Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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"Unknown God"
with David Asscherick.
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Good evening and welcome to year
number two of Anchors Of Truth.
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And I'm so happy to say that.
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We are in our second year and
time has gone so very very fast.
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We have heard some
powerful and stirring messages
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through year number one
of this wonderful series.
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And we expect no
less this coming year.
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We have chosen for
our lead-off speaker
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none other than
David Asscherick.
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But he has
changed titles in the time
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that we've come to know him.
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He use to be the president,
the director, of Arise.
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He still carries that title,
but in addition, he is now the
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co-director with Ty and James
of Light Bearers Ministries.
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So Light Bearers and
Arise have fused their energies
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and their calling
and are working together.
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And so now you've
got Ty, James, and David.
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That is a dynamic trio
that is serving the Lord.
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And so we're very,
very happy to have him here.
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We're going to be talking about,
during the next several nights,
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the mystery of godliness.
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And tonight in particular,
David is going to deal with
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the subject,
"Singularity or Plurality."
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And this is a timely
topic, and one that has
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sort of floated to the surface
as we work our way to heaven.
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The Trinity; Father, Son,
Holy Spirit, is again a subject
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of question in
the minds of some.
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And perhaps David will
do much to put that to rest
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this very evening.
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We are happy to have him here.
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He is the husband of one wife
and the father of two children.
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And we're glad
that it's in that order.
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But God has blessed
him, along with his ministry,
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to be a wonderful family man,
a powerful preacher of the Word.
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And I do rather suspect that
this night will prove a blessing
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to those of you here
and those of us watching
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from around the world.
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So we're glad you're here.
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And before we go on
much further, let's have a
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word of prayer, we'll
have some music, and then
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we'll call our speaker forward.
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Shall we pray.
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Father God, we do praise
You and thank You for Jesus;
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our Savior, our
Friend, our Redeemer, our Lord.
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We are thankful, Lord, for
the call that brought us out of
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darkness to
light, error to truth.
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And we are thankful that
You have given us a small part
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to play in the
finishing of the work.
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And so we ask, for those who
sit in this house on this night,
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a special blessing.
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And for those who
are listening on radio,
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watching on
television or computer screens,
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wherever they might be
receiving the Word of God,
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may Your Spirit and
power attend to them.
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Open up their hearts,
their minds, their ears,
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that they may not be
just hearers of the Word,
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but doers thereof so
that our lives may be better
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as we seek to walk this
road that leads to glory.
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Bless the speaker.
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Give him truths for this time.
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And we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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The song I want to sing came to
me about three or four years ago
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when I was going
through a rough patch.
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And it is like the
Lord, sometimes when we're
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going through rough stages
in our life, we get maybe a
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negative diagnosis or
something happens that tends to
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set us back a little bit,
for God to give you a text.
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Sometimes He'll give you a song.
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He'll give you just what you
need to sort of see you through.
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I have a good friend
who is a shower singer.
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And he says, "I get some of my
best inspiration in the shower.
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I turn up the water, close
the door, and I sing to Jesus.
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No one else would
want to hear me but Jesus."
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So he sings to Jesus.
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But it gets him
through those tough times.
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So the Lord gave me a song
three years ago when we got the
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diagnosis of cancer.
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And every now and then I bring
it out and sort of dust it off
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because it cheers me.
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Basically it says, when
I lift the name of Jesus,
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Jesus lifts me.
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That's what Christ does.
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When you lift Him
up, He will lift you.
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And so we'll sing this
just now and then we'll have our
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speaker come out and
give us the Word of God.
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He lifts my
burden whenever I'm down.
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He gives me joy
when I'm wearing a frown.
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He is my hope in
the midst of despair.
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And He is my comfort
for He's always there.
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So I sing not
because I feel like singing.
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And I praise Him
though the end I may not see.
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For whenever I
lift the name of Jesus,
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Jesus reaches down
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and He lifts me.
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He is the music
that makes my heart glad.
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He whispers
peace whenever I'm sad.
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He is the sunshine
that brightens my day.
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And He is the
lighthouse to show me the way.
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So I sing not
because I feel like singing.
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And I praise Him
though the end I may not see.
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For whenever I
lift the name of Jesus,
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Jesus reaches down
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and He lifts me.
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So I sing not
because I just like singing.
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And I praise Him
though the end I may not see.
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For whenever I
lift the name of Jesus,
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Jesus reaches down,
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turns me around,
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and He plants my
feet on higher ground.
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He reaches down
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and He lifts me.
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Thank you, C.A.
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I can sing just like that.
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Good evening everyone.
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I was expecting
something to put my stuff on.
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Huh. Alright.
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Well, I guess I'll
set it on the ground.
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Our presentation over the
course of the next five meetings
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is going to be
on the unknown God.
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And can you think of a passage
in Scripture that comes to mind
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when I say that
phrase, "the unknown God."
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Is there anything that, does
that ring a passage for you?
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Acts chapter 17, very good.
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Of course in Acts chapter
17, Paul is there in what city?
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Does anyone remember?
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It was in the city of
Athens, I heard someone say.
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And he was wondering
around and he saw the various
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idols that were constructed.
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And his heart was pained within
him as he thought about these
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very intelligent,
very sophisticated people.
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But in their sophistication
and in their intelligence,
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they came to believe that
somehow their constructions
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and their idols and
their buildings actually
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contained God, and in
some senses were gods.
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Or at least were
representations of God.
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And in Paul's wonderings
there around the Athenian area,
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he saw this phrase that
said, "To the unknown God,"
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on one of the idols,
"To the unknown God."
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And so when Paul stood
there before the Areopagus
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at Mars Hill, he stood up
and he said, "I have a message
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from the unknown God for you."
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Is it possible that for those
of us even within Christendom...
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We're not
Greeks, we're not pagans.
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We believe the Bible. Amen?
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Is it possible that even for us,
there is a sense in which God
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is unknown, one of the
members of the Godhead?
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Well, I am persuaded
that this is the case.
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And I'll just sort of start
with a brief word of prayer
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and then I'll do a simple little
illustration that will sort of
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help us to get our
minds wrapped around this idea
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of the unknown God.
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Let's just pray briefly.
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Father in heaven,
what a privilege to be here
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this evening
with these dear people
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and, Father, with those
that are viewing through the
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television or computer screen
or listening in on the radio.
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We would ask that
You will be with us now.
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As we open Scripture, we would
ask that You would open us.
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And we thank You
for Your love and mercy.
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And we claim the promise
that Your Spirit will guide us
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into all truth.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Ta-dah.
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You see how that works?
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It reminds me, one time...
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I probably shouldn't
even tell you this story.
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I have two little
boys ages 9 and 10.
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And one time, we
were at the table.
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This was years ago.
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And I think I have
repented of it sense.
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And there was a
pizza sitting on the table.
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And I said, "Okay
boys, let's pray and
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thank Jesus for this pizza."
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And I really wanted to,
like, make it clear to them
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that we were thanking God for
the food that He had provided.
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So while they were praying,
I secretly grabbed the pizza
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and I moved it off
the table and I set it on
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the chair right beside me.
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And they opened up their
eyes and the pizza was gone.
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And I said, "Boys,
where's the pizza?"
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And they said,
"Papa..." They were quite young.
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"Papa, papa, where's the pizza?"
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I said, "I don't know, let's
pray that it will come back."
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So they prayed.
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They were like, "Lord Jesus,
please bring back our pizza."
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We're really hungry."
00:12:05.32\00:12:06.32
And while they were
praying, I put the pizza back.
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When they opened their
eyes, they were like, "Papa,
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the pizza is here."
00:12:10.36\00:12:11.63
So look, the pizza is here.
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So anyway, great.
00:12:13.96\00:12:15.23
Thank you guys
for bringing that out.
00:12:15.24\00:12:16.55
I didn't want to put
all my stuff on the floor.
00:12:16.58\00:12:18.38
So let's start with
this very simple exercise.
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We've got a lot of
information to cover tonight
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and in subsequence
nights and on Sabbath.
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So I want to
get right into this.
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Okay, we're going to do
just a very simple game.
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Or maybe a game
is the wrong word.
00:12:30.59\00:12:31.73
An illustration where
I'm going to say a word
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and then you're going
to get a mental picture.
00:12:33.86\00:12:35.83
Okay, simple.
00:12:36.31\00:12:37.39
So if I say "school bus,"
do you have something that
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comes into your mind?
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What color is it?
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Okay. Of course it's yellow.
00:12:44.32\00:12:45.70
If I say "baseball game," does
something come into your mind?
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Okay, if I say...
00:12:50.79\00:12:52.56
Let's try something
even a little more abstract.
00:12:52.59\00:12:54.63
If I say, "warm," do you
get a picture in your mind?
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Just a picture,
a mental picture?
00:12:57.89\00:12:59.28
Okay, so you're
getting how this is working.
00:12:59.31\00:13:01.03
Now let's try
this one. "Father."
00:13:01.06\00:13:04.06
When I say, "father," does
something come into your minds?
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Do you have a mental picture?
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Okay let's try this one. "Son."
00:13:08.83\00:13:10.95
Do you have a mental
picture when I say "son"?
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Okay, so when I say "baseball
game," when I say "bus,"
00:13:14.80\00:13:17.52
when I say "warm," when I
say "father," when I say "son,"
00:13:17.55\00:13:19.74
you're able to grab a mental
picture that you can associate
00:13:19.77\00:13:23.77
reasonable with
that thing, right?
00:13:23.80\00:13:25.57
So try this one, "Holy Spirit."
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Do you have a mental picture?
00:13:30.42\00:13:31.82
If you're anything
like me, you really don't.
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Maybe you see
some sort of vapor.
00:13:35.40\00:13:37.95
What... Holy Spirit... what?
00:13:37.98\00:13:39.72
It's very much unlike
a yellow school bus or a
00:13:40.46\00:13:43.68
baseball diamond or a fireplace
that would keep us warm.
00:13:43.71\00:13:47.04
When Paul stood before
the Athenians there and said,
00:13:47.34\00:13:50.33
"I bring to you a
message from the unknown God,"
00:13:50.36\00:13:52.23
he of course wasn't referring
just to the Holy Spirit.
00:13:52.26\00:13:54.75
He was talking
about the transcendence
00:13:54.78\00:13:57.16
or the unknowability of God.
00:13:57.19\00:13:59.12
Another word for this
is the ineffability of God,
00:13:59.15\00:14:01.56
the incommunicability of God.
