Jeremiah 9:23-24, Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
Spurgeon: "...the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father. There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity."
No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God.
Aim: To understand the current context of the Study of Theology and the need to go back to the Biblical view of who God is.
Current State of Theology: a superficial knowledge of God - because of superficial and shallow preaching from the Word of God.
"Know" in scriptures is an intimate knowledge; Genesis 4:1; Hosea 4:6.
Guinness: The challenge of our time is the recovery of the living reality of the gospel, including the all-sufficiency of the one, true God over against the self-sufficiency of our modern age.
There is one God, there is no god but God, and there is no rest for any who rely on any god but God.
Note:
○ Culture’s abhorrence to deep and profound reflections in general and in theology in particular.
○ Media’s promotion and exploitation of people’s short attention span.
○ Lack of training for people who fill the pulpit.
○ People’s satisfaction with a god made in their image, that they can manipulate and control rather than a majestic awesome God of the Bible.
○ Pep Talk vs Preaching. Instead of Biblical preaching, the pulpit was filled with speakers. Instead of a proclamation of the Word, the preaching time becomes a pep-talk to encourage congregants to focus upon themselves and not on God.
Our encounter with God has been replaced with an encounter to self!
○ Entertainment vs Exaltation. Church singing is now centred to self or external stimulus mainly musical riff, flashing lights and hyped vibe of the surroundings to evoke worship. In contrast to proper response: Habakkuk 2:20 = But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”
Last Generation Warning: [ CH Spurgeon ] = A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats.
Enduring Challenge for All Believers.
Exhortation to know God whom we love and worship is for all believers!
Philippians 3:10 = That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
John 17: 3 = And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
○ Those who know God have a great energy for God
○ Those who know God have a great thoughts for God
○ Those who know God show great boldness for God
○ Those who know God have great contentment in God
Application
● Let us resolve to study God biblically
● Let us resolve to worship and enjoy the God-ness of God!
● Let the study of theology linger not only in our mind but in our hearts and life as well.
● Let this study be an introduction to life long study of the greatness of the Deity!
● [ AW Tozer, The Attributes of God Volume 1 ] = With our Bible open before us and our knees bent, all alone in humility and penitence, let us cry, “Only God, only God and God alone! Take the world but give me Jesus!” Will you do that? We need it in the Church. We all need it. May God grant it in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Where to from here?
● A study of how can we know God though he is vast and the Incomprehensible One
○ Existence of God.
○ As asserted in the Scripture vs ‘Natural Proofs’ - (Teleological, Cosmological, Moral)
● A Study on the Names and Titles of God
○ Yahweh and Its Compounds (-tsabaoth, -yireh, -rophe, -nissi, -shalom, -tsidkenu, -shammah)
○ El, El Shaddai, El Elyon
○ Adonai, Rock, Father
● A Study on the Nature
○ Right Understanding of Trinity
○ False Heresies Regarding Trinity
● A Study on the Attributes of God
○ Incommunicable Attributes - Independence/Aseity, Immutability, Infinity, Eternity, Immensity and Omnipresence, Unity and Simplicity, Omniscience, and Omnipotence
○ Communicable Attributes - Wisdom, Truth, Goodness, Love, Grace, Mercy,
Longsuffering, Holiness, Justice, Jealousy
● A Study on the Works of God
○ In Creation
○ In Providence
○ In Salvation