Pursuing God's Presence - Pastor Craig Winnington

• 01/11/2018
• SLC Stuart Price

 

 

 

    Hebrews 11 is the great faith chapter of the Bible. It teaches us not to

    have faith in ‘faith’ - but to have faith in the Living God. This chapter

    is a record of men and women who pursued God Himself – His Presence – in

    spite of sometimes facing challenging circumstances.

 

    The first 3 people mentioned in Hebrews are Abel, Enoch, and Noah. It is

    significant that these three are mentioned first as they set the benchmark

    of how we should pursue God.

 

    Abel…. speaks to us of faith’s WORSHIP

 

    Enoch…. speaks to us of faith’s WALK

 

    Noah…. speaks to us of faith’s WITNESS

 

    In Hebrews 11v6 it states two things that are necessary in the pursuit of

    Gods Presence.

 

    He who comes to God

 

    1. Must believe that He Is

 

    2. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him

 

    If we fail to appropriate the first point of believing who God Is, we will

    not embrace the second of diligently seeking Him and receiving the reward

    that He has promised. God is Who He says He Is and He will do what He says

    He will do. He IS a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We can often

    just seek God’s hand – that which He will do, and fail to seek Gods ‘Face’,

    that is His Presence.

 

    God rewards the faith of those who give ALL their passion and strength into

    seeking Him. A reward is given for something that is achieved and in

    Philippians 3v14, Paul states “I press toward the goal for the prize of the

    upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.

 

    It is our walk that is central to our worship and our witness. Worship is

    in relation to God and our witness is in relation to others.

 

    In Mark 3v7-15 we read of three categories of people :-

 

    1. V7 a great multitude FOLLOWED HIM

 

    2. V9 a multitude CAME TO HIM

 

    3. V14 that they might BE WITH HIM.

 

    We have a choice – we can casually follow Him from a distance, or, come to

    Him for what we can get, or, choose to be with Him for who He is. It was

    when the disciples….. “chose to be with Him that He sent them out to preach

    and to have power to heal the sick and cast out demons” (v14-15).

 

    Jesus calls US to be WITH HIM, that we too can be empowered by His

    Presence.

 

    In John 6 is the record of the feeding of the 5,000. In verses 48-56 Jesus

    refers to Himself as the bread that came down from Heaven, and in V57 He

    says “he who feeds on Me will live because of Me”.

 

    Through constantly feeding on His Word we assimilate His life into us. The

    inner man being renewed day by day. We don’t love God any more than we love

    His Word.

 

    In V60 it states… “this is a difficult saying; who can understand it?” and

    in V66 it says…. “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no

    more”. There are many Christians today that no longer ‘walk with Him’ -

    they don’t read His Word, they don’t pray or even attend a church to

    worship Him.

 

    It is interesting to note that the 5,000 were happy for Jesus to feed them

    and meet their need but in the same chapter turned away from Him when Jesus

    challenged them of their responsibility to feed on Him for themselves.

 

    In Mark 16v14-19, after the resurrection, Jesus came to His disciples and

    commissioned them with the Great Commission of going into all the world to

    preach the Gospel. In V20... “and they went out and preached everywhere,

    the LORD WORKING WITH THEM!!! and confirming the Word through signs

    following”.

 

    May the church rise up in this hour and see God working WITH US, because we

    have chosen to be WITH HIM.

 

    Pastor Craig Winnington