Disruptive Glory

Okay, so guys, today I want to talk about a topic that came up when Chad was praying

for the church.

Praful, am I holding it the right way and at the right distance?

Just one sec guys, we've got to measure this.

So this came up when Chad was praying and he talked about us being so moved, so directed

by the glory of God and nothing else.

And so if you want a title for what we're going to talk about today and perhaps for

at least another week, it's disruptive glory, disruptive glory.

That's the title, disruptive glory.

Because when Chad was praying at the end he said, oh God, may we be so caught up in bringing

you glory just like it used to be in the days of old when your glory alone was sufficient

and Moses would not be able to minister, the priests would not be able to minister and

disrupt our lives with your glory.

And so felt that one of the things we should talk about is disruptive glory.

Disruptive, disruptive glory.

Don't learn how to share with Phoebe please.

Disruptive glory.

Yeah?

So guys, how we define it is glory has three main components.

Glory has three main parts.

Glory has three main parts and so here goes.

The first part, if you look at the Old Testament and the New Testament you'll find that glory

can be divided into these three main parts.

The first part is the dazzling brightness or splendor of God.

The dazzling brightness or splendor of God.

The dazzling brightness or splendor of God is often referred to as glory in the New Testament

and the Old Testament.

So you read passages like Exodus 19, verse 16 to 19 and you see that God came in amazing

Exodus 19:16–19

glory.

So let's read these passages.

There's a lot of reading to do today.

Exodus 19, 16 to 19.

It says that on the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning with a thick

cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast.

Everyone in the camp trembled.

Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God and they stood at the foot

of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord descended on it in fire.

The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace.

The whole mountain trembled violently and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder.

Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered.

So there is that part of God's glory which is dazzling brightness and splendor.

Then there is glory that is His great power and strength.

His great power and strength.

His great power and strength.

And you find that in passages like Psalm 105 verse 27 to 45 where it talks about how God

Psalms 105:27–45

led Israel out of Egypt with displays of strength and power where it became the reason why Yahweh

was given much glory not just by Israel but by the Egyptians who released them to go and

by neighboring nations that kept a healthy distance because He delivered them by an outstretched

arm and a mighty hand or a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.

And so there is this aspect of glory that is attributed to His great power and strength.

And then the third part is majesty and honor.

Majesty and honor.

Majesty and honor.

Majesty and honor.

And that's what you read in scriptures like Isaiah 6, 1-6.

Isaiah 6, 1-6 is another scripture where you see that where I saw the king seated on his

throne, the train of his robe filled the temple and that is the idea of majesty and honor.

Very often what happens is in us as Christians there is a soulish hunger after the first

one the dazzling brightness and splendor and in our soulish hunger for brightness and splendor

and dazzle we forget that there are two aspects besides that to God's glory and so we miss

out on this in our pursuit of this.

And I'd say all three apply and we should hold them all together, not separate them.

So disruptive glory, what disruptive glory does is disruptive glory and why call it disruptive

glory?

Why not just call it glory?

I call it disruptive glory because disruptive glory draws a distinction, draws a distinction

between the one true God, between the one true God and all else.

The one true God and all else.

He disrupts what is normal and he makes it very obvious that he alone is God and nobody

else is.

And you see this in the Old Testament and the New Testament where you see God being

disruptive when he brings forth his glory in Egypt and through the ten plagues makes

Ra and every other Egyptian God bow down and all the Egyptians acknowledge that Israel's

God is God alone.

You take the journey through the wilderness and you come to Sinai and you see that this

God is called the dread of Jacob and the nations around fear him for he can do mighty

things like opening the Red Sea and completely drowning Pharaoh and his army bringing to

their knees one of the mightiest empires that existed in the world at that time.

You look at Carmel and you see Elijah and the prophets of Baal, 850 of them and there's

a disruptive glory that appears in the form of fire falling from heaven and it creates

a distinction between who is Yahweh and who is Baal and it's settled once forever bringing

a nation that had slipped into apostasy back into worshipping the true God.

You go to Matthew 17 and you climb up with Peter, James and John to the Mount of Transfiguration

and you see a revelation of who Christ is in his glory and once again there is a distinction

where this is no ordinary man, this is the son of God himself and Elijah and Moses come

and begin to talk with him and there is a voice from heaven saying this is my son like

no other.

Disruptive glory when a church gets a hang of it is the kind of glory that makes it obvious

that their God is God alone.

So much so that in 1 Peter 1, 18 or 2 Peter 1, 18 actually Peter is saying that listen

we are not spinning fables and telling you stories, we are telling you what our eyes

beheld on that mountain and when we heard from on high from the majesty we heard that

this son of mine is my begotten and my beloved, listen to him.

Then you go to Revelation 1 and John is on Patmos and you see once again the glory of

the risen Christ being revealed in Revelation 1 where he appears his eyes blazing like fire,

his feet burning brass, his voice like mighty waterfall, no other, no other is able to stand

up against him.

You go to Revelation 4 and the heavens are open and you hear Jesus saying come up higher

and as John begins to see he sees a scene from heaven where elders and angels fall before

the one who is risen and who alone is God and his glory is like a thousand different

gems with rainbow and in all hues and colors and below his feet is a sapphire glass like

surface and they bow before him and they begin to worship very naturally because what else

can you say when you behold the one true God you end up saying yours is the kingdom, yours

is the power, yours is the majesty, yours is the honor and this is what Chad was talking

about when he prayed on Christmas Eve saying oh God we want to walk in this glory so that

we may give you the honor and majesty because when people see what God can be through us

honor and majesty is given back to him.

