God's Self Revelation

Introduction to Systematic Theology and the Trinity

Well, good evening everyone. It's good to see everyone. We do have a handout for tonight. I'm just going to pass. I'm going to split it in half and pass it down each side. That way it'll make its way around a little more quickly.

I Have one myself. So, okay. We'll hand those there if you would turn in your Bibles would mean to Psalm 19 and Just hold your place there. We'll get to read the text in a moment. I'd like to begin with just a quick introduction if I could.

We're Continuing tonight our overview of theology and doctrine this I believe is our third or fourth lesson. I couldn't remember and if you can't tell I have. I have fallen a little ill this week. My voice is not as it normally would sound and If it starts to break up completely, I'm just going to sit down and let Andy finish.

But. But now I think I'll be able to make it through with the Lord's grace. But we've been going through the our study the title of this study is Overview of theology and doctrine, but what it really is is a course in systematic theology.

Systematic theology is the scientific approach. To understanding the God of Scripture and all that the Scripture says. Why by scientific what I mean is it takes and breaks down? All of the truth of Scripture into categories.

We looked at several of them on the first night our opening night I said there's several categories of systematic theology that this course is going to take and I don't know how long it's going to take.

But we're four weeks in and we haven't got past the first category. But the first category is theology proper. Also sometimes referred to as patrology or the study of the father. Theology proper is focused mainly on studying the nature of God and the work and role of God as father.

The next category after this will be Christology and then the Category after that is pneumatology to give you the breakdown of and in dust we'll be looking at all three persons of the Holy Trinity. So theology proper focus is mainly on the father, but in a sense you really can't study the father Without making reference to the Son in the Spirit.

You really can't study the Spirit Without making reference to the Father in the Son and you really can't study the Son without making reference to the Father in the Spirit. So so in a sense all of these categories are Trinitarian categories.

You're never going to you're never going to say this doesn't involve the Trinity. You never going to say this doesn't involve Christ or this doesn't involve the Spirit. We remember God is one God. He is one in nature.

He is one in essence. Uzziah was the Greek term that was used in the 4th century during the time of the Council of Nicaea. God was one in essence or Uzziah and he is three in person and The persons are not the same.

The father is not the son the son is not the spirit, but the three share the infinite nature of God and those three are Absolutely united in will they are absolutely united in purpose and they're absolutely united in their love for one another.

Human Idolatry and the Need for Revelation

And That's the thing. I've heard people say well God created man because he was lonely. There's never been a time that God was lonely. I Heard somebody say God created man because he needed something to love.

God has always loved. God didn't have to make something to love. God is love and God is able to love in and of himself. Because he is father son and spirit eternally and thus there is an eternal relationship in the Trinity now I'm getting ahead of myself because if you'll notice the last one on this list of categories is the nature of God is a Trinity.

And I'm kind of going over that tonight. So I'm gonna stop and we're gonna get to what we want to do tonight. We've already looked at the existence of God. That's the first category does do why do we believe that God exists?

What are some of the reasons why people don't believe God exists and what what is the main read? What is the reason people don't believe God exists? I Am I'm sorry. They don't but what is the reason according to Romans 1?

The Bible says in Romans 1 that all men know that God exists, but they suppress the truth and unrighteousness. So the only reason why a person wouldn't believe in God is because even though they knew that knowledge They have suppressed it in unrighteousness because they rather would serve the creature rather than the Creator.

They would rather serve themselves. They'd rather serve an idol. They'd rather rather serve anything but God. And that's the funny thing people who give up serving God don't give up serving God to serve nothing.

They always trade him in for something else some kind of an idol whether it's the idol of self. Whether it's the idol of greed whether it's the idol of drugs and alcohol whether it's the idol of sex or relationships.

Whether it's the idol of power and boy isn't power an idol. Absolutely and that that that idolatry is that transfer men are going to men are men are called A Homo-sapien that means the thinking being.

We're also called homo religiosus. We're the religious being. There's only one Creature on the planet that worships and it's man and every man worships something. You don't see cows out there going move, you know, they don't do that man.

