Undeniable Revelation Week 5: Will God Know You?

Introduction

Thank you for joining us this week, I am so glad that you are able to join us today! This is Week 5 of our series Undeniable Revelation as we’ve looked at four different ways that God reveals himself to his Image Bearers. Remember that those four ways are

God’s Creation- Through God’s Created Order and the reflection that his image bearers hold, we can see who he is

God’s Presence- God Doesn’t leave us at creation, but continues to reveal himself to us through his presence

God’s Word- God has preserved and established Scripture as a special revelation that is God-breathed.

God’s Example- In Jesus God has given us a perfect example, if we know Jesus we also know the father.

Revelation to Representation

So then, what is to come of this revelation?

Why does God give us these 4 ways of revelation? (it may seem unproductive to work out 4 different ways when God could easily just reveal himself in one powerful way)

Why did we spend these 4 weeks looking at this undeniable Revelation? How does all of this relate to our lives other than our knowledge of God?

I would say the purpose of this series, is to move Revelation to Representation. Because to recognize and see God’s Revelation without Representing that scripture is to out right reject the heart and will of God.

Okay Daniel, hold up what are you saying? Is that really in the Bible?

Human Response to God’s Revelation

Well I’m glad you asked, let’s look at an early yet important story in the progression of God’s Revelation to his Image Bearers.

In looking at the Exodus narrative, we see an example of God revealing himself and two very different responses.

First, we see God reveal himself in the bush to Noah in a miraculous way by sharing his name. Moses then responds by completing God’s Will by completing the action that he has called Moses to, namely standing up for the enslaved Israelites to be set free so that they may worship the Lord their God.

This work was accomplished, and His people were set free to worship God. The work was complete and the fruit was good.

However, if we look at Pharaoh. God reveled himself through many miracles and direct words through Moses to him. Pharaoh however responded ultimately with a hard heart and many times going against what God was commanding. But we see that many different time Pharaoh asks for Moses to petition God on his behalf, yet continues to turn from him. Then, Pharaoh eventually let’s God’s people go, which accomplishes the action that God was calling him to do. However, we see as Pharaoh chases after the Israelites to the Read Sea that the fruit from the completion of the surface action was bad and rotten.

This shows us that someone can come face to face with the great and undeniable revelation of God, and not recognize it. This has all to well been the case throughout history, so many people have come to know of God, yet fail to Represent and glorify him.

From former church goers and academic professors who have studied and learned about God, but have outrightly rejected God, to the pastors who know and prophesy in his name, yet take advantage of others physically and spiritually, or just seek fame and fortune.

In light of current events and how often we see big name pastors, preachers, and others preach in the name of Jesus, yet constantly found guilty of abusing others. I want to take time to aside that even if someone is a christian and holds any form of leadership over you as a head pastor or a small group leader at any time in your life and takes advantage of you that is not what God wants and is wicked and evil. Do not feel like you will not be listened to or that such abuse is based on something you did. Find anyone who you trust and let them know what is going on.

Jesus’ Warnings:

However, crazy this is and hard to believe it can be that someone who comes face to face with God and learns all about him could not recognize it or take advantage of it. We should not be surprised because Jesus has actually warned us about this.

Matthew 7:21–23 CSB

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

These are shocking words from Jesus, and it can be frightening to think about this, however, it is in line with what we have seen in exodus, and in history.

Let’s go back to the main statement of Jesus here

“Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven”

Jesus uses the same language in one of his final parables that he shares. Most commonly known as the Parable of the ten virgins which we will read in our small groups, but as we look at this parable we see the five virgins who went to buy more oil in

Matthew 25:11-13

11 Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’

12 “He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you!’

13 “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.

This Parable connects with our passage, because it tackles one of the key

As we continue in our passage today we see that “only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven will enter the kingdom of heaven”

But what does that mean, when we see Jesus saying that many will say

Matthew 7:22 CSB

22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’

This actually is found in the earlier part of the passage here in Matthew 7 v. 13-20 which says

Matthew 7:13–20 CSB

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. 15 “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

This again goes directly with what we are talking about today.

See people can do an action in God’s Name, or an action that God has required like Pharaoh let the Israelites go, but still have a bad fruit. These false prophets who seem to be innocent or those tree’s which produce bad fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

And how does a Tree go bad? one way is that it doesn’t have the right nutrients that it needs. So, in what we have been talking about tonight, the bad tree is like the person who see’s the undeniable revelation and does not Represent it.

So now we find ourself back where we started in Romans 1, where we pointed out that in verse 20 says

Romans 1:20 CSB

20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

now we move on to the rest of Paul’s writing which says

Romans 1:21–25 CSB

21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

God has made himself known that is undisputed, and is exactly what we have been talking about the past 4 weeks

But are we representing him well by bering good fruit. It is not enough to just know about who God is or what Jesus teaches, we must represent it.

But how do we undeniably become his representatives?

The first way that comes to mind is to do the opposite of what is described in Romans 1:21

Continue to glorify God and show him gratitude

let your thinking be centered around christ

Humble ourselves and realize we are foolish and need to ask God for wisdom.

Letting go of the idols in our lives and placing God at the highest point in our lives.

We can also pray and to live a life according to the Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

So, we must know who God is, and we must be who God has called us to be. That is the way we are able to partake in partnering with God to reveal himself to others.