The Body and the Spirit -- June 23, 2013

Sunday, June 23, 2013

THE BODY AND THE SPIRIT

I Cor. 12:12-27

            Have you ever heard the expression that goes something like this:  "He is looking at the world through rose-colored glasses"?  The idea is that such a person isn't seeing the real world; he is sugar-coating all the bad things and just focusing on the good.  The truth is that the lenses we wear can affect the way we see things.  That is even true in the physical realm.  I have a special pair of sunglasses.  Actually, I have had a number of pairs just like this one.  My late beloved father-in-law used to order them for me at $5 a pair.  I love them, but I've pretty well worn them all out.  They are special glasses.  They have an orange tint to them.  Some people think I look funny in them and that everything seen through looks unrealistic, but I love them.  They tend to give things more color.  They also have some special powers that other sunglasses don't have.  Calvin Porter used to drive a little pickup which magnified the power of my sunglasses.  Without them, the body of the pickup was all one color.  But when I looked at it through my sunglasses, it was two colors.  At some point the hood had been repainted.  No one could tell it except me and my sunglasses.

            Now I am not telling you all this in order to persuade you to buy a pair of sunglasses like this or to steal mine, but I do have a purpose.  We look at life through various lenses that color the way we see things.  Most of us, because of the society in which we grew up, have a powerful lens called "individualism."  We tend to look at everything as an individual.  That concept has been drilled into us in dozens of ways.  I am not saying that is always a bad thing, but we must realize that we tend to look at life through that lens. 

            When we read something from the Bible, our first tendency is to look at it from an individual standpoint.  For example, let's read that well-known passage from Phil. 4:4-9...

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

            There are several commands in this passage.  The first is, "Rejoice in the Lord always."  When we read that, we immediately conclude that God wants me to rejoice in Him always.  That is certainly true.  But do we ever consider the togetherness aspect?  When Paul wrote that command, he wrote it to the members of the Philippian church.  Yes, the church was certainly made up of individuals.  And it is certainly true that no one else can rejoice in the Lord for you.  However, am I conscious that this is a command that is also given to my brothers and sisters?  I am to be concerned about all of us rejoicing in the Lord always.  The same is true of the command not to be anxious and to meditate on the things listed in verse 8.  I am an individual, but I am part of the Lord's church, which goes beyond the individual.

            I suppose you could make this argument for anyone who is a member of a club or civic organization, but it isn't the same.  The church is not an organization; it is a living organism.  To put it clearly -- the church is a body.  I didn't say that; the Word of God says it, and not just once.  We who belong to Jesus Christ form the body of Christ, with Jesus being the Head of the body.

            Let's come to the Word and begin in Ephesians 1.  There are two wonderful prayers of Paul recorded in Ephesians, and the first is in chapter 1.  Let's read Eph. 1:15-22...

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 Which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

            Notice that last part.  Not only has God the Father raised Jesus from the dead and set Him at His own right hand and given Him a name which is above every other name, but He has also given Him to be head over all things to the church.  That would be a fitting place to end this section, but Paul goes on with verse 23, and in that verse is a brief but beautiful description of the church -- "which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."  The church is Christ's body.  Not only so, but the church is the fullness of Jesus Himself, the One who fills all in all.  I don't know exactly what that last statement means, but I know it is powerful.  It speaks of that majestic One who rose from the grave and is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  The church is His body, and the church is His fullness.  Wow!  That ought make us very careful when it comes to criticizing the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

            Now go over to chapter 3, where we find the second great prayer of Paul in this letter. Let's read Eph. 3:14-21...

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

            I read you that prayer to identify one particular phrase.  Notice the words at the end of verse 19 -- "that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  ________, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.  Maybe, but I don't believe that was the intent of Paul's prayer.  When we read this request in the context of what Paul said in chapter 1, will we not understand that he is praying that we, His people, may be filled with all the fullness of God?  This is a tall order, too tall for an individual.  That interpretation is further confirmed by what we read in verses 17-19, "that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ."  We come to know the love of Christ in the context of the body of Christ.  The same is true of being filled with all the fullness of God. 

            Brothers and sisters, we need regular reminders of the importance of the body of Christ.  Tom T. Hall wrote these words to the song...

                        Me and Jesus, we got our own thing going;

                        Me and Jesus, we got it all worked out.

                        Me and Jesus, we got our own thing going;

                        We don't need anybody to tell us what it's all about.

We need to know and understand well that it's a lie.  The "me and Jesus" mentality does not come from the mind of our God.  Instead, we find that God never intended us to walk alone in this world.  Not only do we cling to our Lord, but we live and learn in the community of the saints.  The mature Christian is not the one who has learned to make it on His own with just him and the Lord, but the one who has learned to esteem his brothers and sisters better than himself.

            So does this church-as-a-body concept have anything to do with the Holy Spirit?  Indeed, it does.  And where should we go to find this concept spelled out most clearly?  Yes, I Corinthians 12.  Let's turn there.  This morning I want us to read I Cor. 12:12-27...

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

            This passage is packed and I have no intention of trying to exhaust it this morning.  My goal is to point out three truths of which we need to be reminded.

I.  We Desperately Need One Another

            Let's read again verses 12-13, "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." I am aware that this passage has a context, that it is vitally linked with verses 1-11 of this chapter.  Verse 11 states, "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."  "All these things" refers to the various "manifestations of the Spirit" (vs. 7) listed in verses 8-10, commonly referred to as "gifts of the Spirit."  These gifts of the Spirit and the concept of the church as a body go hand and in hand and cannot be separated.  We will come back to the first part of the chapter later.  For now, we see the strong connection in the first word of verse 12 -- "for," which could just as easily be translated "because."  Later we will emphasize this strong connection.

            It is impossible to read this passage without being impressed by the main point, that the church of our Lord Jesus is pictured beautifully by the physical body.  But how is the body of Christ like the physical body?  As the body has many members but is still one body, so it is with Christ.  He is one, and yet His body has many members. Furthermore, as the members of the body differ, so it is with the body of Christ.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we are different, particularly concerning the gifts which we have been given.

            Out of this context comes the first point I want to make:  We desperately need one another.  This truth is spelled out in much detail beginning in verse 14, "For in fact the body is not one member but many."  Does anyone here possess a physical body that is made up of only hands?  Or only knees?  Or only ears?  Of course, not.  We readily observe that our bodies have many parts.  So it is with the body of Christ.  The members of the body vary greatly.  And that is why we need one another. 

