so Jesus uh in all seriousness we submit ourselves fully to you let all things that we say that we do that we speak that we sing be directed towards worship of you we give you thanks in your name we pray amen so last week Matt talked about Jacob he talked about God and Jacob wrestling and he referenced this uh moment called Jacob's Latter where God descended from heaven Angels descended from heaven and began to have a conversation and there was this uh passage in verse 28 uh sorry chapter 28:16 it says this um surely the
Lord is in this place and I knew it not surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not and then my favorite author of all time wrote this about this idea Jacob has never for one small division of moment been outside the circle of the all pervading presence of the Living God but he knew it not that was his trouble and that is our trouble men do not know that God is here what a difference it would make if we knew he was here see God's presence comes where people are desperate to
be with him and my question to us this morning as we begin this message is are we desperate to be with the Living God because we know that an encounter will transform us forever it will change Us From the Inside Out it will move mountains in our hearts it will begin to transition our desires and our our love and and the things that we want to pursue because in the presence of the Living God we are made new so this morning my question to each and every one of us is are we desperate are we
really that desperate or do we just just want to keep playing Church do we just want to keep acting like you know what casual relationship with Jesus is what I want so we're in week three of our series encounter and I'm guessing probably many of us will be watching online but those who are in the room I just want to say I love you and I'm proud of you we love you too online viewers you're just not quite as tough as the people in the room okay so and if you missed last week's message or
you've missed any of these three weeks of of our series encounter friends would you go back and rewatch it I'm telling you that God is doing something significant in this house right now see our desire is that you would experience a radical transformation as you encounter the Living God we know that throughout all of scripture when we come face to face with Jesus we're forever changed and my guess is my hope is my prayer is that all of us are desperate for that see I believe many of us live as fans of Jesus but Jesus
doesn't want fans he wants family Jesus doesn't want casual relationship he wants full commitment Jesus doesn't want simply hanging out Jesus wants all of you see encountering him will trans form how we view him how we view ourselves it's like holding a mirror up and seeing all of our faults all of our Brokenness all of our shortcomings and then having Jesus stand right next to us and say I love you in spite of yourself but I want you to be made new that's what encounter does and so when we truly encounter the one true God
were marked forever for Jacob it was a limp for Moses his countenance glowed and he had to put a veil over his face because he reflected the glory of God for Peter his name and his Destiny was changed here's what I know when the Manifest presence of the Living God shows up it transforms us and so this year this day this moment would you and I position and place our hearts in such a way that we could pursue the Manifest presence of the Living God are you with me me in November of 2001 I found
myself in a very familiar place I was at the farm 7 miles from blakesburg seven miles from atuma on Blue Grass Road this was different though we were there to celebrate the passing of my grandpa so all of my family was gathered at The Farmhouse and there's goodness at the time there was almost 28 29 people all gathered in a four-bedroom house and I don't know if you ever feel this way but I just needed to breathe so I took a walk I went to the new Pond which was on the south side of the
farm and I can still hear the grass crunch under my feet it's interesting almost my entire life anytime that I'm overwhelmed I need to go walk on grass or gravel so I'm walking and I'm just completely overwhelmed I'm overwhelmed by the fact that my grandpa's gone he was a champion in my life I'm I'm overwhelmed that this family farm that I've it's all I've ever known will be sold soon because none of the aunts and uncles or my mom want want to continue to own it I'm overwhelmed and wrestling with my call to Ministry I'm
overwhelmed by a comment that a professor had made to me I had taken one Ministry class at this point I was wrestling with my call and he looked at me and he said Mike you're not Ministry material go do something else see I've always found myself worth and it's been a struggle of mine that I find my value in what others think of me especially at 21 and that comment crushed me and I can remember as I was walking I just felt heavy in my spirit to a point that I didn't know how to move
forward as I stood there surrounded by silence I heard a buck snort and it paused and it looked directly at me it was amazing he was a 10-point buck strong Majestic powerful and it was as if in that moment in the Stillness I felt God's voice whispering to my heart my strength will carry you through this guys it was overwhelming less than 24 hours later I found myself in Loni Iowa playing Gracin my college football team was playing there that weekend and I had not been a part of practice I had not been a part
of the game plan I didn't know the scouting report but guess what I was starting and I remember running out onto that field and playing with more joy than I had ever played with in my entire life because I understood in a unique and transformative way that God was with me that he was in my corner we ended up winning that game 56 to 14 something like that unbelievable yay way to go to Mid America all right okay but do you know what's so interesting to me God wasn't in the noise of the crowd God
wasn't in my coach's halftime speech even though I'm sure it was phenomenal God wasn't in the shouts in the locker room God was found in the Stillness and the back acreage of my grandpa's form when I was quiet God began to speak and that moment has taught me a truth that has carried forward in my life and probably many of us would agree with it but can't always articulate it here's what I want you to hear God's presence is often found in silence and Stillness God's presence is often found in silence and Stillness see see
