Let me add my hello to you and my welcome to church.
My voice is particularly bassy tonight and I apologise for that.
I'll do my best not to cough over the microphone.
We are beginning a new series tonight which is very exciting.
It's exciting because of the topic.
It's also daunting as a preacher.
We're beginning a series called Knowing God
which we are going to sit in for the next six weeks.
And the goal of this series is, like it sounds,
for us to really reflect on and soak in who God is,
to look at his character, to try and understand him better.
I want to recommend a couple of books to you right up front.
We stole the title from this book, Knowing God by J.I. Packer
which is a sensational read.
We're not following the book necessarily
but it is a great book for the sort of things
that we're going to be looking at and wrestling with
over the next couple of weeks.
And this slightly smaller book by Bruce Ware
called Father, Son and Holy Spirit
I have found particularly helpful
as I have wrestled with the doctrine of the Trinity
which we are going to do over the next six weeks.
It may feel daunting even to use that word Trinity
as we get ready for six weeks of wrestling with it.
And you may be sitting there thinking, why this?
Surely there are many other series that we could look at.
There might be really specific practical concerns
that you would love us to wrestle with.
Maybe your work-life balance.
Maybe your finances.
Maybe any number of other things.
But we have chosen this
and it's worth us asking the question why.
Because there is a danger in a series like this.
There is a danger when we wrestle with who God is
when we wrestle with theology ultimately.
That's what we're doing.
There's the danger that we approach it
simply with the goal that we will know stuff.
That we will have more anecdotes about who God is.
That we will have more ammunition to shout back at people
when we get in arguments at work or uni or school.
There is of course the danger that we are just doing this series
so that we know more stuff about God.
If that is our goal, if that is your goal,
you are on a path to self-satisfaction,
self-condemnation and self-righteousness
which are all of no value.
And so we need to be really careful about our motivations
when we look at something like the character of God.
We need to ensure that we're coming at this
for more than just information.
Theology is one of those nerdy words
which sometimes immediately gives us a picture
of just library, university, high pants,
whatever other things you're thinking of.
We need to ensure that that's not our goal for this series.
It's not our goal ever when we open the Bible
and particularly as we wrestle with knowing God,
we don't just want to know more stuff about God at the end.
If that's where we get to,
we will have wasted six weeks of time together
and six weeks of opening the Bible together.
So theology, which is basically the study of God,
is a gift.
It is something in which we can find great encouragement.
Let me read to you the words of a very, very great preacher,
Charles Spurgeon, when beginning a sermon at the age of 20,
which is slightly intimidating.
But let me read you very briefly his introduction
as he began wrestling with this topic specifically.
He said that the most excellent study for expanding the soul
is the science of Christ and him crucified
and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity.
Nothing will so enlarge the intellect,
nothing so magnify the whole soul of a man
as a devout, earnest, continued investigation
of the great subject of the deity.
And whilst humbling and expanding,
this subject is eminently consolatory.
Oh, there is, in contemplating Christ,
a balm for every wound.
In musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief.
And in the influence of the Holy Ghost,
there is a balsam for every sore.
Would you lose your sorrow?
Would you drown your cares?
Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea.
Be lost in his immensity,
and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest,
refreshed and invigorated.
I know nothing which can so comfort the soul,
so calm the swelling billows of sorrow and grief,
so speak peace to the winds of trial
as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead.
He finds in his study of God
comfort, encouragement, challenge, rebuke,
healing, inspiration,
and that is why we're going to spend some time
wrestling with what is a difficult topic.
I want to acknowledge that it'll be hard
for the next six weeks,
but it's worth it for those reasons
that he has just articulated for us.
Theology is a gift to us for our sake.
It's not a pointless exercise.
It is a gift that God has given us,
but more than a gift, it is a necessity.
According to Jesus himself,
the eternal life that we have is knowing God.
In John 17, he says it explicitly,
this is eternal life that they may know you,
the one true God.
And so we must do theology,
because that is the life that Jesus has died
and risen again to give us.
But as well as being a gift
and as well as being a necessity,
theology is, as Spurgeon has said,
incredibly practical.
You might think of other places you want to start,
thinking about the character of God
may appear abstract,
but we need to remember that God
is the ultimate reality in the universe.
