I'd like to deviate tonight for
this service from the book of Ephesians, and I want you to
turn with me to the book of John, chapter 17. We're going through
the book of John on Sunday, but what I'd like to speak on tonight
is Something that I truly feel the Lord's given me a burden
to preach on. John chapter 17 verse 3, And this is life eternal, that
they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
Thou hast sent. Let's pray together. Our Father, we ask in the name of the Lord
Jesus, would you bless the Word this evening. May Christ be honored. May your sheep be fed. Lord,
would you forgive us our sins for Christ's sake. Amen. A few days ago, I was thinking upon this matter
of knowing the Lord. I've entitled this message, Do
I Know the Lord? Do I know the Lord? My heart began to ponder this
thought. And I began to think upon people
leaving this world, dying. So I got on the internet to find
out approximately how many people die in the world every day. And it said approximately 151,000. I began to think on 151,000 people
leaving this world every day. And based upon this truth, now
these are the words of our Lord, Matthew 7, 13 and 14, wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and
many there be which go in thereat. Because straight is the gate,
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that
find it. And I thought, based on that
scripture, many go into destruction, and few, how many? Few. How many is that? All that the
Father has given the Son, I know it's that few. How many is that? All that the Father gave the
Son. All that the Son died for. He said, I laid down my life
for the sheep. All that the Spirit of God shall
surely call out. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. How many is that based on the
words of our Lord? It's just a remnant. Just a remnant. A few. It's not that man is anti-religion. Man is not anti-religion. Man
by nature is anti-Christ. Brother Henry Mahan said one
day, man is not anti-morality. He's anti-Christ. Every man is born with a religious
conscience. Romans 2, turn with me there,
Romans 2 verse 14-15. Now I'm telling you, I know and you know. You know
it's true according to the Scriptures. You know it's true because you've
seen it. Man by nature has a religious
conscience. Romans 2 verse 14-15, For when
the Gentiles, here's the Apostle Paul preaching, when the Gentiles,
those that are not Jews, everybody else that's not a Jew, When the
Gentiles, which have not the law, they didn't have the law
given to them, the law was sent to Israel. God gave the law to
Israel. When the Gentiles, which have
not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law,
These, having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which
show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience
also bearing witness, and their thoughts, the mean while accusing
or else excusing one another." What that means is this, they
know, even though they have not the law, They know wherever they
are, if it's in the deepest part of the most remote country in
the world, they know if somebody in their village or another village
kills one of them or they kill one of them, somebody knows that's
wrong. Somebody knows that's wrong. If somebody kidnapped one of
their tribesmen, they know that's wrong. And you know what they're
going to do? They're going to do something
about it. There's a penalty that's due. They don't have the law of God
given to them, but they have the law written in their conscience. They know. They either accuse
or they excuse. You weren't wrong or you were
wrong. That's what he means. So man by nature, he's religious. Those without the law, they're
religious. But by nature, those that do possess God's law. Paul said even the Jews, look
at Romans 10. Romans chapter 10. Those that
God Almighty sent the Law to, left to themselves. Romans 10, verse 1 to 4. Here they are,
they've got the Law, but unless Almighty God does for them something
that they cannot do for themselves, regenerate themselves. Man doesn't
have the ability to regenerate himself. You must be born again,
born from above. Brethren, Romans 10.1, Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
might be saved. For I bear them record that they
have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Paul, what is their ignorance?
What is the ignorance? They've got a zeal. What is their
ignorance? For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God,
Christ Himself. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. So man is a religious
creature. But he's ignorant of God. He
does not know God. Not by nature. He's dead. He's spiritually dead. What's
the characteristic of a physically dead man? What's his characteristics? Well, he can't hear, he can't
see, he can't think, he can't walk, he can't breathe. He doesn't have any life. That's
the characteristics of a physically dead person. Men that are spiritually
dead, They cannot see God. They can't know God. They don't
walk after God. They don't love God. They don't
think after God. Why? They're dead. They're dead. They must have a new man imparted. They must have a new nature.
