Becoming Better Theologian (part 4) - Theology Proper

0 views

0 comments

Becoming Better Theologians (part 5) - Theology Proper - Names Of God

00:00
Our Father in heaven we are thankful this morning that you have revealed yourself to us that you have given us your word that we might know you better Father we thank you even for this building for the years that you have blessed the teaching of your word here
00:16
Father we would pray for your blessing on it this morning and on our time together in Christ's name we pray amen
00:23
Well we've been talking about Theology proper that is the study of God Directly for the last several weeks and We began
00:39
Working through Robert Culver's systematic theology and just talking about Different aspects of God just kind of introductory matters as it were
00:49
I think one of my professors called it prolegomena Which is the fancy name for saying you know first things introductory things about God We Began filling out or we filled out most of that Fill in the blank thing and I'll just kind of go over that real quickly the most striking statement of the whole
01:06
Bible may be The first one in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Number two
01:11
God's name appears 28 times in the first chapter of Genesis That ought to be a message in and of itself number three
01:20
The clear position of the authors of Scripture is that people come to the Bible already knowing God Exists we've talked about that how people suppress that truth and unrighteousness but that they
01:33
That they know about him no matter what they may say Number four Luther's Children's Catechism says that I believe that God has made me and all creatures
01:43
Which I think is a great thing to teach your kids Number five to bring people to awareness of the
01:49
Living God lays them in the dust of despair I just like the way Culver said that that's the only reason I put it down there
01:55
When people understand who God is they they don't say wow I'm glad that there's a God like that if they don't believe
02:02
If they believe they they like that if they don't believe then it leaves them in the dust of despair Number six no one is unaware of their dependence upon God Upon him or their accountability to him.
02:15
They know there's a God they know they're going to be accountable to him They just don't like it Number seven
02:20
Jonah obviously delivered no preliminary lectures on monotheism or biblical theism.
02:26
We don't see any posters around Nineveh Talking about the upcoming appearance by the
02:32
Prophet Jonah. He just goes there and declares repentance and they repent Number eight
02:37
God tolerates no rivals And we're going to be speaking more about that this morning number nine man the only visible
02:45
Rational creature on earth must worship him God as also do the angels in heaven there is a gap between animals and man no matter what
02:57
Unbelievers may say no matter what the evolutionist might say we are not mere animals
03:02
Number ten in a time of national apostasy Elijah the tishbite suddenly appeared before King Ahab announcing the beginning of a contest and That contest was between the prophets of Baal and The Prophet of God really between Baal and God We talked about that at some length number 11 prophecy and miracles
03:26
Lying in the midst of narrative constitute the ancient apologetics of the
03:31
Bible in other words, and we spoke about this it again some length last week What are the evidences that the
03:38
Bible gives as to its truthfulness? Prophecy and miracles in other words foretelling of the truth and the miraculous intervention in the space
03:49
Time continuum that only God can do and that's what we would call a miracle. I Think that's one of the most overused words.
03:57
There is you know if a if somebody comes back and kicks a foot field goal At the end of the game. It's a miracle win.
04:03
No, it's not You know a miracle That that's not a miracle I don't even think there could be a miracle in a football game unless it was, you know, one guy against 11 and The one guy won that would be a miracle so That just kind of catches up to where we are
04:22
Now we're going to talk about Because we've been talking about miracles Prophecy prophets and now we're going to talk about the last prophets
04:34
The last great prophet which is number 12 the last great prophet the consummation of the line of prophets was
04:45
Jesus and You'll notice also true or false the first question there Jesus was a prophet which is true
04:52
So there you have it if you put those two things together you'd get it automatically There were others in the apostolic age who spoke by divine special divine revelation, but all these spoke by His authority
05:07
Jesus authority and were but channels of his revelation in other words
05:13
Peter Paul these men they spoke Revelator they wrote revelation and they spoke sometimes by divine ordination when we think especially of Peter's sermon the day of Pentecost Was that a divine revelation?
05:33
Yes, how do we know that is every sermon of divine revelation? No, why was this?
