We Must Be a People Marked by the Presence of God — Michael L. Brown

Thank you father. Thank you father father we desire you. Our hearts hunger for you. These are not empty words. From our heart we ask you to speak to us and meet us and visit us and touch us and change us.

So we can go out of here and touch and change our world. Help us Lord not to be hearers only and so deceive ourselves, but help us to be doers of your word. May these words come now in the life and power of your spirit in Jesus name amen.

The Presence of God as the Distinguishing Mark of His People

I want to read a few passages beginning in exodus 33. That was actually quoted when Wade prayed Over the communion bread. Exodus 33 we must be a people marked by the presence of God. We must be a people marked by the very real tangible presence of God.

We are to be as different from the world as light is from darkness. A famous passage in exodus 33 as Moses is interceding. After the Israelites have worshiped an idol as Moses is on the mountain meeting with God.

Verse 12. Moses said to the Lord you've been telling me lead these people. But you've not let me know whom you'll send with me. You said I know you by name and you found favor with me. If you are pleased with me teach me your ways.

So I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people. The Lord replied my presence will go with you and I'll give you rest. And Moses said to him if your presence does not go with us.

Do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?

The Lord said to Moses I will do the very thing you've asked because I'm pleased with you. And I know you by name then Moses said now show me your glory I'm sure over the years. I preached from this text many times even in our midst.

I want you to hear again the end of verse 16. What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? You can read the Bible cover to cover over and over and over and you will not find something that resembles the beautiful lovely Holman garden version of what we call Christianity.

Christianity Must Be More Than Human Religion

Within scripture. The word religion is not a negative word. It's used a couple of times in James the first chapter speaking of godly living. But but what has been known through the centuries as the the Christian religion.

That has operated so much based on human power and human effort and human wisdom. You can read the scriptures cover to cover and you won't find that. What you'll find is that there is supposed to be a people of God marked by the presence of God in a living way and that Presence God being in the midst of the people of God is what distinguishes us from all the other peoples of the earth.

Because we are a people marked by his presence. We're we're people marked by moral purity by godly character by sacrificial living by walking in love. We are different in our conduct in our attitude in our lifestyle as well.

But if you just have the conduct in the lifestyle without the presence you do not have the gospel. And You cannot produce the character and the lifestyle that God desires without the power and the life and the presence of the Spirit.

The notion that there could be a gospel message that is not bought by power is completely unscriptural. The notion that there could be quote a Christianity this lovely world religion that is not dynamic and invaded by the Living God and empowered by the Living God so that it is God in us and God working through us.

That concept is found nowhere in Scripture and You have to ask the question if it's not found in the Bible. Then where do we get it from. We got it from human tradition? We got it from trying to fill the void that was left by the absence of God's presence.

So much what we do and of what we do in so many of our services and so many of our churches is Basically our best effort to make up for the lack of God's presence. Let's just go over to the New Testament.

Power from on High in Luke and Acts

Out of scores of verses I could read let me read just a few beginning in Luke the end of the 24th chapter the end of the book of Luke. We must be a people marked by the presence of God. There must be evidence that God is in our midst.

There must be something real. The form in which the manifestation of God's presence the reality of God's presence can take can be manifold. There can be hundreds of different ways that the presence of God is marked out in our midst.

But if it is not something clear, come on we there is a greater glory in the New Testament than in the old. There is a greater glory under the New Covenant than under the Sun the Sinai Covenant and yet with the Sinai Covenant.

There was a pillar of cloud Over the tabernacle in the wilderness. There was a pillar of fire over it. God answered in such tangible ways that at times Moses or the priest couldn't even enter the Tabernacle or the temple the minister because God's presence filled it in such a thick way.

That was the lesser glory. Luke the 24th chapter as Jesus is giving his disciples. The Commission to go and be his witnesses. Verse 28 you are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my father has promised but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power.

From on high all your zeal won't do it. The fact that they had hands-on practical experience was not enough. The fact that Jesus himself Yeshua had opened the scriptures to them so that they could understand the prophecies of the Tanakh of the Hebrew Bible and Understand clearly how he had fulfilled what was written.

