Wait, Do I Know You?
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
One of the most terrifying statements Jesus ever made wasn't about hell, judgment, or demons.
It was four words:
'I never knew you.'
Imagine standing before Jesus and hearing those words.
But today I want to look at the other side of that truth.
What if God does know you?
What if the Creator of the universe looks at you and says, 'That's my child.'
19 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”
Today we’re going to explore what it means to be known by God in today’s sermon, “Wait, Do I Know You?”
Playing Make-Believe
Playing Make-Believe
“The Lord knows those who are His”
In other words, you’re not fooling anyone.
There are some people, however who are playing make believe.
I think playing like you love God,
love His people,
love to worship Him,
love to give,
love to read and pray…
I think that’s just straight dumb to begin with!
All my life, I’ve watched grown adults play make-believe in church.
They make-believe like they are Christians but have no interest in loving God, loving His people, loving to worship Him, loving to give, loving to read and pray…
They make-believe their name by telling you they’re a Christian
Sometimes they make-believe and will even go as far as to attend a church.
To really make the show, they might possibly even put $5 in the offering basket — just to really make themselves feel like they’re doing it!
But I’m telling you, there are plenty of people who are pretending to be Christian.
But they would never share their testimony with someone else - because they don’t have one.
They would never serve in a ministry, especially one like Children’s Ministry - because that requires a moving of Holy Spirit in your life - which they haven’t experienced!
They would never actually tithe or give an offering - because they believe that the church is only worth whatever the smallest denomination they have in their purse or wallet.
For years I’ve asked the same questions,
WHY BE A CHRISTIAN IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE ONE?
Why go through all the trouble of looking like a Christian
IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE ONE?
Years ago, I ended every concert I held, every time I spoke, I asked that same question,
“Why be a Christian if you’re not going to be one?”
And you would be amazed at how many people would stop going to church!
And I would say to the pastors… “You’re welcome”
Because people who are attending church to play make-believe aren’t helping the church in any real way!
They've become spectators instead of participants
They don’t think about how they can contribute either to the gospel or the other people in the church.
They only think about — well, I have never really figured that out! What in the world are they thinking??
Becuase, there are SO many other things you could play make-believe,
so many other life-styles that would bring you a better reputation,
you could pretend to be so many other things than Christian - and they would all be easier!
And I understand, there’s a season for new Christians - that period when they are getting adjusted to what church-life is like.
What it means to be a Christian.
That time when they are learning the Word.
Learning to worship, and pray, and give.
Failure to Thrive
Failure to Thrive
Then… there’s this amazing time when they grow up…
Sadly, too many believers stagnate and develop (what they call in the medical field) failure to thrive.
Do you know what that means?
They can’t eat, won’t drink, they can’t develop any further…
It’s a terrible thing…and it literally kills a person when this happens.
Kim and I used to get upset, when our kids were babies, as we saw our children getting older, we’d sort of mourn that they were not as little as they once were, and her mother would always (in that way of hers) say, “Well, if they stopped growing they’d be dead”
She wasn’t wrong… and the same is true of believers…
Our spirit isn’t any different - when we stop growing, when we stop developing, if we remain stagnant it isn’t for long… that is a sign that something terribly wrong has happened.
If you have become stagnant in Christ, I don’t mean for a little while, I mean you never continued to grow from salvation… then you’re experiencing “Spiritual Failure to Thrive!”
Your spirit is dead on the inside!
You may have heard the gospel.
You may have received the gospel.
But because you wouldn’t experience the nourishment of the Word of God,
Because you couldn’t experience the refreshing of the Holy Spirit,
and because the seed of Jesus’ gospel didn’t take root in them.
You are dead on the inside.
This isn’t my thinking - it is Jesus’!
In His parable of the seeds Jesus expressed this exact sentiment!
5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.
Dead plants don’t grow - dead plants don’t benefit others - dead plants have met their demise.
And again, sadly, many of these occupy seats in the chairs or pews of thousands of churches.
Proclaiming Christ - asserting that they’re alive in Jesus - but rotting from the inside out.
So How Do You Know?
So How Do You Know?
5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.
I used to stress out about this terribly when I was younger… but now I realize it’s very simple to see whether or not your faith will meet the test of genuine faith…
17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
The difference here isn’t whether or not you sin occasionally… that’s going to happen.
