HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD (part 1)
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 4/15/2012
At a Youth for Christ rally a curious college student once posed a provocative question to the great mass-evangelist, Billy Graham. He asked, “What kind of guy is God?” He may not have realized it at the time, but that’s a mountain of a question. How would you answer it? If some asked you to tell them about your God, what would you say?
Mull that one over for a minute, and then let me take you back in time nearly two millennia to the ancient city of Athens.
In Acts 17, as the apostle Paul approached the great city of Athens, he came not as a sightseer, but as a soul-winner. He arrived with open eyes and a broken heart. Athens was in a period of decline in the early first-century. It had a famous university and numerous beautiful buildings, but it wasn’t the influential city it once had been. The city was given over to a “cultured paganism” that was nourished by idolatry, novelty, and philosophy.
The Greek myths spoke of gods and goddesses that, in their own rivalries and ambitions, acted more like petty humans than gods; and there were plenty of deities to choose from! Someone once said that in Athens it was easier to find a god than a man. There was even an altar dedicated to “the unknown god” (sort of like our memorial to the Unknown Soldier) just in case they had missed one. Paul saw that the city was “wholly given to idolatry”—to the worship of false, non-existent gods—and it broke his heart.
So, as always, Paul spoke in the synagogue with the Jews and he witnessed in the marketplace to the Greeks. It didn’t take long for the local philosophers to catch wind of Paul’s preaching, so it was only natural for the Council of the Areopagus (which was responsible for watching over both religion and education in the city) to investigate this “foreign god” Paul was teaching. They courteously invited Paul to present his teaching at an informal meeting of the council on Mars’ Hill. After all, the Bible says that the Athenians “spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas” (Acts 17:21 NIV).
Taking center stage in the Areopagus, Paul cleared his throat and announced: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about” (Acts 17:22-23 NLT).
What an introduction! Paul connects immediately with his audience. He says, “See this god that you worship without even knowing his name? That’s the God I’m going to tell you about and he’s not just a God—he’s THE God!”
Then Paul proceeds to answer the question that would be posed to Billy Graham twenty centuries later: What kind of guy is God?
In eight insight-infested verses Paul unfolds three foundational truths, three attributes of God that help us to understand just how great is our God!
• A CREATIVE GOD
What kind of guy is God? First, He is a creative God! Paul begins his introduction of this Unknown God by saying, “He is the God who made the world and everything in it” (v. 24 NLT). He is the Creator God.
Paul’s audience that day consisted of primarily two schools of thought—the Epicurean philosophers and the Stoic philosophers. The Epicureans believed in a deity that was distant from humanity. They were materialists at heart who thought that the universe and everything in it was eternal—it’s just always been here. The Stoics were somewhat pantheistic—that is, they believed that the universe and everything in it was god; that the universe itself was a sort of sentient being. But Paul boldly affirmed what Moses penned long ago: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth!” God made the world and everything in it. He is not a distant God, divorced from His creation; nor is He an imprisoned God, locked inside creation. He is a creative God—the Creator of heaven and earth.
The universe and everything in it was custom-tailored by a creative God—a God who expresses His imagination and artistry all throughout our swirling galaxy. All throughout the world, and even the universe, we see the fingerprints of God—the evidence of His omniscient mind at work. Take “the world and everything in it” for example.
We live on a very privileged planet. The Earth is just the right distance from the Sun so that water can exist in its liquid state, which is vital for life to exist. If the Earth was 5% closer, our atmosphere would be more like Venus with temperatures up to 900ยบ F. If it were 5% more distant, then it would be more like the frozen planet Mars. Our Moon stabilizes the Earth’s axis, thereby giving us the seasons and the tides which are vital to life. Our atmosphere is rich with the oxygen needed to support life and it blocks gamma rays, UV rays, and x-rays. The light that does penetrate is just what is needed for life. Even our address in the Milky Way is located within the relatively narrow subdivision beneficial for life to exist.
God hand-crafted this world and everything in it, including you and me!
A little girl asked her mother, “Where did people come from?”
The mother answered, “A long time ago, God made Adam and Eve and they had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren—until the whole world was filled with people.”
A couple of days later, the girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, “Well, we’re actually descended from apes, who evolved over millions of years into human beings.”
The confused girl returned to her mother and said, “Mom, why did you tell me God created people but Dad said that people come from monkeys?”
The mother answered, “Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.”
The truth is—your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no accident. You aren’t the product random chance and mutations. You were created by God.