They must have the life of Christ given to them. But they cannot
procure it of their own. Well, according to these scriptures,
man being deceived, born deceived. Only a sinner taught by God's
Spirit. One made to know something of
himself. And when the Spirit of God calls
a man out of darkness, calls a woman out of darkness, I'm
going to tell you what He's going to teach. He's going to convince
them of this. He's going to convince them,
reprove them, Scripture says, of sin. That that is what I am. I am, by nature, a rebel against
God. There's not a little good in
every man. There's not a little good. There's
none good. There's not a little faith in
every man. All men have not faith. Faith
is a gift of God. They're going to be reproved
of sin. They're going to be reproved or convinced of righteousness. That is, that I don't have any
that will stand before God and be accepted of God. apart from
the imputed righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't
have any. All of my righteousnesses are as filthy rags. You know what that is. I'm going to be reproved also
of judgment. That is that the judgment that
was due God's sheep, were spewed out upon the substitute himself. And now, according to Romans
8.1, there is therefore now no condemnation to them that be
in Christ Jesus. The Spirit of God is going to
teach me something. So apart from being regenerated
by the grace of God and given a heart of repentance toward
God. And when I say repentance, I
mean to think differently. It doesn't mean to, you know,
I know men think, you know, I'm going to repent. I'm going to
turn over a new life. I used to have a neighbor in Tennessee
and he would use this term. We think we're going to do church
tonight. We think we'll do church. No, except you think differently. Repent. Think differently about
what? About how God justifies a sinner. Except you think differently
concerning salvation is all of grace and not of man's will. Except you repent and think differently,
you're going to perish. Those are the words of our Lord.
So just for a few minutes, knowing that man is not born with the
ability to regenerate himself. Man is born ignorant of God.
There's not a little good in every man. And based upon the
words of our Lord concerning salvation, life, eternal, is
to know God. I want to talk for a few minutes
about what is that? What does that mean? That statement
right there. If there's ever been a statement
that should arrest a sinner before God, it ought to be that one.
This is life eternal. that they might know Thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." Here's
the first thing I know about knowing God. Our Lord, in His
high priestly prayer, set forth the truth and the evidence of
salvation. This is life eternal. that they might know thee. Okay, here's the question I have
in my mind. Tell me, what is it to know God? I know that it's more than just
having a mental assent that there is a God. The devils know that. The devils know that there's
a God. So if it's just the mental acknowledgement
that there is a God, then that is no more than what a demon
knows. Life eternal is not a head acknowledgement
of God's existence, but it is, and I got this from Brother Henry. I know I quote Brother Henry
a lot, but I'm going to tell you something. The Lord's taught
him a lot. And I'm thankful for that. And
so I'd like to know what the Lord's taught him. Faith cometh
by hearing. And I want to hear a preacher. I want to hear what THE preacher,
God's priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, has said through his
preachers, and we learn from it. He said it's a personal experience of a new heart. It's a personal
experience. And I know everybody thinks that
word experience. Well, I don't know about that
word experience. Let me tell you something. You don't know
anything except that you experienced it. You don't know anything unless
you've done it. I might talk to you about some
subject and if you've never been there, you don't know what they're
talking about. It is a personal experience. Something happened
in the soul. He said it's a personal experience
of the soul and it's a revelation from God of Himself to the new
heart as He is revealed in His Word and set forth and declared
by the Spirit of God in the face, in the character of the Lord
Jesus Christ. When God Almighty says, I will
have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I'll have compassion,
to know that is to know Him. Is He the God of all grace? Has He sent His Son into this
world to save and elect that He chose from before the foundation
of the world and gave to the Son as the surety? That's to
know God. That's to know God. Has the Lord Jesus Christ come
into this world and lived for, and died for, and was raised
for, and ascends for, and ever liveth to make intercession for,
all that the Father has given Him, that's to know God. That's the God we serve. It is
to have the Spirit of God grant faith to believe that God is
as He says He is. Does God change? No. How do you
know? He said He didn't. I change not, therefore you sons
of Jacob are not consumed. Is He longsuffering to usward? Who's the usward? Well, go back
and look in 1 Peter and find out who was Peter writing to
when he said that. He was writing to God's elect.
