Sermon Tone Analysis

*DIVINE ENCOUNTER RETREAT*

*Spring 2006*

* *

!! Session #2:  GODS PRESENCE IN YOUR LIVES

God has worked through many different and wonderful people to bring incredible blessings into my life.

Is that true in your life also?

Sometimes I didn’t realize the incredible blessings that God gave me through someone else's life until long after the blessing occurred.

No matter what your age, no matter who you are, you can make a list of people in you mind that have been a dominant, positive, godly influence in your life?

*EXERCIZE: *

Would you please do that right now?

In your mind, would you think about the people who have changed your life for the better simply because you knew them?

I made a list of men and women who changed my life for the better.

In all of them, I found one thing obviously in common.

It was *the presence of God* in their lives that touched my life.

I.

*HISTORICAL REVIEW OF GOD’S PRESENCE: OLD TESTAMENT*

                           A.

Our God of incredible love, mercy, and compassion wanted to offer all people the opportunity to return to Him.

                                                    1.

He began by producing a nation of people from one man.

a.

The nation was Israel.

b.

The man was Abraham.

2.

In time the descendants of Abraham through Isaac became slaves.

a.

God used His incredible power to deliver them from slavery.

b.

He led them to the foot of a mountain in a dessert where He vocally declared to them in their own language *ten basic instructions *they were to follow.

i.

*Four* of those instructions focused on how they honored Him.

                                                                                                      ii.

*Six* of those instructions focused on how they treated each other.

3.

Then God met with their leader, Moses, on that mountain to reveal to him many laws and the plan for a place to worship Him, a portable temple, a huge tent called a tabernacle.

4.

Moses shared the laws with Israel, and he had Israel to build this tabernacle to honor God.

                                                    5.

Listen to what happened on the day everything was completed and put together: \\ Exodus 40:34-38:  “/Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.

For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel./”

6.

From the moment that the tabernacle was assembled, the presence of God was constantly visible, day and night, in the center of Israel's camp.

7.

Right there in the center of everything God was visibly present.

8.

Listen to how essential this presence of God was in Israel.

\\ Numbers 9:15-23:  “Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle, until morning.

So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp.

At the command of the Lord the sons of Israel would set out, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped.

Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the sons of Israel would keep the Lord's charge and not set out.

If sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, according to the command of the Lord they remained camped.

Then according to the command of the Lord they set out.

If sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or if it remained in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out.

Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out.

At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out; they kept the Lord's charge, according to the command of the Lord through Moses.”

B.

That is not the only time that happened in Israel.

1.

Generations later a godly man named David wanted to build God a permanent temple.

a.

David captured the city of Jerusalem and made it both the royal city and the holy city.

b.

He was king of Israel, and as king he built himself a royal place.

c.

But he did not think it was appropriate for him to build himself a palace and not build God a temple.

d.

God said, "/David, you will not build Me a temple, but your son Solomon will."/

(1 Chronicles 28:3-6)

                                                    2.

After David died, Solomon became Israel's king, he built an incredible temple for God.

                                                                             a.

He dedicated that permanent structure with a prayer requesting that God hear prayers from both Israelites and people who were not Israelites that were offered at that temple.

b.

Listen to his reason: /". . . in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and fear (reverence) You as do your people Israel. .

."/ (2 Chronicles 6:33)

                                                                             c.

Now listen to what happened when Solomon finished his prayer: \\ 2 Chronicles 7:1-3:  “/Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

The priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house.

All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, "Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting."/

3.

God's presence was obvious in His temple, whether it was the portable temple called the tabernacle before Israel had a country, or was a permanent temple, the permanent structure in Jerusalem.

4.

When God exists in His temple, His presence is obvious.

II.

*PRESENT HISTORY: New Testament insights."*

A.

Statements from Peter to Christians?

All these statements are found in 1 Peter chapter 2. Let's begin with 1 Peter 2:4,5: “ /And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”/

1.

Now consider 1 Peter 2:9:  “/But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”/

2.

Now consider 1 Peter 2:11,12: \\ Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

3.

Consider some obvious declarations Peter made to Christians in the statements:

                                                                             a.

We who are Christians are God's temple.

i.

God lives in us.

ii.