He is the defining true thing.
He is the measure for all other things.
He is the means and the necessary means
by which we can look at other things,
look at our finances,
look at our work-life balance,
look at whatever else it may be.
It doesn't appear attractive at first.
It's like when you're designing a house
or going to look at a house that you want to buy.
You don't start with the sewage system.
You start with the veneer on the outside
or what gardens you might have.
The sewage system doesn't appear appealing or attractive,
but a house is not functional
if it doesn't have some sort of sewage system.
Fairly soon, if you completely neglected
to ensure that it was working,
it would destroy the nice grass
and the nice veneer and the nice carpets in your house.
Now, of course, there's a problem there
because we're saying that God is like sewage,
but the point is it doesn't appear attractive
in a setting like this with the Bible open
to go straight to just thinking about who God is.
We want to jump to the more interesting stuff,
the stuff that really touches us immediately,
like sexual purity,
like generosity,
like love.
But unless we understand the character of God,
we can't do those things
because the character of God is central.
He is the thing that defines the way we use our finances,
the way we treat one another,
the way we use our time.
And so we will begin this year
by wrestling with what appears abstract,
with what might be intimidating,
with what might be scary,
and we will wrestle with our God who is Trinity.
The passages that Tim read out for us before
in the Philippians passage,
Paul expresses a deep desire that he might know God.
And I want to begin,
you may think I've already begun,
I want to begin by asking the question,
what can we actually know about God?
As Christians,
we love to talk about having a relationship with God.
That sounds fantastic,
but what do we even mean by that?
I mean,
God is
up there,
isn't he?
So when we describe a relationship with God,
do we mean the same thing that we mean
when we talk about relationships with one another?
How do relationships work when you meet somebody?
You initiate them by slowly getting to know them.
The relationship only works if both parties
are gradually giving more of themselves,
and giving more access of themselves to the other person.
And progressively,
as you learn more of what things excite them,
and what things upset them,
and what things anger them,
and you become invested in those things,
and you become excited by what excites them,
and saddened by what saddens them,
and offended by what offends them,
your relationship grows,
and is strengthened,
and you come closer together.
I don't mean merely romantic relationships.
This might be just a friend that you meet,
this might be an acquaintance,
this could even be a family member.
I am enjoying getting to know my son at the moment.
We've only had him for 10 months,
and progressively,
as he discovers more of who he is,
he's able to disclose more of who he is
to me and Sal as well.
And so as we get to know him,
he gets to know more of us,
and the relationship grows.
For a relationship,
there needs to be some sort of access given.
And when there's a superior in the relationship,
the access is entirely one directional.
Imagine for a second
that you have won some sort of lottery,
and you are given the opportunity to meet the queen.
And not just that meet the queen
where you stand in a queue,
shake the hand,
or curtsy,
or whatever,
and then she moves on
and pays no attention to you,
but meet the queen
in a way where you get to sit down with her,
have some face time,
just you and her.
And initially,
you sit down,
and if she was to insist
that you referred to her as her majesty,
if she was to limit the discussion
to the weather,
or the current affairs that were going on,
you might walk away a little bit disappointed,
because even though you had met her,
and you had spoken to her,
and you knew her name,
you probably wouldn't say
you had a relationship with her.
But if she was to invite you in,
and as you sat down,
she said,
please call me Liz.
And she began to give you a little bit more access
to who she is.
She began to share her frustration
at the comical version of a family that she has.
She began to talk about and discuss
the things that have been difficult in her lifetime.
She began to share some of her personal experiences.
She began to let you in
to see who she is
and what matters to her.
Only then
would you begin to feel like
there was some sort of relationship.
And can you see that
you can only have a relationship
in so much as she
reveals herself to you?
It's entirely her prerogative.
As the queen,
she could just ring her secret service
and probably find out
everything there is to know about you.
But for you to know her,
she needs to make a decision
that she will show herself to you.
Only what is revealed can be known.
And the same is true of us and God.
There is a relationship between us and God,
but it's not a relationship between equals.
Our relationship with God is limited
to what He shows us of Himself.
And so really quickly,
I want to have a look at how He shows us Himself.
