Classroom: Knowing God... 03-07-07
03-07-07 Emanuel
Knowing God – Making Him Known
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
The first verse here is a caution. It’s a caution that we do not want to place ourselves in the center. We do not want to make ourselves the ultimate beings.
Hosea 6:6
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Primary Purpose
God is knowable and wanting to be known based on mutual friendship. This is part of His primary purpose. It was His intention to embrace us through shared friendship. Part of this is expressed in encouragement for us to trust in Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Trust is one of those non-negotiables in a relationship. Now, in our relationship with God – trust is non-negotiable. To take Him by His Word is non-negotiable. To seek to understand Him is non-negotiable. That is trust. Circumstances in relationships does not in any way take away trust.
In this friendship relationship, God intends to empower us with His goodness. He does empower us with His goodness, we get to appreciate Him and glorify Him. What is the goodness of God? The person sitting next to you is a clear expression of the goodness of God. Outside, the sunshine is an expression of the goodness of God; and if we can see this goodness of God around us, it does something to us. We benefit from this goodness. I went out into the sun and I say, “Oh man, I’m enjoying this.” That’s God’s goodness. I could go on and on and on about this – but when we acknowledge that God is good, we feel empowered.
In a friendship relationship, gratitude is very important. We live in a generation where people don’t like to show gratitude or thankfulness. When somebody does something for you, you say “thank you.” Now, whenever possible, when your staff serves you as best as they possibly can without even receiving any salary – you can still show them that you appreciate it through gratitude. Ingratitude hurts a relationship. It makes things one-sided. How do you feel in a friendship relationship when you’re the only one giving?
God says, “remember what I did for you.” Do not forget. Remembrance is very crucial for a friendship relationship.
God enables us (by His Grace) to express and share His goodness – Making Him Known
Grace is God’s way of empowering us to express His goodness. It’s God’s way of empowering us to become what we are not. So whatever your limitations are, Grace empowers you to do what you are not otherwise able to do. I am standing before you today. I told you I was a very, very shy guy.
One thing that makes Christianity very distinct from other major religions is the Grace of God through Jesus Christ. Through the Grace of God, we can have friendship with God, we can call Him a Father, and we can be empowered to do things that we are not able to do. And through the Grace of God we can forgive one another. And that you don’t have to perform to please God. That through the Grace of God, through Jesus Christ, we are accepted to come to Him.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
So I don’t have to cut myself when I do something wrong, to feel the pain. The Grace of God is boundless.
Knowing God is a relationship calculated for mutual pleasure and satisfaction. In every relationship it’s give and receive.
Knowing God gives Him pleasure and satisfaction
We get pleasure and fulfillment
We are the object of His love and affection
He becomes the object of our love and affection
Enjoy who you are in God. There are hundreds of scriptural references of truth of what God says about you and I. It’s the truth about who you are. In Psalm 139 it talks about who you are.
We are the object of God’s love. This is sometimes very difficult to take and accept – especially when you don’t FEEL His love. In many circumstances – I don’t feel the love, but there is still no denial that it is there! So what I’m trying to communicate, is that we won’t always feel the love, but it is always there. We are the object of His love and satisfaction.
Judges chapter 6: Gideon
Israel was under oppression by the Midianites. Well, it got to the point where no male in Israel felt they were man enough. The strongest man in Israel thought he was weak. An angel came and said, “you are a mighty man.” Sometimes God’s truth is contrary to our circumstance.
How do we know God?
What activity involves knowing God?
· Reading the Bible: God’s Word, knowing the word of God, and applying it in our lives – living it. Thinking through it, thinking about it, trusting to apply the word of God.
· Creation: His works – watching God’s creation, thinking about it, we can see and know more about God and His creativity.
· Relationship: Intimacy/friend
· Signs, Miracles
· Holy Spirit
Knowing God – Making Him Known
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
The first verse here is a caution. It’s a caution that we do not want to place ourselves in the center. We do not want to make ourselves the ultimate beings.
Hosea 6:6
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Primary Purpose
God is knowable and wanting to be known based on mutual friendship. This is part of His primary purpose. It was His intention to embrace us through shared friendship. Part of this is expressed in encouragement for us to trust in Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Trust is one of those non-negotiables in a relationship. Now, in our relationship with God – trust is non-negotiable. To take Him by His Word is non-negotiable. To seek to understand Him is non-negotiable. That is trust. Circumstances in relationships does not in any way take away trust.
In this friendship relationship, God intends to empower us with His goodness. He does empower us with His goodness, we get to appreciate Him and glorify Him. What is the goodness of God? The person sitting next to you is a clear expression of the goodness of God. Outside, the sunshine is an expression of the goodness of God; and if we can see this goodness of God around us, it does something to us. We benefit from this goodness. I went out into the sun and I say, “Oh man, I’m enjoying this.” That’s God’s goodness. I could go on and on and on about this – but when we acknowledge that God is good, we feel empowered.
In a friendship relationship, gratitude is very important. We live in a generation where people don’t like to show gratitude or thankfulness. When somebody does something for you, you say “thank you.” Now, whenever possible, when your staff serves you as best as they possibly can without even receiving any salary – you can still show them that you appreciate it through gratitude. Ingratitude hurts a relationship. It makes things one-sided. How do you feel in a friendship relationship when you’re the only one giving?
God says, “remember what I did for you.” Do not forget. Remembrance is very crucial for a friendship relationship.
God enables us (by His Grace) to express and share His goodness – Making Him Known
Grace is God’s way of empowering us to express His goodness. It’s God’s way of empowering us to become what we are not. So whatever your limitations are, Grace empowers you to do what you are not otherwise able to do. I am standing before you today. I told you I was a very, very shy guy.
One thing that makes Christianity very distinct from other major religions is the Grace of God through Jesus Christ. Through the Grace of God, we can have friendship with God, we can call Him a Father, and we can be empowered to do things that we are not able to do. And through the Grace of God we can forgive one another. And that you don’t have to perform to please God. That through the Grace of God, through Jesus Christ, we are accepted to come to Him.
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
So I don’t have to cut myself when I do something wrong, to feel the pain. The Grace of God is boundless.
Knowing God is a relationship calculated for mutual pleasure and satisfaction. In every relationship it’s give and receive.
Knowing God gives Him pleasure and satisfaction
We get pleasure and fulfillment
We are the object of His love and affection
He becomes the object of our love and affection
Enjoy who you are in God. There are hundreds of scriptural references of truth of what God says about you and I. It’s the truth about who you are. In Psalm 139 it talks about who you are.
We are the object of God’s love. This is sometimes very difficult to take and accept – especially when you don’t FEEL His love. In many circumstances – I don’t feel the love, but there is still no denial that it is there! So what I’m trying to communicate, is that we won’t always feel the love, but it is always there. We are the object of His love and satisfaction.
Judges chapter 6: Gideon
Israel was under oppression by the Midianites. Well, it got to the point where no male in Israel felt they were man enough. The strongest man in Israel thought he was weak. An angel came and said, “you are a mighty man.” Sometimes God’s truth is contrary to our circumstance.
How do we know God?
What activity involves knowing God?
· Reading the Bible: God’s Word, knowing the word of God, and applying it in our lives – living it. Thinking through it, thinking about it, trusting to apply the word of God.
· Creation: His works – watching God’s creation, thinking about it, we can see and know more about God and His creativity.
· Relationship: Intimacy/friend
· Signs, Miracles
· Holy Spirit
posted by CarbonChris at 10:27 AM
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