            Paul goes on to speak of specific parts of the body, such as the hand, the foot, the eye, the ear, and so on.  In doing so, he emphasizes that a particular part of the body performs a function that other parts cannot perform.  We would not expect our ears to carry us from place to place.  That would be very hard on the ears and we would look rather foolish trying to walk on our ears.  No, we rely on the feet for that function.  

            Now come again to verses 15-16, "If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,' is it therefore not of the body?"  Now think carefully about what he is saying.  This is the case of that organ which appears to be less valuable removing itself from the body because it doesn't see itself as necessary.  In general, the hand is able to do more than the foot, and the eye appears more valuable than the ear.  Now some of you immediately want to jump up and say, "That's not true.  You might think differently, if your feet were cut off."  That's the point.  We know that the foot is very necessary to the body, and that's why it would be absolutely foolish for the foot to consider itself not a part because it sees the hand as more valuable.  If the foot should have that attitude, would that mean it's not a part of the body?  Of course, not.  The foot is a vital part of the body and is absolutely necessary.  The same is true of the ear, though it may appear to be less valuable than the eye.

            But how do we apply this when it comes to people, to members of the body of Christ?  Some of you desperately need this message this morning.  The fact is that you are hindered and the body is hindered because sometimes (and maybe often) you are afflicted with this attitude.  You don't feel like you are very needed in the body of Christ.  You get to thinking, "I can't preach like Jake; I can't teach like Alex; I can't sing like Rita; I don't relate to people nearly as well as most others in the body.  I just don't know of anything I do very well.  If I weren't a part of the body, no one would miss me."  For some of you, this may border on self-pity, a bit of questioning as to why the Lord didn't make you a bit different so that you would have something to contribute.

            The Holy Spirit, through Paul, is speaking to you this morning.  Do we discard the foot because it can't do what the hand does?  Do we get rid of the ear because it can't see like the eye?  No, we are all thankful to have feet and ears. 

If we had a whole bunch of eyes instead of ears and noses, how would we be able to hear and smell?  All the parts of the body are extremely valuable.  So it is in the body of Christ.  That is the point Paul is making here.  Don't think for a moment that it is godly humility that leads you to see yourself as of little or no value in the body of Christ.  Rather, it is misunderstanding at best, and unbelief at worst.  If you are truly in Christ and His Spirit dwells in you, then hear our Lord saying that you are a vital part of His body.

            That's one aspect of the message, but there is another.  Now come to verses 20-22, "But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.  And the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you'; nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.'  No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary."  Now Paul is coming from a different angle.  Do you see it?  Now it is what appears to be the more valuable member despising what appears to be the less needful member.  The eye might feel that it can get along without the hand.  And certainly the head can get along without the feet.  Surely anybody would be better off to lose his feet than to lose his head.  The eye and the head must never come to such conclusions, because every single part of the body, even those "weaker" members, are absolutely necessary to the body.

            Some of you desperately need this message.  If you don't need it today, rest assured that you will need it in the future.  Don't ever think that you can get along without any member of the body.  "Well, surely this body could continue to function without Billy.  After all, he contributes very little.  And sometimes he causes trouble.  I know we should love him, but we don't really need him."  Of course, most of us would never say such a thing, but such an attitude is an ungodly violation of the truth of this passage.  Every member of the body is valuable and necessary, and don't ever forget it.  Paul goes on to say that just as we bestow greater honor on our more less honorable parts, so it must be in the body of Christ.  That is why we can give much attention to new believers and not worry about other members feeling jealous.  It is because they are weaker and more feeble at this point and they need special attention and care.  The same could be true of a brother or sister who has been overtaken by some sin and after repentance has been restored to the body; he/she needs special care at this time.  Brothers and sisters, beware of the kind of pride that leads us to see other members as of little value in the body of Christ.

II.  This Is God's Design

            So that's the way it is.  It is a fact that just as the human body is made up of different parts which perform different functions, so it is in the body of Christ.  Everyone isn't going to be a preacher; all will not be able to give large sums of money to mission causes; all will not be able to come and share a beautiful song.  We are different.

            That brings me to the second point I want to emphasis from this passage -- This is God's design.  The reason we are all different is because that is the way God wants it.  This is the way He has put the body together.  We do not differ in the body of Christ because some are more mature than others; we differ because that is the God has designed it, and it is for His glory. 

            Let me put it this way -- the fact that some stand before us preaching and teaching, while others work quietly behind the scenes in ministering to others is not the weakness of the church; this is the strength of the church.  If you feel like you are not a vital part because you can't do certain things, understand that God has blessed you with a particular role in the body that you and you alone can fill.

            Come back again to the human body.  Think about the entire body.  Consider again the ear and the eye, as Paul uses these two organs to illustrate his point.  If asked which is more valuable, I think we would have to agree that the eye is more valuable.  If that is true, surely it means that when God made the eye, He put much more thought, planning, and work into the construction of the eye.  I am not an expert on the anatomy of the body, but I know enough to tell you that the ear is a most complex organ.  It is absolutely amazing how the ear can receive sounds, interpret them, and transmit them to the brain.  Did you ever see a picture of those intricate little bones in the ear?  No, the ear was not an add-on part that God decided to throw in at the last minute.  It is a complex, valuable, necessary part of the body.  God did not design the ear to see or to smell, but what a job He did it giving it the ability to hear. 

            Would you not agree that God did an amazing job when He designed the human body?  It is absolutely astounding.  It is so complex that the greatest minds in the world will never fully understand how it functions.  Yet it has such a simplicity about it that even a child can utilize all its amazing capabilities without even thinking about it.  Is there anyone here who would dare suggest improvements for the human body? 

            Please hear the words of verse 18, "But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body as He pleased."  Brothers and sisters, if the assembling of the body of Christ is pleasing to God, then it ought to be pleasing to us.  Surely we can delight in God's design.   Praise God that He made us differently and has given us different abilities.  Let's rejoice in His design. 

            I suspect that most of us would do things a bit differently, if it were left up to us.  We might think that we know what kind of people would be of benefit to the body.  Give us a person who can do this and another who can do that.  I am not saying that it would be wrong to ask God to send us someone with a particular gift or ability, but that must not be our focus.  Rather, let's rejoice in all the members of the body, and let's give ourselves to working together that we might grow into all He wants us to be.

