Someone supposedly asked Buddha if God existed. He replied, “The question is not relevant. If there was a God, man could not comprehend Him anyway. So what good would it be to have such a God?”
IN CONTRAST TO THAT
R.C.Sproul was once asked, “What, in your opinion, is the greatest spiritual need in the world today? He replied, “The greatest need in the world today is to discover the true identity of God.” Someone asked him a follow-up question: “What, in your opinion, is the greatest spiritual need in the lives of church people?” His answer: “To discover the true identity of God. If believers really understood the character and the personality and the nature of God, it would revolutionize their lives.”
As you can see by the banner, I am embarking on a rather ambitious journey for the next two months: Unmasking God. I am not foolish enough to believe that I can come close to accomplishing that. I will only “touch of the hem of the garment.” In all honesty, this sermon series is being fueled by my own search to know God on a deeper level. I came to a point several months ago where I did some soul-searching and “church-community searching” and asked myself what is needed…for me and for them? This is where I believe God has led me.
In his book, Knowing God, J.I. Packer wrote, “Knowing God is crucially important for the living of our lives…Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.” I felt like I had been hit by a GSP kick. (That was for you j4). 🙂
This week I am going to introduce the series with why it is so important to know God and to know He is KNOWABLE. Isaiah 40:9-14, 18-31 will be my “go to” verses. The rest of the series will taking a look at His character and attributes. I am finding it is a big undertaking (there is so much to say and so little time to say it in). My plan is also to take my Monday blog post and wrap up my thoughts and share some of the highlights (in case you might be interested). 😉 If you care to listen, the podcast can be heard by going to the church’s website. I think Ryan puts it on the site on Monday.
In the meantime, I would appreciate your prayers for me as I study, and the church community I pastor as they are preached. I absolutely love Dan’s banner!!! I’m telling you folks, you need to contact him! Now, let me ask you…how important is knowing God to you? How do you answer people with Buddha’s attitude?
You know what the good thing is Bill (of course I know you know)? God has not left us guessing who He is and what He’s like. He has revealed to us the perfect tool for getting to know Him through HIs word. The person that says to me that they can’t “know” God is not doing a good job of finding Him through His word.
In His Word, I know the character of God, His passion, his “hates”, his pain, his desire for us. There is no way for us to know more about God than what He has chosen to reveal to us through the scriptures.
God is not a guessing game or an emotion as many make Him out to be. He’s king of kings and Lord of Lords.
Also, God likes people who drink coffee… I think… I may be wrong. I don’t know. 🙂
Well said Moe. I believe with all my heart that God’s Word does tell us how to know God. It also tells us who He is. I am not sure though you were speaking “gospel” with your last statement. Diet Dr. Pepper is the one to drink. 🙂 Hey, I hope you have a tremendous vacation.
Looking forward to your posts and enveloping you in prayer.
Several of us in the blogging community collaborated on posts regarding attributes of God. You can find those posts at: http://www.makeadiff21.com/home-page/category/who-is-god
Being able to know God is one of the things that separates what we believe from other faiths and so it an important thing to cover.
For me being able to know God makes things so much more personal and real. I answer people with Psalm 34 – Taste and see that the Lord is good.
I do think Moe is speaking the Gospel in that last statement – I guess it is the one difference between us.
Good comment Jim…except for that last one. 🙂 will have to use Sticks to straighten you out. LOL Thanks and have a powerful weekend.
Knowing God is so important. The truth is, there will never be a point where I’ve known God enough. I know that the only way that I can truly know God is by spending time with Him, and I need more of that. Also, I think the beauty of God is that He is so much bigger that us. It would be quite scary if we did fully understand Him.
Have a great weekend Bill. Will be praying!
So right Jon. never be a point where we know God enough. If there is, He is not God. Thanks and you have a great weekend also.
Knowing God to me is essential. Staying connected to Him by reading my bible and praying is key. I believe we can answer the people who have the Buddha mindset by living out our life like Christ/ who is in us and should be living through us. I will be praying for you as you preach this series.
Staying connected is so important Dan. We do have the answer in Christ. Thanks for your prayers.
Hi Bill,
Buddha said,
“The question is not relevant. If there was a God, man could not comprehend Him anyway. So what good would it be to have such a God?”
I think he’s right. Man without a spiritual renewal or rebirth cannot comprehend or Know God. The Scripture of John 1:10 says that Jesus came into the world but the ‘world did not recognize him’.
I think what Buddha has stated is the feelings and words of a false and prideful ‘god-man’. Jesus was and is the true God-man.
What Buddha’s attitude shows is his disobedience and unbelief. There is no ‘faith’ in his statement.
We need to count ourselves as gloriously blessed because we have ‘believed’! Man without his Saviour God is destined for destruction. This seems pretty relevant for people living in the world to me.
Hi Bill,
I wanted to let you know that I will be praying for you and the church community at OVCF.
Thank you so much for praying for me when I needed it in the past months.
Hey Dan,
You’re ‘the go to man’ if I find myself in need of a professional graphic. I love your depiction of God unmasked! Moses’ relationship with God was ‘face to face’ which shows us in the OT that this is God’s intent with his people.
