Good evening. Last week we began this new series that I am calling Basic Bible Stuff. During our time together, we will be taking a look at some of the basic things that we believe. And when we have taken a look at those, we will move on and take a look at some stories from the Bible. Some will be very familiar, while others will be sometimes overlooked.
Last week, we began by taking a look at how the Bible was developed. At the end of that lesson, Keith brought up the question, “What did we have between when the Cannon was established in 363, and the time that the King James Bible was first published in 1611?”
Well, after doing a little research of my own, and making a couple of phone calls, I have an answer for you this evening. After the Cannon was established, the entire Western church would have used a Latin translation. Possibly the Vulgate. Now, the problem was that no one was able to read Latin, and so in order to hear the scriptures, you had to listen to a priest, or someone who studied Latin.
It took several years to finally put it into a language that people could read. The people back then felt that translating it from Latin would be vulgar, and that it would be a bad thing to do. But finally, they did it.
There were others, but the main 4 other translations prior to the King James were:
- Wycliffe Bible – 1382-1395
- William Tyndale – 1494-1536
- Great Bible – 1539-1541
- Geneva Bible – 1553-1558
And then that brings us up to date with the King James first being published in 1611.
Now, did that help clear up the questions?
Now, that brings us to today’s Basis Bible Idea. Today, we move on from the Bible, to its author, God. And not just God, but God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
What are these 3 referred to as?
(Trinity)
What can you tell me about the Trinity?
Well, as we get stated, let’s just take them in an orderly fashion, and let’s begin with God. And in the very first book in the Bible, in Genesis, we learn a little about God.
Does anyone know what the word Genesis means?
(Beginning)
Well, the book of Genesis tells us what happened in the beginning of the world. Also, in John chapter 1, it tells us about the beginning. But, Genesis chapter 1, verse 1 says that, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the earth…”
That means God was there. The Bible tells us that God made or created all the things on
earth and in Heaven.
Now, have any of you ever wondered where God came from?
Well, if you have ever though of that, you are not alone. Many people wonder where God came from. And that’s a good question.
Genesis 1:1 tells us that, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth.”
And in John 1:1-3 it says that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
The Bible tells us that He was present at the beginning of the world. Lots of people try to explain where He came from. But, if you look at the Bible, all God tells us is that He was there in the beginning and is always there. We have to trust Him and believe that what He says is true.
In Genesis 1:27 it says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.”
God is definitely different from us. He can create something out of nothing. He also knows all things. God knows what you are thinking right now. Nothing is hidden from God. He knows it all.
He is also present everywhere. Whether you are in Vanceburg, Kentucky or Los Angeles, California, God is there too. That’s how He can hear my prayers and your prayers at the same time, because He is everywhere.
So, is there a God? If so, what is He like? Does He care about us? What does He require of us? These are questions that all people must face. And the answer to these questions will determine the direction and goal of each person’s life.
So, at this time, let’s just take a look at the evidence of God’s existence, and as we do that, allow me to ask you that simple question.
How do we know that God exists?
Well, first off, the Bible reveals it.
The Bible does not attempt to prove the existence of God. In fact, the very first statement is, “In the beginning God…” You see, it assumes it as a fact, and in Psalm 14:1 it assumes that “…the fool says in his hear, “There is no God…”
The Bible says that only a fool, ignorant of the facts, would deny the fact that there is a God. The Bible is written on the sole foundation that there is a God that exists and created everything else. It is written with the idea that the evidence is so strong that no informed person would deny His existence.
However, to those who will not accept the Biblical teachings concerning God, it becomes necessary to examine added proof for His existence. And with that, there are a few other evidences for God’s existence.
Secondly, reason teaches it.
Who can tell me about the law of cause and effect?
Well, the law of cause and effect requires that in front of every effect there must be a cause. The world is the effect, so what is the cause? Did the world and this universe just come into being by chance? Did nothing produce something? Or is there a master mind, which we call God, that is causing it all to work perfectly. Reason would teach us that it is cause and effect, the world was created because of God.
And the Bible would agree with that. Hebrews 3:4 says, “…for every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything…” So, because of cause and effect, we learn that reason teaches us that there is a God.
Next, supreme intelligence indicates it.
When we see a great house, we know there was a great architect. When we hear a beautiful song, we know that there was a great composer. And when we look at this earth, would should understand and know that there is a great creator.
The earth is said to weigh about 6 sextillion, 570 quintillion tons. In order to help you visualize that, here it is on the screen: (6,570,000,000,000,000,000,000).
Its dimensions would be, 8 thousand miles in diameter, and 25 thousand miles in circumference. But even in its giant size, the earth is more accurate in its movements than the finest and most delicate watches.
The earth travels over 595 million miles in a year’s time as it circles the sun. Yet, it does not vary in the length of time it takes for each trip by as much as 1 second! If it were to vary by ½ of a second, it would make scientific headlines around the world. And it has traveled at this perfect and exact speed necessary for everything to work right for thousands of years. How can this be explained? A wise, powerful, and great creator is the most sensible answer.
Next, nature proves it.
The Psalmist declared in Psalm 19:1-2 that, “The Heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge.”
Paul, in Romans 1:20, adds, “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
As we look at the world around us, we can be assured that there is a God, and that He is powerful and wise. People who reject this evidence are without excuse for their disbelief.
Someone once wrote, “If the word “God” were written upon every blowing leaf, embossed on every passing cloud, engraved on every granite rock, the evidence that God is in the world would be no stronger than it is now… the universe is a big advertising poster spelling “God.”” So, nature proves that there is a God.
And finally, intuition requires it.
Deep down, man understands that there is a higher being, and our natural instinct is to worship that being.