III.  Our Unity Is in the Spirit of God

            Now let's come back to the Holy Spirit, which brings us back to verse 13, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have been made to drink into one Spirit."  Translations will differ.  The word translated "by" in the New King James can legitimately be rendered as "by," "in," or "with."  So some translations will read, "So in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body."  We have talked about that some in the past, and we will not take time to go into it this morning, though I am more than willing to discuss it with anyone who is interested.  I have come to favor the translation "by."  But whichever way you take it, the Spirit is vitally involved in the formation of the body of Christ.  The source of our unity is the Spirit of God. 

            We find this truth confirmed in Ephesians 4.  Let's take time to read Eph. 4:1-6...

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Notice that Paul speaks of the unity of the Spirit in verse 3.  He does not urge the Ephesian believers to become unified, but he does speak of them guarding the unity of the Spirit.  We, as well as they, have the unity of the Spirit.  Jesus prayed that we might all be one, and the Father answered His prayer.  We were baptized into one body by one Spirit and all of us who are believers have been made to drink into the one Spirit.  Yes, the Spirit is the source of our unity because He dwells in every believer.  "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Rom. 8:9).  In other words, if you don't have the Spirit dwelling within you, then you do not belong to Christ.

            Let me speak plainly.  Too often we are conformed to the world and pursue the goal of harmony.  Harmony is a nice thing, but it falls short of unity.  We are in harmony if we have similar ideas and we are not in conflict.  Unity goes beyond that.  We have unity because we share the same life, the life of Christ in the Spirit.  Even when our ideas differ and even when we have conflict, we still have unity because of our common life.  Difference of opinions and conflicts among us are inevitable.  They will occur until Jesus comes.  But because of our unity in the Spirit, we can deal with those differences and those conflicts.  In the midst of it all, we can love one another as Christ has loved us.

            The church does not grow in unity, does not guard the unity of the Spirit, by trying to accumulate people who think and act just alike.  Nor will our unity be demonstrated by all of us trying to become more alike.  The likeness we must long for is being like Christ.  As each of us is conformed to the image of Christ, we will indeed become more alike, but that likeness will not be seen so much in the outward things.  Most of us have seen Christian groups who believe it is important for everyone in the group to dress alike, to engage in the same activities, etc.  That is only an outward counterfeit of the unity of the Spirit.

            What we see in I Corinthians 12 is unity in diversity.  Perhaps that phrase is overused, but it still is an apt description of the body of Christ.  We have a deep unity from the Spirit, which we guard through humility and the forgiving spirit Paul speaks of in Eph. 4, but at the same time we don't downplay our differences.  Rather, we rejoice in our differences.  Praise God that you are not like I am.  If everyone in this church were a copy of me, all of my weaknesses would be magnified.  It is so much better that in your difference God has equipped you to do things that I will never be able to do.  Again, it's what we see in the human body.  That body is unified, as it responds to the one head, but it is able to do thousands of things because of the diversity of its members.  So it is in the body of Christ.  We have one Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.  And we share the one Spirit, who makes real the life of Christ within us.  At the same time, the diversity of our members enables us to do the work of God in our world. 

Conclusion

            So let me give us a quick review...
1.  We desperately need one another.

2.  This is God's design.  This need for one another comes from Him.

3.  Our unity is in the Spirit of God, the life we share together.

When you think of the church as the body of Christ, recall these great truths. 

            Let me conclude by pointing out one other thing about the body.  Think about your physical body.  The members of your body have a close connection with one another.  Your hand is never more than a couple of feet (no pun intended) from your elbow.  Even your foot isn't more than about six feet from your head.  Not only do the various parts of your body perform different and unique tasks, but they also work together.  It is incredible the way the feet quickly carry the body to the place where the hands will accomplish a task, which could never be carried out without the seeing of the eyes. 

            Brothers and sisters, that is God's design for the body of Christ.  When the members of the body are not in close connection with one another, but body will be greatly hindered.  I recognize that there is a certain tension at this point.  One might lament the fact that we do not know each other better and spend more time together.  Another may proclaim the danger of always huddling together instead of ministering to those around us who are in great need.  Both of these are legitimate concerns.  So do we spend too much time together?  Are we in danger of neglecting ministry to those outside the body?  No, and Yes.  No, we don't spend too much time together.  Yes, we are in danger of turning inward and not ministering to the world around us. 

            Here is the irony of it all.  We can meet together very regularly and still not function closely as members of the same body.  Meeting together is an outward thing, and it is indeed very important, as we are told in the book of Hebrews, but the body life Paul presents begins with an attitude.  It is an attitude that values every single member of the body.  That is why he says at the end of I Cor. 12 that when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.  When one is honored, all the members rejoice with that one.  This is far more than an outward togetherness.  This is an attitude that absolutely delights in being a part of the body and values highly every other part.

            What we need to hear is this:  This kind of body life requires sacrifice.  As someone mentioned Wednesday evening, busyness can be a great hindrance to us.  Some of us will have to let some things go in order to cultivate the attitude we read about in this chapter.  For others the hindrance is independence.  We have trouble letting others into our lives.  Sometimes in our relationship we rarely get below the surface.  How long has it been since you have sat down with a brother or sister and really shared what was in your heart?  While some of you battle busyness, others become so fond of peace and quiet that you have little involvement in the lives of others.  What about those of you who are retired?  You have unique opportunities to serve in the body of Christ.  You say, "How?"  Through prayer and the encouragement of others.  Most everyone of you drive here and there.  During the three years that Steve has been a part of us, have you gone by Betty Dare to see him?  Do you call people whom you sense might be discouraged?  You're right, such things require sacrifice.  Behind that sacrifice is an attitude that delights in being a part of Christ's body.

            My challenge to us is this:  Let's read this passage over and chew on it.  Then let's ask God to give us a true appreciation for the body of Christ and the way He has put it together.  Let's pray over this passage.  This is the kind of life that will draw the attention of a world which rarely sees a demonstration of this kind of unity.  Jesus prayed, "That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent Me" (John 17:21).  So what does it mean to live out this oneness?  We have a beautiful de-scription of it in this passage.

            This message doesn't directly apply to some of you, simply because you are not a part of the body of Christ.  Though you may come to all the services and be acquainted with all the people here, you will never be a part of Christ's church until you have His life within you, until you come to a place of repentance and faith, of hating your sin and trusting the One who died in your place on the cross.  Don't be fooled into thinking everything is all right.  Apart from Christ you have no hope in this world or the next.  I urge you to throw yourself on Him who loved you and gave Himself for you.