00:14:01.59\00:14:03.33
And there is a very real sense,
even for those of us that are
00:14:03.76\00:14:06.85
believers in Scripture, there's
a very real sense in which we
00:14:06.86\00:14:11.50
know who the Father is.
00:14:11.53\00:14:12.83
We have a mental
idea, a mental conception,
00:14:12.86\00:14:15.34
a picture of the Father.
00:14:15.35\00:14:16.35
We've got that.
00:14:16.36\00:14:17.37
We can understand
the idea of a Son.
00:14:17.68\00:14:19.56
I was just telling you a
moment ago that I have two sons;
00:14:19.59\00:14:22.03
Landon and Jabel, 10 and 9.
00:14:22.06\00:14:23.99
So when you say
"son," I see their faces.
00:14:24.02\00:14:26.50
I see their... They
just come into my mind.
00:14:26.53\00:14:28.34
But when we say and when
we think and when talk about
00:14:29.94\00:14:33.36
the Holy Spirit, do you
find that it's difficult to know
00:14:33.37\00:14:37.57
exactly what
we're talking about?
00:14:37.60\00:14:39.80
How many of you have had
that experience before where
00:14:39.83\00:14:41.73
you thought, "Okay, so who
exactly is the Holy Spirit,
00:14:41.76\00:14:44.83
and what exactly does do, and
what does He even look like?"
00:14:44.86\00:14:49.30
There are some in our ranks
and there are some in the world,
00:14:50.80\00:14:55.12
a great many, in fact,
who are what we would call,
00:14:55.84\00:14:59.27
non-Trinitarian monotheists.
00:14:59.30\00:15:03.05
Now let's just sort of
unpack that a little bit.
00:15:03.07\00:15:05.40
What do you think the
word "monotheist" means?
00:15:05.43\00:15:08.88
What does that mean?
00:15:08.91\00:15:09.93
They believe in
one God. Mono theos.
00:15:10.33\00:15:13.18
So they believe in one God.
00:15:13.21\00:15:14.35
So people that are
monotheists are people like,
00:15:14.36\00:15:16.74
the Muslims are monotheistic,
and the Jews are monotheistic,
00:15:16.77\00:15:20.05
and Christians are monotheistic,
and there are others.
00:15:20.08\00:15:22.31
These are the primary
monotheistic religions.
00:15:23.25\00:15:25.28
But there are other
instances of monotheism.
00:15:25.31\00:15:28.13
But when we talk about
non-Trinitarian monotheists,
00:15:28.53\00:15:31.49
we're talking about
people who believe...
00:15:31.52\00:15:33.79
Okay, now follow
this carefully here.
00:15:33.80\00:15:35.55
...that God; the God of
the universe, the Creator God,
00:15:35.85\00:15:41.40
the God that is out
there, is rigidly singular.
00:15:41.43\00:15:46.61
Okay? They're Unitarians.
00:15:47.47\00:15:49.71
That would be
one way of saying it.
00:15:49.72\00:15:50.72
In fact, this is the
central tenet of Islam.
00:15:50.74\00:15:52.74
That there is
only one God; Allah.
00:15:52.77\00:15:56.25
Right? And
Muhammad is his prophet.
00:15:56.28\00:15:58.07
So this idea that God is rigidly
singular in the most emphatic
00:15:58.10\00:16:03.01
sense of oneness, God is one.
00:16:03.04\00:16:08.44
Do Christians
believe in one God?
00:16:10.08\00:16:12.53
Absolutely, no question.
00:16:14.09\00:16:15.67
Christians
affirm that God is one.
00:16:15.70\00:16:18.08
And so in that
sense we are monotheistic.
00:16:18.11\00:16:21.09
But we do diverge
very significantly from our
00:16:21.12\00:16:24.96
non-Trinitarian monotheistic
brothers and sisters.
00:16:24.99\00:16:27.87
Because we say, yes
there is one God, but He is not
00:16:27.90\00:16:32.35
rigidly singular in the
absolute sense of oneness.
00:16:32.36\00:16:36.40
God is three Persons
that comprise one God.
00:16:36.43\00:16:42.21
Three Persons, one God.
00:16:42.77\00:16:44.16
Now many of us, the moment
we hear that, it's not easy
00:16:44.17\00:16:48.35
to get our minds wrapped around
the idea of three and one,
00:16:48.36\00:16:52.47
one and three.
00:16:53.19\00:16:54.84
And there's a word that we
sometimes us to communicate
00:16:54.85\00:16:58.20
this singularity
and yet plurality.
00:16:58.23\00:17:01.71
What's the word?
00:17:01.74\00:17:02.77
The word is Trinity.
00:17:03.07\00:17:04.14
And there are people that
I have met all over the world
00:17:04.47\00:17:07.68
who have a very serious,
very significant objection
00:17:07.71\00:17:14.48
to the use of
the word "Trinity."
00:17:14.49\00:17:16.54
They'll say things
like, "The word 'Trinity'
00:17:16.57\00:17:20.09
does not occur in the Bible."
00:17:20.10\00:17:21.49
I have a question for you.
00:17:22.61\00:17:23.81
Is that true?
00:17:24.21\00:17:25.43
It is true.
It's absolutely true.
00:17:26.03\00:17:27.68
So they'll say, "I'm not
going to use the word 'Trinity'
00:17:27.71\00:17:29.88
because it doesn't
occur in the Bible."
00:17:29.89\00:17:30.94
So I have a simple
question for you here.
00:17:30.95\00:17:32.60
Is there anything particularly
special or anything essential
00:17:32.63\00:17:38.66
about the word 'Trinity?'"
00:17:38.67\00:17:40.02
Yes or no?
00:17:40.86\00:17:41.86
Are we married to that word?
00:17:42.09\00:17:44.15
Do we have to use that word?
00:17:44.18\00:17:45.72
No, we don't have to
use that word at all.
00:17:45.75\00:17:47.36
The word simply is a word
that is trying to communicate
00:17:47.77\00:17:51.60
what we were just
discussing a moment ago;
00:17:51.63\00:17:53.30
that God is singular in one
sense and plural in another.
00:17:53.33\00:17:58.00
It comes from tri,
like a tricycle or a tripod,
00:17:58.03\00:18:00.76
meaning three, and
unity and divinity.
00:18:00.77\00:18:03.53
So three in one.
00:18:03.54\00:18:05.40
Now, what we're going to
do in our time here today,
00:18:06.61\00:18:10.79
and especially tomorrow, is
we're going to try and unpack
00:18:10.80\00:18:14.06
the Biblical foundation for
this idea that God is singular
00:18:14.09\00:18:20.04
and yet plural.
00:18:20.07\00:18:21.16
Are you with me on that?
00:18:21.39\00:18:22.69
What is this
whole series called?
00:18:22.72\00:18:24.31
What does that say back there?
00:18:24.34\00:18:25.73
Anchors Of... What? ...Truth.
00:18:26.28\00:18:28.13
And where would
we get truth from?
00:18:28.16\00:18:30.70
What is our definition of truth?
00:18:30.73\00:18:32.61
Very good. "Thy Word is truth."
00:18:33.82\00:18:36.11
"Sanctify them through
Thy word. Thy word is truth."
00:18:36.14\00:18:38.46
And so, we arrive at
truth by a study of Scripture
00:18:38.49\00:18:42.77
as Bible believing Christians.
00:18:42.80\00:18:43.93
Are you comfortable
with that? Yes or no?
00:18:43.96\00:18:45.46
Now just a word on that.
00:18:45.76\00:18:46.99
Some people say, "We
reject the idea of the Trinity
00:18:47.72\00:18:52.32
and we reject the
use of the word 'Trinity'
00:18:52.35\00:18:54.00
because the word
'Trinity' is Catholic.
00:18:54.03\00:18:56.24
The idea of the
Trinity is Catholic."
00:18:56.27\00:18:58.08
And they say, "If the Catholics
believe it, it must be false.
00:18:58.09\00:19:01.02
And therefore, we
don't believe it."
00:19:01.05\00:19:03.17
But I want to ask you
a very simple question.
00:19:03.63\00:19:05.01
At first, that sounds
maybe mildly persuasive.
00:19:05.04\00:19:09.01
I'll ask you a
very simple question.
00:19:09.04\00:19:10.44
Do we arrive at truth by
a rejection of Catholicism
00:19:11.43\00:19:15.86
or by an
acceptance of Scripture?
00:19:15.87\00:19:18.28
By an acceptance of Scripture.
00:19:19.16\00:19:20.36
Because our friends, the
Catholics, teach many things
00:19:20.37\00:19:22.94
that are absolutely true.
00:19:22.95\00:19:24.31
For example, they
teach that there is a God.
00:19:24.35\00:19:28.97
Do you believe there is a God?
00:19:30.79\00:19:32.13
Okay, so if we're going
to reject everything that's
00:19:32.52\00:19:35.45
Catholic wholesale, or
everything that's Orthodox,
00:19:35.48\00:19:38.29
or everything that's Protestant,
if we're going to reject
00:19:38.30\00:19:40.76
something wholesale,
we're going to find ourselves
00:19:40.79\00:19:42.80
in a bit of a pickle.
00:19:42.83\00:19:43.93
We do not arrive at truth by
a rejection of what someone else
00:19:44.26\00:19:48.27
teaches, but by an acceptance
of what Scripture teaches.
00:19:48.30\00:19:51.27
Amen?
00:19:51.28\00:19:52.28
So over the course of our time
together, what we're going to
00:19:52.29\00:19:53.98
try and do, especially in our
first two presentations here,
00:19:54.01\00:19:56.44
is we're going to try and
lay a broad Biblical foundation.
00:19:56.47\00:20:00.50
A broad... What, everyone?
00:20:01.04\00:20:02.07
A broad Biblical foundation
for this idea that God is one
00:20:02.49\00:20:08.31
and yet is also plural.
00:20:08.32\00:20:10.98
In one sense He
is a singularity,
00:20:11.01\00:20:13.95
and in another
sense He is a plurality.
00:20:13.98\00:20:16.21
In fact, I think
that's the title of our
00:20:16.24\00:20:17.39
presentation tonight.
00:20:17.40\00:20:18.44
The Mystery of God:
Singularity and Plurality.
00:20:18.47\00:20:22.79
Now for ease of communication...
00:20:23.59\00:20:27.24
What words did I say, everyone?
00:20:27.84\00:20:29.36
For ease of communication
we are going to use,
00:20:29.39\00:20:34.33
probably sparingly, but
we'll employ the word 'Trinity'.
00:20:34.36\00:20:37.57
But let's be very clear.
