A Christian Walking In The Presence Of GOD

  1. INTRODUCTION:
    1. SCRIPTURE READING: Psalms 139:1-13 = "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb."
    2. WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD.
      1. This should be the concern of every person.
      2. This should be the concern of every nation.
      3. This should be of more importance that who is the next President of the United States of America.
    3. HOW SHOULD A CHRISTIAN WALK IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD?
  2. DISCUSSION:
    1. WALKING WITH GOD:

      2. Genesis 5:24 = "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."

      Hebrews 11:5 = "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

      1. To walk with God necessitates agreement, or harmony.

        2. Amos 3:3 = "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"

      2. Man cannot dictate the terms of the agreement.

        3. COMMENT: Here is our problem -- We want the divine blessing, yet we want it our way!

      3. Humbly walking is a requirement:

        4. Micah 6:8 = "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

        COMMENT: When , therefore, one is walking with God two basic requirements become very evident from the Scriptures:

          1. From Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5, we learn that Enoch pleased God in walking with God by faith.
          2. From Micah 6:8, we learn that our walking with God requires a humbly attitude.
    2. WALKING BEFORE GOD:

      3. Genesis 17:1 = "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect."

      Acts 23:1 = "And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."

      1. To walk before God is to live in constant recognition of God’s omnipotence. That is -- God’s unlimited power and authority.
        1. Paul recognized God’s all-knowing power and never defiled his conscience by thinking he could hide from God. [Acts 23:1].
        2. Read again Psalms 139:6-13 = "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb."
      2. God constantly inspects our lives: Hebrews 4:13 = "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
        1. We must never forget that "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do".
        2. Yet many today have lost respect for divine authority, and even all authority.
          1. We must know our littleness and our dependence upon God.
          2. Today we find openly portrayed in our schools and colleges both Atheism and Satanism.
        3. God will show us He is infinitely greater than man in judgment and yet we wonder why He does not bring an end to all of this digression immediately.
          1. Matthew 24:36 = "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."
          2. 2 Peter 3:8-12 = "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?"

            3. COMMENT: We need to realize that in God’s longsuffering toward us:

            1. Things are not ready yet in His sight.
            2. We have not yet been properly humbled. Micah 6:8 = "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
            3. But we must not think that God has forgotten, or His arm too short to deal with our sins and iniquities. Isaiah 59:1-2 = "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
    3. WALK AFTER GOD:

      4. Hosea 11:10 = "They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west."

      Ephesians 5:1-2 = "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."

      1. We must not walk after other gods:
        1. Deuteronomy 8:19 = "And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish."
        2. And yet we have walked after other gods:
          1. We have worshipped at the shrine of material prosperity.
          2. We have followed the goddess of pleasure.
          3. We have bowed the knee to lust.
      2. We must come back to God and walk with Him!
  3. CONCLUSION:
    1. WILL YOU:
      1. Walk with God?
      2. Walk circumspectly before God?
      3. Walk after God according to His will?
    2. WILL YOU DO AS THE PSALMIST SAID:
      1. Psalms 139:23-24 = "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
    3. THE WAY THAT YOU WALK IS YOUR DECISION -- WHAT SHALL IT BE?

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