The God We Worship:
God Who Is a Servant
Philippians 2:5-11
We live in a world that where “big” people make a big show. The stretch limo, the red carpet, the adoring fans are part and parcel of what it means to be a celebrity whether the person is a politician or an entertainer. That’s how important people act.
We have looked at Jesus and the incredible claims made about him and made by him. And yet to today we want to examine something about Jesus, the Word of God that runs so counter to our world and the way we think important people should act. We want to look at God who became a servant (Matthew 20:28).
I. God Becomes a Man
There are many profound passages in the New Testament about Jesus but none more important than this one in Philippians 2:5-11. Scholars think this was hymn that was sung by the early church to honor the sacrifice that Jesus made.
Jesus did not cling to equality with God. Most of us have had the experience of giving up something in order achieve some goal. I know several in our congregation have been in the Marines. It takes a sacrifice of personal freedom, comfort, and physical safety for a person to become a Marine. We also have a number of women in our church who are about to become mothers. They share their body with a new life for nine months and in the end give birth at some personal risk. Of course that is just the beginning of life change for the mother and the father. Many things in life are that way. We give up and we sacrifice in order to gain something.
Jesus did not cling to equality with God because there was something to be gained. What did Jesus give up to become human? Everything, he gave up power, glory and majesty. He gave up fellowship with God and was limited to what could be experienced through a human body like yours and mine. Jesus knew the cost of becoming human and paid that cost.
II. God Becomes a Servant
Even if Jesus had been born into the highest of royal families with every advantage of power and wealth it still would have been as becoming ‘nothing’ as the hymn states. Instead Jesus was born into the most humble of circumstances. But even more than becoming human he took the form of a servant. We sometimes sing a song, “Make me a servant, Lord make me like you.” Yet the word is not just that of servant but the word for slave.
Slavery was just as ugly an institution in Paul’s day as it is in ours. Lest we think that our world has done away with slavery there are an estimated 50,000 people in the United States who are trafficked as slaves each year. Such abuse is worse in Africa and Asia and as Christians we need to do what we can to oppose such human abuse.
But there is a different kind of slavery, a slavery that is accepted and done willingly. Many of us are involved in it; it’s called parenting. How many of you have changed a dirty diaper? Sat up all night with a sick child? Helped with homework? Most of you know what I am talking about. Are parents slaves of their children? Most of us would not put it that way but the reality is that we labor and sacrifice, sometimes in incredible ways for our children. Why do we do it? What motivates such sacrifice and devotion? It is love. Sometimes that love is abused, even rejected, but parents invariably keep on giving, keep on sacrificing. We hope that someday our children will appreciate what we have done for them and many times that happens.
Why did Jesus become a human being? Why did he become a servant of smelly fishermen, greedy tax collectors, doctors, lawyers, prostitutes, engineers, housewives, teachers, and on and on it could go? The answer is simple, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Jesus became a servant because he loved people, he loved the creation, and he had to become a slave to what he had made in order for us to become what God intended. We can speculate a lot about how God did this but we don’t have to speculate about why. We love our children and will do just about anything for them. God loved his creation and us even more.
Jesus followed a path of humility and obedience. He who had been equal with God had to pray, read the scriptures, struggle with temptation and take care of everyday human physical need. He bore what life offered with grace and thankfulness. He loved people, cared for their needs, and taught all of us how life should be lived.
III. Have This Mind
Paul understood what God was doing in Christ when he wrote, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,” Romans 8:29. We see this also in the words, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” Phil 2:5.
We talk about people who are “full of themselves.” It seems that we all are to some extent. But if we are to become what God desires then there must be an emptying that takes place. God does not ask anything of us that he has not already done for us. God desires that we become like Jesus for the sake of others.
Our service must be done in love with humility. Too often our service is self-serving, arising from ulterior motives rather than a desire for what is best for those we serve. It is not just what we do but our attitude as we do acts of service.
Becoming a servant like Jesus doesn’t mean we become a doormat for anyone who desires to use us. Parents who allow their children to treat them that way are poor parents. Our task is not only to serve but also to teach people how to live, just like Jesus.
This is why the words of Paul that precede this hymn are important for Christians to hear and follow,
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others,” Philippians 2:1-4.
God became a servant. In reality God has always been a servant of His creation desiring for it to become “very good” again as it was in Genesis 1. As Christians, God wants us to be part of the solution to this world’s problems, not in the way the world solves problems through power and force but through love, humility and service. This is the God we worship. This is what it means to be a follower and a worshipper of Jesus.
Livonia Church of Christ: October 30, 2005
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
The God We Worship: Jesus and "I AM"
The God We Worship:
Jesus and “I AM”
John 8:48-58
There are many different opinions about Jesus and who he was and is. Many would say he is a great religious and moral teacher. In his own day, many saw Jesus as a great prophet. The opinions are many and varied. But many of these opinions are not based on what Jesus claimed for himself, who Jesus understood himself to be.