many of you in the room probably know the story of Elijah but maybe you don't and so today we're going to be diving into the story of one of his encounters with God and it comes from First Kings chapter 19 and it is one of the most beautiful uh views of somebody's heart and the rawness of our Humanity when they've encountered a difficulty see Elijah let me just give you a little backstory if you aren't familiar with it he has just experienced one of the most powerful moments in all of human history he's out Mount
Caramel he prays fire falls and consumes the sacrifice he that he had placed on the Altar and he had covered with so much water there was no way it could could burn but yet God's presence showed up in such a manifest way see Elijah had stood toet to Toe with the culture of his broken country he had come against the king and the queen of his country he had drawn a line in the stand and he had declar cled that Yahweh was the one true God this moment was dramatic if nothing else it was Supernatural
it was God's manifest power showing up in such a way that God gave victory over the prophets of Baal and made a declaration to all of Israel that God was Sovereign so picture and hold that moment in your heart almost immediately after that Victory Elijah's Triumph turns to Terror have you ever had that happen this Mountaintop incredible moment and then you walk away from that moment and you are filled with fear see Queen Jezebel who was married to King Ahab who was the leader of Israel was furious with the defeat of her Prophets and she
sent Elijah a death threat and Elijah God's Fearless Prophet who had just stood boldly on Mount Carmel ran for his life he fled Into the Wilderness overwhelmed anxious and afraid if we could examine Elijah for just a moment we're going to read chapter 19: 3 and 4 and we see what his heart must have been experiencing because the request that he made of God seems so counterintuitive to what he's just experienced but let's read Elijah was afraid and ran for his life he came to a broom Bush sat down under it and prayed that he
might die I've had enough Lord he said take my life I'm no better than my ancestors the mighty Elijah is so discour discouraged so depleted he says Jesus take me home that's the totality of human emotions sometimes we get to the point where we've not been fostering our relationship with God in the ways that we need to and we find ourselves at Rock Bottom Elijah's overwhelmed Jezebel sent a threat and it made him feel like all of his efforts were for not he felt utterly alone convinced that no one else was faithful to God and
he's burdened by the belief that the fate of Israel rest solely on his shoulders friends have you ever felt like Elijah like you're carrying too much like your victories you've worked so hard for have left you drained rather than fulfilled like no one not even God sees your struggles I've walked in those moments I've felt those feelings I'm guessing that you have too in Elijah's despair do you see that what's that word despair what did I say at the very beginning God comes when we're desperate in Elijah's despair God meets him like a good father
I want you to think about this God doesn't shout Elijah down God doesn't come in and show up in such a powerful way that Elijah can't even handle it see God's presence is already so wey that all he has to do is walk into the the view of Elijah and everything is transformed first the Lord provides for Elijah's physical needs an angel shows up gives Elijah food gives him water and tells him to take a nap friends listen to me look at me sometimes all you need is a good meal and a good nap amen
and it'll change your whole perspective you find yourself a little angry you find yourself a little overwhelmed you find yourself a little this a little that take a nap and eat some food praise God it'll help it's amazing how God attends to our most basic needs because he loves us and sometimes we need to be reminded that rest and nourishment is exactly what our soul needs and after this encounter with God underneath the broom tree Elijah flees to Mount Horeb he runs for his life Mount Horeb is also the place referred to as Mount canani
the mountain where God shows up to Moses and Elijah walks himself into a cave and he has a profound encounter with the Living God and here's what God asks him what are you doing here Elijah I feel like God could have followed that question up with who are you really afraid of if I am with you if I am for you who can be against you even if it's the ruler of the Nations guess who they are subservient to me what are you doing here Elijah Elijah's response is just like on point like Elijah is
just like whatever I'm out of it I don't I I have nothing left and here's what he says to God after this question first Kings 19:10 I have been very zealous for the Lord Lord God Almighty the Israelites have rejected your Covenant torn down your altars and put your prophets to death with a sword I am the only one left and now they're trying to kill me too Elijah just lays it out right here are my frustrations God your people who you called me to lead tore down your altars they've killed all my buddies I'm
the only one left of course I'm afraid that the lead leader of my country is trying to kill me he feels completely isolated and alone and then God calls him to stand in his presence what happens next is this crazy beautiful encounter with the Living God first Kings 19: 11-2 here's what happens as he calls Elijah to come out of the cave then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the Rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the wind after the wind there was an earthquake but the Lord
was not in the earthquake after the earthquake came a fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire came a gentle whisper why a whisper why a whisper because to hear a whisper you have to stop you have to lean in you have to come close the god of Heaven desires for you to be near God has an outside voice that voice makes life that voice divides dark from light land from water sky from Earth but when God speaks to us he speaks in a whisper because he desires our attention that
still Small Voice can only be heard when we slow down and we get quiet see here's what I know when God's voice shows up just like Elijah God often doesn't rebuke us us he doesn't give us a hard time for being fearful or exhausted he invites us into intimacy God knows us he sees us and he wants us to encounter him in such a way that we have a foundation to stand on a rock to build our lives upon and in the Stillness of this moment Elijah hears God and he's reminded and you and I
