Be Active - God is here | Dr Daniel Kong

You're listening to a message to go from acts Church. We hope this message

will light up your day. I won't share the title of a message yet,

but I would like to, uh maybe ask a question. Okay before

we begin. Now, if somebody well known or famous is in this room

with us, and it's sitting right next to you, what would you do?

Okay, so you understand question. If somebody famous, well known next

to you. Of course Joe is well known, so yeah, that's a

good a good example. But yeah, let's just say I was thinking of

ideas who to to you. I thought about some of the famous band members

like co Play, But then I thought, okay, maybe some people don't

know cold Play, right, So maybe I'll use BTS so I know at

least one person would know who I'm talking to. So I of course,

when I Google search BTS who the band members were, there were so many

of them, and I was like I needed help, So I went to

join Joyna, who's the most popular of them all. Sorry I don't butcher

the name joom No no, no, okay, okay, yeah, anyway,

okay, La, whichever you replace, whichever one you want, okay,

Because you say that person and again. It could be somebody like I

don't know King Charles or whoever, somebody that you actually you get the idea,

somebody famous next to you? Okay, what would you do? How

would you behave? How would you react? It's probably the question here?

Okay, don't think too long. Whinings giggling here like a school girl?

Who's the famous? Enough feeling? Okay, I can't pronounce I will any

cool cool chair? Put another chair? Okay, so you get the idea,

right, Get the idea. Now, let's just replace that person be

somebody even more famous. Okay, what if Jesus was sitting next to you,

Our Lord Jesus showed the slide right now. If Jesus is sitting right

next to you right now, how would you react? What's up, dude?

Away? I wrote there? You know how? How how will it

affect you? How will it impact you? What will you say? What

would you do? Ah? Will you still be chimping on your phone?

Looking at your phone? What would you be looking at? Will you be

taking out your Bible? What goes through your mind is another way to put

it. How would you behave? So? How would you respond to the

question? Just curious again? Not trying to be holy only here, just

trying to imagine what would it be like if somebody like Jesus is sitting next

to you. Okay, maybe he might went out your frustrations. Oh Jesus

had a long week this week. You know this this this guy, you

know he did this to me, et cetera, et cetera. You know

you you went up, you went up with him. Maybe you'll do an

extra you know, two worship songs you know, just now already like no,

not enough because just next to me, I gotta do another one right

there, and then you know, maybe it's you might break up. You

needn't break out in another prayer mode, you know, another extended prayer,

or you might just focus on him, wait on him, put out your

phone for a while, et cetera, et cetera. Okay, we don't

know. I mean, these are just some thoughts that I had. And

this is actually a very important question, right because if he's really there,

and we know he's really there, right, we believe that God is always

here. Ah, how we respond and how we react is basically how we

see Jesus and how we also perceive Jesus. Okay, so any thoughts anybody

still still at BTS. I don't know, it's kidding. Come back and

come back to Jesus, sit next to your BTS. Okay, be more

holy, just it? Okay, anybody else again, shout out. Is

meant to be just a very simple question. It's not meant to be all

complicated. And of course we know that he's really here. It's not if

he's there. He's really here, all right. So he's really here,

and some people may feel that, you know, sometimes his presence is God

being next to us, Jesus being next to us is dependent on how powerful

certain things are, maybe how powerful the songs were chosen earlier, how maybe

how much how strong the prayers were, et cetera. You get the idea,

right, The atmosphere sometimes prepares for God to be here. But hey,

I would like to also share you that God is here regardless of all

those quote unquote prerequisites in place. But sometimes I guess it's us that perceiving

in such a way that we need all those things to make us feel ready

for it. Okay, it's not really depending on our emotions. I'm trying

to say. Here, God is always there. God is you know,

you heard the word omnipresent rights here all the time. And uh and so

as to not confuse you any further, because I they asked, you know

what, what then what do we have to do right because God is there?

What would you respond? How would you act differently? And and and

and so what does it mean when God's presence here? And yet sometimes we

pray this or we sing these songs? Sometimes God we invited our presence?

Why is he he already here? Why do we invite him when he's already

here? Have you ever thought about that? You know, some of the

worship songs that we sing? Right, Lord come but already here? So

is this second coming? I don't know coming? No, And and it

makes sense in a while. So there's no surprise why Jess was sharing a

little earlier about this whole presence thing, because when I was getting ready for

the word, I did as usual user for spell checking all my, my,

my, he is in the slides. It did like my slides are

not by the way I discovered Kenva. So anyway, yeah, so something

new for me. Sorry, I spent a bit more time. I got

over carried away with this whole thing. But anyway, hopefully, hopefully it

will help guide and not confuse. And also yeah, anyway, the real

title of my sermon today is really my message today is really be active.

