GOD

1. One of the most striking passages for me in the Old Testament is found in Ex. 5:2.

2. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told this ruler, “let Israel go.”

3. Pharaoh’s response was this: Ex. 5:2 – READ.

MANY OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN OUR NATION AND WORLD ARE STILL IGNORANT OF THE TRUE GOD, AND THEY COULD ASK THIS SAME QUESTION: WHO IS JEHOVAH?

a) We are supposedly in an enlightened time, but millions are ignorant about the one true God.

b) This past week I saw a story about Howard Stern.

c) If this name is not familiar to you, Mr. Stern is a well known “shock jock” in radio.

d) He makes his money by talking about filth.

e) Stern is now 50, and he has started to read the Bible.

f) He was recently quoted as saying,

g) “I’m always afraid to say anything about God. What if there is a God?”

h) It took him a long time to start asking, but maybe he is slowly headed in the right direction.

2) Not long ago someone else in the U.S. but not familiar with God came to my attention.

3) There was an African man who came to the U.S. for schooling.

4) He completed his degree, someone posed a question to him before the graduate returned home.

5) “What did you learn about religion?” someone asked.

6) This man said,

7) “I learned that God is an American, white, a Methodist, and He is a Republican.”

8) Just like Pharaoh, many do not know the Lord.

9) This morning I want to present a general framework for who God is.

10) When we think about knowing God, a suitable word for our study is “revelation.”

11) God has “revealed” Himself to mankind.

12) His revelation has mainly come through two means.

a) There is “natural revelation” and there is “supernatural” revelation.

b) Natural revelation is seen in things like design.

c) Earlier this week you may have pulled into our parking lot.

d) If you did, you saw the pavement. It had been scraped free of snow.

e) Dirty snow could be seen piled up around the parking lot.

f) Our intellect tells us that nature did not clear our parking lot; it was plowed.

g) We can see the evidence of work, and that evidence implies a worker.

13) In a similar manner, God has revealed some things about Himself.

14) For instance, we find design in our world. From the smallest of creatures to our bodies, there is design.

15) Because we find design, we have evidence of a designer.

16) In addition to finding design, we find good design.

a) Suppose our earth had all the features of design but the temperature was always sub zero.

b) We could probably survive in temperatures of 50 below all year, but it would not be much fun.

c) What if our bodies had only one arm and one leg?

d) We could probably function, but our lives would be much more difficult.

17) Good design suggests there is a superior being and this great power is favorably disposed towards man.

18) If we had nothing beyond these basic facts, we could draw a few limited conclusions.

a) Thoughtful people, however, would be on the lookout for something.

b) If there is a designer who has been kind to humanity, maybe there is some extra revelation.

19) In addition to natural revelation, perhaps there is “supernatural” revelation.

20) Perhaps this powerful designer has attempted to make contact with us.

21) It therefore makes sense to see if there are documents which claim to be of supernatural origin.

a) We do know of various books that claim non-human authorship.

b) If a book makes this kind of claim, it should be investigated.

c) Rigorous testing should be applied to it.

d) These kinds of tests have been administered to lots of books many, many times.

e) One book and only one book has passed the tests time after time.

22) We call this book the Bible, the Scriptures, God’s word.

23) It is in the Scriptures where we find “supernatural revelation.”

24) God has further revealed Himself in His word and He has said some interesting things.

FOR THE BALANCE OF OUR TIME TODAY, I WANT TO PRESENT SOME OF THE THINGS GOD HAS REVEALED ABOUT HIMSELF.

a) First, God says He is spirit.

b) One of Jesus’ early teachings is found in Jn. 4:24; He said God is “spirit.”

c) It is doubtful that we could determine this piece of information from natural revelation

d) Through His word God has revealed to us His nature.

e) Knowing His nature allows to understand that God is not a material being.

f) Sometimes the Bible does refer to God with anthrophormisms.

g) That is, human imagery is sometimes applied to deity.

h) We read about God having fingers, arms, eyes, a mouth, etc.

i) These words are used to convey God’s abilities and plans, not His nature.

j) God does not have a body like ours or like that of anything else.

