DOCTRINES ABOUT GOD

 

 

I Tim. 4:13-16

 

Prayer

 

Have you ever noticed what the Bible says will happen to the Church

at the end of the age?

It’s not a pretty story.

 

 

Paul said there will be a great “falling away” (II Tim. 2:1-3).

Jesus said, “The love of many will wax cold” (Matt. 24;12).

 

 

He called the Laodicean Church “lukewarm” (Rev. 3:14-22).

And He called the Tribulation Period Church a “harlot” (Rev. 17:1-5).

 

 

This great organization that began under the influence of men filled with the   

Holy Spirit, will climax under the influence of false Christs, false prophets,

and false teachers giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of the devil

(I Tim. 4:1).

 

 

It’s important to remember this.

And to steadfastly guard against it.

 

 

We need to learn to recognize false Christs, false prophets, and false teachers.

We shouldn’t allow ourselves to wax cold, fall away, or become lukewarm.

 

 

If we see this happening to us, or to this Church, we need to do whatever we          

can to turn things around.

What do we do?

 

1st---Paul said, “Give attendance to reading.”

Read your Bible.

 

 

One survey shows that one-half of all Americans never read it.

And three-fourths of all Americans read it less than once a week.

 

 

The Word of God is the power of God unto salvation;

A lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path;

 

 

Milk to the babe in Christ;

And meat to the strong in Christ.

 

 

It will cause us to repent of our sins;

And to be more pleasing unto God.

 

 

“These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of    

God;” “And that believing, ye might have life through His name” (Jn. 20:31).

 

 

The Bible was written so you can believe and be saved.

Get to know what it says.

 

 

2nd---Paul said, “Give attendance to exhortation.”

Apply the Word of God to your life.

 

 

Let is shape your character.

Let it change your life.

 

 

Let it rebuke your sins.

Let it strengthen your faith.

This is why we should give attendance to reading.

Our knowledge should be transformed into a lifestyle.

 

 

3rd---Paul said, “Give attendance to doctrine.”

He said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for    

doctrine . . .” (II Tim. 3:16).

 

 

He said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth        

not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15).

Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples and ye shall

know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31, 32).

 

 

Verse 16 of our text reads, “Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine;     

continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them        

that hear thee.”

Check out your doctrines.

 

 

Accept those doctrines that are clearly taught in the Bible.

And reject those doctrines that aren’t Scriptural.

 

 

Do your doctrines stand up to the Word of God?

If they do, continue in them.

 

 

Bit if they don’t, get back to the Bible.

And stick to it.

 

 

What we believe is important:

Some people believe the wrong things.

 

 

And some people don't know what they believe.

A preacher invited a man to Church.

The man said, “I’m a believer.”

The preacher asked, “What do you believe?”

 

 

The man thought a minute and said, “Eh...... I believe what my Church         

believes.”

The preacher asked, “What does your Church believe?”

 

 

The man thought again and said, “Eh.... My Church believes what I believe.”

The preacher asked, “Well, what it that you and your Church both believe?”

 

 

The man thought again and said, "Eh...... We believe the same thing.”

Do you know what your Church believes about God?

 

 

That’s what I want to talk about today:

Our doctrines about God.

 

 

1st---There’s just one God.

You may say, “Everybody knows that.”

 

 

But everybody doesn’t know that.

Christians and Jews worship Jehovah.

 

 

Moslems worship Allah.

Buddhists worship Buddha.

 

 

Hindus worship many gods (But primarily Krishna).

The New Age Movement worships many gods and goddesses such as Sophia,       

Ishtar, Gaia, Diana, etc.

 

 

In recent years, a controversy hit the United Methodist Church over the worship

of Sophia. Earth Day is now an annual celebration in this country.

 

 

And some who are a part of that (but certainly not all) have fallen into Pantheism.

They worship Mother Earth.

 

 

Our schools teach multi-culturalism.

The one-world government and one-world religion movement is behind that.

 

 

Our own U. S. Senate has opened sessions with a Moslem praying to Allah.

Jesus was once asked, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

 

 

He answered, “The first of all the commandments is: Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord         

our God is one Lord” (Mk. 12:28, 29).

This was very familiar to the Jews.

 

 

Orthodox Jews repeated this verse twice a day for hundreds of years.

It’s part of their confession of faith.

 

 

The dying and those gathered at their bedside repeat it.

Moses received it from God.

 

 

It is called the “Shema.”

“The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:4).

 

 

Isaiah learned this.

God told him, “I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God beside

me” (Isa. 45:5).

