Getting To Know Him Part 3
Rev. James White
Crossroads New Life Tabernacle, Deville, LA 2/21/2007
Luke 19:5-10
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
KJV
• Getting to know Jesus sometimes takes us out of what we know and can trust to something that becomes unfamiliar. Zacchaeus was a chief among the publicans, which lets us know that he was very proud. He was a rich man with rich friends and he had an image to keep.
• Sprite has a commercial that ran a few years ago. The slogan was “Image is nothing, Thirst is everything.”
David wrote in Psalms 42:1-2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
KJV
• Zacchaeus stepped out on a limb….He actually stepped out on a limb so that He could pursue Jesus. His desire was so strong that he forgot his status in the community, with his friends, with his family and climbed into a Sycamore tree.
• Note that Jesus knew Zacchaeus, because he called him by name. He probably passed him on the street or heard stories about him. Knowing this we have to assume that Zacchaeus had a knowledge of Jesus. Zacchaeus was not satisfied with being acquainted with Him, Zacchaeus wanted to know Him. Jesus always had crowds around Him, and people were always getting in the way, so Zacchaeus had to change the way he pursued Jesus.
Knowing Him is Pursuing Him
David was the prime example of pursuit.
1 Sam 13:13-14
13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart , and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee
KJV
• Samuel is rebuking Saul because he was trying to build a kingdom by his own abilities. He stopped relying on God, so everything he worked for began to fall apart.
• God had found His man, but he had not yet been anointed, so God sends Samuel to Jesse’s house. Note, that in everything we do, God is looking at our heart. Just like God did to Saul, He will do to us if we are not seeking Him with all of our heart.
• God did not send Samuel out to find a replacement that could be a better King, he sent Samuel out to find someone that would seek Him with all of their heart.
• In the church, God is not looking for better preachers, Sunday school teacher, youth workers, deacons, teachers or anything else. He is looking for someone that will be in pursuit of Him with all of their Heart.
Knowing Him Is Spiritual
John 4:19-24
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
KJV
• Jesus basicly tells the woman that she needs to move to the next level. The next level can not be obtained by going through the same routine. We will never make it to the next level while questioning the supernatural, it will only come when we are willing to accept what the God of the supernatural is trying to show us.
• Jesus gives her a look into the supernatural by telling her something that only her closest friends would know. He uses conviction, then from conviction, repentance works, then she walks into a revelation of knowing Him.
Acts 2:36-38
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
KJV
• Peter gives a revelation to the Jews that have heard all the commotion. After the receive a revelation, they ask a question which Peter responds with the most quoted scripture in Pentecost.
• He tells them that what they just have experienced is what it takes to Know Jesus Christ who is both Lord and Savior...
• Peter walked with Jesus, but Peter never knew Him on the level in which he knew him on the day of Pentecost. What Peter was experiencing, and what others was wanting to experience was the next level of Knowing Him.
John 16:12-13
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
KJV
• Jesus had so much he wanted to tell His disciples, but they were not ready for it because they were not at the level in which the would understand, but Jesus said the Spirit of truth would guide them into the unknown.
• He was speaking a prophetic word into the lives of the disciples. They would experience something that would move them beyond the level of the natural into a level of the supernatural. They could not move beyond until they had a Spiritual encounter, which happened on the day of Pentecost.
• When you have a Spiritual encounter you will move from level to level. We must Know Him through the Holy Ghost to move to the next level…
Knowing Him Is Being Holy
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness , without which no man shall see the Lord:
KJV
• Moral and ethical wholeness or perfection; freedom from moral evil. Holiness is one of the essential elements of God’s nature required of His people. Holiness may also be rendered "sanctification" or "godliness." The word holy denotes that which is "sanctified" or "set apart" for divine service. (from Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
• If you want to be Holiness does not come from a book of do’s and don’ts. Holiness is not what you can and can’t do, it’s taking on the nature of God, which comes from Knowing Him. Adam was naked, but Holy, because he knew God in a natural way.
• From the book “The Why and Wonder of Worship”, Jeff Arnold says, “Nearness Is Likeness”. It’s the things in our life that are unlike Him that make us uncomfortable around Him. **We don’t want to come to church because we are not near Him. We don’t want to get involved because we are not near Him. We don’t worship because we are under condemnation because we are not near Him.
• Adam was so comfortable with God worship was natural because the supernatural was normal. What caused Adam’s sin was that he allowed the enemy to distract Him from the Supernatural.
• The Devil is after your mind. He is after the way you think and he wants to distract you, and yes He will use distractions that are nearest and dearest to us.
• I believe this. God is not calling this church to forget our standards, but I do believe He is calling us to know what true Holiness is.
• This is what True Holiness is not
o List of Dos & Don’ts
o Bitterness
o Gossip
o Discord
o Confusion
o Division
o Lack of Prayer
o Lack of Fasting
o Lack of Studying the Word
o Lack of Love
How can I be Holy? I am so glad you asked! You Got to Know Him! Get close to Him! If you are near Him you will be like Him!
• Holiness is a result of Knowing Him!
Lev 20:6-8
6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy : for I am the LORD your God.
8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.
KJV
• God was telling His people if you want to know me, then you need to be sanctified. The sanctification came through the people keeping the statutes which was the law God gave to Moses. **It goes back to a Spiritual concept. The Holy Ghost leads us into all the truths that God has for us. Holiness is when we keep what God has put in our heart to do, that we might draw closer to Him.
Gen 26:4-5
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
KJV
• God is saying, “You want babies, obey my voice, keep my charge, keep my commandments, keep my statutes, let me speak to your heart….
Conclusion:
• Pursue Him with all your heart and you will find Him. Let your encounter be Spiritual and you will know Him. Be ye Holy as He is Holy and you feel Him
• To Know Him we must pursue Him, Have a Spiritual encounter, and Be Holy as He is Holy. If we do this we are on our way to Know Him Better.
