Embracing God's Transformative Presence in Worship

Devotional

Day 1: The Supremacy of Our Creator

In a world that often values inclusivity over truth, believers are called to stand firm in the knowledge of the one true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. This understanding should not make us anxious but should empower us to declare His greatness boldly. Our lives should reflect our belief in His might and majesty, living as people who are not swayed by the multitude of voices around us. The uniqueness of our God is a truth that sets us apart and gives us a firm foundation in a world of shifting values. [33:59]

"For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): 'I am the Lord, and there is no other.'" (Isaiah 45:18, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you boldly declare God's greatness in your daily interactions this week, even when it might be uncomfortable or countercultural?

Day 2: Longing for God's Transformative Presence

The story of King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem illustrates a deep longing for God's presence. David recognized that the Ark was not merely an artifact but a symbol of God's manifest presence and power. His intense desire for God's presence led him to dance with all his might, setting aside his kingly dignity to honor God. This act of worship was about ushering in God's presence, not about David's own presence. As believers, we are reminded that a cry for revival is essentially a cry for God's presence, which transforms lives, heals, delivers, and sets people free. [48:41]

"And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn." (2 Samuel 6:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper longing for God's presence in your life, and what practical steps can you take to seek His presence daily?

Day 3: The Heart of True Worship

True worship is not about maintaining our dignity or adhering to preconceived notions of order. It is about honest, heartfelt praise that invites the presence of God. In our pursuit of God's presence, we must be willing to let go of our pride and preconceived ideas of what worship should look like. True worship may differ from our expectations, but it is the genuine, heartfelt praise that courts the presence of God. We must prioritize His presence over the presence of people, recognizing that it is only through His Spirit that lives are truly transformed. [01:23:32]

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." (John 4:23, ESV)

Reflection: What preconceived notions or personal preferences might be hindering your worship, and how can you focus more on God's presence than on the opinions of others?

Day 4: The Life-Changing Power of God's Presence

The presence of God is what truly changes lives. It is not the programs or the aesthetics of our services that matter, but the genuine encounter with God that transforms hearts and minds. While God is omnipresent, there is a manifest presence that brings transformation, healing, and deliverance. This is the presence we should earnestly seek, not just in our church services but in our daily lives. It is not enough to go through the motions of worship; we must genuinely desire and anticipate God's presence, allowing it to change us from the inside out. [01:31:31]

"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night." (Exodus 13:21, ESV)

Reflection: How can you create space in your daily routine to encounter God's presence in a way that allows for genuine transformation?

Day 5: Wholeheartedly Seeking God

To experience revival and a move of God, we must seek Him with all our hearts. It is not about the efforts of individuals but about a collective desire for His presence that leads to transformation and change. As we move forward, let us commit to seeking God with all our hearts, expecting Him to move in our midst. Let us be a people who not only declare His greatness but live in a way that reflects our belief in His power and presence. May our worship be genuine, our hearts open, and our lives changed by the manifest presence of our great God. [01:49:44]

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV)

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to seek God with all your heart, and how can you encourage others in your community to do the same?

Sermon Summary

In our gathering tonight, we have been reminded of the unique privilege we have as believers to boast in the one true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. In a world that often seeks inclusivity at the expense of truth, we stand firm in our knowledge of the God who is above all gods. This truth should not make us nervous but rather embolden us to declare His greatness and live as people who truly believe in His might and majesty.

Reflecting on the story of King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, we see a powerful example of the desire for God's presence. David understood that the Ark was not just a beautiful artifact but a representation of God's manifest presence and power. His longing for God's presence was so intense that he danced with all his might before the Lord, setting aside his kingly dignity to honor God. This act of worship was not about David's presence but about ushering in the presence of God.

We are reminded that a cry for revival is essentially a cry for God's presence. While God is omnipresent, there is a manifest presence that transforms lives, heals, delivers, and sets people free. This is the presence we should earnestly seek, not just in our church services but in our daily lives. It is not enough to go through the motions of worship; we must genuinely desire and anticipate God's presence, allowing it to change us from the inside out.

In our pursuit of God's presence, we must be willing to let go of our pride and preconceived notions of order and propriety. True worship may look different from what we are accustomed to, but it is the honest, heartfelt praise that courts the presence of God. We must prioritize His presence over the presence of people, recognizing that it is only through His Spirit that lives are truly transformed.

As we move forward, let us commit to seeking God with all our hearts, expecting Him to move in our midst. Let us be a people who not only declare His greatness but live in a way that reflects our belief in His power and presence. May our worship be genuine, our hearts open, and our lives changed by the manifest presence of our great God.

