Michael Koelling: Presence/Pursuit

Presence:

Last year Pastor Mike talked about this same subject presence and pursuit. He talked about how you have a presence in someone’s life. He referred to it as discipleship and how you have a spiritual and physical presence in others lives. How you carried yourself around people and acted towards others.

I’m going to talk to you guys about the presence of God and how it affects your life if you apply it.

I heard a great quote from one of the speakers at ILD this past weekend. It opened my eyes and made me really think. Gregg Johnson said “theologically God is everywhere yes he is omnipresent, but God’s presence is thicker if you invite him in.”

1. God is the creator of everything.

a. He knows how many hairs are on your head

b. God created the galaxy

c. God made man and woman

d. God flung the stars in the sky

e. God created earth

f. God knew of our existence before you were in your mother’s womb.

i. Or conceived.

ii. Let’s say he knew before your parents got jiggy with it.

2. Our God is great.

a. He is powerful.

b. He is all-knowing.

c. He is miraculous.

d. He is creative.

3. Who wouldn’t want to know him or be around him?

2 Samuel 6:6-12 6 But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God.7 Then the LORD's anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this.* So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.

8 David was angry because the LORD's anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means "to burst out against Uzzah"), as it is still called today.9 David was now afraid of the LORD, and he asked, "How can I ever bring the Ark of the LORD back into my care?"10 So David decided not to move the Ark of the LORD into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.11 The Ark of the LORD remained there in Obed-edom's house for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.

12 Then King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed-edom's household and everything he has because of the Ark of God." So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration

· The Ark of the Covenant is the presence of God.

o King David was trying to bring back the Ark into Jerusalem.

o How powerful is God when he can strike you dead in the snap of his fingers?

§ He struck Uzzah because Uzzah didn’t respect or reverence the presence of God.

§ He is prevailing and powerful

o So after Uzzah’s death David took the Ark of the Covenant to Obed-edom’s house and it resided there for 3 months.

The presence of God does 3 things in your life.

· First the presence of God blesses you.

a. In verse 11 it said the Ark blessed Obed-edom and his household.

b. Living in the presence of God blessed you beyond you can imagine.

c. Just because the Ark was present it blessed him.

· Secondly the presence of God transforms you.

a. You will never be the same once you are blessed.

i. You will have all you need and want.

b. Why go back to the way you used to be when you didn’t have anything.

i. When you were hurting in relationships.

ii. When you didn’t have anything to eat and no roof over your head.

iii. When you were depending on other people and not God.

When you spend time in the presence of God on a regular basis he will transform you and bless you rather than you being conformed to this world.

· Finally the presence of God makes you pursuit him.

a. It makes you want to go deeper in Christ.

b. And makes you chase after God more and more like a hot pursuit.

I know many of you have seen cops or

Americas

dumbest pursuits or something like that.

· Those idiots who are running from the cops have something in their head, a mind frame that thinks that they won’t get caught.

· They run and run until what? They hit another car? They have a flat tire?

o Why do we run from God then turn to him when we’ve hit a roadblock or when we need something, a little here a little there.

Revelations 3:15-16 15 "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

I’m tired of Christians living halfheartedly on the border of good and evil on the edge of sinner and saint.

· Why do we only call on God when we want or need something?

o Lord I need money.

o Lord, help me pass this test.

o Lord, don’t let my momma find out.

o Can you help a brother out lord?

· Why do we feed our bodies 3 times a day but feed ourselves spiritually 1 cold snack a week.

o You go months without picking up that old dusty bible.

o You don’t pray unless you need something right then.

o How many knows what I’m talking about.

When are we going to stop running from God and turn around and pursue him.

I’m ready for change in Youth Rock and Pastor Mike and Tk are ready for change too.

1. We have dreams and visions for Youth Rock but we need you.

a. We need on teens on fire for God.

2. We need you to pursue God with all your heart, mind, and strength.

I am a living witness when I was growing up I never had life easy. It was just me and my mom. I didn’t have what everyone else had. I didn’t get to do what everyone else got to do. I held a job since I was like 10 trying to help my mom out. One thing we did have was the presence of God in our lives therefore we were blessed and I still am.

Who is ready to seek the presence of God in their life and to be blessed, to be transformed, and to pursue God?

So excited to have this sermon for you this week from Harlan Scott. Harlan is a Youthrocker that graduated from our Student Ministry and began serving us as a Staff Member. He and his wife Shelbie are a grat asset to our team. We are very proud of them and the future they have in God is so bright.

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Coming Next Month a Free Purity Conference entitled: 16 and not pregnant.

As you may or may not know MTV's Reality TV show "16 and pregnant" has been the number 1 reality TV show of 2011. So to combat the enemy of our culture we are launching a "Purity Campaign" against it. You don't want to miss this event.