Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Statement Of Faith

God The Father Part 1

Intro: Did you ever notice that some people can eat whatever they want and how much they want and still not gain a pound? That's a paradox...it's also not fair.

 Jesus said in Matt. 10:39 'He who loses his life for my sake will find it'
 Jesus said this in Mk. 9:35 "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all."

 These two bible verses are Scriptural examples of what is called a paradox. What is a paradox? The word comes from the Greek meaning 'to seem or to appear'. The idea is that a paradox is difficult to understand because while it affirms truth it appears to be a contradiction. However, I believe a paradox only appears to be a contradiction. Because upon closer examination you  find there is either a misunderstanding of the statement or insufficient data to make a clear determination.

 For example, Mt 10:39 says 'He who loses his life for my sake will find it'.

 Jesus was saying that you will lose your life in one sense and find it in another. You will lose your life of sin, pride and dependence on self and find eternal life and complete fulfillment in giving over your life to following Him.

 Thus a paradox is not a contradiction, it is a statement that we need more information so that we might understand it.

Exp: This morning we will examine one alleged paradox of the Christian faith, the statement that God is both transcendent and immanent.

 Our Statement of Faith says 'God the Father is an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love...It also says that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men. He hears and answers prayer and He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.'

 That is a paradox. How can God be an infinite spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love and at the same time, relate to finite humanity so as to be concerned with their affairs, prayer requests and salvation needs? Upon a closer examination, using the Biblical text of Psalm 104, we will find that God can be both Transcendent and Immanent, both above and below at the same time.  In fact, that is a major reason He is God.

Trans: Turn to Ps. 104 and take out your Sermon Notes as you will need them to follow as I move along in the text to reveal the mystery of God's Transcendence and Immanence.

Definitions:
 Transcendence of God: This expresses the truth that God, in himself, is infinitely exalted above all creation.

 God is transcendent in that He is the Creator and Sovereign Lord over all His creation.  In a way that exceeds our understanding, God exists in His own infinite realm, Lord over all creation, time and space.

 God is also transcendent in that in all his attributes and character traits, He is infinitely higher than we are. He is The Holy Other, unlike anything He has created. And we, even in our descriptions of Him do not justly and rightly describe the awesomeness of His being.

 Immanence of God: This expresses the truth that God is wholly present in His being and power in every part and moment of the created universe. Eph. 4:6 says ' He is over all and through all and in all'.

 His immanence is especially seen in His relationship with humanity. He is the Holy Other, who lives in a high and holy place and who also dwells within the presence of His people.

 In the OT this was seen in the Shekinah Glory of God, the pillar of fire at night and the cloud of smoke during the day.
 In the NT we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God present with all Believers at all times. That is immanence.

 Let me warn you. We must not overemphasize God's transcendence to the detriment of His immanence.

 Dead orthodoxy and tradition places emphasis in worship and life on the transcendence of God, only acknowledging His holiness and awesomeness and our reverence and silence before Him. They miss the reality of the presence and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God who is promised to be in all who Believe.

 On the other hand we must not overemphasize God's immanence to the detriment of His transcendence.

 Contemporary attitudes toward worship and life place the emphasis on the immanence of God, only acknowledging His closeness, His presence, His friendship and love. They miss the reality that God is a consuming fire and must be approached with all humility and holiness.

 The Psalmist knew the problems of favoring either the transcendent or immanent nature of God and he expresses this in our text this morning. He shows that while God is distinct from His creation, He is anything but remote from it.

Ps. 104:1-9  'God is above'

 The Psalmist begins where we must all begin when we approach the presence of God.

 'Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great.'

 Here the Psalmist was reminding himself that he must Bless the Lord ( to bless means to praise, salute, bring honor to God)  So that when he comes into God's presence and acknowledges that the God he loved and served, the God who saved him and keeps him, he will shout

 We too will do well to remember to train our hearts and mouths to Bless God and Praise Him when we enter His presence, for that is His desire and command to the Believer...and to His church.

 The Psalmist then goes on to describe God by using royal imagery. He is, without directly saying it, comparing earthly rulers with the Heavenly king. Showing that God in His nature and character is transcendent, far above anything or anyone on earth.
He begins by saying that God is clothed in splendor and majesty due the highest of all kings.

 Princes and kings appear great and majestic in their robes of scarlet and purple, but the Psalmist reminds us that God covers Himself with light.

 1 Jn. 1:5 'God is Light' and in James 1:17 He is the  'Father of all light".

 It is right that He be cloaked in that which is so brilliant that we can not even gaze upon His greatness lest we are blinded by His insufferable glory.

 He stretches out heaven like a tent curtain.

 Earthly princes put elaborate curtains made of the finest silk to surround their throne, while God uses the very heavens to surround His throne of Glory.

 The beams of His upper chamber are laid in the waters.

 This is poetic language describing the truth that His palace is supported by His own power, just as it was His power to create the water and divide it from the heaven and the earth. (See Gen. 1:6)

He makes the clouds His chariots

 While the coaches of dignitaries are often gilded with gold and drawn by many glorious horses, God makes the clouds His chariot in which He rides swiftly, strongly and far above and out of the reach of all opposition.

