The presence of God

Isaiah chapter 41, reading at verse 10, Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I suppose that there is something that every believer would long to have in their Christian experience.

I'm only looking right now at the older generation, and you have known what it is to sense the presence of God with you. I admire individuals extremely when I see them going through the deep waters and going through the difficulties of life and trials of every kind that you can name, and they don't flinch. Why? It's because I believe that they sense the presence of God in a real way.

You know, when you read your Bible and you go through a particular book and all of a sudden there's a verse that stands out, just leaps on the page. Perhaps maybe you've been reading for 15 minutes and nothing seems to register, and then all of a sudden there's something that lifts and it gets your attention. Well, this is exactly what happened here a couple of weeks ago with Isaiah 41, reading at verse 10.

The presence of God. I know that there are far more capable men in the audience to handle this than I, but I would like to just take a few minutes to impress upon our minds the presence of God. I think of four men right now that did not appreciate this.

I'm thinking of men in the Old Testament that they ran from the presence of God. And there's nothing that makes the chills just pop on my arm quicker than to think that a man would leave the presence of God. Because I'm thinking of dear Lot.

Genesis chapter 3 tells me that rather Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. I'm thinking of Genesis chapter 13 where Lot, I couldn't help but be impressed with the fact that Lot looked and then he chose the well-watered plains of Jordan. But you know there's a man that really I feel felt sad for him when I think of dear Samson.

Samson, he awoke. Samson shook himself and then he went out. But he wished not that the Lord did not know that the Lord wasn't with him.

And what a day that was for Samson when he realized that God was not with him. I've tried to put myself in Samson's shoes and to think that what must it be like to think and to suppose that the presence of God is with you. And it's not.

And he shook himself and he didn't know that God had left him. I'm thinking of King Saul because King Saul in 1 Samuel chapter 16, he is anointed. The Lord had called him.

Samuel anoints him. And then of course you know what Saul did. There was that disobedience in Saul's life in chapter 16.

But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. When I looked at those four men, dear Christian, I don't want to tell you but there was a tear that wrinkled up in my eye. Because I couldn't help but think of men that I had listened to.

Men that I admired. Men and women that I had looked up to. And today the spirit of God has left them.

And a bit of trembling in my own bones made me think, Oh God, may this never happen to we as God's people. If there are four men that the spirit of God left them and the presence of God was not with them any longer, I'm a positive type of a fellow. I like to think of four men that God was with them.

Because I'm thinking of Abraham in Genesis chapter 15. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. What a charge that must have been for Abraham.

What a boost for him to realize that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob was his sword. That was his guidance. And what a strengthening that was to Abraham to get that promise.

I come a little further over in the book of Genesis and I find a man by the name of Joseph. And you know what happened to Joseph in Genesis chapter 39. Because Joseph escaped by the skin in his teeth from Potiphar's wife.

But this was in the center part of that chapter. But do you know what it says in verse 2 of Genesis 39? That the Lord was with Joseph. And, I like that word, and.

And his master knew that the Lord was with him. So in Joseph there's a man that was characterized by a sense of the presence of God. He knew what it was to rely upon God.

And even further on in the book of Genesis we find that Joseph relied upon his God. So the interpretation and so on of all that was placed in his hand, he sensed that God was with him. Now, there's a third man in the Old Testament.

Obviously, I couldn't help but, I can't speak about this, but I was thinking about Moses. Moses in chapter 33. Is that the same chapter, brethren, where it says who's on the Lord's side? But in Exodus chapter 33, Moses says, How can I go up the lad? How can I go up and the Father be not with us? And that later, or was it earlier in that chapter? It is recorded that thy presence shall go with thee.

You know, I couldn't help but think of what Solomon was asked. Solomon was asked, what do you want, Solomon? And Solomon wisely could say that he wanted wisdom and understanding to guide so great a people. You know, I can't help but think, dear Christian, I believe every single one of us, if there was something that was, some way in which we were asked the question, what do I really want? I believe everything would fall into the background, and take a second, take a fall of faith into the background, and we would all want a sense of the presence of God.

But my fourth man in this is Gideon, Judges chapter 6. I find that in Judges chapter 6, that Gideon, he is being called, he goes out, he has the Lord's sense with him. And in chapter 6 he says, go, in this thy might. Have not I sent thee? What a boost for Gideon.