God is here now hopefully it makes sense at the end of it. And

this whole thing is in the context of actually entering into His presence. So

back to the question, how we react when you are a little bit more

aware that God is next to you? Okay? And this really involves to

a certain extent, some active participation, and it's not passive thing. All

right, you need to do something about it. And again we've said earlier,

right, since it's already here, it's not if he's here, he's

already next to you somehow, there's always faced lfe next to him. How

would you act? And just before, everybody experienced in the pressent of God

before, right, okay, But I mean if you're not a believer,

then hopefully by the end of this you understand where we're coming from. But

I think most of us yearned for his presence, right, So there is

some differences in uh, And I'll use this time to explain why sometimes when

we pray or even when we sing, we invite him or invite his presence

here, and then later I'll talk about some some using some of the Bible

stories, some Bible greats here to explain this whole presence thing, and hopefully

we at the end of this we will be able to cultivate this whole What

does it actually mean to have this atmosphere of building this perfect atmosphere for His

presence to be here? Okay, as I promised earlier to twist to the

tangle a little bit of the things I mentioned the confusion that I started off.

You know, why would you need to invite God here even though He's

already here? Okay? So outside my first light, My first light is

understanding God's presence in our lives. So we need to break it down a

little bit now. Ah, next slight. So there is what we call

the all the time I call it out all the time presence. Okay,

uh, this is a time where His presence is always there. Let me

explain. This is the first one I have. Is called the indwelling presence.

Okay. This is where every believer, once you accept Christ into your

life, they're very instant. You know, the Holy Spirit lives and lifts

in us. And if you want the scriptures for it, can look at

first Corinthians six. I put up the scriptures there and not read it because

it's going to take some time. But that is the moment that the Holy

Spirit recites in us. So essentially, right us as believers, wherever we

go, we sort of carry that presence in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Okay. So that's why I mentioned to us, this is all the

time presence of God, okay. Uh. And the scripture, the scripture

that is there talks about our body being the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Okay, so you look it up, you'll see that. Now. Second

one all the time presence is the omnipresence, okay, the one that's external,

somewhat outside of our body. And this is where sometimes it's referred to

God the Father sometimes or so the Holy Spirit, sometimes even Jesus, okay.

And this is where God is everywhere. I wish always joke when I

see somebody everywhere, Right, this guy's omnipresent, But of course it cannot.

Yeah, like like Joe or he's always omnipresent. He's trying to be

more and more like Jesus. Anyway, hallelujah. Okay. But this is

the time where we talk about and a God that is always, always,

always is the time factor, every time and everywhere. Okay, So David

wrote in Psalms, where can I go from your spirit? Where can I

flee from your presence? If you go up to the heavens, you are

there? Sorry? If I go up to the heavens, you are there.

If I make a bit in the depths, you are there. So

what does it tell you? God is everywhere and also every time? More

things about omnipresence as well, just some additional stuff that they put up.

It's also evident in his character. Okay. If you look at his name,

God's name, yeahweh it is I am okay, So I am also

means that it is there's no there's no regional kind of limitation. There's also

no time that bound binds God because He is always available, even the word

in Manual and Old Testament Testament. His name means God with us. What

it means God with us, God with us all the time. Look up

Isaiah. Okay. So there's no place that God does not exist. Okay,

there is no place that he doesn't exist. Uh. And and and

now the thing about this I guess is that it also means that nothing can

be hidden from him. So sometimes when you think you do something that nobody

can see you, hey, guess what God sees you? Unfortunately, okay,

and and and David says, here, no matter where I go,

no matter how I run, even there's nothing that can be hidden. Now,

I still just remember this last time when Esher was a lot younger.

I promise that new used him so much anymore. So was a lot younger,

and we we went out, me and Jess. We went out for

a while, just for a short five ten minutes, and then we had,

of course, being responsible parents, we put a camera to see what's

happening. Right, So when we walked out, the first thing that he

did he wanted to turn on the TV. So what he did before he

turned on the TV, which you know he shouldn't be doing because he's told

not to do. So he turned the camera away and then turned on the

TV. Of course, little Esher back then thinking turning the eyes of God

away from the TV means that God can't see Okay, but this meant to

be a joke. But you know, of course we gave him a little

bit of a scolding when you get back. But yeah, God is I'm

not saying that we are God. But you know, God is there all

the time. So that is the category of all the time every okay,

all the time in us around us, that kind of presence. Okay.

Then there is the what I call some of the time presence. I mean

to say, initially I put not all the times be confusing. So sometime

some of the time presence. This is what we are a lot of.

