Knowing God — Anne Graham Lotz

Knowing God Through a Personal Relationship

Do you know God? Do you really know God? You know, it's interesting all the people who say they know God. Saddam Hussein says he knows God, right? George Bush says that he knows God. Nelson Mandela in South Africa says that he knows God.

President de Klerk says that he knows God. Imelda Marcus of the Philippines with 300 pairs of shoes in her closet says that she knows God. And Mother Teresa of Calcutta India who has no shoes and just the clothes on her back says that she knows God.

And Billy Graham says that he knows God. And Jim Swigert and Jimmy Baker say that they know God. It's interesting, isn't it? All the different people who say they know God. And We have so many different people who say they know God and I wonder if some of the people who say they know God Simply know about God and don't really know God and what difference does it make?

Why can't I know God the way I want to know him and you know God the way you want to know him and as long as we're sincere and we don't hurt anybody why can't we each know God in our own way. And the difference that it makes of course is when Jesus said he stands at the door of heaven and he's the one not Peter who determines who comes into heaven and and who Is not allowed in and he said on that day people will come to him and say Lord Lord.

We prophesied in your name Lord Lord. We went to church every Sunday. Our names were on the roll. We were baptized. We took communion. We've been confirmed. We're upstanding members. We teach Sunday school.

We can pray out loud. We can quote verses and and the Lord will say depart from me. I never knew you. So it's important not just for us to know about God or know God in our own way. But to know God in a relationship that he himself will acknowledge.

The Apostle John was someone who knew God and God knew John in a relationship that not only John acknowledged but God himself acknowledged and if you'll turn to the first epistle of first John, it's his letter to the Ephesians and You'll find it of course in the back of the Bible turn to Revelation and work your way to the left.

But sometimes I get lost in those little letters but first John and we're just going to be looking basically at the first two chapters as John tells you and me from his own experience what it means to really know God and I didn't decide on this message until too late to get the outline in your packet.

But for those of you who take notes, I would suggest that you take notes. It helps keep your concentration and I'll give you the points Alliterated and they're easy to pick up. There are four main points to this message now I'll give them to you as we go through but the first one is that knowing God begins with a personal experience with Jesus Christ and that's chapter 1 verses 1 to 4 and We find that John says knowing God begins with a personal experience with Jesus Christ in verse 1.

That which was from the beginning. Which I have heard which I have seen with my own eyes. Which I have looked at in my hands have touched. This is what I'm proclaiming concerning the Word of Life and John begins by saying I have seen him.

I have heard him. I have touched him this one whom we call the Word of Life and that doesn't make much sense to us. Except the first little phrase says that which was from the beginning. And so we think of Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Verse 2 The earth was without form and void. Verse 3 and God said his word went forth. Let there be light and there was and all the way through Genesis chapter 1 and God said you have that little phrase.

His word goes forth and whatever he says was so and we might not think anything about that. You might think that's just nouns and pronouns and verbs going forth from the mouth of God. Except John's Gospel chapter 1 says what in the beginning was the word and God says and the word was with God and the word was God.

And John chapter 1 verse 14 says and this word which was in the beginning with God was God. Became flesh and I have seen him and my hands have touched him. And my ears have heard him. Let me share with you something of John's testimony about his personal experience with Jesus Christ.

Because John was a disciple of John the Baptist as you know and John was standing beside John the Baptist one day beside the Jordan River and John the Baptist saw Jesus of Nazareth walking by and he said look there goes the Lamb of God the Messiah the one who will take away the sin of the world and I John stopped following John the Baptist and I went to follow Jesus of Nazareth and I became a disciple of his for three years.

And over that three-year period on many occasions I saw him and I heard him preach with my own ears and my hands actually touched him but I'll never forget that Thursday night in Gethsemane and I was there sleeping when he had told me to pray and Suddenly I woke up and I saw the Roman soldiers coming to arrest him and with my own eyes I saw them bind the hands of Jesus and take him off for trial and I'm a relative of the high priest and so I slipped into the courtyard and I watched the proceedings and I saw them as They put him on trial before Annas and then Caiaphas and then the full Sanhedrin and with my own ears I heard them accuse him of many false things and in the end my own ears heard them convict him of blasphemy Proclaiming to be God walking the earth in a human body for claiming to be the unique son of God.

