Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re going to pick up where we left off last week on our new series entitled *Knowing our God*, having an *intimate relationship with Him*.

*Knowing God*, *who He is* *and what pleases Him*, *is the longing of every true believer*.

*It started* *when God first created man.*

*Adam and Eve* would* walk in the garden* *with God* in the cool of the day.

They* came together for fellowship* daily.

It* started *back* in the garden* *and *it still* continues today*.

*Many* *have* an *emptiness* *and* a *void* on the *inside*, which they *try to fill* *with* *different things* such as *drugs*, *money*, *drinking*, *entertainment* and the *list goes on*.

*But* that *void* on the inside *can only be filled* *by* *fellowship with God*.

*Throughout the Word* of God, *the people who* *truly* *know God* *captivate us and inspire us*.

People *like* *Moses*, *Joshua*, *Elijah*, *David*, and *Abraham*.

*The miracles that were done in their lives* were a *direct result* *of* their *intimate relationship with God*.

*I) **We need* to *purpose in our hearts* *to know God*, with *a **relationship** **that puts Him** **as** the **supreme** **and** **rightful place** **AS LORD over our lives*.

*A) **God and man long* for an *intimate relationship* together.

*1) **God* is *reaching out* to us, *but* *we also need* to be *reaching out* (or up) to Him.

*2) *Look with me to *HOSEA 4:1*.

*a) **God* clearly *states* here *what their problem was*.

*(i) *Their *main problem* was they *lacked* a *knowledge of God*.

*(ii) **God longs for you to know Him.*

*3) **Notice* what *happens* when a *believer lacks* the *knowledge* of God.

*HOSEA 4:6*.

*a) **Isaiah said* *about* the *same thing*.

In (*ISA 5:13*) he said *“My people are gone into captivity, because {they have} no knowledge.”*

*b) **People are destroyed* *and* *brought into bondage because* of a *FAILURE *to *deeply KNOW GOD and* *what He will respond to*.

*(i) **Israel** **turned away** **from knowing God*.

And *because of that* *they reaped calamities*.

It was a *harvest of their disobedience*.

*B) **Many Christians* are in the *same situation *today because *they lack* truly *knowing* our *God*.

*1) **But* *when we begin* *to set aside time* *to know God* *and* *who he is we’ll be lifted out of our problems* *and bondages*, *and into* the *abundant life* that *Jesus came to give* us.

*II) **God* has *given* us *specific instructions* *how to prevent calamities*, *destruction*, and *bondage*.

*A) *Look at *JOB 22:21–28*.

*1) *Notice that He said, *“Acquaint now yourself with Him.”* *That’s the key*, *Getting to know Him*, *then you’ll be blessed* in *every area*.

*a) **Part* of the *definition* of the word *“ACQUAINT”* from the Strong’s concordance is, *“SHOW HARMONY WITH*, *BE FAMILIAR WITH*, and* KNOW INTIMATELY.”*

*b) **One translation says*, “*Acquaint now your self with Him*, *AND ENJOY PEACE*.”

*(i) **The only true way that you’re going to have peace* on the inside *is to have intimate fellowship* with Him.

*c) *The *NIV* translation *goes on to say* at the *end of (Verse 22)*, *“In this way.”*

(In *what way?* *Intimate fellowship).

“In this way prosperity will come to you.”*

*d) *In *verse 25* it *says*, *“The Almighty shall be your defense.”*

*(i) **God will be your protection* *and* *even do battle for you*.

*(ii) **He goes on to say* in the *same verse* that *you’ll have plenty of silver*.

*Again* that’s *prosperity*.

*e) **(Verse 27)* *says* that *when you pray* *God will hear you*.

*f) *In *(verse 28)* it *says*, *“Thou shalt also decree a thing*, *and it shall be established unto thee.”*

*(i) **When you speak forth something* *or* *declare something*, *God will make it come to pass*.

*(ii) *He goes on to say, *“And the light shall shine upon thy ways.”*

*(iii) **You’ll walk in God’s light* *and* *even in his glory*, *and* *the paths that you are to go down* *will be illuminated to you*.

*g) **How can* all *these things happen?*

*Simply* *by getting to know our God,* *having that close and intimate fellowship* with Him.

