The Power Of God's Presence
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Introduction
Introduction
Today is our communion Sunday.
Explain how it is different.
PRAY
This year we are working our way through Psalm 23.
We are taking it one small piece at a time.
Today we arrive at the beginning of verse 4.
Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
As we contemplate the idea of God being with us through the trials of life, watch this short video with me.
VIDEO - 2:07
God is good.
He is with us every step of the way.
It is this idea of the presence of God that lies behind all of Psalm 23.
The video we just watched explained how God’s presence is what gives us safety and security in the midst of the raging storm.
God never promises us smooth sailing on the seas of life.
He promises that He will be with us in the storm.
When faced with trials and difficulties we must rest in the power of God’s presence.
In trial, in difficulty, our faith is tested.
We will not be able to endure with our faith intact unless we depend on the Lord.
What David writes here reminds us why we can trust the presence of God.
In Hebrews 13:5 God’s promise to Israel is repeated to the Church.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
He will never leave us. He will never forsake us.
There is power in the presence of God.
To rest in Him, we must learn three lessons about the presence of God.
Lesson #1…
1. God’s Presence Is Necessary
1. God’s Presence Is Necessary
When we make a statement like this, it often gives rise to a question.
That question is this…
Why is God’s presence necessary?
We’ve said it is necessary, now we have to prove it.
The first line of verse 4 says this.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”
This presents us with the demand for God’s presence.
We need the presence of God because we are faced with circumstances and situations that are beyond us!
When I am walking through the valley of the shadow of death, I need to know that there is a bigger purpose behind what I am enduring.
Paul writes 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 to give us hope when we face the reality of death.
Go there with me.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
These words bring comfort because they remind us of the big picture.
Death is not the end!
Death is an imposter that was defeated at the Cross of Christ!
When we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death we need be reminded of who our God is!
We also need to understand that every single one of us is going to walk this valley.
NKJV has “though I walk.”
Most other translations have “even though.”
The point is not that there is doubt about being in the valley of the shadow of death.
The point is, how will we walk that valley?
Will we walk in faith or in fear?
Some of us have walked through this valley with friends, family members, and loved ones.
Some of us have faced the threat of death ourselves.
We all will or have walked the valley of the shadow of death.
It is a shadow that hangs over our entire lives, from birth until death.
That’s why we need the presence of God.
Death is something that we all must walk through.
Notice, two things here.
First.
Walk - facing the shadow of death is a journey, not a one time event.
The process of grief takes time!
It takes time before death and time after death.
Give yourself the time necessary to walk through the valley.
Second.
Through - the valley of the shadow of death has an end.
For some this will be when a loved one dies. Then it is no longer the shadow, but the reality.
For others it is when we ourselves face death.
One thing all of us have in common is the ultimate end of the valley.
We mentioned it already but let me just state it again.
Death is a defeated foe!
Revelation 21:4
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
There shall be no more death!
It is going to end! We will make it through the valley.
We make it through the valley with God’s presence and the promise that one day we will stand in His presence.
God’s presence is necessary because we cannot face the trials of life alone.
God’s presence enables us to face death with our faith intact.
Our God is sovereign, He is holy, He is loving, He is good.
Rest in His presence and endure.
Sing with me
“What Love My God” (vv. 1-2)
We need the presence of God.
Christ endured rejection, He was despised, yet He rose in victory.
He is our rock of strength and righteousness.
We see that clearly in verse 4 as we continue and learn lesson #2.
Lesson #1. God’s presence is necessary.
Lesson #2…
2. God’s Presence Gives Courage
2. God’s Presence Gives Courage
We need God’s presence because the circumstances of life are often more than we can bear on our own.
But.
What Does God’s Presence Accomplish?
The next phrase in verse 4 is this.
“I will fear no evil.”
Even in the valley of the shadow of death, David will fear no evil because God is with Him.
The interesting thing about this phrase is that it is a statement.
This is an “I will” statement.
An “I will” statement marks a decision.
This communicates that fear is a choice we make.
We already saw that Hebrews promises us the continued presence of God.
He is going to be with us.
Will we choose to trust Him?
Will we choose not to fear?
In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul writes this…
2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
This is an objective statement of reality.
Any spirit of fear in us does not come from God.
Because fear does not come from God, it can only come from two other sources.
The flesh, or the devil.
The choice not to fear is the choice to live in the power, love, and sound mind that come from God.
It is the choice to walk in the Spirit.
Fear robs us of power.
Fear steals our ability to love.
Fear clouds our thinking and our judgement.
God has not given us a spirit of fear.
God’s presence gives us courage.
We don’t fear evil, we walk in the fear of the Lord.
"I will fear no evil.”
This statement both presupposes and implies the presence of evil.
Beloved, we have an enemy.
Satan, the father of lies, the enemy of God and deceiver of man, satan stands against us.
Do not fear him.
Why not? We’ll get there in just a moment.
Let me make an important point of application.
