Luke 2:4-16

Glory – is the weight of the Lord’s presence (vs9,14)

-you can feel it, sense it and see its effects

1. THERE IS A THEOLOGICAL PRESENCE OR GLORY

-This is knowing that God is Omniscient – everywhere at once

2. THE MANIFEST PRESENCE OF THE LORD –

-this is the presence of the Lord that brings fruit, can be felt and sensed

-sealed with the Holy Spirit – Eph 4:30 – this is a down payment of the Holy Spirit received at salvation that we feel.  It is a down payment of what we will receive in heaven…

3. THE HEAVENLY PRESENCE OF THE LORD

-this is the complete and total fullness of the Lord’s presence

***The glory of God will increase in the last days – Haggai 2:9 & John 2:11

-we are in the last days

-the results and fruit of the glory of God are evident and can be seen

     WHY DOES THE GLORY OF GOD COME AND MANIFEST?

(1.)  TO CHANGE US –

-to become more like Jesus

-to build our Christian character

-to do a work in our lives & family

***If we are having a true encounter with the Lord, there will be a long-term change…

(2) TO CHANGE OTHERS –

-we cannot keep the manifest presence and glory of God to ourselves.  It’s for others.

-invade the culture knowing the glory of God is with you

-Jesus spent most of His time outside of a building & in a marketplace

(3) TO GIVE US PEACE – Haggai 2:9

Peace – means to join together which results in calm, rest, tranquility and quiet

***Anxiety in the culture

Anxiety – we get the word strangle from the word anxiety

Philippians 2:6-7 – we can have victory over anxiety

      TO POSITION OURSELVES TO SEE THE MANIFEST GLORY OF GOD

(1) WE MUST BE UNIFIED – Acts 2:1-4

-the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came when the church was united

-unity is in Jesus and our cause

-stay away from all disunity and always be a part of unity…..

(2) WE MUST PRAY – Acts 1:14

***What kind of prayer does God answer?

1. prayer according to the will of God – 1 John 5:14-15

-the Lord’s will be done and not our will

2. prayer of a righteous person – James 5:16

-stay right with the Lord

3. Crying out Prayer – Mark 10:46-52

-lifting our voices to the Lord

4. Persistent Prayer – Luke 1:5-8

-pray until something happens