They were taught by the master himself, but there was more. Stay in the city until you're in dude with power from on high and. Then we go to Acts the first chapter. Acts the first chapter. Before Jesus ascends to heaven again more of the teaching that came from Luke 24.

Now we have some more here. Verse 4 of Acts 1. This is Luke's narrative continuing on one occasion while he was eating with them. He gave them this command do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift.

My father promised you which you've heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you'll be baptized. You'll be immersed with the Holy Spirit. So when they met together they asked him Lord Are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

And he said you idiots you jerks. I'm finished with Israel. I'm through with Israel. I've got nothing to do with Israel. You are the new Israel. I've cursed the old. Oh, sorry I was just speaking what a lot of people think Jesus said.

Sorry, that's actually not what he said. He didn't rebuke them for a stupid question. He said it's not for you to know the dates the times are dates. The father said by so it's gonna happen just not what you need to concentrate on right now.

Back to the the point of the message, but this is what you need to focus on. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth and.

Then you go on reading the book of Acts and there are about 60 references to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. You take the Holy Spirit and and the power of God and the voice of God and the moving of God out of the book of Acts you have nothing left and.

Yet somehow in many church circles even at times in our own midst we thought we could get the job done through good hard work through determination. Through dedication through having good concepts through having good doctrine.

Well, you don't throw those things out. Those are all important, but without the power in the life of God, it's not the gospel. Without the power in the life of God. It's it's it's it's not what Jesus died for.

The Resurrection Means Christ Is Alive and Working Through His People

The whole reason that we proclaim him has risen from the dead. It's not just to get excited over the thought, you know Buddha's in the grave. Muhammad's in the grave, but Jesus is not the great. Whoo.

It's not just so we get excited about that or or come up with this new thing called Easter and have have Easter bunnies and stuff like that. The absurdity of of what happens in the name of the resurrection of Jesus is amazing.

The reason we preach and proclaim he's risen that means he's alive. That means he's alive and he's doing the things he did before. That means he's alive and in his name his power is released. That means he's alive and he's looking to express his life through his people.

Through me and through you. You know, sometimes we're looking for someone else to do it. We think this group has it or that group has it and then you come to the revelation. We are that group. You come to the revelation.

God does not have some other backup plan. God does not have some plan where when the people of God fail he presses a button and the angels take over or the superhumans coming to play. You know, it's it's always somewhere else it's easy to believe for that it's happening in Africa it's happening in China.

It happened in the past. It'll happen in the future. Oh I can tell you man. God's gonna use our kids. Well, if he's not using us, why should he use our kids? Your kids are gonna grow up just like you.

We're the example that we set for our kids. Plus they're not gonna shed human skin and human frailty and human weakness. They're gonna have to deal with the same things we have to deal with. You know, sometimes I'd be overseas ministering and God would move and I'm thinking man.

This is a great trip. Next trip is gonna be exceptional and I get there the next year and I said man This is a great trip. Next year is gonna be exceptional. Let me wait. This is next year. This is the thing I was waiting for.

This was the thing I was expecting and it's always tomorrow. God wants to manifest his presence his power through you and me. God wants to come with fire into our meetings. God wants to come with fire into our times of prayer.

God wants to come with fire into our witness. Oh. Yet cost everything because your life is laid on the altar, but it's worth more than everything. So go to 1st Corinthians chapter 2. 1st Corinthians chapter 2.

The Gospel Must Rest on God's Power

I Have one point to this message. We are to be a people marked by the presence of God and Although it must happen ultimately in all of our lives individually and There are no excuses if you want to live for God you can live for God.

If you want to walk in purity, you can walk in purity. If you want to walk in the life of the Spirit you can't all there will be challenges and difficulties. And you will hit some walls and there will be times of discouragement.

But if you are determined to do the will of God, he will back you. And where do you think that determination comes from? It comes from heaven comes from God. That's the reality of what Jesus has done.

We insult the Son of God when we try to bring the message down to the level of the weakness of the hearers. The whole power of the gospel is that he lifts us. The power of the gospel is that as we draw near to him he draws near to us and something supernatural happens.

