Are You an Atheist?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
In our world today there are many people who call themselves atheist…denying the existence of God. There are others who call themselves agnostic who claim to simply not know what they believe about the existence of God or truth. Then there are the deists…those who believe in an impersonal god who does not interact with the world.
Deism — Deism is a theological view that affirms the existence of God, but denies miraculous or supernatural occurrences in the natural world. Deists often compare God to a clockmaker: just as a clockmaker creates a clock, winds it up, and lets it operate, so too God created the world, and then let it 'operate' according to natural law. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Payne were all deists
Jesus is that revelation — He is the image of the invisible God. He revealed God’s wisdom and will to mankind. He revealed something of God’s character and power to the world.
Then there are deists of various religions who believe in a god or gods. Muslims believe in a god they call allah. Mormons believe in a god that was once a man like us on another planet who ascended to deity. Hindus believe in 33 million gods.
Today one-third of Americans say they do not believe in the God of the Bible, but that they do believe there is some other higher power or spiritual force in the universe. A slim majority of Americans (56%) say they believe in God “as described in the Bible.” And one-in-ten do not believe in any higher power or spiritual force.
Belief in God would seem to be a given to anyone who is intellectually honest. There is a creation so therefore there would necessarily have to be a creator. We exist so there must be someone or something that created us, gave us life and made us self-aware.
But what is God like? If He does exist who is He and how can we know Him? These are the questions Jesus came to answer and Paul addresses them in our passage today.
Jesus
Jesus
Image of the Invisible God — We would have no understanding of God at all if He had not chosen to reveal Himself to us. He is invisible and completely beyond the ability of our five senses to know.
However, we cannot actually see the face of God in all of His glory and live.
But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.”
So God put on flesh and blood and indwelled a human body in order to reveal Himself to us and redeem us. Here we look at verses 15 and 19 of our passage side by side. He is the image of the invisible God and within Him all the fullness of God dwelt.
Image; fullness — Jesus revealed the wisdom and will of God…He was the revelation of God’s attributes and intentions toward us. If we want to know God we look at the life and person of Jesus.
Firstborn over all creation (He is greater than His creation) — Jesus is special…This title has nothing to do with Jesus actually being created…He is begotten from the Father and is of the same substance as God…He was never created…but this term, as used in Paul’s day, would make clear that he is supreme over the creation…He has supremacy over the created order.
God is not dependent upon creation nor is He a part of it…He created everything and His own existence is not dependent upon it.
So Jesus is God…He is special…and we can trust the revelation of God through Him is genuine…he is not simply a good man reflected some of God’s better traits but is Himself God reflecting the attributes, character and purposes of God.
Creator — Jesus was the agent of creation…by Him everything was brought into existence and continues to exist because of Him. Even those spiritual powers which rebelled against Him owe their very existence to His creative power and decision.
Before all things and holds things together — God has always existed…He is before all things. Everything we have and everything we are…everything around us and in us…completely dependent upon His decision to create and keep us created…keep us in existence.
Everything we have and everything we are…everything around us and in us…completely dependent upon His decision to create and keep us created…keep us in existence.
Head of the Church — The church is the Body of Christ but in this instance Christ is referred to as the “head.” There is a significant statement being made here…Jesus is the one who governs the church…He provides our life and sustenance…In Him we have our unity, power, life and coherence.
Beginning and Firstborn from among the death — Again this phrase is a little different in the ancient world…Jesus has supremacy and authority over death just as He does over the creation. He is the first victor over death and in Him we might have victory over it too!
God has made us and the whole of creation right with Himself and restored us to a right relationship with Him through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
Crescendo
Crescendo
to reestablish proper friendly interpersonal relations after these have been disrupted or broken
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 501). New York: United Bible Societies.
Reconciliation and Peace — By the blood of the only begotten one of God we are reconciled (to reestablish proper friendly interpersonal relations after these have been disrupted or broken). Peace (to make things right between persons).
God has made us and the whole of creation right with Himself and restored us to a right relationship with Him through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.
We were once alienated and hostile toward God whether or not we even realized it. We were evil…But now through the blood of Jesus we have been made holy, faultless and blameless because the blood of Jesus has changed us in the eyes of God…our standing before Him has changed...
But we have also been changed and are being changed...
Conclusion
Conclusion
Do you believe in God? That may seem to be a funny or interesting question to ask a bunch
Most believers are guilty at least at some point of living their life as an atheist might.
Craig Groeschel wrote a book a few years ago called, “The Christian Atheist” and in it he challenged believers to consider their life and whether or not they are living as though the God of the Bible is real…whether their relationship with Him has any bearing when it comes to things like money, fear, the future.
How big is your God? Is He the God of scripture or a figment of your imagination? Does He exist in your world or do you exist in His?
Does God exist for you or do you exist for Him?
Is He calling the shots here at His church or are we asking His blessing on our own “shots.”
Is God the one holding us together and our relationship with Jesus the glue that makes us one or is it our preferences, nationality or socio-economic status?
Ultimately we might ask, does He save you or do you save Him?
Once the mantra, “God is dead” became a popular saying among some…but we must be certain that our pragmatism doesn’t scream the same thing only with our actions instead of words.
Do you believe in God? That may seem to be a funny or interesting question to ask a bunch
of professed Christians in the middle of a Sunday worship service! But the question is nonetheless quite appropriate when you consider how most believers live.
Most believers are guilty at least at some point of living their life as an atheist might.
Craig Groeschel wrote a book a few years ago called, “The Christian Atheist” and in it he challenged believers to consider their life and whether or not they are living as though the God of the Bible is real…whether their relationship with Him has any bearing when it comes to things like money, fear, the future.
Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are not worshipping a grandfatherly figure who gently sits in a corner hoping we might call on Sundays and holidays. He is not a feeble figure disconnected from our life and world.
We serve Almighty God…who was and is and is to come…God who created all that is…the one who keeps His creation in existence by His will and at His word…He is the head of His church and head of our life…He revealed Himself to us and saved us from our rebellion against Himself by His shed blood on the cross.
God is God and we are not…He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. He is everlasting, completely holy, perfectly good and infinitely love. He is God and His character, power and intentions are revealed to us in His Son…Can we have faith to live in light of all that He is?