Sermon Central
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This Is A Bible
Contributed by Robert Simmons on Feb 28, 2002 (message contributor)
Summary: Vince Lombardi rallied the spirits of his waning football team by demanding that these professional NFL superstars return to the basics. "THIS IS A FOOTBALL" he told them. This sermon is a call back to the fundamentals "THIS IS A BIBLE"
I. CAN GOD BE KNOWN? HOW?
A. PROBLEM OF KNOWING GOD
1. OUR SINFULNESS -- ISAIAH 1:1-4
2. OUR LIMITATIONS -- HOSEA 4:1-2 & 6
B. GOD’S AWESOME MYSTERIOUSNESS
1. GOD IS INFINITE, MAN IS FINITE (ISAIAH 55:8-9)
2. GOD IS ETERNAL, MAN IS TEMPORAL
3. GOD CANNOT BE KNOWN THROUGH REASON
a. JOB 11:7, 37:23
4. GOD IS OTHER AN GREATER THAN MAN
C. IF THERE IS TO BE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, HE MUST GRANT IT. IT MUST COME FROM HIS SIDE OUT OF HIS MYSTERY ACROSS THE CHASM OF FINITUDE AND SIN. THIS IS REVELATION OR REVEALED KNOWLEDGE.
D. REVELATION -- UNVEILING
1. MATTHEW 16:17, EPHESIANS 3:3, COLOSSIANS 1:26
2. WHATEVER THE MYSTER OF GOD OR HIS WAYS, IT IS ONLY KNOWABLE IF IT IS REVEALED.
II. GENERAL REVELATION’S LOCATION
A. PSALMS 19:1-2; ROMANS 1:20; ACTS 14:17; GENESIS 1:26; ROMANS 2:15; PSALMS 33:12
B. HEAVENS AND EARTH -- GOD SHOWS ASPECTS OF HIS CHARACTER IN THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING OF THE UNIVERSE.