Freedom from Noise -- June 9, 2013

Sunday, June 9, 2013

FREEDOM FROM NOISE

John 8:31-36; Ps. 46:10

            Let's begin this morning by reading John 8:21-36...

Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come." 22 So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?" 23 And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." 25 Then they said to Him, "Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him." 27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. 28 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." 30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." 33 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

            Now I want to us to set in our minds and hearts the words of Jesus in verses 31-32, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  We are going to be thinking about the meaning of those words this morning, so I want them to be close at hand.  Let's take a just a couple of minutes to work on those.  Ladies, would you say the first part -- "If you abide in My word."  Men, please respond with, "You are my disciples indeed."  Let's try it a couple of times...   Now, ladies, after the men respond, please say, "And you shall know the truth."  Men, you know what to do by now -- "And the truth shall make you free."  Let's work on that a couple of times...   Now let's put it together...

                        Ladies:  If you abide in My word,

                        Men:  You are my disciples indeed.

                        Ladies:  And you shall know the truth,

                        Men:  And the truth shall make you free.

Now switch it around.  Men, you start, and you ladies respond.  Do you see how easy it is?  Let's find ways to get the Word in us.

            About now you might be asking, "What brings us to this passage?"  The immediate occasion is the fact that we celebrated Memorial Day two weeks ago.  On two different occasions, I heard our young ones ask, "What is Memorial Day?"  The most honest answer is probably, "It's a holiday, so that we can do whatever we want to do."  But why is it a holiday?  It is set aside primarily to honor those soldiers who gave their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.  Of course, it is not always restricted to those veterans who died, and not even to veterans.  For some, it is a day to remember those who have died.  But in short, it is another day that has been set aside to celebrate American freedom.

            Now let's continue with our passage from John 8.  I must tell you that there are some different opinions about how to understand this passage.  I think I can best get at it is by asking some questions.  Who was it that believed in Jesus?  And who were those who opposed Jesus and became so angry that Jesus accused them of seeking to kill Him?  Are they the same people?  Or is there a transition somewhere in there, with Jesus beginning to speak to a different group of people?  Was the belief spoken of in verses 30 and 31 genuine?  Or was it like what we find in John 2:23, where John speaks of those who saw the miracles and believed on Him, but Jesus didn't commit Himself to them because He knew what was in man?  These questions have been answered in different ways. 

            It is possible that those who believed were quite a number of the common Jews, while those who began to oppose Jesus were the Jewish leaders, such as the Pharisees, who are specifically mentioned back in verse 13.  More likely, many believed, but those same people became agitated when Jesus spoke of setting them free.  They were convicted of the truth of His words, but their pride just couldn't receive the thought that they were not free.  Of course, there were likely some who didn't go along with the strong opposition to Jesus.

            What we must see is what Jesus was saying to these people.  It was great that they believed, but Jesus emphasized that they would truly be His disciples if they continued in His Word.  It wasn't enough to simply agree with some or all of the truths He was stating.  Would they demonstrate their faith by obeying the things Jesus said and would continue to say?  This abiding cannot be separated from obedience.  You will remember the parable Jesus told about the sower.  There Jesus reveals that three groups receive the Word, but no fruit results.  However, the fourth group brings forth a rich harvest.  And what is the chief characteristic of this fourth group who are represented by the good ground?   "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15).  They keep the Word and bear fruit with patience (that is, with patient endurance).  The emphasis is on this continuing.

            Those who abide/continue in His Word are His true disciples, and they shall know the truth.  This is the very nature of Jesus' disciples.  They have come face to face with the ultimate truth, Jesus Himself.  As they continue in His Word, this bedrock truth becomes more and more a part of them.  That truth begins with Jesus, expands with a thorough understanding of the gospel, and branches out into all of life.  This corresponds well with what we learned about God's wisdom two weeks ago, for in Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  As we continue in His Word, we come to know and understand the truth more and more.

            As a result of being His genuine disciples and knowing the truth, that truth sets us free.  Praise God!  There is certainly a sense in which we find freedom when we find Christ, but this is not a static freedom.  When we are converted, we enter freedom's door, but as we continue in His Word and learn His truth, we are continually being made free.  In other words, freedom for the disciple of Jesus continues to expand.  Yes, there is growth in freedom, and that growth corresponds to continuing in His Word and knowing His truth.

I.  Were Those Jews Free?

            Now let me ask you a question.  Jesus was speaking to Jewish people.  Were those Jews free?  To what source will you go for your answer?    If you were to read a book about Roman history at this time, would it tell you that the Jews were free?  No.  It would inform you that the Jews were under Roman rule.  The New Testament itself confirms this, making frequent reference to Pilate, Herod, and others who ruled over them.  The Jews had been under foreign rule for centuries.  But if you were to ask the Jewish leaders, "Are you free?" what would they say?  We don't have to speculate; all we have to do is read what is written:  "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone" (8:33).  How could they make such a statement, when they were obviously under Roman rule?  Did you ever wonder about that?

            These Jews were not lying, nor were they intending to deceive.  Their thinking ran something like this:  "We may be under Roman rule, but let it be known to one and all that no son of Abraham is in slavery to anyone."  How proud they were of their Jewish heritage.  They boasted that they possessed a spiritual freedom that reached far beyond political considerations. 

            Now comes the deeper question:  "Were they right?  Were they free in a spiritual sense?"  Again, we don't have to wonder about the answer to that question, because the Lord Jesus gave an immediate response to their claim:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin" (8:34).  It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the "whoever" pointed to the Jewish leaders to whom He was speaking.  Though they were blind to their sin, Jesus said they were slaves to sin.  They were right in claiming that there is a spiritual freedom which can never be stripped away by political oppression, but they wrongly assumed that they were experiencing that freedom.  Jesus went on to say that this true freedom comes through the Son.   "Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (8:36).  We have already seen how the Son makes us free.  That freedom comes from knowing the truth about the Son and continuing in His truth, as His words dominate us and result in obedience.  Jesus was the Son, and they were rejecting Him.  While they believed some truths He had spoken, their pride prevented them from submitting to the very Son of God.

            Please hear me.  There is a freedom that goes beyond national liberty, and that freedom is available.  But these Jews, particularly the Pharisees, furnish us example that people can be deceived concerning that freedom.  Those who were considered the most godly in their day missed the freedom that God could provide.  They had more mental knowledge of the scriptures than anyone else, and yet they were slaves to sin.  Not only were they slaves to sin, but they were blinded by their sin.

