WEBVTT 00:00:00.865 --> 00:00:03.299 Good morning. 00:00:03.299 --> 00:00:04.000 Thank you Isaac. 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:05.033 Thank you worship team. 00:00:05.033 --> 00:00:16.233 Appreciate you guys leading us as we gather to continue in our study that we began last week on the connection between knowing God and loving God. 00:00:17.432 --> 00:00:21.533 One of the keys to loving someone is to know them. 00:00:21.533 --> 00:00:24.800 You could say all day long, yeah, I love that celebrity. 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:25.932 I love that musician. 00:00:25.932 --> 00:00:28.100 And yet you really don't know them. 00:00:28.100 --> 00:00:34.633 You don't really love them personally in the way that we mean when we talk about love. 00:00:35.033 --> 00:00:44.865 In fact, I remember back to when I first met my wife, Julie, and within minutes of us talking and getting to know each other, she was talking about her faith. 00:00:44.865 --> 00:00:47.200 She was talking about her excitement for knowing Christ. 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:51.365 She was talking about all that was happening on the college campus and how people were coming to know Christ. 00:00:51.365 --> 00:00:54.765 She was talking about upcoming mission projects she was excited about. 00:00:54.765 --> 00:00:55.399 That was awesome. 00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:58.000 We were having a great conversation right away about our faith. 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:04.465 But what if I had said, you know, listen, I'm really enjoying getting to know you. 00:01:04.465 --> 00:01:10.766 In fact, I think I think you are the woman I have been looking for. 00:01:10.933 --> 00:01:19.165 And I really want to continue to get to know you, except for all that faith stuff that, you know, I don't really understand it. 00:01:19.165 --> 00:01:23.465 I'm not really looking to get to know that part about you, so let's just set that aside. 00:01:23.465 --> 00:01:28.632 But I really want to keep getting to know you for who you are and what's important to you. 00:01:28.632 --> 00:01:36.066 That'd be ridiculous, because that is so central to who she was and is and is becoming. 00:01:36.733 --> 00:01:43.465 If you really want to love someone, you've got to care about what is most central to them, who they are at their core of their identity. 00:01:43.465 --> 00:01:50.299 And so that's why today, as we talk about knowing God and loving God, we're going to talk about the topic of the Trinity. 00:01:52.299 --> 00:02:00.900 Because when God reveals himself to us, this is how he reveals himself to us as father, son, Holy Spirit. 00:02:02.200 --> 00:02:11.400 And I don't think churches ever avoid talking about the Trinity, but also we don't necessarily take the time to slow down and look at it in depth. 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:17.832 And I think that's because many of us, when we think about the Trinity, we feel like, hey man, I know the Trinity is important. 00:02:17.832 --> 00:02:21.099 I know that's central to who Christ is, but I don't know that I can explain it. 00:02:21.099 --> 00:02:22.633 I don't know that I fully understand it. 00:02:22.633 --> 00:02:26.500 So I think I'll just keep a little bit of distance from it and we'll we'll be better off that way. 00:02:26.500 --> 00:02:34.932 I'll be less likely to spout heresy unintentionally, but we can't avoid the topic if we really want to know God. 00:02:34.932 --> 00:02:36.432 It's how he's revealed himself to us. 00:02:36.432 --> 00:02:38.532 And by the way, I think here's what I think today. 00:02:38.532 --> 00:02:41.265 I hope our mindset is as we approach this topic. 00:02:43.300 --> 00:02:52.000 If we know that God has revealed himself to us as he wants us to know him, which we do know that we have His word and we know His Word is enough. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:53.199 That's the word we looked at last week. 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:54.165 It is sufficient. 00:02:54.165 --> 00:02:56.265 He's given us what we need to know about him. 00:02:56.265 --> 00:02:59.265 Then we can come with confidence. 00:03:00.133 --> 00:03:08.500 We can come to His Word with confidence, knowing we can know what we need to know about how father, son, Holy Spirit are Trinity and work together. 00:03:08.500 --> 00:03:10.165 And we could come with expectation. 00:03:10.165 --> 00:03:12.966 We can come not in fear and trepidation and trembling. 00:03:12.966 --> 00:03:15.765 There's an appropriate level of that. 00:03:15.765 --> 00:03:25.432 But we can come with joy, with excitement, with hope that he can be known at the level we need to know him in this life, on this earth. 00:03:25.432 --> 00:03:26.332 At this time. 00:03:26.332 --> 00:03:32.733 Of course, there are things we won't know about him, but he's given us what we need to know. 00:03:32.733 --> 00:03:36.133 So we're going to dive into this topic of Trinity today. 00:03:36.133 --> 00:03:37.466 Who is the Trinity? 00:03:37.466 --> 00:03:38.432 How do we know him? 00:03:38.432 --> 00:03:39.866 It's at the core of who he is. 00:03:39.866 --> 00:03:42.866 It's probably the core doctrine of Christianity. 00:03:42.866 --> 00:03:47.665 What sets Christianity apart from any other well known faith. 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:54.800 And so if you have notes, these will be important today because we have a lot of things written out in there. 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:57.733 I'm leaning heavily on the history of the church. 00:03:57.733 --> 00:04:05.300 I didn't come to this message going, what do I need to come up on my own with about the Trinity and think of no, no, no, I thought the exact opposite. 00:04:05.300 --> 00:04:10.265 What if people said for thousands of years about the Trinity, I'm going to that. 00:04:10.265 --> 00:04:12.099 I want to be as accurate as possible. 00:04:12.099 --> 00:04:19.000 I want to be as careful to represent what people have thought throughout the history of the church about the Trinity. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:28.865 This is not an area where I want to try to be original today. We're talking about the Trinity, and so we're going to start with a very basic definition. 00:04:28.865 --> 00:04:31.399 I first heard this definition from Wayne Grudem. 00:04:31.399 --> 00:04:35.266 There are many people who have a very similar definition. 00:04:35.266 --> 00:04:36.733 It's not original to him. 00:04:36.733 --> 00:04:41.966 This leans on the history of the church as well, but I like the simplicity of it. 00:04:42.699 --> 00:04:51.300 And you'll notice, by the way, that I structured our notes today in three parts of three, kind of an homage to the fact that we're talking about the Trinity. 00:04:51.300 --> 00:04:54.665 And the Trinity definition is in three parts in and of itself. 00:04:54.665 --> 00:04:55.432 So let's look at this. 00:04:55.432 --> 00:04:59.165 If you have your notes, look at this basic definition of the Trinity. 00:04:59.165 --> 00:04:59.899 Here's what it says. 00:05:01.932 --> 00:05:07.533 God eternally exists as three persons father, son, and Holy Spirit. 00:05:08.365 --> 00:05:14.865 Each person is fully God and there is one God. 00:05:15.766 --> 00:05:18.766 Real simple basic definition. 00:05:18.833 --> 00:05:20.565 We're going to unpack it, but let me just repeat it. 00:05:20.565 --> 00:05:25.466 God eternally exists as three persons father, son, Holy Spirit. 00:05:25.466 --> 00:05:29.699 Each person is fully God and there is one God. 00:05:29.699 --> 00:05:31.665 So let's unpack that a little bit. 00:05:31.665 --> 00:05:33.466 We'll look at each of those statements. 