TOPIC: KNOWING GOD PERSONALLY
TEXT: JOB 42:5; GENESIS 28:20-21
INTRODUCTION: Job was described as blameless and upright, a man who feared God, who shunned evil and no one like him on earth. His confession however was that all these were attained from what he heard of God. Imagine his surprise when he personally had a revelation of God. It changed him completely and put him in awe about the power, might, justice and beauty of God. Perhaps you are here today listening to or reading this message and have not had a personal knowledge of God, the provisions and unfailing mercies of God may not be available to you unless you decide to do so. I pray that the Spirit of God would minister and encounter you this first day of the year in Jesus’s name.
1.Knowing God generally: God wants to be known by all His creation and this the reason he reveals Himself to them. God is revealed through His works. Psalm 19 declares that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament His handiwork. Day after day utters speech and night after night shows knowledge” What we see leads us to a higher and emotional worship of God. Paul states “that which may be known of God is manifested to man through creation” (Rom.1:19, 20). Even the heathen can experience this, the voiceless nature, and this why they ignorantly worship nature instead of ascending to higher heights in God. They worship the creation rather than the creator. Despite this, God on His part, causes His rain to fall on both the good and the bad. God also can generally be known through His written word the law or Ten commandments. Also, the Spirit of God alighted on men to inspire their speech especially in dark times, and the messages which He revealed by inspiration are called “the prophets”. Scriptures thus inspired are useful to throw light on issues, teach, rebuke, for correcting and training in righteousness. (2 Pet. 1:21; 2Tim. 3:16,17). The law and prophets were the handbook of every man, as to who God is, and what He demands of us. Today not only do we have the law and the prophets but the gospels and the epistles all of which are inspired to reveal God to us. They came in direct precepts, ordinances, parables or psalms at various times and contain various promises. All these were, so God could eventually reveal Himself to us in His Son.
Knowing God Personally: While it is possible for all men to know God generally through nature, the law and the prophets, personal knowledge of God is possible only through His Son Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-14). God wants to live in each man individually and it is only through Jesus that He can do this. Jesus is the way (Jn.14:6-7) and in Christ only is the father revealed to men. He is the eternal Truth, the source of eternal life. Jesus is the Father’s house because in Him dwells the godhead bodily. It is only in Christ that we find rest and rejoicing in God. David acknowledged God as His personal God and did not lack anything (Ps.23:1). Job was only able to find rest for his soul when he saw the revelation that God was the way, the truth, and the life of all creation. Without Him nothing could have existed. Jacob had trouble after stealing God’s blessing that should have gone to his twin brother. Divine blessing without Divine ratification brings trouble. Not until Jacob had a personal revelation of God through his wrestling, did he accept the God of Bethel as his personal God and got the approval of the God of Abraham and Isaac. God wants to bless you, but don’t do it by your own power. Let God bring it to pass. By divine ordination, the Abrahamic covenant was prophesied to pass through Jacob and not until he got divine ratification through wrestling was the blessing approved. The spot was a place Abraham had established an altar to God where prayers were ascending to God and answers descending, as it were, a ladder was linked to heaven. The prayers represent wants and sorrows, faith and hopes and trust going up and help and comfort and blessing coming down. God was there, it was His permanent station where He confirmed all promises He made to Abraham, to Jacob, assuring of His presence and protection as the ordained ancestor of Christ. The ladder is symbolic of Christ linking us to heaven’s provisions and mercies. Through Him we have the ministry of angels who are His servants and flames of fire. Having received the promises of God at Bethel, Jacob cut a deal with God to know Him more from that time and serve Him (Gen 28:12-21). This morning we are at Bethel and Jesus is standing between you and heaven. Do you want provisions and mercies for the rest of your life? You need to know Him personally. Acknowledge and confess your sins, repent of them ask for forgiveness. He promised not to forsake those who come to Him. As you set up an altar in your house, He will not forsake you and He will bless you with His provisions and continually have mercy on you. Make yourself His, and make Him yours.