It’s All About Who You Know

Title: It’s All About Who You Know 

Text: Jeremiah 9:23-24 

PP: God desires Christians to passionately pursue a personal, intimate, and ongoing relationship with him. 

Points: 

Tear Down the Idols Competing For Your Heart (v.23) 

Ardently Cultivate Intimacy With God (v.24a) 

Live Your Life Captivated by God (vv.24b-c) 

Intro:

Well I wonder if you remember back in Elementary, JH, or even HS … and 

When you’d see a boy and a girl who liked each other

Your little crush 

The guy would say “would like to be my girlfriend.” 

She says yes and now they go from ... liking each other … to being a thing … to being in a “relationship”

But remember, we’re talking about Elementary or JH (you’re young) 

They’re in a relationship …. together 

But there were some little couples … that didn’t talk … never spoke a word to each other (in relationship by name only) 

Maybe nerves … you’re awkward when you’re that young … You still need a lot of maturity 

But I’m sure you’re like me, you remember … you remember couples like that in school … or maybe that was you 

Think of another scenario … bc you could say … hey you can’t blame them … they’re younger 

That’s true 

So picture a married couple … (Have you guys ever watched the show —- `Wife Swap?) 

picture we’re watching the show … and it’s the couple … before the swap 

So we’re watching their marriage 

We see that … 

Husband wakes up … gets ready … leaves the door (doesn’t give hug her or a kiss her goodbye or anything like that) 

They both go to work … and there is some interaction during the day …

They thing is that the kind of interaction they have … is on Game Pigeon (8 Ball) 

Text: Hey remember to make me that meatloaf tonight 

He gets home … she’s cooking up dinner 

The husband sits down on the La-Z-Boy… watches whatever game is on 

Dinner is ready … they’re having dinner … and there’s no talking 

They’re both scrolling on their phones (watching reels) 

After dinner … 

He goes to play some Video games … while she does housework 

And it’s the same thing … every day 

This is their marriage … no spending time together … no dates … hardly ever any communication ... no affection 

Now … Are they really in a relationship? 

Well, technically ... even legally … yes (ring is a symbol of their marriage) 

But are they in a relationship with each other? 

Not a good … close … intimate … growing relationship with each other 

They’re together by name … but not relationally 

You know, when it comes to the X life … we can fall into the same trap 

Where we’re saved … 

But … in terms of how close we are to our God … is a different thing 

What can happen … is that we can fall into a kind of “Christless Christianity” 

Where we love coming to church … being a part of all that is going on … we enjoy the community/fellowship … (the X system) 

But forget the person of our Xianity (Christ himself) 

See if you’re a X … God desires that you would passionately pursue a personal… intimate … and ongoing relationship with him. 

Bc we often … forget that we were saved from a person (his wrath) 

… Unto a person (The God of the univers-e) 

Today we’re going to look at a passage … that I believe can completely transform the way you view your Christian life …

• from External Religious Activity —> Internal Relational Intimacy

TURN TO Jeremiah 9:23-24

(BACKGROUND)

(If you’re following along with us in DBR)

Jeremiah is known as the “Weeping Prophet” … and he’s know by that for a reason … (also wrote Lamentations)

Throughout Jeremiah’s book … as we’ve been reading … there’s lots of Judgment from God and prophecies about the coming judgment upon Judah

While they were God’s chosen people … they were blatantly disobeying God … engaging in idol worship … rejecting their Maker

So God promises to judge them through the hand of the Babylonians (Babylonian Captivity)

Which came about in 605, 597, and 586 BC

Slaves to Babylon for 70 years

So that’s the background to this book … impending doom & God’s righteous judgment

Our passage today clearly stands out … because God is offering them a way of salvation …

vv.21-22

READ

He gives them hope … and says … you want to be saved … then come and know me

Now it’s interesting that before he says that … he tells them what not to do …

and notice he doesn’t say … don’t boast (bc v.24)

—-> to stop boasting in the wrong things

See God is inviting his people … and us 2,500 years later … to know him personally and intimately

But if we’re do that … God’s wisdom … is that we have tear down the things that keep us from being close to him

See when God takes a hold of your life … he doesn’t want a sliver or just a piece it

