Why gather?

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives among you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you

together are that temple.

1 Corinthians 3: 16-17

The Presence of God

Scene 1: A garden

The Presence of God

Scene 2: A nation

The Presence of God

Scene 3: Moses Argues with God

Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people

from all the other people on the face of the earth?’

And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with

you and I know you by name.’

Exodus 33: 15-17

The Presence of God

Scene 4: A Temple

The word of the Lord came to Solomon: ‘As for this temple you are building, if you follow my

decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfil through

you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not

abandon my people Israel.’

1 Kings 6: 11-13

When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his

temple.

1 Kings 8: 10-11

The Presence of God

Scene 5: A prophet

“I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish

them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them for ever. My dwelling-place will be with them; I will be their God, and

they will be my people.”

Ezekiel 37: 26-27

The Presence of God

Scene 6: Ezekiel’s prophecy fulfilled

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives among you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you

together are that temple.

1 Corinthians 3: 16-17

‘Paul is here reflecting on the church as the

corporate place of God’s dwelling, who when

gathered in Jesus’ name, through the Spirit

experienced the presence and power of the Lord

Jesus in their midst.’

Gordon FeeGod’s Empowering Presence

The Presence of God

Scene 7: A City

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the

people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from

their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of

things has passed away.’

Revelation 21: 3-4

God wants to be with his people.

What makes us significant?

Do we experience the presence of God when we

meet?

Why gather?