I read an article recently and the idea presented in the article is going to be the subject of this post. I am not going to mention the article by name because I don’t want this to be about that*. I want this post to explore the idea. I will also say here that the idea presented in the article annoyed me because the author was trying to tell their readers that there is only one way to experience the presence of God. This is the idea I have a problem with. This is how an infinite God gets put in a box. These kinds of articles and ideas limit the presence of an Almighty God. Here’s why.
If I were new to following Jesus, looking through Facebook, and read this article, I would have this idea that God can only be experienced through preaching. Which I will say is true, however, not all the way true and it limits God. When we sit and listen to God’s Word being preached that is one way to experience the presence of God. But it’s not the only way. As I said, if I were looking for some thoughts on how to experience God in my life and a friend shared this article with me, I would have a limited view of how to experience God and God Himself.
God is also limited by this idea because it goes against what is said about Him. I have learned from at a young age that God is three things: omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. The simple definition of these words is: God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present, respectively. So if the author of the article I read knows these things (and I sure that they do) how can they say God can only be experienced one way. If God is all-powerful, then He has the power to speak to us in any way and through anything, He wants to be experienced. If God is all-present, then He can be experienced anywhere and through anything. If God is all-knowing, then He knows us and He knows how to reach our hearts and draw us in.
God’s unchanging character is not the only thing that gets called into question when something like this is said. When I hear that preaching is the only way to experience God’s presence, I start to think about things like prayer, reading your Bible, and worship. Let’s address these.
If we can only enter into the presence of God through preaching, then why do we have to pray. When we pray, we are communicating with God and expecting His presence. We pray to God looking for answers or just comfort knowing He’s listening when we may feel like no one else is listening. We also pray to God to communicate with Him. God is relational. God always has been. God wants His people to talk to Him. God wants His people to experience Him in that way. If we don’t experience God through prayer, then why did God encourage us to pray through Jesus (Matthew 6 + Luke 11). God wants us to experience Him through conversation with Him. Just like we would with any other kind of relationship. We wouldn’t experience a friendship or marriage fully without communication and we don’t experience God fully without communication.
If we can only enter into the presence of God through preaching, then why do we need to read the Bible. I mean preaching is in a sense reading the Bible, but if it’s read for us on Sunday, why read it any other time. Once again, the Bible is God’s inspired words to us and help us in life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Bible is another way God communicates with us. When we read the Bible, we are drawn into the presence of God, and in His presence, we see what He is telling us through His Word.
If we can only enter into the presence of God through preaching, then why do churches all over the world waste 15-20 minutes of the service singing. Why don’t all who attend church just walk in, sit down, hear a sermon, and leave. The music element of a church service is important. When we sing, we turn our attention to God and we are drawn into His presence. The other thing about singing to God - it is all over the Bible and in Heaven. There is a link below to a bunch of verses [1]. I am just going to look at a few here. Psalm 98:4-6 and Revelation 14:3 says:
“Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!” - Psalm 98:4-6 NLT
“This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.” - Revelation 14:3 NLT
As I said, there is a link below for more examples, but this is proof that singing can draw us into the presence of God. It is important to look at Revelation 14:1 to understand the verse referenced above. In Revelation 14:1, we see the 144,000 are standing on Mount Zion on Earth. But the praise of the 144,000 brings them right into the presence of God [2]. Worship and singing to God are important to experience Him. This is why churches, in most cases, start the service with a time of worship because it draws the attention of people to God and experience Him.
This is what is true - God can be experienced anywhere and anytime we let Him. How we experience God is up to us as individuals. I will tell you that I experience God through music, preaching, reading the Bible, and praying to Him. But never just in one way because that is limiting God and His power to reach me. God has no limits and His presence can be felt anywhere and at anytime. But it’s individual. Don’t limit God.
*I chose not to mention the article or author in this post due to the fact that this is not a post to bash the article or the author. What the author stated in the article is not incorrect, it is very true. However, I disagree with anything limiting an Almighty God whose presence can be experienced anywhere.*
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“f. And they sang as it were a new song before the throne: In Revelation 14:1, the 144,000 have their feet firmly planted on an earthly Mount Zion. Yet their praise takes them right to the presence of God, right before the throne. In our praise and worship, we really can transport ourselves and be heard in heavenly places.”
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