I want to declare that that many of us are in more of a rut than we realize. Many of us have sold out for second or third or fourth best more than we realize. Many of us have gotten used to something that is so substandard that when the real comes we've rejected 1st Corinthians 2.

Paul writes when I came to you brothers. I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom. As I proclaim to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Messiah and him crucified.

I Came to a weakness and fear and with much trembling. My message in my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power. That your faith might not rest on men's wisdom.

But on God's power and then look at what he writes in the fourth chapter of 1st Corinthians. Verse 9 verse 20. 1st Corinthians 420 for the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. We're not going to see the answers until we are crying out with hunger.

Where's the power of the gospel? We're not going to see the breakthroughs until we recognize something's missing. So many churches are just trying to figure out how to bring in people. It's good to be sensitive to the needs of people.

But if you are sensitive to the needs of people if you are a surgeon and someone is dying. They've got some tumor that's killing them and you are sensitive to their needs. What you're going to do is put them under and cut that thing out.

Not just tell them that they're looking nice today. So many churches so many congregations are just trying to figure out ways to draw people and you know. You'll see signs, you know, this is not church as usual.

Meaning what? This is not church as usual meaning, you know. We have a 45 minute service or you know. Our pastor preaches like an idiot every week says stupid things and stupid ways to show. He's just one of the people praise the Lord.

It's not church as usual. Other churches. No. No, it is church as usual. We need to go back to the old ways. We need to go back to the to the traditions. Listen, how about church as biblical? I mean, let that be the goal.

It's gonna shake up all of us shake up fire deeply. It's it's been a topic of conversation. Among our leadership team for some time now. It's been a topic of conversation. With different people in fire communicating with me and others and asking questions.

Where's the presence of God when we gather. Where is God breaking through in our midst when we come together to worship him and meet with him? I know it's a frustration. You'll never hear it spoken publicly but it's a frustration from the worship team to start a worship service with the building three-quarters empty and then as people trickle in.

Hardly engaged. How are we going to encounter God? What are our hearts set on? At the very least and listen God is God. However, he moves whatever he does. However, he does it is his business and. That's why I'm not giving specifics of it should look like this or be like this or feel like this.

That's not the issue. Let God be God but at the very least We should come with a sense of anticipation and hunger that I'm gonna meet with God in the midst of the people of God. So that's why we come together corporately.

First and foremost, it's not excuse me. It's not just to see each other. Fellowship communion that's part of life. That's part of family. That's part of the body. It should be lived out primarily in one another's homes and and different times that we're getting together through the week.

But when we come together, it's not primarily just to see everybody and it's not just to go through a ritual now. We sing songs now we hear a message now we give our money. It's to encounter God. Where's the glory of God.

Where's the breakthrough of God in our midst. Listen if we were the only group in the world and we had the word we know. Enough of what we should expect and long for and hunger for and thirst for that presence that distinguishes us.

That presence in our personal lives that makes us different. Yes. That's the miracle of the gospel that you can be home. Raising kids and you can be out at your job. Working and you can be doing the mundane things that everybody has to do in this world and yet God's at work in you.

Personal Sacrifice and Corporate Hunger

Or are we are we willing to pay the personal price? So to say not to earn a thing. But to say no to the flesh to deny ourselves to seek his face that even in the midst of our worldly routine and activity Jesus is first.

Are we willing to make a corporate effort to encourage one another to go after God in the coming weeks? We're gonna give some practical ideas and suggestions and guidance as to ways that we can come with better focus and encounter God together.

But let me speak to you on a personal level what's the main priority in your life right now. What's the number one priority? What is the number one most important thing in your life right now? What is your energy going towards?

What is your heart going after? What do you long for and desire? Listen if if if it was wartime it is right now war in Iraq war in Afghanistan. Let's say you're a newly married woman and your husband is captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

And he's a prisoner of war and you have no way of contacting him no matter what you're doing. That would be the main thing on your mind. You could be having a birthday party for your one-year-old. You could be going to some night class for further education.

You could be having your friends over just to hang out. You could be visiting other family. But that thing would always be burning in you. How's he doing? What's going on? You'd always have that constant pain.