To the elect. And God is long-suffering to
usward, not willing of the usward should perish. Men will take
a phrase out of a verse and they'll say, well, see, that proves it
right here, you know. Well, just quote the whole verse. Leave
it in the context. So he who rightly, truly, savingly
knows God, not knows about Him, but knows by the Spirit's revelation
to a new heart who God is concerning His Word. Somebody says, well, I tell you,
I know who God is. He's a God that loves everybody
and wants to save everybody and is trying to save everybody and
He will if they'll let Him. If they'll exercise His free
will, He'll let Him because He wants to save them, but if they
go to hell, well, He just couldn't do anything about it. Well, I
can tell you this, that's not the God that I know. That's the
God that you made up because that's not the God we know. This
is life eternal, that they might know Thee. They might understand thee, might
perceive thee. That's what the word is interpreting.
Salvation is of the Lord. Second thing, to know God is
to know that God must initiate the knowledge that I have of
Him. To know God is to know that I did not start Salvation. That's to know God. Look at Acts
chapter 9. You know this passage. This is
the passage when Paul was on the road to Damascus. And Paul
was not looking for Saul of Tarsus. Paul the Apostle. Saul of Tarsus
was not looking for God. Saul of Tarsus was a religious
man and he did not know God. Acts 9 verses 1-5, And Saul,
yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples
of the Lord, went to the high priest and desired of him letters
to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of this
way, whether they were men or women, that he might bring them
bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came
near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light
from heaven. He fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto
him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art
thou, Lord?" He didn't know God. He was persecuting the saints,
and the Lord said, you're persecuting Me. That's My body. Saul of Tarsus was stopped in
his tracks. And I'll tell you this, everyone
that Almighty God is pleased to call out of darkness, He stops
too. He stops you. If He's pleased
to show mercy to you, if He's pleased to, He's going to have
mercy and compassion on whomsoever He will. But if He's pleased
to show mercy, I'll tell you what He's going to do. He's going
to stop you. He'll stop. Everyone that the
Father gave the Lord Jesus Christ in electing grace shall be savingly
gathered. And they will not, turn back
to John 17, they will not be lost. They will not be lost. Salvation is not by chance, it's
not by luck, it's not by your will. Salvation is by the purpose
of God Almighty. Purpose of God. And He shall
not fail. Look at John 17, verse 6. Now this is the high priestly
prayer. I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou
gavest Me out of the world. Thine they were, and Thou gavest
them Me, and they have kept Thy Word. Verse 9, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which Thou hast given Me. For they are Thine, verse
12, while I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy
name, those that Thou gavest Me. I have kept and none of them
is lost but the son of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Look at John 18 verse 9. That the saying might be fulfilled
which He spake, of them which Thou gavest Me have I lost none. Does God Almighty have an elect? Yes. How many of them is He going
to save? All of them. How many did Christ pray for
of the elect? All of them. Who did He pray
for that was not one of the elect? None of them. None of them. Did He pray for any other than
His elect? Read John 17, 9 again. How many
did He pray for that was not His elect? None of them. Does
God have the right to do that? Yes, He does. Why? Because He's
God. And He does as He will in the
army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And
nobody has a right to question Him, to stay His hand. are to
say unto him, what doest thou? Who are thou, O man, that replies
against God? This is the God we know. This
is God. To know God, to feel, to understand,
to be sure, to know God comes from Him That knowledge who has
eternally purposed to save his people, and according to using
scriptural terminology, when David asked, is there any yet
of the house of Saul that I might show kindness to for Jonathan's
sake? David and Jonathan loved each
other. Saul's son, Jonathan, and David and Jonathan loved
each other. And Jonathan knew, the Lord is going to give you
the kingdom. Will you remember my family?
