Prayer for the Presence of God

Today on some at length with JD Greer wants us to know the links at the height of the doubt the breath of God's love because he knows that if we can get close to that love and sense the love that would be forever changed knows that our spiritual maturity begins our proceeding with our hearts and feeling and sensing the love of God, light the Bible to pastor Arthur legend JD Greer.

As always, I'm your host Molly events know about you, but growing up. I could tell you plenty of facts about my favorite TV star or musician. And quite frankly I still can, but that's completely different than me actually knowing them personally and the same is true of God. How we move from memorizing facts to really experiencing God's presence that are subject today on Summit life contains a special program as will of course hear solid biblical teaching from Pastor JD you want to stick around to the end to hear an amazing testimony of how God transformed the light of the young lady in our church right now we're in a series called mystery and clarity, since you missed any of the previous messages you can find them all. JD Greer.com now here's Pastor JD with a message titled prayer for the present minutes today one of Paul's prayers of praise of the book of Ephesians works in the middle of a study right now in Ephesians 1 of things that you notice as you study is that Paul opens Ephesians and and closes the doctrinal part of Ephesians with the most incredible prayers that you got anywhere in the Bible. Ephesians 123 is a deep doctrinal discussion worker Paul share some of the greatest and deepest truths in the Christian life, and he puts those on the other either side of those reports.

These prayers were. He prays that God would allow us to see and be able to grasp this truth about me read to you the second of these prayers. Ephesians 3 yet Bible Ephesians 3 verse 14 is where Paul begins this is this for this reason I bow my knees before the father, for whom every family in heaven on earth is named that according to the riches of his glory. Do they grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and the links in the height of the doubt and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we could ask or think, according to the power that is within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul's prayer is that these Ephesian believers and fries that we would be able to see and to comprehend the things that he is teaching to us see our problem is not that we don't know enough about the truth that God is revealed to us about his love. Our problem is that we can't see it, we can't feel it.

What a sermon is a sermon is supposed to be is when these truth that we already understand with our lives and become real to our hearts were where Paul says at work. Christ is brought to bear on our hearts what he dwells in our hearts, of the goal of a sermon of the difference. I would say between Islam and a lecturer is a lecture you leave with information you would with truth you didn't know really what action steps things you need to go in and change in a sermon in a real sermon you leave, not with knowledge but usually worshiping you leave with a sense of who God is, a sense of of his beauty of the size of his love tell you that in the last few years I've been a pastor. That's one major thing that God has been changing to me as a pastor I used to look at the goal of my preaching is as being to try to communicate some true people to know some way to change their life. Now my goal is that people leave worshiping. I don't want people to leave with a list of what they're supposed to go and do for God. I want to believe with a sense of what God is done for them to leave with a sense of the size of the glory of the majesty of God, because I know that when they see that when they see God. That's when their hearts ignite compassion back for him. The only way that we develop the ability to say no to sin. The only way that we develop the ability to live victoriously into to live with faith and to live with passion is to have a sense of the great love of God for for us and with John Stott said that the gospel of Jesus Christ but fire if we get close enough to it. The sparks that come off of that fire will light our own hearts and love for God and that's what Paul is praying for here that we would be able to see and to feel and to feel that the closeness of Christ and how real that he has at one point, Ephesians, Paul said don't be drunk with wine be filled with the spirit.

It's an interesting comparison because she comparing the experience of being inebriated with alcohol to be filled with God's spirit coming to be honest, how many of us that's how you would describe your experience with Christ it is an even could you even compare it to the sense of being so consumed with passion that it's it's almost like you're experiencing something to put you out of your right mind. That is what Paul is praying that these believers and that we would sensibly dictates we would see God. It would feel his love. What is it exactly that. He wants us to be able to see we see it here in Ephesians 3 knees praying for them be able to see basically two things. The first was that they would have a sense of the size of the love of Christ. The apostle Paul is not one I have noticed that is really given to exaggeration.

Usually Paul talking to says thanks your for reply way.

He basically says of an apostle. So you shut up. This is the truth. Here Paul in one of the few places he just begins to really only speak of hyperbole is language.

He says I want you to be able to sense that the links and the height of the breath of the death of the love of Christ doesn't know how to describe it any says that surpasses our knowledge and reason our ability to talk about what is what Paul is is easy to put into words. You can just sense how big the love of Christ is now you know he doesn't tell us what he means by length and depth of-breath but after studying this book a little bit. I think it's actually kind of obvious what those descriptions what it could refer to, you know what he says the links of the love of Christ. Well, that would be from all eternity from the beginning of eternity. God shows us and he set his love on us and God will love us for all eternity.

That's the link of the love of Christ, then there is the height of the love of Christ. That's as high as the heavens are above the earth. That's how great his love is for us is something that blows our minds we cannot imagine the tenderness in the compassion of the love that God feels for us it's it's higher than the heavens. Then there is the doubts of the love of Christ.

I got a reference to how the Godhead to reach in order to be able to love us.

