Hungry for God's Presence: A Call to Worship
Summary
### Summary
Today's message centers on cultivating a deep hunger for the presence of God. We began by emphasizing the importance of creating an atmosphere of praise, as God inhabits the praises of His people. When we gather in His name, His presence manifests among us in a special way. This is more than just His omnipresence; it is a tangible, manifest presence that can transform lives.
We explored the idea that our hunger and desire for God's presence must continually grow. If we ever feel like we have "enough" of God, we deceive ourselves. True hunger for God means never being satisfied with our current level of intimacy with Him. This hunger should drive us to seek His presence both individually and corporately.
Matthew 5:6 tells us that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. This righteousness is not about our works but about the right standing we have with God through Jesus Christ. When we come to worship, it is not because we have done everything right but because Jesus has made us right with God.
We also looked at 1 Peter 2, which likens our desire for God's Word to a newborn baby's desire for milk. This intense craving should characterize our approach to God's presence. We should be like a hungry puppy, eager and desperate for the nourishment that only God can provide.
Isaiah 55 invites everyone who thirsts to come to the waters, symbolizing the presence of God. It challenges us to evaluate what we are truly hungry for and to prioritize the things of God over worldly pursuits. The passage reminds us that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and His Word will accomplish what He pleases.
Finally, we examined the story of King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. This story illustrates the importance of handling God's presence with reverence and according to His instructions. Casual or prideful approaches to worship can hinder the manifest presence of God. True worship requires humility and a heart fully pointed towards Him.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Importance of Praise: Creating an atmosphere of praise invites God's manifest presence. When we gather in His name and praise Him, He dwells among us in a special way, transforming our lives and circumstances. [00:56]
2. Continual Hunger for God: Our desire for God's presence must continually grow. Feeling like we have "enough" of God is a deception. True hunger means always seeking more of Him, both individually and corporately. [02:52]
3. Righteousness Through Christ: Our right standing with God is not based on our works but on what Jesus has done for us. This understanding should drive us to worship Him with gratitude and humility, knowing that we are made right through His sacrifice. [04:41]
4. Intense Craving for God's Word: Like a newborn baby craves milk, we should intensely desire God's Word and presence. This craving should characterize our approach to worship and our daily walk with God. [05:32]
5. Reverence in Worship: Handling God's presence with reverence and according to His instructions is crucial. Casual or prideful approaches can hinder His manifest presence. True worship requires humility and a heart fully pointed towards Him. [25:14]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[00:56] - The Importance of Praise
[01:52] - Ministering to the Lord
[02:52] - Continual Hunger for God
[03:38] - Tangible Presence of God
[04:41] - Righteousness Through Christ
[05:32] - Intense Craving for God's Word
[06:18] - Illustrations from Life
[07:33] - Isaiah 55: Invitation to Thirst
[08:54] - Prioritizing God's Presence
[11:18] - Consuming What is Good
[12:37] - Drawing Nations to God
[14:13] - Seek the Lord While He May Be Found
[16:11] - Abundant Pardon
[17:36] - God's Higher Ways
[18:36] - The Water Cycle Analogy
[20:15] - Going Out with Joy
[22:54] - David and the Ark of the Covenant
[25:14] - Reverence in Worship
[28:14] - Benefits of God's Presence
[30:21] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 5:6 (NIV) - "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
2. 1 Peter 2:2 (NIV) - "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
3. Isaiah 55:1-3 (NIV) - "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David."
#### Observation Questions
1. According to Matthew 5:6, what is promised to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness?
2. How does 1 Peter 2:2 describe the way we should desire God's Word?
3. In Isaiah 55:1-3, what are the people invited to do, and what is the significance of the invitation being without cost?
