Main Scripture: Colossians 1:9-11 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
The Knowledge of God is critical to all of life and brings the hope of eternal life.
John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
"Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives. As it would be cruel to an Amazonian tribesmen to fly him to London, put him down without explanation in Trafalgar Square and leave him, as one who knew nothing of English or England, to fend for himself, so we are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it .The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were , with no sense of direction, and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul." -J.I. Packer
“What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance; in this the Christian has, in a way that no other man has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?" - J.I. Packer
1. The knowledge of God… Comes from God
Jeremiah 24:7 I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
Jeremiah 31:33-34 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
· By the Holy Spirit (Spiritual wisdom)
· Through His Word
· Through Prayer
2. The knowledge of God… Enables us to walk
· Knowing how to walk worthy
· Knowing how to live pleasing Him
· Knowing how to bear good fruit
3. The knowledge of God… Is to be increasing
· We are never to consider that we’ve arrived
· We are always to be dependent upon Him
Galatians 4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
· Knowing God requires patience & endurance
Romans 5:2-6 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
4. The knowledge of God… Brings joy
Potential Caregroup Application Questions:
1. How does the fact that the knowledge of God comes from Him encourage humility?
2. Where have we seen pride when it comes to knowing God? (Examples: We think we know enough about a certain topic about God already, we don’t depend on Him in prayer, we forsake biblical fellowship or we have feeble patterns of Bible-intake)
3. Can you say that you know God, with no reservations? If not, why not? If so, why?
4. What areas do we desire to know God more? What is our plan for pursuing knowing Him in these areas?
5. How do your goals for this year relate to the over-arching goal for our lives of “Knowing God”?
6. Where do we need to grow in our patience and endurance as we seek to Know Him?
7. Share with each other how you’ve experienced joy this past year in knowing God
