The Presence of the Lord | Jentezen Franklin

0:00 Hello, this is Jensen Franklin, and thank you so much for joining us for this week's podcast. Our goal is to provide you with biblically-based teachings that will challenge, inspire, and equip you to live for Jesus. If you haven't already, I'd love for you to go ahead and subscribe today to this podcast so you can get the latest updates from us and you don't ever have to miss a new message. let's go right into the service recorded at free chapel i believe it's going to bless you today i'm reading today from the book of mark chapter 5 go there with me Hallelujah. verse 34 and at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying Eli, Eli Lama Sabathia which is translated my God, my God why have you forsaken me some of those who stood by when they heard that said look he's calling for Elijah Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed and offered it to him to drink, saying, let him alone.

1:26 Let us see if Elijah will come to take him down. Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. Then the veil in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion who stood opposite him saw that, he cried out like this and breathed his last. He said, truly, this man was the son of God. I want to preach to you this morning on the presence of the Lord. The presence of the Lord. the reason that the text is left in ancient Hebrew the writers say that when they were translating from Hebrew to our languages in the first Bible which was the King James Version for us they could not find the words that it carries in that culture.

2:46 Just as there are great illustration words that mean, have generations of meaning to them. The translators lifted and decided to just leave it in its original language because what was happening on the cross at that very moment when Christ died, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, He was put on the cross at 12. We know that it went from 12 to 3 o'clock.

3:21 At 3 o'clock, the Passover lamb would be slain exactly, and that's when He died exactly. what happened was beyond our comprehension the abandonment of jesus the son by the father and the holy spirit it was unspeakable it was god in flesh god in skin with bones and blood all of the Godhead bodily, the fullness of the Godhead bodily. But now the Father, the Holy Spirit withdraws. The presence of God withdraws. It had to because God is holy. The Holy Spirit is holy.

4:15 They cannot. They withdraw their presence. The presence, the Spirit withdrew. in that moment because Jesus took on the sins of the world. He who knew no sin, in that moment he became sin. And God is holy. He could not stay there. He pulled away and they did not know. And that's when he cried out for the first time. The God man in flesh felt the abandonment of God and the Holy Spirit. And he cries out. My God, my God, why?

4:57 Twice, why have you forsaken me? This is what it feels like when sin overcomes his life as he's on the cross, dying for our sins. He had never committed a sin. The Holy Spirit lifted, the Father lifted, so that the God man could die. Who killed Jesus? What killed him? Was it the lack of blood? Did he bleed out? We know that he bled. That he bore many stripes. That he bled from seven places profusely on his body. the loss of blood made him so weak that he was carrying the cross until he fell beneath the load on the via della rosa the stone street that is still there today he collapsed and in that moment there was a man who picked up the cross and helped him bear that cross if jesus fell beneath the weight of his cross, it tells me I don't have to be strong 100% of the time, but that God will have people in our lives. You need a church. You need people that when you come in and you're weak and you're about to collapse under the weight of whatever it is you're dealing with, just like what we're feeling in this service, there is a presence that can come up under you and the cross you're bearing and say, I know you can't go another step in your own strength, but there's power in the blood and it'll give you strength to go from day strength to take up this cross. If God doesn't remove it, I'll bear it by his grace.

6:58 Pilate did not kill him. The Romans did not kill him. The Sanhedrin court did not kill him. Jesus, the God man could not die until two things happened. He had to quit speaking. the Bible said his words were spirit and they were life when Jesus was speaking it was the words of God Almighty and it's impossible for death to invade him as long as he was speaking as long as he kept speaking a word death was held at bay as long as he was having conversations with thieves, death couldn't take him. And he had a thief on the right side and the left side, and he's talking back and forth to them. As long as he's talking to the father, death couldn't talk, couldn't take him because his word is so powerful. These are, are God's words and nothing, no, no death, no demon could stop him from speaking. And when he spoke, his words are spirit and they are life.

8:17 He's talking the conversations from the cross to John, his half-brother, and to Mary, his mother. He could not die secondly as long as the presence was upon him. The presence of the Holy Spirit. When the eternal spirit lifted, when God Almighty lifted,

8:51 and in that moment he gave up the ghost, why has thou forsaken me? He didn't say, he didn't say, why am I bleeding? Why am I suffering? But his concern was, why am I, why I've never had this feeling that the presence has left me. I don't feel the presence anymore. When the presence lifted and when the words of his mouth ceased, he died. There's a clue in this that we need to pick up on. As long as we are confessing God's word and God's word is active in our life. And as long as we are in his presence and being with him, we cannot die spiritually. The key to life is to keep speaking the word and having the word active and getting in his presence and loving his presence and worshiping him and being in that place with him.