The thing is guys why is it that we don't experience this or haven't experienced it

like we should and it's a horrible truth that I'm going to tell you that we cannot live

this year right?

At least I don't plan to live this year with this next statement that I'm going to make.

The reason we don't experience this kind of glory is because we try to accommodate

his glory.

We try to accommodate his glory.

We try to accommodate his glory.

It's like okay we got a service, we got our lives, we got the way we need to do church,

we got to do our business this way, we got to run our family this way, we like the idea

of your glory, we will make room for it, we will accommodate your glory.

Here's the thing about God's glory, you cannot accommodate his glory, you can only be foolish

and surrender to it.

You cannot accommodate his glory.

There is no worship service that can accommodate his glory.

You can only be foolish and surrender to it and this church throughout this year will

be foolish and surrender to the glory of God.

We will do nothing to accommodate it.

We will not give him half an hour, we will not give him one hour, we will not give him

ten minutes, we will not cause things to change so that his little desires can be accommodated.

It is either all or none.

You cannot accommodate his glory, you can only be foolish and surrender to it.

You have to be foolish if you want to surrender to it.

And if you surrender to it, he will deconstruct your present infrastructure.

If you surrender to it, he will deconstruct your present infrastructure.

He will deconstruct all that you've neatly planned with godly wisdom because glory trumps

godly wisdom.

What do you mean glory trumps godly wisdom?

It is the presence, the majesty, the honor, the dazzling splendor, the power and the strength

of God present amongst the people.

You think that what you learned yesterday is sufficient to have you run tomorrow?

If we surrender, he'll deconstruct our present infrastructure and I want him to.

Because we have not gone this way before guys, where we are going we haven't gone before.

Joshua chapter 3 verse 4, God actually says to Joshua, Joshua as they carry the ark, make

Joshua 3:4

sure there's a 2000 feet distance between you and the ark because you haven't gone this

way before so keep sufficient distance.

Watch where the ark is going as they carry it, as I direct them, watch where it's going

and keep a distance.

One of the things I want to do and I'll let you know that by tomorrow is have us engage

in seven days of surrendering to God's glory.

Night after night after night after night for seven days.

Not a worship service, not a church service but some form where you can participate where

the beginning of the year we say to God, Father we have no desire to accommodate your glory,

we're going to surrender to it.

Be disruptive, deconstruct our infrastructure.

We surrender to it, we want to be foolish so that their world may be attracted to the

only one who they should be attracted to through us.

And I'll tell you about it once we know exactly what God wants.

Another word used in the Bible, I can't get away from the simple statement that the reason

we do not experience his glory is because we are always trying to accommodate it as

in here is someone who's massive, we got a service to run, it'll take about two hours

according to what Derek prayed today and we just want to make sure that you get your time

to do you want to change the song?

You think changing a song is glory?

It is to be completely surrendered and foolish where you have no say in the matter because

he alone is God and he runs everything.

This is how Jesus used to live and you think it applies to a two and a half hour service?

It applies to my entire life, my finances, my business, my marriage, my home, my family.

It applies to everything, applies to parenting.

Oh God, I surrender to your glory.

Guys, just think of it when the Ark of the Covenant moved into Obeid Edom's home, there

was not a part of Obeid Edom's home that was not touched by the absolute glory of God.

What does it look like?

For this reason we have arrived at this moment.

Pastor Mike was saying that we've crossed over and we've come into a place of legacy

where if we can show what this looks like others will have shoulders to jump off instead

of having to start from scratch.

Another word for glory in the Bible that you often see or you hear preachers preach it

because the word actually does not exist.

It's Shekinah.

You've heard of Shekinah glory and the word Shekinah by itself is not really something

that the Bible uses.

In fact, whenever it talks about the glory of the Lord in the Old Testament they call

it Kabod Adonai.

Kabod is glory, Adonai is Lord.

Kabod Adonai and when it comes to the New Testament it talks about Doxa.

Doxa meaning glory and Kurian meaning Lord.

My brother-in-law will be very excited that the glory of the Lord means Doxa Kurian because

his last name is Kurian.

Anyways Doxa Kurian is the glory of the Lord and the strange thing is Shekinah, the first

instance of it is in Genesis chapter 3 verse 23.

Genesis 3:23

Genesis 3, 23.

Genesis chapter 3 verse 23 and it says that,

Genesis 3:23

We have always assumed that he placed there an angel with a sword.

That's not true.

What it is saying there is that at the entrance was an angel, a cherubim, who's almost, cherubims

are almost always associated with the glory of God.

You'll see it in Ezekiel, you'll see it in Isaiah, cherubim, wherever cherubim appear

you know there is the glory of God.

But it is that there was an angel there and there was a flaming sword and that is the

first time you get an idea of the Shekinah as in the dazzling blazing brilliance of God

that cannot be gone past unless he allows it.

It starts with this idea of a flaming sword and if you go to Genesis 15, 17 and someone

was reading from Genesis 15 today, Genesis 15, 17 you see another instance of God's glory

and this time it was to establish a covenant and you read that when the sun had set and

darkness had fallen a smoking fire pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between

the pieces.

The idea of a flaming torch once again the Shekinah.

What does Shekinah really mean?

Shekinah means the one who dwells.

Isn't that such a beautiful term man?

When you think of Shekinah you're saying Shekinah basically means the one who dwells,

the one who dwells, the one who dwells.

