It might be stating the obvious, but God is not human.
God is not a created being.
God is not someone that we can change or we can shape into our image.
God is not something that we can contain.
In John chapter 4, Jesus has this verbal interaction,
I guess sort of a stoush, with a woman
who is trying really hard to stop him getting too close to her,
trying to hold him at a distance.
And he's already exposed her vulnerable side
when he tells her to go and call her husband
and she says, I don't have one.
And he says, you're right, you've had five
and the bloke you currently live you're not married to.
Live with you're not married to.
And she tries to turn the conversation to anywhere but herself
and she just goes all religious.
As you do.
And part of Jesus' reply is, God is spirit
and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.
So God is not human.
Jesus tells us that he is spirit.
The scriptures say that the universe shouts at us
displaying his glory.
We use words to describe God, all-powerful, all-knowing,
and present everywhere.
We sing songs like, immortal, invisible, God-only wise,
or indescribable, uncontainable.
God is spirit.
God is not human.
He is vastly greater than it is possible for us to conceive or to imagine.
He is almighty God who shows us just enough of himself
that we might know him and have eternal life.
Perhaps we only see a minuscule bit of God, but it's plenty.
And in our naivety, people make lesser things God.
So Romans chapter 1 says,
We worship and serve created things rather than the creator
who is forever blessed.
We worship our understandings of the world.
We make humanity and our thought life the pinnacle of the universe.
Lawrence Krauss, the physicist on Q&A the other week,
was glorying in science
and his own extravagant understandings of nothingness.
You see, without God,
we don't think of ourselves as specks in a vast universe.
We have an exalted view of our capacities and our intelligence,
and we exalt ourselves over everything, including God.
Now we've seen some awesome things about God
from the scriptures as we've worked through this series.
We have seen that God, who is spirit, who is hidden,
that he has chosen to reveal himself to us, his creatures.
God has put on flesh.
He has voluntarily accepted human limitation.
He has entered into time at a particular place.
He was born into a human family.
He entered his creation as a flesh and blood person,
Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.
And so the hidden God of the universe is revealed
as a gracious heavenly father
in the words and ministry of his son.
Jesus teaches us to pray to the father.
He tells us that God the father loves the world.
He says, if you have seen me, you have seen the father.
And we've been saying that the only way that we can begin to know
what God is like, the true God of the universe,
is through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus himself said, John 14,
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the father except through me.
Jesus is the son who serves his father.
The son of man did not come to be served,
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Jesus said in John 16,
The father himself loves you
because you have loved me
and have believed that I came from God.
The bishop, Glenn Davies, spoke to us from John 16 last week
and he said that Jesus sends his spirit to us.
The spirit knows his father's business.
When Jesus goes back into heaven,
the spirit continues the ministry of Jesus
into all the world.
And Jesus tells us what that ministry will be
in John 17, verse 8.
When he comes,
he will convict the world of guilt
in regard to sin
and righteousness and judgment.
You look at the Lord Jesus as a man
and his ministry was restricted
to one town and one village at a time.
It's wherever his two feet took him.
And he said to his disciples
that it's good for me to go away.
It's for your good that I go away
because when I go,
I will send my spirit.
And the ministry of Jesus
would be continued by his spirit at work
in the hearts of all God's people everywhere.
And so in Acts chapter 2,
Peter preaches that this is the fulfilment
of Old Testament prophecy
where God would pour out his spirit
on all flesh.
What God has revealed to us
about himself impacts life.
I was sitting on the headland
down at D.Y. Beach
nearly two weeks ago
and reading my book,
having some quiet time,
enjoying the peace,
enjoying the beauty,
the rainstorms over the water
and the sun peeking up from behind.
Beautiful place to be.
And a young man about Sam's age,
Cameron, very polite,
came up to me and he said,
can I show you my photos
of the sun this morning?
And he's got his iPhone
or whatever it was in his hands
and my reaction inside,
sort of like,
oh no, what do you want?
And he says,
can I share with you
what I believe about God
who made this beautiful creation?
And it soon became clear
he was a Jehovah's Witness.
And I think I'm ashamed to say
that some of my history with them
is to have a point scoring debate
over the nature of God,
blow for blow,
so you can win,
who can come off with the most
or the least bruises,
whatever it is.
But this time was different.
We had a delightful conversation,
man to man,
person to person,
that went on for more than an hour.
I got sunburned.
The cloud had gone.
But it felt like a God-given time.
Later on, Cameron said
that he'd been sitting
where I was earlier in the morning,
and he was heading home
in his van
and he prayed that God
would give him someone
to share with,
so he came back
and saw me sitting
where he had been.
And God brought Cameron
to a pastor
that is in the middle
of a preaching series
about the nature of God.
Isn't that amazing?
