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

[Music]

where’s God in your life he 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 is it 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 in other

words 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 and 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 omnipotent

and he’s on the present 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 God over yonder

and over yonder backyard not beyond that

you 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 and 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 of that 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 or whether

you’re aware of him or not in other

words your awareness of him doesn’t

determine where he is in fact the

scripture says Jesus Christ is the same

yesterday today and forever he doesn’t

change and the reason his 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 of the awareness of

his presence not just his presence we

all know he’s present but the awareness

of his presence I want you to turn to

the most familiar song you know the 23rd

psalm as one phrasing that I want us to

look at primarily and so if you’ll turn

there for just a moment the 23rd psalm

and you remember that David penned this

and he was going through difficult and

all kind of hardship in this life many

times before we ever became the king and

even

– it’s 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 vital that whatever he wants

to do in our life so listen 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

to me 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

him 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 eat him tell him

exactly where he was going at first he

said but I’m going with you I’ll be with

you and if you’ll remember when God

spoke to Moses and he gave him that

challenge they go down and talk to

Ferro about letting the people go and he

said I’m going with you and on one

occasion I thought it was interesting in

the 33rd chapter in the 15th the verse I

believe of excess he said now 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 don’t 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 when he talked to Gideon for

example and get in said well Lord I’m my

family is in Louis family in the whole

city and 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

take a lot he said my God will deliver

you into my hands that sense of oneness

when he called Isaiah Isaiah and

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 he slipped through all the prophets

over to the New Testament

you remember when Jesus sent 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 Odinson – 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 that in

prison when

prison after the other that he comes to

the end of his life and he says I’ve

fought a good fight I’ve kept the course

and I’m coming to the end mail 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 now

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 ain’t changed now

was he hasn’t changed locations away

said nothing about him has changed 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 seemed it would

be almost impossible but he was he said

to him the early part of the 14th

chapter do 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

twelfth 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 I can do something

greater than 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 the 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 3,000 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

going to send the Holy Spirit he’ll be

in you with you and upon you and that

meant that the the power of God would be

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 wait a

minute have you been in all the world

what do you know is out there and so of

course this is the Roman world of

slavery poverty 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 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 in starting

all these churches and going back and

disciple in all these people and and

multiplying Christians coming and going

but if you look at if you look just look

at Paul and look at Jesus Paul just went

everywhere Jesus went 80 miles furthest

he went from home then you think about

the few people compared to lead 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 than I’ve done

he says there’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 there 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 calls you to

do so we’re not comparing ourselves with

Jesus that’s not what this is all about

it’s the fact that 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 is gonna amaze 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’re gonna do this

and the other he said 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 to validate his

ministry but he came to bring people to

the 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 that 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 do even greater did that single

rose out that will do this and the other

know

but it meant his followers would do

Grenaa work because because he was going

to and well 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

this is this that we would live in

awareness of his presence it’ll change

your life

it makes all the difference in the world

if you’re living in the awareness of his

presence it doesn’t mean that you live

believing there is a God that’s not it

it’s the where awareness of his presence

in your life every single believer is in

12 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 their and I’m gonna

give you sixteen 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 continuing in our thoughts

conscious or unconscious

he’s continual in our thoughts let’s

take a mother who has a newborn baby the

baby is about three days old and she’s

gone about her work and her and her

household doing what she does but

subconsciously you know what there’s

something into her 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’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 continually seeking his guidance we

all make decisions every day many people

make decisions

tell the oblivious to God they don’t

even think about yoga 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 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

gathers I have no interest in that are

there

none amen he senses 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 then when I 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 God it’s 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 their constant

companion that is if if I see him as my

constant companion then I’m always aware

of in their 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 land I used

to drive a white little white VW Bug and

somewhere at a church and I’m driving my

book and it’s like the Lord said to me I

made you for myself I herded that left

not in hearing a voice it was so loud to

me that I almost turned to look and 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 that 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

