Drawing near to God is about the presence of God, not just His performance. In this third message of the series, the pastor shows that Jesus came as heaven’s apostle to show us who the Father really is, and that the believer’s part is to reach for Him: draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. He describes a vision of mountains rising across Wisconsin and walks through the four things Scripture says are found in God’s presence: glory, honor, strength and gladness.
This message continues from Drawing Near to God, Part 2 — Presence, Not Performance. Below you will find the video, a summary, the Scripture behind each point (NKJV on Bible Gateway), a timestamped outline and practical steps.
Sermon at a Glance
This message was posted in December 2025, during the Christmas season, and closes with communion. The pastor explains that he teaches in series because Scripture describes teaching precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10). Teaching in series keeps reviewing and brings a greater revelation each time.
He links the series to the blessing of 2 Corinthians 13:14: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Communing with the Holy Spirit, he says, is where drawing near to God happens and where the presence of God is known.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Speaker | The pastor (not named in the recording) |
| Series | Drawing Near to God (#3) |
| Main text | James 4:7–10; 1 Chronicles 16:27 |
| Key theme | Seeking God’s manifest presence, not only His performance |
| Length | About 54 minutes, including communion |
Jesus, Heaven’s Apostle Who Showed Us the Father
Jesus came in the fullness of time, born of a woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4). The pastor says it was not a happy time for the religious leaders, who were at odds with Rome. When Jesus said, “I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18), it was the first time the word church appeared, yet the disciples never asked what it meant.
The reason, he explains, is that Rome used the word. Rome wanted territory, but rather than crush people, it sent an apostle to negotiate a truce: give yourself over to Rome and Rome will help you. That, he says, is where the saying that all roads lead to Rome comes from, and “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.” For believers, when in heaven, do as the heavenly do.
Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession (Hebrews 3:1), sent to negotiate a truce with mankind. The world did not know who God was. In Ezekiel 36:20–23, God says His name was profaned among the nations, and He would sanctify His great name. Religion had become law without mercy, but Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:17).
At His birth, the angels announced good tidings of great joy to all people and sang of peace on earth, goodwill toward men (Luke 2:10–14). Jesus healed them all and showed compassion, saying, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). He taught us to pray, “Hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9–10), which the pastor reads as: let people see who You really are.
So when a news report calls a tornado an act of God, the pastor calls that profaning God’s name. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). He is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). Our destination is the Father, he notes, and Jesus is the way there.
A Vision of Mountains Across Wisconsin
A couple of weeks before this message, the pastor says, the Lord gave him a vision. He was lifted up until he could see the whole state of Wisconsin, and mountains began springing up everywhere, some low and some very high, spreading across the state. They stood out, he jokes, because Wisconsin’s highest point, Timms Hill, is only about 1,900 feet above sea level.
In Scripture, he teaches, mountains typify people’s desire to draw near to God. Moses went up Mount Sinai to commune with God. Jesus went up a high mountain and was transfigured, His clothes shining white (Matthew 17:1–2). The psalmist said, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills — from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD” (Psalm 121:1–2).
Drawing near to God matters especially now, he says, because there is chaos in the world. Jesus spoke of wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6) and said that because lawlessness abounds, the love of many will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). As a boy he imagined lawlessness meant more jaywalkers; now, he says, it is far beyond that, and it is going to get worse.
The answer is the righteousness that comes from God. The word righteous means upright, and receiving His grace and truth gives believers a backbone to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10). But it does not happen just because someone names the name of Jesus. Mountains reaching toward heaven, strong and immovable, picture people who choose to draw near.
Presence, Not Performance
Many people say Christianity is not a religion but a relationship, the pastor observes, yet have no idea what that relationship looks like. He gives a marriage picture. If your wife is away for a month caring for family, does your heart ache because no one is cooking and washing clothes, or because her presence is missing? And wives, he asks, do you miss your husband or just the snow shoveling?
That, he says, is how many Christians relate to God. They ask why God is not healing or delivering, because all they know is His performance, not His presence. If they understood the presence of God, their hearts would break whenever they were without the fullness of it.
He distinguishes two things. God is omnipresent; He is everywhere and never leaves or forsakes us (Hebrews 13:5). But there is also the manifest presence of God, when He is tangible and real, and you feel the expression of His love, compassion and goodness. Believers are meant to be carriers of that manifest presence.
He also stresses that every person needs their own relationship with God. His children grew up in a pastor’s home, in church three times a week and chapel every school day, yet each one had to draw near to God for themselves. His heart broke many times watching them fumble through it, but today all of them serve the Lord. A pastor cannot do it for you, he says; drawing near to God is personal, and you must experience the presence of God yourself.