9:56 because his presence gives life to your soul and to your spirit. Speak the word. As long as this church, if the word is preached and the presence is here, it will not die. It has not died for all these decades. And this church never has to die. Hallelujah. Because if we preach the word, but the word is not enough by itself. What do you mean? There is a difference between the Bible said, this is a Bible verse, the letter killeth. If all you have over and over and over is a steady diet of just hearing scriptures mumbled. And there's no anointing on it.

10:51 But when you put his presence with the word, if you have singing, and they're singing good words, but you don't feel his presence, there's no life in it. And that's why all churches are not the same. You got to get the presence and you got to get the word in everything you're singing, everything you're preaching. And if you get his presence, it's everything. It's everything. and as long as we're confessing the word and activating the word and preaching the word and proclaiming the word in song and as long as we are entering into his presence not coming to church entering into his presence the church cannot die. I know in my own life, as long as I'm activating the Word, when I feel myself getting dry, activate the Word and get in His presence and life comes.

12:00 It's an amazing thing. In the presence of God, you live spiritually. We've got to keep the presence of God in our church. We've got to keep the presence of God in our life. We've got to keep confessing. Don't ever lose the presence. Jesus was stripped naked on the cross. There was no loin cloth. It's not biblical. They stripped him completely in shame and dishonor and disgrace. They stripped the second Adam, the first Adam in the garden, violated God's rule. And he hid from the presence of God. He hid from the presence of God because the presence of God exposes sin. That's why we've got to have the presence of God in services like this.

13:03 Because church is not just about thrilling you. Church is about you getting into the presence of God so deeply that it exposes sin in your life. that needs to be repented of and forsaken. You see, not only does the presence of God preserve life, but it exposes sin. That's why when God came into the garden and the scripture said, Adam said, I heard your voice. And God said, where are you? And he said, I heard your voice and I was afraid. You see, I believe Adam was clothed with the glory of God. How did he know he was naked? He said, and I was naked and I was afraid. How did he know he was naked?

14:02 He had to have had some reference to that. He had never seen anybody else. How did he know that? They knew they were naked because the glory of God had lifted when they had sinned and they were uncovered. Jesus on the cross when he was dying is significant that he was naked at that moment because it exposed him as the sins of the world to the Father. Every sin ever committed, he took on in that moment.

14:44 Don't ever lose the presence because it reveals what's wrong. the Holy Spirit brings things up and when he brings things up that's the presence of God if you're beginning to develop strongholds and and the enemy's beginning to get you on a path that is not right the beauty of the presence of God is it not only preserves your spiritual life but the Holy Spirit comes to expose sin.

15:16 And when it exposes sin, you begin to feel freedom. You begin, if you will repent and forsake that sin, and let the Holy Spirit purge you and cleanse you of that sin. It's a powerful thing. It's a powerful thing when the Holy Spirit's presence begins to convict you. We're taught in the scriptures that Revelation 5 and Revelation chapter 6 that we can be assembled but not aligned with the throne. Just let me teach a minute. We're going somewhere. The Bible said in heaven right now there are angels worshiping around the throne. There are living beasts and created beings and elders. that are worshiping around the throne, saints of every tongue and of every kindred and of every nation worshiping around the throne. And when we begin to worship God and enter into his presence, like we were just doing, some of you started feeling a little more than just introductory songs before the sermon. You started feeling something. You know what happened? We, we, went beyond just being assembled. We began to align with the worship in heaven. And when you align, your worship goes through the filter of angels and the filter of elders. And suddenly when your heart, when it's heartfelt, when it's coming from your soul and your spirit, that's what worship is. When the hands raised because you really are overwhelmed with the goodness and grace of God, then all of a sudden that goes all the way in alignment into the throne room of heaven. And you create a throne zone through which God's presence finds you.

17:23 The spirit searches and seeketh for such that will worship him in spirit, not in tradition, not in dry routine, not in the old religiosity and all of that, but worship Him in spirit and in truth. I'll give up anything for you. I need you. I'm in alignment with you. It's going through the filter of angels and elders, and it's reaching the Lamb on the throne.

17:54 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The emphasis on the, you know, many times we say, Oh, the presence. We need the presence of the power of God in the church again. No, we need the power of the presence. He is the power. Jacob was running from his brother. He was in trouble and he laid his head on a rock and he was at Bethel. And the Bible said, suddenly the heavens opened up. He got in alignment. He was crying out to God. And he got in alignment. And he saw into the next world. And he saw angels ascending and descending, taking up prayers and praise and bringing down on a ladder miracles.

