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This morning we are going to take a look
at the important question what is God like
the Bible has many insightful descriptions about God that help us
answer this important and profound question
one of these descriptions is in this morning's passage penned by the great
apostle Paul
as we look at one of Paul's answers to the question what is God like let's open
our Bibles pull out your message outlines and follow along in the worship
bulletin as I begin reading and Romans chapter eleven
beginning at verse thirty three
Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge
how impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways
for who can know the Lord thoughts
who knows enough to give him advice
and who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back
for everything comes from him and exist by his power and is intended for his
glory all glory to him for ever amen
We're answering some great questions
in a series of messages today we're
going to look at
who God is
Who is God?
It's interesting
that's not an
old question
but yet a very new question I don't know if you
read or heard about the recent study by two
Baylor professors
But they when about surveying adult Americans and they simply ask them how
do you perceive God
What is God like who has God
the majority of those polled twenty eight percent thought that God was
very authoritarian
Very authoritative
that God
is about the rules
And taking note of the
whose following the rules and not following the rules
yes God is very much a part other this world
a part of our life but be careful because
he's like a cosmic cop
he knows the rules and he's writing down all the things that
that you've done wrong
the second group
was a group that thought
That God is very benevolent and that
was very interesting that
the largest group in that group
were
evangelical female
that evangelical females that church going females
see God as a benevolent God
that God is kind and merciful that God is for us and not against us
maybe that's because the women know the Bible better than men do they know John
three sixteen, right?
That God so loved the world
the third group
believes he God is distant
That God is not really a part of this day to day world but he's still very
critical
and he is the one in the end that's going to determine
whether we go to heaven or hell
and yes he's going to
do that on the basis on how we live but you're on your own
when it comes to that
and then the fourth group which was the smallest group and that's the group that
think
God is very distant
yes
he is the first cause that cause everything
to come into being, the cosmological argument for the existence of God
which we talked about last week
but he started
and that's it he's not a part of things any longer
who do we believe
God is
the fact is that well we could know something's about God but we can't know
everything about God
but has revealed himself I talked about that last August
but God has not revealed everything about who He is
and that makes sense to us
R. C. Sprawl who is a professor and
author
he says of course you can't know everything of about God because
the finite
cannot contain the infinite
and we know that that's true that God is infinite so there is
a lot out there that we can't go about God but that does not mean that God has
not
revealed himself
in our finite nature there are things that we can know about God
because God has revealed
Who He is to us
Listen to Deuteronomy
the secret things belong to the Lord our God but those things which are revealed
belonged to us
And to our children forever
Now it's recorded here is
the truth I just said that we can't know everything about God but God has
revealed himself he has answered the question for us who He is
who is God
now I partially answered that question
when we looked at understanding God in August but I want to add
six things so that list that I gave you in August today
what the Bible
says about God, who God is
one of the things that the Bible says is that
God is
all-powerful
he is
omnipotent
Listen to Romans eleven
thirty six
for everything comes from him and exist by his power
and is intended for his glory
so God is the ultimate power in the universe the ultimate power in our world
his power is above and beyond
the created order
Yes, he created everything and he brought everything into power but his power
Is above and beyond that
and we have to decide what's most powerful in the universe and in our world
and in our life, don't we?
there's a large group of people that think the most powerful thing in the
universe is chance
Don't they? chance
that you know the dice is just being rolled every day and you might win
and you might not win
and if you feel as though that you can determine the outcomes of your life and
I hope you do
then you must realize that you realize you don't believe in chance because if you
really believe in chance
then you wouldn't have the ability to determine the outcome of your life
the greatest power in the universe can't be chance
I know maybe it's evil
well if it's not the goodness and love of God
then maybe evil is the most
powerful full force on this planet
and we know that there is a a fight so to speak between the forces of good and
evil acts with star wars is all about
and so we have this sense that there are opposing forces but which of those
his forces is the greatest
the fact that we do good even when we don't intend to do it
that we do good in spite of how we feel
Doesn't that beg the answer that good is more powerful than the evil
and evil doesn't make a very good power anyway when we're
talking
ultimate
when we're talking day to day
of third choice about what's most powerful in the universe is us
self-centeredness
that we're
the most powerful thing in the universe
and if you're married to one of those people I'll pray for you
if God is not in control
if chance is not in control if evil is not in control then that means that we're in
control
That we're God and we know that doesn't work because we know the smallest
package in the world is a person wrapped up in themselves
and the fact is that self-centeredness is not an expanding
experience it is a funneling experience isn't it
it's a limiting experience
not expanding experience
and so even ourselves and think about that for a moment if we were really in
charge
you know on a good day that'd be a really good thing but on a bad day that would be
a bad thing
and our inconsistency, the limits of our humanity
Don't really make us an ultimate force in the universe
Right?