This callus to call this the manifested presence of God. And this is the

probably the one I'm going to be spending more time on. Okay. Now,

the difference here between category A or one and category two is mainly our

awareness of His presence, okay. And that's why sometimes when we talk about

presence, we talk about awareness. Now, manifested also sometimes means that it

is realized presence. So some of these things on the left we can also

continue unrealized or sometimes not very because you can't see in the physical sometimes you

feel sometimes you forget even so that's why it's unrealized. But the other side,

it's a more expression where it is realized or you feel it a bit

more, okay. And this is usually again when you are aware of Him.

So sensing God a bit more. Okay, Now, some people say

stept in the church, I feel a rush of something. And I remember

when I was younger, and I know this. And then for some camp

and I know this is definitely presence of God. Because it was winter in

a campus camp that I went to, we went outside the field, we

did some activities, and we did some kind of prayer, and then suddenly

there was a gush of heat that my body's feeling in the physical sense is

not possible, you know, because it's winter time, you know, very

low temperatures below ten et cetera. But then suddenly the whole body just feels

a gush of warm. Some of us when we do worship, we feel

certain things and maybe even sometimes you know, despy, the sense tingling kind

of a feeling. That is the what we call the manifested presence of God.

Okay, so hopefully understand I'm coming from the and this can be in

the form of the Holy Spirit, can also be the form of say Jesus

and the Father, the up and down electricity moment that sometimes, ah,

you feel, that is what I'm talking about, the manifested presence. Okay,

Now, when does this happen. And again sometimes they feel that,

you know, you have to do certain things before you feel it more in

a stronger way. And but hower is not really about how much for his

presence here, because we already established earlier that his presence is here all the

time. There is no intensity or volume, there's no less or more.

But it really depends on our let's I mentioned earlier, our perception of his

presence. So when we are more aware of his presence, in short,

we feel more of the left in side stuff translating to the right hand stuf.

So it almost like ah like like uh, it's like almost a currency

exchange. You know, you move from one form to another form Holy that

makes sense. So the not manifested becomes the manifested, okay. But his

presence is all there where there, it's the Holy ghost internal, whether it's

God omnipresence. Uh. It moves on to the manifested presence okay. And

this is hopefully it's not too confusing. Uh. It mainly is to talk

about awareness of God his presence rather. But as believers, you must understand

first and foremost his presence never leaves you. Okay. I mean to say

the moment you accept God in your life, holy presence. As I mentioned

earlier, the temple, you know you you you host the Holy ghost.

Okay, the Holy presence. He follows you wherever you go. Now,

of course, sometimes with unbelievers or pre believers, they may not carry it

yet, right, but omnipresence of God is there. It means the God

that's everywhere. It's also around those that may not have accepted Christ yet.

Okay. So regardless of whether you're a pre believer or you're a believer,

presents of course is definitely there, at least in the first category over there

on the left in side, okay, But we are talking more on the

right hand side, if it's the focus of today, okay, And sometimes

we feel this in the darkest time, when you are praying your hardest,

et cetera. You feel more of those things on the right. But we

have to accept the fact that on the left also exists all the time.

Every Okay, So far am I confusing everybody? It's more like a definition

kind of thing. But like I said today, my main focus is not

so much the things on the left, although it is important, it's more

on the right hand side. How do we exchange more of the left to

what we have on the right. And King David wrote this right next slide,

Psalm fifty one, Create in me a clean heart, Oh God,

and we knew a step fast spirit within me. Do not cast me away

from your presence and this presence that he's talking about, King David is talking

about the manifested presence, okay, and do not take your Holy Spirit from

me? Okay. So I hope in addition to all those things, the

omnipresence and also the the the the you know, the the indwelling presence that

we talked about, we are have to be aware of the how we need

to, how we what we need to do to get the manifest presence out,

okay. And that's why it us and started earlier with the question if

Jesus is here, how would you react? Right? If not, if

you don't recognize the presence of Jesus even, how would you get stage two

or part two or what we just talked about, okay, Regasova Okay.

So depending on the seasons you're in, sometimes you feel and here we read

it that sometimes that presence you can have it and then you can lose it

as well. The manifested. Okay, you have it and you lose it,

so it feels that lifting off you. You feel that distance that the

presence of God has departed. And this is what we are talking out David

is talking about as well. Okay, okay, okay, okay, Now

let's move on to second slide or is it sorry? Slight? B I

put things there so I know what I'm talking about, Okay, slightly,

the significance of drawing near even though God is everywhere, and hopefully with the

description of the categories quote unquote Lucy using the word categories of presence, we

know what we're talking about. So you need to draw near even though He's

everywhere, because if there's no activeness in what we do, Ah, this

wouldn't be manifested. Okay, okay, Now I'll use some Bible characters here.

Okay. Firstly we talk about you know, okay, let's read Genesis

five. Every goy so far okay or good didn't lose anybody yet, Okay,

So twenty one to twenty four R is too few short words. Okay.