I. God’s Name
To understand what Jesus said about himself we go back to an encounter between Moses and God. Moses was tending sheep and saw a bush on fire. Not that unusual except that the bush was not burned up. Moses met God at this bush. It is an interesting conversation as Moses tried to evade the mission God had chosen for him. Then Moses asked a question, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" Ex 3:13. God’s answer is the name that God gives himself, the name that Israel will know him by, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Ex 3:14. It is from these words that the personal name of God, Yahweh or Jehovah, came to be derived. God is “I AM”, the one who exists before time. It is this personal name of God by which Israel addressed God.
Israel considered this name so holy they would not pronounce it. Instead when they came to this word they learned to pronounce an entirely different word, usually the word for ‘Lord’ in Hebrew. As the Hebrew scripture was translated into other languages different principles were used. Some translations transliterated the word into the language and so in the ASV we read Jehovah in the OT text. Others translated the word with LORD in all capital letters. “I AM” was translated with a similar phrase. This was true in the Greek translation of Hebrew scripture called the Septuagint. It was this Greek translation of the Old Testament that was the Bible of the 1st century church. Many writers of our New Testament books quoted from this translation. The early church would have been familiar with the Greek “I AM” language that John uses in his gospel.
II. Jesus in John’s Gospel
John’s gospel is probably the last gospel to be written. He writes it about fifty years after Jesus’ ministry and resurrection. We don’t know if John had read any of the other gospel accounts but his gospel is so different from the other three that it seems unlikely. What John had done for the last fifty years was think about Jesus. John meditated on Jesus’ actions and his words and, by guidance of the Holy Spirit, gained a deeper insight into who Jesus is. As we saw last week as we looked briefly at John 1:1-18, John had come to understand that Jesus was the divine Word of God who had become flesh in the man Jesus.
Jesus got into trouble with the Jewish authorities because he identified himself closely with God. When Jesus was questioned about healing on the Sabbath he answered, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working," John 5:17. The response of the Jewish authorities is seen in the next verse, “For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God,” John 5:18. They recognized that Jesus was making claims that no prophet, priest or religious leader had ever made. It was blasphemy, unless it was true.
John recorded Jesus using this “I am” language in many ways. Jesus made seven statements such as “I am the bread of life” or “I am the vine”. But Jesus went even farther and used the “I AM” name for himself. One of the clearest instances is in John 8. I have always found this exchange interesting because it is with “Jews who had believed in him.” John 8:31. The conversation ends when these same Jews try to kill Jesus. The reason they try to kill him is found in this last exchange,
“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"
John 8:56-58
There is no doubt about what Jesus is saying. He is identifying himself with the “I AM” who spoke to Abraham, who spoke to Moses in the burning bush. As some author observed either Jesus was speaking the truth or he was the biggest egomaniac that has ever lived.
Why would anyone believe such a statement except that Jesus backed up what he said with actions? Again, Jesus is attacked when he said,
“I and the Father are one."
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:30-33
Here is the dilemma that John presents. Jesus is more than a prophet, more than a great teacher, he is the “I AM” who has become human. If he is not then what do we do about his miracles?
At Jesus’ arrest we see Jesus using this language to confront his opponents. We read,
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.
John 18:4-6
Every English translation I know of inserts “he” with the “I AM” of the original Greek. Of course why would they fall back at such a simple statement? Why would John repeat it for emphasis?
Later while the Jewish authorities are questioning Jesus we read this account in Mark,
Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:61-62
Jesus is condemned for blasphemy but it is only blasphemy if it is not true.
The identity of Jesus is at the heart of Christianity. It is what gets us in trouble because the claims of Jesus are outrageous, unless they are true. I want to close with another outrageous statement of Jesus. Jesus again is in a discussion with his opponents and he said,
"You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins." John 8:23-24. The translator added words in the parentheses. I am not a Greek scholar so I’m not going to argue with them but I think Jesus is saying something more. His words are, “if you do not believe that I am you will indeed die in your sins.” We believe that Jesus is more than a prophet, more than a great religious teacher. Jesus is “I AM”.
Livonia Church of Christ: October 23, 2005
Jesus and “I AM”
John 8:48-58
There are many different opinions about Jesus and who he was and is. Many would say he is a great religious and moral teacher. In his own day, many saw Jesus as a great prophet. The opinions are many and varied. But many of these opinions are not based on what Jesus claimed for himself, who Jesus understood himself to be.
I. God’s Name
To understand what Jesus said about himself we go back to an encounter between Moses and God. Moses was tending sheep and saw a bush on fire. Not that unusual except that the bush was not burned up. Moses met God at this bush. It is an interesting conversation as Moses tried to evade the mission God had chosen for him. Then Moses asked a question, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" Ex 3:13. God’s answer is the name that God gives himself, the name that Israel will know him by, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Ex 3:14. It is from these words that the personal name of God, Yahweh or Jehovah, came to be derived. God is “I AM”, the one who exists before time. It is this personal name of God by which Israel addressed God.
Israel considered this name so holy they would not pronounce it. Instead when they came to this word they learned to pronounce an entirely different word, usually the word for ‘Lord’ in Hebrew. As the Hebrew scripture was translated into other languages different principles were used. Some translations transliterated the word into the language and so in the ASV we read Jehovah in the OT text. Others translated the word with LORD in all capital letters. “I AM” was translated with a similar phrase. This was true in the Greek translation of Hebrew scripture called the Septuagint. It was this Greek translation of the Old Testament that was the Bible of the 1st century church. Many writers of our New Testament books quoted from this translation. The early church would have been familiar with the Greek “I AM” language that John uses in his gospel.