And at that point I saw with my own eyes The Jewish leaders and the Roman soldiers take Jesus to the hall of judgment and put him on trial before Pilate. And I saw him on trial before Pilate and then Herod and back to Pilate and with my own ears I heard the Roman courts declare seven different times.

This man is innocent. This man is innocent. This man is innocent. I find no guilt in him. No reason to charge him but in the end I saw with my own eyes Pilate take a basin of water and wash his hands of responsibility and say this man is innocent, but You can crucify him and I saw with my own eyes the Roman soldiers strip him And beat him until the flesh came off of his body.

I saw the blood running. He was so distorted and so marred. You could hardly tell it was a human person much less my friend. And then I saw them place the cross on his shoulders and they led him away to Calvary and I followed and with my own eyes I saw them lay him down on that cross and drive the nails through his hands and through his feet.

And I saw them raise the cross up and plant it into the ground like a tree and I saw Jesus of Nazareth crucified on the cross and I stood at the foot of the cross and I watched for six hours as Jesus hung there on the cross at one point even noticed me and he asked me if I would take care of his mother which I was glad to do for the rest of her life.

And at the end of that six-hour period I heard with my own ears Jesus of Nazareth cried in a loud voice it is finished and I saw with my own eyes Jesus of Nazareth Deliberately bow his head and stop breathing.

I Saw Jesus down the cross. There was no mistake about it. And I went back to that upper room in Jerusalem. Absolutely Devastated my life fell apart. Do you understand? I had thought Jesus was the Messiah.

I thought he was the Christ. I thought he was the Redeemer. I thought he was the Son of God and he had gone and died on a Roman cross like a criminal. My life just fell apart. I was angry. I felt deceived.

I Was embittered and I went back confused and locked myself into that room with those other disciples. We barred the windows locked the door. The hours just ran together until before I knew it. It was Sunday morning and I heard someone banging on the door.

I thought the Roman soldiers had come to get us and then I heard a woman's hysterical voice outside and I opened the door. It was Mary and she was hysterical and she was saying something about grave robbers and the tomb was empty.

And I looked at Peter and Peter looked at me and we had the same thought. We ran through that open door and through the early morning streets of Jerusalem. We came to the tomb where I knew they had laid Jesus and the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty and I ran inside that empty tomb and Let me tell you what I saw.

Nothing was in the tomb except one thing. There were grave clothes lying in the tomb the grave clothes with which they had wound the body of Jesus. And the interesting thing about the grave clothes was that they were lying there as though the body was inside.

But there was no body. It was like an empty cocoon as though the body had just evaporated up through the grave clothes and I knew Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the dead. Don't ask me how I knew but I went back to that upper room in Jerusalem more confused than ever in Sunday afternoon, I Heard with my own ears that very familiar voice say peace.

It is I be not afraid and I turned and with my own eyes I saw Jesus of Nazareth standing before me. I saw the wound in his brow where the thorns had been. I saw the wounds in his hands and feet and Then he said John touch me and I reached out and I put my fingers in his nail prints and I thrust my hand into his side and I'm here to tell You I had a personal encounter With a risen living Lord Jesus Christ and that dear friends is where knowing God begins.

When have you ever encountered Jesus Christ personally like that. When have you heard Jesus speaking to you. And I don't mean with your physical ears. I mean with the ears of your heart if you ever heard Jesus speaking to you for instance through a verse like John 316.

And my father so loved you that he created you brought you into existence. Because he wanted you to know him and then sin came into your life and broke that relationship for which you were created. But he so loved you that he sent me to earth To die on the cross to take away your sin.

That if you would place your faith in me He would forgive you of your sin and bring you into a right relationship with himself and and I so love you that when my father said go to earth and die for an lots I Went and I died for you.

That you might have forgiveness of sin. That you might have eternal life. That you might know my father. Have you ever heard Jesus? Speaking to you by name personally like that through his word. And having heard him speak.

