Presence Matters Most
Good morning church family. You know, there's something beautiful about a snow day. Everything slows down. The world gets quiet. And while this weather might keep us from gathering in our building today, I think God has something special for us in these moments. Sometimes when our normal routines are interrupted, it creates space for us to think about deeper truths. And today, I want to talk about something I've learned largely through the teaching of the man who was my district superintendent - something that feels especially relevant when we're all scattered in our homes: what it means to carry God's presence wherever we are. You see, the church was never meant to be confined to a building. Even on a snowy morning like this, when we can't physically be together, each of us can be carriers of God's presence right where we are. And that's what I want to explore with you today. So, if you have your bibles with you… open them up with me to Acts chapter 1, and find verse 8 with me.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus makes this incredible promise. He says, 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses.'
You know, I want us to pause right there for a moment. Notice Jesus didn't say 'you might receive' or 'you could be' or even 'try to be.' He said 'you WILL receive' and 'you WILL be.' That's not a suggestion or a maybe - it's a promise. There's power in those words 'you will.' When Jesus says 'you will,' He's not hoping it might happen - He's declaring what He's going to do in us.
And then, look at what Paul tells us in Philippians 2:13. He says 'God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.'
You know, I've always noticed something both as a Christian and as a pastor - the people of God always crave the presence of God. Have you felt that? That deep desire within you to want to pray? That hunger to read the Scriptures? That drive to study, to know more, to seek answers? That's exactly what Paul is talking about here. These desires - they're not coming from us. They're coming from God Himself. He plants these holy longings in our hearts. And here's what's beautiful - we have a choice. We can either feed these desires or starve them. But they're God's gift to us, His way of drawing us closer to Himself. It doesn't say God might work in you, or God will work in you if you get everything right. It says God IS working in you. Present tense. Right now. This very moment. And He's not just giving us the power - He's giving us those desires too. Isn't that amazing? We don't have to drum up these spiritual longings on our own. God is already at work, placing His desires in our hearts and giving us the power to live them out.
Presence, Not Performance
Think about this - every morning when we wake up, we have a choice. We can either try to face the day in our own strength, or we can say, like Moses did, 'Lord, if your presence isn't going with me, I'm not going.'
There are two things I love about this moment between God and Moses - First, God was giving Moses everything he had already promised. You can have the land of promise, I will make a way, just go.. but yet, I wont go with you… Moses knew presence was more important than the present of comfort in the new land. But secondly, we learn that it takes the pressure off of us to perform. We don't have to have all the answers. We don't have to be perfect. We just have to be available and willing to carry His presence.
I was struck by this illustration recently - you know how a fish lives in our pond? Well, the pond also lives in the fish. That's what God wants for us - not just to live in His presence, but to have His presence living in us.
Showing Up
Now, you might be thinking, 'That sounds great, but what does it actually look like?' Well, it's beautifully simple. Sometimes it's just about showing up and being present. Maybe it's taking time to really listen to someone who's hurting. Maybe it's sending that text to check on a friend. Maybe it's just bringing God's peace into a tense situation.
You see, when we carry God's presence, we become like mobile sanctuaries. Every room we walk into should feel different - not because of us, but because of Who we bring with us.
Living It Out
Today, even though we're physically scattered because of the snow, we have an opportunity. Each of us can be carriers of God's presence right where we are. Whether that's with our families at home, on a phone call with a coworker, with the garbage man that shows up weekly, or even in how we interact with the person plowing our driveway
Remember, it's not about what we can do - it's about being available for what God wants to do through us.
Presence Matters Most
You know, on days like today when snow keeps us physically apart, I'm reminded that God's presence isn't confined to our church building. We had a saying in the Philadelphia district that goes like this… ’presence matters most.' When we get up tomorrow morning, and the next day, and the day after that - we have this incredible opportunity. We're not just going into another day; we're carrying the presence of the living God where ever we go.
Remember - performance isn't the goal. Perfection isn't the requirement. God just wants us to be available, to show up, and to let His presence flow through us to others.
Do you want to know what the single most important objective is when it comes to connection? It’s simply Two words… to care.
Simple right.. yet that is what we witness in the life of Jesus. To simply care for others around us.
I hope you all have a great week. And I hope the snow melts and life gets back on track. But more importantly, as the church, I hope we become people that are called and sent out into our community to care. God bless.