You are right Linda about Buddha. it is arrogance. It is also false teaching and lies. It is also someone trying to promote his own agenda. Thanks for your prayers. They are much appreciated. I will tell Dan your thoughts. 🙂
I would agree with what Jon said above. “It would be quite scary if we did fully understand him” I think you really have to define the word “know”. Honestly I believe you can know a lot about God. You can know what the scriptures say. You can know what all his attributes are. But do you really KNOW him? You csn know him in your heart snd not be able to explain it. I just honestly think sometimes we spend so much time trying to figure God out. Why did he do this? Why did he do that? He’s God and I trust that. However, I think we need to KNOW him and know him. Did I just make any sense?
Like you Joseph, I believe He is God and I trust that. I can’t totally flesh it all out, or put it all into words, but do believe I can know HIm. And yes, you make sense. Does that scare you? 🙂 Thanks.
Hi Joseph,
I think that you have again put your finger on something important. “..KNOW him and know him”.
To me this occurs in our response to God. We need to respond to God. We need to respond to his word.
I’m thinking that we need to keep challenging and asking people to respond. Give a message, request a response, just like it’s God asking for each one to respond to him.
As a lay person this would look different for me as I am not behind a pulpit. But I can still challenge people and ask people to respond to God.
Thank you for putting forth your insight on this topic. Your comment here has helped me to find a direction in trying to help others KNOW him.
I praise God for what he is doing in you and through you!
Sounds excellent, Bill. Do you ever put your sermons online? It would be great to listen to you sometime. Thanks and have a blessed weekend!
Sermons are all put online Jason, ’round about Monday I believe. Thanks for coming by & asking. Pray God blesses your weekend also.
Hi Bill,
Here I am again. I think what we need to do in order to know God better and to know him more is to call upon God to forgive our sin.
Romans 14:23 (b)says… ‘and everything that does not come from faith is sin’. Can anyone in this world really say that everything they do comes from faith?
If we want to lie to ouselves and say that we have no sin….IJohn 1:8 deals with this dilema by saying…’we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us’. IJohn 1:10…’and his word has no place in our lives’.
We need to come to God on our bellies, crawling to him and begging forgiveness and asking God to make his great changes. If we are too prideful to do this then we will ‘receive our just reward’.
Just some thoughts.
I think asking forgiveness is one way Linda but obviously not the only way. it is important to stay “fresh” before Him but I am not sure about the crawling to Him on our bellies. I do believe he is the one who makes the changes. Thanks again.
Is the book, Knowing God? We studied that book in Sunday School and it was really hard to slosh through..he has a very clinical way of writing. I might add though that I picked up 52 lies by Steve McVey on your suggestion and it has completely rocked my world. WOW!
Knowing God is not an easy one to read Julie. I can take it in small doses, like when studying. Glad you picked up Steve’s book. Made me think about a lot of things I say and do. Thanks for coming by.
Knowing God is very important to me. I think we can never know Him too much. Knowledge of God is far more important than anything in this life.
I love listening to your sermons Bill. I check them out on Mondays and download them to my computer.
I’ll be praying for you and the church community. Have a blessed weekend!
Glad you see the importance Mercy. I am humbled and honored that you would consider listening and downloading my sermons. Thanks for the nice boost.
Well I think we all know God but just haven’t seen Him in all His glory. There might be a reason behind that. Like it hints in scripture to see God in person might cause one to fall down dead except when He allows it. I wrote an article on How I envision God through my imagination but reservedly so.
Lets think a minute here. We blog on this web site with others. Most of us have not seen each other but we have a profound connection that enables us to know each other as we reveal our selves.
In God’s case, there is scripture to read about Him. For some there is a connection where He drectly speaks to us in words or actions to confirm He is with us and for us through His love dispite our sinful ways.
In my case, I used to have a reason for not hearing from Him (partial deafness). Now I don’t. I just have to pay attention and listen now for that still silent voice.
it is true that if we were to look on God in all His glory, we would not live. I do know that I want to know Him deeply. God has revealed Himself to us through His Word (one way) and we need to listen. Thanks Larry.
Absolutely praying for you during your seeking, your sharing and your reception. I think is knowing God is of highest importance but understanding is of little importance. Seek to know Him without knowing, if that makes sense. May God reveal Himself so He will be known.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Tom, for your prayers. Your last line says it all.
I was planning a big response until I read Moe’s post. He pretty much nailed it.
Yeah, Moe pretty much took the stuffing out of it. Thanks for the thought though. 🙂
I do see a slight hint of truth in the Buddha statement, not the “if there is a God part” but in that we can’t really comprehend. Our God has of course made himself known, but at the same time it is good to keep in mind that we won’t have him wrapped up or surrounded. Nonetheless the quest for knowing God is a big one, scary one, and a noble one.
it is last sentence, Charlie, that has me excited about what God is going to do with this series. Thanks.
Hi Bill,
I think that exercises for people in responding to God and his word is a good way to break the ice between people and God so to speak.
God is not looking for people to know him in a book way but a heart way. This I believe requires response from each person.
People will sometimes get angry if you ask them to respond because it shows them where they are at and it shows others in the church community of their situation as well.
I think that I would give a message and then ask for people to respond in an open and purposeful way. Keep challenging them.