In the presence of God, the confusion goes away and the hurts and wounds leave. You will still have problems, he says, but you will have confidence of overcoming them, standing upright in the middle of the onslaught.
Drawing Near to God: James 4 and the Burning Bush
The central passage on drawing near to God is James 4:7–10, which the pastor reads from the New Living Translation. Humble yourself before God, resist the devil and he will flee, and draw near to God and He will draw near to you. The initiative, he points out, is ours: drawing near to God means reaching out for Him and wanting Him.
Moses shows the pattern. Tending Jethro’s flocks, he saw a bush burning without being consumed, and said he would turn aside to see it. When the Lord saw him turn aside, He called to him from the bush and told him the ground was holy (Exodus 3:1–6). God did not speak until Moses drew near, the pastor notes. If he had walked past, God would not have said a word.
The sign of God’s leading for Israel after that was the presence of God, a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13:21). James goes on: wash your hands, purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears and grief, humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
The pastor says this is not grief over unanswered requests. It is grief over missing the presence of God. When our loyalty is divided, we go to church, go home and go to work, and never notice His manifest presence is missing. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth (Psalm 145:18), so he leads the church to tell Him, “Lord, I want your presence.”
Relationships need freshness, he adds, and after almost 52 years of marriage to Pam, he says his heart still pitter-patters when he sees her. It takes work and drawing near. He recalls going to marriage seminars, hearing good advice, then talking himself out of applying it for fear it would look forced. His conclusion: just obey God, whatever anyone thinks.
Truth has no expiration date, he says. Jesus said that whatever you ask when you pray, believe that you receive, and you will have it (Mark 11:24). The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart (Psalm 34:18), and that especially includes the heart broken for His presence, not for an unfulfilled wish.
God Wants Your Presence
God is sovereign, the pastor explains, which means He exists without any outside help. Nothing you do can make Him better, and He does not need you. Yet He created you, drew near to you and sent His Son as Emmanuel, God with us. Why? He simply wants your presence. He did not create Adam to do things for Him; He wanted Adam in the presence of God, keeping the garden and fellowshipping with Him.
One day God came and Adam was nowhere to be seen. Adam said he hid himself because he was afraid, being naked (Genesis 3:9–11). Having lost the presence of God, his mind turned to his shortcomings. Our inner eyes and ears, the pastor says, should be closed to the corruption of this world and open to the kingdom of heaven, and that only happens in the presence of God.
God is not looking to scold you for not being all that and a bag of chips. He will perfect what concerns you (Psalm 138:8), and what He started in you He will complete (Philippians 1:6). You can carry the presence of God at work by thinking about His goodness. He is not a dad calling the kids only to clean the garage; He wants you with Him so your life can be blessed and empowered.
David understood this. When the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God’s presence, was brought back to Jerusalem, David danced before the Lord with all his might. Michal despised him, and the pastor notes that she had no child to the day of her death (2 Samuel 6:14–23). Sometimes the problems in our lives are God wanting us to come back to the presence of God, he says, and that is what repent means: change direction and go toward God.
Four Things Found in His Presence
David’s song of thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16:27–31 says, “Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place.” The pastor, using the wording “glory and honor,” draws out four things that will revolutionize a life, with the Hebrew words he gives for each.
| In His presence | Hebrew word, as taught | What it means, as taught |
|---|---|---|
| Glory | Hod | Beauty, grandeur, an excellency that shines on and reflects off people |
| Honor | Hadar | To be esteemed, admired, valued, favored; to overflow like a riverbank |
| Strength | Oz | To stand firm and be stable; strength in force, security, majesty and boldness |
| Gladness | Chedvah | To rejoice, to have joy, and to be joined to |
Glory changes your appearance. After Moses met God on Sinai, the people could not look at his face (Exodus 34:29–35). Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:7–11 that if the ministry of death was glorious, the ministry of the Spirit is much more glorious. God has promised us more than Moses had, the pastor says, but it takes the presence of God.
Honor is one of the greatest human needs, which is why people brag or do dangerous stunts to be admired. God wants to give it. Once, after three weeks of fasting, prayer and drawing near to God, the pastor went into a grocery store for an apple and thirteen people gathered around him saying there was something about him. He shared the Lord, and all thirteen gave their lives to Christ. That, he says, is the kingdom coming on earth.
He recalls the hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” and quotes Brother Lawrence, a French minister of the 1600s who wrote about practicing the presence of God, praying, “please grant me the grace to remain with you in your presence.” Brother Lawrence also wrote that the more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him.