II. Jesus in John’s Gospel
John’s gospel is probably the last gospel to be written. He writes it about fifty years after Jesus’ ministry and resurrection. We don’t know if John had read any of the other gospel accounts but his gospel is so different from the other three that it seems unlikely. What John had done for the last fifty years was think about Jesus. John meditated on Jesus’ actions and his words and, by guidance of the Holy Spirit, gained a deeper insight into who Jesus is. As we saw last week as we looked briefly at John 1:1-18, John had come to understand that Jesus was the divine Word of God who had become flesh in the man Jesus.
Jesus got into trouble with the Jewish authorities because he identified himself closely with God. When Jesus was questioned about healing on the Sabbath he answered, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working," John 5:17. The response of the Jewish authorities is seen in the next verse, “For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God,” John 5:18. They recognized that Jesus was making claims that no prophet, priest or religious leader had ever made. It was blasphemy, unless it was true.
John recorded Jesus using this “I am” language in many ways. Jesus made seven statements such as “I am the bread of life” or “I am the vine”. But Jesus went even farther and used the “I AM” name for himself. One of the clearest instances is in John 8. I have always found this exchange interesting because it is with “Jews who had believed in him.” John 8:31. The conversation ends when these same Jews try to kill Jesus. The reason they try to kill him is found in this last exchange,
“Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"
John 8:56-58
There is no doubt about what Jesus is saying. He is identifying himself with the “I AM” who spoke to Abraham, who spoke to Moses in the burning bush. As some author observed either Jesus was speaking the truth or he was the biggest egomaniac that has ever lived.
Why would anyone believe such a statement except that Jesus backed up what he said with actions? Again, Jesus is attacked when he said,
“I and the Father are one."
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." John 10:30-33
Here is the dilemma that John presents. Jesus is more than a prophet, more than a great teacher, he is the “I AM” who has become human. If he is not then what do we do about his miracles?
At Jesus’ arrest we see Jesus using this language to confront his opponents. We read,
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"
"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.
John 18:4-6
Every English translation I know of inserts “he” with the “I AM” of the original Greek. Of course why would they fall back at such a simple statement? Why would John repeat it for emphasis?
Later while the Jewish authorities are questioning Jesus we read this account in Mark,
Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:61-62
Jesus is condemned for blasphemy but it is only blasphemy if it is not true.
The identity of Jesus is at the heart of Christianity. It is what gets us in trouble because the claims of Jesus are outrageous, unless they are true. I want to close with another outrageous statement of Jesus. Jesus again is in a discussion with his opponents and he said,
"You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins." John 8:23-24. The translator added words in the parentheses. I am not a Greek scholar so I’m not going to argue with them but I think Jesus is saying something more. His words are, “if you do not believe that I am you will indeed die in your sins.” We believe that Jesus is more than a prophet, more than a great religious teacher. Jesus is “I AM”.
Livonia Church of Christ: October 23, 2005
Monday, October 17, 2005
The God We Worship: The Son Who is God
The God We Worship:
The Son Who is God
John 1:1-18
It is mind stretching to think about God. As we looked at God the Father last week something became obvious, you cannot talk about the Father without talking about the Son. We would not know about the Father without the revelation brought by the Son. Today we want to begin looking at the Son.
I. The Word
Christianity revolves around Jesus and who he is. There is no simple answer and we shouldn’t expect one, we are after all looking at God and who he is and what he has done. The answer depends as much on faith as it does on understanding.
John gives us a picture of Jesus. In language that obviously reflects Genesis 1:1 we read about the Word. Who and what is this Word that John is writing about? He tells us the Word is God and even more the Word is with God. How can this be? There is no claim here that there are two gods but there are two persons who are one God. The Word is the source of creation. The Word is life and the Word is light.
Are you confused? Don’t feel bad because it is confusing. How can this be? Why is this being revealed to us? When we are confronted with mysteries like this we tend to throw up our hands in frustration. I hope you won’t do that because there is an important reason God reveals this to us. It is found in verse 14.
II. The Word Became Flesh
John writes, “The Word became flesh.” I suppose it would not be necessary for us to know about the Son or the Father if it weren’t for this. God must have known how confusing this would be for us with our limited knowledge and perspective and yet we need to come to grips with this amazing knowledge. The Word that was with God and is God became a human being and lived among us.
Every December much of the world celebrates Christmas though few seem to recognize why the birth of Jesus is so significant. God, the maker of heaven and earth became a man, was born as a small, helpless infant. How could even God accomplish such a thing? Paul writes later that Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing”, (Philippians 2:6-7). The concept here is that Jesus emptied himself in order to become a human being. This was not a coerced action but the Son chose to take the role of redeemer and submit himself to the Father.
