Who is God?

But we are jumping right back into 1st Corinthians, and we already got through a lot of the hard and difficult things in 1st Corinthians. Now we get to some weird things in 1st Corinthians and then we get into more hard and difficult things in 1st Corinthians. And so we are going to continue to progress through this letter Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. It's just going to take us a lot longer because I have limited myself to actually today 20 25 minutes is my my ho maybe 20 minutes. We'll see how it goes here this morning or what I want to do want to read this to you. It says in verse 1 now concerning food offered to Idols. We know that all of us possess knowledge This is going to be something we talked about about three weeks from now this knowledge puffs up but love builds up if anyone imagines that he knows something. He does not yet know as he ought to know but if anyone loves God, he is known by God therefore as to eating a food offered to Idols were going to get to this in a few weeks. We know that an idol has no real existence and that there is no God but one for although there may be many so-called gods in are in heaven or on Earth as indeed. There are many gods and many lords yet for us. There is one God the father from whom are all things and for for whom we exist one Lord, Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist this morning what we want to tackle instead of foundation for is Who is God who is God now in the New Testament is written in a form of breed known as koine Greek and you get this word god, it's the word chaos, and it means this deity that exists when we translated into the English language the word God can actually be somewhat of an unhelpful word for us today. Now when I say the word God in a Evangelical Western contact, it definitely will conjure up something in somebody's mind who is brushed up against Christianity in some form or another whether it's this character of who God is from the you don't like Tom and Jerry Looney Tune cartoons and some big guy with a white beard and he's raining over everybody a very limited understanding for some if this idea that God is the big guy upstairs who may or may not let you into the good place dependent upon how you behave. or active it seems to be you brushed up against Christianity some general conception of when I say the word God that maybe just maybe we are all on the same page but here's the problem if I were to travel over to iraan or Iraq and I were to get on a bus and I were to say who is God at that point. Are we talking about the same. Probably not. They wouldn't necessarily be thinking of the god of Jacob and Isaac, but they may be thinking of the god of Ishmael the god of who they would also consider another Abraham in their thought process. They would think they were talking about Allah. He is the one true God and His Prophet is Muhammad or if you were to travel over to India and you were talk about God's they might go. Yeah, we got a bunch of them, He's the Creator Vishnu. He's the preserver Shiva Shiva the Destroyer. These are our gods and what we can find is that this word that is a Staples in our English language can actually be somewhat of a stumbling block when we even begin to talk about gods and part of the problem is our world has been shrunk prior to covid-19 if I wanted to go hang out in India and I had to Grand I can hop on a plane and get over there and I could brush up against their culture their society their ways and their thought process is even in the midst of this. We still have this highway of information called the internet in which we can exchange ideas. Therefore we need to be incredibly clear on when we talk about God who we are actually talking about who am I referring to resignate with you all it's very likely if you were to get into certain neighborhood in Larger cities and you would have bring up this idea of God the context to be very different on who were thinking about now. We got this nice little bubble in a somewhat culture a Christian small town. So when I said God, I think the vast majority of us think of the first idea at least in some facet of there's this supreme god that rains but who is it? We sing us the second song today and we actually said we love to shout your name. Yahweh. Yahweh. Yahweh is the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and I want to show you why it's so important that we know who this God is you have a Bible you can flip over to Acts chapter 17 and Acts chapter 17 you have this Apostle. His name is Paul Heaton radically transform and changed by Jesus and he's on mission for Jesus sharing the gospel and he's here at this place. They call the areopagus or Mars Hill not some people think he's there to Simply evangelize other think he's getting a defense cuz he's being put on trial trial regardless Paul notices they're cold. Current society and he looks at them and we can pick up in chapter 17.