Henot lived sixty five years and we God met to Sellah Okay, after

he got met to Sellah, he not walked with God three hundred years and

had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and

sixty five. Just in case you can't do math, that's sixty five plus

three hundred. That's why you get three six five. This was Jess not

kidding Verse twenty four. Yeah, she's always better writing and better than numbers

anyway. Verse twenty four. And Enot walked with God and he was not.

So he was walking closely with God and suddenly not and then for good?

Why because for God took him. Okay, so think about this.

This guy has worked. We've got every single day, every single year for

three hundred and sixty five years. That's how long he lived. Okay,

I wish I could live so long, Probably not in today's time. But

what's important is that what we're going to focus on here is really he is

totally surrendered to God, and he's walking so closely to God that God is

with him from start to finish off his life. And there's also that awareness

that we talk about earlier. Okay, so if you glean from him,

you will understand that. Okay, before we go there, you must understand

that God created man right, right, It got man's creation right. And

when man came to earth, you know the verses to talk about how we

are given dominion over earth. Okay, now, that is what God gives

us. But God also gave us free will, so to a certain extent,

if we do not access a free will correctly, we can also not

take on that responsibily or that role of actually, you know, having dominion

over earth. And this is where the enemy creeps in and then things go

south, et cetera. Okay, and we know that enemy Satan whichever name

you use. Also his job is to steal, can and destroy, to

deceive, to confuse, et cetera, et cetera. Okay, but the

authority is given to us, but sometimes we do not take the authority.

Okay, But here's a man who understands what was given to him, and

he walks closely. So what I'm trying to say is that when God leaves

us this option, we if you don't exercize it because we're not aware of

it, we can fall short because God, who doesn't want to interfere with

the freewo of man. Okay, So if you read the scriptures that I

just read earlier, carefully, you will see that he completely surrenders to the

point that he says, I want to walk in such a way that if

I no longer walk in that way to the next ten, take me a

lot, take me now, very dramatic, right sometimes to take me you

know I'm not doing I no longer need it, already, take me.

And that's what exactly happened, the moment step of finger I can't step my

fingers very loudly poof gone, no longer needed. And sometimes you pray prayers

for that, right, Lord, help me be effective. Why do you

say those things because you're very aware of the presence of God, Right,

you surrender totally, like I said, all those times where you feel the

oomph of the presence that we just talked about, the manifest presence you you

say crazy praise like those. Lord, I'm gonna live my life with you

for the rest of my life, you know, ah, you know.

And this is dying to self, right, crucifying yourself to the next tent.

Take me now, all all of it. I want to live the

moment you don't need me, I cease to exist. He don't. And

and and this, why why does he say that is because he doesn't want

to be hindrance to the next ten because it's not going to be in the

corners of God. And this is the type of surrender that we talked about.

He won't move, he won't move, and he doesn't want to carry

on anymore if he's not walking in line with God. And this is the

you're not that we're talking about total surrender. Okay, now, second guy,

second character, David. As we've introduced a little bit earlier, I'm

gonna read from Psalms forty two a bit longer, eleven verses. But bear

with me, okay, a versus forty two. Thank you. As the

deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, Oh God.

Familiar song get those of you who are from old school. I can't

sing it, but as the dear panther for the Okay, so you get

the idea, right. I turst for God, the Living God. When

when can I go and stand before Him day and night? I have only

tears for food while my enemy is continually he taunt me, saying where is

this God of yours? So even the mighty King David, the man who

walks after God's heart, can be like this, feeling this kind of emotion

while enemies surround him. Where is this God of yours? My heart is

breaking as I remember how it used to be the Missus recollecting the good times

when he was going through the sorrows. Right now, I walk among the

crowds of worshippers leading a great procession to the house of the Lord, singing

or for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of celebration. But why am

I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope

in God. That's his reaction. I will praise him again my sin behavior

and my God vers his five okay and six a bit of six okay.

So again he's going through all that, but he chooses, he doesn't understand

why he's going through that. To the next tent by saying, I will

still choose again action choose, choose to praise God. Let's read on Uh

Versus six. Now I'm deeply discouraged, but I'll remember you. Even from

the point from distant point of Mount Hermann, the source of the Jordan and

the land of Mount Mizar, I hear the tumult of the raging seas as

your waves and surging tides sweep over me. But each day the Lord paused

his unfailing love upon me. Through each night I sing his songs, praying

to God, who gives me, who gives life, who gives me life?

Sorry, Oh God, my rock, I cry? Why have you

forgotten me? Why must I wonder around in grief? Or pressed by my

enemies? The tones break my bones, they scuff Where is this God of

yours? And in verse eleven he says this again, why am I discouraged?

If you look closely, five and five and eleven is exactly the same

words. Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart? So said?

