Know God (John 17:3)

We are going to focus this month on a series of sermons where each one explains one of the main parts of our new strategy to accomplish our newly clarified mission.

We are going to focus this month on a series of sermons where each one explains one of the main parts of our new strategy to accomplish our newly clarified mission.

Our mission as a church is to make disciple-makers who impact their neighborhoods and the nations for Jesus.

But how will we accomplish this mission? Our strategy answers that. Put very simply in a way that everyone can remember, we want people to KNOW, GROW, FOLLOW, and GO. Specifically, we want people to know God, to grow in their knowledge of Scripture, to follow Jesus, and to go, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Those 4 parts of our strategy will be the focus of the next four sermons, so that we understand how we are seeking to accomplish our mission of making disciple-makers who impact their neighborhoods and the nations for Jesus.

Today, I want to focus on what it means more to know God. Whether you are part of our church, where all of what we do will be funneling through this strategy, or you just happen to be here today listening to this message, it is important that we all know what it means to know God.

Here’s why it’s important to truly know God: If you don’t know God, there is no eternal life in heaven.

Turn to , let me read v.3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (, ESV)

We’re going to focus on this verse today. Did you see it? It’s unmistakeable— if you don’t know God, there is no eternal life in heaven.

This is why our ministry strategy begins with this important part—we want people to know God, because we want them to experience the abundant life he offers now and the eternal life He offers when they depart this world.

So what does it mean to truly know God?

Let me suggest this: Knowing is believing, which results in commitment.

tells us that eternal life comes from knowing God. Eternal life comes only through believing in Jesus Christ.

So, knowing is believing.

But true belief in Jesus also brings about a commitment to following Jesus.

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (, ESV)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (, ESV)

1 John 4:8 ESV

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

John 14:15 ESV

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Or listen to how Paul expresses it in :

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” (, ESV)

So, follow the logic: if we know God, then we should love Him and others. If we love Him, we will keep his commandments. If we know him, therefore we are saved by him, then there is a noticeable change that takes place in our lives.

We turn away from the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world because we are not enslaved by them anymore. When we know God, our bondage to the things of this world is broken and we can live in true freedom and the abundance of life in Christ.

Knowing is believing, which results in commitment.

Do you know him?

clarifies that knowing God brings about eternal life with Him. But it does something even more—it specifies who God is.

2 descriptions given here:

Only. There is no one like God. Above Him there is no other.

True. Absolutely genuine or authentic.

Eternal life is not found in some general sense of the word god; it’s not found in the menu of gods that is so readily given today. There aren’t many paths to the same eternity.

There is the only true God.

Notice this also in — eternal life comes from knowing God, and is also fueled by God’s mission. This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

God’s mission is evident—He sent Jesus Christ into this world to save people from their sin. The Son’s saving work is connected to the purposes of the only true God.

Knowing is believing, which results in commitment.

Do you know God?

There is a classic book now by J.I. Packer called Knowing God. It was originally published in 1973. It is a great work that is worth adding to your bookshelf (put a picture of the book on the screen).

I want to share a couple of points from that book. Packer distinguishes between knowing God and knowing about God.

2 Points on Knowing vs. Knowing About

One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of him.

You could have grown up in a Christian family; gone to a Christian school; attended church; took a class in college— but you might not truly know God.

says that even the demons believe that God exists—but they shudder. They know about God but do not truly know God.

Even Satan knows about God. But he does not know God.

Even Judas Iscariot walked the earth and spent time with Jesus. He knew a lot about God but he did not truly know God.

One can know a great deal about godliness without much knowledge of God.

This is basically what the Bible describes as legalism. It was the way of life for the Pharisees. They knew how to act godly. They would even flaunt it. But their hearts were filthy inside like a white-washed tomb.

It can be really easy to be a moralist and not truly know God. You can put up a front and fool people, but your heart is not truly transformed.

You don’t know God. Knowing is believing, which results in commitment.

Packer also includes several evidences of knowing God. In other words, how do you know if you truly know God? If you believe and your life is committed to Christ, what should that look like? He used the life of Daniel as an example here.

Evidence of knowing God

Those who know God have great energy for God.

. “He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.” (, ESV) Daniel and his three friends had much energy in their action for God. They felt compelled to actively stand out against false religion that was confronting them in the Babylonian captivity.

Those who know God have great thoughts of God.

The book of Daniel tells about the wisdom, mate, and truth of the great God who rules history and shows his sovereignty. declares the truth that “the most high is sovereign over the kingdoms of men“.

Those who know God show great boldness for God.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are a great example of this.

Those who know God have great contentment in God.

There is no peace like the peace of those whose minds are possessed with full assurance that they have known God, and God has known them, and that this relationship guarantees God‘s favor to them in life, through death and on forever. is an incredible response of contentment and obedience of those who knew God. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”” (, ESV)

Do you truly know God?

This is part of our strategy because we want all people to know the only true God. We want them to worship Him. And so our worship times are intended to be a time where all who are participating will truly be in the presence of God.

We want it to be a time where you experience His presence as He inhabits the praise of His people. That you experience His presence through the preaching of His Word, the singing of His praises, the fellowship of His people. I would hope that those who are in these times of worship who don’t believe, who don’t know God, would come to know Him. I would hope they see genuineness in our people and realize they can be transformed by Christ as well.

This is why our worship services are centered around Scripture. The preaching Scripture drives everything else we do. Songs or any other element of our services are selected to enhance and drive home the themes of the preaching Scripture.

We want you to know God. Now let me give you a verse to underline, highlight, write out--

“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.” (, ESV)

2 sam 7:20

2 Samuel 7:20 ESV

And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God!

hos

Hosea 8:2 ESV

To me they cry, “My God, we—Israel—know you.”

Galatians 4:8–9 ESV

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

1 John 4:8 ESV

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Jeremiah 9:23–24 ESV

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.”

Let’s be a church that can say he understands and knows me.

Christians- do you know Him? Does your commitment level prove that you know God?

Non-Christians- can you say that God knows you and that you know Him? Do you genuinely believe? Have you professed faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation?