God in Action
Foundations: Our Statement of Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
This morning we are going to tackle three very important aspects of God. His revelation, how He reveals Himself to us. His creation of all things. And lastly what it means to be created in the likeness of God.
Recap:
Recap:
We are spending 7 weeks to go through our statement of faith and finishing with a vision Sunday.
Scripture:
We believe that the Scriptures of the OT and NT are the Word of God, fully inspired, without error, and is the infallible rule of faith and practice. Also that the Bible is the only foundation upon which the church operates and is to be governed. Holding to a faith based view that what we have is truly God’s Word.
Application: The most important application we can take away from God’s Word is this… We need to submit our lives to it by praying, reading, studying, applying, and sharing it. Along with hiding it away in our hearts, meaning we should memorize it.
After all we memorize the things we really love.
The Trinity:
Last week was a doozy, as we tried to understand something that is incomprehensible. Again one of the best ways to describe God is with the word “other.” It is only by the grace of God that we have any understanding of Him at all.
What we looked into last week was 3 principle of God that the Bible teaches us:
God is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Each person is fully God.
There is one God.
Application: The take away was firstly that God is worthy of our praise and worship. Secondly, the unity and diversity of God are on display throughout His creation, again leading us to worship Him.
Next week we are going to be looking into the God’s righteous judgment and the purpose of His covenants.
Followed by our churches views pertaining to Jesus. Looking intently at the incarnation, cross, resurrection, and His second coming.
We are going to take a week to understand the importance of the Church catholic and local, and our stance on church ordinances.
Revelation: God speaks
Revelation: God speaks
We believe that God reveals Himself to everyone everywhere through general revelation. We believe it is only through the special revelation of God's word that anyone comes to a saving knowledge of God. We believe God has supremely revealed himself through Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God and His incarnate Word. We believe that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirt and also inerrant and authoritative; every book of the sixty-six canonical books of the Bible reveal to us Jesus Christ. Because God is a loving Father who speaks, we seek to hear from Him and test everything by the Word of God.
General revelation:
General revelation:
You may or may not be familiar with this term.
General revelation: The knowledge of God’s existence, character, and more law that comes through creation to all humanity.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
Paul in Romans 1 goes on to show that even unbelievers who have no written record of God’s laws still have in their conscience some basic understanding of God’s moral demands.
This is why throughout the world there is a universal moral code. Granted there might be exceptions to that, but those only come when there has been a mutilation of one’s conscience.
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Again in Romans 1 we are given another example:
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Talk about a long list of sin. What its interesting to note is that they not only do these things, but give approval to those who practice them. Meaning wicked people know that their sin is wrong, to a degree.
Paul also talks about the conscience of those who do not have the written law:
14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
The conscience of unbelievers bear witness to God’s moral standards, but at time this evidence of God’s law on them is distorted or suppressed. Again through the mutilation of their conscience.
What I mean is that sometimes their conscience accuses them of their wickedness. While at other times they excuse it.
In the first three chapters of Romans we given insight to this general revelation of God. The knowledge of God’s existence, character, moral law, which comes through creation to all humanity.
Through the observation of nature, through seeing God’s directing influence in history, and through an inner sense of God’s existence and His laws that He has placed inside of every person. This is all general revelation.
General revelation isn’t good enough though is it?
What we need is special revelation. Which refers to God’s Word.
The Words of the OT books: the pentateuch, historical books, poetic books, prophetic books major and minor.
The Words of the NT books: the Gospels, Acts, the epistles, and closing with Revelation.
Special revelation:
Special revelation:
General revelation helps us understand that there is a “higher power” but it must be emphasized that Scripture nowhere indicates that people can know the gospel or the way of salvation through general revelation.
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
It’s one thing to know that God exists, that He is the Creator of all, that we owe Him obedience, and that we have sinned against Him. But how the holiness and justice of God can ever be reconciled with His willingness to forgive sins is a mystery that is only solved with the Bible.
Scripture reveals
Scripture reveals
The Bible never views human speculation apart from the Word of God as a sufficient basis on which to rest saving faith.
True saving faith according to the Bible, is alway confidence and trust in God that rests on the truthfulness of God’s Word.
Our Bible is a collection of 66 books, all God-breathed and inspired. 39 found in the OT, and 27 in the NT. And we believe that the Bible is accurate in all maters of history, prophecy, and in every issue of life.
Even though these books and letters, might not have been written to us, they are written for us. What blows my mind is the simple fact that the Bible is still so relevant for us today. That it speaks on so many issue we find ourselves going through.
As Paul put it:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Doctrine: what the Bible says on any given topic.
Reproof and correction: the Bible speaks to us pointedly concerning the things in our lives which are displeasing to God.
Instruction in Righteousness: And it has the right to not only point out our wrongs, but how to live rightly. If you are a born again believer we need to live under the authority of God’s Word.
The age old questions: Why am I here… What is my purpose… Where do I belong… Who am I…
All these questions are answered in Scripture. As Scripture time and time again points out that we were created to worship and glorify God. This is how one can find true satisfaction or as 2 Timothy state be “complete.” And it is all found in our Bibles.
Creation: God makes
Creation: God makes
We believe that God created all things out of nothing, and lovingly prepared them as a home for mankind in which to worship and enjoy Him. Everything in creation and history is dependent on God and is only good when functioning according to His intentions. God, the author and subject of history, will bring history to an end and create a new heaven and a new earth. Because God is our creator, we worship Him alone and gladly enjoy His creation.
