Deepening Our Relationship: Knowing God Intimately
Summary
As we gather at the beginning of Lent, we are reminded of the importance of truly knowing God, not just knowing about Him. This season invites us to reflect on our relationship with God, understanding that He is beyond our full comprehension, yet He has made Himself known through creation, His Word, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 11:33-36 reminds us of the depth of God's wisdom and knowledge, urging us to be in awe of His power, might, and justice, alongside His love and mercy. As we worship, we are called to set aside distractions and lift our eyes to the Lord, acknowledging that He alone is worthy of our praise.
In our journey to Easter, we explore what it means to be a spiritually healthy, reproducing follower of Jesus. This involves not just claiming the identity of Jesus but living it out in our daily lives. We are reminded that knowing God is more than just accumulating facts about Him; it is about experiencing His presence and responding to His call. Through the story of Paul, we see that God actively pursues us, even when we are far from Him, and that His pursuit demands a response from us.
God's justice and mercy are perfectly balanced, as demonstrated on the cross where Jesus' sacrifice reconciles the two. This costly grace is freely given to us, and it calls us to respond in faith and obedience. We are encouraged to grow in our knowledge of God, moving beyond a surface-level faith to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. As we do so, we reflect His image more clearly to the world around us.
Key Takeaways:
1. Knowing God vs. Knowing About God: True wisdom is found in knowing God, not just knowing about Him. This involves experiencing His presence and responding to His call, rather than merely accumulating facts. Our relationship with God should fill our hearts, not just our minds. [38:10]
2. God's Relentless Pursuit: God actively pursues us, even when we are far from Him. Like Paul, who was once a persecutor of Christians, we are never beyond God's reach. His pursuit demands a response, and it is through our response that we truly come to know Him. [50:53]
3. Justice and Mercy in Harmony: God's justice and mercy meet perfectly at the cross. This costly grace is freely given to us, and it calls us to respond in faith and obedience. We are reminded that our past does not disqualify us from God's grace, which rewrites our story. [55:18]
4. God's Omnipresence, Omniscience, and Omnipotence: God is everywhere, knows everything, and is all-powerful. This understanding should lead us to worship Him with awe and reverence, recognizing that His ways are higher than ours and that He is always present and able. [01:02:04]
5. Growing in Knowledge of God: We are encouraged to move beyond a surface-level faith and seek a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. As we grow in our knowledge of Him, we reflect His image more clearly to the world, living in awe and obedience to His truth. [01:03:58]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Introduction to Lent
[02:15] - Call to Worship
[04:00] - Knowing God
[06:45] - Worship and Announcements
[20:51] - Sunday School Volunteer Call
[27:43] - Prayer and Worship
[35:11] - Understanding Christian Identity
[38:10] - Knowing God vs. Knowing About God
[43:07] - God's Revelation Through Creation
[45:26] - The Significance of Jesus
[48:26] - God's Relentless Pursuit
[50:53] - Responding to God's Call
[53:06] - God's Grace and Our Response
[55:18] - Justice and Mercy in Harmony
[57:33] - The Cost of Grace
[59:59] - God's Omnipresence, Omniscience, and Omnipotence
[01:02:04] - Worship and Awe
[01:03:58] - Growing in Knowledge of God
[01:06:19] - Closing Prayer and Benediction
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 11:33-36
2. Jeremiah 9:23-24
3. Isaiah 55:8-9
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Romans 11:33-36, what attributes of God are highlighted, and how do they contribute to our understanding of His nature? [04:00]
2. In Jeremiah 9:23-24, what does God say about boasting, and what should be the focus of our boasting according to this passage? [35:11]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God? [38:10]
4. What examples from the sermon illustrate God's relentless pursuit of individuals, even when they are far from Him? [50:53]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of God's justice and mercy meeting at the cross challenge or affirm your understanding of grace? [55:18]
2. What does it mean for God to be omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, and how should this understanding affect our daily lives? [01:02:04]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our past does not disqualify us from God's grace? How does this align with the message of Romans 3:22-24? [53:06]
4. How does the sermon encourage believers to move beyond a surface-level faith to a deeper relationship with God? [01:03:58]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current relationship with God. Are you more focused on knowing about Him or truly knowing Him? What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Him this week? [38:10]
2. Consider a time when you felt God was pursuing you. How did you respond, and what can you learn from that experience about responding to God's call today? [50:53]
3. How can you balance the desire for justice with the need for mercy in your interactions with others, reflecting the harmony of justice and mercy found at the cross? [55:18]
4. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to acknowledge God's omnipresence, omniscience, or omnipotence. How can this acknowledgment change your perspective or actions? [01:02:04]
5. Think about a past mistake or failure. How can you embrace God's grace to rewrite your story, and what practical steps can you take to live in that grace? [53:06]
6. What distractions in your life are preventing you from focusing on God during this Lenten season? How can you minimize these distractions to enhance your spiritual growth? [04:00]
7. How can you actively seek to grow in your knowledge of God this week, and what resources or practices can support this growth? [01:03:58]
Devotional
Day 1: Experiencing God's Presence Beyond Knowledge
True wisdom is found in knowing God, not just knowing about Him. This involves experiencing His presence and responding to His call, rather than merely accumulating facts. Our relationship with God should fill our hearts, not just our minds. In this season of Lent, we are invited to reflect on our relationship with God, understanding that He is beyond our full comprehension, yet He has made Himself known through creation, His Word, and His Son, Jesus Christ. As we worship, we are called to set aside distractions and lift our eyes to the Lord, acknowledging that He alone is worthy of our praise. [38:10]
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)
Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally set aside time today to experience God's presence, beyond just reading or learning about Him?
