Manifest Presence of God (2)

mLm

This morning I want to continue our study on the manifest presence of God. The idea that we can feel the presence of God. It is my desire and wish that we make a life that never leaves the manifest presence of God. I don’t know if it’s obtainable this side of Heaven or not, but it’s something I challenge everyone to try.

It would literally mean to keep a kean sense of awareness of God in our lives. Last week was Pentecost Sunday and we started discussing the manifest presence of God. That we need to live the life of Jesus to produce the same fruit Jesus produced.

John 15:15-31 is titled theJesus promises the Holy Spirit. We aren’t going to read the entire section, although I believe you should take time to do so, but I want to f Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him jjjnbfzzzcm’and manifest myself to him.”

The word manifest here means to show ones self to reveal or to make clear.

Love+Commands+Word= Manifest Presence

In the larger chunk of scripture Jesus gives us these three words and then tells us that if we have these three things he promises to manifest or to make himself known to us.

Before we break these three things down I want to look at this in the light of marriage.

If I love my wife (truly love my wife like Christ loves the church)- If I follow my wife commands (Now I’m not talking about the ordering around or the hunny do list, but rather follow the healthy boundaries- Be the man my wife needs and wants and I listen to her words. She intern trusts me with her heart. Her inner most secrets. See I know things about my wife none of you will ever know. This took time and effort. Making a comfortable atmosphere where my wife can share her heart with me.

By doing these three things. we can create an atmosphere where God will open up his secrets, his heart to you. You can be in the inner circle of God. You can intimately know things about God that very few other people know about God.

And to do that we must first

Love

The term love here literally means to abode. Which means to make our home.

Abode

This idea is directly connected to

John 14:2 ESV

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

It means too reside in God which the promise in turn is that through salvation God resides in us.

The idea in marriage. When we are married we join together. Two become one flesh. My wife and I athough two seperate people are one in the same. If she is not welcome I am not welcome. We are internally connected.

God’s love means we become Christ-like. We adopt the image of God. We live the life of God.

Which shows point

2. Obey His commands.

John 14:21 (ESV)

21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me.

Notice love is a direct reflection of Obedience.

Now My wife doesn’t make it a habit to command me to do things, but there are commands between husband and wife that need to be followed for love to be evident.

If I want to spend time with my wife and she doesn’t and I force myself onto her that isn’t love.

If my wife asks for help and I scoff her off that isn’t love.

To love my wife I have to obey her wants and her needs. I have to fulfill aspects of her life and in marriage it’s up to me to figure out what those are.

Thankfully God has it all written out. He wrote out directions on how to obey him and how to draw close to Him. He didn’t expect us to figure it out as sometimes spouses do, but instead he communicates clear and effective ways to manifest his presence. Follow these guidelines to the best of your ability and I will be there with you and in you and if you mess up I will forgive you.

but in order to do that you must know his

3.Word

God’s word is his road map to his heart.

When we spend time in the word of God we spend time figuring out how to get closer to God’s heart.

John 14:23 ESV

23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Here’s the idea of abiding with God again. The word of God helps us to abide with God. Just like when my wife talks to me and share her heart with me It allows me to abide deeper with her. It allows me to know her more intimately. It allows me to see aspects of her that you will not see.

Often times we get jelouse of other people’s relationship with each other or with God, but we refuse to put in the same amount of work they put in.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Fourteen: Heart Trouble (John 13:36–14:31)

Salvation means we are going to heaven, but submission means that heaven comes to us!