You know, I want to share something with you this morning before we receive our offering. Whether you realize it or not, every morning we all get up and step into the unseen. While we may have a plan or an agenda for the day, there are still the unknowns. As much as we think we know about the day — we know the sun’s going to rise, we know the sun’s going to set, we know time’s going to tick by second at a time, and we go, how did it already get to be this time of day? — in the midst of all of that, there are things we didn’t know were going to come by us. There are things we see that we didn’t know we were going to see. We live and walk in the unknown and the unseen every day.
I’ve got a quote I wrote several years ago in a class I was teaching: your dreams reside, and your future is found, in the unknown. Our dreams reside and our future is found in the unknown, in the unseen. There’s a scripture in Mark 4:26-29, from the Passion Translation: “Jesus also told them this parable: God’s kingdom realm is like someone spreading seed on the ground. He goes to bed and gets up day after day, and the seed sprouts and grows tall, though he knows not how. All by itself the soil produces a crop — first the green stem, then the head on the stalk, and then the fully developed grain in the head. Then when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts the sickle to the grain, because harvest time has come.”
We’re getting very close to harvest time here where we live, and I grew up with this, so I’m very familiar with it. Pastor Conia and I were talking about it the other day. We were driving, and there was just this lush, thriving field of corn. And she goes, “That’s a lot of grain for just one — huh?” One ear. That’s about all there ever is, one ear of corn on a stalk. And I said, “Yes, but that one seed, that one kernel of corn the farmer planted, produces an ear of corn that will return 800 to 1,200 kernels of corn on that one ear. That stalk of corn is there supporting that one ear, feeding it so it will thrive. And it all started in the unseen.” I remember my uncle and others would go out and pray over their cornfield. People would come by and go, “Man, what are you doing to get a crop that looks like that? That’s amazing.” And they’d just grin and giggle. Well, God’s working.
And the same thing is happening with the seed you sow into God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is seedtime and harvest. Jesus said it throughout the Bible. It’s founded on sowing and reaping. We plant trusting God to bring the return. We don’t plant and then try to go dig it up and see if it’s creating a return — that doesn’t work. We plant it, trusting God to bring the harvest. Seeds grow in hidden places. In the unseen, God is already at work. He is there in the unseen. He is there in the unknown. And He is already working on your behalf to see your seed produce a harvest. When we give, rarely are results immediate. It takes some time for the harvest to come forth. But you can trust this: the harvest is coming. Every seed you’ve sown is producing a harvest. It is coming. So we give in faith, trusting God, trusting the unseen work of God. As you prepare to sow this morning, know this: you’re sowing your seed, and God is going to take that seed and nurture it, and it’s going to produce an abundant return in your life. Jesus said thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold. And we’re not just going for thirty times; we’re believing for a hundredfold return on every seed sown today.
Will you partner with us and sow seeds into this ministry? Your seed helps us take this message throughout the world. There are people watching today that are right here with us live that are from other nations. We’ve got friends in Pakistan, India, all over the place. Your seed helps us take this message to the world. And God promises us in Malachi 3 that when we pay our tithes and bring offerings into His storehouse, He opens the windows of heaven over us and pours out a blessing on us — there’s not room enough to receive it. It is an overflowing, more-than-enough blessing, and that is yours today. Receive that. There are several ways you can give. If you’re here in the room, you can give cash, write a check, or scan the QR code on the corner of your bulletin. To all of our live stream friends, go to our website, EmergeInternationalChurch.org, and up in the right-hand corner there’s a Give button. Ask God what He would have you do today, and sow seed so you see that abundant return come back to you. Pastor Conia and I love, love, love sowing seed, and we look forward to this opportunity today. Let’s bow our heads. Father, we thank You that You’re working in areas we can’t see, in the unseen and the unknown. You’re working for us right now. You’re bringing a harvest of everything we’ve sown — our finances, our time, our talent, our care for others, our love for others. Those are all ways we sow seed, Father, and we thank You for bringing a hundredfold return on the seed that is sown today. Every need is met, Lord. You meet all of our needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and so we receive that done today. We sow our offerings today and give You praise and glory for it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
It’s time to get into the Word, and I’m going to ask Pastor Conia to come pray over the message today as we prepare to hear from the Lord. Father, thank You for this day. We pray a blessing over Pastor David as he comes to bring the Word today. Lord, may our hearts be open to what You have for us. May we see with Your eyes — You in us, with us, and through us. Father, we thank You for this opportunity to gather together to worship You, to put our eyes on You, Lord, because You have everything. We love You, we praise You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
