It's Not What You Know — Know Jesus Personally

This word that Jesus uses here, it's one of three words in the New Testament that's used in the Greek New Testament that's used for no. It's the word, and it is the most intimate form of knowledge. He said, you may have known about me. You can stand before me and present your pedigree, show me your degrees from whatever theology school that you went to. You can tell me about the church that you attended, the Sunday school that you taught. You can tell me about the homeless shelters you built and served in or the orphanages you built around the world. But did you do it for me, or did you do it for yourself? Did you do it for my name, or did you do it for your name? Because I don't know you. [01:01:27] (70 seconds)  #IntimateKnowing

Love says, I'm pro life not because I have knowledge that life begins at conception. I'm pro life because I care about young children. I care about embryos in the womb. I care about those mothers who are forced to make that decision and those daddies that think that they're getting away without any responsibility. I care for all of that so much that I wanna do something about it. Knowledge puffs up but love says, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna start volunteering at a pregnancy care center. Knowledge puffs up, but love says, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna donate to the cause. [00:41:37] (33 seconds)  #LoveLeadsToAction

Church, believing in him is not the same as believing him. Believing in him is knowing about him. Believing him is knowing him. We already have more knowledge than we have the obedience to use. So the acquisition of knowledge is not what this is about. It's about relationship. Stand with me all over the house. Remember I told you at the very beginning to remember this, that we have traded knowing him for knowledge. We've traded relationship for knowledge. I've read this book cover to cover. [01:02:37] (71 seconds)  #RelationshipOverKnowledge

This is the same voice that told mountains to be raised up and they were, told valleys to be cast down and they were, told the moon to hang right there, the sun to hang right there, and everything happened. He told the oceans, you can only go this far, and he speaks to this young man, come follow me. And he said, no. I'm good. And I can't help but wonder how many times in our own lives we've made the same choice. What in your life right now is worth more than knowing Christ? I can't help but wonder if there are those in the room who've heard a similar call and ignored the whisper. [00:53:52] (46 seconds)  #HearTheCall

We put no confidence in our mind. We put no confidence in what we know. We put no confidence in where we've been. We put no confidence in who we've been in contact with or what relationships we have. We although I myself could boast as having confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks that he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason. Circumcised on the eighth day of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness, which is in the law found blameless. [00:56:02] (37 seconds)  #NoConfidenceInFlesh

religious principles of don't do this or don't do that or we don't believe in this or we don't believe in that and it's don't, don't, don't, and these religious rules are designed to govern our flesh and keep us holy but in and of themselves, they only serve as more knowledge, never giving life, never bringing Christ likeness. And this was what was going on in the first century in the church when Paul was writing to the Corinthians. You see, the Corinthians had been dealing with one of the most prolific issues of their days was offering meat to idols. [00:38:34] (38 seconds)  #RulesDontReplaceRelationship

live in an unprecedented time in human history where knowledge is increasing faster and faster, and it's ever more available to us in our in the palm of our hands yet relationships fail and anxiety is heightened and worry overwhelms and depression is the norm and stress is killing us. Technology affords us the opportunity for more. More time, more reach, more access, more information, more, more, more, and still yet, something is missing. Something primal, something innate, something intrinsic. If we will shut out the noise long enough, we can hear this whisper. [00:36:39] (43 seconds)  #SilenceToHear

Now I don't know about you, but this doesn't sound like a prophecy from twenty two hundred years ago. It sounds like a topic on the evening news last night. That people will roam around anxiously searching for answers, and knowledge will be increasing exponentially. That's the world we live in today, and it was prophesied twenty two hundred years ago. This statement of prophecy was more than just a projection into the future. It was showing that humanity was start would start one day to lose their edge. Studies have shown that this increase in knowledge, particularly through the excessive information consumption that we have, is called knowledge overload. [00:34:56] (46 seconds)  #WarningOfKnowledgeOverload