00:20:37.60\00:20:38.75
Let me be very
clear with you what I mean
00:20:38.78\00:20:41.09
when I say that word.
00:20:41.10\00:20:42.11
When I use the word, it means
what I define it as meaning,
00:20:42.78\00:20:47.23
not what somebody
else defines it as meaning.
00:20:47.26\00:20:48.84
Make sense?
00:20:49.07\00:20:50.11
In fact, a friend of
mine recently wrote a book...
00:20:50.41\00:20:52.44
It's a small book.
Only about 900 pages.
00:20:52.45\00:20:56.87
I'll show it to
you tomorrow night.
00:20:57.48\00:20:58.81
...on the Trinity.
00:20:58.84\00:21:00.13
And his name is Glyn Parfitt.
He's an Australian, a scientist.
00:21:00.84\00:21:03.98
And really a
wonderful, wonderful man.
00:21:04.01\00:21:06.51
The book only took him 12
years to research and write.
00:21:06.81\00:21:09.76
Okay, so just a
quick little book he wrote.
00:21:09.79\00:21:12.98
900 short pages.
00:21:13.59\00:21:15.25
And at the very beginning of
that book, when Glyn is writing,
00:21:15.28\00:21:19.53
he has to defend his
use of the word 'Trinity'.
00:21:19.56\00:21:23.44
He has to defend his use.
00:21:23.74\00:21:24.90
How else are we going
to communicate this idea of
00:21:25.20\00:21:27.22
God's singularity
and yet God's plurality
00:21:27.25\00:21:30.13
if we don't use some word,
whatever that nomenclature,
00:21:30.16\00:21:33.16
whatever that language is.
00:21:33.19\00:21:34.36
And I want to just say tonight
what Glyn says right in the
00:21:34.67\00:21:37.99
opening page of his book.
00:21:38.02\00:21:39.11
So listen to this and
tell me if you think this is
00:21:39.12\00:21:40.85
the better part of wisdom.
00:21:40.88\00:21:42.37
He writes, "I would be happy
not to use the word 'Trinity'
00:21:42.99\00:21:48.08
at all, as it does
not occur in the Bible.
00:21:48.11\00:21:50.80
Moreover, the word
'Trinity' means different things
00:21:51.33\00:21:54.29
to different people.
00:21:54.32\00:21:55.31
And there are some
statements made by Trinitarians
00:21:55.32\00:21:57.71
with which I could not agree.
00:21:57.74\00:21:59.79
I could, therefore, give
the wrong impression by saying,
00:21:59.82\00:22:02.79
'I am a Trinitarian.'
00:22:02.82\00:22:04.31
On the other hand, because
my beliefs fall within the range
00:22:05.29\00:22:09.57
of beliefs generally regarded as
Trinitarian, I would certainly
00:22:09.60\00:22:13.98
give the wrong
impression if I were to say,
00:22:14.01\00:22:15.74
'I am not a Trinitarian.'
00:22:15.77\00:22:18.99
For this reason, when I
am asked, I have to confess
00:22:19.39\00:22:22.18
that, 'Yes, I am a
Trinitarian,' and then do any
00:22:22.21\00:22:25.41
explaining necessary."
00:22:25.42\00:22:27.31
Do that sound
reasonable to you, everyone?
00:22:27.74\00:22:29.18
Very simple.
00:22:29.90\00:22:30.90
So we will be using
the term as we define it.
00:22:30.93\00:22:33.86
What that basically protects us
from then is somebody coming up
00:22:34.06\00:22:37.96
with some strange odd
weird unbiblical definition
00:22:37.97\00:22:42.83
that they find on the internet.
00:22:42.84\00:22:43.94
Because, you know, everything
on the internet is true.
00:22:43.97\00:22:46.00
Some strange odd weird
definition on the internet
00:22:47.11\00:22:50.75
of the Trinity, and
then coming to me and saying,
00:22:50.78\00:22:52.56
"Do you believe in the
Trinity?" And I say, "Yes."
00:22:52.59\00:22:53.76
They say, "Well,
you believe this."
00:22:53.77\00:22:55.66
"No, no, no, no, no.
00:22:55.69\00:22:56.94
That's not my definition.
00:22:56.97\00:22:58.37
That might be
someone's definition,
00:22:58.40\00:23:00.10
but let me tell
you what I believe."
00:23:00.13\00:23:02.32
Now I happen to be a
member of a community of faith
00:23:03.21\00:23:06.12
called, Seventh-day Adventists.
00:23:06.15\00:23:08.91
And Seventh-day
Adventists have a single creed.
00:23:08.94\00:23:11.87
And that creed is the Bible;
the Bible and the Bible only,
00:23:11.90\00:23:14.51
sola scriptura.
00:23:14.52\00:23:15.52
Can you say amen to that?
00:23:15.53\00:23:16.71
Very reasonable.
00:23:16.83\00:23:18.04
What the Adventists have done...
00:23:18.92\00:23:20.43
And I think it was
the better part of wisdom,
00:23:20.44\00:23:22.29
and I totally support this.
00:23:22.32\00:23:23.59
...is, rather than having
a creed, they have a series
00:23:23.62\00:23:27.67
of statements that are
called, fundamental beliefs.
00:23:27.70\00:23:30.61
It comes from the
Latin word, fundament.
00:23:30.64\00:23:32.30
Which just means, foundation.
00:23:32.33\00:23:33.80
Okay, a series of
foundational beliefs.
00:23:33.83\00:23:35.75
These things are not set
in stone in a creedal sense
00:23:36.15\00:23:40.89
where you have to say
it just like we say it,
00:23:40.92\00:23:42.87
or you're not a
member of our club.
00:23:42.90\00:23:44.28
There are simply ways
of articulating how we
00:23:44.48\00:23:47.44
understand scripture, what
we think Scripture is teaching,
00:23:47.47\00:23:50.32
and this is where we're at now.
00:23:50.35\00:23:52.74
These are our beliefs.
00:23:52.77\00:23:54.94
All that's
inspired is Scripture.
00:23:54.97\00:23:57.17
Amen?
00:23:57.20\00:23:58.31
In fact, here's a very simple
rule of thumb for all of us
00:23:58.34\00:24:01.92
to always bear in mind.
00:24:01.95\00:24:03.48
There are only two
kinds of words in the universe
00:24:03.51\00:24:06.14
when it comes to
these kinds of things.
00:24:06.17\00:24:08.08
You have God's words which
are contained in Scripture,
00:24:08.11\00:24:11.49
and then we have
word's about God's words.
00:24:11.52\00:24:15.07
Right? The words of
theologians and expositors
00:24:15.57\00:24:18.60
and preachers like myself.
00:24:18.63\00:24:19.97
So two kinds of
words; God's words and
00:24:20.00\00:24:22.88
words about God's words.
00:24:22.91\00:24:24.58
Okay, now which is
absolutely authoritative?
00:24:24.61\00:24:28.13
God's words.
00:24:28.66\00:24:29.77
And are these
words authoritative?
00:24:29.80\00:24:31.36
The answer is, yes, in as much
as they are in harmony with...
00:24:32.50\00:24:36.56
What?
00:24:36.66\00:24:37.66
...these words.
00:24:37.81\00:24:38.81
We together, everyone, on that?
00:24:38.82\00:24:39.93
Okay, so I going to read you
this very simple statement that
00:24:39.96\00:24:42.70
my community of faith has
said, "This is what we believe."
00:24:42.73\00:24:45.67
I think they've
done a very good job.
00:24:45.97\00:24:47.92
And it's going to sort of lay
out for us, as we start tonight,
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.97
definitionally, the
direction that we're going.
00:24:51.27\00:24:54.89
Okay, and this is
what's regarded as, or called,
00:24:54.92\00:24:57.74
fundamental belief number
two for the Adventist community.
00:24:57.77\00:25:02.10
Anchors Of Truth.
00:25:02.60\00:25:04.86
Now again, this is not an
authoritative creedal statement.
00:25:05.86\00:25:10.18
It's simply an articulation
of what my community of faith
00:25:10.21\00:25:13.99
believes the Bible is teaching.
00:25:14.02\00:25:15.90
Are we together
on that, everyone?
00:25:16.23\00:25:17.58
Here we go.
00:25:17.59\00:25:18.59
"There is one God."
00:25:19.19\00:25:20.97
Are we comfortable with that?
00:25:22.11\00:25:23.38
We're going to be looking
at that in just a moment.
00:25:23.58\00:25:24.90
"There is one God..."
There is the singularity.
00:25:24.93\00:25:27.40
"...Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit."
00:25:28.25\00:25:30.73
There is the... What?
00:25:30.76\00:25:32.02
...plurality. Very good.
00:25:32.75\00:25:33.93
"There is one God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
00:25:33.96\00:25:35.75
a unity of three
co-eternal Persons.
00:25:35.78\00:25:40.51
God is immortal, all-powerful,
all-knowing, above all,
00:25:40.54\00:25:45.61
and ever present.
00:25:45.64\00:25:47.39
He is infinite and beyond
human comprehension, yet known
00:25:47.42\00:25:51.91
through His self-revelation.
00:25:51.94\00:25:54.56
He is forever worthy of
worship, adoration, and service
00:25:54.59\00:25:58.24
by the whole creation."
00:25:58.27\00:26:00.13
That's the end.
00:26:00.24\00:26:01.24
Now, when I read Scripture...
00:26:01.25\00:26:03.26
And I've had the
privilege of being a
00:26:03.29\00:26:05.23
Christian now for 15 years.
00:26:05.26\00:26:06.34
I've read the Bible many times.
00:26:06.37\00:26:08.00
Where I'm at right now today...
00:26:08.03\00:26:09.96
What is today?
January whatever, 2012.
00:26:09.99\00:26:12.31
Where I'm at right now,
I think that this is a very
00:26:12.34\00:26:16.67
accurate and very
good articulation of what
00:26:16.68\00:26:19.11
Scripture teaches.
00:26:19.14\00:26:20.15
Are you with me on that?
00:26:20.18\00:26:21.18
But the authority resides here,
not in any words that any man
00:26:21.51\00:26:26.36
says about Scripture.
00:26:26.37\00:26:27.97
So far so good?
00:26:28.00\00:26:29.00
Okay, so now let's
get into Scripture.
00:26:29.03\00:26:31.99
The first thing that we're
going to do, even before we get
00:26:33.08\00:26:35.96
into the discussion
on God's singularity
00:26:35.99\00:26:39.49
and yet plurality, which is
going to set the table for us
00:26:39.50\00:26:42.84
to get into the
unknown God, the Holy Spirit.
