We're very glad that we have visitors here this morning and I trust that the Lord will minister to each one of our needs from the Holy Scriptures. Would you turn in your Bibles to the book of Colossians? We come back to the book of Colossians this week and last week taking a day off, so to speak, from the book of Colossians, but preaching on the subject of man's declaration of independence from God, and I believe we have that tape. If anyone missed that message, you're welcome to get that message. But in the book of Colossians, chapter 1, we come back to this important epistle of the New Testament, this important letter, and I trust that God will minister to each one of us as we read and study God's word together. Alright? Chapter 1 beginning at verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus who are in Colossae, grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ praying always for you since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel which has come to you as it has also in all the world and is bringing forth fruit as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth. As you also learn from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. who also declared to us your love in the spirit. For this reason we also since the day we heard it and do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that you may walk worthy of the Lord fully pleasing him by in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. We'll stop right there. Last week, no two weeks ago, excuse me, two weeks ago we dealt with verse 9 and verse 10. And I want to just very briefly review those passages of scripture. And what we said was this. is that the apostles desire as well as those who were with him the church of Colossians pastor by the name of Epaphras the apostle Paul Epaphras the pastor of the Colossians as well as others who were with him in Rome while he was in prison had a desire to pray for the brethren there at Colossus. What did they pray for? They prayed that they would be filled with the knowledge of His will, literally, that they would be filled with the full knowledge of His will, that's what the Greek means, the full knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that they would be filled with an understanding of what the Bible teaches. And they would know and have the ability of wisdom and understanding how to apply it in everyday living. That is basically what the Apostle is requesting of them. In order that, our prayer is that you will be filled with the full knowledge of His will whereby you would know how to apply it in all areas of life, so that, the text says, in order that, verse 10, you may have a walk that is worthy of the Lord. A walk that is fitting and proper for Christians. You will live and act, that's what it means to walk worthy of the Lord, in such a way that is appropriate. A disciple is to have a certain kind of lifestyle in reference to his master, right? A child is to act a certain way in the light of his father. And so it is for the Christian. He's to have a walk that is worthy of the Lord, not worthy in the sense that he earns salvation, that he merits salvation. That could never be. But it has the idea of things being balanced. You see? things should be equal on the right and on the left. It's like a scale. You put so much on this side and so much on this side. It's got to be equal. It's got to balance. So it is. If Christ is our Savior, if God is our Father, if the Holy Spirit lives within us, if we've been blessed with all spiritual blessings, if we are filled with the knowledge of His will, if we have all of these blessings, it's appropriate on the other side that we should live a certain way. See, it balances. It's the right thing. It fits. So that's the idea of walking worthy of the Lord. Not that we earn our salvation. A lady just said to me yesterday. She says to me, Pastor Gabe, you must be a good man. You deserve this nice house that you have here in New Jersey. I said, I don't deserve anything. All I deserve is to be burning in hell. That's all I deserve. I didn't deserve nothing, and I had an opportunity to share with her the gospel. This woman from Venezuela, whose husband is a Christian, but I don't think she is. And so I was able to share with her that we're not worthy of anything. So, if we walk a lifestyle that is worthy of the Lord, we're doing what we're supposed to do. We're acting the way we're supposed to. It's the right thing to do. Select things that fit. You see? And so Paul says, I want you to be filled with the full knowledge of His will and you will have such a knowledge of wisdom and understanding, you know how to apply it, so that your lifestyle will be such that you will walk, it's fitting, it's proper, you live in the right way, in a way that is appropriate and proper before God. And then he says, the way you walk worthily before the Lord, it has to do three things. You fully pleasing Him, look at your Bible, verse 10, in order that you may walk worthy of the Lord. Number one, fully pleasing Him. Number two, being fruitful in every good work. And number three, increasing in the knowledge of God. What does it mean to live a life that is worthy of the Lord? Walking in a worthy manner. These are the three areas the apostle brings up. You walk a lifestyle that is pleasing to him, number one. Secondly, you are fruitful in every good work. And number three, you are increasing in the knowledge of God. What I want to do this morning, because I only touched up on these three things last week, two weeks ago, very, very briefly. I want to pick up on the third aspect. of what it proves, of what it means to live a life worthy of the Lord. To live a life worthy of the Lord is to please Him, to be fruitful in every good work and to be increasing in the knowledge of God. That is the phrase I want to pick up on and further expand. We really just mentioned it two weeks ago. Increasing in the knowledge of God is a manifestation of walking a life that is worthy of the Lord. Just like pleasing Him, that's an evidence that I'm living a life worthy of the Lord. If I'm fruitful in every good work, that's an evidence, that's the proof that I'm living a life walking worthy of the Lord. And so it is with increasing in the knowledge of God. And the word here increasing is the traditional New Testament word for growing. We have to be growing in the knowledge of God. It's the whole idea of Luke chapter 1, when it talks about John the Baptist, when he was a little infant. And Jesus, when they grew, the scripture says they were growing up. Physically they were developing. Just like every normal child, they develop. Their infants, their toddlers, their muscles, their hair, their face, their body, everything develops. Normal growth. That's the way this word, increasing, growth, same Greek word, is used about John the Baptist and it's used about Jesus who were growing up. Jesus uses this in some of his sermons. In one of the sermons he says, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. The same word. See the lilies, those beautiful flowers, they grow. They come out of the ground and then they develop. They fully grow and they show their beautiful colors, of course lilies valley and they show their white, excuse