The Awareness of God's Presence – Dr. Charles Stanley

somebody says well I haven't needed in my life well think about this look at that made in the light of the presence of Jesus Christ who's the same yesterday they in forever who provides the needs for his children if I if I'm aware if I'm living in the awareness of his presence and Anita Rises I don't have to worry about it I may not have an answer at the moment but I know that he knows all about Annie next on InTouch the awareness of God's presence where's God in your life you say well he's not in my life well is that the way you want it if you decide you don't want God in your life he's not gonna force himself on you but you don't know what you're missing or you may say well I'll tell you about God in my life sometimes I feel it's there and sometimes I don't sometimes I'm close to him sometimes I'm distant well what's going on when you feel close to it well he's meeting your needs and you're in church and read you read the scripture and everything sort of going your way what is it that makes you feel he's distant instead because something's missing in your life that if some needs you don't feel like he's exactly working on to your best advantage what makes you feel this distance from Almighty God when he says that he's everywhere and he is other which when you look up in the sky at night and you study a little bit of astronomy and you begin to see all the planets and how absolutely perfect their schedule is in relating to each other and all the fantastic things beyond their comprehension there is a God and he's in charge and he's in control and everything is going the way he wants it to go down here on earth we just make all kind of messes of things but those of us who trust him we have an awareness of him that others do not have why do you want to live your life apart from a loving sovereign God who knows all he's omniscient has all power he's unlimited and he's omnipresent which means that he is everywhere but a better way to say that is that everywhere is in his presence somebody says well it's got over yonder and over yonder backyard nook and they listen now all of that is in the presence of Almighty God what an awesome God we have and you don't want him in your life he's a God of love and goodness and mercy he sent His only begotten Son Jesus into the world that you and I might discover what a true genuine life is about and that our sins can be forgiven and name written in the Lamb's Book of Life and we can listen we can be on our way to heaven when we die in other words when you look at what becomes yours when you become a Christian why would why would you not want God in your life think about the sin in your life that's keeping you from warning and God in your life that you compare that with a forgiveness of sin peace joy and love goodness mercy kindness your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life you have this present helper with you constantly night and day 24 hours a day every day of your life what in the sinful world that you have the compares rillette and you and I both we know that you don't have anything why not trust him as your personal Savior well what I want to talk about in this message is our awareness of God now he's here whether you're aware of him or not he's there when you rework whether you're aware of him or not in other words your awareness of him doesn't determine whoever he is in fact the scripture says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever he doesn't change and the reason is location doesn't change is because all locations are in his presence why would you want to live without a loving father who wants the best for you so I want to talk about this matter the awareness of his presence not just his presence we all know his present but the awareness of his presence I want you to turn to the most familiar song you know the twenty-third song as one phrasing that I want us to look at primarily and so if you'll turn there for just a moment the 23rd song and you remember that David penned this and he was going through difficult in all kind of hardship in his life many times before we ever became the king and even afterwards so how many times have you read this the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me to lie down in green pastures he leads me beside quiet waters he restores my soul he guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake what an awesome God who's doing that then he says even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil was that for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me as far as I want to go you are with me and if you'll think about it all through the Scriptures that God uses that same phrase and in a different way to different people and I want us to think about this in the light of the fact that God God works in the life of his servants he provides their needs on the basis of his love and kindness toward us and if you look at the scripture it's evident from the scripture that our awareness of his presence is Bible that whatever he wants to do in our life so let's started with the Old Testament for example the Bible says that Enoch walked with God and he was not because God took him what a sense of awareness of God he had and if you think about Noah God told him to build an ark and the one thing he said he said I'm gonna be with you even in those times when he was persecuted for what he was doing because they didn't understand I'm with you and following you Noah let's just take Abraham for example he said to him you get up and leave your family and go into a land that I'll show you even tell him exactly where he was going at first