God is with us!
In our culture we usually emphasize concept and principle above experience.
For example, you can go to a business school in our nation and come out with a business degree and never be taught by anyone who owns their own business. Bill Johnson says, "We value and applaud concept so much that we think we know something when we can recite it."
Some of you are feeling uncomfortable right now. It's O.K., we're here to grow, know and demonstrate. To Gods Glory!
The question for us today is - What keeps us from practicing the presence of God in the marketplace?
More often than not, it is because we don't think or believe God is with us.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27
Because our cultural experience around worship in the gathered church-place is emphasized so much (and it should be), when we hit the streets on Monday we rarely engage because we don't sense the same feelings and power we did while "worshiping" on Sunday.
Well, unless you've got some unique workplace that allows you to bring the worship team to work with you, chances are you aren't going to feel the same things you did when you gathered in that setting.
Practicing the presence of God is where faith and authority meet.
“The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Phil. 4:9
Faith Sees! Authority Trusts!
“Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” John 3:2
When we practice the presence of God we do what we've learned, received, heard and seen in Jesus. When we do then a true manifestation of God's presence is revealed. So what does this look like, well... answer this question first - Are we doing more without God(independent) or more with God(in partnership) then ever before?
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
To declare that God is with us begins a cycle of trust that allows God to demonstrate His grace to us.
Authority Trusts! Do you trust His authority in your life? God wants to entrust His authority in your life.
When doubt creeps into our hearts and heads we begin to speculate. What if...? Or what if...? The moment doubt has that precedent it undermines not only God's Authority in us, but our authority as one of His.
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt. 28
In short measure we are found moving from doubt to inability or insufficiency. Hope diminishes and we lose heart. There's no presence or anointing. At least that's what we think. Jesus clearly said that He would be with us always.
So what happened? We stopped practicing what we've learned, received, heard and seen in Jesus. Faithing is a verb version of faith. Faith is complete trust, something that is believed with strong conviction. One of the lies that are perpetuated in a climate where economy and resources seem scarce is that there's not enough or that there can't be more. Not with our God. He came to give us life and life more abundantly. Trusting Him, believing Him, and faithing Him on a daily basis - because of who He is - is our practice.
“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” Eph. 3:16-19
By the way, since this is practice - it's O.K. to make mistakes; to miss it occasionally, to fail, but get up and go after it again.
Remember, God is with you.