Sermon Central
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Who Do You Believe
Contributed by David Fox on Nov 19, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: Knowing God intimately.
Who Do You Believe?
The Apostle Paul writes of the confidence we can have in God in 2Timothy 1:12b…
·“I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have committed to him for that day.”
This morning we will use this verse as and outline and leave here with 3 important proclamations drawn from this verse:
1) we know who we believe!
2) we are convinced that He is able!
3) we have entrusted everything to Him!
1) We know who we believe!
The key to this statement is the who in between the words know and we…
To know who we believe reflects a high level of intimacy.
-The word for know here in the Geek means to:
- to be sure of
-to understand
We must each cross a line of faith in our walk so that we come to the place where we are.
-sure of God
The place where we on a certain level
-understand Him … in an intimate way.
Our understanding of Who God is must -- cause an action of belief in our life.
*Someone once said it this way..
-Our belief must equal our behavior.
*Another man said it this way…
-If you get enough of Jesus inside of you He will eventually start coming out of you!
There has never been a day when people who call themselves Christians could justify so much and due so little – as in our day!
If you get to know Jesus –your whole lifestyle is going to change – If you see the beauty of His holiness – You’re going to want to be holy as well.
a) The Example of Moses applied to our prayer life.
Turn with me to Exodus 33:7 while I paraphrase the background.
We know that Moses was trained in both the knowledge of Egypt and also the traditions of the Israelites. He chose to suffer with the Israelites rather than to enjoy the pleasures of Egypt.
Yet God had not yet reveled Himself to Moses in an intimate way. We know this because at the burning bush experience God had to introduce Himself to Moses. He also had to strengthen Moses’ faith through signs and wonders.
Though Moses feared God at this point he did not Know Him. Moses was not sure of Him. He did not understand Him on an intimate level.
God was faithful to deliver the Israelites from Egypt - at the hand of Moses. The signs God had promised were fulfilled.
An interaction between Moses and God was beginning to take place. A relationship was being formed. No longer did Moses Just believe in the Great I AM –HE KNEW HIM.
“7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. 11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.”
· The key to this passage is the TENT OF MEETING
When Moses would Go --- God would come!
The Heavenly would meet with the earthly
We each need a tent of meeting in our life:
-A place where we can go to meet with God!
-A place where a relationship can be nurtured based not on rules but friendship!
-A place where you can get to know Jesus!
We have a greater revelation than Moses had -- we have the Holy Spirit of God and the person of Jesus alive and at work in us… We need to spend time meeting with God.
Moses had a burning desire to know God more -- in verse 13 He cried…“13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.”
When we have a place of meeting with the Lord.
When our hearts burn to know Him more.
When we know who we believe -
- we are liberated from our own weaknesses, sins, and frustrations by our revelation of Him.
Human limitations will still abound in our lives - but we are not Held by their power - we are held by the callings and will of God. BECAUSE WE KNOW WHO WE BELIEVE!
