We Know Him Thus We Worship Him

John 4:21-22 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. _______________ Deut 6:4-6 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

 

 

 

If there was anyone that ever loved God it was Saul. He lived to defend the oneness of God. He despised and worked to destroy anyone or anything that rose in defiance against the one true God Jehovah.

When he heard of Jesus and his band of followers he was incensed. This man was claiming to be God. He was claiming to be able to forgive sin, heal sick and perform other miracles. It was rumored that even nature had been obedient to him.

Why every law loving, worshiper knew that God is one. He had been taught since the early days of his child hood Deut 6.4.

Tried and true died in the wool Jews had fallen victim to this debauchery. People were leaving the synagogues to follow this man.

In fact, according to his learning, this man was nothing more than a false prophet. How dare he proclaim that he was the son of God!

Something had to be done. No one had been able to suppress his teaching or followers.

His brethren killed Jesus. They nailed him to a tree and took his life. Then the unthinkable had happened. Guards had fallen asleep and the man’s body was stolen. Now his followers were claiming that he was alive!

Acts 22:3-5 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew … and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. Acts 8:3-4 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.   Acts 9:3-5 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:

 

 

 

Jesus had boasted that if they destroyed the temple that he would rebuild it in 3 days! It was absurd.

Now these followers were out teaching and converting more Jews. So Saul made it a life mission to destroy them all.

He got letters of authority and started looking for the followers. If he found them, he gave them an opportunity to deny Jesus. If not, he would kill them at will.

He stood to the side and held the coats of the men that stoned one named Stephen. It was a brutal, but necessary act. The message had to be gotten out. Followers of Jesus would be wiped out.

Then something happened. Armed with more warrants he made his way to Damascus.

This Damascus Road experience began his introduction to Jesus for himself.

He was baptized in Jesus name and was filled with the Holy Ghost.

The one we know as Paul would say today…I had heard of him. I knew of him. He was a heretic. A false man. A false God. He was anti Christ. He was a false teacher. Then I met him.

Now Paul says I felt his power. I have seen his glory!

 

Can I tell you this morning that its one thing to hear of Jesus and another thing entirely to meet him!

I have been around church all  of my life. I have witnessed an untold number of awesome things happen in church.

I remember:

·        drunk men being filled with the Holy Ghost and leaving sober.

·        People putting cigarettes on altar after being delivered.

·        Demons cast out. (Pray Scotty)

·        Prophecies.

·        Tongues and interpretations.

·        Carrying my mother to the car drunk on Holy Ghost.

Then I found out for myself! All of my seeing was not enough. I had to experience this myself.

As a 10 year old child God filled me with his spirit. Roger Jordan on one side and Leonard Brinkley on the other.

I found out who he is!

That’s why I am here today. Not because I have merely heard of him. I know him! Thus I worship him!

Paul, the one that breathed threats against any follower of Christ said, Follow me as I follow Christ!

 

There are some there today that have allowed what you have heard about Jesus, or the church to detract from who he really is!

Mars Hill. To the unknown God.

Acts 17: 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.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being;