Knowledge

WNBS Recap
August 15, 2007
Characteristics the World Needs to See in Christians

Rate your knowledge of these subjects on a scale of 1 to 10 (one being no knowledge and 10 being deep, intimate knowledge)

The X-Men
Makeup
Guitar Playing
Preparing Spaghetti
Traffic Laws
Cold Fusion
Putting on Pantyhose
Small Engine Repair
Snake Wrangling
Picking up Girls

Think about those areas that you rated highly in. More than likely you will rate highly in the knowledge of something if you care about that thing. Here, let me say that another way: We will take time to learn and develop a deep intimate knowledge of that which we care or have a passion about.

Think about your best friend: what they like to eat, their personality, their moods, their character traits, future goals and plans, etc. If this person is truly your best friend, then you will have a deep knowledge about them. Why? Because you care about them!

So, how is your knowledge of God?

I'm not just talking about your knowledge of the facts of the Bible, or knowledge of what God is "like", but how well do you KNOW God? How well do you know his character? How well do you know what he expects and wants? How well do you know the mind of Christ?

Here's your chance to rate your knowledge of God on a scale of 1 to 10. Use the same scale as before. (If you find yourself rating your knowledge of God above a 5, think seriously about it and respond honestly...do you reall KNOW God that well?)

You might be asking: "Why does it matter? Why do I need to 'know God'. If I have accepted Jesus as my savior, I'm going to heaven and that's all that matter."

Have you ever been blindfolded? Have you ever walked into a dark room that you were unfamiliar with? J.I. Packer descirbes life without knowledge of God in much the same way in his book, Knowing God:

"There is an assumption among many Christians that a study of the nature and character of God will be impractical and irrelevant for life. In fact, howerver, it is the most pratcial project anyone can engage in...if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it [then] the world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business."

"But", you might ask, "how do I know God?" The following 5 truths of how to know God are from Knowing God by J.I. Packer:

1. The Word: God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation.

2. The World: God is the Lord and King over his world; he rules all things for his own glory, displaying his perfection in al lthat he does, in order that men and angels may worship and adore him.

3. The Rescued: God is savior, active in sovereign love through the Lord Jesus Chrsit to rescue believers from the guilt and power of sin, to adopt them as his children and to bless them accordingly.

4. The Active Presence of God: God is triune; ther are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and the work of salvation is one in which all three act together, the father purposing redemption, the son securing it and the Spirit applying it.

5. The Obedient: Godliness means responding to God's revelation in trust and obedience, fath and worship, prayer and parise, submission and service. Life must be seen and lived in the light of God's word. This, and nothing else, is true religion.

Once you understand the importance of knowing God and have the basic steps to knowing God, you need to return and examing that relationship. Packer also gives 4 Evidences of Knowing God, or 4 measuring sticks of the relationship.

1. Those who know God have great ENERGY for God. (Daniel 11:31-32)
2. Those who know God have great THOUGHTS of God. (Daniel 2:20-22)
3. Those who know God show great BOLDNESS for God (Daniel 3:8-16)
4. Those who know God have great CONTENTMENT in God. (Daniel 3:16-18)

How are you measuring up? Do you have a passion to know God? Would you ever expect someone to follow Jesus as a result of your life if you don't even know the God that you claim to be following?

Spend time this week getting to know God a little better. Dig into his Word and look for charateristics of his nature appearing in your everyday life. See how who he is applist to what you are and how you live.