Understanding God
Notes
Transcript
INTRO
INTRO
Growing up as a Pastor’s kid, before there was Chat GPT, there was my dad.
I could pretty much go to him and ask him anything about the Bible and get an answer.
And I guess I grew up assuming God was real and didn’t really question anything about Him, until I got into my high school years.
Until I came to a level of maturity to decide if God was someone I really wanted to pursue on my own in my life, apart from my parents.
Don’t get me wrong, I knew I was saved, I had asked Jesus into my life at 5 years old, but at 5 I didn’t truly understand what it was to have a separate faith from my parents or how to live it out in the real world.
Around age 13 I made that decision to make it my own and pursue a deeper relationship in my life as a whole.
God began to put people in my life who I had opportunities to share my faith with.
What I found in talking to many of them was they were intimidated by reading the Bible or didn’t really have a clear picture of who God was.
They only knew what they’ve been told by either their parents or the occasional visit on Easter or Christmas.
Aside from that they were intimidated and soon gave up the search.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost things and looked everywhere for them.
I mean like my wallet or keys- I’ll tear the house apart, check under things or in my car.
Then as usual, Alisha will look at me like I’m crazy and hold up the item I’m looking for.
I’ll ask, “where did you find that!? I’ve been looking for it everywhere!”
And she’ll say, “on the counter, or under a stack of papers on the counter.”
Looking all over the place didn’t help when what I was looking for was right in front of me the whole time.
Sometimes we search for God this way- we search in all the wrong places or miss Him when He’s been right in front of us the whole time.
Many look for God in mystical experiences, or in the complexities of things, in theology, or in some other place as I look for my misplaced wallet or keys.
But what if understanding God could be way less complicated?
Over the next 8 weeks we’re diving into a never-done before series here at RBBC.
I’m calling it RBBC Roots because we’re going to be exploring our core beliefs as a church.
As a church we major on the majors and minor on the minors but these 8 topics are non negotiable when it comes to our DNA as a church.
But to be clear, the only way of salvation is through repenting of our sin and submitting our lives to Jesus Christ.
5 of the 8 (God, His authority, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and Humanity) are essential to understanding how and why we’re saved but the other 3 (The body of Christ, Baptism, and Communion) are important in how we live our lives after we are saved.
I challenge you, over the next 8 weeks, to open up your hearts and your minds as we dive into what we view as the Roots thats hold our church down; roots that enable us to exist and move and breath as a church.
LET’S PRAY
Before jumping into deeper things we should realize a few things:
Who is God? - The Fact
Who is God? - The Fact
God’s existence is so easy to see, both through creation and through man’s conscience, that the Bible calls the atheist a “fool”.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.
Something interesting is that, the Bible actually never attempts to prove the existence of God.
Instead, it assumes His existence from the very beginning.
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The Bible reveals the nature, character, and work of God.
“If God does not exist then people populate this planet by chance. Based on that there would be no design, no purpose, no accountability for this life. But then if He does exist, then a host of other questions arise: What is He like? How can we know Him? Why did He create this world? What does He expect of us? Should we worship Him? What will He do if we ignore or disobey Him?”
Chuck Swindoll
We CAN know the existence of God based on two factors:
The inner sense of God
The evidence in Scripture
1. The inner sense of God
1. The inner sense of God
It is obvious that all people everywhere, no matter their walk of life have a deep sense of something greater, they are filled with wonder and awe of things around them.
God designed us this way- to wonder about greater things than ourselves.
But the truth is, that God exists, we are the creation and He is our Creator.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
Let that sink in for a minute and see how this permeates our culture:
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
2. The evidence in Scripture
2. The evidence in Scripture
Weather, harvests, and happiness are all witnesses to God:
17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
It also doesn’t take long for us to look around us to see God’s glory and beauty.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
Yet, even though we believe He exists, it doesn’t mean whether we can know God.
God is not limited like we are, we are finite creatures but he is the creator.
David understood this about himself when he said,
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
The source of our joy and true happiness in life can only come from the source of our creator.
Who is God? - The Definition
Who is God? - The Definition
If we have a false sense of who God is that can become idolatry so it’s important we understand His character and attributes.
Psalm 50:21, makes it clear that God stands alone, and we are not equal to God’s power or Will.
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
A great summary definition of God is “the Supreme Being; the Creator and Ruler of all that is; the Self-existent One who is perfect in power, goodness, and wisdom.”
God is the creator and the Supreme Being (existing in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).
White board the Trinity Triangle.
Though the Bible never specifically mentions the word Trinity we can clearly see that God exists in three equal persons.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Jesus’ baptism displays the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit being present together and un union.
At the great commission Jesus tells His disciples to go make disciples, and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
They are mentioned together in various parts of Scripture:
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Existing in three persons, He also is the creator and ruler of all things.
He has always existed and was never created.
He is perfect in power, goodness, and wisdom.
Who is God? - His Nature
Who is God? - His Nature
We know certain things about God’s nature because He has revealed them to us in His Word.
God is spirit, by nature invisible
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God is One, but He exists as three Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
God is infinite
17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Incomparable
22 Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
He is unchanging
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
God is omnipresent which means, He is everywhere
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
He is omniscient, which means He is all knowing
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
And of course, He has all power and authority.
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
God has no beginning or end, not like we understand time:
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
And like time, He is not limited to space.
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
Who is God? - His Character
Who is God? - His Character
We can read at ton about His character within the Bible:
God is just
31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
God is loving
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
God is truth(ful)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
God is holy
9 Exalt the Lord our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the Lord our God is holy!
he shows compassion to all
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
He is full of mercy
15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
He is filled with grace and gives it freely
17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
God judges sin
30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
God is forgiving
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
All of God’s character is equal, one attribute is no greater than the other.
Who is God? - His Work
Who is God? - His Work
Apart from God’s works we can not understand Him because what He does flows from who He is.
God’s works, past, present, and future:
Have someone run the mic around to people to read these verses...
God created the world (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 42:5);
He actively sustains the world (Colossians 1:17);
He is executing His eternal plan (Ephesians 1:11) which involves the redemption of man from the curse of sin and death (Galatians 3:13-14);
He draws people to Christ (John 6:44);
He disciplines His children (Hebrews 12:6);
and He will judge the world (Revelation 20:11-15).
Something we have to realize though is that God is independent of us, He does not need us for anything, yet He desires to bless us.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
God was never created and He needs nothing from us but it does not make our lives meaningless by any means!
He created us to glorify Himself
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
No other religion in the world has a personal relationship with their God.
Greek mythology teaches that gods interacted with people but were finite and had weaknesses and failures.
Buddhism, Hinduism, any any other popular false beliefs today teach that you only suffer in life but can’t have a personal relationship with the creator.
And many religions and people will try to deny this truth about God but in addition to God being eternal we need to understand that He is also personal.
And above all God’s Will is not like ours- He has His own ways, thoughts and plan.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
Who is God? - A Relationship with Him
Who is God? - A Relationship with Him
In the Person of the Son, God became incarnate
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Son of God (deity) became the Son of Man (flesh) and based on those, He is the “bridge” between God and man (
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
And with all that...
Have someone run the mic around to people to read these verses...
It is only through the Son that we:
Can have forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7)
reconciliation with God (John 15:15; Romans 5:10)
and eternal salvation (2 Timothy 2:10)
In Jesus Christ “all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9)
So, to really know who God is, all we have to do is look at Jesus (In two weeks we’ll dive more into who Jesus is)
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.