The God Who Shows Up

Well, today we are going to start off a new series. Obviously today is being resurrection day. We are going to start a new series called the God who Series. The God who series. And we’re going to be talking about who is God, who is God to us.

And I’m going to pull some strings on you. I’m going to challenge you a little. Bit and you’re going to challenge me. I learned from an old preacher one. Time he said, look, he says you’re never too smart to keep learning.

Be a consummate student. Be a consummate student in the Word. And so today we’re going to start our series off with the God who shows Up. How many of us could say that in a time of trial and tragedy. And different things that we can turn around and go, God shows up.

Amen. Let me explain something to you. God’s not only there in the bad. Times, he’s also there in the good times. He never leaves you.

You know, and I do, Miranda was, was absolutely correct about Encounter Nights. I could not implore that more. I’ve seen some healings. We’re a little bit. I say if you’re not used to it, I mean, I grew up in Assemblies of God, Church of God, the.

Charismatic movement, all that. I don’t care what background you come from, denomination. I can tell you this, I don’t care what denomination you call yourself. I don’t care what you come from. I grew up as a Catholic.

My mother was the pastor secretary. We went into a charismatic church. And I can tell you this, that there’s no more power than a church,. Than a body that comes together and is more presence driven and biblically founded. We’re kingdom minded on Thursday nights.

It’s the one thing that absolutely surprises. Me that we have a couple different representations of church. We have a home church that comes, we have another local church that shows up. And we’re all about just coming together. And just spending time with God.

There’s no agenda. We praise and we worship and we. Meet each other’s needs and we pray for the church as a locality because there’s nothing more important than the church being successful, especially in this time. But as we start off in our scripture, if you have your Bibles and on your phones, we can read this together in Matthew 27, 45 and 54. And it said the death, we’re talking about the death of Jesus.

And it says at noon darkness fell across the whole land until 3 o’. Clock. And about 3 o’ clock, Jesus called out with a Loud voice Eli, Eli lema shebach, which means my God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, one holding it up on him on a reed stick so he could drink.

But the rest said, wait, let’s weather. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him. Then Jesus shouted out again and he released his spirit. And at that moment, the curtain in the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart and tombs were open.

The the bodies of many godly men and women who had died that day, that had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many. And it was at that time that a Roman officer and other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by what? By the earthquake and all that had happened. And they said this man truly was the son of God.

Now what I want to focus on is I want to go back to that part of the screen, the scripture in verse 50 where it says, then Jesus shouted out again and released his spirit. And at that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. In Luke 23:45, it says it this way. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly the curtain in the sanctuary with temple was torn down the middle.

The tearing of the temple veil was so significant, it was recorded in three out of the four gospels. I hate computers. Forgive me. There we go. Get back to my notes.

Here we go. So the significance of the veil is the veil was in the temple that was described, not your ordinary veil. It was massive, it was thick, it was deeply sacred. It separated the holy place from the holy from the most holy place, the holy of holies. It’s the very place where it was believed that the presence of God had dwelt.

Only the high priest could enter. And it was only once a year in the day of atonement. Now I want to dig a little bit into the veil just to kind of show you the significance of it, the veil. According to Jewish tradition, an Talmud and historian Josephus, the veil was considered a hand breadth. Now a hand breadth.

I was into horses. So how we measured horses is we used to say they’re 15 hands high or they’re 16 hands high. What hand breadth is, is 4 inches. And they’re basically saying that almost that’s. The width of your hand.

So this veil was 4 inches in. Thickness,. The height was often described as being 60ft tall and 30ft wide. The material it was woven from 72 cords each comprised of 24 threads of fine blue, purple and scarlet thread along with finely twisted linens. It is said that it took 12,000 snails of very certain species to make up a single thimbleful of dye to.

Produce those colors in the thread. Most of the ladies would know what a thimble. My grandmother used to. I used to watch my grandmother sew my clothes and she used to thimble was about that big. The design was.

It had embroidered a cherubim along with the veil as to match the veil that is described in Exodus. The work is said to take the experience of up to 82 women specifically trained for this purpose. And it took roughly six months. The veil was so immense and durable that two horses could be attached to. Either side and they couldn’t pull it apart.

It required 3, 300 priests just to move. Hung from a stone lintel that weighed roughly 60,000 pounds. And God tore it in two. In a mere breath, he tore it in two. The tearing of the temple veil at the moment that Jesus death is most powerful and symbolic event ever recorded in the Gospels.

