Can God Be Known? - Part B

There's plenty of evidence of God, and you can examine all of that evidence still do require a level of faith on your part.

When I talk about faith. It's more than mere acknowledgment is one thing to go. Yes, I have the information and I acknowledge that there is a God who exists somewhere out there because the something. Biblical faith is more than an acknowledgment or a mental assent look at it more like a receiving of the cure. Biblical faith is when you bet your eternal life in Jesus Christ knowing about God knowing God are two different things is giving you the opportunity to know him on a deep personal level but have you taken the steps connect with Skip Hunter today as he shares how you can have a more intimate personal relationship with God of the universe. Stay tuned after the message Skip and his wife Linda talk about how you can find true satisfaction in your pursuit of God. I think of Paul the apostle, he was he was on lockdown for two years in a Roman jail and under house arrest. Yet, wrote to the Philippians and he said I want you to know brother with the things that have happened to me at actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. So he saw his life adjusting the flow of God's perfect will to bless others think you Skip and when you be sure to stay with us after today's message to the full discussion right now want to tell you about a resource that helps you take your best step forward in life so you can embrace your God-given purpose. I've enjoyed watching the growth in the ministry of my friend Levi Lustgarten this month's connect with Skip resource. Take back your life book by Levi Lesko usually bided tell you about it's all around this idea taking back your life. The 40 day interactive journey thinking right so you can live right is can be really powerful and special.

I think some people to have this bellies in hardcover, which just makes me happy because I never had a booklist hardcover but has a ribbon so you really keep track of your progress through these 40 days. It would be an incredible gift to someone who is looking to grow in their faith or for any of us you want to maybe conduit and oil change for your heart check up on on your wellness where you're at it all deal with internal difficulties and help you deal better with external circumstances that are challenging as we explore how it gets to the very best version of ourselves that we are meant to be. Get the book. Take back your life with a donation of $35 to connect with Skip call 1-800-922-1888 online and connectwithskip.com this hardcover book by Levi Lesko will help you take back your life.

It's a 40 day interactive journey to thinking right so you can live right 1-800-922-1888 extinction chapter. Sometimes when I speak to an atheist and they say they don't believe in God and ask why some of them are intellectually honest as they grapple with the whole God question, but I found a lot of them haven't done their homework and I discovered that a lot of atheists hold the position of atheism for moral reasons, not intellectual reasons because now they're open to the possibility that there's a God. It means there is an accountability to that one means I have to stop certain things that I've done or am doing in my life on a moral level so I won't even entertain the idea that there is a God, for moral reasons for intellectual reasons someone will put it in atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman because he's not looking form and I aim to show you and you don't have to look very far to discover God start on that next week, but even Albert Einstein said. Certainly there is a God. Any man who doesn't believe in a cosmic force is a fool, but we could never know him. With all due respect, Albert Einstein. I know he's not here to defend himself. That's where I part with him is a brilliant or was a brilliant man, far more brilliant than I would ever imagine to be, but I would contend with him on this point there is a God, he is not a cosmic force he can be known because he is personal that brings us to the second great reality. Not only does God exist. God is personal. Notice how the writer of Hebrews. In verse six frames. It he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Not only does God exist. God can interact with those that he is made he is able as a person to be personal to love to care to reward as it says those who diligently seek him. Years ago I found a book and I read it and I have since read it and reread it and reread it so frayed. The covers fallen off the book I recommend to you called knowing God by JI Packer Noll admit to you was the title that sold me. I member walking by the store and sing this huge print. Knowing God, and it was as if my heart lunged toward because I longed to know God more personally more intimately and I discovered among even the most astute Christian and active Christian that there is this vast unfed hunger to know God personally lies just beneath the surface of all of our busy church activities. We want to know God, because we read in the Bible how God walked with Adam, God spoke to Moses and reread stuff like that we go, what about us. Listen to the words of a struggle or another great book that I found written by Tim Stafford.

He talks about the struggle he says I did not lack for intellectual satisfaction or for demonstration of God's power. I saw him changing lives on a man-to-man level. Christianity was wonderful.

It was the man to God level that I felt shaky about. I wanted more.

I have come to realize since that I was not alone in my longing. But whatever the conversation moves to the subject of knowing God.

Listeners grow suddenly quiet and attentive. For a long time. I thought this was a disapproving silence.

I know now that it's the silence that falls on a room of hungry people whenever someone talks of food. How do you have a personal relationship with God. Just think about that how can you have a personal relationship with the ultimate person.

The unique one.

There's no one like him. He is invisible.

How do you have a personal relationship with him will discover how will discover how as I said his personality crowds the world around us if the Bible carries one repeated message, it's the message that God wants to be known was that the cry of Paul's heart. After 30 years of ministry and life and sacrifice. Even the great apostle that I might know him the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering, he prayed that so the two great realities. There is a God, he exists and that is personal.

