This sermon explores the concept of being fully known and loved by God, emphasizing our need for deep connections and the courage to follow God's path, despite the distractions of the modern world.
Welcome to week 2 of our 4-week sermon series, Known. To know and be known are two of our deepest needs as relational beings. And in this fast paced, disconnected digital world, it’s easy to have all the followers, all the connections, and all the fans but still feel completely alone.
The good news is that we serve an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving creator God who knows us more deeply than anyone. And as we learned last week, Psalm 139 gives us a clear picture of at least two things that we need to hold close to us at all times. God’s comprehension and understanding of all things has no limits. He knows and sees all aspects of our lives, for better or worse. The all-knowing and all-seeing God of the universe says that we are wonderful.
And today, we’re going to take an even deeper dive together as we seek to understand what it is to live known by God.
The all-knowing and all-seeing God of the universe says that we are wonderful.
Depending on who you ask, or what article you’re reading it’s generally understood that America is facing an, “epidemic of loneliness.” Again, the statistics vary, but when surveyed it appears that about half of the population experiences significant loneliness. The numbers are regularly higher among young people and the elderly and obviously the global pandemic affected everyone, exacerbating an ever-increasing problem.
But this is not how it’s supposed to be. We were meant for more, designed as relational beings born into families and wired for fellowship. It should come as no surprise that solitary confinement is the punishment used to discipline criminals. Isolation and loneliness are awful ways to live!
But God already knows that too, doesn’t He?
God knows; Idols don’t
Please turn with me to our main passage for the morning out of Galatians 4.
Read Galatians 4:8-9
Hear Paul’s pastoral heart in these verses. In part, what he’s saying is, “Hey church, you know all those false gods (IDOLS) you are serving… Well they don’t know you at all. They don’t care about you, in fact you’re enslaved by them.”
Idolatry is a one-way relationship. Actually, you can’t even call it a relationship because relationship implies reciprocation and interaction.
Idolatry is a one-way dead end road.
And yet still, all of us choose at some point or another to see how far down it goes.
“But now that you know God—or rather are known by God…” (Gal. 4:9)
But there comes a point when we realize just how far gone we are, just how dark the road of idolatry has become, and we turn back to God. We look to re-establish our connection - which we talked about last week - and we commit or recommit ourselves to an actual relationship with the creator of the cosmos, God.
When we come to know and understand God we realize, as Paul identifies in our Galatians passage, that God already knows us. He knew us from the very beginning and He knows everything about our lives… nothing is hidden from Him. (cf. back to Psalm 139) He’s there when we sleep and when we rise. He’s there in the pain and the triumph. He’s always watching over us.
At some point, we realize that with God, we’re never alone. (Matthew 28:20)
In fact He says He’ll never leave or forsake us. (Deut. 31:6)
And for those of you in the room who think you’ve done things too horrible to be counted as one with God ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium
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