Leaving God's Presence

Genesis 3, verse number 8, and I believe what's before me will go hand-in-hand with what our brother Joel presented with us already this morning. We're going to look a little bit at the presence of the Lord. Genesis chapter 3, verse number 8, And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves in the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

Chapter 4, verse 16. Genesis 4, verse 16, And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. A little book of Jonah, please.

Chapter 1. Jonah chapter 1, verse 3, But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa, and he found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare, dropped down to verse 10. And the men were exceedingly afraid and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he had fled from the presence of the Lord because he had told them.

Chapter 4, verse number 2, And he prayed unto the Lord and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish, for I knew that thou wert a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repentest thee of evil. And finally the book of John. Gospel of John, chapter 6. John chapter 6, verse 66, From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Lord will bless to us the reading of his word and what we've heard already. It'd be profitable for us this morning to think of the presence of the Lord as we've been reminded already in this first message of Joel, about his presence.

We could think today as we trace this theme of the presence of the Lord through the scriptures, we could come to the rejoicing that comes from the presence of the Lord. We could come from the times of refreshing in Acts chapter 3. We could come to the times of reverence and through the book of Psalms. But tonight, or this morning, excuse me, I'd like to look at the retreat.

We've been reminded this morning of a new and a living way opened up in the very throne room and the very presence of God. Why is it that Christians today go away from that? And this word has been upon my own heart as I've looked at myself for several weeks now. Why do believers, why do I want to go away from the presence of the Lord? Now you can apply this, I hope you do, to your own self.

This message this morning isn't for those that aren't here, it's for those of us that are. Why is it that our tendency is want to go away? Now personal life, individually, why is it that it's so hard to maintain relationship with the Lord? Or we could look at it as the assembly, take it however the shoe fits this morning. In your personal life or in your assembly gathering, for we believe that Lord is in our midst at every assembly gathering.

As we've been reminded, why would we want to go away? Retreat from the presence of our Lord. We're going to look at some different types of people here. Now I know that Cain wasn't a believer and I know those in John 6 weren't believers, but we're going to take it and we're going to apply it to ourself.

But first Adam and Eve in the garden, they enjoyed the presence of the Lord. He talked with them and communed with them every day. And you know sometimes I used to feel jealous, like why isn't it that way for us? Brethren, it's the same.

It can be the same. Through what the Lord Jesus Christ has done on our behalf. And the new and the living way opened up as we've heard this morning.

To enjoy the presence of the Lord, but they went away because of sin. Now I'm not saying that everybody that misses an assembly gathering or misses a reading, a devotion, is in sin. But I do want to say this, that sin affects our relationship with God in a very serious way.

And for the young believers here this morning, sin will separate you from your God even though you're saved in a personal communion through his presence. It's a sad thing that it carries on and it goes on when we we have the Word of God that if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So we can enjoy that presence again.

But Adam and Eve, they went because of sin. Why? Because they had in their mind that God wasn't trustworthy. They had in their mind that God was holding out on them.

That there was something good that God was holding out from them. And I dare say in the young generation that I'm a part of, sometimes that's our thought isn't it? It seems that maybe God is holding out on us, but that's not true. God gives us everything that we need.

God gives us everything that is good. God is trustworthy. God is not holding out on us.

Adam and Eve hid because of sin. We come to Cain. Here's a man that's not a believer, but there's something interesting with this man Cain.

It was a time of worship wasn't it? Abel and Cain, they brought their sacrifices. And there are four things if we want to consider the presence of the Lord that might be helpful. The presence of the Lord is where the Word of God is heard.

It's where worship is practiced. It's where the will of God is known. And where the wonder of Christ is seen.

Four things that will help us to remember the presence of the Lord. Here's this man Cain. First of all, he slew his brother.

And I want to kick this can as I go by because I I seen it happen. I seen an older brother try to slay a younger brother spiritually one time. Here was a brother.

He was commanded to the work. He was a missionary. He's not anymore.

But there was a young man. This brother was in his 60s. And there was a young brother who was 18.

And this brother had a spiritual mind like you wouldn't believe. He knew his book. And he was seeking to help in the place where he was at.

And this older brother comes up to him and calls him by name. And I won't say his name. But he said brother it's a good thing that the Lord loves you because nobody else does.

