Knowing God: The Heart of Christianity

 

Summary

In John 14, Jesus presents a profound truth that is central to the Christian faith: He is the way, the truth, and the life. This passage emphasizes the importance of personal knowledge of God, which is the essence of Christianity. Jesus tells Philip that knowing Him is equivalent to knowing the Father, highlighting the personal nature of the relationship God desires with each of us. This personal knowing is not just about accumulating information or engaging in religious activities; it is about a deep, intimate relationship with God.

In our modern, high-tech world, there is a growing yearning for personal connection. We often feel alienated and long for meaningful relationships. The Gospel offers a solution to this problem by inviting us into a personal relationship with God. This relationship is the foundation of the Christian faith, and everything else flows from it. The great prayers of the Bible focus on knowing God personally, rather than seeking success, power, or comfort.

Jesus warns that it is possible to be busy with Christian activities and still miss the point of knowing Him personally. There is a distinction between knowing about God and knowing Him personally. Personal knowledge requires a level of personal disclosure and commitment that goes beyond mere informational knowledge. It involves engaging with God on a personal level, allowing His presence to transform our lives.

The personal nature of Christianity can be challenging. It demands that we prioritize our relationship with Jesus above all else. This can be difficult because it requires us to confront our intellectual questions and personal needs in light of who Jesus is. The New Testament insists that we must first address the question of who Jesus is before anything else can make sense.

The exclusive claims of Jesus, such as being the only way to the Father, stem from the personal nature of the relationship He offers. Just as personal relationships require a level of exclusivity and commitment, so does our relationship with Jesus. He must be the central person in our lives, the reason we live, and the truth we follow.

Key Takeaways:

- Personal knowledge of God is the essence of Christianity. It is not about religious activities or intellectual understanding but about a deep, intimate relationship with God. This personal knowing is the foundation of the Christian faith, and everything else flows from it. [06:12]

- In our modern world, we often feel alienated and long for personal connection. The Gospel offers a solution by inviting us into a personal relationship with God, which is the foundation of true fulfillment and satisfaction. [04:40]

- Jesus warns that it is possible to be busy with Christian activities and still miss the point of knowing Him personally. There is a distinction between knowing about God and knowing Him personally, which requires personal disclosure and commitment. [08:23]

- The personal nature of Christianity can be challenging because it demands that we prioritize our relationship with Jesus above all else. This requires us to confront our intellectual questions and personal needs in light of who Jesus is. [16:08]

- The exclusive claims of Jesus, such as being the only way to the Father, stem from the personal nature of the relationship He offers. Just as personal relationships require exclusivity and commitment, so does our relationship with Jesus. [24:15]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Introduction to John 14
- [01:04] - Jesus: The Way, Truth, and Life
- [02:26] - Yearning for Personal Connection
- [04:40] - The Gospel's Solution
- [06:12] - Personal Knowledge of God
- [07:38] - The Centrality of Knowing the Father
- [09:02] - Informational vs. Personal Knowing
- [12:32] - The Definition of Life
- [15:13] - The Problematic Nature of Personal Faith
- [18:22] - Prioritizing Jesus
- [21:19] - Engaging with Jesus Personally
- [24:15] - Exclusive Claims of Jesus
- [27:01] - Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life
- [31:17] - The Glory of Knowing God

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- John 14:5-15
- Ephesians 1:17-18
- Jeremiah 9:23-24

#### Observation Questions
1. In John 14:5-15, what does Jesus mean when He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life"? How does this statement relate to knowing the Father? [01:21]
2. According to the sermon, what is the difference between knowing about God and knowing Him personally? [09:02]
3. How does the sermon describe the modern world's yearning for personal connection, and how does the Gospel address this need? [04:40]
4. What does Jesus warn about being busy with Christian activities in relation to knowing Him personally? [08:23]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of personal knowledge of God as the essence of Christianity challenge common perceptions of religious practice? [06:12]
2. What might be the implications of prioritizing a personal relationship with Jesus above all else, as discussed in the sermon? [16:08]
3. How do the exclusive claims of Jesus, such as being the only way to the Father, reflect the personal nature of the relationship He offers? [24:15]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that personal knowledge of God can transform one's life? [06:12]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current relationship with God. Do you feel it is more informational or personal? What steps can you take to deepen this relationship? [09:02]
2. In what ways do you find yourself busy with Christian activities but potentially missing the personal connection with Jesus? How can you refocus your priorities? [08:23]
3. Consider the intellectual questions or personal needs you have. How might addressing the question of who Jesus is help you find clarity or resolution? [16:08]
4. How do you respond to the exclusive claims of Jesus in your own life? Are there areas where you struggle with making Him the central person in your life? [24:15]
5. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel alienated or disconnected. How can your relationship with God provide fulfillment and satisfaction in this area? [04:40]
6. Think about a personal relationship in your life that requires exclusivity and commitment. How does this parallel your relationship with Jesus, and what can you learn from it? [24:15]
7. What practical steps can you take this week to engage with God on a personal level, allowing His presence to transform your life? [06:12]

Devotional

Day 1: Personal Knowledge of God as the Foundation
Personal knowledge of God is the essence of Christianity. It is not about religious activities or intellectual understanding but about a deep, intimate relationship with God. This personal knowing is the foundation of the Christian faith, and everything else flows from it. In John 14, Jesus emphasizes that knowing Him is equivalent to knowing the Father, underscoring the importance of a personal relationship with God. This relationship is not about accumulating information or engaging in religious activities; it is about a deep, intimate connection with God. In our modern world, where personal connection is often lacking, the Gospel offers a solution by inviting us into this profound relationship with God. [06:12]

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"

Reflection: In what ways can you deepen your personal relationship with God today, beyond just attending church or reading scripture?