The Bible tells us in Romans chapter 1
that in nature,
we get a bit of a glimpse into God.
In nature,
we begin to see that God is powerful and immense.
We get to see that God is sovereign,
that God is in control,
that God looks after and sustains
even the little things,
that God can control the storms
and the seasons
and the days
and the nights
and the years
and the generations.
But it's not until we get to Jesus
that we begin to see
some serious revealing,
some serious revelation.
There is a verse at the beginning
of the book of Hebrews.
Sorry,
I should have bookmarked lots of these,
but I'll flick around.
There is a verse at the very beginning of Hebrews
in Hebrews chapter 1
which says this,
In the past,
God spoke to our forefathers
through the prophets
at many times
and in various ways,
but in these last days
He has spoken to us
by His Son
whom He appointed
heir of all things
and through whom
He made the universe.
God gives Jesus
so that we can see Him,
so that we can get
a fuller picture of Him.
Colossians 1
talks about Jesus
being the exact representation
of the Father in heaven,
that the point of Jesus arriving,
the point of Jesus coming to earth
is so that we can see
what bits of God
He wants us to see,
so that there will be
something on show
that we can begin
to relate to.
He already knows us,
He made us,
He's the Creator,
but the bit that we relate with
is the bit that God
has shown us
and the bit that He has shown us
is His Son, Jesus.
But the amazing good thing
about our God,
even though He is far above us,
even though He is far beyond us,
is that He actually wants
to be known.
Sometimes there is this inkling
that maybe God is happier,
separate from us,
that maybe God kind of humors us
by just dangling a carrot,
but repeatedly throughout Scripture,
God shows us that His desire
is for people,
humans,
to know Him.
In Jeremiah chapter 31,
God makes a covenant
with His people.
Jeremiah 31, 33 says this,
This is the covenant
I will make with the house of Israel.
After that time,
declares the Lord,
I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God
and they will be my people.
No longer will a man
teach his neighbor
or a man his brother
saying,
Know the Lord,
because they will all know me
from the least of them
to the greatest,
declares the Lord.
God's plan from the beginning
was that people would know Him.
People have been missing it
and rejecting it,
but even from way back here
before Jesus,
God's agenda was
that all people would know Him,
not know about Him,
not have some idea who He is,
not be able to spell His name,
but have a relationship with Him.
We flick forward
into the New Testament,
into John chapter 17,
and this time we have Jesus praying.
John 17 is a chapter
we're probably going to go back
to a couple of times
over the next few weeks,
but in John 17 and verse 6,
Jesus says this,
I have revealed you,
talking to His Father in heaven,
to those whom you gave me
out of the world.
The job that Jesus was given
by God
was to reveal God,
to show God,
and so everything He does on earth
is to show us
the God of heaven
so that we might know Him.
The relationship
is not to be just information,
the relationship is to be
information and response.
It's to be head and heart
and hands and feet
and whole of life.
God shows us who He is
that that might shape
who we are
and that that might shape
the lives that we live.
The end point that we see
in Scripture
is every tongue
confessing that Jesus is Lord,
is every knee bowing
because finally they know
who God is,
because finally they are
confronted with His majesty.
God is not hiding,
God's goal is not to be
hard to find,
His goal is that people
would know Him.
So what can we know of God?
We can know what He has revealed
and what has He revealed?
He has revealed Himself
in His Son,
He has revealed Himself
in His creation
and for us He has compiled
those things in Scripture
so that even thousands of years
after Jesus' life,
death and resurrection
we still can meet God.
We can still have Him speak to us.
Our relationship with God
is not exactly like
our other relationships.
relationships.
We can't see God
but we can have Him
speak to us every day.
We can have Him show us
more of His character
through the people around us.
We can have a relationship
with Him.
One thing that we're going
to wrestle with in particular
over the next few weeks
is that God has revealed Himself
as Trinity.
He hasn't used the word
Trinity
and the word is sometimes
something that we trip over
but He has revealed Himself
as a God who is three
and a God who is one.
This is the bit
where we start to get concerned,
our heads start to spin,
we start to get nervous
but the testimony of the Bible
is that God is Father,
God is Son
and God is Holy Spirit.
