Here and Now
Right now, we are all here. We are all here to worship Jesus, fellowship with one another, and to receive from God. I am thankful for the here and now. It is because of Jesus that you and I are here and now. However, although we are all here right now, it doesn’t mean that we all are actually here. Although we are physically here, it doesn’t mean that we are actually all here.
How many of you know that although we can physically be somewhere, that we can still not be present mentally? Emotionally?
Instead, I believe that God wants us to focus on the present. Why? Because, I believe that:
God cares about the present moment
Jesus was in the present
Here in a moment we are going to take a look at some scripture references that show that Jesus cared about the right now moments.
But lets talk about the present moment for just a second. What do we mean when we talk about being in the present? To be present means to be fully aware of the moment. In other words, it means to give our full attention to. We give our attention to things that we consider to be valuable or important. So the question is: Who or what is getting the majority of your attention?
Is your attention in the present moment? Or is your attention somewhere else? We often find ourselves distracted/ distant from the moments happening right in front of us.
Three things that keep us from being in the present moment:
That is where God wants us to be. Life happens in the present moment. Life doesn’t happen in the past, or the future, but in the here and now. Therefore, we must capitalize on the moments that are happening right in front of us.
That is what Jesus did!
Jesus was in the Present: Woman with the Issue of Blood
Jesus had just crossed back over from the sea of Galilee and arrived at Capernaum. He was on His way to do a miracle for one of the synagogue leaders named Jairus. His daughter was dying and He pleaded with Jesus to heal her. The Bible says that Jesus went with him. So Jesus is on His way to heal a young lady. More specifically, He was going to raise her from the dead.
On His way, a large crowd was waiting for Jesus and began to press on Him from every side. This hints at it being a very large crowd. And in the midst of all of these people, something happens. There was a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. The Bible says that she suffered under the care of many doctors. She went from doctor to doctor spending everything she had, trying to find someone who could help. Yet she never got better, but got worse. She was desperate. When she heard that Jesus was in town, she knew believed that Jesus was the answer to her suffering.
So she reached out and touched Jesus’ garments. Upon doing so, the Bible says that she was healed instantly. All those years of bleeding were over as she dried up and was delivered from her suffering.
After this happens, lets take a look at what happens.
Mark 5:30-34
“30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Jesus was on His way to do something very important. Yet, at that moment, He stopped what He was doing, and He began looking for the person that touched Him. Once He found her, He gave her His full attention. He confirmed her healing and blessed her.
He didn’t stop because what he had to do wasn’t that important. It was! He stopped because Jesus was in the moment. He did not want that moment to pass by.
That is what Jesus did, and that is what we should be doing as well. Life is in the present moments.
Life is not in the Past
I am not referring to sharing memories. There are times when we share memories with others in the present moment. However, dwelling on the past takes away from the precious moments that are right in front of us. Focusing too much on the past robs us from the peace and joy that God has available for us “right now.”
Philippians 3:13 - “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead”
Life is not in the Future
It is true that we have future realities. One day we will spend eternity with Jesus on a new heaven and a new earth. In fact, we are called to live life in light of our future eternal hope. But that is not what I am referring to. I am talking about the future concerns that we find ourselves worrying about. It is important for us to forecast trouble. Doing so allows us to be prepared when hardship does come. However, there are times when concern turns to worry. Fear of the unknown can keep us from being here.
Matthew 6:34 - “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”
Life is in the Present
Right now, we are in the present moment. It is the present moments that matter most. When God gives us peace, it is not for yesterday, it is not for tomorrow, it is for today. Even Jesus in His model prayer tells us to ask God for our “daily bread.” That is, our provision for today! God wants us to be present for today for our right now moments.
Show digital clock countdown video on screen
Take a look at this. Time is passing away. Every moment that comes is valuable. They are valuable because once they come, you can never get them back again. Life is too precious for us to be caught up in what we should or could have done in the past. Life is too short for us to be constantly worried about what might happen in the future. Life is too short to complain about not having things the way we want them right now. Instead, let us value what God has given us. Let us value the moments in front of us, knowing that God might be trying to get our attention in the first place.
What is interesting about this ticking clock is that we don’t know how much time is left on our clock. Regardless of your age, we don’t know. The Bible says our life is but a vapor, it is here for a moment and then it is gone. Let us value the “right now” moments taking place right in front of us. Let us stop, give our attention, and engage in the moment.
Takeaways:
