Alone with the Almighty, Part 1b

Daniel chapter 11, verse number 32, this latter half of the verse says these words. But the people who know their God will display strength and take action. I ask you this question today. Do you display strength? Do you rise up and take action even though things around you might not even look good as Daniel did? I come back and ask you this question. Do you really know God? Turn with me to the New Testament, Acts chapter four.

In Acts chapter four there had, or in Acts chapter three there had been a healing of a lame man, a man who had been lame from birth. He was over 40 years of age. And Peter healed this man. And the leaders of Jerusalem were not pleased with what Peter had done. And so it says in verse number five of Acts four, and it came about on the next day that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high priestly descent.

And when they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, by what power or in what name have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man had been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, and by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name this man stands here before you in good health.

He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name of the heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved. Verse number 13. Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. As they sat and listened to Peter and the apostles, realizing that these were uneducated and untrained men, these are men who displayed strength, unparalleled to what they had seen before.

These were men who were able to rise up and take action and stand against the rulers of the day. And they had marveled that these men had been with Jesus. These men were the ones who were with their Messiah. These ones were men who were doing the same kinds of things that their Messiah. Had done. If you read on through the text, they threatened Peter and the apostles, telling them that they are not to speak anymore of what they had been speaking. And Peter would say in verse number 19, whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge, for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.

And when they had threatened them further, they let them go, finding no basis on which they might punish them on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened. For the man was more than 40 years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. Now, if you go over to chapter five, after these men had been imprisoned and were supernaturally released from prison, it says in verse number 27, we gave you strict orders, not to continue teaching in the name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

But Peter and the apostles answered and said, we must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to his right hand as a prince and a savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins, and we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him. You read down, they decide that they're going to beat them, and so it says in verse number 40, they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus and then released them.

So they went on their way from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name, and every day in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. So here again, you have men able to display strength, to take action, why? Because they knew their God. They thought it was great that they were able to be counted along those who suffered for the sake of their Messiah, and so with bloodstained robes, they would continue going into the marketplace, preaching and teaching Jesus Christ, even though their lives were threatened, even though they had been in prison, even though they had been beaten, why?

Because they knew their God. The Bible promises to those who know their God, they will acquire something. They will acquire strength and they will accomplish something. They will do services for me that are supernatural, that are beyond the normal because they have a relationship with the living God. And so I ask you again, do you know God? Do you know him? I want you to know God. I want you to know him in such a way that your life displays significant strength. It's supernatural strength because it's God who works in and through you.

I want you to be able to take action, to stand firm for God, no matter what anybody else says because you believe in God, trust God, obey God, as Daniel did, as Peter did, as the apostles did, as Paul did. You can read all through the book of Acts. You can read about the apostle Paul, who even though he knew that bonds and afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem, Acts 20, he says, I am going there anyway because I must fulfill the ministry that God has called me to accomplish. Men of supernatural strength.

How did they get that way? Men who were able to stand strong for God and are set up as heroes of faith, as pillars of faith in the scriptures. How did they get that way? They got that way because they knew their God. Do you know him? Over in Hosea, Hosea chapter four. You know the story of Hosea and Gomer? Hosea was to be that individual who represented God to the nation of Israel. Gomer, his wife, who left him and engaged in all kinds of harlotries was a representation of Israel. And God told Hosea, do not divorce your wife.

Instead, you go after your wife because you are gonna picture to my people the kind of God that I am, one that continually goes after his people even though they turn their back against me. And listen to Hosea four, verse number one.

Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel. For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery. They employ violence so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore, the land mourns and everyone who lives in it languishes. Why? Verse number six. My people are destroyed. For lack of knowledge. They don't know me. They're being destroyed. If they knew me, they would live for me.

If they knew me, I would use them. If they knew me, they would stand strong for me. But they don't know me. Let me ask you a question.

Do you know God? Do you know? Not do you know that he exists. That's not knowing God. I mean, I guess it's a part of knowing God. You gotta believe that he is. Everybody knows God exists. Romans one teaches that. There's no such thing as an atheist. God doesn't believe in atheists. So there's no such thing as an atheist. You missed that, didn't you? You'll get it on the way out, believe me. God doesn't believe in atheists. Man, you guys are slower than I thought you were. But anyway, the fact being is that there's no such thing as an atheist.

