Knowing God [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright.

If you turn your Christianity into a law-based allegiance to principles and ceremonies, rather than a relationship with God through Jesus. You're not just abandoning the beauty and power of God's life in you and affect returning to the same demons controlled you when you were pagans and guidance is a startling thing to say that's faster Alan Wright welcome to another message of good views that will help you see your life will deliberate excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series Galatians is presented at renewal the church in North Carolina able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month made to Alan Wright Ministries so as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today special offer. Contact us Pastor Alan.org@pastor.org or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program. Now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright you can know God. I said you can know God. We just think about it if you just think you like the person in the world you like the most meat and if I said to you right now. I mean you can know that person.

I don't know Billy Graham. I like to, who wouldn't love love Billy Graham.

I have read Billy Graham's autobiography that I don't know Billy Graham. I have studied Billy Graham on-site's place in history of Christianity. I find out one of the first course I took in your personal journal.

I was religion.

29 or not to grant Wacker and partly studied in the course of history of American Christianity was Billy Graham and what was interesting was that it so happened that Billy Graham's nephew Sandy Ford was in my class so funny. I member a day and and and and and Aflac was going through dream through the names of our section. There was that we were on the Friday section where a small room. Wacker's Rena Nathan is look at Sandy Ford name is a high sassy latent 40 so that's interesting. Is it because that's that's milligrams and milligrams brother-in-law and Stacy asked my dad and licensor, your uncle, and he said yeah that really take our classroom. I knew him a little bit Sandy died young as tragic and but I did know briefly and I have met like before, but I've never been there and I don't know Billy Graham studied him read his autobiography.

In fact, I think this is that connection maybe with Sandy. Billy Graham came and did a crusade at Carolina was there.

We called it lectures but it was the same old Billy Graham Crusade in Carmichael on form filled out every night. I was a part of the planning team for my dorm and an went every night to hear Billy Graham and we start a Bible study in our dorm after that became a Christ.

I was a wonderful time and and and Billy Graham was there at Carolina for a whole week and but I didn't get to know I don't I don't know Billy Graham and he didn't know me either. I have Bible in my house that is signed by Billy Graham. It belonged to my wife's grandmother and in the front of the Bible it says to Mr. Mrs. CP Bennett inside Billy Billy Graham and his scriptural reference in there from Philippians I think if I got I got I got a Bible with his name is in our house but I don't. I don't know Billy Graham and he didn't know me but I have that Bible and the reason I have that Bible that was given to who we call mama Bennett because she was the matriarch of a whole minute plan and mount my mom mothered me that she's a minute you the youngest of the minutes of my life was and Bennett Lynch. We have a son named Bennett so we just surrounded by these tenants and mama Bennett started all this release was important to this process and he actually gave the Bible Billy Graham to mama Bennett mount.

The reason that he gave the Bible to mama Bennett was because that my my wife's uncle Stanley and his wife draw they they served at Montreat Presbyterian Church. You say I was the pastor there at Montreat for some years pastoring the grand family. Billy Graham was out of town a lot but they they they knew the groundswell and I baptize their children and and and sometimes Billy Graham would fill the pulpit for uncle Stanley when he would be output without some some replacement and saline always say said Manny that I give an altar call and talk blue in the face, no bike on the Billy Graham came a church and coughed nearby came forward to. I got I got I know they Billy Graham wrote to Stanley after one at times you preach there, you know, kind of joke and say not sorry had to dig down and get some I like me to come and preach for you but no thanks opportunity and a note from Billy Graham. I got a Bible, the guy got a note Billy Graham wrote and and I don't know Billy Graham. He that he didn't know me but he was somehow still pulpit for her. Stanley then after Stanley pastor Montreat president.

He and and his family moved to Brazil to be a missionary and literally in the jungles of Brazil and what happened was the Billy Graham came to Brazil to do a big crusade. 1959, any visit with Stanley and well while they were there and they said you only do anything for you. Back home Stanley said yeah my mother wants a new Bible is to get a Bible and that's why Billy Graham got to mama Bennett, a Bible signed by him to to Mr. Ms. Bennett and that's how it all all came to pass that that we've got that that Bible so my uncle and aunt they know Billy Graham well but I did.

I don't know Billy Graham. Interestingly, I have ranking Graham and to granddaughters. I've met and I've met the bromelain for but I've never met milligrams to add interest to this I dear friend of mine Preston Parrish, Sir, has served for years in executive role in the Billy Graham Association serving so well at the highest level in that organization helping to directed in and he course knows Mr. Graham, and I know Preston very well and presents fill the pulpit here and is a friend of our church and and so he really knows man I know. But I don't know Billy Graham and Billy Graham doesn't. To my knowledge he doesn't he doesn't know me all this is to say that there is a vast difference between knowing all about Billy Graham and actually knowing him. There is a vast difference from knowing people who know Billy Graham actually knowing Billy Graham.

