Download Notes Here:  Because of Calvary – Lesson 4 – I Am Free To Enter God’s Presence

Wednesday Bible Study  •  Because of Calvary – Lesson 3

I Am Free To Enter God’s Presence

Matthew 27:50–51  •  Hebrews 10:19–20  •  Hebrews 4:16

Because of Calvary, I Am Free To Enter God’s Presence

 

SERMON GOAL: To show from Scripture that every believer has direct access to God’s presence through Jesus Christ, and to lead them to a habit of coming to God in prayer and fellowship.

WHAT GOD INTENDED

Have you ever stopped to think about what the relationship between God and Adam was like in the Garden? God’s original intention was for Him and mankind to enjoy fellowship with one another.

After sin entered the world, that fellowship was broken and interrupted. Salvation is more than just keeping us out of Hell and taking us to Heaven. Salvation is also about restoring our fellowship with God.

First, let’s take a look at how God originally designed our fellowship with Him to be.

Key Truth

God created a place where He and Adam would enjoy fellowship with each other.

• Genesis 2:8  And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
• Genesis 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.

God Included Adam in What He Was Doing

• Genesis 2:16–17  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
• Genesis 2:19  And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

God intended us to enjoy genuine fellowship with Him.  He wanted to include us in what He is doing.

WHAT SIN INTERRUPTED

Key Truth

Mankind was expelled from God’s presence because of sin.

 

Genesis 3:23–24  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Sin is what caused God to expel Adam from the Garden. The Garden of Eden was more than just a place where Adam lived — it was where he lived in, enjoyed, and benefited from the presence of God.

God sent him forth from the garden

God drove out the man Notice both verbs

 

Sin interrupted God’s design to enjoy fellowship with us. The Bible repeatedly teaches this point:

• Isaiah 59:1  Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
• Psalm 5:4  For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
• Ephesians 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

In the Old Testament, God set boundaries for His people to ensure they did not come into His presence carelessly.

• Exodus 19:12–13  And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death.
• Exodus 26:33  And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
• Leviticus 16:1–2  And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

 

Summary

From the time Adam sinned to the time Jesus went to Calvary, man and God have been separated. The fellowship God intended was interrupted.

 

Because of Calvary, I am free to enter the presence of God.

WHAT CALVARY INITIATED

 

Key Truth

Mankind has access to God’s presence once again.

 

• Matthew 27:50–51  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.
• Hebrews 10:19–20  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.

WHAT MANKIND IS INVITED TO

 

Key Truth

You are invited to enter and live in God’s presence.

 

• Hebrews 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.
• James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

 

Because of Calvary… I Am Free To Enter God’s Presence

APPLICATION

I Will Engage God Through Prayer and Conversation •    Because of Calvary, I am free to engage God directly in prayer. •    God desires my prayer to be conversation, but respectful. God desires our worship and our fellowship. •    Balance your prayers between worship and conversation: ◦     Worship God for who He is ◦     Talk to God about who you are — what do you feel, what do you fear, what do you like, what do you need, what do you want to know?

 

 

I Will Engage God Through Scripture and Meditation •    Fellowship is a two-way activity — through prayer we share our feelings, needs, and desires with God. •    Through Scripture, God shares Himself with us: ◦     We learn who He is and what He is like ◦     We learn what He desires and what He expects ◦     We learn His holy character and His heart for us •    Engage God by reading the Bible with the goal of learning God and experiencing God — never for the sake of checking it off the list.

 

 

I Will Engage God Through Evangelism and Discipleship •    God included Adam in the work of creation — naming the animals, ruling over and subduing creation, keeping the garden. •    Because of Calvary, we are restored to a place of usefulness in the mission of God. •    We are to rule under Him, and be the body of Jesus as He seeks to save the lost.

 

I Will Engage God Through Repentance and Restoration •    Because we live in a broken world, sin will separate us from God’s fellowship — but repentance is the step toward restoration. •    Never believe the lie that God is done with you. He invites us to repent and be restored to fellowship. •    Satan wants to keep you in sin and out of fellowship with God. When we repent we are restored. •    Satan is the Deceiver, and one of his lies is that God forgave you but He is not talking to you. When you hear this lie, replace it with this truth:

Because of Calvary… I Am Free To Enter God’s Presence — I am restored to fellowship and service.