Video Transcript: God’s Presence on Earth

David - This lesson talks about such a powerful truth, God's presence with us.  Now there's, there's obviously a difference which God is omnipresent. He's  present everywhere. But there is a power of His presence, joy that's in his  presence that God provides for his people. And it's really tied to, first and  foremost our trust in the sacrifice of Christ. Just like we talked about in the last  session, we're able to come into the presence of God, and experience intimacy  with Him because of Christ. But then even as we walk through life, and this is  where I think it's essential in this lesson to flesh out how the presence of God  and making disciples go together. When Jesus said, go make disciples of all  nations and I will be with you always, that promise of His presence was tied to  this command to make disciples.  

Francis - Yeah, yeah. I mean, hopefully, you understand the tabernacle in the  presence of God there in the in the temple as well. Just like, that's what  separated Israel. God literally, like you said, yeah, he's everywhere. But there's  a special way that he's with those people, in the same way. Like that's, that's,  that holds true today. We're the temple in a greater way. Yes. Like, we are that  Holy of Holies. Like, it's the spirit inside of me right now to recognize His  presence is with me. And yet you're you're right with a discipleship in Matthew  28, which is go and make disciples. You know, at the end of that, he goes, and  I'm with you, but it's tied together. And what I've seen is when people go out and  make disciples, that's when they really experience the presence of Christ in a  new way. It's when they're in those dangerous situations, just like we see in  Scripture, you know, it's when people are out there, you know, putting their life  on the line, or, you know, proclaim  

David - or even in just Yeah, dangerous situations, or just, alright, there's  somebody next to me, who doesn't know Christ, I'm going to share the gospel  with them. This feels awkward. I feel nervous. I don't know how to do this, I'm  afraid. All these emotions start to come in. And Jesus, it's like he's saying, in that moment, I'm with you. I'm with you. I'm with you and you need my presence,  like when we give ourselves in making disciples, we need the presence of God,  we can't do this without the presence.  

Francis - And what's so fun for me is when I watch people, I disciple go and  make disciples, and they experience that presence of Christ, like in a  supernatural way. It's like the life in them. There's one time, you know, I was  actually gonna go meet with this guy who was a drug addict for like, 40 years.  And I couldn't get there because I was sick. And so this guy that I was, you  know, that that helps me out in ministry that I'm kind of discipling a little bit, he  went in my place. And he called me at the [unintelligible] conferences, you know,  because I took him, you know, and I said, Let's just celebrate, man. It's been 20 

years since you've been so bro, the first of the month, and so we go to this  chicken place. And I go tell me your story. And he's telling him the story. And he  goes, because I was I was 19 years old. You know, when I first tried cocaine, my boss brought it into work. And I fell in love with it. And so now I've been addicted  40 years, he was 59. And he goes, I've been addicted for 40 years. I'll never  forget that day. He goes because I was sitting there. I was a dishwasher slash  cook. And he brought it in. And then he starts looking around. He goes wait, this  is this is the restaurant. It was in this room that I first, he goes, this used to be  the name of the place that he used to be. In, he just he was just like, he just he  had chills all over his body was. God took me, you know, where it all started. I've been in this debtor for 40 years, and he brings me back to this place to be  delivered. And you know, the guy that I disciple, it was the most amazing time  we're laughing. We're just celebrating, you know, he was experiencing the  supernatural, like, here he is in an unknown situation. And it's like, man, he  wasn't alone in this. You know, Jesus was with him. Jesus set it all up. You  know, and I want you guys to have that confidence as you're making disciples,  like, you're not alone in this. When Jesus says I'm going to be with you. He  really means that. And suddenly now this guy that I was ministering was going.  Okay. One of the things he said, he goes, If I ever doubted God, I'll never doubt  him again. You know, it's because he experienced God, it was his presence.  Yes, this is absolute truth. There's power in the gospel. But there ought to be  something different about us too where people recognize this God answers our  prayers. This God walks with us. That's what distinguished Israel and it  distinguishes us when we go out and we obey His command to make disciples