00:05:33.466 --> 00:05:34.899 Break them down into three parts. 00:05:34.899 --> 00:05:39.165 The first is God eternally exists as three persons. 00:05:39.165 --> 00:05:44.833 Let's look to support this a little bit from Scripture. 00:05:44.833 --> 00:05:47.333 In fact, go ahead and turn to Matthew 28. 00:05:47.333 --> 00:05:50.132 That's where we're going to start. 00:05:50.132 --> 00:06:04.432 As you're turning there, I'll just repeat something we mentioned last week that when you think about the Old Testament and the New Testament and how they fit together, the Old Testament looks forward to what is more fully revealed in the New Testament. 00:06:04.432 --> 00:06:08.833 The Old Testament hints at what we see more fully revealed in the New Testament. 00:06:08.833 --> 00:06:27.932 In fact, in the bonus scenes video I shared this week, I shared a clip or a quote from Bobby Warfield where he talked about how if you think of the old Testament as a dimly lit room and everything we need to know about God is in that room, it's just not all fully revealed until the light of the New Testament is shown upon it. 00:06:27.932 --> 00:06:34.000 I thought that was a great picture in a way, to think about the Old Testament and its connection to the New Testament. 00:06:34.432 --> 00:06:36.399 And of course, we get a hint. 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:38.600 We get hints all throughout the Old Testament of the Trinity. 00:06:38.600 --> 00:06:41.800 The Trinity is not fully revealed in the Old Testament, but we get hints. 00:06:41.800 --> 00:06:47.833 26 where he says, let us make man in our own image. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.966 Now that's not a full doctrine of the Trinity. 00:06:49.966 --> 00:06:52.800 That's not a full proof of the Trinity. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:54.300 It's just a hint. 00:06:54.300 --> 00:06:56.065 Some of it try to explain that in other ways. 00:06:56.065 --> 00:06:57.833 Now, that's not talking about Trinity is talking about other things. 00:06:57.833 --> 00:07:05.966 But I think when you look at the full scope of the Old Testament, that verse is just the first verse that says there's there's something else going on here other than just God the Father. 00:07:05.966 --> 00:07:07.565 There's something else here. 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:16.100 And then by the time we get to the New Testament, we see the Trinity more fully revealed to us. 00:07:16.100 --> 00:07:25.833 In fact, Matthew 28 and by the way, there's a number of texts in the Bible that if you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you should be able to find those pretty quickly. 00:07:25.833 --> 00:07:27.500 This is one of those. 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:28.966 In fact, it goes by a nickname 00:07:28.966 --> 00:07:30.300 18 through 20. 00:07:30.300 --> 00:07:32.399 And who could just shout out what that is? What? 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:35.399 What is this called, the Great Commission? 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:36.865 A number of you said the Great Commission. 00:07:36.865 --> 00:07:39.533 So if I say to you, where do you find the Great Commission? 00:07:39.533 --> 00:07:42.199 You should know it's at the end of the book of Matthew. 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:44.065 Even if you can't remember that it's Matthew 28. 00:07:44.065 --> 00:07:45.932 This is the very end of the book of Matthew. 00:07:45.932 --> 00:07:50.233 And this is important because this is the commission Jesus gives to his followers. 00:07:50.233 --> 00:07:53.500 Some of the last words he leaves us on this earth. 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:55.399 Before he leaves his disciples. 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:56.533 He gives them a commission. 00:07:56.533 --> 00:07:57.500 He gives them a mission. 00:07:57.500 --> 00:07:59.165 He gives them a job to do. 00:07:59.165 --> 00:08:01.833 You should be able, if you're new to the church, don't worry about it's okay. 00:08:01.833 --> 00:08:02.733 You'll get there eventually. 00:08:02.733 --> 00:08:06.833 But if you've been around for a while, you should be able to locate these and know what they're called. 00:08:06.833 --> 00:08:08.333 There's a number of texts like that. 00:08:09.365 --> 00:08:10.966 In fact, before we read it, I. 00:08:10.966 --> 00:08:14.865 I got this yesterday from Rosemary Hatcher. 00:08:14.865 --> 00:08:16.132 Her father was a pastor. 00:08:16.132 --> 00:08:26.300 Rosemary and Carroll have been here a long time and she's been offering Rosemary has been offering her dad's books to me, and I'm slowly accumulating books from people. 00:08:26.300 --> 00:08:30.333 Hopefully at some point I don't know when will rebuild a church library. 00:08:30.333 --> 00:08:31.833 It could take a long time. 00:08:31.833 --> 00:08:34.700 Still, I don't know, but I'm collecting books. 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:43.133 But as I was looking through their books and selecting some out, I ran across this old notebook of her, of her father's, and it says on the front sermon notes. 00:08:43.133 --> 00:08:59.000 It's got his name on it, and throughout are just in careful handwriting, detailed writings, some of them are even typed up in print, are just lists of verses on various topics that he kept around with him to be able to refer to whenever he need to. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:02.200 And and I said, Rosemary, do you mind if I take this? 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:03.432 I don't know, she may have wanted to keep it. 00:09:03.432 --> 00:09:05.232 She said, no, that's for you, I think. 00:09:05.232 --> 00:09:08.765 I think my dad would appreciate you having it. 00:09:08.765 --> 00:09:22.033 I love seeing this living archive of a man who was carefully seeking to capture key verses and have them at hand for use, and I would just encourage you when you hear things like, oh gosh, I need to know about the Great Commission. 00:09:22.033 --> 00:09:31.633 I didn't know that I have a notebook, have something like that where you can jot that down, capture that, and be able to refer to it quickly, because I know you can go look it up on Google. I know you can. 00:09:32.700 --> 00:09:34.033 Google is not always right. 00:09:34.033 --> 00:09:39.799 By the way, and it may not always be right if it is right now. 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:48.799 In fact, there may come a time where they change things intentionally to deceive and mislead you. 00:09:49.899 --> 00:09:53.566 So you need to know what God's Word says now. 00:09:53.566 --> 00:09:56.100 you need to know where to find it on your own. 00:09:56.100 --> 00:09:57.633 Google is a great help. I use it too. 00:09:57.633 --> 00:10:04.466 I get that okay, but you also need to know on your own where to go and be studying God's Word and capturing it. 00:10:04.466 --> 00:10:06.832 And it doesn't have to be a little notebook like this. 00:10:06.832 --> 00:10:10.966 You figure out what works for you, but be hungry to know his word. 00:10:10.966 --> 00:10:13.966 Be a student of his word. 00:10:14.133 --> 00:10:18.666 We want to be people who self feed, not just depend on others to tell us what God's Word says. 00:10:18.666 --> 00:10:23.332 I mean, if your only source of God's word is just hearing me, I can deceive you as well. 00:10:23.332 --> 00:10:26.500 I hope I'm always point you to His Word to show you it's in His word. 00:10:27.533 --> 00:10:32.732 This is our authority and we learn from one another. 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:34.732 But Matthew 28 is a key passage. 