Like the old hymn (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross) says —> “ demands my soul, my life, my all,

So that means that whatever things get in the way from a full devotion to him … must be done away with

The Bible calls those idols

If we’re to know God intimately … we have to tear down the idols that are competing for our hearts

1. Tear Down the Idols Competing For Your Heart (v.23) 

Idols — The things we trust … love … or depend on more than God

IOW — anything or anyone that replaces where God has to be

Our hearts are the seat of who we are …

Which is why this is important to get … bc I’m sure none of us … are going home/bowing down to a statue and worshipping it

This is what Judah was doing

But if fundamentally idolatry is found in the heart … then we we have to look to our hearts

Our hearts … are what we boast from …

Boast = to make much of something … that we find valuable and important to us

It shows what we most rely on and find confidence in

God here points out 3 Empty ways of Boasting

He is saying don’t trust in these things …

Judah was trusting in their wisdom to avert God’s punish

They were trusting in their might to fight off any attacks from other nations

They thought they were fine … because they gained riches through manipulation and exploitation

And God says NONE OF THESE CAN SAVE (NINGUNO)

And he doesn’t just point these out …but in the following verses (vv.25-26)

He essentially says your spiritual heritage can’t save you either … not just because you physically circumcised are you now fine

IOW don’t boast in your lineage

You know all the things that he points out … are fine gifts from God

Things that he gives us to use for his glory … but not to glory in them

For from him are all things .. for through him are all things … and to him all things should be (Rom. 11:36)

See their good gifts … but terrible gods

—> That’s what an idol is (something we treasure and trust)

How could that look in your context?

Bc you could be saying … idk if these all apply to me

Well let’s see how they do …

First think about how they relied on circumcision (external conformity) (vv.25-26)

Being a part of Israel … bc you were born into … but that’s its

Nothing personal about it

How many of you grew up in a X home? … Grew up in the church …

You might have the temptation to trust in all that you’ve grown up with … the family you have

Or are you someone who “knows” a lot of Bible

There’s nothing wrong with that …

but all that Bible knowledge is just staying up here … and not into here

JIMMY NEUTRON

Then you’re gonna be someone who is just filled with knowledge and that’s it … no action

Filled with biblical knowledge but no action

Wisdom = Biblical Knowledge applied

Do you ever find yourself wanting to control your life?

Wanting to rely on your own plans? (bc you think they’re the best)

Do you want to be known by others? Seen by others?

Do you want to have a platform?

OR

Are you someone who wants to be rich (safe/secure in life) 

To be comfortable and have things

God says that a desire to be rich … leads to ruin and destruction

Notice that with all of these … pride is the driving force

Which gets us to see that any boasting that’s outside of God —> is prideful

And these are facades … they’re temporary (“The world will pass away along with its desires” - 1 John 2:17)

(ILL - Ghosts from Haunted Mansion)

You were created to boast … but not to boast in these that won’t last

I was reading one commentary where the author was saying that we don’t only construct idols

… from things that might be true about us …

… but we can also create them from things that we are insecure about

We all are insecure about things …

but do you try to mask that make yourself look better than how you actually feel

That’s idolatry as well

All of these are examples … are ways that your heart can create idols

John Calvin — “The human heart is a perpetual idol factory.”

What tempts you towards idolatry?

Ask

What do you find your worth in?

Where do you find security in?

What do you talk most about?

What do you think most about?

1 John 5:20–21 “20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.”

Idols keep us from truly knowing Christ … they’re obstacles from knowing and savoring Christ

So what do we do?

Well much like King Josiah did in the OT …

He burned … broke down … and did away with all idols

We have to do the same … when it comes to the idols of our hearts!

Acts 19:18–19 “18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.”

We have to be willing to completely do away with any inch of idolatry in our hearts

Why? Well bc it’s sinful … but also …

If you’re a X … you will never be close to God … if you are harboring idols in your heart

So let’s tear them down

God wants us to intimately know him

But that’s not something that just automatically happens

It requires cultivation

It requires ardent cultivation

A passionate cultivation

2. Ardently Cultivate Intimacy With God (v.24a) 

(Not from pride & prejudice)

Now when we talk about “knowing God”

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:22–23 “22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

One of the most frightening passages in the Bible

We see that what matters is not just that you know God (here it’s ppl that knew about God) —> What really matters is that God knows you!

