God or Idol?

This is a summary of the sermon preached on the 11th of September by Colin D Cruz the pastor of Word of Grace Church .

John1 :1-2

Who is God? What is He like? Different people have a different understanding of who He is. Our belief must correspond with truth.

Eg) 5 Blind men feeling an elephant – One feels the tails and says the elephant is like a rope, the other feels the trunk and says the Elephant is like a tree, the other feels the ears  and says the elephant is like a fan and so on. Which one is right? You may say all of them. They are all right when put together but not in isolation.

In the same way there are many facets to God and we need to try and understand Him in all His glory.

When we have just one pet idea about God, we no longer worship God we worship an image of Him and  it becomes idolatry. Some people believe that God is too kind and loving to send people to hell. Does this image of God correspond with the truth?  Even as Christians we can be in the danger of having a partial understanding or selective understanding of who God is. We must worship God in spirit and in truth.

In the Bible we are introduced to many facets of God. Viz:

2Thes 1:8 – “He will punish...” The Judge

Jn14 – He calls us friends

Rev1:17 -John was the disciple closest to Jesus and the one Jesus loved yet here what is John’s response? He feel face down as though dead when he encountered the glorified Jesus.

•          One of the qualities of God is that he is Eternal – without beginning and end. “In the beginning ...” The same words are used in Genesis 1:1. Jesus the Word of God existed before matter, time and space.

John 17:5 – with the glory I had with you before the world began”

Some people think that Jesus came into existence only 2000yrs ago. They are in error.

Jn 1:14 “The word became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us

The difference between us and the creator is the difference between the sun and a candle. The essential nature of God is that he is infinite but we are finite.

THE WORD – why is He called the word?  Everything God wants to communicate is through His Son.

Jn14:6- “the way, the truth and the life”

Heb1:1-2 in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son. The recorded word is the Bible

This is of extreme importance but man does not live by bread alone but by every WORD

If you want to be built up spiritually feed on the Word. That is why we have introduced the “Getting started “series of daily devotionals to strengthen you in the Word.

•      John1:2 “And the word was with God”.They were close, there was unity. The word and God were one. It speaks of a close relationship and fellowship. These are attributes of the Godhead.

What does this imply for us?

God wants to have fellowship with us not because He needs us. We need him. Set aside a time to communicate with God.  Stay in fellowship with him. Brother Lawrence used to wash dishes in the monastery and he used that time to fellowship with God.

When we become Christians God becomes our father and other Christians become our brothers and sisters. There was mutual submission and partnership in the Trinity. In the same way it is vital to build a relationship with one another. This is vital for the growth of the church. Invite people to your home and have a meal with them – make new friends.

Our salvation is personal but not private.

•       John1:2 And the Word was with God

He is co equal with God – not a little lower. Jesus is Coequal. Submitting does not mean being inferior. It’s a different role.

Col1:15 Image of the invisible God

Heb1:3 Jesus is the exact representation of his being

Heb1:3b Jesus is the radiance of Go’s glory

Jn1:3 through Jesus all things were made

Jn1:10 the world was made through Him.

Here are some more attributes of God – He is Eternal, omnipresent (Matt18:20), omniscient, omnipotent, sinless, unchanging ( Heb15:5), Sovereign (Matt28:18-20).

As you study the Bible you will discover many more attributes of God and grow in your understanding of Him and this will  deepen your worship of Him.