What We Believe and Why We Believe It
Concerning God: Part 1
A Four Part Sermon Series on the Nature of God
by Alan Walker
Church of Christ, Springfield, OR
Be cautious in your life, not to allow anything to take the place reserved for God alone! If we discover something or someone in His place, even if it is ourselves, we must remove it and allow God His rightful place...
For the next four evening messages let's familiarize ourselves with perhaps the most difficult subject in the Word of God, i.e., God Himself! The Almighty! YHWH! Jehovah, Elohim, I AM...Abba.
Attempting to describe God is a lot like drawing a picture of something you have never seen. We know God exists We love Him with all our hearts. He is our Master, our Father. We feel an incredible closeness to Him. We look forward to dwelling with Him. Yet, it's difficult to describe God.
"I cannot tell where God begins, still less where he ends. But my belief is better expressed if I say that there is no end to God's beginning." Andre Gide (1869-1951)
"A comprehended God is no God at all." Gerhard Tersteegen (1697-1769)
"Do not try to imagine God, or you will have an imaginary God." A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)
There are several thoughts to share about God. These attributes of God will help us to be more familiar with Him. I hope it will inspire us to dig even deeper & study even more about Our God.
Kids are so great with their understanding of God... A little boy's prayer: "Dear God, I hope you take care of yourself. 'Cause if anything happens to you, we would all be in a terrible mess."
A little boy wrote to God: "Dear God, Are you in charge of babies? I have three sisters which is good. But I would like to put in an order for a brother. I hope this special order won't upset you."
Little Anita wrote: "Dear God, My sister Tina has a girlfriend, Wendy, who never stops talking. It would take a miracle to shut her up. Have you got any left?"
Little Ralph wrote: "Dear God, I love to eat. Thanks for all the food. Pizza was the best idea you ever had"
In our effort to know God more than ever before... It will take more than three 30 minute messages... But, let's begin here...
Tonight, we will look at the first 3 attributes of God.
I. God is One.
Deut 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (NAS)
There is only one God! There are many idols, many myths, many temples to the other gods... but there is only ONE GOD!
Perhaps some words you may not be familiar with are:
Polytheism = many gods. Dualism = two gods. Monotheism = one God
The Greeks sometimes spoke of one Supreme being, but they worshipped their 30,000+ imaginary created and uncreated deities...
We, are Monotheistic... We believe in only one God! WHY? Because this is what the Bible teaches us!
Do you know the first commandment of the ten? That's right...You shall have no other gods before me! [Exodus 20:3-ff]
Jeremiah 10:3-10 [foolishness of idols] Focus on verse 6
Some would lead you to believe there really are two Gods. Perhaps you've even heard the arguments in favor of this hypothesis. Some believe in the God of the OT and the God of the NT. The God of the OT is one of wrath and anger, burning with a vengeance to destroy, while the God of the NT is a God of love, compassion, and fellowship. The bible tells us God is ONE!
God is one... We are monotheistic people.
Be cautious in your life, not to allow anything to take the place reserved for God alone! If we discover something or someone in His place, even if it is ourselves, we must remove it and allow God His rightful place... [Exodus 20:5]
II. God is a Threefold Personality.
This is one of the most difficult thoughts about God to get across. It is easy to think of ourselves as having not one but 3 Gods....The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We call ourselves trinitarians...which is really not true in the strictest sense of the word.
We already know, He says He is ONE!
Genesis 1:1
You will miss it in the English, but it is so clear in Hebrew. While the word "Created" is singular (one) the word, "God" is plural. It is "Elohim". From the beginning of the scriptures, we learn God has more than one personality.
It is even more evident (in the English) in Genesis 1:26, "Let us..." Here God speaks of the plurality of His personality.
Who are the personalities that make up God?
1. God the Father - YHWH
2. The Word of God, who became Jesus
3. The Spirit of God
How do we perceive them?
1. As three circles? (Constantine) = Trinity! No, for this flies into conflict with Deut 6:4
2. Rather, as one circle, with three circles within the circle.
3. Is it really possible to define God in a series of circles. Not a chance. However, this is the best we can do from our human perspective. (looks like an Amway presentation).
Something that has helped me...
"One" can be made up of many components...For example...
One set of encyclopedia's may have 25 volumes One year has 365 components One month has 28-31 separate components One week has 7 components 2 people when they are married are called ONE. This is the only time 1+1 = 1
We know all 3 personalities are God Because the Bible says so...
In 1 Cor 8:6 - The Father is referred to as God In John 1:1 - The Word is referred to as God In Acts 5:3,4, The Holy Spirit is referred to as God.
What's really exciting about all of this is....
That when the Word put on flesh and dwelt among us and was named Jesus, He was literally, God, the WORD, in the Flesh!
Immanuel = God with us!
We are not trinitarians in the sense we believe in 3 Gods, We believe in ONE God who has 3 personalities.
Perhaps, the old story of the egg may help. An egg has 3 visual components. There is the shell, there is the white, and there is the yoke. All three are in one.
God is like that, He is ONE, with three personalities....
Hard to follow... There will be no quiz!
III. God is Spirit.
From the Sistine Chapel to many of the pictures of God, He is portrayed in a physical way. He looks like us, although much older, a nicer beard, and the nicest white hair.
All these are attempts to do the impossible, To adequately portray God. The problem is: God defies human attempts to capture him on canvas.
God is not a human. God is not flesh and blood. God does not have a form like we do. God is a Spirit!
The classic passage is John 4:24 where Jesus describes God as a Spirit in His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well.
Frankly, I do not know all there is to know about a Spirit. Having never met one up close and personal, that I recall, it is difficult for me to describe a Spirit. However, Jesus after His resurrection gives us a bit of a glimpse of what a Spirit does not have at least... [Luke 24:39]
God is Spirit. Perhaps this is how God can be everywhere, know everything, and be all consuming. He is not hampered with the extreme limitations of our physical body.
Philippians 2:5ff refers to these limitations as experienced by Jesus.
Jesus had existed in the form of God = Spirit. He emptied Himself, taking on the form of a man = Physical! Limitations!
While here, Jesus did have all the limitation we have in this mortal body. We cannot be everywhere at once, (unless your name is mom). We have severe limitation due to our need of sleep, food, water, etc.
But not God, He is a Spirit! He does not have the restrictions we have. There is never a time you will not have God's attention. He will not be napping, sleeping, eating, or on a vacation (Spirit's cannot be stressed out!).
IV. Personal Application.
All we know about the God we discover in the Scriptures. Jesus introduces us to God...
John 14:9 "Jesus said to him, 'Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father'?"(NAS) Jesus is God's revelation of Himself. The more you come to understand Jesus, the more you will grasp God.
God is:
One...A Three-fold personality... Spirit!
What is more important than knowing this, is knowing He loves you enough to have sent His Son, Jesus to give his life for each of us.
God wants you to know Him... He wants you to serve Him... He wants you to call Him Master He wants you to dwell forever and ever with Him!
Alan Walker is editor of The Preacher's Corner and Minister of Evangelism at the Mt. Vernon Church of Christ in Springfield, OR. He may be reached at adwalker@pond.net.