Living Constantly in God's Presence

[Music] Churchies fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God waitly desires a godly home. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tenement Ministry. May ye be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let’s open our Bible to Psalm 116. Psalm 116. There’s a word of prayer there. I just want us to pray together. There’s so much in the land today. The fear of this, the fear of that. Kidnappers on one side, Fulani herdsmen on the other side, armed robbers—so many things going on in the land. But there’s this prayer in the book of Psalm, Psalm 116:8. You just lift up the prayer to God wherever you are. You can sit down, you can stand up, whichever. But just before you are praying, verse 8, 116: “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.” Can you just lift up that prayer to God? That Lord, regardless of what is happening in the land, you will deliver my soul from death, my eyes from tears, Lord, my feet from falling. Lord, Lord, no matter the state of the land, you will deliver my soul from death. Spiritual death, physical death, emotional death—so many kinds of death today. Deliver my soul from death. My eyes from tears. My eyes from tears. My eyes from tears. Lord, and my feet from falling. My feet from falling. [Music] Lord, we pray as we gather. We pray for every family, we pray for every man, we pray for every woman, husband, wife. We pray for our youth, we pray for our children. God, we ask for every soul that identifies with this chapel. Lift up our voice unto you. What you know about our souls? We say Lord, you will deliver our soul from death. In the name of Jesus. Our eyes from tears. In the name of Jesus. And Lord, our feet from falling. In the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you everlasting Father. Lord, as we go into your word, we pray. There is a spirit in man, it is only you that can give understanding. You said concerning the building of this temple, “I do a thing in your midst and you do not know.” Lord, we pray this morning, grant our spirit inspiration in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you everlasting Father. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen! Living constantly in His presence. Living constantly in the presence of the Lord. And I want us to look at the text again, the text of the Bible read this morning, Psalm 139. Living constantly in God's presence. Verse 7: “Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, and if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say ‘Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light becomes night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” The essence of this scripture that we just read is for one thing to be very clear: that the presence of God is everywhere. You can't rule out His presence from anywhere, from anything. Even in the darkest of the darkest of the darkest that any man wants to do anything, even there the Lord is there. So God's presence is not just about—there’s one God's presence that says “where two or three are gathered, I am there.” But this one that we are reading here is talking about the fact that God is everywhere at the same time. But our topic today: Living constantly in His presence. If God is everywhere at the same time, how do we live constantly in His presence? What does it take to live in His presence? What does it mean to live in God's presence? Because if the Bible says that God is everywhere, it means whether we are sinners, whether we are righteous, whether we are godly, whether we are ungodly, we are in the presence of who? We're in the presence of God. But the topic says, “Living constantly in His presence.” Does it mean that some people are not in His presence? If God is everywhere, what do we mean by this presence that we are talking about? Now, I just want to draw from biblical example the fact that God is everywhere in all our affairs, in everything we do, whether good, whether evil, the fact that God is here. When I've established that, I will now establish why is it that God has to be that way? Then thirdly, which presence are we now talking about when we say living in His presence? And then lastly, how can we constantly live in this presence that we are referring to? Now, let's establish the fact that God is everywhere at the same time. In everything we do, whether good, whether evil, God is everywhere. Let's look at something in—let's begin with David. That was the man who said, “even if I hide in the darkest of the night, you are there.” 2 Samuel chapter 11. 2 Samuel chapter 11. It’s a very long story. 2 Samuel 11. It says, in the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israel army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful. Now, we know what happened. David saw the woman, David slept with the woman, and eventually the woman came back to report to David that she was pregnant. So David had to send for Uriah. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house. When David was told Uriah did not go down to his house, he asked him, “Haven't you just come from a distance? Why didn't you go home?” We know why David wanted Uriah to go home. He wanted him to go home, sleep with the wife, so that the conception can be hidden, that it's not him that impregnated somebody else's wife. So let's move now to around verse 22. The messenger set out, and when he arrived, he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. Verse 23: “The messenger said to David, ‘The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the city gate. 24. Then archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’” Yes, then David told the messenger, “Say to Joab, ‘Don’t let this upset you; it’s just the war, one falls as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.” 