I want to put it out there
straight away.
this is a truth
that is incomprehensible.
This is a truth
that is beyond us
but it's still true
which means it still matters
and the reason it matters
is because
we can only have a relationship
with what God has revealed to us
and God has revealed to us
that He is Trinity.
So if we're going to have
a relationship with God,
it needs to be
with the God
who is Trinity.
Over the next few weeks
you're going to find
that I repeat myself a lot.
I'm not doing it by accident
hopefully.
There are things
that Scripture testifies to
over and over again.
We will go to verse
after verse
that tells us
that there is one God
and one God alone
and so I will keep telling you that.
We will go to verses
that tell us
that Jesus is God,
that the Spirit is God,
that the Father is God
over and over again
because that is what Scripture tells us.
We are still then standing
in that awkward position
of saying there's one
but there's three
but there's one
but there's three
but we need to be clear
Scripture keeps saying them
so they're true.
What we want to wrestle with,
what do we do with that fact?
That there is a oneness in God,
a unity that cannot be broken,
that cannot be separated
but there is also a distinction,
there is a threeness in God.
So again,
what do we do with that?
Well,
it's okay for us to acknowledge
that it's hard to understand.
We need to remember
that we are trying to
contain a God
who is infinite,
a God who is outside
of this apparently infinite galaxy
that we live in.
He created it
and yet we're trying to collect
all of that power
and majesty
and condense it
into our little brains.
That's never going to work.
I was trying to think
of an illustration
to show us
the difference
between something finite,
trying to understand
something that's infinite
and I couldn't come up
with anything
because there is nothing
that is that ridiculous
and that far apart.
Seriously,
I was asking around
and I was just looking
for something that showed
that the immense gap
between finite and infinite
and finite being contained
and infinite being uncontained
and that trying to understand.
You can't do it
because it is just
so overwhelmingly unrealistic
but yet that is what
we're trying to wrestle
with right now.
And that might be frustrating
and discouraging
but just be reminded
that God wants to be known.
That's His goal
and so He will give us
what we need
to know Him.
He will give us enough
that we can understand
who He is
and that we can have
a relationship with Him.
And so to this point
in terms of what we can know
about God
and the relationship
that we can have
all I want to say
for tonight is
that God has revealed Himself
in nature,
in His Son,
in Scripture
and that revelation is
that God is triune.
that God is one
and God is three
and that's the God
that we are in
a relationship with.
The testimony
of 1 Corinthians 13
which Tim read out,
you might have been wondering
why are we reading
this wedding passage?
If you've got it
in front of you,
have a look
at 1 Corinthians 13.
Verse 9,
We know in part
and we prophesy in part
but when perfection comes
the imperfect disappears.
Now I want to go
down to verse 12.
Now we see
but a poor reflection
as in a mirror.
Then we shall see
face to face.
Now I know in part.
Then I shall know fully
even as I am fully known.
The barrier for us now
is not just
our finiteness
and God's infinity.
The barrier for us now
is the fact
that we are imperfect
and He is perfect.
It is complex.
There's no denying it.
It is difficult.
There's no denying it
but it is true
and the barrier for us
to this truth
is the fact
that we are sinful people
and that is why again
this relationship
we have with God
starts with Him
revealing Himself
not us finding Him.
Not us grasping
who He is.
Not us studying
to a point
where suddenly
we can understand it.
It's necessarily
His initiative
to choose
to reveal to us
and to enable us
to understand
enough of Him
that we might be shaped by it
and that it might change us.
Now because of
the fun that we are going to have
wrestling with the Trinity
for the next six weeks
I wanted to flag for you
that in week five
I know it sounds like
a long way away
in week five
we are actually going to
give some time
in our service
for questions.
Now you might be
a little bit shy
about asking questions
in the service
at any point
between now and then
you can email me a question.
I won't name you
I won't
it would be anonymous
that's fine
but chances are
if you're wrestling with it
there's other people as well
so please be brave enough
to throw it up there
and it will bless all of us
to wrestle with it.
I want to tell you
in advance
I won't have all the answers
but it will be good for us
to see what things
that we are grasping
and what things
we're missing as well together
so that's going to be
in a few weeks.