2) If we know a little something about God’s existence, let’s ask about a related matter.

3) Where did God come from?

4) He has been a marvelous designer; who made the great designer?

5) Natural revelation cannot answer this question; supernatural revelation can.

6) God is eternal. He has always been. He simply exists.

7) Because God had no starting point, Jesus said this in Jn. 5:26:

8) “The Father has life in Himself.”

9) Because God was never created, He was able to create all that exists (give it life).

10) In the Old Testament God is simply described as “I am.”

11) God was claiming that He existed; He has always been and will always be.

12) The psalmist understood this (Ps. 90:2): from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

13) If God has always been, some might be inclined to think that God is a force.

14) Maybe we should think of God as a great source of eternal energy.

15) We can understand why this conclusion might be drawn, but it is not correct.

16) God is very powerful, but He is not a powerful force.

17) God has personhood.

a) In the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 7:21) Jesus said “the will of the Father.”

b) A force does not have a will (mind of its own).

c) Jesus, however, said the Father does.

d) Too, God is repeatedly described with masculine terminology such as “He.”

18) Knowing these things about God brings to mind another little matter.

19) How much does this God, who has personhood, know?

a) Is His knowledge a little, some, or a lot?

b) The right answer is “all.”

c) Here is what the Hebrew writer said in Heb. 4:13 – READ.

d) How much does God know? Every single thing.

e) How well does God know all things?

f) Consider how the Hebrew stated his point.

g) All things are “naked” and “laid open.”

h) When it comes to God’s knowledge, there is complete disclosure and understanding.

i) Nothing escapes Him or is beyond Him.

20) If God knows all, that would seem to indicate something about His presence.

21) How can God know all if He is not in all places at all times?

a) Supernatural revelation tells us that God is present in all places and at all times.

b) Were God in a human body like ours, being everywhere at once would be difficult.

c) Earlier we established how God is “Spirit.”

d) Because He is Spirit, David asked a question in Ps. 139:7-10:

i) “Where can I go to get away from God?”

e) Then he began to list some places.

f) If we went to heaven or the grave, God would be there.

g) In the morning and at the end of the day deity is there.

h) Land or sea, light or day, Jehovah is always present.

22) If God is in all places and knows all things, it would seem that He is all powerful.

23) This conclusion is also found in the Scriptures.

24) In Gen. 17:1 God is described as the “Almighty.”

25) When we see this word it is a single term.

26) Why not (mentally) break it into two words: ALL MIGHTY?

27) This is a succinct description for God.

28) Jeremiah 32:17 goes a step further: nothing is too hard for God.

a) If there is a God who is as I described I want to know a little more.

b) What are His plans for my life?

c) Does He intend to be good or evil towards me and others in the world?

d) How will this God use His power and knowledge?

29) God has informed us about these matters us through supernatural revelation.

30) First, God tells us that He is holy.

31) I am going to read from 1 Pet. 1:15-16.

a) Peter quoted from the Old Testament.

b) He brought to mind something found in both the Old Testament and the New.

c) God expects something from His people.

d) What Peter describes is holiness.

e) READ 1 Pet. 1:15-16.

32) God is “holy.”

33) Along with this quality are the characteristics of justice and righteousness.

34) Ps. 97:2 says righteousness and judgment are the habitation of God’s throne.

35) A holy God who judges in righteous gives us supernatural revelation about God.

a) He will be a God who eventually judges al mankind.

b) His judgment will be based upon His perfect knowledge.

c) He will provide refuge to those who are righteous and judge (punish) those who are not.

d) Wrath is a quality that will be used for God’s enemies (Nah. 1:2).

e) Paul said a similar thing in Rom. 1:18.

f) God’s love will be showered upon the saved.

36) These promises are not idle statements.

37) God is an all powerful being who keeps His word.

38) “You are the same,” is what a New Testament writer said about God (Heb. 1:12).

39) Do we know who this true God is?

40) If so, have we obeyed Him?