Who Is God?

Lesson 1 - Who is God?

That is probably the biggest question one can ask...can it be answered in a 50 minute discussion?

Goal – Impossible to sum up everything in the Bible about God. Instead, this discussion is to give the class tools to understand who God is and what God is up to.

Philosophy

The mechanism and materialism are insufficient to explain the order and intelligence of the universe

Something is, therefore something must eternally be

Is it the Lord God of the Bible, or something else?

Greeks, Romans, Persian, Canaanites

Psalm 19:1 “1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”

Romans 1:20 “20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

The Bible tells us that this world POINTS to a creator, a God. Not multiple Gods, but purely true and living God

The Bible is where we must go to the character, essence, and being of God

Historically, prophetically, scientifically true

1. God is Assumed in Scripture

Genesis 1:1–3 NASB95

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

How many of you had a mom or dad?

We assume people know they have or had parents. Scripture assumes God exists. Why? Because the people doing the writing experienced him. So they aren’t asking God for proof.

Who would you say God is?

What is he like?

If someone asked you to describe your best friend how would you go about describing them?

 You might talk about what they look like – Sorry, God is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17 “17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”)

 Their career - What they have done/accomplished/employment

 Their interests – the things they talk about

Therefore, it is fair to say that God is a ‘personal’ being

Revelation - We can only know as much about God as God reveals himself to us. That is called divine revelation. God reveals certain things about himself to us through His Words and His Actions. We find both recorded in the Bible.

So if you want to find out who God is you have to go to scripture to get the majority of your information.

2. God is Described in Scripture

What is he like?

If someone asked you to describe your best friend how would you go about describing them?

You might talk about what they look like — Sorry, God is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17 “17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”)

Their career — What they have done/accomplished/employment

Their interests — the things they talk about

Therefore, it is fair to say that God is a ‘personal’ being

God is one — Deuteronomy 6:4 “4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!”

The nature of God is embodied in 3 persons

God is plural in Gen 1:1 .

Genesis 1:26 “26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”

There is an expression of plurality in the divine unity

Matthew 28:19 “19 … baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”

All are called God

1 Corinthians 8:6 “6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

John 1:1 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Acts 5:3–4 “3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.””

Sufficient for us… if we believe in the inspiration of the scriptures

The finite cannot comprehend the infinite

Job 11:7 “7 “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?”

God is Spirit

John 4:24 “24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””

No flesh and bones

Luke 24:39 “39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.””

God is Omniscient — infinite knowledge

By prophesy

Acts 15:18 “18 Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.”

Romans 16:27 “27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

God is Omnipotent

Revelation 4:8 “8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.””

Just, holy, good, eternal 1 Timothy 1:17 “17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Unchangeable James 1:17 “17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

One way God describes himself is through metaphors we can understand Him. God as King or Lord – this is the most common image for God in scripture

1. King - Psalm 44:4

a. We don’t have kings in America today but what kinds of attributes would we expect from God as our king?

b. What would a king expect from his people?

c. Rev 4:10-11 – In heaven, God’s people lay down their crowns to the true king

and worship

i. What does it say God’s people will do with their crowns in heaven? Why?

ii. What does that teach us about God?

iii. What does that teach us about ourselves?

2. Lord – means “master”, someone who has authority over you. When we say Jesus or God is Lord that is not their last name! Lord is saying they are in charge and we serve them and them alone

a. God - Deut 6:13-18

b. Jesus – Matt 9:38

c. Application - Do we really let God call the shots in our lives or are we still trying

to maintain control of things ourselves?

God as Father – this is the most common image for God in scripture.

1. Luke 15:11-32 - Prodigal Son

2. 1 John 3:1 – God is our Father and we are his children

3. What does God as our Father tell us about what God has done for us? – Given us

life/created us

4. What does it say about his concern for all people?

God as our Shepherd – These people were herders. They were around animals all the time and understood this type of imagery.

1. Psalm 23:1 “1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” – God will shepherd his people

2. When you read about God as your shepherd what do you learn about God’s relationship

with you?

3. God leads us. God guides us. God provides for us.

Application:

Which metaphor that God has used about himself is most helpful to you?