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Sunday, September 20, 2026

The Gift Is God Himself

Knowing Jesus and living in His presence

By Pastor Parker Darnell

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Key scriptures

Psalm 16:11, 1 Peter 3:18, Jeremiah 2:13, John 15:4, John 15:11, James 4:8, Exodus 33:15, Psalm 51:11, Philippians 3:10 (all NLT)

Opening / intro

Why this matters

Last Sunday, we asked, “Can Jesus save someone at the end of their life?” Thank God, He can. But why spend your life without the One you hope to spend eternity with? Thank God we can escape hell. But while I am here on earth, can I know Him? Can I walk with Him? Can I experience the joy of being with my Father?

I do not want to spend my whole life familiar with church and unfamiliar with the Father. I want to know Him. I want to love Him. I want His presence to shape the person I am when nobody else is looking. The greatest gift of salvation is God Himself.

The joy of His presence. The pleasures of living with Him. Does that sound like a miserable life we should postpone as long as possible? So here is our question this morning: Do I merely want what God can do for me, or do I want God Himself?

NLT · Psalm 16:11

Do I merely want what God can do for me, or do I want God Himself?

Point 01

Jesus Came to Bring Us to the Father

  • Think about what happened in the garden. When Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God. Sin brought shame into a relationship that had been free of it.
  • Instead of enjoying His presence, they were afraid. We still do that. We fail, feel ashamed, and withdraw.
  • But the gospel is the announcement that God has made a way for sinners to come home.
  • Why did He suffer? To bring you to God. Jesus took our sin, died in our place, and rose again so we could be forgiven and reconciled to the Father.
NLT · 1 Peter 3:18

Also referenced in this message

  • John 17:3
  • Ephesians 2:8–10

Point 02

The Things We Chase Cannot Replace Him

  • You were made for God. Enjoy His gifts, but do not ask them to take His place.
  • We tell ourselves, “When I have more money, when people appreciate me, when this problem is gone, then I will have peace.” Yet the finish line keeps moving. We get what we wanted, enjoy it briefly, and start reaching for something else.
  • They left the fountain and dug their own supply. But it could not hold water. How much of our life goes into filling something that keeps leaving us empty?
  • The question is not whether sin can feel good for a season. Scripture acknowledges its temporary pleasure in Hebrews 11:25. The question is what that pleasure costs and where it leads. Something can entertain you while it is quietly enslaving you.
NLT · Jeremiah 2:13

Also referenced in this message

  • Hebrews 11:25

Point 03

His Presence Gives Joy and Strength in Real Life

  • In John 15, Jesus calls Himself the vine and us the branches. A branch does not produce life by trying to look alive. Its fruit comes from its connection to the vine.
  • Jesus calls us to remain in Him, depending on Him and receiving His words. In that same conversation, He connects remaining in His love with obedience.
  • There is joy in knowing you are loved. There is peace in bringing Him what you cannot control. There is courage in knowing you are not abandoned.
  • His faithfulness does not depend on the strength of your feelings. You can walk through the valley and still walk with God. His presence changes more than a church service. He changes us.
NLT · John 15:4 (excerpt)
NLT · John 15:11

Also referenced in this message

  • Philippians 4:6–7
  • Psalm 23:4
  • Galatians 5:22–23

Point 04

Holiness Is Our Response to His Love

  • But we cannot ask Jesus to come closer while telling Him which parts of our lives are off limits. God is not a consultant whose advice I consider while I remain in charge. Jesus is Lord.
  • He has authority over my money, my relationships, my private habits, and my words. And I can trust His authority because I have seen His love at the cross.
  • Coming close means turning from sin. Holiness does not purchase God’s love. His love changes us. Love changes the question from “What can I get away with?” to “What honors the One I love?”
  • Struggling is different from refusing. When you fall, return to Jesus. Confess it, receive forgiveness, and take the next obedient step.
NLT · James 4:8 (excerpt)

Also referenced in this message

  • Romans 8:13

Point 05

Make Room to Know Him

  • Start with honest prayer: “Lord, my heart has grown cold. Help me want You again.” Open His Word. Listen to what He says. Give Him time to address more than your list of needs.
  • Martha was distracted with serving while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened. Martha’s service mattered, but distraction was costing her time with Him. It is possible to be busy doing things for Jesus while neglecting time with Jesus.
  • So make a real appointment with Him this week. Put the phone away. Open your Bible. Pray before you rush into the day. Bring Him into your decisions, not just your emergencies.
  • Obey what you already understand. Make the apology. Ask for help. Stop postponing the step He has already shown you. The altar can be a beginning, but abiding is how we live after we leave it.