What would it take for you to become someone other than who you are? I thought about this as a missionary and tried to enter into another culture and understand it. If I were to become a Luo I would have to change my parents and that would change my skin color. I would have to give up being an American. I would have to give up most of my education, how to drive a car. I wouldn’t be married to Diane. I would gain some things in return but life would be very different.
What did Jesus give up to become a human being? He gave up equality with the Father for a start and we can go on from there. We can only imagine and then realize it is probably beyond our imagination. Scripture says that he was “made a little lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:7); he became a human.
There is a critical truth in trying to understand the relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit. It is this, “Difference in function does not indicate inferiority of nature.”[1] The Son is not the Father but the divine nature is one. The fact that Jesus became human and took a position of submission to the Father does not mean inferiority in his nature.
The analogy of us as humans gives us a glimpse into this. When God created human beings scripture says that God created them male and female (Genesis 1:27). Men and women have different functions. Many times those functions are culturally defined but they are also defined by biology; we have different functions but male and female are equally human. Even though culture has often given greater value to men we know as Christians that before God there is no difference as Paul wrote in Gal. 3:28. Difference in function does not mean inferiority in nature.
When Jesus became a human being he gave up equality with God but he did not give up his nature, he is still God. It is this incredible fact that John communicates in his gospel. All the gospels are revelation of the man Jesus as he goes through the world and the dawning awareness of those who know him that he is not only man but also God. This awareness is revealed in the confession of Thomas in John 20. Thomas had seen the miracles. He had heard his teaching. He had seen his death. Now he is confronted with the resurrected Christ and he cries out, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28.
III. The One and Only
John uses a particular word in referring to the Son. In older translations it is translated “only begotten” but in the translation I use it is translated “One and Only”. This is probably a better translation of this word. It carries with it the idea of uniqueness. If you remember my first lesson in this series we talked about this very quality of God. It is no surprise that John uses such a word to describe the Son who is God. It is this unique “one and only” Son who came from the Father “full of grace and truth.” The Son can reveal the Father because he has existed at the Father’s side and knows the Father. It is this “One and Only” Son that the Father has given to the world as a gift to save the world because the Father loves the world.
What a marvel this is. The Word became flesh for us because of the love of the Father. These few verses of John are heavy with meaning and we can barely scratch the surface in this lesson. I want to close with John’s words in John 1:12-13, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.” To those who receive the Son, believe in the Son, God grants that we can become children of God. We are all God’s creation but we are not all His children. That right belongs to those who receive the Son.
John, later in one of his letters, writes these words for us, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life,” 1 John 5:11-12. We struggle to understand and yet in the end what is important is to believe what God has said. That is the way of the life that God desires us to share with Him.
Livonia Church of Christ: October 16, 2005
[1] James R. White, The Forgotten Trinity, Bethany House Publishers: Minneapolis, 1998, 66.
The Son Who is God
John 1:1-18
It is mind stretching to think about God. As we looked at God the Father last week something became obvious, you cannot talk about the Father without talking about the Son. We would not know about the Father without the revelation brought by the Son. Today we want to begin looking at the Son.
I. The Word
Christianity revolves around Jesus and who he is. There is no simple answer and we shouldn’t expect one, we are after all looking at God and who he is and what he has done. The answer depends as much on faith as it does on understanding.
John gives us a picture of Jesus. In language that obviously reflects Genesis 1:1 we read about the Word. Who and what is this Word that John is writing about? He tells us the Word is God and even more the Word is with God. How can this be? There is no claim here that there are two gods but there are two persons who are one God. The Word is the source of creation. The Word is life and the Word is light.
Are you confused? Don’t feel bad because it is confusing. How can this be? Why is this being revealed to us? When we are confronted with mysteries like this we tend to throw up our hands in frustration. I hope you won’t do that because there is an important reason God reveals this to us. It is found in verse 14.
II. The Word Became Flesh
John writes, “The Word became flesh.” I suppose it would not be necessary for us to know about the Son or the Father if it weren’t for this. God must have known how confusing this would be for us with our limited knowledge and perspective and yet we need to come to grips with this amazing knowledge. The Word that was with God and is God became a human being and lived among us.
Every December much of the world celebrates Christmas though few seem to recognize why the birth of Jesus is so significant. God, the maker of heaven and earth became a man, was born as a small, helpless infant. How could even God accomplish such a thing? Paul writes later that Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing”, (Philippians 2:6-7). The concept here is that Jesus emptied himself in order to become a human being. This was not a coerced action but the Son chose to take the role of redeemer and submit himself to the Father.
What would it take for you to become someone other than who you are? I thought about this as a missionary and tried to enter into another culture and understand it. If I were to become a Luo I would have to change my parents and that would change my skin color. I would have to give up being an American. I would have to give up most of my education, how to drive a car. I wouldn’t be married to Diane. I would gain some things in return but life would be very different.
What did Jesus give up to become a human being? He gave up equality with the Father for a start and we can go on from there. We can only imagine and then realize it is probably beyond our imagination. Scripture says that he was “made a little lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:7); he became a human.
There is a critical truth in trying to understand the relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit. It is this, “Difference in function does not indicate inferiority of nature.”[1] The Son is not the Father but the divine nature is one. The fact that Jesus became human and took a position of submission to the Father does not mean inferiority in his nature.