me, and the beautiful fragrance. So they develop, they grow, the plant comes up and it grows. That's the same word. This word is also used to speak of spiritual growth. The Bible says as newborn babies, Receive the sincere milk of the word in order that you may grow. Same word. So it speaks about spiritual growth. It speaks about physical growth. And it talks about plants and flowers growing and developing. See? So this is the word that is used here. And what's interesting about this, it is a structure of the Greek language that it is continuous action. In other words, what the apostle is saying One of the proofs that you are walking worthy of the Lord is that you are growing, you are continuously, constantly increasing and growing in the longer you go. It's not something you do once and you don't do it again. It's not something you do Monday and Tuesday and you stop Wednesday, Thursday, no. It's every day, it's a constant, it's a continuation. That's the way the Word. I won't tell you the terminology of the Greek language, but it's present, continuous, ongoing action. You don't do it once and stop. You do it the first day and you don't stop doing it until you die as a Christian. You're constantly increasing. That's the language of the word. You're growing. Just like children physically grow. Just like plants grow. They just don't stop. And if they stop, there's something wrong. It's sad to see sometimes children who are stunted in their growth because of some medical problem. It's sad, isn't it? You see parents having little children. I have a someone whom I know for their child is never going to develop. And it's sad, isn't it? It's sad. But normal physical growth, normal growth of flowers, normal spiritual growth is something that you see it and it continues and it goes. And so it is in the Christian life. We have to be growing daily, every day, increasing constantly in our knowledge of God. But this word knowledge of God, it's interesting. That word knowledge is the same Greek word back in verse 9. Look at verse 9. Paul prays in order that you may be filled with the knowledge. Remember what we said last time? With the full knowledge of his will. Well, this is the same word. So what Paul is actually praying, or Paul is saying, if you're living a life that is worthy of the Lord, one of the ways that you will see it, is you will be constantly increasing in the full knowledge of God. The full knowledge of God. That's what the word. The word is strengthening the aspect of fullness. Not just a little bit. Not that much. A full amount. You never stop increasing in the knowledge of God. As a matter of fact, keep your finger there and just go backwards two letters. You got Philippians, go backwards towards the New Testament. Look at the book of Ephesians. Chapter 3. Look at chapter 3 and verse 17 and 18. Chapter 3, verse 17, 18 and 19. Well, let's start at verse 18. Paul says that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and the length and the depth and the height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. Now notice the next phrase. In order that you may be filled with the fullness of God. See what it says? You gotta be filled with all that God is. Now no creature made in the image of God, no creature saved by Jesus Christ can ever experience all that God is. God is so immense, so awesome. That's why John 1.18 says, no man has seen God at any time. In an absolute sense, no man has ever seen God in all that he is. We can never know God in a complete total way that we know everything about God because we're limited. Our knowledge of God is real, true and accurate, but it's not infinite. Only the Son knows the Father in an infinite way. Only the Holy Spirit knows the Son and the Father in an infinite way. They know each other completely. There's nothing they don't know about each other. And they love each other in an infinite way. So it is with us as Christians. We know God truly and sincerely and rightly so, but we can never know God in a full 100% in the sense of all that God is. We know everything. No, because God is so vast. He's so above us. But the apostle says, even though that's true, I don't want you to lose out on the fact that I want you to increase in the full knowledge of God. Don't be satisfied, what Paul is saying, with your knowledge of God. Don't say I've arrived. I know everything I need to know about God. I'm happy now. I just roll and rest and relax and don't worry about anything. Paul says no. Continuously increase. Now did they have knowledge of God already? Yes. Yes they did. But increase continuously daily in the full knowledge of God. That is the evidence of walking a life that is worthy of the Lord. Alright? What is the doctrine that we deduce or get out of this text of scripture? Here is the doctrine. Christians are to grow and increase daily, constantly, continuously in the full knowledge of God. That is the teaching of this text. Number one, Christians are to increase in their factual knowledge of God. What do I mean by factual? What I mean by that is information. the teachings of the Bible. When the Bible describes to us the characteristics of God, it gives us information, it gives us facts about the Bible. We are to grow in our factual information about God and His person. We are to increase in that knowledge that factual knowledge of God. That is, we are as Christians to discern and understand to a greater degree every day of our lives more of the attributes of God, the character of God, the nature of God, the purposes of God, you see. We are to continuously grow in our knowledge of information and facts that the Bible gives to us in reference to who God is, what He is, and what He has promised to do. This is another way in which we may walk worthy of the Lord so as to please Him. It is by endeavoring to become more acquainted with His true character, God is pleased with those who desire to understand what He is, what He does, and what He purposes. So says an old Presbyterian. God is pleased, Albert Barnes. He's pleased. He delights. That's how we live a life worthy of the Lord. If you're increasing, if you have a passion, I want to know what God is like. I want to understand about his nature. Now part of that increase in the knowledge is factual. First of all, we have to receive the information. We have to study the scriptures. It's got to come here first before it comes here. I shall love the Lord thy God with all my soul, strength and The Bible speaks about the renewing of the mind, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. And so in our mind, we need to have accurate assessment of the character of God. Keep your finger there in Colossians. Go to the book of Job, chapter 11, right before the book of Psalms. Chapter 11 in the book of Job. Notice how Job puts it this way. Probably the oldest book in the Bible. Job chapter 11, verse 7 through 9. I think, let me see if I have the right words. Yes. Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven. What can you do? They're deeper than Sheol. What can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. So Job is saying, can you search out all the deep things of God? Can you find out all that God is? Now we can never find out all that God is. But the point of the Christian's life is he never stops searching and yearning and longing to know what God is like. He wants to know. He never is satisfied. He can never say, I know everything about God. But no, as he keeps searching. for the deep things of God. Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? We can never understand all that God is. But that doesn't mean we should stop and get satisfied and stop. No! We should always be increasing and yearning and longing and searching. That ought to be the passion of our hearts. Keeping your finger there in Job 26, we'll come back to in a minute. The proper study of the Christian is the Godhead. A Christian's desire is to study what God is like. The name, the nature, the person, the doings of the great God which he calls his father. This said the great Baptist preacher Spurgeon. Now look at chapter 26 of verse 14 of Job. Look at chapter 26. Keeping your finger there in Colossians please. Chapter 26 and verse 14. Notice what Job says. No, no wonder, right, okay. Indeed, these are the mere edges of His ways. And how shall a whisper, how small a whisper we hear of Him, but the thunder of His power, who can understand? Again, it's the same idea, is that Job is saying, there's so much to know about God. He says, indeed these are the mere edges of His ways. We're like just beginning on the edge of understanding everything that God is like. He says, how small a whisper we hear. We just hear a little whisper about God. It's so little that we know about Him. Paul's passion, Job's passion is to desire to know about God. He never ever stops. Learning. Alright? Turn to 2nd Peter chapter 1. 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 5 and 6. Keeping your finger there in Colossians, please. 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 5 and 6. You and I as Christians, if we profess to be believers in Jesus Christ, here's what the Bible tells us to do. 2 Peter 1, 5 and 6, but also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, and to your virtue, knowledge, and to your knowledge, self-control. What do we add to our lives? We add knowledge. Knowledge is to be part of the everyday Christian experience. We are to be growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. With our knowledge. We're never to arrive at a point, I know everything there is to know about God. I've studied all the books on theology, I've studied all the verses on the Bible, and I'm satisfied. No, with the continually increasing in factual information about God. Many who name the name of Christ today have only a weak and a superficial view of God, said MacArthur, and I wholeheartedly agree. Our concept of God The information we have heard about God and understood about God, if we accept it as true, will affect your whole life, if it comes to the heart, starts in the head. It will affect everything about your life. A man who understands in his mind and in his heart who God really is, through faith in Jesus Christ, it will revolutionize everything in your life. Everything. And the more we know about this God, the more revolutionary our lives will be. Things will change. Things will be put in their proper perspective because we're learning more about the God who has made us. Paul says to the Colossians, increase in the full knowledge of God keep getting information in your mind to understand to have proper concept of the God of the Bible and don't allow your Pagan concepts of what God is like to influence you of what the Bible's concept of God is. You see, because these guys in Colossae had been saved out of pagan cultures, right? And much of those cultures were what? They were bowed down to what? To statues. They worshipped in these God, in these temples. And according to Acts chapter 17, there were so many kinds of gods. and they would have the tendency to bring this concept of God into the Christian life. And Paul says, no, no. Increase in the full knowledge of the true God and get rid of those old concepts of what you thought God was like. Move it aside. Get brainwashed with who God really is and remove all those other ideas of what you think God is. Paul is insisting that we are to grow in factual knowledge about God. But you know what? If we stop right there, the old brain, and never went beyond that, that is not biblical knowledge of God. Increasing in the knowledge of God begins with the brain. It begins with the intellect, with the mind. So we perceive in our brain the correct understanding from scripture, what God is like, with dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Christians then need to grow in their personal, intimate knowledge of God. What they know in their head has to come down into the heart. Knowing what God is like is foundational to knowing God Himself. Knowing what God is like, factual information about God, knowing what God is like, is foundational to knowing God Himself, intimately and personally. You can't know God intimately and personally, unless you know what God is like. You've got to know Him. You've got to know something of His characteristics. And that's what Paul did in Acts chapter 17. When he's dealing with pagans, he tells them things about God. God is creator. God is sustainer. God is law giver. God is judge. See? That's what Paul does. And so, if you and I want to have an intimate knowledge of God, a personal knowledge of God, we need to increase in our factual knowledge of God, which leads to intimacy between us and God. Friendship and fellowship is based upon knowledge, said A.W. Pink, correctly so. Friendship, fellowship with God is based upon knowledge. You've got to have right concepts of God. You see? And so if we have right concepts of God, that ought to lead to friendship, fellowship, intimacy. Now Christians already know God, don't they? Would you turn with me to John chapter 17 and verse 3. In John chapter 17 verse 3, probably a very familiar verse of the Bible. Notice how Jesus describes eternal life. Jesus describes eternal life in this way. John 17 verse 3. This is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. According to this text, Eternal life is defined, it is equated with an equation is being given by our Savior. Eternal life equals knowing God equals knowing Christ. That's what he's saying in this text. A Christian who has eternal life, he knows God. He knows God truly and sincerely. And he knows Him intimately. I want to prove that to you from the Bible. Turn with me to 1st John chapter 4 and verse 7. 1st John, go towards the book of Revelation in that general area. 1st John chapter 4 and verse 7. 1st John 4 and verse 7. 