[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] Come on church, give the Lord
a hand. Come on now. [Applause] If you are a visitor, and wonder
why are they so happy. Because God is good all the
time. No matter what you feel, He's
the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Loves you the same. Has good plans for you and your
feelings are deceptive. We don't want to go by feelings
but fact, amen. All campuses stand to your feet
and pray real quick. Turn to the person next to you
and say, I need God today. Say I need Him tomorrow too. Say I needed Him yesterday. Say, He was there yesterday. But I was trippin'. Let's lift our hands in the air,
when we lift our hands in the air, for a lot of time all of
you campuses, it's a signal, and means I surrender, I give up and
I worship you, my hands are holy, nothing in them, I love
you. We want to practice this every
Sunday, amen. If you stand there like this -- God I worship you -- yeah,
that's like saying I'm paying attention. Lord I'm paying attention. Lord we thank You and honor You
and worship You, thank You for being good to us, we acknowledge
You are here. There is no where else we can
get what we get from You, which is unconditional love. Thank you, in Jesus' name. Before you put your hands down,
do two things. If your shoulders are burning,
it's the reason to workout. Come on, give a high-five to the
person next to you and say, God loves you, amen. Amen, amen, amen. Amen, amen, amen. Do you know that you can decide,
you can decide that you are going to be excited or not? That you can get up and say, I'm
going to be excited today. Instead of saying, what is life
going to give me? No, what am I going to give
life, amen. Say, I am excited. Say, I'm carrying burdens. I got drama but I trust got more
than my drama. Look at the person next to you,
be excited today. God is going to bless you today. God is going to trip you out
today, give a hand. Come on now, church. Come on now church. Amen. [Applause] Probably 20 people, I ain't
excited -- he don't got no problems. You think? Please. Oh, my daughter got married last
Saturday, amen. [Applause] They gone, they gone! They gone! I walked -- I'm definitely not
going to get to my lesson plan today, I walked my daughter down
the aisle and my son, who gives this woman, and I said me and
then got on the other side and gave the vows. And they said, if you had to do
one, either walk her down and do the vows. No, I'm doing both. I ain't go to have no one else
walk and I said, for better or worse and richer and poorer. And I looked at her husband, no
refunds. Let me tell you, we love the
dude. And I told him I would do that,
and they are really good, we love the brother. But told him no refunds. So all the kids are gone. As a parent your job is to get
your kids to move out, step 1. And step 2 is to get them to be
married. Because that's like a double
insurance policy they ain't coming back -- that's a joke. I am going off track big time. There is a story on TV, and if
this pricks you wrong, good. There is a 30 year-old that the
parents had to go to court to get him to leave the house. And the brother had the nerve to
say to the judge, I need more time to get my finances in
order. [Laughter] Brother you had 30 years. Anyway -- I don't know why I am so
delirious right now, anyway. See your Bibles and on the count
of three say word. One.
Two. Three.
Say word. Turn to Genesis 3, I apologize
for that, I kind of went a little
postal on you. Genesis 3, the first book in the
Bible, it's real easy. Years we had a consultant here,
her name was Barb Nagel and she was a marketing consultant and
had 10 of our leaders in the room and asked us this powerful
question, I thought it was a simple question. What is the purpose of Sunday? What is the purpose of church
service. I said, evangelist. She said no, and I thought who
you are coming in here -- I didn't say it out loud, what,
she must know something to jam me up like that. Then someone said teach the
word. Nope.
Worship. Nope.
Fellowship. Nope.
Giving? Nope. Like -- what? So we were all sitting there
baffled and she said, to enter into the presence of God. When you come to church, you are
coming here to engage in the presence of God. The word. The worship. The offering is all a response
and designed to bring you into that presence. Respond to the presence. The reason that we lift our
hands in worship, we are responding to the presence of
God. We are welcoming. Acknowledging. Encouraging. Engaging the presence of God. So when the presence of God
engages you, things happen. So for this month I want to
focus on the presence of God. And what I want you to do, if
anything you do to get out of this. That you would think about the
presence of God. That you would repeat to
yourself in your head, out loud, the word presence. Presence of God. You talk to yourself anyway. Say amen if you know you talk to
yourself. You talk to yourself, it's
called self-talk. As a matter of fact I heard
someone say when you talk to yourself, it's called thinking. When you talk to God, it's
called crazy. No, when you talk to God, it's
called prayer. You talk to yourself all the
time. Oh, look at that person, they
think they are this, and I want that car. That hair-do just ain't working
for her. And he's kind of a fat dude. We say all kinds of garbage in
our head, it's garbage by the way. What about saying I want walk in
the presence of God, I acknowledge the presence of God,
Holy Spirit speak to me and guide me. Can you imagine the difference
in your attitude? I am working on a series called,
thinking, that I will do in August. I don't know about the series
yes, it may be called thinking about your thinking or mind your
business. You like that one -- okay,
that's the title right now. Unless I get something better,
but mind your business, apply your mind to the business, there
is a difference between you're mind and brain. But when you think positive
things, you have healthy things happen in your brain. And you have healthy things
happen in your DNA. Your DNA will change based on
your thoughts. I won't get too much in the
sermon, I want to save it for later. When you have negative things
and toxic things happen in your brain and DNA. It's physiological, if you walk
around thinking garbage, you have toxins in your brain and
DNA. If you think positive things you
promote health in your brain and body. That's a fact. And you see a walk in circles, I
have to have this space here. When you are walking around -- yeah, when you are walking
around in your house at your job, or whatever. Just say, presence of God. Presence of God. Presence of God.