In a relationally salvific sense!

Now consider what we’ve been learning about … mankind … in Jeremiah (DBR)

Theme = evil heart or “uncircumcised hearts”

Bc of their evil hearts they are unable to follow him … or you could say “Know him”

And the same is true for us … we’re born with an evil heart … (one that doesn’t want to follow God)

We’re born in a state of separation with God

Which is why we naturally do not “know God”

But throughout … Jeremiah’s book … God’s offered to do surgery on their hearts

He didn’t leave Judah without any hope

Just like he doesn’t for you and I

He offers to “circumcise” our hearts! — (Jer 4:4) —> Which means to make them new … to provide a new heart

A new engine

Jer 31:31-34 (New Covenant) (Yes - parts where it’s talking specifically to Israel & parts that are yet to be fulfilled)

A Couple things we see:

God is promises to write to law on their hearts

Ezk 36:25-27 — Should be read in unison

Remove old heart —> New heart … new spirit … the Holy Spirit

Close intimacy —> Ability to know him (v.34)

Forgiveness of sins — HOW?

—> Jesus in the NT in the Upper Room … enacts the New Covenant

“20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:20)

How can your sins be forgiven? How is possible that God gives you a new heart?

Blood had to be spilled on your behalf —> Jesus

That’s how it’s made possible …

but how do you get that to happen to you?

Well in the same book (Jer 3:13-14)

Jeremiah 3:13 “13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God …”

Jeremiah 3:14 “14 Return”

God says if you repent of your sins and place your confidence in me ….

I will come and pay for your sins and give you a new heart (making you a new person)

Bridge … in order to have a good relationship with God … we need to response to his offer of salvation

Have you done that?

You need to come into a relationship with him through Christ

Then and only then … can we talk about how we can cultivate an intimate relationship with him

And you know for most of that do have a relationship with him … can you remember how big a privilege that is

In the OT … connection and access to God was restricted bc of His holiness and man’s sinfulness 

Connection with God was through the Tabernacle and later the Temple 

By the high priest (once a year) 

Jesus in the NT 

John 1:14 “14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  

Dwelt = literally means “tabernacled”

So God comes 2,000 years ago and “tabernacles” with his people through Christ

And we don’t have Jesus physically here with us … 

But he sends the HS to come and “tabernacle” or “dwell” in you 

And yes … we don’t have full access (until future) 

But man what a privilege to be close to God 

This see this … Progressive intimacy throughout redemptive history

See when you recognize how amazing this is …

You see wait …

I can’t just check off the box (with my spiritual life) …. bc the Living God of the universe wants a relationship with me

I can’t afford for my Xianity … to be this rote … monotonous … mechanical thing

God Calls us to pursue a person … (not a routine or just what we like about Xianity)

John 17:3 “3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

It’s not knowing all about God … but knowing God

Not just facts … but a close relationship

Do you have that Bridge student?

If Christ were here … and we asked him … who is close to you and knows you here?

Would you be someone that he says … him … her —> They know me!

Would God be able to say about you … what he said about Job —>

Job 1:8 “8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?””

Or David ….

“a man after my heart” (1 Sam 13:14)

Paul

“7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil. 3:7-8)

To him know … is to be acquainted with who he is …

God says here that practices steadfast love (He’s a God of loyal love)

Practices … Justice — He always does what is just and right

He is Righteous — Meaning he says sets for the standard for our conduct

The one that “understands and knows him” —> Personally has experienced and constantly is familiar with his character

Well 2 years ago … it was my 2nd time going on out STM Guat trip

Celeste and I were dating back then

She knew we were going to be apart 

It was going to be hard to talk to each other

So she wanted to have some form of communication

3 Letters (each had a specific purpose)

Open when: You’re tired

Open when: You miss me 

Open when: You get on the plane home 

And I didn’t know this … but she was compiling a big letter during the week everyday … talking about her day … things that she wanted to tell but wrote them down so she didn’t forget 

And she gave me that one when I got back 

Now I share that … bc I makes me think about our connection and communication with God