I sure will. Is there any left of the house
of Saul that I might show kindness to for Jonathan's sake? Yes,
there's one boy. Name him Ephibosheth. Where is he? He's over in Lodibar. Fetch him. He didn't say, go ask him if
he'd like to come. Go ask him if he'd like to exercise
his free will. You go fetch him, and you bring
him to me. This is a God we know. God that
fetches. Thirdly, to know God, to know
God, I'm going to have to hear the gospel from a preacher that God sends. God uses means to make Himself
known. To know God, I'm going to have
to hear the Gospel. Turn to Romans chapter 10. Romans
10, verses 13 to 17. Hear what God Almighty has to
say. Romans 10, 13 to 17. People say of Gospel preachers,
you don't believe in whosoever will. Oh yes, we do. What I know
is that apart from the grace of God, they won't. They won't
come. No man will come. Why? He's dead. But I tell you, whoever
does come, I know why they came. Because Psalm 110 verse 3 says,
Thy people shall be willing, willing, in the day of thy power,
so that I don't believe in whosoever will, I beg your pardon, I do.
I do. I just don't believe that man
is the one that instigates it, that God does. But whosoever
God sets His affection on, they come. Romans 10, 13, for whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. How then
shall they call on Him in whom they've not believed? And how
shall they believe in Him of whom they've not heard? And how
shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful.
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. But they've not all obeyed the
gospel, for Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
So then faith, faith from God, faith is the gift of God. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing
by the Word of God. Preaching. Preaching of the gospel. Preaching of the gospel of God's
sovereign grace. We read that right there. You
know, they've not all believed. How shall they believe on Him
they've not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher?
Verse 16, they've not all obeyed the gospel. When we say the gospel,
we're not talking about just a message. Offering man, we're
talking about the gospel of God's free, sovereign, electing, predestinating,
particular, redeeming grace. When I say the gospel, that's
what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about a message
that offers a man something, if he's willing to take it. That's
not the gospel of God's grace. That's not the gospel of Christ.
The gospel of God's grace is preached by men that are sent
by God. They're taught of God. They learn
of God. Is it necessary? Is it necessary? I've asked this before, but I'm
going to ask it again. Is it absolutely, positively
necessary to hear the gospel preached in order for a man to
be saved. Now before you answer, we better
listen to what God has to say. Before you answer, you better
listen to what God has to say. Is it absolutely necessary to
hear the gospel of God's free grace? Are men saved under a
false gospel? Before you answer, we better
listen to what God has to say. Listen to this. I'm going to
read four passages of Scripture. 1 Corinthians 1.18, for the preaching
of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. When we say
the preaching of the cross, it doesn't mean that stick, that
piece of wood. It means what God accomplished
on it. He sent His Son into this world
as the surety of the sheep and He laid down His life for the
sheep and He put away their guilt. He was made sin for them. That's the preaching of the cross.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. Silly, absurdity is what it means. And it's from a root word that
means stupid. Now listen, man by nature, nobody
is offended at preaching of the crucifixion. Everybody believes
the crucifixion. As long as they believe that
the Lord Jesus Christ was dying for everybody's sin, and trying
to make salvation possible. Nobody's mad at that. Everybody's
happy with that. I could go to any place where
they're preaching tonight. Nobody is offended at the preaching
of the crucifixion, of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died
on the cross. Nobody's offended at that. But
the preaching of the cross And what God Almighty says was accomplished
at the cross when the Lord said it was finished. The work of
God, the work that the Father gave Him to do was finished at
the cross. The preaching of the cross is
to them that perish. Stupid. It's stupid. And the word is heedless. Heedless. What they're saying
is, don't listen to that. Don't listen to that. But unto
us which are saved, and that word saved right there means
being saved. But unto us which are being saved,
it's the power of God. Here's the second one, 1 Corinthians
1.21. For after that in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God. Now listen, is it necessary to
hear the preaching of the gospel to be saved? It pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1.23, But we preach
Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block, unto the Greeks
foolishness, but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks,
Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. And then 2
Thessalonians, I'm going to turn to this one, 2 Thessalonians
2, verses 13 and 14. Is it necessary to hear the gospel
preached? Does God call men out any other
way? You let God be true and everybody
else is a liar. 2 Thessalonians 2, 13, 14, We
are bound to give thanks all way to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth, whereunto He called you by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Someone might say, well, I think that men can be saved
in other ways besides hearing the gospel. God says you can't. And I'm going to tell you this,
to know God is to believe God. You give much heed to the preaching
of the gospel. My friends, give heed to the
preaching of the gospel. Don't you be lax in giving the
honor and the attention that's due to the gospel. Be like the Bereans. What did
they do? They heard what was being preached
and they searched the scriptures daily to see if those things
were so. While we're here and you preach, is that what God
has to say? Be like those in Acts 2.41, then
they gladly received His Word and were baptized. And that same
day there were added about 3,000 souls. They gave heed to the Gospel.
