Knowing God Both Intimately and Intellectually

There are a lot of people who have gotten all excited about doctrine and somehow they feel like they've seen something and they know something that other people don't know and it gives them this puffed up feeling, this exalted feeling, this sense of, I know something about God and I have this insight into the truths of God. I want to tell you something. The Word of God teaches that Christ did not die to give you great insights and truths into the nature of God or just to give you doctrine. Jesus Christ died to bring us to God Himself. I was with Brother Paul. I went to hear Brother Washer preach on one occasion over in Bowling Green, Kentucky. And of course, as it always happens, I was talking to Brother Paul and as it always happens, he was crowded, crowded around with young men, young preachers. And they crowded up around him and one of them asked him a question. And Brother Paul kind of smiled and deferred to me. He said, this is an older pastor. I don't know why Paul thinks I'm an older pastor, but anyway. He said, ask this man. And so the boy asked me the question. I don't remember exactly what it was. But I just felt the need when I finished saying what little bit I said to ask him. I said, tell me, tell me when you were saved. Tell me about your salvation. This is what he said. He said, well, I was raised in so-and-so church of Christ and I was baptized at such a place. Now, let's get back to it. And I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Tell me when you were saved. Well, he kind of stepped back and looked offended. He said, I just told you I was raised in this certain church of Christ and I was baptized at a certain, certain age. Now, Brother Paul, about this doctrinal problem. And I'm going to tell you something. There are multitudes of young men and women today who are being taught and who think somehow in their mind that if they have an intellectual grasp of the gospel, if they have an intellectual grasp of the five points of Calvinism, and by the way, I consider myself a five-pointer, so if what I said a while ago upset you, just don't get too excited about it. But I'm here to tell you that just because you have an intellectual understanding of the gospel, don't mean you've gotten to the place where God wants you to be yet. Jesus Christ suffered. Jesus Christ died. Jesus Christ experienced the spittle and the scorn and the laughter of men. And Jesus Christ was shamed and treated horribly to bring us to God. That's the reason, to bring us to God. All of these things, forgiveness of sin, redemption, reconciliation, all of these things have to do with bringing us to God. Now, let me ask you a question this morning. Have you ever been brought to God? That's the question.