Word of God. The peace of God. And things will happen in your
life and your physiology and relationships and spirit will be
positive, God will give you opportunities, and you will be
ready for the opportunities. Sometimes God doesn't give you
stuff because you are not ready for it. Some of you want a wife, and you
are not ready for a wife and you make it for a wife and doesn't
work out and blame God. It happened to be in a church
building. Don't blame that on me or God,
that's on you. Sometimes in that process, God
may say uh-uh, God may not say more than uh-uh. If you hear uh-uh, back off. Are you following me? Genesis.
Everyone say presence. Say presence. Say presence. Genesis 3:8, look at what it
says... And by the way you have a lesson
plan, probably won't get to it today, do it next week and bring
it back. First of all, come next week. About 40-50% of people come once
a month. Come to church. You are not going to worship
like this at work or anywhere else. Okay. Genesis 28.
Turn to Genesis 28. It says... Verse 10. By the way, his pillow was a
rock, okay, that's hard times right there. I don't know what you are
dealing with but doubt you have a rock as a pillow and it
says... God opened his eyes up to what
was happening in the spiritual realm. Remember we talked about
declaring what is happening. And he said, look what I am
doing in this place. And he said... Listen to that, God said, I am
not going to leave you. Say, God is not going to leave
me. No matter what craziness you do. God will never leave you. Doesn't mean that God is
blessing the craziness. In other words, if God wants you
to pure and won't bless your sex immorality. Him not with you doesn't mean
he's blessing you. Probably going uh-uh. And then it says, verse 16... Everyone say surely. Say surely. A buddy of mine we text back and
forth and we just text the word "surely" and that means the rest
of this... Wherever you go tomorrow, where
you go when you leave here, God is in that place and you need to
know it. God is with me -- some of you
going on have an argument with somebody, and you are sitting
like this, I can't wait to get out of here because we are going
at it. That person -- like 20 people
yeah, yeah. God is going to be in that
argument. He's going to be right there. He's at your job. He's at your apartment. He's in your car. He's everywhere and you need to
know it and act like he's standing there listening to you. You need to think thoughts
knowing he's hearing your thoughts. There is no place you can go
where he is not already waiting for you to be there. First Kings -- sorry, my bad,
Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy. Chapter 4. Verse 37; it says -- it's the
fifth book of the Bible, even if you went back to Genesis that's
cool, four books forward, verse 37... It says that he brought you out
of Egypt with his presence. He brought you out of Egypt with
his presence. He brought you out of Egypt with
his presence. Back to Exodus 33, second book
of the Bible. Why you're making us turn the
pages? So you learn the pages. Exodus 33, Moses was 40 years
old when God called him. Actually he was 40 years when he
became a fugitive. He was a shepherd for 40 years
and at 80 God called him in the ministry. He walked around at 80. Anyone here 80? Anybody here 80 years old? Anyone here 70 years old. Anybody here 60 years old. I am almost 60. How many of you 60? How many under 40, okay, now we
are talking. 80, Moses was walking around
with a stick like this. 80. He led the Jews through the
wilderness for 40 years, until he was 120. And he dealt with a lot of
drama. Chapter 33, verse 14 he says... So help a brother out. This is what he is saying. You got to read the book, he
dealt with a lot of drama, and in verse 14... And Moses says if your presence
is not with me, don't bring us. Don't go to work tomorrow
without God's presence. Don't try to have that
conversation without God's presence. Don't date that person without
God's presence. If you are in a relationship -- how many of you in a
relationship now. Let me say it this way, how many
of y'all know another human being of any gender, ethnicity,
height, whatever that you communicate with. Okay, yeah, have a relationship. If you are in a relationship,
say God, I don't want to conduct this relationship with my wife,
