Skip to content 1. Biblical Theology - Who is God? Sep 7 · 27 min ...more
September 7, 2023 · 27 min · Life Redefined
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Rev. Paul Jeyachandran leads the Intentional Disciple Making Church (IDMC) Movement, which is all about calling churches back to its disciplemaking roots. Visit us at idmcmovement.com
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0:00 Today, we're going to study on the topic of biblical theology: Who is God? At IDMC, we follow a simple philosophy. We don't try to be disciples, we0:12 train to be disciples. In other words, we take discipleship intentional. We make it intentional in our family, in our small groups, and in our church.0:23 The question that we have to explore is, who is God? Biblical theology. See, want you to think about this. At IDMC Church, we not only0:35 study the Bible, but we also teach you how to study the Bible for yourself, so that you can grow in the art of theological contemplation. See, 1 thing is0:47 important, we need to be tutored in theological content. But another thing is also equally important, we need to be trained in theological contemplation. In other words, we need to think about0:58 life with God centeredness. We need to think about, we need to think about life with theocentricity. In other words, we need to know who God is, so that we can put this God1:10 into the equation of our lives. That's what I mean by theology. What is theology? Theology is to think about God, to study God. And 1 of the1:22 beautiful things that you and I need to observe is, we need to learn to think godly about God. Because we are all theologians. 1 of the things that many people don't understand1:34 is, we all have theology. So the key question is not whether we have theology, the key question is what kind of theology we have. Whether it is factual or false,1:46 whether it is good or poor. See, you and I have thoughts about God. We all have thoughts about the existence of God, the character of God, and how God works in the actions of God.1:58 We all have thoughts about humanity, how God works in the lives of people, what he does and how he fulfills his plan and his purpose in the lives of people. We all have these thoughts and these thoughts become2:09 our convictions. And we act on the basis of our convictions. So therefore, you got to understand, we are all theologians. So we need to understand whether our theology is factual or2:21 false, whether it is good or whether it is poor. See, in my observation, many people have theology that is formed by their2:33 subjective experiences. The theology is informed and shaped by their subjective experience. What do I mean by that? They'd say, God doesn't heal today.2:44 Why? Because I prayed for healing, He doesn't heal. He didn't heal me, so He doesn't heal. Oh, God doesn't work miracles today. Why? Because I went, there's nothing supernatural that has ever happened in2:56 my life. See, people take their personal experience, their description of life, and they make it a prescription for others. This is how God is. I want you to listen to me carefully. You and I, we need3:08 to evaluate our theology. Is it is it based on human experience, or is it based on the word of God? Our theology must be informed by the scriptures, cannot3:20 be from our subjective experience. You know, story was told of a family, an Asian family that was holidaying in Europe. They were traveling between countries in a fast bullet3:32 speed train. And they brought some durian with us with them. And while they were eating, they noticed this older couple, this European couple in front of3:44 them, you know, in the across the in the other seat. And so they kindly offered to this European couple who had never tasted durian. So they said, this is it smells3:55 like hell, but tastes like heaven. It's the king of the fruit. Come on, try it. So the older couple, the lady, she tried it first. As soon as she took a bite,4:07 just at that moment as she was biting the durian and eating it, the train passed through a tunnel. So she immediately shouted to her husband, don't eat it, don't eat it. I just ate this fruit.4:19 And I went blind for a few seconds. I want you to listen to me carefully. It is right observation, but wrong conclusion. Sometimes that's how it is in life, isn't it?4:31 We sometimes take our subjective experience and we project it upon God and say, that's how things are. You know, a story was told of mathematics teacher wanting to teach4:43 for primary school students on addition. So she said to 1 of the students, imagine if you have 5 1 dollar coins in your hand. So you have 54:55 1 dollar coins in your hand. And then your dad gives you another 5 1 dollar coins in your hand, how many coins would you have in total? And the kid looked at5:07 the teacher and said, nothing. The teacher was puzzled. She said, Okay, let me repeat this again. Maybe you didn't understand the question. You have 5 1 dollar5:18 coins in your hand, and your father gives you another 5 1 dollar coins into your hand, how much money would you have? And the boy again looked at the teacher and said, nothing.5:30 So the teacher said to him, I think you don't understand mathematics. And the boy replied and said, I think you don't understand my father. He will take the money if5:42 he sees it. I want you to listen to me carefully. People take what they see in earthly relationships and they project it about God and say that's how God is like. I want you to listen to me5:54 carefully. Your view and my view about who God is should not be shaped by our subjective human experience, it needs to be shaped by the word of God. See, many times when6:06 people study the word of God, this is what they do. See, they think Bible is full of messages. They think Bible is a book of messages. So they open to read the6:18 message and understand the message. But they fail to understand that Bible is not