Turn around verse 22 and it says so Paul standing in the midst of the areopagus said men of Athens. I perceive it in every way you are very religious. The world is very religious as the world in that form has shrunk a bit and we're able to through the internet see people's ideas and beliefs systems. We understand the religion plays a very formidable role in a human's existence for as I passed along and observe the object of your worship. I found also an altar with this inscription to the unknown God. So apology sensually saying is you guys are incredibly religious. So religious that you want to make sure you are inclusive of any in every God. Therefore you want to leave any out of the pantheon of gods that exist in your culture. So just in case you have this unknown God, but Paul is not content. To allow for them to remain in that place of just simply worshipping some unknown God when you can see his heart and his intent is to unravel who this. It is therefore it must matter who this. Is he says what they're for you worship as unknown this I Proclaim to you the God who made the world and everything in it be in The Lord of Heaven and Earth does not live in temples made by man nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything since now but too many pages there. He himself gives you all mankind life breath and everything. How tall is doing if he's giving an account for God the Creator sustainer preserver of all Life greatest many accounts and not as quite as many words as Genesis 1 this is who got it. He gives life and dressed and everything. He made from one man. Every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the Earth having the terminal lauded. And boundaries of their Dwelling Places feet Sovereign over there human history and existence. They should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him find him if he's actually not far from one of us. This is unique because because God is not far. He's actually drawn near he's come close to us for in him. We live and move and have our being as even some of your poetry said we are indeed his offspring being in God's Offspring. We are not to think that the Divine being is like gold or silver or stone an image formed by the art and Imagination of man the times of ignorance God overlooked but now he commands all people everywhere to repent gets fixed the day on which he will judge the world in his righteousness by a man who has a pointed and he has given Assurance to All by raising him from the dead pause very clear on who he is talking about. If I get at this Jesus has been raised from the dead. So what does he say about this God he's saying he stands above and beyond all the other God, but you are worship. He's the god you make everything. He is the Lord King ruler over all of it. He is self-sufficient doesn't need man but invites us into his life determined history His Image is not replicated in gold or silver, but actually In His Image bearers from Genesis chapter 1 we are created in His image and he will judge. Paul thinks it's absolutely necessary that we don't just have a general or vague idea of who got it is or that we can simply substitute some other God and to represent the true and living God but there is a God and he has a name and what we're doing here this morning if we're going to talk about who this got is next week going to talk about this fun word in the Old Testament known as Elohim. We're going to introduce this week a little bit of the idea when it says Elohim and he was referring to in Genesis 1 but also some other Elohim the scriptures mention and discuss and talk about and what Paul would know doubtedly have in mind when he talks about what the participating in in the temple last we were going to look at eating as an act of worship. So, who is this God in Genesis chapter 1 were introduced to God very early. It says in the beginning God created the heavens and the The spirit of God brooded over the waters there in the Hebrew that word is in the beginning Elohim in Hebrew. You didn't have capitalization of letters to refer to a proper name of a person who didn't capitalize any of that in your English translation of your Bible. When you look at it, you're going to notice something it says in the beginning capital G. God created the heavens and the earth. Now if you are an ancient pain and I hearing the story of God this story particularly, the question you would have asked is which God created. Who are you even talking about? Who is this explaining because this dog sounds Mighty powerful. He simply spoke bikes came about He spoke and Waters were separated and he spoke and animals came into existence and even made seasons and times through the very breath into humankind. Cuz this Gods Must Be very powerful with the word use their in Hebrew. Would love to? Of in the beginning LOL team. Who is this Elohim that were talking about? In Genesis chapter 2 aclu's a sin. No. Bible commentators and Bible translators have done a lot of hard work for us because in Genesis 1 they understand the author is talking about the God that we believe in yet to receive that is original context. You would have looked at it and went who is this talking about Genesis 2:4. It says the Lord God created. The word Lord God is actually Yao. God has a name. And this is who he is. He is not complete in creation part of creation of creation stands above creation as its creator. That's who he is and he has a name and because he has a name is not just an object but someone that you can actually know that you can actually draw close to God is Yahweh who is Yahweh will here in 1st. Corinthians were told the Lord is one that should resonate within each and everyone of us from Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4 we have is called the Shema the Lord hear o Israel the Lord your God is one God that we're going to unpack that a little bit more next week, but what they're actually saying and Deuteronomy is the Lord your God is the supreme god the Creator God and how we understand who this God is as followers of He's a weiner stand at this God live exist in community something that we call Trinity Trinity now. I'm not going to pack it today. I believe. The Bible project in the Trinity video probably gave the best 8-minute unpacking of Trinity I've ever seen in my entire life for me to even try to duplicate. That is a Fool's errand. How far for you to go home and watch it going to be like I got it. Okay. I understand at least somewhat we were trying to describe and Define this infinite god with finite language in finite means he's got his shoes when we talk about Trinity with a God is Trinity believe the Lord. Our God is one but his father son and spirit three distinct, but equal person hurts admittedly talking about Trinity is incredibly complex. However, we teach Trinity throughout the Old and New Testament. In fact any idea of creation alone Genesis one talks about this God creating and in the spirit at work here in what 1st Corinthians. It says the father all things come and flow from him. He is the author of creation within the next verse down a Jesus que truth created cost all that. We seek to happen all three distinct equal involved in the creation of the Lord. Our God is one God father son. Holy Spirit three persons one supreme god existing in this community of