And he meant it. This man Cain. Through his jealousy he slew Abel.

Through his stubbornness he goes out from the presence of the Lord. Did you ever go out from the presence of the Lord because you're stubborn? Maybe I'm the only one. Stubbornness, brother.

What a wretched thing. What a wretched thing that our stubbornness would keep us from the presence of the Lord. Cain.

We come to Jonah. Most interesting character. Why did he go away? We read it in chapter 4. Because God is gracious.

Why would anybody go out from the presence of the Lord because God is gracious? Here's Jonah. He's got a word from the Lord. Go tell this city to repent.

Concise dictionary had many hundreds of thousands of people in that city. And there's not one of our laboring brethren in the gospel that wouldn't be delighted if a city of a hundred would repent. But this man Jonah, he didn't want to go.

It was Israel's enemy for one. And for two he knew that God was gracious. I wonder today, I'm gonna apply this to assembly gathering, do we stay away because God is gracious? See what do you mean by that? Well because God hasn't dealt in chastisement or that God hasn't corrected that brother or that overseer the way we think that he should have.

That's real brother. Because in our own mind we feel that God has been gracious to someone who maybe we don't think God should have been gracious. And so therefore in our selfishness we stay away from the presence of the Lord.

It's real. Because God is gracious. What a foolish excuse.

This man after he should have learned his lesson that God was gracious for to him in the bottom of the whale or the great fish whatever you want to call it. He takes the very lesson that God was trying to show him and he misses the point. He stayed away now as he says God take my life.

So Adam and Eve thought God wasn't trustworthy. Cain thought that God wasn't fair. Jonah realizes that God is gracious.

It's amazing the excuses we come up with isn't it? John chapter 6. This is the one I like to get to. Many of these disciples they went away and we don't believe that they were believers. We believe they're unbelievers.

But then the Lord asked the twelve will you also go away? Could I ask that to every soul that sits in the chair this morning? In the day in which we live. Will you go away? How about over here will you go away? Why did these people go away? They weren't satisfied with Christ. Plain and simple.

The context of John 6 is the bread of life and just like their fathers weren't satisfied with the manna these people weren't satisfied with Christ. Isn't that the bottom line? Sure we can point fingers at our brother but the bottom line is this we're not satisfied with Christ. Oh if we were satisfied we wouldn't go anywhere.

Why is it that believers aren't satisfied with Christ today? Same reason these people weren't. Number one they didn't believe him. For a believer? Oh absolutely.

Sure we're saved by grace but there's times in our lives when we doubt the very things of God don't we? And when the Lord Jesus has promised to be in our midst we must not believe him or we wouldn't go away. They weren't satisfied with Christ because they didn't know him. They didn't know him.

Peter knew him. What does Peter say? He says Lord to whom shall we go? To whom? He doesn't say where should we go. He doesn't say what denomination should we go to.

He said Lord to whom shall we go? Peter knew him. Peter was satisfied. We all know Peter fell.

Peter had his failures and we all do but he's satisfied with Christ. The Lord Jesus doesn't satisfy the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life and when we come to the assembly the flesh shouldn't be fed. Could this be a reason why some go away? They don't go away feeling good.

They don't have the warm fuzzy feeling inside that they thought they should have when they come to the morning meeting or to the prayer meeting. The Lord Jesus Christ doesn't satisfy the flesh brother and if we're coming to the meeting to get our flesh satisfied we'll go away unhappy. Are you satisfied with Christ? Despite all the troubles with the brethren, despite all the personality conflicts, despite all the little issues, are you satisfied with Christ today? Yes or no? I'll tell you if you're satisfied with Christ you'll be there.

Why? Because he said he'd be there and if you're satisfied with Christ today you'll overlook the little problems with the brethren and you'll be there. Why? Because it's his presence. We could go to Psalm 114 and we could talk about the reverence.

It refers back to the Red Sea, the presence of the Lord. It infers that just his presence made the waters spread. I'll tell you isn't it wonderful when we have a godly meeting? Isn't it wonderful when we have a godly ministry meeting? And isn't it wonderful when we have a godly worship meeting? And isn't it wonderful when the Spirit's in control in the gospel meeting? And the prayer meeting the scriptures are open to us by none other than the Spirit of God himself.

Are you satisfied? Retreat from the presence of the Lord. Will you also go away?