But I will put my hope in God. I will praise him again,

my savior and my God. When you read those eleven verses, what goes

through or what do you think goes through David's mind? Yay, No,

he's really in a state of desperation, not once but twice, all right.

And in those moments of desperation, he sort of sensed that he's being

distanced by God. That means God's presence have gone away, and that's why

he's feeling what he's feeling. All right? Where is this God of yours

literally God, where are you? Or the people telling where is your God?

So God has left the building to the next end, departed. So

again, this is the manifested presence of God. We know that the Holy

Spirit, the omnipresence is there, but the manifest's presence has left the building.

And this is what David is talking about. Like I said, even

if King David can experience this, we ought to remember how much more we

need to work harder to the next tent to ensure that this doesn't happen.

But even in the midst of his writing, his discouragement, and he's facing

opposition, his enemies are, you know, just rising against him, etc.

And you can read this right their tones break my boat. Have you

ever had your bones broken before? It's excruciating painful. That is the angst

is feeling. And that's why even the word discouragement is probably an understatement.

Right, He's in so much pain sadness, I thinly because say my heart,

wise, my heart so sad. But here's the key. He still

chooses to put his trust on God. What he say, you are my

Savior, You are my God. So when you are broken, not bones

are by any other whaler can be broken bones as well. What do we

normally do We look back? We reflect back on the better times where God,

God's presence is there, because that sort of reflection will sustain us true

that emptiness, the temporary emptiness. So whenever you're facing problems and troubles,

do not despair. It's okay to be desperate because when we are actually that

desperate, like King David is desperate, we will cry out like how he

cried out and we know that. Right, Sometimes a prayer level of life

up another level when we go through different things. But the aspect here I

wanted to highlight is really the desperation. So again the first character total surrender.

Second character here, when you're facing something out of desperation, you would

really yearn for God's manifested presence and sometimes if we don't see it, maybe

we're not that desperate. Now let me go a bit further. Why you

know, why do God sometimes allow us to go through certain things. It's

also because again it's not trying to be cynical and trying to get you true

and and make you feel like that. But sometimes I think God withdraws his

presence because of how we are governed by emotions. Okay, again we why

we were emotions sometimes you know, we ah, God, I can't do

this anymore? Why does it have to be this way? You know,

with certain ministries are run? Or why why workplace and all that? Why

you get emotional? And then you feel again not the omnipresence or the indwelling

presence, but you feel sometimes God's manifested presence disappears. Then then it's because

we are we have allowed emotions to take over. Okay, that's that's one

point or why sometimes God can withdraw. There's also another point that sometimes you

know, when we have so much of His presence, the manifested presence,

and we are also growing, just like how a small boy. You know,

when you're growing bigger, you need more. Your hunger grows as you

your spiritual growth grow as well. Let me just say you want more,

okay. So there's also sometimes it's not that the men's presence disappears per se,

but it's not sufficient what you had ten years ago, it's not sufficient

today. Okay, So that's why you hunger for more of the manifest presence.

Okay. Well, of course here it's the third the third variation which

is when you go to challenges, when you go to troubles changes, even

when you're desperate, this is where you will feel even more that God is

distant from you. His presence has departed. Okay, And why does God

sometimes allow any one of these three categories to happen is that He wants you

and I to really draw deeper and go back to that level of dependency in

him, because again we're creative for him, right by him for him.

And you can sense the distance because of one of those reasons. But really,

when you're desperate, sometimes we tend to draw closer. So He breaks

it sometimes or allows us to be broken, because then you would probably go

back to your prayer closet that you you know, you were doing so much

off ten years ago, maybe out of that desperation. If God didn't take

you from that comfortable place that you are comfortable in, you'll be maybe allowing

a bit of overconfidence to step in creeping or pride to creep in. We

talk about pride before, and this is where David is the mighty King.

David can come to that state to say Lord, as the deer pens for

the water, so my soul longs for the he he wants because of our

desperation. He wants that daily dependency because you know that to him and in

him alone, he can't do it anymore. Okay, So again, hopefully

you understand that our desperation to the next tent, God's presence can be can

come back in again. But we need to understand. So it's more of

a posture really, not to say desperation is always bad. It's also good

because then we know who we need to rely on and depretending on. Okay,

Now, last last character here I don't good for time, and then

we'll probably end is Moses. Okay, Moses comes from Exoda, steady tree.