00:26:42.87\00:26:45.31
Which is going to be
nights or sessions 3, 4, and 5.
00:26:45.34\00:26:49.19
So we've got to deal with this
before we can deal with this.
00:26:49.22\00:26:51.51
But before we can deal with
this, the triune nature of God
00:26:51.81\00:26:54.76
as singular and plural, we
have to deal with something
00:26:54.79\00:26:58.19
very fundamental
right at the outset.
00:26:58.22\00:27:00.84
And that is, we
have to recognize
00:27:01.56\00:27:03.32
the limits of language.
00:27:03.33\00:27:06.08
Let's all say that together.
00:27:06.11\00:27:07.16
We have to recognize the
limits of language. Right?
00:27:07.19\00:27:11.47
Everyone of us in this room
has had the experience before
00:27:12.42\00:27:14.96
of trying to communicate
something and it's not
00:27:14.97\00:27:17.77
coming across to our listener.
00:27:17.80\00:27:19.55
Is that true?
00:27:19.56\00:27:20.60
And you do your
very... In fact, it's so funny.
00:27:20.80\00:27:22.78
Just last night, I was having
a conversation with my wife
00:27:22.81\00:27:25.84
and we got into a
bit of an argument.
00:27:25.87\00:27:27.81
Is that okay sometimes?
00:27:27.84\00:27:29.46
I mean, occasionally it happens.
00:27:29.47\00:27:32.16
The sign of a good
marriage is not whether or not
00:27:32.19\00:27:36.02
you get into arguments, but how
you deal with those arguments.
00:27:36.05\00:27:38.62
Amen.
00:27:38.65\00:27:39.71
So we were just...
Here's what happened.
00:27:39.74\00:27:41.54
Short version, she
got a speeding ticket.
00:27:41.57\00:27:43.54
A speeding ticket.
00:27:43.57\00:27:45.15
Just when our record was clear.
00:27:46.05\00:27:48.24
Since September of last year,
all tickets were in the past.
00:27:48.27\00:27:51.13
It was like the Jubilee. Right?
00:27:51.16\00:27:53.93
And then my lovely wife was
driving a little bit too fast.
00:27:54.20\00:27:56.89
And I, rather than being the
gracious understanding husband
00:27:56.92\00:28:00.79
that I could have
been and should have been,
00:28:00.80\00:28:02.41
I got a little upset.
00:28:02.44\00:28:03.89
And then she got
a little defensive.
00:28:03.92\00:28:05.50
But then I tried to
say, "Sweetheart, I'm sorry.
00:28:06.00\00:28:07.78
And I was trying to communicate,
and she felt like I had
00:28:08.51\00:28:11.42
attacked her and she
was upset, and she felt
00:28:11.43\00:28:13.25
like I wasn't understanding.
00:28:13.26\00:28:14.26
And we had a
lack of communication.
00:28:14.27\00:28:16.65
Does that ever happen with you?
00:28:16.85\00:28:18.22
Now we made up and we
kissed and everything was great.
00:28:18.25\00:28:21.53
Because I said, "Sweetheart,
we can't leave on this note
00:28:21.56\00:28:23.59
because what happens if I die?
00:28:23.60\00:28:25.24
What happens if
my plane crashes?
00:28:25.67\00:28:26.77
We can't leave like this."
00:28:26.78\00:28:27.78
And so, "Yea, I know."
00:28:27.79\00:28:28.91
Okay, and then we...
Everything was great.
00:28:28.92\00:28:30.38
But the point is this.
00:28:31.38\00:28:32.65
Communication is a tricky thing.
00:28:33.50\00:28:35.52
To really get another human
being to actually understand
00:28:36.09\00:28:40.38
what it is you're
saying is not an easy thing.
00:28:40.41\00:28:43.40
And as a public communicator,
I tell you, to get hundreds or
00:28:43.43\00:28:46.64
thousands of people to try and
understand what you're saying
00:28:46.67\00:28:49.13
is no easy feat.
00:28:49.16\00:28:50.76
Now, if I'm describing to
you chocolate chip cookies,
00:28:51.14\00:28:55.59
or a baseball game, or a
school bus, language is going to
00:28:55.62\00:29:00.86
do pretty well.
00:29:00.87\00:29:01.92
So if I say,
"yellow," you've got a picture.
00:29:01.95\00:29:04.33
If I say, "tires,"
you've got a picture.
00:29:04.36\00:29:06.42
If I say, "baseball
mitt," you've got a picture.
00:29:06.45\00:29:08.82
If I say, "baseball
bat," you've got a picture.
00:29:08.85\00:29:10.61
But when we start
talking about God,
00:29:12.00\00:29:14.96
language begins to
show its limitations.
00:29:15.82\00:29:19.62
It begins to show its not
perfect ability, the inability,
00:29:19.65\00:29:25.30
to communicate
things that are eternal,
00:29:25.33\00:29:27.61
things that are ineffable,
things that are incommunicable,
00:29:27.64\00:29:30.33
very quickly.
00:29:30.34\00:29:31.97
So what we have to do any
time that we talk about God
00:29:32.17\00:29:35.13
is recognize that there are very
serious and very significant
00:29:35.16\00:29:39.90
limitations that language
has when it comes to describing
00:29:39.93\00:29:43.87
God and the things of God.
00:29:43.90\00:29:45.28
Are we together
on that, everyone?
00:29:45.31\00:29:46.72
Okay.
00:29:46.75\00:29:47.80
The temptation...
00:29:48.27\00:29:49.60
To go back to Paul
standing before the Greeks
00:29:49.61\00:29:52.62
who had crafted all of
their statues and they had
00:29:52.73\00:29:54.86
their pantheon of deities.
00:29:54.87\00:29:56.62
The Greek temptation, in
Greek mythology, was to...
00:29:57.12\00:30:01.76
I'm going to give
you a big word here.
00:30:01.77\00:30:03.48
...anthropomorphize.
00:30:03.88\00:30:06.94
Have you ever
heard that word before,
00:30:06.95\00:30:07.97
anthropomorphize or
an anthropomorphism?
00:30:07.98\00:30:10.74
Okay, it comes from
two words. Very simple.
00:30:11.30\00:30:13.42
The word "morph,"
which means to change.
00:30:13.45\00:30:15.84
Right?
00:30:15.85\00:30:16.86
And "anthropos"
which mean, mankind.
00:30:16.87\00:30:20.85
So an anthropomorphism is
making something like man.
00:30:21.05\00:30:26.59
Are you tracking with me?
00:30:26.89\00:30:28.14
And we do this with our pets.
00:30:28.17\00:30:29.58
You know, our little
dog will come and we say,
00:30:29.59\00:30:30.88
"Oh, he's so sad."
00:30:30.91\00:30:33.35
No, he's not sad.
00:30:33.55\00:30:34.80
I don't know what he is,
but he's probably not sad.
00:30:34.83\00:30:37.51
You see characteristics in
that dog that look to you like
00:30:37.54\00:30:42.28
human characteristics.
00:30:42.29\00:30:43.29
And so you anthropomorphize
and you say, oh if that was a
00:30:43.30\00:30:47.28
human being, that
would be called sadness
00:30:47.29\00:30:49.45
or that would
be called gladness.
00:30:49.48\00:30:50.59
I'm not saying that
dogs can't experience
00:30:50.62\00:30:51.95
some level of emotion.
00:30:51.97\00:30:53.01
I think they
can. But we do this.
00:30:53.02\00:30:54.59
We give human characteristics
to things that are not human.
00:30:54.60\00:30:59.11
Now sometimes
that's appropriate.
00:30:59.14\00:31:00.38
But when it comes to
God, there's a slippery slope.
00:31:00.41\00:31:03.32
What our Greek friends
did is, they imagined that
00:31:04.01\00:31:06.95
God was like themselves.
00:31:06.96\00:31:09.73
And so they made gods who
sought revenge and who had
00:31:10.03\00:31:14.33
malice and who had jealousy
and envy and anger and etc.
00:31:14.36\00:31:18.62
They made gods
in their own image.
00:31:18.65\00:31:21.11
These were anthropomorphisms
where they basically turned God
00:31:21.14\00:31:24.04
into something like themselves.
00:31:24.05\00:31:25.78
Now there are certainly passages
in Scripture where God is,
00:31:26.27\00:31:29.98
in His own
language, communicating to us
00:31:30.01\00:31:32.53
so that we can
understand who and what He is
00:31:32.56\00:31:36.33
in language that
sounds very human.
00:31:36.36\00:31:38.64
Are you with me?
00:31:38.68\00:31:39.68
For example, the Bible says that
God wrote the Ten Commandments
00:31:39.69\00:31:43.30
on tablets of stone
with His own finger.
00:31:43.31\00:31:47.85
Okay, so we get the idea here.
00:31:47.86\00:31:49.36
We get the idea. A finger.
00:31:49.39\00:31:50.70
This is a human
entity; a finger.
00:31:50.73\00:31:54.59
Part of a hand, part
of an arm, part of a body.
00:31:54.62\00:31:57.05
And God wrote
with His own finger.
00:31:57.08\00:31:58.65
It's not to say
that He didn't do that.
00:31:58.68\00:32:00.52
He may well have done that.
00:32:00.53\00:32:02.01
But this is taking God and
using human language to try and
00:32:02.04\00:32:06.78
communicate what He's doing.
00:32:06.81\00:32:08.22
These anthropomorphisms can
be appropriate up to a point.
00:32:09.25\00:32:13.92
Okay, now I want you to imagine
that up here on our platform...
00:32:14.74\00:32:17.15
We'll be using this
over and over again.
00:32:17.18\00:32:18.59
I want you to imagine
that there's a line right here.
00:32:19.33\00:32:22.17
Okay what is there, everyone?
00:32:22.18\00:32:23.75
Actually, we'll
do it even better.
00:32:24.58\00:32:25.80
We'll just say there's a line
right here because, in fact,
00:32:25.83\00:32:27.88
there is a line right here.
00:32:27.91\00:32:29.44
So you see how this
stage ends right here,
00:32:29.47\00:32:32.50
and beyond there is no stage.
00:32:32.53\00:32:34.36
Are we together on that?
00:32:34.64\00:32:35.70
Okay.
00:32:35.73\00:32:36.79
For those of you that
have been to the ocean,
00:32:37.19\00:32:38.95
you've stood on the
shore and you've looked out.
00:32:38.98\00:32:41.27
And the ocean
looks big or small?
00:32:41.28\00:32:42.91
It looks huge, doesn't it.
