Sermon Notes

March 8, 2015

MOVING BACK INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD”RECOVERING OUR GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

By Philip A Matthews

GENESIS 3:  THE FALL was a profound SEPARATION from the PRESENCE OF GOD. Man LOST his GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS & fell into SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. Humans had been created with the ability to live EQUALLY in both the SPIRITUAL & PHYSICAL REALMS, but the FALL left us with the ability to SENSE only the physical realm as REALITY.

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS:

(1) We become obsessed w/ourselves;

(2) We trust in IDOLS to FIND ourselves, our identity, our security, our satisfaction, & our fulfillment. IDOLS = persons, things, practices, may even be religious stuff;

(3) We LOSE our TRUE SELF to a FALSE SELF (Ephesians 4:22-24): The sobering TRUTH is that we are NOTHING without God & there is NO LIFE without Him. So we are our TRUE SELVES ONLY WHEN WE ARE CONNECTED TO HIM. We were not made to EXIST WITHOUT HIM or to LIVE SEPARATED FROM HIM. Separateness is an UNNATURAL STATE. Most people believe that our current messed-up state is the natural state, but it is a PERVERSION. How deceived we have been! Our FALSE SELF seeks to be INDEPENDENT & to TRUST itself; is filled with EGO; makes all kinds of SINFUL ADJUSTMENTS to fill the EMPTINESS, LONELINESS (i.e., ALONENESS / ALIENATION / ABANDONMENT) we feel; is NARCISSISTIC; is DRIVEN BY FEAR; etc.;

(4) We become very SELF-PROTECTIVE against everything & everybody, and usually we have perpetual RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS;

(5) We LISTEN to & REFLECT the VOICES OF THE FALLEN WORLD to live our lives by (instead of listening/reflecting to what GOD says).

GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS: 

(1) We LISTEN ONLY to the VOICE of FATHER GOD. Thus, we see OURSELVES as HE sees US. (What a PLEASANT thought!!)  We see EVERYBODY ELSE as HE sees them (How FREEING!!). We see the WORLD as HE sees it (How REASSURING!!);

(2) FEAR is eradicated because GOD, "PERFECT LOVE, casts out all Fear (1 John 4:18);

(3) The CONNECTION to GOD enables the PRESENCE OF GOD to HEAL us spiritually, emotionally, physically, & in every other way. If we are still WOUNDED in any area, then we must CONSCIOUSLY REJECT the desire to REMAIN IN WEAKNESS & DELIBERATELY CHOOSE to ALLOW CHRIST'S LIFE to STRENGTHEN US. This means that we ACKNOWLEDGE that our current WOUNDED, WEAK SELF is NOT our REAL SELF nor the SELF we want to HOLD ON TO. So we RELINGUISH & RELEASE our grasp on that self & allow Christ's self to flow through us;

(4) Thus, CHRIST becomes my RIGHTEOUSNESS; CHRIST becomes my NEW, TRUE SELF; my CONNECTION to Him gives me His CONVICTIONS of RIGHT & WRONG, GOOD & EVIL, then gives me His POWER to LIVE by those convictions;

(5) I undergo a MIRACULOUS TRANSFORMATION into a REAL, NOT-PERVERTED, WHOLE PERSON, CREATED in the IMAGE OF GOD, "PARTAKING / PARTICIPATING / SHARING, as Peter wrote, "in the DIVINE NATURE (2 Peter 1:4);

(6) I RISE with Him to my FULL POWER, AUTHORITY, & POTENTIAL. I take on HIS ability to be a POWERFUL AGENT FOR CHANGE in this world”in my own life & in the lives of OTHERS.

EMMANUEL”"God is with us, from "with us is Strength, the Almighty¦ The whole purpose of Jesus Christ was to bring us back into the PRESENCE of GOD: He CLEANSED our SINS & INIQUITIES then USHERED IN the HOLY SPIRIT as our "GOD WITH US: "However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you] (John 16:7). 

THIS IS JUST HOW CLOSE OUR FATHER GOD IS TO US. THIS IS OUR TRUE IDENTITY:

• "IN HIM we LIVE and MOVE and HAVE OUR BEING¦ Acts 17:28.

• "How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast in number they are! If I try to count them, there would be more of them than there are grains of sand. When I wake up, I am still with you (i.e., I am still on Your mind!) Psalms 139:17-18 (God's Word).

• "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil¦ Jeremiah 29:11

• "As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love (John 15:9).

• I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee Jeremiah 31:3.

• "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are perfect/blameless toward Him¦ 2 Chronicles 16:9.

• For the word of God is living and full of power, and is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and intents and purposes of the heart.¦ Hebrews 4:12-13.

   

CONCLUSION:

Through PRAYER of CONFESSION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, REPENTANCE, & HUMILITY we MOVE into God's PRESENCE. By CHOOSING to REFLECT HIS IMAGE & NOT HOLDING ONTO OUR OLD FALSE SELF we DWELL in His Presence. This is the POWER of the CROSS: We take EVERYTHING (sins, weaknesses, hurts, etc.) to His CROSS & LEAVE IT THERE CRUCIFIED. We are then filled w/the same POWER & DIVINE ENERGY demonstrated in Christ when God raised Him from the DEAD!

© 2015 Philip A Matthews

I have found the following prayer/invocation to be very helpful in bringing me into the presence of God”and the Presence of God into me. It was used by Leanne Payne, a renown Christian writer,  counselor, healer, & prayer warrior. I pray this prayer every day:

Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Pour the living water in Your presence
on the thirsty ground of my heart.

Make rivers of living water flow
on the barren heights of my soul,
and springs well up within all its valleys.

I would receive power, Lord Jesus Christ, to be your witness
at home and throughout the earth.
Be thou in me the fountain of living water,
springing up unto everlasting life.

You have qualified me, Holy Father, to share in the inheritance
of the saints in the kingdom of light.
You have rescued me from the dominion of darkness
and brought me into the kingdom of Your dear Son
in whom I have redemption and
the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1).
You have set Your seal upon me”
Your Spirit in my heart as a deposit,
guaranteeing what is to come.
In Christ, I stand firm (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
For adoption in You, I give you thanks.
For this I praise your holy, gracious name.

And I praise You as the One who sends forth Your Spirit
upon those who trust in Your name:
"Thou the anointing Spirit art
Who Doest thy sev'nfold gifts impart.

I ask You now for the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
and a full freedom to move in the power of your Spirit
to the glory of your Name and the advancement of Your kingdom.
I know, Lord, that the day is coming when
"the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory
of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Hebrews 2:14).
I rejoice in this, and ask that even now, Your Spirit
will fill me, cover me, and clothe me in this way.
I ask, also, for the grace and strength to so walk before You
that Your Holy Spirit will in no way be grieved or offended,
but will remain upon me; be ever pleased to rest upon me.

Father, for this baptism of Your Spirit,
one that will continue to well up from within me,
I give you thanks in advance.

It is in Jesus' holy name that I pray and receive this blessing. Amen.