Knowing God Intimately # 4a
We’re going to start a new series this week called “Knowing God.” This message goes hand in hand with the subject that we just finished last week called “The Untapped Power of Praise.” Having a close Intimately relationship with our heavenly father is the longing of every believer. Deep on the inside of us, in our spirit man, we want to know God.
I. In the Word we see, the obedience of Moses, the faithfulness of Joshua, the boldness of Elijah, the heart of David and the faith of Abraham this all came as a result of their intimate relationship and knowledge of God.
A. We need to purpose in our hearts to know God not with the mentality of seeking for our own benefit, but with a relationship that honors Him as God and puts Jesus in His rightful place as Lord over our lives.
1. God and man long for an intimate relationship together.
2. Turn to HOSEA 4:1
a. Clearly we can see that Israel was falling away from God. (You can read down the next few Vs and see it even clearer.)
b. But the part that I wanted you to see is that God said in (V 1) “You do not have a knowledge of me.”
i. The word “Knowledge” here can mean “Knowledge, perception, discernment, or understanding.”
c. There main problem was that they lacked a knowledge or an UNDERSTANDING of God.
i. This kind of knowledge, understanding and perception of God can only come by knowing Him, Not by just knowing about Him. But something that comes through a personal relationship with Him.
3. Go down to V 6 (HOSEA 4:6)
a. What is the knowledge that the Lord is talking about?
i. It’s not a natural knowledge that’s He’s referring to. It’s a knowledge of God.
b. The word “Knowledge” in this V is the same as in (HOSEA 4:1)
i. Meaning, Knowledge, perception, discernment and understanding, which can only come by knowing God.
c. So what is God saying in (HOSEA 4:6)?
i. He says, “My people are destroyed for lack of KNOWING ME (knowledge): because thou hast rejected TO KNOW ME (knowledge), I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6)
B. In (ISA 5:13) The Lord said just about the same thing. He said, “Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge.”
a. This is the same Hebrew word that we’ve been talking about.
i. He said, “My people have gone into bondage because they have no Knowledge, Perception, Discernment and Understanding of God which only comes by knowing Him.”
II. Turn to PRO 13:12
A. If we don’t have fellowship with God of if we stop having fellowship with Him, our HOPE will be deferred.
1. Without that personal relationship with God our hope will be lost.
a. No longer will we see things the way God sees them, but we’ll look to the natural.
b. When our hope is deferred in that way it will make the heart sick.
i. When you’re out of the presence of God, your hope is deferred and your heart will become sick.
ii. When the Bible uses to word “Heart” it’s usually referring to the “spirit of man.”
c. Our spirit man becomes week, tried, and worn out; and it all stems from a lack of fellowship with God.
2. I said this early but It’s so true, each and every one of us has a longing which needs to be fulfilled, and that longing is only fulfilled by a close intimate relationship with God.
a. (Proverbs 13:12) From the NIV says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
b. When that longing that we have to fellowship with God is fulfilled it will produce life and blessings in our lives.
B. Turn to JOB 22:21-28
1. Notice that he said “Acquaint now yourself with Him.” That's the key, Getting to know Him, then you'll be blessed in every area.
a. This word “Acquaint” from the Strong’s Concordance means “To know intimately.”
i. When you get to know God intimately the KJV says, “Good shall come unto thee.”
ii. The NIV says, When you Know Him Intimately “Prosperity will come unto you.”
iii. The New Century Version says, “This is the way to Happiness.”
b. All of God’s blessing begin to come to us as we get to know Him Intimately.
2. Turn to PRO 3:6
a. When he says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him.” The Hebrew means more than that.
i. The AMP does a pretty good job on this V, it says, “In all your ways KNOW, recognize and acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
ii. As you seek to KNOW HIM, you will find the direction that you need.
b. The Living Bible puts it this way, “In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”
i. When you begin to seek God 1st by getting to know Him, He will crown you with the abundant life.
3. The New Jerusalem Bible says that as you begin to know Him, He will make your path smooth.
a. Sure there are going to be those occasional bumps in the road, but without Him life is going to be Rough.
III. PSA 103:7
A. Israel saw the mighty acts and miracles of God. (Plagues upon Egypt, Red Sea, water from a rock, and manna.) [Still accused God, curse His servants]
1. Moses was different. He still saw all the same miracles, but something made him different.
a. He knew God.
2. What was it that made Moses so different?
a. How did Moses get to know God?
b. We see a glimpse of it from one of Moses' prayers.
i. (EXODUS 33:13 from the AMP. says), “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with you, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] that I may find favor in Your sight.”
ii. Moses had that true longing to know God. He sought such a closeness between himself and God.
iii. Wanting to clearly understand the desires of God's heart, knowing what brought joy to Him.
B. The Apostle Paul was very similar to Moses in this regard.
1. He longed to have that intimate relationship with God so that he could be used by Him.
a. Look at PHIL. 3:10
b. The AMP. translation even makes it clearer.
c. “[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him — that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding [the wonders of His person] more strongly and more clearly.”
2. When Paul prayed this, he was not a novice, or a babe in Christ. He said this in the latter years of ministry.
a. After all the miracles he saw, after all the manifestations he witnessed, after the visions he had, after all the missionary trips he went on, he still had the desire that he might know Him. (to know Him better.)
C. (JER 9:23-24 NIV) This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, (24) but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.
1. Many times people want to talk about the things that they have done, But let's be slow to speak and talk on your relationship with God.
D. Let's end with this last scripture DANIEL 11:32.
1. I want to do exploits for the kingdom of God.
2. Why should we want to do these exploits?
a. So others will come to know Him.
WOLCC 11/5/95 Sun AM From Knowing God Intimately # 1 done a few years ago 3/15/92