05:39
Why why can I say that this one? It was a divine revelation because it's recorded in the book of Acts Written by the
05:46
Holy Spirit so that we would have it today but when Jesus spoke
05:54
It's not It's not him Kind of taking the word of the words of the
06:00
Holy Spirit and putting them into his own language. This is direct divine Revelation this is
06:06
God himself Speaking it's interesting though to that He was certified as a true messenger of God just as these other prophets were when
06:18
Jesus came on the scene Did people believe him? Did they did the nation of Israel go to Jesus and say you know what we receive you as Messiah?
06:35
No, obviously not And yet God sent them signs that they might believe
06:42
But they did not believe The Jews asked for a sign of his authority now.
06:49
What what sign did Jesus give them? What's that? The sign of the cross, but I mean he specifically told them
07:00
Son of yeah the sign of Jonah, let's look at that Matthew 12 38 to 40
07:28
Matthew 12 38 to 40 and who would read that place? Okay, Daniel 38 to 40
08:12
Why is it that the Scribes and Pharisees wanted a sign from Jesus what were they asking for?
08:22
Proof they wanted some proof Did they really
08:32
They didn't need proof. I mean the the evidences Were all around Jesus ministry healing the sick multiplying the fishes
08:43
I'm raising the dead. I mean they're all over the place and they say hey show us a sign And so what does he say he doesn't say look at all the things that I've done.
08:52
He says He gives them something that I I don't really know that they understood
09:00
Says just like Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days I'm going to be in the heart of the earth for three days when
09:19
We spoke last week of Moses when Moses asked for a sign. What did God tell him? Moses says
09:26
I'm supposed to go to your people and tell them that I am your representative that I'm going to deliver them out of Egypt What is the sign that God gave
09:35
Moses? He said go ahead Yeah, he said here's your here's your sign
09:42
Moses When you have led the people out of Egypt you're gonna know that you were the right guy
09:50
Well, thank you so much And in that same way, look what he says Essentially, he says listen, here's your sign
09:59
He doesn't lay it all out for them. But as we look back at it, we can see what here's your sign
10:04
Your sign is that I'm going to die I'm gonna be buried for three days and then I'm gonna be raised from the dead.
10:10
There's your sign That isn't what they expected. They wanted some kind of you know, do a magic trick show us how cool you are
10:19
Show us that you really are a prophet And he said I'll give you a sign
10:25
I'm gonna be dead for three days and then be raised from the dead It's not what they expected other signs.
10:34
I like this one When John the Baptist wanted a sign that the Messiah stood before him
10:41
This is interesting How did he how did he find out who the Messiah was let's look at John 1 33
10:52
John 1 33 and who wants to read that John 1 33?
11:09
Go ahead Brian the one on whom you see the
11:26
Holy Spirit descend and remain It's an unusual sign. How was that fulfilled
11:34
John the Baptist baptizes him and what happens? Holy Spirit descends as a dove
11:42
God lets him know ahead of time. This is what's going to happen and then it specifically happens
11:50
Signs miracles affirming science works of God Later in his jail cell
12:04
John the Baptist asked for further assurance I mean you would think that seeing the Holy Spirit descend like a dove might be pretty good since that's what
12:10
God told him Ahead of time and what sign does
12:16
John the Baptist get at that point from Jesus? Let's look at Matthew 11 verses 2 to 6
12:38
Matthew 11 2 to 6 Who who can read that for me Bruce and the reference that is what?
13:22
What's Jesus telling John? He could just be telling him look at all the miracles.