            Jesus said to those who believed on Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (8:31-32).  It wasn't enough to simply know what Jesus said.  Jesus told them that they must abide in, continue in, remain in, rest in His Word, if they were to be His true disciples.  This abiding is where the Spirit comes in.  Jesus isn't suggesting that we keep His word physically before us.  The Pharisees knew all about that, because they wore their phylacteries faithfully.  These were little boxes strapped to the left arm and to the forehead.  They contained written scriptures.  Abiding in Jesus' words reaches far beyond such a physical practice.  As we take in the Word humbly and prayerfully, submitting to the authority of our Lord, the Spirit ministers those words to us, using them to renew our minds.  This is how the truth continually sets us free.  This truth does not just consist of objective facts which are true, but these are Spirit-empowered truths which change us from the inside out.

            When we talk about the leaders of the Jewish religion, we are talking about hypocrisy and deception.  Jesus demonstrated great gentleness and compassion in dealing with people, but He addressed the Pharisees and scribes as hypocrites.  He exposed their chief motivation -- the desire for the approval and applause of men.  Though they appeared to be spiritual giants, they in reality they were religious runts.  Their apparent righteousness was no more than self-righteousness.

II.  What About Us?

            Now what does all this have to do with us?  Unlike the Jews, we have national freedom.  But like them, we understand that there is a liberty that reaches deeper than outward political freedom.  Much like the Jewish people, Americans as a whole have deceived themselves into believing that they have real freedom.  It's a deception.  If we are free, free from what?  We are free from foreign rule.  If we are free, free to do what?  The simple truth is that the freedom America celebrates is the freedom to do whatever we want, and that is not freedom; that is slavery.  In the midst of our national freedom we are enslaved.  Like the Jews, we are largely blind to that reality.

            You say, "How are we enslaved?"  All we have to do is look around.  We are free to kill over a million unborn babies every year.  We are free to watch more than 1in 10 in our nation use anti-depressants on a continual basis and find little or no problem with it.  America can boast that 80% of its citizens are Christians, with 45% claiming to be born-again Christians, while abortion, immorality, and religious hypocrisy continue to plague this nation.  We could go on and on with simple observations which point to an enslaved society rather than a free people.

            But again, what does that have to do with us?  Surely we aren't typical Americans; we are followers of Christ.  Yes, that is true of some of us.  However, at this point we need to be honest.  We need a gut-level reality check.  Though many of us don't want to be conformed to this world, we are far more conformed than we realize.  "If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).  How free are you?  Are you growing in your freedom day by day?

            This is where celebrating American freedom and the Holy Spirit come together.  We have been looking at this idea of hearing the Spirit.  Jesus said to each of the churches of Rev. 2-3, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  Yes, many of us want to hear what the Spirit is saying, but there are hindrances.  We talked about one of those hindrances -- disobedience.  If we don't obey what we hear from the Spirit, we shouldn't expect to continue to hear Him speak, neither through the Word or in a more direct sense.  Whether that means the Spirit will cease speaking to us, or whether it means our spiritual ear will become dull and unable to hear (interpret it whichever way you like), the result is that we will not hear the Spirit's voice. 

            But now let me suggest another hindrance when it comes to hearing the voice of the Spirit.  Let me give you an illustration.  Have you ever played a game where you needed to communicate something to one other person without the other people being able to hear?  Let's suppose we are playing Password.  We used to do this when we were traveling in the car.  So Rhonda and I are on the same team and we are sitting in the front seat, while Tracy and Mark form the other team and they are sitting in the back seat.  Rhonda has chosen the word and it is "baseball."  She will give the clues to me.  Then when it is his turn, Mark will give the clues to Tracy, who is his teammate.  Before we can begin the round, Rhonda has to tell Mark that the word is "baseball."  The problem is that either Tracy or I might overhear her speaking to Mark.  Of course, we later learned to always have a pencil and paper.  But before we did that, we had to make sure we couldn't hear.  So what did we do?   Tracy and I would make noise, usually meaningless noise.  We would babble, sing, or do anything to drown out the clear word "baseball" which Rhonda was whispering to Mark.  The principle is simple:  It is difficult to get the meaning of what is being said, when there are other voices and noises; they drown it out.

            You already get the point, don't you?  One of the hindrances in hearing the Spirit speak to us is the presence of other voices.  This morning I am not talking about those voices that contradict the truth of what the Spirit is saying.  In other words, the Spirit of God is telling me that I am harboring bitterness within, but when I talk to a friend, he assures me that I am not bitter, or that I have a right to be bitter.  That's not what I'm talking about.  I am speaking of NOISE which can drown out the voice of the Spirit.

            Brothers and sisters, to say that we live in a noisy society is the ultimate understatement.  We live in a media-saturated world.  We are being bombarded with voices from every direction.  There is the radio, magazines, and newspapers.  Young people can be swallowed up by the video game craze.  Here is one report...

Currently there are more than half a billion people worldwide playing computer and video games at least an hour a day--183 million in the U.S. alone.  The younger you are, the more likely you are to be a gamer--99% of boys under 18 and 94% of girls under 18 report playing video games regularly.  The average young person racks up 10,000 hours of gaming by the age of 21 (or 24 hours less than they spend in a classroom for all of middle and high school, if they have perfect attendance).  It's a remarkable amount of time we're investing in games.  Five million gamers in the U.S., in fact, are spending more than 40 hours a week playing games--the equivalent of a full-time job.

Of course, most of us are a bit older and can proudly say that we don't spend much time playing video games.  But then there is the phone--corded, non-corded, and cellular.  Estimates of how much time Americans spend using their phones vary greatly, but all of them are staggering.  And, of course, there is much overlap, as many video games are played on phones.  Then there is music, which comes from traditional forms such as radio to the modern pads and pods.  And believe it or not, some people spend a lot of time chatting.  I'm talking about face-to-face, non-technical, real talking and listening.  Add it up, and that's a lot of noise.  Then there is that sacred American institution called the television, the typical centerpiece of the American home.  Now competing with TV watching is the surfing of the net.  Add to that noise list entertainment in general -- movies, vacations, evenings out, all the things that we are eager to do because they make us feel good.