Key Takeaways

1. The Uniqueness of Our God: We serve the one true God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who is above all other gods. This truth should embolden us to declare His greatness and live as people who truly believe in His might and majesty. [33:59]
2. Desiring God's Presence: Like David, we must earnestly seek the manifest presence of God, which transforms lives, heals, delivers, and sets people free. It is not enough to go through the motions of worship; we must genuinely desire and anticipate His presence. [48:41]
3. True Worship: True worship is not about maintaining our dignity or adhering to preconceived notions of order. It is about honest, heartfelt praise that courts the presence of God. We must prioritize His presence over the presence of people. [83:32]
4. The Power of God's Presence: The presence of God is what truly changes lives. It is not the programs or the aesthetics of our services that matter, but the genuine encounter with God that transforms hearts and minds. [91:31]
5. Seeking God with All Our Hearts: To experience revival and a move of God, we must seek Him with all our hearts. It is not about the efforts of individuals but about a collective desire for His presence that leads to transformation and change. [01:49:44]
** [109:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:59] - Declaring God's Greatness
[40:48] - Living as Believers
[44:09] - The Story of David and the Ark
[48:41] - A Cry for Revival
[50:38] - Dancing Before the Lord
[51:55] - Consumed by His Presence
[56:05] - David's Desire for God's Presence
[58:57] - The Power of the Ark
[61:31] - God's Demonstration of Power
[65:32] - The Need for God's Presence
[70:15] - Thirsting for God
[75:30] - Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem
[83:32] - True Worship and Presence
[91:31] - Prioritizing God's Presence
[109:44] - Seeking God with All Our Hearts

Sermon Clips

1. "There's a lot of folks in this world who can boast of a God they serve, whether it's themselves or another God. But we are the only people, we are the only people who can boast of the God who is above all gods. Do you believe that? We know him to be the one true God. Does that make y 'all nervous? I know we're living in a world where that makes people nervous to say such a thing. Because we want to be so inclusive. We want to be so, you know, liked and we want to get along. We want to coexist and those kinds of things. But the bottom line of it is we're the only ones who know the one true God. The Lord God who created the heavens and the earth. Our Father which art in heaven and his name is still hallowed tonight." [00:33:01] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "All the world will see when we declare his greatness. All the world will see it when we declare his greatness and live as people who believe that we serve a great and mighty God. All the world. Amen. How many of y 'all, now don't raise your hand and tell on yourself, but how many of y 'all sit around and talk about how wicked the world is and how terrible the world is and how terrible people are in this world and how they need Jesus? Well, how do we expect them to have Jesus, come on, saints, if we don't declare the greatness of our God? And Ethan, not just declaring it, but living like we believe he's a great and mighty God." [00:41:14] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "A cry for revival is a cry for his presence. Well, Pastor, God is everywhere. Yeah, I know. I get it. But there is a manifest presence that needs to be with us, to guide us, to come. Anybody else know what I'm talking about? When I say manifest. Manifest, I mean more than just chills, more than just goosebumps, more than just feeling good. I'm talking about something you really, you not only can feel, but you can almost, well, in some ways you can see. Because you can see it at work, the presence, at work in people's lives. You can begin to see it on their face. You can begin to see it in their worship." [00:48:50] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "David is in his kingdom, and he's saying to himself, he's saying to himself, I need his presence close to me. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how to do this. I need him to be close to me. For I need him to be close to me. For 20 years, for 20 years, the ark has been away from Jerusalem, and so he sins after it. His desire is for the presence of God. See, David understood the importance of that." [01:09:56] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "David needed the presence of God. He looked for the presence of God. There was an anticipation. There was an expectation. Do we come looking? Do we come anticipating? Is there expectation from us that God... I know there's a hope in us. Well, I hope the Lord moves tonight. No, I didn't say that. Are you expecting the move of God? Are you expecting God to do something that's going to change lives and change your heart? An expectation. An expectation. An expectation. When God's people desire His presence, His manifest presence, you know what will happen to us? We will fast. We will pray. We will anticipate. We'll come with a different mindset, a spirit, a different attitude. We'll praise Him. We'll worship Him. We'll lift our hands. We'll sing with joy. Come on, saints. We'll shout again. We'll dance again." [01:41:36] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "But they'll come looking for us if they know they're not just getting a church service, but they're going to find the presence of God that's going to make a difference and change their lives. Because that's what people are looking for. That's what people are hungry for. I want you right where you're at. I want you to begin to stretch at least a hand toward heaven. And I want us to just thank Him and praise Him again. Can we acknowledge? Can we acknowledge our great God in this place tonight?" [01:43:10] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "He said, from that point, when you realize that you've been looking in empty places. That you've been looking at places and people that cannot help you. He said, you'll turn back to me and you will seek me and you will find me when you seek for me with all of your heart. So this is the deal. You want revival. You want to move up God. It ain't got nothing to do with me. And you got nothing to do with them. But if you seek God with all of your heart. You'll find me." [01:50:14] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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