should be too that when God speaks we should listen we should pay attention we should slow down God's voice is personal it's intimate and it's tender and in that whisper God just he doesn't just Comfort Elijah he tells him I have a plan buddy you thought you were the only one but guess what I'm the god of the whole universe listen to what God tells him see Elijah wasn't alone we didn't read read this but God says Elijah I've saved 7,000 people in the nation of Israel that have not bowed their knee to Baal and
then he goes on to tell him that he has a plan to remove Ahab and Jezebel from leadership he he tells him that also he says you know what Elijah you you told me that you're you're done you're going to go anoint a young man named Elisha who's gonna follow you around and then you're worried about Ahab and Jezebel guess what I have two leaders called juu and Hazel who will rise up and defeat anyone who stands against the people of God Elijah thought everything depended upon him but God reminded him that God's in charge
will you look at your neighbor and say God is in charge he doesn't ask you to Bear the weight alone see Elijah shows us that even the strongest of us can find ourselves in moments of being overwhelmed and fearful and worried but that God's voice gives us Grace God's voice gives us provision and God's voice gives us a plan that's an amen moment right there so when we feel alone God reminds us that we're a part of something bigger when we feel overwhelmed God's resources tell us that he is in control when we feel depleted
God Whispers Words of Life hope and purpose but to hear the whisper we have to get silent and friends just like Elijah I think we often times expect God and the big dramatic moments right that's why Christian conferences and don't hear me I'm not knocking any of them I love them to but that's why we go to Christian conferences that's why we pursue the biggest best and most handsome churches or beautiful if the worship is just right if the speaker doesn't sweat too much if the lights are beautifully you know curated I don't even know
what lights do but they do something then we will encounter the presence of the Living God but God's presence is often found in silence and Stillness so what's drowning out the whisper of God in your life today is it busyness is it distractions is it anxiety is it fear is it social media is it work maybe it's entertainment or maybe it's the internal voice that speaks and your mind and your heart every single day telling you that you're not enough the invitation today is to quiet the noise to draw close to God and to listen
to his whisper it won't be loud but it will be exactly what you need to hear as God speaks to you he will transform you from the inside out and I know this also God will be second to no one so in order to hear his voice everything else has to go to the side he won't compete for your attention so we're going to take a moment right now when you walked in you received a note card and we're going to go through a series of four questions I hope that wasn't a Celsius that just
fell down I'm sorry if it was we call that the nectar of Life all right we're going to take a moment and we reflect on these questions so I'm going to start with question number one what noise in your life might be drowning out God's voice what noise in your life your life today might be drowning out God's voice just want you to take a minute and I just want you to ask the Lord what what's competing for my attention what's taking my eyes off of you what voice is speaking too loud in my ears
[Music] here's the second question because a lot of you are looking up at me here really fast today good job where is God inviting you to pause and to listen where is God inviting you to pause and to listen Maybe for some of you it's driving to work and sitting outside in the parking lot before you ever go in saying Jesus today is yours maybe for some of you it's when you pivot out of bed and you set your feet on the floor what's God inviting you to take a pause and to listen here's the
third question what fears or distractions do you you need to surrender to him today what fears or distractions do you need to surrender to him today here's the last question what might God be whispering to you today [Music] [Music] what might God be whispering to you [Music] today so today we're going to end with an invitation to encounter at the table when you walked in you received the elements and so if you want to grab those I'm just going to talk to you for a minute here's what I believe I believe that Jesus has walked
into the room early this morning his manifest presence came as we were praying over these services and as we've met together just here for a little bit I think in my mind here's what Jesus has done he's walked down and he sat at the front and maybe you had this happen when you were growing up but there was always a a table up front and it was the table where the bread and and the grape juice or the wine sat and it said do this in remembrance of me and so here's what we know today
that Jesus is right here inviting you to come and sit at the table he's looking across at you and he's speaking the words from Isaiah 53:5 which says by my stripes you are healed or by his stripes we are healed and so what Jesus experienced on the cross his body being broken I want you to just picture it in your mind Jesus taking a loaf of bread and breaking it open and handing it to you and saying eat this and remember me take this bread and let's eat it and here's what I know this blood
is the key to encounter it says that when Jesus was pierced in the side that blood and water float and that blood is the blood that transforms us it makes us new it says that in the Book of Revelation that as the Saints are waiting for the end of all days that they take their robes and they wash them in the blood and they come out white and today maybe you're battling something internally maybe you're believing a wrong thing about your position or your your character or who God's called you to be and today I
pray that you would receive the blood and allow it to make you new that it would give you encounter with the Living God so that he can speak to you as only he can because he knit you together in your mother's womb he knows the number of hairs on your head and the days you will live on this Earth he knows the plans that he has for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a hope in a future when you seek him [Music] so let's receive
this father you know you know you know how desperately we need to be in your presence father I pray that the Whisper Of Heaven would just hover in the room right now speak as only you can remind us that our hope in our future is in you oh God we love you we give you thanks and praise in your name we pray amen amen and amen let's stand and sing
