Scripture: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 16:1-15; Mark 1:16-20
Title: Who is God?
Intro:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit who is leading us and guiding us.
Let’s take a few moments and think about an important question. In fact, it could be the most important question ever asked by humanity. The question is - Who is God?
Exactly, who is God?
Siri states that God is to be understood as the Supreme Being and the Creator of the Universe. Notice Siri says “understood”, it seems that Siri is not 100% sure of that definition.
ChatGPT on the other hand has a long list of answers depending on if you are asking the question – Who is God as a Jew, as a Christian, as an Islamist or a Hindu. They also add a few others like a Deist, an Agnostic or an Atheist.
ChatGPT is not quite sure either. It can only point to how God is viewed by different groups who have different ideas about God or if there even is a God.
So – who is God?
At first it seems like a rather “duh” question.
I mean shouldn’t everyone know who God is?
And yet all you have to do is to ask a few people who God is and there is more than a good chance that you will get a few different answers.
Is asking who God is really something that we should even ask in the Church?
I mean if any group should know who God is it is the Church, right?
So, let’s table this conversation and let’s look at something else this morning.
But then again let’s not.
For I have a pretty good feeling that there are many in this room and in church settings all over the world that would have a little bit of trouble knowing how to answer that question.
In his book, Renew Your Life, author Kai Mark Nilsen believes that all too often people have one of four different misunderstanding ways of viewing God. People often see God as:
1. Angry – and therefore we often wonder when He is finally going to drop the hammer on us.
2. God as Judgmental – We do our best to gain His approval so that we can one day go to Heaven and miss Hell.
3. God as Distant and so we can be rather ambivalent concerning all spiritual things for if God is so distant how do we know things matter?
4. God is Indifferent, Uninterested and Apathetic towards humanity so we can be indifferent, uninterested and apathetic towards Him as well.
However, as Nilsen points out what if God is
Loving, Merciful, Accessible and Compassionate?
Is this even important?
Think about it this way:
If we misunderstand who God is, then we will also misunderstand everything else about life.
So, is there a way to know God – His Identity, His Character and His Desires?
Yes, I believe this morning that not only is there a way but there are many different avenues for us to know who God is:
-God has given Us His Word – what we call the Holy Scriptures
-God reveals Himself through nature
-If we listen, God will speak to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Let’s take a moment to look at a few Bible passages that I believe can reveal to us some wonderful things that God says about Himself and that others say about God.
1. God tells us that He is the Creator – Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1
Before there was anything else there was God.
Do I fully understand that?
No.
But I do understand what I read –
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
God is the Creator – It all starts with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
At some point the Lord God Almighty created all that we see. All the billions of stars and trillions of plants. All the space that exists between all those stars and planets. All He created everything from the smallest microscopic thing to the largest thing in the Universe.
Therefore, God is the greatest artist, architect and author - ever.
He is the greatest thinker, planner and mind – ever.
Psalms 145:3 puts it this way:
“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”
Jeremiah 32:17 –
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm; nothing is too hard for you."
Revelation 4:11 –
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things.”
The more you read about current scientific discoveries the more you come to the realization that from outer space to inner space none of this happened by accident. There is a creator involved and that Creator is God – plain and simple.
But what kind of God?
Just saying that God created all that there is in existence and even out of existence if such a thing exists does not mean anything more than God is the Creator.
But what kind of Creator? What kind of God?
We don’t have enough time today or for that matter the rest of our lives to fully examine this question in all the ways it would require. But we can look at a couple of ways this morning that I think will help us as we go out and live our lives this week.
II. He is the God who Sees Us – Genesis 16:1-15
One of the greatest stories that we see in the Bible is found in Genesis 16:1-15 and involves a woman by the name of Hagar.
Hagar is one of Sarai’s (Sarah) slaves. She was either given to Sarai (Sarah) as a gift during the time she was in Egypt, or she was bought in Egypt perhaps as a gift. Hagar was an Egyptian.