Worships and every man worship something most men worship themselves so Tonight we're going to look at moving on from the existence of God. We're going to look at the revelation of God and we're going to look at the names of God.

And if you look at this sheet and you see all these blanks and that makes you nervous. What makes me nervous, too? I? Don't like to give you a sheet with a lot of blanks because I don't want you to spend so much time reading that you're Not listening.

General Revelation in Creation and Conscience

So I'm going to write these on the board as we go and if you miss one. You can pick it up or whatever and you're always welcome to get a copy of my notes when we're done. In your notes on the first it says God has revealed himself in two ways.

In our course on apologetics. We did look at this subject a little bit and we're going to look at it again tonight. What how many of you remember what the two? Ways that God has revealed himself are yes.

Okay, so we would say the first is general and that is the number one on your sheet and The second and You are right to say specific or can also be called special special revelation or specific special or specific revelation, so psalm 19 is the psalm of God's General revelation and I want to read it to you.

We're going to read through verse 5 Actually to through verse 6. The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech and night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech. Nor are there words? Whose voice is not heard their voice goes out through all the earth. And their words to the ends of the earth in them. He has set a tent for the sun. Which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

It's rising is from the end of the heavens and it's circuit to the end of them. And there is nothing hidden From its heat. We'll stop right there. We are going to read verse 7 in a moment, but just for the first portion of general revelation.

General revelation is the revelation that God gives to all mankind and general revelation begins with the simple acknowledgment of the existence of God in The things that have been made. Romans 1 again says that the The the invisible attributes of God and his invisible or his his power is known in the things that have been made.

When we look at the stars when we look at the sky, have you ever thought about how small you are? Have you ever been overwhelmed by it? I? Don't know if you've ever sat and looked at the ocean. We're all for I was gonna say you ever seen the Grand Canyon, but I never have so I can't.

I can't describe it. But if you've ever seen it, I've seen it on television. It looks like it goes forever in every direction if you stood on the cliff. It just looks like a giant hole that goes forever.

Well the same sort of for the ocean, you know. You walk out onto the ocean and you're you're standing there and you're looking at water and it's more gallons than you can imagine. It's it's it's deeper.

I watched a video. I actually got. I Got a little pit in my stomach. Watching a video and this is this is how cheesy I am but sometimes things just really catch me in my spirit and I watched a video on how deep the ocean is and The video it's on YouTube.

It's all around it starts saying, you know. At this point is the deepest that sea divers can go and at this point is the deepest that a normal Nuclear submarine can go and then you're at the point where the Titanic hit the ground hit the bottom.

But that's not the deepest point that was only like halfway and they say and then you go down here and this is where they have giant squid. No kidding like monstrous animals that live below. Where anything else can live they can't see anything now the squids can see but further down.

There's you don't even have eyes because there's no the light doesn't penetrate that far down and There these fish just move around in the darkness and they have other ways of communicating and eating and things and they're so far down.

And and as I thought about how deep that is. My stomach just started to like just sink. I was thinking of how little I am. Think about when you stand on the sea and you look at the water in this the the sand between your toes.

How many grains of sand are there? More than you can count. More than anyone could imagine other than God and. So when we think about the great expanse of the universe. Some atheists make the argument.

Well, that's why I don't believe in God. I don't believe there's any being that could be powerful enough to create this. And I say but that's the beauty of it is the fact that he shows us his might in what he created.

God shows us the expanse of his power in what he has made and it seems to be Infinite it's not only he is infinite. But they keep going further and further out and there's more universes and more galaxies and all these things that are out there and it's just proof of the everlasting majesty and glory of God and it's Everybody's sermon.

That's what Psalm 19 says. Psalm 19 says this and we're gonna read it again real quick. Sorry, the noise gets to me. Psalm 19. It says day to day it pours out speech. What's that the heavens day to day?

They're speaking Night tonight, they're revealing knowledge. There is no speech. Nor their words whose voice is not heard. None of it goes. Past the person without them seeing it and hearing it. Every person looks up at the Sun and you know what they see a giant preacher.

Preaching the majesty of God every day when they look at the stars and the sky and that big old ocean and this big old Uncreated universe and this world that they're standing on that just so happens to produce food so that you can survive.

