Knowing God Week 3 (Sept. 26)

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING

O My God,

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,

my heart admires, adores, loves thee,

for my little vessel is as full as it can be,

and I would pour out all that fullness before thee

in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee

Ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,

Crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,

for adorning it, sanctifying it,

though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body thou hast given me,

for preserving its strength and vigour,

for providing senses to enjoy delights,

for the ease and freedom of my limbs,

for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,

for a full table and overflowing cup,

for appetite, taste, sweetness,

for social joys of relatives and friends,

for ability to serve others,

for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,

for a mind to care fo my fellow-men,

for opportunities of spreading happiness around,

for loved ones in the joys of heaven,

for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

Read Mon Oct 25^th from Tabletalk magazine.

Definition of God from Westminster Larger Catechism: God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Packer talks about the attributes of God that can only involve God : These are referred to as God’s Incommunicable Attributes. These attributes highlight God’s transcendence.

Those attributes that are perfected in God, but yet we share are referred to as God’s Communicable Attributes. These attributes refer to God’s immanence.

Q: Infinite in being (Communicable or Incommunicable)?; Unchangeable? Eternal? Most wise? Most holy? Most just? Most merciful and gracious?

Packer here asserts humility as the key. I hope in seeing God, there would be great humility of heart:

1 Corinthians 8:1-2: “This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines hat he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.”

We should be moved when you see God for who He is in Scripture.

As you drink from the fountain: you will find your horizontal relationships blessed! You have more fuller Godlier relationships.

Packer asserts that the mark of a person that knows God is someone that obeys God!

Psalm 119 “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!”

That’s why those that know God, cherish His Word! You can’t claim to know God, and walk contrary to how God has commanded us to walk. You can’t.

Packer poses the question: “How can we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.

Q: What’s the difference between prayer and meditation?

Packer: “Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God. It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.”

Times spent in silence pouring over the Word is when God can speak to us!

Q: Has anyone had any life altering moments already in their pursuit of knowing God?

Chapter 2

Packer highlights this idea of “Knowing versus Knowing About.”

Can someone in the class explain the analogy. Sometimes we think knowing a lot about God means that we know God well. But it doesn’t.

1.) One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of him.

Contrast the Pharisees and the children during Jesus’ ministry.

2.) One can know a great deal about godliness without much knowledge of God.

Evidence of Knowing God

1. “Those who know God have great energy for God.”

Daniel 11:32 “…but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.”

I think for us this means fulfilling the Creation Mandate through the Great Commission. They want to tell other people about how to know GOD!

Daniel – name means “God is my judge.”

Hananiah – “Yahweh is gracious”

Mishael – “Who is what God is?”

Azariah – “Yahweh is helper.”

Daniel and his friends seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery…(Dan 2:17)

Read Dan 2:24-45 – Daniel exclaims God’s excellencies to Nebuchadnezzar

Head of Gold – Babylonian Empire

Chest of Arms and Silver – Medo-Persian Empire

Middle and Thighs of Bronze – Greek Empire

Legs of Iron; feet of clay – Roman Empire

Stone – Messianic kingdom

2.) Those who know God have great thoughts of God.

Read Daniel 4

Dan 2:20

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Lesson Daniel 4:28-36

3.) Those who know God show great boldness for God.

I think of Chapter 3 when Nebuchadnezzar built the giant statue of himself and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refused to bow down before it.

Read Chapter 3

4.) Those who know God have great contentment in God

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

The fact that we are now at peace with God, implies that we were once great enemies of God. But now, we have a content relationship with Him, where we know Him as Perfect Father. Dr. Broggi’s evangelistic tract states the question: “Would you like to know God as your friend.” The Bible teaches that we go from enemy to friend. Please enjoy the benefits of that relationship!