he said but I'm going with you I'll be with you and they field remember when God spoke to Moses and he gave him that challenge the good end talked to Pharaoh about letting the people go and he said I'm going with you and on one occasion I thought it was interesting in the third of their chapter in the fifteenth the verse I believe of excess he said no we're going but we're not going without you have you ever thought about that in your life you've had things that you needed to do but she's something no one to do without God and then when God began to speak to Joshua I want you to take over Moses place and absolutely impossible task and he said I'll be with you and then if when he talked to Gideon for example and Gideon said well Lord I'm my family's their lowest family in the whole city and the why you asking me and God said to him here's what I want you to do and I'll be with you and if you recall when David was fighting Goliath that he said that Goliath he said my God will deliver you into my hands that sense of oneness when he called Isaiah Isaiah Jeremiah prophesy in a very difficult time in the nation of Israel he said to Isaiah there not be afraid I'm gonna be with you and the Jeremiah Jeremiah said what's this he said I'm going with you and you slip through all the other prophets over to the New Testament you remember what Jesus said to his apostles when he sent them out he said go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature he said baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son the Holy Spirit and though I'll be with you even to the end of this age and you remember Jesus spent time talking to his disciples about the fact he was going to lead them but he wasn't going to leave them as orphans as he said he said I'll come I'll come back to you and at Pentecost the Lord came in a very special way to inhabit the life of every single believer so that when you and I got saved the Spirit of God a personal eternity inhabited our life at that very moment in Edison - enabled you and me to live a godly life in an ungodly world and I think about the Apostle Paul for example how many times he had to rely upon the presence of God in his life and it was aware of that in prison when when one prison after the other then he comes to the end of his life and he says I fought a good fight I've kept the course and I'm coming to the end male and there was this sense of somehow of a sense of peace and and awareness in his heart that he'd given his best fought a good fight kept have kept I've kept the faith finished up my course now and so all of these people whom God use were people who were aware of the presence of God in their life and God hasn't changed no words Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever when you trusted Jesus as you save you listen carefully you had just as much of Jesus in your heart as did the Apostle Paul or any of those other apostles and Jesus made an issue of this he says I'm going away but I'm not gonna leave you as orphans he said for example I'm in the father the father's in me I and you he went to all kinds of ways of encouraging them that even though he was going to be gone he's still gonna be with him it was the awareness of his presence that he wanted them to understand and remember that Jesus Christ was the same yesterday today and forever he had changed now what she hasn't changed locations away said nothing about him has change and so as they had the Holy Spirit indwelling them you and I have the Holy Spirit indwelling us but you can live your life even as a believer and oftentimes not be aware of the presence of God in your life and when I think about how Jesus worked and sending them out and how important that was I want you to turn to the 14th chapter of John for a moment and let's look at one verse here that seems to be it seems it would be almost impossible but he was he said to him the early part of the 14th chapter did not let your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me and then he he's working with his apostles here and he comes to this same chapter 14 chapter and he comes to this 12 verse and listen to this amazing thing he said to them truly truly I say to you he who believes in me the works that I do he will do also and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father what was he saying well how can you something great at what he did that doesn't even make sense but what was he saying he wasn't saying the very nature of the work of the quality of the work but he says as a result I'm leaving you but I'm coming back to you in the Holy Spirit and what I've done you're gonna do greater so somebody so that could be impossible but let's just think about it we don't see Jesus very much in large crowd speaking except Sermon on the Mount maybe a few other times usually it's individuals he's dealing with but at Pentecost Peter preached and and brought him three thousand people got saved I don't know how big the crowd was but 3,000 of them got saved everybody didn't get saved but 3,000 did so what did it mean when he said greater works than these well that was a greater work when it came to speaking to a huge crowd because that's what he said he's not gonna send the Holy Spirit he'll be in you with you and upon you and that meant that the the power of God with the upon his servants then for example if you'll think about it and Jesus never traveled over 80 miles from home he didn't he didn't leave Palestine and I think about this he's telling this group of his disciples I want you to go into all the world and preach the gospel I think if I'd been out I said oh wait a minute have you been in all the world what do you knows