But you know,
it was challenging for me as well
to sit and talk to someone
who believed in the creator God
of the universe,
who believed in significant things
about Jesus Christ,
who certainly believed
in the Holy Spirit of God,
was refreshing
because you don't even get
to first base with atheists.
And I taught scripture
after scripture
with Cameron
and most of them
are fresh in my mind
because that's what
I've been preaching.
And I tried to avoid
old chestnuts
where I just knew
we'd differ
and I knew his Bible
would say it different
from what my Bible
was.
It was a waste of time
going there.
And at an incredible
number of points,
Cameron would nod his head
and he'd say,
we believe that.
We believe that.
I keep saying
the scripture says,
not what we believe.
The scripture says,
Anglicans,
it doesn't matter
what Anglicans believe,
it matters what
the scriptures say,
doesn't it?
And I got to a point
where I said to him
that even though
we have much in common,
I suspect we think
about Jesus and God
differently.
And I'll say it quickly,
it took a long time with him.
You think Jesus is created.
I think he is
fathered by God.
That was a big issue
in the early church,
the Nicene Creed
that we say
in the communion service
was an attempt
to put things right
and express clearly
what the scriptures
are teaching.
We believe in one God,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sorry,
we believe in one Lord,
Jesus Christ,
the only son of God,
eternally begotten
of the father,
true God from God,
light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten,
not made,
of one being
with the father.
And I said
a second thing to him.
I said,
I think the scriptures
show that Jesus is king.
If you'd been here
the last few weeks,
you would have heard us
look to Revelation
and the lamb
and the father
worshipped on the throne
of God
at the end of the Bible.
He is God
and it is right
for us to worship him.
And thirdly,
you think the Holy Spirit
of God is a force,
a power that God sends
that we all plug into.
You know,
the force be with you,
Star Wars type movies,
all that sort of stuff.
And you look at the scriptures
and you can see why people
would say a thing like that.
But he is that
and he is more.
He is a person.
So in John 16,
Jesus speaks about his spirit
and he says that
when he comes,
the spirit that is,
when he comes,
he will convict the world
of sin and righteousness
and judgment.
The spirit is a he
on Jesus' tongue.
In Acts 5,
Ananias and Sapphira
are accused of
lying to the Holy Spirit,
lying to the person of God.
In other places,
we can grieve
and quench the Holy Spirit
of God.
He is a person.
So Cameron and I
had this really respectful
conversation,
a delightful conversation.
And I think it was
provocative and it was
challenging for both of us.
I had to go away
and reflect on some of the
stuff we talked about.
We had much in common
but we differed on Jesus.
And I would have loved
to have prayed with that
young man at the end
of the conversation
but I felt constrained
because I would have
wanted to pray,
Dear Lord Jesus
or Father.
names by which God
reveals himself to us
and names that
Cameron was not
able to own.
The Lord Jesus
has shown us
that God can be
approached very
personally
and those
of us who have
come to know
those of us
who have come
to know him
have come through
Jesus
but we have come
to call him
Father.
I would have loved
to have had unity
with Cameron
but we didn't.
We had significant
differences about
Jesus Christ.
True unity
is to be found
in Jesus Christ.
I worship
Jesus as Lord
and God
and King.
Cameron wanted to
hold Jesus
as important
but he thought
it was wrong
to worship him.
The biggest
impact this series
has had on me
personally
and let me tell you
I've had the
opportunity to tell
a number of people
this over the last
few weeks
and it's just been
an absolute delight
for me.
I hope it's been
a delight for them
but it's the
privilege that we
have in calling
God Father.
We only understand
God as Father
only through faith
in the Lord Jesus.
I am the way
the truth
and the life
no one comes
to the Father
except through me.
John 1 says
as many as
receive Jesus
to those who
believed in his name
God gave the right
to be called
children of God.
Not everyone
gets to call
God Father
only those who
receive
and believe
in the Lord Jesus.
The Lord Jesus
is the one
who brings us
into God's family.
William's baptism
this morning
is about trusting
in the promises
of the Lord Jesus
and entering
into the safety
and the security
of God's family.
I think it's
an absolute joy
and it is for me
at the moment
to see that
the Christian life
is a journey
in getting to know
the Father
and we do that
by believing
in the Son
that he has
sent into the world
and he is the one
who gives us
a true view
of his Father
who is hidden
from us in heaven.
I'm still learning
what it means
to trust him
day by day
but in the security
of his Son.
Jesus prayed
in John 17
Righteous Father
though the world
does not know you
I know you
and they know
that you have sent me
I have made you
known to them
and will continue
to make you
known to them
in order that
the love you have
for me
may be in them
and that I
myself
may be in them.