13:29
I've performed and take those but that's not what he's saying. What is he saying? That he's the coming one because he's fulfilled many of the prophecies that were listed in Isaiah Isaiah 29 18 35 6 and also 61 1
13:50
I'll talk about these things that Jesus then fulfilled. So he's like basically what Jesus tells these
13:57
Messengers of John the Baptist is I'm fulfilling prophecy now oh
14:06
I skipped number two. I should I should follow my own notes number two in the true or false quiz
14:12
The resurrection was a sign given by God true number three true or false the
14:21
Holy Spirit sending like a dove was a sign given for John the Baptist true and Number four what 14 chapters of the
14:29
Bible contain the most fulfilled prophecy Who wants to take it? I should have put
14:35
Continuous or contiguous chapters. In other words not random 14 chapters, but 14 chapters in a row of the
14:42
Bible Contained the most fulfilled prophecy. This is according to Robert Culverin If you don't like my answer, you can write him a letter and argue with him 14 chapters anybody want to guess
14:57
Brian Isaiah There are 66 chapters in Isaiah care to take a shot at 14
15:08
Bruce Give that man a gold star
15:16
That is exactly correct Culver says the most extensive evidential use of fulfilled prophecy in the
15:24
Bible itself is in the portion of Isaiah Which begins with chapter 40 and leads up to a marvelous marvelous prediction of our
15:31
Lord's career in chapter 53 Bruce nailed it very nice In this section the
15:42
Lord himself is represented in a contest with impotent gods
15:47
They have no power the impotent gods of paganism The theme running through this passage in part.
15:54
Is it the Lord alone is God for he alone can act Only God has the power to act.
16:01
Let's look at Isaiah 41 verses 21 to 24 Isaiah 41 verses 21 to 24
16:11
Isaiah is often called the Fifth gospel and the reason it's called the fifth gospel is because it contains so much about the
16:21
Lord Jesus Christ Yes, it's in prophetic form, but you can't read the book of Isaiah and not think about Jesus It's not possible at least as a
16:31
Christian Isaiah 41 verses 21 to 24 and who has that?
16:40
Go ahead Joey. Oh Oh Go ahead.
17:22
You can read 24. Sorry Do you think that there's maybe just a little bit of sarcasm in this and notice?
17:42
It's not this isn't Isaiah's opinion set forth your case says the
17:47
Lord all caps Yahweh the covenant God of Israel He's saying he's challenging the idolatrous nations the unbelievers make your case take your best shot
18:00
Bring your proofs and Notice it says they're the king of Jacob or some translations may have other
18:08
Wording like the God of Jacob, but here's the principal idea. You know this God is for a moment just saying okay.
18:16
Let's just say I'm one of a pantheon of gods I am the king or the
18:21
God of Jacob and there are all these other gods out there I want all you who believe in these other gods to make your case bring forth your best evidence
18:31
This is a court of law trial as it were now interesting verse 22 look at this
18:39
Talking to the worshipers of idols let them bring them. What does that suggest about idols?
18:49
They can't walk Well, it is laughable right I mean hey tell you what guys you bring in your little carved images
18:59
Those pieces of wood and stone you just carry those things in here, and let's just have a little trial
19:05
Let's just see what's what how pathetic is that your gods have to be carried Let them bring them and tell us what is to happen
19:17
How about this tell us the former things what they are that we may consider them in other words the idea there is
19:24
Tell us about the great things your gods have done What mighty acts have they performed?
19:32
What's the answer of that of course? none says
19:40
Even their predictions or or whatever he says that we may know their outcome or declared to us the things to come in other words
19:48
Why don't you tell us what the future is if your gods are so powerful that and surely they can predict the future
19:58
Again when we're considering who the God of the Bible is what he is able to do and we compare him to these idols
20:05
It really does become a farce one commentator machir
20:18
Notes this he says while credally confessing only one God the people of the
20:24
Old Testament were as we are surrounded by claimants to divinity in other words many
20:32
So -called gods or idols who claim to be divine Says thus the Old Testament can say that the
20:39
Lord is above all gods Thus you know taking note of all the claimants to divinity to those who claim to be deity or God That would be
20:51
Psalm 95 3 but without for a moment admitting their reality People say that there are many gods.
20:59
There's one God. There's only one God who can act There is only one God who has any power at all the rest are
21:07
Figures of man's imagining Listen when he says in verse 23
21:13
Tell us what is to come hereafter that you or that we may know that you are gods in other words
21:18
God's inherently a God would have the power to bring something to pass then he says do good or do harm
21:25
Do good or do evil? Do anything? That we may be dismayed and terrified
21:35
Behold you are nothing and your work is less than nothing and Abomination is he who chooses you which means what that those who choose to worship other than the
21:46
Lord God are Condemned so we've seen from the earliest times in biblical revelation in history that redemption or Fulfillment of prophecy has always been a strong proof of the validity of God's own claims and the claims of his messengers now
22:25
Quiz question number five true or false fulfilled prophecy is an evidence and unbeliever cannot deny
22:38
Yeah, I think the key Daniel hit it being a lawyer Hit it right on the head there.
