February 25, 2002
LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for March 10
EXPLORE THE BIBLE:
Knowing God is about more than just facts
___Ephesians 1:15-23
___By Roy Cotton
___BGCT DFW/Metroplex Church Starting Center Consultant
___Do you know God, or do you know facts about God? To know God intimately should be the desire of every Christian. A person can be a member of a church, participate in all the rituals, activities and programs of "churchianity" and not really know God.
___We cannot know all the attributes of God. God is himself divine mystery. Yet God wants us to know him in a very real way. As we begin this lesson, there is one thing we must not take for granted: Make sure everyone in your Sunday School class knows God personally. People cannot know God better until they have come to know him in the first place.
___The first step in knowing God better is to know for certain the initial and most important step of placing one's faith in Jesus Christ has been made. Once our faith journey has begun, it should be our desire to know God better. This is the intersection of the purpose of discipleship and evangelism in the church--to know God and to make him known. As we pointed out last week, the early church was absorbed with God.
___The second lesson of this unit covers the latter half of Ephesians chapter 1, verses 15-23. The outline suggested by the LifeWay commentator should be comprised of the following four sections: The place to begin (vv. 15-16); the goal to seek (v. 17); the knowledge needed (vv. 18-19); the power available (vv. 19-23).
___Last week, we acknowledged the relationship Paul had with the church of Ephesus. Paul visited Ephesus during his second missionary journey (Acts 18:18-21). Paul knew this church intimately, spending at least three years with them (Acts 20:31). During that period of time, he did not cease night and day "to admonish each one with tears."
___Paul spoke with personal knowledge of the Ephesian Christians "having heard" of the faith in this church (v. 15), "giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers" (v. 16). These verses indicate the place to begin (in knowing God better) is "faith in the Lord Jesus."
___For the disciple who has become a new creation of God through faith in Jesus, the goal to seek in knowing God better is two-fold: "a spirit of wisdom, and of revelation in the knowledge of him" (v. 17). The word "spirit" is the element in mankind by which we perceive, reflect, feel and desire. Wisdom is related to goodness. One writer states, "When one is wise unto God, he is prudent with others and knows how to regulate circumstances." I suggest the spirit of wisdom is a desire to be a conduit by which others see God's goodness reflected in us (Matthew 5:16).
___The knowledge needed goes beyond intellectual knowledge about God. This knowledge is needed that "the eyes of your heart may be enlightened" (v. 18). The implication is that we are to give light in a spiritual sense as we instruct others in the faith.
___We study many subjects in school and receive intellectual knowledge. In the final analysis, an exam is given based on our understanding of the subject and a correlation of the information disseminated during the course. Upon successfully completing the requirements, we receive a degree or certification.
___Even people who have spent considerable time in research and study may have a limited experiential knowledge of the field of study. Intimate knowledge of God comes from experiential knowledge. The more time we spend with God in prayer, Bible study and worship, the better we get to know him and the more intimately.
___The knowledge needed is so "that we may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (v. 18). This knowledge goes beyond information and experience to "what is the surpassing greatness of his power" (v. 19). The King James Version renders this "the exceeding greatness," while it is the "incredible greatness" (New Living Translation) and "incomparably great power" (NIV). This power at work in us goes beyond the degree of limits. It exceeds our expectation, comparison, imagination and comprehension.
___The power available to us is "like the working of his mighty strength" (vv. 19-23). This is just like that which was "exerted in Christ" when he was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God. God demonstrated this power in Jesus' resurrection power and has given him the highest place of honor far above all rule, authority, power, dominion "and every name that is named" (v. 21). God appointed Christ over all and the head of the church (v. 22). The church is the body of Christ (v. 23).
___Knowing God better is our highest privilege as believers in Christ. It is more than information about God. It is knowing God. The more time we spend with him, the more like him we become.
___Eliza Hewitt's third stanza of "More About Jesus" is: "More about Jesus in his word, holding communion with my Lord, hearing his voice in ev'ry line, making each faithful saying mine."
___Questions for discussion
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