01-16-2022 - Sermon - Where God's Presence is Present

OPENING

We are continuing today with our sermon series, “Fitting the Pieces Together.” Two weeks ago, we talked about how each of us are Living Stones, being built up by God into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to Him. Last week we defined our mission statement as, “Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known.” I asked you to join me in making a commitment to know Jesus more in 2022 and to draw closer to Him. And to also let the dust of the Rabbi, Jesus Christ, and His Word, become such a part of who we are that we can’t help but get some of that dust on others when we come in contact with them, so that we can reach as many people as possible in 2022 with the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Now that we know our mission, we are going to set our vision. Remember our vision defines the intended results of our mission. Our vision is going to define what, I believe, God is wanting to accomplish through Farm Hill Church. This is not just my vision. I believe this is God’s vision for us.

We are going to begin today with our first vision statement, to be a church “Where the Presence of God is Present.” In other words, this should be a dwelling place of the presence and the Spirit of God. That when people walk through the doors, or when they drive up in the parking lot, or even when they just drive by or walk by on the road, that they can feel that there is something different about this place. That they can sense the power and the anointing of the Holy Ghost. That they can sense that there are some people here who are passionate about Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known. That they are drawn to this place, like a moth to a flame. Not because of who we are, but because of who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and what He can do for them! And because the true fire of the Holy Ghost is here! Not a fake fire! But a true fire! Not just a form of Godliness! But the true power of the Holy Spirit to back it up!

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 18:19–20 NKJV

19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

MESSAGE

I just feel like something good is about to happen! I just feel like something good is on its way! I sense in my spirit that God is ready to begin to do some great and mighty things in our midst! I feel like God is fitting the pieces together! I feel like God is gathering some Living Stones and placing us together to be a church where His Spirit dwells! But there are a few things that we must make sure are happening in us first in order for this to become a reality.

If Two of You Shall Agree

In our Scripture text this morning, Jesus begins by saying that our Heavenly Father will hear and answer our prayers when we can get at least two people to agree together on what they are asking for. Therefore, in order for the presence of God to be present in our church, we must have agreement or unity with one another. In Acts Chapter 2, right before the Holy Ghost fell on the 120 believers gathered in the upper room, the Bible says that they were in “one accord.” That doesn’t mean they were all crammed in the same car. Some of you got it. Some of you will get it later when you’re on the way home. It means that they were in agreement. They were gathered together for the same purpose and were united in their desire to experience a move of God. The Bible also tells us:

Psalm 133:1 NKJV

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is good and pleasing to the Lord when we are operating in unity with each other. Jesus said, if we can get at least two believers to agree together, God will pay attention and show up! We will be a powerful church, because His presence will be present.

When we as a church get in agreement with each other and become unified in a Christ-centered mission and vision, the gates of hell cannot prevail against us!

Where Two or Three are Gathered Together in Jesus’ Name

It doesn’t take a huge crowd to make a powerful church! Jesus said that where two or three are gathered together in His name, He will be in the midst of them. That tells me that Jesus loves small churches just like He loves the big ones! That tells me that Jesus is here with us right now, because I believe that we have way more than two or three that are gathered together here today in His name!

Gathering together in His name is absolutely essential! We can gather for all kinds of reasons. But unless we are gathered together in His name, it is not the type of church Jesus wants to build. Gathering together in His name means that we are known by Him and His name. That brings us back to "Knowing Jesus and Making Jesus Known.” Gathering together in His name also means that He is the central focus of our meeting. In other words, when we gather, we are to gather around Jesus.

When we do this, Jesus promised to be in the midst of us. He didn’t say that He would only be up front where the preacher is at, or where the worship team is at. He said He would be in the midst of us, right in the middle of us. That means that the Spirit and presence of God is available to as many that want to experience it. We don’t have to depend on a high priest to enter God’s presence for us. I love our Catholic friends, but we don’t need a Pope to be a mediator between us and God. Jesus Christ himself is now our Great High Priest and He is the only Mediator and Intercessor we need to approach God’s throne and experience His presence!

You need to realize that you hold the key to the moving and operating of the presence of God! Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven. You can bind or quench the Spirit of God by walking in here with the wrong attitude. By refusing to participate in praise and worship. By refusing to accept and respond to the Word of God. But you can also loose the Spirit of God by walking in here with the right attitude. By coming together in unity with your brothers and sisters across the aisle and gathering together in the name of Jesus! If you’ll do that I promise you the songs will sound sweeter! You won’t be hardly able to contain yourself waiting in anticipation for Jaxon to take up the tithes and offering so that you can give! You’ll get engaged in the service by offering your praise and worship to the God who redeemed you! And God’s presence will be present in our midst!

When we get at least two or three people together, who are in unity, and who are gathered in Jesus’ name, God’s presence will be present!

Three Areas We Need to Focus On

There are three areas that we need to focus on to make sure we are a church “Where God’s Presence is Present:” Prayer, Praise, and Preaching.

A House of Prayer

Jesus said that His house should be called a “House of Prayer.”

Matthew 21:13 NKJV

13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

Jesus says this after turning over tables and running some people out of the Temple because they were using God’s House to take advantage of people financially in order to make a profit. But the message that Jesus makes here is clear. His house should be known as a house of prayer. That means, as a church, we must make prayer our priority. In order to be a church “Where the Presence of God is Present,” we must begin with making it a house of prayer.

I don’t care how much you and I have been praying lately; we need to be praying more. God desires the prayers of His people. He wants us to ask, seek, and knock for the things that we need. He wants us to spend time talking to Him. He wants us to spend time listening for His voice when He speaks to us.