Hebrews 2.1, Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed
to the things which we've heard, lest at any time we should let
them slip. Is it necessary to hear the gospel? Yes. Make much of hearing the
gospel. Let everything else be second
fiddle. Not the gospel. Not to hear the gospel. To know
Him. He is going to have to give me
a new heart. I cannot know God apart from
a new heart. This heart that I'm born with
does not hear. John 3, 3, Jesus answered. He's
talking to Nicodemus. He answered him and said unto
him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again. He cannot see. He cannot perceive the Kingdom
of God. I want you to look at 1 Corinthians
2.14. 1 Corinthians 2.14. And when somebody brings up man's
free will, I know I hit man's free will pretty hard. It needs
to be hit hard. Why? Because it's a lie. It's
a lie. If you think that you can perceive
the things of God apart from regeneration, you listen to this
scripture. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 14. The natural man. Let me tell you what men believe
about the natural man. They believe that the natural
man, this is the natural man's thinking concerning a man's free
will. Have you ever noticed that when men are preaching, they're
wanting men to give their hearts to Jesus? They're wanting them
to give their hearts to Jesus. Well, what they're actually saying
is, I know you're lost, and I want you to give your heart to Jesus. When the Lord said, and I'm going
to deal with it in a minute out of Proverbs 23, give me thine
heart. But the natural man thinks you have a lost sinner and if
you'll give his heart to Jesus, if he'll exercise his free will,
then the Lord will save him. Okay? Now you know that. I want you to reconcile that
thinking, the natural man's thinking, to instigate and exercise his
free will, give his heart to Jesus, and then enter into life. Reconcile that with this Scripture.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them. That word has to do with ability. Because they're spiritually discerned. Do you know when a man is going
to believe? When God gives him life first. When He gives him life, He gives
him faith. And then a man believes. He does
not believe until God gives him life and gives him faith to believe. You tell me that a man can believe
apart from the impartation of life, and I'll tell you that
man is not really dead then. He's not dead in trespasses and
sins. And the Spirit of God said in
Galatians chapter 2 that He was. And you hath He quickened who
were D.E.A.D. in trespasses and sins. Man by
nature, Pat, does not believe that man is dead. They don't
believe that. You know why? Because they want
to be the author of salvation. They want the glory. They want
the honor. He's got to give me a new heart.
A new heart will I give you. That's what he said in Ezekiel
36. A new spirit will I put within you. Everything in closing that
we've considered has been a revelation of that which the Lord does for
His people. And there's been no works on
man's part. God purposes, God calls, God
gives, God keeps. But let me ask you this, is there
any evidence that God has given me a new heart. Is there any evidence
whatsoever that I know Him? Is there any evidence whatsoever
that you know Him? Is there any evidence, is there
any manifestation that Almighty God is given life? Well, the
scripture reveals that there is. Turn over to 2 Peter 3.18. Here's one of them. I guess here's the foundation
one right here. 2 Peter 3.18. 2 Peter 3.18, but grow in grace. And in the knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him be glory both now and forever,
Amen. Now let me tell you, anything that is alive grows. If something doesn't grow, it's
dead. It's something wrong. If something's
not growing, there's something wrong. Everything alive grows
and the more we know of Him, now we do not grow in sanctification. We don't grow in holiness. People
talk about progressive sanctification. Progressive sanctification. Let me ask you something. When you talk about growing progressively
in sanctification, I know that it's probably, if that's a believer
saying that, it's just he's not understanding what he's saying.
