August 1

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God's Favorite House - Aug. 1, 2010

Exodus 19: 9, 10-11, 16, 20:18 
verse 9:  "The Lord said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you...

verse 10,11:  And the Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow.  Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. "

verse 16: Everyone in the camp trembled.

Exodus 20:18-21: When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear.  They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."  Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid.  God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."  The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Part 7 - God' Favorite House

What is our new motto?  never trust anyone who doesn't walk with a limp.  Do we all still approach God with a discount store mentality? 

We want something at the least possible price.  The less we pay the happier we are.  This type of thinking is often how we approach God.  The less we can give and the more God can give us is what we want...

Our scripture last week was based on Genesis 19 and it described how Jacob wrestled with God.  You see he grabbed a hold of God and he wouldn't let go, and he wasn't going to let go until God blessed him.   The funny thing was God blessed him, but He didn't bless him in the way that he expected.  He blessed him in a completely different way.  

If you'll remember, Jacob had wronged his brother Esau.  And they were coming together for a face to face meeting.  What happened is God turned Esau's anger into love for his brother. 

You know there's not a one of us that doesn't need to have his anger turned into love.  Because you know, everyone of us sitting here today has been wronged, in one way or another in our lives haven't we?  Or we felt like it.  You know the time is now for us to turn that anger into love.  And it's a time for us to lose our wrestling match with God. 

Jacob wrestled with God that night right before he met Esau.  And remember,  he lost that wrestling match with God.  And what happened, is God struck him in the hip so severely it knocked his hip joint out of socket, damaged the cartilage and Jacob walked with a limp for the rest of his life. 

You see, Jacob lost that wrestling match.  That's the reason we should never trust anyone who doesn't walk with a limp. 

Cause Jacob knew that he had wronged his brother.  And he was dreading a face to face meeting with him.  Now, there isn't any of us, there isn't anyone I know, well, maybe a few I know, who love confrontations.  Most of us don't want to confront someone or even to be confronted.  I know I've run into this quite a bit. 

Our character is built on how well we handle these tough situations.

The blessing for us is the same as it was for Esau, when Esau saw Jacob approaching, He changed his heart.  He changed it from anger to love.  You know, I want this church, I want the people of this church, the members of this church to have that life changing encounter with God. 

That's where this whole series is going.  Can you imagine the things we could do as a church if we all walked with a limp?  Stop and think about that, look at the things we could do!  You know, every time we leave this sanctuary, we ought to be limping out of it from the fact that God has changed something in us.  If you're not walking with a limp, maybe it's because you haven't grabbed hold of God. 

God is looking for people who want to seek His presence, who are after His own heart.  He's wanting people who want to spend face time with Him. 

Tell you what, a few years ago, I was in a pastoral class in Dallas.  It was a spiritual formation class is what it was.  And the teacher had us pair up with someone else and I ended up pairing up, partnering up,  with a lady pastor from Midland.  We were told to turn our chairs to where we actually faced each other, I mean, knee to knee, we weren't two foot apart.  And she told us, for two minutes I want you to stare at that other person's face memorizing every detail about their face.  And then we were to describe back to that person what we saw.

I became very uncomfortable in the fact that I was staring intently into someones face who wasn't my wife.  That was a very up close and personal situation. 

Can you imagine what it would be like to stare God in the face and describe what you saw?

Elijah had to cover his face in 1 Kings 19:13 when God passed, so he wouldn't die. 

But better yet, what would God see when He stared in your face intently?  Would He see arrogance? Would He see pride?  How about jealousy?  Would He see love in your face?  Would He see humbleness or humility?  Would He see indifference?  Would He see someone who's always provoking others?  Would He see a procrastinator?  What would God SEE if he looked into your face?  You know what, those questions can only be answered by YOU.

The highest form of worship that we can do, is to come before God not wanting anything, not wanting a thing, but in pursuit of His glorious face!  We can become God's Favorite House when we want those face to face encounters with God's glory. 

You know as we seek God's face, there are some who will misuse the gifts of the Spirit that will come about from this face to face meeting.  You know a few weeks ago, I mentioned that there were some who think that the gifts of the Spirit are the only way that you can encounter God. 

Now, yes, God does hand out gifts to people, but He gives those gifts so that we're are able to assist, enable, encourage, and point us back to the Source.  This anointing from these gifts by the Holy Spirit gets out of hand when man takes over.  We like to point to the gifts, but we don't like to point to the Giver. 

The gifts, whether it's wisdom, knowledge, faith, it can be healing, it can be prophecy, it can be distinguishing between spirits, it can be tongues, or it can be the interpretation of tongues.  Anytime these gifts should be pointed back to God.

Whatever the gift is that you have, it should lead you to a deep, spiritual hungering for God.  And then, only God can satisfy that deep hungering from what that gift leaves.  His hand supplies our needs.  But only His face can satisfy our deepest longings.  When you look upon His face, you are brought into your destiny. 

God has created you for a purpose and I have told a lot of you that for a long time.  You are created for a purpose.  There's not a one of you sitting here today, who doesn't have a purpose.  God has created you for a reason.  I want you to walk away always knowing: God created you for a reason. 

But when we can enjoy staring into God's face, then God can reveal to us what He wants.  But there's a big difference between the anointing of God and the encountering of His face.  Anointing, when we talk about anointing, that is to rub or smear oil, something like this.  We use it a lot of times as a sacred rite for consecrating people.

We anoint people with oil when we pray for healing because it's biblical.  Oil can also be applied when someone is chosen by divine election.  When kings were chosen back then, they poured oil all over their head.  And they didn't just take a few drops, like we use.  I think they took a gallon pitcher, because it talks of when they poured it, it run down their face, through their beard into their clothes.  When they anointed, they anointed!  We sprinkle a few drops sometimes. 