The god of the Bible is not a God, we fully understand. Go to God to know and be known by. I want you to understand that as we continue to talk about this now what separates Yahweh from all other gods that Canaanites in ancient religions and face would actually believe we get this quick snapshot that I'm going to give you first of on Exodus chapter 15 verse 11 We read who is like you amongst the Elohim Yahweh. This question is rhetorical in the Santa who is like you got no one is like you that's the obvious answer what God is there in heaven on Earth who can do you can do according to just simply your word your worst and you're mighty deed Deuteronomy 3:24 or how about First Kings eight twenty-three. Oh Yahweh God of is real there is no God like you in the heavens above or on all the Earth beneath. There's this proclamation of you are Supreme. You rule your ring. You're better than any other spiritual being that exists. You set your Seated on the throne in Psalm 97 for you. Oh Yahweh are most high over all the Earth. You are exalted above all the gods Elohim. Listen biblical writers are comparing. Yahweh to these other Spiritual Beings. Insane you Yahweh are Supreme. Why would they do that? I mean it is very unlikely that it's a false sense of Praise. I mean, it's not very great if like I just made up some sports like Racquetball and right so whack a ball or plant in my backyard and like Brett you are the best wacky ball player compared to Michael Jordan or anybody else who doesn't play the game. You're not telling me. I'm very good at anything. You can parecen who cares. That's pray. They don't even play the game. They don't understand it. It is something me and my kids made up here. He's a beauty phrase in comparison saying you rang above all you are Supreme and set apart. This is who you are. Yahweh. This is why you're worthy of all worship. Now. What is this Godlike from Genesis creator powerful sustainer Giver of Life in the Psalms. No one is comparable to Yahweh. We learn that God is personable knowable and presents. We learn that God speaks that God creates and he gives these commands to humanity. We learn Yahweh is compassionate and kind and gracious. In fact an Exodus chapter 34 6 through 7 after the golden calf incident. There's just renewing of Israel and their vows to God and we learn a little bit of who God is the Lord the Lord the one he says tell them that I sent you Moses. This is who I am. He is compassionate to hurting and suffering people. He is helpful and he's at work for us. He is slow to anger his loving faithful. We know this has the has said love of God constant passionate Pursuit Of You Dependable truthful forgiving and Josh Redeemers the amount of books written on who God is and fill volumes and volumes and volumes and libraries and libraries in libraries. One of my favorites is j i Packer knowing god the book that I read again and again and again for me to just talk about it and pack it in about 15 minutes will not do it. Justice what I want you to hear and understand is that this God that we sing about this God that we praise he stands Head and Shoulders above any and every idle Darkness wicked and evil and invite you into knowing him. John 17:3, and I'm going to wrap it up with just a few thoughts here. We understand that we were made to know God. Relate to know him to connect with him. We're invited into relationship with him and Jeremiah 9:23. There's nothing better than knowing. God. How do we do that? We know God through his word. We know that the profits they spoke the words of God. We know that in skeevers. It says it sounds Returns the prophets spoke, but Jesus the word became flesh and dwelt Among Us. His presence was with us before we can know who this got it through. His word is that he is not just an object but a subject a person can objects be like to know my car in the end of outside how it works have to have a manual. It's very impersonal but you know God is incredibly personal know that he has come to you and here's what I want you to hear knowing god is a relationship with a person Weather people that wrestle with Christianity Christianity is rules Christian these regulations Christian is this cuz she has that I don't necessarily think that's the reasons people don't want to walk with Jesus is that Christianity is too personal for you? too personal for you cuz what I mean when you get into a relationship with somebody you lose control. Maybe you don't get to pick your favorite restaurant anymore. Right? Maybe you don't go to that coffee shop anymore. Maybe your vacations went from surf trips and Costa Rica to Disneyland for 5 days right now. A lot of us understand getting his relationships that that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a reality when we get into a relationship with somebody we lose control at our relationship work. There's somebody now that we're more accountable to when we step into relationship with God. You're not accountable. Walking In step with who he is what he has done. And so what we see is this God has drawn close to us and he doesn't want us to know him like you might know how to work on an engine but he wants us to know him as we know our friends who know of hover, you know, a brother as we know it sister. He's invited us into this relationship so we can actually spend time and grow and be changed and I might take a little bit from us and I understand that that's what relationships do. Do you know God?

Not just quoting scriptures, but a life-changing relationship that begins to influence your life to where it looks radically different than before that moment. You knew God to become the kind of people that Matthew Chapter 5 talks about a city on a hill that cannot be hid those that are loving and generous those that are kind as that are forgiving. This is the kind of stuff that God in our life Lord. Thank you for the reality of who you are. Thank you for your love and your wisdom and your kindness and got it this time. We pray as we worship you that you be glorified and honored in Jesus name.