(1)   [“One of the most important things I think that I have learned if I may share this with you and that is from reading collectively all your books and other peoples books and the bible which I also read everyday.]

[Is that most people go through life and they wait for God to speak to them as he did, Y’know called Moses from the burning bush and so they expect God to be in a thunderous voice coming in lightning and thunder and so forth. But what God really is, is god manifests himself - herself – itself through your breathe through your conscience and through your intuition. And as long as you have that, you have the presence of God and you also have power and it acknowledging and realizing that that’s what it is instead of looking all out here to find it, you already have it”(Oprah 1987 program with Guests Wayne Dyer, Shakti Gawain and Arnold Patent- video on file).]

(2)   [“Discover the Power Within You,” “This book changed my perspective on life and religion.” Eric Butterworth teaches that God isn't “up there.” He exists inside each one of us, and it’s up to us to seek the divine within” (Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine).] 

(3)   [Ophra and many others in the New Age Movement are teaching people in essence that God is in you and your are God.  You don’t need a Bible or a preacher you just need to discover the God within you.  The problem is that, while we all know there is a God if every person discovers their own God within them then there is no definitive God at all.]  

(4)   [Prove you are a God - To these New Agers, who believe that they are God.  Create new life from nothing.  I’ll grant you something infinitely easier, command life to arise at your feet right now.  Command man size cognizant life to form, stand, live, think, and speak right at your feet right now.  Prove that you are a God right now.  You cannot because you are not a god at all.  All of your spiritual rationalizations are nothing more than empty Words.  But the God of the Bible formed all things from absolute nothingness.  You breath and think today because He has empowered you.  You have not conjured Him up, instead, He has created and empowered you.  Hence the fool has said in his heart, I am a god.] 

[God wrote the Bible, and revels himself to mankind through the written Word of God (the Bible) and the living Word of God (Jesus) because we cannot know God any other way.  The New Age God of Oprah is dangerous and deceptive and leads to no god at all.] 

2.      The Unitarian Belief 

a.       [There is only one God.  The Father became the Son, the Son became the Holy Spirit.] 

b.      [This belief claims that trinitarians teach that there are three little God's; but there is only one God.] 

c.       [Various erroneous explanations of the Trinity: Unitarianism is an attempt to explain our incomprehensible God.   

(1)   God is like a pizza cut into three big slices.  

(2)   God is like the three parts of an egg.  

(3)   God has three modes or three disguises—so God puts on a Father hat and creates the world, and God puts on a Jesus hat and goes out to save the world, and then God puts on a Holy Spirit hat. 

d.      [God is one yet three persons so that when you meet the Father, you meet Jesus and the Spirit.] 

3.      The Trinitarian Belief (Deut 6.4-5) [- The orthodox teaching concerning the trinity.  What the Bible reveals.] 

a.       [Things that have been said about the Trinity include:] 

(1)   [God is like the spring that flows into the stream that flows in the lake.] [The church father Anselm] 

(2)   [God is like a plant, with the Father as the deep root, the Son as the shoot that breaks into the earth, and the Spirit who flowers forth to spread beauty and fragrance.] [The church father Tertullian] 

(3)   [That God is a Trinity of love means that God is the lover, the beloved, and love itself all at the same time] [St. Augustine] 

(4)   [The Trinity is like three torches in which the light of the first passes to the second and then is relayed to the third until they are all burning in one blaze of holy fire.]  

(5)   [Yet all these pictures break down. That's why Christian thinkers have always said that if we tried to grasp the Trinity we would be "frenzy-stricken for prying into the mystery of God."] [Gregory the Theologian] 

b.      [The Trinity reveals that:] 

(1)   [God is one – There is only on God (monotheism).] 

(2)   [God is three – There are three persons comprising Almighty God.] 

(3)   [God is diversity – These three person are distinct individuals.] 

(4)   [God is Unity – These three are always and eternally in complete harmony.] 

c.       [Three persons, yet only one God.] 

(1)   [There is the Father, who is God.  He has all of the attributes of God and is wholly God.] 

(2)   [There is the son, who is God.  He has all of the attributes of God and is wholly God, and also a man.] 

(3)   [There is the son, who is God.  He has all of the attributes of God and is wholly God.] 

d.       [An incomprehensible reality.  We know there is only one God because God revealed it:] 

[Deuteronomy 6:4-5 ⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: ⁵ And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.]

