Eastside Baptist Church, Winfield, Alabama

“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)

“Dressed In His Righteousness” - Genesis 3:20-24 –
(Eastside
Baptist/Sun PM/Feb. 2, 2014)
Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother
of all the living. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and
clothed them. And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of
us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and
take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD
God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had
been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the
Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard
the way to the tree of life. (Gen. 3:20–24, NIV)
1. Adam responds with faith to the doom of the curse.
Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother
of all the living. (Gen. 3:20, NIV)
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you
return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to
dust you will return." (Gen. 3:19, NIV)
2. God’s grace covers what human effort cannot.
The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and
clothed them. (Gen. 3:21, NIV)
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 the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one
of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and
take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD
God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the
ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on
the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back
and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen. 3:22–24, NIV)
3. God graciously prevents the extension of sin-cursed
life.
Main Idea: God
is the only one who can provide a covering for the guilt of our sin.

“Hallelujah, What a Savior!” - John 6:35-40 –(Eastside Baptist, Sun AM, Feb. 2, 2014) 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 30 So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " 32 Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "always give us this bread." 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (John 6:25–40, NIV)  1. Jesus is a soul-fulfilling Savior.Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35, NIV)2. Jesus is often a rejected Savior. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. (John 6:36, NIV) 3. Jesus is an obedient Savior. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. (John 6:38–39, NIV) 4. Jesus is an unfailing Savior. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (John 6:37, NIV) And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. (John 6:39, NIV) For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." (John 6:40, NIV)Verses 37, 39 -Those given to me by the Father-Will lose none/will not drive away -Will raise them at the last day Verse 40 -Everyone who looks and believes -Will have eternal life -Will raise them at the last dayThose the Father has given me = Everyone who comes/ looks/believes on me All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (John 6:37, NIV)“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:44, NIV)Those the Father has given me = Those drawn by the Father = Everyone who comes/ looks/believes on meWill never drive away = Will lose none = Will have eternal lifeØ  Chosen by the FatherØ  Entrusted to the Son to SaveØ  Drawn by the FatherØ  Awakened to Faith = come, look/believe on JesusØ  Unfailingly kept/preservedØ  Raised to eternal life at the last dayAnd those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Rom 8:30 NIV) What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31 NIV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (Rom 8:35 NIV) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Rom 8:37 NIV) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, (Rom 8:38 NIV) neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8:39 NIV)Main Idea: Jesus is a gracious Savior, who will mightily save every person entrusted to him by the Father. He will satisfy their soul, give them eternal life, unfailingly keep them, and raise them at the last day.

“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.

“Far As the Curse Is Found” - Genesis 3:14-19 -
(Eastside Baptist/Sun PM/Jan. 26, 2014)
 
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the
LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid
from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God
called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered,
"I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I
hid." 11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked?
Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12
The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from
the tree, and I ate it." 13 Then the LORD God said to the
woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The
serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the LORD God said to the
serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all
the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you
will strike his heel." 16 To the woman he said, "I will
make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give
birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over
you." 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your
wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat
from it,'"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you
will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce
thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the
ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will
return." (Gen. 3:8-19, NIV)
 
1. The Fall brought a perpetual struggle between good and
evil.
 
So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have
done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You
will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I
will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Gen. 3:14–15,
NIV)
 
2. The Fall brought pain and frustration for the woman.
To the woman he said, "I will make your pains in
childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." (Gen.
3:16, NIV)
 
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is
your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if
you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have
you, but you must rule over it." (Gen. 4:6–7, NIV)
 
3. The Fall brought hard labor and toil for the man until
death.
 
To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and
ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from
it,'"Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will
eat food from it all the days of your life. (Gen. 3:17, NIV)
 
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the
pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:22–23,
NIV)
 
It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will
eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food
until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are
and to dust you will return." (Gen. 3:18–19, NIV)
 
Main Idea: This world is an everyday
reminder of the consequences of rebellion against God, and it is only in Jesus
Christ that the devastating effects of sin can be reversed.

