God Didn’t Walk Away | Phil Kniesel

This week, Pastor Phil looks at the name Immanuel, which means God with us. In a world where we often feel distant from God, this reminder brings hope: even in the silence, even in the struggle, He’s still close.

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Transcript

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- Hey, this is Phil Kal, lead pastor at Hope City Church. Thanks for tuning into our podcast. My prayer is that this helps and encourages you, gives you some practical ways to live out your faith and ultimately fills you with hope. Enjoy the message.- Well, good morning, hope City. I want to give a shout out to every one of you joining at all of our campuses in the House, Millwoods at Tigr, at Kingsway online. It's so great to have you in church with us today. And um, just thankful that you're here, I'm sure we would all agree. Names are important. They identify us, they label us. When someone calls our name, we answer. When someone yells our name, we take notice. Now I'm curious, hands up across all our campuses, how many of you know what your name means? Okay, a good chunk of you. My name Philip, are you ready for this means lover of horses. . I remember when I learned this, I was 13 years old and someone gave me a mug for my birthday and on it was my name Philip. And underneath in bold letters it said, lover of horses. As a 13-year-old boy, I was a little scarred like I was a skateboarder, not a cowboy. I was punk rock, not country. I actually asked AI if they would give me the biblical definition of my name. And this is what it said word for word in the Bible. The name doesn't change, meaning it still means lover of horses. , I tried man. We're in a series entitled What's in a Name, where we're looking at the different names of God given in the Bible that provide us with a better understanding of who he is and how we relate to him. And this matters. It matters because if we don't understand God as he has revealed himself to us, it can lead to misconceptions as well as misunderstandings of his involvement in our lives. It matters because how we think about God determines our destiny. Did you know that there are over a hundred names and titles given throughout the Bible to describe God? So yes, names are important, and yes, God's name is really important. It's why we sing song at this church with lyrics like Your name is the highest, your name is the greatest. Your name stands above them all. Scripture reinforces this In the first book of the Bible genesis, it talks about a guy named Abraham and it says this there in reference to a geographical location between a place called Bethel and I, there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. Other scriptures say you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. That's one of the 10 Commandments. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it in our safe. Oh Lord, our Lord. How majestic is your name in all the earth? Our help is in the name of the Lord. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Get up and walk the name of God. It has softened the most hardened heart. It has broken the most unbreakable spirit. It has caused people to fall to their knees. It has made some weep and some say, who am I in comparison to? A God who is holy, majestic, and pure. The name of God has brought joy, miracles, and freedom. The name of God has changed lives, families and churches. The name of God is transformative, powerful and full of hope. Prime example, if I just say this, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There's something about his name and friends, I want to tell you, he's here today and he wants to meet with you what's in a name, in God's name, everything. And that's why we're taking the time to understand some of the ways that he identified himself to us. So far we've looked at Adonai, which means, Lord, we've looked at El should die, which means our provider. And today I wanna look at a name that if we have heard it before, we commonly associate it with Christmas. But this is a name for more than just Christmas and more than just a season. And that name is Emmanuel. And I love this one because it makes us realize that God who can often seem far off is not so far off. And maybe you're feeling that today, you're in the house wondering, does God even exist if he does? How does God intersect with my life? Or you've been following him for years but you just feel lately he's been a little distant friends. The God who can often seem far off is not so far off. Did you know that one in 10 Canadians often or always feel lonely? And it's highest in those age 15 to 24 years old? More than half our population struggles with loneliness. And for our seniors, that's those over 65. This is a very real thing. I recently read that Canada is facing a loneliness epidemic and that impacts mental health, reduced life satisfaction and physical health. And here's the irony, A major contributor to loneliness is social media and our digital reliance. So we're more connected than ever and more disconnected than ever at the same time. And if you're among the many Canadians who feel lonely, I mean you can even feel lonely in a packed room. The name of God that we are examining, Emmanuel is a name that I believe will speak to you and encourage you