Do you know God personally? - Sermon Outline - CrossCulture X'mas Party 2011 Message

Do you know God personally? Xmas Message – Dec. 11, 2011

His Love endures forever. See the paradox of Ps 136 v. 10, 15, 17-20 - God KILLED..."For His love endures forever". So, now, do you REALLY know this God???

CrossCulture Theme Verse: Jeremiah 9:23,24 - We can’t know God without revelation

• Our concept of God has to come from God Himself or we will never get to know Him. In the Bible, Throughout history, man has always searched for God:

• Inventing your own God.

1. Pagans looked at the powerful sun, or weather, etc
2. Other religions look at wise men or departed relatives.

• Copying someone else’s God

1. Your parent’s god is your god. You inherit your parent's god.
2. Copying someone’s god just because you heard of “Miracles”, or appearances. Satan is clever enough in doing miracles and appearances.

• Reading a little of the Bible and then assembling together the pieces of a God which is a blend of Bible and other religions or philosophies

1. The best tool of Satan in the deception of man

• Idolatry is worship of a variation of the One True God of the Bible.

• The Bible is God’s document of revelation to us which contains God’s design for relationship between God and man.

1. Either it is entirely right or it is entirely wrong. There is no half-way
2. The Bible reveals God’s person, God’s nature, God’s attributes, God’s rights
3. The Bible reveals God’s mind. It shows his plan for history, how he created the worlds demonstrating super-intelligent design.
4. The Bible reveals God’s heart. It shows that God is love and his dealings in history to create a people that would willingly love him back the way he loves them.

• The incarnation of Jesus Christ at X’mas is God’s final act of revelation to man

1. It did NOT start at X’mas. Sodom and Gomorrah, the Fiery Furnace, etc. - Jesus was there in physical form! This shows the solid connection of the Old Testament to the New Testament - it is ONE Bible!
2. He emphasized what the Greatest Commandment is and it is centered on Love
3. He reveals that because of God’s love, He is a God that takes risks and makes sacrifices to demonstrate that love.

 Risk – Herod

 Sacrifice – Cross

 Risk – Man has the ability to reject Christ and God

 God is LOVE and LOVE without risk or sacrifice is not proven love.

• Faith will not start to work unless the foundation is correct and solid. Leave our BRAINS behind.

1. Blind faith does not work – gravity
2. Faith against all odds/reason – oncoming train
3. Faith has to be based on God, who is really is and what He can do and what He will NOT do.
4. What to do for X’mas???? Jer. 9:23,24, Get to know God, Start with Jesus Christ