Yeah, we'll read one day. Moses said to the Lord, you've

been telling me take these people up to the Promised Land, but you haven't

told me whom you will send with me. Isn't this normal? God as

leaders somewhere, God has show you something. You gotta get all the details

before you take that step forward. I mean, all like that, right,

myself included as well? All right, very natural. And then it

says you have told me I know you by name, and I look favorably

on you. This is God telling Moses if it is true that you look

fairably on me, is Moses saying, let me know your way, so

that I may understand you fully and continue to enjoy your favor and remember that

this nation is your very own people, or really just reminding God very brave

anyway, Lot replied, I personally will go with you, Moses, and

I will give you rest. Everything will be fine for you. Then Moses

said, if you don't go personally with us, don't make asleep this place

again? Ask who? Then? God? Say it actually me. I'll

come with you. If you don't go there, I won't come. I

won't go along. God, I tell you, how will anyone know that

you look fairly on me and of course your people If you don't go with

us for your presence, you know, the presence are among us sets,

your people, and me, apart from all the other people on earth.

So the Lord replied to Moses, I will indeed do what you've asked for.

I look favor favorably on you, and I know you by name and

of course happy ending in the end. Moses responded, then show me your

glorious presence. I've shared this many times. You know you know that I

am doing what I do. Uh, with certain reservations. I'm not your

typical kind of leader in any form. Okay, Uh, many times the

Lord has led, has led me to do certain things that I struggle.

Started off in ex Melbourne many years ago, how many years a yea,

a long time ago, a lot of hesitation. I always felt that God,

it's not for me, it's not for us. She's more ready than

me, lah, but anyway, not for us. Ah, Sunday evening

service, those that remember a long time ago, started off again. God,

if you're there, I will go. That's that's why I say literally

exactly what Moses did. Okay, if you're there, I'll go. Saturday

evening service, same thing as well. And of course now the Sunday afternoon

service of course got more experience la in the sense God, God has not

left me, presents always there. So again I'm trying to say it's again

not to boast, but really I really need to be dependent on God to

do what I do. Learning from Modes and the main thing from Moses here

is you learn that dependency. So from you not surrender David desperation again sometimes

also desperate, but really we need to depend on God because why is it

important. It is because otherwise you can't draw near to him. You wouldn't

see it without him, right, we will not be empowered to do what

we do. What we do is going going to be very very very I

guess surface in a sense, or very earthly. Okay. I will not

be effective as well. Without him. There will be not anointing in what

we do in what again not being Bosto, but what all of us do

as well. Okay. And I've always said this. I always feel inadequate,

but I feel adequate in Him. So I've said those prayers before Father.

Without your presence here, I will not dare to do this. Okay,

I can't go beyond this. Again, we can't rely on strategies.

Sometimes people say things, Oh, you know, you can just follow this

strategy that this other church is doing, all this other organization or company is

doing. But hey, you know that's not again really lying on God's presence.

You need to rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit. Okay.

So where was I talked about? Uh? The sign because of drawing you

to God. So you need to drawing you to him. Uh. And

we use these three characters to explain some of the things that we just mentioned.

So would you want to encounter God is probably the question here. And

we talked about keys of drawing here right next like place keys of drawing.

It really is surrendered, some elements of desperation, some dependency there as well.

Okay, and I know all of us want to encounter God. We

did say that I want to, like just like how I want to be

next to some famous person. You want that, un for that, So

how do we draw here? You will read in the Bible is often connected

to two things, prayer and worship. Prayer and worship as simple as that's

why sometimes you feel right things happened, not so much when the word is

shared or even after and all that. But it's really true personal prayer,

corporate prayer, personal worship, corporate worship, et cetera. That's when God's

presence manifests. You're not talking about the presence that we carry inside or around,

but the manifest presence kicking to another level. James for it says here,

draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. It's

a guarantee. So again back to the first question earlier. If God's everywhere,

why do I need to draw near to him. You must understand be

talking about a different kind of a presence. Here we yearn for that manifested

presence, and you'll find all your needs being met. Your joy will be

restored, your confidence will be restored, Peace, conviction, you know,

repentance, slurve, healing, et cetera. All those things are in in

the form an expression of the when you're in the manifested presence of God.

Okay, when God shows up to the next tent in the literal sense,

everything you need will be provided for. Okay, now, let me take

a pause for a while. Hopefully I didn't lose anybody, But I also

want to move into the purpose of His presence. We talked about sometimes the

purpose of his presence for the believers, there's also a purpose of God's presence

for the unreached, the pre believers. Just in case you do not are

not aware of the team that are just going through talking about you know,

so that all may know. So one of the reasons why we're sharing this,

or I'm sharing this as well, is so that you understand how God's

presence can actually help us or enable to do what we're called to do.

For this year, wish to ensure that all will know of the good News.

And that's why I titled the next section God's Presence and the Gospel,

because there is some relationship to the two next light Okay, So God's presence

is promised to all. Okay, this is my first thing I'm going to

begin with, and I'll show you why is it promised to all, both

the believers and the non believers. Okay. So of course, Matti tiny

I think we are quite famous, are quite quite aware of what matichine is

talks is definitely uh focused on believers, okay, talks about the Great Commission.