00:10:34.732 --> 00:10:36.533 Matthew 28, turn there and look at that. 00:10:36.533 --> 00:10:37.732 What I want you to see. 00:10:37.732 --> 00:10:39.200 And we're going to look at three different passages. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:40.365 We're going to look at them quickly. 00:10:40.365 --> 00:10:42.100 These are just three. 00:10:42.100 --> 00:10:45.666 And we could look at dozens and dozens all across the New Testament. 00:10:45.666 --> 00:10:52.033 The important point is to see that God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, all three are equated with one another. 00:10:52.033 --> 00:10:54.399 They're put on the same level playing field. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:59.166 So for God to be in three persons, he has to be spoken of in a similar fashion. 00:10:59.166 --> 00:11:07.166 So here we have in Matthew 28, Jesus came in verse 18 and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 00:11:07.166 --> 00:11:09.299 He's speaking of his tremendous authority. 00:11:10.633 --> 00:11:16.600 Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them. 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:27.700 And of course, you've already heard this phrase this morning with Colby. Baptizing them-- And if you are entering by baptizing someone, entering them into the faith, who is over that is important. 00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:34.399 And he names in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:36.932 And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. 00:11:36.932 --> 00:11:43.500 When Jesus speaks about people entering the faith, he speaks of the father, son, and Holy Spirit at the at the same level. 00:11:44.966 --> 00:11:51.299 We also get a picture over in Matthew chapter three of their division of their differences. 00:11:51.700 --> 00:12:00.399 Because yes, we know God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit are all God, eternally exist as God, but they're also different. 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:02.299 And we see a clear picture of that in Matthew three. 00:12:02.299 --> 00:12:08.432 If you turn back a few pages, here we have the baptism of Jesus. 00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:15.133 Jesus is baptized, and when he's coming out, here's what happens John or Matthew, chapter three, verse 16. 00:12:15.133 --> 00:12:27.500 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were open to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:34.500 And behold, a voice from heaven said, this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased. 00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:40.765 We have right here at the same time all three members of the Trinity, but represented differently. 00:12:40.765 --> 00:12:44.000 And they're not all together just in one. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:55.533 Here there are three separate persons represented here at Jesus's baptism, bringing establishing the authority of his baptism. 00:12:55.533 --> 00:13:00.232 So two more passages to look at, just to show you that this is all over the New Testament. 00:13:00.232 --> 00:13:04.666 And people will say, well, the Trinity, I don't know that you can really see it in the New Testament. 00:13:04.666 --> 00:13:05.966 It's all over the place. 00:13:05.966 --> 00:13:13.200 If your eyes are open to it, look here at the next passage list is first Corinthians 12 four through six. 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:14.200 Those page numbers are in. 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:16.000 The notes should be on the screen. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:18.600 Page 913 for first Corinthians 12. 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:20.533 By the way, this is another one of those passages. 00:13:20.533 --> 00:13:22.966 This is real close to another one of those passages. 00:13:22.966 --> 00:13:27.932 If you've been a Christian for a while, you should know what do you call First Corinthians 13? 00:13:27.932 --> 00:13:30.332 What is that chapter known for? 00:13:30.332 --> 00:13:31.265 Love. 00:13:31.265 --> 00:13:34.133 If you've been to a wedding, you've heard that that's the whole love is patient. 00:13:34.133 --> 00:13:35.332 Love is kind, love does not envy. 00:13:35.332 --> 00:13:39.566 Love does not boast, does not seek its own desire. 00:13:39.566 --> 00:13:41.566 So, you know, First Corinthians 13 is about love. 00:13:41.566 --> 00:13:45.033 That's another one of those I should be able when someone asks me, where's that stuff about love in the Bible? 00:13:45.033 --> 00:13:52.000 First Corinthians 13, you should be able to point them there and now, because, you know, First Corinthians 13 is about love. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:56.432 You know that on other side, either side of that are arguments, right? 00:13:57.700 --> 00:14:00.666 That's why he's got to talk about love. 00:14:00.666 --> 00:14:02.432 Here's what love isn't, here's what love is. 00:14:02.432 --> 00:14:05.700 I need to talk about love because y'all ain't being loving. 00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:06.700 First Corinthians 12. 00:14:06.700 --> 00:14:10.133 First Corinthians 14 are both about spiritual gifts. 00:14:10.133 --> 00:14:14.033 And in the history of the church, there have been some arguments about the importance of gifts. 00:14:14.033 --> 00:14:15.732 Which ones still exist or do not? 00:14:15.732 --> 00:14:17.799 Which ones are more important than are others? 00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:21.633 Which person therefore is more important or not? 00:14:21.633 --> 00:14:24.265 And Paul has got to address and say, no, no, no, it's not about that. 00:14:24.265 --> 00:14:26.500 You don't understand. 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:33.899 And so here in First Corinthians 12, as he talks about gifts, he also talks about the Trinity, First Corinthians 12, verse four. 00:14:33.899 --> 00:14:35.299 I should probably turn there as well. 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:39.399 Give me a second. 00:14:49.666 --> 00:14:55.066 He says, now there are a variety of gifts, but the same spirit. 00:14:55.066 --> 00:14:59.000 There are a variety of service, but the same Lord. 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:04.832 There are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 00:15:04.832 --> 00:15:08.566 Once again, putting father, son, Holy Spirit on the same level. 00:15:08.566 --> 00:15:11.832 Lord is often used as a synonym for Jesus. 00:15:11.832 --> 00:15:17.000 God is often used in the New Testament as a cinnamon synonym for father. 00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:18.066 Put on the same level. 00:15:18.066 --> 00:15:19.899 One more example, Ephesians chapter four. 00:15:19.899 --> 00:15:22.533 Go over a few more verses. 00:15:22.533 --> 00:15:28.732 Chapters, whatever pages in the Bible flip over to Ephesians. Say it that way. 00:15:28.732 --> 00:15:30.100 Ephesians chapter four. 00:15:30.100 --> 00:15:37.533 Another example, also written by Paul, a father, son, Holy Spirit spoken of on the same level. 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:52.899 There is one body, verse four, one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is overall and through all and in all. 00:15:52.899 --> 00:15:56.500 And he's speaking very clearly here about your faith. 00:15:57.232 --> 00:15:58.865 Your call. 00:15:58.865 --> 00:16:07.100 There is one one baptism and over it all spirit, father, son. 00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:10.799 So here we see that there are three persons of the Trinity. