Knowing God - Lesson 8: “God and the Universe” - Cameron Jungels - Wed PM, March 5, 2014

“Knowing
God” Lesson 8: “God
and the Universe” (Eastside Baptist/Wed PM/March 5, 2014) 
God and
the Universev  Universe = whatever is created or all
that is not God.
v  Includes everything that God has made,
whether material or immaterial, living or inanimate, including intelligent and
moral beings. The
Decree of God
v  God’s decree involves his eternal plan
or purpose in creating, sustaining, and guiding the universe.
v  Strong: “that eternal plan by which
God has rendered certain all the events of the universe, past, present, and
future.”
v  Hodge: “The decrees of God are his
eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his own will, whereby for his own
glory He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.” 
1. God’s
plan is singular. 
v  One all-inclusive and comprehensive
purpose, plan, and will.
v  All individual plans/decrees are
united under one eternal purpose.
v  Only the actual not potential. 
In him we
were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who
works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (Eph. 1:11,
NIV)  according to
his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Eph. 3:11,
NIV)  
And we know
that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, NIV) 
2. God’s
plan is freely made. 
v  God’s plan arises from his own will
and good pleasure.
v  He is under no coercion
to act by any outside influences.
v  He freely plans and does what is
pleasing to him and brings him glory. 
Who can
fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor?  Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or
showed him the path of understanding? 
(Isa. 40:13-14, NIV) 
3. God’s
plan is eternal. 
v  God’s plan has been purposed from all
eternity.
v  There was never a time when there
wasn’t a plan.
v  God’s plan is eternally
contemporaneous and simultaneous 
He was chosen
before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your
sake. (1 Pet. 1:20, NIV) 
He has saved
us and called us to a holy life-- not because of anything we have done but
because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus
before the beginning of time, (2 Tim. 1:9, NIV) 
"Have you
not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have
brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.
(Isa. 37:26, NIV) 
4. God’s
plan is changeless. 
v  Just as God’s plan is freely made
without outside influences, God’s plan is not altered or hindered by outside
influences or events.
v  God has no plan B, only one perfect,
changeless plan. 
This man was
handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with
the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. (Acts
2:23, NIV) 
Every good
and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly
lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (Jas. 1:17, NIV) 
Remember the
former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God,
and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from
ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will
do all that I please.' (Isa. 46:9–10, NIV) 
5. God’s
plan is universal. 
v  God’s plan comprehends all things
(entities, actions, events, etc.) that come to pass, whether good or bad,
righteous or sinful, necessary or contingent, humanly purposed or fortuitous. 
The LORD
works out everything to its proper end-- even the wicked for a day of disaster.
(Prov. 16:4, NIV) 
And we know
that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, NIV) 
In him we
were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who
works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (Eph. 1:11,
NIV) 
Stability
of the Universe
Your
faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and
it endures. (Psalm 119:90, NIV) 
Rise
and Fall of Rulers
Let everyone
be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that
which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by
God. (Romans 13:1, NIV) 
All the
peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the
powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or
say to him: "What have you done?" (Dan. 4:35, NIV) 
Length
of Life
Your eyes saw
my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before
one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16, NIV) 
A person's
days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set
limits he cannot exceed. (Job 14:5, NIV) 
Just as
people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, (Heb. 9:27,
NIV) 
Circumstances
of Life
In their
hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps. (Prov.
16:9, NIV) 
Now listen,
you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a
year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know
what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a
little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the
Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." (Jas. 4:13–15, NIV) 
Free
Acts of People
You intended
to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done,
the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20, NIV) 
The Son of
Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!"
(Lk. 22:22, NIV) 
From the east
I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What
I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.
(Isa. 46:11, NIV) 
For we are God's
handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:10, NIV) 
Salvation
of Believers
he
predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with
his pleasure and will-- (Eph. 1:5, NIV) 
Peter, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles …, who have been chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work
of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood...
(1 Pet. 1:1-2, NIV) 
And those he
predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he
justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:30, NIV) 
Perdition
of the Ungodly
"A stone
that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble
because they disobey the message-- which is also what they were destined for.
(1 Pet. 2:8, NIV) 
What if God,
although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great
patience the objects of his wrath-- prepared for destruction? What if he did
this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he
prepared in advance for glory--even us, whom he also called, not only from the
Jews but also from the Gentiles? (Romans 9:22-24, NIV) 
Seemingly
Insignificant Details
The lot is
cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. (Prov. 16:33, NIV) 
Are not two
sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside
your Father's care.  And even the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. 
(Matt. 10:29-30, NIV) 
6. God’s
plan is unconditional. 
v  God’s plan is not contingent on
anything else.
v  Hodge: “its execution does not depend
upon anything that has not itself been decreed.”
v  God’s plan encompasses the ends and
the means. 
In him we
were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who
works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (Eph. 1:11,
NIV) 
For from him
and through him and for him are all things. (Romans 11:36, NIV) 
7. God’s
plan is certain. 
v  God’s plan is not contingent or merely
possible.
v  God’s decree renders events certain.
All that God plans will come to pass. 
For the LORD
Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and
who can turn it back? (Isa. 14:27, NIV) 
8. God’s
plan preserves human accountability. 
v  God’s eternal, unchangeable, certain
plan is compatible with the free choices of human beings and their
accountability for their actions.
v  Certainty does not mean compulsion. 
The Son of
Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!"
(Lk. 22:22, NIV) 
9. God’s
plan is centered in Jesus Christ.
v  Christ’s Redemption, Resurrection, and
Reign are at the center of God’s plan for the universe. 
In the past
God spoke to our ancestors 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 also he made the universe. The Son is the
radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining
all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Heb. 1:1–3, NIV) 
10. God’s
plan is directed toward God’s glory. 
v  The ultimate purpose of all that God
does is to bring him honor and glory.
v  Everything in the universe flows from
him and returns to him for his glory. 
For he chose
us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his
sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace,
which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Eph. 1:4-6, NIV) 
Oh, the depth
of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his
judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of
the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?" For from him and through him and for him are
all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33–36, NIV) 
Two
Aspects of God’s Will
v  Decreed Will (Secret)
Ø  What God has purposed/planned to do
and will happen. 
v  Prescriptive Will (Revealed)
Ø  What God has commanded and expects to
be obeyed. 
Implications
v  Not fatalism
v  The means as well as the ends
Ø  The causes and the effects
v  Unknown until after the fact
v  Consistent with human responsibility
v  Encourages human participation