00:32:43.55\00:32:44.99
You're standing here
and you look out at the
00:32:45.02\00:32:46.26
vastness of the ocean.
00:32:46.29\00:32:48.14
Okay, I want you to have
that picture in your mind.
00:32:48.17\00:32:50.73
We're standing here at
the edge of human language.
00:32:50.76\00:32:53.96
Okay, this is the very edge
of the very best and clearest
00:32:54.06\00:32:58.92
articulation that
human language can give us,
00:32:58.95\00:33:01.80
English can give us.
00:33:01.81\00:33:02.81
That's the only
language that I speak.
00:33:02.82\00:33:04.03
So I'm going to
speak in English tonight.
00:33:04.06\00:33:05.29
The very closest and best
articulation of who and what
00:33:06.95\00:33:09.91
God is gets us here.
00:33:09.94\00:33:11.30
But the point is this.
00:33:11.31\00:33:12.67
There is still an infinity
beyond, an eternity beyond
00:33:13.07\00:33:17.72
of what God actually is.
00:33:17.73\00:33:21.03
This is just really getting us
headed in the right direction.
00:33:21.06\00:33:24.74
But at some point, we come
up to the sea and we say, "Wow."
00:33:24.77\00:33:29.11
God is all of that beyond.
00:33:29.41\00:33:32.94
Are you with me
on that, everyone?
00:33:33.24\00:33:34.96
Now there are many passages in
Scripture that demonstrate this.
00:33:35.17\00:33:37.27
Let's just look
at a few of them.
00:33:37.30\00:33:38.48
Come with me to Deuteronomy.
00:33:39.68\00:33:42.56
That's the fifth
book of Scripture.
00:33:42.57\00:33:44.33
Deuteronomy chapter 29.
00:33:44.36\00:33:45.41
I'm going to go
through these very quickly,
00:33:45.42\00:33:46.57
so hopefully your fingers
are feeling dexterous and quick.
00:33:46.60\00:33:50.66
Deuteronomy chapter 29.
00:33:50.69\00:33:52.78
And I'm going to read the
very last verse of that chapter.
00:33:52.81\00:33:55.76
Deuteronomy 29 verse 29.
00:33:55.79\00:33:57.58
Deuteronomy 29:29 says,
"The secret things belong
00:33:59.55\00:34:04.02
to the Lord our God, but
those things which are revealed
00:34:04.05\00:34:08.11
belong to us and to our
children forever, that we may do
00:34:08.14\00:34:13.00
all the words of this law."
00:34:13.03\00:34:14.37
Moses here
demarcates between two things;
00:34:14.40\00:34:16.53
the secret things
and the revealed things.
00:34:16.56\00:34:19.49
The revealed things are the
things that God has shown us.
00:34:19.79\00:34:22.86
That's what the word means.
00:34:22.87\00:34:23.87
He has revealed them,
he has disclosed them.
00:34:23.88\00:34:25.88
Those things belong to us.
00:34:26.18\00:34:27.57
And they take place within
the limits of human language.
00:34:27.60\00:34:31.39
Right here, all of this, Moses
is saying, has been revealed.
00:34:31.40\00:34:36.79
But there is an infinity
beyond, there is an ocean beyond
00:34:36.82\00:34:40.05
that we don't understand.
00:34:40.08\00:34:42.08
The secret things have
not been revealed to us.
00:34:42.38\00:34:45.57
Who and what God is
in His actual essence;
00:34:45.60\00:34:49.45
impenetrable,
ineffable, incommunicable.
00:34:49.96\00:34:52.89
So we need to just be clear
right up front that all of the
00:34:53.19\00:34:56.29
language that we're going
to use, all of the analogies
00:34:56.32\00:34:58.92
that we're going to
use, they have limitations,
00:34:58.95\00:35:01.77
inherent limitations, because
human language has limitations.
00:35:01.80\00:35:05.16
Amen, everyone?
00:35:05.19\00:35:06.22
Okay, another passage of
Scripture, just a couple more
00:35:06.25\00:35:08.82
to this effect, notice
with me the book of Job.
00:35:08.85\00:35:12.18
Join me in Job 11.
00:35:12.21\00:35:13.85
Let's stay in the Old Testament
here for just a moment.
00:35:14.69\00:35:17.00
Job 11 and verse 7.
00:35:17.03\00:35:21.12
Job 11:7
00:35:21.15\00:35:22.77
Job 11 verse 7
says, "Can you search out
00:35:28.58\00:35:32.28
the deep things of God?"
00:35:32.31\00:35:34.52
That's very much in keeping
with our ocean metaphor here.
00:35:34.56\00:35:37.18
"Can you search out
the deep things of God?
00:35:37.58\00:35:40.26
Can you find out..."
00:35:40.29\00:35:42.32
Now what does your Bible say?
00:35:42.35\00:35:43.71
"...the limits of the Almighty?"
00:35:44.37\00:35:46.61
And obviously the question
is asked in a rhetorical sense.
00:35:46.88\00:35:49.37
"Can you.." And the
implied answer is what?
00:35:49.40\00:35:52.33
Of course not.
00:35:53.00\00:35:54.00
Verse 8, "They are higher
than heaven; what can you do?
00:35:54.01\00:35:57.57
Deeper than
Sheol; what can you know?
00:35:57.60\00:36:00.51
Their measure is
longer than the earth..."
00:36:00.54\00:36:02.66
And here's our metaphor again.
00:36:02.69\00:36:04.19
"...broader than the sea."
00:36:04.20\00:36:05.79
Okay, so we need
to understand that
00:36:06.46\00:36:09.00
we are like little children.
00:36:09.57\00:36:12.19
"Boo boo didi boo.
Gaga juju. Gigi boja boo."
00:36:12.35\00:36:16.31
That's us... Right?
00:36:16.34\00:36:18.71
...trying to
communicate quantum cosmology.
00:36:18.74\00:36:23.30
Right?
00:36:23.31\00:36:24.31
That's us with all
of our sophisticated
00:36:24.32\00:36:27.75
theological
language, is the equivalent of,
00:36:27.78\00:36:30.16
"Gigi boo gigi.
Oh, gigi boo gigi boo."
00:36:30.17\00:36:33.02
Right? With an infinity
beyond, with an eternity beyond.
00:36:33.05\00:36:37.82
Are there things that we
can know about God, yes or no?
00:36:38.12\00:36:40.65
Are there things that
He has revealed, yes or no?
00:36:41.05\00:36:42.79
But are there limits to
what that can actually reveal?
00:36:43.11\00:36:47.67
Of course it can, and we need
to be very clear right up front
00:36:47.70\00:36:51.56
that in a very real
sense God is the unknown God.
00:36:51.59\00:36:56.18
He is known to us.
00:36:56.57\00:36:57.96
Of course, the fullest
disclosure of who and what
00:36:57.99\00:37:00.10
God is was revealed
to us in the life, death,
00:37:00.13\00:37:02.84
and resurrection of Jesus.
00:37:02.87\00:37:04.11
Amen?
00:37:04.14\00:37:05.19
But language,
words; they're clumsy.
00:37:05.29\00:37:09.30
They have their limitations.
00:37:09.33\00:37:10.52
They begin to stretch
and they begin to break.
00:37:10.55\00:37:12.65
One more passage
from the Old Testament,
00:37:13.26\00:37:14.49
then we'll look at another
one from the New Testament.
00:37:14.52\00:37:15.93
This is a favorite.
00:37:15.96\00:37:17.27
It's from Psalm 145. Psalm 145.
00:37:17.30\00:37:21.61
And verse 3. Psalm 145 verse 3.
00:37:26.03\00:37:28.52
It says, "Great is the Lord..."
00:37:31.56\00:37:34.16
Can you say amen to that?
00:37:34.19\00:37:35.39
"Great is the Lord,
and greatly to be praised."
00:37:35.80\00:37:38.42
God deserves our praise. Amen?
00:37:38.45\00:37:40.08
"Great is the Lord,
and greatly to be praised."
00:37:40.38\00:37:42.41
But notice this, notice what the
psalmist follows up with here.
00:37:42.44\00:37:45.08
"And His greatness is..."
00:37:45.11\00:37:48.41
What does your Bible say?
00:37:48.79\00:37:49.79
"...unsearchable."
00:37:50.61\00:37:52.10
"Great is the Lord,
and greatly to be praised."
00:37:53.09\00:37:56.24
And here we're praising Him.
00:37:56.27\00:37:57.40
"And His greatness is..."
00:37:57.43\00:37:58.91
Here we are standing
on the sea of the shore.
00:37:58.94\00:38:00.64
The shore of the sea.
00:38:01.04\00:38:02.04
His greatness is unsearchable.
00:38:02.05\00:38:05.09
Right?
00:38:05.10\00:38:06.10
Can we fully
apprehend the limitlessness,
00:38:06.11\00:38:09.82
the illimitability of
God, the eternality of God?
00:38:09.85\00:38:13.83
No, no. Absolutely not.
00:38:13.86\00:38:16.02
So when we come to
the New Testament, Paul...
00:38:16.05\00:38:19.77
You've heard of him, right?
00:38:20.17\00:38:21.26
He wrote a letter to a
young man named Timothy.
00:38:21.59\00:38:25.25
Okay, let's read the
first of those letters.
00:38:25.28\00:38:26.99
1 Timothy
chapter 3, join me there.
00:38:27.02\00:38:28.97
This will be our sort of final
passage here to underscore this
00:38:29.60\00:38:33.22
introductory point.
00:38:33.87\00:38:35.66
1 Timothy chapter 3 and
we're going to read verse 16.
00:38:36.88\00:38:44.07
1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16.
00:38:44.10\00:38:46.11
The Bible says,
"And without controversy
00:38:48.65\00:38:52.65
great is the mystery of..."
00:38:53.22\00:38:56.27
What does your Bible say?
00:38:56.30\00:38:57.57
"... great is the
mystery of godliness."
00:38:58.25\00:38:59.95
Now when Paul
employs this phrase here,
00:38:59.98\00:39:01.84
"without controversy,"
what he's saying is,
00:39:01.87\00:39:04.18
this cannot be disputed.
00:39:04.49\00:39:06.23
"Without disputation,"
some translations say.
00:39:06.26\00:39:09.12
No one can argue with the
fact that the mystery of God
00:39:09.92\00:39:14.84
and of godliness is awesome.
00:39:14.87\00:39:18.27
He then begins to
give an articulation of the
00:39:18.30\00:39:20.80
central feature of that mystery,
which is the incarnation.