22:44
The wording is very key fulfilled prophecy is an evidence true and Unbeliever cannot deny false.
22:51
Therefore. The whole thing is false They can deny it. They do deny it We've talked many times about how what happens they see the
23:00
Jews wandering around with Jesus watch his miracles They watch him multiply the fish in the loaves.
23:06
They see all the things they does raising people from the dead How many believers were there when he died
23:14
Hundreds of thousands The day he was resurrected the church became the official
23:21
Church of Israel Was in control of all the land
23:27
No No, there were a handful How many saw him after he was resurrected?
23:37
500 given all that saw him all
23:43
That heard him all that watched him really pretty Sad, but it's a great evidence to what?
23:52
The depravity of man and their ability to hold down the truth To deny what they see. All right number six true or false the case for Christianity is an infallible one
24:09
The case for Christianity is an infallible one The case for Christ is an infallible one
24:16
It's not an infallible book, by the way The case for Christ or Christianity is an infallible one true or false
24:25
Somebody says true True, that's correct Fulfilled prophecy is
24:33
Only part of the biblical evidences. In fact Culver says standing alone
24:39
It would prove nothing except that some people in the history of the world have a strange inexplicable knowledge of the future.
24:46
I Don't know if I go for that, but I mean what is this like we're not talking about Nostradamus here
24:55
But is the connection of the supernatural power to know the future With the miracles of the
25:00
Bible those things that only God can do the relation of both miracles and prophecy
25:06
With the Jewish people and the claims of their prophets apostles and Messiah make the case for Christianity and infallible one
25:14
In other words, he's saying if you take the historic evidence of both the miracles and the fulfilled prophecy
25:21
You're left with no other choice, but to believe that the God of the Bible is the God who exists
25:30
Well, I think that's true in so far in as far as it goes that especially for us we look at it
25:37
We say well certainly all those things are true Yeah, the
25:58
Daniel says the testimony of the book when if we read the Bible and we believe the
26:04
Bible then we are Ultimately we can come to no other choice other than to say that the God of the
26:09
Bible is the one who exists There's no other way to go. It's It's just not possible to come to any other conclusion even so Even though God has declared the case a certain one.
26:24
It is possible for us to deny it Right each of us like sheep has gone our own way
26:29
People hold down the truth and unrighteousness Romans 1 doesn't change the truth the fact that people won't accept it and The gospel will always remain foolishness to the minds of sinful people until what
26:44
I Was just having an email exchange the other day with someone and he was
26:51
Debating a person in his family and saying arguing about doctrine because this person is supposed to be a believer
26:57
Arguing about doctrine, and I just said to him I said well Here's my rule.
27:03
I don't like to argue doctrine with unbelievers I've tried what happens when you are going to argue doctrine with unbelievers.
27:13
They bring up another point and I Mean ultimately if we if we don't have if we're not using the
27:21
Bible as the basis for what we say And this person this other
27:26
Supposed believer was not using the Bible. I mean he would but it was cut a verse here cut a verse there and basically
27:35
Relying upon his own experience rather than Scripture alone if we don't have a single platform from which we both agree to debate and if you're debating with an unbeliever you don't have a single platform an
27:48
Unbeliever can say whatever he wants because he's not accountable You know in his own mind. He's not convicted that he's using the
27:55
Bible wrongly or that he's making Wrong statements. I think I might have mentioned a few weeks ago the idea
28:01
One unbeliever put forth to me was that the God of the Old Testament? Was Jealous beyond belief that nobody should ever worship a
28:11
God like that, and he was a brutal murderer on top of that You just read that you go. This is someone who doesn't understand
28:18
God and certainly doesn't believe the miracles and the prophecy of the
28:23
Old Testament So what do they do well? Why is it foolishness to them because until the
28:30
Holy Spirit enlightens them until he opens their eyes Until he gives them a new heart they cannot believe the
28:36
Bible First Corinthians 1 18 says the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing
28:42
First Corinthians 2 14 tells us what that they can't understand the
28:50
Bible apart from the Holy Spirit So the truth is that all these evidences display one thing
29:01
They display not that unbelievers have an intellectual Intellectual deficiency that prevents them from understanding
29:09
In other words, it's not that unbelievers aren't smart enough to get it it's not that they don't grasp the facts or can't grasp the facts is that they are
29:20
Morally incapable of doing so because they don't want a God like this
29:28
Number seven true or false the main reason unbelievers don't believe is they are unconvinced by the evidence false
29:35
I've said it before I'll say it right now. You could fill this entire sanctuary. You could triple the size of the sanctuary
29:41
That'd be nice. You could do whatever you want in terms of evidence You could say say look at all these artifacts all these proofs all these truths and the unbeliever just goes
29:55
It's okay. I still want I still won't believe Why because they're spiritually dead?
