We have just completed a 44-sermon series, “Knowing God,” which exalted God by His attributes.
If the Bible is half true, then the God of this universe is very great, and you owe Him your entire life.
If you receive or respond to this topic with a ho-hum attitude and actions, you are in serious trouble.
It is not nearly enough to know about God, for that is merely an intellectual exercise in theology.
You must know Him experimentally (you experience Him) and relationally (you walk with Him).
It is not nearly enough to talk about God, even to profess you know Him, if you deny Him in living.
You must instead talk to Him and live for Him, beginning with baptism and extending to daily life.
Each of us will soon be examined by Him, and He says, “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12-13).
Today I must ask you some questions to help you examine yourself to know if you love God or not.
Self-judgment is one of the most important duties of your life, yet it is ignored or rejected by most.
Will you halt between two opinions not sure if it is worth serving the LORD Jehovah?
This is the predicament Elijah confronted Israel about with the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18:21).
The people spake not a word (18:21), said it sounded good (18:24), then praised Jehovah (18:39).
Elisha identified three positions – Jehovah is God, Baal is God, and a stopped position between.
There are only three positions, called the assumptions of faith, by which all men live their lives.
Some believe there is no God as the Bible describes, and they live like it – consistent God-haters.
Some believe there is a God as the Bible describes, and they live like it – consistent God-lovers.
Some believe there is a God as the Bible declares, and they live as they please – lying hypocrites.
There is no fourth position – believing there is no God as the Bible says, yet living like there is.
There is only one God – LORD Jehovah of the Bible – and you should live every hour for Him.
It does not matter what the ministerial association might say or if the whole nation compromises.
This choice of hypocrisy or compromise is insane, for you cannot please God or yourself truly.
Jesus Christ strongly condemned this choice of hypocrisy or compromise (Rev 2:4-5; 3:15-16).
Will you be “almost persuaded” as was King Agrippa when hearing the apostle Paul?
This is the predicament he confessed when hearing Paul’s testimony when on trial (Acts 26:28).
This man was Herod Agrippa II, seventh and last king of Herod the Great, last of the Herodians.
What a fantastic opportunity for this man! But he wasted the grace of God in hearing the truth.
Though Paul’s arguments were sound, he said, “I would, but I cannot; I could, but I will not.”
It does not matter how much you believe about God, you must commit to be an open Christian.
Will you make light of loving God by valuing your business or job higher than Him?
Jesus described most Jews that cared about prosperity more than His kingdom (Matthew 22:1-7).
Every man must work, and men should work hard, but God’s kingdom must be first (Matt 6:33).
The Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil – this evil is what it means (I Tim 6:6-10).
Will you be a lover of pleasures more than a lover of God, as Paul warned of many?
The perilous times of the last days is when most Christians would prefer pleasures (II Tim 3:4).
How do you spend your time? What do you enjoy the most? How much do you crave God?
The truth of the issue is that those who choose to seek God first find Him their greatest pleasure.
How do you assess the importance of the first commandment, and how do you do at keeping it?
Will you deny Jesus Christ by your works even while you profess you know Him?
The Jews were the worst for knowing more about Jehovah but living against Him (Titus 1:16).
Forget what you think, for it is your actions, as measured by the Bible, that prove you (Pr 20:11).
God plainly condemns those who say they know Him but do not obey Him as liars (I John 2:4).
God plainly condemns those who say they believe but do not obey Him as mere devils (Jas 2:19).
Will you commit spiritual adultery by flirting with worldly things compared to God?
The Lord Jesus Christ is very plain that you cannot serve both God and this world (Matt 6:24).
Befriending this world makes you an enemy of God, for God and the world are at war (Jas 4:4).
If you love the world, the love of Father God is not in you, and you are in trouble (I Jn 2:15-17).
Will you be like Asa and turn to the physicians for your help rather than to God?
This king of Judah trusted God greatly during a healthy life, but not in sickness (II Chr 16:12).
Though he knew the power of God above others, he resorted to an alliance with Syria late in life.
Are you esteeming God’s words as highly and surely as you do your necessary food?
God’s word is the great means He chose to reveal Himself. Do you crave reading and hearing it?
Job described his obedience and love for God’s commandments and words this way (Job 23:12).
David said scripture was more valuable than much fine gold and sweeter than honey (Ps 19:10).
Will you read the Bible consistently, systematically, and meditatively every day this year 2013?
Do you love to sing to the God of heaven and about the God of heaven as did David?
We understand three kinds of singing in churches by Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, hymns that praise God directly, spiritual songs that talk about the Christian life, and David’s Psalms.
One of the marks of a man or woman like David is to sing (Ps 47:6-7; 59:16-17; 66:1-4; 68:4).
If you do not love to sing God’s praises, what is wrong with you? There is no lack in His glory!
What a terrible travesty and horrible sin if the music you allow in your life is of the world!
Do you love to share God’s truth to His other children that also know and love Him?
There is a book of remembrance for those that speak often about Him (Mal 3:16). Are you in it?
The scriptures have many references to praising God out loud (Ps 34:2; 44:8; 71:18; 145:1-7).
Do you desire to share God’s truth to other of His children that may not have heard?
Paul’s desire and prayer was for Israel’s salvation from their ignorance of Christ (Rom 10:1-5).
He endured all things for the elect’s sakes to help them obtain practical salvation (II Tim 2:10).
Hezekiah appealed to God for extending his life fifteen years to teach his children (Is 38:19).
Do you love to pray, since prayer is communicating with God of all kinds of things?
God has communicated to us by His word, and He asks us to communicate to Him by prayer.
When you delight and love and esteem a person, you want to communicate both ways with him.
It is a shame the lengths men go to praise an athlete and get their autograph on an event program.
Prayer is how you worship Him, confess your sins, thank Him, and show dependence on Him.
In what do you glory? Which is delightful boasting and excited worship of God?
You can quote Psalm 37:4 all you want, emphasizing either clause, but do you delight in Him?
God warned against three things that men delight in and said He is worth far more (Jer 9:23-24).
David’s Psalms beyond delight and glory use boast, rejoice, glad, triumph, pleasure, and sweet.
Is your life faith based? Thanking Him for all blessings and trusting Him for needs?
We speak of faith-based living, but do you know what it is, and do you practice it at all times?
Everything we think, say, and do should have a spiritual perspective based on God’s word.
Are youth in this church keeping Solomon’s charge to remember God in your youth?
Solomon wrote about life and death, and he charged youth to seek God early (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
While you are young and full of vigor and mental acuity, you should be making Him your all.
