This We Believe-God

Good morning church, Today we begin a new series called,

This We Believe.

We will spend the next four Sundays briefly looking at what we believe about God, the Bible, The Church, and the Family.

As we begin this morning, I want us to take a moment to look back, and then look around.

In the early 4th century, as Christianity transitioned from persecution to imperial favor under Constantine, theological confusion arose when a priest named Arius claimed that the Son of God was not fully divine but a created being. To defend the truth of the gospel, church leaders gathered at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, affirming the truths of the Scripture. Even today the Nicene Creed stands as a vital declaration of biblical faith, that we stand on even now as Protestants. The Church in Nicaea understood that it was critical for the church to stand boldly in the face of a confused culture, and say, This We Believe.

By the early 1500s, the Catholic church had grown powerful but spiritually corrupt, teaching that forgiveness could be bought through indulgences and placing church tradition above Scripture. Into this setting came Martin Luther, a monk, who through studying God’s Word, rediscovered the truth that salvation comes by grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone. On October 31, 1517(Reformation Day) he nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Catholic Church in Wittenberg Germany calling them out for 95 different ways that had strayed from the truth of Bible. In the face of a corrupt church Martin Luther knew how vital it was for Bible believing Christians to stand and say, This We Believe.

The year is 2025 and the culture is as confused as ever about things we would have historically held as self evident. We live in a day of information overload, in a generation that is greatly connected, yet deeply disconnected. In a generation that has more access to mental health tools, medications, apps galore, yet is the most anxious, depressed, suicidal generation in history. Where even the most basic level of God’s creative order, like males and females, is questioned and challenged. Whole communities, organizations, and causes exist to continue and deepen the identities of those who ultimately are greatly lost and deeply confused. At this point in human history, God has placed us, the people of God called New Horizons Baptist Church square in the middle of this culture. It is as important as ever that we as the people of God, salt and light, in gentleness and boldness, stand and say, for the glory of God and the good of the world, This We Believe.

So we will spend the next four weeks looking at a 30,000 foot view of what we believe as the people of God, from the Word of God, about God, the Bible, the Church, and the Family. You with me on this journey?

If you are taking notes today, you can write this down. God is God, God is good, and we should trust Him.

If you have your Bibles with you this morning we will begin, in the beginning, Genesis Chapter 1.

*Let me encourage you to bring a physical, paper copy of Gods Word with you if you can. If you need one, let me know.*

God is God

Genesis 1:1-31

God created all things, out of nothing. (1:2) Ex Nihilo-Out of Nothing

Who can create all things out of absolutely nothing? Only God could do such a thing.

The God of the Bible, who created all things, is God alone, He is Ruler over all.

It is vital that we begin today, this new season, by recognizing and submitting to the reality that God is over all.

God is God, and we are not. How does this translate to our lives personally, and our church corporately?

We must be ultimately concerned with the glory of God.

We exist to worship and serve the God of the universe.

We must walk in the fear of the Lord.

Puritan John Brown said, “Fear of God is to esteem the smile and frowns of God, as more important than the smiles and frowns of man.”

We are most concerned with pleasing our God. How does this flow practically?

Are we more concerned with hurting someones feelings, than we are with helping someones soul?

Are we more concerned about being accepted by the community around us, or that the lost in the community around us be accepted by God through faith in Jesus?

Don't hear what I’m not saying, we don't set out to be offensive or cause issues, but we also know that the gospel is offensive. That when the gospel is preached three things happen, People get saved, People get sanctified, and People get sour.

We are most concerned about the smiles and frowns of God. He alone is God, He created all things out of nothing, and we worship Him.

Not only is the One True God, the God of the Bible over all things, He is Good.

God is God, and God is good.

God is Good

Genesis 1:1-31 Survey Good (vv.4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31)

Goodness refers to what is desirable, beautiful, or right.

God said, “Let there be light, and there was light, and God saw that the light was good. God created the earth and the seas and saw that it was good. God made vegetation, trees, and plants, and saw that it was good. God made the sun, moon, and stars, and saw that it was good. God created the sea creatures and birds and saw that it was good. God made livestock, and bugs and animals and saw that it was good. Then as the crowning jewel of his creation God made mankind, in His very image and likeness and saw that it was very good. God alone is the author of goodness, God alone defines what is good, God Himself is goodness itself. Not only is our God, the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, He is also good. Not only was creation good, beautiful and desirable. Creation was also right, in right standing with God the Creator.