girlfriend, spouse, neighbor, friend, enemy. I don't want a person that we
can't stand each other. I don't want to engage in this
relationship without your presence. I don't want to have this
conversation tomorrow without your presence. I don't want to sign this
contract without your presence. You need to be there. So if I have to go without you,
I am not going, because I am doomed. You are doomed. If you come to church without
trying to engage in the presence of God and at some point don't
ever engage in the presence of God. You missed the whole point. So Moses said Lord I can't lead
the people through the wilderness. We can't get in the Promised
Land without your presence. Every say presence. Say, God I need your presence. What is God's presence? In 1980, September 5, 1980 I was
20 years old. I was at a party at a university
and this girl walked in and I told my friend, I am going on
marry that girl. I saw this every time I saw a
girl anyway, and I figured one time it's going on happen. Just saying -- Probably first time I said it
out loud to a friend, no, I am going to marry that girl. And she came down and danced
with my friend and I wanted to see if she had rhythm, it's very
important. And she had rhythm and I went
over and asked her to dance and she said no. And then I said, you have to. So we -- [laughter] She danced with me and I later
asked for her phone number and she said no. And I said you have to, and she
said, no, I don't. And how do I call you, you
figure it out. A slow record came on and I
figured that we were dancing together two hours and now is
time to be close and make this relationship move on a little
bit. She said no. She never did slow dance with me
that night. I ended up marrying. That girl is my wife. You maybe heard that story
before. But after that night and then as
we started to get to know each other. Whenever we were in a room
together, if she was on the other side of the room
technically I was in her presence. But it's not the presence I am
talking about when I am talking about God. In the Bible, in the Old
Testament the word for presence is the same word for face. I wanted to be in her face. Can I get amen. Fellas, can I get amen. Okay. What does that mean? I wanted to be right here. I didn't want to be over here
when she is over there. We in the presence, and in the
same room and technically in each other's presence. But I needed to be in her face. I needed to be in direct line of
sight. So she can see me. So I can see her. So we can hear each other's
voice and think of each other and see each other's expression. That's what the Bible means to
be in the presence, in his face. And a lot of times I want to be
in the aura or light and no, you want to be in God's face. And see what he has towards you
and that he's thinking about you. Years ago there was a horse,
Zenyatta, I don't know if you follow racehorses, I am not a
big racehorse person but captured by this horse. She is a female and won 19 in a
row, 19-0. And every race, usually the only
female horse in the race, the underdog, I love that. And always started the race
last. And in other words come out the
gate and let everyone go ahead and ride in the back until the
end and pass everyone and win. 19 times in a row. That's awesome. And coming up on the last race
of her life and win the Breeders' Cup and lost by that
much and she was last and the sea parted and came through the
middle and by inches lost. And I told the story about it
and I did a message on it and the guy that trained the horse
said, she's in L.A. and going to Kentucky to breed and leaving
California for good, would you like to see the horse. Absolutely, I want to meet
Zenyatta, and went to L.A. and my daughter and went to the
stable and met the horse -- stop the video. Stop the video. Hold on a second. [Laughter] When I was petting her, she put
her head right here. And on her face are these little
tiny hairs. And I never had this experience
and as we are talking to her, all of a sudden I felt -- and
her head moved as you see in a minute. It wasn't really slow but it
went right here and the hairs of her face were touching my face
but her nose did not touch my body and she had the sense she
was really close. And was telling her how
beautiful she was and I loved her and rooting for her and she
was right here. God wants to be right in your
face. Watch the video.