4. What does the sermon suggest is the difference between God's omnipresence and His manifest presence? [00:56]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to have a continual hunger for God's presence, and why is it important not to feel like we have "enough" of God? [02:52]
2. How does understanding our righteousness through Christ (Matthew 5:6) influence our approach to worship and our relationship with God? [04:41]
3. Why is it important to handle God's presence with reverence, as illustrated by the story of King David and the Ark of the Covenant? [25:14]
4. How can the analogy of a newborn baby craving milk (1 Peter 2:2) help us understand our need for God's Word and presence? [05:32]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your personal worship habits. How can you create an atmosphere of praise in your daily life to invite God's manifest presence? [00:56]
2. Think about a time when you felt particularly close to God. What steps can you take to cultivate a continual hunger for His presence in your life? [02:52]
3. How does knowing that your righteousness comes through Christ (Matthew 5:6) change the way you approach worship and prayer? [04:41]
4. In what ways can you increase your craving for God's Word, similar to how a newborn craves milk? What practical steps can you take this week to dive deeper into Scripture? [05:32]
5. Evaluate your priorities. Are there worldly pursuits that are taking precedence over your hunger for God? How can you realign your focus to prioritize God's presence? [08:54]
6. How can you ensure that your approach to worship is reverent and humble, avoiding casual or prideful attitudes? What changes might you need to make in your heart or actions? [25:14]
7. Consider the story of King David and the Ark of the Covenant. How can you apply the lesson of handling God's presence with reverence in your own life and in your participation in corporate worship? [25:14]
Devotional
Day 1: The Transformative Power of Praise
Description: Creating an atmosphere of praise is essential for inviting God's manifest presence. When believers gather in His name and lift their voices in praise, God dwells among them in a special way, transforming lives and circumstances. This is more than just acknowledging God's omnipresence; it is about experiencing His tangible, life-changing presence. Praise shifts our focus from our problems to God's greatness, allowing His power to work in our lives. [00:56]
Psalm 22:3 (ESV): "Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel."
Reflection: Think about a recent challenge you faced. How can you incorporate praise into your response to similar challenges in the future, trusting that God's presence will transform your situation?
Day 2: An Ever-Growing Hunger for God
Description: Our desire for God's presence must continually grow. Feeling like we have "enough" of God is a deception. True hunger means always seeking more of Him, both individually and corporately. This hunger should drive us to deeper levels of intimacy with God, never settling for our current experience. It is a lifelong journey of seeking and finding more of His presence, which continually transforms us. [02:52]
Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV): "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"
Reflection: Reflect on your current spiritual practices. What is one new way you can seek more of God's presence this week, both individually and with others?
Day 3: Righteousness Through Christ
Description: Our right standing with God is not based on our works but on what Jesus has done for us. This understanding should drive us to worship Him with gratitude and humility, knowing that we are made right through His sacrifice. It is not about our perfection but about His grace. This truth frees us from striving and allows us to rest in His finished work, approaching God with confidence and thankfulness. [04:41]
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV): "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Reflection: How does understanding that your righteousness comes from Christ change the way you approach God in prayer and worship? What can you do to remind yourself of this truth daily?
Day 4: Intense Craving for God's Word
Description: Like a newborn baby craves milk, we should intensely desire God's Word and presence. This craving should characterize our approach to worship and our daily walk with God. Just as a baby depends on milk for growth and nourishment, we depend on God's Word for spiritual sustenance and growth. This intense desire keeps us connected to God and continually transforms us. [05:32]
1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV): "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take to increase your craving for God's Word this week? Consider setting aside dedicated time each day to immerse yourself in Scripture.
Day 5: Reverence in Worship
Description: Handling God's presence with reverence and according to His instructions is crucial. Casual or prideful approaches can hinder His manifest presence. True worship requires humility and a heart fully pointed towards Him. The story of King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem illustrates the importance of reverence and obedience in worship. When we approach God with the right heart, His presence is powerfully manifested among us. [25:14]
Hebrews 12:28-29 (ESV): "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."
Reflection: Examine your attitude towards worship. Are there areas where you have become casual or prideful? How can you cultivate a heart of reverence and humility in your worship practices?