only a book of messages, but Bible is also a book of meetings. In other words, it shares6:29 to us the encounters that people had with God. A personal encounter that Moses, Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, they all had with God in the Old Testament. I want you to think about this,6:41 it's not enough for us to just read or study the word of God, we need to encounter and meet with the God of the word. That's why you and I, we need to study theology, we6:53 need to understand who God is. But can I give you a definition of theology that we practice in IDMC? This is what it is. Theology is a biblical, devout7:05 contemplation of God. The chief aim of which is to learn to think more godly about God, in order that we might know and love and obey him in every situation.7:17 Let me read that again. Theology is a biblical, devout contemplation of God. That means we are thinking about God. But how do we think? The chief aim of which is to learn to think more godly about7:29 God. See, this is what A. W. Tozer said, Don't bring God into your experience, your level. Have developed a high view of God. Meaning God is God.7:41 We need to place him in the highest place. That's why we need to learn to think more godly about God, in order that we might know him, love him, and obey him in every7:53 situation. Why is this so important for us? I wanna help you understand, and I wanna give you a memory verse this morning, so that you can study this memory verse and commit to8:05 your memory. This is who God is. The Bible says in Daniel chapter 11 and verse 32, the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. I love that. Underline8:17 that circle that commit that to memory. The people who truly know their God. Another translation says, they shall be strong and carry out great8:28 exploits. People who do know their God, they're not afraid, they're not fearful, they're not disturbed or perturbed. They're not either people who pull back.8:40 They're the people who stay strong, stand firm, and they do great exploits in the name of God. Hallelujah. That's why this is important. Because we all will go through crisis in our8:52 lives. Some crisis will test your faith. Some crisis, people crumble like a 2 dollar suitcase because they cannot stand. They don't have the the the9:03 courage, the strength, the wisdom to withstand the trial. But what does the Bible say? People who know their God shall be strong, and they will do great exploits. They will9:15 stay firm and take action, hallelujah. As we study on the topic of biblical theology, who God is, I want to take you to a passage of scripture in9:26 second Chronicles chapter 20, from verse 1 to verse 7, and then verse 12. I want to highlight the story of King Jehoshaphat. He is the king of Judah,9:39 and the Bible says, a great multitude came after him. Look at that in verse 2. In verse 2, it says, a great multitude is coming against you. That's what he was told.9:51 3 kingdoms are coming against him. Verse 1 says, Moabites, Ammonites, and Mionites. So this great multitude is coming against this small nation of Judah. So king10:02 Jehoshaphat, what does he do? Look at verse 3. Verse 3 says, Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And10:14 Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord. All the cities of Judah came to seek the Lord. I love this. Jehoshaphat is the king. He is now facing a huge10:26 problem, a major crisis in his kingdom. His leadership is being tested. And he knows he doesn't have what it takes to overcome this battle. So he was afraid.10:38 And then he does what is the most important thing in our life. He sets his face to seek the Lord. Hallelujah. And then this is what the Bible says. In verse 5,10:50 Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem. And then in verse 6 it says, and he said, see, he did not address the people. He gathered all the people. And the people are expecting11:01 the leader to speak. And always remember, in crisis, leadership has to shine. Here, he's standing as a king, standing as a leader, and he's declaring this. People are11:13 waiting for some inspirational speech, but instead of addressing the people, he addresses God. And this is what he says, Oh Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in11:25 heaven? I want you to pay attention to a 3 rhetorical questions in this prayer that Jehoshaphat prayed. I want you to pay attention to this. Verse 6 says,11:37 Are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. In verse 7, did you not, our11:49 God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants Abraham, your friend. I love it. And then thirdly, says, oh, our God, will12:01 you not execute judgment on them? In verse 12. For we are powerless against this great hoard that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. I hope you paid attention12:13 to the 3 rhetorical questions, because that's what captured my attention. Are you not? Did you not? And will you not? I want us to explore these 3 questions,12:25 because these 3 questions convey to us the theology that Jehoshaphat relied on. Who God is, and who God is helped12:36 him to overcome his challenge. In the same manner you and I, we need theology. Here, the Bible says 3 rhetorical questions. Number 1, are you not? In12:48 verse 6. And that the focus of that question is this, the focus is on the awesomeness of an awesome God. The question is, are you not?13:00 Look at that verse in verse 6, he says, And he said, O Lord God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and13:12 might, so that none is able to withstand you. Are you not God in heaven? I love this question. This is a rhetorical question, by the way, because13:24 he knows the answer. What is the answer? For a rhetorical question, the answer is, Of course, God is God. See, you and I, we need to pay attention to this question. Are you not? He13:36 is not challenging God. He's actually