III.  So What Is the Point?

            So what is the point of all this?  Though we can compare ourselves with the typical American and feel good that we don't waste our time on such things, is that really an honest evaluation of where we are.  Brothers and sisters, the need is not to compare ourselves with the typical American.  Instead, we need to ask ourselves this question:  "Is there enough quiet in my life to allow me to hear the voice of the Spirit?" 

            Most of us have heard this statement, and more than a few us have spoken these very words.  Concerning the television or the radio or music, we say something like this:  "Oh I'm not really listening to it; I just have it on for the noise."  Think about it.  Why do we want noise?  What does the Word of God say?  "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10).  Or consider Phil. 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things."  The problem isn't always that we are thinking on evil things.  Rather, the problem is that the noise around us prevents us from setting our minds on these things.  For some of you, you don't set your mind on much of anything except the shallow noise that bombards you.  The temp-tation isn't to think evil thoughts, but to do little thinking at all.  That is contrary to the entire concept of the Bible.  Listen again to Ps. 1:1-3...

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

            How can we meditate on the great truths of God's Word when we are engulfed in noise?  I sometimes meet someone for lunch in Alameda Park.  We eat, but the primary goal is to visit.  It's a nice place to visit, except when the train is coming through.  That noise shuts off all visiting for a minute or two.  Brothers and sisters, for many here this morning it's not just an occasional train.  One barely passes before another follows closely behind.  The Psalmist speaks of meditating day and night.  It is impossible to take that seriously and not consciously shut off the noise that threatens us every day.

            Let me pause.  Some of you may be thinking, "There you go again, Pastor Ron.  You are just trying to put us on a guilt trip.  We already have enough to manage without this."  Please hear me.  I have no desire to put any of us on a guilt trip.  However, I must proclaim the truth.  If the Spirit takes the truth and brings feelings of guilt, it is because we are indeed guilty and the great need is for us to repent and believe the gospel.  Brothers and sisters, if we don't confront this problem, we will not be able to effectively deal with any other.  We say we want to know God, that we want to hear the Spirit speaking to us.  That desire will be tested by how we deal with this issue.

            Don't be deceived.  We might be thinking along these lines:  "I can read my Bible, have a time of prayer, and still do these other things."  Let me ask you a blunt question?  Do you spend as much time in the Bible and in prayer each day as you do watching TV and surfing the internet?  Don't we realize that all the noise dulls our hearing?  Don't think that you can feast on a diet of entertainment and clearly hear the Lord speaking through His Word, while being sensitive to the voice of the Spirit.  A. W. Tozer says that entertainment is the world's substitute for the joy of the Lord.  We will never know His true joy until we spend time with Him, meditating on His Word day and night.  And because of the lack of the Lord's joy, we crave entertainment.  No, I am not saying that all entertainment is bad; I am saying that our craving for it is deadly.

            I remind you of Herod, the man who ruled Galilee during Jesus' ministry.  Let's read Mark 6:20, "For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly."  Herod loved to listen to John the Baptist, who was a very godly man who spoke God's truth, but that isn't the end of the story.  Now let's read verses 21-22, "Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22 And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, 'Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.'"  Herod liked listening to the Spirit-inspired teaching of John, but he also had a craving for entertainment, and in this case it wasn't the most wholesome entertainment in the world.  And this is what led to his wife's request for the head of John the Baptist.  So Herod's craving for entertainment ended up leading him to cut off the head of the prophet to whom he loved to listen.

            Some of you may think I am overstating the case.  You think I am taking this too seriously.  I remind you that we will stand before Jesus at the judgment seat.  How seriously do you think He takes it?  Far better that we heed these words of rebuke this morning and let Him lead us to genuine repentance.  We are conformed to the world, but most of us are too blind to see it.

            May the Lord give us grace to be honest.  We take a day to go on a shopping trip to Las Cruces or El Paso.  We spend a day or two involved with a sports tournament.  We make time for hunting trip.  And on and on it goes.  How long has it been since you set aside an entire day to spend with the Lord?  Some of you have never done that.  Have you ever spent a couple of days just with the Lord?  Why not?  Because we don't know Him as our treasure.  This is not a matter of saying, "You know, that's right.  I need to find time in my busy schedule to spend a day with the Lord."  That's not it.  The problem is a gospel issue.  At the core of the gospel is this truth Jesus spoke in Matt. 13:44, "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."  The enemy is constantly tempting us to believe that we can have both Jesus and the world for our treasure; it's a lie. 

Conclusion

            Now let me give us a warning.  Our conformity to the world in this area is not something we can just change by making a quick decision.  In other words, if you are a slave to noise, don't think you can just declare your freedom and move on.  This entertainment addiction runs deeper than most of us realize.  Repent and believe the gospel.  If there is even a slight bit of conviction from the Spirit, don't run from it; embrace it.  Walk in the light.  Let us beware of self-justification.  Rather, let us turn toward the light of God's truth, expecting Him to thoroughly reveal the root of our sin.

            You see, the root is of the problem is not that we crave noise and entertainment; it is our lack of love for the One whose truth can make us free.  Our love affair with noise is just the outward symptom.  Look at our Lord Jesus.  There was plenty of noise in His life simply because He was obedient to the Father.  Because of what they saw in Him, people thronged Him -- some because of a genuine desire to hear, and some because they wanted to kill Him.  Rather than drowning out the stress and pressure with more noise, He was always seeking a quiet place to be with His Father.  That's why after such a demanding day as recorded in Mark 1, He rose early the next morning, went out to a solitary place, and there He prayed (1:35).  That's why He sometimes spent all night in prayer.  Even when the people were so excited about His miracles that they wanted to forcefully make Him king, He withdrew to a lonely mountain place (John 6:15).  He was so intent on fellowship with His Father that He neither needed nor wanted the entertainment the world could offer Him.

            Brothers and sisters, when we have real gold, we aren't attractive by fool's gold.  When we have the pearl of great price, the treasures of the world hold nothing for us.  When our great desire is to be conformed to the image of Christ, we will find the freedom not to be conformed to this world.  The answer isn't to willfully determine to shut out the noise; the key is coming to Jesus, the treasure.  Then the noise will be a distraction that we can't tolerate, because it gets in the way of our fellowship with Him.  Ps. 16:11, "In your presence is fullness of joy." 

            I hope you can see that we are really just continuing where we left off last week, when we talked about the difference between knowing about God and knowing God.  Eternal life is to know God and Jesus Christ whom He sent (Jn. 17:3).  Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).  That "life more abundantly" is portrayed clearly in Paul's attitude:  "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death" (Phil. 3:10).  May we increasingly make that our prayer.

