ARTICLES ON WORSHIP

DATE:  26 May 2002
SPEAKER:  Pastor Tayo Adeyemi
TITLE:  The quest for the presence of God - Part II.
TEXT:  John 4:19-24; Psalm 16:7-11

In Genesis Chapters 2 and 3, Eden was the place where God's presence touched the earth - the meeting point between heaven and earth. God is still looking for "Edens" today. He is still on a quest for those meeting points between heaven and earth. Why? Because those meeting points are the only legal entry points for God's power and glory.
Even though God's presence filled the whole earth, Eden was the only place where His sound was heard Genesis 3:8.
Today, God is still searching for places where His presence can be made manifest - where His sound can be heard and His power can be demonstrated. He is looking for true worshippers - John 4:23, 2 Chronicles 16:9.
God specifically commanded the children of Israel to build Him a sanctuary for the sole purpose of dwelling among them - Exodus 25:8. Every altar built by the patriarchs was designed to achieve this purpose - to be a meeting point between heaven and earth.
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and David - all built altars to the Lord. In fact, many times they would give names to those altars to commemorate the specific manifestation of God that they experienced at that meeting point. Genesis 33;20, 35:7, Exodus 17:15.
The only reason for God's presence to manifest on earth is man. If we were not here God would not need to show up here.
God is omnipresent, so He is everywhere - on every single planet in every single galaxy in the entire universe. Let's call this the UNIVERSAL PRESENCE of God. Psalm 139:7-12. Notice that God's presence is even in hell!
But planet earth is the only planet where God makes His presence felt and reveals His glory - Numbers 14:21
Why does God "show up" to certain places? The same reason why He used to "show up" in Eden - He came for fellowship. Let's call this the MANIFEST PRESENCE of God. When you visit a friend, you don't visit simply because you like being inside their house - you visit because you want to be with them.
Sometimes, even your own home is not that attractive to you when other members of your family are away.
God does not need to manifest His presence to bless us or meet our needs. He meets the needs of animals everyday without revealing Himself to them. The only reason He makes Himself known among us is to fellowship with us.
So, even though His presence is in hell, He does not make Himself manifest there, because He is not interested in sharing fellowship with the people there.
God is saying to us, "if you tend and keep the garden, I will show up there". Worship is the process of "tendering and keeping" the garden of God's presence. When we worship, we as it were, release the fragrance of the flowers - and God is drawn to that fragrance.
The Song of Solomon (Song of Songs or The best of all Songs) is an epigram of love, which allegorically pictures God's relationship with Israel and Christ's intimacy with His church. The entire book is plastered with metaphors and imagery of gardens and fragrances.
When we "feel the presence of God" during worship, what actually happens? - does God come into our midst or do we go into His presence? Both.
In Eden, Adam and Eve dwelt perpetually in God's presence. All that needed to happen for fellowship to occur was for God to come walking in the garden.
In Genesis 3:8 "cool of the day" did not really mean evening time. Better translated, it meant, " the wind or breeze of the day". It spoke of the time when God's spirit moved in the garden - the time of fellowship between God and man. This is why God called out to Adam - it was fellowship time.
But today, because we don't dwell perpetually in God's manifest presence, we have to go in - just like the high priest went into the Holy of Holies once a year. Only this time, there is no limit or restriction. We can go in as many times in a day as we wish.
How do we go in? With our praise. In the Old Testament, the high priest went in with the blood of animal sacrifices. Today, we carry the sacrifice of praise - the fruit of our lips. Hebrews 13:15, Psalm 100:4. But once we get in and we begin to worship, God comes too. Leviticus 9:23, 2 Chronicles 5:13,14.
Our worship is like a double invitation card - it invites us into God's presence; and it invites God into our midst - This is the meeting point between heaven and earth that God longs for. Anytime we want, anywhere we want, we can release the presence of God!

What happens when you actually come into God's presence?1.You are Transformed from Glory to Glory:2 Corinthians 3:16-18 As Moses was transformed in God's presence, you never leave God's presence the same way you come. The transformation may not be immediately noticeable, but it does take place gradually.
2.All your needs are met:Psalm 16:11: Man's greatest need is not money, happiness, healing, a job, an education a wife or a husband. Man's greatest need is the presence of God because all those other needs are in God's presence. None of the things we desire from God can really give fulfilment or lasting satisfaction because God left Himself out of those things. True satisfaction comes from having God Himself.
3.You are delivered from Satan's bondage and attack:The Gadarene demonic man was delivered because he worshipped. Mark 5:1-13. If two thousand demons could not keep him from worshipping God, nothing should stop you.
Paul and Silas were liberated from stocks and chains because they worshipped. Acts 16: 22-26.
The devil hates it when we worship God, because it reminds him of the job he lost in heaven. No wonder it seems like the place the devil attacks the most in a church is the worship. Satan hates the anointing that God places on music and worship more than any other - because the knows that anointing more than any other. He used to be called "the anointed cherub" Ezekiel 28:12-14. Remember that Cherubim are the custodians of the presence of God.
Martin Luther said, "when the devil fell out of heaven, he fell in my choir!" The ministry the devil forfeited through his rebellion has been given to us It used to be his anointing.
When the devil wants to attack the children of God today, the first thing he attacks is their worship. If Satan can't steal your worship he can't touch you or what belongs to you.
When the devil came against Job the first thing the devil took away from him was his ability to worship. Before he took his children or his health, he had taken his livestock. Job 1:13-20, Job 1:4,5; 2:9
It seemed like Job was using his worship to counteract the strongest negative influence in his house.
The last thing Job did before God restored all that he lost was to worship. Job 42: 7-10
Pharaoh's last attempt at negotiating with Moses was in relation to their worship Exodus 10:24-26.

The devil is after your worship - give him no place.

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