we can't even chose what tv show we're going to watch
some days right?
we want to think we're in control but we're really not
we know evil has some control but
it's not an ultimate control
we know that chance
and
probability is a dynamic that we live with but we can determine the outcome of
our life so we have to answer the question what is the
most
superior power in the universe and it's God
and the Bible says that over and over and over it just doesn't say it one time
God is omnipotent
he is sovereign
he is in control and he is powerful he is the power the control
Of the whole universe
the whole world
and if we are allowed him to
in our own world
the second thing that the Bible says about who God is that
he's omnipresent
That God is
everywhere
and that simply means that God is everywhere and there is
no place
on this planet or in this universe that God isn't
Jeremiah speaking for God listen to what he says am I had God who is only close
at hand
says the Lord
no I am far away at the same time
Can anyone hide from me in secret places
Am I not everywhere in all heaven and all earth
and we understand the rhetorical question
No, God is everywhere you can't hide from Him now the interesting thing about God
is that God is omnipresent he's everywhere but
as spirit
he does not occupy any place
that you can't locate God so to speak
and all that he is created
but he is
everywhere there is nothing hidden from him there is nothing secret from him
now what's interesting about the
omnipresence of God is that to us
as Christians that's a very comforting thing, isn't it?
it is
it's Psalm twenty three
we like the fact that the Lord is our shepard
that his job in his goal is to get us to
The nourishing pastures and the refreshing waters and yes he walks with us through
the valley of the shadow of death
we like the fact that the Lord is our Lord look at the Lord's prayer we
don't want to be tempted we need things provided for us we asked God to forgive
us
and he does all of those thing
he's with us in all circumstances of life
and that is of great comfort to all of us that are Christians now
to the
Un-churched world that's a little unnerving
they still think that
whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas
but you know what? the Lord is in Vegas as well
belief that or not
in fact
one of the larger more dynamic churches on the whole west coast just happens to
be an Las Vegas, Nevada
go figure
that there isn't anything that you do in secret and that worries a lot of people
because they try to do a lot of things in secret
they know they're not doing what they're supposed to do what God wants them to do
and they want to hide it from God
it so it doesn't surprise me when un-churched people
have a they feel as though they were on the run from God and they are
because they think God is critical
they think God is judgmental they think God is out to get them, condemn them
and they don't have the right picture of God if they had the right picture of
God
they would never try to run from him
they wouldn't have to be worried because well God knows what you do when you're
hiding
he knows what you do in secret
nobody's watching
We're thankful that God is forgiving aren't we
because we know he's what
we know is omnipresent
we know that he's everywhere
and the good thing is he's with us
In our difficulty and our pain
and our suffering
and that's a great comfort
God is also omniscient, he knows everything
even who's on the phone over there
Tell them they're missing a very good message by the way
that and I'll take a pepperoni pizza
God knows everything
he knows everything about everything, oh no
He is all-powerful he's everywhere and he knows everything yes he knows everything
about everything
Psalm forty seven five
how great is Lord his power is absolute
his understanding
is beyond comprehension
now that doesn't mean that you can't comprehend God it just means that you'll
never understand everything about God
the Bible says that God's ways are higher than our ways God's thoughts
are greater than human thought
that's true
and just because we can't know everything about God doesn't mean that
we can't know something about God he has revealed himself
now again when it comes to us God knows everything about us he's like our mothers
I don't know how your mother was but
if I got in trouble two blocks away she would know before I ever got home
and she had this way when I a
would come rushing into the door she had this little tone in her voice
so
what were you up to?
somewhat pleasant
somewhat accusatory
somewhat wondering
because I know so and so mother has already call my mom and she knows what
we broke blew up or burned down
burning stuff is a lot of fun blowing up stuff is a lot more fun even than that
and boys being boys we've
broken many things I just broke something last week in our house
luckily it wasn't overly expensive but it is going to cost me to get it fixed
God knows everything about you
and here's the great story
he knows everything about you and he still loves you, wow
you mean God knows everything about me
and he still loves me how can that be
he knows all good things he knows all bad things he knows your strengths he
also knows your weakness
he knows everything about what you think
Feel, act
and like his
omnipresent nature that could worry you
yet God has for us not against it
came in this world to save us not condemn
and even though he knows the sinners that we really are
He still loves us
because he came to this world
because he understood that we were perishing
because of our sin
and he wants to save us from ourselves
For all eternity
fourth thing is that God is holy
now we want that to be holy, don't we?