“Jesus, the True Manna from Heaven” - John 6:22-35 –
(Part 2)
(Eastside Baptist/Sun AM/Jan. 26, 2014)
 
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake
realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it
with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some
boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread
after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that
neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to
Capernaum in search of Jesus. (Jn. 6:22-24, NIV)
 
1.      Don’t
follow Jesus as a means to gain earthly treasures. Seek Christ for his own sake
as your greatest and eternal treasure.
 
25 When they found him on the other side of the
lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26
Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not
because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had
your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that
endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the
Father has placed his seal of approval." (Jn.
6:25–27, NIV)
 
2.     
Don’t trust that you can be made right with God
by the good works that you can perform.
 
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works
God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe
in the one he has sent."
(Jn. 6:28-29, NIV)
 
3.     
Don’t put God to the test by expecting him to
meet your demands for verification.
 
So they asked him, "What sign then will you give that
we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in
the wilderness; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to
eat.'"
(Jn. 6:30-31, NIV)
 
Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, it is not
Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives
you the true bread from heaven. (Jn. 6:32, NIV)
For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from
heaven and gives life to the world."
(Jn. 6:33, NIV)
 
4.     
Find true, eternal joy and a restored
relationship with God by believing in Jesus, the True Manna from Heaven.
 
"Sir," they said, "always give us this
bread." Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes
to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
(Jn. 6:34-35, NIV)

“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.

“Hiding from God” - Genesis 3:8-13 –
(Eastside Baptist/Sun PM/Jan. 19, 2014)
 
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
(Gen. 2:25, NIV)
 
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized
they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for
themselves. (Gen. 3:7, NIV)
 
1. Our natural inclination as sinful human beings is to
hide from God, because we fear his judgment.
 
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as
he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD
God among the trees of the garden. (Gen. 3:8, NIV)
 
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned
to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa.
53:6, NIV)
 
As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even
one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have
turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does
good, not even one." (Rom. 3:10-12, NIV)
 
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all
the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their
wickedness, (Rom. 1:18, NIV)
 
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped
and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised.
Amen. (Rom. 1:25, NIV)
 
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to
retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that
they do what ought not to be done. (Rom. 1:28, NIV)
 
2. When confronted by God’s restoring grace, we must
confess instead of hiding and blaming others.
 
But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are
you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid
because I was naked; so I hid." (Gen. 3:9-10, NIV)
 
And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have
you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" (Gen. 3:11,
NIV)
 
The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave
me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (Gen. 3:12, NIV)
 
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you
have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I
ate." (Gen. 3:13, NIV)
 
Main Idea: God graciously calls sinners to
confess their sin, not to attempt to excuse themselves or shift blame.

“Jesus, the True Manna from Heaven” - John 6:22-27 –
(Eastside Baptist/Sun AM/Jan. 19, 2014)
 
 22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the
opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that
Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone.
23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the
people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once
the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got
into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When
they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when
did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell
you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but
because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for
food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of
Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of
approval." (John 6:22–27, NIV)
 
Main Idea: Don’t follow Jesus as a means to gain earthly
treasures. Seek Christ for his own sake as your greatest and eternal treasure.

“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)

“Temptation and Fall”- Genesis 3:1-7 –
(Eastside Baptist/Sun PM/Jan. 12, 2014)
 
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals
the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You
must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent,
"We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must
not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must
not touch it, or you will die.'" "You will not certainly die,"
the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat from it
your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and
evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and
pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and
ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. (Gen. 3:1–7,
NIV)
 
1. Temptation raises questions about the Word of God.
 
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals
the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You
must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent,
"We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must
not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must
not touch it, or you will die.'" (Gen. 3:1–3, NIV)
 
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the
highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said,
"throw yourself down from here. For it is written: "'He will command
his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in
their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered, "It is said: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'
" (Lk. 4:9–12, NIV)
 
2. Temptation raises doubts about the integrity of God.
 
"You will not certainly die," the serpent said to
the woman. "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be
opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4-5,
NIV)
 
3. Temptation succeeds with an appeal to the senses.
 
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for
food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took
some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he
ate it. (Gen. 3:6, NIV)
 
4. Aftermath: the knowledge of evil brings alienation.
 
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized
they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for
themselves. (Gen. 3:7, NIV)
 
Main Idea: A thorough knowledge of the Word
of God and an unwavering trust in the goodness of God are absolutely essential
for victory over temptation.

