Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

https://ref.ly/logosres/grudemsystheovideo?art=art009

What is the definition of the Trinity?

God eternally existing as three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Each is fully God, and there is only one God.

In Bruce Wares book “Father, Son & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance”, he makes this comment: Disregard the Trinity and you necessarily undermine salvation.

I agree with his summation.

If we disregard the Trinity, then how can we place the sanctity upon the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit?

He further goes on to say “Can the Christian faith survive, as it were, if the doctrine of the Trinity is omitted”?

While the word “Trinity” cannot be found in scripture, the basic tenet, principles, and concept points towards a triunity (three in oneness).

God (and Father) of Jesus Christ, who is our hope and salvation which is sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

This plurality is outlined multiple times in the Old Testament:

The New Testament goes further in completing the view of the Trinity.

But to understand and to even believe in the Trinity, then by default we must believe in the existence of God.

So, the million dollar question.

How do we know God exists?

God reveals Himself in two ways;

1) Humans have an inner sense of God.

All humans, regardless of whether they are believers or not, have a deep inner sense of God exists.

“Something bigger”, “Something Out There” that gives a purpose to their lives.

They feel the presence of God, but it is their RESPONSE that makes all the difference in the world.

That response Accept/Reject, affects their choice of eternal destination Heaven/Hell.

Paul says in Romans 1:21 “21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

that even the unbelieving “knew God” but did not believe He was God.

He even goes on further to say unbelievers Romans 1:25 “25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!

Amen.”

In these two examples, what is the main issue with the unbelievers?

Satan and sin do not allow unbelievers to think and know the truths of God’s existence, even though our inner sense points and pulls us towards God.

This sin causes people to think irrationally and deny God.

Wayne Grudem makes this comment “In the life of a Christian this inner awareness of God becomes stronger and more distinct.

We begin to know God as our loving Father in heaven (Rom.

8:15), the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God (Rom.

8:16), and we come to know Jesus Christ living within our hearts (Eph.

3:17; Phil.

3:8, 10; Col. 1:27; John 14:23).

The intensity of this awareness for a Christian is such that though we have not seen our Lord Jesus Christ, we indeed love him (1 Peter 1:8).”

God willfully reveals Himself, EVEN if mankind willfully rejects Him, therefore they will stand on judgment day with NO EXCUSE.

2) Evidence is found in scripture and nature.

The Bible reveals the existence of God.

The first verse of the Bible points to the creative work of God.

We can look at human life and see the existence of God.

A heart beat, spontaneous breath, neurological function, ability to reason and think, it’s amazing when we look at all the intricacies.

Within the body itself, we can find God revealed.

Laminin - the protein that binds/glues our molecular structure together.

Creation reveals the existence of God.

How does creation point towards the existence of God?

They are without excuse.

How is it that God reveals Himself to everyone, but some will go so far as to deny His existence?

Is it human pride, it it deep denial, is it simply rebellion?

Regardless of the root, the Psalmist calls these people "fools" - ones who have rejected the truth.

The Bible says that to deny the existence of God is foolish (Ps 14:1).

What would be the best way to communicate that truth to an unbeliever?

There’s even a point where, if we quit worshiping God, He could allow creation to worship Him.

Grudem further explains “traditional proofs” for the existence of God.

Most of the traditional proofs for the existence of God can be classified in four major types of argument.

1.

The cosmological argument considers the fact that every known thing in the universe has a cause.

Therefore, it reasons, the universe itself must also have a cause, and the cause of such a great universe can only be God.

2. The teleological argument is really a subcategory of the cosmological argument.

It focuses on the evidence of harmony, order, and design in the universe, and argues that its design gives evidence of an intelligent purpose (the Greek word telos means “end” or “goal” or “purpose”).

Since the universe appears to be designed with a purpose, there must be an intelligent and purposeful God who created it to function this way.

3. The ontological argument begins with the idea of God, who is defined as a being “greater than which nothing can be imagined.”

It then argues that the characteristic of existence must belong to such a being, since it is greater to exist than not to exist.3

4. The moral argument begins from man’s sense of right and wrong, and of the need for justice to be done, and argues that there must be a God who is the source of right and wrong and who will someday mete out justice to all people.

The value of these proofs, then, lies chiefly in overcoming some of the intellectual objections of unbelievers.

They cannot bring unbelievers to saving faith, for that comes about through belief in the testimony of Scripture when the Holy Spirit awakens in a person the ability to believe God’s words.

But such proofs can help overcome objections from unbelievers, and for believers they can provide further intellectual evidence for something they have already been persuaded of from their own inner sense of God and from the testimony of Scripture.

Finally, it must be remembered that in this sinful world God must enable us to be persuaded or we would never believe in him.

Human wisdom is inadequate for coming to know God. 1 Cor 2:4-5 “4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Have you ever doubted God’s existence?

What has helped you to trust in the reality of God’s existence?