And if you'd explain to him what he's saying, then he will say,
no, I don't believe that either. Who is our holiness? You know that. It's the Lord
Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness. He is our righteousness before
God. He is our holiness. We are set
apart in Him. Now, for you to say that I grow
in holiness is to say that He who
is my holiness must become more holy. And we're not saying that. I want to believe that what you're
thinking is that you're growing in the knowledge of our Lord. We grow in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior. Don't say you're growing in holiness
because you're speaking of the One who is our holiness. Because apart from Him, brethren,
we don't have any. We don't have any. We are in Him. Predestinated unto the adoption
of sons by Jesus Christ that we should be holy and without
blame before Him, before God Almighty, in Christ, in love. So we don't grow in holiness,
but we do grow in grace. That is in the knowledge of our
Lord and Savior. Those that know Him want to know
Him. That's what the Apostle Paul
was saying. I've asked before, do you think the Apostle Paul
knew the Lord? Do you think he knew Him? Yeah. Well, what did
he say? Oh, that I might know Him. I
want to know the one that knows Him is the one that wants to
know Him. The one that Almighty God has
saved is the one that wants to be saved. Oh, that I might know
Him. We mature in the knowledge of
Christ. And as we do, we're more aware. Look at 1 Corinthians 9.27. 1
Corinthians 9.27. The more we grow in grace and
in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, I tell you what we
do, the more we grow in the knowledge of ourselves. The more we know of Him, the
more we know of our frailty. You read Romans chapter 7, look
at Paul the Apostle. What does he say in verse 25?
Oh wretched man that I am. Wretched man that I am. The Apostle
Paul, yes. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this dead? Look at 1 Corinthians 9.27. Here's a believer that knows
Him. Here's the manifestation. Here's the manifestation of the
knowledge of God. But I keep unto my body, and
I bring it unto subjection, lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a reprobate, a castaway. You know what a reprobate is?
It's one left to himself. That's a reprobate. One left
to himself. That's a reprobate. I should
be a castaway. One that knows Christ is one
that's truly striving against his enemies. Who is that? Number
one, Satan. The world. right here, striving
against himself. Paul the Apostle says, I keep
my body under subjection. Bring it under subjection. Paul
said, I'm not just jogging in this race. I'm not just shatterboxing,
you know, going through the motions. I keep my body under subjection
less than any, by any means when I preach to others. Now I know,
I know what I'm saying is so. I know what I'm saying is so
according to these scriptures. I know that no one could take
it and refute what I'm saying. But Lord God of heaven, oh that
I might know you. That I might know you. That this
might be that which you've taught my heart and not just my head. A believer strives to make his
calling and election sure. 2 Corinthians 13.5 says, examine
yourselves. You know what he's saying, not
others. Whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves. How? By the Word of God. Know
ye not the own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
ye be reprobates, left to yourselves. To know Him, who a believer truly knows, is to desire to know Him, to
strive to know Him, to examine yourselves whether you be in
the faith. Spend much time with Him. That's what I said a while ago,
Proverbs 23, 26, my son, he talked to his people, my son, if I know
him, Freddie, he's saying to me, Marvin, you give me your
heart. Somebody said, well I gave my
heart to Jesus, you know, I'm talking about right now. I'm not talking about some profession. When you walk down an aisle or
you were baptized, I want to know something. Do you have a
desire right now that He have your all? He said, give me your
heart. A believer is one that's going
to make much. He's going to make much of the
gospel. To know Him is to spend time with Him. I've been married now to Glenda
over 12 years. And I know her better right now
than I did the day I married her. Why? Because I spent time with
her. My friend, we don't know. We don't know all things. And
in this life, we never will. We're going to see through a
glass darkly for the rest of our lives. But one day we're
going to know Him. We're going to know Him as we're
known. But while we're here in this life, I want to make much
of the Gospel. I want to hear the Word of God
preached. Make much of prayer. Make much of the Scriptures.
To know Him is to want to know Him. Lord, bless these words
for Christ's sake.