Transformative Encounters: Experiencing God's Presence Together
Devotional
Sermon Summary
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One encounter with God can change anything. One of the keys to opening up a lifestyle of encounter is just to be open. Mike and I were talking a few weeks ago just about leaning into this year and kind of maybe what the Lord's speaking. Who wants a word from the Lord for the year? [00:00:00] (15 seconds)
But this word encounter is interesting. When you look it up, like some of the definitions of that word are kind of on the negative side a little bit. But there's one definition that I think is why we use this word. And it's to meet face-to-face. [00:01:33] (16 seconds)
And so this whole idea of, like, meeting face-to-face is really important. You know, how many of you know, like, when you have something difficult to say, do you just text it, or is it probably more important that you get together face-to-face? Why does it matter? Because it really matters that you can not only hear the words that I'm saying, but the way that I say it, the, the look on my face. [00:03:23] (26 seconds)
And so, we talk about encounter God. We mean his love, intimacy, presence, healing, and restoration, and we're filled with his love and power. We do that through a lot of ways. I'd say worship is one of the ways that we're encountering God. I think when we open up the scriptures and we, we read his word, that's another way of encountering God. [00:04:24] (21 seconds)
And yet, here's what strikes me about that story. In failure, they chose to hide their face from him. He did not. Like, if humanity could actually get that, like, where does humanity get the idea that when I fail, I need to hide from him? Is it just, in our nature, is it, what is that? [00:09:08] (26 seconds)
And so, it says he never hid his face from them. He didn't abandon them. Here's the part I love. He clothed them. In the place of their nakedness, he actually clothed them. He made a covering for them and clothed them. It was the beginning of this journey to say, I mean, just right in the moment, he begins the journey of restoration. [00:10:11] (23 seconds)
And so, you know, we have these coming home, like we're expecting people to come home. How does that happen? It happens through encountering God. And we see Moses with this burning bush, right? He's just going along. He's doing his thing. He's kind of gone off the rails a little bit and he sees this burning bush. And what does he do? He's intrigued by it. He turns, he goes to the bush. And from that place, God speaks to him and encounters him and gives him this purpose. [00:15:43] (28 seconds)
Inside the tent of meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face as one speaks to a friend. Afterward, Moses would return to the camp. But the young man who assisted him, Joshua's son, the son of none. He's not a son of a none. He's Joshua's son of none. None was a person. Okay, I just, I wanna be clear here. He would remain behind in the tent of meeting. [00:18:32] (27 seconds)
And so we have the opportunity to be glory carriers that wherever we go, God's goodness is seen, that it leads them into an encounter with Jesus. We have this David, Psalm 1715. He says, because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. [00:25:56] (23 seconds)
Nobody is beyond the reach of God. You know, all these names. I came in this week and just. Praying over these names that have been on our heart, that we've been praying for to come home. Nobody is beyond the reach of God. No matter how far they've strayed, what's going on. No matter how it seems today. [00:30:55] (20 seconds)
And I just feel like, like God is wanting to encounter us. He's, he's wanting to open that up. And, and even if you feel like I've never encountered him, I've never heard him, like all it takes is just opening yourself up and having some faith in that. Having more faith in his ability to speak to you and encounter you than in your own ability. [00:46:23] (26 seconds)
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But this word encounter is interesting. When you look it up, like some of the definitions of that word are kind of on the negative side a little bit. But there's one definition that I think is why we use this word. And it's to meet face-to-face. [00:01:33] (16 seconds)
And so this whole idea of, like, meeting face-to-face is really important. You know, how many of you know, like, when you have something difficult to say, do you just text it, or is it probably more important that you get together face-to-face? Why does it matter? Because it really matters that you can not only hear the words that I'm saying, but the way that I say it, the, the look on my face. [00:03:23] (26 seconds)
And so, we talk about encounter God. We mean his love, intimacy, presence, healing, and restoration, and we're filled with his love and power. We do that through a lot of ways. I'd say worship is one of the ways that we're encountering God. I think when we open up the scriptures and we, we read his word, that's another way of encountering God. [00:04:24] (21 seconds)
And yet, here's what strikes me about that story. In failure, they chose to hide their face from him. He did not. Like, if humanity could actually get that, like, where does humanity get the idea that when I fail, I need to hide from him? Is it just, in our nature, is it, what is that? [00:09:08] (26 seconds)
And so, it says he never hid his face from them. He didn't abandon them. Here's the part I love. He clothed them. In the place of their nakedness, he actually clothed them. He made a covering for them and clothed them. It was the beginning of this journey to say, I mean, just right in the moment, he begins the journey of restoration. [00:10:11] (23 seconds)
And so, you know, we have these coming home, like we're expecting people to come home. How does that happen? It happens through encountering God. And we see Moses with this burning bush, right? He's just going along. He's doing his thing. He's kind of gone off the rails a little bit and he sees this burning bush. And what does he do? He's intrigued by it. He turns, he goes to the bush. And from that place, God speaks to him and encounters him and gives him this purpose. [00:15:43] (28 seconds)
Inside the tent of meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face as one speaks to a friend. Afterward, Moses would return to the camp. But the young man who assisted him, Joshua's son, the son of none. He's not a son of a none. He's Joshua's son of none. None was a person. Okay, I just, I wanna be clear here. He would remain behind in the tent of meeting. [00:18:32] (27 seconds)
And so we have the opportunity to be glory carriers that wherever we go, God's goodness is seen, that it leads them into an encounter with Jesus. We have this David, Psalm 1715. He says, because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. [00:25:56] (23 seconds)
Nobody is beyond the reach of God. You know, all these names. I came in this week and just. Praying over these names that have been on our heart, that we've been praying for to come home. Nobody is beyond the reach of God. No matter how far they've strayed, what's going on. No matter how it seems today. [00:30:55] (20 seconds)
And I just feel like, like God is wanting to encounter us. He's, he's wanting to open that up. And, and even if you feel like I've never encountered him, I've never heard him, like all it takes is just opening yourself up and having some faith in that. Having more faith in his ability to speak to you and encounter you than in your own ability. [00:46:23] (26 seconds)
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