out there and so of course this is the Roman world of slavery Verde power and all the rest he said I want you to go into all the world and preach the gospel so what happened he said that the work you do gonna be greater than what I've done the Apostle Paul and those apostles went preaching the gospel they spread that little New Testament church all over the Roman the world and so if you think about that I mean you can even count the people and the impact look at the impact that the Apostle Paul had and starting all these churches and going back into cycling all these people and and just multiplying Christians coming and going well if you look at if you look just look at Paul and look at Jesus Paul just went everywhere Jesus went 80 miles from the sea went from home then you think about the few people compared to lid that Jesus talked to and compared to who Paul talked to no comparison that think about this and and today we have television we have radio they can reach every country in the world and when Jesus said greater things that I've done he says they'll be greater now watch this he didn't say you'll do them but it's the Spirit of God within every single one of us who has who has the opportunity and their northing of the spirit upon each one of us when the spirit of God's there he's there to equip you to do whatever he called you to do so we're not comparing ourselves with Jesus that's not what this is all about it's the fact then he promised them what you gonna do as a result of what's gonna happen when I come back to you in the power of the Holy Spirit what's gonna happen it's gonna maze you you've been amazed by what you've seen now he resurrected the dead and all these things he didn't say that you're gonna resurrect the dead you gonna do this any other he's saying greater works what was the most important work Jesus came for not to raise the dead to have miracles and healings and so forth but to bring people to saving knowledge of God through the shed blood of his cross that's why he came these are the things of things that happened validate his ministry but he came to bring people to a saving knowledge of Christ of himself so watch this Jesus is the same today and we quote this verse he's the same yesterday today and what and forever so the Jesus and used the same Jesus that walked in Palestine hundreds of years ago it's the same Jesus who said to his apostles these works that I do you need to even greater did that single is out that will do this that and the other no but it meant his followers would do greater work because because he was going to and dwell them in the person of the Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity and it's not like God the Father God the Son I got the Holy Spirit three persons but rather God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit one person God in three persons the Trinity we sing that so we have the Spirit of God within us and it doesn't making a difference what happens where when how the Spirit of God is living within us what is the desire of God's heart the desire of God's heart is that you and I would live listeners that we would live in awareness of his presence it have changed your life it makes all the difference in the world if you're living in the awareness of his present it doesn't mean that you live believing there is a God that's not in its the winner awareness of his presence in your life every single believer is indwelt but the Spirit of God and says in Ephesians in other places that when you trusted Christ as your Savior he sealed you he sealed you forever as a child of God and that seal is the presence of the Holy Spirit so what I'd like to do is I'd like to help you identify the evidence of the awareness of his presence in our life what's the evidence well here's one of the I'm gonna give you 16 of them yeah that's right get ready because they're all important they could be more but this is the best number one he's continually in our thoughts conscious or unconscious he's continual in our thoughts let's take a mother who has a newborn baby the babies about three days old and she's gone about her work and her in her household doing what she does but subconsciously you know what there's something into her that they can hear that baby in her words she has this something inside of her which is her subconscious that God gave all of us that she she's aware of that child that he may be three rooms over but all of us have a subconscious and the conscious so that God makes it possible for you now to go about whatever we do in life openly speaking or whatever it might be at the same time there is that spirit of God in our subconscious that makes us aware of his presence it's it's almost like a holy silence within us but he's there and so the issue is are you aware of that are you aware of the Lord in your life consciously and subconsciously secondly we are continually seeking his guidance if I'm aware of his presence I'm gonna be continuing seeking his guidance we all make decisions every day many people make decisions tell the oblivious to God they don't even think about you then so I don't have to ask God about everything well you may not ask God about whether you wear brown shoes or black but all of us face decisions every day whether it's on your job or whether it's in your family or whatever it might be we face decisions now let me ask you something when a decision comes up how do you make that decision do you say well I think I'll handle this did you ask god I said lord give me wisdom to handle this their words watch this think about this what area of your life is God not interested in what area of your life God is I had no