I just want to encourage you to take your iPad, your phone, your laptop, your Bible if you have that, and let’s turn to Deuteronomy 31:8. You know, about three weeks ago Brother Kevin Williams shared with us, talking about the presence of the Lord — His presence, His power, His provision. I started out of this verse here in Deuteronomy 31:8, and as I was going back over and studying it, the Lord showed me some things. I’ve been teaching the last couple of weeks on the power of His presence, and this is one of the greatest promises given to believers: Jesus not only saves us, but He also promises to be with us always. Let’s read this verse together, Deuteronomy 31:8, and hear the promise Moses is giving to Joshua as he prepares to take the children of Israel into the promised land. Moses has let them know: my time has come, I’m getting ready to go be with the Lord, and Joshua is going to be your leader. And Moses says this to Joshua: “And the Lord, He is the one —”
I want to stop right there this morning. I was reading this again, and “the Lord, He is the one.” Moses was saying: this isn’t me talking, Joshua. This is God talking through me to you. And the Lord, He is the one. I want that phrase to get down deep in you, because whatever you hear from the Lord today, whatever the Holy Spirit speaks to you, it is God speaking to you. It is the Lord. He is the one.
And so Moses says to Joshua: “And the Lord, He is the one who goes before.” We talked about that last week. God goes before us. God is always going before us, making a way for us, preparing the way for us. And He is the one. He goes on to say: “He will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” He is the one who goes before. He is the one who will be with you. He will not leave you. He will not forsake you. Today I want us to look at the promise: He will be with you. Not only is He going before you — He will be with you.
This promise was originally spoken as Joshua prepared to lead Israel into the promised land. Joshua faced an overwhelming assignment. Think about it: over two million people. He’s got to cross the Jordan River. He’s got to go start conquering cities. It was an overwhelming assignment. Yet God’s promise was not primarily about success, about how they were going to overcome. God’s promise was about His presence. The promise of His presence was more important than the fact that they were going to go across and succeed. God was going before them, and He will be with them.
Let’s break that phrase down. That first word: He. He is the person of the promise. The promise begins with the Lord. He is the one. Moses does not say strength will be with you, victory will be with you, or even blessings will be with you — although all those things did come. He said, “He will be with you.” It is the Lord Himself who will be there with you, Joshua. And we need to know that this is true for us today also. Whatever you’re starting, whatever you’re going through, whatever you’re facing, whatever the challenge is, God is with you. He is the one. He will be with you. It is the Lord Himself.
And let me say this again just a little bit differently: God’s greatest gift is not what He gives. It is His own presence. It is who He is. Think about it. God can give you anything. He can bless you with things you can’t imagine. He can do things in you and through you that you can’t imagine. But the most powerful gift He can give you is His presence. Jesus came and gave His life and said, “I will be with you. The Holy Spirit will live within you when you receive Me as your Lord and Savior.” Whether you feel it or not, wherever you are, whatever’s going on, God is there with you. God’s greatest gift is not what He gives; it is His own presence.
Throughout Scripture, God’s people are distinguished by the fact that God is with them. We are God’s people. God is with us. God is with you. Know that. Don’t let the enemy steal that from you. Don’t let the enemy tell you, well, you messed up. Don’t let the enemy tell you you’re not good enough, you didn’t believe enough, you don’t have enough faith. God is with you.
When Moses pleaded with God in Exodus 33, he essentially said, “If Your presence does not go up with us, don’t send us.” The Lord was having a conversation with Moses, and God was telling Moses, these are some of the most stubborn people. I made these people, but they’re stubborn. “I don’t think I can go up with you. I’m going to send an angel before you to take you there, so you’ve got an angel with you to help you. But I don’t think I’m going to go, because these people will make me mad, and I’ll end up dealing with all of them.” And so it comes down to verse 14, and here’s what the Lord says to Moses: “And He said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” Now, He said that to Moses. He didn’t even mention the children of Israel. “Moses, I’ll go with you, and I’ll give you rest.” Then Moses said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us — all of us — do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” Moses is making a declaration: God, we will be separate from all the people on the face of the earth. And the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken, for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
That word grace there is the same word we translate favor. “Moses, you’ve found favor with Me. I agree — I’m going to go with all of you.” And then He says, “I know you.” When He said “I know you by name,” in the Hebrew, to know someone by name was to know them deeply. It wasn’t just a surface relationship. God said, “I know you, Moses. I know your heart. I know you by name.” I want God to know me by name. I want an intimate relationship, and I know I can have it, because He is with me — and He is with you. Moses understood that God’s presence was what made Israel different from every other nation. And God’s presence in your life, resting on you, makes you different from everyone else.