Look at what happens when we seek to define what is good.

Well after God created humankind, in love he gave them boundaries. He told Adam, the first human, that He could eat of every tree of the garden, except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and if he did eat from it, the day he ate, he would surely die.

Look at Genesis 3 beginning in verse 1. (Read 1-6) You see God had 7 different times in his act of creating call things good. God declared what is good, because He is God, and He is good. You see the first time in the Bible, we hear humans declaring that something is good, is when Eve looks at the forbidden fruit, and calls it good for food. You following? We do not define what is Good and right, God does. You know the phrase, “God is good, ?(All the time), and All the Time, ?(God is good).” Do we really believe that today?

When Adam and Eve sought to redefine goodness, in direct rebellion to what God said, it ushered sin, death, and brokenness into God’s good creation. You know you and I aren’t so different from our first parents after all are we?

We may not say it out loud, but inwardly how often do we say, Did God actually say?

I know God’s Word says that marriage is to be held in high regard and that it is to be a picture of God’s covenant love. But then we say things like,

“We might as well be married.” Did God actually say?

“I’ve fallen out of love.” Did God actually say?

or “I know the Bible says marriage is between one woman, and one man ”, but Did God actually say?

“I know I should walk in integrity and shouldn’t cheat on my taxes, or my test, Did God actually say?

“I know I should share the gospel with this person,” Did God actually say?

“I know I shouldn’t gossip,” Did God actually say?

You with me?

I’m not beating us up today, What I’m hoping we will all be convinced of today is that God is God, God is Good, and brothers and sisters, We Should Trust Him.

Look at Genesis 3.

God is giving out curses, punishment for the disobedience.

He begins with the serpent, read 14-15.

We won’t get into the nitty gritty of this whole passage, but look again at verse 15. (Read 15)

This is the first pointing to the gospel in the Bible. This promise of God is pointing to the Messiah Jesus. Jesus is the seed of the woman who will crush the serpent's head. Jesus is none other than the promised head crusher. Again, remember today we are doing a brief high view flyover of the doctrine of God, so we must move quickly.

Look at the way our God responds to His creation rebelling against Him.

God has given Adam & Eve everything they would ever need. Yet they chose to distrust Him, and to rebel against Him. Ultimately, when we sin against God, we are saying that we know better than God.

Adam & Eve believed that their ways were better than God’s ways, so they disobey and distrusted Him. God could have utterly wiped them out and started over, and He would have been totally just to do so.

But God, demonstrated His love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Look at the goodness and grace of our God on display.

In the face of utter rebellion, God does give consequences, but He also gives much grace. Guys, we should trust Him.

Even as the crowning jewel of His creation rebelled against Him, He promised future deliverance. Even as Adam & Eve sinned and realized their nakedness, He clothed them (21). Yes God is God, He is over all things and all things, including us, exists for His glory.

Yet He is not a cruel dictator, but a good and gracious God, and we should trust Him. We should trust Him.

So what about you today? Are you trusting in the good God?

First off, have you trusted in Jesus alone to save you. As Martin Luther boldly declared some 500 years ago, the Bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Are you trusting in Christ alone today? The Bible goes on to make clear that because of Adam & Eves sin, and our sin, we are separated from God and condemned to eternal judgment. But God demonstrated His love in sending His Son to take on flesh, to live the perfect life, then to die in our place. Jesus, the Son of God was buried, and on the third day He rose again. In rising again He defeated death, satisfied the wrath of God, the punishment we deserve, and offered true life, eternal life to all who would turn in faith to Him. So, which of you today need to turn to Jesus? Which of you are tired of doing it your own way? Need to be made right with God? Ask the Lord to save you even now today!

For the rest of us, those of us who are believers, what areas of our lives are we not trusting in the good God?

Listen, as the band comes to lead us in a song of response, let this song be that for you. If you need to trust Jesus for the first time, do it today by His grace. If you are interested in becoming a member of New Horizons Baptist Church, you desire to link arms with what the Lord is doing here, come see me during this last song. If you need prayer, come see me or grab someone here in the back. As I pray I am going to move to the back of the church and during this last song you do business with God. Then I will send us off together. God bless you.