divine desire | neil bester | 17 january 2016

Neil Bester

Divine desire

What is God’s desire?

Leviticus 26:11-12 NIV

I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God,

and you will be my people.

Ezekiel 37:27 NIV

My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my

people.

Revelation 21:3 NIV

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of

God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and

God himself will be with them and be their God.”

Three main ideas mergeGod desires to: 1. Dwell with us2. Be our God3. Have a people

How has God’s desire found expression?

Old Testament – places:Tabernacle

TentTemple

Ark of the Covenant

The nation of Israel

How has God’s desire found expression?

New Testament – persons:

• The person of Christ• The person of the believer• The persons of the Church

How has God’s desire found expression?

A future promise:

Revelation 21:3 – A place and person are finally brought together.

Desire for the Divine

How do we respond to God’s desire?

It would seem that our Lord finds our desire not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. CS Lewis

Divine desire has direction

What does it mean to be a people of God’s presence?

Divine desire has direction

• What does it mean to be a people of God’s presence?

• Let’s not be confused about who God is.

• Let’s lay aside preconceptions.• Let’s commit to move with God.

Psalm 24 NIV

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world,

and all who live in it;2 for he founded it on the seas

and established it on the waters.

Psalm 24 NIV

3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?

Who may stand in his holy place?4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

Psalm 24 NIV

5 They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their

Saviour.6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.

Psalm 24 NIV

7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Psalm 24 NIV

9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty – he is the King of glory.