God

Texts Used: Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:22; Deuteronomy 6:4; Deuteronomy 29:29; Psalm 77:13; Matthew 1:23; John 14:8–9; Acts 4:12; Acts 17:23–26; Romans 1:18–20; Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 2:11; James 2:19; 1 John 4:15

Intro:

Some People are still today looking for a God that they already Know…..

The Subject today is God. Some Questions we will ask and Hopefully answer are: Does God Exist? How can we know Him? And Who and What is He?

The Doctrine of God.

1. The Godhead (Trinity)

2. God the Father

3. God the Son

4. God the Holy Spirit

-It is a basic, and innate, Curiosity of all Men to know if God Exists.

-All Cultures throughout history have a God in some way.

-That would bring us to the conclusion that it is innate in all of us to search for God. Even in today’s culture of “no God” the world has tried to set up the laws of evolution as God, so that we can have our god, but owe nothing to it. But because this does not satisfy the soul, the search does not end there.

-Does God Exist? Satan puts that thought in our head….

-All of us at one moment or other have thought or asked the Question, is there a God or not? Am I investing my life in something real? We have to make the decision for ourselves.

-It is a Fundamental Choice:

-If we choose to believe that there is a God, then we have to act on the knowledge that God is our creator and King, and we will live our lives according to that knowledge.

-But, If we choose to believe that God does not exist then we have to prove to ourselves and others that He doesn’t exist. We become at war with the thought of a God.

Today I want to give you the assurance that God does exist and it does matter if He exists or not.

Acts 4:12 tells us that there is no Salvation (Eternal life) outside of Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation........"

-People choose to deny the existence of God because of the selfishness of the heart. Giving up the pleasures of the world is too difficult.

-So instead of just going on with life they need to deny that God exists so that they do not fall under the penalty of Gods law.

-Illuistration of willingness to dismiss the existence of God:

-A college student was in a philosophy class which was having a discussion about God's existence. The atheistic professor presented the following logic:

"Has anyone in this class heard God?" Nobody spoke.

"Has anyone in this class touched God?" Again, nobody spoke.

"Has anyone in this class seen God?" When nobody spoke, he simply stated, "Then there is no God."

-This is the way that modern science has taught us to view God. If we cannot Hear, Touch, feel, or See then it does not exist.

-Yet even science is forced to admit that the things we cannot touch, see, hear or feel can affect us and they do exist.

-Take for example: Radiation: whether it is Atomic energy radiation, radio wave radiation, or a magnetic field. Nobody can Hear, Touch, Feel or See this radiation. Yet we all know the effects of it on us, and if we say it does not exist we could be in extreme danger of its effects whether we believe in it or not.

-With God, like radiation, we can see the effects of His existence but we cannot Hear, Touch, Feel or See Him. But we can still know he exists.

-One student in the Professor’s class thought for a second, and then raised his hand. Curious to hear the student's response, the professor pointed to him, and the student stood up and asked the following questions to his classmates:

"Has anyone in this class heard our professor's brain?" No answer.

"Has anyone in this class touched our professor's brain?" No answer.

"Has anyone in this class seen our professor's brain?"

Nobody in the class dared to speak, then student said, "Then, according to our professor's logic, it must also be true that He has no brain as well!"

-Romans 1:18-20 says "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and....."

-This verse says that God has revealed Himself to the world through the Word and through nature and all are without excuse of a knowledge of Him.

-Faith

-This is where faith comes in. We start with seeing the effects of his existence we then connect them to God, then we Believe through faith that He does exist. Our faith is then exercised. Faith is the Key. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God….Romans 10:17

-Does it Matter if God Exists?

Today People are not only concerned if God exists, but does it matter if He exists?

Their Question is; if God is there why should I care? What does it matter to me?

-Eternal Life

-My answer to those people is, YES it does matter, because God wants to give us eternal life.

-If you are satisfied with the thought that we have on average, 70 or 80 years to live and that is it, and you’re OK with that, then maybe it doesn’t matter.

-But if you’re like me and the thought of being able to live forever youthfully in happiness and joy, in a place better than this world, then it should matter a great deal.

-Why must we believe in God through faith?

-Because God wants us to search for Him.

-and wants us to believe in Him through free choice, He does not want us to be compelled to believe in Him.

-He also wants us to serve Him through Love and not fear, because God is Love.

-How can we know God?

-If seeking a knowledge of God is innate in us, how then can we know the god that we search for?

-Human wisdom alone cannot know the divine. Depending on human wisdom alone to learn about God is like using a magnifying glass to study the stars. Although it may be of some help it is virtually useless.