His love was not just an intense passion for us. It was a passion that even went deeper than our sin in the death of the hell the corruption we brought upon ourselves. You know when you fall in love with somebody you start to date. One of the things that inevitably happens. If you dated more than one person before you met your spouse is that you meet somebody that you you like. But then there's something about them that suddenly comes to surface after your first through 3.you I God I want to do about it. So you walk away. I guess it's appropriate in a dating relationship. That's what it's for. But this is totally different than how I feel about my kids. I would like kids. One of comes to the surface and them. I never liked so sorry Karen is working out you with me. Every conversation I got anything her faults. You love her more because she's my daughter it's like my love is deeper than her faults.

I love my love intensifies when I see her weakness and want to be able to help her. That's what the love of Christ. Paul says is what it is for eyes.

It is a love that is is deep, deeper than our sand that is is mightier than that are that are corruption of the weakness that we brought upon ourselves as the breath of the love of Christ, and I think he doesn't say this for sure but I think I'm probably a reference to how much God can roles in pursuit of his purposes in our life.

Like we learned last week. God is sovereignly controlled everything he's controlling what looks like dumb luck to us.

We are mistreated by others, even our own dumb decisions. He is sovereignly controlled all of that because he is determined that you will make us to be a people to the praise of his glory and he will reveal himself in us.

That's what Paul wants us to know the links and the height and depth of the breath of God's love because he knows that if we can get close to that love and sense that love that would be forever changed. He knows that our spiritual maturity depends on our proceeding with our hearts and feeling and sensing the love of God tell you that if you're having trouble in your heart with loving Jesus with with with living in a victorious waiver temptation and sin is because you haven't grass and perceive the love of Christ in your heart. Praise after love. He prays for them to have a perception of the power the power that's at work within us the power of resurrection at the power to bring life out of death power to overcome temptation if good news for many of us because of the many struggle with with with overcoming an addiction for many of you it's it's the struggle to be able to not be selfish in your relationship.

You got a history of broken relationships for many of you it's it's power for some weakness. This assures you that God's power is is is so powerfully at work in you that he can overcome all your weakness in all your temptation. It's a power to have victorious Christian ministry. This is, you probably don't perceive how much God wants to do, not only in you, but God wants to do through you. God wants to do things around you will blow your mind. He wants to answer your prayers in the presence of other people a way that just makes them shake their head and say nobody, but God could have done that. He says I pray that you would perceive the power that is available to you talk to the stars all the time about how one of the things that that is most tragic is unclaimed power that God has for us is how I see what is article that talks about all the unclaimed money there is out there and credit agencies that neglected to go in and take what was rightfully theirs there so much power that God wants to do in your family and in the place of your ministry. If you would just believe you just perceive that power and its closeness and how willing God is to share with you. That's what Paul prays for you.

It's interesting at the end of his prayer. He says to understand this in the perceive it. That is what puts the fullest Christ in you needs to be filled with the spirit, is to perceive these things times there's confusion we have about what you mean to be filled with the spirit weird experiences that Paul tells you Paul says that experience is simply to know to be able to taste the love of Christ inside of you. When you perceive God's love for you and his power at work within you that is the fullness of the spirit.

Finally we see about the last verse 21 that this is how God gets glory in the church when the church is in a place and it becomes a place for people intimately know God's love is power, they begin to demonstrate that they begin to demonstrate and put on display that love and power. That's when God gets glory in the church we put that on display in our worship people can see the beauty of Christ when we put his generosity on display our kindness toward one another. That's when God gets glory in our church summit. I will tell you that what our community motion needs most need are not really insightful sermons by me or not in a great music or not really anything except for the presence the real presence of Christ and where that presence comes from where that sense of all will take place in them is when there's a sense of all that takes place in us when we as a church stand in worship it perceiving the love of Christ which blows our minds. It will happen in them until it happens in us and I know that for me personally will happen you until it happens in the other pastors in your leaders. I think that Paul's prayer is something we need to pray, we want you to help us perceive the love of Christ which you help us perceive the power of Christ when we get it. The rest of our church will get it and when they get it in our community gets it and then suddenly there's a sense of the presence of God in our community. And when that happens when that happens that's when what God said would happen if asked to will happen in our community of God adds to our number daily those that are being saved because a great sense of all comes upon upon every soul. Pray first of all, for the presence of God in our lives for an awareness of God's love that it would be real to us that we would week because of it and be moved to genuine worship.

Some of you were so dry spiritually. So Paul prayed against God open our hearts and let's feel this as we pray for ourselves.

I want to pray for our church for the presence of God to take place in our church so that when people walk in whatever situation they come out of no matter how far they are from God, they would have a sense of the closeness of the love of God and his power that is able to help them with whatever whatever need. They have the senses closeness that that that people have since the God is here put it out before unbelievers love to be around Jesus is not because he didn't tell hard things we just read the gospel. He was not Mr. seeker sensitive but it's because they sensed in him. Love that they had never known power that they never seen people to sense in our midst. We want to pray that our church would be attractive to people on the outside because they sense that love and or power.

