Know God

September 13, 2026

A Church Has Drifted When: 

• Busyness > Mission
• Preferences > People
• Attendance > Transformed lives

A Christian Has Drifted When:

• Religion > Relationship
• Pride > Humility
• Information > Transformation

“⁴But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! ⁵Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.” Revelation 2:4-5 (NLT) 

“³¹Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later He would rise from the dead. ³²As He talked about this openly with His disciples, Peter took Him aside and began to reprimand Him for saying such things. ³³Jesus turned around and looked at His disciples, then reprimanded Peter. ‘Get away from me, Satan!’ He said. ‘You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.’ ³⁴Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.  ³⁵If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. ³⁶And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? ³⁷Is anything worth more than your soul? ³⁸If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:31-38 (NLT)

Heaven and hell are real and eternity is a long time. (Matthew 25:46)

• You have a sin problem! (Romans 3:23) 
• Being a good person cannot save you. (Philippians 3:3-9)

But God did something shocking:

• He showed up in person. (John 1:14)
• Lived a perfect life. (Hebrews 4:15)
• Died in our place on the cross. (1 Peter 2:24)
• Conquered death & rose again! (Revelation 1:18)

“I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” Revelation 1:18 (NLT)

He calls us to repent and put our faith in Him. (Acts 20:21)

• Not religion, relationship (Hosea 6:6)
• Not pride, humility (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• Not information, transformation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.” John 17:3 (NLT) 

• Why are we here? To Know God!

This relationship changes everything.

• Transforms us from the inside out.
• Transforms our purpose in life.
• Transforms every other relationship. 
• Secures our eternal destination.

Do you Know God?

• Not, “Do you know OF Him?”
• Not, “Does your momma know Him?”
• Not, “Do you go to church?”
• Not, “Are you a good person?”

The Gospel is the good news that even though our sin separates us from God, He came to us in Jesus, who died in our place and rose again, so that everyone who turns from their sin and puts their faith in Him can be forgiven, made new, and restored to a relationship with Him. 

The Gospel is the foundation of our:

• Faith 
• Life 
• Church

A church that hasn’t drifted:

• Mission > busyness
• People > preferences
• Transformed lives > attendance

Why are we here?

“³⁶Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” ³⁷Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:36-38 (NLT)

We want to invite every single person in Acadiana to Know God, __________, and _____________.

Why are you here?
 

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