Helping Those Who Think They Know God

I’ve written elsewhere my conviction and calling to preach to “churched” people. I want to help those who think they know God see and experience and taste the God of the Bible. In other words, there are so many who really believe they know the God of the Bible but don’t yet. They’ve read and studied their Bible’s. But they have yet to truly encounter the loving God behind it all. I am called to help change that – even if only for a few.

Jesus did this. He wasn’t satisfied with the “church” people’s understanding of God. He wanted them to know who He really was as He was really revealed in the Scriptures.

Consider what Matthew records for us in Matthew 22:

^46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions. (NIV)

The Pharisees knew what the Bible said. They knew truths about the Messiah. They answered Jesus correctly. The Messiah was/is the Son of David. They knew the Psalm Jesus quoted for them. But they failed to pay attention to a tiny, yet MASSIVE, detail: David calls the Messiah “Lord.” If they had been paying attention to the text (rather than approaching it with their own agenda) they would see that the Messiah is both the Son of David and the eternal Lord of David.

What was Jesus doing? Helping the church people – who thought they knew God -understand the God of the Bible in a way they had never encountered before. Preacher – that’s YOUR JOB!!! Whether it’s “churched” people or lost and searching people – your job is to help them see and behold and be in joyful shock of the God of the Bible they THOUGHT they knew! The God who is – is so much greater than the God we imagine. Preacher, work hard to explode the imaginations of your people with the glories of God as revealed in Scripture.