That just so happens to produce medicine so that you can be made. Well that just so happens to be just close enough to the Sun that we have liquid water. But just far enough away that we still have ice for ice cream.

You know I'm saying we have this amazing world that is amazingly created and it takes a fool. Who says in his heart? There is no God and so that's general revelation. And he goes on to say all the things about what the Sun does.

The Sun is like a preacher running through the sky. And he and he does say something that some people say well. That's unscientific because he says the Sun goes into a closet at night. Actually, what does he say he says um a Tent in them verse 4 he has set a tent for the Sun which comes out like a bridegroom leaving its chamber.

This is what is called anthropomorphic language. Actually, it's called phenomenological language that just simply means the language of appearance. And I and I and I I love it when it's an atheist will say oh.

The Bible's so unscientific it uses these unscientific language, and I say now now wait a minute. This morning when I got up. I watched the news and the weatherman said sunrise at 7 o 'clock. Now don't he know the earth is turning toward the Sun and the Sun isn't rising at all.

What is he is he dense is he is. No because everybody uses phenomenological language everybody uses the language of appearance. That's what it is. And what does it look like. It looks like the Sun comes out of a tent and goes back into it at night because I ain't in both sides of the world.

I Only get to see it from one perspective and from the perspective of a man the Sun comes out in the morning. And it gives me just enough light for the day, and it goes down at night. You know what it happens when it goes down at night.

I get tired. You know what happens in the dark. Your brain produces melatonin. Which makes you sleepy? That's a chemical that you can now buy and take that's actually natural. When it gets dark. But you people buy it and take it.

Why. Because we don't have dark anymore. We have iPhones and TVs and lights outside, and we never have dark so we have to have something to help us. God made us a certain way, and he made the world a certain way.

There's all this universal Alignment the heavens declare the glory of God that's Natural revelation that's one type of natural revelation. That's creation the second type of natural revelation Is found in Romans 2 if you want to turn there to do?

What's the chances we get through all this tonight? Okay, I'll make sure you're all with me this week. We got a lot to do. I'll go a little quicker. Romans chapter 2 go to verse 12. And I don't want to go into the outline of Romans but Romans 2 is Paul's indictment of the Jews who have the law.

And he's saying that because they have the law they're even more culpable of having broken the law right. But that doesn't mean the Gentiles don't Have culpability, but they don't have a written law, but what they have is a law written on their heart.

So they're still culpable. So he goes to here Romans 2 to 12 for all who have sinned without the law Will also perish without the law and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God.

But the doers of the law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the law that is the written law of Moses By nature do what the law requires like not steal not lie not murder those things.

They are a law to themselves. Even though they do not have the law that means they're showing that they know right from wrong. Verse 15 they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts while their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or Even excuse them on that day when according to my gospel God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

What this is saying very simply is that God has revealed not only in nature not only in creation. He's also revealed in the heart of man. Right from wrong. Conscience is Testimony to the existence and revelation of God.

Conscience a sense and this is a word I love to use a sense of ought. And you've heard me yeah, those of you heard me teach you've heard me say that word probably several times the word ought. I Remember when I was a kid.

You'd hear the you know, you ought not do that. Or you ought to do that, right? Right ought is a sense of supposed to and ain't supposed to. Make it simple should and should not. Where do we get the natural sense of ought?

From God. The natural sense of ought is from God and the natural sense of shame when we do what we ought not. Shame is a revelation from God. It's a revelation that you have missed the mark. Romans 3 says what for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

What is the word sin? Hamartia means to miss the mark. God has a standard it is his law. He says do not tell a lie when we tell a lie. What do we do? We miss the mark. He has a standard. He says do not commit adultery.

We look with lust. What did Jesus say that's doing? It's lusting out in our heart and committing adultery are we miss the mark and we go down the line. Men know that it is wrong. That's why they hide their pornography.

Even sinful ungodly wretched men have a password on their computer because they don't want other people to see. There's a sense of ought in all men. In fact, what do we call a person that doesn't seem to have a sense of ought?