1 John 4 verse 7, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God, and what? Knows God. A person who's born of God, that's a Christian, he knows God. He knows God factually, and as we shall see in a few minutes, intimately and personally. He has an intimate relationship with this God. This is the same thing that the writer of Hebrews said that in the days of the New Covenant, one of the characteristics of the New Covenant era, that's it, we're in the New Covenant now. The old covenant was the days with Israel, now we're in the New Covenant. One of the characteristics of the establishing of the New Covenant after Jesus would come and accomplish salvation at Calvary would be this. that the whole church all of God's true people would have this characteristic and that is this Hebrews 8 you don't have to turn there and they show all know me from the least of them to the greatest they're all gonna know me that's the word they're gonna know me factually and intimately they're gonna know me in their head and they're gonna know me in the heart so a Christian is a person who already knows God. He knows Him intimately. That's what eternal life is all about. He knows Him personally. God is as real to him as the sun up in the sky. And he prays to Him. He worships Him. He loves Him. He prays to Him. And he knows that God is there. He's real. He doesn't see Him with the eyes. But he knows He's there. The Word of God is true. And he sees God answering prayer. God changing his life. God doing this and God doing that. God solving his problems. God forgiving his sins. God removing the trouble. doing so many miraculous things. God is real to the Christian because he has an intimate relationship with Him. Now the word intimate is what we mean, not what we mean, what the Bible means. So when a Christian knows God, it's intimacy. You say, how do you know Pastor Gabe? Well, you know this because the word know in the Bible is used in reference to intimacy. Adam knew his wife Eve. In what sense? Obviously in the context of sexual intimacy, because they had a baby. Now how more intimate can a husband and wife get in the beautiful marriage bond of sexual union? It's a very intimate, it's not just physical, it's emotional, it's psychological, it's everything about the husband and the wife entering in the blessing of holy matrimony in the context of sexual intimacy. It's intimate, it's personal. See, that's what marriage is all about. It's Adam knew his wife Eve. And so it says in other places of scripture, the way the word no has the idea of intimacy on the day of judgment. People are going to come to Jesus, Matthew chapter 7. We don't have time to turn it. You read it at your leisure. Lord, Lord, did we not cast out demons in your name? Did we not do many wonderful works in your name? Lord, look what all we did. Jesus is going to say to them, depart from me. I never knew you. Now does that mean I never had information about you? No. Jesus is God. He knows everything. I never knew you intimately, personally. I never had a relationship with you. You were never mine and I was never yours. I never knew you. The word no there has to be I never had an intimate relationship with you. And so it is in the book of Amos chapter 3 and verse 2. We read these words. God comes to the nation of Israel and he says this, you only have I known of all the nations of the world. What does that tell us? God had an intimate relationship with the nation of Israel that he did not have with the rest of the world. He's not saying I only have information about you and I don't have information about all the other nations. God knows everything. But the word there has the idea of intimacy. I know you in an intimate way. I am your covenant God. You are my people. He knew them in a way that he did not know the rest. So that is the concept of intimate knowledge. And this intimate knowledge that the Christian already has is to increase daily, consistently, constantly of the full knowledge of God. He's to be yearning for more knowledge of God. He already has knowledge, true knowledge in the head and in the heart and in the life. But he must never, she must never, ever get to the point, I'm satisfied with the knowledge of God. Now I want to take you to two other texts to show you the importance again of this aspect of Christians who already know God. But they of necessity must continue to know and to increase in this knowledge of God. Go back to the book of Job, this time to chapter 42. Chapter 42. This is at the end of all the heartaches and the troubles that Job had in his life. Chapter 42 verse 5 and verse 6. Job chapter 42. Notice chapter 42 verse 5 and 6, Job is reflecting upon God's dealings with him. You study it in your own leisure. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you. Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. What Job is saying, I've known you and throughout the book, Job clearly knows God. But now at the end of the book, when you God come down and straighten me out, exactly what God did, He straightened out Job. Job, were you there when I created the world? Job, were you there when I spoke the galaxies into being? Were you there when I created all the creatures in the sea and they go around playing? Were you there, Job? How dare you question me, Job? Don't you know who I am? I'm God. And after God comes and tells Job who he really is, now Job already knew God, but he was mixed up in some of his thinking. And Job says, now I see you. Now I understand. What's the point? His knowledge of God increased. That's the point. You see that? Now I want you to see one of the texts. Philippians chapter 3, verse 10. Where we see another man of God like Job, this is the Apostle Paul, where his knowledge of God increased. And he was never ever satisfied like too many modern day Christians. Philippians chapter 3, right before the book of Colossians, verse 10. Paul is writing and telling the Christians that his desire, according to verse 9, that I may be found in him, that is in Jesus Christ, and I have in my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God, by faith, in order that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. Or that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering, being conformed to his death. I have a question for you. Did Paul know Jesus Christ? Yes. Paul says, oh, that I might know him. Paul, you already know him. Paul says, I'm not satisfied with my knowing and my knowledge of Christ. I want to know him more intimately, more closely, more fully. Paul practiced what he preached. When he says to the Colossians that you might increase with the full knowledge of God, he says I want that. I want to know Christ. I know him already but I'm not satisfied with what I know. I want to know him more accurately in the mind and I want to know him more intimately in the heart. So the Bible is establishing very clearly that a Christian who becomes stagnant with his knowledge of God in the head and in the heart is in terrible spiritual condition. By stagnant, you just stop or you feel like you've arrived or there's no increasing in our knowledge of God in the head or in the heart. That person is not doing well spiritually according to the Bible. Normal Christianity Living a life that is walking worthy of the Lord is increasing in the full knowledge of God. We already know God, but we're not to be satisfied. There's so much more of the fullness of God to be known. And so here's the teaching of the text. The doctrine is a true Christian is continuously, constantly growing in his understanding of who God is in his mind and experiencing intimacy with this God in his heart. That is the teaching of the text. That is what it means to walk worthy of the Lord. Anything other than that is not living the life worthy of the Lord. This one characteristic as well as others. That is what it means as Christians to walk worthy of the Lord by increasing in the knowledge of God. Now by way of application, this is one of the distinguishing marks of every person is not a Christian. Would you tell me to second Thessalonians chapter 2? A non-Christian cannot really increase in his knowledge of God. He may increase in his factual knowledge of God, but spiritually and intimately he cannot increase in the knowledge of God. Why pass the gate? Well, look at 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, chapter 1 verse 89. 