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:14.299 Now I hinted at one objection people will give earlier. 00:16:14.299 --> 00:16:16.100 Hey, how can you keep talking about the Trinity? 00:16:16.100 --> 00:16:18.265 That word doesn't even show up in the Bible. 00:16:18.265 --> 00:16:20.399 It's just something made up you're making up here. How? 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:22.966 You can't really use that word when it doesn't appear here. 00:16:22.966 --> 00:16:29.365 Well, we know the word doesn't appear in the Bible, but you don't have to use a word that's in the Bible to describe the Bible. 00:16:29.365 --> 00:16:32.865 We do that all the time with plenty of other words God is. 00:16:32.865 --> 00:16:35.966 We'll talk about his attributes next week. God is omnipresent. 00:16:37.232 --> 00:16:42.100 God is omniscient, means he's all knowing. 00:16:42.100 --> 00:16:45.566 We use a number of different words like that to describe him. 00:16:45.566 --> 00:16:49.332 They don't show up in the Bible, but they help summarize who he is. 00:16:49.332 --> 00:16:50.700 You do this with other things. 00:16:50.700 --> 00:16:55.466 Kids all the time now are talking about the books I read and they're talking about every book they read has got this. 00:16:55.466 --> 00:16:59.533 When you ask him, what kind of book are you reading while I'm reading this, this fiction book, it's dystopian. 00:16:59.533 --> 00:17:00.832 That's the favorite word they use. 00:17:00.832 --> 00:17:03.166 We love a dystopian novel all everywhere. 00:17:03.166 --> 00:17:04.865 You hear dystopian dystopian stuff. 00:17:04.865 --> 00:17:08.633 Well, none of those books say, hey, by the way, my book right here that you're reading is dystopian. 00:17:08.633 --> 00:17:12.633 No, it's a word we use to describe it that doesn't even appear in the book. 00:17:14.333 --> 00:17:15.200 And here's the key idea. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:19.333 Even if the word isn't there, the idea is there. 00:17:19.333 --> 00:17:20.799 The idea of the Trinity is in. 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:29.566 This is how God reveals himself to us, and we're just looking to try to describe it, explain it in a way that hopefully helps us remember it, understand it, get our minds around it. 00:17:29.566 --> 00:17:33.532 So we use that word to summarize a complex idea. 00:17:34.299 --> 00:17:37.432 So God is three persons first part of the Trinity definition. 00:17:37.432 --> 00:17:39.599 Now let's look at the second part here. 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:43.465 God has three persons, each person fully God. 00:17:43.465 --> 00:17:55.965 And I'll spend more time on this with each, especially Jesus on the defining divinity of Christ, some on the Holy Spirit, because we're going to spend time on each of them as we go through this series. 00:17:55.965 --> 00:18:04.599 But just quickly, a couple of verses, each of those blanks in your notes, Father Jesus, Holy Spirit, and look at each of those. 00:18:04.599 --> 00:18:09.500 Of course, I don't know that I need to spend time talking about how God the Father is God. 00:18:09.500 --> 00:18:12.333 That's the basic assumption of all of Scripture. 00:18:12.333 --> 00:18:16.799 Genesis one one in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:18.500 That's the starting point. 00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:24.133 And as we pray, in fact, as Jesus taught us to pray, you've been praying the Lord's Prayer all last month. 00:18:24.133 --> 00:18:26.665 Matthew six nine. 00:18:26.665 --> 00:18:29.266 Our Father who art in heaven. 00:18:29.266 --> 00:18:32.532 That's the essential assumption of Scripture that there is God. 00:18:32.532 --> 00:18:33.400 He is our father. 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:35.465 That's the starting place. 00:18:35.465 --> 00:18:38.465 Jesus's divinity. 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:39.732 We look in other verses. 00:18:39.732 --> 00:18:42.032 John one one is a great starting place. 00:18:42.032 --> 00:18:44.500 I'm just going to give you a couple of verses on this. 00:18:44.500 --> 00:18:47.766 Obviously we can we will spend a lot more time on it. 00:18:47.766 --> 00:18:55.066 But John one one begins and John one one, many see it as a parallel to Genesis one one. 00:18:55.066 --> 00:18:57.932 In the Greek translation they have very similar wording. 00:18:57.932 --> 00:19:00.400 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:06.432 In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. 00:19:07.633 --> 00:19:15.865 We get that first hint that Jesus is put on the same level he was there at creation, creating with God in the very beginning. 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:24.066 Another great verse on that is Colossians two nine. If you want to flip over there, that's on page 936 in the church Bible. 00:19:24.066 --> 00:19:26.266 And if you don't have a church Bible, those are out in the lobby. 00:19:26.266 --> 00:19:27.799 You can grab one any time. 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:29.365 We're going to be flipping around a lot today. 00:19:29.365 --> 00:19:34.799 If you haven't figured that out, it's a great Bible to have to be able to look through and read on your own. 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:40.700 You can get a Bible reading plan, be reading through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs this year. 00:19:40.700 --> 00:19:47.732 Colossians chapter two says this verse nine, for in him Christ. 00:19:47.732 --> 00:19:49.599 In fact, that's the last word of verse eight. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:54.532 We know it's referring to Christ, for in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. 00:19:54.532 --> 00:19:56.333 The whole fullness of deity dwells. 00:19:57.700 --> 00:20:01.932 So Jesus is God, the father is God, Jesus is God. 00:20:01.965 --> 00:20:02.865 Now the Holy Spirit. 00:20:02.865 --> 00:20:08.400 Just one verse on that turn to Acts chapter three. 00:20:09.833 --> 00:20:15.400 Acts chapter three is famous for the situation between Ananias and Sapphira. 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:23.599 And this was the setting where they sold some property and they decided between each other, we're going to give some of this money to the church. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.200 We're going to keep some back for ourselves. 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:39.566 But the inference here is that they made it sound like they were giving it all to the church, so they wanted the glory of being very generous, but while still keeping some back for themselves. 00:20:39.566 --> 00:20:41.900 And notice the interaction here. 00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:44.900 Acts chapter three. 00:20:47.032 --> 00:20:51.365 Or chapter five, whichever you prefer. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:55.599 You pick verse three. 00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:58.465 Peter said, oh, and let's just start at verse two. 00:20:58.465 --> 00:21:00.299 Since I summarize the story, you'll see it here. 00:21:00.299 --> 00:21:07.165 With his wife's knowledge, he kept back for himself some of the proceeds, and brought only a part of it, and laid it at the apostles feet. 00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:14.700 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? 00:21:14.700 --> 00:21:15.799 Take note of that phrase. 