Sociopath or psychopath, right. Sociopathy and psychopathy are both Self-expressions different ways to express someone who does not feel a natural sense of empathy toward his neighbor. I still think it exists.

I think it is suppressed, but I do think it exists. I want to mention that but There are mental disease and stuff. I know I would never deny that those things exist but In general we talk about the general revelation of God first.

It's in the universe and then it's in the soul. And even though men are dead and their trespasses and sins. They have a conscience that is very much alive in fact, I Believe that the conscience is how we hear the Word of God and how we understand it before we get saved.

It's when it's when God regenerates the soul that we actually receive it. But you might learn it you might grow and that's why we teach our kids. My children are not regenerated they are not born again.

But I teach them the Word of God because I'm teaching their conscience to understand the Word of God. So that when God does save them by his grace and they come to faith in Christ. All of that knowledge that I've poured into their heart will come alive.

We don't just start teaching somebody the Bible when they get saved we start teaching them from the moment we meet them discipleship begins immediately. There's really no difference between evangelism and discipleship.

It's just the depth of Where you're going go into all the world and make? Converts, you know. Make disciples and so we start at the beginning all right, so. That's how as far as I'm going to go on General revelation.

The first is the creation. The second is the conscience to see so I'll make it easy to remember under special revelation. Go back to psalm 19. Sorry if I made you lose your place, or I'm sorry. Yeah, so I'm 19.

We read up to verse 6 verse 7. The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise. The simple the precepts of the Lord are right. Rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure and lightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever. The rules of the Lord are true and righteous are all together more to be desired are they than gold? Even much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them as your servant warned and keeping them there is great Reward. We'll stop there. Verse 11. What is an example from that text of special revelation? The law of God the law of God. Is an example of special revelation when did man receive the law of God in its?

Special form because you could say man received law of God in his heart from birth. But because we just talked about that, but where did man receive the law of God as it is written? Mount Sinai right with Moses.

Moses goes up onto the mountain and he receives from God the commandments. There are ten commandments. But then there are precepts that go on top of those commandments that outline the entire life of Israel all the way down to how The men kept their hair and how they are to dress and how what they're to eat.

Israel was given a litany of legal things that were intended to separate them from the rest of the world. People often get confused about what the laws of the Old Testament were about and what they were for.

Primarily it was to demonstrate that Israel Was a peculiar people we think of the word peculiar means odd or weird. Well, it does but not in this sense in this sense means separated. They were a peculiar people.

They were different than the nations around them. They didn't sacrifice their children on altars. That was forbidden. They didn't eat certain foods. Those were forbidden. They had a way of living that was different than everyone else around them and many things were forbidden.

They couldn't do any work on the Sabbath. And if they did they were committing a capital offense. Because it was forbidden by God. And people say oh wasn't God so evil when that man was found chopping wood on the Sabbath and Moses commanded him to be Stoned and I raised my hand and I say but did not God say do not do that.

I Mean we may think the punishment doesn't fit the crime, but we can't say there weren't no crime. Alright, because the law of God was clear. We may feel like it was a little bit of a heavy-handed response, but I bet it didn't happen.

No mo. No, I'm sure it probably did but you know because people are rebellious but the reality is God was serious about his law and his law is one of the ways that he Presents himself in a special way.

And when we say special what we more could say is particular. Because it only goes to a certain people. That's why I said Israel was separated. Israel was different from the world. The Malachite's a Malachite's didn't get it.

The priests of Baal didn't get it. This is all this stuff about Calvinism and how Calvinism makes God unfair. Where in the Bible do you come up with this idea that God was ever fair? God is just and that's not the same thing fair is when you go ride rides at the carnival.

That's a fair. That's a fair. God is just and the fact that he gives grace to one and he doesn't give grace to someone else does not make Him unfair because he didn't have to give grace to anybody. That's the point is God giving grace to Israel in the midst of the Canaanites the Amalekites and the Worshippers of Baal and all these people God gave them grace and he chose not to give grace to the others.

At least not in the same way because he gave grace to. Who was it the Jonah went to The Ninevites the Ninevites got grace for an entire generation. And that amazing and God chose to do that and guess who didn't want to go.