The Trinity
is a stumbling block
for some of us
because for some of us
we have had different illustrations
thrown at us
over the years
that can be less than helpful.
Well intentioned
but not necessarily helpful.
The water one
is the first one
that came to mind.
We think of the Trinity
as water, steam and ice.
H2O has its three forms.
It's a good idea
there is threeness
but there's not oneness
in the water, steam and ice
because God is one
and three at the same time
whereas water can be water,
ice or steam.
Now someone very smart
in our congregation
has apparently pointed out
to me that it is
actually possible
for water to be the three
at the same time
but I've never heard
that version
of the illustration
with God
so when I was told
the illustration
it was unhelpful.
The point is
the reason the Trinity
can be confusing
is as soon as somebody
gives you something
to help you understand it
you suddenly realise
that that's completely inadequate
and it's actually distracting
and that's kind of encouraging.
If God could be explained
in water, steam and ice
I'd be kind of disappointed.
I don't know
how much confidence
I could have in this
water, steam and ice God
to save me from my sins
and give me eternal life.
It is hard.
It is frustrating.
But the majesty of God
is an encouragement.
It's who He is.
He's not going to dumb it down for us.
He's giving us
enough of Himself
that we might know Him.
And then that verse
in 1 Corinthians 13
Now I know in part
then I shall know fully
even as I am fully known.
Once we have been
fully transformed
once Jesus has come back
then we will get to
grasp and bask in
and rejoice in
and enjoy
God in His fullness.
Without the blinkers
required to stop us
from becoming overwhelmed
we will get God fully
when He finally comes back.
Trinity is who God is
and to reject it
or to avoid it
because it's difficult
is to reject
or avoid God.
Because this is Him.
There is no other version.
To have a different God
than this
is to have a God
that you've made up.
A God who is not God at all.
And so it's important
that we wrestle with this
and so we will.
And we probably will continue to
for many more years
in our lives.
In Matthew 28
the disciples are instructed
to go into all the nations
baptizing into the name
of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
One name.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The God we worship
His name is
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The God who you follow
His name is
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
And so
we are going to wrestle with
we are going to ask God
to give us eyes to see
hearts to understand
that we might be shaped
by who He is
and by His character.
But lastly
tonight was
looking at
what we can know
about God
the relationship
that we can have
and it's kind of
introductory
because we're going to
start looking
at each member
of the Trinity
going forward
but I wanted to
before we finish
quickly wrestle with
what it means
to be known by God
because a relationship
is two way.
God has
the seat
of authority
He's the one
who initiates
He's the one
who reveals
but it is
a relationship
where we know Him
and He knows us.
So what does that mean?
What's so unique
about that?
Because on one level
you could say
God knows everyone
God made everything
God made everyone
Psalm 139
testifies that God
knits us together
in our mother's womb
that He knows
every step
before we take it
and so what do we mean
when we talk about
being known by God
in a relationship
with Him?
Let me take you
to two examples
really quickly
if you're fast
jumping through
your Bible
flick back to
Exodus 33
if not
you can just
listen in
you might be
faster than me
anyway to be honest
with you
Exodus 33
this is an incident
involving Moses
talking to God
and in Exodus 33
beginning at
verse 12
Moses said to the
Lord
you have been
telling me
lead these people
but you have not
let me know
whom you will
send with me
you have said
this is quoting God
I know you
by name
and you have
found favour
with me
if you're
pleased with me
teach me
your ways
so I may
know you
and continue
to find favour
with you
remember that
this nation
is your people
the Lord replied
my presence
will go with you
and I will
give you rest
then Moses
said to him
if your presence
does not go
with us
do not send
us up from here
how will anyone
know that you
are pleased
with me
and with your
people
unless you go
with us
what else
will distinguish
me and your
people from
all the other
people on the
face of the
earth
he's really
keeping it
verse 17
and the Lord
said to Moses
I will do
the very thing
you have asked
because I am
pleased with you
and I know
you by name
God's knowing
of Moses
here is not
simply a
knowledge
about
it's not
simply a
knowledge of
here God's