(1)   Even in this revelation there is a verbal dicotamy.  The verse declares that the “Lord” (Y@hovah yeh-ho-vaw' -  singular) “our God” ('elohiym el-o-heem' - Plural) is one (denoting a single) “Lord” (Y@hovah yeh-ho-vaw' -  singular). 

B.     The Reality of the Trinity [– When it Comes to God and the supernatural we cannot conjure up the things of God in our minds, but we must simply seek to understand what God clearly reveals in His written Word.  So, what does the Bible say about the Trinity?] 

1.      God at Creation (Gen 1.26, 1-3; Col 1.16-17; John 1.1-3) 

a.       [Plural Declaration - The statement of God at the creation of mankind reveals a plurality at work.] 

[Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.]

b.      [Plural craftsman in Creation] 

(1)   [The Father and the Spirit.] 

[Genesis 1:1-3 ¹ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ² And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. ³ And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.]

(2)   [The Son.] 

[Colossians 1:16-17 ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.]

[John 1:1-3 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² The same was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.]

2.      God with Christ (Luke 3.21-22) 

a.      [The Baptism of Christ – We have the physical and witnessed manifestation of the triune Godhead.  Jesus is standing drenched in the water, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and the Father speaks loudly and clearly.  All three are seen coexisting together and affirming the will and work of Almighty-God.] 

[Luke 3:21-22 ²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, ²² And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.]

3.      God and the New Covenant (1 John 5.7-8; Heb 12.2) 

a.       [Our most authoritative declaration of the trinity is a passage that has been debated by modern textual critics.  However, it presents an undeniable statement of the trinity.] 

[1 John 5:7-8 ⁷ For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. ⁸ And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.]

b.      [Jesus royal position – He is seated at the right side of the Fathers throne is a scriptural attestation of the trinity.  If there is no father then who is He seated next to?] 

[Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.]

C.     The Practicality of the Trinity - What does the trinity mean for me?  The Trinity reveals: 

1.      God's Power (Deut 29.29) [- The Father - The might, strength, ability of God.] 

a.       [The Trinity reveals the incomprehensibility of God – There are those who say, “All of this makes absolutely no sense.  It stands against reason, so I refuse to accept it.”] 

(1)   [John Wesley said: "Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man, and then I will show you a man that can comprehend the Triune God!"] [—Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations] 

(2)   [Faith is not accepting what you can believe about God, it is accepting what God has said and revealed.  God has revealed, in the Word of God, the reality of the Trinity.  You are not asked to accept it f it makes sense.  You are asked to accept it because God has revealed it.] 

(3)   [There are many things in life you must accept without a complete and reasonable explanation.  You can not see oxygen, but you know it is here.  Most of us cannot explain photosynthesis, but you know it is happening all around us.] 

b.      [The Trinity reveals the greatness of God and the incredible wisdom and power of the Father.  God is far greater than you could ever hope to imagine.  All we can really know about God is what He chooses to reveal to us.  The Bible declares:] 

[Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. ]

c.       [While our God is incredibly great, He chooses to be near us, and to take notice of us.  He also desires for us to know Him as well.] 

2.      God's Passion (Rom 5.8) [- Jesus Christ, The Son - The love of God, the grace of God.]  

a.       [This awesome God.  The creator and sustainer of all things.  The one who causes the Sun to burn at just the right temperature. The one that keeps the earth spinning and the birds flying is passionate about you and I.] 

[Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.]

b.      [The Bible reveals that even while we were still sinners, rebellious toward God.  Our heavenly Father sent the very best that heaven had to offer, Jesus Christ, to say with a cross I love you and desire to save you.] 

c.       [This one thing is clearly revealed through Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, God is passionate about you, and all those around you.] 

d.      [God is so passionate about you that merely saving you just was not enough.  Jesus paid the price for your sins, He paid it all, but He also sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within you.] 

3.      God's Presence (John 14.17-18; Eph 1.13; Rom 8.16; John 14.26) [- The Holy Spirit - The intimate presence of God and His work within us.] 

[John 14:17-18 ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. ]

[God sends the third person of the Trinity to dwell within you.  He does a number of things for you.] 

a.       [He in your Seal of God promise (Eph 1.13)] 

[Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ]

b.      [He confirms within you that you are God’s child (Rom 8.16).] 

[Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: ]

c.       [He teaches, comforts, and guides you (John 14.26).] 

[John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. ]

4.      [The same God that created all things with His incredible might and wisdom, the same God who loved you enough to die and live for you, is the Same God who lives within you, once you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior.]

CrossRoads Baptist Church – May 25, 2008