Earlier on
in John 17
Jesus speaks
to his Father
just before
he is arrested
and he says
Father the time
has come
glorify your Son
that your Son
may glorify you
for you have
granted him
authority
over all people
that he might
give eternal life
to all those
you have given him.
Now this is
eternal life
that they may
know you
the only true God
and Jesus Christ
whom you have sent.
I have brought
you glory on earth
by completing
the work
that you gave
me to do
and now
Father glorify
me in your
presence
with the glory
that I had
with you
before the world
began.
There is unity
there is love
there is mutuality
there is order
there is submission
and there is delight
within God
himself.
Father
Son
and Holy Spirit
work with
a wonderful
love and unity.
You come to the
scriptures and
Jesus is not
the grudgingly
obedient Son
that most of us
have been
or that we have
at home
who stomps off
saying
what do I have
to do this for?
He's in on the
plan
he trusts his
father
he delights
to do God's
will
he wants his
father to be
seen as the
great and loving
God that he is.
In John 17
it is only his
father who
understands him
his father
knows the
cost
he knows
the glory
that Jesus
left behind
in heaven
to come to
earth and
to ransom
for our
sins.
Jesus is
the obedient
son
he exercises
his God
given authority
to give
eternal life
to those
the father
has given
him.
Glorify me
he says
that I may
glorify you.
See
Jesus
shines this
massive light
on how great
his father
is by
doing the
work that
his father
gave him
to do
and then
Jesus
prays
father shine
your light
on me
glorify me
in your
presence
with the
glory that
I had
before the
world even
began
bring me
home
bring me
back into
your presence
shine your
light on me
that I might
be seen
for who I
am before
the world
even began
Westminster
Capitacism
the Anglicans
almost adopted
it the
Presbyterians
took it
it's first
question
it's teaching
to teach the
Christian faith
the first
question is
what is the
chief end
of man
and the
answer is
to glorify
God and to
enjoy him
forever
Jesus the
perfect man
did just
that
everything
about him
his whole
life put
his father
in the
spotlight
he gave
him the
glory
he was
hungry to
be in his
presence
forever
he was
praying to
his father
to bring
him home
he wanted
to be safe
in the
presence of
his father
he wanted
to be
reunited
with him
in heaven
so you
see that
there is
this
tremendous
unity
and oneness
in the
way that
God
relates
within
himself
father
son
holy
spirit
all
different
in
role
but one
in
unity
and
purpose
and that
dynamic
has
implications
for a
lot of
things
but two
God
given
institutions
in
particular
church
and
marriage
in
church
we aren't
united
by brand
being
Anglican
is not
what gives
us
unity
is found
by belief
in a
message
John 17
verses
20
21
Jesus
prays
my prayer
is not
for them
alone
I pray
also for
those
who will
believe
in me
through
their
message
that all
of them
may be
one
father
just as
you
are in
me
and I
am
in
you
may
they
also
be
in
us
so that
the world
may
believe
that
you
have
sent
me
Jesus
prays
for us
the
bishop
said
that
last
week
he's
praying
for
us
2000
years
ago
we
have
come
to
know
Jesus
if
we've
come
to
Christ
that's
an
answer
to
Jesus
prayer
we
have
which
has
been
empowered
by
the
spirit
of
the
living
God
not
united
by
brand
Anglican
Baptist
Pentecostal
isn't
what gives
us
unity
comes
from a
common
belief
in
Jesus
Christ
we
have
come
to
know
God
through
the
scriptures
it
is
a
spirit
empowered
work
that
turns
the
lights
on
and
hand
in
hand
with
unity
comes
love
verse
26
chapter
17
John
17
I
have
made
you
known
to
them
and
will
continue
to
make
you
known
in
order
that
the
love
that
you
have
for
me
may
be
in
them
and
that
I
myself
may
be
in
them
Jesus
is
about
to
be
executed
and
he
is
totally
confident
how
much
his
father
loves
him
John
chapter
3
the
father
loves
the
son
and
has
placed
everything
in
his
hands
John
chapter
5
the
father
loves
the
son
and
shows
him
all
that
we
talked
about
this
at
staff
the
other
day
I
was
supposed
to
say
a
wise
Christian
said
this
but
I
think
it
was
Steve
and
he
said
this
is
like
a
group
hug
or a
love
in
the
father
loves
the
son
the
son
loves
the
father
and
Jesus
brings
us
into
the
hug
in
order
that
the
love
you
have
in
me
may
be
in
them
may
be
in
us
one
of
the
own
for
the
way
that
we
love
one
another
that
the
culture
of
this