Quotes
1. "The presence of God, our demonstrations of the Holy Spirit, are rarely going to be found where there's no desire, amen? God, and I've said this before, and you've heard people say it so many times, but the Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He doesn't force anything on anybody, neither should we force anything on anybody. We can instruct, we can correct, and all those different things. Things like that, but we shouldn't force anything because He doesn't force anything, and so because He doesn't force anything on anybody, where there is no desire for God's presence to be in, it says, well, that's silly. Every church ought to desire God's presence to be there." [01:52] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "If we want to see a move of God, or a move of the Holy Spirit, we've got to be a move of the Holy Spirit, our hunger level and our desire level has to go up, and it's not saying that we don't have a hunger level, and it's not saying we don't have a desire level, but I believe that if we ever get to a point where we say, we've got enough, then we are deceiving ourselves, amen? How many of you have got enough of God? Anybody ever found yourself where you say, I just got enough of God, I don't need no more of God, I don't need any more of His presence? No, I always want more." [02:52] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "When we come into a place, we don't come to worship Him because we've done everything right and we've set everything right. We come and worship Him because Jesus set us right with Him. Amen? Is this okay? 1 Peter 2 says, As newborn babes desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. And so right here, Peter likens us to babies when it comes to the things of God. And of course, right here, he's talking about the Word of God, which is hand in hand. But when we come to God, we ought to come to a place where, you know, it's not that we're just civilized and we're like, you know, we're prim and we're proper and we're sitting down to eat. And, you know, we're just pecking like a bird or whatever, but that we desire the pure milk of the Word of God like a baby." [04:41] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When it comes to wanting and desiring the things of God, we ought to be like the puppy. Amen. We can't wait to get in the door. There's food there. There's, there's drink there. And I am hungry. I'm starving for the actual presence of God. Not that you can't be in the presence of God by yourself, but there is a difference when you come into a place where there's a group of people that are hungry. There's a group of people, a group of believers that are all pointed towards him, that are all worshiping him, that are all praising him. And it just, it's, it's like there's so much food and drink that comes down from the presence of God that just satisfies us. Amen." [06:53] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Why do you spend money for what is not bread? And of course we know in the word of God, bread, our bread is likened to the word. He says, why do you, let me go back up. Let me go look and say, what, why do you spend money for what is not bread? Why do you go after things? Why do you spend so much of your life on something that is, that is not actually bread? That's not the word of God working in your life. He says, and your wages. He says, and your wages. do you spend so much money on what is not bread and your wages on things that are not satisfying? Meaning we're so caught up, not that you have to pay for the presence of God in your life. You don't have to pay for the word of God working in your life. It says, but really you're spending a lot of your life trying to get things that don't satisfy and not spending enough time going for something that doesn't cost you anything. It costs God everything, but it doesn't cost you anything." [08:54] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him. And to our God he will abundantly pardon. So if you've been away from God, and you've been forsaken his ways, and you're not listening, and even right now you're hardening your heart because you're like, this just sounds like a bunch of foof. And I just don't know about that. And you know, I'm just the man, and I'm just too cool for all that. And you don't know what's happened in my life. You don't know what's going on in my life. You're just lucky that I'm here today because I really don't even want to be here and all that stuff. Listen, if that's you in your heart, even a little bit, it says, the wicked might forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts." [14:13] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "You cannot handle the presence of God any old way that you want to. And I said some of this last week. Meaning, worship's not about us. So why are we making up the rules on how we want to worship? Why are we making up the rules on how we want to praise? Why are we making up the rules on how we want to pray? Why are we making up the rules on how we want to handle the presence of God? God is not someone who leaves us in the dark about the way he wants things done. His word tells us. Amen? And it's not like we're living in a dispensation where we drop over dead if we do something wrong in the presence of God. So there shouldn't be that fear. But you know what should be even greater than a fear of dropping over physically dead by mishandling the presence of God? It's that the presence of God would not be here with us if we mishandle it." [25:14] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "A part of hungering after the presence of God is being. Humbled by his holiness and his power. Casually approaching God's holy place, I believe, is a turn off to the Holy Spirit. There needs to be a preparation in our hearts of getting ready that we don't casually approach. We say, I'm going to worship the King of Kings. I'm going to praise the Lord of Lords. Not that we have to be just stone face serious. We got that nailed. I mean, we got that nailed at Word of Faith. Stone face serious. We can. We can chill out on. But prepared in my heart. I'm going to worship the King today. I'm going to magnify the King. And I believe that as I worship him and magnify him with a true heart fully pointed towards him. He's going to rain down on me. He's going to rain down on us. His presence is going to fill this place." [27:41] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "David's re-approach to bringing in the ark is what created his success in bringing that back to his people. And it brought blessing back to the kingdom of heaven, which was Israel. So I'll leave you with this. preparation plus action according to the word, not just any action, but action according to the word, I believe equals moves of God. Amen. And it's got to be true hearted, non-religious, but hunger plus preparation plus action according to the word of God, I believe equals a move of God." [29:14] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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