What We Believe...about God

December 29, 2003

Title: What We Believe...About God

Text: Genesis 1:1

Introduction

1. Here at the beginning of a new year...I thought it would be helpful to us to

A. review our doctrine...

B. talk about what we believe...

i. What we believe about God...

ii. What we believe about Jesus...

iii. What we believe about the Bible...

iv. and so on.

2. Some people think doctrine can be dry and boring...

A. and I think that they are right...

B. doctrine can be dry and boring...

C. full of big words...

D. how theologians can seem to argue endlessly about whether we should be:

i. Pre-trib

ii. Mid-Trib

iii. or Post Trib

iv. Or, Can God create a rock so big, that He can’t lift it?

v. Or, How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

vi. and so on.

3. But, on the other hand, doctrine can be exciting...

A. doctrine is not just some dry, dusty, out-moded book, that no one in their right mind would ever read...

B. doctrine is basically a set of beliefs.

C. And I can assure you...people will get excited about their beliefs...

D. in fact, sometimes people will be willing to die for what they believe in.

4. I don’t think someone would be willing to die for something that is boring, musty, and meaningless.

5. A. W. Tozer said, "We have gotten accustomed to the blurred puffs of gray fog that pass for doctrine in churches and expect nothing better. From some ... sources are now coming vague statements consisting of a milky ..mixture of Scripture, science, and human sentiment that is true to none of its ingredients because each one works to cancel the others out. Little by little Christians these days are being brainwashed. One evidence is that increasing numbers of them are becoming ashamed to be found unequivocally on the side of truth. They say they believe, but their beliefs have been so diluted as to be impossible of clear definition."

6. As Christians, we need to KNOW what we believe....

A. we need to know WHY we believe it...

B. And we need to be willing to stand up for what we believe

i. in way that is loving and kind;

ii. yet firm and persistent.

7. I have to be honest with you....

A. some Christians get on my nerves...

B. they are quick to spout off

C. and argue their firmly held convictions...

D. by beating their opponents over the head with the Bible....

E. and quoting this Scripture and that Scripture...

F. Not because that Scripture has great meaning for them...

G. but because they can self-righteously use the Bible to prove a point...

H. much like a College Debate team quoting Plato.

8. In this study of doctrine, we are going to go for the middle ground...

A. On the one hand...we are not going to be spineless...unwilling to fervently and definitely express what we believe.

B. And on the other hand....we are not going to be so fundamental and dogmatic that we will condemn people to hell if they don’t believe exactly like we do on every nuance of doctrine.

C. We are going to study what we believe...

D. and based on what Scripture says...

E. and in the process, we are not going to forget the rest of Scripture that talks about

i. loving our neighbor...

ii. and treating others as better that ourselves.

9. We will use our doctrine,

A. our beliefs,

B. and our Bible...

C. Not as tools to use to win arguments...

D. but as tools to use to win people.

10. Read Genesis 1:1

11. We will be basically following the Article of Faith found in our (Church of the Nazarene) Manual.

A. If you would like a copy of the articles of faith, to follow along

B. be sure to pick up a copy after the service.

12. Article 1 says, "We believe in one eternally existent, infinite God, Sovereign of the universe; that He only is God, creative and administrative, holy in nature, attributes, and purpose; that He, as God, is Triune in essential being, revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."—Nazarene Manual 2001-2005

Body

Tonight, I’m going to speak to you on the subject of "What we believe....about God"

A Young Boy was looking at the moon, and he asked his mom, "Mom, is God in the moon?" The Mother explained that God is everywhere. The boy said, "Is he in my tummy?" "Well, sort of," mom responded. Then her son said, "God wants a cookie."

1. We believe God is eternal.

A. Scripture says, "In the beginning....God".

i. God was there...

ii. in the beginning.

B. Not only was God there in the beginning...

i. but He will be there in the end...