2 Thessalonians 1, 8 and 9. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, beginning at verse 7. And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, he's going to take vengeance, he's going to get even with those, how are they described? Who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the day of judgment, who is Jesus going to punish? Those who don't know God. You know what it says? They don't know God. They may have information about God, but they don't have intimate knowledge of God in their heart. And so I'm here to tell you, if you're not a Christian, you need to be very, very concerned. Extremely concerned. Because you may have information in the head, but if the information in the head hasn't come down to your heart, you don't know God. Go into the Bible. You don't know God intimately and personally. And the day of judgment is going to reveal that if you don't know God, God's gonna punish you everlastingly in hell. So the next verse goes on to say. So you see, if you're not a Christian and you don't know God, Oh, if I could just, and I can't, only God the Holy Spirit can burn it into your heart. This is your greatest concern in life. You don't know God. You really don't know God. And if you don't know God, what good is anything else? Will you take this to heart, some of you, who've heard the gospel for 50, 100, 200 years and years. You don't know God. And it doesn't matter what else you know. You don't know the most important thing. You don't know God intimately, personally. God is not your Father. Jesus is not your Savior. He's not your Lord. And if that's so, Jesus will come to punish those who don't know God. But you can know God now, while you're alive today, right there in the pew. You can know Him intimately, personally, as you cry out to God the Holy Spirit. Oh, I want to know God. I want to know Jesus Christ. And how do you know Him? You know Him and you receive His salvation by looking to the cross and seeing the back of the cross. God showed His love for us in that while we were sinners. Christ died for us. Jesus shed His blood for us. You see, that's what 1 Peter 3.18 means. He, the just one, Jesus, died for the unjust. That He might bring us to God. That He might enable us to know God, intimately, personally. You see, it's the death of Jesus. It's the sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary when He was making atonement for sinners like you and like me. That becomes the basis, the only basis of knowing the God of the Bible. You've got to know Him today, tomorrow, but before you die, you've got to know God and His salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Don't let another summer pass by. And if some of you have these doubts and these fears and you're confused in your brain, you say, I don't know what to do. Let me just say this from the scriptures. Do you know how to open your mind? Just go to God and tell Him sincerely. Don't play games with God. You play games with God, God sees right through you. Tell God the truth. Say, God, the Bible says I'm a sinner. I hear people like Peter saying, depart from me, Lord, I'm a sinful man. Lord, I want to say that, I don't know how to say it. Ask God to help you to say it and to mean it from your heart. Tell that to God. You can do that, can't you? You can talk to God. Talk to God. Say, God, please help me. I want to know that I'm a sinner, but I don't feel it. I really don't think I'm so bad. You know, I always look at the good things and the bad things. Well, somehow the better things will outweigh the... No, God, I want to see that I'm filthy, disgusting in your sight. Pastor Gabe, why do you use that language? That's what the Bible describes you and me. Abominable, depraved, corrupt, defiled, twisted. Not much good for your self-esteem or mine, does it? But that's the Bible's conception of you and me. And so tell God the truth. I want to feel my sins, but I don't feel them. Tell that to God. Ask God, please change me. And I see, I understand a little bit that Jesus is the only way of salvation, but I don't, I see and I don't. I see Jesus did it, but I feel like I gotta do something too. Tell God the truth. Tell him, be honest with God. There's nothing better that God loves is honesty and truthfulness. Go to God and talk to him, pray to him. Say, Lord, I want to see that Jesus is my only way of going to heaven, but I don't feel that way. I somehow feel like I got to put money in the offering plate, and I've got to say a few little prayers, and I've got to do a few good deeds. Lord, help me to see that nothing in my hand I can bring. I simply must trust only Jesus and Jesus alone. Tell that to God. Because until you come to know God in Jesus Christ, life has no meaning for you. You're wasting your time. You don't know God. You're wasting it. Life is a waste apart from a true, intimate, personal knowledge of the Living God through Jesus Christ, His Son. And you can know Him. This is not just for certain people. It's for everybody who wants it. You want it? It's yours. If you sincerely want it, from your heart, go to God. Tell God, I want to know you. Because until you begin to know Him, you cannot increase in the full knowledge of knowing Him. You got to begin somewhere. And where do you begin? Go to the cross. Bow at the cross, figuratively speaking, and say to Jesus, oh Jesus, I'm a sinner. I need to be saved. I want to have the true knowledge of you, Lord. I don't know you. I want my sins forgiven. Tell that to the Lord. Go to the Lord. Ask him to do for you what you will never do for yourself. I'm trying to encourage some of you. I know some of you are struggling with this. You're caught between two worlds. And all I can tell you is the Lord Jesus will answer the sincere prayer of a sincere heart. If you really mean business with God, if you really truly do, God will meet you when you need. He'll meet you. He'll definitely meet you. Why? Because there's nothing better that God desires than sincerity of heart, honesty, transparency. You'll let it all hang out. Tell God exactly how you feel and ask God to do for yourself what you can never do. for yourself and say Lord have mercy because Jesus died look to Jesus and Jesus alone and you'll know God then your sins will be forgiven life will have meaning you'll have peace with God you'll know if you die tonight you're gonna go to heaven that's what it means yes yes but if you don't know God there's nothing to look forward to except hell and damnation oh yes your Lord you're young you got a few years to live you can maybe raise children you get married Go on vacation. It's all going to come to an end, doesn't it? Quicker than you think, right? Make it your priority to find God, to look for God, to find Jesus Christ and his salvation, right? The