Jonah the prophet didn't want to go do it because he hated them. God wanted to show His mercy and grace because he will grace whom he wills he will mercy whom he wills and whom he wills he hardens. That is his choice.

It's his will. Romans 9, right? So anyway, we had this it's difficult to understand but we have Israel is a peculiar. Particular people who give who were given a particularly special revelation, but let's take a step back.

This is all we're gonna get to tonight. We're gonna get the names of God tonight, but it's important. That's all right. Just keep your sheet take a step back before Moses. We can go all the way back to Adam and work our way to Moses and say there was still special revelation along the way.

Because no one. No, Adam and Eve had special revelation. Obviously because they at first were not separated from God because they had not sinned but when they sinned. They were separated from God when they sinned they were cut off from God.

They were put out of the garden. They were divided but They knew enough about God to teach her sons about worship. Because what is it that caused Cain to kill Abel? They brought both brought up brought a sacrifice.

What was the difference? We're not told. We can infer but the Bible doesn't tell us it simply tells us that God chose one and didn't choose. The other doesn't tell us why we can infer the reason is that Abel brought a blood sacrifice.

Cain didn't. But we don't know that text doesn't say that we know that's what happened one brought an animal sacrifice which includes blood. We know God requires a blood sacrifice. So that could be the reason why but I'm not saying it is saying it could be.

But we know God chose one sacrifice didn't choose the other. Then what? That's right, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Well, that's true too. I mean we can go all the way back there and that's what I've often wondered.

How did how did they know that sacrifice animal was good because it had already been done once? God sacrificed an animal so that Adam and Eve could have skins to wear. So we know that a sacrifice already happened.

Who made the sacrifice. Apparently God. Yeah. And that and that good and that's a picture of Christ. Who is going to be the blood sacrifice who takes away the sins of the world all of these other? Sacrifices are pointing to one and after him no more need to be done.

That's why the temple was destroyed in 8070. 8070 it was done. No more sacrifices. I believe that was an act of God. Emperor Titus destroyed the temple in 8070 has never had a blood sacrifice from the people of Israel again since then.

It was within one generation of the death of Jesus Christ, and he said This generation will not pass away until this is fulfilled. It's interesting little caveat of history. We go back to the beginning.

We have special revelation with Noah or Adam and Eve. I keep saying no special revelation from with Noah. God says build a boat. I mean it's a little bit more particular than that. But yes He says and he and he builds a boat and there's a special revelation and only eight people survived after him there.

Shem Hammond Japheth his sons. It is believed by some that Shem Hammond Japheth represent the threefold type of people in the world. Shem Hammond Japheth would have went three different directions and each one would have produced People of different skin tone.

I don't know that that's true, or I would even accept that but it is a it's a it's a. Curious little interesting reasoning, but the point is we're all of one blood. We're all of one people. Racism is foolish, and it's dumb and we shouldn't be that way because we're all of God's.

We're all of Adam and Eve. We're all of Noah. Every one of us is a son and daughter of Adam. We're also son daughter of Noah. We're either a Shemite a Japheth ite or a Hamite. In fact, where do you get the word Semite?

Shem. That's why Jews are called Semites because they're from the line of Shem. All right, but who is the next one to receive specific particular? Revelation from God after Noah. Abraham. Abraham. Genesis chapter 12.

He is given the Abrahamic Covenant and here's where this becomes really if you think about it. People don't like the particular ism of reformed theology. I say look at the particular ism of Jewish theology.

There was one guy how many thousands of people had populated the earth at that point by the time of Abraham? We know that he had a pretty big family because he left them and he wasn't perfect. God chose him out of idolatry the Bible teaches.

And he sent him to the promised land. So Abraham gets a special revelation from God and how does it come to him? What comes to him in a voice? I mean, we know he talked he spoke to God. He's called the friend of God.

So is there a time where God speaks audibly? I would say yes has to be all right. People ask me do I believe God speaks audibly today. I do not. With a little asterisk next to it. I Speaking audibly, I believe when the canon was closed.

He stopped doing that. I think that today we we have the Word of God in the Bible says about itself. It says that it is Sufficient that the man of God will have everything he needs for godliness. So I don't think we need visions and and voices today.

