Understanding God
Selective Scriptures
Introduction-
This morning I want to look at trying to understand God.
Looking at understanding the character of God
What God wants from us and what we can expect from God.
One of the early church leaders Augustine was once accosted by a non-be-believer who showed him his idol and said, “Here is my God; where is yours? Augustine replied, I cannot show you my God; not because there is no God to show, but because you have no eyes to see Him.”
Prayer- (That we would better understand the things of God)
We are taught that when we read something, that we should be able to answer 4 questions, Who, What, Where, and Why.
So many are like me.
Who is God?
What does God want from us?
Where is God?
Why do we struggle knowing God?
Obviously, we will not be able to answer those questions in the few minutes today, but we can find out how we can find those answers.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Today, rather than trying to understand everything about God, determine that you will take one thing you didn’t know about God and apply it to your life.
If you did that each time you heard a sermon, read your Bible, gathered for a Bible study, you would answer some of the questions that you have about God.
If you try to answer all the questions you have in 5 minutes, you will be discouraged because that is not going to happen.
I have been a Christian for over 30 years and I tell you truthfully that I do not have all the answers, but I know enough about God that I trust Him with my life and understand Him enough that His Word is faithful and He does everything that He says He will do.
Omnipresence-
Omniscience-
Omnipotent- 3 Words describing the character of God.
Here is a fact!
If you are ever to understand the things of God, you cannot base it upon weather you understand all and weather you can do all that He does.
You cannot put God in a box that you designed and expect God to fit into that box.
Omnipresence- God is everywhere! That is hard to imagine, and hard to fathom. You cannot run away from God because He is able to see all.
Psalms 139:7-10
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there; if I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
Psalms 139:1-4
“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.”
God is an expert at everything.
God has no teacher, He is a master teacher.
God cannot be stumped, God is never caught by surprise.
He never says “Now what”
God would be a great asset in your life! Amen.
Omnipotent- God can do everything- He is all-powerful.
Ephesians 3:20-
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.” Amen.
God knows everything
God is everywhere
God can do anything
God is all powerful
God is enough!
He has no equal and He cannot be put into a box.
We ask
“Where is God in all this?
“Why can’t I see God in this?
The kids may think that you have eyes in the back of your head, but you cannot see all, you do not know all, you do not know the future. God has the big picture.
We ask the wrong questions- Stop asking God where are you? Stop saying I can’t see God?
Start asking God- Will you reveal yourself to me?
Even though you may not understand how God works, you need to know He does! (Repeat)
When your cookie crumbles- God understands!
Take one thing this morning and apply it. Eat the elephant of knowledge one bite at a time.
Matt Chandler-
“Trying to figure out God is like trying to catch a fish in the Pacific Ocean with an inch of dental floss.”
God’s ability is not limited by man’s understanding.
The Bible has been said to be the story of God.
Theology is thinking about God, and how we interpret God’s Word.
No one person or denomination will have it all right.
I am thankful that I will not be judged on my theology, but on my relationship with Jesus Christ.
When I was in college, and it stuck all these years was a course called “The Story of God.”
I hated and loved that course at the same time.
I struggled with the complexity and complained to my wife many times, but was amazed with the course.
I hated it because it went very deep on attempting to know God and to try to put God in a box that we could understand.
The part I loved was the amazing character of God that was revealed.
I loved the idea of a God who knew everything, was all powerful, al knowing, and that He cared for me.
One small person in a universe of God’s creation that He genuinely cared about.
I loved the idea that even though I didn’t understand all, that it was wonderful to have a relationship with a God that was bigger than I was and one that I could put my trust in.
Nazarene teaching looks at understanding God in 4 parts- called “Wesleyan Quadrilaterial” you don’t need to remember that, just the 4 parts of understanding.
1. Scripture
2. Tradition
3. Reason
4. Experience
We are very quickly going to use these 4 parts to understand God.
I. Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16- (read from Bible)
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitably for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
God used many writers under His anointing, and He protected His word from error, He made sure that His word would stay true to His Word for mankind.
Rev 22:18- (read from Bible)
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes away from this book of prophecy, god will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which is described in this book.”
God’s word is faithful! He protected His Word.
Read it, apply it, and ask God to reveal it to you. He uses preachers, teachers, and your private study time to do that.
II. Tradition-
Tradition is what we do in church and family that helps us understand God. I have many great memories of church and things we did to understand God and help tell the story of God. Each denomination has different traditions that help us understand God, and they are not wrong. We cannot put God in a box of religion. God can use many ways to disciple His people and draw them closer to Him.
Illustration-
St. Peter walking many people down the hallway of heaven and telling this group of people to be quiet when they walk in front of the closed door as they passed because they think they are the only ones here.
III. Reason
God gave us a brain, God made us creative, and He gave us the ability to make our own decisions. He did not create us to be robots. Reason is good but don’t throw out God because you don’t understand God.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, He will make straight your path.”
Psalms 111:10-
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Fear here i s reverence for the Lord
Respect for the things of God.
Realizing that God is God and you are not.
Knowing that God knows all, sees all, and that He is trustworthy.
Last one,
IV. Experience
There has to come a point in your life you are serious about God, that you will have to step out of your comfort zone and trust God. You will not have all the answers. You will not be able to do this in your own strength. ( because that is not working for you)
You will see God as big enough to come into your life and change your life.
That will be the beginning of experiencing God.
You will have read about Him.
You will have heard about Him from preachers, and other people who know God’s word, but you will never move forward with God until you experience God for yourself.
James 4:7-8
“Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.”
(10) “Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
The problem with most people:
We want God, but we don’t want to draw near to Him.
We want to experience God, but we are not willing to live by God’s word.
We want enough of God to help us in our troubles, but forget God when life appears to be going well.
Wrapping this up,
You will never experience God until you settle the fact that God is bigger than you are, knows more than you do, and operates on His principals and not ours.
You will never experience God until you surrender your doubts, fears, and ambitions and determine that God’s will work’s in your life.
You will never experience God until you allow the Spirit of God to change the things that need to be changed.
You don’t need to come to Him perfect, you don’t need to come to Him after you change a few things. You come to Him and allow Him to change you.
I want to tell you that when you experience Christ and surrender your life to Him, you will never be the same.
I cannot tell you that if you surrender your life to Him that you won’t have anymore problems, or that life will always go as planned.
I will tell you that if you surrender your life to Him and experience His presence that your life will never be the same.
He will help you through life’s struggles and you will not be doing it in your own strength, but in His strength and wisdom.
Amen.
