This week we are going to begin a new preaching series focusing on our understanding of the nature and being of our Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Who are they? How do you describe them? Is our understanding of them accurate and theologically correct? Over the next several weeks we will look at each member of the Triune God, one at a time, to develop better methods for articulating our belief and understanding of each of them. This week we are going to begin with God. Specifically, how do we as thoughtful people, express our belief in God, talk about God, and who do we understand God to be?
God is Gray?
When you want to understand something what is the first thing you do? Do you smell it? Taste it? Touch it? For most people you look at it. Have you ever gone to a museum and seen people just stare at something? They walk all around it, taking it in from various angles and points of view? Our vision and perception is generally our first line of examination.
Many years ago, in a children's Sunday School class, the teacher posed the question, “What does God look like?” The children's imagination immediately begin to create all sorts of images. One little boy said God is very tall and dresses in all white. Another little girl said, “yea and He has long white hair and a long white beard.” Another child piped up and said that God has a deep voice and that thunder is God laughing. One little girl raised her hand and very confidently told the teacher she knew exactly what God looked like. She said God was gray. “Gray?”, remarked the teacher. “Yes ma'am” replied the little girl. “We say it every day before we eat. God is gray, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.”
It is amazing how many differing perceptions are out there about God. Movies and books have filled our heads with all sorts of images and ideas. But if someone came up to you and said, “Who is God?”, what would be your answer? Have you thought about that? That is the reason that I wanted us to focus on this topic. As professing disciples of Jesus Christ, we have all been charged with spreading the Good News of God's love. And in order for us to do that, it stands to reason that we need to be able to speak intelligently about it. Right? After all, when you try to show someone the truth of God's love and you stumble all over the place in your presentation, what kind of confidence and impact can you really have? So today let us look at some methods of understanding, a few definitions, and some ideals to better equip ourselves to answer the question, “Who is God?”.
The Accuracy of a Physical Description
This is the question that we have been asking ourselves for years. Theologians, professors, pastors, and laity alike have been trying to discern that answer. How do we describe a Being that most of us have been told our entire lives is “too big for our finite human minds to understand?” One of the first ways we describe most things is by a physical description. If you were to describe me to another person, you would use words like dark hair, goatee, medium build, bulbous nose, and egg shaped head. Thinking about God, are physical descriptions the best way to describe God? Probably not, since no human has ever seen God and God does have a physical body like we do. Therefore, physical description would not be the best option. What's next?
Who Is God?
Well, if physical description is out, then what about God's nature. Each of us have traits that describe our personality, our beliefs, and our values. These attributes will let most people know how we would react in most situations. These attributes could be traits like, patient, kind, loving, laid back, always eager to help, and compassionate, just to name a few. Following this logic, the natural question is does God have certain attributes? I am so glad you asked! This is how we as United Methodists describe God's character. In the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, God is described like this:
“We believe in the one true, holy and living God,
Eternal Spirit, who is Creator, Sovereign and Preserver
of all things visible and invisible. He is infinite in power,
wisdom, justice, goodness and love, and rules with
gracious regard for the well-being and salvation of men,
to the glory of his name. We believe the one God
reveals himself as the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, distinct but inseparable, eternally one in essence
and power ”1
This definition is artfully crafted and theologically accurate. However, it is not that easy to remember or effective to use in witnessing to another person. So how can we describe God using the character traits listed there? We read words like creator, sovereign, infinite. What this description tells us is that
- God is the only God, eternal and living
- God created everything there is; all that we can see and cannot see
- God's character traits of wisdom, justice, goodness, and love are never ending
- God's glory is the basis for how God rules with justice and mercy
- God is part of the Trinity; individual but inseparable
God has always been and will always be, a trait confirmed by our first Scripture lesson. Listen again to Exodus 3:13-15, “Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 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.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation."
Not only has God, the great I AM, always been and always will be, God has always possessed the same character traits. God's love, God's mercy, God's patience, and all of God's other attributes will never change. Most of us as we age, we change. Our patience expands or contracts, our ability to love others grows or decreases, our words of grace to others increase or decrease. But not God. The incredible expanse of God's love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness will never change. God is the same loving, gracious, merciful, and forgiving God today, that God was at the beginning of time, and that God will be at the end of time. From generation to generation God is forever and we can take great comfort in that. This takes us to next step in our journey this morning; how can we be sure of all of this.
How Can We Understand God?
One word; revelation. Now I am not talking about the Scriptural book of Revelation found at the end of the New Testament. I am talking about revelation as in the act of revealing oneself to another. The way we know these truths to be accurate is through God revealing God's self to us.
United Methodist Bishop Will Willimon, in his book, United Methodist Beliefs, describes God by saying,”no merely human being, limited by the boundaries of human thought and experience, can say anything of substance about God unless God first says something to us.”2
We are incapable of knowing God outside of what God has revealed to us. These revelations come not only in Scripture, as recorded by our ancestors, but also in our daily lives today. You see it is not enough to know about God; we must know God.3
The best way I know of to come to that knowledge is through dedicated, daily time spent with God. This is the same practice each of us engage in when we get to know each other. If you want to get to know a person, you do not formally interview them and only get to know them intellectually. You experience life with them. You walk with them in good times and bad. You spend dedicated time with them. The same holds true for God.
You can spend daily, dedicated time with God in many ways. One is by reading Scripture. You can use that Bible Challenge that is on my blog and in the bulletin each week or you can any of the other reading plans that are out there. Recite Psalm 23 each day as you begin to read to help ready yourself. Read about God's presence and promise to be by our sides in every situation we face. You can also spend time with God in prayer. Talk to God and give God the time to talk to you. Conversation is paramount in the deepening of our relationship with God. Attend worship. Each and every Sunday we gather here to give God praise and thanks for who God is to and for us. Make being here a priority. This should be one of those non-negotiables in our lives. Worship within community is so much more effective than trying to do it alone. And then be a part of worship. Acolyte, be a liturgist, an usher, greeter. I will even welcome you to do the Young Disciple's Moment. Being in worship and a part of worship, will bring you a connection like no other. Worship is what you make it and you cannot experience this if you are not here and active within it. You can also serve; within the church and out in the community. When you are serving and being who God called you to be then you are connecting with God. God is coursing through you and in that instance you cannot help but be drawn closer. Read, pray, attend worship, serve others. Encourage others to read, pray, attend worship, and serve others. Hold each other accountable to these things, not only because you love God, but because you love them and want them to have incredible experiences with God. These are just a few of the ways, but important ways, for each of us to connect with God.
Conclusion
Folks, it is one thing for us to intellectually know God. But if we are going to be effective disciples we need to personally know God. There is no better witness, no better example that comes from a personal, active relationship with the Father. We need to be ready to answer the question, “Who is God” at any moment. You never know when you will be presented with the opportunity to introduce someone to God. You do not want to miss it. So I encourage you to practice answering that question. Think about, write down, lay out how you would explain God to another person. If you need guidance, I will help. If you want someone to bounce ideas off of, I will help. My prayer is that each of you, each of us, are ready at a moment's notice to change the life of another. That we are ready to be the final link in a chain that bring another soul into the Kingdom of God. God knows everything about you...I urge you to return the favor and get know all you can about God.
___________
1. Book of Discipline, 2008. p. 66
2. Willimon, William H. United Methodist Beliefs. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007), p.4.
3. Joyner, F. Belton. United Methodist Questions, United Methodists Answers. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007), p.1
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