Paul, the writer of most of the New Testament, at the end of his life writes these powerful words. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. Surely, a man like Paul who had once been a pharisee, one who had killed Christians and met Christ in a vision on a dusty road as he was headed to the syrian capital of Damascus, who had been all over the world preaching about Jesus, who was now in a prison in Rome because of preaching Jesus, surely he more than anyone knew Christ. But he says, he wants to know him more - more intimately. Why?

The same story is mentioned in Luke and Mark but in Mark it also says he couldn’t do many mighty miracles there because of their unbelief. Why was there unbelief? Slide because familiarity can breed contempt. They knew him as joseph’s son. And he tells them two stories. One about elijah who was sent in the time of famine (that he prophesied) to a widow in sidon – a pagan, a gentile – not to widow of Israel and the story of naaman, a syrian general, a pagan, who had leprosy, whom god healed after dipping in the jordan river. Did you ever wonder what those two stories have to do with nazareth? Remember, after his stories they tried to kill him. They missed the time of their visitation because just like Israel of elijah’s day, even though they were the chosen people, even though God was trying to take care of them, they had begun to take god for granted. They saw evidence of his love and power but became complacent and unwilling to be more than just superficial participants of his grace, so god sent elijah to a pagan to bless her rather than blessing Israel and when god showed mercy to a pagan general, he became a serious worshipper of God, grateful for the goodness of god and desirous to thank him for his mercy. Nazareth said, you’re just one of us. You’ve been here for 30 years, we know you, we’ve seen you, who do you think you are?

The Israelites tried, tested God’s patience for 40 years. God said they saw my works but they didn’t know my ways. For 40 years, God took care of them. Their clothes didn’t wear out, angel food cake arrives 6 days a week, water gushes from a rock and follows them around the wilderness, the fire and the cloud guide them, the Shekinah presence of God is in their midst and leading them but for those 40 years they saw the miracles of their deliverance and were provided for, there was no lack of the supernatural in their experience, in fact everything they had was a result of the supernatural works of god but they didn’t want to know god personally, to know his character, his nature intimately like Moses did. They had no relationship with God. Relationship with God is generally birthed out of an encounter with God. But they had none.

That’s how Paul met Jesus, an encounter. A miracle comes and we get a revelation of the god of the miracle and we desire to know him, understand this god better. But Israel never did. They had no desire to, let Moses do it, they only had a superficial relationship with god, even though he was around them all day every day. Their familiarity bred contempt – they began to feel entitled, we’re the chosen of god. His favor is on us, we are the apple of his eye. We should be healed, be fed, and be blessed. We are his children. But they never became grateful, never became broken, contrite, repentant, they saw his awesome power and presence manifested in their camp daily but they weren’t willing to inquire of god, to seek his face in a more intimate way. They felt they deserved all this blessing and even more for they complained often about everything from leadership to the same old supernatural food.

Annie Graham Lott, Billy Graham's daughter, said something many years ago about this. She said she was from North Carolina so she could address this issue. She said so many people here are raised in church that it has become a culture of Christianity. On Sunday you go to church, that’s what you do if you live in nc and are a “christian.” Then after church you go to a restaurant and eat barbq and talk about the people you saw at church, bless their hearts and that preacher. That’s what you do on Sundays in NC(at least we used to). But she said her daddy – Billy – always said just because you live in a garage doesn’t mean you’re a car. In other words, just because you are familiar with who the god of the universe is, doesn’t mean you know him. It’s a superficial relationship. Yeah I know Jesus. But do you know him?

Miracles and provision and blessing and presence is given you see to make us desire to pursue a deeper revelation of god. I said 2 weeks ago that God is a rewarder and he is but he is a rewarder of them that diligently, fervently seek him! Not just say they know who he is. Just because his presence is in your midst and you might have seen a miracle or a healing or a blessing of provision of a job or such also doesn’t mean you can assume that God approves of your lifestyle, your heart, your attitude or your mouth.

What God was looking for from Israel, what Jesus was looking for from nazareth, was humility, contriteness, acknowledgement, gratitude, faith and love in return for all his presence in their lives? But what Israel gave God was arrogance, pride, rebellion, independence, unrepentant hearts, selfishness and sin. Even though he was leading them, providing for them, blessing them didn’t mean he approved of them even though he loved them and sent his son to die for them.

What was wrong with them is that they over 40 yrs of having that presence with them is that they got used to it. They felt entitled. It was familiar to them like Jesus was to the Nazarenes. They thought it was their birthright and by Paul’s’ time even though there was no presence, no ark, they still thought they could go thru the motions and expect god to bless them. They took his blessings as a sign of approval but God was angry with them.

What the Lord was warning me of is that we need to remember that prophecies and miracles and his presence are a sign that God, a big, loving powerful God is here in our midst and that should drive us to our knees in thankfulness and appreciation and desire to seek him. We want to know his ways, not just his acts. If we get complacent, lose the mystery and awe as His Presence is familiar to us we risk losing all He has planned for us. And don’t imagine that just because his presence and blessings are flowing upon us means he approves of everything we are doing personally and corporately. We need his presence, His Spirit to speak to us to correct us and we need to repent when we need to and humbles ourselves and walk in unity to seek him and see what more he has for us. As we seek him to know him what will he do next? Be in awe of a mighty God. The pharisees, the Israelites, Jesus’ neighbors missed the day of their visitation because they were too familiar, too entitled, to blind to see that god wants to be wanted. He shows himself mighty on our behalf because he wants us to know him. The world will see what God can do like naaman and they will respond with a changed heart. Let our hearts be open to him even though he is with us day and night. He deserves all we can give him. He doesn’t owe us anything but we owe him our lives and we must seek him I am so grateful for your grace, your love, your provision, your miracles, Lord. I want to know you.