In His Presence (Acts 3:19)

1. The Power of His Presence

Leading the song in his presence. We’ve sung that maybe a few times through the years here. It’s a relatively new song, not in our books, but I love the song. It’s pretty. But not just because it’s pretty, but because of the sentiment of the song. And so I want to speak for a moment, beginning in Psalm 114 today. The power of his presence. This is a tiny little psalm that declares the blessing of God’s powerful presence among his people may be overlooked among the Psalms. When Israel went forth from Egypt, the time frame of the Psalm is provided. That helps us bringing back memories of the Egyptian deliverance. The house of Jacob from a people of strange language. Judah became his sanctuary. Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled.

The Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams. The hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you flee, or Jordan that you turn back. O mountains that you skip like rams, or hills like lambs. Tremble, O Lord, before the Lord, before the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of water. And so some of these exodus images come to life in Psalm 114. Israel’s favored status is declared Judah, his sanctuary, Israel, his dominion. Which tells us it may have been written in the divided kingdom era that those distinctions are made. But the point of the Psalm that I just want to draw your attention to this morning is that God’s presence among his people made all the difference.

And it always does. God’s invisible nature is a problem for so many people today. Out of sight, out of mind. Is God really there? Does God really exist? I don’t see him doing anything. God is invisible by nature. No man has seen God at any time, Jesus said. He is invisible, he dwells in unapproachable light. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 16. And even in the days of his people when there were more visible demonstrations of God’s power, he says, no man can see me, no man can see my face and live. But in this era, Israel experienced visible deliverance, guidance, and sustenance from the hand of God. How extraordinary the things that they saw in this period or era. As they were delivered from the Egyptians, as they were guided, and my favorite is the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.

Representations of what that might have looked like. Can you imagine? Especially at night, in the darkness, to have this pillar of fire that says, God is there. I’m here with you, I’m leading you, or even the cloud by day. I’m here, I’m with you, I’m leading you through this wilderness. God’s presence made all the difference. The real tragedy and irony of it all is that this did not produce faithfulness in the people. When Paul is talking about these events in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, he says, most of them perished in the wilderness, with most of them, God was not well cleaned. They were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They had come into a special way. In fellowship with God in his presence, and yet they tried the Lord.

They grumbled, they murmured. They committed acts of immorality. And he says, These serve as an example for us. Paul’s making modern day application for Christians. Let us not be immoral as they were. Let us not try the Lord as they did. We upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Take heed, therefore, lest you fall.

Perhaps the events at Sinai, despite all of this miraculous provision, feeding from heaven and all the things that went with the Exodus and the journey to the promised land, they still struggle. And the journey was not without difficulty and distress. And I think that’s what I want to call your attention to here in the very beginning. Despite God’s presence in a special way, despite the great things that they were able to observe, visible manifestations of God’s power and presence, there were still moments of difficulty and distress.

2. Finding Comfort in His Presence

The presence of God. And whether people realize it or not, all men bask in some measure in the presence of God. But his people have his presence in a special way. What does all of that mean? We’re going to talk about finding comfort as we have sung this morning, finding comfort in his presence. And if indeed, as God’s people, we then encounter this special relationship with the Lord and have his presence with us. Are we finding comfort in his presence? And should we not even marvel at the possibility that this is so? That though we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, this holy God, this God of perfection, is allowing us by his mercy to come into his presence in this very special way.

Despite painful, troubling circumstances. Just like Israel was not without distress and difficulty, even though the presence of God was with them. Certainly with the righteous, there is sometimes the same kinds of concern. Maybe God isn’t near me. Maybe I’m not covered in his presence because I’m going through such a painful and difficult time in my life. I’m emotionally distraught. There are troubles abounding.

All kinds of troubles. Where’s God in the midst of this trouble? And that’s why I have Psalm 73 as a reference. Where the psalmist looks at the lives of the wicked. And he’s so troubled by the fact that the righteous seem to be experiencing affliction, and the lives of the wicked, well, they’re just happy and fat. I love the statement where he says there’s no pain in their deaths. Really? I mean, that might be a little bit of an exaggeration. I mean, I do think there was some pain in their deaths. But he’s saying, everything seems to go the way for the wicked. Nothing seems to trouble them, and I look at the righteous, and they’re struggling all day long. That just seems incongruous with what I know about a right relationship with God.