Day 2: The Gospel's Solution to Alienation
In our modern world, we often feel alienated and long for personal connection. The Gospel offers a solution by inviting us into a personal relationship with God, which is the foundation of true fulfillment and satisfaction. This relationship with God addresses the deep yearning for connection that many experience in today's high-tech society. By knowing God personally, we find the fulfillment and satisfaction that cannot be achieved through worldly success or material possessions. The Gospel invites us to experience this profound connection, offering a sense of belonging and purpose that transcends the superficial connections often found in the world. [04:40]

Psalm 63:1-3 (ESV): "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you."

Reflection: How can you intentionally seek a deeper connection with God this week, especially in moments when you feel isolated or disconnected from others?


Day 3: The Distinction Between Knowing About God and Knowing Him
Jesus warns that it is possible to be busy with Christian activities and still miss the point of knowing Him personally. There is a distinction between knowing about God and knowing Him personally, which requires personal disclosure and commitment. Engaging with God on a personal level involves allowing His presence to transform our lives, rather than merely accumulating information or participating in religious rituals. This personal knowledge of God demands a level of vulnerability and openness that goes beyond intellectual understanding, inviting us to experience His transformative power in our daily lives. [08:23]

Hosea 6:6 (ESV): "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

Reflection: Reflect on your daily routine. Are there areas where you are more focused on religious activities than on truly knowing God? How can you shift your focus?


Day 4: Prioritizing Our Relationship with Jesus
The personal nature of Christianity can be challenging because it demands that we prioritize our relationship with Jesus above all else. This requires us to confront our intellectual questions and personal needs in light of who Jesus is. The New Testament insists that we must first address the question of who Jesus is before anything else can make sense. This prioritization may be difficult, as it involves placing our relationship with Jesus at the center of our lives, above all other pursuits and desires. By doing so, we align our lives with His truth and purpose, allowing His presence to guide and transform us. [16:08]

Colossians 3:1-3 (ESV): "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?


Day 5: The Exclusive Claims of Jesus
The exclusive claims of Jesus, such as being the only way to the Father, stem from the personal nature of the relationship He offers. Just as personal relationships require exclusivity and commitment, so does our relationship with Jesus. He must be the central person in our lives, the reason we live, and the truth we follow. This exclusivity is not about excluding others but about fully committing to the transformative relationship Jesus offers. By embracing His exclusive claims, we find the true path to knowing God and experiencing the fullness of life He promises. [24:15]

Acts 4:12 (ESV): "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Reflection: Consider the exclusive claims of Jesus in your life. How does this exclusivity challenge you to deepen your commitment to Him, and what steps can you take to make Him the central focus of your life?

Quotes



The essence of Christianity is personal knowing god, personal knowing, personal knowledge. That's the essence, that's the first thing, it's the priority. Everything else in the Christian faith comes second, everything else is a consequence, everything else flows out of that. [00:04:40]

Jesus is making a distinction between I'm going to call it about knowing and personal knowing. You can know about God without knowing him personally. There's a difference between about knowing and personal knowing, a difference between informational knowing and personal knowing. [00:09:02]

The New Testament will not even speak to you about anything else until you answer this question: what do you make of him? The New Testament will not talk to you about how you should be living your life, it will not talk to you about your intellectual questions, and it will not even talk to you about how you can get your personal needs met. [00:16:08]

The absolute and exclusive claims of Jesus Christ, which people hate so much, come because Christianity is so personal. People really hate the fact that Jesus is making these tremendous claims. He says if I'm going to be in your life, there can be no halfway things. [00:24:15]

Christianity is a religion of Revelation. That means that God has to open from the inside. That means Christianity says you don't find God through your efforts, through Discovery. You find him, you don't find him that way at all. Christianity is done for you, it comes to you. [00:29:01]

Jesus says it's seeing, knowing is seeing. When Philip says Jesus show us the father and everything will be all right, he uses a specific Greek word there that really literally means give us an appearance, give us a vision, show us the father, a miracle of vision. [00:31:17]

The way you can tell that you know God is it affects you in three ways: intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally. Here's a woman, she's got a very intellectual Faith. She can talk all the time about religious and philosophical issues, but there's no changes happening in the way she actually behaves. [00:33:31]

What does it mean to know God? It means that information, the cross for example, stops being inform and it sinks down to where it has personal impact, gets into your heart to the place where it affects you in all three ways: intellectually, volitionally, and emotionally. [00:34:54]

Christian friends, some of you are out here saying I know enough about that enough to know that I long for it. Then whatever is getting in your way, get rid of it. If it's busyness, if it's a lack of training, if it's resentment toward God, if it's a bad relationship, if it's Disobedience, sell everything and get this. [00:36:27]

For those people here who may realize that they have never seen you, have never really known you personally, I pray that they would come to you and that you would reveal yourself to them and Shine the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God into their hearts. [00:37:59]

The Bible says all of your problems stem from this. We're obsessed with all these other things. This is the problem, this is the Strand, this is the thing that will open up the Log Jam. In fact, I'd like to show you here for a moment that the supremacy of personal knowing of God as the supremacy and the centrality of this for the Christian faith. [00:07:38]

Jesus Christ can say I'm the way into the father. Why? Because God's a person. This is the way in. Does that seem exclusive? That's the way every human being, as the way every other person you've ever met, that's the way you are. If somebody comes and says I want to get into you any old way I choose, he would say I'm sorry, this is who I am and this is the way in. [00:30:00]

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Transcript
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