we wouldn't want to worship
something that wasn't
apart from
our
mixed
world
and God is a part of it but he's beyond it he's above it he's transcended
and as holy he's not only set apart but he set apart because he is pure
and he is completely righteous
Samuel says no one is holy like the Lord
we don't want to worship something that's not
Pure that is not
completely righteous do we, no not really
in fact we want got to be transcendent above what he created because out there
so to speak
is
where the divine resources that we need to
do things in our life and in our world
come from
that's why miracles do happen
because
a God who
is infinite chooses to become finite
God
takes his divine super natural resources and he makes them available to us what
goods so to speak would God be if all they could get this is what we have in
this world
what God has to give us how God wants the bless us
is literally out of this world
and that he loves us and he
Has a good plan and purpose for our lives
he's worthy of our worship
he is not something the Bible says that has been crafted by humanity
he's not a God who is so-to-speak in everything no
isn't it interesting how we want to worship the creation
instead of the creator
God is holy and what relates to that is it God is good he's good in his
character and he's good in his behavior
Now, God is just good
and because God is good just good in his character in his nature than everything
God does is good
James one seven
whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our father
so what is good and perfect in your own life
where did that come from
here's my thought if you track
the blessings in your life back to
their source
you'll end up with God
now some people say no, I'm going to end up with me
because I have skill
I have intelligence
I have instinct
and insight
and simply where did
those things come from
where did your eye come from that allows you to create such an artistic
expression
Where did that brain come from that allows you to solve such problems to invent
such solutions
who gave you that skill to build or manufacture what it is you building and
manufacture
isn't it interesting that God is the one who gives us what we have
he's fashioned us in a certain way and well
you know yes you've worked hard
but that hard work has
been facilitated by your talent or your skill or your logic or your insight
and who gave you that but God
in fact the rarer your ability the more
Assured you are
that's a gift from God
because it's what? it's rare it's not commonplace
and we aspire everything that is good that's not commonplace to God, don't we?
we sure do
Be it a skill that we have or a landscape that we view
we know God is good
and we know that
his actions are good that God
desires to bless us
so that we can be a blessing to others
and as we enjoy those blessings were a blessing to him he starts every good
thing
he lets us to be a part of every good process
on this planet
because God is good
and then finally God
is just
now this is one of the
parts we'd like to leave out about who God is
Psalm one forty five verse seventeen the Lord is righteous in everything he
does he is filled with kindness or he is filled with mercy is what some
translation said now God is just
he is fare in all of his judgments and he does judge I'd like to tell you God
doesn't judge but he does
you can't read the Bible without understanding that God judges
and he judges not on the basis of what we think are the rules
but he judges on the basis of who he is the rule
that he's put into place
and as I'd shared with you at other times yes he will ultimately judge you
when you die
isn't it interesting when you go to that the parable of this
sheep and the goats
that they're just sheep and goats
there are no llamas present
there are two destinations ultimately
heaven and hell and we have those only two destinations because that's the way
God has laid it out
and God will
judge according
to
what he has laid out because he's all-powerful
so he gets to make the rules
now the great thing for us is that when God judges he judges with mercy
he doesn't show partiality
that his desire
truly is again John three sixteen he doesn't want anyone to perish
but he realizes not everyone will ask him to be the leader of their life
And yea, asking Jesus to be the leader of your life is the determining factor
in this life
as well as in life to come
it is that way because that's the way that God has deemed it
and because God is just there is a fairness to that maybe a fairness we
don't understand at this point
but at one point we will
and the great thing is that God's desire is that he wants to be
merciful or gracious to us
because we are in relationship to him
on the basis of grace and not
on our
ability
or inability as it might be to follow all the rules because none of us are
perfect
and God is honest
God is just
and he's also gracious and that's part of who God is
in his justice
he is the one
because he is
all-powerful as well
he gets to make the rules
and luckily he's made the rules
in our benefit in our favor
because he desires to save us
he desires to have a fulfill why we were originally created to spend eternity
with him
who with God
he's powerful he's everywhere he's all-knowing
he's holy and he's good and he is just
and let me ask you which of those things is a bad thing
which of those things as we engage in a relationship with God is going to lead
Us in a bad direction
see God is benevolent
God is not distant God is not critical
God is not out to get us
God's desire is that we would know his love
and that we would enjoy that love and share that love for all eternity
who God is, is a very good thing
for all of us
for each of us
Let us pray
Lord, we are thankful that
you are who you are
and that you have not
held who you are in secret
but that you've read revealed yourself to us over and over again
that even though you are a an infinite God you've chosen to become finite in
Jesus Christ
so that we might truly know who you are
That we might know your essence
and that Lord that you know us and you live like us
Lord
that gives us a
great compulsion to be in relationship with you
it has given you the right so to speak to be the leader of our life
Lord we are thankful that your
Desire is to bless us and enable us to be a blessing to others
Lord that's very much a part of our mind as we move into the
thanksgiving
holiday and the Christmas season
Lord we are thankful for all that you've given us
for all that that you are
Lord help us to
understand that
experience that
and share that
so we pray these things in your name Amen
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