"HIGH VIEW OF GOD"
Family Camp 2023 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsFamily Camp - speaking four times at twin peaks Bible Camp 2023
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Who do people say that God is?
Over the next couple of days we are going to look at what steps we must take in order to have and maintain a Biblical Family.
Proposition - If we are going to have Biblical family then we will: 1) Have a High view of God, 2) A High view of Scripture, 3) Keep the focus on God, and 4) Keep the focus on the Scriptures.
Interrogative question - Who do you say that God is?
Is God Real?
Is God Real?
Cosmological Argument - there must be an original cause
Logically speaking the cosmological argument for the existence of God is inductive and a posteriori: the evidence is examined, and based on it a conclusion is drawn that God exists. The term cosmological comes from the Greek word cosmos, meaning “world.” This argument is based on the fact that a cosmos, or world, exists. Because something cannot come from nothing, there must be an original cause that is the reason for the world’s existence. A man wears a Bulova wristwatch. Although he has never seen a watchmaker, the fact of the existence of the wristwatch suggests there is a Swiss watchmaker who made the watch. The cosmological argument says that every effect must have a cause. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 183–185). Moody Press.
A posteriori, Latin for "from the latter", is a term from logic, which usually refers to reasoning that works backward from an effect to its causes. This kind of reasoning can sometimes lead to false conclusions.
Teleological Argument - Creation implies a creator
As in the previous case, the teleological argument is inductive and a posteriori. Teleological comes from the Greek word telos, meaning “end.” The teleological argument may be defined thus: “Order and useful arrangement in a system imply intelligence and purpose in the organizing cause. The universe is characterized by order and useful arrangement; therefore, the universe has an intelligent and free cause.”2 The world everywhere evidences intelligence, purpose, and harmony; there must be a master architect behind all this evidence. The psalmist sees the magnificence of God’s creation in the universe and recognizes that it testifies to His existence (Ps. 8:3–4; 19:1–4). God’s harmony is observed throughout the universe and world: the sun being ninety-three million miles distant is precisely right for an adequate climate on earth; the moon’s distance of two hundred forty thousand miles provides tides at a proper level; the earth’s tilt provides the seasons. A conclusion is clear that God, the Master Designer, has created this magnificent universe. The alternative, that the world happened “by chance,” is no more possible than a monkey’s being able to create a work of Shakespeare on a typewriter by haphazard play on the keys. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 183–185). Moody Press.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Anthropological Argument - The complexity of mankind demands a creator
The anthropological argument, which is also inductive and a posteriori, is based on the Greek word anthropos, meaning “man.” Contrary to the secular humanist who sees man simply as a biological being, the biblicist sees man as created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26–28). The image of God in man is spiritual, not physical (cf. Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). Man is not simply a physical being, but also a moral being with a conscience, intellect, emotion, and will. Chafer states: “There are philosophical and moral features in man’s constitution which may be traced back to find their origin in God … A blind force … could never produce a man with intellect, sensibility, will, conscience, and inherent belief in a Creator.” Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 183–185). Moody Press.
Genesis 1:26–28 (NASB95)
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
Moral Argument - You know right and wrong
The moral argument is related to the anthropological argument (some combine the two) and can be seen as a further consideration of that argument. The moral argument acknowledges that man has an awareness of right and wrong, a sense of morality. Where did this sense of moral justice come from? If man is only a biological creature why does he have a sense of moral obligation? Recognition of moral standards and concepts cannot be attributed to any evolutionary process. The biblicist recognizes that God has placed a sense of moral justice within the human race in contradistinction to all other creation. Romans 2:14–15 indicates that Gentiles who have had no revelation of the law have an inner, moral witness placed there by God. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 183–185). Moody Press.
Romans 2:14–15 (NASB95)
14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
Ontological Argument - “If man could conceive of a Perfect God who does not exist, then he could conceive of someone greater than God himself which is impossible. Therefore God exists.”
The ontological argument, distinct from the preceding arguments, is deductive and a priori; it begins with an assumption and then attempts to prove that assumption. It is less significant than the preceding arguments. The term ontological comes from the Greek present participle ontos (from the verb eimi) and means “being” or “existence.” The ontological argument is philosophical rather than inductive. The argument reasons: “If man could conceive of a Perfect God who does not exist, then he could conceive of someone greater than God himself which is impossible. Therefore God exists.” The argument rests on the fact that all men have an awareness of God. Because the concept of God is universal, God must have placed the idea within man. Anselm (1033?–1109) was the first proponent of this view. In the thinking of some, this argument has limited value, and few would affirm the usefulness of the ontological argument. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 183–185). Moody Press.
A priori is from Latin ā priōrī, which means literally, "from what is earlier." A priori knowledge is knowledge that comes from the power of reasoning based on self-evident truths; a priori usually describes lines of reasoning or arguments that proceed from the general to the particular, or from causes to effects.
Is God Reliable?
Is God Reliable?
What about the hurricane that hit Florida this last week?
What about the fires this past moth in Hawaii?
What about all the babies that are killed?
Colossians 1:13–17 (NASB95)
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 1
6 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. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Is God Relational?
Is God Relational?
Tri-theism - They claimed that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are are loosely related.
In early church history men such as John Ascunages and John Philoponus taught that there were three who were God but they were only related in a loose association as, for example, Peter, James, and John were as disciples. The error of this teaching was that its proponents abandoned the unity within the Trinity with the result that they taught there were three Gods rather than three Persons within one Godhead. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (p. 199). Moody Press.
Modalism (sabellianism) - They claimed that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all separate manifestations.
This teaching, originated by Sabellius (c. A.D. 200), erred in the opposite from that of Tri-theism. Although Sabellius spoke of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he understood all three as simply three modes of existence or three manifestations of one God. The teaching is thus also known as modalism because it views one God who variously manifests Himself in three modes of existence: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (p. 199). Moody Press.
Arianism - They claimed that Jesus is not God.
Arian doctrine had its roots in Tertullian, who subordinated the Son to the Father. Origen carried Tertullian’s concept further by teaching that the Son was subordinate to the Father “in respect to essence.” This ultimately led to Arianism, which denied the deity of Christ. Arius taught that only God was the uncreated One; because Christ was begotten of the Father it meant Christ was created by the Father. According to Arius there was a time when Christ did not exist. Arius and his teaching were condemned at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (p. 199). Moody Press.
Who is God?
Who is God?
God is Creator and Owner of Everything -
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.
God is perfectly Holy -
48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
2 “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
God Requires perfect Obedience from us -
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
SO WHAT?
Our theme verse for the weekend is Deuteronomy 6:4-9 -
Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (NASB95)
4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
I would encourage each family to get alone for awhile this evening and discuss these questions -
Who do you say that God is?
As a family take some time this evening to look at Scripture and discuss who God is