The Presence of God

A Pastor shares  a story from his own life meeting a young kid while surfing:

A few weeks ago, when I was out surfing, there was no one else in the water. In fact, there was no one around at all, except a guy the size of Goliath doing tae kwon do on the beach. After I’d been out a little while, a tiny wisp of a kid came paddling up out of nowhere—I couldn’t believe he was out there by himself. He pulled his little board right up next to mine. He was so small he hardly needed a board. He could have stood up in the ocean on a Frisbee.

Anyway, he started chatting with me like we were old friends. He told me his name was Shane. He asked me how long I’d been surfing. I asked him how long he’d been surfing. “Seven years,” he said. “How old are you?” I asked. “Eight.” He asked me about my kids and my family. Then he said, “What I like about surfing is that it’s so peaceful. You meet a lot of nice people here.” “You’re a nice guy, Shane,” I said. “That’s why you meet nice people.”

We talked a while longer. Then I asked him, “How did you get here, Shane?” “My dad brought me,” he said. Then he turned around and waved at the nearly empty beach. The Goliath doing martial arts waved back. “Hi, Son,” he called out. Then I knew why Shane was so at home in the ocean. It wasn’t his size. It wasn’t his skill. It was who was sitting on the beach. His father was always watching. And his father was very big. Shane wasn’t really alone at all. Neither are we.

The presence of God is what I call the best of the best blessing. And it is also one of the things doubted by many in our culture today. It is the common response, especially then many of us when we are experiencing hardship, difficulty, and suffering. Where is God? Why has He abandoned us? Shane its like God has turned His back on me. Is He even there? Does He even care? Where is He? And its not like its that unbecoming for those who follow hard after the heart of God?

Psalm 13:1 NLT

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?

It is a common response when things are hard. I can remember saying many a time when things get really hard… God I can get through all of this if I just supernaturally knew you were there. Why? Because the presence of God is the best of the best blessing. Many times, we are focusing on one or two of the attributes of God. We focus on one or two of the characteristics of God. We focus specifically on the hand of God, the voice of God, the judgement of God, the love of God, and the generous grace of God.

But, all we get then is a part of God. We get a part of the totality of who God is. We only get a piece of the pie when the whole thing is available. When you go shopping for baseball gear or getting set up for your mixed martial arts venture. Sure you could ask for $100 to get what you need, but when you go it might not be enough. And now you gotta make decisions, negotiate, pick and choose, settle… cause all you got is $100 from Dad. But if Dad goes shopping with you, you get all that Dad has to give.

When the presence of God is there, you get it all. All the incommunicable and communicable attributes of God… all that He has and all that He is. No matter what the problem, no matter what the task, no matter the limitation, no matter the obstacle, We know we will make a stand because our Lord is with us. And we will see this in our passage today.

Haggai 2:1–5 NLT

Then on October 17 of that same year, the Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai. “Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land: ‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’

The grass withers the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever.

Always Comparing

The Presence of God

The first thing we will look at today is the constant and controlling discouragement that comes when we constantly compare our grass to the greener grass of our neighbor. Second, we will see the beauty and wonder of the presence of God when the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to be discouraged by our constant comparing with our neighbors, we will see that no matter what the verdict, the scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit will cause us to see that better is one day in the courts of God then 1000 anywhere else.

I. Always Comparing

- Motivated to success because of envy.

A. It did not take long after the work began for the people of God to become discouraged. This is what prompted the second sermon here given by the prophet Haggai. Now what we have to make sure we see here… discouragement did not come because they were out of gas, had no strength, not supernaturally motivated with sparked enthusiasm, had no vision, had no clue, lost in utter confusion. No.

B. They were discouraged because they were comparing. They were comparing the work that they were doing with the work that was done before. They were comparing the temple that they were building with the temple that Solomon built and it struck their hearts.

C. It was bout 70 years since the temple was destroyed by Babylon and some of the people that came back still remember what the temple was like. They were describing all the gold that overlaid the walls, they described all the precious stones that garnished the site, they described the porch and all the magnificent pillars… now that was an amazing temple. Now that was an amazing place. It was a site to see. You guys do realize that we are not even close. We will never be able to do all of that. What are we even doing here? Let’s look at verse 3

Haggai 2:3 NLT

‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!

D. Why was it discouraging? Because it was like all that the work that they were doing was all for nothing at all.

- I can remember my days working for a general contractor building houses and many times we did thing that had to be done over again or done in another place or just torn down because the homeowner changed their minds. And what I heard many times … “We did all that work for nothing.” Think about it, we don’t like doing things for nothing. We put time, effort, heart, passion, blood sweat and tears into a job and we become very frustrated when its end is for nothing. Our boss used to say to us… come on guys. Be encouraged. Look at it this way… its job security. It just ensures you will always have a job. But for some reason that never ever ever ever made us feel better.

E. We do not like doing things for nothing. Now what is even more discouraging is having to do a job already knowing that it is for nothing. We found out that the job we are doing is gonna be for nothing we know it right away, but we still gotta do it anyway. Errrgh. Discouraging. But why did the people feel like what they were building was “nothing at all?” All this work and its nothing? Why?

