Fascinating Knowledge - Hosea 4:1, 6-7
Intro.: The church in America is in trouble. Immorality is rampant, ministry burnout is growing exponentially and scandal or boredom are the daily fare in many churches. All while we are on a head on collision course with the most important hour of human history.
I. Our greatest need.
A. It is not…
1. Money
2. New evangelism techniques
3. A magnificent church building
4. More conferences
NOTE: All of these things are ok, but they are NOT the answer
B. What we need is to know God
Quote: A.W. Tozer in “The Knowledge of the Holy” said, “All the problems of heaven and earth, though they were to confront us…at once, would be nothing compared with the overwhelming problem that we have with God: That He IS; What He is LIKE; and what we as moral beings must DO about Him.”
NOTE: Tozer also said that 10,000 lesser problems would be solved when we come to a right understanding of God.
II. Our way of thinking
A. How we are supposed to live for God:
1. Go to church
2. Read our Bibles and pray when it works out for us
3. Give in the offering
4. Follow the Golden Rule
5. Don’t smoke, drink or carouse
B. What we expect God’s response to these things to be:
1. Help us out
2. Make us feel good
3. Bless us and our family
4. Save our children
5. Meet our needs
6. Keep us healthy and wealthy
NOTE: This is a contractual understanding of God
III. God’s way of thinking
A. How are we supposed to live for God
1. Spend intimate time in His presence
2. Be in passionate pursuit of relationship with Him
3. Have a living knowledge of God that dwells in the core of our
Being
B. God is sounding an alarm – like Hosea was doing
1. He is calling His church to return to their 1st love
2. He is calling His church back to intimacy
3. He is calling his church back to a deep calling unto deep
understanding of the knowledge of God
NOTE: This is a covenantal understanding of God
NOTE: God is calling His people back to the place of being fascinated by God in His awe and wonder. True knowledge of God is fascinating and it causes us to live like people deeply connected to another realm.
Concl.: READ: Hosea 6:1 & 3
Joel 2:12-17
NOTE: Author Corey Russell in his book, "Pursuit of the Holy" said, “When the subject of God is restored as the primary ministry, application and proclamation of the church, we will witness the greatest move of God the earth has ever seen.”
This place of fascination – of knowing God is the very thing that the enemy wants to keep us ignorant of. Why? Because if we experience these truths, we will experience freedom – READ: John 8:31,32 & 36
Jeremiah calls these concepts “The ancient paths”. Following them brings rest. NOT following them brings calamity.
Here we move from spiritually “surviving” to spiritually “thriving”
Here we move from “life” to “living abundantly”
Here we move from “keeping our heads above water” to “walking on water”
Here we move from “just enough” to “the increase of the Lord”
Here we move from “feeble” to “mighty”
Let’s go from knowing about God to knowing God, intimately, passionately, for a life-changing encounter with the Most High God!