reminding himself of who God is. In the midst of a crisis, he's reminding that God is a sovereign God. Look at13:48 that, he says, You rule over all the kingdoms and nations. In your hand are power and might, none is able to withstand you. In other words, he's reminding14:00 himself of who God is. He's reminding his congregation, his kingdom people, who God is. The awesomeness of an awesome God. This is an14:11 awesome God who is still on the throne. See, some people's theology is God is on the throne when good things happen to me. But when I'm feeling a challenge, God is off the throne.14:23 A young man may say, you know, God is on the throne because I have a girlfriend. The girlfriend leaves him. Oh, God is off the throne. I want you to think about this because sometimes we think of a puny God who is in and14:34 out of throne. But can I humbly say this? The God that you and I worship is a sovereign God. He rules and reigns, and He's awesome. He's always in control. He's a sovereign14:46 God. But sometimes when you're going through challenging circumstances, I've noticed 1 thing. When you are in a difficult situation, do not question14:58 the goodness of God. Rather, trust in the Godness of God. Sometimes when people are going through a difficult circumstance, they question the goodness15:10 of God, rather than trusting in the godness of God. See, you and I ask questions. When we are going through a challenging circumstances, we15:22 do ask questions. And questions sometimes reveal what we really feel and what we really think. You know, the Old Testament, the people of Israel were taken15:33 as captives. And as they were going into exile, they look at the enemy, they were taken into the enemy city, and they look at the temples of this enemy city,15:46 and the great buildings and they and they idol worship, and they formed a wrong opinion of God. Maybe God doesn't see. Maybe our God is a localized God only in Judah and15:58 Israel. Maybe he's not the God of the universe. That's why they cried out. There's a passage of scripture where they cried out in Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 27 onwards, if you read it. Why do you16:09 say, oh Jacob, and speak, oh Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God? I want you to pay attention to that question. They were taken as captives.16:21 They said, why God did not see? I think God, my way is hidden before the Lord. He can't see me. And why is my right disregarded by my God? I think he doesn't care.16:34 When they're going through a trial, they concluded that God doesn't see and God doesn't care. And you know what Isaiah reminds them? Look at what he says further on in verse 28. Have you not known? Have you not heard?16:46 The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary. Hallelujah. He does not faint nor grow weary. His understanding is16:58 unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might, he increases strength. Even youth shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted, but they who wait upon the Lord shall renew17:10 their strength. Shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Hallelujah. You know, sometimes we quote this verse. The verse 31. They that17:21 wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. But look at the context. The context is they thought that God doesn't see. God doesn't care. And the answer comes, the reminder comes, you have forgotten who God is. He is17:33 a sovereign everlasting God. He is the creator God. He doesn't faint. He doesn't grow weary. He gives he gives understanding to those who need it. He gives strength to those who need17:45 it. That's why if you're wise, if you recognize who your God is, when you're going through a difficult season, you will wait on him. And when you wait on him, you renew your strength. Hallelujah. Put up that verse17:57 31 again. It says, but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagle, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not18:08 faint. Hallelujah. I thank the Lord for good theology, because it will give you the grace to come before God and to recognize, Lord, in the midst of my circumstance, I18:20 acknowledge who you are. You are sovereign over my life. You are an awesome God, and you are the 1 I worship. You see everything, you care for me, hallelujah. You18:32 know, 1 of the things that I want to help you understand in this series is there are certain frameworks that we use in our mentoring. And I want to give you 1 of the frameworks to help18:43 you to understand and apply this in your life. What is the framework? We call it SPO. That means anytime you are in a crisis, you use the SPO framework.18:56 What does an SPO stand for? Senior Pastor's Office. See, that's what people do. Church members usually when they are in a crisis, they call the Senior Pastor's Office. But this SPO is spiritual,19:08 personal and organizational. Because human beings, we always tend to want to fix things organizationally first. We always jump into conclusion, oh, I don't like this19:19 job. Oh, job, the people are not, they are not treating me right. So I'm going to quit this job. Oh, my boss is so demanding, I'm going to quit. Oh, this marriage is very difficult, I'm19:31 going to quit. Oh, these lessons are not good for me, I'm going to quit. Listen, this is why people jump from course to course, from marriage to marriage, from church to church, and they even jump from job to19:43 job. Why? It's because they are trying to fix it organizationally. But when you are in a crisis, when you're going through a painful situation, the first thing is not to address it19:54 organizationally, but to go back to SPNO. What is S? S stands for spiritual. In other words, you and I, we need to understand that who God is and what is he working in my20:06 life. See, God is actively working out his purposes in your life. So you got to understand God is actively involved in my