18:49 If nothing goes up, nothing comes down. The more worship that goes up, the more the glory of God that comes down. Jacob got in the presence. God didn't have to say anything to him. He just got in the presence and he said, surely the presence of the Lord was in this place and I knew it not. Did you know that the presence of God is available to you? The veil has been torn. My text said that, that the veil was torn top to bottom, not bottom, to top. Bottom to top would mean some man got in there and tore. But when that thing was 40 feet high, it had to be God reaching down from heaven and saying I'm tearing the veil. Come on in my presence. You get in the presence and he'll talk to you about things in your life that you haven't thought about.

19:49 When we get in the presence of the Lord, a lot of things come out, good and bad. Thank God for that. I love it when I get blessed and when it's inspiring and all of that when we come to church. but sometimes, sometimes every once in a while, and I feel it this morning, that's, I came in with a different spirit. Because sometimes the presence of the Lord will stir you. I thank God that he he still can stir me after all these years I feel stirring I feel like the water's troubled this morning somebody could get in it and get a miracle I feel this thing down in my soul I'm not trying to hype you up sit there and look at me I don't care sometimes church isn't about you Sometimes God's just wanting to come down and be with his people.

20:51 And I say, come Holy Spirit, come. You know, any of you who know how to cook, you know if you got something on the burner, if you don't stir it, it will stick to the bottom and burn. And some of you are stuck to the bottom and you got that old nasty taste of musky religion. and the Holy Spirit has a big old stick and he wants to get down there all down in the depths of your soul and stir you again until you feel his presence afresh in your life. Somebody throw up your hands and say, here Lord, I want to create a throne zone. You know, God has all of us in his spiritual oven right now. And God is in his kitchen and you and I are in the oven.

21:57 And when he gets through with us, he does not want us to be medium rare, half and half. he wants us to be well done on fire sold out not riding the fence not one foot in the world and one foot in the church Lord stir me again I want you to stir my heart I want to know you I want to worship you in spirit I want your presence Let's go. sometimes when you get in his presence, he'll bless you and sometimes he'll blister you. Adam grabbed fig leaves. trying to cover his sin. But when you enter into his presence with praise, you enter,

23:01 he enters into your circumstances with power. A man may be maxed out in his thinking, but God is never maxed out in his power. Faith. faith places no limitations on God and God places no limitations on faith. If you can believe, all things are possible when you get in my presence. Even here this morning, you can be healed. You can be delivered. You can never touch it again. You can leave this place saying the old things have passed away and behold, I am brand new. You've got to get in His presence. You've got to learn.

23:55 We've got to learn how to host the Holy Ghost. You know what a host is? A hostess is someone who knows how to entertain. It's someone who knows how to make you feel welcome. We're supposed to make the Holy Spirit welcome.

24:16 Do you ever welcome the Holy Spirit? Do you ever yearn and say, Holy Spirit, come in my home, come in my family, come in my life, come in my temple, fill me. host the Holy Ghost. Be a hostess, be a host to the Holy Ghost. Oh, I like that. I feel something in my cell, Pentecostal gene in me. Hallelujah. It's your fault, mom. Where's my mother? I don't see her on the second row. She okay? Well, the Lord's going to heal you, mom, in Jesus name. I didn't know that. In the name of Jesus, be healed by his presence. Hallelujah. When Jesus was baptized in water, the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and sat upon him.

25:19 doves are very observant a little disturbance makes them fly away we must be very careful how we approach God when Noah sent the dove out of the ark after the flood the dove flew and came back because the scripture said there was nothing out there but a culture of death. Nothing out there but dead bodies and dead animals. And the dove will not land. He said he found no place for the soles of his feet. The dove will not land on death. there's nothing out there the dove is looking for life and he brought back with him an olive branch which was evidence of a new world that's out there it was evidence that God is not mad at us anymore it was evidence that a new creation so to speak has happened and the waters are receding and God has a brand new life for those of us who are on the ark when the anointing of the Holy Ghost touches your tongue and touches your mouth like that olive branch that was in that dove's mouth you go to speaking another language there's a peace out there was the message of that dove. There the judgment is over was the message of that dove. I'm forgiven. He's provided another chance and a new life. I tell you, when you get full of the Holy Ghost, the evidence of another world will speak through you in that heavenly dove talk. Hallelujah. Talk the language of the dove, the sweet prayer language of the Holy

27:26 Spirit, and you'll get in the presence of God. I want to host the Holy Ghost. We've got to be careful if we want him to remain. David said it like this in Psalms 51. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Take my palace, take my gold, take my wealth, take my power. But I beg you God, don't take the presence of the Holy Spirit away from me and my family. What a prayer. What a cry.