           

  

Know God -- 6/2/13

Sunday, June 2, 2013

 KNOW GOD

There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God,

A place where sin cannot molest near to the heart of God.

            O Jesus, blessed Redeemer,

            Sent from the heart of God,

            Hold us who wait before Thee

            Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of comfort sweet near to the heart of God,

A place where we our Savior, meet near to the heart of God.

There is a place of full release near to the heart of God,

A place where all is joy and peace, near to the heart of God.

            Think about the words of that song.  Obviously, it uses figuratively language.  No one can describe the heart of God.  Nevertheless, we know what the writer is talking about.  His desire is to be in God's presence, to be close to God, to be able to sense God's nearness.  Is that reality?  Should we expect God to be as real to us as a person whom we can see, hear, and touch? 

            Let's suppose that a young man gets acquainted with a young lady through letters of internet correspondence.  He has not met her in person, but he has spent lots of time communicating with her.  Those communications are dear to him.  Nevertheless, there is a goal beyond those communications.  His desire is to meet her in person, to talk with her face to face.  As good as the long-distance correspondence is, it is not nearly so sweet as regular face-to-face encounters. 

            Do you see the application?  God has revealed Himself to us in His Word.  Praise God for every word in the Bible.  May we never make light of it.  However, there is a goal beyond what we find in the written Word.  God is a person, as seen in the truth that He revealed Himself most completely in His Son, the God-man.  He is more than capable of personal encounter.  We read specifically of Enoch and of Noah, that they walked with God.  Though we do not read it quite as directly of Adam and Eve, the offhand comment that "they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Gen. 3:8) implies that there had been a strong personal relationship between God and that first couple of human beings.  How directly can a human being relate to God?

            We often talk about having a personal relationship with God and with His Son Jesus Christ, but what do we mean by that?  Do we mean to say that God's presence can be as real to us as our spouse, our children, our parents, our friends?  Or is it just a figure of speech to make it clear that God is real, and that Christianity is more than just a set of doctrines?  How personal is our God?

I.  Knowing about God Or Knowing God?

            Brothers and sisters, friends, seekers, let's take a moment this morning to step back and consider something that is very basic to our understanding.  We were dealing with it last week toward the end of our study, when we came to I Cor. 2.  I would like to read this chapter again this morning.  You will notice that I have listed it in the bulletin and suggested that we read it a few times each week.  Let me get us off to good start this morning.  I Cor. 2:1-16...

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

            Here's the question I want to set before us:  "Is there a difference between knowing about God and knowing God?"  Of course, we all know the answer to that question.  "Yes, there is a big difference."  We know the answer in our minds because we have heard it many times and even repeated it ourselves, but do we really understand the difference at a personal level?           

            Do you know God?  What did you and the Lord do together yesterday?  What did you say to Him?  What did He say to you?  Did you do anything for Him yesterday?  For what things did you thank Him?  Did you find any time this past week to just get alone and enjoy Him?  Were you overwhelmed with the knowledge that He is your Father?  Do you know God?  Do those questions make you uncomfortable?  Do they sound a little bit spooky to you?  Do you think of God in those kinds of personal terms?

            Does this have anything to do with the Holy Spirit?  It has everything to do with the Holy Spirit.  As Almighty God became personal through Jesus when He walked on the earth, He becomes personal to us through His Spirit.  The difference between knowing about God and knowing God is defined by the presence and work of His Holy Spirit.  Come back again to I Cor. 2:9-12...

But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

            Earlier we sang, "My Jesus, I Love Thee."  Love is a personal concept.  We can love peanut butter, fishing, and even noble ideas, but not in the same sense that we love a person.  We don't just love the Jesus who is described by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but we love the Jesus who died, rose, and now lives in us through His Spirit. 

                       

                        I serve a risen Savior; He's in the world today.                       

                        I know that He is living, whatever men may say.

                        I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer,

                        And just the time I need Him He's always near.

                                    He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today.

                                    He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.

                                    He lives, He lives, salvation to impart.

                                    You ask me how I know He lives...

                                    He lives within my heart.

II.  Knowing God and the Word of God

            This whole concept of whether we know God or just know about Him also has a great deal to do with the Bible, a fact to which I have already alluded.  Disciples of Jesus are students of the Bible.  Why?  Because that is where we find the words of Jesus, the actions of Jesus, and the very nature of our Lord.  Praise God that He went to so much trouble to leave us a black-and-white record of His Son.  Nevertheless, we are in danger of substituting the written record for Jesus Himself.  Jesus, the heaven-sent Messiah, cannot be contained in a book, not even the Bible.  The Bible greatly aids us in knowing Jesus, but to know the Bible is not to know the Son.

            The goal of the follower of Jesus is not to learn the Bible.  To put it another way, our goal is not to increase our knowledge.  But shouldn't we long for more knowledge of the Bible?  Yes, but that is not our goal.  Knowing and understanding the Bible is a means to an end, but it is not the end.  The goal is to know Him, and that is not the same as knowing the Bible.  We know that is true, because we know well that it is possible to have tremendous Bible knowledge and not know the Lord Himself.

            We can illustrate that from the Bible times and from the present.  The Pharisees illustrate many truths well, and this is one of them.  They had more Bible knowledge than anyone else, but they did not know God.  You might say, "They knew God, but they didn't know Jesus."  No, they didn't know God.  If they had known the Father, they would have recognized and received the Son.  More recently, consider Joe and Michelle Saladin.  The great majority of us know them, because they were with us until months ago.  Joe has much more Bible knowledge than Michelle.  When we met them, there was absolutely no comparison; Joe knew ten times as much as Michelle.  Nevertheless, Michelle knew God when Joe did not. 

            Think with me about the apostle Paul.  Was he a man who had biblical knowledge?  We can't really phrase the question that way, because Paul didn't have the New Testament in his hands, he had it in his possession.  Paul was a great student of the Old Testament, as he himself had been a Pharisee.  But more than that, he had received the glorious truths of the New Covenant from the Lord Himself.  When he was defending his apostolic authority to the Galatian believers, he made this statement (Gal. 1:15-18)...

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.

            Though we are not told in certain terms, it seems most likely that Paul spent most of those three years in the Arabian desert.  Rather than getting his understanding of God's marvelous work through Christ from the other apostles, he got it directly from God.  And what an understanding he had.  We learn that from letters such as Ephesians and Romans.  Has there ever been a man who understood more thoroughly the eternal plan of God?  Paul loved the truth of God, taught the truth of God, and rested in that truth.

