Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRO: Knowing what we believe is important but knowing WHY we believe what we believe is equally important.

The WHY is relevant to the WHAT.

Why?

Because what we believe shapes how we live.

For example.

We believe in gravity.

Why?

Because jumping off a building will kill you.

I know this may sound surprising and, to some, may sound a bit crazy or even heretical but...

The Bible never tries to argue or prove the existence of God.

The Bible announces its awesome theme in four opening words: “In the beginning God.”

The Bible assumes that “God is there and he is not silent.”

(Francis Schaeffer)

“The Bible is much more concerned about those who may believe all the right things about God but whose pride & preoccupations crowd out any room for God in their daily lives.”

God is Triune

Explain - 3 persons 1 God…not 1 person, 3 gods…etc.

God exists as Father, Son, and HS.

“I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the three in one, and one in three.

Of whom all nature has creation eternal Father, Spirit, Word, Praise to the Lord of my salvation; salvation is of Christ the Lord.”

(St.

Patrick)

“The one, eternal, and living God of the Bible, the only real God there is, is the God who has forever known himself, and who in the history of salvation has revealed himself to us, as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

The word “trinity” is not in the Bible but the Bible is clear.

Everything that it means to be God is true of Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

Holiness

Holiness

Holiness means to be set apart - to be other.

Holiness defines all other attributes of who God is…explain.

God’s righteousness.

Eternality

He has no beginning and no end…as Revelation tells us he is the Alpha & Omega.

Isaiah

Omniscience

All-knowing

“God’s omniscience - his comprehensive knowledge of all that was, is, and ever shall be - is a corollary of his eternity.

The Bible teaches that God searches all hearts and knows everyone’s ways.

His eyes run to and fro throughout the earth missing nothing that goes on, even those things that are done in secret, hidden from the public glare.

Everything is open and laid bare to his eyes, even those things which are yet to come into existence through the free actions of his creatures.

Matthew

Omnipotence

(all-powerful)

J.I. Packer defines omnipotence as God’s “power to do everything in his rational and moral perfection (wisdom and goodness) God will to do.”

Job 42:2

17th century confession of faith published by General Baptists “The Orthodox Creed”

“The Almighty God that created all things and gave them their being by his infinite power and wisdom, doth sustain and uphold and move, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things from the greatest to the least, according to the counsel of his own goodwill and pleasure, for his own glory and his creature’s good.”

A) Nothing exists except in some relationship to God.

Ex nihilo

B) Nothing Happens Apart from God’s Purposeful Activity

C) Nothing Can Thwart God’s Design

Omnipresence

Omnipresence

Creator

Worship

If these things are true, then only the One True God is deserving of our worship, obedience and adoration.

Theology must give way to doxology.

Paul does this over and over in his writings.

Accountability

If God is the holy, righteous Judge, then we understand that the Bible makes clear all of humanity will stand before Him one day in judgement.

“The God of the Bible is the God with whom we have to do in life and death, in time and eternity, the God to whom we must all give an account and whom no one can escape.”

Salvation

Only the creator can save and redeem his creation.