The analogy of us as humans gives us a glimpse into this. When God created human beings scripture says that God created them male and female (Genesis 1:27). Men and women have different functions. Many times those functions are culturally defined but they are also defined by biology; we have different functions but male and female are equally human. Even though culture has often given greater value to men we know as Christians that before God there is no difference as Paul wrote in Gal. 3:28. Difference in function does not mean inferiority in nature.
When Jesus became a human being he gave up equality with God but he did not give up his nature, he is still God. It is this incredible fact that John communicates in his gospel. All the gospels are revelation of the man Jesus as he goes through the world and the dawning awareness of those who know him that he is not only man but also God. This awareness is revealed in the confession of Thomas in John 20. Thomas had seen the miracles. He had heard his teaching. He had seen his death. Now he is confronted with the resurrected Christ and he cries out, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28.
III. The One and Only
John uses a particular word in referring to the Son. In older translations it is translated “only begotten” but in the translation I use it is translated “One and Only”. This is probably a better translation of this word. It carries with it the idea of uniqueness. If you remember my first lesson in this series we talked about this very quality of God. It is no surprise that John uses such a word to describe the Son who is God. It is this unique “one and only” Son who came from the Father “full of grace and truth.” The Son can reveal the Father because he has existed at the Father’s side and knows the Father. It is this “One and Only” Son that the Father has given to the world as a gift to save the world because the Father loves the world.
What a marvel this is. The Word became flesh for us because of the love of the Father. These few verses of John are heavy with meaning and we can barely scratch the surface in this lesson. I want to close with John’s words in John 1:12-13, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.” To those who receive the Son, believe in the Son, God grants that we can become children of God. We are all God’s creation but we are not all His children. That right belongs to those who receive the Son.
John, later in one of his letters, writes these words for us, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life,” 1 John 5:11-12. We struggle to understand and yet in the end what is important is to believe what God has said. That is the way of the life that God desires us to share with Him.
Livonia Church of Christ: October 16, 2005
[1] James R. White, The Forgotten Trinity, Bethany House Publishers: Minneapolis, 1998, 66.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
The God We Worship: The Father
The God We Worship: The Father
John 1:18; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; John 14:23
Introduction: Over the past couple of Sundays we have looked at, what I believe are some challenging concepts. You may have been stretched by thinking about our God as one above and beyond time and space. I have been stretched trying to preach about those things. But in a sense these have just been a warm-up for entering into the heart of the mystery we call God.
I. Learning About the Father
At the heart of the mystery are three persons that scripture calls the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. We begin today by looking at some of what scripture tells us about the Father. Because of the association of fathers with authority it is not surprising that we call God “Father”. Yet this has not always been the case. In the Old Testament you find God referred to as creator, king, mighty warrior, and other powerful descriptive words but few references to God as Father. When God is referred to as “Father” in the Older Testament he is seen as father of the nation or the people of Israel but the idea of God as “my” father is not developed.
This changes dramatically when we come to the New Testament. The books of the New Testament began to be written about 20 years or so after the resurrection. In those letters we find Christians referring to “God the Father” in a way that shows a great shift in understanding who God is. Jesus taught many things but nothing more radical than God as the Father, not just of himself, but all who faithfully follow Jesus.
The only way Christians know God as Father is because Jesus revealed it to us. John wrote, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known,” John 1:18. Jesus’ coming into the world had many facets but John tells us that one primary purpose was to reveal the Father to us so we could know him.
In the past couple of weeks we have looked at some rather dense concepts about God, his uniqueness and the invisible God who is beyond time and space. While these things are true about God, he is more than these things. Jesus came to show us God who is our creator but also who wants to be our Father.
It is the task of the Son to reveal the Father to us. We will begin to look at the Son more closely next week but today we want to see a small part of what the Son has revealed about the Father.
II. The Father Who Loves
Early in the gospel of John we read one of the great verses in all of scripture, John 3:16; "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus wants us to know that the Father is the one who gave and sent His Son to save the world. Love in the heart of the Father is the motivation that drives divine action. There are so many scriptures that point to divine love, demonstrated in Jesus coming into the world, Rm. 5:8. The Father sends, empowers and glorifies Jesus as His Son who has come into the world to save us, rebellious humankind.
As Christians, followers of Jesus, we focus our attention on Jesus. He is the one who came, who died for us, the one who explains the Father to us. But it is the Father who sends, the Father who appoints, the Father who raises the Son from the dead, and gives authority to the Son, Eph. 1:18-22.
In fact it is difficult to talk about the Father without talking about the Son also. The relationship is so intimate and complex. We know a bit about relationships like that. We see married couples that have been together many years like Hayward and Sandra Burton. Couples learn that it is always wise to communicate but if I talk to Sandra and she says, “Yes, we will do that.” I know she speaks not just for herself but also for Hayward. When we think of the Burtons we think of both of them. Even when we think of one we know the other is there, part of what is going on. They can do this because of their marriage of over fifty years. Now imagine the Father and Son who exist together in perfect harmony and unity from eternity. God loves the world and gives his Son but just a bit later in this passage we read, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands,” John 3:35. Again, in John 5:20 Jesus says, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.”
