For Those not familiar with an Anglican Service; there a four readings before the Message is shared. The Scriptures appointed for Trinity Sunday this year are: Genesis 1:1-2:4; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 12:11-13 and Mathew 28:16-20
A Jewish father was concerned about his son.
He had not truly raised him to be grounded in the faith of Judaism...
So, hoping to remedy this he sent his son to Israel so the boy could experience his heritage.
A year later the young man returned home.
He said, "Father, thank you for sending me to the land of our Fathers.
It was wonderful and enlightening.
However, I must confess that while in Israel I converted to Christianity."
"Oh the father groaned what have I done?"
So in the tradition of the patriarchs he went to his best friend and sought ....advice and solace.
"It is amazing that you should come to me," stated his friend, "I too sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian."
So in the traditions of the Patriarchs they went to the Rabbi.
"It is amazing that you should come to me," stated the Rabbi, "I too sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian. What is happening to our sons?
"Brothers, we must take this to the Lord," said the Rabbi. They fell to their knees and began to wail and pour out their hearts ...to the Almighty.
As they prayed, the clouds above opened and a mighty voice stated, "Amazing that you should come to Me. I, too, sent My Son to Israel..." (Pause)
This is Trinity Sunday, .....the Sunday after Pentecost, .....a day the Christian Church historically has celebrated one of its central beliefs........that of a triune God.
As the glorious Hymn states : "God in three persons, .... blessed Trinity,".
The very first Anglican Article of Religion states:
"There is but one living and true God.... The maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power and eternity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
The Trinity: God is three persons....Each person is divine ..... Yet there is only one God.
Normally when we use the word person, .....we understand it to mean.... physical individuals .....who exist as separate beings.... That is separate entities.
But in God there are not three entities, .....there are not three beings.
God is a..... (Slow) trinity of persons .....consisting of one substance .... of one essence. Yet God is .....numerically one.
And, within the single divine essence are three individual subsistence's ....that we call persons.
And each of the three persons is completely divine in nature ...yet each person is not alone the totality .....of the Godhead.
Each of the three persons .......are distinct from the others. (Pause)
Now....The specific word "trinity" is not found in the Bible.
But this does not mean .....that the concept is not taught there.
In fact ....the word "bible" is not found in the Bible either.... yet we use it anyway.
Likewise, the words "omniscience," which means "all knowing," ....."omnipotence," which means "all powerful," ...... and "omnipresence," which means "present everywhere," are not found in the Bible.
Yet we use these words to describe .....the attributes of God.
So, to say .... as some cults do....that the Trinity is not true .....because the word "Trinity" is not in the Scriptures ..... is an absolute invalid argument. (Pause)
And some dismiss the divinity of the Son ....and the Holy Spirit .....because there is a subordinate order .... in the Scriptures.
Is there subordination of the persons in the Trinity?
There is, apparently, a subordination within the Trinity in regard to order .... but not .....in regard to substance.
We can see that the Father is first, the Son is second, and the Holy Spirit is third.
The Father is not begotten, ... but the Son is (John 3:16).
The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 15:26).
The Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10).
The Son and the Father send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26).
The Father creates (Isaiah 44:24), the Son redeems (Gal. 3:13), and the Holy Spirit sanctifies (Rom. 15:16).
This subordination of order does not mean ....that each of the members of the Godhead .... are not equal ......or divine.
For example, we see that the Father .... sent the Son.
But this action does not mean that the Son is not equal to the Father ......in essence and divine nature.
A wife is to be subject to her husband..... but this does not negate her humanity, her essence, or her equality.
Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, ..... but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38).
By further analogy, ..........a king and his servant both share a human nature.
Yet, ....a king sends the servant .....to do his will.
Just because someone is sent, .....does not mean ......they are different ....than the one .....who sent them.
Critics of the Trinity will see this subordination as proof ...... that the Trinity is false.
They reason that if Jesus were truly God, .... then He would not be subordinate to the Father ......in any aspect.
But this objection .... is not logical.
If we look at the analogy of the king and the servant we certainly would not say that the servant was not human .... because he was sent.
Being sent does not negate .....sameness or essence.
The servant is still human..... even though he was sent.
The fact that the Son is sent does not mean .... that He is not divine ....
Any more than when my wife Lee sends me to get bread, .... That I am not human. (Pause)
Saying that there are three persons in the Godhead ......leads some people to think .....that there are three gods .....who work in partnership.
This is called Tritheism (three gods) or Polytheism (many gods) as - opposed to Monotheism, one god.
The doctrine of the Trinity ......is a difficult..... yet an essential doctrine .....of the faith.