F. Because they were comparing. Comparing their work to the work of others. What we are doing is not even close. Its good but its not like it was back in the day… ever heard the saying “They don’t make um like they used to.” The comparison… is this even worth it? They got discouraged. They were troubled. They were at a stand still. Debilitating. So much so that it would halt the work of a revived people.

G. And soooo much discouragement sets in today, because of comparisons. We are constantly comparing and when we do we get discouraged. We are let down because my life is not like my neighbors life. I don’t look like that person. I don’t have what they have. I am trying to keep up with the jones’ and I just can’t keep up. My house is not like their house. I saw on facebook that this summer they vacationed in Florida and what did we do? We did nothing. We cant afford a vacation. I can’t start my car from inside my house. I don’t have nice clothes like Sue Ellen. I don’t have a swimming pool like Bob has in his house. Tim got a flat screen tv, yeah but I got one too, but Tim’s is one of the curved ones… errgh. Why do I even try. Why even bother.

H. For many of us, and I’m talking to me too, the only reason why we feel like a loser is because we are comparing ourselves to other people. He better, she is prettier, he has more money, she is better with people, he stronger, she smarter, he she he she… it goes on and on. And for many of us… we look at our life and it just seems like its nothing at all. Maybe the world would be a better place if I was just gone. But what is more...

I. Other people contribute to it. It seems that it was the people who saw the old temple that were confirming that it was nothing. Our culture and our society confirm that if you are not at a certain standard then you are a loser.

- On youtube sometimes I watch these gold digger videos. A normal looking guy walks up to a woman and asks her out on a date and she pretends that she don’t hear him at first, says she has a boyfriend, says she’s really busy right now, she gotta go, kinda short and kinda rude, but making it clear that she don’t want nothing to do with him. Then when she walks away, he goes to his Lamborghini, porsche, Ferrari, whatever… then she comes up and says… “is this your car?” Whats your name again? I can go with you to get to know you. But then he drives off and says he don’t date gold diggers.

J. Now we all laugh at it… but then many will stop laughing and sit quiet thinking. Why? Because the message is still clear, if you are worth anything you have to be worth something. If you are not somebody, you are nobody. Got no money, you get no honey.

K. Its not any better in the church. Even in the ministry we find envy and jealousy. A constant comparison happens even in the highest levels. Pastor gatherings and board meetings over the years I would find myself sitting at lunch tables with mega church pastors and hearing some of the stuff sometimes I think why not me. Why even bother. Its like nothing at all. Then I snap myself out of it. And get my head together and then have to deal with Pastors of large churches asking me if I’m really called to be a pastor. Are you sure this is what you are supposed to do? Why don’t you just close it up and send your people to a church thats actually doing something. Yup super mean. Comparison is in the church and there are people in the church that will confirm it for you, even at the highest levels.

L. Discouraged. Oh yeah. Do I get discouraged with this stuff. You bet I do. I remember at a conference gospel coalition Hawaii put on, I was in a time where I was really discouraged and I was hanging out in the conference hall with Mark Dever and asked him about it… he told me a story.

M. A pupil of the puritan John Brown was newly ordained over a small congregation and after some time he became very discouraged because all the churches around him were growing and they were not. He became very discouraged and wrote about it to his teacher John Brown. Brown wrote back and said… “I know the vanity of your heart, and that you will feel mortified that your congregation is very small, in comparison with those of your brethren around you; but assure yourself on the word of an old man, that when you come to give an account of them to the Lord Christ, at His judgment-seat, you will think you have had enough.”

II. The presence of God

- The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

A. And so it is the same for all of us we compare and think we do not have the riches we want and the vanity in our hearts will declare that we want more of the material goods. But the warnings are abundant...

James 5:1–5 NLT

Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.

1 Timothy 6:9–10 NLT

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Revelation 3:17 NLT

You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

B. And why do they think this, because they are comparing themselves to others and because they got it better they think they ok, but in reality they are not ok.

C. Why do we think we are ok, because we compare ourselves to other people. Im not bad like those murderers out there. I’m not bad like those who cheat on their taxes. I’m not a harlot like that lady on the internet. I’m ok and God sees that I’m a pretty good person so i’ll be ok. Im not as bad as those liars and cheats out there. But we gotta wake up to the Word of the Lord

James 2:10 NLT

For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

D. We become even more deceived because we keep comparing ourselves to others. This scripture is showing us that God will not judge us on a curve.

- A group of men were in a boat in the middle of the pacific and the boat sank. They all started swimming in the direction of California. An argument broke out between the men as to who could swim the farthest, but who cares… they are all gonna drown. A group of students got their tests back some scored a 20, some scored a 30, some scored a 40, most of them scored a 50 and started to brag that they got the highest score on the test and the teacher walking passed them said… who cares… its still an F.

E. What matters is not what you know and who you know, what matters is that you are known by Christ. Lest he say depart from me I never knew you. Judgement is real. Judgement is everlasting. And judgement is in the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is the place of everlasting fire. It is the place of eternal darkness. It is real. But can we be saved from this?

F. You bet we can… it is because the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He came to seek and save that which was lost.

G. And the promises continue… All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.

H. The real issue was not the quality of the temple, but was God with them. No matter what the temple looks like, build it, and God say that He will be with them. And for us today… The Word was made flesh and tabernacled among us. And after Christ rose from the grave He promised that He will always be with us till the end of the age.