Manifest Presence Series
“A House of Sacrifice” Pt. 1
(Inspired by Don Nori Sr.’s Manifest Presence: You Can Live Within The Veil)
March 18, 2015 CFBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
A 2 Chronicles 7:11-12 (NASB) 11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's palace, and successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the LORD and in his palace. 12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
1 God’s Presence is found at the place of sacrifice.
a Those who are willing to give it all, offer it all, release it all have been blessed to receive ALL of God.
b It is this kind of Christian who has allowed God full access to themselves that will make in these last days.
aa These folks are not satisfied with simply what they can get from God: they are not satisfied until they are doing what is on God’s heart.
bb What a fire to go with through life with . . . to do the heart of God, what burns in Him is what makes us go forward.
2 These are God’s children, these are whom He dwells upon, “These are mine.”
a Malachi 3:17-18 (NASB) 17 "They will be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." 18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
aa The fullness is for everybody, but not everybody experiences the fullness.
bb The fullness comes from God (It’s His to give, take, settle.)
cc We experience the fullness when we’re willing to pay the price, surrender to Him, put Him first in all things.
b When people build/remodel a house they are constantly working on it, making it better/more appealing/attractive: “You’re never really done.”
aa His fullness is similar to that, “You never really arrive.”
bb It is a journey, perpetual process, on-going.
c We want to claim, 2 Tim.4.7 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race” long before we we’ve finished the race.
aa We serve for years (deacon, youth ministry, pastorate, SS teacher, trustee, Kingdom Kids, Choir, etc.,) and when we reach a point where/when we think we’ve sacrificed enough, given enough, endured enough, took enough hits . . . we just turn things over to someone else.
bb Our race isn’t finished until we go home, or unqualified/unable for the ministry we’ve been given.
B 2 Timothy 4:7 (NASB) 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
Paul is telling Timothy this at the end of his life . . . not at the end of a tough spot in his ministry, feelings hurt, disrespected. (He’s about to die!)
1 This Scripture reminds of a man on a train that’s pulling out of the station. He’s hanging out the door of the train, shouting at his friend parting words, instruction, wisdom.
a 2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NASB) 1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
b Whistle blows: 2 Timothy 4:3 (NASB) 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
aa Picks up steam, Timothy running beside the train.
bb 2 Timothy 4:4-7 (NASB) 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
2 These don’t sound like the words of someone who’s ready to retire, through in the towel.
a Doesn’t sound like someone who’s ready to stop serving the Lord, finished with ministry.
b He wants more of God: sacrifice more of himself, life, time.
C When God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt, Canaan should have been an 11 day journey. Promised Land was days away.
1 However, their stubbornness, complaining, rebellion, sin, grumbling caused them to wonder in the wilderness for 40 years. (They became unavailable to God)
a Of the millions who left Egypt, only 2 entered the Promised Land.
aa Just because the majority of the Hebrews missed out on the Promised Land . . . it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.
bb So it is with God’s Manifest Presence.
b Most Christians will never know what it’s like to be in the Presence . . .
aa It’s for those who willing to move forward without complaining, grumbling: willing to fight the good fight/keep the faith.
bb The Presence is no more exclusive to us than the Promised Land was to the Children of Israel.
2 His Presence isn’t just attainable from the sweet by & by.
a It’s available to us here, now.
aa We don’t have to be old, grey haired to know it.
bb The Presence is available/accessible to young/old.
b It’s possible to flow & function in His Presence all the days of our lives.
D Sadly, many (if not most) Christians start red hot, but cool down over time. (Settle into their faith. I’ve done my thing. Lead my quota to the Lord, go to church weekly . . . sometime twice, tithe)
1 They’re happy, content . . . but not on fire.
a Christian middle-class-ism, Religious Yuppie-ism.
aa They’re satisfied with the way things are.
bb Not slipping, not getting ahead, not real hot, not real cold . . . Goldilocks!
b But there is another level, deeper place to go to in the Lord.
aa It’s open to everybody . . . but only those who are willing to sacrifice get there.
bb It’s only accessible to those who have a passion for the deeper things of God.
2 God is not looking for us to be satisfied with where we’ve been, experiences we’ve had.
a There is a place of shelter, furious love of God, we can have now.
b If we’ll love Him, want Him with all our hearts, minds, strength yielded to God.
c It’s not a one-time decision, commitment, response . . . constant deciding, re-commitment, responding.
Conclusion:
A The headlights on an old farm truck grew dimmer as the years passed, and I was puzzled.
1 The lights were still burning, the wiring seemed OK in spite of the mice and the occasional snake the ol’farmer had to chase out, and yet, the lights became so dim as to be almost useless.
a One day he decided to take a chance and invest in new headlights in spite of the fact the old ones appeared to burn just fine.
b When he removed the old headlights he realized the mirrored coating behind the filament had gradually flaked off, and though the filament burned brightly, there was nothing left to reflect the light outward.
2 Application:
a We are not the source of spiritual light, but like the mirrored coating in a headlight, we are meant to reflect that source.
b If we are not careful, the cares and stress of life can diminish our ability to reflect Christ as we should.
aa That's when we must rely on the Holy Spirit to re-coat and re-polish our weary souls, that we might once again effectively reflect God's glory. "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ".
2 Corinthians 4:6 (NASB) 6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
bb Pray
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