knowing of
Moses
is directly
connected to
God's saving
work in
Moses
circumstance
God's saving
work in
Israel's
history
God
knowing
Moses
is directly
connected
with God
leading
Israel
out of
Egypt
of his
presence
going
with them
and continuing
to look
after them
really quickly
in the New
Testament
just to show
you that this
isn't just the
Old Testament
before we get
to Jesus
John 10
verse 14
Jesus says
I am the
good shepherd
I know
my sheep
and my
sheep know
me
just as
the Father
knows me
and I
know the
Father
and I
lay down
my life
for the
sheep
I know
my sheep
and my
sheep know
me
there's the
two-way
relationship
that God
has designed
for us
and then at
the end
there I
lay down
my life
for the
sheep
Jesus does
not lay
down his
life for
the sheep
because the
sheep know
him
it's his
knowledge of
the sheep
that moves
him to lay
down his
life
God's
knowing of
us
God's
knowledge
of us
God's
side of
the
relationship
is directly
connected to
his saving
mercy in
our lives
this is an
amazing blessing
because as you
wrestle with
things like
theology and
difficult concepts
like the
trinity
it's easy to
feel inferior
to maybe people
who have
read more
than you
or have
studied more
than you
or know
more than
you or
can use
bigger words
than you
but here
we are
seeing
that the
thing that
saves you
is not
your
knowledge
is not
your level
of understanding
it's God's
knowledge
of you
it's God's
knowing of
you
it's God's
choosing of
you
it's God's
loving of
you
and so that
means that as
we begin this
series we can
take away that
burden of I
need to reach a
point of
knowing a point
of understanding
a point of
knowledge of
this trinity
thing to
really be a
Christian
what God
is saying
is I
know you
I love
you
I know
you inside
out and
I've still
chosen to
love you
even though
I know
everything about
you there is
nothing that
could stop me
from loving
you and so
your knowledge
of him is
just a gift
that he has
given you
the reason it
is worth
wrestling with
things like the
trinity is
because in the
character of
God just like
Spurgeon encourages
us and like
scripture shows us
we find comfort
when we're alone
we find strength
when we are weak
we find healing
when we are sick
our knowing of
God is a gift
because he saved
us not something
that in some way
could earn his
saving for us
it matters that
we wrestle with
the character of
the God that we
follow and serve
because he is the
one who will
shape us to live
life the way he
has designed it
it's God's
knowledge that
saves us
and our
knowledge of
God is merely
a gift for
our joy
for our sake
that we might
know the God
who is love
that we might
know the God
who is hope
that we might
know the God
who is so far
above and beyond
our understanding
that sometimes it
hurts our head
to think about
that is God's
gift to give
us access to
the greatest
thing that there
is himself
as we move
into this series
over the next
few weeks I
want to encourage
you that in the
times where maybe
you're feeling a
little bit
overwhelmed or
discouraged please
persevere
please put up your
hand if you've got
questions please let
us know if you're
struggling to
understand things
because the point
of wrestling with
who God is is
not to know
stuff is not to
show off but is
that all of us
might have our
lives changed
is that all of
us might as we
get to know God
better love him
more and feel
loved by him
more might grasp
more of just the
lengths that he
went to just how
amazing it is that a
God who is one and
three at the same
time would choose to
become human for us
the goal is that he
gets glory and that
we progressively become
more like his son
I'm going to pray for
us and then in just a
second Danny's going to
continue for us
Father God we
acknowledge that there
are aspects of theology
and there are aspects of
studying you and your
character that are
intimidating and
maybe appear
abstract and
potentially even
unhelpful but God
give us the patience
and the perseverance to
push through in those
moments and to
recognize that there is
nothing better than
knowing you
Lord keep us from
settling for a less
version of you than
the one that you have
revealed in scripture
and in your son
Lord as we come up
against things that we
don't understand give us
the humility to
acknowledge it and to
ask for your help
God and I pray that the
result of looking at you
as Father Son and Holy
Spirit will be that we
are more confident in the
forgiveness you have for
us more confident in the
love that you have worked
in Jesus and more excited
to love and serve you with
every minute that you give
us Father we thank you for
your word and pray that by
it you might show us
yourself more clearly and
might change and shape us
that we might shine you
into a world that doesn't
know you
Amen
have a selfish dream
all right
って awesome
tom