A conscious sense of God's presence

 

LIMAVADY BAPTIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 7 APRIL 2024

2 SAMUEL 7 VERSES 18  - 29

I want you to notice in the opening verses of our reading there is a lovely scene and it begins with these words “Then went king David in and sat before the Lord.”  God wants to speak to us about entering into God’s presence.  If I was to ask you today what is missing in the lives of God’s people today what would you say?  It is also missing in our churches and in the pulpit.  A conscience sense of God’s presence.  We have been seminary conscious, church conscious, conference conscious but we can have all the meetings of the day yet not be God conscious.  If any of God’s people need something today it is to be God conscious, being conscious of God’s presence.  Proverbs 22 verse 4 “by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life.”  If anything is going to enrich the life of the believer it is a conscious sense of God.  This is something we all need – a personal experience of God’s presence.  David had this personal experience of God’s presence.  But not only a personal experience of God’s presence he has also a personal conscience of God’s presence.  The Psalmist could ask “where shall I flee from thy presence?”  Do we sense God’s presence, do we feel God’s presence in our lives today?  Job 23 verse 15 “I am troubled at thy presence.”  We have got to know the presence of God.  It would affect us if we did.  It would change our attitude.  It would give us a fear of God.  The church needs that fear to fall on us.  There is no fear of God today.  If anything is going to strike revival in the hearts of God’s people it is the fear of God.  We need a move of God amongst God’s people today.

Verse 22 – David noticed the greatness of God.  We need to grasp the greatness of our God – Deuteronomy 3 verse 24.  How our souls would be blessed, our spirits lifted if only we could grasp something of the Lord’s greatness.  There is so much to annoy us today.  So much to despair of, to get us down.  If only we could grasp the truth of the greatness of God.  We need to learn the sense of God’s presence.  To know the greatness of God.  Hudson Taylor woke up one day with a spirit of depression and despondence.  He was downhearted and near giving up on life.  He took his bible and got alone with God.  He said “if you are really there God come to me now, reveal yourself to me.”  His bible fell open at Psalm 48 verse 1 “great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.”  Maybe you are down today.  Maybe you are discouraged in your work.  Maybe you are wondering how you will face tomorrow.  It seems impossible to face.  God is greater than your problem.  God is greater than your sorrow.  God understands. 

David saw also the uniqueness of God.  Jeremiah 10 verse 6.  People forget that God ruleth in the kingdoms of men.  Isaiah 40 verse 15 “Behold the nations as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, he taketh up the isles s a very little thing.”.  He is unique as far as his power is concerned but he is unique as far as his pardon is concerned.  What a great God we have!  He delighteth in mercy.  Where would you be if he hadn’t forgiven you?  How many of Gods people are struggling with assurance today.  “Am I really saved?”  Micah 7 verse 19 “he has cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”  “As far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions.” Psalm 103 verse 12

David was conscious of the powerfulness of God – verse 22.  At the Red Sea after Moses had brought the people of Israel out of Egypt they were made aware of the powerfulness of God.  We see also the powerfulness of God in the resurrection.  What other God is like this?  God is in control of everything that is going on in this world, in your life.  As for God his ways are always perfect – not always pleasant but perfect. 

Verse 21 what we ought to need to do today – we need to get to know our God.  Getting alone with God, opening our bibles then God can really come to us.  Every meeting we hold cannot be substituted with getting alone with God.  We need to get God conscious again.  We need to encounter God today.  It is the presence of God that pastors need in our pulpits.  A conscious sense of God.  If pastors got a grasp of the presence of God there would be more humility and less pride.  May that be the desire of all of our hearts today, to get to know God in these days.  Conscious of God in every day living.  Paul said “O that I might know him and the power of his resurrection.”  If we got the sense of God things would happen.  “Then went king David in and sat before the Lord.”  What a picture – David the king sat before the Lord – just him and the Lord.  O that we could get to that place to be alone with God today.