Presence Centered // Purpose of His Presence // Pastor Keenen Worell

The Holy Spirit did not come to make our lives easier. He came to make us whole. He came to remind us of who he is and what he said. His presence comes to empower us, to overcome what the enemy said would destroy us. It comes to minister to our deepest pain. The presence of God is not a luxury for the spiritually elite, it is the essential power source for every believer who wants to experience transformation. [00:22:03] (48 seconds)  #PresenceMakesWhole

Why do we need to know this? Because if we don't know the purpose of his presence, we will abuse it. We'll use it like a lucky charm or a vending machine. Put our prayer in, get our blessing out, and be on our way. We'll try to use his presence. We'll try to use the Holy Spirit for our purposes instead of aligning ourselves with his purpose. [00:21:29] (33 seconds)  #Don'tUsePresence

Because the reality is we are all and have been broken. We felt abandoned. We've been hurt, and have felt that pain. And the presence of God is the only thing that can heal those wounds. The presence of God is the only thing that can heal those wounds, but this is where the rubber meets the road. Because if we don't understand the purpose of his presence in this area, then we begin to treat God's comfort like a drug. [00:19:40] (42 seconds)  #PresenceHealsWounds

Sometimes we get to encounter the presence of God because we need to be empowered. In your own power you cannot break that addiction. In your own strength, you cannot fix that broken marriage. In your own ability, you cannot make it through this circumstance that you're walking through right now. You need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. One of the reasons that we encounter the presence of God is so that we can be empowered. [00:12:45] (35 seconds)  #EmpoweredBySpirit

If you don't know the purpose of a thing, abuse is inevitable. And I believe that it is no different in our life as believers. Everything attached to our faith has a purpose. Everything attached to our faith has a purpose. The word of God has a purpose. Serving has a purpose. Prayer has a purpose. Giving has a purpose. And it's important that we know what the purpose is, and the presence of God has a purpose. [00:03:31] (40 seconds)  #KnowPurposeAvoidAbuse

See, you can go to somebody and you can read a book, you can do the how to's, you can get a bunch of letters behind your name and have direction, but you will not have ability. Or you can spend your life physically getting yourself to a place, getting yourself in a rhythm, you're doing exactly what you need to do, going to the classes, doing all of the things and develop the ability, but you need his presence to give you direction. [00:15:15] (30 seconds)  #DirectionNeedsPresence

The only way that we could achieve God's plan for our life is if we get empowered by him. Jesus left. He says, I'm I'm I'm leaving. He says, go and wait for the holy spirit so that you can be empowered. Presence of God comes to empower you. Not only does it come to empower you, his presence comes to minister to you. The one thing that is most common between every person that is here is that all of us have experienced or are experiencing some sort of brokenness. [00:16:26] (46 seconds)  #HolySpiritEmpowersAndHeals

Not only does his presence come to remind us, his presence comes to empower us. Not only does his presence come to remind us, his presence comes to empower us. Acts chapter two verse four. Verse four says, and they were all filled, that is diffused throughout their being with the holy spirit and began to speak in other tongues, different languages, as the spirit was giving them the ability to speak out clearly and appropriately. [00:10:41] (46 seconds)  #Acts2Empowerment

His presence comes to empower you. You could try to spend the rest of your life continuing to do that thing and failing, Thinking that, no, I just I just need another another learning part. I just I I just need another few years. I just need more study. I just need more wisdom. I just need to go find this. I need this person. I need this. You could do all of that and fail. [00:15:57] (29 seconds)  #NotJustMoreTraining

But when we get in the house of the Lord together and we begin worshiping in all of our brokenness, we begin laying down our burdens, we begin acknowledging who God is, we begin glorifying him, it activates our awareness of his presence. That's why we feel it so strongly when we're here together because we, in all of our brokenness, begin glorifying, begin worshiping, and it activates our awareness of his presence in the room. [00:17:20] (40 seconds)  #WorshipActivatesPresence

To be reminded of who he is and who he always has been. Maybe it is a particular song that's sung during worship and you're reminded, you're a good good father, it's who you are, and you begin remembering. Maybe it's a thought of remembrance during prayer as you're praying for something or maybe it's something that you you truly know that you did not deserve. Maybe when you encounter his presence altogether, it is a reminder that he sees you and that he's still faithful. [00:08:40] (40 seconds)  #ReminderOfGodsFaithfulness

now we have applications on our phone, we have notes, we have the reminder app, all these things to help us remember. Why? Because as much as we may try in this busy world, we cannot remember at all. We are prone to forget. We are prone to forget. Two weeks ago, we talked about how the enemy is banking on you not remembering. And one of the reasons that we have that that we get this opportunity to encounter the presence of God is to be reminded. [00:07:59] (41 seconds)  #RemindersAgainstForgetting

One of the most beautiful things about God's presence is he doesn't flinch at our brokenness. As a matter of fact, he sees our brokenness, and he moves towards it. He moves right there where we are. He gets right in it, and his presence ministers to our deepest wounds. His presence ministers to our loneliness. His presence ministers to our fears. Because the reality is we are all and have been broken. [00:19:11] (35 seconds)  #GodMeetsBrokenness

And so I began telling him what each thing was used for. I told him what the pliers were used for. I picked up the screwdriver, the Allen wrench, the impact drill, and told him what each thing was used for because I wanted him to know that everything in here, in this box, in this bag, it has a purpose. It has a purpose. And doctor Myles Munro, he said, if you don't know the purpose of a thing, abuse is inevitable. [00:03:01] (30 seconds)  #EverythingHasAPurpose

There's a difference between being able to do something and then having the empowerment to see it through. K? There is a difference between being able to do something and having the empowerment to see it through. In my own life, I'm able to walk down the aisle at a wedding and give my vows and get married, but I need to be empowered to be a good husband. K? [00:11:33] (27 seconds)  #EmpowermentBeyondAbility

I'm able to give my kids good advice, but I need to be empowered to be a good father. Right now, in my own strength, I'm able to communicate, but I need to be empowered to preach the word of God. Another reason that we encounter the presence of God is to empower us to do something that we would not or could not ordinarily do. [00:12:00] (28 seconds)  #EmpowerToBeMore

Because if we don't understand the purpose of his presence in this area, then we begin to treat God's comfort like a drug. Constantly seeking the feeling without allowing the transformation. If we truly encounter the presence of God and it doesn't transform us, then all we got was an emotional high that will go away. [00:20:11] (31 seconds)  #BewareComfortAsDrug

We have to mature because he doesn't just fix things overnight. He doesn't fix everything overnight. We have to sit in it. We have to let him minister to us. And as we are healed, we become a vessel of healing to this broken world. His presence comes to minister to us. Why do we need to know this? Because if we don't know the purpose of his presence, we will abuse it. [00:21:00] (39 seconds)  #MatureThroughPresence

The purpose that the presence of God shows in the life of a believer. It is not emotionalism, it is not mysticism, his presence has a purpose. And today, I want to dive into three purposes of his presence. Three purposes of his presence. Number one, his presence comes to remind you. His presence comes to remind you. John chapter 14 and verse 26. [00:06:30] (39 seconds)  #PresenceHasPurpose

and they're back to back, so so it's a lot of them. And so I'm fixing the things and he's asking what each individual thing is for. Now this is a big tool kit, big tool bag, and he's just, what is this? What is this? What is this? And in the moment, I was like, just let me fix it because I can't talk and fix it. But I I could tell he really wanted to know and I'm like, well, he might be a grow up to be a major contractor, so I should probably get in on this while I can. [00:02:32] (29 seconds)  #TeachingThroughTools