Zac Poonen - God's Presence Is the Mark of a True Church

Zac PoonenJune 26, 202342mWatch on YouTube

In this collectionZac Poonen379 messages

Speaker: Zac Poonen Title: God's Presence Is the Mark of a True Church Date: 06/25/2023 Our Goal as Christians is this: To be an exact reflection of Jesus, the Son of God (Romans 8:29) We do this individually by growing in purity in our personal lives (1 John 3:2-3) We do this corporately by becoming fully functioning members of a local Church (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Summary

The true mark of a New Testament church is not adherence to specific doctrines or charismatic gifts, but rather that people leave feeling they have genuinely encountered God's presence. The speaker emphasizes that the primary purpose of gathering is to meet with the Lord, which can be cultivated through conscious devotion, such as when singing hymns directed to Jesus. Furthermore, he teaches that God often brings us into His presence through trials and suffering, which are signs of spiritual promotion.

Outline

The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.

What is the true mark of a New Testament church?After pursuing different church structures and emphases, the speaker concludes that the true mark is when people sense that God is truly among the assembly.

Approaching God in worship and songBelievers must move beyond singing nice songs to actually being conscious of Jesus' presence and talking intimately to him.

Desiring the presence of God above all elseDavid's singular desire was to dwell in the house of the Lord and gaze upon His beauty, which means living conscious of His presence everywhere.

How God brings us into His presence through trialsAlongside being filled with the Spirit, God uses trials and suffering to draw us into His presence, as seen clearly in the Book of Job.

Moving from hearing about God to seeing HimJob's intense suffering brought him to a place where he could say that he finally saw God with his own eyes rather than just hearing about Him.Job 42:5

Seeing the Lord exposes our own sinJust as Isaiah shifted from pronouncing woes on others to condemning himself when he saw the Lord, coming into God's presence makes us intensely aware of our own sin.

Spiritual growth brings a growing sense of humilityAs Paul grew closer to the Lord over his life, he progressed from seeing himself as the least of the apostles to the chief of sinners.

Job's remarkable uprightness without a BibleJob feared God and turned away from evil, making a covenant with his eyes even without possessing the Scriptures or knowing about Christ.Job 1:8

The two ministries in the heavenlies: Accusation and IntercessionSatan accuses believers day and night while Jesus ever lives to intercede, and we must choose which of these two ministries we will join when we see faults in others.

The hedges around Job's lifeSatan acknowledged the protective hedges God placed around Job's person, family, and possessions, which were progressively opened during his testing.Job 1:10–11

The importance of the fear of GodMany modern Christians experience frequent failure because they learn about grace without ever being drilled in the foundational Old Testament fear of God.

Perfecting holiness through reverenceScripture commands us to perfect holiness through the fear of God, maintaining an awareness of His holy presence that keeps us from sin.2 Corinthians 7:1

A message for those pursuing holinessThe Holy Spirit makes us acutely aware of God's presence in our daily lives, and this message is intended specifically for those who desire to perfect holiness.

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Zac Poonen - God's Presence Is the Mark of a True Church

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