Knowing God is Pleasing to God (Hebrews 8:11-13)
Gary McManus, 06/07/2015Part of the New Life series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Hebrews 8:11-13; see also Hebrews 9:15 and Hebrews 10:21-23
(p. 1189,1190-1 / p.1209,1210-11)
New life in Jesus Christ. Easter means new life for us.
New life may not be obvious to us.
It is much more than stopping wrong-doing.
We not only turn away from doing wrong but we
continue on a path of living to please God.
(1 Thessalonians 4:1)
New Life in Christ is more than doing
right and keeping from doing wrong.
That we emphasize DOING. . .LIVING
. . . .ACTION, we miss another part
pleasing God. God wants us to
KNOW Him.
This is an odd problem inside and outside the church:
When people believe in God
but don’t really know Him.
And yet this is a PROMISE of God from
the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah
(repeated in the letter of the Hebrews).
[See also Isaiah 43:10]
Isn’t believing in God enough? Hardly.
Isn’t Christmas a celebration that God
is with us (Emmanuel)? God has come
to us in order for us to know him?
[Mark 1:24, Luke 4:34, Acts 19:15]
Jesus will criticize the Pharisees
for their ignorance of God.
[Matthew 22:29, Mark 12:24,
John 7:28, John 8:19 .
Ignorance of God was a real
problem in the church. (Titus 1:16)
This problem is EASY to remedy.
The Lord INTENDS for us to know Him.
The Lord does NOT want to make this difficult for us.
(See 1 John 5:20, Hebrews 11:6, Jeremiah 29:13
James 4:8. . .Jesus’ own prayer: John 17:3!)
Four ways to know the Lord BETTER:
(You already know them.)
1) God’s Word, the Bible. . .read it
2) God’s Word. . .the Bible, meditate on it;
work to consider and understand the words about God.
3) Prayer. .listen for WHO God is.
4) Worship. . everything we do in worship is
about revealing God in Christ to all who gather.
Exercises:
1. Can you gel down EXACTLY what you have
trouble believing or knowing about God?
--Justice?
--Sovereignty?
--Goodness?
--Love?
--Trustworthy?
2. If these traits of God are NOT getting through to you
. . .it is time for a faith check up.
Help fulfill Jeremiah’s promise from God
We know that God has done HIS part.
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