today, Emmanuel. It means God with us. Not just with them, but with us. God with you. This name is used only three times in the Bible, twice in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament. And the first two times are in the book of Isaiah. And I wanna put some context around it for you. Isaiah was a spokesperson for God to the nation of Israel. At the time, Israel was divided into two camps, the northern kingdom, which was called Israel and the Southern Kingdom, which was called Judah. Ahaz was the king of Judah. And he came from a really great family line. His dad, Jotham was a good king. And his grandpa Siah was a God-fearing ruler. Ahaz is reign, however was marked by apostasy and idolatry. He didn't follow God. He even burned his own sons to offerings to other gods. And so because of this we read that God gave him into the hands of the king of Israel and the king of Syria and is was so scared. So he actually reaches out to help to another king from the nation of Assyria. And this guy says, sure, I'm gonna help you. But that ends up attacking him instead of helping him. So he was alone, he was scared, he was worried. And it was then the prophet of Isaiah comes up to him and gives him this message from the Lord. Isaiah chapter seven, this is what we read. Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Some of you need to bold that verse. Some of you that just needs to be your life verse. Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood. Those are those two nations. They have plotted jro saying, let us invade Judah, let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves and make the son of Teal King over it. Yet this is what the sovereign Lord says. It will not take place. It will not happen. Pretty encouraging words for ahaz. His enemies. Were not gonna take him out because God was in control. And friends, I just wanna pause here and say the same thing to you. Whatever is against you is nothing compared to God who is for you. Isaiah continues and says, God's gonna give you a sign to show you that this plot against you won't happen. And what's the sign? This is what we read. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel. There it is. Now that line, that sign is a direct prophecy to the birth of Jesus. And the immediate context of Isaiah's words was to a grave political and military threat from Israel and Syria trying to deone ahaz and wreck Judah. We know the people at Judah were terrified. They were unstable, they were looking for security. And it was in that climate of fear that God promised deliverance and ultimately the sign of e Emmanuel pointing to his presence with his people. But it was more than 700 years after this message to ahaz that God sent his son Jesus. So that means Judah faced many years of trials and suffering. Matthew a disciple, a New Testament writer, echoes the promise from Isaiah 700 plus years later. And this is the third time we read this name for God in scripture. This is what Matthew writes. He says, all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet that's referencing Isaiah, the virgin will conceive and give birth to his son and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us. The all this that took place is in reference to Jesus being born from Mary, a virgin from Nazareth. She was engaged to Joseph and scripture tells us that she did not have sex with her husband prior to the birth of Jesus. Her conception was brought about by the Holy Spirit and they will call him Emmanuel God with us. And so God fulfilled the promise given through Isaiah and sent Jesus to be with humanity, to display and express his presence with humanity. But the thing is, it wasn't like God had never expressed or manifested his presence before, but this time it was different. Before there, there was the pillar of cloud and fire for the Israelites. Before there was the symbolism of the tabernacle and the temple where he dwelt before there was the place called the Holy of Holies and even the Ark of the Covenant, which all expressed his presence, but most of that felt remote, impersonal, or at least inaccessible. Even when God's glory was seen, it produced such a sense of overwhelming awe that for many it made God seem out there unreachable, even fearful. But Emmanuel, it brought another level, something different, something personal, something intimate and inviting. King Aez of Judah was threatened, extremely frightened and weak. And it was in this context that God assured him and his people of his presence, he simply said, there's come a promise of someone called Emmanuel and that's God with us. The God who can seem far off is not so far off. And so when Jesus came, he reiterated this idea. He said things like, for where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them, which by the way means he's here right now before descending into heaven. Jesus promised his ongoing presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. This is what he said. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever. The spirit of truth, the world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him for he lives with you and will be in you. Notice twice in those verses it says He is with you. It's a promise and it's a provision. Emmanuel God with us, not away from us, not far from us, not only accessible at certain times, but with us present at all times forever, alongside. And if you were to break down those three words, God with us, the word God from the Hebrew language,'cause that's what the Old Testament was written in, is the word L. The word God in the Greek language from the New Testament is Fios. It's the most common word used for God in the Bible. And it means this one true supreme creator and sustainer of all things. It's not a vague spiritual force or one among many gods, but the one and only sovereign ruler of the universe, God with means intimately alongside sharing life. It's proximity with purpose to help, to restore, to rescue, to relate us is not just with them back then or with the spiritually elite. It's with ordinary, flawed, everyday people. It's inclusive. Remember this promise was given to broken Israel under threat and ultimately to a sinful world in need of a savior. So God with us essentially says He's not just God above, but God beside, he's not just God out there, but he's God right here. And this is good, this is helpful. However, knowing about Emmanuel is one thing, living like it is true is another. So how do you live in the reality of God with us? How do you live in the reality of God with you? Like why does Emmanuel matter to us? I want to give you four defining markers of Emmanuel. And the first one is this, God is with you personally. It's not just God of the universe or God who drops in on Sundays or when you're in church. No, God is with you personally every day and in every way. So in your cubicle, in your Honda Civic, in your kitchen when you're eating ice cream and in your hardest moments when you feel like you can't go on John, he was a disciple of Jesus and he said it this way, the word and that's in reference to Jesus became flesh and made us dwelling among us. Jesus came and dwelled. He lived, he resided among us. The message version says he moved into our neighborhood, which means he laughed. He got tired. He faced temptation, he cried at funerals. He didn't exclude himself from the mess of life. He stepped right into it. And friends, that means whatever you are facing personally, listen to me, God is with you. He's not distant, he's not far off. He's right here. He's full of understanding. He's full of hope. He knows your fears, your struggles, your temptations and your joys. In the book of Genesis, we read about a woman named Hagar. She was the Egyptian servant of Sarah Abraham's wife. Hagar became Abraham's concubine. Now that's another story for another time, but I would say it gives us evidence that when we take things into our own hands and don't trust God, things are gonna get messed up. Hagar became the mother of Abraham's firstborn son, Ishmael. Sarah, however, treated her so badly that she had to flee the home and she fled into the wilderness and it was at her lowest point where she says these words to God. She says, you are the God who sees me. I've now seen the one who sees me. Friends, listen to me today, God sees you everything you are facing, everything you are walking through, everything that brings you joy, pain, difficulty and inspiration. God sees you let that encourage you. You're not invisible, you're not insignificant, you are not unseen. He sees you. Listen to how King David wrote it in Psalm 1 39. He says it this way, you have searched me Lord. And you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord know it completely. He sees you. You know one of the most pointed moments of this reality occurred with a woman called Mary Magdalene when she was weeping at Jesus's tomb after Jesus's death, in her desperation and inner her pain, a resurrected Jesus shows up and wanna know his first words to her. In fact, his first word, it was simply to call her by name. He just looks at her. And in her grief, in her desperation, in her sorrow says Mary. And that screams that he saw her, that he knew her. Emmanuel means God with you personally. The name above all names calls you by name. He's here. He knows you better than you know yourself. And so in your deepest, darkest moments of desperation and pain and in those exceedingly amazing moments of celebration and joy, he sees you. God is with you personally. That's the first defining marker of Emmanuel. The second God is with you faithfully. Now I'm a, I'm a music lover and there's a song I enjoy. It's an old song by the band journey and it's called Faithfully. Anyone know what I'm talking about in it they say this line, I'm forever yours faithfully. Now the writer, he was talking about his wife. But it's a great line to impress on your heart about God. He is forever. Yours faithfully. Isaiah, he spoke these prophetic words about Emmanuel 700 years before Jesus was born. Like that's a long time. That's like a really long time. But here's the key. When God says he's gonna do something, it might take time, but he's gonna do it. That's because he always keeps his promises. God is faithful. We read these words in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. It says, the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. There's this certainty, certainty here. There's this promise here. God will never leave you. God will never forsake you. He is faithful. And here's what's so amazing about God's faithfulness. His presence doesn't change based on our faithfulness. Paul, a