I'm holding four Men's Breakfast type things on the Saturdays in November.
We began last Saturday determining to begin our thinking again with Jesus.
Handout below.
The audio isn't crystal clear but it has an unplanned detour into Acts 17 that provoked good discussion afterwards...
BACON, BIBLE AND THE BOYS – 1
JESUS SHAPED
in everything
Knowing God is the stuff of life
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Psalm 115:8 Those who make idols will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
There’s nothing more vital for us than to know our God. Not at a distance, or simply to satisfy intellectual curiosity, but to really know God.
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So how do we know God?
Matthew 11:25-30
25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No-one knows the Son except the Father, and no-one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
What should we not be like?
What should we be like?
Where does God “hide” knowledge of Himself? Is there anywhere else to find it?
Is Jesus grudging in His revelation?
What will we find when we come to Jesus?
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Fallen humanity does not know God
1 Samuel 3:7; Psalm 14; Matthew 7:24-27; 11:25-26; John 1:5; 1:18; 5:37-38; 7:28-29; 8:19; 14:17; 15:21; 17:25-26; Romans 1:18; 3:10-18; 8:7; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 2:11-14; 3:18, 19; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 4:17-19; Colossians 1:21; 2:6-8
To know God is to be saved by Him
Proverbs 1:7; Matthew 11:25-30; John 1:10-13, 18; 14:6-9; 17:3; Rom 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; Eph 4:17-21; 1 Tim 2:3-4
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John 1:18: No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made Him known.
Colossians 1:15: Christ is the Image of the invisible God
What does this mean?
We must start again with Jesus.
Jesus is not the cherry on the cake, He’s the flour, eggs, butter, sugar and all else besides.
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Wait a minute...
Objections
Reason
Whatever god is proved by a philosophical argument is not the God of Jesus.
Proverbs 3:5-7: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding… Do not be wise in your own eyes.”
Romans 8:7: the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
2 Corinthians 4:4: The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Colossians 1:21: Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour.
Colossians 2:8: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
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World religions
The bible engages with world religions all the time. And it consistently proclaims a different God.
Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
Numbers 33:50-53; Deut 7:1-6; 12:1-3; 29:16-18; 32:15-21; Psalm 96:4-5; 106:35-40; Isaiah 41:21-24; 44:6-26; Jeremiah 16:19-21; Romans 1:23-25; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 10:20.
1 Corinthians 8:4-6: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
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Biblical religion
Jesus is LORD – He is the God of Israel. All true faith has always looked to Christ.
John 5:37-46
37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study {Or Study diligently (the imperative)} the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 "I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? {Some early manuscripts the Only One} 45 "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"
See also John 1:18; 8:56-58; 12:38-41
AND...
Luke 16:27-31; 24:25-27,44-47; Acts 10:36,43; 26:22-23; Romans 10:4-21;
1 Corinthians 10:1-10; Galatians 3:6-9; Hebrews 11:26; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Jude 4,5;
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The Creation
Creation has a lot to say – but it’s proclaiming Christ, its Creator.
The trouble is, we have a listening problem.
Psalm 19:1-6
Romans 10:16-18
Romans 1:16-20
Colossians 1:23; Revelation 5:13
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Conclusion
Jesus is entirely God-sized
God is entirely Jesus-shaped
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So what?
Men are typically proud, harsh, lustful cowards.
But the answer is seeing Jesus for who He is. Because we become who we worship.
Isaiah 42:1 "Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One in Whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smouldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; 4 He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth.
Pride? He is humble! (v2)
Harsh? He is gentle! (v3)
Lustful? He is far more captivating (v1) -- see 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
Coward? His mission is global and unstoppable, and you’re included.
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REMEMBER: GOD IS EXACTLY LIKE JESUS!
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Next week: We’ll think about how Jesus draws us by His Spirit into His relationship to the Father… In other words, we’ll study the Trinity!
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Firsthand knowledge of God by "all future generations", as promised to Moses (Ex. 3: 1-15) and in the terms of the "new covenant" (Jer. 31: 31-34), is incomplete without the "seal" of Christ's perfect and transfigurative death on the cross (Matt. 26: 26-29; 27: 50-56).
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