Want to know God?

Crooked Oak Baptist Church, Tuscumbia

I am intrigued by the title for this column — “Want to Know God?” It says a lot. People desire meaningful relationships and they instinctively know the most important relationship is with God Himself. Unfortunately that desire, like the biblical concept of sin itself, totally misses the mark.

Several years ago my family and I joined a megachurch, a sizable congregation where on any given Sunday morning 10,000 members and guests would be in attendance.

Mind you I was not just one of the many “faces in the crowd.” I was a paid, adjunct staff member assisting with the preschool department. As a quasi-staff member I had met the pastor on several occasions, both officially and unofficially. I could honestly say that I knew the pastor.

Several years and one church later, a friend of mine and I attended a conference in which this megachurch pastor was one of the speakers. I wanted to introduce my friend to the pastor, so we found him after his message. 

I extended my hand to my old acquaintance — my now former pastor. My intention was to first reintroduce myself to him and then introduce my friend. I said, “Pastor you may not remember me, but I was a member of your church for five years.”

Unabashedly he replied, “God bless you, my brother … and what’s your name?” Somewhat deflatedly, I replied, “Scott. And this is my friend, John.”

The point of this story is that I knew the pastor but he didn’t know me. Similarly Jesus, according to Matthew 7:23, will say to a group of stunned sycophants, “‘I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.’”

The most important question is not, “Want to know God?” but rather, “Does God know you?” Good works will not get you into heaven. Establishing a relationship with Jesus will. And Jesus wants to know you. Examine Romans 10:13 and then introduce yourself. You and Jesus will both be glad that you did.