Also referenced in this message

  • Luke 10:38–42
  • Ephesians 5:18
  • Acts 1:8

More Than Anything I Want You

NLT · Exodus 33:15
NLT · Psalm 51:11
NLT · Philippians 3:10 (excerpt)

Different men, different circumstances, but the same hunger: “God, more than anything You can give me, I want You.” Moses was facing the road ahead. David was repenting of terrible sin. Paul was pressing on to know Christ more deeply. One needed guidance. One needed mercy. One longed for deeper fellowship. And all three turned toward God Himself.

Moses would not be satisfied with a destination without God’s presence. David knew his greatest need was deeper than protecting his reputation. Paul counted his achievements as loss compared with knowing Christ. What do we treasure that much? What would we refuse to trade away?

Lord, I want to provide for my family. I want help with my problems. But do not let me become so occupied with what I need from You that I stop wanting You. I do not want to preach about Someone I am too busy to seek. I want Him to govern my life because I trust Him. I want to know the Father, walk with Jesus, and be led by the Holy Spirit.

Come to God and Truly Know Him

If you have never surrendered to Jesus, come to Him today. He died for your sins and rose again. Turn from your sin and place your trust in Him. You cannot save yourself, but you can receive the Savior who is calling you.

If you have been living on the memory of a relationship you are no longer cultivating, come back. You do not have to pretend that everything is right. Bring Him the truth. If you are hungry for more, come and seek Him. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and show you the next step of obedience.

Come because Jesus is worthy of your life, not because you have made yourself worthy of Him. You do not have to wait for a certain feeling. You do not have to hide behind how long you have attended church. This is a moment to answer Him honestly.

Come out of hidden sin. Come out of prayerlessness. Come out of merely knowing about Him. Come know Him. Come surrender to Him. Come be filled with His Spirit. If you are lost, come home to the Father. If you have grown cold, return to Him. If something is competing for His place in your life, lay it down.

The Savior who died for you is worthy of your trust. The Father is inviting you near. “God, more than anything You can give me, I want You.” Let that be our answer today. Come to Jesus.

Prayer

Father, we come through Jesus. Forgive our sin and our resistance to You. We believe Jesus died for us and rose again. We place our trust in Him and surrender our lives to His lordship. Holy Spirit, fill us. Teach us to love what is holy and turn from what grieves You. Restore our hunger for prayer and Your Word. Give us courage to obey and power to be witnesses for Jesus. We want to know You and represent You faithfully. In Jesus' name, amen.

Scripture Index

All NLT unless noted

  • Psalm 16:11
  • 1 Peter 3:18
  • John 17:3
  • Ephesians 2:8–10
  • Jeremiah 2:13
  • Hebrews 11:25
  • John 15:4
  • John 15:11
  • Philippians 4:6–7
  • Psalm 23:4
  • Galatians 5:22–23
  • James 4:8
  • Romans 8:13
  • Luke 10:38–42
  • Ephesians 5:18
  • Acts 1:8
  • Exodus 33:15
  • Psalm 51:11
  • Philippians 3:10

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Passages discussed without quotation marks are summarized.

Take it home

  1. 01Where am I tempted to want what God can do for me more than I want God Himself?
  2. 02What am I chasing that cannot replace Him, and where is it leading me?
  3. 03What time will I make this week to put away my phone, open my Bible, and know Him?
  4. 04What act of holiness would honor the One I love?
  5. 05What would I refuse to trade away because knowing God is worth more?
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Sermon notes from 'The Gift Is God Himself' by Pastor Parker Darnell, preached Sunday, September 20, 2026 at Cornerstone Assembly of God, Jasper, Alabama. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.