Pray for intercommunity.

I want you to pray specifically for somebody that you know that as far from God and what you pray that God will make his love and his power real to them that he will make his presence is beauty his glory known to them rightly pray for you, but I pray in Jesus name I pray that you would give us a sense of your nearness sense of your love and your power.

I pray that you would take the blinders off our hearts so that the truths that we already know that we would be able to worship in truth, we would rejoice in the love of Christ, thought I pray for that to happen in our church and pray for that to happen in our community. God make us a place of beauty and grace and love that only comes from. So I pray right now Phyllis as we lift our faces. Do you call out ranges spirit to the important today to listen again to this message titled prayer for the presence of God to share with a friend go to Jeannie Greer.com.

Well, if you're watching the clock, you might notice that we wrapped up the message a little earlier than usual and that's because we set aside extra time for a conversation about one of the aspects of what it means to walk with God between Pastor JD and Stacy, who is a member of the summa church.

We pray the story is an encouragement to you as you follow after God like listening to me coming on the night shift and was traveling to meet some friends and we were and are you are boring and I brought along some reading materials had been exploring religious outlets in all natures and not a Christian I was not a Christian when I was very lost gentlemen happens to be you, sitting a couple seats down and looked over and tap me on the shoulder and interesting to a church and actually have a great coworker to dialogue is a Christian is invited me numerous times to a church in the area don't remember the name but it's not as big mega churches there like some background of the emblem.

I think it other than that I don't member mentioned interesting likable about going on probably a 2 to 3 minute right now mega churches and looked at me, I'm sorry churches are that impression, you just saying I encourage you to continue to talk to your friends and others in your life and make sure you're exploring Christianity is one of your searches hearing okay and what about my life for the next several weeks actually invited me something that words resonated with like what I encourage you to just try before you make your final call when they introduce Pastor JD Greer to have start the sermon and you walk out front and I have never wanted to be a blessing. I deftly had that I really inserted my foot in my mouth that what happens become a Christian. What had started several years prior, was only praying for me. With me, over me thinking started really softening hard exactly. It's so clear to me now looking back on my life. Along the way that you step out of their own comfort zone approached me when again I just was so hurt her again and so now through the moments of pain from me looking me in the morning on the shoulder and I and reaching out that way can be really scary and nerve-racking. I would say that you understand years ago that essentially walking with God everything is one thing to pray to God, already working sure what it was… Direction on conversation like this when the visit exciting thing thing the spirit God is doing. He is seeking people and I get a chance to be a small part of that look like God is working around you joining their that's what walking with God and following the Holy Spirit looks like. So JDF were going to walk with God, we have to know him just like you emphasized in your message today and that's really the basis for the whole series called mystery and clarity right Molly. This is an older teaching series of back, I think you might've been in preschool. Maybe what I saw this one, but what we do is we open up the book of Ephesians. I'm just kidding. It was not long ago and when you're young, but not the Ephesians is one the most powerful books in the New Testament. I've actually taught do it more than once here so much so much truth in literally every word you could spend several days. So we hold the mystery and the majesty of the gospel to show that no matter how long we go in Christ, how far we we travel that road that there still a mystery of how great his love is now how incredible this plan is in hell for all eternity. We will like the Angels, stand in wonder at the grace and mercy and the glory of God is also clarity.

There's clarity about who God is and what he wants from us and give the gospel is simple enough that a child can understand it. The gospel is also majestic enough that the greatest theologian spending all this time of her time looking at it is never going to beginning work close. When you feel overwhelmed by the depth of the gospel of her to describe like like if you're at the ocean and you gets a little bit too deep in you suddenly feel like the waters of your head you like.

I was so deep. Of course the next couple miles farther out in it's going to be some places you know couple miles deep and so your perception of overwhelming depth is not reflective at all of just the incredible depth of the ocean that's there. That's how you encounter the love of God. The book of Ephesians we want to walk you. Verse by verse. This book, so we do what we do a lot of that is create a Bible study that will help take you deeper at the same time as you listen to these messages if there's any book of the Bible that you profit from chance to ponder and go deeper. It's good to be the book of Ephesians to take a look. Reserve your copy right now to go to JD Greer.com. Thank you so much JD and how to get a better understanding of God's love for you and you are in light of that, we like to send you a copy of our exclusive life mystery and clarity Bible study comes with our thanks me donate to support this ministry suggested level of $25 or more from beginning to end the book of Ephesians shows us the wonder of God's grace and the pattern of life transformation. The gospel pretty says it's divided perfectly into two hats that provide a structure as we study chapters 1 through three provide doctrine your gospel identity, and chapters 4 through six are your gospel likemake it to walk through in the study will definitely want to get a hold of this resource that we've created just for you, for your copy of our new nine session study, mystery and clearing when you call 866-335-2335 5220 study when you get online Greer.com are our your donation request for the study Greer ministry, PO Box 12293, North Carolina 79 Molly database Tuesday all have to grow up forever tomorrow right here your ministry