It doesn’t matter what kind of valley you are in.
Death, joblessness, addiction, marriage trouble, rebellious children, inability to have children.
No matter what valley you are in, it is possible to live without fear!
Even in the presence of great evil, we can live without fear.
How do we do that?
1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
The more we fall in love with Jesus, the less fear we have.
God’s presence makes fear impossible.
How can we fear when Jesus is near?
Psalm 27:1 says this…
Psalm 27:1
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
When we rest in God’s presence, fear is impossible.
Sing with me…
“What Love My God” (v. 3)
God is present with us because of His great love.
Christ took our sin to the Cross.
He bore our debt of sin.
He gave His life for us.
He is with us always.
That is the lesson the final phrase we will look at today teaches.
Lesson #1. God’s presence is necessary.
Lesson #2. God’s presence gives courage.
Lesson #3…
3. God’s Presence Is Guaranteed
3. God’s Presence Is Guaranteed
The third phrase in verse 4 says this.
“For You are with me.”
This phrase presents us with another question.
Can God’s presence be trusted?
Do we really believe that God is with us?
Do we really believe that He will never leave us and never forsake us?
David declares the presence of God as his reason for fearless living.
Do we share His reason?
Are we living in faith?
Or.
Are we living in fear?
“I will fear no evil; for You are with me.”
How does David know that God is with him?
To get the answer to that question, you will need to come to communion Sunday on July 11th.
We fear no evil because He is with us.
There is very, very important lesson here.
The presence of Jesus eliminates fear.
(repeat)
Therefore.
If we are living in fear we are not living in the presence of Jesus!
(repeat)
What would cause a child of God to fail to live in the presence of Jesus?
Sin.
Sin separates us from God!
Sin damages our relationship with Him!
Until the relationship is restored, we cannot know the peace of God’s presence!
How do we restore the relationship?
1 John 1:9. We confess our sin.
When we confess, our loving and gracious heavenly Father always forgives.
Sin separates us from God and leaves us unable to live in the presence of God.
That is when fear overwhelmed us.
But.
Once sin is dealt with, fear can be dealt with.
David walks through the valley of the shadow of death and fears no evil because he is living in the presence of God!
All over Scripture we find promises of God’s presence.
These promises start at the very beginning.
Genesis 26:24; 28:15; Isaiah 41:10; 43:5; Jeremiah 1:8, 19; 15:20; Matthew 28:19-20.
Genesis 26:24 (NKJV)
24 “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you.”
Genesis 28:15 (NKJV)
15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Isaiah 43:5 (NKJV)
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.
19 They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”
Jeremiah 15:20 (NKJV)
20 And they will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you,” says the Lord.
And finally, the promise of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ right before His ascension.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
God’s presence is guaranteed.
Even in the valley of the shadow of death, we have no reason to fear, because our Good Shepherd is with us.
Are you overcome with fear today?
Rest in the presence of Jesus.
Our loving Father will never leave us and never forsake us.
God’s presence brings comfort and strength.
To experience that comfort and strength, we must believe in what He has done.
We must believe His presence.
We must make the same decision as David.
I will fear no evil; for You are with me.
Sign with me…
“What Love My God” (v. 4)
Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
This is a time for believers to remember the price that was paid. To be reminded of the penalty of sin. Taking part of communion does not save you. This is simply a way for us to be reminded of what Christ has done. If you know the Lord as savior this morning, please join us in bread and juice as we remember Jesus Christ. These are only symbols, they represent the body and blood of our Savior. Examination – verses 26-32
OBSERVANCE OF COMMUNION
OBSERVANCE OF COMMUNION
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
The Bread (His Body) vv. 23-24 #526 “All That Thrills My Soul” (chorus only)
The Cup (His Blood) v. 25 #542 “When We All Get To Heaven” (chorus only)
Conclusion
Conclusion
There is power in the presence of God.
His presence in our lives gives us peace, courage, comfort, strength, and so much more.
The presence of God is necessary.
In our own strength we will never be able to stand against the storms of life.
Trials and difficulties will bring us down.
But.
When we rest in the presence of Jesus, we find refuge no matter how the storm rages.
The presence of God gives courage.
When I rely on my own strength I always find it insufficient.
Sometimes it seems like the tiniest inconvenience can overwhelm me.
But.
When we rest in the presence of Jesus, He gives boldness to face any trial.
The presence of God is guaranteed.
Every human being we have ever known is going to let us down.
Not Jesus.
When we rest in the presence of Jesus we will never be disappointed!
He is always with us.
Here is the one commitment that I want us all to make.
COMMITMENT
I will rest in the presence of Jesus.
What does that mean?
To rest in the power of Jesus means we choose to trust Him no matter what.
When there is cause to fear, choose faith.
When trials and troubles threaten to overwhelm, dive into the comfort of Scripture.
When disappointment begins to crush, take refuge in the body of Christ.
Rest in the power of God’s presence.