When have you actually seen him and I don't mean with your physical eyes, but your eyes of faith. You know how the world sees Jesus. They see Jesus as just a man. Oh, maybe a very good man a great prophet a world leader, but they don't see him as the unique Son of God.

When have you seen him as the Savior the Lamb of God by whose stripes you're healed? When have you seen him as your Redeemer? Your Lord your King. And Having seen him as Savior and Lord and King when have you reached out to touch him?

And I don't mean with your physical hands. When have you embraced him with your arms of faith and said Lord. I have heard you speaking to me saying you died for me and I have Seen you as my Savior the Lamb of God who died to take away my sin.

And I reach out to claim you for myself and I invite you to come into my life as my Savior and my Lord. The Bible says knowing God begins with a genuine experience of personally encountering Jesus Christ.

Do you know God? Could it be you've missed this first step and you simply know about him. But John goes on to say that a genuine experience not only has a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. But a powerful encounter.

Verse 2 the life appeared. We've seen it and we're testifying to it and we proclaimed you the eternal life which was with the Father and has appeared to us and he's speaking of Jesus, but he uses the description of life and Again, and again, he says life life because to meet Jesus is a life-changing experience.

You cannot meet Jesus Christ and remain the same. And if John were to continue giving you his testimony, he would say listen. I was just the son of Zebedee just the brother of James of backwoods Galilean fishermen, but I walked down the street.

Nobody would know me maybe my friends and neighbors. But I was just a nobody and not only a son of Zebedee. They called me a son of thunder because I had such a violent temper. In fact, we were going through a little town one time and and they refused to receive what Jesus said and I said Jesus.

Why don't you just send them all to hell rain down fire on them? I just exploded with my temper and Then they also called me a zealot because I thought the way to solve the problems of society was through politics and through the military through the economy and Then I met Jesus.

Not just met Jesus, but I had a personal encounter with the risen living Resurrected Jesus Christ and my life changed. Oh, I'll always be a son of Zebedee and a brother of James, but I'm no longer a nobody in Christ.

I am somebody. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. My writings are recorded in the Bible. My name is written on the foundations of heaven. And a son of thunder. You know what? They call me. They call me the apostle of love.

A superficial reading of my writings people think I'm sort of wimpy because I'm so sweet and gentle and they don't understand the work of God's grace to take away my temper and the zealot I Discovered I still want to change society and and meet society's needs.

But I found you'll never do it through the economy through politics. Through military means if you want to change society you change the hearts of men and women. Bringing them into a right relationship with their Creator and I set about to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I became an evangelist of the world. I began planning churches all over the world. My life has changed. Listen, dear friend. Let me ask you you say you have personally encountered Jesus Christ. Do you claim to be saved born again a child of God?

Then what difference has it made in your life. Can you pinpoint a time when you met Christ? What difference is there in your life from that point to now and from that point previous? If there is no difference if there is very little difference.

I want to question your encounter. It may be That you had some sort of subjective experience or you went through some ritual in your church. But it wasn't a personal encounter with a living risen Jesus Christ because if you've encountered him personally.

It's also a powerful encounter and it makes a difference. You cannot encounter Jesus personally without it also being a powerful difference in your life. Knowing God begins with a genuine experience of encountering Jesus personally powerfully.

Thirdly. Purposefully and in verse 3 He says we proclaim to you what we have seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with one another. There is a purpose for your encounter with Jesus Christ and the purpose is threefold.

Number one. He says we're proclaiming this that you might share Christ with those who don't know him. John wrote the gospel of John sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who didn't know Jesus and One of the purposes for which you've encountered Christ is not just your own salvation.

Not just your own relationship with God, but that you might share Jesus Christ with those who don't know Jesus Christ. When have you done that? When have you shared Jesus with someone who doesn't know Jesus?

I don't mean when have you invited someone to church? Although please do that and I don't mean when you've discussed your denomination with someone although that's valid. I mean when have you named the name of Jesus with somebody who doesn't know him?