Prayer gets God’s attention. God hears the prayers of His people. And He will answer our prayers according to His will. But we need to pray humbly.

2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV 1900

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

We also must prayer fervently, or with some fire or passion.

James 5:16 KJV 1900

16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

We need some prayer warriors who know how to touch Heaven. Who have spent some time in a prayer closet. Who have been in contact with God. If we’ll start spending some time on our knees in prayer to God, we will be a church “Where the Presence of God is Present.”

A House of Praise

We also need to be known as a House of Praise. I still believe like the old timer’s used to say: “When the praises go up, the Glory comes down.” In other words, when we, as Living Stones, begin to offer up some spiritual sacrifices of praise to God, the presence of the Holy Spirit is sure to be present.

But an attitude of praise starts before we ever walk through the door.

Psalm 100:4 NKJV

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

I think some people make up in their mind before they even come to church that they are not going to praise. “I just don’t feel like it today. It’s been a rough week. I think I’ll just sit back and listen.” Yeah, well what they don’t realize is that their praise might be the key to their breakthrough. I’ve seen people healed during song service because they started praising God and the power of the Holy Spirit came on them. Nobody had to lay hands of them. Nobody anointed them with oil. They just made the decision that they were going to let their praise be a vehicle to get them into the presence of God.

Some people say, “Well I just don’t have anything to praise God for.” I don’t know who these people are that I keep talking about or where they go to church, but they need to read their Bible. The Bible says:

Psalm 150:6 NKJV

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Now I know that you must have breath because you managed to get here today and plop down on that pew. If you have breath, then you have something to praise God for! So, give me two or three who are gathered together in Jesus’ name today who will dare to jump up on their feet, lift their hands toward heaven, and offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, and I’ll promise you that we’ll be a church “Where the Presence of God is Present!”

A House of Preaching

We also need to be known as a House of Preaching. In order for God’s presence to be present, the truth of the Word of God must be preached. Now I’m talking about me, but I’m not just talking about me. I’m talking about you as well. To the children’s ministry leaders, and the youth group leaders, and the small group leaders, and the worship leaders; those Living Stones who have not yet taken their place in the building that God is building, but soon will; we must be a church where the truth of the Word of God is practiced and proclaimed!

We can’t start adding to or taking away from God’s Word. We can’t water it down to make it say what we want it to say so it fits the lifestyle we want to live. We have to let God’s Word speak for itself. We simply live and proclaim what it says. God’s Word will get you to heaven. Someone’s opinions about what God’s Word should say will carry you strait to hell. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.

As long as you decide to keep me as your Pastor, I’m going to make sure that what is preached and proclaimed from behind this pulpit is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Not because I said it. But because we are not afraid to preach the unadulterated, unchanged, unfiltered, life-changing, living, breathing, Spirit-filled, Word of Almighty God!

CLOSING

I just feel like something good is about to happen! I just feel like something good is on its way! The Holy Spirit is wanting to move. The Holy Spirit is wanting to bring some dead things back to life. He is wanting to restore the anointing and presence of God back in the House of God.

We read in 1 Samuel Chapter 4 where the Philistines defeated Israel in battle and captured the Ark of the Covenant. Eli was the high priest at this time. He had two evil sons, Hophni and Phinehas who were killed in the battle. When Eli received the news, he fell over backwards and died as well. Phinehas’ wife was with child and when she heard the news about her husband, Eli, and the Ark she went into labor. When the baby was born it was a boy and she named him “Ichabod” meaning, “The Glory is departed from Israel.” In other words, she felt that the presence of God was no longer present with Israel because the Ark was gone and Eli, the high priest, was dead.

Sadly, there are a lot of churches out there today where the presence of God is just simply not present. They might was well write “Ichabod” over the door. The Glory of the Lord might have been present at one time, but it is no longer there. Why? My guess is that somewhere along the line, they stopped being a House of Prayer. They stopped being a House of Praise. They stopped being a House where the truth of the Word of God is preached. And God has left the building. He is not going to stay where He is not welcome. And His presence is not going to be found where there is no true prayer, praise, or preaching.

But if two or three will gather together in Jesus’ name, He’ll be in the midst! His presence will be present! Will you catch this vision for Farm Hill Church with me! Will you commit to making this a House of Prayer? Will you commit to humble, spiritual, fervent prayer? Will you pray for revival? Will you pray for a harvest of souls? Will you pray for spiritual and numerical growth? Will you commit to making this a House of Praise? Where spiritual sacrifices of praise are lifted up to God every service? Will you commit to making this a House of Preaching? Will you join with me to ensure that this church is known as a church where the truth of God’s Word is proclaimed? That we are not known as a church that tries to make the Bible fit our lifestyles, but we seek for our lifestyles to fit the Word of God? Will you help me make sure that this is a place that is not known as “Ichabod: the Glory of the Lord has departed,” but that it is known as a place “Where the Presence of God is Present?”

ALTAR CALL

I’m not going to give a traditional altar call. I’m simply just going to call you to the altar. As many as will, I would love for you to come around the front and pray. If you can’t or don’t want to come up front, please make an altar where you are. I believe we could all spend some time in prayer this morning. Who knows, this morning might be the beginning of a breakthrough and a spiritual revival. Who knows, the presence of God might show up and shake the foundations of the building like He did in Acts Chapter 4 that we read last week. I just feel like something good is about to happen! And brothers and sisters, it could be this very day! Find you an altar and let’s pray!