Who is God?

Good morning.

Humour

A man is talking to God. "God, how long is a million years?" God answers, "To me, it's about a minute." "God, how much is a million dollars?" "To me, it's a penny." "God, may I have a penny?" "Wait a minute."

Two little boys were known troublemakers, stealing everything they could get their hands, even from the church. One day a priest stopped one of the boys and asked, "Where is God?" The boy shrugged and the priest repeated, "Where is God?" The boy ran out of the cathedral crying to his home where he hid in a closet. Eventually his brother found him and asked, "What's wrong?" The crying boy replied, "We're in trouble now! God is missing and they think we took him!"

Prayer

Who is God?

For many Christians the answer to this question is so rudimentary, we never even consider it.

1 Peter 3:15 NASB95

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

I feel it important for us as believers to take time to ponder questions like this, so when the opportunity arise....and it should.... for you to share your hope and beliefs with another!

So who is God?

Well I heard people respond to this question with

“Well it depends on who you ask!”

Does it? Does Who God is change according to who is asking the question.

If that is indeed true, Then there really is no God!

Who God is does not depend on our perspective of Him.

God is who He Is?

And He has revealed himself in ways left for people to discover.

Different religions

I fully understand that the search for God can be very confusing for a person.

It is estimated that there are 4200 different religions in the world.

Who’s right?

Are they all right?

wouldn’t it be nice if all religions are a path the the same God?

But there are many problems with that.

For 1 thing. Every religion views God differently.

Atheism :believes there is no God.

Islam : teaches that Allah is the only god and that Muhammed is his messenger.

Hinduism: believes there are many gods

New Age: believes we are the god’s

Mormonism: believes they become gods

Christianity: believes there is 1 God fulfilled in 3 parts. Father Son & Holy Spirit

logically we can’t all be right in our view about God.

Jesus stated this clearly:

John 14:6 NASB95

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Religion is Man’s creation

truthfully, every religion is wrong, yes even the religion of christianity.

You may have heard someone say “God created religion”, but that’s not the case. God created people and people created religion.

Religion is people’s attempt to reach God,

Do this…don’t do that…

The English word "religion" is derived from the Latin word religo, meaning to "bind up."

Religion binds people up in rules and regulations or in ritualistic patterns of devotion.

That is Not God’s desire.

True Christianity, on the other hand, was never meant to be a religion.

Christianity is the dynamic spiritual life of the risen Lord Jesus indwelling the spirit of man so as to create functional behavior to the glory of God.

Religion is essentially idolatry

Acts 17:22 NASB95

So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.

The Greek word that Paul used for "religious" literally means "to have great respect for demons."

To document that God hates religion, note the following passages of Scripture:

Deuteronomy 12:31 NASB95

“You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

Isaiah 1:10–15 NASB95

Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah. “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Amos 5:21–24 NASB95

“I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Religion is NOT good. God intends our interaction to be based on Relationship

every religion is based on man being in the drivers seat. as a result they are all messed up! and lead to destruction

So How do get a better understanding of Who God is ?

Well it can’t come from ourselves, we need an external reliable source that reveals who God is !

You probably can guess where I’m going with this.

The Bible aka the word of God.

The Bible is the primary source for us to understand Who God is?

Now How can we trust the Bible to be true and accurate is for another message,

Today I want to take a look at what the Bible tells us who God is!

Trinity

The Bible teaches God is 3 persons. We use the word trinity to describe the relationship within God being

No the word trinity does not appear in the Bible.

but it helps us to summarize

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit

Where this becomes most evident to us to being the case is found in

Matthew 3:16–17 NASB95

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

In this passage we see distinctly 3 persons

Jesus being the Baptized.

Holy Spirit descending like a dove

Father speaking from Heaven.

At a later time we will get into more detail as how we know each one is God, and yet separate yet one.

Father

Ephesians 4:6 NASB95

one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Jesus

John 1:1 NASB95

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Holy Spirit

Acts 5:3–4 NASB95

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? “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.”

How does the Bible describe God?

Characteristics of God

1. He is a Spirit

John 4:24 NASB95

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

2. God is Love

1 John 4:8 NASB95

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

3. God is everything

Revelation 22:13 NASB95

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

4. God is Just

Deuteronomy 32:4 NASB95

“The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.

5. Nothing is impossible for God

Luke 18:27 NASB95

But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

6. God cannot Lie

Titus 1:2 NASB95

in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

7. God created everything

Colossians 1:16 NASB95

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Genesis 1:1 NASB95

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

8. God doesn’t change His Mind

Numbers 23:19 NASB95

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

9. God cannot die

1 Timothy 1:17 NASB95

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

10. God is Compassionate and Gracious

Exodus 34:6–7 NASB95

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

This was just a list of 10. We could spend hours and hours reading scriptures telling us more and more about who God is.

That’s part of the journey. Discovering a deeper and more fulfilled understanding of Who God is?

No sermon, no series, no podcast, no book could ever fully explain everything about God.

Audience Interaction

How has God revealed Himself to you?

If you’ve joined us online write it in the comments. If your with us share it out loud

Conclusion

Prayer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwQqQkdn_5Q