Acts 17
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Man is always looking for new ways to address old problems. When it comes to a car over a horse, that was a pretty good idea. Yet always chasing the new is not always the right answer. Fifty years ago, fast food was the new kid that all loved to partake of. Now it's the big ugly monster we need to get rid of. Before we head down a new path, we need to think about where this path will carry us.
Listen to certain philosophers of today and you will hear that educating people is the answer to most problems. We have taken on an idea over the last fifty years that the education of people is the same as the giving of wisdom and in turn making good choices. This I would strongly disagree with. Highly educated people often make foolish choices. Just as government is not the answer to our problems, having strong wills does not make us wise. Wise choices are linked to our wisdom of a wise God. We can never be over educated in knowing God. The problem then rest in the fact we do not know God.
John 3
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
I want you to notice the phrase "we know" in verse two. Nicodemus, a well educated ruler of the Jews, felt like he knew who Jesus was. Nicodemus made a short list of what he knew of Christ. Jesus did miracles. Jesus was a teacher sent from God. God seemed to be with Jesus. In short order, Jesus told Nicodemus that he was wrong. Nicodemus did not know Jesus.
We see little change today, when it comes to knowing God. To many, in the day of self-help and gaining or regaining self-esteem, knowing God is a thing of the past. Self-worth has replaced knowing God, when it comes to addressing our problems. Millions of dollars are spent each year on the quest and campaign to find ones-self, and/or our little child within. The next time you go to the bookstore, check out how many self-help books there are, and how few theology books. The sad thing, if we take a snap shot of today's world, it is clear this strategy is not working.
We will miss our goal to improve self, for knowing the real you rests in knowing the real God. But who can really know God? How can we know God unless we know how to find Him? God has reveled Himself to mankind in two major ways, God's Word and nature. The problem is that man suppresses the truth in order to do what he wants to do.
Romans 1
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Knowing God rests in our hands, for God has set in place ways to know Him if we should choose to seek Him. What does it take to know God as we should know Him? If we do not know our goal, we will fall short as Nicodemus did.
Knowing God is more than just an awareness of God and its also more than knowing facts about God as Nicodemus did. Knowing is an experience. I'm not talking about a flash in the pan light show from heaven. I'm speaking of a personal intimate closeness of knowing. Only a believer can understand the real meaning of "God the Father". It's when knowing God becomes a love relationship. You draw near to Him through the reading of His Word and your prayer life. You set aside time daily to be with Him, not out of duty, but because you love Him. This is when you spend time talking about Him as you would talk about your love for football. If Nicodemus really knew Christ, he would not have said to Christ, "God is with you". If Nicodemus knew Christ, he would have said, "You are my God".
No one knows you like a family member that lives with you. They see behind any front you may put on for the rest of the world. This is one reason why Christ told Nicodemus that he could not know and understand him fully until Nicodemus was born into the family of God.
Knowing God not only gives us insight into whom God is, but also shows us who we are. But this is a problem for most people. This is why most people do not want to know God. This is why we have turned in our Bibles for self-help manuals. Man does not like what he sees in himself when he looks to God. Knowing ourselves through knowing God will humble us. We are not God, nor even like God. God is holy and we unholy. God is wise, while we are foolish. He is strong and we are weak. He is loving and full of mercy while we are selfish. To know God is to say ...
Isa 6: 5 Then said I, 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: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Luke 5: 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
However, knowing God in a personal way also brings reassurance and comfort in that God is bigger than our problems. Unlike self-help that fails as it tries to get us to do it on our own, the Bible teaches us to rest in Christ. Self-esteem, and self-love will always disappoint us, for we are the "self" that needs help. We need to hold on to one that can take control of our world.
A pastor wanting to see how well the teaching in Sunday School was progressing, went to little Johnny and asked him a question.
Pastor: Johnny, who tore down the walls of Jericho?
Johnny: I don't know pastor, but I didn't do it.
The pastor being somewhat troubled with Johnny's reply decided he'd better ask his Sunday School teacher.
Pastor: I asked Johnny who tore down the walls of Jericho and he said He didn't do it. Why would he say this?
Teacher: Well, if Johnny said he didn't do it, he didn't do it.
Being even more troubled, the pastor called in the Sunday School Superintendent.
Pastor: I want to know what's going on. I asked Johnny who tore down the walls of Jericho and he said he didn't do it. His teacher said, if Johnny says he didn't do it, then he didn't do it.
Superintendent: To tell you the truth pastor, I don't know who did it either, but if you send me the bill, I'll make sure it gets paid.
Hopefully, our knowledge of God and the Bible is not this bad. Yet I think you will find that many that go to church today, worship a God that they do not even know.
We have a weak church today for we have Christians that do not know their God. It is because they have allowed themselves to change with the culture into godless thinking minds willing to go it on their own. It's not that they mean to deny God, but they have been fooled into thinking that the power is within man. Today's church exalts man while we ought to exalt God. We are helping others promote a humanistic way of life instead of the biblical, God-centered one.
Ask a Christian to talk about God and you will get a few one liners and the idea that God is a wise being that wishes good things for us, but does not have the power to place in action the works of His plan. Some would even deny that God has a plan or if He does, He has some how lost control of it.
This is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is not weak, but strong. God is never puzzled as what to do next. Nothing happens that God is not aware of. As a matter of fact, God makes all things happen or allows them to come to pass. While this idea is scary to some, it should bring great comfort to all. This is why those that know God in a personal way, can come boldly to Him in prayer. One that knows God can ask God to change things and even hearts of men and know He has the power to do so if he sees fit. If God does not have the power to change all things, then prayer is useless.
Are you worshipping a God that you know about, or do you know Him in a personal intimate way? Do you worship "The Unknown God" or have you taken the time to know Him?
Every Christian should pursue this goal of knowing God by abiding in Him daily. God has promised that those who seek Him will find Him. To those who knock, the door shall be opened.