“Jesus, Lord of the Storm”- John 6:16-21 –
(Eastside Baptist/Sun AM/Jan. 12, 2014)
 
When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake,
where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it
was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the
waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw
Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But
he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they were willing
to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where
they were heading. (Jn. 6:16–21, NIV)
 
The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the
very depths were convulsed. The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded
with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the
whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. Your
path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints
were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(Ps. 77:16–20, NIV)
 
For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the
waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their
peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they
were at their wits' end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and
he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the
waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided
them to their desired haven. (Ps. 107:25–30, NIV)
 
Main Idea: Jesus, the Son of God, is worthy
of our trust in the storms of life, because he is the Lord of the storm.

“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

“Jesus Feeds the People” (John 6:1–15)
Eastside Baptist/Sun AM/Jan. 5, 2014
 
 1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far
shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a
great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed
by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat
down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to
Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6
He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to
do. 7 Philip answered him, "It would take more than half a
year's wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" 8
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9
"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how
far will they go among so many?"
 10
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in
that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were
seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the
pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13 So they
gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley
loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the
sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who
is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they
intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by
himself. (Jn. 6:1-15, NIV)
 
1. Jesus is the Divine Son of God who is infinite in
power.
 
2. Jesus is the master Teacher who instructs his
disciples about faith.
 
3. Jesus is full of compassion and feeds the hungry.
 
4. Jesus is the new and greater Moses, who leads,
teaches, provides, and intercedes for his people.
 
5. Jesus is the king of his own kingdom; he refuses to be
used as a symbolic figurehead of a kingdom of our own design.

“The First Marriage” - Genesis 2:18-25 –
(Eastside Baptist/Sun PM/Dec. 29, 2013)
 
1. Marriage is intended to be a union of companionship.
 
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be
alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." (Gen. 2:18, NIV)
 
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild
animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he
would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its
name. (Gen. 2:19, NIV)
 
So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the
sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. (Gen.
2:20, NIV)
 
2. Marriage is intended by God to be a relationship in
which both the man and the woman fulfill their complementary roles.
 
*  The woman was
created to be man’s helper.
 
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be
alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." (Gen. 2:18, NIV)
 
*  The woman was
made after the man.
 
*  The woman was
made out of the man.
 
So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;
and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then closed up the
place with flesh. (Gen. 2:21, NIV)
Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out
of the man, and he brought her to the man. (Gen. 2:22, NIV)
 
*  The woman was
named by the man.
 
The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh
of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man."
(Gen. 2:23, NIV)
 
3. Marriage is intended to be a permanent union between
one man and one woman bound by covenant.
 
 That is why a man
leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one
flesh. (Gen. 2:24, NIV)
 
4. Marriage is intended to be a union of holiness and
harmony.
 
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. (Gen.
2:25, NIV)
 
Main Idea: Marriage is intended by God to
be a covenantal union in which one man and one woman fulfill their
complementary roles as lifelong companions in holiness and harmony.

“The Bible and Godliness” - Psalm 119:9-16 -
 
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin
against you. (Ps. 119:11, NIV)

 Main Idea: The Word of God is a graciously
appointed means of eliminating the practice of sin from our lives.
 