But we know in fact it says in Hebrews and Mike Mike Collier makes this argument really well that in Hebrews 1 it says in times God spoke in various ways and in various times to our fathers through the prophets.

But now speaks to us through his son. So we don't need those things anymore and he's got a good lesson on that let him come in and teach it sometime, but that's I. We go back though Abraham of course spoke to God directly.

In fact Abraham saw the Lord. They ate together under the oak trees at Mamre right right before the the the the heavens rained down fire on a Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord was there. I believe that was a pre-incarnate visit of Jesus Christ.

We'll get to that when we get to Christophanes in the Christology portion, but that's that's what happens. We have this Jesus Christ having a meal with Abraham. So he's got these visions. He's got this opportunity to see and talk to the Lord.

No question, right? Did he still have an issue with faith? Isn't that weird? People say if I could just see God. But have you heard somebody say that though Mike you hear somebody say if I could just see God I would I wouldn't have trouble believing.

That's absolutely. No, absolutely. Absolutely the during the exile and those things and Jeremiah hung up by his wrists and a you know pit up to here. I mean, he's this miserable life and he was called the lamenting prophet or the weeping prophet.

Absolutely, I would whip to his rough life. Yeah, and you're right. So going down we have and that's and that's another example another example of special revelation is prophecy comes directly to one person for the people of God and We see that all throughout the Old Testament.

Abraham himself was a prophet. But he specifically more so was a patriarch. Because he was the first one chosen out of this mass of humanity to say you Are going to be the head of a nation and he was old y 'all.

He didn't have any kids. He had one Adopted child. Eliezer of Damascus that was his kid and he saw he thought he's gonna die and all of his Fortune was gonna go to this adopted child. He said no you're gonna have a child of your own.

Okay, we'll make it happen get the handmaiden that didn't work out too good. But Sarah saw the Lord the Lord said you're gonna have a child. What did Sarah do? Laughed. She laughed but God had the last laugh because he gave her a child really old.

So she had a child. Out of that child. Well, we have Abraham with Isaac their their blessed child. Of course, I want to go through all the Ishmael and everything, but Abraham Isaac out of Isaac you have Jacob and Esau.

God chooses one in The same way that God chose Isaac. PC people often make a point about the choosing of Abraham or choosing of Jacob and Esau. God chose Isaac when Ishmael was his father's oldest son and Eliezer was the adopted son.

But only one was the son of the promise. Romans 9 tells us this that God chose the son of the promise because that was his choice and Jacob and Esau even though Esau was older God chose the younger because it was his choice.

And what is Jacob later become Israel. What is Israel mean? Wrestles with God. Wrestles with God because he was the one who fought with the angel and he was known as Israel wrestles with God and then he had he began really the nation because out of that is when you start the twelve tribes and.

And then you have Joseph and his story and Joseph is able to buy God's special revelation. Interpret dreams. And I can't go through the whole Old Testament, but you understand what I'm saying special revelation is not limited to scripture but now I believe it is in the sense that I believe that the scripture canon is closed and Several months ago.

We did a long Lesson on the canon of scripture in the history of it. So I don't want to go back through that tonight. But we do believe the canon is closed meaning we don't believe any other books are being added.

There's no more Apostles at the death of the last Apostle the scriptures canon is closed and. So we have this Word of God and what does the Word of God show us? It shows us all these various types of special revelation even even little things that we don't think about the Urim and the Thummim.

When the priest would go in to the temple He had this thing on his coat. That was that was a it would we don't know how it worked. But it but essentially it would tell him the will of God. And it was like I don't know if it reflected or how it worked.

But it would show him what the will of God was for the people. The Urim and the Thummim is special revelation of God. You know what another really strange example of the special revelation of God is the lot.

The lot is cast in the lap, but it's every turn is from who the Lord. How did they choose the twelfth disciple after Judas died? They cast lots. You know my son's named after the one they didn't choose justice.

Matthias was chosen. Justice was not Titius. Justice was the one who was not chosen and we named him after him the unchosen disciple. Nothing but no, they but both of them walked with Christ and One was chosen.