1 + 1 + 1 = 1

Kingdom Calculation: 1+ 1 + 1 = 1

Weird math, I know. And it only works in this ONE situation…

“Trinity” - THREE IN ONE

God the Father

Jesus the Son

Holy Spirit the Counselor / Advocate

I ADMIT — The Trinity is difficult to wrap our minds around.

There is never a place in the Bible that we actually read the word, “Trinity.”

But we certainly see evidence of the “Trinity” throughout Scripture.

SIDENOTE: I’ve actually written, deleted, and re-written this message 4-5 times

Let me share a few of those moments…

1 - Creation - “US”

Genesis 1:26 NIV

26 Then God said, “Let US make mankind in our image, in our likeness…”

2 - Jesus’ Baptism - Father, Son, Spirit

Matthew 3:16–17 NIV

16 As soon as JESUS was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the SPIRIT of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a VOICE from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

3 - Holy Spirit, Father - IN Jesus’ Name

John 14:26 NIV

26 But the Advocate, the HOLY SPIRIT, whom the FATHER will send in MY name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

4 - Baptize - Trinity

Matthew 28:19 NIV

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT,

5 - PETER - Father, Spirit, Jesus

1 Peter 1:1–2 NIV

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the FATHER, through the sanctifying work of the SPIRIT, to be obedient to JESUS CHRIST and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

6 - PAUL - Jesus, God, Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV

14 May the grace of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, and the love of GOD, and the fellowship of the HOLY SPIRIT be with you all.

Because the Trinity is so difficult to wrap our minds around, people have tried a bunch of analogies to help us understand. Here are just a few I’ve heard…

Three Sides of a Triangle

Old Testament -> Gospels -> New Testament

Egg Shell -> White -> Yolk

Water -> Ice -> Steam

THERE’S A PROBLEM: None of those analogies actually do a perfect job of describing the Trinity.

Father, Son, Spirit share some divine attributes:

Eternal

Father is from “everlasting to everlasting”

Jesus is the “Alpha and Omega”

Spirit is “eternal Spirit”

Omniscient — searches and knows our hearts

Omnipotent — power to work

Holy

Truthful

Benevolent

But each part of the Trinity - Father, Son, Spirit - have unique characteristics as well.

Today, I want to…

1 - Acknowledge that it might be impossible for us to understand and explain exactly how EVERYTHING works with the Trinity…

…we might need to grasp the basics and then trust God with the rest

(I know that might frustrate some of us who “just like to know everything about everything”)

2 - Spend the rest of our time highlighting one unique attribute of each part of the Trinity…and then I want to leave you with a clear Next Step.

PRAY

God the Father is a Creator.

Genesis 1:1 NIV

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis — “And God said…”

Genesis 1:26–27 NIV

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness… 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

In the beginning…God is a creator.

He created a space that was:

Full of beauty

Full of life

Perfect for Him to meet with His creation (Adam & Eve)

And in the end, God is STILL a creator.

Revelation 21:5 NIV

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

In the end…God will create a space that is:

Full of beauty

Full of life

Perfect for Him to meet with HIs creation (You & I)

What Does It Mean That Humanity Was Made In The Image Of God? - https://www.gotquestions.org/image-of-God.html

God the Son is a Builder.

Mark 6:3 NIV

3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus was, by trade, a CARPENTER.

The word technically is TEKTON

“Builder” or “Craftsman”

Why does this word matter???

When the Bible was first translated into English, they came across the word “tekton” and thought, “Hmmm…Jesus was a builder…what do you call a builder???”

They looked around and in England, what were the houses and buildings built out of??? WOOD — hence…CARPENTER

HOWEVER….

Jesus grew up in a place called Nazareth in the 1st century.

About an hour walk from Nazareth was a city called Sepphoris

Sepphoris went through several building and re-building periods throughout history and one of those re-building times was right in the middle of the 1st century, as it became a regional capital for Herod Antipas

As it was being re-built in the 1st century, Jesus would have been growing into adulthood as a TEKTON - as a builder - and we could make a reasonable assumption that Jesus found work building the city of Sepphoris

Working as a builder in this Greco-Roman city, building houses and buildings and roads out of stone…Jesus the TEKTON was quite possibly a STONE MASON.

Now, using that knowledge, some things make more sense…

He spoke a LOT about CORNERSTONES and CAPSTONES and STUMBLING BLOCKS

He didn’t speak much about RAFTERS or STUDS or CHAIRS

Regardless of what type of BUILDER Jesus was - carpenter or mason - let’s understand something...

He built buildings…

…and cities…

…and ultimately was building His KINGDOM.

Was Jesus A Carpenter? - https://www.gotquestions.org/was-Jesus-a-carpenter.html

God the Spirit is a Counselor.

(ADVOCATE - HELPER - COUNSELOR)

John 14:16–17 NIV

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 14:26 NIV

26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The Holy Spirit was given to us as a COUNSELOR - ADVOCATE - HELPER

Some Christians have viewed the Holy Spirit through a very emotional lens…

Healings / Miracles

Speaking in tongues

The Holy Spirit can certainly do powerful - and emotional - things…

Healings / Miracles — but as the exception, not the rule

Speaking in tongues — but Scripture is clear there is order and purpose to how this happens —- and again, as the exception, not the rule

BUT the Holy Spirit is SOOOOOO much more than mere emotional things…

He guides

He comforts

He instructs

He encourages

He convicts

What Does It Mean That The Holy Spirit Is Our Counselor? - https://www.gotquestions.org/paraclete-Holy-Spirit.html

So…what does all of that mean for us???

If you are created in the image of the TRINITY…..

1 - You are created to be a creator.

You don’t…

Create whole universes

Create life from nothing

You do…

Create environments where people can meet with God

Create relationships where people can meet with God

Create moments where people can meet with God

REMEMBER… God is a creator who creates spaces for His creation to meet with Him…so you do the same.

2 - You are created to be a builder.

You don’t necessarily…

Build cities

Build chairs

You absolutely do…

Build God’s Kingdom

Build relational networks where disciples are made and thrive

3 - You are created to be a counselor.

You don’t necessarily…

Sit in an office and earn a living as a counselor

You absolutely do…

Listen to the hurts of your people

Embrace the wounds of your people

Guide the choices of your people

Encourage the hearts of your people

Challenge the actions of your people

INVITATION: Recognize the image of the God in which you were created and choose to join Him

CHALLENGE: Embrace the characteristics you were created to embody

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What do you think the concept of the Trinity means when we say God is three in one?

Can you think of any examples in the Bible that show the Trinity?

How does understanding the Trinity as a unified yet complex relationship change your perception of God in your everyday life?

Why do you think the attributes of the Father, Son, and Spirit are important for us to understand?

Reflecting on these attributes, in what ways can you emulate these characteristics in your own life?

In what ways can you create environments where people can meet with God, similar to how God creates spaces for us?

How can we actively participate in 'building God's Kingdom' as mentioned in the message?

 What specific steps can you take this week to contribute to building God's Kingdom in your community?

What role does the Holy Spirit play in your life according to the sermon?

How can you be more aware of the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your daily decisions?

What are some ways we can support and help others as the Holy Spirit does?