1. The Word of God is essential for the elimination of
sin, so begin now.
 
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living
according to your word. (Ps. 119:9, NIV)
 
2. If you are going to sustain your intake of the Word of
God, then it must become your treasure.
 
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your
commands. (Ps. 119:10, NIV)
 
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin
against you. (Ps. 119:11, NIV)
 
 Praise be to you,
LORD; teach me your decrees. (Ps. 119:12, NIV)
 
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in
great riches. (Ps. 119:14, NIV)
 
I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
(Ps. 119:16, NIV)
 
3. If you are going to consistently employ the Scriptures
in the elimination of sin from your life, then you must diligently learn it.
 
*  Learn the Word
of God through verbal repetition.
 
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your
mouth. (Ps. 119:13, NIV)
 
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. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when
you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as
symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the
doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deut. 6:4–9, NIV)
 
*  Practice the
Word of God through obedience.
 
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in
great riches. (Ps. 119:14, NIV)
 
*  Meditate on the
Word of God.
 
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. (Ps.
119:15, NIV)
 
*  Make the intake
of the Word of God a regular and consistent part of your life.
 
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin
against you. (Ps. 119:11, NIV)

“Christ’s Humiliation and Exaltation” - Philippians
2:1-11 -
(Eastside Baptist/Wed PM/Dec. 18, 2013)
 
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united
with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to
the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same
mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made
himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him
to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father. (Phil. 2:1–11, NIV)
 
1. Because of his faithful, humble obedience, Christ was
vindicated and exalted by God.
 
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every name,
(Phil. 2:9, NIV)
 
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of
the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you
in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving
together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way
by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed,
but that you will be saved--and that by God. For it has been granted to you on
behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since
you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I
still have. (Phil. 1:27–30, NIV)
 
2. The risen and exalted Christ is the Lord of the entire
universe, and all will bow in submission before him.
 
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9–11)
 
"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my
glory to another or my praise to idols. (Isa. 42:8, NIV)
 
"Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has
uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee
will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the LORD
alone are deliverance and strength. '" All who have raged against him will
come to him and be put to shame. But all the descendants of Israel will find
deliverance in the LORD and will make their boast in him. (Isa. 45:22–25, NIV)
 
3. God the Father is glorified through Christ’s
humiliation and exaltation.
 
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.
(Phil. 2:11, NIV)
 
Main Idea: Our Lord Jesus Christ showed us
that the path to exaltation by God is through humble, obedient service.
 
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and
those who humble themselves will be exalted." (Lk. 14:11, NIV)
 
Implications:
Ø  Unity
is achieved through self-giving, humility.
Ø  The
path to vindication and exaltation is through humble, obedient service.
Ø  We
glorify God when we live in humility & obedience.

“The Song of the Angels” (Luke 2:8­-20)

“Jesus, Immanuel”- Matthew 1:18-25 -
(Eastside Baptist/Sun AM/Dec. 15, 2013)
 
1. The Incarnation was accomplished by the powerful plan
of God.
 
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be
afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from
the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 1:20, NIV)
 
2. The Incarnation fulfilled the purpose of God.
 
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the
name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matt. 1:21,
NIV)
 
3. The Incarnation brought us the presence of God.
 
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said
through the prophet: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). (Matt.
1:22-23, NIV)
 
Main Idea: Jesus, Immanuel came to live
with us and die for us, so that we might live with God forever.

“Christ’s Humiliation and Exaltation”- Philippians 2:1-11
-
(Eastside Baptist/Wed PM/Dec. 11, 2013)
 
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united
with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to
the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the
same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made
himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him
to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father. (Phil. 2:1–11, NIV)
 
1. Jesus Christ was, is, and always will be fully God.
 
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality
with God something to be used to his own advantage; (Phil. 2:6, NIV)
 
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact
representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Heb.
1:3, NIV)
 
2. Jesus Christ willingly humbled himself when he took on
a human nature and lived among us.
 
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality
with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself
nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
(Phil. 2:6–7, NIV)
 
3. The ultimate display of Christ’s humility was when he
willingly died on a Roman cross for our redemption.
 
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:8, NIV)
 
Main Idea: Jesus Christ, the eternal God,
showed us the path of humility and service when he became a man and died on a
cross for us.