You can see why in Deuteronomy 25, if you go to Deuteronomy 25, Deuteronomy 25 verse

Deuteronomy 25:8

8 and 9, Deuteronomy 25 verse 8 and 9.

Deuteronomy 25:8

When the elders of this town shall, Deuteronomy 25 verse 8, no I got it wrong, maybe it's

Deuteronomy 25:8

Exodus 25, Exodus 25, Exodus 25, 8 and 9.

Then have them make a sanctuary for me and I will dwell among them.

Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I showed you.

It is this idea, Shekinah is the idea of the one who dwells and in Exodus 25 verse 8 and

Exodus 25:8

9 God says two things.

One, listen, I want to dwell and two, make me a tabernacle.

Make me a tabernacle.

Out of these two words comes the idea of Shekinah.

One who dwells and make me a tabernacle.

One who dwells comes from a word called, it doesn't matter, we don't need to learn Hebrew

because I don't know Hebrew anyways, I'd be quoting someone else.

The idea of Shekinah is the one who dwells as in I want to dwell with you and two, can

you make me a tabernacle.

Why is this important?

Because John 1.14, remember what it says?

John 1.14 says, the word became flesh and tabernacled or dwelt among us and we beheld

his glory.

John 1.14 says, the word became flesh and tabernacled or dwelt among us and we beheld

his glory.

This idea of Shekinah has been so ancient and something so desirous in the heart of

God that he was setting it up right from the beginning.

Initially he made this beautiful tabernacle called the earth and then placed man in it

and began to walk around with man.

Then he sets up a tent of meeting in the desert and he begins to occupy it.

Then he turns up as God himself in Jesus Christ and you have the word becoming flesh

and dwelling or tabernacling and we beheld his glory, John 1.14.

And then it takes it to the next step where the indwelling of the spirit makes us a temple

of the indwelling Christ.

The indwelling of the spirit makes us a temple of the indwelling Christ.

And now where does the Shekinah glory live?

In me.

The same wind and fire that you saw on Mount Sinai, you see that same wind and fire on

Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

And the same wind and fire that caused God to arrive upon Mount Sinai is the same wind

and fire that accompanies the arrival of the spirit in Acts chapter 2 verse 2.

Acts 2:2

And now God indwells a new temple, a new temple that Paul then says is a mystery that has

been hidden for generations and is now revealed Colossians 1.27.

Christ in you the expectation or the hope of glory.

Guys, this disruptive glory that we are talking about actually lives in us but unfortunately

we do not experience it the way we should because we are always trying to accommodate

God in our lives.

We are always trying to accommodate his glory.

Tradition accommodates his glory.

Don't you think we are not traditional?

We're going to put to death those things that prevent God from bursting forth bit by bit

by bit will kill it every day.

So that the legacy we leave is the legacy that boasts of nothing else but the glory

of the risen Christ as Paul said that I will boast in nothing else.

Let no flesh boast.

This is the legacy we leave for all the earth.

We got to build by pattern Phoebe.

We got to build by pattern so that you will not have to work hard when you grow up to

walk into these because you will walk into these as if it's normal.

So how do we go about making sure that this glory is not accommodated that this disruptive

glory is something that bursts through us so that God can be everything he wants to

be without being veiled without being limited.

See the great thing about Jesus was that the glory of God dwelt in him and it says so in

John 1 14 that the word became flesh and tabernacled amongst us and we beheld his glory.

Go to John 1 14.

Let's read the whole scripture.

John 1 14.

The word became flesh and made his dwelling or tabernacled among us.

We have seen his glory the glory of the one and only who came from the father and was

full of grace and truth.

The intent is father can acts 29 as a people become ones that allow you to be disruptive

in your glory transforming changing affecting tearing down building up whatever you want

to without being accommodated tolerated limited domesticated tamed.

There should be no taming of God no taming of God.

So how do we go about this?

How do we do this?

Guys the first thing we do is we build by pattern.

We talked about this before but one of the things that really bothered me is a statement

when he said we we lay aside trying to be cool Christians.

I refuse this year to be a cool Christian.

I refuse to be a sophisticated Christian.

I refuse to be a Christian that is liked or accepted by all.

I do not want that.

I do not want that.

It doesn't bring anything God's way.

All it does is it brings things my way.

I become acceptable.

I become one who both knows Christ and knows how to live in the world.

Don't want it man.

This year we'll try not to confirm to coolness not to be sophisticated not to follow trends

not to respond to stimulate the way the world expects the church to respond not to be caught

up in success but only divine patterns only divine patterns go back and keep checking

either go back to the word or go back to the spirit of God or go back to what God has taught

us in the past and say what is the pattern here if you go to Ezekiel 43 Ezekiel 43 God

says to Ezekiel hey listen teach them patterns man I'm showing you all this so that you can

teach them patterns Ezekiel 43 verse 11 or starting at verse 10 son of man describe