life. So what is he doing? Who is who God is, and what is he20:17 doing in my life? At the same time, you also have to ask, what is the devil trying to disturb in my life? What is the devil trying to stop in my life? See, we got to understand the spiritual reality of20:29 who God is, at the same time that we have an enemy because who we belong to. We belong to God, enemy hates it, Satan, devil hates it. Therefore, you become a target. So you've got to understand20:41 spiritual realities. That's the first question we explore. And once we have explored who God is and what he is doing in our lives, we get an understanding of personal. What does he want me to change20:53 within myself? What I must change within myself? See sometimes you contributed through your disobedience, through your lack of action, you contributed to the21:05 situation. Maybe something you did or something you didn't do, You failed to do in obedience to God. So this is why, personally, we need to examine, how did I contribute to this? What must I change21:16 within myself? Then comes the organizational. Once you've done spiritual, then personal, organizational becomes clear. How can I change the system? What can I put in place to21:28 make this better? How can I do this? What does the Lord direct me to do in this situation? Organizationally. SPO. I want to give you this application.21:41 Memorize this SPO. Because when you memorize this SPO, I want you to use it as a tool. I want you to use this as a tool to not21:52 only for your own growth, but also helping others helping others in this journey. Praise God. Now, 1 of the core things that we are22:03 examining from this text is the first question he asked is, are you not? Let's look at the second question. Did you not in verse 7. Look at that in the verse 7, it says, did you22:15 not our God drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham, your friend. What is the focus here? The focus22:27 here is on the faithfulness of a faithful God. Hallelujah. He says, this is the faithfulness of a faithful God. He's asking God, did you not do this in the past?22:40 See, whenever you're encountering a crisis, people tend to forget all that God has done in the past. And they go before Him and ask Him, why am I in here? What22:52 how can how can I be like this? What would happen to me? Listen, 1 of the most important things that you and I, we need to learn is to look back at the faithfulness of God. So can I give23:04 you 2 things? The narrative of God's unfailing faithfulness is premised upon 2 things. Number 1, God's faithful track record. God's faithful track23:15 record. And secondly, God's faithful promises. So, this is where I encourage you to have a practice of writing down what God has done in your life.23:28 What God has done in your life. 1 of the things that I practice in my life is I keep a journal. And every single day I write something that the Lord is either saying to me, or some things that have happened in my life,23:39 or I go before God, He quickens certain things, I write that down. And once a week, I look back, once a week I look back at the daily writings, and then I summarize,23:51 based on all that I have written down. I summarize and write a paragraph in my journal. And that paragraph that I write in my journal becomes like a theme. I can see a24:03 theme throughout the week, what God was doing in my life. Now, at the end of the month, I not only have entries in my journal for every single day, but I also have 4 or24:15 5 theme, thematic entries, which I have done during the weekend. As a result, I can see what God is saying, and what God is doing, and the trajectory in which he's taking me and my24:27 life. Therefore, I can now continue to look back and say, Lord, you have been faithful. I want you to think about this. That's why in this pulpit you would have always heard story after24:38 story of how God has led us in the past. How God has been good to us. The reason we do that is because we are rehearsing the faithfulness of God. And when we do this intentionally, we understand24:50 who God is. What he has done in the past, he's able to do it again in the present and in the future. That's why we look back with grateful heart for the past. It gives us hope for the25:02 future, and it gives us faith to act on faith in the present. Hallelujah. I want you to listen to me carefully. You know, in the old testament, there's a passage of scripture that even25:15 pagan worshipper like Rahab, when she encountered a crisis, she had to look to God, and God delivered her. Listen to this carefully. See,25:28 in this question, did you not God, what Jehoshaphat is doing is he's trying to recollect how God has led them in the past. And part of the way of recollecting that, he25:40 would have read what God spoke through Rahab in the Old Testament. And I want you to read this because the whole book of Joshua, the key passage of the whole book of Joshua is actually found in25:52 Joshua chapter 2. If you read Joshua chapter 2 and verse 9 to verse 11, you will understand theology. You will understand the faithfulness of a faithful God. Look at this. It comes out of the26:04 mouth of a pagan worshiper, Rahab, a prostitute. This is what she said. I know that the Lord has given you the land and the fear of you has fallen upon us and all the26:15 inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the 2 kings of the Amorites who26:27 are beyond the Jordan to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of26:39 you. For the Lord your God, for he is God in the heavens above, on the earth beneath. I want you to listen to me carefully. This is a pagan worshipper, a prostitute26:51 living in the city of Jericho. She heard about Yahweh, the God of Israel, and she is speaking to these 2 spies that came into Jericho.
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Paul Jeyachandran
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