Presence
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Analogy of presence
As I thought about our text today I was really struck by one big theme. The idea of presence. All of us know already how important actual presence is right? Because there is nothing more frustrating then when you’re having a hard time and trying to vent with someone....and that person is half listening and on their phone. They might be there but they aren’t present. The idea of presence is not just physical. It is about being there and being attentive.
That is really what we are going to talk about today. God’s presence.
Main Point: God’s indwelling presence will always sustain His people
Main Point: God’s indwelling presence will always sustain His people
Pray
Make every effort to come to me soon, because Demas has deserted me, since he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works. Watch out for him yourself because he strongly opposed our words.
At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus has remained at Corinth; I left Trophimus sick at Miletus. Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.
God’s Presence Sustains:
When you are removed from God’s people
Whole letter/v. 16a
When people close abandon God
v. 10a
When God sends people out
v. 10b, 12
When the world bears down on you
vs. 14-17
Paul, removed from God’s people
Paul, removed from God’s people
Where do we see this? Well there is a reason this is a letter. It is Paul writing a letter to the young Pastor Timothy who he has been discipling over a number of years. It is a letter because Paul is in prison because of the Gospel.
He has been forcibly taken from the place he wants to be (amongst God’s people) and put in a prison cell.
The letter we are reading now, is likely the last thing Paul wrote before His execution for the sake of the Gospel.
And in our passage we read you can hear this tone of hardship that spills through.
Looking at verse 16 Paul says at his first defense, at his first trial he was alone. No one stood by him. Now he doesn’t give a reason as to why so its bad to assume it was for negative reasons…all we know is that Paul was alone.
…or was he?
Paul in fact was not alon
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
We are going to come back to that answer let’s get through our other points first.
Paul, who’s friend abandons God
Paul, who’s friend abandons God
The first person Paul mentions here is Demas. We don’t know much of anything about Demas. This verse gives us the most information about him. Paul mentions him twice in earlier letters simply saying “Demas sends greetings..” and then we have this.
What we do see that Paul makes clear is there is a difference between Demas’ leaving and the leaving of the other people mentioned after. It is not just that Demas left but that “since he loved this present world...”
This leaving isn’t because he had other ministry to attend to but rather he loved this world....and that is not a good thing. This is Demas leaving God because he loves this present age.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
Paul....sitting in prison, has now also had a friend…abandon the faith.
Paul, alone as others are sent out
Paul, alone as others are sent out
Now the rest of the list of people here (aside from Alexander who we will get to) are people who are not longer beside Paul, however are still in the faith. We see Crescens, Titus, Mark, Tychicus , Carpus, Prisca and Aquila, Erastus, Trophimus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia
All these people in other places not with Paul. We see they are not condemned for this....why? Because Paul recognizes the LORD is sending and using His people far beyond what Paul’s eyes can see.
We see the faithfulness of God to continue His mission with other believers around the world.
Despite this great truth, Paul a human, is still alone.
Paul, with the world bearing down on him
Paul, with the world bearing down on him
Paul mentions a man named Alexander the Coppersmith. We only know that Alexander did great harm to Paul and that Timothy should be on guard for him.
It is not only Alexander who is opposing Paul but remember Paul is in chains facing trials that could, and will fact lead to his death sentence.
Paul describes this just a bit earlier in 2 Timothy as him being poured out as a drink offering...
Now, at some point or another we have all been in at least one of these moments. I can say for certain the fact that you are listening to me right now is because we are all experiencing the first point....a separation from the people of God…sure not because of persecution but because of a virus.
And whether this, or abandonment by friends, God sending close people to other parts of the world for ministry, or if you feel as though the world is coming down on you....we have all experience this feeling of being alone.
And I must admit, I to some degree, haven’t been fully honest here. Because Paul was not ever alone.
Despite Paul’s imprisonment, abandonment of the faith by Demas, being left by ministry partners, and facing down the Roman trials....there was a thing that sustained Paul.
He says in
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
Now when Paul talks about the Lord standing with him or being present with him....he is not saying it the way we often have a memory of a loved one who has passed away and say they are “with us” speaking about the memory of them is with us.
Paul is speaking to the actual presence of God being with him.
As Christians we know we have the presence of God because of the Holy Spirit that indwells and resides within each follower of Christ.
I won’t read all of it now but I would encourage you after this, with your families to read and reflect on (Chapters 14-16)
But just to walk you through...
In Jesus says if you have seen me you have seen the Father, and I am in the Father and He is in Me.
He moves to speak of the promise of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity.
Jesus says the world, those not following God, they cannot receive the Spirit because they do not know Him but turns to the Disciples and says you will receive the Spirit because you know Him…how? Because Jesus as the Disciple saw the Father because they saw Jesus, they know the Spirit because they know Jesus.
Jesus then tells the Disciples He is leaving but says I am not leaving you as orphans…why? Because you are receiving the Spirit, you are receiving the presence of God.
He says, when I leave, I am not giving you fear but rather I am giving you my peace....a peace that will sustain you when they cast you out of the synagogues and bear down on you. And you will have this peace because you have my presence
So when Paul, going through all that we just covered, says that the Lord stood with me…he is speaking of this great presence of God. This indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is not a memory but the actual presence of God, attentive and active in every situation. Because Paul said the Lord strengthened him and enabled him to preach the whole Gospel.
So where we originally saw:
Paul, Removed from God’s people
Paul, who’s friend abandons God
Paul, alone as others are sent out
Paul, with the world bearing down on him
we can see that the very presence of God changes everything.
God’s Presence Sustains:
When you are removed from God’s people
Whole letter/v. 16a
When people close abandon God
v. 10a
When God sends people out
v. 10b, 12
When the world bears down on you
vs. 14-17
I, finally, want us to reflect just how the hopefulness of one verse…where we see how in a dire situation, that the presence of God changes everything....including our outlook.
Paul, in all of this also knows that he is soon going to be executed because of his faith. And yet knowing this full well Paul writes:
The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
Brothers and sisters, in this time, the LORD has stripped much away. Many of the things we fill our time with and distract ourselves with have been pulled away. Quite literally even something as simple as leaving your house have been stripped from us for the most part.
And let me tell you, many of us now find ourselves uncomfortable because we realize we are uncomfortable being in the presence of God because we have neglected it so long.
And yet this thing that we have neglected for so long…is the only thing that will sustain you through this season.
If you are listening to this, and you are not a follower of Christ....in this season you do not have the presence of God and do not therefore have His peace....Can I tell you that you can. Follow Christ today. Abandon sin as it has never brought you presence or peace but follow Jesus today. Receive the presence and peace of God. If that’s you and you want to follow Christ, reach out to Renaissance Church by......