Who is God?

Happy New Year!

I haven't spoke God's word for a while but I have been working on myself to get ready for a closer relationship with God.

Here is my first sermon for the year. A remind of who God is.

Who is God? Sermon

Intro

The question is always asked is there a God or does God exist? Some answers could be no, because I can’t see Him or that well we’ve been taught that we evolved from monkeys and fish. How do you explain that there is a God?

When it comes to the possibility of God’s existence, the Bible says that there are people who have seen sufficient evidence, but they have suppressed the truth about God. Romans 1:19-21.

On the other hand, for those who want to know God if He is there, He says, you will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I found by you. Jeremiah 29:13-14.

I like design and in my work I am a communication officer. I am also the Communication leader the term for the church. In order to design a newsletter at work or the program for the church, from scratch, I have to create a new file. So when you think of the complexity of our planet it all points to a deliberate designer who not only created our universe from nothing, but sustains us today. The Bible tells us and in our lessons this week that God created out of nothing by the power of His Word. How can anyone explain that with science except that it is what it is?

Let us look at the earth.

I am not an expert but I am assuming that earth is the perfect size and is the right distance away from the sun because if the earth was further away from the sun we would all freeze and if the earth was nearer to the sun we would all burn up.

What about our water? – colourless and without taste and yet no living thing can live without it.

The brain – look at how much information our brain can take in. It takes in the colours and objects you see, the temperature around, the sounds, the dryness of the mouth even the texture of your keyboard. Your brain holds and processes all your emotions, thoughts and memories. At the same time your brain keeps track of the ongoing functions of your body.

The eye – can distinguish among seven million colours. It has automatic focusing and handles an astounding 1.5 million messages simultaneously. Evolution focuses on mutations and changes from and existing organisms. Yet evolution alone does not fully explain the initial source of the eye or the brain.

And you mean to tell me there is no God.

Scientists are convinced that the universe began with this big bang, but yet they have no explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter. The universe has not always existed it has had to have a start.

The start was with God.

We know there is a God because He pursues us. He is constantly initiating and seeking for us to come to Him and He reveals Himself in Jesus.

God came to this earth as flesh and Jesus said God exists and you’re looking at Him. Though He talked about His Father in Heaven, it was not from the position of separation, but very close union, unique to all humankind. Jesus said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father, anyone who believed in Him believed in the Father.

He said, "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

He claimed characteristics belonging only to God: to be able to forgive people of their sin, free them from habits of sin, give people a more abundant life and give them eternal life in heaven. Unlike other teachers who focused people on their words, Jesus pointed people to himself. He did not say, "follow my words and you will find truth." He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me."

So, does God exist? Looking at all these facts, one can conclude that a loving God does exist and can be known in an intimate, personal way.

Main

Our God is a mighty and powerful God and He has led His people in the past and continues to lead His people today.

(Exodus 13:18-22)

When God led His people out of Egypt He did not take them through the way of the land of the Philistines because that was the quickest way. There was no short cut.  We are impatient beings and at times cannot wait on Gods direction - you want to do things your own way. You want a promotion and in order to get that ideal job you compromise and work on the Sabbath, but yet if you were to wait and be obedient you would get an even better job and get the weekends off to worship you Saviour. I’ve been in my present job for eight years and eight years ago, after returning from maternity leave, I said I must get my promotion in the next year. Eight years later I am in the same position but I’m not looking for promotion here on this earth. I am looking for my promotion to Heaven.

There is no short cut to Heaven. God took His people through the wilderness of the Red Sea, and God lead them out of the land of Egypt. That is the power of God for Him to be able to take His people out of Egypt to safety unharmed. God could only do that and there is more. He not only lead them out but He alone was there by day in a pillar of a cloud and by night a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. That is the power of God not man.

If we look at the Waldenses. It is people like them who have paved the way for us as Christians. At the time of Rome supremacy people had to follow there laws including Sunday worshiping and idol worshipping. Surrounded by heathenism the Waldenses continued to regard the Bible as truth and in faith remained devoted to its instruction including the observance of Sabbath.

Not being able to worship freely even if they were to abstain from working on the Sunday. Rome was not happy. So the only solution was to flee to the mountains. Was God with them? Yes because they stood firm to the truth. God prepared them with strength; no arm but that of Infinite Power could move them out of their place. A confirmation of His Power, a confirmation of His never-failing care.

From youth they were taught from the Bible and to trust on God’s word. We hear these children recite one or two memory verses. These children memorised whole chapters because they had few Bibles.

They were educated to carry on despite their hardship. They were taught to bear responsibilities, to guard their speech and to understand the wisdom of silence. One indiscreet word would have killed the speaker or hundreds of his brothers and sisters. But God was with them and He sent Angels from heaven to surround them.

If He can do these things for them imagine what He can do for you and me. This hardship is coming back round again as history continually repeats itself. We will be persecuted because of our beliefs. We will no longer will be able to worship freely, we no longer will have our Bibles. Are we ready for such a time when if a person even looks at you in the wrong way you get upset? Or you fail in your relationship and life is not worth living. When a member of your family dies and ask where was God?