You'd be praying. What's the thing that drives you. Is it getting ahead in business is getting comfortable in your life. Is it improving your physical condition? What's the number one thing that that your heart longs for?

We cannot expect God to come and fill us when we're filled with everything else. We cannot expect God to come in and flood our lives when there's not much room. Well, God can do whatever he wants to correct and he chooses to not move where he's not welcome.

Oh, he may come and judge but he's not gonna force blessing. Because he can do whatever he wants. He's chosen not to force feed us. I'm telling you if we'll say God I've got to break through. I've got to break through.

Every one of us has the time to set aside. Somewhere somehow to make a choice to say God. I've got to break through. Every one of us has the ability in our hearts to be longing and hungering for God in the midst of a busy day.

Most all of us have the ability to set aside times at least for fasting in. The midst of everything else and that fast is a constant cry God. I've got a breakthrough. What what's what's the use of going through the motions.

What's the use of having services and building a fellowship and having a body if we're not marked by God's presence if We were the only people in the world the only church. The scriptures are enough to tell us we've got to break through but it's part of our heritage as well.

It's part of what we're born out of part of what we're marked for. You know, we have designated things when we gather in our homes for for home groups. God can just move in any way. There's also a concentration on fellowship and building relationship and and people just growing in different ways.

And Wednesday night instead is it as a designated teaching time? Thursday night is the night where it's much more wide open. Let's just see how the wind of the spirit blows as we go after him and We know on Sunday mornings their families their kids their practical needs.

You've got children's workers. I understand that the goal is not to have eight-hour services just have a long service. But when we come in together, we should come with an incentive anticipation. I'm gonna meet with God.

The one time in the week when we're all in the same place together going after God with one heart who knows what he's gonna do. Who knows how he's gonna speak. Who knows how the spirits gonna break out.

Who knows which way the wind of the spirit will go. Some of you've been saying we've been missing that we've been longing for yes. Amen. And thankfully it's not turned to criticism or negativity, but it's turned to hunger.

Let the hunger grow. Let the hunger rise. Couple nights ago. I was just watching a worship video. I'd come across online. My heart just started getting stirred. I've been just seeking him for breakthroughs in different ways, but my heart just got stirred in such a deep and overwhelming way.

So some tears before God. I mean he's opened neat doors. We've got this this TV show this Jewish outreach show that Potentially gets into 80 million homes in the States and you know this radio show that's in the early stages of national syndication.

Those are doors. I know the Lord opened. I don't want to be the host of some TV show or some radio personality. I've got to have your fire. I gotta be a man gripped and consumed by God. What else matters?

What else matters? I'm gonna close shortly. There's a story I remember hearing when I was teaching it Christ for the nations on Long Island a branch that was there in the 80s. Brother came in and he was talking about Catherine Coleman's ministry and in Israel towards the end of her life.

He said that she had a meeting in Jerusalem it's gonna be like a stadium kind of meeting the biggest venue that they had there and She felt to have a translator would be disruptive. Would get in the way of the moving of the Spirit so she didn't have a translator.

Well, very few people spoke English, especially back then in the meeting. They had come, you know beer drinking Israelis just with an interest in the supernatural Unsaid a great audience potentially to hear the gospel.

But because there was no translator and any the meeting completely fell through people got up and left. It was a disappointment. You had Christian organizers that come together with real expectation. This is something's gonna happen.

This is gonna be amazing. So they're totally blown away. Nothing happens. Jerusalem failure. So the next meeting was in another city less prominent city and according to the fellow who told the story Pat Robertson spoke that day.

It's many years ago. According to the story. It was a long boring message. But as the message was coming forth This guy realized what was happening. Pat Robertson was just preaching the cross the basics the foundations the blood of Jesus.

This kind of just go back to basics here. Let's just go back to basics. Well, the meeting ends message ends and he calls up this little African couple. You know, according to the story you barely see them standing behind the pulpit, you know little couple to pray the closing benediction and the wife's just standing there praying quietly the the husband raises his hands and Just begins to quote from the Psalms.