Everybody believes in God. So we're not talking about that. We're not talking about getting a whole bunch of information about God. There's a lot of people who've got notebooks and written books and know a lot about God and they can recite verses and they can tell you different things about the history of Israel. They've got a lot of information stored up in their brains, but that's not knowing God. Knowing God, as the Bible depicts it, is knowing God in such a way that his life rubs off on your life.

That's what it means to know God. You think as he thinks, you talk as he talks, you walk as he walks. There are a lot of people who say they know God, yet they live very insecure lives. Yet God is a God of love. If you know God as a God of love, you'll never be insecure. There are a lot of people who live a life of fear, but yet if they know God, who is the all-powerful God of the universe, they had nothing to fear before he is on their side. There are a lot of people who say they know God, but yet they live foolish lives and our God is a God of wisdom.

And if God is a God of wisdom, then he instructs us on how we should live our lives. Not as fools, but as wise men. There are a lot of people who live their lives with no direction, yet our God is a God who knows everything. And if he knows everything, then he will instruct me and teach me in the way that I should go. If I really believe that my God is awesome, then he will alter my life. Do you know God? Do you know him intimately? Do you know him in such a way that he has rubbed off on you and that he has rubbed off on you so much that you reflect his life through your conversation, through your life, through all that you do?

That's my prayer for you and me. That we know God in such a way that we reflect his life. I can't think of a better series of messages to give than to help us know what it means to know God, to walk with him, to grow in our relationship with him. In my study, I have a book. I have a lot of books in my study, but there's one that I've read a number of times over. It's entitled Thoughts for Young Men. It's written by J.C. Ryle. And in it, he records some thoughts that he thinks are extremely important for young men that they might walk with God.

In his book, he records these words, and I wanna read them to you. They're a little lengthy, but I think they drive home the point. He says, for another thing, young man, seek to become acquainted with our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, he says, I want you to know Christ. As a young man, you need to begin now knowing Christ. This is what he says. This is indeed the principal thing in religion. This is the cornerstone of Christianity. Till you know this, my warnings and advice will be useless, and your endeavors, whatever they may be, will be in vain.

A watch without a mainspring is not more unserviceable than is religion without Christ. But let me not be misunderstood.

It is not the mere knowing Christ's name that I mean. It is a knowing of his mercy, grace, and power. The knowing him not by the hearing of the ear, but by the experience of your heart. I want you to know him by faith. I want you, as Paul says, to know the power of his resurrection, being conformed to his death. I want you to be able to say of him, he is my peace and my strength, my life, and my consolation, my physician, my shepherd, my savior, and my God. Why do I make such a point of this? I do it because in Christ alone, all fullness dwells.

Because in him alone, there is full supply of all that we require for the necessities of our souls. Of ourselves, we are all poor, empty creatures, empty of righteousness and peace, empty of strength and comfort, empty of courage and patience, empty of power to stand or go on or make progress in this evil world. It is in Christ alone that all these things are to be found. Grace, peace, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, it is just in proportion as we live upon them, him, that we are strong Christians.

It is only when self is nothing and Christ is all our confidence, it is then only that we shall do great exploits. Then only are we armed for the battle of life and shall overcome. Then only are we prepared for our journey of life and shall get forward. To live on Christ, to draw all from Christ, to do all in the strength of Christ, to be ever looking unto Christ, this is the true secret of spiritual prosperity. I can do all things, says Paul, through Christ who strengthens me. Young man, I set before you Jesus Christ this day as the treasury of your souls and I invite you to begin by going to him.

If you would so run as to obtain, let this be your first step. Go to Christ. Do you want to consult friends? He is the best friend, a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Do you feel unworthy because of your sins? Fear not, his blood cleanses from all sin. He says, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Do you feel weak and unable to follow him? Fear not, he will give you power to become sons of God. He will give you the Holy Spirit to dwell in you and seal you for his own.

A new heart will he give you, a new spirit will he put within you. Are you troubled or beset with peculiar infirmities? Fear not, there is no evil spirit that Jesus cannot cast out. There is no disease of soul that he cannot heal. Do you feel doubts and fears? Cast them aside, come unto me, he says. Him that comes I will by no means cast out. He knows well the heart of a young man. He knows your trials and your temptations, your difficulties and your foes. In the days of his flesh, he was like yourself.

