God: Who is He?

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Acts 14:16–17 NLT

In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.”

Psalm 19:1–2 NLT

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.

2. We see God’s thumbprint in human history.

Acts 17:26–27 NLT

From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

3. We see God’s actions in our lives.

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1 Kings 18:24–39 NLT

24 Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed. 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.” 26 So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. 27 About noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” 28 So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. 29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response. 30 Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” 34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. 36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

Think about what makes God seem the most real to you...

God is revealed.

God is not discovered by us, He Reveals Himself to us.

Genesis 35:7 NLT

7 Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau.

Psalm 98:2 NLT

2 The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!

To understand how God reveals Himself, we need to understand three theological ideas:

1. God’s General Revelation: He reveals himself to us through His creation.

Romans 1:20 NLT

20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

2. God’s Special Revelation: He reveals himself to us through His Word.

2 Peter 1:20–21 NLT

20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

3. God’s Personal Revelation: He reveals himself to us through his Son.

John 1:18 NLT

18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

Jesus came to give us understanding.

1 John 5:20 NLT

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

Jesus chose to reveal the Father to us.

Matthew 11:27 NLT

27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

God revealed himself through Jesus.

Hebrews 1:1–2 NLT

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.

To Explain God, Jesus became a man.

Possible ending

Surveys show that 96% of Americans believe God is real.

For most people the existence of God is not the issue. The issue is What Kind of God He is.

What does Jesus reveal about God?

God is Relational.

Misconceptions about God

Misconception - God is distant.

Truth: God is near.

Psalm 139:7–12 NLT

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

James 4:8 NLT

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Misconception: God watches us from far away.

Truth: God is intimately involved in every detail of our lives.

Matthew 6:25–30 NLT

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Luke 12:6–7 NLT

6 “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

Misconception: God is anxiously waiting to judge those who do wrong.

Truth: God is waiting to forgive all who ask him.

John 3:17 NLT

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Misconception: God is either powerless against or doesn’t care about much of the evil in the world.

Truth: God allows an evil world to continue to exist so that more people might be saved out of it.

2 Peter 3:8–9 NLT

8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Which Misconception is potentially the most damaging?

Which Truth is the most difficult to believe?

Four theological Words

God’s Immanence: God is incredibly near to us. He is with us and in us.

God’s Omnipresence: God is everywhere at the same time.

God’s Omniscience: God know everything.

God’s Omnipotence: God is all powerful.

In a world where people see God as unapproachable, the truth is God is relational.

Jesus taught us to call God our Father.

Our Father is willing to make sacrifices. (John 3:16, 1 John 4:4)

Our Father has compassion and love for his children. (Ps. 103:13, 2 CO 1:3)

Our Father guides his children. (Pro 3:12)

Our Father knows our needs before we ask. (Matt 6:8, 7:9-11)

Our Father rewards us. (Matt 6:20, Heb 11:6)

Our Father encourages us. (2 Thess 2:16-17)

Our Father shows no favoritism among His children. (Eph 2:18, Rom 10:12, 1 Peter 1:17)

Jesus told us that anyone who had seen him had seen the Father.

John 14:9 NLT

9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?

How does the truth of God’s reality fit you in a personal way? Worship!

Spend time worshipping the Lord this week.

Concentrate on God’s power and what He has done in your life.

When you pray, make sure to relate to God as your father… daddy.

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