1. REVEALS GOD’S ORDER, CARE, AND POWER.
C. MAN HIMSELF IN THE IMAGE OF GOD
1. DOMINION OVER WORLD
2. CAPACITY TO THINK, FEEL, FREEDOM TO ACT, SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG
3. MAN’S UNIVERSAL RELIGIOUSNESS
D. HISTORY -- BEARS IMPRINT OF GOD’S ACTIVITY
1. RISE AND FALL OF NATIONS SHOW RIGHTEOUSNESS PREVAILS
2. SPECIFIC PROVIDENCE OF GOD RELATING TO ISRAEL
III. CONTENT OF GENERAL REVELATION
A. GOD’S ETERNAL POWER AND REALITY
B. GOD’S BENEVOLENCE AND CONCERN FOR ALL CREATED ORDER
C. GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS (LAW POINTS TO A LAWGIVER)
IV. POTENTIAL OF GENERAL REVELATION
B. TRUTH IS SUPPRESSED
C. GOD IS DISHONORED
D. MAN’S HEART IS FURTHER DARKENED
E. MESSAGE OF GENERAL CAN ONLY FULLY BE SEEN BY THOSE WHO ARE A NEW CREATION
F. THERE IS A NEED FOR SPECIAL REVELATION -- BIBLE, CHRIST, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
V. GOD IS (EXODUS 3:14)
A. SCRIPTURE NEVER ATTEMPTS TO PROVE THERE IS A GOD (PSALMS 14:1; 53:1)
B. BELIEVING GOD EXISTS IS A CORNERSTONE OF FAITH (HEBREWS 11:6; PROVERBS 1:7)
C. CASE FOR GOD’S EXISTENCE
1. DESIGN
2. UNCAUSED EFFECT
3. LAWGIVER
4. GOD’S EXISTENCE HAS MORE EVIDENCE THAN YOUR EXISTENCE
VI. WHO IS GOD?
A. GOD IS LIVING
1. "LIVING GOD" DEUTERONOMY 5:26
2. "AS THE LORD LIVES" 1 SAMUEL 14:39
3. SON OF THE LIVING GOD MATTHEW 16:16
4. TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD 2 CORINTHIANS 6:16
5. CITY OF THE LIVING GOD HEBREWS 12:22
6. SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD REVELATION 7:2
7. AS OPPOSED TO DEAD IDOLS JEREMIAH 10:5
8. LIVING GOD CANNOT BE REDUCED TO A LIFELESS IMAGE
9. GOD=/=LIFE. HE IS THE SOURCE OF LIFE AND IS LIVING, BUT IS GREATER THAN LIFE.
10. HIS LIFE DID NOT COME FROM AND DOES NOT DEPEND ON ANOTHER SOURCE. HE IS THE SELF-EXISTENT ONE. THUS, GOD CANNOT DIE.
B. GOD IS PERSONAL
1. FATHER JOHN 20:17
2. KING 1 SAMUEL 12:12
3. JUDGE JUDGES 11:27
4. SHEPHERD PSALMS 80:1
5. HUSBAND JEREMIAH 31:32
6. FRIEND EXODUS 33:11
7. NAMES OF GOD
(A) JEHOVAH ELOHIM -- ETERNAL CREATOR -- GENESIS 2:4-25
(B) ADONAI JEHOVAH -- LORD OUR SOVEREIGN -- GENESIS 15:2
(C) JEHOVAH JIREH -- LORD WILL PROVIDE -- GENESIS 22:8-19
(D) JEHOVAH NISSI -- LORD OUR BANNER -- EXODUS 17:15
(E) JEHOVAH ROPHEKA -- LORD OUR HEALER -- EXODUS 15:26
(F) JEHOVAH SHALOM -- LORD OUR PEACE -- JUDGES 6:24
(G) JEHOVAH TSIDKENU -- LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS -- JEREMIAH 23:6
(H) JEHOVAH MEKADDISHKEM -- LORD OUR SANCTIFIER -- EXODUS 31:13
(I) JEHOVAH SABAOTH -- LORD OF ARMIES -- 1 SAMUEL 1:3
(J) JEHOVAH SHAMMAH -- LORD IS PRESENT -- EZEKIEL 48:35
(K) JEHOVAH ELYON -- LORD MOST HIGH -- PSALMS 7:17
(L) JEHOVAH ROHI -- LORD MY SHEPHER -- PSALMS 23:1
(M) JEHOVAH HOSEENU -- LORD OUR MAKER -- PSALMS 95:6
(N) JEHOVAH ELOHEENU -- LORD OUR GOD -- PSALMS 99:5
(O) JEHOVAH ELOHEKA -- LORD YOUR GOD -- EXODUS 20:2
(P) JEHOVAH ELOHAY -- LORD MY GOD -- ZECHARIAH 14:5
(Q) ELOHIM -- SUPREME CREATOR -- GENESIS 1:1
(R) YHWH -- SELF-EXISTENT, ETERNAL ONE (EXODUS 3:14)
(S) EL -- MIGHTY ONE
(T) JESUS -- MATTHEW 1:21-23
VII. HOLINESS OF GOD
A. GOD’S HOLINESS IS A FUNDAMENTAL FACT ABOUT GOD’S NATURE
1. ISAIAH 6:3; 43:3
B. WHEN GOD REVEALED HIMSELF TO MOSES, THE PREPARATION FOR THIS WAS THE REVELATION OF HIS HOLINESS (EXODUS 3:5)
C. GOD IS A PERSONAL GOD BUT NEVER IS HE TO BE TREATED CASUALLY FOR HE IS THE AWE-INSPIRING AND HOLY GOD
D. JESUS WAS THE SAME GOD OF HOLINESS
1. DEMONS RECOGNIZED THIS (LUKE 4:34)
2. DISCIPLES CONFESSED THIS (JOHN 6:69)
E. MERCIFUL REDEMPTION CAN ONLY BE TRULY UNDERSTOOD AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF A HOLY GOD WHO CANNOT TOLERATE SIN
F. TWO GREATEST MANIFESTATIONS OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD
1. CALVARY
