MANY of the old football and baseball stadiums these days are being torn down, and new ones are being built in their places. The older ones were okay, but they had features in them that have improved with modern technology.

One of the problems in many of these older stadiums was that much of the seating in certain areas had an obstructed view where the fans became somewhat disconnected from the activity on the field. A beam or a post would block full participation in the sporting event. Oftentimes, if someone were seated in one of these seats behind a column, a fan would ask another person what happened. They’d have to get secondhand information because they couldn’t see it for themselves. They could hear the noise. They could hear the shouts. They could hear the excitement, but the column kept them from being a full participant in the activities.

Many of you spend time in a similar stadium called church. You come early every week, try your best to get good seats, participate enthusiastically in musical worship, listen attentively to the sermon, and then go home feeling empty-handed. You came hoping to experience God, but somehow, it seemed as though you were just going through the motions. You sensed that others around you were getting more out of the service than you did, but it was difficult to say why.

First, let me say that most of us have been right there before. It might be safe to say that we tend to mistake an emotional or inspirational encounter with the divine experience. We convince ourselves that if we sing loud enough, memorize the right Scriptures, and give enough money when the plate comes by, God will slide up beside us and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” So when that doesn’t happen, it is easy to become disillusioned. The only problem with this kind of thinking is that experiencing God is so much more than a pick-me-up at the end of a church service.

Psalm 34:7 reads, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” The first thing you should know is that the angel of the Lord is no ordinary angel; throughout the Old Testament, He is worshipped by many and does things that only God can do. He is Jesus, our Deliverer. You should also notice in this verse that He is always near those who fear Him. His protection and His presence are very real, and they aren’t dependent on loud singing or how many notes were taken during a sermon. In other words, experiencing God has a lot more to do with fearing Him than boisterous church activity.

But another truth to consider is that, just like those fans in the stadium who couldn’t see the activity on the field because they were sitting behind the columns, many of us come to church trying to experience God while failing to remove our own obstacle called sin. We show up at church Bible-in-hand paying little mind to the truth that we failed to touch it all week. We sing a little louder on Sunday to make up for the fact that we lived like pagans Monday through Saturday. Isaiah 59:2 reads, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” That means it is impossible to enjoy the fullness of God and benefit from His blessings if we are separated from Him. Because we fail to deal with our sin seriously, we short-circuit any chance of experiencing God’s mercy or His love. In other words, we get used to sitting behind columns and leaving empty-handed. 

Reverence toward God includes repentance of our sin. It means letting our sins go. We don’t hold on to them nor do we hide them in a closet. God wants you to truly experience Him, and He’s only going to do that if you have given Him your whole heart.

So, let me encourage you today twofold. First, experiencing God means experiencing His blessings, mercy, protection and even correction, all of which flow from an ongoing fear—or deep respect—of Him. Second, once you begin acknowledging your own sin with the same seriousness that God does, you will have removed that which has been obstructing your divine experience.

Letter of Blessing

“I wanted to say thank you for blessing me, my family and our men’s group at church through the Kingdom Man book and Bible study. I learned and grew so much from this series, not only how to be a better man of God, but also a better husband and father. We also have a member of our men’s group that taught this study at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, which is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. We have seen and heard incredible life-changing results. This book has changed my life. Growing up with an un-kingdom man as a father, I cannot thank you enough for the changes in my life and family. Blessings to you and your ministry.”