Good morning class! Welcome to “Who is God? 101”. I know everyone’s ready to get out of here for the weekend, so I won’t keep you long. I won’t be passing around the attendance sheet, but you’re not going to want to miss today’s lecture. Please put your phones on silent and put away anything else that may be a distraction while in this class. Today we’ll briefly discuss the importance of knowing who God is as well as situations we may encounter and how we can deal with them from a perspective that’s holy and pleasing to God. Through my own personal experience I share, my hope is that you will find applicable information that will be relevant in your own life. So let’s begin.
Recently, through a series of situations, I’ve found myself asking a lot of questions about the Bible as it pertains to God—that is, His Sovereignty and true character. Although, that leads to an entirely different discussion, it paves the way for what I want to discuss in today’s class period.
In my search and through my questioning, I was condemned by some people for seeking out the answers to such seemingly “trivial” questions about God. I got discouraged for awhile and felt ashamed at the rebuke aimed at me. “Don’t ask questions…it shows a lack of faith in God. You’ll never understand Him, so why try?” Those were the words that echoed in my mind. It’s just like humans to push away any topic that we don’t understand or that makes us feel uncomfortable. The problem is, despite what makes us uncomfortable, God remains the same. God does not change based on how man defines Him and ignoring reality will not altar it.
Ever heard this one before?: “There’s no point in discussing this, because it doesn’t effect whether or not we get to heaven.” In other words, as long as you’ve said the sinner’s prayer and you’re living a pure life, there’s no need to bog yourself down with theological debate.
I knew in my spirit that this was wrong and I couldn’t shake the feeling that resonated within me. I felt frustrated and once again ran to God complaining about it. After ranting and raving about my confusion, I finally let God speak. It was one question—just one. That’s all it took. “Why do you serve me?” He asked. That was the question that rocked my world. And so now I want to ask you the same. Why do you serve God? Do you serve Him in order that you will be ensured a good seat in Heaven? Do you serve Him in order to get any benefits that He might throw your way?
Think about it: We’re so used to the focus being on us, that we forget the God we’re serving!
So let’s clarify:
Q: Who are we?
A: We are all sinners and are worthy of nothing but death. God was everything we needed and yet we turned away from Him and angered Him with our disobedience and discontent with His love for us. We don’t deserve ANYTHING. Without God and the sacrifice of His Son….we are nothing. Nothing at all.
Q: Who is He?
A: The Author of everything. The God of everything who, even in the midst of our putrid sins, gave his Son to save us from death and, in doing so, displayed the ultimate act of love. He deserves everything.
Please take note of this important passage:
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” –Romans 5:9
So why do we serve God? Do we serve Him for our personal gain or do we serve Him because of the incomprehensible and undeserving love He offers to us—wretched and imperfect human beings?
Q: Why do I serve God?
A: I serve God because He is everything—a sovereign Being deserving of all that I am.
So then, this is not a matter of making it to Heaven, but my desperate search as a mere human being to understand the heart of my God so that I may better serve Him and bring Him glory as is my purpose.
“…bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” –Isaiah 43:6-7
In closing, I’d like to see more class participation and intuitive students. Being apathetic in this class will not help you in any way. To understand who God truly is and what His actions and words reveal about His character, we must ask questions and search out the truth. Through this, God may begin to reveal His true character and identity in a way that you never imagined. Merely attending class and getting you’re “A+” isn’t enough. I want to see that you’re really applying what is taught into an active part of your everyday lives. Don’t live a life that just barely gets you into heaven. Live a life that draws you closer to the heart of who God really is so that you can fall in love with Him even more deeply.
Class dismissed.
This is good, Shelly. Wish I could have you as a guest speaker at my young adults small group meeting!
Thank you for the encouragement! If I lived near your area, I would definately take you up on that. =)
This is awesome! And I agree…..but there are somethings that are just unexplainable about God thats for sure…for if we could understand all of Him then He wouldn’t be much of a God…..
You’re right. God is transcendent in every way and isn’t confined by our worldly dimentions. Actually, this goes along with my point. Because God is not limited to man’s attributes, we must ask God to reveal more of himselves to us as we seek the heart of who He really is. I feel it is important for man to continually strive after having a better understanding of the God we serve. Although there are mysteries that we have yet to know, that doesn’t discount the hunger we should have when we read the Scripture and seek after knowledge and understanding of God.
Bravo! The key here is to seek and we are promised to find. The more we seek to learn about God the more we find out! And the process goes on forever….