All In

Know God

September 10, 2023 • Pastor Brent Sparks

As we’re moving into the fall season, I wanted to talk about the core values of our church. Here at Encounter we are about helping you take your next step whatever that might be. It might be salvation, water baptism, Holy Spirit baptism, reading your Bible, praying, getting a small group etc…It’s so important that you get connected to God and to the people of God! Here at Encounter we have a four step journey that we want everyone to go on: Know God Find Freedom Discover Purpose Make A Difference Let’s talk about what it means to know God.  First and foremost if you’re going to know God, you have to receive His Son Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. It’s salvation! But salvation means more than what most people think. Most people think that salvation stops at the cross and yes the cross is the foundation of salvation but Jesus didn’t die just so you could just go to heaven, and yes that’s the ultimate goal for all of us, but Jesus died so you could have an abundant life now! John 3:16-17 NKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Saved: (sozo) safe, delivered. To save, deliver, make whole, preserve safe from danger, loss, destruction. Trans.: What does it mean to believe?  Webster’s Dictionary defines believe: to accept as true, genuine, or real  From G4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ): - believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with. So when you accept Christ as your Savior you believe that His existence on earth, His dying on the cross and His resurrection are true and real! But it goes further than that. It’s not about just believing in those things about Christ, it’s now giving your life to Him and living the way He would have you live and no longer about how you want to live.  James 2:19 NKJV You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! So knowing God is not just about believing He exists, it’s about living your life for Him! So many times people say they believe God exists but they don’t tremble. And what I mean by that is it’s a casual thing for them where God is concerned. The reason demons tremble is because they understand who He is! And so many people that call themselves Christians don’t, because they believe God exists but they don’t know Him.  Just acknowledging His existence without actions of submission to His Lordship puts us in the same category as the devil and his demons. Hell will be full of people who acknowledged the Father and Jesus but who never acted on that faith in humble submission. Why do I need to know God? It’s an eternal decision that affects the temporal part of life.  John 10:10, Jesus came to give life and life in abundance. John 10:10 NKJV The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Why do you need to know God? Because He’s provided so many promises for you now to live an abundant life now! You won’t need healing, salvation for that matter, peace, hope, joy etc…when you get to heaven! 2 Corinthians 1:19-20 NKJV For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Knowing God will provide direction, authority and victory for your life. When you know God, you are seated in heavenly places far above all demonic forces. Ephesians 1:20-21 …which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Ephesians 2:6 NKJV …and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, There is no place in the N.T. where we are told to ask God to do something about the devil; rather, the church is told to do something about the devil. This is because delegated authority has been given to the church over the works of the Enemy. Paul’s prayer is that the church may be enlightened to this fact. 1 John 2:3-6 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. The word “know” is the greek word “ginosko” and it means to know someone through direct personal experience, implying a continuity of relationship.  So according to this definition God is someone you talk to everyday! I’m spending time with Him, listening to Him and obeying what He asks me to do. This means I am reading His Word and living the way it says I should live.  The greek word for “keep” means to continue to obey orders or commandments; obedience; to conform.  Religion has so ground into our heads the lie that right standing with God is earned by our actions, scriptures like this are almost always interpreted as the opposite of what they are really saying. This verse is not saying that keeping God’s commandments causes us to know Him; it’s saying the exact opposite. Knowing God (not just intellectually but experientially) will cause us to keep His commandments. This is how we know if we are truly born of God. If our actions aren’t affected, then we don’t have a genuine relationship with the Lord. Knowing God will cause us to keep God’s commandments. So, those who say they know God and are not keeping God’s commandments are liars. That’s not the way it works. 1 John 2:3-6 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. So it is clear that knowing God is not just about believing that He exists but actually living your life for Him and gladly doing it because you are so thankful for His mercy, grace and forgiveness. You are so thankful that you get to go to Heaven and can live a victorious life now on this earth! 1 John 5:2-5 NKJV By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? So this verse is saying I have no problem living the way God would have me live! It’s not burdensome! I’m happy to align myself with His Word because I know that my best life is found in God and not in my own personal desires!! John 10:14 NLT I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me If you know God you will FOLLOW Him and FIND true life.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 AMP Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body. Matthew 7:21-23 NLT Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Your best life is found in Jesus. Why? He created you and knows you better than you know yourself. He knows exactly what He designed you for and how to pull that out of you better than anyone!!! Jeremiah 29:11: you want to know God because of the great plan He has for your life. God does exceedingly, abundantly above all we can think or ask (find verse) When you know God, you’re never alone: (never leaves us or forsakes us) Luke 13:24 KJV 24. “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. (Living Commentary; Wommack) The Greek word used for “strive” in this verse is “AGONIZOMAI.” It means “to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or genitive case (to endeavor to accomplish something)” (Strong’s Concordance). It definitely implies that effort is involved in obtaining salvation. True salvation is not just mental assent but a real heartfelt commitment. The effort implied here is not for the purpose of earning salvation; that is a free gift (Romans 5:15), but we do have to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). Faith in Jesus’ goodness is what saves us–not our own goodness–and Satan is constantly trying to destroy our faith. We have to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 3). Note 3 Jesus said that many will seek to enter salvation and will not be able to. There are many reasons for this, but none of those reasons are because God refused salvation to anyone. “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11), and God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). As Jesus went on to explain in Luke 13:25, some will not really seek salvation until it is too late. Others “have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:2-3). Others may give lip service, but they do not believe from their hearts (Luke 6:46 and Romans 10:10). We can rest assured that all those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled (Matthew 5:6). “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).