-God has always revealed his existence in two ways:

-Nature, and Scripture.

-Satan has tried to efface both means of revelation through so-called science. But Gods revelation has stood firm.

-Nature, .........

-Scripture ..........

-What is revealed about God?

-There is one God.

God is revealed in both the New, and Old Testament as One God:

Deuteronomy 6:4 says: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

Then in James 2:19 it says: Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

-But God is Plural.

While God is declared as one God, He is also declared as Plural:

Genesis 1:26; Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

and

Genesis 3:22 Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil

-What is the Relationship of the beings in the Godhead?

-Let us Consider Water

-A three atom molecule - H2O

-Water contains two hydrogen atoms to every oxygen atom, a virtual trinity of atoms.

All life is dependent on the existence of water. It is the life sustaining ingredient for all life.

Water also has three different states: In the form or a solid, a liquid, and a gas. You can cool it down and you will have a solid, if it is at a moderate temperature it will be a liquid, but if heated up it will take the form or a gas.

-The Water molecule is virtually Inseparable, with Heat, pressure and time. You can’t separate it

-The only known ways known to purely separate the Hydrogen atoms from the Oxygen atoms in a water molecule is by either Photosynthesis or Electrolysis.

-Photosynthesis: Although some of the steps in photosynthesis are still not completely understood, the overall photosynthetic equation has been known since the 19th century. Photosynthesis occurs all day long during the daylight hours, by the chlorophyll of all plants, so simple so natural, yet not completely understood by man.

-Electrolysis: In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a method of separating chemically bonded elements and compounds by passing an electric current through them. This method is fully understood, but is not used much, because it is not very efficient. It takes more energy to split water molecules than the amount of energy that Hydrogen and Oxygen can produce after split.

-With God, we have the Holy Trinity,- a unified existence of God, in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. An Indivisible union of the Godhead, except for by the entrance of sin.

-Still unified in purpose and action, the Godhead has been split to accomplish the salvation of fallen man.

-The Father and the Spirit have remained united physically through omnipresence; but the Son gave up his Omnipresence forever for the salvation of man.

-In your bulletin you will find a Quote under the Thought for the Day. This is one of the most beautiful quotes you will ever read. It is about what Jesus gave up to save man.

By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan’s purpose to bring about an eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son." John 3:16. He gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature.....He who is "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," is not ashamed to call us brethren. Heb. 7:26; 2:11. In Christ the family of earth and the family of heaven are bound together. Christ glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined in humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love. {Desire of Ages 25.3}

-The energy to separate the Godhead has cost God more than the value of man, But “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son for the salvation of man John 3:16. What an honor that the creator of the universe would expend such energy on man to save him. Even more than the worth of man. Like photosynthesis we don’t fully understand the process, yet we know it exists and we know its life giving effect on all nature.

-God is like water in that it sustains us in every part of life, it cleans us, it allows for growth, it rains on us to grow food, and it hydrates us to make our body function. All life is dependent on water.

-You can deny the existence of water but it still is needed to sustain life even if you deny its existence.

The Trinity the Godhead

This symbol is Man’s best attempt at explaining the 3 in 1 nature of the Godhead.

(Tri-une Picture) 3 separate lobes connected together inseparably. Individual, yet united.

1 Corinthians 2:11 it says ….no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

-Nicodemus

-Like Nicodemus, we also do not understand the full nature of Trinity. But we only need to know what God has revealed to us to be born again.

-Deuteronomy 29:29 says: The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

-The Father is God

-God the Father is frequently misunderstood, but the Father’s love for man is just as great as The Son’s. Remember God is Love.

-1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God......

-The Father is revealed through the Son. Christ said: “If you know me then you know the Father” John 14:8–9

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us..........

-Jesus is God (God With us - Immanuel)

-Matt 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

We who believe, -know of The Son’s love for us, He came and dwelt with us and died at our hands.

-He is God. He has Life “Unborrowed and Underived”.

-The divinity of Christ is the believer’s assurance of eternal life. "He that believeth in Me," said Jesus, "though he were dead, yet shall he live:

-Conclusion:

-If you want to know God then I suggest that you take time to know God. God has given us a tithe of our time to find him. On the Sabbath day God is especially close to us, and has provided us with this time to get to know him.

-The only way to know Him is to spend time in his word and in nature contemplating His creation.

-Can we know God? Does He exist? and does it matter? It’s up to you. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

-You need to make the effort. God will not spoon feed you, your knowledge of Him must come from a desire to know Him.

God is waiting for you.

Who is so great a God as our God? Ps 77:13

Closing Song: 86 – How Great Thou Art