But then all starts to change in the psalm. As he goes from being embittered to realizing that when I came to the sanctuary of God, then it all started to make sense. That ultimately God will despise their form. And so he goes on to affirm his faith in God and his trust in him in the Psalm as he says, the nearness of God is my good. I love that. In Psalm 73, we’re going to look at just two verses here. Verse 25, whom have I in heaven but thee? And besides thee, I desire nothing on earth. I have that last phrase underlined in my Bible. I desire nothing on earth. Would we get to the point that fellowship and communion with God, his presence is really the only thing that I need.

And then he says in verse 28, but as for me, the nearness of God is my good, I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all thy works. The psalmist could take solace in his strong convictions about God. Things that we absolutely know to be true. I thought about a statement in the Bible that declares the way things are, and we can just stake everything on that statement. And I thought of Galatians chapter 6, verses 7 and 8, where it says, God is not mocked. That’s certainly one thing just in and of itself. You can’t ignore God or push him out of your life or say that his will shouldn’t be observed. No big deal. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.

He that sows to the flesh reaps corruption. That’s unavoidable. You can’t circumvent it. You can’t make it go away. You can wish that it were not so, but the fact is that is solid foundation. It is reliable, it is true. He who sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the spirit, as you’re doing this morning in these spiritual acts of worship. He that sows to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. It’s interesting that the problem of weariness is in, it’s talked about in the very next verse there in Galatians chapter 6. But I like what Jesus told his disciples also in Matthew 28 when he commissioned them to go and make disciples of all nations.

He says in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 20, and lo, I am with you always. Even until the end of the age. I am with you, despite the fact that most all of them would become martyrs in the cause, would suffer persecution and go through challenges, as Paul would say, the care of the churches is upon me daily in 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 28, despite difficult, painful, and troubling circumstances, reveling in the fact that God is present. Because of what I know, I am comforted. It’s because of the certainties and the promises to which I cling.

3. All Men Enjoy Blessings From the Presence of God

And I said this by way of introduction. But there is a degree in which all men enjoy blessings from the presence of God. It’s stated in a section of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is admonishing his disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute you. And he says in verse 45, in order that you may be sons of your fathers, that you might be a reflection of the Father who is in heaven. Because he does good to people who don’t deserve it. We should imitate that in our lives. Instead of giving everyone what they deserve, do good to your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. He says, in order that you may be like your father, for he causes his son to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

That’s why I had Daniel lead what is love. Even the unrighteous experience, some of the benefits that song talks about. A gentle breeze, a soft summer rain, a rose with dew, a walk in the lane, a mountain high with clouds in the haze, perhaps sunlight beams across golden blades. All enjoyed because of his handiwork in creation. He gives life and breath to all things. In the midst of idolatry in Athens, Paul realizing in this city full of idols that people do not know the real God. And so he begins this discourse trying to illuminate their existence with the reality of the one true God. And he says, This God sustains your life. Whether you realize it or not, you breathe because he allows it, because he provides what you need to live.

In him we live and move and have our very being.

See the beautiful sights of the mountain ranges. They get out in nature and they become one with nature. And they look at all of that without any reflection whatsoever of the Creator. But this is his handiwork. I like Psalm 121 in this regard. These are songs that they would sing as they went up the mountain to Jerusalem for worship. But what they understood is that going up the mountain was a place where they derived help from God.

Enjoy the mountains. But realize who made the mountains and that we need his help. How many people marvel at the ability of athletes in the amazing feats that they perform? That’s why I tend to really like those who are at the peak of athletic prowess in their particular field. I even watched a little hockey once upon a time. Because I thought Wayne Gretzky was incredible. That guy had eyes in the back of his head. He could pass the puck like Magic Johnson could pass a basketball. And that’s why I gravitate to the greatest like LeBron James or even Tiger Woods. May not like some things about the character of the individual. But I’m amazed at the feats that they can perform. And we look at that, and instead of realize that all that we have and are the handiwork of our Creator.

He hasn’t endowed me with those kinds of abilities to jump that high and to shoot that well. In fact, I bet I can only get about six inches off the ground. But all that we have, look at how we were able to use our tongues this morning. To be able to make beautiful sounds under the Lord. We’re mesmerized by the velvety, smooth and powerful voices of great singers, the pleasantly melodious sounds produced by talented musicians, and don’t realize all of this is really a tribute to the handiwork of our God. And as we experience these things that are a small measure of his presence. So many folks are lulled to sleep, not realizing that these joys. He reigns on the just and the unjust, that these joys are not permanent.