scripture says, now acquaint yourself with him and be at peace. Get to know this God through his son Christ and you'll find him to be merciful and gracious and loving and kind. My remainder of the time is with my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and that is this. Here is my way of application. Are you an increasing member of Tottenville Evangelical Free Church or a Christian who is not a member of this church? Are you increasing in your factual knowledge of God? Are you satisfied? Remember what the text says. Continuously increasing. The full knowledge of God. Not just a little, full. Are you increasing? That's what Paul is telling the Colossians, and he's telling to you and I, he's telling the elders, and he's telling the congregational members, and all other Christians in general, of every place, he's telling them, increase in your knowledge of God. And what is our response? It's our response, we've arrived. Would you turn with me to an Old Testament book? Go to Isaiah, and then we're gonna work our way backwards, right? Go to Isaiah, Isaiah is practically in the middle of your Bible. Find the prophet Isaiah, and then go to Jeremiah. You're going towards the New Testament now. Go to Lamentations, and then go to Daniel, and then go to the prophet Hosea. Hosea. Oh, I forgot the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel and Daniel. And then you got Hosea. Okay, is everyone there? Hosea chapter 4 verse 1. It's the first prophet after the book of Daniel. Okay, Hosea chapter 4 verse 1 and verse 6. Hear the word of the Lord. God tells his Old Testament people. You children of Israel, For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land. There's no truth, no mercy, and there's no knowledge of God in the land. Verse 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being my priest. Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children. Now whatever this is saying, it surely includes one thing. My people of the Old Testament have rejected. They don't have much knowledge about me in their head. And that knowledge is not coming down into the heart. We are to be increasing in our knowledge of God beginning with the head. Because unless we do, we're going to be destroyed. My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge. The lack of knowledge amongst God's people is a terrible destructive thing to your spiritual life and to the whole life of the church. Why you say that Pastor Gabe? Let me tell you why. Because one Christian is growing and advancing in his factual knowledge of the God of the Bible. And your knowledge of the Bible is infantile, it is baby-like, you're still in kindergarten, and then it's half the congregation of church members, their concept of God is like in the infant stages, and the other half of the congregation are in college, they're in the university in the reference to their understanding. What's the problem? Think about it. How does a college student communicate with a three-year-old? Is there any communication? No, they don't understand each other. They talk two different languages. That's the game. Are you insulting us, members of the church, what infantile the Bible does say? Certain Christians are babies. Did I say that? 1 Corinthians 3, verse 1, certain people are babies. And if you're a baby in reference to your knowledge of the factual knowledge of God, and then there's going to be the rest of the congregation, they're grown up in their knowledge of God. They're making great advances. You're not going to have any relationship with them. When you talk to them, you're going to be lost in space. You don't know what they're talking about. You're not going to be able to have much fellowship with them. You know why? Because their concept of God, their knowledge of God is not your knowledge of God and yet you're a true Christian. No one is questioning that. But you can't enter into the level of fellowship in reference to your knowledge of God because you're down here and he's up there. They're up there and you're down there. That's ridiculous. You ought not to be that way. You ought to grow up as a Christian in your knowledge. Whatever hinders you from getting accurate knowledge of the God of the Bible is your enemy. Your job, your family, your friends, your career, your responsibilities, even if they're legitimate. They're your enemies. Why? They're keeping you from a concept and a proper knowledge of the God of the Bible. If you not are increasing in your knowledge of God in reference to the mind, you are violating Colossians 1.10. You're disobeying the Apostle. And to disobey the Apostle, you're disobeying the Lord Jesus. And you will never ever really have, at least in this issue, a life that is walking worthy of the Lord. See? That's what the evidence is. So you ought to as a Christian, making your life's ambition. That to know God and increasing your knowledge of God is your life's calling. You know, it's amazing how people want to become experts in whatever, computers. They want to become experts in fixing cars. They want to become experts in this area, in that area, in this area. They want to have all the information, all the knowledge. Oh, how so few Christians want to become experts in the knowledge of the God of the Bible. I'm not saying they're not Christians, but we just get too satisfied. We want to rest. as if getting knowledge of God is not going to bring us rest. That's exactly what brings us real satisfaction and rest. Listen to a man by the name of J.I. Packer who wrote a book called Knowing God. Notice what he says. The conviction behind this book is that ignorance of God, ignorance both of his ways and the practice of communion with him lies at the root of much of the church's weakness today. And I agree with that a hundred percent. And though we are a, quote, technically, somewhat of a reformed Baptist church, that's what we are, according to our confession, whether we even like that terminology, that's what we are. Even amongst us, ignorance of God and His ways is still clearly in my eyes here. And we've not yet arrived to the full knowledge of God. We're not increasing in the knowledge of God. To the degree that I believe the light and the privileges that have been given to us as a congregation, we're not responding as quickly as we ought to. We're responding. But the full knowledge of God is not overflowing amongst us. Pastor Gabe, how do you see such things? Well, let me give you some suggestions. And by the way, before I say that, let me say this. Proverbs 9 says, the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. The more we know Him, the more we have real understanding. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding, the beginning of knowledge. You see, you and I as Christians. Would you go with me to an Old Testament book, Isaiah chapter 6. And I want you to see a Christian. His name was Isaiah. He was a child of God. He had his faith in Messiah who was to come. Isaiah chapter 6. I want you to see how a Christian needs to increase in his knowledge of God. And when we do, certain things happen. Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1. In the year that King Uzziah died, I Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on the throne high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple. Now here's the point I want to make from this text. Uzziah was a very powerful king. He was a righteous king. We discussed him a number of weeks ago. He died. When he died, in some ways he died, his military power in some ways died with him because he was a very powerful leader. And Isaiah was, as well as other believers there in Judah and others, were concerned. Now that our great mighty king has died, maybe the enemies of God are going to come and destroy us. And so, Isaiah is given a vision by God to remind Isaiah who's really in charge. Oh yes, you've lost a powerful king. But in the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting where? Sitting on a throne. Oh yes, our earthly king is gone, but our heavenly king is still on the throne. So this was to encourage Isaiah and all the Israelites, the people of Judah. Uzziah dies, Isaiah has a vision of God. And notice this vision of God. His intensity, his understanding of God deepens. If our understanding of God is increasing, certain things are going to happen. Notice what happens. Verse 3, I'm going to skip verse 2. And one cried to one another, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. And the post of the door was shaken by the voice of him who cried out. And the house was filled with smoke. So I said, now before I deal with verse 5, I want you to see what Isaiah sees. Isaiah sees God sitting upon a throne of majesty. Is that what he sees? God, Isaiah sees God as a holy God, a righteous God. And these angelic beings, these seraphims and these cherubims, what are they doing? They're covering their faces. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Isaiah has a increased knowledge of the God of the Bible in reference to His majesty and in reference to His holiness. And what happens? Isaiah's knowledge of God is increasing. It affects him in the way he lives. Now notice how he's affected. Verse 5, So I said, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Why? For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. One of the greatest signs that proves to us that our knowledge of God in our heads and in our hearts is accurate and appropriate and it's affecting the way we live, it will be a reality of our own sinful. Was Isaiah already converted? Yes, he was. Was Isaiah going to heaven? Yes, he was. Was Isaiah a godly man? Yes, he was. He was the prophet of God in the Old Testament. He's more quoted in the New Testament than any other Old Testament prophet. He's quoted 74 times. He has been called the evangelical prophet. So much of the Lord Jesus is revealed in the book of Isaiah, particularly Isaiah chapter 53. But when Isaiah has a vision of God, his understanding of God is intensified, is increased. He reacts with it with a sense of shame over his sin. I'm undone. I have unclean lips. I live amongst the people who are unclean. I'm a sinful man. His awareness of his own depravity as a Christian, as a converted man, intensified and increased. And my dear brethren and sisters, the way you and I really truly fully know whether or not in fact our knowledge of God is increasing in the head and in the heart is our awareness of our own sinfulness. The more God becomes bigger and greater and more majestic, as He is, and more holy, as He is, and more just, as He is, in our eyes, the smaller we become, the less insignificant we become. We become in the eyes and in the language of Isaiah chapter 40. All the nations are reputed as nothing in his sight. We're like a drop in the bucket. We're insignificant. We're nothing. That's what Isaiah chapter 40 says. When you and I get a vision of God, we see we're nothing. We're small. We're insignificant. We're like worms. That's what the Bible says. We're insignificant. We're worthless and worse than that. We're sinful. Isaiah had a vision of God and it brought him to a sense of an awareness of his own depravity as a Christian. Christian brother and Christian sister, when is the last time in the midst of a worship service that you came away feeling polluted and defiled? Isaiah was going to be used by God. Isaiah was intensified in his knowledge of God and his increase in it affected him. as a Christian, and it affected him in reference to I'm nothing, I'm insignificant, I'm sinful. And some of us, my dear brethren, need to increase in this area. I believe God has brought understanding to us. We thank God for what he's done. But the language of the text, we are to increase in the full knowledge of God. And part of the knowledge of God that I do believe we still lack is this, the holiness, the justice, and the fear of God. Some of us has really, truly converted Christians. We're going to heaven. Our sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ. I do not deny that. The evidence is clear. You're going to heaven. But like Isaiah, we've not yet had such an increase in our full knowledge of God as to affect us with a sense of reverence. So that when we begin the worship service, before we begin the worship, we stop this talking amongst ourselves. You've not come to meet other believers in church. Who have you come to meet? God. Meet the Christians after. Not before. At least 15 minutes before the worship. At least. Everyone should be upstairs preparing your heart to meet God. My dear brothers and sisters, we've lost that. We start it again, now we're beginning to lose it again. It doesn't matter what your brother thinks at that point. Forget it. What matters, you want to meet God. You study Exodus chapter 19. You find when God is about to give the Ten Commandments, he says, Moses, tell the people to get ready, prepare, and they've got to prepare to meet God. Some of us are too loose coming into the presence of God. We cozy up to God too much. Oh, we just, we want to talk downstairs, and then 30 seconds, rush upstairs. Oh, that's irreverent. That's disrespectful to God. Isaiah, when he saw God, he was on his face. I don't have time to go to Exodus, how Abraham, he bows down to the case. How Moses, he bows down to the face, everybody's on their face, before this awesome God. Isaiah, when he had so much to say about Messiah, Jesus, he would come, he's down on his face, he's unclean, he's filthy. We've got to catch a renewed sense of the full knowledge of God and his attributes in reference to his holiness. Yes, yes, yes, I believe in the love of God, but some of us have started to come and we're slipping back, and I'm concerned. Don't slip back. Because too much of that kind of slipping back, you know where that's found? In most evangelical churches. This closing up to God. He's my buddy. We don't use that kind of language, but that's where we are. Everybody's talking before the service. And even in the middle of the service. And then after the service, there's no effect. The preacher can preach the most powerful sermon. And people just go around outside and start talking about the weather. Where is the sense of awe? My dear brethren, we've caught it. We're beginning to lose it. Paul says, don't lose it. You've got to increase in it, in the full knowledge you've got. Don't lose it. Become aware of your own sinfulness, so that before the worship service, you come and you confess your sins. You know what I say? You're