Knowing God - Lesson 7: “The Goodness of God” - Cameron Jungels - Wed PM, Feb. 26, 2014

“Knowing God”
Lesson 7: “The Goodness of God” (Eastside Baptist/Wed PM/Feb. 26, 2014)
The Attributes of God
v  God’s
attributes are his essential characteristics or the necessary parts of his
nature.
v  God’s
attributes can be classified according to those of his greatness and
those of his goodness.
v  The
key difference between the two kinds of God’s attributes is the word “share.”
v  God’s
greatness cannot be shared or imitated; God’s goodness can be shared or
imitated by human beings.
The Attributes of God’s Goodness
v  God’s
attributes of goodness are those qualities that express God’s character in
relationship to his creatures.
v  By
grace, in dependence on the Spirit, and in a finite way, we can emulate these
qualities.
1. God is holy.
Separate from Creation
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and
exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above
him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their
faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And
they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isa. 6:1–3 NIV)
Separate from Sin and Evil
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you
do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Pet. 1:15–16
NIV)
2. God is truthful.
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (Jn. 17:3 NIV)
in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie,
promised before the beginning of time, (Tit. 1:2 NIV)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Jn. 14:6 NIV)
3. God is loving.
God’s Will to Love
The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you
because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of
all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore
to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you
from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deut. 7:7–8
NIV)
God’s Love & Other Attributes
The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full
of his unfailing love. (Ps. 33:5 NIV)
God’s Love Is Sacrificial
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (Jn.
3:16 NIV)
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one
and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins. (1 Jn. 4:9–10 NIV)
God’s Love Is Unconditional
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8 NIV)
God’s Love Is Eternal
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have
loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
(Jer. 31:3 NIV)
4. God is righteous.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the
greatness of our God!  He is the Rock,
his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no
wrong, upright and just is he.  (Deut.
32:3–4 NIV)
5. God is faithful.
Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you
established the earth, and it endures. (Ps. 119:90 NIV)
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to
mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you
can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you
can endure it. (1 Co. 10:13 NIV)
6. God is merciful.
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for
his compassions never fail.  They are new
every morning; great is your faithfulness. 
(Lam. 3:22–23 NIV)
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising
sun will come to us from heaven  79
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our
feet into the path of peace."  (Lk.
1:78–79 NIV)
7. God is gracious.
God’s Common Grace
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you,  that you may be children
of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  (Matt. 5:44–45 NIV)
God’s Saving Grace
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and
this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no
one can boast.  (Eph. 2:8–9 NIV)
And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were,
grace would no longer be grace. (Rom. 11:6 NIV)
Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift
but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who
justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. (Rom. 4:4–5
NIV)
and all are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Rom. 3:24 NIV)
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by
grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring-- not only to those who
are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the
father of us all. (Rom. 4:16 NIV)
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to
be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to
sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the
praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he
loves.  In him we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's
grace that he lavished on us. (Eph. 1:4–8 NIV)