The Power of “Let God Arise”

Let God arise. And let his enemies be scattered. The wife just praying next to him hands raised let God arise and his enemies be scattered. He just keeps praying this suddenly the power of God falls and People and I talked to someone else years later that I met.

I said I heard the story went like this. He said oh, yeah, I was there. It's exactly how it happened people Spontaneously start to get up from their seats to run forward to repent and get right with God.

But they're unable to run because the power of God falls on them and they're just getting laid out as they're trying to get up. One after another the power of God breaking through and then suddenly someone starts screaming I'm healed.

You know blind eyes start opening and healing start breaking out. Let God arise and his enemies be scattered. Let God arise and his enemies be scattered. Here it is. The first Sunday of the new year as we are gathered together.

And I want to proclaim as loudly and clearly as I can. That it is God's purpose that fire be a people marked by the presence of God. That fire be worthy of being called fire. That we literally get torched by God and become flames.

Hunger, Holiness, and Expectation for More of God

I Would rather hear me. I would rather Preach the standard the way it's preached in the word and I barely even touched on that Bear. I would rather preach the standard the way it's preached in the word and leave some people frustrated.

Then bring it down in such a bite-sized nice little way that we all go home feeling great and doing nothing. It's alright sometimes to be a little frustrated. How are you gonna grow in anything without a little frustration?

How are you gonna break through and anything without sometimes just getting stirred and hitting the same wall a hundred times? Before it hits you that there's another way. Let the frustration turn into desperation and Let the hunger rise.

It's uncomfortable if it was comfortable we'd all enjoy not eating. Hunger is uncomfortable. But Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They'll be filled. Jesus said if anyone's thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

The promises in the word are to the hungry and to the thirsty. How much room is there for God to break out in our lives? How much room is there for God to break out in our midst? How much room is there for God to dominate where we were planning on going and turn us in the direction?

He wants us to go. I Want you to stand to your feet with me. We could have the worship team come back up. That would be great in my book from from holy laughter to holy fire. In the new edition time for holy fire.

A Prayer for Fresh Oil and Holy Fire

There's a prayer That was prayed by John Fletcher. Known to be one of the the godliest men of Wesley's generation. His saintliness was legendary and listen to what Fletcher prayed. Lord I stand in need of oil.

Hear those words again. Lord, I Stand in need of oil. My lamp burns dimly. It is more like a smoking flax than a burning and shining light. Oh Quench it not. Raise it to a flame. I want a power from on high.

I want penetrating lasting unction of the Holy One. I Want my vessel full of oil? I Want a lamp of heavenly illumination and a fire of divine love burning day and night my heart. I want a full application of the blood which cleanses from all sin and a strong faith in thy sanctifying word.

I Do now believe that thou canst and wilt thus baptize me with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Help me against my unbelief. Confirm and increase my faith. Lord. I have need to be thus baptized by thee and I am straightened till this baptism is Accomplished.

We read that opening prayer again Lord. I stand in need of oil. My lamp burns dimly. It is more like a smoking flax than a burning and shining light. Oh quench it not. Raise it to a flame. We're gonna come forward everyone that wants and we're just gonna cry out to God together to mark the beginning of this new year and to say God we've got to see more.

Calling on Jesus for Breakthrough

A Grad emailed me a few days ago. Asking for fatherly advice. He showed me his journal entries for the last two days of of 2008. He's just so frustrated and fed up with himself and feels he's never gonna have the courage to really do what he know.

He knows God wants him to do. Just so frustrated. Sense of defeat because it seems hopeless. Just been thinking about it before writing him back. But what I'm gonna tell him is this put all your effort on calling on Jesus to demonstrate his power in your life.

Throw it on him. God, there's got to be something different. Jesus we're asking you to demonstrate the reality of your resurrection. We're asking you to demonstrate the reality of the fact that you ascend it to heaven and sent the Spirit.

We're asking you to do something that marks us so that we can bring people to know you. So why don't you just come up if you don't want to. You don't have to but we're gonna. We're just gonna come and just.

As soon as you come up, don't wait for anything. Just begin to cry out to God. Just begin to cry out to God.