There is a vast difference from having a Bible with his signature and it that's in my house versus having Billy Graham in my house and here's part of the point of this is to say that if I did know Billy Graham personally as a friend and a person, where we shared life and stories and secrets and laughter I knew in friend that knowledge would transcend in fact trump all other of these pieces of information that are only peripheral to knowing about Billy Graham. In fact, you could say could you not, that if I actually knew Billy Graham that that so far surpasses every one of these peripheral things. Heaven is Bible knowing people that no one read the bound study inventing a class about it so far surpass all that then I would barely even talk about these other things. In other words, if I knew him. Everything else would be of no concern compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing him personally. Galatians chapter 4. This comes at first aid like a passionate pastoral kind of of of of heartfelt parenthesis and the man in the midst of this, and incredible movement of of of logic and passion and reason to tell the Galatian Christians in many different images quiet is that it is essential that they not follow the false teachers of the Judaizers that are saying that you need to have something in addition to the saving work of Christ, you need to keep the ritual of circumcision. Are you need to keep certain ceremonial days and Paul's been saying throughout, and in any realizing so passionate about this because when you mix a little law and to the gospel of grace. It not only diminishes the power of that gospel normally dilutes it. It actually pollutes it and and end the gospel that is otherwise life can become a mixed message that is actually poison because as soon as you mix in law you introduce fear and and the whole point of the gospel is that is to communicate God's perfect love and his love is covenantal. His love is not. Not all rooted in your performance.

It is originating from God and is a flow of his own heart towards you and he has made the way possible for you to know him and therefore anything that contaminates that and adds to ask is what you really want to be in the know are you really want to to get it right you really want to belong and you also need to keep the Old Testament rights of circumcision.

You need to keep certain ceremonial laws or dietary laws and impulses screaming say no no no soon as you introduce a little bit law and to the gospel what you've now done is you've introduce doubt and concern about whether I'm really in talent right will have more teaching moment. Today's important series like something is holding you back if you can important see that could change everything. Is there someone you love purchasing stock to help them out what's missing blessing on the base and spoken over you can learn how to embrace who practice a blessing to Pastor Alan Wright's new book, which quickly became an enzyme number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month right ministries once send you the I thank you for your demos make your gift today discovered the power to bless gospel is shared when you get Allen right ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanked him. Allen right ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor and got work in today's teaching now continues here once again is the whole point of what what Paul's saying is that God wants you to know for sure through the covenant that is made in Jesus Christ. When you accept them in faith. It's by his grace and his grace alone is nothing else he can do and this is the power of the gospel. Otherwise we wind up with a mix gospel that introduces a lot of a lot of fear and because however know if I've done about this is the general Army. Now we come to this place in Galatians chapter 4 verse eight where Paul is going to say once again enter a pretty radical way. Here's what happens if you move away from the simple, pure gospel, which is an invitation to know God personally and instead you start trying to fall. After a little laws and ceremonies. This is what's at stake. Verse eight of Galatians 4 formulate when you did not know God, you enslaved to those that by nature are not gods but now that you've come to know God rather to be known by God. How can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world's slaves you want to be once more you observe days and months and seasons and years. I'm afraid you may have labored over you in vain brothers. I treat you because I am for. I also become as you are.

You did me no wrong. You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preach the gospel.

Get first and though my condition was a trolley you. You do not scorn or despise me but receive me as an angel of God is Christ Jesus. What has become of the blessing you fell for I testify to you that if possible you wouldn't doubt that your eyes and given the me if I didn't become your enemy by telling you the truth, they make much talk about the false teachers naming much of you, but for no good purpose.

They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them is always good to be made much of a good purpose and knowing when I present with you my little children for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you. I wish I could be present with you now and change my time for I am perplexed about you this is Paul we seen Paul is that is that is the theologian we seen Paul is the preacher and this is Paul is the pastor.

This is a pastor's heart, what's happened with his people.

He saying that they they sincerely received the gospel were born again and filled with the Holy Spirit and started down the path of the life of knowing God walking in the spirit and how false teachers have come in the Lord them, and in the war has been towards the law in this way in Jesus and treating them. Now he saying how could you possibly start in the right when they go back to this and any makes in the in these verses 12 through 20.

He sees speaking about some personal matters that everybody that would understand it in the church as they are in and are not essential for us to understand but he had some sort of physical condition that he was dealing with the trial or perhaps had something do with his eyes.

We don't know for sure but you just think you you receive me because you receiving the gospel and you see me as if you were receiving Christ himself and you would've done unit you would give me your own eyes. He saying, but these people duped you there there trying to make a lot of you but the fact of the matter is that they really intent ultimately to shut you out and not easy to see the longing of Paul is that I just I am.