See like the letters —> God wants to communicate with us & does through the Scriptures

God speaks with you

And he’s made it possible to be able to speak back to him

(like Celeste and I would do … we would talk on the phone at night)

And I would treasure … the letters she wrote me …

bc as i read them i knew this was the one that I love that was talking to me

I also wanted to talk to her … especially after having read her words … hence the phone calls

And you know … I still remember some of those words …

I remember that she went to breakfast with my parents after they had said goodbye

I still have some of the things said in those letters memorized

The whole point is … that God has given us ways to grow in our intimacy with him

The Bible

Have you ever thought of your time in the Bible … like that?

Your sitting down … invited to hear how God describes himself to you

Character … Attributes … Actions

When you think of your Bible intake like that …

… it changes it from just being a checklist —> to sitting down to hear from your Creator (who want to disclose himself to you)

But of course …. you have to do the work of looking for what he says about himself

Ask:

How is God described here?

What does that description say about him?

How does he respond in this situation? What does that show about him?

Then you ask … based on this … how should that effect my life?

You can of course … memorize passages about him (Ex 34:6-7)

Prayer is the other way

Luke 11:2 “2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.”

He teaches us to praise God!

How often do you sit down in your prayer … and just praise him!

See but if you don’t know his character … then how will you praise

Yes it can be the things that you have … but to just simply adore him for who he is

That’s a different thing

Ask yourself …

How can I praise God for his justice?

How I can praise God for his immutability?

How I can praise God for his eternality?

How can I praise God for his inscrutability?

To know God …

Is to constantly be hearing him from the Bible

And to talk to him in prayer by praising him

Charles Spurgeon said, "When asked, 'What is more important: Prayer or Reading the Bible?' I ask, 'What is more important: Breathing in or Breathing out?'".

Both are necessary to cultivate intimacy with God

Which one needs work in your life right now?

Seeing your quiet time … as trying to get to know a person … changes everything about it

And to know this the Almighty God … wow what a privilege

You can’t help but be changed …

Anyone in the Bible that was closely connected to God … lived a life captivated by him

If we’re ardently cultivating intimacy with him … then we can’t help but live differently

3. Live Your Life Captivated by God (vv.24b-c) 

When you’re captivated by him … and you’re close to him … you are shaped by him

3 Areas in which you should be transformed

1. Affections — What You Love

To know God … changes what captures your heart

You learn to Fear Him (reverential awe and reverence)

Jeremiah 2:19 “19 Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord God of hosts.”

You recognize that he has all power and authority

You delight in Him

Psalm 27:4 “4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”

Psalm 73:25 — “25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

When you delight in him … Your heart turns from loving sin to loving holiness.

Like a magnet realigning metal filings …

—> closeness to God realigns your affections toward what pleases Him

2. Actions — What You Do

To know God completely changes how you live

You worship Him

In song … and in life!

Romans 12:1 “1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Worshiping him with your life … and not just emotion

You obey Him

1 John 2:3 “3 And by this we know … that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.”

John 14:23–24 “23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”

How your life matching up … how’s your obedience to what he says?

Obedience … flows out of your relationship with not just obligation

3. Ambitions — What You Live For

To know God changes … what drives you

You are zealous for Him (Phinehas, Numbers 25)

You stand up for him —> You care for his honor and glory

You speak of Him 

Acts 4:20 - (Peter & John before the council)

“20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.””

(Summarized) —> You have boldness (Acts 4:13)

Acts 4:13 “13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

Knowing God personally … shapes everything about you

I love how this passage ends …

“…For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”” (v.24)

When you live this way — Fearing him … delighting in him … worshiping him … obeying him … being bold for him

—> You reflect what delights the heart of God himself

How amazing is that!

I remember being a kid … and thinking how cool it would be if I knew someone that I looked up to … if we were close

I’m sure you could probably relate to that

For me it was pro-skaters

And yeah it’s pretty cool … if you knew whatever it is

I think we ought to reflect on just how wonderful it is …

To be invited into a personal … close … intimate … relationship —- With the God of the universe

Let’s know him … bc he knows you!

John 10:14 “14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,”

LET’S PRAY