We all of our trials and tribulations but the time has come that things are to get very uncomfortable but yet we are very comfortable sitting in the same seat every week at church. God has not brought us here to be comfortable as this place is only temporary. God is preparing a place for us that is even more comfortable than what we have now. We will get that promotion, with company car in fact your own set of wings, free health care but then that won’t be of no use because you will never get sick, yearly bonuses and a holiday to all the planets of your choice. In fact give your resignation because the big boss is coming. He’s not waiting for you to give 4 weeks notice. He is ready to take you NOW!

Proverbs 3:35 says the wise shall inherit glory – so be wise.

John 3:36 says he who believes in the Son has everlasting life.

Matt 7:21 says - Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

You see, Satan is ever at work endeavouring to pervert what God has spoken, to blind the mind and darken the understanding, and thus lead men into sin. Satan makes God out to be unfair and unjust. That is why God is so specific and plain speaking. God is constantly seeking to draw men close under His protection, that Satan may not practice his cruel, deceptive power upon them.

Divert from what?

Every soul is elected who will work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. He is elected who will put on the armour, and fight the good fight of faith. He is elected who will watch unto prayer, who will search the scriptures, and flee from temptation. He is elected who will have faith continually, and who will be obedient to every word that comes out of the mouth of God. The provisions of redemptions if free to all; the results of redemption will be enjoyed by those who have complied with the conditions.

We are to have faith, we are to be obedient. Sounds so easy but we all fall by the wayside. For God says that all have sinned. How we have faith and be obedient in a hopeless world in a world with laws so far from God even in the church has gone far from Gods word. The words ring in my ears Hold fast til he comes!

Conclusion

God is many things

Who is God?

He is eternal and everlasting

He is the high and lofty One whose ways are everlasting (Habakuk 3:6) who changeth not.

He is the beginning and the end.

Who is God?

He is greatest physician. Every vital part – the brain, the heart, the nerves – the power of God touches with healing. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care that crush the life-forces. What do we feel when we are sick and get better? We feel the joy for God has healed us and given us life.

Who is God?

God is faithful

Hebrews 6:18 says God cannot lie, nor can He break an unconditional promise that He says He will fulfill. Every covenant He made is kept. Every promise or foretelling has or will come true. Testimony after testimony of God’s faithfulness is certainly found throughout the Bible and is still given in testimonies by people today.

In fact, accounts of covenants between God and His people can be found approximately 277 times in the Bible. Deuteronomy 7:9 says “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments." And there is only ONE true God.

Who is God?

God is just

The Bible tells us that God is just. This means that He is fair and impartial. It also means that He hates the ill-treatment and oppression of people and of nature, which He has created. He hates lying, cheating, gossiping, hatred, jealousy, bitterness and other forms of mistreatment of others. These things are not of God. The fact that God is just means that He can and will judge between right and wrong and He will administer justice in accordance with His standards.

Many times in the Bible God is pictured as a judge. The Bible says that He will one day judge the world. Many of us shy away from the thought of God as a judge because the examples of justice that we see on earth are flawed: some judges are corrupt and, even when their intentions are good, they can make mistakes. However, the fact that God is just assures us that when He acts as a judge, He will administer justice perfectly. His ability to do this involves other aspects/attributes of His character, including His ability to discern the truth in every situation and see into the hearts and minds of men, His wisdom, His strength, His authority, and His moral character in establishing what is right and wrong.

Who is God?

God is Love (1 John 4:16) In His nature. In His law, is love.

Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. He supplies our daily needs, for man and the living creatures.

In His law He instructs to love one another. And because of His love Christ died for us and the salvation of every soul is determined by obedience or disobedience. God was revealed in the character of Jesus, in His sensitive, loving nature.

If the love of God dwells in us, we shall not only cherish no hatred toward our fellows, but we shall seek in every way to manifest love toward them.

Scripture states that we will never be able to fully comprehend God and his ways (Isaiah 55:9; Job 11:7). However, the Bible still says that we can know God (Jeremiah 9:23–24), and most clearly through Jesus Christ ( I John 5:20). So although we may never know everything about God, we can still comprehend what he has revealed to us through his creation, the Scriptures, and his Son.

I know God because He has worked in my life. When times got too much that I gave up all hope. He was there to pick up. I know who God is because no matter how hard Satan tries to knock me down I get up and give God the praise. Through His love and forgiving nature I gather more and more strength. You may see my tears. But don’t take them for weakness, it is the realisation of what God has taken me through and overcome. If God can lead His people, if God can lead me what can He do for you?

God wants His sons and daughters to reveal before Satan, before the heavenly universe, before the world, the power of His grace, that men and angels may know the Christ has not died in vain. Let us show the world that we have power from on high.

The Lord is coming. Look up and rejoice, for your redemption draweth nigh. Jesus is someone who is a compassionate, loving Redeemer, One who can save those who come to Him. Bear your whole weight on the promises of God.

Know who God is.

Jesus says there IS a God, see Him here, you are looking at HIM. Jesus in obedience did not sin. Let us be the ones to say there IS a God – see HIM here in me.

May you be encouraged by these words from Lord today.

Amen.

the truth shall set you free' - John 8:32