TITLE:  Do You Know God?
TEXT:  1 John 2:3-6
PROPOSITION:  Knowing God means obeying Him.
QUESTION:  How?
KEY WORD:  Ways
SCRIPTURE READING:  Same

 INTRODUCTION:

1. Do you know God?
   1. No one can know God personally or intimately
   2. Any claim to know God is bold and brazen.
   3. We desire to know all we can
2. William Barclay – 3 lines of thought about knowing God
   1. Intellectual reasoning and argument

                                                               i.      Greek philosophers

                                                              ii.      Gnostics of 1^st century church

                                                            iii.      Great thinkers <> moral people

2. Emotional experience

                                                               i.      Feelings, mystery religions

                                                              ii.      Better felt than told

                                                            iii.      “I don’t care what the Bible says, I know what I felt.”

                                                            iv.      Just an escape from reality

3. Revelation

                                                               i.      Jewish approach

                                                              ii.      What we know is what God chooses to reveal

How to Know that you Know God

1. John knows – he saw, heard, touched, eyewitness, testimony is reliable (1:3-5)
2. God is light – not darkness in Him
   1. Fellowship with God means walking in the light (1:7)
3. Anybody can CLAIM to know God
   1. Living together OK – prayed – felt God led them to this
   2. Not need to obey – I just love God
4. Simple way to Know if you Know God
   1. Are you keeping His commands?
   2. Life based on obeying – not disobeying
   3. Knowing God produces fruit of righteousness in our lives

How to Know if Someone Doesn’t Really Know God

1. 1 John 2:4 – not obey = not know God
2. Many talk the talk, but never walk the walk
   1. Romans 6:4 – buried in baptism
   2. Galatians 5:16-25 – walk in the Spirit
   3. Ephesians 4:1 – walk worthy of the calling
   4. Ephesians 4:17-32 – not steal – give; not lie – speak truth
3. Claim to know God – but don’t obey
   1. How can they justify their disobedience?
   2. Our feelings, our intellect can lead us to disobey
4. Can you know and obey God’s will? Yes
5. Can you obey His commands? Yes
6. 1 John 2:5-6

Conclusion

1. We assume that people who talk about God know Him best
2. One who quotes the most scripture
3. One who makes claims of experience – seen and done astounding things
4. Real issue – Does he live what they claim to believe?
5. It is a matter of fruit –
   1. Matthew 7:16-20
   2. Colossians 1:9-10