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 I wanna be

good so so yeah let’s say you 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 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 of our mission and all loving

can you tell me a better companion than

that anybody no you can’t 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 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 or everything’s

over what am I going to do

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 listening to 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 it 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 he

said well I don’t believe that God stuff

because you know that would interfere

with my lifestyle it needs to be

interfering with if you if you don’t

want God in it way 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 and when David faced

Goliath he said I’m gonna take your head

off of you he says because the father is

going to deliver you into my hands he

knew that he walked out facing Goliath

and those Philistines in the presence in

the power and in the understanding and

the awareness of holy God of Israel

that’s why he won the battle he defeated

on Goliath before he ever started

because he affirmed he made the

statement my god Jehovah is going to

give you into my hands when you and I go

through some storm remember that the

first thing we ought to remember is this

I’m in this but I mean 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 if that

the Lord is with you let me ask you what

in this world is more powerful than God

nothing 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 is 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

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 say 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

it worked and when you and I we go

through some situation and we come to a

passage and remember what he said the

just shall be strong and of a good

courage fear not neither be thou

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 to 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 from 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 him I just

can’t forget this and I could forget

that and this that and so forth living

in his presence doesn’t mean you’ll 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 going to have a joy in our

heart if you live in and you are you

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 clouding this

and mm what are you where you were you

were of the weather who’s sitting in the

seat beside you in the car if you are

alone the the Lord’s there in other

words it’s it’s where we focus what’s

our focus our 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 a 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 here if

you’re not aware of it you just pass

right on by stay sick a lot of people

are in trouble

because they lived 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 sure I’m

living in obedience to you in every

single way awareness of his presence

changes everything and certainly there’s

gonna be a joy 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 oh 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 and that makes the

difference and I think when a person is

aware of God then we see these things is

God being good to us amen 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

him 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 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 you what what’s your first

response what’s that

Jesus that’s exactly Oh Jesus help me

Jesus help me you know why because we

are living in their awareness of his

presence he wants us to be aware of him

at all times we depended 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 talk 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 something 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 nails 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 everything but when

people are aware and live in the

awareness of his presence when hope of

the 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 to the

line and says I have a question you know

when somebody says that to me you know

what I instantaneous like to say quietly

help me Jesus I don’t mean to help me

Jesus

casual I mean I mean I mean it Lord

whatever that question is give me the

wisdom to give them a right answer godly

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 lifted 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 I

have a need 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 today 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 it need

arises 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 whatever it might be but I think a

lot of people think about this a lot of

people who are not aware of God don’t

pay much attention to him here comes a

need and they want to go borrow money oh

here comes the need and they want to be

and this had never and so forth instead

of stopping to say Lord would 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 did

they just go out and borrow the money

and so if you sift every decision and

every need

through the awareness of his presence

then what happens life gets light life

becomes more peaceful because we’re

living in his presence a 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 it

happens everything in 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 they 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 listening

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 say you are

programming your mind to sin against God

the the right thing is I’m a saint save

by the grace of God I may falter

I’m a sin but but but listen to this

think about this if we are if we are

walking in obedience to him and that’s

the will of God then if when do I have

to sin and might you say what 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 sin is 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 you’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 oh you may

have an immediate gain you think but the

longer you look at it will turn

absolutely rotten because it doesn’t fit

you the more aware you are of Jesus

Christ in your life unless you will

tolerate 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 don’t

that’s not information you know that you

don’t have to tell us that nobody’s

perfect and God knows we’re not perfect

but we shouldn’t get up in the morning

saying I’m just the 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 and

always make it sex as nothing to do with

it it has to do with relationship how

you feel towards 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 of 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 then 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

viewpoint 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 him as your Savior you’re living

a fool’s 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 a 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 more 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 to our relationship to

you and I pray the Spirit of God and

seal this message and heart of every

believer and every lost person who hears

even recognize I’m missing something in

life I don’t have all that in my life

and help them to see

there’ll come a time when they wish with

all their heart that they knew you as

their personal Savior and that is their

prayer form today in Jesus name Amen

if you’ve been blessed by today’s

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