I'm like a mother that in childbirth the same just waiting and launching for Christ to be fully formed and in use. That's what he's talking about but I wanted to focus us on verse nine. Now that you've come to know God rather to be known by God. How can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world. It's all about knowing God. You can you can know God in the battle has always been to tempt us with ritual and religion and rigorous living as a substitute for knowing God. The Galatians were lured by Judaizers towards ceremonial law and Paul is just crying out. Do you see how you have been lured astray. The implication that he makes here is is absolutely startling in its visit. He said he saying essentially if you turn your Christianity into a law-based allegiance to principles and ceremonies, rather than a relationship with God through Jesus. You're not just abandoning the beauty and power of God's life in you that you are. He says to the Galatians, in effect, returning to the same demons that controlled you when you were pagans worshiping idols is a startling thing to say but that's simply what he saying that it was a time in your life and what you were deceived, and you are under a kind of slavery to what he calls worthless elementary principles, it is it is a reference I think to to not only the ideologies but that that are empty and void of power, but to the demonic entities that that kid behind the idols of Rome and he was he's essentially saying that there was a time in which you you your whole life you were enslaved to these idols and now you coming to Christ.

But if you start mixing into your gospel.

These will be some pieces of wall what Paul saying is he your you fall back into the same kind of slavery to these idols that work for you. You have fallen, you've been duped and and in the spiritual battle for the spiritual battle has always been to move us away from the simplicity of knowing God that this this is accomplished in a two equal and opposite ways. One is rebellion, which says I don't care to know anything about God have anything to do with God, I'll go my own way or with empty religion which says I'll learn all about God and do the right things for God but never know him either way, we remain distant from the one who made us and loves us.

Either way, we don't know God. How would be quite satisfied for people to know all about God and try to do all the right things for God, but not know God, because the heart of God is and always has been that he wants to be known, since this is God in paradise.

He's walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day.

He is a fellow shipping with his his creatures that he made in his own image.

He is not hiding he is revealing himself. He wants to be known and and when sin enters the world and there is this massive golf separation that our sin has brought where we have been separated from God and would be eternally separated from God and not God made way for us in Jesus Christ and you can see the passionate heart of God painted in a thousand pictures throughout the old covenant you can see them calling up Abram out of the colonies and revealing himself debris and reloads to be known. You can see God fearing that the cry of the poor and calling forth a murderer named Moses and revealing himself to Moses, even to the point that Moses is show me your glory is like can't show you my full glory because you would die, but I'll show you my backside so you behind the Miniclip of Iraq just painting a picture of a shadow of what is to come is always been God's heart that he wants to be known because a man named David is America's own heart is loves to worship God and he said this is the kind demanded that I love. I want him to know me and worship and I'll never remove my steadfast love someone from your thought always be on the he's painting this picture in a thousand different ways.

In the old covenant shadows and he speaks it through his prophets, Jeremiah prophesied in Jeremiah chapter 31 versus 31 to 34 and he says there's not a day that is coming, in which there will be a new covenant, that I'll make my people. It will not be like the old covenant, but in this new common I'll write my law upon their hearts, any conclusive verse 34 by saying no longer will man say to his neighbor know the Lord, for they will all know me, from the greatest to the lease. Everything was pointing to the time with Jesus having made the way possible, would send the Holy Spirit who could come and be poured out into our hearts into our lives so that we would. We wouldn't know him in a very real way, this is what Paul is referring to in Galatians the early part of the chapter when he said the Holy Spirit comes into your life and buying and you cry out father, he bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God, because God wants to be known as what is always wanted is what Jesus talks about in his discourse with the disciples in John chapter 1415 1617. From now on Jesus as you do know him and Paul says elsewhere. First Corinthians chapter 2, I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Everything else pales in comparison. He says elsewhere that I count everything else rubbish to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus is everything is everything God wants to be known was to know you and how is attacking. This is the urgency of this pastor's heart to the people of Galatian churches as he knows that there is an attack. Today's teaching is knowing God our series on Galatians Allen is back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life in our final word today. Blessing your life, discover God's grace filled vision for your rights free to leave last your heart with grace and encouragement. Allen writes a daily blessing. It's free. Just a click away.

Pastor I got away feel like something is holding you back if you lack an important scene that could change everything.

Is there someone you love hissing stock to help them out what's missing blessing. We all need faith filled vision spoken over you can learn how to embrace the will practice a blessing to Pastor Alan writes new book, it's a blast, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month right ministries once send you the I thank you for your demos make your gift today discovered the power to bless the gospel is shared when you get Allen right ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today.

We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Allen right ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor. Our in.work series on Galatians and were studying the writings of Paul here are today's teaching knowing God, what is our take away this particular teaching such a big difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone there but a lot of people famous people that I could tell you some things about and is like a use illustration of Billy Graham who I so so so many others had so much love and respect Billy Graham but I didn't actually know but I knew many people who did know him.

Some people very close to me. My wife's uncle was his pastor for a number of years, my dear friends, was the executive director's organization for many years and that I didn't know was such a big difference between knowing about someone knowing other people that know that person versus knowing, and you can know God, not as know about them not just be closed all the people who know but any any person can know God, because the gift of Jesus Christ while today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen right ministries