0893 Encounter - Hinderances to the Presence

HINDERANCE TO THE MANIFEST PRESENCE OF GOD

Join a Home Group | Sacrifice Sunday

1,000,809 mountains are in the world.

73,389 mountains in the USA.

1 mountain in Tri-Cities, WA

Tallest mountain is Mount Everest (29,029 feet above sea level).

297 people died trying to climb it.

It costs around $35,000 to climb it. Gear will cost around 10k.

Winds can be up to 200 mph.

It takes about 2 months

Benefits of Climbing Mount Everest: 1. Charitable Expeditions

2. Sense of Achievement 3. Fitness Increase

4. Life Changing Experience 5. Huge Adventure

So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”

Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! Genesis 19:17-18

Omnipresence of God is God is everywhere

Manifest presence of God is God is here

Omnipresence of God is the nature of God

Manifest presence of God is the experience of God

Omnipresence of God is Psalm 139:7

Manifest presence of God is Psalm 51:11

Everyone is in the omnipresence of God but few live in the manifest presence of God

Presence of God is the person of the Holy Spirit.

God’s power of felt, God’s presence is known.

God has summoned us into His presence.

We can only know His presence to the degree He has loved our presence.

1. Proximity of Place

Lot was close to Abraham but far from God

Joseph was in the palace of Pharaoh but not in the presence of Pharaoh, He was in his prison.

If you are in the presence of God you will be in the prisoner of religion.

Being in the right group but far from God Matthew 7:21-23

God finds pleasure in you when you find yourself in His presence Luke 15:8-10

2. Point of Prayer

Lot was relative of Abraham but he did not relate to God

Religion makes prayer about HOW, Jesus wants prayer to be about WHO

Don’t make prayer about prayer otherwise you will miss the presence.

STORY: Missing flight

Intimacy in the presence releases power for personal issues. (Luke 8:43-38)

3. Pull of Possessions

Lot was possessed by possessions, Abraham had possessions

The moment possessions possess you, you no longer own them, they own you.

He lost them not when fire burned them but when they got ownership of him.

God does not compete with the devil for the place in my heart but with Mammon.

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful Matthew 13:22

You can only have riches if you have the presence, otherwise riches have you.

Without the presence, possessions:

A. Dominate (we don’t own them, just because we have them) B. Dictate (Lot got dictated by possessions, farmer decides where seed goes, sow not save) C. Deceive (not presence of wealth choke it but deceitfulness)

Wealth can’t deceive those it does not dominate

Wealth can’t deceive those who don’t receive it’s direction

Lot lost to Sodom what Abraham lost to sacrifice

4. Personality of Passivity

Lot gets out of trouble but not out of Sodom, lingers to leave Sodom, refuses to run the mountain, and settles in Sodom Jr.

You are summoned to hike mountain, don’t hide in the cave

Mountain is the place of passion

Cave is the place of passivity

You can’t live in God’s presence if you are a couch potato.

Substance abuse & sexual sin are results of living in a cave.

Noah saw the rainbow on Mount Ararat

Abraham offered Isaac on Mount Moriah

Moses received 10 commandments on Mount Sinai

Elijah bought victory by fire on Mount Carmel

Jesus was tempted upon, preached from, prayed in, transfigured upon, crucified on and is coming back to Mount.