New Testament writer said it this way. Even when we are faithless, he remains faithful. Ever been faithless? Yeah, I have. But listen, friends, he remains faithful. God is always faithful. So in the trial, he's faithful in the waiting. He's faithful in the wanting. He's faithful in the need. He is faithful in the sorrow. He is faithful in the loss. He is faithful in the doubt. He is faithful in the provision. He is faithful in the joy. He is faithful in the every day he is faithful. God is always faithful. And the disciple Peter, he totally got this'cause He promised Jesus literally face to face. He said, Jesus, I'm never gonna deny you. Now what does he do? Hours later, he denies him. Not just once but three times. And then here's what we read. Luke writes this, he says, just as he was speaking, meaning Peter the rooster crowed the Lord. Meaning Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word. The Lord had spoken to him before the rooster crows. Today you will disown me. Three times in his worst moment, Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter. And it wasn't a look of disgust. It might have been a look of dude, I told you so, but it wasn't disgust. And here's what is so awesome. Even after Peter openly denied Jesus three times, when Jesus ultimately needed him most after Jesus's resurrection, he personally sought out Peter and completely restored him. Talk about love, talk about grace, talk about faithfulness. And that means even in your biggest, most deepest regretful failures, you know the ones you want to hide, the ones that scar our life, the ones we wish we could take back. Even those won't make Emmanuel leave. He is always present and he always wants to restore. God is with you faithfully. The third defining marker of Emmanuel is God is with you powerfully. Here's the thing, it's not just that God is present, but he's present with power. I mean that's what makes him God. He's not just a comforting presence, he's a conquering presence. His being with us changes the outcomes of battles of trials and impossible situations. Over and over throughout scripture, God reminds his people that he's got the battle, that he's in control, that he is all powerful. When David fuck life the he said, the Lord will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. And he said these words, the battle is the Lord's. A guy called pha. He was facing a hard time and God spoke to him these words, he said, do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. The battle is not yours, but God's stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you the Apostle Paul. So he was responsible for spreading the gospel message of Jesus. And he was in prison because of his boldness. And and we read this, the Lord stood near Paul and said, take courage. There's a promise in the book of Romans. If God is for us, who can be against us? And that means no situation, no hardship of yours is too difficult for our God. He's a God of strength and he's a God of might remember. He's got the battle. He's in control. He is all powerful at another time. Paul wrote it this way, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. It's not your work, it's his work. It's not that you have to try harder, rather you just have to lean on him. Be strong in the Lord. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. And so God is with you. Powerfully means he enables you to resist temptation and grow in holiness. God is with you. Powerfully means that you can live out your faith publicly and talk to others about Jesus. God is with you. Powerfully means you can have joy in any situation. It means you can forgive when you naturally wouldn't. It means you can find calm and chaos. It means you can speak truth when it's awkward, it means you can love difficult people. It means you can keep going when you feel like quitting. It means you can see small miracles, change lives answered, prayers and divine opportunities. It's not flashy, it's deeply humble. It's quietly courageous and it's steadfast at all times. God is with you powerfully. So the defining markers of Emmanuel is God is with you personally, faithfully, powerfully, and fourthly, God is with you purposefully. See, Emmanuel had a purpose. Jesus didn't just come to hang out and show us God. He came to save humanity, to reconcile us to God, to save us from our sins, to die on a cross and bridge the gap between us and God. He came because he was the sacrifice extended for all to be made right with God. And our choice is to accept that gift or not to make the best decision of our life, to follow Jesus. And maybe, maybe you need to do that today. Friends. Jesus came not only to be with you, but to save you. To save you from a life of sin and eternal hell to a life of following him an eternal heaven. And if you want to or if you need to do that, I'm gonna tell you in a moment, I'm gonna pray a prayer that will help you do so. And friend, if that's you, I just want to encourage you to pray along with me. But listen, friends, God's purpose for you doesn't stop there. That is only the beginning. Jesus came to rescue and redeem. Thank God for that. But Jesus also came to give us ongoing purpose. His presence has a purpose. It always moves us toward his mission, his kingdom, his plan. God never intended to save us just so that we could sit