He rewards there's two great requirements. The following the same text first requirement is faith. You'll notice in verse six. Faith is spoken about or eluted to three times but without faith.

That's the first one.

It's impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that's the second time that he is that he exists and that, or that is, believe that was the third time that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Okay, believe is absolutely essential in your spiritual journey at some point it's I require an act of faith here is why. Because we are unable to see God. At least for now, we are unable to hear his voice audibly like your hearing my voice right now.

For now, because of that, as Paul said, we live by faith and not by sight of the come a time when you don't need faith any longer.

You be in heaven. You need to place your trust in God you're there with them, but until then, we live in that realm. We live by faith and not by sight. So there's plenty of evidence of God, and you can examine all of that evidence, but it's still the require a level of faith on your part. When I talk about faith. It's more than mere acknowledgment is one thing to go. Yes, I have all of the adequate information and I acknowledge that there is a God who exists somewhere out there cosmic force that's not faith. Biblical faith is more than an acknowledgment or a mental assent look at it more like a receiving of the cure K biblical faith is when you bet your eternal life in Jesus Christ. I give an example. There was a doctor skeptical physician who is attending to a patient. She was a very strong ardent believer in Christ and the doctor was very honest was a downtime and he just report out his heart. I don't get the whole faith thing. I believe in God and I guess I believe in Jesus, I have no knowledge that I have a whole lot of doubts but something is missing sums wrong with the matter. She said this doctor a week ago I believed in you is a very skillful doctor.

I believed if I got sick. You help me two days ago. I let you cut into me and give me some medicine that I didn't quite understand, but I trusted and you see the difference it it's not the kind of faith that there is a doctor who can cure me as the kind of faith that receives the cure takes the remedy that's active faith, so whenever we deal with God. And whenever we examine information about God or the evidence for God comes a point when we must activate by faith and that's what pleases God member, the disciples came to Jesus and said to Jesus, what must we do the work the works of God member what he said this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent us the gateway. That's the door you enter into that door and you take that step of faith. You live in that realm something else about this. This is not just initial belief is ongoing process of belief, there will be many acts of faith that will be required of you as a Christian. Our faith is progressive, is not a one time yard prayed to receive Christ one time that was my faith, your faith will be required at different stages and here's why. Because I bet there's a few things about God that you don't know yet with Debbie and understatement is also in my own life is a whole lot of stuff. I'm still discovering and learning about God.

Wonderful. Every time I do so I bet you that God is still so vast that there's a lot of information a lot of things about God that are still not discovered by you yet.

However, once you discover them in this process, the spiritual journey. Once you are enlightened by the that will require an act of faith example I've known people who believe that there is a God, but he is this nice smiling. God let you do anything you want to do and then they discover in the Bible that God hates sin and God will judge sin and God will destroy the world. What picture they saw before we got a deal with that now are they gonna take that step of faith and believe that or they can return it away so here's the deal. It's important in this discovery as we discovered the one true God is revealed here in Scripture that we take ongoing action steps of faith, and when we do our view of him will change. I hope or be fortified. There's a great book, mentioning few my favorite books was a great book. I'll take the title limit cool title was written by a Bible scholar, translator named JB Phillips or the name of the book your God is too small, and in that book, he describes the different gods that people make up that they want to believe. And for example there is the grand old man God. This is the grandfatherly white-haired indulgent God who smiles down on everyone and winks at their adultery there cheating there stealing, etc. I know a lot of people who have that God then there's the resident policeman God, whose primary job is to make us feel uncomfortable in life unenjoyable you know God always.

Maddie's always looking for some I do wrong.

See there's a lot of people who have that God then third there's the managing director God. This is the God of the deists he designed and created the universe.

But now he stands back to watch the show.

He's uninvolved is not personal is very distant and very aloof. I know a lot of people believe that God before there's the God in a box. God this is the private exclusive personal secretary in God while my God. Is this what your God may be different. All of these are inadequate views of God there wrong views of God. It's no different than the boy in class, drawing a picture thank God looks like. In just a minute as we discover the biography of God to change God can be known and when we know limits by the gate way of believing in him taking a reasonable step is will see not a leap in the dark.

A reasonable step of faith. When we do that that will please God and will be rewarded for stakes as to the second great responsibility and that is to know God requires pursuit. Let's take one final look at verse six but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is in notice this. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek note that tells me tells me that God wants to be pursued and not true of any relationship, but so you're married or say you're dating somebody both in that relationship.

Want to know that the other wants them around know what if one of you said while I acknowledge that she exists is not enough. She wants you to know that you want her to be around. She wants you to pursue her and he wants you to pursue him any healthy relationship will require that mutual pursuit and both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell us not only can God be found, but the God loves to be sought after is a sampling of verses from the Bible first Chronicles 28 verse nine David said to his son Solomon. If you seek him, he will be found by you, if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. Psalm 58 verse 11 there is truly a reward for those who live for God.

