Living in the presence of God. Part 7. (The complete package) 11-28-2025

Winter showed up this week with six inches of snow, but I didn’t want to miss gathering with you because this journey into the presence of God has been life-giving. I laid out what I call the “complete package” for coming into His presence: bring an offering, come happy, and come singing. First, we don’t chase a church service—we seek His face. His presence is available every day, not just on Sundays. When we come, we focus completely on Him. That means dealing with things that distract the heart—unforgiveness, gossip, and unrepented sin. Those things don’t make you “too dirty” for God; they make you too distracted to notice Him.

I reminded us that people respond to God’s presence in different ways—some shout, some weep, some are silent. The key is to avoid drawing attention to ourselves and honor the setting. Praise can be loud, joyful, and biblical (Psalm 98:4), yet worship often leads into holy stillness. Strong leadership helps a church discern the difference.

We also talked about offerings. We don’t buy the presence of God and we don’t tip Him. We honor Him. Abraham taught us this as he climbed the mountain trusting God to provide (Genesis 22). Our tithes and offerings are not transactions; they’re declarations—“You are my Source, and I trust You.” And we do this not grudgingly, but gladly. Scripture even commands joy—enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100). Joy in God isn’t denial of reality; it’s allegiance to a greater reality.

Finally, we come singing. Scripture gives us a long songbook’s worth of reasons—His holiness, power, mercy, faithfulness, salvation. Music can either entertain us or usher us into His presence. Let’s choose songs that lift high the name of Jesus, not our own feelings. In a world loud with negativity, we fix our ears and hearts on Christ. So bring the complete package: an offering that honors Him, a happy heart, and a song that centers on Jesus. Live this daily, and you’ll find His presence meeting you everywhere.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Seek His face with focus We don’t chase a service; we pursue a Person. Seeking His face means we prioritize His presence over preferences and distractions. Focus is costly because it requires us to notice what steals our attention and repent of it. But when our gaze is fixed, our hearts become anchored. [02:27]
• 2. Offerings honor God, not purchase Him Giving is not a fee for blessings—it’s worship that declares God is our Source. Abraham’s confidence—“God will provide”—is the posture of true worship. We bring tithes and offerings to align our hearts, not to manipulate outcomes. Love gives freely because it trusts the Giver. [11:44]
• 3. Choose joy; God commands gladness Joy is not a mood; it’s obedience to a God who is always worthy. Scripture commands us to rejoice before Him, even when our circumstances don’t cooperate. Joy trains our souls to value God above outcomes. It also protects our community from hypocrisy by calling us to live what we sing. [16:53]
• 4. Sing truth that centers on Jesus Music is powerful; it can either entertain us or escort us into holy ground. Songs that magnify Jesus steady the heart and make room for His presence. When lyrics exalt His character—mercy, faithfulness, salvation—our faith rises to meet Him. Choose a soundtrack that lifts your eyes where your help comes from. [25:01]
• 5. Consider others; avoid the spotlight Not everyone worships the same way, and that’s okay. The issue is attention: does what I’m doing draw eyes to me or to Jesus? Loving the body means honoring the moment, the setting, and the Spirit’s direction. Freedom in worship flourishes best under humility. [04:21]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:32] - Subscribe and website updates
• [01:49] - Series overview: Presence of the Lord
• [02:27] - How to enter: seek and focus
• [03:05] - Hindrances to His presence
• [04:21] - Expressions of worship, right setting
• [05:00] - Biblical shout and shift to worship
• [08:01] - Bring an offering: complete worship
• [08:41] - Abraham and Isaac: trust and provision
• [11:44] - Tithes, offerings, and true motive
• [12:58] - Come happy: thanksgiving and praise
• [21:54] - Serve with gladness; come singing
• [24:21] - Music that centers on Jesus
• [26:57] - The complete package: take it home
• [28:49] - Salvation and healing prayer

Bible reading (ESV)
- Genesis 22:1–14
After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

- Psalm 100:1–2, 4
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Observation questions (read the passages once, then discuss)

1. In Genesis 22:1–14, what actions and words show Abraham’s posture toward God’s provision and command? (Notice his words “we will come back” and “God will provide.”) [08:41]
2. What specific commands about attitude and action toward God appear in Psalm 100 (verses above)? Which verbs describe how people should approach God?
3. The pastor named specific hindrances to sensing God’s presence (unforgiveness, gossip, unrepented sin). Which of those does the group most often see in everyday life? How were those named in the message? [03:05]
4. The sermon quoted Psalm 98:4 (“make a joyful noise”) and contrasted loud praise with quiet worship times. Where in your own experience have you seen both kinds lead people toward God and not toward showmanship? [05:00]

Interpretation questions (think through what the passages and sermon imply)

1. What does Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac teach about the relationship between obedience, trust, and worship? In what ways does that passage reframe the idea of “bringing an offering” to God? [08:41]
2. The psalm commands serving the LORD with gladness and coming with singing. Why would God command joy as part of worship rather than leaving it only to feelings? What does that tell us about obedience and the will of the worshiper? [12:58]
3. The pastor warned about actions that draw attention to self during worship. How should a church distinguish between freedom of expression and self-focused performance? What criteria from Scripture or the sermon help make that judgment? [04:21]
4. The sermon argued that giving is not a purchase but a posture of trust (Abraham’s example). How should that change a believer’s motive for tithing and giving during hard seasons? [11:44]

Application questions (personal, practical steps to try this week)

1. Identify one specific relationship or situation where unforgiveness or gossip is stealing your focus from God. What concrete step will you take this week to confess, reconcile, or stop that behavior? Who will you tell to keep you accountable? [03:05]
2. Evaluate your giving posture: do you give as an act of trust and worship, or from obligation, fear, or habit? If it’s not sacrificial or joyful, what exact change will you make this month (amount, frequency, or attitude change) to make giving a spiritual practice? [11:44]
3. The pastor said to “come happy” into God’s presence. For the next seven days, name three things you will thank God for each morning before the day begins. How will you remind yourself to do this? [12:58]
4. Audit the music you listen to this week. Which songs lift up Jesus’s name and which draw your mind away? Commit to replacing two commonly-played tracks with praise songs that center on Jesus; name the songs and when you will play them. [25:01]
5. If you are inclined to seek attention in worship (even by approval-seeking or performance), pick one practical step to check motive during the next service (silent prayer beforehand, ask a trusted friend to give honest feedback, or sit in the back for a week). How will you measure whether your motive changed? [04:21]
6. As a small group, what one change can you make to help others enter God’s presence (examples: set aside five minutes of quiet worship at the start, agree on music focus, personally check in with people who are distracted)? Try it next meeting and report what changed. [06:45]
7. If someone in the group does not have a personal relationship with Jesus or wants to recommit, follow the simple prayer the pastor offered and pick a next step: tell one believer, find a Bible-teaching church, and ask for prayer for growth. Who will you tell by next Sunday? [28:49]

(Use these questions to guide 60–75 minutes of discussion. Keep the time balanced: Bible reading → short observation → interpretation → longer application.)