Strength means stability. Like the greatest army in the world, you do not need to show it off. His soul silently waits for God, who is his defense, so he shall not be greatly moved (Psalm 62:1–2). Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2); our part is to stay in the presence of God.
Gladness comes when we are joined to the Lord in drawing near to God. “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). He closes the teaching with Romans 15:13: may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
He then invites anyone who has never given their life to the Lord, or has lost that intimacy, to confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9) and come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). You do not have to get your life straight first. Communion follows (1 Corinthians 11:23–26), open to every believer, which he also calls practicing the presence of God. Paul received it after drawing near and being caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2–4).
Practicing His Presence This Week
The pastor ends by blessing the church and urging them to seek those things which are above (Colossians 3:1). Here are steps for drawing near to God drawn from the message:
- Take the first step. Draw near to God on purpose; He responds when you turn aside to seek Him.
- Tell Him what you want. Pray simply, “Lord, I want your presence,” and ask for His manifest presence.
- Grieve the right loss. Let your heart be moved by missing the presence of God, not by unmet wishes.
- Practice His presence at work. Keep thinking about His goodness, love and faithfulness during ordinary tasks.
- Keep relationships fresh. Invest in your walk with God the way you would invest in a marriage.
- Welcome Him in rest. He gives His beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2); invite His presence even into your dreams.
Timestamped Outline
- 0:00 Line upon line: teaching in series
- 1:05 The fullness of time and the first mention of church
- 2:05 How Rome used apostles to negotiate a truce
- 4:17 Jesus, heaven’s apostle; Ezekiel 36
- 6:21 Hallowed be Your name
- 7:24 John 14:6: our destination is the Father
- 8:41 A vision of mountains across Wisconsin
- 9:37 Mountains: Moses, the transfiguration, Psalm 121
- 10:48 Lawlessness and standing upright
- 12:01 Presence versus performance
- 13:13 James 4: draw near to God
- 14:25 Moses turns aside to the burning bush
- 17:42 Everyone needs their own relationship with God
- 20:18 Fresh relationships and marriage seminars
- 22:28 Psalm 34:18: near to the brokenhearted
- 23:49 God is sovereign, yet wants your presence
- 26:32 David brings back the ark
- 28:45 1 Chronicles 16: glory, honor, strength, gladness
- 31:11 Glory: Moses’ shining face and 2 Corinthians 3
- 33:57 Honor and the grocery store
- 37:34 Brother Lawrence and practicing the presence
- 38:49 Strength and gladness; Psalm 16:11
- 43:52 Romans 15:13 and invitation
- 46:30 Communion
- 54:07 Closing blessing
Drawing Near to God Series
This message is part of the Drawing Near to God series at NTC Ministries. Start at the beginning or keep going:
- First message: Drawing Near to God #1 — A Vision of Rising Mountains
- Previous: Drawing Near to God, Part 2 — Presence, Not Performance
- You are here: Drawing Near to God #3: Presence, Not Performance
- Next: Drawing Near to God #4: Hearing His Voice Above All Others
Frequently Asked Questions
If God is everywhere, why do I need to draw near?
The pastor distinguishes between God’s omnipresence and His manifest presence. God is everywhere and never leaves or forsakes His people, but His manifest presence is when He becomes tangible and real, and you feel His love, compassion and goodness. James 4 puts the initiative on the believer: draw near to God, and He draws near to you, just as He spoke to Moses only after Moses turned aside.
Can a pastor or parent draw near to God for me?
No. Drawing near to God is personal. He says a pastor’s role is not like a priest in religion who does everything for you. Even his own children, raised in church and a Christian school, each had to draw close to God for themselves. Parents can prepare children for that day, but every person needs a living relationship with God and must experience His presence personally.
Who can take communion in this service?
He invites every believer in Jesus Christ to come forward, whether or not they are members of the church, saying that restricting communion to members is not scriptural. He describes communion itself as practicing the presence of God, and says believers can commune with Him at home, at work and anywhere else.
Scripture References
All passages open in the New King James Version on Bible Gateway:
- James 4:7–10 — draw near to God and He will draw near to you
- 1 Chronicles 16:27–31 — strength and gladness in His place
- Exodus 3:1–6 — Moses turns aside to the burning bush
- 2 Corinthians 13:14 — the communion of the Holy Spirit
- Ezekiel 36:20–23 — God’s name profaned and sanctified
- John 14:6 — the way to the Father
- Psalm 121:1–2 — I will lift up my eyes to the hills
- 2 Corinthians 3:7–11 — the greater glory
- Psalm 16:11 — fullness of joy in His presence
How this summary was made: written with AI assistance from the sermon’s own transcript and checked against the Scriptures listed above.
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