And while we are young, and even maybe when we’re in middle age, we have feelings of invincibility, immortality, but we’re not going to live forever. Sometimes we’re this close to death, just ask our flash flood boys. Jaden was never concerned, I was told. Never. We can be that close. But I’ll tell you this: it’s time to wake up.

4. A Place Totally Absent of His Presence

Because there is a time to where those who do not acknowledge God and submit to His will indeed find themselves in a place that will be totally absent of his presence.

Paul warned about the angels being revealed in flaming fire. Never seen that. It’s going to happen one day. We’re closer than we’ve ever been. It will bring relief to the afflicted, to the righteous. But at that time it says in verse 8 of 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 that he will deal out retribution. And you don’t want to be on the receiving end of that. He will deal out retribution to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Prior to that, he said, those who do not know God. Those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then this, these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction. And then this. Away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power.

So many today defiantly reject any notion of a creator. Any notion of an invisible God that they have never seen. Surely such a God does not exist. And they defiantly reject his will. And as they do that, they will one day know what it means to be totally absent from the presence of God.

Why is hell described like it is? Outer darkness. Because God is light. Fire. Unquenchable fire. Because we associate fire with pain. And where the goodness of God is in no way present. There is pain and retribution and punishment for our sins. Because of the realities of this truth, Jesus encouraged his disciples to take extreme action where sin is concerned. If your hand offends you, cut it off. If your foot, if it causes you to stumble, cut it off. He wasn’t talking literally. Yes, it’s hyperbole, but the point is that you need to make extreme, you need to take extreme action in regard to sin. Because if you don’t, he says, you’re going to find yourself in a place where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.

And he repeats that over and over again. People in many respects will get exactly what they wanted. They didn’t want God. And you won’t have God forever. Those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some of the most tragic words in the Bible. I want to say something as an aside right here.

I’m not sure why people use this phrase. I’m going to grant that it could be hyperbole. Exaggeration for effect. But you’ll not hear me use these words. Because I don’t care how bad your circumstances are. Well, I care. But what I mean is. As bad as your earthly circumstances could be. And your circumstances could be worse than anybody else that’s in this building this morning. We could have a competition at the back and start listening all the reasons why mine are the worst as we go out. But even if yours are the absolute worst of anybody else here, and I guess somebody gets that distinction. Somebody gets to be absolute worst, most troubled circumstances. Regardless of the pain of that and how severe it might be, it is temporary as to your lifespan.

And furthermore, it is not this.

It is not utter banishment forever from the presence of God and all that is good. I’m not going to use that term ever. Because while you’re alive, it is not that.

5. Truth and Honesty in His Presence

So we preach and teach to encourage great effort in the avoidance of such a place where God is not present. One final observation about his presence. And the lesson will be yours this morning. I was reading from an author who was talking about the song in his presence and how it speaks to the blessings associated with a relationship with the ascended Lord. He said, but something struck him about the thoughts of that song. When Jesus was present on the earth, that when people found themselves in the presence of God, it was a time for truth and honesty in regard to the condition of their lives. Look at the encounters Jesus had with people, and just one that comes on the top of my head is Simon the Pharisee and the woman.

How he addressed both the condition of her who was the sinner who washed his feet with her tears, and the condition of Simon, who did not even engage in the normal acts of hospitality where Jesus was concerned. He says, Simon, I have something to say to you. In that interchange, he talked about the condition of their lives so often. He talked to the disciples about their condition of their lives. And so truth and honesty, when we seek the Father’s heart.

His presence. Passage Aaron noted in Acts chapter 3. I feel a whole sermon coming on from Acts chapter 3, but Acts chapter 3 and verse 19, where he says, Repent and be converted, that your sins may be washed away, and that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Have you experienced the presence of the Lord, not just in the rains and fruitful seasons, the rain on the just and the unjust? Seeing the beauty of the ocean or the grandeur of the mountains. Or tubing down a river. Have you come to know the times of refreshing that come from the presence of the Lord when you realize that you are prepared for his eternal presence? And as much as believers have here, all things belong to you, because we belong to God.

Conclusion

Something even greater awaits. And so I get to conclude by talking about my favorite verse in all the Bible. Psalm 16 and verse 11. You will make known to me the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy. And at your right hand are pleasures forever. You should want that above everything else. And there’s only one place to find it. Are you basking in his presence? Have you given him dominion? Are you his sanctuary? Have you come to him in order that times of refreshing may come from his presence? The nearness of God is your good. Jesus is the way. Let’s stand and say.