Sermon Central
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The Great Blessing Of Not Having Jesus With Us
Contributed by Gordon Weatherby on May 6, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: We think how blessed it would have been to walk and talk with Jesus2,000 years ago. Jesus told his disciples that it would be better for him to go away than to stay. This message explores why it is a greater blessing to not have Jesus with us today. Th
aa.) Joseph had considered divorcing her because of her pregnancy.
ab.)Matt. 1:20-23
B.) From that day on for the next 33 years, the world had the experience of knowing what it was like to have “God with us.”
ba.) Jesus said “Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father.”
bb.) Particularly for the final three and a half of those years the world experienced the fullness of God with us.
bc.) Perhaps many, if not all of us stand envious of those first century people who had the experience of having God with them.
bca.) From our present vantage point we could say there would have been nothing any more special than to have walked and talked with Jesus, and to have seen him perform miracles.
6.) But according to the Words of Jesus there was something better than to have God with us.
A.) John 16:5-7
aa.) Jesus knew the days the world could have the presence of “God with us” would soon come to an end.
B.) As great of a privilege as it was to have God with us, the cross brought an end to the physical presence of God with us.
C.) From the time of the cross (or perhaps Pentecost) onward the Bible no longer speaks of God With us.
ca.) After the cross the Bible has an entirely new terminology to speak of man`s relationship with God.
cb.) That brings me to my second point:
II. THE PICTURE OF GOD WITHIN US.
1.) Jesus himself predicted that God would live within man.
A.) John 14:16-20
aa.) verse 17 Jesus said the Holy Spirit would live in us.
ab.) Verse 20 Jesus said: Ì am in you.
2.) The Apostle Paul stated God was in us.
A.) If we abide in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within us.
aa.) Rom. 8:9
ab.) Certainly, this is a concept that is difficult to comprehend.
aba.) It is hard for us to believe that the God who created all things is able to make His dwelling place in the heart of man.
3.) But God wants to abide in us as His holy temple.
A.) Not only is God within us, but, God has chosen us to be His holy temple.
aa.) I Cor. 6:19-20
bb.) Paul tells us that because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to honour God with our bodies.
bba.) Such knowledge gives us a new consciousness for every aspect of our life and being in this present body.
4.) God is within us, and wants to empower us.
A.) Eph. 3:16-21
aa.) Vs. 16 ``Strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.”
ab.) Vs. 17 ``So that Christ may dwell in your hearts.
ac.) vs. 18 “May have power”
aca.) That power is from within us – the presence of God.
ad.)vs. 19 `Filled to the measure of all the fullness ` of God.
ae.) vs. 20”is able to do immeasurably more” (in us) “than all we ask or imagine.”
aea.) We then see the reason He can do more than we can ask or imagine:
aea-1.) (He) “`is at work within us.”
aea-2.) What a powerful thought. The reason that God is able to do so much more in our lives than what we could ever ask of Him, or imagine is that He is inside of us.
5.) The Apostle Paul assures us not only that God is dwelling within us, but that one day God dwelling within us with raise our bodies from the grave.