It is mentioned in Matthew 27:51 and Mark 15:38 and Luke 23:45. The veil is a physical representation of the separation of God’s presence between humanity and God. There was a reason why this was done. Yes, we have the cross. And it is by the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we are able to enter into the holy of holies.

But that veil represented a separation between us and God. We weren’t allowed to enter in. Only one that could be counted as holy could enter in. Jesus flipped the script. He said not anymore.

He willingly on Friday gave himself up as a sacrifice for both you and I. He said, father, I will stand in between them and I will give my life and take what they deserve on myself. And Friday, when he died three days later, he split the tomb wide open. We have the cross. But the resurrection is what makes us who we are because that gives us freedom.

Because that is what we can do, is we can look at the enemy and every all the garbage that the enemy puts us through and we can point back and go, Satan, that’s empty. So is the tomb. You no longer have power over me. So now we have access to God. Before the veil being torn, only a high priest could enter the holy of holies.

And he said once a year and a blood sacrifice had to accompany and enter the Holy place after it. Anyone can approach God anytime through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We now have access. This aligns with what was stated in Hebrews 10, 19 and 20. It says, and so, dear brothers and sisters, can we boldly enter into heaven’s most holy place because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life giving way through the curtain into the most holy place. See, the old custom, the old covenantal system had been fulfilled. Jesus became the final sacrifice. No longer did they have to sacrifice a lamb or something innocent for their sins. Jesus did it.

And now and will forever. He will now and forever be considered our high priest. He is now the mediator between us and God. The separation between God and humanity has been removed. After the fall, humanity was driven from the presence of God and sin could not exist his presence.

But the barrier had been removed and now reconciliation is possible. Hebrews 4:16 says this. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help where. It is needed most.

I’m reminded as a dad, my children are growing up, that we would set our kids down and they’d go to bed even if they got in trouble. Even if we said, you’re going to bed, we’re done. And at nighttime would come and they would have a bad dream. My wife and I typically, we never. Kept our bedroom door closed.

We always kept it open in case for the kids. And no matter how angry we were or what had happened that day, they. Always knew they could come to our doorpost and they could knock and say, mommy, Daddy, I had a bad dream. And we would say, come, come. This is the same thing that your Father in heaven says.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, it doesn’t matter. I love you. I love you in spite of yourself. I love you in spite of your sin. You, you can come to me and I welcome you.

See, the veil was a fit. Was veil physical, but it was also a representation of our sin and our. Distance and how it made God unapproachable. What we have now is grace replaces law as means of access. Relationship replaced ritual.

Intimacy replaces distance. Growing up as a Catholic, I would always have that. We would go to confession and they would. I would sit in front of confession. And the priest would say, go.

Say 20 Hail Marys, five Our Fathers and then your. Your sins will be forgiven. When I fully devoted into Christianity and became a Christian, I realized I didn’t need to do that. God gave Me, I was willingly and I could go in front of him and say, God, I need you. I need you.

But that didn’t give me the right. To sin every single day. I learned that I don’t treat God as fire insurance. He’s not. It doesn’t matter what happens in your life, it doesn’t matter what tragedies befall you.

He’s still on the throne. I remember long ago, even in the death of of my sister in law, years and years ago and then even recently in the death of my brother. God’s still on the throne and I have access. No longer do I have to sit in front of a 4 inch. Veil and say, God, can I come in?

God already knows what’s happening because of the blood of Jesus Christ. That covers everything. He openly welcomes me and says, come here my son, come here. This is why we call him Abba. Abba Father.

I don’t have to pray to him. Five times a day at the onus of a bell. I can pray to him morning, noon and night. He walks with me day in and day out. God’s access to God is no longer dependent on his availability, but on his invitation.

Sealed through the finished work of Christ. No longer do we wait for a priest or a place or a prescribed moment. The veil’s been torn and the way has been open. We don’t approach God based on a calendar, but a covenant. We don’t come trembling behind a curtain.

We boldly enter in through the throne of grace. What was once restricted is now released. What is once was hidden is now revealed. And what once was distant is now deeply personal. It’s the personal relationship that I have with Christ.

See on the other side of the veil. The veil is an example of of distance. But we learn by the names of God. Reveal who’s on the other side of the wall when we bring them together. This adds depth and understanding that we’re not just gaining access, but we’re gaining access to someone specific in his fulfillment.