around being safe until heaven. He saves us to partner with him in what he's doing right now in the world. And so he wants to send you, I mean Jesus said it this way, go and make disciples of all nations. And surely I am with you. Always notice the link. His presence is tied to his mission. There is purpose. And so that means you represent 'em wherever you go at Starbucks, at your kids' soccer games, in your family, text chats, and in the masses at Costco. It means that you were created to do good works. It means that he wants to reach others through you. That you are his hands and his feet to the world. It means that you bring hope, compassion, wisdom, and the message of Jesus wherever you go. It means you have purpose. See, Emmanuel isn't just God with us to comfort us. It's God with us to commission us. His presence isn't just for good feelings and pats on the back. It sets us on purpose. He saves us and then he wants to use us. God's presence always comes with a plan. And so how do you live in the reality of God with us? How do you live in the reality of Emmanuel for defining markers? God is with you personally, friend. He sees you and is there for you no matter what you are walking through. God is with you faithfully. Even when you stumble. He won't leave. God is with you powerfully fighting your battles and giving you strength. And God is with you purposefully giving you salvation, meaning and direction. Hope city, the God who can often seem far off, is not so far off. You never have to face life alone again, not on your best days, not on your worst days, Emmanuel. It's not just for December, it's for your Mondays, for your breakups, for your lonely nights, for your waiting rooms, and for your moments of victory. Emmanuel God with us, Emmanuel God with you. And my prayer is that you may live each and every single day. And God is with you. Emmanuel, I'm gonna ask you to stand if you are able to. I'm gonna close praying over and for you today, God, I thank you for this powerful reminder that you are just not a God who's far off that you are a God who is so present with us, that you sent your son Jesus to just display who you are and to save us and to make us right, and to give us life. And so I pray for my friends here today who need to know that right now what they're going through, you see them, you see them. God, I pray that you just whisper that into their heart and mind. I see you. I know what you're going through. I'm present. I am here. Do not fear, do not be afraid. He sees you. I pray for that person today who feels like they've done too much and that you are so distant. God, remind them that you are faithful and you're not gonna leave their side ever. Let them know how much you love them. God, I pray for that person who's trying to fight the battle on their own. May they recognize how powerful you are and surrender it to you. God, we give you our circumstances and situations and we say in your power, in your strength, not in ours. And God, I pray for those who just need purpose and direction, that you just empower them today for next steps. You know, maybe for you, your purpose today, the one first step you need to do is to commit your life to Christ, to choose to follow Jesus. And if that's you here today, I said earlier, Jesus went to the cross to die for your sins. He rose to offer you life, both now and forever. And all you need to do is make the decision to follow him. And if you want to make that choice today, I'm gonna pray a prayer that helps you put into words the beginning of that journey with him. And I just ask you to pray along with me. Let's pray. Jesus, today I see my need for you. And I thank you for going to the cross, for dying, for my sins, for rising and offering me life and hope both now and forever. And so today, today I put my faith in you. I put my trust in you and I wanna follow you all the days of my life. Help me to make you Lord and leader, help me to understand what it means to do life with you, God with me, Emmanuel. And help me to follow you all the days of my life. And Lord, I pray over every individual and every couple and every family. I ask as they go into this week, may they understand God that you are with them in every day, in every circumstance, in every hour, in every situation. May they walk in the confidence, in the faith, in the insurance, and in that reality. And I pray this over these amazing people of Hope City in the powerful, wonderful, and incredible name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. You know, if you, um, prayed the prayer of surrendering your life to Jesus today, can I ask you to scan the QR code that's on the screen? It's also on some seatbacks in front of you. We have a digital booklet we'd love to get into your hand. It talks about knowing and following Jesus. And it's also our way in a big church of trying to, to connect with you personally. If you're in the house and you want prayer over anything, we're gonna have a prayer team available down at the front, left, immediately following this service. They would love to pray over and for you, hope city as you leave today, know this. I love you guys lots. I'm cheering you on. I'm praying for you. And as you go, may you just remember, no matter what's going on, God is with you. God is with you. Emmanuel, thanks for being in church today.