📖 John 7:25-31 • Do you really know God, or do you just know facts about God? There's a massive difference between having right answers and having a real relationship.

⛪ Preached at Pilgrim Baptist Church • Cookeville, TN • February 15, 2026.

The religious leaders in John 7 had all the right answers. They could quote Micah 5 about where the Messiah would be born. They knew the scriptures inside and out. But Jesus looked them in the eye and said the most insulting thing possible to a religious leader: "You don't know God."

This sermon exposes the dangerous gap between biblical knowledge and biblical transformation. You can graduate at the top of your Bible class and still not know the Author of the Bible. You can have perfect doctrine and zero relationship. Pastor Fortunato uses a powerful analogy: When his dad had a heart attack, he didn't show up at the hospital lecturing doctors about heart surgery. He submitted to the surgeon and got on the table. That's what knowing God requires - not more Bible trivia, but surrender to the Great Physician.

The question isn't "Do you have all the right answers?" The question is "Does the evidence in your life compel people to ask what happened to you?" Religious leaders stayed silent when Jesus showed up because their words couldn't match His works. What about your life?

This convicting message walks through John 7:25-31, explaining:

• Why religious leaders plotted murder but stayed silent in Jesus's presence

• Jesus's dual origin: earthly (Nazareth) vs. eternal (from the Father)

• The difference between knowing someone's hometown vs. knowing their home

• Why ordinary people believed while religious experts rejected Him

• The heart surgery analogy: submitting to Jesus vs. lecturing Him

• How to spot the difference: Do you know God or just know about God?

• Why no one could arrest Jesus until His appointed hour

• Evidence-based faith: Is your life compelling or comfortable?

• Why dramatic conversions happen in hostile environments, not just comfort

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