You may have heard of Brother Bill Johnson, who pastors Bethel Church out in California. He talks about this bookstore, coffee shop kind of place he used to go into, look at books, and get a cup of coffee. He went in so much he got to know the owner. But he said, “I didn’t want to just go in there. I wanted to go in there and make a difference, glorify God. I’d get to the door and stop and pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come and rest upon me as I went in.” And he said he went in one day and the owner said, “Oh, Bill, you’re back. It’s so good to see you, because I love it when you come in here. The whole atmosphere changes. There’s something different about you.” And that’s exactly what Moses saw — that God’s presence was the differentiator. It was what made Israel different from every other nation. And this all points to that statement: God’s greatest gift is not what He gives; it is His own presence.
You know, I’ve been in a lot of worship services and prayer meetings, and sometimes we just sit in the presence of God and worship, and it always amazes me. God will say one thing to me and something totally different to Conia. Everyone gets what they need to hear when we come into His presence. His presence makes a difference. His fullness, His goodness, His glory — all of who He is, is with you. You are wrapped, surrounded, covered head to toe in His presence, in His goodness, His glory, His fullness. He is with you. Your Father God, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, your Comforter, God the Holy Spirit — He is with you.
So: He will be. Not might be, I think He’s going to be, could be. No — He will be. “Will be” is a certain promise. The words “will be” are not a wish or a possibility; they express certainty. God is not saying, “I hope to be with you.” Nor is He saying, “I’ll be with you if everything goes well,” or “I’ll be with you unless something really important comes up.” No. God says, “I will be.” God declares an unchanging reality. If God declares this, that’s the reality. His unchanging reality to Joshua was: I will be with you. There’s no question. I don’t know what you’re facing today, but here’s something I know for certain: He is with you, and He will be with you.
We have a dear friend, Wes Jackson. He and his family and his company just went through some things — people coming against them, accusing them of things that weren’t true. But God worked on their behalf. He just kept standing, knowing that God was with him and God was going to make a way. And it was amazing how it all turned, and God made a way. Trusting God sometimes means standing firm, not giving up, not being shaken by the circumstances around you. Unshakable hope, unshakable trust in the Lord. His reality is: I will be with you.
Hebrews 13:5-6: “Let your conduct, the way you think and live and express yourself, be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have, for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” The writer of Hebrews is echoing what Moses said to Joshua, and he says: here’s a way to live. Let your conduct, your way of life, the way you think and act toward others, be without covetousness. He’s not saying you can’t have things. But don’t go around going, “Oh my gosh, look at that car they got. Why do they have that car? I should have that car. That’s my car.” No, it’s not. It’s their car. God will give you a car.
Now, we’ve misconstrued this in some circles, because it goes on to say, “Be content with such things as you have.” I’ve heard some people teach that whatever you’ve got is enough — don’t try to go out and get anything more. That’s not Scripture. He’s saying don’t live from a greedy point of view about life. Be content. And that word content can also be translated: be grateful. Be thankful for what you have, and that opens the door for God to bring you more. He can trust you with more. I can show you many, many scriptures that say: believe Me for more. I want to increase in your life. I want to bless you beyond measure. And there’s a way to do that — we do it from an attitude of gratefulness. Rejoice in what God’s blessed others with. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If I get a new car and it’s a nice one, I want people to rejoice with me. Conia and I have a beautiful car — it’s a bright red, radiant red. We pulled up to get gas right after we got it, and there’s this gentleman there who goes, “Woo! Man, I need me a car like that.” Conia said, “Well, God gave us this one.” He goes, “I need to talk to God.” And she said, “Yes, you do.” God’s used that car so we can testify to people of His goodness. We recognize Him in it. We didn’t do anything; God brought that to us. But God wants to do the same thing with you. Live from a place of gratefulness. Our dear friend and one of our board members, Jackie Listen, preached that for us before: our gratefulness. But be content. If you’ve got a lot, be content. If you get more, be content. If it feels like you’ve got just enough, be content. Paul said, “I’m content” — but he was still looking for more. So we can be content with such as we have, knowing all things are possible, because He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So you can boldly say, “The Lord is my helper.” Whatever you’re going to do, God is my helper. He is with me, and I’m not going to get into fear and anxiety and anguish, because God is my helper. What can man do? It’s just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: we’re not going to bow down. God’s going to deliver us. And even if He decides not to deliver us from the fire, we’re still not going to bow down, because God is with us.