God was with him. Who was it that said, God and I, it's all that's necessary. God was with him.

Have not I sent thee? Lo, later on in that same chapter, Judges chapter 6, Lo, I am with thee. Dear Christian, how can I take any, why do I want anything more than to be able to sense that the Lord is with me? Just this morning I had a conversation with two young ladies. They're in the schools.

One of those young ladies told me that there is, she knows of 10 of a class of roughly 200, maybe 250, 10 men who are drug dealers. I didn't say drug users. I said drug dealers.

Men who sell it. How old are these men? They're not even men. They haven't even grown whiskers yet.

How old is a freshman in high school? Freshman in high school and she knows of 10 drug dealers. You know, tremendous to see this young group of young people over here. I can't help but look at you.

What do they need? What does young people need in an atmosphere like that, that is polluted by the sins of a rampant sick world? There's only one thing that that dear young lady, those young ladies need. It's a sense of the presence of God. What's going to keep them? What's going to hedge up their way? What is going to let their light shine? How can they live in an atmosphere like that? They can.

And they will. And they will survive. And they will come away as a victor.

But only in the sense that I know the presence of God with me. It was January 18th. It was 10 o'clock at night.

And I was reading Judges chapter 6. And as Judges chapter 6 was impressed upon my mind, I had told the Lord not more than perhaps maybe a year before that if the Lord wanted me in the gospel to give me a sign in the tent in the series with Brother Lavery. I said, Lord, give us one soul. And I'll have an indication that I am to be thinking about the Lord's work.

And the Lord give us two souls. And yet after all of that, there was still a reluctance. There was still a dragging of the feet.

There was still the making of the excuses. They can't live without me at the factory. But on January 18th at 10 o'clock at night, the Lord is with thee.

Go! Did I have any doubt? That call that night was clearer, perhaps just as clear, if not clearer than my salvation. What did I want? I didn't need. Well, I needed it, but it wasn't the final criteria.

It was the approval of the brethren. But the final criteria was a promised sense of God. I'm thinking of Moses' words in Exodus chapter 5 and reading at verse 3. The Lord hath met with us.

Let us go three days' journey into the wilderness. The Lord hath met with us. What was the whole sum and substance? They sent God with them.

Let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and we will sacrifice and so on. Oh, there's my four men without God. There's my four men with God.

But I have four verses that have to do with the presence of God in this world, and I'm going to have to take five minutes past 11 o'clock. If I am going to know the presence of God, then how essential is this, dear Christian? How essential is this? Are we just gathering here just to take up time and talk about a subject that has burned into my own soul? How important is it? Well, point number one, and that is fears are conquered. Fears are conquered by my ingenuity, by my intellect.

No, dear Christian, fears are conquered by a sense of the presence of God. Because I'm thinking very specifically of that experience in Luke chapter 9, and about verse 30, where at the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, Moses, and Elijah are there. And a little bit later on in that chapter, Peter says, let us make three tabernacles, let us make three booths.

And about verse 34, verse 35 of Luke 9, they entered into a cloud. And then the voice out of the cloud. Why have I ever been entered? Have we ever entered into the clouds? Have I known what it is? Do you know what it is, dear Christian, to go into the cloud of difficulty? The cloud of perhaps maybe adversity? The cloud of disappointment? The cloud of tragedy? Do I know what it is to enter into those clouds? What do I need when I enter into that cloud? I only want one thing.

I want a sense of the presence of God. Peter got it that day, alright. Because there was a voice out of the cloud.

This is my beloved son. Hear ye him. I am thinking also of fears being conquered.

How important is it? Because in John chapter 20, the fearful disciples are together. The doors are shut. And those disciples are there.

And petrified men, very fearful men, and the Lord Jesus appears in their midst. And He showed them His hands and His side. Now there are three individuals in John chapter 20.

And you dear Christians likely have noticed that. Because in verse 18 of John chapter 20, there's Mary. And she sees the Lord.

And as she sees the Lord, she goes and tells the disciples, I have seen the Lord. That's verse 18. Verse 20 of John 20, the disciples are gathered for fear.

And the Lord Jesus stands in their midst and He shows them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad. But in verse 28, the Lord Jesus reveals Himself to Thomas.

And Thomas says, My Lord and my God. So on three occasions in John 20, I see the presence of God in a very, very real way. Three different responses by the way.