            Now comes the question:  Was that enough for Paul?  Let me take us back to a passage we know very well.  One of the brothers read it for us just two or three weeks ago.  Let's read it again from Phil. 3:3-14...

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 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. 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. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

            The man who possessed more divine truth than anyone else was the man who had no equal when it came to longing to know the Lord Jesus.  Hear him, brothers and sisters, "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings."  Don't miss that last phrase.  Paul was saying, "I just want to know Him.  Not only do I want to know His power, but I even want to share in His sufferings."  There is something powerful about suffering together.  "Roger, (whose dad had a life-threatening stroke last week) you have five brothers and sisters.  You have suffered together, as you have watched your dad in this helpless position.  Has this suffering brought you together?"  Yes, suffering has a way of doing that.  Roger wouldn't have chosen to suffer in this way, but he can testify that suffering together has drawn them closer.  Paul had such a longing to know Jesus that He was willing to share in His sufferings as a means to be closer to Him.  Paul wasn't longing to know more biblical truth; he was yearning to have more intimate fellowship with his Lord.

III.  How Can We Know God More Intimately?

            So I am asking us the question:  Do you long to know God?  Do you want to know Him on a personal level?  Alex recently reminded us of a man who could say, "As I speak to you right now, I am far more conscious of the Lord's presence with me than I am of you being with me"?  Do we want to know Him like that?

            If that is our desire, how do we get there?  Our tendency is to take the bull by the horns and make it happen.  "Well, I need to think of him more often.  I am going to set my watch to alarm every hour, and then I will think of Him every time I hear it."  Or, "I am going to make it a point to pray in the morning, and at noon, and in the evening, just like Daniel did."  Those are not bad things, but such discipline can only take you so far.  When you truly love another person and love being with that person, you don't have to set alarms.  The desire fills your heart.  We can't create that desire.  God must do it, but surely we have a part.

            Please turn with me to John 17.  Let's read John 17:1-5 (but skipping verse 3)...

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him...   4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."

            You may have noticed that in that short passage Jesus used the words "glorify" and "glory" five times.  In verse 1 that glory is centered in the cross.  Jesus would glorify the Father by being obedience unto the death which the Father had planned for Him, even death on a cross.  In verse 4 He refers to the glory of that cross, as if it had already been accomplished.  Then in verse 5 He speaks of the glory which He had with the Father before He came to earth and which He prayed would soon be restored.   So both He and the Father would be glorified through His death, and then the glory would be complete when He rose again and ascended back to the Father.

            Did you notice anything else interesting when I read that passage?  I skipped verse 3, where Jesus gives us a definition of eternal life.  "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."  I find it interesting that Jesus defines eternal life as knowing the Father and the Son and that this little definition of is right in the middle of His intense words about His death and resurrection.  If you want to know God more intimately, focus on the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  If you want to enlarge upon that theme, consider the entire Upper Room Discourse, as found in John 14-17.  All of these words are spoken shortly before Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, on the very eve of His death.  And all through it, Jesus tells them how He is about to leave them, but they can take heart because He is sending His Spirit.  We can't separate knowing the Lord from an emphasis upon His death and resurrection.

            Go back to that pivotal passage in chapter 7.  John 7:37-39...   

                On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

            How those rivers need to flow, but they could not flow until Jesus was glorified.  And how would He be glorified?  Jesus Himself tells us, just as we have read in John 17 -- through His death and resurrection.  Praise God that Jesus has now been glorified.  He has met the divine condition.  So what is our part?  To keep on thirsting for Him, keep on coming to Him, keep on drinking from Him.  That is a great definition of what it means to believe on Him (verse 38), and it also spells out how we can know Him.  But as we come to Him and drink from Him, we must drink deeply of His death and resurrection.  It is through His death and resurrection that we are able to know Him, and it is through continuing in that same death and resurrection that we grow in our acquaintance with Him.  No wonder Paul said, "But God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14).

            Again, notice the role of the Holy Spirit.  We see it in verse 39, "For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."  It is the Spirit who is at the core of our thirsting, coming, and drinking from Jesus.  Knowing the Lord and the work of the Spirit are tied closely together by Jesus Himself.

            We can know about God by utilizing our minds and nothing more.  Some of you are probably Jeopardy fans.  That game show is a great demonstration of what the human mind can do.  It is amazing that people can have command of so much knowledge in so many areas.  Now if you narrow the subject matter down to nothing but the Bible, a sharp and well-disciplined mind can take command of its subject matter.  In other words, a person who has a deep desire and willingness to work at it can learn what the Bible has to say.  Such a vast store of biblical knowledge is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does not translate into knowing God.  You say, "Is it possible to really know the Bible and not come to know God?"  Absolutely.  No one knew the teachings of Jesus better than Judas Iscariot, but he betrayed Jesus.

Conclusion

            Come back again to I Corinthians 2.  Notice those last three verses... (I Cor. 2:14-16)

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

            We looked at verse 14 last week, but now notice verse 16.  Quoting from Isaiah 40, Paul asks a rhetorical question:  "Who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him?"  The answer, of course, is, "No one."  No one can begin to know His mind, much less give Him advice.  But then Paul follows it up with very surprising words, "But we have the mind of Christ."  He doesn't say that we know the Lord's mind, but He says that we have His mind!  How can that be?  The answer is in the context of this passage.  No mere man, no natural man, no man without the aid of the Spirit, can know the mind of the Lord.  Why not?  Because only the Spirit knows the mind of the Lord (verse 11).  But when the Spirit works in a man, he has the mind of Christ.  We like to think that this is true of every Christian.  Perhaps you can say it is true potentially, but it requires the work of the Spirit, just like the rivers of living water in John 7 requires the work of the Spirit.  The good news is that we who belong to Christ have the Spirit, and He can work in our lives, making our possession of the mind of Christ a reality.

            Having the mind of Christ is not important because it gives us great knowledge, not even great knowledge of the Bible, though that is involved.  When the Spirit works and we have the mind of Christ, then we know the things that have been freely given to us by God (vs. 12).  In short, we delight in knowing God, not just knowing about Him.  Mental knowledge is subordinate to personal acquaintance and even intimacy with our God.

            Oh that we might know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and a sharing in His sufferings, being made conformable to His death!