESENCE - Pastor Colin MeadowsHebrews 13:1-6, 20-21, Deuteronomy 31:6-8 Ø We are not walking alone! We have been challenged in past weeks to step out in faith with God. There are many challenges before us – moving into a new building with exciting opportunities and great potential, the beginning of the 40 Days of Community with the challenges that lie there, the search for a new Senior Pastor who will lead us into the future. In order to be able to face these challenges, we need to draw near to God, to walk by faith with him and to submit to his disciplinary hand in our lives. But at we draw near, let us remember God’s close and immediate presence. God will be with us in all these challenges. We are not alone. It is not all up to us as a body of God’s people. True, we are better together, but in our togetherness remember we are walking together with Almighty God. Thus we can draw incredible comfort from these words: Hebrews 13:5-6 “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” Let’s examine where these quotes have come from and so gain an understanding of what God is seeking to teach us here. Ø God’s presence will give us strength and courage In the challenges of life, the hurts and joys that come our way, remember the presence of God, for in so doing he will give us courage. The quote here comes from Deuteronomy 31:6 and the context is so important. Moses was about to die and he had passed over the leadership of the people to Joshua. Deut 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua faced a huge challenge. The promised land lay before them but they were still on the other side of the river. Courage and strength of character was needed to step out in faith. Such would come as Joshua remembered God’s presence expressed in His Word. Joshua 1:7-8 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law by servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” So too with us as we face life each day. God is with you through His Word. Meditate on it daily, allow it to flood your heart and mind and to bring courage and strength. Yes, God’s presence will bring us strength and courage. Ø God’s presence will drive out fear The second reference cited here comes from Psalm 118:6-7. Psalm 118:6-7 “The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.” The essence of what is said flows also from Moses’ challenge to Joshua. Deut 31:8 “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Many times in life we are gripped by fear as we face life’s challenges. Fear can paralyze us and cripple our effectiveness. Fear causes faith to corrode and to slowly ebb away. In essence the word fear means ‘that which causes us to run”. What are you running from today? Some speak of being afraid of confined spaces, of heights or snakes and spiders. However the biggest fear that people struggle with is often that of Social Phobia, the fear of being with people and all that this entails. This is expressed through fear of public speaking, of anxiety in meeting new people, of confronting someone over a difficult issue, etc. At such times, instead of focusing on the difficult issue, gently focus on God himself. In your heart, imagine that God is with you in the situation you are facing and step out with him. Yes, the presence of God will drive out fear. To be more specific, the presence of God as found in Christ. Let us focus on Jesus himself. Ø God’s presence is found in Christ We are not to work harder at more religious activity, or to try more aggressively to get it all together for God. Too much religion of that sort can be a very bad thing for it is based on us! Rather we are called to focus on Christ alone, and to live in responsive obedience by faith. Note that our faith is based on Christ alone, not Christ Plus. Many times there is the temptation to think that we should add to what Jesus has done for us, and to add our two cents worth. We think that we can value add to the finished work of Christ. Thus it is trusting Christ plus tithing, Christ plus keeping the Sabbath, Christ plus church attendance. Christ plus is not the case! You cannot add to that which is perfect and complete. Hebrews 1:2-3 “In these last days, he (God) has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” God’s presence is perfectly revealed in Christ. Jesus is God with skin on, the living presence of the divine in the flesh. He has made his tent amongst us in the person of Christ. If you want to understand who God is, look at Christ! What then should our response be? Hebrews 13:15 “Through Jesus therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name. We are to live out the presence of God in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ø Demonstrate God’s presence by the way we live! In the light of God’s presence in our lives, let us live in a way that honours him. Our text gives us some pointers to what this will mean. Firstly, love people. Hebrews 13:1-3 “Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering”. Allow love to be the hallmark of all you do. Reach out in caring concern for the needs of others – you never know who might turn up at your front door. Remember in particular the suffering believers scattered around the world, the ones hurting because of their faith in Christ. Secondly we are to keep a close watch over the way we express our sexuality. Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” Guard and protect your own family and the families you find around you for they are precious. Treat people of the opposite sex with dignity and honour, remembering that they are made in the image and likeness of God. Thirdly we are to watch that you keep your finances in the right perspective. Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have…” Let money be your servant and not the other way round! Don’t get caught up in the materialism story, thinking that ‘he who dies with the most toys wins’. Money is to be used as a tool in a way that brings glory to God. Let’s pull what we have been exploring together as we close.
We are not walking alone! God is with us. Remember each day God’s presence in our lives. His presence will give us courage and strength. His presence will drive out fear. His presence is found most fully in Christ! Let’s demonstrate God’s presence by the way we live.
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