interest that are there any none amen these answers and everything therefore if he is then I should be I should be aware that he has a preference in my decisions as we said we not Thomas using socks and stuff like that we talk about the decisions you and I make every day if I'm aware of his presence in my life I'm gonna be aware that it will not have a decision and for example you meet somebody and they'll tell you something and the Spirit of God says to you mm-hmm don't go there that's the Spirit of God doing what giving you guidance in your life and it's not that you say you don't have to say oh god please give me guidance at this point no because you are aware of his presence he's ready to speak to give you guidance because that's his desire because he loves you absolutely unconditionally then there's another thing we must view him as our constant companion that is if if I see him as my constant companion that I'm always aware of in other words if I'm aware of him I don't have to want anything about it and I'll tell you something that happened to me many years ago and the reason I don't I don't know exactly the year but I can tell you by this that I know I used to drive a when I first came to Atlanta I used to drive a white little white VW Bug and somewhere at a church I'm driving my bug and it's like the Lord said to me I made you for myself I heard it that loud not in hearing a voice it was so loud to me that I almost turned to look I realized God you've spoken to my heart he is willing to speak to you in areas of your life that you didn't even haven't even thought about but he wants you to think about he's ready to reveal himself to you in ways that no one else somebody could say what you were just thinking that I wasn't even thinking about anything of the sort if you're not living in the awareness of his presence remember he's their companion would you say he's your companion amen then how often are you aware of his companionship well most of you look like you're married a wallaby to itself so yeah let's say you're married are you aware of the companionship of your husband or wife yes you are you are sensitive to what goes on if you were to think that she's that you saw danger and somewhere and you know that your wife is shopping there instantly you'd be concerned why because there's a oneness between you and yeah and you are aware of her eye or him all the time what about your children they go to school and and you are aware that they're in school and no matter what you're doing around your house or at your job you are aware of your children because you love them and you want to be instantaneously told if something happens well what about Jesus as a companion think about this the most powerful force in the world is the person of Jesus he's omnipotent I'm the president our mission and our all loving can you tell me a better companion than that anybody know you Kate and you see here's the reason people can go through difficulty and hardship and pain and sorrow the loss of loved ones in their life whatever the reason may be and still just move on in life do whatever God calls him to do why because while they lost a physical companion the companion is still there he's still there to guide them and to help them and to be the kind of companion they need in other words God knew what was going to happen in this world and so he's so framed it and to be our companion that we don't have to say now Oh everything's over what am I going we're just going to look to our companion then of course we view everything in the light of his presence if I view everything in the light of his presence then what is that that that gives me a sense of safety whatever is going on watch this has to go on in the presence of God now that's true of sin and of good deeds everything that goes on goes on in that listen in the in the presence of God because everywhere is in his presence and you know there's no secrets there's nothing hidden from God and so whatever is going on in our life think about in this light it's in light of his presence in other words everything everywhere you are everything we do is in the presence of Almighty God well that's a wonderful thing for the simple reason we all need him and sometimes you can see where I don't believe that God stuff because you know that would interfere with my lifestyle it needs to be interfered with if you if you don't want God anywhere around then of course one of the evidences of our awareness is we have peace in the midst of storms all kind of storms hit us in other words we all go through difficulties trials and storms in our life and what happens what keeps us and what takes us and what helps us and helps us to survive what I have got with me when you and I go through some storm remember that the first thing we all remember is this I'm in this but I'm in yeah I'm in this with God Jesus is with me in this the Holy Spirit of God is going to guide me through this help me comfort me assure me whatever needs to be done and you know once you once you begin to feel since the awareness of God everything in life changes things can be difficult hard blinding but if you're looking at circumstance in the awareness that the Lord is with you let me ask you what in this world is more powerful than God laughing who's more knowledgeable than God he already sees their storms before they come his power is already working to enable us to face them whatever they might be so the awareness of his presence it's a very practical issue then I think the awareness of his presence creates a hunger now hard for the Word of God this is why I say just about every Sunday you ought to begin the day every day and with