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:23.266 He's saying you're lying to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land. 00:21:23.266 --> 00:21:25.266 And someone pointed this out to me early on. 00:21:25.266 --> 00:21:28.432 By the way, the sin wasn't that he kept back some money for himself. 00:21:28.432 --> 00:21:30.865 The sin was that he wanted to make it seem like he gave it all. 00:21:30.865 --> 00:21:32.032 You'll see this the. 00:21:32.032 --> 00:21:40.665 This is inferred in what follows while it remained unsold, did it not remain your own, meaning you didn't have to sell it and give it to the church to begin with. 00:21:40.665 --> 00:21:56.799 No one was making you do that. You could have just kept it also, after it was sold, was it not at your disposal even after you sold it, you could have done what you wanted with it, but you chose to do something deceptive. 00:21:57.865 --> 00:21:59.465 And in fact, look at how he says it here. 00:21:59.465 --> 00:22:02.432 First he said you lied to the Holy Spirit. 00:22:02.432 --> 00:22:05.266 Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? 00:22:05.266 --> 00:22:08.266 You have not lied to man, but to God. 00:22:09.400 --> 00:22:13.799 You've lied to the Holy Spirit, and by the Holy Spirit you've lied to God. 00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:16.799 Holy Spirit God put on the same level. 00:22:17.432 --> 00:22:19.965 All three are God. 00:22:19.965 --> 00:22:24.333 All three are fully God, not a little bit. 00:22:24.333 --> 00:22:25.599 One is God the Father. 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:29.566 Maybe more God than the Holy Spirit who came later and got the leftovers? 00:22:29.566 --> 00:22:32.099 No, no, no, they're all fully God. 00:22:34.133 --> 00:22:39.432 And then lastly, there is one God. 00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:45.200 So God is three persons eternally exist father, son, Holy Spirit, and there is one God. 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:46.900 Let's look at a couple of verses on that. 00:22:46.900 --> 00:22:48.900 Probably the most famous one is Deuteronomy 00:22:48.900 --> 00:22:58.633 Hear O Israel - shema is the Hebrew word for hear- Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one. 00:22:59.799 --> 00:23:04.900 So that's the base understanding of the Jewish faith. 00:23:04.900 --> 00:23:06.732 God is one. 00:23:06.732 --> 00:23:10.000 But then you might think, okay, but now we've moved on to the Trinity. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:12.665 So we wouldn't really say that now, would we? 00:23:12.665 --> 00:23:17.566 Because we see that there God is three persons, but that is repeated. 00:23:17.566 --> 00:23:18.932 It's repeated in the New Testament. 00:23:18.932 --> 00:23:20.365 I've listed two verses. 00:23:20.365 --> 00:23:21.432 Just turn to the 00:23:21.432 --> 00:23:23.799 19. 00:23:23.799 --> 00:23:26.000 20. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:28.200 James is further in the Scripture. 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:29.833 In fact, let me look to see which one I gave you. 00:23:29.833 --> 00:23:30.599 Page number four. 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:32.566 Neither you can find James. 00:23:34.532 --> 00:23:40.400 It's after Hebrews, which is a larger book in the New Testament. 00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:44.400 James chapter two. 00:23:46.665 --> 00:23:49.400 Verse 19. 00:23:49.400 --> 00:23:51.365 You believe that God is one. 00:23:51.365 --> 00:23:51.865 You do well. 00:23:51.865 --> 00:23:54.133 Even the demons believe and shudder. 00:23:54.133 --> 00:24:00.700 He's talking to them about the fact that many people would be double minded and what they believe, but he is emphasizing that God is one. 00:24:00.700 --> 00:24:03.732 You do well to believe that it's re-emphasized. 00:24:03.732 --> 00:24:09.865 It's restated in the New Testament, old and new, both. 00:24:10.133 --> 00:24:12.865 So now this leaves us with some challenges. 00:24:12.865 --> 00:24:16.232 In fact, I'm going to talk about three challenges we've walked, by the way. 00:24:16.232 --> 00:24:16.700 Thank you. 00:24:16.700 --> 00:24:20.365 You were very patient as we walked through the definition of the Trinity. 00:24:20.365 --> 00:24:24.566 As we waded through some of that, I'm going to unpack it a little more here in a second. 00:24:24.566 --> 00:24:29.500 But first, I think we often encounter three challenges to this definition. 00:24:30.732 --> 00:24:33.133 Some are to the definition, some are just for us. 00:24:33.133 --> 00:24:39.732 The first one is, is that we do legitimately have limitations in our understanding. 00:24:40.732 --> 00:24:42.633 Or we don't understand this perfectly. 00:24:42.633 --> 00:24:48.000 There are limitations in our understanding of everything we just talked through. 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:52.665 There are challenges in trying to fit this together. 00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:57.965 And part of it is, is that we are limited in how we're created. 00:24:57.965 --> 00:25:00.200 God put limits on us. 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:03.000 For instance, we're limited by a body. 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:08.865 Try to imagine existence apart from a body that I don't know that you can do that. 00:25:08.865 --> 00:25:10.200 Maybe someone can. 00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:13.633 It would be very difficult to try to imagine existing apart from a body. 00:25:13.633 --> 00:25:14.865 Try to imagine existing. 00:25:14.865 --> 00:25:16.900 We're bound by time. 00:25:16.900 --> 00:25:21.900 You can't even comprehend what existence would be like apart from time. 00:25:21.900 --> 00:25:24.266 All of life is a succession of events. 00:25:24.266 --> 00:25:27.266 Time is at the center of of living. 00:25:27.932 --> 00:25:32.766 So we have things that limit our understanding of. 00:25:32.766 --> 00:25:37.566 In fact, someone has said to me, I mean, you think about John in the book of Revelation trying to describe what heaven is like. 00:25:37.566 --> 00:25:40.200 And so everything you read, there's just crazy. 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:42.365 You're trying to understand it going, this makes no sense to me. 00:25:42.365 --> 00:25:45.633 I mean, you imagine how he felt trying to describe it. 00:25:45.633 --> 00:25:48.200 Someone said, someone shared this analogy me with me. 00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:55.532 Imagine if someone from the Bible Times came forward to our day, saw a helicopter, tried to go back in time to describe it. 00:25:55.532 --> 00:25:57.000 I mean, the words they would try to use. 00:25:57.000 --> 00:26:04.965 It was like a giant bird of a but you know, it was a lot bigger, but harder. 00:26:04.965 --> 00:26:10.400 And it had a wheel on top that spun, but it wasn't a wheel and it could move in all kinds of different. 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:12.599 I mean, you just have to make up all kinds of words. 00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:15.833 People could go in and out of it and you just leave so confused. 00:26:15.833 --> 00:26:16.599 What are you talking about? 00:26:16.599 --> 00:26:19.599 I haven't I, I can't even I don't even have a category for this. 00:26:20.665 --> 00:26:22.432 We have limitations in our understanding. 00:26:22.432 --> 00:26:26.566 But here's here's again what I want to come back to. 00:26:26.732 --> 00:26:29.732 We can still know God as Trinity. 