One of the key beliefs that we have about God’s nature and character is that God is love. The thing about love is that for it to exist there must be an object of love. We hear a lot about “self” love and I think I know what is often meant by the term but “self” love in the end is narcissism. This is from the Greek legend of Narcissus who wastes away and dies because he is so enraptured by his own reflection in a pond. God is love because there is Father, Son, and Spirit existing together in love and harmony. God could not be love otherwise. The wonder, the mystery is that God created us and has invited us to enter in and participate in his love. Jesus expresses this in the plainest terms in John 14:20-23,
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
The context of Jesus’ statement is that of the new commandment given just a few moments before, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another,” John 13:34. It is our obedience to this command that makes our hearts a fit home for the Father, Son, and Spirit. Is there any mystery greater than this?
I hope that all of us can enter deeper into the heart of God. I want to close with a prayer for you and me. It is Paul’s prayer but one that speaks to our desire.
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
May we, by God’s grace, enter into the fullness of His love.
Livonia Church of Christ: October 9, 2005
John 1:18; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; John 14:23
Introduction: Over the past couple of Sundays we have looked at, what I believe are some challenging concepts. You may have been stretched by thinking about our God as one above and beyond time and space. I have been stretched trying to preach about those things. But in a sense these have just been a warm-up for entering into the heart of the mystery we call God.
I. Learning About the Father
At the heart of the mystery are three persons that scripture calls the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. We begin today by looking at some of what scripture tells us about the Father. Because of the association of fathers with authority it is not surprising that we call God “Father”. Yet this has not always been the case. In the Old Testament you find God referred to as creator, king, mighty warrior, and other powerful descriptive words but few references to God as Father. When God is referred to as “Father” in the Older Testament he is seen as father of the nation or the people of Israel but the idea of God as “my” father is not developed.
This changes dramatically when we come to the New Testament. The books of the New Testament began to be written about 20 years or so after the resurrection. In those letters we find Christians referring to “God the Father” in a way that shows a great shift in understanding who God is. Jesus taught many things but nothing more radical than God as the Father, not just of himself, but all who faithfully follow Jesus.
The only way Christians know God as Father is because Jesus revealed it to us. John wrote, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known,” John 1:18. Jesus’ coming into the world had many facets but John tells us that one primary purpose was to reveal the Father to us so we could know him.
In the past couple of weeks we have looked at some rather dense concepts about God, his uniqueness and the invisible God who is beyond time and space. While these things are true about God, he is more than these things. Jesus came to show us God who is our creator but also who wants to be our Father.
It is the task of the Son to reveal the Father to us. We will begin to look at the Son more closely next week but today we want to see a small part of what the Son has revealed about the Father.
II. The Father Who Loves
Early in the gospel of John we read one of the great verses in all of scripture, John 3:16; "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus wants us to know that the Father is the one who gave and sent His Son to save the world. Love in the heart of the Father is the motivation that drives divine action. There are so many scriptures that point to divine love, demonstrated in Jesus coming into the world, Rm. 5:8. The Father sends, empowers and glorifies Jesus as His Son who has come into the world to save us, rebellious humankind.
As Christians, followers of Jesus, we focus our attention on Jesus. He is the one who came, who died for us, the one who explains the Father to us. But it is the Father who sends, the Father who appoints, the Father who raises the Son from the dead, and gives authority to the Son, Eph. 1:18-22.
In fact it is difficult to talk about the Father without talking about the Son also. The relationship is so intimate and complex. We know a bit about relationships like that. We see married couples that have been together many years like Hayward and Sandra Burton. Couples learn that it is always wise to communicate but if I talk to Sandra and she says, “Yes, we will do that.” I know she speaks not just for herself but also for Hayward. When we think of the Burtons we think of both of them. Even when we think of one we know the other is there, part of what is going on. They can do this because of their marriage of over fifty years. Now imagine the Father and Son who exist together in perfect harmony and unity from eternity. God loves the world and gives his Son but just a bit later in this passage we read, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands,” John 3:35. Again, in John 5:20 Jesus says, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.”
One of the key beliefs that we have about God’s nature and character is that God is love. The thing about love is that for it to exist there must be an object of love. We hear a lot about “self” love and I think I know what is often meant by the term but “self” love in the end is narcissism. This is from the Greek legend of Narcissus who wastes away and dies because he is so enraptured by his own reflection in a pond. God is love because there is Father, Son, and Spirit existing together in love and harmony. God could not be love otherwise. The wonder, the mystery is that God created us and has invited us to enter in and participate in his love. Jesus expresses this in the plainest terms in John 14:20-23,
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
The context of Jesus’ statement is that of the new commandment given just a few moments before, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another,” John 13:34. It is our obedience to this command that makes our hearts a fit home for the Father, Son, and Spirit. Is there any mystery greater than this?
I hope that all of us can enter deeper into the heart of God. I want to close with a prayer for you and me. It is Paul’s prayer but one that speaks to our desire.
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
May we, by God’s grace, enter into the fullness of His love.
Livonia Church of Christ: October 9, 2005
Monday, October 03, 2005
Sermon for October 2, 2005
The God We Worship: “God is spirit.”