We took a few minutes and lunch yesterday coming up from Raleigh. We stopped in Winston-Salem and with a little waiter who was waiting on us. He kept seeming to hang around and talk and and we began to share Jesus with him and he kept talking about all these reasons.

He couldn't believe in all of the arguments and turned out he had studied philosophy and religion and and he knew a lot of things. But he didn't know Jesus and we just had the joy of sharing Jesus with him now.

We didn't lead him to Christ. We gave him a little booklet that would show him how to do that but we named the name of Jesus with him and let Him know the difference between just intellectually understanding facts and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It's a joy to share Christ. One of the reasons for which you have encountered him yourself is that you might share him with others. But secondly not only we to share Christ with those who don't know him but to strengthen Christians who do know him.

John says not only are we proclaiming this to those who don't know him. We're proclaiming this so that you might have fellowship so that you might be strengthened in your faith. One of the purposes for which we know Jesus is to strengthen other believers in their faith in their relationship with him.

What are you doing to strengthen somebody else in their faith? I have friends at home who pray for me every day and once a week they gather together on Friday mornings. To pray for me and and what I'm doing in the ministry to which God has called me once in a while one of them will pick up the phone and they'll just call me and say and you've been on my heart this morning and and I just want to pray for you over the phone and.

And they're right there just while I'm hanging on to the phone and they're on the other end. They'll just pray for me in the way they feel encouraged to do so and I feel strengthened. Not only knowing that the Lord put me on their mind that they would be praying for me.

But that they would take the time to pick up the phone call me and pray for me in my own hearing over the phone. Or sometimes they'll pick up the phone and just have a verse for me and say. And I was thinking about you this morning.

And in my devotions I read such-and-such. Helen did that this morning we stayed overnight at my parents home in Montreat and she got up this morning and opened her Bible and and from the book of Ezekiel, which is one of the least read books in my Bible.

She pulled some verses to encourage me for this morning just seeking to strengthen Christians who know Christ. What are you doing to strengthen Christians who already know him? Someone in your church someone in your family making the effort taking the time going out of your way.

To encourage them and build them up in their faith. That's one of the reasons for which you know Christ that you might build up others who know him. The third reason is that you might be satisfied in your own relationship with Christ.

Verse 4. It says we write this to make our joy complete now. He's writing this little book and he wrote the gospel of John to share Christ with those who don't know him to strengthen Christians who? Do but he said the result of that is that it makes our joy your joy and my joy complete.

In other words John is saying when I share Christ with those who don't know him when I strengthen Christians who do I feel? Satisfied myself. There is a certain Satisfaction in the Christian life that is reserved Only for those who are fulfilling the purpose for which they have encountered Christ.

I go around in my travels and in my ministry and I meet many Christians who are saved but they're not satisfied and I think that's a very scary place to be and I wonder if there's someone here this morning who is saved and you know.

You are you know, you have eternal life. You're going to heaven when you die, but but you're not satisfied in your Christian life. You feel like it must be something more. Maybe that's why you came this morning.

You're looking for something more. And I think it's a scary thing because if you came to Christ and someone said when you come to Jesus He will give you peace and joy and fulfillment and satisfaction and you came to Jesus and he did for how long a week a month.

Two months. When did you lose it? And it may be if you're not satisfied in your Christian life. It may be that you're not fulfilling the reason the purpose for which you've encountered Christ. Which is to share Christ and to strengthen other Christians.

Are you involved? Are you serving? Do you have a sense of God being? Magnified and glorified in your life as you seek to strengthen others and share Christ with others. If you're not involved and you're not doing two things, you're not going to be satisfied.

But God means for you to meet you and me to be satisfied in our Christian life. But it's a it's something that we receive. Conditionally as we share Christ as we strengthen believers, we are satisfied in our Christian life.

That's one of the purposes for which you have encountered Christ. Knowing God begins with a genuine experience of personally powerfully Purposefully encountering Jesus Christ. Now, may I ask you what could you be?

Substituting for knowing God through a genuine experience with Jesus Christ. Have you substituted church membership? Have you substituted church service? Have you substituted baptism or confirmation or?

