October 2, 2008

  • FOUNDATIONS [#1]



    This AWANA season in our Varsity class we are going to spend 12 weeks or so studying some of the major themes or key doctrines in the Bible.  We are calling this series "Foundations" because we are dealing with doctrines that are foundational to the Christian faith and worldview.

    You can find the audio of this message here -> http://audio.xanga.com/Eek_71/1be522767618/audio.html


    God Is...Trinity


    INTRO
    o  No question is more important than "who is my God?" 
    o  "Trinity" definition = there is ONE God, eternally existing in THREE distinct Persons as Father, Son, & Spirit, each FULLY and EQUALLY God.


    1.  THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD
        o  Deut 4:35;  32:39;  Psa 86:10; Isa 43:10;  45:5;  1 Tim 1:17;  2:5
        o  All other "gods" are demonic false gods  (Deu 32:17;  1 Cor 10:20; 1 Jn 4:1)

    2.  GOD ETERNALLY EXISTS AS THREE DISTINCT PERSONS
        A. The Father is God  (Jn 6:27;  1 Cor 8:6)
        B. The Son is God  (Jn 1:1,14;  8:58-59;  20:28;  Rom 9:5;  Titus 2:13;  1 Jn 5:20)
        C. The Spirit is God  (2 Cor 3:17;  Acts 5:3-4)
             >  The Holy spirit is a Person, not an "it" or an impersonal "force"  (Eph 4:30;  Acts 7:51;  Heb 10:29)

    3.  DOES THE TRINITY APPEAR TOGETHER IN THE BIBLE?
        o  Lookup "Us"/"Our" in Gen 1:1-2;  26;  3:22;  11:7
        o  Isa 48:16-17;  61:1;  Luk 1:35;  Mat 3:16-17;  28:18-20;  1 Pet 1:2; 
        o  Consider Eph 1:3-13... Each Person of the Trinity is active in salvation!

    4.  WAYS  TO CONTRADICT THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY
        o  Deny there is only one god = polytheism (ex: mormonism)
        o  Deny that God is three distinct persons = ex: modalism (oneness pentacostalism)
        o  Deny that each Person is fully & equally God = (ex: jehovahs witnesses)

    5.  APPLICATION OF THE TRUTH OF THE TRINITY
        o  The essence of the Trinity is LOVE.
        o  We CANNOT know HOW to love until we know WHO love is!...
        o  Gods very nature is within the Trinity is Love, Harmony, Unity, Relationship, Community, Communication, Transparency, Humility, Submission, & Happy!  Therefore a Godly life should be characterized by those characteristics as well.
        o  All of Christian life is Trinitarian. ALL of the Christian life is lived BY the power of the Spirit... THROUGH the Son...  TO the Father!


    Most of this series is based on the sermon series "Doctrine" by Pastor Mark Driscoll.  I also heavily refered to the sermon series "Basic Bible Doctrine" by S. Lewis Johnson, and the book "Bible Doctrine" by Wayne Grudem.