John. 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17
Introduction: God is such a mystery to us. True mysteries are difficult to understand and it is hard to gain more than a certain level of knowledge. We speak of the mystery of the universe. In pop culture I think “The X Files” represents that sense of mystery that is never really resolved.
In a sense that mood of mystery is conveyed by the words chosen to describe God in scripture. It is not surprising that people in biblical times, both in Hebrew and Greek, used the terms for “breath” or “wind” to describe spirit. We cannot see the wind but we can see the effects of wind. Wind can be refreshing and life giving. It can also be one of the most destructive forces of nature. It is no wonder that these words are used to describe God who is invisible and yet has a profound impact on our physical world.
I. The Invisible God
One obvious thing about saying God is spirit is that He cannot be perceived with our senses. This is a great problem for people with a materialistic mind set. God is not physical as we are. As created beings we exist in a world of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. We have a soul created in God’s image. We are like God but he is not like us.
There are basically two ways we can learn about this invisible God. We can observe how God works and impacts our natural world. Paul makes this point in Romans saying that something of God can be learned from creation, his eternal power and divine nature, Rom. 1:20. There has always been evidence in nature pointing to God but people must look for it, be willing to see it. But even so, what we can learn of God is limited.
The second way we learn about this invisible God is by his revealing himself to us; that is by revelation. The different ways God has revealed himself to us is varied. He has spoken to people in dreams and visions. He has sent messengers both human and angelic. He has spoken in thunder and in whispers. The revelation of scripture is all about God revealing himself to humanity.
The great thing about this is God wants us to know him. God has gone to unbelievable lengths to reveal himself in ways we can perceive. Yet to find God, to know God, requires that we seek him, that we desire to know him. Some of us have studied different areas of learning. If a person studies biology they can learn some superficial things fairly easily. But many things require hard work to learn, meticulous research and observation. Every discipline of learning is that way. How much more true it is for learning about God. Jeremiah put it this way, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart,” Jer. 29:13.
II. God Transcends Space
The fact that God is spirit has other implications. When we talk about creation we often think in material terms but it goes further than that. God created the space in which our universe exists and, as spirit, is present in every place. This is another of those areas we have difficulty imagining. After all we can only be in one place at a time. You may have seen that silly commercial about the man who clones himself so that he can do everything he wants. It proves a bit confusing and frightening to his wife. Again, we don’t have the words or the ability to understand how this takes place but the more we delve into these lessons the more we will realize that much of God is mystery to us.
To the psalmist this aspect of God was a great comfort:
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Ps 139:7-10
God’s presence is a constant no matter where we are or the terribleness of the circumstances. Jeremiah writes
“Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?"
declares the LORD.
"Do not I fill heaven and earth?"
declares the LORD.
Jer. 23:24
God is present because God is spirit.
In our privacy culture this aspect of God is troubling to some. He was there when David committed adultery. We cannot hide from God the evil that we do.
But for us as God’s people it is a fact of great comfort. No matter where we are, no matter how terrible the circumstance, God is with us. God was in the lion’s den, in the fiery furnace, at the bottom of the well, on a hill with three crosses. But he was also at the pit when Stephen was stoned to death and the chopping block when James was killed. God is with us also, no matter the circumstance.
III. God Transcends Time
Another aspect of the creation that God transcends is time. It is hard for us to imagine a place of “no time” and yet that is what eternity is, that is where God dwells. God is above and in time in ways that we struggle to comprehend. Some years back there was a popular romantic comedy called “Groundhog Day”. The main character lived the same day, Groundhog Day, February 2, over and over again. He reaches a point where he knows everything that will happen that day. He knows the people of the town and every like, dislike, and foible. This is nothing like what time is to God but it does give a sense of timelessness that may give us insight into God. How can God hear all the prayers that are offered to Him? How can he be concerned about the details of my life? To God, who is timeless from all eternity, time is no consideration or limit. The psalmist puts it this way,
For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night. Psalm 90:4
It is difficult, perhaps impossible for us to imagine a world without time and yet that is the place God exists and where we will exist in the future.
Time is such a precious commodity to us that we often feel time pressure. It is the source of much of our impatience in life. Then once in a while we come across someone and the phrase we use to describe him or her is, “They act like they have all the time in world.” God does have all the time in the world. He has time for us and our joys, sorrows, victories and defeats. I believe that one reason we have difficulty understanding God is just that, God has all time. That is frustrating for us because we want God to fit our time frame. The good side of this is that God has time for all of us. Faith is trusting God with time. The Hebrew writer concluded his chapter on faith with these words,
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Heb. 11:39-40
The promises of God are not bound by human time. God keeps his promises and we will witness every promise fulfilled in God’s timeless eternity.
Is it any wonder that we struggle with understanding God? As Isaiah wrote,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways ,"
declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isa. 55:8-9
This is why faith is so critical to our relationship with God, we must trust even when we don’t understand.
There is a difference between a mystery and a puzzle. Puzzles are solved and that’s the end. But a better understanding of a mystery doesn’t decrease the mystery and that is why knowing God is a lifetime journey. Let’s go as far as we can.
