FOLLOWING THE TRIUNE GOD
Why the Trinity Matters for Every Disciple of Jesus
INTRODUCTION: WHY THIS MATTERS MORE THAN WE THINK
Church, we live in a world that says, “All faiths are basically the same.”
Same God. Same destination. Different paths.
But Jesus never spoke like that.
The most important question in discipleship is not How sincere are you?
It is this:
Who is the God you are following?
Because discipleship is not behaviour modification.
It is following the living God as He has revealed Himself.
Today, we are going to see that Christianity does not merely offer a moral code, a spiritual experience, or a religious identity. Christianity proclaims the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and calls us to follow Him with our whole lives.
MATTHEW 28:18–20 (NLT): “Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”
This is not just the Great Commission.
It is a Trinitarian commission.
You cannot truly follow Jesus unless you know and worship the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
POINT 1: WE FOLLOW ONE GOD WHO HAS REVEALED HIMSELF
DEUTERONOMY 6:4 (NLT): “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.”
Israel was surrounded by polytheistic nations—many gods, many powers, many loyalties. God begins by declaring exclusive monotheism.
Hebrew Word Study
“One” = echad (?????) This word means compound unity, not solitary isolation.
Genesis 2:24 uses echad: “The two are united into one.”
Different persons, one union.
Biblical monotheism does not flatten God into simplicity—it guards Him from multiplication.
In a 21st-century culture that blends spirituality like a playlist, disciples of Jesus declare:
There is one true God, and He alone defines reality.
R.T. Kendall: “God is not whoever we imagine Him to be. He is who He reveals Himself to be.”
That’s discipleship. We don’t edit God—we surrender to Him.
POINT 2: THE FATHER IS GOD – THE SOURCE OF SALVATION
1 CORINTHIANS 8:6 (NLT): “There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live.”
Paul affirms monotheism while introducing distinction within God.
The Father is:
Eternal
Creator
Planner of redemption
EPHESIANS 1:4–5 (NLT): “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ…”
Salvation did not start at the cross—it started in the heart of the Father.
Before a child is ever born, a loving parent prepares a room.
The Father prepared salvation before you ever failed.
Charles Stanley: “God takes full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.”
Discipleship begins when we stop managing our lives and trust the Father.
POINT 3: THE SON IS GOD – THE SAVIOUR WE FOLLOW
JOHN 1:1, 14 (NLT): “In the beginning the Word already existed… and the Word was God.”
“So the Word became human and made his home among us.”
Greek Word Study
Word = Logos (?????) God’s self-expression, not merely speech
Was = en (??) Continuous, eternal existence
Jesus did not become God.
He came as God.
COLOSSIANS 2:9 (NLT): “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.”
If Jesus is not God:
The cross is insufficient
Sin remains unpaid
Death remains undefeated
But because He is God:
His blood saves
His resurrection conquers death
His lordship demands obedience
John Piper: “The Gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God.”
And you cannot get to God unless Jesus is God Himself.
POINT 4: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD – THE POWER FOR DISCIPLESHIP
ACTS 5:3–4 (NLT): “You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
Greek Word Study
Spirit = Pneuma (p?e?µa)
Breath, life, wind—personal and powerful
JOHN 3:5–6 (NLT): “No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”
You cannot follow Jesus by willpower.
Discipleship is Spirit-empowered transformation.
Trying to live the Christian life without the Spirit is like sailing with no wind—lots of effort, no movement.
Max Lucado: “The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live differently.”
Not just differently—distinctively, as followers of Jesus.
POINT 5: WHY OTHER VIEWS FALL SHORT
Brief but clear:
Islam: God without a Son ? no cross, no assurance
Judaism: Messiah awaited ? fulfilment rejected
Mormonism: Many gods ? biblical monotheism denied
Jehovah’s Witnesses: Created Christ ? powerless salvation
Hinduism: Impersonal ultimate reality ? no personal Redeemer
Buddhism: No God ? no grace
Sikhism: One God, no incarnation ? no atonement
ACTS 4:12 (NLT): “There is salvation in no one else!”
Truth is not arrogant.
Truth is loving clarity.
THE GOSPEL: THE TRINITY AT WORK FOR YOU
The Father planned your salvation
The Son purchased your salvation
The Spirit applies your salvation
1 CORINTHIANS 15:3–4 (NLT): “Christ died for our sins… He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day.”
Jesus Christ:
Died for your sins
Was buried in a borrowed tomb
Rose bodily and victoriously
Reigns as Lord today
CALL TO ACTION: HOW SHALL WE RESPOND?
For Believers
Worship the Triune God intentionally
Follow Jesus obediently
Depend daily on the Holy Spirit
For Seekers
Repent of sin
Turn from self-rule
Trust Jesus Christ alone
ROMANS 10:9 (NLT): “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
INVITATION TO SALVATION:
If today you realise you have admired Jesus but never surrendered to Him—this is your moment.
Come to the Father.
Trust the Son.
Receive the Spirit.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
CONCLUSION & BENEDICTION:
Church, discipleship is not following an idea—it is following a living God.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14, NLT)
Amen.