the word of God it may be one verse or a whole chapter whatever it might be because what does it do reading the Word of God does what it ignites us to think about him and to realize that he's going to be with us that day and so if a person doesn't read the scripture I can't exactly what happens their awareness of the presence and the of God and their life begins to diminish it's the word which is the word of God which is the voice of God it's the hand of God at work and when you're not we go through some situation and we come to a passage and mmod said the jaw should be strong and of a good courage fear not neither be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you how many times have you quoted that verse before probably all of us have at some time or the other it's the Word of God that does what that brings me back to the awareness that I have him they help me through this no matter what it might be this is one of the reasons I say to you just the better of a week you ought to start every day with the Word of God and to me personally on your knees not necessarily you'd have to read it on your knees but there ought to be a sense of reverence and if you are aware of his presence you will reverence him and when you begin to read the Word of God what does he do he speaks because he has something to say and you see the only thing you may see the only thing you may feel tomorrow morning is his awesome piece where that come from came God or he may trigger your mind to think about something that he knows you going to face during the day and he's brought it to your mind this is why if we live in the awareness of his presence we don't have to worry about it I used to forget this and I could forget that and this that and so forth living in his presence doesn't mean you have a perfect memory but it does mean that God will assume responsibility for bringing to our mind and heart the things that we need to remember then of course we're gonna have a joy in our heart if you live in and you're living in the awareness of his presence Wow think about this you have an omnipotent all-powerful God in the person of Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you that should give me joy you say well you know it's Monday morning it's cloud in this and what are you where you were you were of the weather who's sitting in the seat besides you in the car if you are alone the Lord's there in other words it's it's where we focus what's F focused and focus should be upon him he's there there was nobody else can follow you around like he can yeah there'll be times when your best friends are gone and that becomes your family's not there and it's just you by yourself you are never alone and he wants us to live in the way that we recognize the fact we're not alone he's present with us but am i aware of that presence for example you could you could be sick and then your medicine cabinet is exactly what you need and you look in the medicine cabinet and you find aspirin and a few things like that if you're not aware of here here's the cure right if you're not aware of it you just pass right on bond stay sick a lot of people are in trouble because they live their lives unaware of the presence of our Lord of his willingness to help them and sometimes if you have an unforgiving spirit in your life toward somebody and you say well you know what I don't understand why God's not answering my prayer and why this is why that and so forth you get all tied up and maybe you need to stop and ask the Lord Lord what are you trying to say to me maybe there's something you want to deal with me about and all of us have to live with that tentacles out Lord I want to be I'm living in obedience to you in every single way awareness of his presence changes everything and certainly there's gonna be a Joe in your heart then of course I think we are more conscious of the good things God sends us when we are aware of his presence in our life you see a lot of people are blessed every single day never give God any credit what does the Bible say every good and precious gift comes from the father above but if I'm not if I'm not aware of his presence I give someone else a credit I'll say look how what's the next word look how I was look how lucky I was Christians don't talk about luck we talked about being blessed the presence of God in our life but that makes the difference I think when a person is aware of God then we see these things is God being good to us amen if it listen he's good to you here he'll be good to you there that's the awesome presence of God then of course we feel a continuing dependence upon him there was when you aware of him you feel dependence upon it for example let's say you're coming down the street and all of a sudden somebody pulls right out in front of you and I'm you doing about 40 miles an hour and they're doing I don't know what they do they didn't even look at the red light and all of a sudden you see this other car right in front of you what's your first thought well y'all are in danger what's your what what's your first response what's that Jesus that's exactly Oh Jesus help me Jesus help me you know what because we're living in their awareness of his presence he wants us to be aware of him at all times we're dependent upon him then if we were aware of him I believe that for that prayer will be a priority in your life that you just won't say some short prayer because you're in trouble but you're talking to him all the time and I don't like to give myself as an example of some things but I'm just telling you the way I would see it and that is I'm walking through my house a lot of times I'm talking to him Lord I'm I talked