John. 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17
Introduction: God is such a mystery to us. True mysteries are difficult to understand and it is hard to gain more than a certain level of knowledge. We speak of the mystery of the universe. In pop culture I think “The X Files” represents that sense of mystery that is never really resolved.
In a sense that mood of mystery is conveyed by the words chosen to describe God in scripture. It is not surprising that people in biblical times, both in Hebrew and Greek, used the terms for “breath” or “wind” to describe spirit. We cannot see the wind but we can see the effects of wind. Wind can be refreshing and life giving. It can also be one of the most destructive forces of nature. It is no wonder that these words are used to describe God who is invisible and yet has a profound impact on our physical world.
I. The Invisible God
One obvious thing about saying God is spirit is that He cannot be perceived with our senses. This is a great problem for people with a materialistic mind set. God is not physical as we are. As created beings we exist in a world of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. We have a soul created in God’s image. We are like God but he is not like us.
There are basically two ways we can learn about this invisible God. We can observe how God works and impacts our natural world. Paul makes this point in Romans saying that something of God can be learned from creation, his eternal power and divine nature, Rom. 1:20. There has always been evidence in nature pointing to God but people must look for it, be willing to see it. But even so, what we can learn of God is limited.
The second way we learn about this invisible God is by his revealing himself to us; that is by revelation. The different ways God has revealed himself to us is varied. He has spoken to people in dreams and visions. He has sent messengers both human and angelic. He has spoken in thunder and in whispers. The revelation of scripture is all about God revealing himself to humanity.
The great thing about this is God wants us to know him. God has gone to unbelievable lengths to reveal himself in ways we can perceive. Yet to find God, to know God, requires that we seek him, that we desire to know him. Some of us have studied different areas of learning. If a person studies biology they can learn some superficial things fairly easily. But many things require hard work to learn, meticulous research and observation. Every discipline of learning is that way. How much more true it is for learning about God. Jeremiah put it this way, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart,” Jer. 29:13.
II. God Transcends Space
The fact that God is spirit has other implications. When we talk about creation we often think in material terms but it goes further than that. God created the space in which our universe exists and, as spirit, is present in every place. This is another of those areas we have difficulty imagining. After all we can only be in one place at a time. You may have seen that silly commercial about the man who clones himself so that he can do everything he wants. It proves a bit confusing and frightening to his wife. Again, we don’t have the words or the ability to understand how this takes place but the more we delve into these lessons the more we will realize that much of God is mystery to us.
To the psalmist this aspect of God was a great comfort:
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Ps 139:7-10
God’s presence is a constant no matter where we are or the terribleness of the circumstances. Jeremiah writes
“Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?"
declares the LORD.
"Do not I fill heaven and earth?"
declares the LORD.
Jer. 23:24
God is present because God is spirit.
In our privacy culture this aspect of God is troubling to some. He was there when David committed adultery. We cannot hide from God the evil that we do.
But for us as God’s people it is a fact of great comfort. No matter where we are, no matter how terrible the circumstance, God is with us. God was in the lion’s den, in the fiery furnace, at the bottom of the well, on a hill with three crosses. But he was also at the pit when Stephen was stoned to death and the chopping block when James was killed. God is with us also, no matter the circumstance.
III. God Transcends Time
Another aspect of the creation that God transcends is time. It is hard for us to imagine a place of “no time” and yet that is what eternity is, that is where God dwells. God is above and in time in ways that we struggle to comprehend. Some years back there was a popular romantic comedy called “Groundhog Day”. The main character lived the same day, Groundhog Day, February 2, over and over again. He reaches a point where he knows everything that will happen that day. He knows the people of the town and every like, dislike, and foible. This is nothing like what time is to God but it does give a sense of timelessness that may give us insight into God. How can God hear all the prayers that are offered to Him? How can he be concerned about the details of my life? To God, who is timeless from all eternity, time is no consideration or limit. The psalmist puts it this way,
For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night. Psalm 90:4
It is difficult, perhaps impossible for us to imagine a world without time and yet that is the place God exists and where we will exist in the future.
Time is such a precious commodity to us that we often feel time pressure. It is the source of much of our impatience in life. Then once in a while we come across someone and the phrase we use to describe him or her is, “They act like they have all the time in world.” God does have all the time in the world. He has time for us and our joys, sorrows, victories and defeats. I believe that one reason we have difficulty understanding God is just that, God has all time. That is frustrating for us because we want God to fit our time frame. The good side of this is that God has time for all of us. Faith is trusting God with time. The Hebrew writer concluded his chapter on faith with these words,
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Heb. 11:39-40
The promises of God are not bound by human time. God keeps his promises and we will witness every promise fulfilled in God’s timeless eternity.
Is it any wonder that we struggle with understanding God? As Isaiah wrote,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways ,"
declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isa. 55:8-9
This is why faith is so critical to our relationship with God, we must trust even when we don’t understand.
There is a difference between a mystery and a puzzle. Puzzles are solved and that’s the end. But a better understanding of a mystery doesn’t decrease the mystery and that is why knowing God is a lifetime journey. Let’s go as far as we can.
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