Knowing God the Father
by James R. Davis

1 Chronicles 28:9
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

John 17:1-3
These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

"Many Bible students believe as a result of their examination of Scripture that the Christian's most important occupation is getting to know God. Would you say that you know God personally? If so, how well? Barely? Casually? Intimately? Polls reveal that, in spite of the increased secularization of our society, the great majority of Americans still believe in the existence of God. Nearly everyone has had doubts about it at some time or other, but when the average person considers the evidence thoughtfully, he comes to the con-vinced persuasion that there is no other logical explanation for things as they are or life as we know it. There must be a personal God.

But if those same people were asked, "Do you know God personally?" many would admit that they had never actually thought about it. Having a personal and intimate relationship with God is something that has never occurred to them. In fact, they are not even sure that God is knowable, or that they would want to know Him if they thought they could." (Richard L. Strauss, The Joy of Knowing God, http://www.bible.org/docs/theol/proper/joy.htm)

How can we come to know God? Does just knowing what someone has taught on a handful of religious issues reveal enough of God that we might know him? Sometimes I get frustrated because I know that I only have a very limited amount of time to tell you about God as I stand up to preach. As important as preaching is, the best way to know God is to know him on our own. We can know God through nature, we can know God through the Bible but the best way to know God is through living by his principles for this is where he reveals himself in a personal way.

Knowing God Creates A Desire to Be Like Him

Jeremiah 9:24
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

The most natural thing in the world is to become like our parents even when we don't want to become like our parents. Do you ever remember saying that you weren't going to be like your parents? You might have said I'm not going to be like my dad or mother! When we get older we end up doing the same things they did. We end up just like them.

That's the way it is with God the Father. The more I get to know God the more I become like him. I want to develop the attitude of God. In order to be like him, I must know him through his Word as I endeavor to live the precepts of the word.

It is a great disadvantage for a child to grow up not knowing its father. But sometimes no role model is better than a bad one. It is far worse not to know God the Father.

Knowing God Reveals the Truth about Ourselves

Isaiah 6:1-5
In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah said, "I am a man of unclean lips. As we learn about God we discover that He is holy and we're are unholy. It doesn't hurt to know that; it actually helps us.

God is strong and we are weak.
God is patient and we're impatient.
God is impartial, yet we are prejudiced.
God is in control, we run in fear.

A knowledge of God the Father helps us to see the truth about ourselves and this is an encouragement that helps us change. How do we change . . . bringing about change in our own lives is difficult. Do we change by spending time with people? Or do we change when we spend time with God?

As we read God's word we see our strengths . . . but we also see our flaws and weaknesses that need to be addressed. God always tells us the truth and as we continue to pursue living in that truth it sets us free! When we see ourselves we are prompted to lean on God and trust him to change us. The reason it is easier to spend time with people is because people usually accept us without asking us to change.

Knowing God Helps Us Interpret Our World

Daniel 4:34-35
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

When we get hold of the knowledge of God and begin to see that he is God and begin to see that he is in charge we want panic every time we read a newspaper. You want give up every time you read about an earthquake, flood or a war.

God's ways are past finding out.

We think our God would like to restrain evil but somehow he finds it beyond his power. He would like to save the world but cannot. We may want to believe that he is a God who has left his children to fend for himself. But the God of the Bible is anything but weak; he is strong; he is almighty. Nothing happens without his permission. His purposes are always accomplished.

This enables those who know God to act with boldness. In the book of Joshua God made the sun stand still. The heavens declare the glory of God and firmament declares his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)

A home without a father cripples a child and leaves it deprived of knowing the father. Robs them of security and confidence. A child that knows about a fathers love, protection and provision is much healthier and emotionally secure. The child grows up knowing that the father is in control and can handle the problems.

God knows the number of hairs on your head. For some of you that is no big deal.

A home with a father who looses a job can feel secure because the children have a father to trust in which makes them feel secure.

Our heavenly Father has got it all together. His kingdom will not fail. That means his purpose for your life will not fail.

Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Knowing God Gives an Eternal Dimension

Knowing God introduces me to the invisible world of God's kingdom.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Jesus Christ introduces us to an eternal dimension of living. He lifts our minds above the present. He gives us hope for the future.

Conclusion:

Knowing God vs. Knowing about God

Knowing God alters the way we make decisions, it changes our direction, it affects our attitude and knowing God affects the way we live.

We are no longer tossed to-and-fro with every wind of doctrine.

Ephesians 4:13-16
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.