*2) *(*HOSEA 6:3*) Says, *“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning....”*

*a) *That might not be real clear to us but it means…

*(i) **When you press in* *to* truly *know God* and His character, *you will discover* that God *can be relied on* *and* *trusted*.

(Not with just head knowledge.)

*b) *He’s *more faithful* and *unchangeable* than the *rising* of the *sun every morning*.

*(i) **When you* get to *know someone*, it’s *easy* *to have faith in them*.

*(ii) **As your relationship grows with the Lord* *you* will begin to *know** **His likes and dislikes*.

*You’ll begin to know how he thinks and what he feels.*

*(iii) *But *only happen* *as** you **spend time together*.

*3) **(PRO 3:6* *from* the *AMP*.)

Says, *“In all your ways KNOW, recognize and acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”*

*a) **As you seek* *to know Him*, you will *find* the *direction* you *need*.

*b) *The *Living Bible* puts it this way*, “In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”*

*(i) **God will crown you** **with* the *abundant life* *when* you put *SEEKING Him 1st*.

*c) *When I say that we need to get to know our heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, I don’t mean to just get to know about Him.

We have to have fellowship with Him to get to know Him personally.

*(i) **Do you really know God’s heart*, *or* do you *just know about Him** **and** **His actions*?

*4) **PSA 103:7*.

*a) **Here* we *see* the *same thing* that was *just talking about*.

*Israel* *saw** the **miracles* of God, *yet* they still *rebelled* *against* *God and Moses*.

*b) **Moses also saw the miracles*, but *something made him different*.

*(i) **He knew God*.

*5) *¿*What was it** **that made** **Moses** so **different?*

*a) *¿*How did Moses get to know God?*

*b) *We *see* the *answer* to that *in one of Moses’ prayers*.

*(i) **(EXODUS 33:13* from the *AMP*.

says), *“Now therefore*, *I pray You*, *if I have found favor in Your sight*, *show me now Your way*, *THAT I MAY KNOW YOU* *[progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with you*, *perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly* *and* *clearly]* *that I may find favor in Your sight.”*

*(ii) **Moses had that true longing** **to know God*.

He *sought* such a *closeness** **between himself and God*.

*(iii) **He wanted* *to understand* *the desires of God’s heart* *and* *know what brought Him joy*.

*III) *The *Apostle Paul* was *very similar to Moses* in this regard.

*A) *He *longed to have* that *intimate relationship with God* *so* that *he could be used by Him*.

*1) *Look at *PHIL.

3:10*.

*2) *The *AMP* translation even *makes it clearer*.

*a) **“[For my determined purpose is] THAT I MAY KNOW HIM* — *that I may progressively become more deeply* *and* *INTIMATELY ACQUAINTED WITH HIM*, *perceiving and recognizing and understanding* [*the wonders of His person*] *more strongly and more clearly *and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]*.”*

*b) **When Paul prayed this**, **he was not a novice**, **or** a **babe in Christ**.

**He said this** **in** the **latter years** **of ministry*.

*(i) **After* *all* the *miracles he saw*, *after all* the *manifestations** **he witnessed*, *after* the *visions he had*, *after* all the *missionary trips* he went on, *he still had the desire* that *he might know Him.* (To know Him *better*.)

*B) *(*JER 9:23-24 NIV*) 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*, (24) *but let him who boasts* *boast about this*: *THAT HE UNDERSTANDS AND KNOWS ME*, *that I am the Lord*, *who exercises kindness*, *justice* *and* *righteousness* *on earth*, *for in these I delight*,*”* *declares the Lord*.

*1) **Many times people* *want to talk about* the *things that they have done*, but *let’s be slow to speak* *and* *talk on your relationship with God*.

*C) *Let’s end with this last scripture *DANIEL 11:32*.

*1) **I want to do exploits** **for** the kingdom of **God*.

*a) *The word *“KNOW”* here literally *means, “TO KNOW BY EXPERIENCE.”*

*2) *¿*Why should we want* to *do* these *exploits?*

*a) **So others will come to know Him*.

*WOLCC SUN AM 3~/15~/92 and Sunday, April 25, 1999, Sunday, May 2, 1999.*