King David once praised God, saying, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it” (Psalm 139:14 TLB). That was written three thousand years ago. Today, with all the scientific knowledge and technology of the ages at our fingertips, how much more amazed should we should be then at the marvelous workmanship of our Creative God!
• A CARING GOD
What kind of guys is God? First, He’s a creative God; also, He’s a caring God. After introducing the Unknown God to the Athenians, Paul continues to tell them how great this God is: “This God is the One who gives life, breath, and everything else to people. He does not need any help from them; he has everything he needs” (vs. 25 NCV). In other words, God didn’t just set the world in motion and then leave us to fend for ourselves. He cares for us. He continues to be involved in the affairs of human life. He provides for our needs and He, Himself, has no needs. He lacks nothing and gives everything!
Paul says that life itself is a gift from above, and every breath we breathe is courtesy of God. Everything we need and receive is a divine gift. The Bible says, “But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow” (James 1:17 TLB).
The time we have on Earth is a gift from God. The energy or mobility we have that enables us to get up and go to work in the morning or come to church is a gift from God. The talents or skills by which we earn an income are gifts from God. The combination of all these, our productivity and accomplishments, are gifts from God. Our purpose in life is a gift from God! Our families, parents and grandparents, a good husband or wife—I’ve spent years trying to convince my wife that I’m a gift from God. Our children are all God’s gifts. The Bible says, “Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3 NLT). Houses we live in, covers to keep us warm on a cold winter night, and friends with whom we can share our joys and sorrows are all gifts of God.
And when we count our blessings we shouldn’t neglect the spiritual ones. Eternal life, the greatest of all, is from God. The Bible says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:8 NLT). Bottom line—we have a caring God, a God who loves us, who gives us life, breath, and everything else. How great is that!?
• A COMMANDING GOD
Finally, Paul goes on to explain that He is a commanding God. He’s a creative God, a caring God, and a commanding God.
Continuing his brief biography of the Unknown God, Paul announced, “He created all the people of the world from one man, Adam, and scattered the nations across the face of the earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and when. He determined their boundaries.” (vs. 26 TLB). In other words, He is a commanding God; a Sovereign God—He’s in charge! The gods of the Greeks were distant beings who had no concern for the problems and needs of men. But the God of Creation is also the God of history and geography, “He is Lord of heaven and earth!” (vs. 24 NKJV).
The first time I heard someone talking about the sovereignty of God, it didn’t really click. So let me make sure we’re all on the same page. Webster’s defines sovereignty like this:
sovereign—adj. 1: above or superior to all others; chief; greatest; supreme 2. supreme in power, or rank, or authority –n. 1: a person who possesses sovereign authority or power.
If someone is sovereign, he’s the boss. He calls the shots and he has the authority. What he says goes. He’s the King. God claims to be king, not just of this planet, but of the entire universe. He is infinite. He had no beginning, he has no end. He is the ruler of everything. In other words, God is in control—of everything!
That’s such a comfort to me and I hope it is to you.
When a close friend is in the ICU, God is in control. When the economy—national or personal—is on a slide, God is in control. When tyrants or terrorists rage out of control, God is still in control. He orchestrates and determines what He is going to do in your life, in my life, in the president’s life, in war-torn countries with rebellious rulers—everywhere! Nothing will ever enter your life that God does not decree or allow. And nothing will ever enter your life that, if you are willing to trust Him, He cannot work out for your good. That’s what it means to be sovereign—to be a commanding God.
When you bow your head to pray—when you’re in a jam and you need to ask God for something—are you aware of how great our God is? The One to whom you pray has power over the entire universe, over every single atom, and yet He is infinitely loving and He cares about you. That’s who you’re talking to. That’s why we worship Him.
I can only imagine the raised eyebrows Paul must have received as he spoke these words, but one thing is for sure—our God is greater, our God is stronger, our God higher than any other they had ever heard of before.
Conclusion:
I don’t know how Billy Graham responded to the question posed by that curious college student, but I think I know how Paul would have responded. What kind of guy is God? He’s a creative God—who has made the world and all things in it; a caring God—who gives to all people life and breath and all things; and a commanding God—who is Lord of heaven and earth! He is a great, great God!
The real message of Paul’s sermon is that the Unknown God has made Himself known! And we can know Him today through faith in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Next week, we’ll continue talking about how great our God is, in the meantime…
Invitation:
There were three different responses to Paul’s message from Mars’ Hill. Some laughed and didn’t take this God very seriously. Others were interested, but wanted to learn more before making a decision. A small group accepted what Paul preached, believed in God and surrendered their hearts and lives to Him.
How will you respond today?