The certainty rests not on Joshua’s faithfulness, but on God’s faithfulness. You know God is with you because He is faithful to His word. He said He’ll never leave you. He’ll never forsake you. When we receive Him as Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit comes, He is with us eternally. He never leaves us or forsakes us. God’s presence is grounded in His covenant and His character. You never have to question it or doubt it, no matter what the enemy tries to tell you and convince you of.
So He will be with. “With” is the heart of the promise. That little word “with” may be the most important word in this sentence. It speaks of companionship rather than distance. God’s not saying, “Yeah, I’m way up here in heaven, I’m watching over you, you’re going to be fine.” He says, “I’m with you.” “With” speaks of participation rather than observation. He’s not just watching us from a distance. I admit, sometimes I’ve done that with my grandchildren. They come to see us, and across the street from where we live is a park where all the kids go to play. I’ll watch them go over there and sit on the front porch and watch them play. Now Conia has such a heart for them — she’s over there with them, playing. But God is participating with us. He’s not just observing us. That word “with” speaks of relationship rather than just assistance: “I’m here because we are one. You’re My child. You’re part of the family of God, and I am with you.” I shared this last week, but it reminds me of my brothers. To this day, I know that if we’re somewhere and they’re with me, they’ve got my back. They’ll tell me, “What do you need? You need help? I’m here.” God is with us.
Revelation 21:3, from the NIV: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.’” What a promise. God wants to dwell with us. That’s why Scripture says He’s created many mansions where He lives — one translation says He’s created the mansions within His mansion. That’s a big mansion. And God’s saying, I want you close to Me. He loves you. He’s your Father. You’re His child. He doesn’t want to be without you. God is not promising to watch Joshua from heaven. He’s promising to share the journey with him. And this journey of life we are all on — God wants to share that journey with us.
Throughout Scripture, whenever God says “I am with you,” it means His presence brings everything His character contains. It brings His wisdom, His power, His peace, His holiness, His love, His protection, and His guidance. Where God is present, all that He is, is present. He is fully there. He is around us. He’s in us. He’s through us. He’s in between us. You can’t move without being with Him.
And then this phrase ends: “He will be with you.” That’s an important word — you. “You” speaks to a personal promise. The promise is intentionally, intensely personal. God doesn’t merely promise to be with Israel as a nation; Joshua himself is the recipient. God’s saying, not only am I here for the nation, Joshua — I’m here for you. This speaks to something beautiful about God our Father. Although He rules the universe and all the other trillion universes out there, He relates to people personally. He speaks to you — your place, your need, what you need. God knows your name, just like He told Moses: “I know you.” There’s no one who knows you better than God. God knows your calling, your purpose. He knows why you are here. God knows your future, which brings us to Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” You have a future. You have hope and a future because God has given it to you. I don’t care what the circumstances look like right now — you have a future, because God has a plan and a purpose for you. We just have to press into Him. It’s not about us working harder and longer, stressing and striving. It’s about going and sitting in His presence, spending time with Him, and getting His perspective.
His presence is not generic. It’s not the same thing to everyone. His presence is personal. God’s presence with me is personal to me. God’s presence with Pastor Conia is personal to her. God knows me personally. That’s why when He says, “I know your name,” He’s saying: I don’t just know you — I know you personally. He will be with you.
This is a great promise in Scripture that we hear over and over again. God said it to Isaac in Genesis 26:3. He said it to Jacob in Genesis 28:15. He declared it to Moses in Exodus 3:12. He declared it to Joshua, as we read this morning in Deuteronomy 31:8 and Joshua 1:5. He declared it to Gideon in Judges 6:16. He declared it to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:8. And Jesus echoed that same assurance to His disciples. Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” This missional statement, given to the disciples, given to the body of Christ, is for all who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and the promise is here for us also: He is with us always. He is not sending us out alone to fulfill the mission of the kingdom. He’s saying, come on — let’s go together. His presence is constant with us. His Spirit is with us every day, throughout every challenge and every season, through the end of time. This repetition throughout Scripture shows that God’s presence is His consistent answer whenever He calls someone into something that seems beyond their own ability. He goes with us. He surrounds us with His goodness. God is going with you today. You are surrounded with His goodness today.
