Do You Know God?

Introduction: How many of you can say you know me??? Knowing someone requires actually visiting, sitting down and talking with one another. That is why it is such a blessing to have a full time preacher who can get to know everyone in the congregation so he can assist with their spiritual and physical needs.

But as Christians we are all required to get to know one another. The church in first century would go house to house as seen in Acts 2.

But not only must we know one another, we must also know who God is!!!!! In order to do that we must have a relationship with Him. Just like for a marriage to last it requires a lot of communication, so does our relationship with God the Father.

Have you ever thought what Jesus will say to you on judgement day. Lord willing, He says well done thou good and faithful servant, but we know that’s not going to be said to many

Matt 7:23!!!!!

First, we will see Knowing God Requires Seeking (Matt 7:7-14).

Second, we will see Knowing God Requires Applying (Matt 7:15-20)

Third, we will see Knowing God Requires Obeying (Matt 7:21-23).

Finally, we will see Knowing God Requires Listening (Matt 7:24-27).

Thesis: As Christians we have to seek Gods, Word, We have to apply His Word, We have to obey His Word, and We have to always listen to His Word.

I. Knowing God Requires Seeking (Matt 7:7-14).

a. If we seek, we shall find.

b. If we knock it shall be opened.

c. If your child asked you daddy, I’m hungry and you give them rocks or dirt to eat that would be pretty messed up.

d. What if they said daddy, I’m thirsty and you give them salt, that would be pretty messed up.

e. What if they said daddy, I’m hot and you give them a jacket?

f. As parents we understand that we are not going to give our child something to be evil to them.

g. Our Father is a just and righteous God and is not going to give us the opposite we are asking for if we are seeking Him.

h. 6:33 God knows what we need, He is willing to take care of all of our needs, but we have to first seek Him. He offers us help 24/7, His phone is always on, He is always home and invites us to come to Him anytime.

i. We have to do our part. We have to pick up the phone. We have to go knock on the door.

j. Notice: recieveth, findeth, kncketh- it is something we must do continually and we will continually receive and find.

k. Vs 12 Therefore…… We know this as the golden rule- but just like God knows how to help us when we ask, we need to know how to help others when they ask of us. If we were starving, thirsty, naked and asked for help would we want someone to help us….. Of course we would, so we need to do that for others..

l. Seeking God requires us to seek the narrow path.

m. Vs 13-14.

n. It is a path few will find, because only few will seek it.

o. Joshua 24:14-15

p. Psalm 119:105

II. Knowing God Requires Applying (Matt 7:15-20)

a. You shall know them by their fruits! The Christian vs the false teachers that Jesus ill say I never knew you in vs 23.

b. If we are truly seeking Gods Word, then we are going to make application in our lives. Well what does that look like??

c. If God says do not do something like commit adultery, lie, covet, lust, murder, are we going to do it still, or worse yet teach others to do it. Absoltly Not.

d. Gods Word should be seen in our lives.

e. Matt 5:16. Light shine.

f. Jesus will end the book of Matt 28:18-20 with great commission. Where we are to baptize and then to teach. If we are truly teaching, it will be seen in their lives the change.

g. If we are producing bad fruit we will be hewn down, and cast into the fire. John 15 we will be the branch removed from the vine which is raked up and burned.

III. Knowing God Requires Obeying (Matt 7:21-23).

a. Only those who do the will of my Father which is in Heaven.

b. Many like we read in 13 will take the wide and broad path which leads to destruction.

c. Many will say Lord we have prophesised, cast out devils, and done wonderful works!!!!!!!! We probably all know someone who may be a die hard catholic, Baptist, or any other denomination or non denomination, maybe even church of Christ who do good works but do not do the full will of the Father!!!

d. Did Jesus say those that do partial of His will in vs 21?? NOOO

e. What will Jesus say to me on judgement day? What will He say about you? A question we all must ask our selves because we only have one shot.

f. We cannot say tomorrow I’ll do better.

g. My brother Jim said yesterday at Riverside: it seems like when I was younger that you did not hear of young professional football players dying on the field, or young people having heart attacks.

h. Life is but a vapor.. Im scheduled to preach for you this evening, but not guaranteed to be here!!!!!! Just like the rest of us are not guaranteed to make it for evening worship!!

i. Does God truly know you????

IV. Knowing God Requires Listening (Matt 7:24-27).

a. Heareth!!! Doeth my sayings.

b. The ones with a relationship with God will have a strong foundation, one that will not fall easily when the storms come.

c. We will all face storms in life.

d. Those who do not fully seek, who do not fully apply, do not fully obey, and do fully Listen will be taken away very easily when the storm does come.

e. The storm may be finding out some bad news: lost of a loved one, high bill, disease. The storm may be a spouse leaving, a child departing from the faith, getting seriously hurt…..

f. If we truly have a relationship with God, we will be seeking, applying, obeying and listening before, during, and after the storm.

g. Just like with our spouse who we married for better or worse, richer or poorer. We grow stronger in our marriage when we are leaning on one another and God through the difficult times.

h. We grow stronger in our faith when we continue to lean on God through the storms.

Conclusion: We have seen Jesus has said many will seek the broad path that leads to destruction.

Jesus has said many will He say unto I never knew you depart from me worker of iniquity.

What path will we choose to follow? will we be like Job… Job 1:8

First, we will see Knowing God Requires Seeking (Matt 7:7-14).

Second, we will see Knowing God Requires Applying (Matt 7:15-20)

Third, we will see Knowing God Requires Obeying (Matt 7:21-23).

Finally, we will see Knowing God Requires Listening (Matt 7:24-27).

What will Jesus tell you come judgement day???

Do you have a relationship with Him?