But when the anointing falls, there are some.... the anointing of God, though, can come in various forms, let me say this, and it has a valid purpose for its plan.  When the anointing falls, there are some who think speaking in tongues is the highest of the gifts, let me say that.   The anointing with the gift of tongues can become an addiction, because of the way it makes you feel.  That is when we turn our attention from God and to the gift. 

The anointing empowers our flesh and our emotions, and it results in our having a euphoric feeling.  This leads us to thinking that those who aren't anointed haven't 'got it'.  We feel like the others have missed the boat because they're not 'like me'. 

People like this crave those cheap, spiritual thrills because it can become a spiritual pornography to them.  Pornography is biblically wrong.  That makes their addiction wrong.  Any believer, whose driving compulsion to minister, this type of anointing is committing spiritual pornography.  Because, you see, these cheap thrills that can come by their observing others in the intimacy they're experiencing with a relationship with God.

God wants us to fall head over heels in love with HIM, not with the gifts.  Is there anything wrong with the gifts? None.  That's what I'm going to say now, particularly the gift of tongues.  There is nothing wrong that, absolutely not.  We should embrace the gifts.  But we've got to remember, they could lead us into enjoying a cheap thrill.  We have to come to the point where we give up on those cheap thrills, and start pursuing His presence.

I had someone explain it to me this way: do you want an appetizer? or do you want the full meal?  that is the difference between the anointing and experiencing the face of God. 

Exodus 19 is the first time man has got a chance to encounter the glory of God.  That's what's fixing to happen, God has invited them. God has said "Come, come enjoy my presence!  Come be with Me."  This was a chance for them to go beyond the anointing and to taste His glory. 

But what did the children of Israel do?  They do like we do a lot of times...they said Moses, you go talk to God for us.  Find out what He wants.  You can have that intimacy time with God; you can enjoy His presence; but while you're there, take a few pictures and bring 'em back and kind of show us.  Because you see, they did not want to have a God encounter, because that would have involved responsibility on their part. 

When we go face to face with God, it will cause us to face those areas in our life that are not desirable.  If you're running from an encounter with God, then maybe it's time you stop and look at yourself.  What is it that's causing you not to give God your all?  Is it a sin?  Then ask for forgiveness.  If it's a relationship, then ask for some help.  Whatever the IT is, remove the IT. 

What is standing between you and God?  Only you can answer those questions.  

I can't answer those for you.  I can just point you in the direction you need to go. 

You know what, people are getting bored with the 'normal' church service, because people are leaving church unfed.  There's a growing hunger by people to encounter God in a new powerful way.  The same ole, same ole is not working.  I know some people who are looking for a new church home, because they are not being spiritually fed the Word of God.   

A lot of churches want change because they feel they have a reputation to uphold.  God doesn't care about a church's reputation.  He wants churches and people who are willing to take the risk, and encounter Him face to face. 

We have to lose our dignity in pursuit of His deity.  Those things that make God comfortable, will make us uncomfortable.  There are no shortcuts that we can take that will open up the heavens. 
On the other hand, you have to walk into this sanctuary expecting to be changed.  It's not a one-way street.  We have to do our part.  It's time to pick up our forks and start feeding ourselves spiritually. 

Moses knew what it was like to behold God's glory.  But what did it say?  Before he did, he had to purify himself.  If we want to walk into that manifest glory of the presence of God, we're going to have to purify ourselves first.  The way we purify ourselves - is repentance.  That's the door we have to go through.  Repentance is an ongoing, daily requirement in the daily life of a Christian.  I can stand up here and tell you to repent, but I can't force you to do so.  The church and its members have to lead a lifestyle that reflects repentance. 

We were at an Emmaus closing yesterday and I heard something that was probably one of the greatest testaments, I don't know how many of you heard it.  This guy that had been on this walk stood up and said, he wanted to thank his sponsor, because he said, "I wanted what my sponsor had!"  His sponsor had led a life of repentance.  He was a very humble man.  I know him personally and he leads his life reflecting God's glory.  And that man said, "I want that.  That's what I want." 

That's the reason I'm saying we as a church have to lead a lifestyle that reflects repentance.  When this repentance is genuine and from the heart, that is when the anointing of God will fall.  This anointing will empower us to use the gifts, the talents, and the callings with the power of God.  When the glory of God comes upon you, all you're going to be able to do is to fall upon your face.  I told you that last week, when the power of God falls upon you, you're going to be face down.

All through the Bible, I'm going to give you a homework assignment.  People who encountered God ended up on their face.  This is because they didn't really have a choice.  Look at Paul on the road to Damascus?  He fell to the ground. 

The difference between the anointing of God and the glory of God??  Is like the difference between static electricity and the raw power of a 440 volt, or a lightning strike.  That's how you can tell the difference.  We've become so busy, rubbing our feet across the carpets of God's promises, and giving one another one of those little blue static charges.  We just kind of jolt each other, we tingle a little.  What we don't realize, is that God wants to jolt us with a 440 volt. 

One little jolt from God can change your life.  And not those little static electricity volts.  The time has come for that.  God is looking for Bible based churches and people who are interested in pursuing His presence. 

The question is: What do YOU want as a church or as a people? What do YOU want? 

I can come up here and talk all day long, but what do you want?  That's the question I'm going to leave with you this week.  I want you to decide what you want in life.

I've  already challenged you: what is standing between you and God?  What keeps you from encountering God's presence? 

Do we want just a little static jolt, of static electricity?  Or do we want a 440 volt that'll change the course of our lives forever? 

Ask God what it's going to take to change your life forever.