Ezekiel 43:11

the temple to the people of Israel that they may be ashamed of their sins let them consider

the plan and if they are ashamed of all they've done make known to them the design of the

temple its arrangement its exits its entrances its whole design and all its regulations and

laws write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow

all its regulations faithful to the design follow all regulations

we cannot bring in the glory of God on new carts like the Philistines did in second Samuel 3

where the Philistines realized they got to send the ark back so what do they do they get a brand

new cart and they put the ark on the back of the cart and send it back and what does David do David

it copies what the Philistines have done we do not copy what the world does we do it the way heaven

prescribes this is why I said earlier that whenever a government or whenever a church or

a people that belong to God begin to look to the government as the one that sets the agenda they

stop listening to heaven because heaven actually sets the agenda it's not whether Trump becomes

president or Biden becomes president that affects the kingdom the kingdom is aware of every president

dictate a tyrant duly elected official that ever existed and will ever exist in the future and heaven

has remedies for all of it when you think that the agenda of God will only progress if a certain man

is on the throne we have just displaced the one who is on the throne we cannot bring in the glory

on a new cart like the Philistines did in second Samuel 6 3 and the strange thing is the indwelling

glory the Shekinah that is within us the presence of the risen Christ by the indwelling spirit in

us as a people is experienced only when divine patterns are followed it is experienced only

when divine patterns are followed go to Leviticus 9 Leviticus 9 Leviticus 9 verse 6 and verse 23

Leviticus 9:6

Leviticus 9 verse 6 starting at verse 5 they took the things Moses commanded to the front of the

Leviticus 9:6

tent of the meeting and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord then Moses said

this is what the look at the words man this is what the Lord has commanded you to do so that the

glory of the Lord may appear to you the specific instructions you want the glory of the Lord to

appear this is what you have been commanded to do and then verse 23 Moses and Aaron then went into

the tent of meeting when they came out the blessed people and the glory of the Lord appeared to all

the people fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat

potions of the altar and when all the people saw it they shouted for joy and fell face down the

glory of the Lord enters a place or is experienced by a people in whom he dwells when they follow

very specific instructions with regard to anything they do please don't think this applies to the

church or applies to a worship service to to to to to to try and bottle God in a worship service

is dishonorable this is not real life this is a two-hour activity or an event your participation

in this two hours does not say anything about you Moses and Solomon knew this both of them knew

that if you build according to pattern God will validate you see it in Exodus 25 40 where God

specifically says to Moses Moses make sure that the blueprint I showed you on Sinai is exactly how

you build in first Chronicles 28 19 Solomon is instructed by David David says listen I got this

plan from God make sure when you build the temple you build it accurately both of them stuck to the

pattern and when they stuck to the pattern God validated what they did in Exodus 40 verse 34 the

Exodus 40:34

glory of God entered the tent of meeting and the priests could not minister hundreds of years later

the arc has just come into the temple that Solomon built according to blueprint and the glory of God

comes into the temple and nobody could stand or minister what do you think will happen when

acts 29 builds according to the patterns of God in different areas what do you think will happen

God will turn up and flesh will have no part of it and God will show off this is what I desire even

I'm preaching that I preach with everything I've got that I exhort I rebuke I correct I lift up I

declare whatever God wants sometimes prophetically sometimes in a way that teaches but at the end of

the day if I can put everything that I am supposed to in it and step out of the way then the the

strength and the power and the majesty and the honor and the dazzling brilliance of God will begin

to affect lives like no orator can you can see why Paul loved the idea of his infirmities we want

to be sophisticated we want to get all our words correct we want to get the zoom right we're going

to get the pictures right we want to get the PowerPoint right the presentation has to be

perfect why because if the presentation is not good enough people may be distracted really you

think that one day when you have to stand before a PowerPoint and the glory of God which one will

be more attractive glory or PowerPoint my hope is that we do the best we can with everything that

is given to us but my God there is someone else in this room someone else in your house someone

else living within you someone else who wants to connect so radically with you so that through you

the world is affected by his glory and that does not come with good pronunciation or good garments

or whatever it doesn't come with that one of the reasons Jesus appeared the way he appeared as

someone you wouldn't give a second look to as a dry shoot that came out of the ground was because

God wanted his glory to be the only thing that was seen through his son and not some handsome

hair-flowing sharp-nosed half white half brown guy walking the streets of Palestine

he was not worth a second look you can see now why Paul says in 1st Corinthians 1 that

God uses the foolishness his foolishness to confound the wise of the world so that

no flesh may boast in his presence begin to revel in the fact that you are a cracked jar of clay

that you will begin to boast in your infirmities and we will keep changing that we will keep

getting healed but that the treasure is in the jar of clay and that we'll build according to

pattern another thing that's necessary for disruptive glory is the fear of God the fear

of God there must be the fear of a holy God the fear of a holy God precedes glory the fear of a

holy God precedes glory it's time for us to return to having fear in the actual sense of

awe and reverence that makes you a little scared fear of a holy God I've often described the fear

of God in the New Testament as the as the fear of offending the one you love because it grieves

your heart to offend him and that is absolutely true but now to that definition I want to add

this idea of awe and reverence where there is something so un-understandable and mysterious

about God that we don't think of him as buddy Jesus got to make sure that there's sufficient

awe and reverence and because the fear of God always precedes the glory of God in the Bible

you go to Genesis 15 17 you go to Exodus 20 18 to 21 you go to first Kings 8 12 and in each of

those situations where God showed up there was actually a time of darkness or dense clouds or

an odd deep heaviness or dread that preceded his arrival in fact Solomon says in first Kings 8 12

the Lord has said that he will dwell in a dark cloud so and so that Paul in Hebrews 12 29 says

hey listen God is a consuming fire so make sure that there is awe and reverence as you approach

him even as he shakes things when he came on Mount Sinai the people said could you make sure that

you go talk to him because this is terrifying in the New Testament whenever God actually showed

up people had to be lifted off the floor including John who actually walked with Jesus and the words

that had to be spoken by either an angel or by God was do not be afraid I pray that either

during the seven days or during this year we will once again know the fear of God so that we have

an awe and reverence for him and so that the areas where we tolerate what is not to be tolerated

will no longer be tolerated we are not here to accommodate his glory we're here to absolutely

surrender to him I've got a word for a person called Susanna who somebody in the church

mentioned and so here is the word for Susanna Susanna I loosen the vice like grip on your life