to him out loud there's nothing he can't hear it's just that you know what sometimes I need to hear it sometimes I need to hear the Lord and once in a while I'll lose some I said Lord now I know you know where that is I don't remember where I put it but but but I know that you know where it is and it's amazing how fondly it shows up you know what he's interested in every single aspect of our life all right then we continue to have hope even when things look really hopeless but in listen they may turn out to be hopeless as far as what we would change but they're not hopeless now of God no child of God is hopeless he is not only our hope he's our power our strength he's our helper he's our guy he's our sustenance he's our everything but when people are aware and live in the awareness of his presence when hopeful that things come along that seem hopeless they're not then if I'm really aware of him I'm what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna sift every decision through his will Lord what is your will about this what is your will about that all of us face things that sometimes people come up and ask us something or they say what would you do about this and so if somebody asked me a question or if somebody comes in line and says I have a question you know what when somebody says that to me you know what I instantaneously say quietly help me Jesus I don't mean to help me Jesus cash allow me I mean I'm in it Lord whatever that question is give me the wisdom to give them a right answer God to answer whatever it might be because I think if we live with awareness of his presence it doesn't make a difference what the decision is we want to run it by him and somebody may make you a big offer a good offer or something that sounds fantastic run it by him in other words every decision we are let's sifted with him because some things are good and they're fine some things only look good but they're not good some things look free but they're not free and so God is the one who keeps us from making mistakes if I'm aware of his presence I want to need arises I'm gonna see that need and right of his presence somebody says well yeah I haven't needed in my life well think about this a look at that need in the light of the presence of Jesus Christ who's the same yesterday in forever who provides the needs for his children if I if I'm aware if I'm living in the awareness of his presence and leader rises I don't have to worry about it I may not have an answer at the moment but I know that he knows all about her needs and if you think about it he knows the better needs before we do and because he does he's already prepared to meet that need of whatever it might be but I think a lot of people think about this a lot of people who are not aware ever God don't pay much attention to him here comes the need and they want to go borrow money oh yeah it comes and eat and they want to be and this had never and so forth instead of stopping to say Lord what the here's the need father what do you want me to do about it many people are deeply in debt because instead of asking God to provide and whatever way he sees fit they just go ahead and borrow the money and so if you sift every decision and every need through the awareness of his presents then what happens life gets light life becomes more peaceful because we're living in this presence the presence of Almighty God now if I don't understand who God is if he's some distance somebody out yonder that's a whole different story then our worship is more real and rewarding if I'm aware of his presence you can come on the Sunday morning and not worship God at all it's the awareness of his presence but some of these songs we sing for example what happens everything and you just wants to fly out why because you're happy you're aware of his presence well that's the way God wants us to live our life and he wants us to worship Him aware of his presence not just the things that are going on around us and you think about this there are people who come to church and go to churches every single Sunday with problems heart aches burdens hopeless situations and they go to church to come to church or listen to the television or listen to the radio hoping hoping hoping hoping they'll hear something that encourages their heart and so when we live aware of his presence God is going to give that hope wherever it's needed then if I'm going to walk in obedience to God as a way of life just think about if I'm gonna walk in obedience to God as a way of life which we all should do I have to be aware of his presence listen carefully you do not have to sin I can tell some of you don't believe that you remember people say I'm just a sinner saved by grace that's what some people's I'm just a sinner saved by grace well suppose you get up every morning say that you know what you're saying you are programming your mind to sin against God the the right thing is I'm a saint save of the grace of God I may falter I'm a sin but but but listen this think about this if we are if we are walking in obedience to him and that's the will of God then when do I have to sin and might you say well do you say you don't know I didn't say that I'm just saying I don't have to sin you don't have to sin we just accept sinners just normal sinners a choice if we're living in his awareness of his presence and love and goodness and mercy and kindness and all all of adjectives we could use if we're living in the presence of that why do you want this obey God let me ask you a question what does disobedience gain you or you may have an immediate gain you think but the longer you look at it'll turn absolutely rotten because it doesn't fit you