ready to meet God, and when you're going to meet God, what are you supposed to do? Oh God, this week I live in so much terrible sins. Forgive me my sins. Lord, send the Holy Spirit to the pastor Dave as he preaches. He's not preaching at the wall, he's preaching at me. It's affecting me. Lord, I want a revival. Revivals don't come automatically, you know. God is sovereign, he does do it, but he does it through prayer, in answer to prayer. So my dear brethren, we've got to increase in the knowledge of God and in his attributes. Man is never sufficiently affected by the awareness of his humble estate, that means he's nothing, until he compares himself with God's majesty. So said John Calvin. And as Christians, as he was a Christian, we need to increase in the sense of the majesty of God so that we put a seal upon our lips And we say, brother, I'd like to talk to you. Can we talk after the service? I've got to go meet God. Would you be offended if a Christian brother said that to you? No, because you said, you're right, brother. Thank you. That's exactly what I need to do, too. We need to close and save for later. I'm going to go meet God now. To meet God is a serious thing. You see, that's where my concern is. We don't understand. Charles Stanley. Let me talk about Charles Stanley. I don't agree with everything Charles Stanley believes. But let me tell you, he preached a powerful sermon two weeks ago. Charleston is a good man, very good man. And as long as you make sure that, you know, you check everything from the scripture. Very good man. I don't agree with everything. I'm sure he has his fault. But he preached a sermon on the fear of God. When we come to the presence of God, we take the name of God. What are we doing? My son has it on tape. What are we doing? We have no concept. We lost it. I have to agree with that. In this continuity of evangelical preaching, we've lost some of it. We're beginning to recover it, and then you know what happens? After two weeks, we slip back. I see people talking, no sense of reverence. Dear brethren, that's not the way it ought to be. You love the Lord. I know you do. But Paul says to the Colossians who already love the Lord, increase in your knowledge of the Father. I'm not embarrassed to say this in front of visitors. I want them to know we're not a perfect church. If they were to want to become part of us, we're not becoming part of a perfect church. We're still sinners. We still sin. And Christians appreciate that when they see you're honest, instead of pretending to be something that you're not really. We've got to grow in some areas. We've got to come up to the standard of the word of God. We've got to become like Abraham. We've got to become like Isaiah. And not be satisfied with, I can't be like Abraham. Who said you can't be like Abraham? Who said you can't be like Moses? Who said you can't be like Isaiah? What was special about them? They were sinners just like us, right? They can become that way, humble, reverent, awe-stricken, at the same time rejoicing in their salvation. We're adopted. We're children of God. God is our Father. I don't want you to lose that. The Bible never wants you to lose that. But at the same time, He's sitting upon the throne. We're going to go meet our Father. 15 minutes at least. At least 10 minutes before the service. Everyone of us stop talking. There will be a holy hush. Encourage your children not to talk. Running around. We're going to go meet God. And in Exodus chapter 19, the people were to prepare themselves. There's a sense of, oh, what a tremendous privilege. If the Queen of England, we don't believe in those things anyway, but the Queen of England was to step in. The Queen of England, the President of the United States, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, dear brethren, increase in the full knowledge of God. I have a lot of stuff, I know I'm way beyond time. Let me just finish this way. And that factual knowledge of God ought to increase in intimacy. Now let's just make believe, or let's just say, I'm going to close the book to show you I'm serious about quitting here in two minutes. Let's say that you're increasing your knowledge of God in the mind. You're making advances as a Christian. What about the intimate relationship with Christ? Is Christ real to you? Is he more precious? Are you more humble before Him? Are you confessing your sins more deeply? Are you more desirous to obey Him quickly, like Isaiah? Whom shall we send? Isaiah said, send me, Lord. Christian service is the result of understanding who God is. God is the one who calls us to serve Him. And once we see Him on the throne, what else can we do? We're Christians. We love Him. We want to honor Him. You see, the point is that the evidence of walking a life that is worthy of the Lord will manifest itself and increasing the knowledge of God in the head and in intimate knowledge. So much so that it affects everything about us. It affects everything. It affects the way we talk. It affects the way we dress. It affects what our recreations are, what our priorities are. That is what it affects. A knowledge of God is life transforming. So it is an increased knowledge of God for the believer. It continually transforms your life. And if our lives are not being transformed, it is because we've not really seen God and our knowledge of God is not increasing appropriately. It is not. You could put it on an equation, a proportion. If you're growing in the graces of humility and confessing your sins and devotion and reverence and desire to please Christ, That is the final indicator that our knowledge of God is truly increasing. And my dear brethren, you know the Lord, you serve Jesus Christ, continue to know Him. Increase in your knowledge of Him by the grace of God. Increase in the knowledge of His will. That is why you were saved. You were not saved primarily so that you would not go to hell. That's a tremendous blessing. But you were saved so that you would increase in the knowledge of God. You know what heaven is about? One continuous experience of getting to know God. We're never going to fully know Him. May the Lord help us as believers. to say, oh Pastor Gabe, thank you for talking this way to us. Thank you for being a man who's not willing to tell us that we need to go on with these things. Maybe it will help all of us as believers in Christ to increase in the full knowledge of God. Our Father, we thank you for your presence with us today and Lord, we pray that we as a congregation would increase in this knowledge of the Holy One of Israel, we confess that though we truly know Him by Your grace, we know so little of Him. We know Him in such ways at times that we wonder if we will ever make any advances. Oh Lord, help us to be filled with the full knowledge of God, the full knowledge of His will. Help us not to be stagnant, to be satisfied. Help us not to improve and then go backwards. and go back to the way we always were. Please, our Father, we pray that in this church the Lord Jesus would be praised, the Lord Jesus would be honored, and that we would increase in the full knowledge of God, and so that our lives would be such that we would live worthy lives to the glory of Jesus Christ. We pray this in His name. Amen.