Responding Rightly To His Presence
We are PRESENCE DRIVEN
Holy Spirit is God Himself living in us. He transforms us, guides us, and empowers us to supernaturally impact our surroundings. Holy Spirit still speaks today. We follow wherever and whenever He leads. We are Spirit-led and unashamed.
Prophetic Words are invitations into what the Lord wants to do.
We steward gifts (Matthew 25:14-30) and His presence is a gift. Acts 2:38
'“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
The Key to Stewardship of His presence=responding rightly to His presence.
Some important items to note about His presence:
We receive the Holy Spirit (His presence) when we receive Christ Jesus into our hearts.
This means He abides in us all the time, wherever we go.
We can encounter His presence.
Manifest Presence
When you actually feel Him
His presence 100% of the time requires a response.
If you learn to respond to His presence, you will experience Him more
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ Matthew 25:23
The presence of God comes where He is welcomed and stays when He is honored.
Jesus was restrained (he couldn’t do more) in Nazareth because He wasn’t honored: Mark 6:4-5
Things break in His presence, things change in His presence, things are lifted, moved, made whole in His presence His presence changes everything!
Do you know what can happen in His presence? Can you testify of what can happen in His presence?
3 Proper Responses to His Presence:
Humility
Affection
Obedience
Passages on Day/s before and Day of the Triumphal Entry: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19
Humility
Luke 19:28-44
Jesus & Zaccheus
Humility is found in our ability to be teachable and correctable. It is to recognize and confess that we are poor in spirit. We desperately and totally need God. We don’t have it all together, we don’t have all the answers, we aren’t perfect, we are incomplete without Him.
Jesus responds to our humility! It pleases Him!
Jesus said: …“Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:1-10
Humility should be one of our greatest responses to His presence because when we respond in humility we are confessing our GREAT need for Him! Our need for His leadership in our life, our need for His authority, our need for His correction, our need for His rebuking, need for ALL OF WHO HE IS.
One of the greatest things we can do in His presence is respond in humility.
What comes out in you, when His presence is in the room?
-Tough Guy: I got this. I’ll figure it out
-The Striver: Look at how I love you, let me prove it to you.
-The Promiser: I won’t mess up again. I promise you’ll see. I’m done with that.
Respond in humility. When in His presence. Recognize your need for Him. Confess it OUT LOUD. Tell Him how much you need Him. Repent for doing it in your own strength. Recognize your poverty of Spirit. When I am weak, then I am strong.
AFFECTION
John 12:12-19
In His Presence, Mary responds with affection!
When in His presence do you respond with affection?
John 12:43: “..for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”
When you come into a worship service: Do you come for what you can receive or what you can give?
When you enter the secret place: Do you enter for what you can get from that time with Him or what you can give Him?
Collect yourself in His presence with the one purpose and intent of loving Him. Come to Him as one who is giving himself to God. Behold Him in the most inward recess of your spirit that you can find. Do not employ imagination. Rest in love and come to Him in a general way of love and faith, coming for no specific claim, request or desire. -Michael Molinos 1600s
OBEDIENCE
TRIUMPHAL ENTRY (Matthew 21:1-11)
-Jesus sends the disciples to get the colt, they go in obedience and the owners of the colt give in obedience.
The people laying down their cloaks and the children shouting HOSANNA SON OF DAVID.
Their acts of obedience (prompting found in His presence) resulted in them being a part of fulfilling a long time prophecy!!!
When in His presence, respond in obedience!
-take off your shoes
-run around the sanctuary
-shout praise
-dance undignified
-lay your hand on your womb
You NEVER know what breakthrough is waiting on the other side of your obedience!
WARNING: ‼️ Just like there are proper responses to His presence there are improper responses to His presence.
Pharisees: “he is taking the world from us!” (John 12:19)
Pride
Religious were indignant (Matthew 21:15-16)
Anger, annoyance of what seems unfair
Judas: She’s wasting that perfume on Him!” (John 12:4-6)
Critical Spirit
Many could not recognize Jesus as the Messiah (John 12:37-40; Isaiah 6:10)
Stubbornness, hardness of heart
Strategy:
Ask the Holy Spirit daily to teach to respond properly to His presence.
-Pray: You said You would teach me.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26