the more aware you are of Jesus Christ in your life the less you will tell a great sin in your life because you know it doesn't fit you it doesn't even feel good no matter what it is you listen people can explain away sin I hear the most crazy stories people just say well you know listen this nobody's perfect we all know nobody is that's not information you know that you know what to tell us that nobody's perfect he gotten those who are not perfect but we shouldn't get up in the morning saying I'm just a sinner saved by grace no I'm a saint walking in the presence of a son of God in his strength and his power if I stumble if I falter today he'll forgive me and I keep walking in his presence it's a decision we make and the more where I am listen the more where I am of the holy presence of Jesus the less I'm going to be tempted by anything it's the lack of awareness that makes the difference then of course I just say one last thing all of these contribute to what if I'm if I'm aware of all of these things I'm gonna have a stronger intimate relationship with Jesus now every husband and wife if you really love each other you want to have it you want to have a strong intimate relationship now people won't take the word intimacy I always make it sex has nothing to do with it it has to do with relationship how you feel toward someone what the way you see them is your husband or your wife you cherish them you love them you adore then you want the best for them and so what happens the more aware you are of him and of her and the more you love them the more aware you are and them and the more intense your your sensitivity to each other is and what happens it makes for a wonderful joyful relationship the Lord wants us to have that kind of relationship with him intensely in love with him aware of his presence no matter what's going on in life so if you're one of those persons who said in the very beginning that God is not in my life do you realize what you're missing what you're going to miss is the gift of eternal life what you're going to miss is heaven what you're going to miss is all the joy and the wonderful things that God provides you say well I'll look around I don't see much joy it depends on where you look there are difficult times these are very difficult times but what I want you to see is that Jesus in your life when you become aware of his presence in your life he changes your view point because you begin to see everything in light of his presence that means we're safe somehow he'll work the things out according his grey will if you've never trusted images save you you're living a fools life I know you don't like that that's the truth you will reap what you sow more than your soul later than yourself if you saw life without God a life that absolutely denies Jesus in your life and you saw a life of worldliness and wickedness and all kinds of moral and my relatives then you're going to get what that brings when you trust Jesus as your Savior and give your life to him to live a godly life you get what that brings and that is awesome father we are grateful to you for your goodness to us we know that there's so much to learn and yet we sort of really boils down Lord our relationship to you and I pray the Spirit of God and seal this message in the heart of every believer and every lost person who hears even recognized I'm missing something in life I don't have all that in my life and help them to see they'll come a time when they wish with all their heart that they knew you is their personal Savior and that is their prayer form today in Jesus name Amen as believers we should continually be aware of our need for God's guidance and follow his direction in obedience at integer RG learn more about how to strengthen your walk with God there you can find today's message the awareness of God's presence along with a library of free and inspiring messages from dr. Stanley sermon notes and resources to help you find God's direction for your life download the intouch app to take the teaching of dr. Stanley on the go or follow us on YouTube Facebook and Twitter the spirit bill life is a life lived through us by the Holy Spirit and the goal is demonstrate and to express the character of Jesus Christ an intimate look into the Ministry of dr. Stanley the spirit filled life a new edition of one of his classic books this biblical perspective on the work of the Holy Spirit can deepen your intimacy with God we tried the drill I'm with you buddy life principles to live by dr. Charles Stanley exploration of the 30 foundational truths that continue to guide his life and ministry order a box set on CD or DVD at InTouch o RG share a personal message on a beautiful note card from the lens of dr. Charles Stanley enjoy 6 nautical designs featuring boats from around the world in this 18 card set come with us as we celebrate God's faithfulness through the years and discover the purpose of your god-given talents listen you will never reach the maximum of your potential you'll never be as happy as you could be you'll never have a sense of satisfaction and contentment and fulfillment and you could have until you found out what God is up to in your life what he had in mind and employ your life in service to him in some fashion and so feeling inadequate we all feel inadequate about things at times and feel inadequate about whatever we're doing for the Lord that's that's not legitimate reason for not doing it second reason people give or feel is they say well you know I feel so guilty that I've not been what I should have been and I should have done this and I shouldn't have done that and therefore I can't serve God the Bible doesn't say that