When Sarai (Sarah) believed that she was never going to have a child she chose this young girl to be her surrogate. Hagar would go into Abram(ham), and she would give him a child.
Now, please understand none of this was God’s plan. This was Sarai’s alternative plan to bring a child into the world for Abram (ham). She believed that she had waited to long for God to give them the Promise Child, so she set about the means to bring a child into the world and chose Hagar to be her surrogate.
It was a local tradition that a woman who owned a slave could use that slave to bring a child into the world. That child would not be viewed as the slave’s child but as the slave owner’s child. Therefore, even though Hagar would biologically be the child’s mother, Sarai (Sarah) would be seen as the true mother.
And in Genesis 16 we see that Hagar did get pregnant but instead of making Sarai (Sarah) happy, she began treating Hagar rather harshly. Sarai (Sarah), who once thought it was a great idea, now detested the idea.
Some ancient rabbis have pointed out that because of her pregnancy, Hagar began to believe that she would eventually replace Sarai (Sarah) as Abraham’s primary wife. While Sarai (Sarah) would not become her slave, Sarai (Sarah) would be seen as inferior and not as important. After all, she could not bear Abram (ham) a child.
Finally, one day, Hagar couldn’t take Sarai’s (Sarah) harsh treatment anymore and decided that she was going to run away.
It is right here that the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, the Creator of the Universe met her as she got near the spring in the wilderness and had a little talk with her.
God, the Creator God let her know that He knew what was going on.
He told her what to name her baby.
He told her that her son would become a very important person.
Hagar praises the LORD and then becomes the first human being to give
God a new name.
A name that tells us something very important about this Being we call God – that we call the Lord God Almighty.
He is not just Creator – He is Jehovah Roi – He is the God who sees you.
He is the God who takes the time to see you – to really see you – who understand who you are, where you are and what is going on around you.
That is the God you and I serve – we serve the God who sees us.
He is the God who
+Saw the heart and life of a young man named David – a young man who loved God with all his heart, mind and soul and He anointed David to be the greatest King of Israel.
+Saw the heart of the woman at the well and knew that she needed healing, respect and honor. He is the God who saw her as being a person of value and not just a person to be used and tossed around.
+He is the God who not only see the 99 sheep but the lost one as well and will do all He can to save that one.
Our God, this God that we serve is not blind nor indifferent.
He sees you fully and He does not run away.
So, this morning, not only is God the God who Creates, He is the God who takes the time to see us.
III. He is the God who calls us to walk with Him – Mark 1:14-20
God is the God of Creation.
God is the God who sees us.
God is the God who invites us to walk with Him.
This story that we see in Mark 1:14-20 is more than a walk along the sea of Galilee while talking to some young men.
It is the continuation of a story that starts back in the Garden of Eden when God would come down in the cool of the day to walk with Adam and Eve.
It is a continuation of the story with a man named Enoch – a man that the Bible says walked with God. He so walked with God that he walked all his way into eternal life.
It is a continuation of the story that we find with Father Abraham when God invited him in Genesis 17 to walk – to Halak with Him.
Now in Mark chapter one we see Jesus, Immanuel, the Anointed One, the Second Person of the Trinity inviting these humans, these young men to walk with Him.
It’s important that we realize that God
Didn’t just create us or just see us but He literally wants to walk with us.
To put His feet into our soil and into our lives.
To spend time with us.
That’s the God that we worship and adore.
As Jesus, God walks with his disciples, he walks with Nicodemus, he walks with Mary and Martha, he walks with the blind, the deaf and the needy. He walks with those who grieve, with those who sin, with those who are committed to His Father and He walks with those who are in need.
He simply walks with humanity – not in judgement, not to destroy but to come alongside us to teach us, live with us and make a way for us to be ransomed, renewed and restored.
For that is where our walk with Him will lead us – to being ransomed, renewed and restored.
But you say – I understand all of that because I can read the New Testament. I see where Jesus walked with his family, walked with his disciples and even walked with thousands of different people living in and around ancient Israel.