He walks upon the wings of the wind

 Yet, when He walks among mankind, He does so at a gentle pace, yet ever so stately because He commands the winds and directs them as He pleases.

He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers.

 God's messenger (better translated angels) and His ministers of His mercy and wrath are both swift as the wind and pure as flames. The heavenly host, the royal army of God's angels immediately do what they are commanded by their King, their Sovereign and there is a purity of purpose as they serve their Living God.

 O that we would have such unhesitating and unwavering responses to God's command on our lives. Then we can truly say with all our heart, along with the psalmist...

Read: Ps. 104:5-9

 Here we see a remarkable comparison to God's work in creation.  He is the master creator, who makes all things He creates, stand firm and stay within the bounds He has set. Nothing and no one can undo what God has done.

 The transcendence of God is designed to excite praise from our lips and devotion from our lives, because He is above all and alone worthy to be praised.

Trans: Not only is God transcendent, He is immanent in that He personally relates to His creation, is interested in it and works to provide for it.

Ps. 104:10-23  'God is below'
 God sends springs in the valleys and they flow between the mountains.

 Water, water everywhere but not a drop of water to drink. God has given ample water in the oceans and seas but not one of those drops will quench our thirsts.  Because He loves us so much, he reached down, He pierced temporal time and space and shows He cares for our needs by giving us fresh water to drink from the mountains and valleys.

 They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

 Where God has given life, he provides that which is life sustaining. The beast of the fields and the wild donkey, seemingly useless to humanity but important in God's plan are given fresh water to drink. If He cares for these wild animals, will He not care for you?

 Besides them the birds of the heavens dwell; they lift up their voices among the branches.

 Close your eyes. Picture yourself in a tropical rain forest at the base of a mountain. You hear the sounds of a cascading waterfall, the fresh smell of  exotic orchids on the breeze and you hear the sweet melodies of the birds singing joyfully in the trees. This is how God created life! This is the Garden of Eden, the perfect habitation for man and animal. When we drink of the river of God, we are refreshed and we like the birds sing for joy because of the provision of the Lord. We sing for joy because God dwells in the midst of His creation.

 He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.

 The mountains are too high for the rivers to reach and give them fresh water, but there is nothing too high that God can't reach. He feeds the mountains from the water in His chambers which come directly from God. If He can reach that high, can He not reach out to you in your time of need, whether it be emotional, financial, physical or spiritual? God's arms are not to short that they can not reach out an meet you where you are.

 The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works

 Yet we are rarely satisfied. We want more, we want something different and we want it now. We are rarely satisfied as Believers, yet since our sufficiency is in God, through Christ, we have the promise and example that all our needs will be met.
Even when we can not reach high enough to get what we need, God can and does and will continue to provide for us. O how we ought to remember to be satisfied with the fruit of God's works.

 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle and vegetation for the labor of man, so that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine which makes man's heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, and food which sustains man's heart.

 In Gen. 3:17 God told Adam that the ground was cursed because of his sin..that he would have to toil and work the ground to get his food. Yet, this same ground that God cursed, He brings forth  vegetation for life. In our toil we often forget or reject the truth that God provides each blade of grass and fruit on the vine. Without the grace and direct intervention by God, there would be no growth, no life.

 God is the source of what we need for physical nourishment and for pleasure as well. God provides us not only with food but with wine, when used in moderation, to make us cheerful and oil to make our face shine....God even provided the first cosmetics ladies!

 God provides all this for us and we are presented with two appropriate responses: humility and thankfulness.

 When God comes close, so as to provide for our needs and pleasures, we see ourselves for who we are; creatures totally dependent on Him and His graciousness. Pride ought to go out the door and we ought to fall on our knees before our holy God as the needy people we are.

 As we recognize and exhibit humility before our great God, our mouths should overflow with thanksgiving because we see that He never lets us down. He gives us all things freely to enjoy. (1 Tim. 6:17)

 Do we acknowledge all that God has given to us? Do we remember to thank Him? You will have a chance to do this on Wednesday night at our Thanksgiving Eve Service.

Rom. 1:21 'For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give Him thanks.'

 We have a habit of doing that...we forget, at best, or suppress at worst, the truth that God is responsible for all we have and are in life. We must not be like those whom God rejects as evil and sinful by not honoring God as God or giving Him thanks.

 Come this Wed. and publicly honor God and give Him thanks for who He is and what He has done.

 In verses 16-23 we see God's immanent hand at work in His providential control over our world so that we (all in the animal kingdom) may fulfill our purpose.

 The trees get water, the birds a place to nest, the high mountains as a play area for the wild goats, and the crevices in the mountain as a hiding place for the badger. The moon and sun make for the fruitful seasons. The darkness provides adequate cover for the animals of prey. When the sun rises the animals know it is time to rest and man knows it is time to work. And when the sun sets, man knows it is time to rest.

 There is nothing God has not thought of or has not ordered.  God is immanent, He is below with His creatures, caring for them and providing for all their needs.

We will stop here and pick up with verse 24 next week.