A young man at Nazareth, he knows by experience a young man's mind. He can be touched with the feelings of your infirmities, for he suffered himself being tempted. Surely you will be without excuse if you turn away from such a savior and friend as this. Hear the request I make of you this day. If you love life, seek to become acquainted with Jesus Christ. I couldn't say anything better than that. Seek to become acquainted with Jesus Christ. For in him all the fullness dwells. Everything you need to know is in Jesus Christ.

I ask you, do you know him? Do you spend time with him? Do you cultivate a relationship with him? That's what I want to see happen in your life. If you want to know him, you got a purpose in your heart to spend time with him. That takes work. That takes discipline on your part and on mine. And so we want to teach you what that means. We want to cover two main points with you over the next several weeks. One is the essence of my time with God. The essence of my time with God. What are the components?

What are the elements that make up my time alone with the Almighty? There are seven of them. We're gonna give them to you over the next several weeks. And then we're gonna look at the consequence of my time with God.

Everybody wants to know what's in it for me. So after we look at the essence of my time with God, we're going to look at the consequence of my time with God.

And there are seven components to that one as well. Why is there seven? Because seven is the number of completion. The number of perfection. So we'll give you seven components that make up the essence of your time with God and seven components that describe for you the consequence of your time with God. And I promise, listen very carefully, I promise that if you adhere to the principles of God's word, your life will change. Everything about your life will change. And you will begin to know your God.

First of all, the essence of my time with Him. Component number one is this, the primacy of salvation.

The primacy of salvation. That's the first component. That's the first principle. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 13.

2 Corinthians chapter 13. Look what it says in 2 Corinthians 13 verse number five. Test yourselves to see if you're in the faith. Examine yourselves, or do you not recognize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test? Paul says, I want to give you an exam. As he closes out his letter to those in Corinth, he says, I want you to prove yourself. I want you to look at your life and ask yourself the question, is my faith real?

This is called the personal test. And I want to give you several tests. The personal test, I want to give you the doctrinal test, I want to give you the relational test, I want to give you the moral test, and I want to give you the spiritual test. Because all of them will tell you whether or not you have a relationship with God that you can begin to embark on even knowing Him even further. So the primacy of salvation is principle number one.

Unless you have come to saving faith, then you'll never know God in an intimate way. You must be born again. So, Paul says, test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Now, the question comes, what's Paul's test? For that, turn back with me to the third chapter of 2 Corinthians, and I'll give you that test.

2 Corinthians 3, verse number 18, is Paul's test. He says, but we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Paul says, we have an unveiled face, and we look into the mirror. The mirror, according to James 1, 23 to 25, is the perfect law of liberty. So as I look into the law of liberty, as I look into the word of God, it's like a mirror. And because I am a child of the living God, when I look into that mirror, there is a reflection that takes place in my life that shows Jesus in my life.

So Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 13, five, test yourselves to see whether or not you are in the faith. He says, as you test yourself, see that Jesus Christ is in you. If you look into the law of liberty, if you look into the mirror of God, and you behold the glory of God, because that's what we do, then that glory then shines forth on you, and you begin to reflect that image. So when you get to the end of 2 Corinthians, Paul says, here's the test. Do you see Jesus reflected in your life because you have already spent time looking into the perfect law of liberty?

If you see Jesus in your life, you've passed the test. If you don't see him in your life, you've failed the test. That's the personal test. The examination that we make. The examination we make based on what God's word says when we open the word and behold his glory, and that glory then shines on us in such a way that we then reflect that glory to other people because Jesus is in us. That's the test. That's the personal test. Do you recognize Jesus in you? Let me ask you this question.

Does anybody else recognize Jesus in you? Does anybody else comment about the fact that Jesus Christ is living in you, ruling in you, changing your life? Can other people see the reflection of God in your life? That's the personal test. When you open the word of God, the mirror of God, and God's glory is revealed to you, the Bible says you are changed from one level of glory to the next level of glory, to a deeper relationship with God because God is at work in your life.

Do you know me? I want you to know me, God says. Do you know him? I pray that in the next few weeks, you will grow deep in your knowledge of God because we are covenanted to teach you what that means on a daily basis.