30:07
sometimes people simply reject fulfillment of prophecy as Impossible they say it's just not even possible
30:20
Why? Why did they say it's not even possible because they deny the very idea of something
30:28
Supernatural now again, do we need to prove that God exists before we can present the gospel to someone?
30:38
No, because everyone knows that God exists and to just kind of re -emphasize that because I don't think we can
30:46
Get that enough. Let's look at Romans 1 again This is a verse that I think has several implications and one of them
31:00
Should be a relief and that is that you are under no obligation to prove that God exists
31:07
None The second thing it ought to do for you is to let you know that what you are fighting is not an intellectual battle
31:15
It is a spiritual battle. It is one where you present the truth and God will then either use that Truth or not use that truth.
31:24
Well, he will use the truth He will they use it to condemn that person or to can or to redeem them
31:29
Romans 1 Verses 18 and 20 and I'll read that for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men
31:39
Who by their unrighteousness? suppress the truth What truth?
31:45
For what can be known about God is plain to them Because God has shown it to them
31:51
For his invisible attributes namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived
31:58
Ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made so that they are without excuse again they look around at the world and they see that there is a creator and They suppress that truth in unrighteousness
32:14
They don't want there to be a God they don't want to be Accountable to any God the common device for avoiding the evidential value of biblical prophecies
32:29
I won't go through the entire history of it But it's by a man named porphyry and I think it's interesting that he came up with the idea listen to this if he could convince others and this was 1 ,800 years ago if he could convince others that the predictions of the
32:47
Old Testament Especially the detailed ones of the book of Daniel were written after the events they predict had transpired in other words
32:56
It wasn't prophecy. It was a recap written to look like prophecy It was a look back presented as a look forward if he could get them to believe that Then he would have destroyed one of the main supports for their faith in the inspiration of Scripture and in Christianity and Culver writes little has been added to porphyry's arguments
33:22
Though his method has become exceedingly popular among liberal higher critics
33:30
Quiz questions number eight the smarter you are the more likely you are to give the biblical evidence a fair trial false
33:38
Some of the smartest men on the face of the planet suppress that truth and unrighteousness there is a theory
33:46
I mean, I'll just give you a few examples, there's a
33:52
Theological school that came out of Germany and What they did when they came to the
33:57
Bible. This was shortly after the Theory of evolution was published they came to the
34:03
Bible with the understanding That there was no miracle and there could be no fulfilled prophecy in the
34:10
Bible that was their presupposition That was their foundational baseline
34:16
So they approached Scripture with that and then guess what? They found all kinds of problems with the Bible.
34:23
They decided for example that the first five books of the Bible the Pentateuch Were not written by Moses That couldn't have been
34:34
Absolutely impossible and they went on to divide all the reasons why and they came up with you know
34:41
At least four different authors who wrote it and how it was all edited together
34:47
They came up with the idea that Mark had to be the first gospel written None of the miracles of the
34:54
Bible existed they came up with all kinds of excuses for the Miracles they explained them all away why?