Why is there that sense deep down inside each of us that there is a God to serve and worship? Well, its there because there is a God that is deserving of our service and worship, and He put that longing inside of each of us.
So, that addresses God and the fact that He exists, does anyone have anything that they would like to add?
Well, if there is nothing else, we will move on to the second part of the Trinity, Jesus.
In I John 4:9 it says, “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.”
At Christmas time, we learn a very important lesson about why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus is the reason we have Christmas. Jesus is God’s Son. God sent Jesus to this world for a reason. We will talk about that in a few moments. But first, let’s see how Jesus came into the world.
Luke 1:31-33 says, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.”
In Luke, chapter 2, we can read how Jesus came and where He was born. God sent an
angel to tell Mary that she would become Jesus’ mother. Through a special miracle, she
became pregnant with Jesus.
Luke 1:34-35 go on to tell us that, ““How will this be?” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
How do you think Mary felt, hearing the news that she would be the mother of the Messiah?
Well, Mary was not certain how the birth of a son was possible since she was not married. She was probably a young teenage girl at this time. But her faith was strong. She believed the angel and was a willing servant. And afterwards, she married Joseph, a man to whom she was engaged to.
In Luke 2:5-8 it says this, “He (meaning Joseph) went there to register with Mary, who he was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Why do think God allowed Jesus to be born in a manger?
The man at the door knew they needed somewhere to stay. So, he let them stay in the
place where they kept the animals. He knew it would be a safe and warm place for them
to spend the night.
Suddenly during the night, a miracle happened! Jesus was born. Mary and Joseph didn’t
have a crib for Jesus, so they put Him in a manger. That is how Jesus was born. Mary
was His mother and Joseph was His earthly father, and God was His read Father.
Have you ever thought about why God sent Jesus?
Can you believe that God went to so much effort to send Jesus to us?
He did this for a very important reason. You see, God is perfect and pure. And He cannot let anything into His presence, or into Heaven that is unclean on the inside. This means that anyone who has done something wrong, anyone who has sinned, cannot be with God in Heaven.
Then God decided that there had to be a way for us to get to Heaven. But first, He had to
figure out a way to make us clean on the inside, to get rid of all the bad things that we have done.
God knew this could only happen if someone who was clean took our place and died for
all our wrong things. God sent His only Son, Jesus, to do this. God knew that Jesus was
pure and clean. He knew that Jesus could be our substitute and die to take away our sins. He could erase our wrongs so that we could go to Heaven.
In Luke chapter 23, we read that Jesus did die for our sins. The soldiers nailed Him to a wooden cross. When He died, some of His friends placed Him in a grave and sealed it with a big rock. And in Luke 24, we read the best news of all! Jesus didn’t stay dead. He came back to life 3 days later. Many people saw Him. They saw for themselves that Jesus was alive. Jesus shared with the people that because of what He did, people could be with God in Heaven.
So, now that Jesus came, what does it take to get to Heaven?
Well, you must believe that Jesus died for all the wrong things that you have done. You need to pray, asking God to forgive you for all the wrong you have done. Then you need to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and be baptized. And then Jesus comes into your life and stays there forever. You try to live a steadfast life, and He helps you be a new person. Its like the old person is gone and you become a new person, trying to do what God wants.
Now, before we move on to the Holy Spirit, does anyone have anything else about Jesus?
Well, if there is nothing else, we will finish by taking a look at the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever felt guilty when you did something wrong? Or you were about to do something wrong and something inside you said “No?”
Well, if you have, then we are getting ready to address that in our remaining time together this evening. We have shared what the Bible says about God and Jesus, now its time to talk about the 3rd person, the Holy Spirit.
In John 14:15-17 it tells us, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”
What was it that Jesus was promising?
Jesus told His friends that He would be leaving soon. Jesus shared that the Holy Spirit
would come after He left. Then, later on He told His friends about the things that the Holy Spirit would do.
What are some of the things that the Holy Spirit does?
First, the Holy Spirit helps people see that they have done wrong and points them to God. He helps us see that believing in Jesus is the only way to Heaven.
Secondly, the Holy Spirit helps us do right. He is like our conscience who helps us know when we are doing right or wrong. Now, this does not mean that if you don’t feel “guilty” about something that it’s not wrong. The Holy Spirit may be trying to nudge you, but you may not be listening.
Third, the Holy Spirit helps us understand the Bible. When we read the Bible, He can help us learn about it and apply it to what is happening in our lives.
Also, the Holy Spirit prays for us. The Bible says that He prays to God when we sometimes don’t know how or what to pray. He is called our Counselor and can help us
when we are in need. He comforts us when we go through tough times.
The Holy Spirit also helps us know special gifts or abilities that God has given us. We all know people who are really good at different things. The gifts God gives us are different. Everyone who is a Christian has a special gift. And the Holy Spirit can help us find out what our gift is, and how to use it to help others.
Finally, how do we know the Holy Spirit is there?
Well, the Holy Spirit is not someone that we can see or touch. However, His presence
is very real. It’s kind of like the wind. We can’t see it, but we can see the effects of it. Another example would be oxygen. We breathe in oxygen but we cannot see it. Oxygen is in fire and water. Without oxygen, we couldn’t have either.
Now, does anyone have anything that they would like to add about the Holy Spirit?
Okay, does anyone have anything that they would like to add or ask about anything that we have covered this evening?
Well, if there is nothing else, we have spent time this evening talking about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They are 3 different people, but also 1 at the same time. It is sometimes hard to understand this fact. There are several pictures to help us see how this can be. It is 1 thing, but it is also 3 different things.
For example, a person can be a son, a brother, and a friend. Or water can be in the form of steam, water, or ice.
And so we have the Trinity, God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us. All 3 in 1.
Let’s Pray! |