Augustine one of the greatest and earliest theologians of the Christian faith said this: "Anyone who denies the Trinity is in danger of losing their salvation, .....and anyone who tries to understand it ......is in danger..... of losing their mind.
The truth is ..... there is great mystery concerning the tri-unity of God.
It took the Church nearly 300 years to complete the wording of Trinitarian orthodoxy, .....producing the Nicene Creed that many churches say each Sunday morning.
Most pastors would prefer to preach on any other subject ... than the Trinity.
Perhaps we should heed the advice of Brother Elric, a 12th century monk, .....who, after badly botching a sermon on the Holy Trinity, .....took a vow of silence for the rest of his life.
While full comprehension may elude us, and "we see through a glass, darkly", ......
The fact remains that there is much in the Word of God that we can grasp concerning the trinity.
Someone might raise the challenge: "Does it really matter?
Does accepting or not excepting the tri-unity of God matter?
If you are a follower of the Christ the doctrine of the Trinity is central to our faith ... your faith.
The Foundation of our faith is built on the Godhead Father, Son and Holy Spirit ... on the Trinity.
God in three persons Blessed Trinity. (Pause)
The sense of Trinity is implicit throughout the scriptures ......from Genesis to Revelation.
The believing Church is clear.... God is...."One in substance and three in person"
And the Word of God .....is absolutely emphatic .....about God being One .....throughout the Scriptures.
One of the key verses of the Scriptures .... held as centrally sacred by the Jews - is Deuteronomy 6:4.
The Jews call it "The Shema" (shuh-mah): (Slow) BIBLE "Hear, O Israel: .... the Lord our God, .... the Lord is ...One!" END
Judaism and Christianity are both thoroughly committed to the belief in One God, .... and One God alone.
And that sets us apart .....from most religions ....of the world.
The first commandment God gave to Moses was: "You shall have no other gods before Me" (EXODUS 20:3).
That does not mean..... "before Me" as in ...."ahead of Me.
God was not saying He had to be the most important God .... on their list.
"Before Me" literally means.... "before My Presence".
You are not even to entertain other gods..... because .... there are no other gods.
Yet, within that One God, within that One Supreme Being, there are three distinct Persons.
And this is revealed from the opening chapter of Genesis. GENESIS 1:26 -- BIBLE "Then God said: 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.'" END
Note....: There is only ONE image, and there is only ONE likeness -Singular, ...... But the Plural is also used - "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness".
What we have in Genesis is a revelation of the communion.....the fellowship .....of the Godhead at Creation: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Father the first Person of the Trinity .....is God .....and Jesus the Second Person of the Trinity ....is God.
Jesus is Not just a good man; ... Jesus is Not just a prophet. (Slow) Jesus is .... God.
Co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. The second Person of the Trinity.
John 1:1 states: BIBLE "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." END
Unbelievers can do all the translation gymnastics they want to, ...... but No reputable Greek scholar would translate this verse to read any other way than John declaring ..... Jesus to be absolutely GOD.
And Jesus states this clearly when he said: "Before Abraham was I am."
The Jews clearly understood his proclamation of "I am".
For God almighty said to Moses tell them..... I am sent you.
Jesus himself affirms that he is the I am. (Slow) That He is God.
So...The Father is God, Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit the third Person of the Trinity is God. (Pause)
The Holy Spirit is Not ... Is Not a "force".
The Holy Spirit is Not an "It".
The Holy Spirit is a Person... the third Person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit is The all-knowing, all-seeing, every-present God.
(Pick up the Bible) Remember the story of Ananias and Sapphira?
Before Ananias was struck dead, Peter told him:
BIBLE "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? . . . You have not lied to men; ......but to God." END
Peter is clear lying to the Holy Spirit ... is lying to God.
We see other Scriptural evidence that the Holy Spirit is truly God. We are told that: The words of God .....are words .... Inspired by the Holy Spirit.
We are called the temple of God .... Why? because the Holy Spirit indwells us.
One born of the Spirit .... is said to be .... born of God.
The Holy Spirit the third Person of the divine Trinity is God.
God the Father... God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
God in three persons Blessed Trinity!
Beloved ..... Remember ..... We are created..... "in the image of God".
And God has Never been without fellowship.
Before He created anything; .... before there was a single angel, or any other being, there was God.
Was He All alone? NO!.... Never!
When there was nothing but God, ......there was always ..... fellowship.
There was always the eternal communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
And ... We to are created in His image.
(Slow) We to desire fellowship.....
Fellowship with each other and most of all .... fellowship with the Triune God.
Beloved...We worship the one .....and only God.
(Slow) God in three Persons, .... blessed Trinity."
Amen and Amen!
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