Okay, and what does it tell you that we are to then go

and make disciples of all nations? Right? But there's a section over there

that talks about surely I Am with you always. Again, presence of God

is with his people, the believers. Okay, So for believers, he

can look up that verse. Now for pre believers, there's also they're not

left out okay, because why God wants them to seek him. Okay,

you can see in seventeen over there it says though sorry, so that they

will reach out to him and find him. So these are the people that

have not known him yet though he is not far from any of us,

including those that are unreached. So again, I believe to certain stand this

talks about more the omnipresence of God, but we also know that this can

translate to the manifest presence. And as we see that, right, we

see even unbelievers I'm doing of a different faith in religion and suddenly some thing

or some being appear manifest in the presence. And then I don't understand,

but it is a similar kind of a presence that you know, our faith

believes in. We've heard those stories before, right, and this is what

it is. It means that it's also for pre believers, but for us

as believers, we have a higher expectation. I mean, God expects more

of us rather because it's also our role to ensure that those that do not

know Him also get to experience this sort of presence that we are talking about,

Okay, And that's why there is a place for His presence in the

form of the Gospel as well. Okay, So what is the purpose for

pre believers to have this presence? Okay, we're talking to talk about different

reasons, but I really feel to the extent the purpose of This is really

for them to understand what they're going through, understand sin, and then obviously

lead to some repentance and of course ultimately having a relationship with God. And

that's why God allows his presence to be there. Again, God's omnipresence can

make people aware exists. That means he's around, even pre believers. I

sent something I don't quite know what it is. But when in manifests,

that's where the conviction of the sin kicks in. Okay, That's why I

think God sometimes is not just interested in some of these those small little feelings,

but really, you know, it really needs to go to another level,

needs to go deeper than that. But how do they get there?

Is really true us? Okay? Otherwise how else who else will explain to

them? Like I said, those examples that I just mentioned, some of

those stories, if they didn't have a reference or somebody that has experienced it

before to tell them what they're actually seeing or feeling and how they know.

Right, so we need to go and tell them, well, and like

it or not, these sort of manifested presence really draws the attention to,

of course the sin. That's one thing. Of course, more importantly,

draws the attention to God's holiness and therefore they feel that sin is sin and

God is holy. Otherwise everything that they do is you know, they wouldn't

make sense of it. And of course not just holiness but also the love

aspect of God, but that is character. So really the presence really draws

them to this place, and our purpose really is to ensure that we help

them bridge the omnipresence category one to the manifested presence. Now I've got this

next slide and we're talking about the transition between one and two to three.

Okay, So our goal within ourselves is really to transition from sometimes forgetting or

not recognizing. I use to work not recognizing. This is the indueting presence,

and also the omnipresence too in a place that we never see, never

seizing awareness of His presence, which is the manifested presence. So we need

to not just for ourselves, but also help them those that do not know

Him get there. And this has to be there needs to be some urgency

in this, Okay, otherwise it's just what it is. And this is

tied to SENSITIVD as well, because like I said earlier, God is here,

we just forget that it's here, right, and once we are more

sensitive, we're aware, we accept, we roll with it. You will

also grow with him. Okay. So again, the Great Commission is for

everyone. It's not just for the few. I think sometimes the church at

large, most other things we do quite well. But the last point about

evangelism and nice not it's always taken a back seat because of all different reasons,

our fear who manifestility. Yeah, but you know we ought to because

it is actually our role. If we are not there to tell people,

who else will tell them? All Right? So I wrote is to help

our pre believing friends. I wrote here to see God is present in our

world and also invite them into the presence so that they experienced the good news

for themselves and also eventually know Jesus. Okay, So really we are to

do this when we have awareness? Now, because I talked about awareness,

and how do you then increase the awareness? Of course, the simplest things.

Remember who's seeing next to you, just like how I use the example

of some of the famous You keep looking literally then you remember, Okay,

next life increasing the awareness of God's presence in our lives. A few things

and then our probably end here. Firstly, recognize that God is always next

to you. Now we have a few well not so new anymore, but

you know, probably married for a year or so, all right, those

newly wets. You know, when you guys were bachelor's uh, just men

living as guys do. Right, you know your your behavior at home is

slightly different, all right, But when somebody new moves into your space or

that joint space, you behave differently can ba whire schooling? Right? But

I think more than just that you are aware that there is a presence,

there's different. You probably want to leave your your your I don't know,

your pants or clothes or whatever somewhere, your socks, a everywhere as a

You get the idea. And now, of course the the other person may

say something, But also you don't want it to burden and I don't like

the dishes. You don't live in this thing for too long. But that's

the idea. When you have somebody in your presence, your awareness of that

person is there, you tend to do things a bit differently. Okay,

So back to this thing. If you understand that God is always next to

you in the literal sense, you will do things differently. Okay, So

stop I put it up there. Stop thinking next sight, sorry, stop

thinking that God is only in heaven. God is omnipresent here there, everywhere.

