God has established His church as a place where His Glory dwells- and a place that can represent His heart.
Ephesians 2:19-22
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,[a] but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by[b] the Spirit.
- God has and takes great care and thought into describing How His house is designed, constructed and functions.
a. The tabernacle shows us different aspects of God’s presence.
b. The temple symbolizes a specific aspects of God’s nature.
c. The Second Temple served as a physical representation of the Heavenly realm.
d. In the New Testament, the “Temple of God” is a powerful metaphor signifying that God’s presence dwells within believers.
1Corinthians 3:16-
Do you not know that you[a] are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
Great Atmospheres are Intentional
When we practice the activities of Heaven, we will reap the fruit of heaven.
Genesis 28:16-17
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
The church is a supernatural House, where everything is fashioned so that seekers can experience a supernatural reality in His Presence.
Activities of A Supernatural House.
Praise goes up
God inhabits or intentionally releases authority(Psalm 22:3)
Prayers go up like sweet smelling incense (Psalm 141)
Answers descend (proverbs 15)
Petitions for help. (Philippians 4)
Angels minister who serve us. (Hebrews 1)
Alms are given.
Provision descends.
The anointing, or tangible presence of the Holy Spirit, rests on believers that gather in unity (Psalm 33).
The Holy Spirit moves in an atmosphere of faith and expectancy but avoids an atmosphere of complacency and familiarity (John 6:4-6).
We have the ability to quench the move of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
*Practical Ways to Create a Place Where God Can Dwell. *
1. Turn from bad mindsets and habits that produce distance.
Genesis 3:8 (NIV)
And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden.
- *Feed your God-given desire for His presence. *
Spiritual hunger must be fed, or it will diminish.
Psalm 27:4-
One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire[a] in his temple.
*3. Be intentional about making a place for His presence. *
Discussion Questions:
1- What are some natural places or atmospheres that you enjoy being around? What are some characteristics of good atmospheres?
2- How does creating a good atmospheres translate into church and God’s presence?
3- Read 1 Corinthians 3:16. What does this mean for us today?
4- What does it mean for God to Dwell?
5- How can you be intentional about making a place for His presence in 1) Your life? 2) Your Family 3) @ Generational Hope, or other atmospheres of faith?