that's what grace is all about grace enables us Mother by His love and forgiveness to forget the past and move on in the future of doing what God has called us to do having been forgiven of the past and cleansed equips us to do the work that God has called us to do so saying well you know I feel so guilty that's not excusable and somebody says well I don't know how but then you can learn how well I don't know where God will show you how well and somebody says but you know I'm afraid of failure everybody fails at everything that they do well who has ever started that perfect in anything and who does anything perfectly everybody makes mistakes all of everyone fumbles at times in life but so what waiting to be perfect there's no excuse well I'm I'm afraid I'll fail I'm afraid of criticism everybody's gonna be criticized about something so forget it and just relax failure being a fear fearful of criticism is not an excuse for not serving the Lord and so people say well you know I would but this and but that in but the other the truth is a priorities get out of order if you're thinking about seven days a week 24 hours a day who gave you and made the gift of life but Almighty God there's same God who gives us 24 hours a day and good health and strength and an occupation and make enough money to make a living this same God says that each of you special if gifted employ your gift in serving one another that is not a suggestion it is not a possibility it is a command of God gifted and talented by God we're to give ourselves away to one another in service to Him and so when you think about all the excuses and the reasons the truth is we don't have any the problem is that some people just pure lazy they just don't want to do any more than they have to do any more than is required of them they don't want learning them more than is required of them they're just gonna drift through life and wonder why things don't do better and they're the kind of people most of the time who always wanting somebody to do something and to give them something the truth is he says we are each one to employ put to work put to service those gifts and those talents that God has given us it isn't a matter of choice it is the command of God and he says for example back over in Ephesians chapter a 2 he says we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto listen created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them so you can go all through the scriptures and find command after command that you not to discover what we only seek the truth is what we need to do is discover who are we if you never know what your talents and gifts are you never know what your your your spiritual abilities are you'll never discover what you're like who is this person in this flesh how gifted are you how talented are you what could you do and what do you have the capacity to do what are you able to do if you really chose to put it to work well he says we're responsible and all of these excuses the truth is as I said often times it's just pure laziness we don't want to do any more than we have to do but remember who we are serving we're talking about Jesus we're talking about God the Father and so the truth is we arrange our time the way we want to and so we fill it up with so many things the person is old you know I just don't have time to sing out a teacher don't have time to usher to work in the parking I just don't have time to serve God I've got so many other things to do you mean to tell me you tell Almighty God that he said employ your gifts in serving him I don't have time to do what you told me to do you musta made a mistake musta made a mistake so we're saying you made a mistake because you've given me so many other things to do that I don't have time to serve you I don't have time to do what you've called me to do and therefore I'm gonna this do what I have to do let somebody else serve you there's not a single verse in the scripture that says that somebody else do it there listen there are areas and avenues of service for every single child of God or he would never have said discover what your spiritual gift is and employ it in serving one another that is a command of God and we'll get to it in just a moment he says you're not gonna stand before him one of these days and give an account for those gifts and those talents that we have what did we do with them how did we employ them we're responsible to God and so he says each one has received a gift and secondly he's received it for a specific service the man and the woman is gifted intelligent for God in order he says to serve one another now the problem is we get mixed up on these two ideas for example all of our talents and abilities and our gifts have their origin in heaven with God so he sends them as we would say into this life into your life and mine uniquely tailored to fit you and me now we will either be channels or terminals now terminal is where something stops that's where that's where it ends if it's sent from somewhere else it terminates here God didn't give you and me anything in order for us to be terminals but channels into our life a part of our life into someone else's life leading people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthening the local church in touch with dr. Charles Stanley is a presentation of in touch ministries this program is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 1,485,569

Rating: 4.7908144 out of 5

Keywords: Charles F. Stanley Dr. Charles Stanley Dr. Stanley In Touch InTouch God Jesus Holy Spirit Christian, Charles Stanley

Id: j1a8FsHTD4U

Length: 52min 30sec (3150 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 24 2018