Day 2: Responding to God's Relentless Pursuit
God actively pursues us, even when we are far from Him. Like Paul, who was once a persecutor of Christians, we are never beyond God's reach. His pursuit demands a response, and it is through our response that we truly come to know Him. This relentless pursuit is a testament to God's love and desire for a relationship with us. It challenges us to examine our own lives and consider how we are responding to His call. Are we open to His guidance, or are we resisting His pursuit? [50:53]
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you feel God is pursuing you, and how can you respond to His call today?
Day 3: Embracing the Harmony of Justice and Mercy
God's justice and mercy meet perfectly at the cross. This costly grace is freely given to us, and it calls us to respond in faith and obedience. We are reminded that our past does not disqualify us from God's grace, which rewrites our story. The cross is a powerful symbol of the balance between justice and mercy, where Jesus' sacrifice reconciles the two. As we reflect on this, we are encouraged to embrace this grace and allow it to transform our lives, leading us to live in a way that reflects God's love and mercy to others. [55:18]
"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8, ESV)
Reflection: How can you demonstrate God's justice and mercy in a specific relationship or situation today?
Day 4: Worshiping the Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent God
God is everywhere, knows everything, and is all-powerful. This understanding should lead us to worship Him with awe and reverence, recognizing that His ways are higher than ours and that He is always present and able. As we acknowledge God's omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence, we are reminded of His constant presence in our lives and His ability to work in ways beyond our understanding. This realization should inspire us to trust Him more deeply and to worship Him with a heart full of awe and gratitude. [01:02:04]
"Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure." (Psalm 147:5, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to trust in God's omnipotence and omniscience, and how can you express your trust in Him today?
Day 5: Deepening Your Knowledge of God
We are encouraged to move beyond a surface-level faith and seek a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. As we grow in our knowledge of Him, we reflect His image more clearly to the world, living in awe and obedience to His truth. This journey involves not just claiming the identity of Jesus but living it out in our daily lives. It requires us to be intentional in our pursuit of God, seeking to know Him more fully and allowing His presence to transform us from the inside out. [01:03:58]
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33, ESV)
Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to deepen your relationship with God and grow in your knowledge of Him?
Quotes
"Today we're talking about knowing God, not just knowing about Him, but actually knowing Him. So let's come in awe of our great and mighty God. He's beyond our full understanding, yet He has made Himself known through His creation, through His Word, and through His Son, Jesus Christ. He's revealed His power, His wisdom, and His love to us if we will only see." [00:07:53] (23 seconds)
"But the reality is if we forget the power, the might, and the justice of God, we are leaving out a big part of who our God is. So as we gather today, this is the God we worship. He is all loving, all powerful, all just, all merciful. Be in awe of that today as we gather for worship." [00:09:10] (20 seconds)
"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. But let him who boasts this. That he understands and knows me. I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth. For in these I delight, declares the Lord." [00:36:26] (32 seconds)
"Imagine standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon or looking at the vast night sky. Have you ever done that? And I've got the honor of the Grand Canyon. You do it justice. You see the depths of what happened in that place, whatever carved it. And the feeling of awe you get. And that awe is only a fraction of what it actually means to encounter." [00:39:31] (35 seconds)
"God speaks to us through creation. The creation that he created for us. He speaks to us through. Psalm 19, 1 through 2 says this, the heavens are the glory of God. The skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech. Night after night, they display knowledge." [00:41:12] (25 seconds)
"God was actively pursuing a guy that was actively persecuting his people and him. He didn't let his just running away. He was persecuting him, and he wanted to prove a point. But we need to understand that that pursuing of us also demands a response. When we hear who he is, we need to respond." [00:50:43] (31 seconds)
"God had actively pursued me many times in my life. And he was just and kind by doing it, but it wasn't until the point where I responded that I was really saved. God is the one who acts first. We need to understand that, but we need to respond to him. And Paul just proves to us that no one is beyond God's reach." [00:51:33] (33 seconds)
"So this God who relentlessly pursues us, He also has a higher justice than you or me. And our world is just, it's amazing how we want justice, but we also want grace. And we can't seem to reconcile the two together. It's either justice or grace. But our God is both in at the same time." [00:54:45] (19 seconds)
"And perfectly, what we're going to celebrate in a few weeks is that the cross is where actually justice and mercy meet perfectly. It is the perfect example. It was horrendous and heinous. The killing, the brutality of Jesus was so horrible. But it's where God's justice and his mercy meet perfectly for you and me." [00:56:17] (28 seconds)
"Our God is a big God. We serve an omnipresent God. He is omnipresence. God is everywhere and every time. And when you stop to think about that, just for a moment, when I pondered on that, I went, I can't grasp that. God is everywhere, all at once, hearing everything that everybody prays to him and perfectly responds to those prayers." [00:59:15] (38 seconds)
"God is omniscient. He knows everything. And in Psalm 147, 5, it says, Great is our Lord, mighty in power. His understanding has no limit. Think about that for a minute. He's all-knowing. He knows everything perfectly. We have to guess at things. We have to fill in the blanks. We have to read between the lines often." [01:01:08] (28 seconds)
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