He loves you, he cares about you. He cares about your day in and day out. This is why he was willing to give himself up. He was willing to dethrone himself from the very heaven and take on the nature of man. We learned that Elohim, as in Genesis 1:1, it says the emphasis God describes power and might, his role as creator.

The one behind the veil is not weaker symbol. He’s the creator of all things. We know him as Yahweh, the proper name of God, first revealed in Exodus 3:14. He says, I Am who I am or the self existent one. Emphasizing his eternal nature.

We look at him as Adonai. Lord and master emphasizes God’s authority and sovereignty as role as master over certain creation and individuals. The veil represented reverence and authority. The torn veil doesn’t remove his lordship. It invites us to willingly submit and not just stand at a distance.

El Shaddai God Almighty found in Genesis 17:1 it says highlights God as an all sufficient one who is powerful and able to fulfill his promises. See, before we relied on a priest, rituals or laws to approach Him. After we come directly to the one. Who is more than enough. When the when the veil torn lack.

Lost its authority because El Shaddai became accessible. When we go into Jehovah when we look at Jehovah Jireh, I love these names. Jehovah jireh in Genesis 22:14 the Lord will provide When God used used. When God provided a ram in place of Isaac before the veil turned, provision was placed on an altar. After a tour, provision became the access point.

He is my Jehovah Jireh. Some may say, well, you know, also you’re. You’re a prosperity preacher. Prosperity. My God is the King of kings.

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He didn’t say I need to be poor. He he said, poor in spirit. That’s entirely different. You have not, because you asked not where do you put your priorities?

Is your priority in your boss? Is it in your bank account? Is it in your influence? Is it in the car you drive? The type of house you have?

Because none of that matters. None of it matters. Because when you learn to elevate him and you look at him and you go, God, you’re my Jehovah Jireh. You, you are my provider. It doesn’t make a difference if you got $0.

01 in the bank. God’s going to make sure that you’ve got enough. The enemy would love to remind you what you don’t have. Instead, what you need to do is you need to remind the enemy what. You do have.

I met a gentleman this past week in my job and I walked in and he got up. From the couch and he had no legs and he greeted me with a smile on his face and he’s like,. Hey, Carl, how you doing today? I’m like, I’m doing good, how are you? He goes, man, it’s good to be alive.

His house was filled with joy and we got to talk and I was. Like, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened? He said, ah. He Goes, I was young and dumb. He goes, I got no car accident.

The car caught fire and I lost my legs. And he goes, but you know what? He goes, I’m blessed. I’m blessed. And I’m looking at that, going, man, how many times is this old boy broke down, ragged out, get home.

And I’m like. I look at my bank account, I got more phone calls from the debt collector. I got all this stuff going on. And I’m going, God, where are you? And I look at this person and.

Go, wait a minute. Something is seriously off here. God says, I’m right here. I’ve always been here. Where’s your priority?

See, when we learn. We learned in. Golly. My mind is drawing a blank. No, not in Sunday school.

I can’t remember. Anyway, I’ll think about it when I don’t need to think about it. But God is. But God’s with us. No matter what we go through, even.

In our lowest moments, God is with us. He’s Jehovah Jireh. He’s Jehovah rapha. In Exodus 15:26, the Lord that Heals focuses on God as the healer of physical, emotional and spiritual needs. The veil didn’t just block access.

It reflects brokenness when it tore. And it now represents healing. We have direct access for healing. I remember when my mother had cancer and we talked and she said, you know what, honey? She said, God will either heal me here or he’ll heal me on the other side.

She goes, this place is just a stopover for us. She goes, this isn’t my home. She goes, my home is waiting on the other side. I remember when her sister passed away. We were involved in an automobile accident in the early 90s, and I struggled because I thought it was my fault.

And after a while, God had to deal with the guilt. And he dealt with a lot of things. But one of the things is it left my sister. It left my wife without a sister. She became an only child.

But I remember a really good friend of ours from New York. He said, you know, I said to him one time, I said, just ask me this one question. I said, did she suffer? He went, nope. He said, carl.

He goes, it was like she got pushed through the other side. He said, she went to sleep here and she woke up in the arms of Jesus. I was like, hallelujah, God bless the Lord. God is good, but he’s our healer. He can heal.

Amen, Brother David. He can heal. Jehovah Nissi, my redeemed my banner. He represents God’s Victory and protection in battle. He’s Jehovah shalom in Judges 6:24 he reigns.