Jeremiah 2913 and you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Luke 11 verse 10 Jesus said for everyone who asks receives, and whoever seeks fines and to him who knocks, the door will be open.

James chapter 4 verse eight.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you see in each of these there is this seeking, on behalf of the human and the response of God, to just push the pause button for a moment as you need to understand the God made the first move saw the God hides himself and says, okay, let's have a game of hide and seek. See if you can find me is not how it works. God initialized it all first John chapter 4 we love him because he first loved us.

He made the first move. He revealed himself in a number of ways, as will see next couple of weeks that demands a response, but in a healthy relationship. There's a mutual pursuit, I want to be with you what I want to know you. We seek after Emperor Jesus in the Beatitudes, and blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

They will be filled. He didn't say Blessed are those who casually snack after righteousness is a big difference in a casual snack at hunger and thirst, is the hunger and thirst ones who are the ones who are filled Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. So to great realities.

There is a God and that God is a personal God is able to interact with his created ones and the two great responsibilities requires an act of faith, not one but several all the way through an active faith that growing faith, not a passive one and you pursue God because a relationship is developed when you do that you please him and is much as all of these and Hebrews 11.

Did so in a close this question. This what is your chief pursuit in life Alaska different way what your master passion be passionate about, or what you want more than anything else in life and only you can answer a question and ask you to answer it in your own heart. Very honestly what you want more than anything else in life.

I'll tell you how most people answer this this I know because poll after poll after poll everyone from Barnett to Gallup has asked people this question know their answer is no. I want most of life to be happy, to be happy were guaranteed that our Constitution right life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I want to be happy. They say and so they search for happiness in all the wrong places I have this relationship. I'll be happy they are for a while if I have this status in educational be happy they might be for a while.

By this much money I'll be happy and they do everything that they leave out the God components and their unhappy. Listen to the words of one psychologist after years of clinical research writes about one third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and emptiness of their own lives.

This can be described as the general neurosis of our age." I read a story about a young man who left his hometown and traveled out to Holly weird. He had hit three goals he set as a young man that he wanted to have fulfilled in his life.

One note they are even if you don't I'll tell you. Number one he wanted to see his name in lights that was his first goal to see my name in lights. Goal number two wanted a Rolls-Royce goal number three.

He wanted to marry a beauty contest winner.

He was able to achieve all three goals before he turned 30 and he stated we got them all. He's still miserable and why is that I've run out of goals swimming to do for the rest of my life. Compare that with that psychologist said with what you and I just read, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

You know, one of those gorgeous you're satisfied to sense of satisfaction. Follow the thinking here will summon up the more you do is you are as you please. The more you do as you please. The less you are pleased with what you do, the more you do what pleases him.

The more pleasure he will give you and that person you live for yourself, you'll never find satisfaction all about you. You'll never find satisfaction, but if you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. All these things will be added unto you, and even in the worst of times. There is a deep sense of satisfaction as Augustine said, we are restless until we find our rest in you. Are you seeking the Lord is that your pursuit your passion as if it is, he will lavishly reward you. You might be so I've never found God, maybe not looking for, like a thief in the placement fee because I never found a policeman screws every time you hear a siren, you run the other direction know this God has been pursuing you seeking for you because you're the last one God also wants to be pursued and sought after because he wants a relationship. Doorway is faith belief that rap subscription message from his series, the biography of God that you Skip in line as they talk about how you can find true satisfaction in your pursuit of God. Today we were reminded that the more we do as we please let me with what we do that pursuing that is what brings real satisfaction in life Skip can you talk about how you found that through your online well yeah joy I've always seen as a byproduct. It's a byproduct of the pursuit that if we are pursuing joy. We will never find it. It's it's a it's found by not direct pursuit, but as a byproduct of pursuing him. So I think of Paul the apostle you know he was. He was on lockdown for two years in a Roman jail and under house arrest, and yet he wrote to the Philippians and he said I want you to know, brethren with the things that have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel so you know how can a guy like that think like that and have such joy he writes about joy more metaphysical than any others and that's a prison epistle, so he's really on to something and and he saw the prison as much a part of God's will for his life as being out in the street, or being able to travel or being able to write a letter book that was also something God was doing in him and through him and for other people, so, so, he saw his life is just in the flow of God's perfect will to bless others and say it's what is your joy and I mean I take giant pizza that I don't I haven't have big tummy are thunder thighs. So I would say Scripture says, the joy of the Lord is my strength.

So it's what that joy is in. Thank you, Skip in line yeah we went come alongside believers who may be struggling and you can be a part of getting them back on track and feeling stronger in their faith in you give a gift to help keep these teachings on the man just call 890, 292 or connect escape.com/donate.com/Tammy Q want to let you know that you can watch connect with skip.

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