The difference here is what is being produced in your life?
What does your life offer other people to draw them closer and closer to God?
It’s really quite simple!
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Are people able to pluck a little gentleness off the branches of your life?
Are people able to grab themselves a handful of patience from you?
Do people enjoy the goodness or kindness that hangs down from your life?
What about love?
Do you have joy?
Are you walking in the fruit of the Spirit?
If you are in Christ, these things are going to be evident in you because Holy Spirit is working in you!
If you are playing make believe - you may kinda have some of these, because you were raised right - but the reality is that being a good person isn’t the same as walking in the fruits of the Spirit.
What’s the difference?
22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
Holy Spirit guarantees the believer - He moves in us and confirms the work of the gospel in our hearts.
That’s how we know!
But we don’t have to rely on if we can “feel” Holy Spirit — we also look to the scriptures for confirmation of our salvation.
The Apostle John wrote;
13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.
When you read the scriptures, you’re going to find that they resonate within you, they mean something to you, because they are for You!
If I read a technical book for electrical schematics on an airplane - that isn’t going to resonate within me…
it won’t mean a thing to me, I’m going to look at some pages that don’t make a lick of sense to me and move on!
Why? BECAUSE I’M NEITHER AN ELECTRICIAN NOR DO I KNOW A THING ABOUT AIRPLANES!
But when you’re a believer, when Holy Spirit is alive within you,
when you read Psalms, when you read Proverbs, when you read the gospels, or when you read Acts… these words are going to come alive to you! They will matter to you!
You’re going to want to highlight them, take notes, leave them on a mirror or the refrigerator because you want to remember them!
That’s how you KNOW that you KNOW!
But our scripture for today says GOD KNOWS - He knows you!
He knows if you belong to His family or not!
Have you ever walked into a gathering and known immediately, “I don’t belong here”
It’s that obvious to God, as well, that you are His.
As soon as He sees You - He sees His child.
Any decent parent knows what this is like.
Children’s voices can all seem to sound the same…
except to mom or dad.
When our kids were little, we could be in a crowded playground with fifty children screaming.
Suddenly one cry would rise above the rest and we'd immediately know:
That's mine.
That's my child.
Every parent understands that.
And if earthly parents can recognize their children in a crowd...
how much more does our Heavenly Father recognize your voice, your cry?
How much more does your Father know you?
God sees all of us,
and He knows you.
19 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”
Closing
Closing
Perhaps the most important part of this passage is the first part of the sentence;
“But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription”
When we consider the magnitude of ALL of GOD’S TRUTH
Which may be summed up as the unchanging nature of God and the divine promises revealed in scripture…
At the very center of it all - is this incredible foundational truth…
God KNOWS those who are His.
Today, I want you to hear this…
You’ve been at it awhile.
You’ve been faithful
You’ve been praying and reading
You’ve been worshiping and giving
You’ve been attentive to the body of Christ, His church
GOD KNOWS WHO YOU ARE.
God recognizes you.
There are 8 billion people on this planet.
God has never confused you with anyone else.
He knows your voice.
He knows your story.
He knows your failures.
He knows your prayers.
He knows whether your faith is real
So don’t stop praying!
Don’t stop worshiping
Go deeper in prayer
Go further in your worship!
HE HEARS YOU!
HE KNOWS YOU!
Today, if you’re not certain… whether or not you’re for real…
19 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”
If you believe that you had at least once believed,
if you feel like you know that you’ve strayed or are experiencing “failure to thrive”
Hear the word of the Lord today,
“All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil”
Maybe you KNOW that you belong but you’ve been living for yourself.
Maybe you KNOW that you belong but you’ve been making allowances for sin.
Wherever you’re at in Christ today;
“All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil”
Today is the day of salvation - today is the day for renewal.
There’s a reason you’re hearing this sermon.
If the prodigal son didn't stay gone, neither should you.
If Peter didn't stay ashamed, neither should you.
If Lazarus didn't stay in the grave, neither should you.
And if God still knew them after all they'd done...
He knows exactly who you are today.
The greatest tragedy isn't that you know about God.
The greatest tragedy is spending your whole life knowing about Him
and never being known by Him.
Because, for someone like that, there will come a day where Jesus will say I never knew you.
But the greatest blessing in the universe is this:
God knows those who are His.