Knowing God - Lesson 6: “The Greatness of God” - Cameron Jungels - Wed PM, Feb. 19, 2014

“Knowing God” (Eastside
Baptist/Wed PM/Feb. 19, 2014)
Lesson 6: “The Greatness of God”
The Attributes of God
v  God’s
attributes are his essential characteristics or the necessary parts of his
nature.
v  God’s
attributes can be classified according to those of his greatness and
those of his goodness.
The Attributes of God’s Greatness
v  God’s
attributes of greatness have to do with those qualities that are God’s and
God’s alone.
v  Human
Beings can in no way emulate or copy these.
v  God’s
attributes of greatness are his qualities of infinity.
1. God is self-existent.
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are
to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exod. 3:14 NIV)
For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the
Son also to have life in himself. (Jn. 5:26 NIV)
2. God is perfect.
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are
just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. (Deut. 32:4
NIV)
3. God is all-powerful.
Power in Creation
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry
host by the breath of his mouth.  He
gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let
all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he
spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Ps. 33:6–9 NIV)
Power in Control of History
From one man he made all the nations, that they should
inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and
the boundaries of their lands. (Acts 17:26 NIV)
For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his
purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until
God's words are fulfilled. (Rev. 17:17 NIV)
Sovereignty in Lives of People
"I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours
can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my plans without
knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful
for me to know. (Job 42:2-3 NIV)
4. God is all-knowing.
Complete Knowledge of Creation
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by
name. (Ps. 147:4 NIV)
Knowledge of Potential Events
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if
the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon,
they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (Matt. 11:21 NIV)
Knowledge of Smallest Details
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
(Matt. 10:30 NIV)
Knowledge and God’s Will
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them
will fall to the ground outside your Father's care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. (Matt. 10:29-30 NIV)
Knowledge of Past, Present, Future
Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and
there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end
from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My
purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.' From the east I summon a
bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have
said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. (Isa. 46:9–11
NIV)
5. God is all-present.
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your
presence? (Ps. 139:7 NIV)
"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even
the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!
(1 Ki. 8:27 NIV)
6. God is all-wise.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?" For from him
and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
(Rom. 11:33–36 NIV)
7. God is eternal.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all
generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole
world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.  (Ps. 90:1-2 NIV)
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God,
"who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8
NIV)
8. God is unchanging.
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes
of his heart through all generations. (Ps. 33:11 NIV)
"I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of
Jacob, are not destroyed. (Mal. 3:6 NIV)