I think it is very important for us to understand that the word “need” is a creature word. God has no need of anything or anyone. He wasn’t lonely and decided to create all things. Or that He desired to be worshipped and therefore made the angelic beings and mankind.
Every person of God is clearly seen in the creation of all things:
God the Father:
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
God the Son/ Jesus Christ:
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
God the Holy Spirit:
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
The purpose of creation:
The purpose of creation:
The Bible also gives us insight into why God created all things, specifically us:
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Everything God does is for His good pleasure. Now this doesn’t mean that humanity was made to entertain God or provide Him with amusement.
11 “You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”
God is a creative Being, and it give Him pleasure to create. God is a personal Being, and it gives Him pleasure to have other beings He can have a genuine relationship with.
This is why we were made in the image of God, which nothing else in creation has mind you.
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
As God, He needs nothing. In all eternity past, He felt no loneliness. He truly loves us, but this is not the same as needing us. If we had never existed, God would still be God:
6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
His-story:
His-story:
You are probably like me—and you like a good story. It is a running joke in my family that my favorite movie is the one I just watched.
The sad reality is that we tend to believe that we are the main character of our story. Family we have been lied too, we are not the main character at all.
The main character is God, and it will never be you or I. All of history is truly His-story. His creation story, His redemptive plan. It is all about Him and are you okay with that?
9 Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.
What a wonderful gift we have been given to be apart of His story. Having made a way to have fellowship with Him and enjoy and to enjoy a genuine relationship with Him too.
Image: God loves
Image: God loves
We believe that in love God created the first human beings, Adam and Eve. God created them male and female, equal in dignity, value, and worth. Their purpose is to mirror and reflect God through acts of worship and obedience. We believe that human beings, as God's sole image bearers, are under God and over creation, not to be pulled up like gods or pushed down like animals.(13) We believe that human life begins at conception and that an unborn baby is an image bearer of God.(14) We believe that God created marriage solely for one man and one woman. As such He created them different, so as to complement and complete each other. God created sex only for married couples, instituting monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. Therefore, we perform marriages in accordance with the Bible, consistent with the Old and New Testament.(15) Because God created human life and marriage, we value the sanctity of life and godly marriage.
Sanctity of image:
Sanctity of image:
The world is confused: LGBTQ+ believe that their sin is their identity.
The Bible beings clarity, not hate. And speaking out against such a lifestyle isn’t hate either.
As we have mentioned just a little earlier being made in God’s image is really important for us to understand.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Here we see that our image links to the image of God. Now there is a lot of debate on what exactly this means. Here are a few interpretations:
Just as God is a Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), so man is a tripartite being (spirit, soul, body).
Like God, we have intellect, a moral nature, the power to communicate with others, and an emotional nature that transcends instinct.
There are in antiquity ancient Near East kings who were the visible representative of their deity; thus the king ruled on behalf of their God. We being image bearers exercise dominion over all the other creatures of the sea, heavens, and earth.
The important point I would like to make is that human beings are crowned with glory and honor and set apart from all other creatures.
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
As our statement of faith states, our purpose is to reflect and mirror our God through acts of obedience and worship.
Sanctity of life:
Sanctity of life:
The world does not care about life:
the Bible tells us that God does though, and we should too.
As a church we have a high view of life. The sanctity of that life, that it was given to each of us by God and that He:
25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
All life is valued by God:
9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?
We believe that everything pertaining to life is and should be highly valued. What I do not mean, is this twisted idea that animals are as valuable as human life. Yet God still cares about them too.
Specifically speaking we care about the unborn children our nation is murdering and the nations around the world. But not just them, the but the mothers who believe that is the only way out.
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Sanctity of marriage:
Sanctity of marriage:
The world has and is trying to destroy the sanctity of marriage:
But the Bible tells us otherwise.
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
There is a purity when done God’s way. It demonstrates Christ too, The body of believers that make up the church are collectively called the bride of Christ. As bridegroom, Jesus gave His life for His bride. And His selfless act provides an example for all us husbands to strive for.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
The primary purpose of marriage—fellowship, companionship and mutual help and comfort. Done God’s way we see that another purpose is to create a stable home in which children can grow and thrive.
After all the first ordinance given to man was to be fruitful and multiply. The very best marriage one could have is between two believers who could produce godly offspring.
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
Family not only does marriage teach children how to be faithful and give them a stable environment in which to learn and grow, it also has a sanctifying effect on both husband and wife.
Marriage has it’s difficult moments and difficult dynamics. After all when two sinful people are trying to create a life together, they must submit to God’s command to love each other as God has loved us:
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Marriage also protects both people from sexual immorality. Marriage after all provides a healthy place to express sexuality, without opening oneself up to the severe emotional damage that is cause by casual, non-committed relations.
It is perfectly clear that God created marriage for our good, to make us happy, to promote a healthier society, and more importantly to produce holiness in our lives.
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the Lord.
If you would like to have a conversation about homosexuality or transgenderism and our stance as a church, I would love to sit down and talk with you.
Communion:
Communion:
[Worship team come on up]
“He cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7. He was welling to rescue you from your sin and rebellion. But there was only one way to be saved...
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
For anyone who might need prayer this morning we have people wanting and willing to pray with you. Please as this song plays and we close service be respectful to those who are looking for prayer and make your way to the courtyard.
For anyone who might need prayer this morning we have people wanting and willing to pray with you. Please as this song plays and we close service be respectful to those who are looking for prayer and make your way to the courtyard.