Revelation 7:9-17
In God’s Presence
We are close to finishing a topical study on character. We
understand character is missing because God is missing and one cannot
have character without God for character is the nature of God abiding
within us.
In studying what the Bible teaches about the attributes we are to
have and use in treating one another properly, we discussed six
categories of character. Last week, we started the seventh and last,
called "the Divine Attributes." These are the attributes we need to
enter God’s presence, abide in God’s presence, and to depart with
God’s presence.
It is important to understand all of the characteristics we find
necessary to have a relationship with people are but a prelude to
having a relationship with God—in other words, the same ones are
needed and we are just getting started in learning them in our
dealings with people. Character attributes are much more needed and
important in dealing with God.
Last week, we looked at some of the attributes needed to enter God’s
presence.
1. Reverence
a. Fearing God - God is holy and we are sinners. That is
worse than mixing gasoline and fire. Sooner or later,
something is going to happen.
b. Respect - Not just being afraid of God for His power and
Holiness, but respecting God for who He is, a God who
loves, helps, forgives, promotes, is thoughtful, kind,
merciful and so much more.
c. To deny self - To willingly put God ahead of ourselves.
2. Boldness and Courage
a. God does command…
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need.
b. and throughout the Scriptures, Christians are commanded
to "fear not" at God’s presence.
c. What is it that God wants us to be bold about?
(1) God wants us to be bold in His love toward us. (i.e.
God wants us to be bold in remembering we are
forgiven.)
(2) God wants us to be bold in His leadership.
d. Is this a contradiction with reverence? No. It is a
balance.
3. Balance
a. God is a balanced being and He wants us to be balanced:
(1) God’s mercy and justice balance.
(2) God’s sovereignty and our freewill balance.
(3) God’s love and our accountability balance.
b. We are sinners but we are sinners saved, forgiven, and
adopted into God’s family.
(1) That must be balanced.
(2) We should remember from where we came…
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is
blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath
forgotten that he was purged from his old
sins.
(3) When we forget, we lose our balance and if we do so,
we will either forget what we were or what we are.
(4) Both need to be remembered to come into God’s
presence.
Tonight, what kind of character is required to abide in God’s
presence?
I. Let’s start by remembering what it WAS like.
Ge 3:8 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 from the
presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of
the garden.
A. This is the first record of man coming into God’s presence.
There isn’t much detail, is it?
1. Observations:
a. There was nothing formal about it.
(1) There does not appear to be any requirements,
approvals, or inspections.
(2) There were no angels, harps, thunderings,
lightning, etc.
(3) There doesn’t even seem to be any bowing or loud
praising.
b. There was nothing fearful about it. God showed up and
they fellowshipped together.
2. Some adhere to the "Principal of First Mentioned," which
basically says you learn the most about a thing by
studying when it is first mentioned.
a. If so, coming into God’s presence was intended to be
very open and user friendly.
b. And even though Revelation describes a lot of praise
and adoration, it may be that in eternity future, man
might again worship God like this.
B. The second instance is much like the first.
1. \\#Ge 18:1\\ - The Lord and the angels come to check out
Sodom.
2. It is obvious that Abraham did recognize Him for he…
a. \\#3\\ Called Him Lord, Adonay, used as a proper name
for God.
b. \\#2\\ Bowed before Him.
3. But again, there was nothing formal or fearful.
C. \\#Ex 3:1-6\\ Moses
1. This is the first time we see fear and God giving
commands on how to come into His presence.
2. Take note that Moses did not know who God was. This was
Moses’ introduction to God.
3. \\#Ex 3:6\\ When Moses figured it out, he hid his face
because he was afraid.
4. Moses was commanded to take his shoes off.
5. My thought is that when those with sin and ignorance come
to God’s presence, fear and formality come too.
D. The more people the more rules God put out and the more fear
was obvious.
1. Israel came into God’s presence in Exodus 19.
2. Mountains are quaking, lightning is flashing, trumpets are
sounding and the people are so scared, they are running
in the opposite direction.
E. All of this makes me think that when sin is done away, fear
will be done away too and perhaps some of the formality.
II. So what do we need to abide in God’s presence? What kind of
attributes or characteristics?
A. Thankful heart
Ps 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto
him, and bless his name.
1. It is interesting that some, thinking about heaven, do not
want to go there.
a. They think of a place where you are always praising
God as a boring place.
b. I suspect they might not have to worry about it.
c. I think that they do not have a thankful heart.
2. What have we to be thankful for?
Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which
hath made us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his
blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
a. He made us partakers with all the saints.
b. He delivered us from darkness.
c. He transferred us into Jesus’ kingdom.
d. He has forgiven us.
3. Let’s face it. At this point, we do not even know how much
more we will have to be thankful for when we get there.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love him.
a. We have not seen hell yet.
b. We have not seen God’s holiness yet.
c. We have not seen heaven yet.
4. The thankful heart will produce the other three
characteristics.
B. Adoring heart
1. We will be so thankful that we cannot help but to adore
our God—even if adoration is not one of our earthly
characteristics.
2. \\#Rev 7:10\\
3. To adore is the essence of worship. It means to exalt,
attend to, extol, praise, to love intensely.
4. Remember the conversation Jesus had with Simon about who
would love Jesus the most-the one who had been forgiven
the most \\#Luke 7:43\\.
C. Joyful heart
Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my
soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath
clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath
covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as
a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
1. The joy that will be present in heaven will be like the
joy of a wedding.
2. Everyone is truly happy at a wedding—except maybe for the
ex who let the best one get away!
3. Even the parents of the bride and groom, although they may
be sad to see their baby go, are happy that they have
found someone to spend life with and to start the next
phase of life with.
D. Praising heart
1. Praise is what you will naturally do when your heart is
thankful, filled with joy and adoration.
2. You won’t have to work to praise God. You just will!
3. \\#11-12\\ Praise will be so easy that even the angels and
the beasts can do it—and they are not redeemed.
E. All of this makes for a worshipping heart.
1. A worshipping heart is not referred to in the Bible as
a character attribute but that is because we cannot
practice it among ourselves.
2. When it comes to God, there is but one character we must
have to abide in His presence, a worshipping heart.
3. A person who thanks, adores, and praises God is one who
will abide in His presence.
F. My belief is that abiding in God’s presence will be easy when
we get to heaven.
1. Jesus had to challenge and command us to abide in His
presence in this world \\#John 15:1-10\\. 4x in those
verses.
2. Once the weak flesh and sinful nature is gone, we will
want to abide in His presence.
3. Right now, we must keep our hearts filled with these four
things:
a. Thankfulness
b. Praise
c. Joy
d. Adoration
4. Or we can just call it "worship."
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