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Do You Know God?
John Piper

John Stephen Piper (1946 - ). American pastor, author, and theologian born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Converted at six, he grew up in South Carolina and earned a B.A. from Wheaton College, a B.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a D.Theol. from the University of Munich. Ordained in 1975, he taught biblical studies at Bethel University before pastoring Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis from 1980 to 2013, growing it to over 4,500 members. Founder of Desiring God ministries in 1994, he championed “Christian Hedonism,” teaching that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” Piper authored over 50 books, including Desiring God (1986) and Don’t Waste Your Life, with millions sold worldwide. A leading voice in Reformed theology, he spoke at Passion Conferences and influenced evangelicals globally. Married to Noël Henry since 1968, they have five children. His sermons and writings, widely shared online, emphasize God’s sovereignty and missions.
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Sermon Summary
This sermon emphasizes the importance of truly knowing and honoring God through Jesus Christ. Jesus challenges those who claim to know God but reject Him, stating that if they truly knew Him, they would know the Father as well. The rejection of Jesus is equated with not knowing God, highlighting the inseparable connection between knowing Jesus and knowing God. The speaker delves into the significance of honoring God by recognizing the Son's sacrificial work, resurrection, and lordship, emphasizing that dishonoring the Son is equivalent to dishonoring the Father.
Sermon Transcription
Do you know God? Do you know God? John 8, 19 is your test. Jesus says to those who claim to know God and were his adversary, or they said to him first, where is your father? Now, they're calling him a bastard, because they knew Mary was pregnant before she married Joseph. Where's your father? And Jesus answered, you know neither me nor my father. If you knew me, you would know my father also. And he's shifting categories on them. If you knew me, you would know my father. They don't know Jesus. They're rejecting him. Therefore, he says, you don't know God. This is what got him killed. Saying to the most religious people on the planet, who have the Old Testament memorized, that they don't know God, is highly inflammatory. And that's what he said. Because, everything I've said up to this point in this sermon, is to help you understand, that when God was revealed in the Old Testament, Christ was revealed. And if Christ shows up and you reject Him, you never knew the revelation of God. Test number two. Implication number two. Do you honor God? The first one was, do you know God? John 8, 19. The second one is, do you honor God? Ask yourself right now, do I honor God? The Maker of heaven and earth. Do I honor God? Here's your test. John 5, 23. Whoever does not honor the Son, does not honor the Father who sent Him. So the Father and the Son are revealed in Scripture with such union, such unity, that if you dishonor the one, you dishonor the other. And dishonor means, not speaking nicely about Him and denying who He is. Honor Him means, recognize He's the Son of God, crucified for sinners, risen from the dead, reigning in heaven, coming again, Lord of the universe. That's the way you honor the Son. And if you reject any of that, you don't honor the Son, and therefore, don't honor God. No matter what you say. Or how much of any Bible you have memorized. Or how much you go to church anywhere. Or mosque, or synagogue, or tree, or shrine, or Baptist church.
Do You Know God?
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John Stephen Piper (1946 - ). American pastor, author, and theologian born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Converted at six, he grew up in South Carolina and earned a B.A. from Wheaton College, a B.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a D.Theol. from the University of Munich. Ordained in 1975, he taught biblical studies at Bethel University before pastoring Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis from 1980 to 2013, growing it to over 4,500 members. Founder of Desiring God ministries in 1994, he championed “Christian Hedonism,” teaching that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” Piper authored over 50 books, including Desiring God (1986) and Don’t Waste Your Life, with millions sold worldwide. A leading voice in Reformed theology, he spoke at Passion Conferences and influenced evangelicals globally. Married to Noël Henry since 1968, they have five children. His sermons and writings, widely shared online, emphasize God’s sovereignty and missions.