But sometimes I think it's very natural for us thing that God is far

far away when we say prayers or we ask something. You know, it

takes some time to go through the proper channels, et cetera. No,

No, he's there. He's next to us, and scripture tells us this.

You can read all the scriptures there or not go tough because I don't

say I have time. But you know, because he is my right hand,

I will not be shaken. Really literally, it is just next to

you. Someone six it, and then nevertheless, I'll continually be with you.

Okay. So all this is his promise. Okay. So it's not

a far away in heaven kind of God. He's here. He's in heaven,

but it's so here. So when you pray, when you worship,

pray and worship that level of confidence that is actually next to you, not

a shout and screamer. I know he's there already. He's there, okay,

literally by your side, and not just literally by your side, it's

always by your side, right, just that sometimes you forget, and like

I said, it radically changes the way you speak. You sit up straight,

you you you you don't put food down like I joke about the whole.

You don't. You don't leave things lying around. Uh and and and

yeah, you're no longer talking to somebody who is above the ceiling. You're

talking to God that's just here. Okay. So in the practical, when

we pray, when we do his work, when you speak to people throughout

your day, always remember God is next to you, and you will behave

differently. Okay, when you're your room, when you sit down, even

when you're relaxing, re God is next to you. Again, you may

even make some changes to that lifestyle. Right. Realizing that Jesus is next

to you literally increases the awareness that God is there. Literally, his presence

is there. Okay. Now, second point, we also must remember that

our God always is looking at us constantly. In fact, there are verses

you can read tell the words that his eyes doesn't veer off at all.

He's always set on you. Again, we forget stereo. You know,

Sarah, whole you'rehitting, you're doing things. So when that happens, right,

I used the nagure, the camera and all that. Right, we

ought to live life as though we are only living for one audience, really

not worry about what others say. Again, it's very it's human nature.

I think sometimes we often take those incussions. But really, he's gazing at

you. Let's just bring him pleasure. Let's just do what delights him.

Even when you're sleeping, he's still staring at you. To step back that

up. So living sleeping in constant awareness of God's immediate presence is what I'm

trying to say here. And understand that you know you're just living for him.

Last one here is really to set your eyes on his presence actively.

Again, it's the part where you need to do something about it. Knowing

and feeling and realizing is one thing. If you don't react any differently,

what's the point, right, it's going to be same or same more right?

Psalms one six eight. Nice, I have said the Lord continually before

me, because he said my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Okay. So again, the level of awareness impacts the way you live,

pray, worship, treat people, deal with problems, face problems, et

cetera. And I think we ought to really remember that He's always there with

you, always there for you, and you just ought to realize that and

do things differently. I'm done here. Like I said, it's not meant

to be a very deep kind of a thing. Is really just simple,

just like how I started earlier. If you just realize if somebody is important,

it's next to you, whoever that person may be, you definitely behave

differently. And we hope that because we are recognizing the importance of our God,

the one that, the thing, the one. Sorry, if it

really matters to anyone, it's definitely just mainly forgot right. So I think

we ought to do things differently. I I I used to do this,

and I think some of us do that as well. Uh you know,

you're ever driven a road before. When you drive on the road, you

tend to sometimes I know, be rare and Christian when you drive on the

road. I am something that's like that. But I remember last time when

I caught a glimpse of maybe somebody in a in authority. I tend to

behave differently, and there's no different nowadays. There's technology right wayte and I

will tell you cited sit things or maybe a potential patroca straight away, you

drop your speed limit by doing not x amount. Why do we do that?

Again, It's a simple fact that there is just awareness. You haven't

seen it yet sometimes, but there's awareness, and then you prepare yourself for

the manifested presence of the authority. In a sense, and this is exactly

what I'm talking about earlier. God is always there, he's omnipresent, Holy

Spirit lives with and the indwelling presence is there. But sometimes we pray this

or we sing this, God, help us be more aware of your presence.

Why because when you're more aware of his presence, we prepare for the

manifestation of His presence. And when that happens all the things that we talked

about, your behavior changes. The way you prayed is different, the way

you look at things is different, the way you act is different. For

example, when you pray, it'll be more quality prayer right, actions are

more purposeful because why you know why you're doing the things you do. You'll

not drag your feet for it because you're aware. You're okare sin sin full.

Stuff that you may sometimes indulge in loses its attraction, loses the script

on you even you do a fear, you take it on differently because why

you know the truth, because His presence is there. We hope you've been

blessed by this message. For more information on our church, please visit as

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this week is going to be a good week. I hit for you. God bless