00:39:20.83\00:39:23.92
Namely, God becoming a man.
00:39:23.95\00:39:25.40
He continues, "God was
manifested in the flesh,
00:39:25.43\00:39:27.81
justified in the
Spirit, seen by angels,
00:39:27.84\00:39:30.84
preached among the Gentiles,
believed on in the world,
00:39:30.87\00:39:33.16
received up in glory."
00:39:33.19\00:39:35.88
So the first thing that we
want to lay down here as we...
00:39:36.69\00:39:39.26
We have five
presentations together.
00:39:39.29\00:39:41.63
We're going to be
talking about God as a Trinity.
00:39:42.11\00:39:45.21
Is there one God? Yes or no?
00:39:45.95\00:39:48.72
Okay, is He
singular in His Godness?
00:39:49.27\00:39:52.60
Yes, He alone is God.
00:39:52.63\00:39:54.74
But God, we're going to
see, is also revealed to us
00:39:55.06\00:39:57.58
as a plurality;
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
00:39:57.61\00:40:01.02
We want to spend most of
our time on the Holy Spirit.
00:40:01.05\00:40:03.88
Because, for the most part,
we have a mental picture of God.
00:40:03.91\00:40:06.66
Yeah, we've got God.
00:40:06.67\00:40:07.67
"For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son."
00:40:07.68\00:40:10.79
We've got a pretty
good picture of the Son.
00:40:10.80\00:40:12.35
We know the
Father, we know the Son.
00:40:12.38\00:40:13.46
We understand these
roles and relationships.
00:40:13.49\00:40:15.23
But who is this Spirit?
00:40:15.26\00:40:17.16
Who and what is this?
00:40:17.86\00:40:20.30
What's He about? What's His job?
00:40:20.33\00:40:22.09
What does He look
like? What's His role?
00:40:22.12\00:40:24.43
But before we can spend too
much time diving right into what
00:40:24.84\00:40:28.11
the Spirit is and who the Spirit
is and what the Spirit is,
00:40:28.14\00:40:30.53
we first need to establish
what does Scripture reveal about
00:40:30.56\00:40:33.49
God in His nature
and God in His character.
00:40:33.52\00:40:36.86
Okay? And before we can
do that, we need to recognize
00:40:36.89\00:40:39.77
that there are very significant,
very serious, and very real
00:40:39.80\00:40:43.59
limits of...
00:40:43.62\00:40:45.56
What word am I
going to say here?
00:40:45.66\00:40:46.63
...limits of language.
00:40:46.66\00:40:49.73
Okay, so
language has its limits.
00:40:49.76\00:40:51.25
So we've looked at many passages
here that basically say that.
00:40:51.28\00:40:53.49
The secret
things? They're for God.
00:40:54.04\00:40:56.99
The things that are revealed?
They're for us and our children.
00:40:57.02\00:40:59.56
"Without controversy, great
is the mystery of godliness."
00:40:59.86\00:41:02.77
Right? "Can you search
out the limits of God?"
00:41:02.80\00:41:06.78
Of course not.
00:41:06.79\00:41:07.79
"Great is the Lord,
and greatly to be praised;
00:41:07.80\00:41:09.52
how unsearchable
is His greatness."
00:41:09.55\00:41:12.19
So far so good, everyone?
00:41:12.86\00:41:14.12
So a very appropriate place
for us to start in trying to
00:41:14.96\00:41:18.66
put together our picture
of who and what God is...
00:41:18.69\00:41:21.74
And by the way, that's
what the word theology means;
00:41:21.77\00:41:24.42
the study of God.
00:41:24.43\00:41:25.69
Of God's revelation, of God's
nature, of God's character.
00:41:26.09\00:41:29.70
A very good place for us to
start in a brief but systematic
00:41:29.73\00:41:35.10
study of who and what God
is, would be in what book?
00:41:35.13\00:41:38.45
If you were just going to
start, where would you start?
00:41:38.48\00:41:40.83
Let's start in Genesis.
00:41:41.82\00:41:43.42
What chapter do you
think we should start in?
00:41:43.45\00:41:44.95
Let's just start
in Genesis chapter 1.
00:41:45.25\00:41:46.88
Go there with me if you would.
00:41:46.91\00:41:48.00
Genesis chapter 1.
00:41:48.50\00:41:50.07
And of course, we know these
words right out of the gates.
00:41:51.01\00:41:54.80
"In the beginning..." What?
00:41:54.83\00:41:56.45
So we're introduced to God
in the very first phrase of the
00:41:56.75\00:41:59.95
very first verse of the
very first chapter in Scripture,
00:41:59.98\00:42:03.49
first book in Scripture.
00:42:03.52\00:42:04.66
"In the
beginning,..." What did God do?
00:42:05.44\00:42:06.71
"In the beginning, God created
the heavens and the earth."
00:42:06.72\00:42:09.40
And what we have here is a
very wonderful, very beautiful,
00:42:09.43\00:42:12.66
very poetic chronological laying
out of God's creative acts.
00:42:12.69\00:42:18.74
Day one He did this,
and day two He did this,
00:42:18.75\00:42:21.01
and day three He did
this, and day four He did this.
00:42:21.04\00:42:23.04
And as Moses is moving through,
as God has shown him this in
00:42:23.44\00:42:26.69
cinematic vision, as Moses is
moving through in this beautiful
00:42:26.72\00:42:30.67
passage of God's
creative acts, he gets to the
00:42:30.70\00:42:34.70
crowning act of God's creation.
00:42:36.14\00:42:38.84
The top, the
most important thing.
00:42:38.85\00:42:41.07
It wasn't the hippopotamus,
it wasn't the river,
00:42:41.10\00:42:43.12
it wasn't the ocean,
it wasn't the meadow,
00:42:43.15\00:42:45.54
it wasn't the sea anemone.
00:42:45.57\00:42:46.95
The crowning act of
God's creation is that which
00:42:46.96\00:42:50.82
was in His own image; mankind.
00:42:50.85\00:42:53.76
And so we're going to
look at that here in verse 26.
00:42:53.79\00:42:56.28
Genesis chapter 1 verse 26.
00:42:56.61\00:42:58.89
It says, "Then
God said, 'Let...'"
00:43:00.50\00:43:04.83
And what does
your Bible say there?
00:43:05.03\00:43:06.50
That's a very
interesting thing, isn't it?
00:43:08.68\00:43:10.92
Now, "us" is a pronoun. Right?
00:43:11.29\00:43:13.49
And is that a plural
or a singular pronoun?
00:43:13.52\00:43:16.73
That's a plural pronoun.
00:43:17.03\00:43:18.16
"Let Us..."
00:43:18.19\00:43:19.50
Now this is a little confusing
in the English because "God",
00:43:19.53\00:43:22.80
which is the antecedent
noun to "Us", is singular.
00:43:23.27\00:43:26.85
Right? I can see it right there.
00:43:27.28\00:43:28.67
"Then God said..."
00:43:28.70\00:43:29.70
God is in the singular.
There's no "s" at the end.
00:43:29.73\00:43:31.90
So there's my antecedent noun.
00:43:32.20\00:43:34.08
It says, "Then
God said, 'Let...'"
00:43:34.11\00:43:35.98
And here comes my pronoun.
00:43:36.01\00:43:38.01
But it's not in the
singular. It's in the...
00:43:38.04\00:43:40.38
Now why might that be?
00:43:40.78\00:43:42.05
Well, the answer is that
what appears singular to us
00:43:43.43\00:43:47.26
in the English, "God
said," in the Hebrew is
00:43:47.29\00:43:50.55
actually the word, "Elohim,"
which is in the plural.
00:43:50.58\00:43:54.76
Elohim, plural.
00:43:54.79\00:43:57.34
It would be the functional
equivalent of our "Gods."
00:43:57.37\00:44:01.86
Right?
00:44:01.87\00:44:02.88
But Moses, of course, is writing
from a monotheistic perspective.
00:44:02.89\00:44:05.77
We're going to get to
that in just a moment.
00:44:05.80\00:44:07.05
And so, the
singular in the English
00:44:07.08\00:44:09.28
is retained appropriately.
00:44:09.31\00:44:11.13
"Then God said,
'Let Us make man in...'"
00:44:11.16\00:44:15.54
Here comes another
pronoun; plural possessive.
00:44:15.57\00:44:17.85
"...Our image,
according to Our likeness."
00:44:18.35\00:44:21.79
So three pronouns there.
00:44:21.80\00:44:22.80
"Let Us make man in Our image,
according to Our likeness;
00:44:22.81\00:44:24.90
let..."
00:44:24.93\00:44:25.99
What does your
Bible say? "Let them..."
00:44:26.54\00:44:29.13
Is that plural or singular?
00:44:29.16\00:44:30.30
That's plural, referring
to Adam and Eve; mankind.
00:44:31.11\00:44:33.26
"Let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea,
00:44:33.29\00:44:35.75
over the birds of the
air, and over the cattle,
00:44:35.76\00:44:38.61
over all the earth
and over every creeping
00:44:38.64\00:44:40.80
thing that creeps on the earth.
00:44:40.81\00:44:41.81
So God created man in His
own image; in the image of God
00:44:41.82\00:44:44.05
He created him; male
and female He created..."
00:44:44.08\00:44:46.67
What's our word
there? "...them."
00:44:46.70\00:44:48.66
"Then God blessed
them, and God said to them,
00:44:48.67\00:44:50.13
'Be fruitful and multiply.'"
00:44:50.16\00:44:51.46
The very first command
that God gives to the couple
00:44:51.47\00:44:54.26
is to be fruitful and multiply.
00:44:54.29\00:44:57.08
To make others.
00:44:57.11\00:44:58.32
Now let's just try
here to appreciate the
00:44:59.09\00:45:01.57
significance of this.
00:45:01.58\00:45:02.90
This is the first introduction
that we have to God.
00:45:02.93\00:45:05.22
I mean, right at
the very beginning.
00:45:05.59\00:45:06.71
In Genesis chapter 1, we're
introduced to God as Creator.
00:45:06.74\00:45:09.34
And we're introduced to God as
not only creating the mountains
00:45:09.37\00:45:12.66
and the meadows and
the streams and the forests
00:45:12.69\00:45:14.80
and the
hippopotamus and the giraffes,
00:45:14.81\00:45:16.51
and the solar
systems and the stars,
00:45:17.60\00:45:19.11
He creates man, mankind.
00:45:19.14\00:45:22.18
But when He creates mankind,
He says, "Let Us make man
00:45:22.21\00:45:26.73
in Our image.