28:09 Carry the presence of God. In Mark chapter 5, the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus, we say, but she didn't. She never touched Jesus. She touched the hem of his garment. She touched something that had touched him. She touched something that had been touched by him.

28:32 If you touch him and then you go to school, if you get in his presence and you touch him and then you go to work, and then you go into your home, somebody will touch you and when they're touching you, they're touching something that has touched him. when she touched something that had touched him, power was released into her. When we get in the presence of God, the Bible said of the apostles, they took note of them that they had been with him.

29:11 They said these are ignorant and unlearned men, but there's something about them. They've been in his presence and there's something that's irresistible. Touch him for them. tell your friend next to you touch him for them even this morning you can get more out of this service you can take something with you touch him for them The presence is transferable. the apostle Paul put it like this. He said, I charge you before the Lord Jesus Christ. In first Timothy five, 21, I charge you. He didn't say I shock you. There's a difference between something getting charged.

30:05 It can hold its power, but a shock is just, and that's about all some people get. They come to church. finally they feel God a little song or somewhere in the service something happens and oh I felt a little bit of God praise the Lord but as they're walking out the door they're already the energizer bunny is dying I'm going to tell you you ought to get in his presence so great that he charges you and you hold the power and you take it wherever you go. Turn to somebody and say, stay plugged in. David ate the showbread of his presence. The Bible called it the bread of his presence. I'm almost done, but give me five more minutes. The bread of his presence.

31:08 the presence strengthens you. When you get in the presence of God, it doesn't just maintain life. It doesn't just expose sin, but the presence of God strengthens you. When he ate the bread of his presence, David was so weary. He was being pursued by his enemies and he ran into the temple and he's hungry and he was weary and he ate the bread that he wasn't supposed to eat, but God allowed him to do it. And he ate the bread in a moment. We're going to eat the bread and have communion. And suddenly he went out and won the battle and fought and won from the strength of that meal. I close with this, but in Exodus 33. God told Moses some powerful things.

32:07 He said, number one, my angel will go before you. You go on and go into the promised land and go out of Egypt, come out of Egypt, and my angel will go before you. You know what else he said? He said, my promises, my covenant will be with you. but I love Moses' response.

32:34 He said, I appreciate the angel. I appreciate the word. but it's nothing without your presence. And he stopped two and a half million people from progressing and going forward. He stopped everything and he cried out, God, if your presence does not go with me. I will not go. If your presence can't go with me, I'd rather have his presence than make $10 million. I'd rather have his presence than be the king of anything.

33:22 If I can't have his presence, I don't want to go. If it's going to cost me his presence, I don't want it. that's what I told the Lord when Teresa and I came to Free Chapel I said Lord if your presence doesn't go with us I don't want to go I don't want to go but he's here.

33:55 And when he's there, anything is possible. Throw that verse up one more time. throw that verse up one more time if your presence does not go with us do not bring us up from here what a prayer I don't want to get involved in any relationships that causes the presence to back off. I don't want to get involved in any business that causes the presence to back off. I don't want to go to any parties that I can't have my dove sitting right up here. now here's the powerful thing there is a place in God where you can go anywhere almost and if the God in you is stronger than the devil in them you can be a witness but that takes years and years and years of discipleship and getting in his presence but if you would pray this morning Lord I don't want anything but you and this is the meal of his presence the bread of his presence I want you to take the top off and just stand to your feet all over this room and we're going to have communion together examine your heart even while I preached I normally would give an altar call, but I'm going to do it right now.

35:37 right where you're standing The Bible gives strict warning about this meal. It represents the... Look at me, everybody. Here's what's so powerful about this. There's only one place in all the Bible... where we are told to not walk by faith only. Every other place he says, walk by faith, not by sight. Walk by faith, not by sight. Don't go by what you see, go by what my word says. But he says, when you do this, I want you to have something in your hand that is tangible and physical. That you can see. and I want you to link your faith to these two items, the fruit of the vine, the wine, the cup, and the bread.

36:40 The bread of my presence, I want you to physically hold them. Never approach this lightly. The Bible even said, let a man examine himself before he eats this meal. if there's anything you need to be forgiven for, if you know without a doubt you came to church this morning and even while I read my opening verse, Jesus hanging on the cross, something smote your heart.