Taking communion. There are no substitutes. If you want to know God in a relationship that God acknowledges then you must have a genuine experience of Personally powerfully purposefully encountering Jesus Christ.

Knowing God Through Examination of Scripture

And secondly John says that knowing God continues to grow as. You have a genuine examination of the scriptures and this is verses 5 to 10 as The Apostle Paul was traveling around Europe on his third missionary journey suit.

Excuse me second missionary journey. He came down through these different cities and everywhere the Apostle Paul went he would preach in the synagogues. And the people would rise up in rejection of him.

Some people received him. But the majority rejected him and he was thrown out after synagogue after synagogue after synagogue. They just rebelled against him. He came into one town and he said oh, no.

This is the man that's turning the world upside down everywhere He goes. There's revolution. The majority rejected what he had to say. There was a minority that received it except in one town and all of the Apostle Paul's journeys.

Three journeys all over the known world of that day. There was one town that was different from all the others when he went into that town and he went right into the synagogue as They always did and he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Normally the people rose up and said we've never heard this before this isn't what our preacher preaches. This doesn't go along with our denomination. We don't like this. We don't think this is right and they would throw him out in this one town.

He got up to preach the same message for which had been rejected all over the world and these people do you know what they? They opened their Bibles and they began to examine the scriptures to see if what Paul said was true and they go down for all Eternity recorded in the scriptures as the most noble Bereans who when the Apostle Paul went in to preach something That was radically new they took the time to examine the scriptures to see if what he was saying was the truth and So knowing God requires a genuine Examination of the scriptures not just once and for all but on a daily basis you will know God Through his word and it requires an examination thoughtful careful Study and meditation of his word.

Verse 5. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you and John is saying this is the message I have heard from God. This is the message I'm declaring to you now John was an apostle and he heard this message in a very unique way.

I don't know how John heard the message, but I know for you and me when he says this is the message I have heard from God. This is the message. I'm declaring to you. This is the message the message that's recorded in the scriptures.

Not just the message John heard but when he says we he's speaking of all the prophets all the Apostles. This is the message from Genesis to Revelation that apostles and prophets have heard from God. They have written it down recorded it.

This is what is declared to you and me so John is referring to the Bible. He's referring to the scriptures God's Word when he says this is the message We've heard from him and this is what we're declaring to you.

And then he says interesting. This is the message that's in God's Word. God is light in him. There is no darkness at all. And I asked myself why would he say God is light? Why not? God is holy. God is true.

God is just God is angry. God is righteous. Why would he say God is light and then I thought you know. The primary characteristic of light is that light reveals itself, doesn't it light makes itself visible?

So John is saying the message we've heard from him and declared to you is this. Through the Bible you can know the character of God. You can know God as he is. God has revealed himself. God has made himself visible through his word.

Turn over to Revelation chapter 4 for a minute just a few pages to the right Revelation chapter 4 the first three verses. And this is the same Apostle John Who says after this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven and the voice I had first heard Speaking to me like a trumpet said come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.

At once I was in the spirit and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone Sitting on it chapter 5 verse 1. Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals verse 13.

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them. Singing to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.

And I read those few verses to you for this reason to Emphasize the fact that somewhere in the universe There is a throne and on this throne. There is someone sitting. And he has a presence in that he can sit and he has a hand in that he can hold the scroll he has a mouth and that he can speak and John says that through God's Word you can know the character of him who sits on the throne.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you God is light. God has revealed himself. Made himself visible through the word you can know the character of God through the Bible. I Was giving a message at a very large Secular gathering there about 2 ,000 people at this breakfast meeting.

It was one of these civic club kinds of things the National Convention. And I gave a message and lifted up Jesus to the best of my feeble ability. And when it was over the MC stood up and he leaned on the podium sort of like this and I was sitting there.

And he looked at me and he said mrs Lots we think you need to know that we all have our own gods and some of us call him Allah. And some of us call him Buddha. Some of us call him Muhammad. Some of us call him Messiah.

Some of us may call him Jesus. And I didn't respond because I had just given the message but you know what I was thinking in my heart. I don't want to know God like that if there is a God and he has a presence and he has a will and Emotions and a personality and he has a name by which he calls himself.