But what about today.
I am so glad you asked.
That same God we know as Creator and as Son is also known as the Holy Spirit.
And if we invited Him – the Holy Spirit, He will walk with us. He will become a part of us, and us a part of Him and in essence we will once again be as we were in the Garden – a part of the Lord God Almighty – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You and I were created in God’s Image, we were brought to life through the giving of His Breath – His Spirit into our hearts and lives.
And in Jesus’ Great High Priestly Prayer, Jesus Himself – God in flesh tells us that the work He will do and did do on the Cross not only bring us our salvation – our ransom, our redemption and our restoration, it enables us to walk with the God of the Universe – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in this life and for all eternity.
God so desires to walk with us that He wants to be a part of us and we a part of Him. He wants to be one with us and uses the imagery of a marriage to help us understand.
For there is something amazing about marriage.
The Bible tells us two people, a man and a woman can become one – to so love one another, to be so dedicated and giving to one another that they become one.
And we see this in our world today.
Most of us know of a couple or two that over time it gets to be very difficult to see one without thinking about the other. That while we know in essence that they are two distinct and different people the way they live they have become one.
It’s beautiful to see. You see it as you know different couples or as you see couples in the store or walking together along a lake or just sitting across from them in a restaurant.
They have chosen not just to see one another, but to so walk with one another that they become one with one another.
That is what the LORD is calling all of us to experience with Him.
He is the God of creation
He is the God who sees us.
And He is the God who wants to so walk with us that we become one with Him through the power and presence of His Holy Spirit.
God calls us His Bride
Rev. 17:7-9
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said[a] to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Ephesians 5:31-32 (ESV)
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
So, who is God?
We have said this morning that he is Creator
And yet, He is the God who see us – He saw Hagar – not as property, not as a problem but as a person created in His image.
And that same God walks – He calls not only the young men to follow Him, He calls us to Follow Him.
And here is the wonder of it all:
+The Creator who made the Universe ..
+The God who sees the overlooked …
+The Lord who walks the dusty roads with ordinary people …
HE GIVES HIMSELF TO US.
Some of us this morning may feel like Hagar – overlooked, pushed aside, just trying to survive.
Others may feel like those fishermen – ordinary, unsure, just trying your best to live life.
And into those places, God steps – the Creator steps –
He Creates
He Sees.
He Calls.
The question this morning isn’t simply, “Who is God?”
The real question is – Will You walk with me as the Creator, the God who sees you and loves you. The God who will ransom you, redeem you and restore you.
The God who wants wants to walk with you.
Not just on Sundays.
Not just when things are tough.
But daily – personally – faithfully.
As we close this morning, listen to this prayer and let it become your prayer:
A Prayer to Walk With God
Heavenly Father,
I come before You with a humble heart, wanting to walk closely with You each day. Thank You for Your love, Your mercy, and Your faithfulness that never fail.
Lord, guide my steps. When I am unsure, be my path. When I am weak, be my strength. When I am distracted, gently draw me back to You. Teach me to recognize Your voice above all others.
Help me to walk in obedience, even when the path is narrow. Give me courage to trust You fully, patience to wait on Your timing, and wisdom to follow Your will. Shape my thoughts, my words, and my actions so they reflect Your heart.
Create in me a pure heart, O God. Get rid of anything that separates me from You. Fill me with Your Love, Your peace, Your joy, and Your Holy Spirit, so that my life may bear good fruit.
Let my walk with You be a daily walk. Not shallow, but deep. Not fearful, but full of faith. Hold my hand through every season and help me to never wander far from Your presence.
Thank You for walking with me—even when I cannot see You. I trust You, I love You, and I choose to follow You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
This morning, I invite you to make that prayer your (our) prayer as well.
Traditional and Contemporary Songs that can be used.
“He Leadeth Me” by Joseph H. Gilmore:
“Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” by William Williams
Consumed By Fire - Walk With Jesus
Walking with Jesus Every Day - Timothy's Christian Songs
