Riley J - Not Without Your Presence
Riley Jones
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 15 viewsNotes
Transcript
Not Without Your Presence
“What would it look like to live with a banner over our lives that says, ‘I refuse to settle for anything less than God's presence’?”
Intro:
Israelites back and forth relationship with God
God will send them to the promise land but not journey with them
Israelites freak out while God makes His decision
Scripture
Exodus 33:15
Moses was asking what the next move was
God says he will go with
What did Moses understand about presence?
Presence
Presence is powerful
Story: Going to Angourie and never jumping off that rock.
“I won’t do it unless you come with me”
Josh’s presence was powerful
Their presence brings things out of us that we didn’t even know were there.
Link:
I think Moses was similar
It was God’s presence that God took him from the burning bush, to walking through an ocean, to leading a nation.
He knew it was God's presence that made Moses - Moses
Just like I wouldn’t jump without Josh, Moses wasn’t willing to move without God.
Moses knew that without God’s presence, he wasn’t going to settle for anything less.
Link:
We see Moses’ deep urgency and conviction when it comes to living with God’s presence - and it makes me stop and wonder:
How often have we settled for something less than the fullness of His presence?
Sometimes we can be like the Israelite people
Story - Having encounters, being set on fire, only to leave it behind for another life or comfort.
Story - Me going to Extreme Conf, feeling God’s power then trading his presence for temporary validation I needed.
Trading His presence for comfort, sin, temptation, convenience, or the other priorities we let take His place.
It always left me feeling no better and sometimes even worse.
We can live our lives like this
“God we want your presence” to then trade it out for something less.
What if tonight we make a pack?
God if your not in it, I don’t want it
What would it look like to live a life that says, ‘I refuse to settle for anything less than God's presence’?”
Tonight I'm going to show you how we can have a life filled with the presence of God.
Some of you have asked God to speak to you
Some of you have asked for a touch
Tonight that is going to happen
Surrender
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Story - Walking Beau (I hate walking dogs that don’t obey)
He wants to get to the park, He wants that dog freedom.
I know If I let him go, he gets lost and probably hit by a car.
When he is able to surrender, follow, he gets freedom.
Surrender isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength (good dog)
Mathew 16:20
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Jesus doesn’t ask for surrender to be cruel—but because He knows what’s on the other side of it.
On the other side of your surrender is a greater reward
Jesus dying on the cross
The joy set before Him
Hebrews 12:2
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We often say, ‘God, you can have my life’—but then we keep a part back.
God wants all of you
Story: talking to Rio about living life with an open hand
Testimony
Testimony with Luke
Extreme Conference, set free from addiction
Surrendering small idols (tattoos)
When we are saved my Jesus, we are justified but we go on a journey of sanctification
There is more freedom
Every Time I have laid something down, He gives greater measures of His glory.
If we want to live a life that is “God if you're not in it I don’t want it”, it’s going to take surrender.
You will look different
You will sound different
People won't like it
It won't be easy
Surrender is never easy, but it’s powerful.
Your surrender might look different to others. But you will experience the greatest presence you’ve ever known.
If we want a life that says, ‘I refuse to settle for anything less than God's presence’?”. It’s going to take…..
2. Attention
Story: Meg was freaking out and getting angry — but only because she didn’t realize I was right there the whole time. She was too distracted on her phone to notice me.
We can often be the same…
We ask for God to move with our attention being elsewhere.
Phones, addictions, distractions
Even in worship
Exodus 33:7
7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.”
11 Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
The tent represented the “secret place”
It was in the tent that Moses met with God face to face
Do you have a tent?
Where is your tent?
What does it look like?
It was when God had Moses’ full attention, His glory was displayed
“You can’t see something if you don’t look”
It’s in the tent you are…
Refreshed
Empowered
Healed
Comforted
Free
It’s in the tent that God revealed his Glory Moses
What is the tent?
The tent is where we are fully surrendered in worship, seeking the face and presence of Jesus.
“What would it look like to live with a banner over our lives that says, ‘I refuse to settle for anything less than God's presence’?”
Bulking Season - Intro:
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,* baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This term, we want to take you from one-off encounters with God to living a spiritually strong, daily life that impacts your world.
We need a generation that stands strong in what Jesus has called us to do.
Scripture
Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.
Moses was asking what the next move was
God says he will go with
What did Moses understand about presence?
Presence
Presence is powerful
Story: Going to Angourie and never jumping off that rock.
“I won’t do it unless you come with me”
Josh’s presence was powerful
Their presence brings things out of us that we didn’t even know were there.
Link:
I think Moses was similar
It was God’s presence that God took him from the burning bush, to walking through an ocean, to leading a nation.
He knew it was God's presence that made Moses - Moses
Moses knew that without God’s presence, he would settle for less.
Link:
How many times have we settled for something less than God's presence
Story - People having encounters and set on fire to then leave that for another life.
Story - Me going to Extreme Conf, feeling God’s power then trading his presence for temporary validation.
It always left me feeling no better and even sometimes worse.
We can live our lives like this.
“God we want your presence” to then trade it out for something less.
What if tonight we make a pack?
God if your not in it, I don’t want it
What would it look like to live a life that says, ‘I refuse to settle for anything less than God's presence’?”
Tonight I'm going to show you how we can have a life filled with the presence of God.
Some of you have asked God to speak to you
Some of you have asked for a touch
Tonight that is going to happen
Surrender
Story - Walking Beau (I hate walking dogs that don’t obey)
He wants to get to the park, He wants that dog freedom.
I know If I let him go, he gets lost and probably hit by a car.
When he is able to surrender, follow, he gets freedom.
Surrender isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength (good dog)
Mathew 16:20
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Jesus says this not to be mean, but to but because…..
On the other side of your surrender is a greater reward
Jesus dying on the cross
We can all say “God have me, but don’t have this”
God wants all of you
If we want to live a life that is “God if you're not in it I don’t want it”, it’s going to take surrender.
You will look different
You will sound different
People won't like it
It won't be easy
Surrender is never easy, but it’s powerful.
Testimony - Extreme Conference, set free from addiction
Your surrender might look different to others. But you will experience the greatest presence you have ever experienced.
If we want a life that says, ‘I refuse to settle for anything less than God's presence’?”. It’s going to take…..
Attention
Story: Meg was freaking out and getting angry — but only because she didn’t realize I was right there the whole time. She was too distracted on her phone to notice me.
We can often be the same…
We ask for God to move with our attention being elsewhere.
Phones, addictions, distractions
Even in worship
It was Moses’ practice to take the Tent of Meeting* and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.
7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.”
The tent represented the “secret place”
It was in the tent that Moses met with God face to face
Do you have a tent?
Where is your tent?
What does it look like?
It was when God had Moses’ full attention, His glory was displayed
You can’t see something if you don’t look
