Knowing God Intimately

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Knowing God Intimately

Exodus 33:11-16

May 5, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • Exodus 33:11–16

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Sermon Overview

Scripture Reference: Exodus 33:11-16

It is not enough to casually know about God; we were created to know God intimately and to enjoy Him personally. Yet many believers will settle with feeling infatuated with His works, and never know Him face-to-face.

Adrian Rogers says, “To know about God is to see God’s works; to know God intimately is to know God’s way.”

In Exodus 33:11-16, Moses demonstrates the beauty of knowing God intimately, seeing beyond an infatuation with His works to know His ways.

To know God intimately brings tranquility and peace to our troubled souls.

“And He said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest’” (Exodus 33:14). If we only see God outwardly—His miraculous works—we will live with worry. We often disappoint ourselves when He doesn’t act how we think He should. But knowing God’s ways helps us recognize His presence in every situation, and that is what gives us rest.

Knowing God intimately also gives us stability in our lives.

By nature, feelings of infatuation are fickle. But Christians who seek the unchanging heart of God have stability in their faith, no matter their circumstances.

Finally, knowing God intimately is necessary for victory.

In Exodus 33, the Israelites had strayed in their devotion to God, and Moses was interceding on their behalf. He begged for God’s mercy, and in response, God promised His protection and provision, but He would not be with them.

It is frightening to know we can have God’s protection and provision without His presence. Seeing how easy it is to be satisfied in worldly things, we cannot take anything as a substitution for knowing God intimately.

We cannot know God intimately by human reason. We know Him by directly dealing with Him, turning to Him in every circumstance or difficulty.

Adrian Rogers says, “To know Him is to love Him; to love Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is to obey Him; to obey Him is to be blessed, and to be blessed is to be a blessing.”

Apply it to your life

Adrian Rogers says, “You cannot know God by hearing sermons about knowing God; you can’t know anybody that you don’t spend time with.”

Don’t take anything as a substitute for knowing God intimately. Turn to Him today, and spend some intimate time in His Word.

Friendship with Jesus

May 19, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • John 15:12–25

Sermon Overview Scripture Reference: John 15:12-25 It is a privilege to call Jesus our friend—to know Him intimately as a close companion. John 15:12-25 highlights five things about our friendship with Jesus: what it means, and what it makes of us. First, friendship with Jesus elevates us. “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Simply being His servant would be an honor. But friendship with Jesus lifts us to a level we could not reach without Him. We didn’t choose Him; He chose us (see John 15:16). Adrian Rogers says, “A man is known by his friends; if you’re a friend of Jesus, you’re somebody.” Friendship with Jesus also enlarges the company we keep. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Friends of Jesus become friends with each other; He is our common bond. Because we love Him, we love one another, and the circle grows. But we must also remember the cost of friendship with Jesus. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). Real friendships are expensive, but they are worth it. The highest service is when we serve because we want to, not because we have to. Serving and obeying Jesus does not earn us His friendship; it proves our friendship. However, friendship with Jesus still enriches us. Healthy friendships with good people sharpen us and make us better. On the contrary, unhealthy friendships make us dull and drag us down. Friendship with Jesus, who is the Vine, makes us fruitful. Finally, friendship with Jesus means entering inevitable conflict with the world. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Just as His friends become our friends, so do Christ’s enemies become our enemies. But it is an honor to be counted worthy of suffering as Jesus suffered. Our deepest need is to have someone who understands us, and Jesus does; He is all we need. Apply it to your life Are you friends with Jesus? Have you made friends with His friends and seen His enemies rise against you? Consider your relationship with Jesus today.

Stop Enduring Religion

May 12, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • John 7:37–39

Sermon Overview Scripture Reference: John 7:37-39 Most of us have had all the religion we can stand; what we actually need is a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We need to stop enduring religion and start enjoying salvation. John 7:37-38 says, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” There are four simple steps to deeply drinking in the satisfaction of Jesus Christ. First, we must understand the subjects—those who thirst. Jesus was not speaking to everybody, rather only to thirsty people. If we’ve been filling ourselves with shallow things like self-love and worldliness, we will not long for the living water of Jesus Christ. Second, we must understand the source of this living water—Jesus Himself. We don’t find living water in rituals or religion or rules, rather, we receive it through Jesus. We will never live “right” until we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Adrian Rogers says, “Holiness is not the way to Christ; Christ is the way to holiness. We don’t work our way to the Way; He is the Way.” Third, we must recognize the secret: “Come to Me and drink.” This living water is free, but it costs everything within us. We must let it sink into our hearts so that we claim Him so deeply that we believe in Him and appropriate His promises. Finally, we must remember the supply. Ezekiel 47 prophecies what we, as believers, are to look like today: a mysterious river, flowing past the altar, which represents Christ crucified. This river’s mighty force brings life where there was death and success where there was failure. This living water brings fruitfulness where there was barrenness and health where there was sickness. When we are filled with the Spirit, our lives will overflow with joy, praise, and service. Not only will there be an income, but there will also be an outflow. We will become springs of revival and rivers of blessing. Apply it to your life Have you experienced the living water bubbling up from within? Have you experienced satisfaction in Jesus Christ? Don’t wait until you’re better or stronger; bring Him your failures and heartaches. Come to Jesus.

Jesus is God's Answer to Man's Death

April 28, 2024 • Adrian Rogers • John 11

Sermon Overview Scripture Reference: John 11 The Book of John shares Jesus’ glorious miracles with great messages and spiritual truths. In John 11, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, revealing that He is God’s answer to Man’s death. “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die’” (John 11:25-26). Many of us are alive but simply exist, fighting to live, while living to fight; but Jesus came, so that we may have life abundantly. Therefore, the only way to live abundantly is to first experience life in Jesus. In this passage, Lazarus had been physically dead for days; spiritually, he represents many of us who are dead in our sins. No amount of examples, encouragement, environment or education can bring a spiritually dead man back to life. He is resurrected the same way Jesus resurrected Lazarus: by His Word. Those who know Jesus Christ never truly die; instead, they have everlasting life. Second, living abundantly means exercising liberty through Jesus. We can be saved, and still not live in victory, caught up somewhere between the powers of Calvary and Pentecost. As Lazarus was taken out of his grave clothes, we must also discard our old lives and step into new lives of liberty. As the Church, we minister to each other by calling forth the spiritually dead and unwrapping the saints. Abundant life also means enjoying our love for Jesus. Lazarus dined with Jesus after he was resurrected, reminding us that fellowship with Jesus Christ is a reward in itself. Finally, abundant life means expressing loyalty to Jesus. After all he’d experienced, Lazarus was no longer afraid of death; He was loyal to Jesus, even when there was a threat made against him by the Pharisees. Adrian Rogers says, “No man is ready to live until he is no longer afraid to die.” When we experience life in Jesus, as well as liberty, love, and loyalty to Him, we begin to live the abundant life He promised us. Apply it to your life Do you have the abundant life Jesus promised those who live in Him? Consider your spiritual condition today, and step into a life of liberty, love, and loyalty to Christ.