Knowing God - Lesson 5 - Cameron Jungels - Wed PM, Feb. 5, 2014

“Knowing God” (Eastside
Baptist/Wed PM/Feb. 5, 2014)
Review
v  The
Existence and Self-Revelation of God
v  God
as a Personal Being
v  God
as a Triune Being
Lesson 5: “The Immanence and Transcendence of God”
Immanence and Transcendence are aspects of
God’s nature that have to do with his relationship to the world.
1. The Immanence of God
What is God’s Immanence?
v  God’s
nearness to the world and its creatures.
v  “God’s
presence and activity within nature, human nature, and history.” – M. Erickson
God’s Presence and Nearness
Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD. (Jer.
23:24, NIV)
27 God did this so that they would seek him and
perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of
us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of
your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ (Acts 17:27–28, NIV)
God’s Spirit and Creation
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Gen.
1:2, NIV)
Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living
being. (Gen. 2:7, NIV)
God’s Spirit Sustaining all things
as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my
nostrils, (Job 27:3, NIV)
The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty
gives me life. (Job 33:4, NIV)
14 If it were his intention and he withdrew his
spirit and breath, 15 all humanity would perish together and mankind
would return to the dust. (Job 34:14-15, NIV)
29 When you hide your face, they are terrified;
when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. 30
When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the
ground. (Ps. 104:29-30, NIV)
God’s Providence in all Creation
45 that you may be children of your Father in
heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on
the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matt. 5:45, NIV)
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about
your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look
at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field
grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and
tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-- you of
little faith? (Matt. 6:25-30, NIV)
Immanence out of Balance
v  God
becomes inseparably linked to creation.
v  His
nature as a personal, relational being, distinct from creation becomes lost.
v  Pantheism
v  Liberalism
v  Panentheism
v  Process
Theology
Applications of God’s Immanence
v  Mindful
of God’s works in ordinary providence
v  God’s
use of unbelieving people and entities
v  Care
and concern for creation
v  General
revelation
v  Gospel
opportunities
2. The Transcendence of God
What is God’s Transcendence?
v  God’s
“distance,” distinctiveness and “otherness” from creation
v  “God
is separate from and independent of nature and humanity.” – M. Erickson
God’s Transcendence above creation
Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on
high, 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? (Ps.
113:5-6, NIV)
But he continued, "You are from below; I am from above.
You are of this world; I am not of this world. (Jn. 8:23, NIV)
God’s exalted knowledge
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts. (Isa. 55:8-9, NIV)
God’s Holiness (Set-apartness)
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and
exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2
Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their
faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3
And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD
Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."4 At the sound
of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled
with smoke. 5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For
I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my
eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (Isa. 6:1-5, NIV)
Transcendence and Immanence
For this is what the high and exalted One says-- he who
lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but
also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of
the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isa. 57:15, NIV)
Transcendence out of Balance
v  When
transcendence is emphasized, to the exclusion of immanence, we lose the dynamic
activity of God, personally and intimately in the world he created and guides.
Applications of God’s Transcendence
v  God
who is greater than humanity, source and foundation of truth, beauty, and
goodness.
v  Incapable
of full description or comprehension
v  Salvation
is not a human work
v  Creator-creature
distinction: we will always be created beings, even after glorification.
v  Reverence
is an essential component of worship.
v  We
pray to a transcendent God who can do the supernatural.
Keeping it in Balance
v  God
is both immanent and transcendent. Both are a part of his nature as God.
v  Over-emphasizing
immanence tends toward pantheism.
v  Over-emphasizing
transcendence tends toward deism or agnosticism.
24 "The God who made the world and everything
in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by
human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed
anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything
else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should
inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and
the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would
seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from
any one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'
As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' (Acts 17:24-28,
NIV)

Knowing God - Lesson 4 - The Trinity (Part 2) - Cameron Jungles - Wed PM, Jan. 29, 2014

“Knowing God”: Lesson 4: “1 + 1 + 1 = 1?” (Part 2)
(Eastside Baptist/Wed PM/Jan. 29, 2014)
 
1. In terms of their essence or being, the three
persons of the Trinity have full equality.
v  Each
person of the Trinity is fully and completely God.
v  Each
person of the Trinity has all the attributes of God.
ü  Eternality
ü  Power
ü  Omniscience
ü  Omnipresence
ü  Holiness
ü  Truth
ü  Love
v  The
persons of the Trinity are not just three different ways of looking at the one
being of God.
v  There
are three distinct persons, and the being of each person is equal to the whole
being of God.
v  There
is no difference between the persons of the Trinity in terms of essence or
attributes; the only difference is in the way they relate to each other
and to creation.
 
2. In terms of their functions and roles,
there is subordination in the economic arrangement of the Trinity.
v  The
persons of the Trinity eternally exist as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
v  The
persons of the Trinity have different primary functions in relating to
the world.
v  The
Father is the originating cause, or the personal source, of:
ü  Creation
ü  Revelation
ü  Redemption
v  The
Son is the instrumental cause, or the personal agent, through
whom the Father works to bring about:
ü  Creation
ü  Revelation
ü  Redemption
v  The
Holy Spirit is the dynamic cause, or the personal force, by whom
the Father brings about these divine activities through the Son:
ü  Creation
ü  Revelation
ü  Redemption
 
When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made
subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
(1 Co. 15:28, NIV)
 
Main Idea: The three
persons of the Trinity are equal in essence and being, but they fulfill
particular roles and functions in their relationship with each other and with
the world.

Knowing God - Lesson 3 - The Biblical Explanation of the Triunity of God - Cameron Jungles - Wed 1/22/14

“Knowing God”
Lesson 3: “1 + 1 + 1 = 1?”
 
1. The Biblical Explanation of the Triunity of God.
 
* There is only One God.
 
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the
LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength. (Deut. 6:4-5, NIV)
 
* The One God is Three Persons.
 