I loosen constraints that tradition and people have put on you I take away the bitten bridle

I transform you from a I don't even know how to pronounce this word lipizana or it's the kind

of horse that does these horse shows in Leipzig in Austria I transform you from a lipizana to a

horse that runs the hills and valleys main flying in the air I turn your chair into a recliner your

table into a canvas that you can paint on your bed into a hammock I give you Psalm 27 verse 1 from

Psalms 27:1

the message light space zest that's me God so with me on your side be fearless afraid of no one

and nothing I want to be a choreographer and return to you the joy of abandon the best way

I can describe it is if you were to watch the Dubai fountain video just Google it you'll see

these fountains just set to music choreographed where they just erupt when I made you and this

was how you were when I made you I made you eruptive it was who you were and you are most

creative in my hands when you are eruptive come away with me this year and let me teach you once

again the rhythms of grace that's what someone called Suzanne the next way that guys this thing

is once we know the fear of God which precedes the glory of God you will find that your worship

begins to change your worship will begin to change because there is a tendency in most churches and

especially among the younger believers and so another way of saying that is the young adults

especially among younger believers or young adults there is a tendency to really be touched

by or drawn by songs that are written by say hill songs or by Jesus culture and so on nothing wrong

we sing that here I really like those songs but they are very evocative they're very emotional

they draw you to the love of God and one of the things that happens once you realize what all

and reverences is that you begin to enter into an explosive form of worship where his dazzling

power majesty and presence is far more enamoring than his that than him being the one who loves

you nothing wrong with that but there is another place in worship that God wants to take us to in

second Chronicles 7 to when people see how God sends fire from heaven in response to what they

have done I mean you should read it I love the way some of these scriptures are written second

Chronicles 7 to when Solomon finished praying fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt

offering and sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple the priests could not enter the

temple because the glory of the Lord filled it when all verse 3 when all the Israelites saw the

fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple they knelt on the pavement with their

faces to the ground and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord saying he is good and his love

endures forever guys I long for the day this year when it'll be it won't be possible to stop

because in bursts and explosive bursts around the church worship will just spontaneously burst

forth it will be like fountains being open it'll have nothing to do with the worship leader I look

forward to that day in this church because the awe and the reverence that we will develop and for

the glory of God that we will see in a completely different way I don't know whether we will see

the dazzling brilliance of God I've heard of it happen I've never seen it myself I've known the

presence of God so tangibly that I've leapt off the bed and laid down on the floor weeping

uncontrollably and scared of his presence but I've never seen some of the things that others have

seen in present-day Christianity. Like I said the soul hungers after experiences like that but in

the process may sometimes miss out on the majesty the strength the honor and the power of God in

chasing after dazzling brilliance and that is when deception can creep in as it has in churches across

the earth especially in California.

Where you have to take things with a tinge of is it salt or pepper? Salt.

Where you have to take things with a tinge of is it salt or pepper? Salt.

Guys I'm not teaching this so that we learn something or we get some information about

the glory of God. I'd be so pointless I'm teaching this because this is what God wants to do.

Do you understand? That's a huge difference man. If I was teaching this because I want you to know

about glory that's one thing or so we know about glory big deal. I'm teaching this because this is

what God wants to do in our midst he's giving us instructions so that when it happens we have the

knowledge base for this to have roots otherwise we don't know what is happening.

That's when Christopher Columbus lands up in North America and calls

us Indians. You don't want this is when there's a knowledge base now

and into that knowledge base that God is now supplying God can plant his glory.

The next thing that helps us

embrace disruptive glory is the idea of following presence. Follow his presence because

we established this earlier on when we were talking about Shekinah that the indwelling

of the spirit makes us a temple of the indwelling Christ who is the Shekinah glory. Let me repeat

that again the indwelling of the spirit in us makes us a temple for the indwelling of Christ

who is the Shekinah or the glory of God.

So one of the ways we can have the glory of God in our midst become evident to others

the intent is can we enjoy it and then can others experience it.

One of the ways is to follow his presence follow follow his presence either through the word or by

the spirit or through his voice follow his presence because he who follows his presence will find

glory. He who follows the presence of God will find the glory of God. He who follows the presence

of God will find the glory of God follow presence, and the glory will be visible over you and through

you. Follow his presence and the glory of God will be visible through you and will be visible over you

follow his presence and the glory of God will be visible through you and will be visible over you

it's it's a cry of my heart this year father can I follow your presence every hour of the day

so that your glory may be evident through me.

I mean when you look at Numbers 9,

I mean we really give Israel

a bad rap because of the way they weren't able to fulfill certain things.

But then you should see what Israel was able to fulfill.

Numbers 9 verse 15 onwards, man imagine this eh?

Numbers 9:15

Imagine this Numbers 9 verse 15 onwards.

Numbers 9:15

On the day the tabernacle, the tent of testimony was set up,

the cloud covered it. From the evening till the morning,

the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.

That is how it continued to be. The cloud covered it and at night

it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent,

the Israelites set out. Whenever the cloud settled,

the Israelites encamped. At the Lord's command,

the Israelites set out. At his command, they encamped.

As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle,

they remained encamped. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time,

the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out.

Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days.

At the Lord's command, they would encamp and then at his command they would set out.

Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning

and when it lifted in the morning, they set out.

Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out.

Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month

or a year, the Israelites would remain in the camp and not set out.

But when it lifted, they would set out. At the Lord's command, they encamped

and at the Lord's command, they set out. They obeyed the Lord's order

in accordance with his command through Moses. Brilliant, eh?

What kind of people are these? You're talking about a million people.

Sometimes they've just put down their tent pegs. It's only six in the evening

but six a.m in the morning, just when the kids are hitting REM,

the cloud begins to move and now they all pack up and now they gotta move.

Man, you could see why the glory of God was ever present with them.

You could see why Moses knew that if your presence does not go with me,

do not take me from here. I don't want to go.

My God, the places we go to without the presence of God.

A lot of places we go to, we go with prayer, not with presence.

I want to change that. When the presence goes with you, you pray less.

In everything, there's nothing that is exempt from his sovereign guardianship and keeping.

They knew how to follow. They knew how to follow presence.

In Exodus 13, verse 22, we know that the pillar of cloud used to go before them.

Exodus 13:22

It says that the pillar of cloud went ahead of them so all of Israel would follow after them.

But then, once you follow presence, you find glory and the glory of God can be extremely

protective. It becomes your God. It becomes something that nothing can penetrate.

Why? Because you're walking now in or under the presence of God.

So in Exodus 13, verse 22, it says the pillar of cloud went ahead.

Exodus 13:22

Then in 14, verse 20, it's brilliant what happens.

In 14, verse 20, it says the pillar of cloud moved from the front to the back.

Then it says that God looked down from the pillar of cloud and said,

And then it says that God looked down from the pillar of cloud at the Egyptian army.

It's, I mean, it's almost like a movie. He looked down at them.

And then it says later on that after looking down at them, he decided that he would now send a

little bit of confusion into their ranks. In Exodus 33, 10, it says that the pillar of cloud

that used to lead them, whenever Moses would go into the tent of meeting, the pillar of cloud

would come and settle at the entrance of the meeting while Moses was inside and his face would

glow with the radiance of God. In Exodus 16, verse 10, it says that the pillar of cloud would begin

Exodus 16:10

to emanate with such brilliance that people would say the glory of God is visible in the cloud.

So Jacob, does this happen today? We don't have any cloud to follow. True, but we have

the Shekinah of God dwelling in us, not outside us. It is not a Moses that experiences it.

It is the Jacobs and the Karunas and the Pawans and the, I'm looking for this guy's handle,

Kevin's handle. What's the email? What's it? And warblebeasts, all these guys begin to partake in

this. It's not just a few. And inside you now is the Shekinah. But to know his presence,

the glory of God becomes a canopy above you. Isaiah chapter 4, verse 4 and 5, the glory of

Isaiah 4:4

God becomes a canopy above you. Isaiah 58, the glory of God becomes your rear guard.

Isaiah 60, arise and shine for the glory of God has risen upon you.

Where do you go then, man? Once you start following presence?

And guess what happens to people who come into contact with you? What do you think happens to

them? They end up meeting the God in you through the you in God.

Through the you in God.

Should we long for a tangible experience? I don't think so because

we're not a people who live by sight. We are a people who live by faith. Any encounter that

happens will be an encounter that the Holy Spirit will have to bring out of his own sovereign desire

and intent. Because in our longing for tangible experiences, we can miss out on the as real

indwelling practice of God's presence. We can lose it. That's happening to so many churches.

There are brilliant churches, guys. Churches that are so much better than us. But where one of the

things that's happened to them is the running after tangible assurances and running after

what they think is presence. And in the process, so much deception comes in.

Another thing that happens when glory becomes something we embrace is glory disrupts

powers and glory disrupts the systems of the world. Glory disrupts powers and glory disrupts

the systems of the world. Nothing is as frightening to Satan and the satanic kingdom as a people who

have suddenly come to know what it is to both experience and express the glory of God. Nothing

is as frightening. See, we must remember one thing. Satan has seen God in his brilliance and his glory.

And it frightens him.

He knows what the dazzling brilliance of God is. He was kicked out from there.

Disruptive glory is the key to the holy war that we are in. Disruptive glory is the key to the holy

war that we are in. Haggai chapter 2, verse 7 and 8 says, the glory of the latter temple will be

Haggai 2:7

greater than the former. And know this, I mean, let's read it. Haggai chapter 2, verse 7 and 8.

Haggai 2:7

I know this. I mean, let's read it. Haggai chapter 2, verse 7 and 8.

Haggai 2:7

Haggai 2, verse 7 and 8. Starting at 6, this is what the Lord Almighty says, in a little while

Haggai 2:7

I will once more shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. I will shake all

the nations and the desire of the nations will come and I will fill this house with glory,

says the Lord Almighty. The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.

The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house, says the Lord

Almighty. And in this place, I will grant peace, declares the Lord Almighty. As if he didn't want

us to miss out on the fact that, listen, this is not some ordinary prophet speaking. This is the

Lord Almighty speaking and he keeps repeating it. And he wants us to know that the temple that he

is rebuilding, as in us, the church that he's rebuilding, will be furnished by the shaking of

nations and the shaking of powers. And when nations and powers are shaken, you gather the spoils.

When nations and powers are shaken, you gather the spoils. That's what he's saying here, guys.

Isaiah 60, go to Isaiah 60. It's this continuous commentary on what the church is supposed to be.

Go to Isaiah 60. Listen to it.

Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See,

darkness covers the earth. Thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you

and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light and the kings to the brightness of

your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look. All assemble and come to you. Your sons from far,

daughters carried on their arms. Go to verse five. Then you will look and be radiant. Your heart will

throb and swell with joy. The wealth on the seas will be brought to you. The riches of the nations

will come to you. Herds of camels will cover your land. All from Sheba will come bearing gold and

incense. Kedar flocks will be gathered to you. The rams of Nebiyot. Who are these that... It just

goes on. Foreigners will... Verse 10, foreigners will rebuild your walls. Your gates will always

stand open. They'll never shut day or night. That men may bring you the wealth of the nations

the kings led in triumphal procession. For the nation of the kingdom that will not serve you

will perish. It'll be utterly ruined. What is God saying here? As I begin to build my kingdom and

church, as I begin to build my temple, the temple will be furnished by the wealth of nations.

What do you mean by temple will be furnished by wealth of nations? It'd be easy to say,

oh by souls. But unfortunately as noble as that sounds, Hague chapter 2, 7 says,

the silver is mine and the gold is mine. He actually means three things. One, he means

the wealth of the nations as in real wealth. Two, he means silver and gold. Three, he means souls.

It's all three. It's not one or the other. Know that once disruptive glory becomes part of the

equation of a church, there is a gathering of spoils. One of the coolest stories in the Bible

is 1 Samuel chapter 5 where Philistines capture the ark and they take it into the temple of Dagon.

1 Samuel 5 · chapter mention

And they set it up in the temple of Dagon and 1 Samuel 5 verse 4 says, and Dagon fell on his face

1 Samuel 5:4

and he was broken in many pieces and they could not put Humpty Dumpty back together again. And so

what do they do? They got to get rid of the ark. How do they get rid of the ark? You go to 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 6:5

6 verse 5 and they realize that to send back the ark by itself won't do. So they make gold tumors

and gold mice to send as a gift to appease Yahweh. Whenever there is

disruptive glory that goes into spiritual warfare, there are always spoils.

So let me read that again. We can explore it later. Disruptive glory is the key to the holy war we are in.

The temple will be rebuilt and furnished by the shaking of nations and by the shaking of evil powers.

And there will be a gathering of spoils. What are the spoils? The spoils are the wealth of the nations.

Isaiah 60 verse 5. The spoils are silver and gold. Haggai chapter 2 verse 8. The spoils are the souls of men.

Isaiah 60:5 Haggai 2:8

Isaiah 43 verse 6 and 7. The spoils are the wealth of the nations. Isaiah 60 verse 5. The spoils are the wealth of the nations.

Isaiah 43:6 Isaiah 60:5

Isaiah 43 verse 6 and 7.

Isaiah 43:6

See the problem with the prosperity gospel is it gets satiated with the spoils that are wealth and money

and it loses its hunger for the souls of men. That's what happens with the prosperity gospel.

The prosperity gospel begins to run after the first category, the wealth of the nations and forgets the souls of men.

Unlike Abraham who says to the king of Sodom, you can keep all the wealth. I don't want to touch it.

But at the same time guys, don't be cynical of wealth because cynicism severs me from divine experiences.

Whatever you're cynical about, whatever you despise, you will not possess.

I cannot be cynical about wealth because cynicism in the kingdom always severs me from divine experiences.

Whatever you despise, you will not possess. Even if it comes your way.

It's like that story where you will see it but you will not eat it.

Why stop here and talk so much about this? Because I really believe based on what was spoken on Christmas Eve that

just like poverty can be endemic in some churches, plenty also can be endemic in some churches.

Plenty also can be released to churches so that churches in turn can be conduits that can release it further.

Expect it. Expect it.

Ah, I wish you were here so that someone would whisper an amen.

I'm sure all of you are saying amen here in this room but those masks of yours don't allow me to see what you're mouthing.

Last point. Man, we might finish so early that we won't even be able to fulfill Derek's prayer to finish in two and a half hours.

Don't worry, we'll find something to do.

Guys, glory begins where flesh ends. Glory begins where flesh ends.

If you go to Exodus 40, verse 34, let's read these scriptures together. Exodus 40, verse 34.

Exodus 40:34 Exodus 40:34

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled upon it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Go to 2 Chronicles 5, 13. 2 Chronicles 5, 13.

2 Chronicles 5, 13.

Starting at verse 11. The priests then withdrew from the holy place.

All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves regardless of the divisions.

All the Levites who were musicians, Asaph, Heman, and Jadetun, and their sons and relatives stood on the east side of the altar dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals and harps and lyres.

They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.

The trumpeters and singers joined in unison as with one voice to give praise and thanks to the Lord.

Accompanied by the trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voice and praised to the Lord and sang,

He is good and His love endures forever.

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud.

For the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

Go to 2 Chronicles 7, verse 3.

2 Chronicles 7:3

This is shortly before Solomon prays and then after Solomon prays it happens again.

So this was twice in a matter of hours.

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because of the glory of the Lord filled it.

When all Israelites...

Now go to Revelation 15, verse 13.

Revelation 15, verse 13.

Revelation 15, not 15, 13, must be 15...

Yeah, 15, 8. Revelation 15, 8.

Let's start at 7.

Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.

And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power.

And no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels was completed.

At the end of the day, glory begins when flesh ends.

Neither Moses nor the priests nor the angels nor the elders could stand before God or perform their service to God once the glory of God came into a place.

What does it look like in the New Testament, man?

In today's world, what does it look like?

