9.10.8 "Experiencing the Presence of God"

"Experiencing the Presence of God"

Isaiah 6:1-7:25
2 Corinthians 11:16-33
Psalm 54:1-7
Proverbs 23:1-3

"In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord!....the Temple was filled with his glory... In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory.' Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to it's foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke." (Is. 6:1-4)

This is a familiar portion of scripture. We've heard it many times. We sing songs that come from it: "Holy, Holy, Holy", "I see the Lord", "Here Am I, Send me", and several others.

Experiencing the presence of God. When's the last time you REALLY sensed the presence of God? What was it like? Do you realize that God is omnipresent? that means he's everywhere all the time. The difference is, we don't always see him. Our eyes are not opened to HIs presence. Wherever you are right now, God is there. Depending on the circumstances of life, our eyes become clouded to that fact, and we don't see his glory.

We gather regularly for corporate worship, and we celebrate what he's done in our lives, but too many times, we are routine about the process, and don't focus in on the presence of God. He desires to reveal himself to us, but our cares and encumbrances are clouding us from what's really important. We miss the point.

At the risk of sounding cynical, too many times it's like this:

"I saw the Lord! He was sitting on a lofty throne... actually I wish they hadn't built it so high... it's a little uncomfortable to look at from where I'm sitting... Hovering about him were angels.... I'm not sure choreography is appropriate here.... they sang, 'Holy, Holy, Holy'... I really think they should have picked a different song, we sing that one too much... Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations.... This music is way too loud! Somebody's going to hear about this!... and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke... this stuff makes me cough, it's totally inappropriate at this time!"

The point is lost. Too often we come into his presence to "get" something out of it, not to worship him in the splendor of his glory.

Do you wanna know what the response to seeing God is? "Then I said, 'My doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race'". (Is 6:5) Looking at God in His majesty reduces us of ours. We gain a proper perspective of who we are and what we deserve. Coming into the light of his presence causes the stain of our sin to become apparent. Maybe that's why we pull back from his presence. We don't want to go there. But how else can he cleanse us? "He touched my lips with it and said, 'Now you are pronounced "Not guilty" ... Your sins are all forgiven.'" (Is 6:7) We need to experience his presence to be purified in him.

That's not all. In the presence of God, our eyes become open to the needs of those around us. "Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go?' And I said, 'Lord, I'll go! Send ME.'" (Is 6:8)

We are people who are always looking for direction. "What should I do with my life?" "What career should I have?" "I have no direction..." Those questions are all around us. People looking for purpose. For guidance. When the priority of the Presence of God is in place, the proper progression exists for God to speak. We must see his glory, respond accordingly, be purified, and respond to his call. For some reason we think that as we mature in Christ, we can bypass these steps. It ain't so!

The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is all about opening our eyes to the presence of God, being purified, and obeying his direction. We need this formula to live the DREAM. We need it to live a fulfilled life.

Whether you're in personal devotional time, or corporate worship, close your eyes to the distractions around (angels, etc) and look for God. He desires to reveal His presence to you more than you know. What you "get" out of worship will be life changing!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