Who is God? - Microsoft



Who is God Sermon 09/03/14Simple right? Why ask the question ‘Who is God?’Sarah answered the question with a background thought of ‘this isn’t hard or need much time or thought’‘God is God. So, what more is there to say? Ahh, unless you want to say that Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Are you taking about the trinity?’My reply ‘yes’‘Oh, so the trinity is like the Thorntons chocolate; the triple layer milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate so its three different chocolates but one chocolate!’Great, so there you have Sarah’s summary which will hopefully help you picture how God as 3in1 works.I’d like us to look at the 3 persons of the God-head as we seek to understand ‘Who is God? First, let’s have a quick look at some descriptions of God.In the first book of the Bible, Genesis it says ‘In the beginning, God…’ The book goes on to explain what God did, He created, and what the early people did.Perhaps there is an assumption there that we know who God is?In the fourth book of the good news about who Jesus is, John starts his account with a wider description of God.‘In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with GodAll things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made’. The ancient Greeks were known as philosophers, interested in the world about them and how it is made. So they must have had some clever people in maths, science and philosophy. Did they know the answer to the question?Well, when the apostle (a believer and follower of a 3in1 God) Paul was in Athens we see that Paul found a city that was given over to many idols (that is false gods) and he was moved to speak and reason with the Jews and Gentiles of the city in the synagogue and in the market place.Let’s take a look at what happened, how Paul was brought to an open lecture theatre by the philosophers and what Paul then told them. Acts 17 16-34.Interestingly Paul started with a description of God as the Creator. God, as the creator, is before all things and so we can say that God is not createdWe cannot possibly know about things before time, things outside of our senses and knowledge of the earth, plants, stars and space around us. That should not put us off seeking to understand’ who is God’ though. After all what is space? It could be described as the gap or area between things, whether great, such as outer space’ or small’. We can’t exactly see space but we know what people mean when they are talking about space and we believe it exists. For example, ‘I only just managed to park in that space’. It must be there because the car is not damaged and hopefully there is still space there, just smaller and to the front and back of the car’. We don’t really need to know more about space in that sense than that. Of course there is also the exploration of space. A much bigger scale of space and needed lots of technology to send people into the space; not so much so study the space but study what might be in the space and what makes up that space? Some scientists hope to find out more about this planet, Earth such as how it was made, how long ago, what may have influenced it. In the main, however, most people just accept it is there and don’t think about it. So, do we take the same attitude toward God? Some people will accept He exists but not want to think more on that; others will accept He exists and seek to explore further while some say I can’t see God so don’t accept there is a God and the time we are living in is all there is.Our question is ‘Who is God’ which, like the suggestion I made on Genesis, presupposes that we know God is real and accept that. In answering the question however, it is fine to challenge that by also asking ‘so is God real?’ as we look at the evidence.Also in answering our question we should recognise that we are exploring an eternal and infinite being by taking note of the reading from Genesis and from John. Let us not expect then, to be able to easily grasp who is God is and let us not be put off from exploring God who was before all time and is outside of all time. Our minds are limited by all sorts of factors such as our moods, experiences, upbringing, culture, how good a memory we have, our characters and whether we prefer academic or physical learning. I remember here (from Alpha a 10wk introduction of Christianity course) the story of the young girl drawing a picture. Her mum asked her what she was drawing and the little girl replied ‘I’m drawing God’. ‘but no-one knows what God looks like’ said mum’. ‘They will when I’m finished!’ replied the girl’.Back to Athens then and the teaching that Paul was giving to the philosophers there at the Areopagus – or open lecture theatre.As we noted, Paul begins his explanation by stating he will tell the philosophers who ‘The unknown God’ is. God is the creator of all things. Paul does not get into how God created and as we will be looking at the creation next week, there is no need for us to do so today other than to note that we (man) do not really know how despite many years of studying the world about us.As the creator, he does not live in temples created by men’s hands and nor is He worshipped by men’s hands. This is a direct reference point for the Greek philosophers that the various images and temples that had been made in Athens were simply things created by men’s hands and so the Greek’s were worshipping created things rather than the creator Himself.Next Paul points out that we are all made by God and so no man, race or nation has a right to look down on another man, race or nation. Paul says that we should all be seeking the Lord in the hope that we might reach out for him and find Him even though, in reality He is not far from each one of us and ‘in Him we live and move and have our being’. Perhaps a reminder here that just because we cannot see Him it does not mean He doesn’t exist. We can see His works and the evidence is all about us; we need to be willing to search or explore.So, all ok so far? God is a creator, beyond time, made us and our lives are enriched when we seek Him and have Him at the centre or our lives.Paul