What will it be like when people are no longer interested in accommodating God's splendor,

but they're only interested in just abjectly surrendering foolishly, helplessly to the glory of God,

which is not coming from the outside in, but is bursting forth from the inside out.

Because He now... Shekayana, remember the definition of Shekayana?

Shekayana is the one who dwells and the one who dwells in a tabernacle, the one who dwells in a tabernacle called his people.

What will it look like, guys?

I don't want an anecdotal experience that we will write down in a journal and keep for the next 40 years telling our children, oh, when daddy was young.

No, come on, man. That is so not what we're looking for.

It has to be something that our people experience because their God is 24-7.

Come on, Acts 29. This is our moment from God.

This is not something that we are pining for or having to climb a mountain for.

This is the God who claimed down the mountain and He's saying, hey, this is what I want to do with you.

You ready? Remember what I said.

I'm teaching this not because we want to find out or want information on this.

I'm teaching this because this is what God wants to do.

When the glory of God begins to become evident amongst the people,

then the people begin to work the works of another because they begin to live the life of another.

When the glory of God becomes evident amongst the people, because to begin with, it is indwelling.

The word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory.

The difference is now others will behold his glory because he dwells amongst us.

And they will know that he is one who is full of truth and grace.

And you think it won't affect them.

We will not be able to perform our service the way we want to.

Jacob may not get to preach for an hour. Can you believe how difficult that will be?

I was shocked when I found out that on December, two Sundays ago, I preached for 89 minutes.

I just wondered why I didn't go 90.

That's just on the side. Really bad joke. Really bad.

I told myself I wouldn't do this in 2021.

You know what happens in New Year resolutions.

So back to what we are saying, which is more important.

Guys, the thing with the glory of God being evident amongst the people is one,

you begin to work the works of another without even effort.

The works of another begin to express because you are living the life of another.

Someone else's life is what we begin to live.

And therefore, someone else's works is what happens in our midst and to others.

John 6, 63 comes out so alive and fresh that the flesh profits nothing.

The spirit gives life because at the end of the day,

it is the indwelling spirit who brings the Shekinah or the indwelling Christ in our midst.

The flesh profits nothing. Glory begins when flesh ends.

I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it because in a sense, guys, it's very freeing.

It is very freeing that Jacob does not have to worry about Jacob or how Jacob will appear

or what people will think of Jacob or what Jacob thinks of Jacob.

It doesn't matter anymore because he's beginning to step out of the way

and as he begins to step out of the way, God, your God, this amazing, amazing God becomes more and more evident.

And what do you want more than that? What do I want more than that?

What does Acts 29 want more than that?

Isn't that the only reason you exist? To pour out God by pouring out your life.

Is there any other reason we're meeting together?

Or we're being together, not meeting together?

This is what we live for, guys.

Glory begins when flesh ends and it is transformative. It is transformative.

John chapter 2 verse 11 says, and this is how God first, this is how Jesus first revealed His glory.

John 2:11

What was the way He revealed His glory? He did something transformational.

At the wedding in Cana, He turned water into wine.

It transforms things.

Second Corinthians 3, 18 says about the same thing, that as we behold His glory, we get changed.

We get changed. There's something about people beholding the glory of God through you that begins to change them.

There's something about a church that understands that Shekinah is present because Christ is present.

And we have no desire to accommodate you in our service.

We just have this desire to be foolish and surrender to you.

So have your own way, God, have your own way.

You are the potter, I am the clay.

Make me and mold me after your will.

While I am waiting, always, every day, every hour, yielded and still.

I got no desire to accommodate you.

I just want to surrender foolishly, Lord.

Dude, the audacity that we have to think that we can accommodate the glory of God.

What are we talking about? The splendor, the strength, the honor, the majesty and the dazzling brilliance of God?

Oh, we'll give you a little corner? Really?

What do you know? I'm done.

What do we do now, guys?

So here's what I'm thinking, huh, guys?

And I'll let you know for sure by tonight or tomorrow afternoon, hopefully.

I'm thinking that we've done this once in the past, ages ago,

when we used to meet at South Hall on Ross Street.

Here's what I'm thinking, that either starting Tuesday or Wednesday,

and I know you guys have house church too, and so we'll work that out, I don't know how,

I'm thinking that for seven nights in a row,

and this doesn't mean that there'll be worship every night or stuff like that,

for seven nights in a row, we will surrender to

and invite into our presence, make way

for the glory of God so that he can disrupt and transform lives.

Start the year off that way.

Some churches do a 21-day fast,

some churches have a reading plan,

I just feel that this is something God wants to do in our midst.

So just be aware of it, so you'll get, like you used to get links every mishmash,

you'll get links for, what shall we call it?

There's a church that I know in Bristol that used to call it Ten Days of Glory.

Sounds a little corny, but we might have to go Seven Days of Glory or something.

The name doesn't matter, the point is that

I think that's something God would like to do in our midst,

and it won't be like a service, that's not what he's after.

So let's just be quiet for a moment and see if God wants something else done,

otherwise we can call it a day.

Hey guys, so

so we're going to put up this song,

but the way you sing it is not as a song of worship, but as a prayer.

And it's that song that says, Oh the glory of your presence, be your children,

give you reverence, arise from your rest,

and be blessed with our praise as we worship in your embrace,

as your glory now fills this place.

Yeah? Could you pray it for us?

Could you pray it for us?

Don't pray it for yourself,

don't sing it as a worship song, sing it as a song of prayer.

Could you with all your heart

pray it for us?

So that we may leave a legacy here on earth.

Yeah?