Lord is peace signifying God’s ability to bring completeness and peace and soundness. Tensions between holiness and sin. Through Christ, tension is resolved as peace replaces fear. He’s Jehovah Ra, the Lord is my shepherd highlights God’s care, guidance and protection. He’s Jehovah sidkenu in Jeremiah 23:6 Lord, our righteousness the only high priest that we’re able to enter but through the blood that we were made righteous in Christ permanently qualified Jehovah Shema the Lord is there significant that the Lord is present and involved in our life.

Jehovah Shabbat, the Lord of Hosts. The veil was torn so that you and I would wouldn’t just have access to God. You and I would be able to encounter him as Yahweh, our covenant keeper, our El Shaddai, our sufficiency, Jehovah Jireh, our provider and Jehovah Shalom our peace. He didn’t just show up for Calvary on the moment that Calvary, he tore down anything that would keep you and I from him forever. Before the cross, God was known in.

Fragments through names revealed over time. But when the veil tore, access was not just granted. Revelation was unleashed. Don’t wait up for God to show up. He’s already here.

The question is, will you step in? He’s waiting for you. He’s waiting for you to make that decision. I’m reminded of a parable, the story that was told, a parable of a just king. Long, long time ago, there was a king who ruled very justly.

His people loved him because he ruled so justly. But his chief servant came to him. One day and he said, he said, king, he goes, somebody stealing from our treasury. Things aren’t adding up. So the king issued a decree and.

He said, find the person that is. Stealing from us and I will issue him 10 lashings. So the chief servant went out and he began to look and couldn’t find anybody and came back a week later. And he said, king, he goes, somebody’s still stealing from the treasury. We can’t find him.

He goes, I’m done with this. 20 Lashes to the person. Week or two later, the chief servant came in and said, sir, we still can’t find the person, but they’re still stealing from the treasury. He said, that’s it, I’ve had enough. He said, issue a decree that if the person is found, 40 lashes or death.

Well, the people were so just they knew that they loved their king. And they go, man. Even the king couldn’t sustain that. He was. He was a bulky man.

He knew what he could do. About a week or two later, the servant came to him pale and said, king, we found the person who was stealing. Bring him before me. I want to see them. As the king sat on his throne and the guards brought a frail woman up, came up the aisle.

The king was in horror. He saw this frail woman, and this frail woman happened to be his own mother. The people of the kingdom wanted to find out, what is the king gonna do? Surely he’s not gonna give his own mother lashes. He’s not gonna do that.

The king thought, and he said, bring. In the whipping post. And they were horrified. They said, surely the king’s not going to whip his mother. And he told the executioner, he says, deliver the punishment.

So as the executioner began to draw. Back his whip, just as he was. Getting ready to come down, the king said, hold, stop. He took his crown off, laid it on the throne, walked down next to his mother, rent his clothes, took off his royal garments and covered his mother with his own body, laid over her. And he looked at the executioner and he says, now deliver it.

The executioner was astonished. He’s like, I’m not going to whip my king. And the king looked at him and said, I gave you an order. Follow through. That day, the king gave his very own life for a sin that was committed that was not his own.

And he showed the ultimate sacrifice. This is how much God means to you. In Romans 3, 25 and 26, it says, For God presented Jesus as a sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. The sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and included them in what he would do in this present time.

God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair. I could slide myself into that and say, for God presented Jesus as a sacrifice for my sin. I am made right with God when I believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shed the blood. His sacrifice shows that God was being fair. When he held back and did not.

Punish me for my sins,. He held back. For God looked ahead through the centuries. And saw me where I would be standing. He sees you right where you’re standing.

Over 2,000 years ago, he stood on that cross and he saw your face. And he said, God, I’ll give it up for them. Stand with me. Today is the day of salvation. You’re not guaranteed the next minute, the next day, next anything.

As there are some of us in this room that know that your life can change in an instant. If you’re here today and if you’ve never have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart as personal Lord and Savior, I want to pray for you, but I want you to know that he loves you. He’s not looking at you through the lens of your sin and through your problems. He’s looking at you through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross and the risen God. And he says, I see no sin.

I see nothing but my beloved. That’s what I see with every eye closed and every head bowed. Why don’t we all. We’re all going to say this prayer together. Heavenly Father,.