congregation
would
be
the
interconnection
and
love
and
care
that
exists
between
the
members
of
this
church
family
widely
across
generations
across
cultures
and
I
would
not
dare
say
that
we
have
arrived
but
what
a
good
thing
for
us
to
shoot
for
true
love
and
unity
between
us
that
reflects
the
greater
love
and
unity
which
is
to
be
found
in
God
himself
it
bears
witness
to
our
heavenly
father's
love
and
goodness
and
it
gives
him
the
glory
marriage
is
similar
you
can
take
for
granted
that
love
should
be
central
in
a
marriage
people
don't
talk
about
weddings
without
talking
love
you
know
wedding
cards
have
happy
couples
surrounded
by
love
hearts
don't
they
and
we
know
from
our
own
marriages
I
know
from
my
own
marriage
that
lots
of
marriages
come
up
short
people
are
bruised
expectations
aren't
met
roles
are
confused
trust
is
shattered
the
focus
shifts
from
a
servant
hearted
care
of
one
another
of
the
other
and
for
some
of
us
marriage
is a
war
zone
with
damage
and
rubble
which
is
all
over
the
place
love
is
lost
and
unity
is
nowhere
to
be
seen
Kerry
and
I
needed
considerable
help
a small
number
of
years
ago
to
work
through
a lot
of
damage
grace
of
God
we
had
huge
help
great
show
on the
ABC
at the
moment
Thursday
nights
don't
look at
next
week
go back
and
look
from
the
beginning
watch
from
the
beginning
but
called
making
couples
happy
and
it
follows
four
couples
whose
marriages
are in
chaos
and in
real
danger
of
all
age
husbands
and
wives
and
the
roles
they
play
or
1
Peter
chapter
1
like
verse
3
1
Peter
chapter
3
verse
1
wives
in
the
same
way
submit
yourselves
to
your
own
husbands
so that
if any
of them
do not
believe
the
word
they
may
be
won
over
without
words
by the
behaviour
of
their
wives
passages
like
that
are
very
abrasive
when
you
view
them
from
the
actuality
of the
broken
landscapes
that
we're
living
in
and the
potential
for abuse
and the
experience
of that
by both
husbands
and wives
is real
and it
is extremely
painful
God
has not
called us
to order
and to
roles
to inflict
pain
he has
called us
to the
sheer
beauty
of love
and unity
that he
is
the
father
who loves
his son
the
son
who
delights
to
submit
to
his
father
the
holy
spirit
who
does
the
bidding
of
the
father
and
the
son
working
powerfully
in
and
through
us
equals
as
God
unified
in
purpose
different
in
how
they
do
their
work
within
the
team
there's
no
quick
fix
to
a
badly
damaged
marriage
if
that
is
you
may
need
significant
help
and
assistance
and
you
need
to
submit
to
it
and
we
can
point
you
in
a
few
directions
but
it
is
a
word
to
all
of
us
who
are
married
that
unity
and
love
are
there
to
be
built
and
perhaps
to
be
rediscovered
and
a
constructive
place
to
start
is
in
meditating
on
who
God
himself
is
the
son
who
is
so
confident
of
his
father's
love
that
he
submits
to
his
will
and
he
lays
down
his
life
for
the
church
the
father
who
glorifies
his
son
the
son
who
delights
to
glorify
his
father
a
husband
and
a
wife
who
are
looking
out
for
the
other
a
husband
and
a
wife
who
delight
in
each
other
a
husband
and
a
wife
who
are
full
equals
a
husband
and
a
wife
who
delight
to
take
different
parts
in the
marriage
a
husband
and
a
wife
who
do
not
abuse
the
power
of
leadership
or
the
power
of
submission
a
husband
and
wife
who
glory
in
the
other
marriage
finds
its
true
purpose
in the
nature
of
our
God
who
created
it
may
God
richly
bless
our
marriages
and
our
church
as
we
seek
to
reflect
the
glory
of
God
Father
Son
and
Holy
Spirit
in
these
most
crucial
of
all
relationships
may
the
love
of
God
be
seen
in
our
marriages
may
it
be
seen
in
our
church
the
Lord
Jesus
says
by
this
everyone
will
know
that
you
are
my
disciples
if
you
love
one
another
I
will
be
glorified
if
you
love
one
another
Amen
Lord
Jesus
please
help us
to love
one
another
we
know
that
when
we
look
at
you
in
all
your
perfect
magnificence
we
just
come
up
so
far
short
and
yet
we
thank
you
that
you
have
revealed
yourself
to
us
and
something
of
the
magnificence
of
who
you
are
and
that
as
we
look
to
you
Lord
Jesus
you
help
us
to
make
sense
of
the
most
intimate
of
human
relationships
and
marriages
but
also
in
this
most
essential
of
relationships
that
you
have
brought
your
people
into
which
is
your
church
and
so
father
in
mercy
and
forgiveness
and
with
grace
and
with
kindness
might
we
relate
with
love
to
one
another
in
our
marriages
and
also
in
this
church
Amen