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