00:45:26.74\00:45:29.11
Let them have dominion."
00:45:29.12\00:45:31.76
When He creates a "them,"
He creates a male and a female.
00:45:32.54\00:45:36.28
That is to say, two.
00:45:36.31\00:45:37.77
How many, everyone? Two.
00:45:38.17\00:45:39.85
And what's the first thing
that He says to both of them?
00:45:39.86\00:45:41.52
What's the first
command He give to them?
00:45:41.55\00:45:43.42
Make another.
00:45:43.72\00:45:44.78
Make another. "Be
fruitful and multiply."
00:45:45.23\00:45:46.57
Make a family.
00:45:46.60\00:45:48.33
Now I want you just to imagine
a very simple thing here.
00:45:48.87\00:45:51.22
Imagine that this is a mirror.
00:45:51.25\00:45:53.03
It's not, it's a book.
00:45:53.06\00:45:54.14
But just imagine it's a mirror.
00:45:54.17\00:45:55.34
Okay?
00:45:55.37\00:45:56.36
Now, if I have a mirror
right here and I'm looking
00:45:56.45\00:46:01.00
in the mirror just like this.
00:46:01.10\00:46:02.33
Now let's say
there is another person
00:46:02.36\00:46:03.74
that's standing right here.
00:46:03.75\00:46:04.96
Okay?
00:46:04.97\00:46:05.97
There standing right
here and they're looking
00:46:05.98\00:46:07.54
sort of at an
angle here at the mirror.
00:46:07.57\00:46:09.43
But I'm standing
directly in front of the mirror.
00:46:09.46\00:46:11.17
When that person looks at
the mirror, this person here,
00:46:11.20\00:46:15.31
what are they going
to see in that mirror?
00:46:15.34\00:46:17.05
Okay, okay, now be very
careful what you say here.
00:46:18.06\00:46:20.25
What are they going
to see in the mirror?
00:46:20.28\00:46:21.59
Let me ask a simpler question.
00:46:23.04\00:46:24.43
Okay, you're correct
when you say they see me.
00:46:24.80\00:46:26.84
Okay, so here's the question.
00:46:26.87\00:46:28.36
It that me?
00:46:28.39\00:46:29.75
Okay, what is that?
00:46:30.48\00:46:31.66
That's a
reflection or an image of me.
00:46:32.47\00:46:36.01
Now here's something
very interesting about
00:46:36.04\00:46:37.31
mirrors and images.
00:46:37.34\00:46:38.81
That isn't me.
00:46:39.29\00:46:41.08
But whatever is there is a
very accurate picture of this.
00:46:41.11\00:46:45.89
Because this is
an image of this.
00:46:45.92\00:46:47.82
Are you with me on that?
00:46:48.24\00:46:49.31
So I want to ask
you a simple question.
00:46:49.67\00:46:51.37
According to Genesis 1, right
here in the very beginning...
00:46:52.38\00:46:54.93
We're just being systematic
as we begin our study,
00:46:54.96\00:46:57.20
five part study.
00:46:57.23\00:46:58.53
...what was it that
was in the image of God?
00:47:00.28\00:47:04.30
Be more precise.
00:47:07.09\00:47:08.62
Ahhh.
00:47:09.36\00:47:10.64
Male and female.
00:47:11.30\00:47:12.83
And what is the first
command that God gives to them?
00:47:12.84\00:47:14.51
Make another.
00:47:15.02\00:47:16.02
So I'm going to say it this way.
00:47:16.03\00:47:17.23
What God made in
His image was a family.
00:47:17.53\00:47:21.75
God made a family in His image.
00:47:23.06\00:47:25.44
Now let's go back to
our illustration here.
00:47:25.45\00:47:27.18
If I'm looking in the
mirror here and there's a person
00:47:27.80\00:47:30.05
standing right
here, is that image a very
00:47:30.06\00:47:33.78
accurate reflection of me?
00:47:33.81\00:47:35.30
Yes or no?
00:47:35.33\00:47:36.34
Is the image me?
00:47:36.37\00:47:37.62
No, but it's a reflection of me.
00:47:38.22\00:47:39.97
So what do we see when
we look in the image that
00:47:40.00\00:47:44.66
God made of
Himself in Genesis 1.
00:47:44.69\00:47:47.01
What do we see there?
00:47:47.02\00:47:48.12
We see a man and a...
00:47:49.15\00:47:51.86
And God saying to
them, "Make another."
00:47:52.29\00:47:55.41
We see a family
in the image of God.
00:47:55.71\00:47:59.93
Very interesting.
00:47:59.94\00:48:01.33
"Let us," plural, "make man in
Our image," plural possessive.
00:48:01.64\00:48:07.03
"Let them..."
00:48:07.06\00:48:08.18
I'm going to say something
here that I think you'll get.
00:48:08.21\00:48:09.78
Only a "them"
could represent an "us."
00:48:11.40\00:48:15.79
Right?
00:48:17.39\00:48:18.50
How could a "he," singular,
or just a "she," singular,
00:48:18.53\00:48:23.79
represent an "us?"
00:48:23.82\00:48:25.69
No, no, no, no, no.
00:48:27.06\00:48:28.09
"Let Us make man in Our image."
00:48:28.12\00:48:30.35
"Let..." What's
the word? "Let them..."
00:48:30.38\00:48:32.74
A plural represents a plural.
00:48:32.77\00:48:35.86
Okay, that's Genesis 1.
00:48:35.87\00:48:36.87
But things get very
interesting in Genesis 2.
00:48:36.88\00:48:39.07
Join me there, Genesis 2.
00:48:39.10\00:48:41.01
Just starting very slowly
here, laying the ground work.
00:48:42.36\00:48:45.39
Are we going too fast?
00:48:45.42\00:48:46.52
No, nice and
slow. Genesis chapter 2.
00:48:47.16\00:48:49.25
By the way, tomorrow night...
00:48:49.65\00:48:53.57
I'll be here tomorrow night.
00:48:53.58\00:48:54.58
Are you going to
here tomorrow night?
00:48:54.59\00:48:55.59
I will be here tomorrow night.
00:48:55.60\00:48:56.74
I give you a solemn promise
that as long as I'm still alive,
00:48:56.75\00:49:00.40
I will be here tomorrow night.
00:49:00.43\00:49:01.56
This program starts at...
What time did we start tonight?
00:49:02.01\00:49:04.17
Okay, you've got it.
00:49:04.47\00:49:05.69
Tomorrow night after
this program, there is
00:49:06.22\00:49:08.49
another live program.
00:49:08.50\00:49:09.58
Because 3ABN does their
live programs on Thursdays.
00:49:09.61\00:49:12.80
And tomorrow night, it's
my friend from the seminary
00:49:12.83\00:49:16.05
at Berrien Springs.
00:49:16.08\00:49:18.27
Dr. Ranko Stefanovic is
doing a two hour live program.
00:49:18.29\00:49:22.97
And guess what his topic is.
00:49:23.00\00:49:25.13
The Holy Spirit. Good guess.
00:49:26.16\00:49:27.25
In a sense it is.
00:49:27.28\00:49:28.49
He's doing a two
hour live program on
00:49:28.52\00:49:31.24
the Trinity tomorrow night.
00:49:31.27\00:49:33.15
I'll be sitting there live.
00:49:33.16\00:49:34.20
I'm going to go in
there and make faces at him
00:49:34.22\00:49:35.86
and try to get him to...
00:49:35.89\00:49:36.89
No, but anyway
the point is this.
00:49:37.20\00:49:38.76
To me it's such
a... I didn't know that.
00:49:39.23\00:49:40.76
He just stopped by my
room today with Dr. Russell
00:49:40.79\00:49:42.64
and they had prayer with me,
and they said, "Oh, we're here.
00:49:42.65\00:49:44.32
We're recording some
programs on the book of Matthew.
00:49:44.33\00:49:46.17
And tomorrow night,"
he said, "tomorrow night
00:49:46.20\00:49:48.79
I'm doing a
program on the Trinity."
00:49:48.80\00:49:49.95
I said, "Ranko, I'm speaking
about the Trinity tonight."
00:49:49.98\00:49:53.26
He said, "Well, this
must be very necessary."
00:49:53.27\00:49:56.02
And let me tell you something.
00:49:56.05\00:49:57.11
It is.
00:49:57.47\00:49:58.67
And let me say it this way.
00:49:59.09\00:50:00.49
It is important that
we understand the Trinity
00:50:01.02\00:50:03.17
and that we
understand the nature of God.
00:50:03.18\00:50:05.14
Not because it's unclear.
00:50:05.44\00:50:07.88
But because many of our own
people and many well meaning
00:50:08.28\00:50:11.51
Christians out there just don't
know what Scripture teaches.
00:50:11.54\00:50:14.55
So when someone comes,
perhaps a well meaning person,
00:50:15.07\00:50:17.68
perhaps even a sincere
person, and puts a pamphlet or
00:50:17.71\00:50:20.21
puts a tract or puts a
CD in their hand that says,
00:50:20.22\00:50:23.15
"Oh, this is pagan."
"Oh, this is Catholic."
00:50:23.18\00:50:26.26
"Oh, we can't believe this."
00:50:26.29\00:50:27.40
And they don't know what
Scripture actually teaches,
00:50:27.41\00:50:30.02
they're led away by the
nose into something that
00:50:30.05\00:50:33.90
seems plausible
and seems realistic.
00:50:33.93\00:50:35.91
But what we want to do
here and tomorrow night in
00:50:35.94\00:50:38.16
Dr Stefanovic's program, we want
to look at anchors of truth.
00:50:38.19\00:50:42.90
So that's what we're doing.
00:50:42.91\00:50:43.91
We're just going through a
very simple, very methodical,
00:50:43.92\00:50:46.26
study of Scripture.
00:50:46.29\00:50:47.83
First understanding
God and His nature.
00:50:47.86\00:50:50.53
And then looking
specifically at the Holy Spirit.
00:50:50.56\00:50:54.60
Are we together, everyone?
00:50:54.89\00:50:55.98
Genesis chapter 2.
00:50:55.99\00:50:57.98
Genesis chapter 2 verse 7.
00:50:58.06\00:51:01.15
Actually, we'll
pick it up in verse 24.
00:51:02.87\00:51:04.79
I was going to read
verse 7, let's just do this.
00:51:04.82\00:51:06.47
Verse 24 of Genesis 2.
00:51:06.50\00:51:08.52
"Therefore a man shall
leave his father and mother
00:51:08.55\00:51:11.02
and shall be
joined to his wife..."