26. When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27. The concluding part. After the mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased who? Displeased the Lord. Was He there? He was there. For David, everything had been covered. Nobody knows. Uriah is dead, nobody can explain anything. But there was somebody who was present. And that person was not David. The point I'm making is that God is present everywhere. Some of us think that God is present everywhere. So regardless of living constantly in His presence, you are talking about something else. God is present everywhere. Nothing is done that can be hidden from the Lord. That is why look at Judges chapter 2 verse 11, chapter 3 verse 1, Judges 2:11: “Then the Israelites did evil,” where? “in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.” So when they were doing evil, where was it done? In the eyes of the Lord. Go to Judges 6:1: “And again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.” So we see that even when people are sinning, where are they sinning? In the eyes of the Lord. So His presence is everywhere. People sin in His eyes, people do wickedness in His eyes. Look at what Joseph had to say about that. Look at Genesis chapter 39 verse 1 to 12. You will notice that Joseph had an understanding of that. David, some people did things in His eyes. With Joseph in charge, and the Lord was with Joseph, and he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. And after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me.” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against” who? “God.” You see, Joseph had an understanding that even if the master is not there, even if this is done, somebody is there. And it cannot be hidden from that person. The presence of God is everywhere. Joseph acknowledged God. Because Joseph acknowledged God, there's a presence of God that fills the earth. There's a presence that you don't need to try to live in it. Whether you are godly or ungodly, whether you do wickedness or you do good, whatever is going on, there is a presence of God that covers that. And that in itself is a thing that makes us to fear God. That is why look at this Psalm I want to read to you about how God finds the wicked things. Let's look at Psalm 94:4-10: “They utter speech and speak insolent things. All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. They break in pieces your people, oh Lord, and afflict your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, ‘The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand.’ He does understand, you senseless among the people, and you fools, when will you be wise? He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eyes, shall He not see? He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct? He who teaches man knowledge, shall He not have knowledge?” Now, I summarize all of this here. I say honestly, it is real blindness and foolishness, the imagination in the heart of man that makes them to think that they will not be seen before of all the iniquity of their hands. They normally think that there are things God does not see. They think that it is hidden, they will not eat the fruit. But I'm saying that there's a presence of God that covers the earth, such that God is everywhere at the same time, that no man can hide himself from the Lord. Now, another thing I want to point our attention to in this matter of the Lord. Let's look at Luke chapter 7 verse 36 to 47. When one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went to the Pharisee's house and sat down to eat. And behold a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought a box of ointment. And she stood at his feet behind him weeping, and she began to wash his feet with her tears and to wipe them with the hair of her head, and she kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now, please look at this. “Now, when the Pharisee who invited him saw this, he spoke to himself saying, ‘This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.’” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” What did he call Jesus when the Lord spoke to him? He called Jesus “Teacher.” For him, when he called him “this man,” Jesus did not see him. When he said “Simon,” he didn't say “this man” again, he said “Teacher.” But Jesus was responding to the thought in his heart and saying that there's a presence of God that covers our intention, our motive, our intent, the reasons for our actions. There's a presence of God that covers it. So you can't hide from God. You can't be saying something else. But this presence that covers our intention, our thoughts, our motives, all of these things are before the Lord. Jeremiah 17:9-10: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, even to give to every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doing.” The point I'm making is that while God is everywhere at the same time, He is present everywhere. He’s trying to maintain the cause of justice, so that He can give to every man, whether the wicked, whether the upright, whether the godly, whether the ungodly, His presence that covers everywhere so that nobody can escape whatsoever they do. And how does God make sure of this escape? Look at how God goes about this judgment. Luke 6:38: “Give, and it shall be given back to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” It says, “Give, and it shall be given back unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall men give to your bosom.” Now, what I'm saying is that for God to make sure that the godly and ungodly don't escape the work of their hand, His presence is so much everywhere to make sure that even when you think you are godly and ungodly inside, what God makes sure is that men give to your bosom. If you do righteousness, men will give back back to you. If you do wickedness that you think is hidden, it's going to come back. In order for God to sustain the agitation of His justice, He makes sure that there is a presence of God from which no man can hide. He makes sure He's everywhere. Now, we are now coming back to the topic this morning that says, “Living constantly in His presence.” How do I live in His presence? Is this presence different from this overwhelming presence that we are talking about? Is there another presence of God again apart from this presence? Let's look at Psalm 90: “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man,” please follow this things one after the other. He has told us now that God has been there before any man was. Now he begins to apply some very strict things about this presence that we want to talk about. Verse 3: “Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, ‘Return, ye children of men.’ 4. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 5. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep; in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6. In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down and it withereth. 7. For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath we are troubled. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sin in the light of thy countenance.” Are you following something? David is telling us that what seems to be hidden, God is busy handling it among men. Verse 9: “For all our days are passed away in thy wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11. Who knoweth the power of thy anger?” Who knows the power of God's anger? “Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.” So what is the exhortation to man? Verse 12: “So teach us to number our days, so that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” In that order, God is eternal, God is everywhere, God will make sure that the godly, the ungodly, the wicked, the upright, whatever you describe there, God will make sure that everybody— I was talking to some little children something. I said if there is a thing that your parents don't want you to watch, if your parents are out in the room, what normally you do? Do you watch that? They say no. How will you do it when they are back? Do you normally watch it? They say we wait when they are gone out, they will now come in. I said why didn't you watch it when they were there? Ah, they said the top of the hand. They can't eat. The reason why you cannot acknowledge God and do evil is because you don't know that He's there. You think you are out of His presence. If you know that God is constantly there, God wants us to acknowledge Him to know that thing I am doing. There's an acknowledgment that God needs from every man. And it begins with the believer, and it begins to acknowledge the fact that too, God sees me. That is the beginning of wisdom. Unless you have that thing, you can never be wise. You will remain foolish. You'll be doing foolish things. You only become wise when something comes on you that please, I cannot endure the wrath of God's anger. I cannot deal with this eternal God that He's going to measured just back down like that. That thing is what makes us to number our days. I'm telling you, it’s a great matter of the fear of God. If you really understand, you know what David said. He says, look, fear not that he who can kill the body, but He who to fear. Fear Him who after he has killed the body, will cast the soul into hell. So everything about our coming to be wise, our acknowledging God and to live in His presence, is an understanding to know that God is eternal, God is everywhere, God is ever present, and so I should not do anything that will bring His displeasure. I cannot stand His anger. If I want God to, why not come and be converted and come to His side? And if you have repented this morning, why not come to the Lord? Have you been living right? Why not say Lord once again and say Lord, you are my pride. You are my pride. What's the one thing that you cannot compromise? What's the one thing that you cannot push down? If that thing becomes, “I will please the Lord,” then you will be able to constantly enjoy His presence. Now, what do I mean finally, as I close today? This presence that we are saying we should live constantly in is one that we will never do anything we don't approve. Motivator, if you will not go with us, what did he say? We will not go. You say God, if your presence will not attend God, if you will not be involved in this thing, if you will not carry us along with this thing. That is, as you want to do anything that God does not approve, you say, “God, I want to do this thing, have you given approval for me to do? Are you going with me? Can I do it, will I get your blessing? Will I get your favor, will I get your good hand, will I get your mercy with it?” And God says, “go, you will get my mercy.” That thing of this presence that we are talking about, which apart from asking God to journey with us is look, apart from asking for His approval, taking our bearings from Him. The second one is that as we take our bearing from Him, we are constantly asking Him, eh? Look at Nehemiah. The king spoke to him, “Nehemiah, what do you want me to do?” He prayed to God. Always praying to God, he asked the king. That is constantly in every action you want to take. One, you are bringing Him into it, and you are making sure it's a thing that pleases Him. Lord, I want to do this thing. Lord, please, I need your wisdom, help me. And as you are doing it, you are thanking God. I hope this thing pleases you. You are thanking, that is constantly in His presence because you know however you go around about Him, you cannot hide from Him. The earlier you acknowledge Him, the earlier you please Him, the earlier you seek His backup and His favor, then you are living with wisdom. He says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our heart to wisdom.” I encourage us this morning, let us live wisely. Live wisely by living constantly in His presence. Acknowledge Him, know He is there, be sure that you want to please Him, make Him your pride, ask for His guidance, ask for His approval. Make sure the thing pleases Him. That way, you are constantly in the providence of His favor, not in the judgment of His anger. Let us pray. Constantly in the providence of His favor. If you are constantly seeking His favor, He is here. You are here and you are not born again. You count to church every day. When you leave church, you go back to your office, you go back to your market, to your business, you tell lies, you murder, you are covetous, you are greedy. You come to church often because you don't understand. You don't fear God. You think you will escape. You cannot, do you understand? If you're not born again, acknowledge Him in all your ways. For you cannot stand His wrath. You cannot stand His anger. He makes men to pass away like the dream of the night. You can't stand His anger. Why not repent, why not be converted and come to His side? And if you have repented this morning, why not come to the Lord? Have you been living right? Why not say Lord once again and say Lord, you are my pride. You are my pride. Wash in everything, pleasing you will be my pride. Pleasing you will be my pride. I will seek your approval. I will seek your guidance. I will seek your going with me. Until you go with me, I will not go. Thank you everlasting Father to bless your name this morning. Lord, we pray. We're asking again, we are praying for ourselves. We're asking Lord, oh Lord, no man can endure the anger of your Lord. So teach us, oh Lord, to number our days that we may apply our heart to wisdom of living constantly in your presence in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you blessed Father. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen! [Music]