What God hath Wrought!

Numbers 23:23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

On May 24, 1844, Samuel F. B. Morse dispatched the first telegraphic message over an experimental line from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. The message, was “What hath God wrought?” Since then, how many times could this be repeated with all the many amazing inventions or developments of man through the 20th century until now? But, how often would it be repeated, as it gives the ultimate credit to God for any accomplishment of man? When I think of the wonderful advancements in medicine such as brain surgery, heart transplants, and disease cures....when I think of media marvels such as the internet, television, and computers...when I think of the wonders of travel such as automobiles, airplanes and space travel...What hath GOD wrought?

Our attention is called to what Paul told the Romans

 Romans 10:1-3 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Zeal and Knowledge(Can God Be Pleased With One Without The

Other)

Rom 10:1-3

What is knowledge?This is defined as religious sense---means to have

a clear understanding Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest,

and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

We Should want knowledge, seek it, grow in it II Pet 3:18 But grow in the grace and the knowledge Acts 20:32

What is Zeal?What is Zeal

It means to be on fire! This word is used in the good sense

To enjoy doing something---to have an active pursuit or interest We have zeal… the question is where is our zeal

carried out? Is it doing the work of the Lord, our personal

interest, or the work of SatanWe should have a ZEAL for God and his work Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be

zealous therefore, and repent.

The Scriptures tells usa lot about Knowledge!

Gen. 2:9Gen.2:9 ….the tree of life was also in the midst of the

garden,and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Proverbs 18:15

The heart of the prudent(wise/sensible) getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

2 Chronicles 1:10Solomon’s choice: “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?”

Prov. 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction..the beginning of knowledge is”the fear of the Lord”

Prov. 23:12Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. Are you doing this? Am I?

Daniel 1:4 Nebuchadnezzar ,king of Babylon..told Ashpenaz to choose out:“Young men in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. “ He wanted men that were Informed! Men with knowledge! Would you or I have been chosen?

Hosea 4:6 God’s people destroyed because of a lackOf knowledge!My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Same today! God wants His people to be people of KNOWLEDGE! 2 Tim.2:15

Habakkuk 2:24

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea

Look at today: What God hath wrought!

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Who wants God today? Who wants to study, to learn more of God’s will, whoIs willing to open their hearts to God’s will and conform to it? Are we?

Romans 11:33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! We should be people seeking to know more about God!

I Cor. 15:34Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. Who is asleep and sinning! Who has the knowledge of God? Paul said it was a shame! What would he say about us??

2 Cor. 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; Get rid of anything that is contrary toThe knowledge of God!

Eph. 3:4 Where can we find knowledge? Where can we Get knowledge from God? Listen to what Paul says:“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” But who will read? Who will study?

Phil. 3:8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ How valuable is the knowledge of Christ? Paul counted everything he had, or had gained in the Jewish religion as ‘dung’..that he may win Christ!.

Colossians 1:10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Are you? Do you know more at the end of 2015 than you did at the beginning?

Col.2:3 Speaking of God the Father and of Christ our Lord:

“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”

God hath revealed His truth through Christ by the Spirit of God to us in the Bible!

I Tim.2:4 God’s great desire for all men:How do we know that? It is revealed in God’s Word!

“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Heb. 10:26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

We know what to do to be saved..there is no other sacrifice for sins to be made. You reject Him…He rejects you!

2 Pet. 1:3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

2 Peter 1:5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 2 Peter 1:6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, charity.

Are you? Have you added these things to your life?

2 Pet. 1:8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

2 Pet. 2:20For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. Who wants that ending!!!

2 Pet. 2:21-2221 For it had been better for them not to have known (knowledge) the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. It is worse for one to turn away from God…after having known (knowledge) the way of righteousness.. How do we know this ? GOD SAID IT!

2 Pet. 3:18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. A Commandment from God! Grow…grow…grow! Are you?

Scriptures Concerning Zeal

Numbers 25:11Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, “hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. What did God do for him?

Numbers 25:13And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel

Lo0k what Zeal Paul had..but he was zealous for the wrong thing! Phil. 3:6 About Paul himself: “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Why did Paul do this? He wasIgnorant (lack of knowledge)Phil. 1:13..but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief!

Acts 22:3I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Gal.1:14And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers

Col. 4:13Epaphras..who was one of the Colossians, a bondservant of Jesus Christ…always praying for them that they would stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

“For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.”

Titus 2:14Purpose for which we have been purchased by Jesus Christ… “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, “zealous of good works “

Revelation 3:19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

God said he would rebuke us and chasten us because He loves us!. Thank God He cares for us !. Let us all be zealous and repent!

Zeal without Knowledge

This is heat without light, activity without guidance

Examples: Peter Matt 26:51-52 Saul Acts 22:3-4 Phil 3:6 Present day “religious” people exhibit a lot of

zeal, but often times it is without knowledge

Zeal without Knowledge

There are serious dangers in having Zeal without knowledge. a) Ultimately, people will be lost. Mtt. 7:21 b) People will be influenced and consequently also be lost. Matt. 15:14 c) Families will be lost.

Zeal without knowledge

Saul wrought havoc on the church Acts 8:3 Israel was zealous for God but they were not savedBeing zealous for God is not a validation of

salvationBeing on fire to talk about Christ, quote scripture,

and sacrifice the pleasures of this world is not enough to be saved

To be saved one must first obey the gospel of Christ

Heb 5:8-9

Knowledge Without Zeal

This is light without heat, understanding without activity, faith without works

The Church at Ephesus Started well but left their first love- Rev.2:4

This exemplifies many present day ChristiansMany know what to do right but fail to do it James 4:17….no activity!

Knowledge without Zeal

This is light without heat, understanding without activity, faith without worksExamples:The Christians at Sardis

They heard and received the word but they were dead!....they were without activity

Rev 3:1-3The Christians at Galatia

They were devoted and faithful Christians but they lost their first love

Gal 5:7 Ye did run well, who did hinder you?

Zeal and KnowledgeThis is light and heat, understanding and activity. This is the ideal state of being

Examples: Paul the Christian Phil 3:13-14 The disciples in Jerusalem Acts 2:41-42

There are many Christians in our day that exhibit this kind of state of being. THEY KNOW GOD’S WILLAND THEY ARE DOING IT!!!!

Zeal and KnowledgeThere are blessings involved in having zeal and knowledge(1) A crown of righteousness II Tim 4:6-8

(2) A crown of life Rev 2:10

Zeal + Knowledge = Salvation

ConclusionCan a man have zeal without knowledge

Yes!We can posses one without the other

Is it pleasing to God to have one without the other

NOIn order to be pleasing to God we must haveKnowledge and zeal!

Which category applies to you todayDo you have knowledge without Zeal?

Do you have Zeal without knowledge?

Zeal and Knowledge(Will God Be Pleased With One

Without The Other)NO!

Rom 10:1-3