God is...Knowable
Notes
Transcript
Preliminary:
Preliminary:
Looking at Luke 19 this morning
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
We have been trying to discover just a little about God this week. Most of this isn’t new - but I think it is extremely important to have a correct view of God.
I told my church recently - Oh we need a revival of the Holy Spirit moving and outpouring upon us and our community - but we also need a revival of a proper view of God.
This week I have endeavored to talk about God is...
God is…Real
God is…Always
God is…Great
God is…Holy and Beautiful
Today I want to talk briefly as I know you have a healing service - but I want to talk to you about God is…KNOWABLE
Yesterday I talked a little about God being transcendent He is above, august, beyond, on high - but God is also immanent - meaning right here everywhere - omnipresent - it is due to this immanence
Canon W. G. Holmes of India told of seeing Hindu worshipers tapping on trees and stones and whispering
“Are you there? Are you there?”
to the god they hoped might reside within (Tozer - Knowledge of the Holy)
Sometimes we may feel like that - I talked about that the other day - when God is incognito...
But God is knowable
God is…Knowable - because He has revealed himself in a designed fashion to initiate relationship
It was Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 that separated that relationship.
God had to cast them out of the Garden they were separated from God - and they died - just as Bro. Brewer told us the other day
This uncrossable gulf or gap came between man and God.
But instead of God crossing his arms and saying there that’ll teach ‘em he initiated his plan.
You see apart from grace man can’t even think to seek God-
People accuse us of saying this - but in all reality you can’t just get saved whenever you want to.
It is not us seeking God - it is God seeking us
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Now before you sink in despair - about who are the ones the Father draws I want you to learn Titus 2:11
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
God’s going before grace or prevenient grace brings us to a knowledge of who He is.
We sometimes only see little Zacchaeus as a man who went to great lengths to find God - but I just imagine - can I do that this morning - if we could read the other part of that story and I hope we can in heaven -
Jesus set out one morning - because he knew there was a tax collector who was hungry to know the real God. He had been raised with all kinds of quaint sayings, commands, superstition, and thoughts about God - and for some reason (I point you to The Father Drawing HIM) he thought If I can see Jesus it will all make sense
If I can just get to Jesus it will all make sense.
While Zacchaeus is getting all prepared to go - putting his best and most comfortable shoes on because he’s going to be walking a while, getting his nicest robe (after all he should look his best if he’s meeting someone like Jesus)
What the Bible doesn’t tell us is the behind the scene - how Jesus got up that morning and in his spiritual vision - in his talk with God he sees Zacchaeus
Oh he looks like he has it all together - but really he’s an unhappy desperate man seeking fulfillment - and they’re going to meet today
It’s going to be an interesting meeting. The Father and the Holy Spirit had been working so that the news of Jesus coming to town had made it to Zacchaeus -
That grace was given that caused him to felt drawn to go and meet Jesus - and as he thought about it and his mind and heart received the grace - the drawing became stronger and stronger until it became something he had to do.
I’ve got to get to Jesus - I wonder what he’ll look like? I wonder if he will like me? After all I’m a publican - I’m rich, not everyone likes me.
But to Zacchaeus’ dissappointment when he got into town there were so many other people there that he almost gave up and went home - but suddenly an idea flashed into his mind
You know obedience to God is about keeping his commandments -but sometimes he asks us to do things personally - I believe it was Amanda Smith in one of Bro. Inskip’s meeting where the Lord told her to raise her hand and it was just about impossible but she got it up there and the victory came.
We talk about these as being steps to draw nigh to God - but in reality God is drawing us to Himself
The HOly Spirit says to Zacchaeus - you know you won’t be able to see Jesus down here - you need to get up higher somehow - there’s a nice sturdy looking tree over there you have your good track shoes on - why not give it a climb
And up the tree he goes
Now I have no way to prove this - but I wonder if Jesus wasn’t just taking his time - waiting for him to get settled in the tree - he’s almost there let me do a few more miracles I’m almost to Zaccheaus.
But there came a point where Zaccheaus up in the tree looking down - and God incarnate - Christ looking up their eyes meet and
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
In that moment realization - salvation - knowing God comes to Zacchaeus
Do you know what eternal life is? Jesus tells us in John 17:3 “3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Neither let the mighty man glory in his might, Let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, That he understandeth and knoweth me, That I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: For in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
Do you know without God initiating relationship - we could never know Him
John Wesley calls this awakening
I remember distinctly when I was awakened
Now I was raised in a godly holiness home
We went to church three times a week and every night of revival
We went to camp meetings
But you know what that didn’t automatically give me eternal life
But I remember as a 10 year old boy sitting on the front pew of the Foley Holiness Church - in a revival meeting and for the first time in my life somewhere down in here I felt a need of a Savior - and that Savior was who the evangelist was talking about
Now I didn’t get saved at that time - partly due to misusnderstanding but I had an awakening I now knew what alone was going to bring happiness and fulfillment to my life
You know I was kind of like those who know a lot about God but don’t really know Him
My Father-in-law John Akard was tremendous preacher in my opinion - now he wasn’t flashy
He’d never taken a hermenutics or homeletics course in fact I doubt he ever even knew what those words meant
But my he could take complex theological concepts and just bring them right down to everyday ordinary life
He would tell a story occasionally about a famous amazing actor who was going to be at a dinner party and was going to recite several pieces of oratory and poems
As the evening progressed the crowd was just spell bound and in awe at the actor as line after line came out with such perfection and clarity
Finally as the evening was winding down to a close the actor declared - “As my last piece tonight I want to recite the Twenty Third Psalm
Now as I was getting ready for the show tonight I heard the janitor reciting this as he was emptying garbage and sweeping floors - and when I finish I want him to come up here and recite it as well and you tell us who does it better.
