Following Hard After God Series

Knowing God

Following Hard After God

Introduction:

Matt 13:44-46

44 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Note: Both had found a great treasure, the first by chance the second by design.

Phil 3:1-12

3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, (We have received the Holy Spirit by faith not by works)

4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:

Paul’s resume

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Paul’s Passion

7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ

9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

We live in a day of so many religions, and so many professed believers that it really makes it hard to distinquish who’s who and what’s what. In a world of religious diversity the scripture still holds truthful of Romans 3:10-12

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (KJV)

Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (KJV)

“There is none that Seeketh after God”

We live in a time where many profess they know God but they don’t really seek after Him. Many are seeking the convienient faith and not that which requires total commitment in Knowing God.

“They are all gone out of the way”

Isn’t this so true, many have turned aside looking for the shortcut to God, hoping to find the secret formula that will create and instant knowledge of God.

If you are really sincere in “Knowing God” then this series will be a blessing to you, but if you are only playing games and desire to make everybody think you know God for prestigious reasons this series will convict and expose your hidden agenda.

I am not going to try to make you Know God the way I do, or try to force my personal experience on you to make you feel you should know God a certain way. We must realize that we all have different personalities and therefore we are going to experience God differently and our expression of His touch on our lives will be different.

But I will attempt to point you to Him and seek after Him in a biblical way, so that way you may acquire certain tools along the way to dig deeper into HIM.

Let us take our first lesson from a man after God’s own heart...

Text Psalms 63:1-8

Psa 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; (KJV)

Psa 63:2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. (KJV)

Psa 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. (KJV)

Psa 63:4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. (KJV)