continues and goes deeper into who God is. See verses 30-31:‘Truly these time of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent (turn around/change direction toward God) because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.’So the person of God is a little more complicated. Paul has just made a very direct reference to Jesus and this was understood by the Greeks. They knew exactly who he was talking about. Some mocked as this statement did not fit their own ideas while a few did accept and believe that Jesus was and is divine and part of God.What evidence do we have for Paul’s statement? Let’s take a look at Jesus own teachings.The Beatitudes or ‘sermon on the mount’ is fairly well known; at least as far as Jesus teaching many people even if many of us don’t know the content of Jesus teaching given. The prime minister, David Cameron referred to the beatitudes in his remembrance note for Nelson Mandela. Jesus teaching was remarkable. This was noted by the people and religious leaders of the time because Jesus spoke with authority as well as knowledge. When we look at this teaching, we find it dripping with references pointing to who Jesus is and His divine nature as part of God. For example:Matt 5 v11; ‘Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake’Matt 5v17 ‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but to fulfil…’Matt 7v21-23 ‘Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesised in your name, cast our demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?’ And then I will declare to them ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness’.Matt 11v27 ‘All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him’.Matt 12 6-8 ‘Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. ‘For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath’.Jesus was showing that He had power and authority of Jewish law, that He is greater than the temple, that He will judge the world in righteousness, that He had been given all things and was the only link between man and the God-head (Father) and He stated that He desired mercy and that He was the Son of Man and Lord.Jesus authority, patient teaching, in depth knowledge of scripture and history displayed His clarity of mind and compassion for people. His teaching, prayers, acts and miracles were consistent and He was never caught out by the many leaders who sought to show Jesus as a mad-man.As Paul said to the Greek philosophers Jesus was raised from the dead. Remarkable! Would God raise someone from the dead who was delusional or mad? Does that fit the character of God as the Creator desiring mercy not sacrifice? Jesus spoke himself of being killed and raised up on the third day.All this points to Jesus as being divine and in relationship with God. Jesus often spoke about His Father, describing that relationship and teaching us how to pray to the Father as He did. It would not have been easy for the disciples or for Paul to accept Jesus as divine and at the same time be distinct from God the Father. Paul fought against that for many years and did his best to silence those who believed it; until Paul himself met Jesus and then his whole life turned around and he spent the rest of it teaching and seeking to persuade everyone else to enter into the mind and body freeing life offered by Jesus. Paul’s life was a major demonstration of what repentance or turning around and toward God means.Now Paul’s words to the Greek philosophers stops after He talks about Jesus resurrection. This is not the end of the story for us though as Jesus continued to teach for a little while after the resurrection and before He was seen to be lifted into heaven. (Acts 1 v9-11)Acts 1 v4-5 ‘And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father which, He said ‘you have heard from Me. For John baptized with water but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’.So, we are introduced to another part of God, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is written of many times in the Biblical books within the pre-Jesus books of the Old Testament and the post Jesus New Testament.Old Testament examples are:Genesis 41 v38; origin of supernatural abilitiesExodus 31 v2-5; giver of artistic skillJudges 3 v9-10; source of power and strength1 Samuel 19 v20-23; inspiration of prophecyIsaiah 44 v3; Go’s direct promise ‘I will pour out my Spirit’Micah 3 v8; power to proclaim God’s messageThe account in Acts chapter 2 of the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit is dramatic and again we see that God as one but also in three is told. Peter boldly and clearly states this (see verses 17-39)Jesus had promised the ‘Helper’ John 14 v16-17 and 15 v26And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever-the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him or knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you’.‘But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me’Direct teaching given here that the Holy Spirit is part of God but not Jesus who described the Holy Spirit as ‘another Helper’. The scriptures were and are quite clear that ‘The Lord our God, the Lord is one!’ The word ‘God’ as used here was plural. Remember that Jesus said:Matt 5v17 ‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but to fulfil…’We have a relational God then as God the Father, God the Son - Jesus- and God the Holy Spirit or Spirit of Truth. The evidence we’ve seen is that all 3 are in 1 accord, there is no division among them and they work together consistently fulfilling 1 message. A more traditional shape to see this, though you can stick with Sarah’s triple chocolate picture if you prefer, is the triangle.The triangle has three sides and three internal angles but is still 1 shape.FatherLove; Of one accordSonHoly SpiritThe picture of God as relational makes sense. We are made to be relational and we see that’s what counts when things go wrong, when we’re ill and when we need help. We turn to friends, family or colleagues. We are made in the image of God.We will look at Creation next week, led by Peter. ................
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