THe lights dimmed and the famous actor took center stage and with flourish and flawless ennunciation the actor recited the Twenty-Third Psalm as they had never heard it before - I mean it was to perfection
Every dramatic pause was perfectly timed and calculated
Every inflection was so perfectly fitted for the phrase
It was just awe inspiring.
As the applause died down and janitor took center stage - the room crackled with mockery and disdain
But as the janitor began - in a broken and cracked voice the atmosphere in the room began to change
It became so silent you could hear a pin drop
Oh his ennunciation was far from perfect
He didn’t know a thing about dramatic pauses and how to gesture appropriately
His inflection wasn’t all that great either because every once in a while would pause to catch his composure
when He finished and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever
there was not a dry eye in the crowd
In fact the famous actor was dabbing at his eyes
The actor came back out on stage - so moved - and said Friends I know the Twenty-THird Psalm - but this Janitor KNOWS THE SHEPHERD
Oh there is a big difference between knowing about God and knowing God
What is important is that we know GOD
It was healing service in a tent meeting down in southern MO back in 1999 when I came to the altar sick of sin
I had been to the altar for years - I was what my pastor termed a “Chronic Seeker”
I knew alot about God - I could tell every one else about Him
but I didn’t know HIm Personally
I wasn’t there five minutes when suddenly something happened it clicked
Jesus came by the Sycamore tree I was in - now He Had Been THere ALl the time and was drawing me to him - but it hadn’t clicked
and He said - CURTIS COME DOWN I”M COMING TO YOUR HOUSE TODAY
and in that moment I didn’t just know about God - I knew Him.
OH i had my struggles my ins and outs and in fact I was probably out on a visit a couple years later to see my “close friend” Angie in Texas we were childhood sweethearts we met when she was 9 and I was 11
and through the years had kept in contact even though I was from MO and she was from TX but we would see each other at camp
I went to TX to see her - I wanted to spend time with her
But if any of you know Bro. John Preston - you weren’t just going to be near him and just visit someone - you were going to have to visit with God as well.
That sunday morning service God came and I don’t know what you call it
Bro. Noel Scott called it repair work
Well I think it was more than repair work in my heart and life - but God came and once again my relationship to him was restored
I was happy and free - I knew for sure my name was in the Lamb’s book of life again
My heart was free and clear
In reality I got saved again
That night I don’t even remember all of the details now but I remember the Holy Spirit was moving and working and I was taught strongly you didn’t dare claim anything without knowing for sure you had it - you see I really hadn’t heard much about faith
Oh I so appreciated bro. Brewers message the other night on faith
Oh the Holy Spirit was there I don’t even remember what all happened but I was in the back of the church and they had gathered around me in a circle
and they were encouraging me to exercise my faith
Oh that was scary
that was going against everything I’d ever been taught
and while that was going over in my mind I thought about Abraham and Isaac going up the mountain - they get up a good way and Isaac ask’s where is the sacrifice we have the wood and fire but what are we gonna sacrifice -
Abraham knowing all that was supposed to happen says “Don’t worry about that son God will provide”
as they made the altar put the wood in place the fire was ready Abraham tells Isaac that God said he was supposed to sacrifice him.
Now I have read that story so many times and I love what is written there - but you know I also really love what is not written there - because that is what spoke to me in that moment
I was standing there thinking you know there is no record of Isaac having to be chased down and captured
No wrangling with him to try to tie him up
It just says that Isaac was on the altar
Oh how my heart wanted that - Lord I don’t want to run I don’t want to wrangle anymore I’ve done enough of that
One little thought flittered though my mind at that time
What if you and Angie never get married - what if you never get married - and in that moment I climbed on the altar and said if that is your will so be it - now I thank God that wasn’t his will but I had to consecrate that to him
So here we are in the backof the little Gadston Holiness church and they’re encouraging me to take what GOd is trying to give me - I’m so scared
this is so against everything I’ve ever been taught
So - and this is how good my faith was - I said in my mind - you know what I’m going to say it and just have to show them it doesn’t work this way”
So I started to say, “Thank you GOd for sanctifying me”
But you know I didn’t even get the sentence finished - The HOly Spirit hit my soul and there was no doubt in my mind what had just happened
Oh my we had a time
I’m so glad God is knowable - both by knowledge about him but I’m really glad we can KNOW HIM because HE COMES TO ABIDE IN OUR HEARTS
One person told me it felt like a train hit that place I don’t know about that but I know that my heart was as pure and holy as God’s grace and power could make it