35:06
Because if you are an unbeliever your number one Reason for existing is
35:13
Denying the truth about God and for them. It's it's a profession Can you imagine being paid to disprove the
35:19
Bible the Jesus seminar? That's exactly right. I That's a great example to the
35:26
Jesus seminar these scholars Dominic Crossan and others, you know getting together and actually voting on the sayings of Jesus and whether they're actually in the
35:36
Bible or not you know and so then they came up with this color -coding system and and of course, they love the
35:42
Gospel of Thomas, which I don't understand, but But critics are not dumb people these these higher liberal critics and they write a lot of a lot of Scholarly tomes, you know a lot of books.
35:58
In fact, some people ask about different commentary collections and there's one
36:04
Now I'm gonna forget it I think it's the word the word commentary and it's like this massive volume of it and mostly it's written by unbelievers
36:11
I mean they may say technically interesting things, but one of my favorites is Andrew Lincoln Wrote a commentary on Ephesians and he he goes to great length to prove why
36:23
Paul did not write the book of Ephesians and So, you know you just open to Ephesians chapter 1 and you go
36:29
I Paul an apostle you go It's hard and there are a couple other places in Ephesians where he identifies himself and you just go
36:37
I Don't find your arguments all that compelling. Dr.
36:43
Lincoln, you know, it's pretty clear Suppressing the truth and unrighteousness ignoring or actually lying about the miracles lying about God.
36:54
I mean basically they're blasphemers But it's interesting that that whole process started
37:03
Almost 1 ,800 years ago Number nine true or false prophetic predictions are usually clear at the time.
37:11
They are made. I predict
37:18
Patriots will not go to the Super Bowl. It's usually not usually not that clear
37:30
This is what Culver says he says they will not be mere sage remarks that in other words, they're not just wise sayings or Scientific prediction based on laws of nature in other words
37:43
I predict that if you throw an apple up in the air, it will hit the ground. That wouldn't be a prophecy Neither will they reflect a humanly controlled situation wherein the
37:54
Prophet or his supporters fulfill the prophecy? something like you know, I predict Apple stock will
38:02
You know crater because I hold a million shares and I'm going to sell them all that would not be a prophecy Daniel Many of the prophecies that are given
38:44
Well, here's what I would say Daniel brings up the idea the question of you know Where the prophecy can be seen as like a mountain range and I think that's a good analogy and here's why because a prophet will make his prophecy and Things might be a little bit obscure and why would that be because there are as it were mountains there are events between the prophecy and the time of fulfillment
39:08
So things might be a little dim as it were at the time and then as they get closer it becomes more
39:14
Clear until actually when you get there, it becomes obvious What was the second part of your question?
39:33
That I don't know I mean whether or not it's it's more prevalent that way or the other way
39:39
I really I Don't know But here's here's the key about prophecy.
39:46
Let me just listen Culver's words here They must be prediction a prophecy must be a prediction of the future such as only
39:53
God could know and bring to pass Getting back to this whole idea of the idols.
39:58
He says bring them forth. Let's see what they can tell us about the future Let's see what they can tell us about things that they have
40:05
Predicted and then brought to pass and he did all that in the context by the way of what in Isaiah 40 to 53 what's going on in Israel?
40:16
they have been Captured and are in captivity and in fact Isaiah 40 is written to them even though it was written before this happened, but it's written to them with the idea of giving them hope and He says ultimately that he's going to raise someone
40:36
To take care of the situation for them Cyrus So he's there to give them hope and it's something that only
40:42
God could bring to pass. Listen if you were in Captivity and you knew you've been taken out of your country
40:50
And God told you that he was going to restore you to that country a that ought to give you hope be when it happened it
40:57
Ought to amaze you because only God could do that He says here another necessary feature of prophecy is a degree of obscurity in Many of the predictions that idea again of a mountain range at first it may
41:14
This might seem to seriously weaken the evidential value and he says actually it increases it the prophecy
41:22
Ordinarily will have a true, but obscure reference to future events Jesus's predictions of his resurrection as we said the one in Matthew 12 where he says
41:35
I'm going to be in the earth for three days He didn't say that he would die
41:42
He didn't say That he in other words, it's a little bit obscure.