00:51:11.53\00:51:14.51
Now watch this.
00:51:14.54\00:51:15.52
"...and they..."
00:51:15.55\00:51:16.93
"...they..." That's plural.
00:51:17.50\00:51:19.89
"...shall become..."
What does your Bible say?
00:51:19.99\00:51:21.97
"...one flesh."
00:51:22.68\00:51:24.51
Okay now, this is a
very important point here.
00:51:24.54\00:51:26.61
The two become... What?
00:51:27.45\00:51:30.39
Okay, now I want
to ask you a question.
00:51:30.70\00:51:32.18
Is that a contradiction?
00:51:32.21\00:51:33.55
Wait, I thought we
were talking about two.
00:51:34.20\00:51:35.98
Are we talking about two?
00:51:36.56\00:51:37.77
But I thought we
were talking about one.
00:51:38.44\00:51:40.02
Are we talking about one?
00:51:40.05\00:51:41.15
Well which is it, one or two?
00:51:41.55\00:51:42.66
Yes, is the answer. Right?
00:51:44.09\00:51:46.38
Are we talking about two? Yes.
00:51:46.39\00:51:47.94
We're talking about Adam
and Eve; male and female.
00:51:47.95\00:51:50.10
Two individuals, one family.
00:51:50.54\00:51:54.04
The two, one flesh.
00:51:54.34\00:51:56.55
And in that procreative
union, that sexual union,
00:51:56.58\00:51:59.79
another is created.
00:51:59.82\00:52:01.26
Which is the first thing
that God had said to them.
00:52:01.29\00:52:02.76
"Be fruitful and multiply."
00:52:03.09\00:52:06.16
Now the word here for "one"...
00:52:06.26\00:52:07.80
This is an important word and
we're going to come back to it
00:52:07.81\00:52:09.40
tomorrow, but this is
something for you to remember.
00:52:09.43\00:52:13.07
The word here is
the Hebrew word, echad.
00:52:13.52\00:52:16.64
Echad.
00:52:16.75\00:52:18.19
And it means, one.
00:52:18.22\00:52:20.18
But it doesn't mean
"one" necessarily in the
00:52:20.48\00:52:23.52
rigidly singular sense.
00:52:23.55\00:52:26.13
Okay that word is, yachid.
00:52:26.16\00:52:27.78
Yachid.
00:52:27.81\00:52:28.86
This is the word "echad", which
means "one" in terms of unity.
00:52:28.89\00:52:34.51
In terms of... What
word did I say, everyone?
00:52:35.39\00:52:37.12
Unity.
00:52:37.15\00:52:38.20
Okay, because we have
the man, we have the woman.
00:52:38.21\00:52:40.27
How many is that?
One plus one is...
00:52:40.30\00:52:42.30
But when they come
together, they become what?
00:52:42.88\00:52:45.20
One flesh.
00:52:45.49\00:52:46.49
So the two become...
00:52:46.52\00:52:48.72
Do we see plurality there?
00:52:49.13\00:52:50.90
Do we see singularity there?
00:52:51.46\00:52:53.42
We sure do.
00:52:53.83\00:52:54.83
Genesis chapter 3. Join me.
00:52:54.86\00:52:57.20
We're just going
to walk through this.
00:52:57.50\00:52:58.86
Genesis chapter 3.
00:52:59.14\00:53:01.49
We might get one
more passage in tonight.
00:53:02.89\00:53:05.00
And then we will have set
the ground work very nicely,
00:53:05.40\00:53:08.88
set the table very
nicely for tomorrow night.
00:53:08.91\00:53:10.65
Genesis chapter 3 verse 22.
00:53:10.68\00:53:12.76
This is after Adam
has partaken of the fruit.
00:53:12.79\00:53:16.68
The wife, Eve, has
partaken of the fruit.
00:53:16.71\00:53:19.16
They have fallen
into sin and rebellion.
00:53:19.19\00:53:21.68
Verse 22, "Then the Lord
God said, 'Behold, the man
00:53:21.71\00:53:25.93
has become like one of
Us, to know good and evil.
00:53:25.96\00:53:31.06
And now, lest he put forth
his hand and take also of the
00:53:31.09\00:53:33.52
tree of life, and
eat, and live forever;'
00:53:33.55\00:53:34.93
therefore the Lord God sent
him out of the garden of Eden."
00:53:34.94\00:53:37.73
So, "Behold, the man
has become like one of Us."
00:53:38.51\00:53:41.86
Okay, so here's a
fascinating thing.
00:53:41.87\00:53:43.90
We are introduced to God
right at the very beginning,
00:53:45.55\00:53:48.34
I mean, at the very
outset of Scripture,
00:53:48.35\00:53:51.22
as one God who is also an Us.
00:53:52.11\00:53:57.84
Do we singularity? "God said..."
00:53:58.59\00:54:01.00
Yes.
00:54:01.01\00:54:02.05
But do we also see plurality?
00:54:02.08\00:54:03.88
Yes.
00:54:03.91\00:54:04.95
And we see it most
strikingly in the thing that
00:54:05.15\00:54:09.36
God makes in His image.
00:54:09.39\00:54:11.47
This is the mirror.
00:54:11.50\00:54:12.66
God is essentially saying,
"Hey, this is what I'm like."
00:54:12.67\00:54:15.25
"Do you want to
know what I'm like?"
00:54:15.61\00:54:16.58
And we're going to
pick that up tomorrow night.
00:54:16.61\00:54:17.87
This is the most beautiful,
glorious, life transforming
00:54:17.90\00:54:22.26
picture of who and what God is.
00:54:22.27\00:54:23.56
Because when we get
to the New Testament,
00:54:23.59\00:54:25.18
John the apostle is
going to say three of the most
00:54:26.37\00:54:31.81
phenomenally beautiful words
in all of the English language
00:54:31.84\00:54:36.31
when put in juxtaposition.
00:54:36.34\00:54:37.95
He's going to say...
00:54:37.96\00:54:39.21
That's many
thousands of years future yet.
00:54:39.24\00:54:41.02
But this is where
Scripture is headed.
00:54:41.05\00:54:42.90
"God is love."
00:54:42.93\00:54:46.53
Not merely loving.
00:54:50.00\00:54:52.01
Which would be an
adjective describing a behavior.
00:54:52.31\00:54:54.75
God is; in His very
nature, in His very essence.
00:54:54.78\00:54:58.10
God is... What's our word?
00:54:58.13\00:55:00.64
...love.
00:55:00.67\00:55:01.80
But wait a minute.
00:55:01.83\00:55:02.83
Love, by
definition, is the principle of
00:55:04.11\00:55:07.55
putting others first.
00:55:07.58\00:55:09.41
Yeah?
00:55:10.33\00:55:11.54
That's love. Right?
00:55:11.57\00:55:12.98
"Love seeketh not its
own," 1 Corinthians 13 verse 5.
00:55:13.01\00:55:16.47
"Greater love
hath no man than this;
00:55:16.48\00:55:17.51
that a man would lay
down his life for his..."
00:55:17.52\00:55:19.64
So love, by
definition, has others.
00:55:20.04\00:55:22.95
Are you with me on that?
00:55:23.44\00:55:24.67
Now hear it again.
00:55:24.70\00:55:25.68
"God is..." What? "...love."
00:55:26.34\00:55:29.97
If love is the principle
of putting others first,
00:55:30.00\00:55:32.86
then what, by
definition, do we have to have
00:55:32.89\00:55:35.89
in order to have love?
00:55:35.90\00:55:36.90
Got to have others.
00:55:37.52\00:55:38.90
And that's where
we're headed with this.
00:55:38.93\00:55:40.29
So right here at the outset
in Genesis chapter 1 and 2
00:55:40.32\00:55:44.06
we're introduced to God.
00:55:44.16\00:55:45.57
Right? God the
Creator, God the Sovereign.
00:55:46.17\00:55:49.26
And He says, "Let Us
make man in Our image."
00:55:49.29\00:55:52.09
Here's a mirror that
God can show to the angels,
00:55:52.10\00:55:55.71
and God can show to the other
planets in the other universe,
00:55:55.74\00:55:58.13
"Hey, this is what I'm like."
00:55:58.14\00:55:59.16
Now why would God have to
create something in His image?
00:55:59.17\00:56:00.89
I don't have time to unpack
this, but the short version is,
00:56:01.24\00:56:03.87
because of the
limits of language.
00:56:03.90\00:56:06.37
Because of the limits
of language and of analogy.
00:56:06.80\00:56:10.13
Because God is so totally
awesome, so totally different,
00:56:10.16\00:56:14.50
so totally amazing, He
creates a thing and says,
00:56:14.53\00:56:18.06
"Well, this is what I'm
like. This is what I'm like."
00:56:18.07\00:56:22.37
The question is, what was
that which He made in His image?
00:56:22.40\00:56:27.43
What was that thing
that He made in His image?
00:56:28.22\00:56:30.63
Was it just males?
00:56:30.95\00:56:32.60
Are males in the image
of God and not females? No.
00:56:33.08\00:56:36.26
Are females also
in the image of God?
00:56:36.29\00:56:38.07
So what is it that
God made in His image?
00:56:38.72\00:56:40.59
He made a family.
00:56:41.53\00:56:43.03
He made a man, He made a woman.
00:56:43.06\00:56:44.63
And the very first
thing He said to them was,
00:56:44.66\00:56:46.52
"Make another."
00:56:46.53\00:56:48.55
Are we beginning to
lay the ground work here
00:56:50.15\00:56:51.66
for our time together?
00:56:51.67\00:56:53.20
We're talking tonight
about the mystery of God;
00:56:53.40\00:56:55.34
singularity and plurality.
00:56:55.35\00:56:57.12
We have
effectively set the table.
00:56:57.15\00:56:59.60
All the pieces are on the table.
00:56:59.61\00:57:00.91
The silverware is
there, the plates are there.
00:57:00.92\00:57:02.64
And tomorrow, we're going
to continue to set the table,
00:57:02.67\00:57:05.04
and then we'll
start eating the meal.
00:57:05.07\00:57:06.36
But let me tell you,
the picture that emerges,
00:57:06.37\00:57:08.80
the picture of God is
so beautiful, so stirring,
00:57:09.23\00:57:12.38
and so uniquely Christian that
it will just melt your heart.
00:57:12.41\00:57:17.48
It is so profoundly beautiful.
00:57:17.51\00:57:20.76
And what's more than
that, it's not only beautiful,
00:57:20.79\00:57:23.48
it's true.
00:57:24.42\00:57:25.47