Now That's The God Of The Bible!

Now That is the God of the Bible!

Ephesians 2:1-10

Introduction:

Archeologists have unearthed and discovered over 1,000 temples designed to host collective worship to over 5,000 gods and goddesses. The Egyptians, the Sumerians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Assyrians, the Canaanites, the Mayans, the Aztecs and the list goes on and on. So many dedicated and committed followers that sacrificed so much to these false religions, some even going as far as to sacrifice their firstborn child on their altars. These gods and goddesses were presented by the priests who led the people in worship as deities who demanded sacrifice and deities who compelled people to service by motivating them with fear. All of this dedication and sacrifice with no results and no response, their gods remained silent unable to move.

And then there is the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible stepped out from eternity and informed us that “in the beginning God” -Gen. 1:1 and “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” – John 1:1. There is no defense or explanation, there are no apologetics used, God simply steps out from eternity and introduces Himself as the “I AM” –Ex. 3:14 And it is our God of the Bible that is in contrast to every other god or goddess that was ever worshipped in that He is all powerful, all knowing, all present, all loving and He not only created us but desires an intimate day-by-day relationship with us. He does not compel us to service by motivating us with fear but compels us to service by motivating us with love, in that “while we were yet sinners He sent His Son to die for us” –Rom. 5:8

What has God done that would cause me to be so excited? Excited enough to stand back in amazement and awe with anticipation declaring, “Now That is the God of the Bible?!”

1. He Received His Christ Yesterday:

• As a Lamb:

In Christian Living, Lafadio Hearn tells of a Japanese seashore village over a hundred years ago, where an earthquake startled the villagers one autumn evening. But, being accustomed to earthquakes, they soon went back to their activities. Above the village on a high plain, an old farmer was watching from his house. He looked at the sea, and the water appeared dark and acted strangely, moving against the wind, running away from the land. The old man knew what it meant. His one thought was to warn the people in the village. He called to his grandson, “Bring me a torch! Make haste!” In the fields behind him lay his great crop of rice. Piled in stacks ready for the market, it was worth a fortune. The old man hurried out with his torch. In a moment the dry stacks were blazing. Then the big bell pealed from the temple below: Fire! Back from the beach, away from the strange sea, up the steep side of the cliff came the people of the village. They were coming to try to save the crops of their rich neighbor. “He’s mad!” they shouted. As they reached the plain, the old man shouted back at the top of his voice, “Look!” At the edge of the horizon they saw a long, lean, dim line –a line that thickened as they gazed. That line was the sea, rising like a high wall and coming more swiftly than a kit flies. It drew back, roaring. Then is struck over and over again into the shore. Destroying all of the homes to matchsticks. On the plain no word was spoken. Then the voice of the old man was heard, saying gently, “That is why I set fire to the rice.” He stood among them almost as poor as the poorest, for his wealth was gone-but he had saved over 400 lives by his sacrifice.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, sacrificed more than His wealth, although He did give up Glory to don human flesh. And He was able to save more than 400 people from death. He was able to reconcile the entire human race by His gift that we might not be eternally separated from God the Father. John the Baptist declared Him as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” –John 1:29. And Jesus loved us so very much, that when His creation prepared to nail Him to a tree He created, when “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.”-Isa. 53:7. He sacrificed so much as the lamb, even tasting death that we might have life and that we “might have it more abundantly”-John 10:10.