Watch the video. Watch the video [laughter] Great job. Give me a kiss. Give me a kiss, girl. And her fur was like velvet. God wants to be right here with
you. He doesn't want you to oh, he's
somewhere. He wants to be right here with
you. And he wants to -- he wants to
look at you. He wants to hear you. He wants to speak to you. He wants you to know that he's
thinking about you. He wants you to see the
expression on his face. He wants to hear your prayers. My grandson and I have these
things that we, little traditions we do, like when I
see him, we hug and say rub head and rub each other's head. And the new thing I am doing
with him now is I kiss his head. Kiss that head. And I grab his head and I kiss
his head. And then he goes, kiss that
head, kiss that head. And then he kisses my head. And I grab his head and start
kissing him and I want him right here. Right here. Stop looking for God's hand. And when you walk into God's
presence, it's not that you are walking into some cloud aura. You are walking into the
presence of the face of a person, what I mean by person. A personality that can think,
you were made in his image. The reason you can think is
because he thinks. The reason you feel is because
he feels. The reason you can reason is
because he reasons. The reason you can see is
because he sees. And for you every day to say,
Lord, I want to look at you. And I want you to see me and I
want -- I want to be right in front of you. I don't want to be on the other
side of the room. I want to engage in your
thoughts. I want to read something to you. Because our time is running out. Turn to Exodus chapter 33, and
we will end with this verse. It says... 33:7... The Jews walked for 40 years and
the presence of God led them through the wilderness. In the day it was in the form of
a pillar of smoke and at night in the form of a pillar of fire. It was the presence of God. 24 hours a day he said, I'm
right here and they didn't move until that pillar moved. And when Moses went into the
tent to meet with God, the pillar of smoke came above the
tent and everybody knew that God was in there with Moses. My challenge to you is that you
pursue the presence of God. As you read the Bible that you
say, Lord, I want to encounter your face. I want to look at you. I want to hear your voice. And you say, how does that work? There is a part of your brain
called the limbic system, it has the ability to communicate to
you but does not have the ability of language. In other words, it's the cause
of your gut feeling. Ever meet somebody and go, AW,
something wasn't right. Can I get amen. And then you meet somebody else
and go, I like that person. Can I get amen. There is something that can be
communicated to you without words. You know, when we pray in the
spirit, you pray mysteries that you don't even understand. That God can speak to you. God can tell you I love you and
I want you to give your life to me without words but you are
sure that's what he is saying to you. I will take care of you and
everything is okay, without words but you know that he's
communicating with you right now. In a minute we are going on
pray. And some of you in here and
campuses and online and microsite and prison and
Juvenile Hall, that God is calling you to physically walk
away from your old life into his face. You say, Lord I need a change in
my life. I need something to change in my
life. I need to surrender my life to
you. It may not be words that you
heard me say with my mouth. But there is something in your
spirit that God is communicating with you, and maybe not words
that you can articulate. But something as real as you
know your name, he is communicating with you, with his
presence. Because when you look at the
face of God, the face of God may not even say anything. But his face is communicating to
you a thousand things that your spirit is saying, I know he
loves me. I know he is going to take care
of me. I know, even though I don't know
the answers to these questions and how he will guide me through
this problem. I just know I need to surrender
to him. I need to give my life to him. In a minute we are going on
pray, and in all campuses you are going to have an opportunity
to surrender and walk into the presence of his face. What I am going on do, I'm going
to pray. While I'm praying, at the end of
my prayer, I will ask you to stand up if you prayed this
prayer with me. But while I am praying, some of
you say, I don't need to wait until the end of the prayer, God
already spoke to me and communicated with me. And I ask if that's you, while I
am praying, stand up. And wait until the end of the
prayer, and then I will ask other people at the end of the
prayer to stand up. If you know, God has spoken to
me, I need to surrender. I will ask you as you affirm
that in your heart, I am ready and don't wait. Bow your heads and at any time
from this moment and through the prayer, that God has revealed to
me in my heart, I'm going to stand up. Just stand to your feet. Holy Spirit, I pray that You
move on people's hearts right now. God bless you, people are
already standing. I pray as You move on people
that they sense Your small, still voice and they respond. Out of obedience. Out of submission. God bless you.
Another person. God bless you. God bless you.
Very good. God bless you.
God bless you. Holy Spirit, if we would just
respond to You -- God bless you, if we do what You do when You
say it and don't need someone else to guide and direct us all
the time. That we hear You -- God bless
you, God bless you, God bless you. We hear you speak to us and
encourage us and we just follow you. God bless you.
God bless you. God bless you. Lord thank You, may we be led by
the presence of God. May we be drawn by the presence
of God. May we be transformed by the
presence of God. The look of God. The facial expression of God. The thoughts of God. The word of God. Lord, everyone of these people
standing all over the sanctuary right now, they are sensing You
and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that You are speaking to
them. Speaking life and encouragement
and hope and a future. For the rest of us, if you want
to pray this prayer with me. There is dozens of you standing. If you pray, say dear God, I
know You love me. I know You have a plan for my
life. I need to walk in the presence
of God. I need to enter the presence of
God. Jesus, forgive me. I surrender. I am yours. I am yours. If God spoke to you during that sermon and you feel like you want to ask Christ to be your savior, it's as simple as A-B-C. Admit and accept that you are a sinner. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died for you sin and rose from the dead. Then, confess yourself a sinner and say, "Jesus, please forgive me of my sin." If you would like to ask Jesus Christ to be your savior, just look at me right now and pray this prayer with me in the privacy of your heart knowing that God knows you and loves you very much. Say, "Dear God, I believe that I am a sinner. I know the penalty of my sin is death. I don't want to die and go to Hell. I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died and rose from the dead for my sin. I confess myself a sinner and ask Him to forgive me of my sin. Jesus, please forgive me of my sin, and fill me with the spirit of God. In Jesus name' , amen." If you prayed that prayer, if you just asked Christ to be your savior, we want to know. We want to email you some resources. If you just prayed that prayer with me, to accept Jesus as your savior, click on the link that just appeared. We want to send you some free resources. God bless you and we will see you in Heaven.