- The three persons are distinct.
 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (Jn. 1:1-2, NIV)
 
- The three persons have unity.
 
I and the Father are one. (Jn. 10:30, NIV)
 
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:19–20, NIV)
 
* There is only One God.
 
* The One God is Three Persons.
 
* Each person is fully God.
-         
The Father is God.
-         
Jesus is God.
-         
The Holy Spirit is God.
 
* Putting the 3 truths together.
-         
God is one in essence.
-         
God is three in person.
 
2. Unbiblical explanations of the Triunity of God.
 
* If the truth that there is only one God is denied, the
result is Tri-theism.
 
* If the truth that there are three distinct persons is
denied, the result is Modalism.
 
* If the truth that all three persons are fully God is
denied, the result is Arianism.
 
3. Why is the Doctrine of the Trinity important?
 
* It is essential to our understanding of God.
 
* It is essential to our salvation.

Knowing God - Lesson 2 - The Person of God - Cameron Jungles - Wed PM 1/15/14

“Knowing God” Lesson 2: “The Person of God”
 
1. God is a Person.
 
* God is Spirit.
 
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit
and in truth." (Jn. 4:24, NIV)
 
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is
himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
(Jn. 1:18, NIV)
 
* God is Living.
 
But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the
eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure
his wrath. (Jer. 10:10, NIV)
 
* God is Intelligent.
 
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations, by
understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the watery depths
were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. (Prov. 3:19-20, NIV)
 
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Rom.
11:33, NIV)
 
* God is Purposeful.
 
This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the
hand stretched out over all nations. For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and
who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? (Isa.
14:26-27, NIV)
 
From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land,
a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I
have planned, that I will do. (Isa. 46:11, NIV)
 
* God is Active.
 
In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always
at his work to this very day, and I too am working." (Jn. 5:17, NIV)
 
for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order
to fulfill his good purpose. (Phil. 2:13, NIV)
 
* God is Free.
 
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He
does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one
can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?" (Dan.
4:35, NIV)
 
* God is Self-Conscious.
 
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are
to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exod. 3:14, NIV)
 
* God is Emotional.
 
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and
rich in love. (Ps. 145:8, NIV)
 
2. Why is the fact that God is a person significant?
 
* The Personality of God gives significance to prayer.
 
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for
they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them,
for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matt. 6:7-8, NIV)
 
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1
Pet. 5:7, NIV)
 
* The Personality of God gives significance to worship.
 
"With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To
whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their
bags and weigh out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into
a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and
carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it
cannot move. Even though someone cries out to it, it cannot answer; it cannot
save them from their troubles. (Isa. 46:5–7, NIV)
 
* The Personality of God gives significance to service.
 
To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ
so powerfully works in me. (Col. 1:29, NIV)

Knowing God - Lesson 1 “Who Is God?” - Cameron Jungles Wed PM 1/8/14

“Knowing God”
 
This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise boast of
their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their
riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the
understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice
and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.
(Jer. 9:23–24, NIV)

 Lesson 1
 
“Who Is God?”
 
The Existence &
Self-Revelation of God
 
1. Who Is God?
 
Improper Views of God
Ø  Atheism
Ø  Agnosticism
Ø  Animism
Ø  Pantheism
Ø  Henotheism
Ø  Polytheism
Ø  Deism
 
Definition of God
Ø  God
is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source,
support, and end.
Ø  God
is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power,
holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
 
2. How can I know God exists?
 
God’s Existence
Ø  Assumed
in Scripture w/o proof
Ø  God
is under no obligation to prove to man that he exists.
Ø  Proof
of God’s existence is not necessary because everyone already has an innate knowledge
of God (Psalm 19; Romans 1).
 
God’s Existence
Ø  Existence
of God must be accepted by faith not reason.
Ø  Rational
arguments are inadequate to prove the existence of God.
Ø  We
know God because he has revealed himself to us.
 
3. How can I know God?
 
General Revelation
Ø  Declares
God’s existence and greatness through his works
ü  Creation
ü  Man’s
Conscience
ü  Providence/History
Ø  Lays
framework for special revelation
Ø  Insufficient
for salvation
 
Special Revelation
Ø  Declares
God’s goodness and saving grace through his words
ü  Direct
Revelation
ü  Angels
ü  Prophets/Apostles
– Bible
ü  Jesus
Christ
Ø  Completes/interprets
general rev.
Ø  Sufficient
for salvation