41:47
It's not clear We wouldn't really get it until after the effect he compared himself to or the experience to Jonah's experience in the great fish
41:57
He predicted the resurrection and connection with his cleansing of the temple he said destroyed this temple in the three days
42:02
I will raise it up Maybe people wouldn't get that either was he talking about the temple or Ultimately his own body and the truth is the disciples themselves didn't understand it until later
42:19
When prophecy had become history Then it was seen as our
42:25
Lord speaking of the resurrection and that was unmistakable Thus far from being a flaw in the evidence
42:34
This feature is one of the strengths of an evidence of fulfilled prophecy in other words God makes a prediction.
42:40
It's not entirely clear what that is and then it happens and in retrospect it makes perfect sense number ten
42:49
In our quiz this morning true or false Prophecy may be fairly compared to a jigsaw puzzle true or false
43:04
Was that tross Was a fru Nobody brave enough to take a take a
43:15
Ganser take a guess True Culver says
43:23
The a time at the time a Prophecy or they were understanding it.
43:31
He says the pieces may seem difficult Disconnected and obscure but once the truth is known all the pieces fit into a pattern like a dissembled jigsaw puzzle
43:43
The full design cannot be known until all the pieces are put together And finally we wind up with the doctrine of the solitariness of God that God alone is
43:55
God and That is nowhere Spelled out more faithfully by Paul in a helpful passage.
44:02
Let's look at 1st Corinthians chapter 8 verses 4 to 6 1st
44:18
Corinthians chapter 8 verses 4 to 6 Culver says that at Corinth there was a particularly offensive development of Greek culture idol worship got mixed up with the marketing of meat the flesh of animals
44:35
And he says it was hard to buy a fresh Piece of meat in the butcher shop that had not been previously offered to an idol
44:43
So what was a Christian to do? The believers at the church in Corinth wanted to know so Paul wrote 1st
44:52
Corinthians 8 4 to 6 and who has that Dave pastor
44:57
Dave there is only one
45:31
God all these others are the imaginings of man They have no power they have no influence they are also
45:39
I would say backed by demons it is the imaginings of man kind of being spurred on by demonic powers
45:51
People worship non gods and certainly Satan and his followers are delighted by that But they are non entities they have no power even look at The ending there in verse 6 through whom we exist that's that's the
46:09
God that we worship the God that we Obey that we owe allegiance to Paul went on to say that the flesh of animals offered to an idol by someone else
46:23
That food has not been harmfully Affected so the flesh could be bought in the market and eaten in all good conscience by a
46:31
Christian Idle gods are non entities. They are nothing It's what we read in Isaiah.
46:38
That's what we would read throughout all of Scripture It's amazing in fact other sections of Isaiah He says look you know you take a stone you carve it up you take a piece of wood you carve it up in fact
46:50
He says you take that piece of wood you carve it up into an idol and the rest of it you use to Heat the house to cook something
46:58
You know it's kind of like how stupid are you people? To do that very dumb we think of all the evil that Done was done in the service of idols where there was offering babies all manner of Sin sexual sin and other sins done to please non gods
47:24
There is only one God the Bible speaks clearly to it the
47:30
Bible proves the case by Miracles that is actions done
47:37
Interventions in the space -time continuum that can only be performed by God and also by Fulfilled prophecy
47:44
God saying ahead of time what was going to happen and then bring it to pass only God can do that only
47:50
God Has the power to do that he is the creator and sustainer of all things and therefore able to do whatever he wants to predict the future to bring it to pass and That is the
48:02
God that we are studying let's pray Father we thank you for this morning.
48:08
We thank you for your sure word We thank you for the evidences you have given your people and father
48:13
I just pray that we would find not only comforts in these evidences But that we would find challenge in them to declare them to the people who don't believe in them
48:24
When they say I I don't believe in your God We know that otherwise we would not be declaring them to them and father
48:32
I just pray that you give us boldness to speak the truth in love to people not to just say our
48:39
Somehow our God is better than their God or their non God But because you are a
48:46
God who saves you are a God who has all power who has reserved all power to himself all glory to himself
48:56
Father would we glorify you and how we think about you from the moment? We rise up in the morning to the time.
49:01
We go to bed at night Would you grant us just a joy that comes from knowing you?
49:08
Knowing that you have not revealed yourself to all Lord would you make us a people who truly cherish your word your work and everything that you have