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ALEXANDER
SPIRIT LAKE BAPTIST CHURCH 32129 N. 3rd Ave Spirit Lake, ID 83869
Introduction: As you can see by the slide behind me that we are
beginning a new series Believers Boot Camp: Basic Training.
This will be a 13 week series (just a little over three months). We
are going to be covering some very important topics over the
next three months. Take a look at the manual that I had printed
up (One per family). Notice what we will be covering:
Week 1: INDUCTION The Bible on God
Week 2: FALL IN The Bible on Salvation
Week 3: DIRECTION The Bible on Doctrine
Week 4: IDENTIFICATION The Bible on Ordinances
Week 5: MARKSMANSHIP The Bible on Scripture
Week 6: COMMUNITY The Bible on Discipleship
Week 7: DISCIPLINE The Bible on Prayer
Week 8: CAMARADERIE The Bible on Church
Week 9: CONFIDENCE The Bible on Witnessing
Week 10: SACRIFICE The Bible on Giving
Week 11: SURVIVAL The Bible on Warring
Week 12: STRATEGY The Bible on Prophecy
Week 13: GRADUATION The Bible on Serving
In this message we want to take a look at what theologians call,
Theology Proper (the doctrine of God). What do you think you
know about God? Well, in this sermon we are going to ask and
answer some basic questions that people have about God. Such
as: Is there a God? What is Gods name? How has God revealed
Himself to mankind? Is there such a thing as the Trinity? And
finally, what does God want from us? This is our INDUCTION
message into this series. We begin with God because that is
where the Bible begins, and because all of us need to be
introduced to Him. We need to come to KNOW God.
A wondering mind will not learn. Do all you can to stay focus.
Show up keep your mind focused become moldable.
I. Is there a God?
I want to begin by stating very clearly that the Bible NEVER tries
to defend the existence of God. It takes God for granted. We
read in the very first verse of the Bible these words,
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(Gen. 1:1)
Please understand that there is nothing before Genesis 1:1. No
other biblical writings. What we have is the inner sanctum of
God. We have heaven the very abode of God. We have God
before anything as we know today.
Before anything there was God.
After everything there will be God.
Are you aware that anthropologist try to convince us that
people started out as polytheistic (belief in many gods), and
gradually evolved into becoming monotheistic (belief in One
God) in his thinking. This is not true! From the very beginning of
time man started out believing in One God. It wasnt until after
Genesis 3, the Fall, that mankind began to become polytheistic
in his thinking (tower of Babel onward). Man turned away from
the One True God, and developed a belief system of many gods.
Travel the world over and you will find religious people on every
continent, and you will find that they worship everything and
anything. Man has left the One True God, and created gods from
stones, wood, metal, and other materials.
In the book of Acts we have Paul saying these words to the
people of Athens. He said,
For as I was passing through and considering the objects of
your worship. I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE
UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without
knowing Him I proclaim to you: God who made the world and
everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not
dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with
mens hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives life,
breath, and all things. And He made from one blood every nation
of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and his determined
their appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings
(Acts 17:23-26)
Yes, there is a God!
II. What is Gods Name?
The first name we have for God found in the Bible is:
C. Adonai - Lord
For fear that they would take the name of God in vain, Jews
decided not to speak the name of God, and replaced it with
Adonai, which means Master or Lord. In the Bible when you
see the name LORD in all capital letters, you know that writer
was referencing the most sacred name of God. However, when
you see capital L and small case ord it is Adonai.
Is God your LORD?
Is He your master?
D. Compound Names of God:
What is interesting is that God reveals Himself to mankind by
using compound names, and these compound names reveal
additional insight to God. Here are a few examples:
El Shaddai Almighty God Gen. 17:1
El Olam Everlasting God Gen. 21:33
Jehovah Elohim Lord God Ex. 34:6
Jehovah-jireh the Lord will provide Gen. 22:14
Jehovah-shalom the Lord our peace Judg. 6:24
Jehovah-shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48:35
The names of God are very important. We can learn so much
about our God just by studying His many names, and what they
actually mean. I would encourage you to do a further study
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cosmic force (like in Star Wars). No, God is a person who has
personality.
V. How has God revealed Himself?
How has God reveals Himself? He has revealed Himself in two
very distinct and very clear ways. What are those two ways?
General Revelation through nature - Psalm 19:1-6
Specific Revelation through the Scripture - Psalm 19:7-11
Since God has revealed Himself both through Nature and
Scripture, how can we know Him today? I would like to suggest
three ways that you and I can get to know God. They are:
1. Through Creation
Creation ought to get you on the search for God. You shouldnt
be able to look at creation and not think that it wasnt made by
an intelligent designer. Creation should set you on a journey to
finding God.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even
His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without
excuse. (Romans 1:20)
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You cannot say God has not tried to reveal Himself. Creation
provides you NO excuse.
There is a second way God has revealed Himself to us.
2. Through Scripture Old and New Testament
When I say Scripture I am talking first about the Old Testament
books, which include the, writings of Moses, the Historical
books, the Poetical books, and the Prophetical books. Thirty-nine
Old Testament books. All written so that you and I could come
to know God. The first book of the Bible - Genesis 1:1 starts with
God creating everything, and the last book of the Bible - Malachi
3:6 concludes with God talking about judgment upon the earth.
The Bible is all about God.
As we enter into the New Testament, the Gospels break Gods
400 hundred years of silence between the two Testaments.
Immanuel is born God with us (Matt. 1:23). The book of Acts
shows us how God used the early disciples to build His Church.
The writings of Paul go into great details about Gods
involvement in the life of the believers. Every book of the N.T.
has God has its main subject matter. The last chapter of
Revelation reminds us all Worship God (Rev. 22:9).
3. Through His Son, Jesus Christ Hebrews 1:1-2
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time
past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken
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The theological term - omniscient.
God is all knowing. There is nothing that God doesnt know.
God cant learn! He knows it all!
God knows everything there is to know Job 37:16
God knows everything about science (natural laws) Isa.
40:28
God knows everything about mankind Matt. 10:30
God know everything from eternity past to eternity future
Acts 15:18, I Peter 1:20
C. God is everywhere present
This is the theological term - omnipresent.
God is present everywhere. There is not a place where God is
not present. Note: We are not teaching pantheism, that God is
in everything. No, all we are saying is that there is not a place
where God is not present.
God is everywhere present Jer. 23:24
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The word Immutability means unchanging.
God is always God. God will never cease from being God. God
will never change!
The Bible teaches:
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. James
1:17
Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the
heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed
it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is
impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set
before us. (Hebrews 6:17-18)
Please hear this God never changes, but the way He worked
with people throughout the ages did change. God worked with
people differently at different periods of time.
VII.
What does God want from us?
God wants us to be in RELATIONSHIP with Him.
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