How is it dear Christian, I'm going through the cloud. I'm going through the cloud. My reference again to my conversation just before meeting this morning.

Oh, the girl said, what a mess it is. A cloud every day they go to school. What do they need? They need a sense of the presence of God.

Number two. How important is it? How important is it to have the presence of God? Yes, my fears are conquered. But my focus is restored.

Obviously, it's not difficult to think of dear Peter. Peter had lost his focus. Peter was one who had denied his Lord.

Peter said, I don't know the man. And on three times over, he says, I don't know him. And getting more severe as it approaches the third time.

The Lord Jesus, He appears unto Peter after the resurrection and He restores Peter. Peter, do you really love me now? Lord, you know I love you. I'm fond of you, Lord.

But Peter, do you really love me? And at the third time, perhaps maybe just a little agitated, just a wee bit, Peter says, Thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. Now, here's my statement.

Feed my sheep. How could he do that? How could he do that? Feed the sheep without being, first of all, getting his focus. Getting his focus restored.

Thank you. Do I need my focus restored? Do you know how difficult it is to speak on this when I think of my life just this past seven days. That's five, isn't it? These past seven days.

And how many times I had to have my focus restored. We live in a world, dear Christian. We live in a world, we live in a world that takes away every ounce of joy that sometimes we have and Satan going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

And he's nibbling at the roots of the assembly testimony. He's nibbling at the roots of our dear young people over here. Oh, maybe it's a little more fun over there than I think it is.

Maybe I should really just go over there and sample all that junk. Thank you. What were they saying? No, dear Christian.

Preserve us with the presence, with a sense of the presence of God. Oh, perhaps maybe some of my brethren can help us all in the house to how this is going to be accomplished. All I know is, dear Christian, I can't get too far from this book.

I cannot get too far from reading this book. I cannot get too far from an attitude of praying, from a spirit of praying. Maybe not on my knees positionally, but in an attitude to pray.

That's why I like to come to the prayer meeting not to pray so much, but to listen to my brethren pray. We don't get that in Ankeny. I love to listen to my brethren pray.

If my fears are conquered, if my focus is restored, then number three, my feasting is in joy. And when I think of feasting, I think of the time when the Lord Jesus settled down and He made the disciples sit down. And He fed the 5,000 plus women and children.

And before He could feed them, the disciples said, well, send them away. This is our time with You, Jesus. This is our time with You.

Just send them away. We want You. Make the people sit down.

And with two loaves, five loaves and two fishes, He fed them. How is it, dear Christian, that that could possibly be? It had to have been on the authority of the presence of God. Feasting is in joy.

Can I ask my dear younger people over here to my right that I admire? Do you know what it is, dear Christian, my dear young Christian? Do you know what it is to get something for your soul? Try to get something for your soul every day. If at all possible, the pressures I know, the pressures in the business world, I don't tell you how sometimes some of our brethren stand it with all the pressures that are at them and in the corporate business world and so on. Oh, dear Christian, discouraged widow, discouraged widow and widower, do I know what it is to take this blessed book and feed my soul? Do I know what it is to be able to look into heaven and to be able to acknowledge that I, a poor, helpless saint, need help and sense and call for and covet the presence of God.

Oh, my last one is fears are conquered. Yes, they are. My focus is returned, is restored.

I can enjoy feasting, but fellowship is maintained. And when I have that fellowship and enjoy the fellowship, I can sense the Lord's presence. I'm thinking of the words of John in 1 John 1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen, which our eyes have looked upon, that which our hands have handled, the Word of life.

Then he goes on to say in verse 3, that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship. That ye also may have fellowship and fellowship with us and our fellowship is with the Father and with Jesus Christ His Son. Oh, the pure delight of a single hour when before the throne I stand, when this soul is fed, when I know what it is to be able to sense the presence of God.

John enjoyed the presence of God. And he enjoyed the presence of God with others. And now he's writing to his dear children.

Those that he has longed to pray for. The family of God. And he's writing to them.

And he's commending the Lord Jesus in fellowship. They too might have fellowship. And if I can sit at His feet and like dear Mary know what it is to sit at His feet and to be able to learn.

See, Mary took to His feet her worries. She gathered from His feet the wisdom. And there was something that she learned at His feet.

May I know what it is to sit at His feet. To be able to sense in this age in which we live a daily presence of God.