I believe in you. I accept you as my personal Lord and Savior. I confess all my sins to you, and I ask for your forgiveness. I ask that you would deliver me, Father, that you would come and be in my life for now and forevermore. Amen.

If you said that for the first time, or if you’re rededicating your life on the card that Miranda had told you, I would like you to just write on that and say, I rededicated my life or I gave my heart to the Lord. There’s a couple things that I do want to do. I’m going to ask David and Ruth to come over here. I’m going to ask Alex and Miranda and Pastor Leon to come up front. This is what I want.

We’re going to do something a little different. We talked about healing. We talked about deliverance. He is the God that shows up. How bad do you need him to show up right now?

What’s going on in your life? The Bible says that when two or three come and they pray together, it moves the hand of God. God’s moved, but he can’t move you. You have to move on your own. As TJ Kind of sings a little bit and kind of plays us through this for a couple minutes.

If you need prayer, I want you. To be bold, encouraged, and step out and come to one of these saints up front. Let them pray for you. Let us believe for you. Whether it’s healing, deliverance, whatever you need, we’re here for you.

Let’s go ahead. Oh, I want Jesus oh, I want him oh oh, I want Jesus Take this world and give me him oh, I want Jesus oh, I want him. Him. Oh, I want Jesus. Oh, I want Jesus.

Oh, I want him. Oh, I want Jesus. Take this world and give me. You made a way for me to enter the holy place. You made a way for me.

To. Enter the holy place. Place. I am yours, you are mine, and we’ll be together forever. I am yours, you are mine and will be together forever.

Oh, I want Jesus. Oh, I want him. Oh, I want. I want Jesus. Leave this world and give me.

Oh, I want jesus. Yeshua, o I want him. Praise you, jesus. Praise you, jesus. I don’t typically do this, But God’s telling me that you’re getting ready to enter into a new season.

The past is going to be your greatest asset. I’m getting ready to do something in you that no other man has been able to do. I’m going to be blessing you. You’re going to be turning over rocks for me. Mother, wife, I see you, you are loved.

I hear every prayer that you stung. I’ve got every tear saved. God’s telling me, get ready. He’s getting ready to do something. He’s getting ready to do something.

I don’t know what it is. I don’t know how he’s gonna do it, but I know it’s not gonna look like he thought it was. But God’s getting ready to do something. I believe it right now, God. I release it.

In the name of Jesus, bless this family. Give this man a special anointing. Open his eyes and his heart that he can see and he can hear you. Father, I pray that this woman would have the boldness of Esther, that she stands up, she comes against the enemy like a flood. Bless this family right now in the name of Jesus.

Touch them, Father. Hallelujah. And anoint their son for service in you. Amen. Hallelujah.

Those that know me, that don’t happen, I just. God was not going to let me go. And I was like, God, I’m going to close. And God says, no, you’re not. I hate you.

I love you. Amen. Do me a favor. It’s Resurrection day. Give me 30 seconds and stand to your feet and give him praise.

Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen. I will say this to the day that Hans and Leon kicked me out of this church.

They thought Salt Church was down. They miscalculated by a long stretch and by a long shot. Salt Church is getting ready to take Virginia beach by storm. We’ve served the enemy noticed. We’re coming.

We’re coming. We’re coming for Atlantic. We’re coming for Pacific. We’re coming for the boardwalk. You’re not part of a church if you come here, you’re part of a family.

And a family. We worship together. We pray together. We read together. We hold each other accountable.

This church is not about me. It’s not about the Dunnings. It’s not about Fountain of Life, who we’re associated with. It’s about the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

Amen, Amen and amen. Well, I’m not going to hold you guys up. I love y’. All. You guys are awesome.

I appreciate you sharing Easter with us. You guys are absolutely awesome. And we’re going to go ahead and we’re going to dismiss, pray for you guys. Go get your kids. It looked like the Easter Bunny threw up back there, so I just.

Have fun. Hey, parents, don’t look at me. You get to deal with them, okay? Heavenly Father, I just thank you right now for what you’re doing in this church and in the lives that are represented in this church. I play blessings and honor and anointing over every life that is represented here.

Father, we love you and we praise you. We give you the rest in the remainder of our week. We ask that you go forward. Go with us, Lord God. Straighten out our path.

Bring us back together next Sunday so we can continue this series, the God who Father, we love you and we praise you in your name. Amen. Amen. Go with God. He’s going with you.