What we see here is that “God will be with you” is not merely a promise of location — it’s a promise of communion. It speaks of spirit-to-spirit relationship, heart-to-heart communion. In John 14:20, from the Amplified Classic, Jesus said, “At that time, when that day comes, you will know for yourselves that I am in the Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” Jesus is in the Father, we’re in Jesus, and Jesus is in us, so we’re all in the Father. We’re all right there together: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and all of us. Communion is not an abstract idea; it’s a tangible relationship with God. It is building a deep intimacy with Him. It signifies Christ living within us and we living within Christ. It moves the relationship from abstract to reality, from distance to being together with Christ every day. We now have a shared identity with Christ as children of God. We’re all brothers and sisters. We’re all related. And Father God has saved us. You will never face anything by yourself. He’s got your back.
His presence with you means this: when you are uncertain, He is your wisdom. When you are weak, He is your strength. When fear tries to invade, He is your courage. When you grieve, He is your comfort. When you succeed, He is the one who receives the glory, and He is rejoicing with you in that success. His presence is the answer before the problem even appears. Him being with you gives you the courage to push through, knowing He already has a way prepared before you.
When you study people like Kathryn Kuhlman, Aimee Semple McPherson, and others — great men and women of God — what you find is their whole day was spent acknowledging the presence of God. They would spend time in worship throughout the day. In between something and traveling somewhere — driving, riding — they were worshiping, praying in the Spirit, thanking God. They never stopped. That was a part of their life. That’s who they had become, because they realized God’s presence made the difference — Him being with you.
What we find is that many times God’s presence just comes, and often that matters more than His explanations. I remember one time I was going through something. A family member I was real close with had passed, and there were no obvious answers. It didn’t make sense. I was going through that sense of loss and grief. I’d been out to eat with someone, and thank God they were driving the car, because the presence of the Lord just overwhelmed me, wrapped itself around me. And I knew it was Father God. I felt, sitting in that car seat, these arms come around me, pick me up, sit me in His lap, and He just held me. And I’m sobbing. My friend’s going, “You okay? What’s wrong? Do I need to stop?” I couldn’t talk. But as I sat there, the Father just held me and said, “It’s okay. I’ve got you. This person you’re missing so much — they’re living their best life now.” God loves us so much that He wants us to know He’s there. Just the presence of the Lord, holding me.
As you go on and read the story, Joshua received no detailed map of every battle ahead. He was not told how every challenge would unfold. Instead, God gave him something better: “He will be with you.” His presence will surround you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Knowing who is with you becomes more important than knowing what lies ahead. I feel that sometimes deeply. Pastor Conia and I will be working on something or going somewhere to an event, and I know she’s going to be right there. Whatever we’re doing, I know she’s here with me — because she’s Mrs. Wright. In fact, she’s Mrs. Always. God bless her. But knowing she is here with me gives me that confidence: okay, we’ve got this. In that sense, this short phrase is the essence of biblical faith: confidence is not found in certainty about the future, but in certainty about the presence of God. It’s the certainty of who is with you.
When God says He will be with you, He is promising His unfailing companionship, His active involvement, and His covenant faithfulness. It is the assurance that wherever His people go in obedience to Him, they never go alone. You are not alone. He is with you. So, as the writer in Proverbs 3:6 says, from the Amplified Classic: “In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” God is with you.
Father, we thank You for this time today. We thank You for Your promise in Scripture that You never leave us or forsake us, that You are always with us. No matter what we may be facing today, what we may be going through, You are with us, and You will show us the way and make a way for us. And we thank You for that promise. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now let me say this. If you’ve heard this message today and you’re thinking, “I wish God was with me,” and you want to receive Him as your Lord and Savior, just repeat this after me: Father God, I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that He died for me on the cross, and that You raised Him from the dead, that He has forgiven all my sins and made me clean and whole. So I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and I thank You that now I am a part of the family. Amen. If you said that simple prayer with me, know this: you’ve been saved, sanctified. The Holy Spirit’s within you, and God loves you, and He is with you. Let us know. Email us. We want to put you on our prayer list. God bless you. Have a great week, everyone, and we will see you here again.