00:26:30.732 --> 00:26:37.900 And I really want to encourage you not to put demands on God that you don't put in other realms of life. 00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:44.500 I mean, some people feel very uncomfortable about the fact that they they don't know every single thing about God. 00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:47.133 God, what are you trying to do, keep stuff from me? 00:26:47.133 --> 00:26:50.099 Why haven't you made me to be able to understand the Trinity fully? 00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:52.500 Why is it that it seems confusing? 00:26:52.500 --> 00:26:54.165 What are you trying to do to me? 00:26:54.165 --> 00:26:55.766 I don't know that I can believe in a God. 00:26:55.766 --> 00:26:58.432 Who would do that. 00:26:58.432 --> 00:27:00.833 There's a couple of things to consider. 00:27:00.833 --> 00:27:04.232 First is, if you knew everything about God, what would that make you? 00:27:07.032 --> 00:27:11.633 It may not make you God, but it surely put you on the same equal playing field with him. 00:27:11.633 --> 00:27:14.432 If you knew everything about God. 00:27:14.432 --> 00:27:19.932 And is that fair to think that you would be equal with God and your knowledge of God? 00:27:19.932 --> 00:27:20.299 No. 00:27:20.299 --> 00:27:25.266 In fact, you don't apply that demand to people in your life. 00:27:25.965 --> 00:27:31.833 You didn't say to your future spouse, I have to know every single thing about you from ever and always. 00:27:31.833 --> 00:27:33.099 Exactly, perfectly. 00:27:33.099 --> 00:27:39.700 If I'm going to marry you know, now you thought you knew them going into it. 00:27:39.700 --> 00:27:44.200 Oh, they are just the sweetest and kindest and they probably were. 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:47.566 But also, you learned a little more about them after they married you. 00:27:47.566 --> 00:27:49.865 They changed, right? No. Not anyway. 00:27:49.865 --> 00:27:51.299 We'll have a marriage seminar next year. 00:27:51.299 --> 00:27:51.700 Don't worry. 00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:52.965 We'll get there. Going. 00:27:52.965 --> 00:27:54.665 Put it on your calendar. March 27th. 00:27:54.665 --> 00:27:55.500 It's going to be amazing. 00:27:56.799 --> 00:27:59.133 You don't put that demand on them. 00:27:59.133 --> 00:28:00.700 You don't put that demand even on a boss. 00:28:00.700 --> 00:28:05.400 I've got to know everything about you so that I can trust you perfectly before I work for you. 00:28:05.400 --> 00:28:08.165 Now, a lot of times you barely know them. 00:28:08.165 --> 00:28:12.965 You don't do that in your normal life, and we're striving to know all we can about God. 00:28:12.965 --> 00:28:14.432 But also we got to be realistic. 00:28:14.432 --> 00:28:18.000 We're not going to know everything about him. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:19.365 There are going to be limitations. 00:28:19.365 --> 00:28:21.865 So that's one challenge. 00:28:21.865 --> 00:28:24.099 Now here's a second one. 00:28:24.099 --> 00:28:24.900 And this is a big one. 00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:28.032 Because the reality is I think many people stumble over this. 00:28:28.032 --> 00:28:31.032 They see the Trinity as a contradiction. 00:28:32.200 --> 00:28:34.599 How can you say he's three in one? 00:28:34.599 --> 00:28:37.000 Nothing can be three in one. 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:38.833 That's not a god. That's a shampoo. 00:28:41.500 --> 00:28:42.766 I stole that joke. 00:28:42.766 --> 00:28:43.932 I didn't come up with that. 00:28:43.932 --> 00:28:48.000 I stole it from a guy named Nabeel Qureshi. 00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:52.133 He, in fact, passed away at age 34. 00:28:52.500 --> 00:28:53.365 Young guy. 00:28:53.365 --> 00:29:01.566 He was a muslim who became a Christian and started to teach on his faith, started especially to evangelize to Muslims. 00:29:01.566 --> 00:29:03.400 He wrote a number of great books. 00:29:03.400 --> 00:29:07.633 Nabeel Qureshi, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus is the name of his book. 00:29:07.633 --> 00:29:08.732 It's fantastic. 00:29:08.732 --> 00:29:11.000 It's a great story. 00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:16.932 And in fact, Chad Greathouse, one of our members here at the church, he sent me a video of him talking about the Trinity. 00:29:16.932 --> 00:29:23.032 And I think some of what he had to say was very helpful because the main objection he would hear from Muslims is who? 00:29:23.032 --> 00:29:24.165 What are you talking about? 00:29:24.165 --> 00:29:28.532 You say you're monotheistic, you say there's only one God, but yet you really worship three gods. 00:29:28.532 --> 00:29:31.333 You can't have it both ways. 00:29:31.333 --> 00:29:33.099 It's a contradiction. 00:29:33.099 --> 00:29:36.200 Here's how you and I'm going to try to do justice to how he explained it. 00:29:36.200 --> 00:29:37.133 I found it very helpful. 00:29:38.732 --> 00:29:43.799 He said the key idea and as we unpacked the definition, hopefully this stood out a little bit, he said. 00:29:43.799 --> 00:29:53.232 The key idea is the fact that we talk about God as being one in being or essence, but three in persons. 00:29:53.400 --> 00:29:56.400 And he says being is what you are. 00:29:56.432 --> 00:29:57.732 I'm a human being. 00:29:57.732 --> 00:29:59.732 Person is who you are. 00:29:59.732 --> 00:30:01.000 I'm a human being. 00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:03.133 I'm John Majors. 00:30:03.133 --> 00:30:11.299 So God is we as humans are one in being, one in person, but God is one in being or essence. 00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:13.566 But three in person. 00:30:13.566 --> 00:30:18.566 Now, that doesn't completely explain it all perfectly, but you can start to see how this isn't a contradiction. 00:30:18.566 --> 00:30:27.032 One in being and three and being would be a contradiction, but one in being or essence in godness and three in persons. 00:30:27.032 --> 00:30:31.299 Father, son, Holy Spirit is not inherently a contradiction. 00:30:33.700 --> 00:30:35.633 So that's the second challenge we often face. 00:30:35.633 --> 00:30:37.099 Is this a contradiction? No. 00:30:37.099 --> 00:30:38.965 Hard for us to understand. Yes. 00:30:38.965 --> 00:30:46.566 Our minds are limited in our ability to fully get our mind around it, but not a contradiction. 00:30:46.566 --> 00:30:50.465 Then there's a third challenge we often encounter. 00:30:50.465 --> 00:30:51.165 And it's a big word. 00:30:51.165 --> 00:30:54.165 It's the word heresies. 00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:58.000 Heresies come from distortions of the Trinity. 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:01.000 And I think. 00:31:01.432 --> 00:31:04.066 I think this usually starts in a good place. 00:31:04.066 --> 00:31:09.500 Most people are wanting to just try to make the the Trinity easier to understand. 00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:10.299 And fair enough. 00:31:10.299 --> 00:31:11.566 Don't we all want to understand it? 00:31:11.566 --> 00:31:14.700 Then we want things to be easier to understand. 00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:19.200 Some things are just going to be hard to understand, even if we want them to be easier. 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:24.133 And heresies often come from us changing the definition to make us feel better about who God is. 00:31:25.266 --> 00:31:29.232 I think two prominent examples of that are Jehovah's Witness. 00:31:29.232 --> 00:31:34.432 Jehovah's witness would say, Jehovah God the Father is the only true God, and Jesus is not God. 00:31:34.432 --> 00:31:35.665 Holy spirit is not God. 00:31:35.665 --> 00:31:38.566 And so we only worship God the Father. 