I want to know him as he is. I don't want to know him the way somebody says he might be. I don't want to know him the way someone thinks he is. Have you ever heard someone say well my God is not like that and my God would never send anybody there.

I don't think God would do this and I don't think God will do that. And and I'm tired of hearing what they think. I don't want to know their opinions. I don't want to know their ideas. I want to know God as He is.

I want to know him by the name he calls himself. John says this is the message we've heard from him and declare to you. God is light. You can know the character of God Through his word. Secondly he says not only does your examination of the scripture reveal the character of God, but secondly you can have communion with God.

Fellowship with the one who sits on the throne now if it's not mind-blowing enough to think that you can know God. The character of God who sits on the throne. It's more mind-blowing to think that the God who sits on the throne at the center of the universe Has revealed himself in such a way that you and I can have communion with him we can have fellowship with him.

I love the songs that were Selected to sing right before the message and I feel like that's evidence that the Holy Spirit has helped in planning. Today each one was pointing to that personal relationship that you can have with God.

We walk in the garden alone with him and in a whole setting the whole message of the song is that we can know God in Intimate fellowship in a communion with God and John says that's right. That through God's Word and a careful examination study meditation on the scriptures.

You can have communion with the one who sits on the throne and you have communion in two ways first of all by Kneeling at the cross of Jesus Christ verse 7 the blood of Jesus his son Purifies us from every sin and we kneel at the cross initially for forgiveness.

Have you ever done that just come to the cross once and for all and asked God? By your faith in Jesus Christ to cleanse you with the blood of Jesus of every and all sin. You know, I talked to people who say they're saved but they don't have an assurance of their forgiveness and I even meet Christians that are so afraid that if they die today Suddenly in a car accident and have not had opportunity to confess all their sins from the last time they confess their sin that somehow They would be held accountable for the sins.

They haven't confessed and they don't understand the forgiveness that the blood of Jesus his son purifies us from every sin meaning. From the moment you are saved all of your sin. All of the sin prior to that all of the sin on that day all of the sin up until the day.

You see Jesus is all forgiven past present future. It's all washed away in the blood of Jesus and you can live in your forgiveness. You'll never be held accountable for it. Let me ask you for some of you.

Maybe that's a new thought for you when Jesus died. To take away your sin. It was 2 ,000 years ago, right? Long before you'd ever been born long before you'd ever committed a sin and when you claim his death on that cross 2 ,000 years ago it covers all of the sin of all of your life past present future.

You're forgiven. You'll never be held accountable for your sin and the guilt of your sin ever again. Isn't it wonderful to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Not only does it take care of past present future sins, you know, it takes care of big ones and little ones and medium-sized ones.

I Was explaining this to Velma Barfield as you might remember the only woman or the first woman in a long time in United States to be executed for murder she had murdered many people one of them including her own mother and it was my privilege to become Velma's friend for several months before she was executed and a week before Execution they called me in because she was struggling with something of the assurance of her salvation.

Now she'd received Christ in the Robeson County Jail right after she had been arrested for the murders and she had lived for Christ for six years within prison and The guards and the other inmates will testify to the genuineness of her of her faith.

But she had called me in a week before execution just knowing that she was going to face God needing reassurance that she was forgiven. And I said Velma When you go to the beach and I said have you been to the beach and she said yes.

And I said when you go to the beach You're sitting there on the sand and you see little crab holes. And she said yes, and I said if you walk farther down the beach. You might see where child has been building a sandcastle and there's a bigger hole and she said yes and I said if you go farther down the beach you'll come to a place where maybe they're digging a trench or an Excavation for a sewer pipe or something and there's a huge hole and she said yes.

I've seen those and I said in Velma when the tide comes in what happens. And she said well. The water covers all of those holes equally and I said Velma you've got it. The blood of Jesus Christ when you claim it for yourself, it covers all sin equally.

Little ones like white lies gossip. Worried just not trusting the Lord. Medium-sized ones. Maybe we might think of losing our temper or shoplifting or big ones like murdering your mother and adultery and rape all of those sins.