He will never leave you | Steuart Payne | Sunday 4th June 2023
Pastor Steu begins this week speaking with the title “He will never leave you”. God promises that he will never leave us nor forsake us. This is the promise that he made to Joshua, who became the leader of the children of Israelites after Moses - no small task. Joshua needed to know that God was going to empower him and be with him every step of the way. In Deuteronomy, 31:6, God spoke to Joshua. He said (NKJV) “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you”.
Joshua had to know this in his heart as he led the children of Israel forward into the land of promise that God had given them. This promise that God made to Joshua is ours as well. God has come to dwell in our lives by his Spirit. And the truth is that he will never leave us and he will never forsake us. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away and all things have become new. This transformation is amazing but only the start. God wants us to walk in the power of this transformation every day. He wants to empower us to be different to this world, to stand out as his holy people, set apart people to be people who walk as Jesus did. In other words, to carry the character of Christ, walk with love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness and self-control. These fruits are the look and feel of His people.
Ps Steu mentions there are many occasions when we need to know that God is with us by the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. He speaks of four specific occasions when we need to know that the presence of God is in our lives, when it is vital to remember that God is with us. These are Temptation, Tension, Triumph and Tragedy. Ps Steu explains how having God in our lives and displaying the fruits of His Spirit sets us apart from others and turns heads when people are otherwise focused on the worldly ways of living.