00:31:38.566 --> 00:31:39.400 That's a heresy. 00:31:39.400 --> 00:31:43.266 That's a distortion of the definition of Trinity. 00:31:43.266 --> 00:31:49.665 Father, son, Holy Spirit are all three God, all three equally God eternally exist as God. 00:31:49.665 --> 00:31:52.365 Another distortion, another heresy comes across. 00:31:52.365 --> 00:31:54.833 It's called Oneness Pentecostalism. 00:31:54.833 --> 00:31:59.032 Okay, now Pentecostals, most Pentecostals are Trinitarian, believe in the Trinity. 00:31:59.032 --> 00:32:08.200 But there's one branch called Oneness Pentecostalism or Jesus Only Pentecostals who would say no, Jesus is the only one who's God. 00:32:08.200 --> 00:32:09.932 Okay, and here's how they say it. 00:32:09.932 --> 00:32:10.633 First, he was God. 00:32:10.633 --> 00:32:13.000 The father appeared that way. 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:16.000 Then he appeared as Jesus on earth. 00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:20.299 Then comes and also appears to us when he needs to His Holy Spirit, then back to Jesus. 00:32:20.299 --> 00:32:23.465 He kind of slips back and forth between these different modes. 00:32:23.465 --> 00:32:26.066 And that's an ancient heresy called modal ism. 00:32:26.066 --> 00:32:29.266 This is a crazy thing about heresies that they're not suddenly new. 00:32:30.965 --> 00:32:34.365 Most of we're condemned, like in 300 A.D. 00:32:35.232 --> 00:32:38.232 they all popped up right away. 00:32:38.900 --> 00:32:42.200 In fact, the probably a well known proponent of this is T.D. Jakes. 00:32:42.200 --> 00:32:46.932 If you've heard of him, he's a wealth and health prosperity gospel preacher. 00:32:46.932 --> 00:32:52.133 I don't know if he still holds to this in the same way, but I saw an interview with him. 00:32:52.133 --> 00:32:54.900 You can still look it up on YouTube where he was asked. 00:32:54.900 --> 00:32:57.333 He he grew up in the Oneness Pentecostalism. 00:32:57.333 --> 00:33:02.099 It he even said on his website that he held to that Jesus only view. 00:33:02.099 --> 00:33:03.900 He was asked, do you believe in the Trinity or not? 00:33:03.900 --> 00:33:06.833 And he said, yes, I do. I'm Trinitarian. 00:33:06.833 --> 00:33:10.599 I just use different words to describe it. 00:33:11.766 --> 00:33:13.032 That's always a red flag. 00:33:14.066 --> 00:33:15.465 Yeah, I believe the same thing as you. 00:33:15.465 --> 00:33:17.833 I just use different words. 00:33:17.833 --> 00:33:23.232 Well, look, different words often mean something different. 00:33:23.232 --> 00:33:27.599 I was reading something this morning and I thought it was talking about scurvy. 00:33:27.599 --> 00:33:32.000 You know that, disease that sailors would get when they didn't get enough vitamin C? 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:32.900 And I thought, this is weird. 00:33:32.900 --> 00:33:35.266 This doesn't seem like it should be about scurvy. 00:33:35.266 --> 00:33:38.700 And I look back and it was the word survey. 00:33:38.700 --> 00:33:40.099 Okay, that makes a little more sense. 00:33:40.099 --> 00:33:46.099 Now there's a big difference as one letter, but there's a big difference between a survey and scurvy. 00:33:46.099 --> 00:33:47.633 I don't mind being a part of a survey. 00:33:47.633 --> 00:33:49.165 I don't really want scurvy. 00:33:49.165 --> 00:33:55.000 You can see a big difference you when you use different words oftentimes. 00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:59.165 And as he explained his view on Trinity, I don't believe there are three persons. 00:33:59.165 --> 00:34:08.132 We just call it manifestations, which by that he means he manifests Himself as God the Father, as Jesus Holy Spirit. 00:34:08.132 --> 00:34:09.565 Look, I don't know T.D. Jakes personally. 00:34:09.565 --> 00:34:13.932 Maybe his view is shaped or form, but you start to see no, no, no, you're not describing the same thing. 00:34:13.932 --> 00:34:15.666 We are. 00:34:15.666 --> 00:34:16.865 So people do this all the time. 00:34:16.865 --> 00:34:17.666 I believe in Jesus. 00:34:17.666 --> 00:34:19.699 I believe he was a good dude. 00:34:19.699 --> 00:34:25.233 That's way different than believing that he was the Son of God who died for your sins on your behalf. 00:34:25.233 --> 00:34:29.733 We're not talking about the same thing when we do that. 00:34:29.733 --> 00:34:33.132 So heresies come from distortions of the Trinity. 00:34:33.132 --> 00:34:38.965 And if you know this definition of the Trinity, those will start to stand out to you. 00:34:39.032 --> 00:34:47.965 And by the way, we we've got to be gracious with one another on this, because you can stumble into heresy around the Trinity without realizing it. 00:34:47.965 --> 00:34:52.666 Sometimes if you've heard people try to use analogies, that's why I haven't used any today. 00:34:52.666 --> 00:34:54.699 They all fall short. 00:34:54.699 --> 00:34:58.932 I mean, I remember hearing people talk about, you know, the Trinity is kind of like water. 00:34:58.932 --> 00:35:03.065 It can be solid, it can be liquid, it can be gas. Look, I've done it. 00:35:03.065 --> 00:35:04.300 I thought that sounded amazing. 00:35:04.300 --> 00:35:06.199 That makes sense. Others have done it. 00:35:06.199 --> 00:35:13.300 But that's the same thing as modal ism, because no molecule of water is ever all three at the same time, even at the triple point. 00:35:13.300 --> 00:35:14.099 I know all about that. 00:35:14.099 --> 00:35:15.565 You chemists out there, I know you're going. 00:35:15.565 --> 00:35:16.199 Wait a second. 00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:17.300 No, no, no, I know about that. 00:35:17.300 --> 00:35:20.065 They're still moving in between all three states at the same time. 00:35:20.065 --> 00:35:26.800 No single molecule is all three at the exact same moment, so that's a misrepresentation. 00:35:26.800 --> 00:35:33.400 Saint Patrick tried to explain the Trinity by using a shamrock. That's why we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, I think. 00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:36.465 Does anybody know why we celebrate Saint Patrick's Day? 00:35:36.465 --> 00:35:38.500 In theory, that's why we celebrate it. 00:35:38.500 --> 00:35:43.766 He brought the gospel to Ireland, and he was known for using a shamrock with three lobes to talk about. 00:35:43.766 --> 00:35:46.032 Look, there's three parts to this, but it's all one. 00:35:46.032 --> 00:35:49.766 But then again, they're not really separate like three persons are. 00:35:49.766 --> 00:35:50.199 It? Doesn't. 00:35:50.199 --> 00:35:53.865 It gets to the unity but not the diversity. 00:35:53.865 --> 00:35:56.300 So every one of them falls short. 00:35:56.300 --> 00:35:57.565 All right. Look. 00:35:57.565 --> 00:35:59.932 So that's a lot about the Trinity. 00:35:59.932 --> 00:36:01.032 Those are challenges. 00:36:01.032 --> 00:36:02.666 Three part definition three challenges. 00:36:02.666 --> 00:36:07.233 Here's one I want to end with three reasons why this matters to you today. 00:36:08.500 --> 00:36:10.400 Because we all know studying the Trinity is important. 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:11.666 We know it's essential to the doctrine. 00:36:11.666 --> 00:36:16.132 But I think a lot of times we go, okay, well, what does it mean for me today? 00:36:16.132 --> 00:36:19.132 How's this going to change my life today? 00:36:19.865 --> 00:36:21.965 Three ways I want to highlight this year. 00:36:21.965 --> 00:36:29.333 First, we can know true love because of the Trinity. 00:36:29.865 --> 00:36:34.000 The Trinity is the basis for all loving relationships. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:34.865 And here's why. 00:36:34.865 --> 00:36:44.266 For all eternity, the father, the son, the Holy Spirit eternally exists in perfect loving relationship. 00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:50.132 They don't have to go outside of themselves to find love, and they never are at odds with one another. 00:36:50.132 --> 00:36:57.500 There's never been a moment where Jesus said, you know, I really don't want to talk to the Holy Spirit today or God the Father. 00:36:57.500 --> 00:37:00.800 I'm kind of upset by what you asked me to do. 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:06.233 There's never been a moment where they've been divided. 00:37:06.266 --> 00:37:11.800 Perfect unity, perfect love for all eternity. 00:37:11.833 --> 00:37:18.099 And it's because they don't need love outside of themselves that they didn't create us. 00:37:18.099 --> 00:37:22.166 God didn't create us because he needed us. 00:37:22.166 --> 00:37:25.932 We talked about that word long ago, aseity, God is independent from us. 00:37:25.932 --> 00:37:27.300 He is self-existent. 00:37:27.300 --> 00:37:29.865 He doesn't need anything else. 00:37:29.865 --> 00:37:30.833 He's perfect. 00:37:30.833 --> 00:37:32.199 He didn't create us because he needed us. 00:37:32.199 --> 00:37:33.465 In fact, there's a great quote on this. 00:37:33.465 --> 00:37:39.400 Jonathan Edwards very early theologian in the history of the American church. 00:37:39.400 --> 00:37:44.500 He says that this way God didn't create us to get the cosmic love and joy of relationship. 00:37:44.500 --> 00:37:50.565 This is in your notes. He didn't do that because he already had that. 00:37:50.565 --> 00:37:51.233 He didn't create us. 00:37:51.233 --> 00:37:55.532 Because, man, I hope these people will finally love me if I create followers. 00:37:55.532 --> 00:37:59.699 Just like children, you have children and now they perfectly love you. 00:37:59.699 --> 00:38:01.266 What you always wanted and longed for. 00:38:01.266 --> 00:38:03.900 You're supposed to laugh at that right? 00:38:03.900 --> 00:38:04.565 There is joy. 00:38:04.565 --> 00:38:06.132 There is love. 00:38:06.132 --> 00:38:11.132 God didn't create us so that maybe finally they'll fill up something that was missing in me. 00:38:11.132 --> 00:38:17.132 No, no no, he did it because he already had that and he wanted to share it. 00:38:17.132 --> 00:38:19.900 He wanted to share his love for us, with us. 00:38:19.900 --> 00:38:30.132 And by the way, I think that is displayed when we have children, when a couple who's in love wants to share that love, a natural reaction is to want to have children. 00:38:30.132 --> 00:38:34.565 I think that's a natural creating act that even mimics the love of the Trinity. 00:38:36.565 --> 00:38:40.699 This is so important because this is why you know you can love other Christians. 00:38:40.699 --> 00:38:48.699 This is why you know you can love the unloving person in your life who claims to know Christ because God has done it for all eternity. 00:38:48.699 --> 00:38:51.699 And he's set that pattern for us. 00:38:51.766 --> 00:38:55.965 And we love because he first loved us. 00:38:55.965 --> 00:39:01.733 And if he loves you and you love him. 00:39:02.099 --> 00:39:05.099 You're called to love others. 00:39:05.333 --> 00:39:06.766 And so we know we can love. 00:39:06.766 --> 00:39:09.699 We can walk confident in the fact that we can love. 00:39:09.699 --> 00:39:12.365 Because the Trinity model is perfect love for all eternity. 00:39:12.365 --> 00:39:15.400 Second, we can know true love because of the Trinity. 00:39:15.400 --> 00:39:21.599 And the Trinity is the basis for unity and diversity. 00:39:22.300 --> 00:39:26.333 The Trinity becomes the basis for unity and diversity. 00:39:26.333 --> 00:39:31.432 I think the first way we see that modeled is when God made man in his own image. 00:39:33.233 --> 00:39:37.065 He made them male and female. 00:39:37.300 --> 00:39:44.199 We see a picture right of way of unity and being diversity and persons, human beings, male and female. 00:39:44.199 --> 00:39:52.233 This doesn't describe the Trinity, but I think it hints at the unity in diversity of the Trinity, male and female. 00:39:52.233 --> 00:39:58.666 And he made us different on purpose, and we can value that. 00:39:58.800 --> 00:40:00.065 We can delight in that. 00:40:00.065 --> 00:40:04.233 We can have unity in the midst of diversity. 00:40:04.365 --> 00:40:09.599 You know, this is why he did first Corinthians 13 when they were arguing about different gifts. 00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:14.800 I don't have to look down on someone else's gift to feel good about mine. 00:40:14.965 --> 00:40:19.532 Well, mine is really I'm more valuable than them to the church. No, no, no. 00:40:19.532 --> 00:40:23.266 We can have unity and diversity, delight and love in one another. 00:40:23.266 --> 00:40:27.032 And then lastly, the Trinity is based in unity and diversity. 00:40:27.032 --> 00:40:31.300 And then number three, the knowledge of the Trinity should bring great comfort. 00:40:32.699 --> 00:40:36.333 Even within the Trinity there are different roles. 00:40:36.666 --> 00:40:38.532 This is the unity and diversity. 00:40:38.532 --> 00:40:41.532 God the father, son, Holy Spirit. 00:40:41.532 --> 00:40:44.532 But when Jesus at the end of his life. 00:40:45.632 --> 00:40:48.032 In fact, this quote in your notes sums it up some well. 00:40:48.032 --> 00:40:51.032 This quote from Sinclair Ferguson. 00:40:51.032 --> 00:41:05.500 I've often reflected on the rather obvious thought that when his disciples were about to have the world collapse in on them, and this is the upper room discourse in John 13, 14, 15, 16, 17- he washes the disciples feet. 00:41:05.500 --> 00:41:10.666 He sends out Judas, and the disciples don't know the world is about to collapse on him. 00:41:10.666 --> 00:41:19.532 I've often considered our Lord spent so much time in the upper room, speaking to them about the mystery of the Trinity. 00:41:19.532 --> 00:41:25.333 If anything else could underline the necessity of Trinitarianism for practical Christianity, that must surely be it. 00:41:27.099 --> 00:41:33.233 Meditating on the Trinity, meditating on his love for us will bring you comfort. 00:41:34.365 --> 00:41:34.733 Over. 00:41:34.733 --> 00:42:00.465 I'd say the last couple of months I feel like I've experienced the love of Christ in my life like never before, and it's come simply from meditating on God the Father in the mornings, God the son, God the Holy Spirit, and his eternal love within himself and his love for me. 00:42:00.465 --> 00:42:03.365 We love because he first loved us. 00:42:03.365 --> 00:42:06.365 Let's pray. 00:42:07.699 --> 00:42:17.599 God, we thank you that you reveal yourself to us as father, son, Holy Spirit. 00:42:17.599 --> 00:42:25.833 And I know that I've probably created more questions than answers today and trying to talk about who you are, but we don't shy away from it. 00:42:25.833 --> 00:42:30.166 We know you reveal yourself to us that way in Scripture, and we want to know you. 00:42:32.400 --> 00:42:35.233 We prayed this morning, Holy spirit, you are welcome here. 00:42:35.233 --> 00:42:37.065 You are. 00:42:37.065 --> 00:42:39.565 Help us to be filled up with who you are. 00:42:39.565 --> 00:42:44.965 Would you purify our understanding of who you are? 00:42:45.833 --> 00:42:53.000 And where there is confusion and misunderstanding would we dive into your word, Seek clarity into your word? 00:42:53.432 --> 00:42:57.365 And my prayer today would be that each of us would sense your presence in our life. 00:42:57.365 --> 00:43:00.300 We would be filled up with your love. 00:43:00.300 --> 00:43:01.032 Thank you Jesus. 00:43:01.032 --> 00:43:03.032 We love you. Amen.