 

So the Bible teaches that there is just one God.

He is Jehovah;

 

 

Not Sophia, not Mother Earth, not Allah;

Not any other god or goddess.

 

 

2nd---God is everlasting

In the early 80's, I attended the Course of Study school at Emory University

near Atlanta, Georgia.

 

 

There was a professor at that school who came up with the idea that God is  

dead.

He was greatly misunderstood.

 

 

But his statement that God is dead swept across this country like wildfire.

It stirred a lot of debate.

 

 

And caused a lot of upset.

Why?

 

 

Because it contradicted the Bible.

And multitudes disagreed.

 

 

The Psalmist said, “from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God” (Psa. 90:2).

Concerning God he said, “thy years shall have no end” (Psa. 102:27).

 

 

Go back into the past as far as you can go and God will be there.

Look off into the future as far as you can see and God will be there.

 

 

 

Study what the Bible says and you will find:

          (1) Jesus was with God before the world was (Jn. 17:5).

          (2) God planned our redemption before the foundation of the world

          (I Pet. 1:18-23).

 

          (3) God promised us eternal life before the world began (Titus 1:2).

          (4) God showed grace to us before the world began (II Tim. 1.9), and

 

          (5) God prepared a kingdom for us from the foundation of the world  

          (Matt. 25:34).

 

 

God has existed for a very long time.

We’ve been a part of His plans and work for thousands of years.

 

 

And the Bible says, “In the ages to come, He will show the exceeding riches

of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph.      2:7).

God will always be good to us.

 

 

His love will never cease.

So one of our doctrines says, “God is everlasting.”

 

 

3rd---God is infinitely strong

Jesus said, “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).

 

 

His power is unlimited.

How do you explain a Power that can speak worlds into existence

(Psa. 36:6-9)?

 

 

A Power that created order out of chaos;

A Power that hung the world on nothing;

 

 

A Power that said, “Let there be light and there was light.”

A Power that caused Abraham's barren wife Sarah to conceive;

 

 

A Power that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone;

A Power that sent Jesus to the cross and raised Him from the dead.

 

 

A Power that can cause earthquakes and throw down mountains.

A Power that can stop the rain and hold back the wind.

 

 

A Power that can turn rivers into blood and cause darkness to cover the earth.

God’s power is awesome.

 

 

But not everyone believes this.

Some say God is no longer in control or He would stop the killings, drugs,   

abortions, etc.

 

 

Others say He’s dead or He would stop war, famine, disease and the like.

But God is in control.

 

 

And He will do something about these problems.

His Word says He will send the Tribulation Period to punish the world for its          

sins.

 

 

His power is unlimited.

And the things He intends to do are beyond our imagination.

 

 

But we shouldn’t worry.

He will use His great power to keep His Church from harm.

 

 

 

He will raise the dead.

And Rapture His Church.

 

 

Put Jesus on the throne of your heart and His unlimited power will work to    

your benefit.

4th---God is infinite in wisdom

 

 

The Bible says, “God knows all things” (I Jn. 3:20).

“He is perfect in knowledge” (Job 37:16).

 

 

“His understanding, is infinite” (Psa. 147:5).

“He telleth the number of stars; He calleth them all by their names”

(Psa. 147:4).

 

 

“The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man” (Psa. 94:11).

The Lord “can do everything” and “no thought can be withheld from Him”   

(Job 42:2).

 

 

“A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the      

Lord, and that thought upon his name” (Malachi 3:16).

God knows everything.

 

 

He even knows what we are thinking right now.

And many of our thoughts have been written down.

 

 

He knows whether we are sitting down or standing up right now.

He knows when we will get up;

 

 

When we will go to bed;

And everything about us.

 

“Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my    

thought afar off.”

“Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all   

my ways.”

 

 

“For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it         

altogether” (Psa. 139:2-4).

God knows our name (Jn. 10:3).

 

 

He knows how many hairs we have on our head (Matt. 10:30).

He knows all our ways and counts all our steps (Job 31:4).

 

 

He knows our needs before we even ask.

He knows our good works and will not forget them when we go to heaven.

 

 

He knows our gifts and service and will reward us accordingly.

He knows everything that can be known about anything.

 

 

God is infinitely wise.

5th---God is infinitely good

 

 

“O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psa. 34:8).

“The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” (Psa. 33:5).

 

 

“The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his work”

(Psa. 145:9) .

Goodness and God are inseparable.

 

 

I want to give you an example.

God says, “I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will make known my words

unto you.”

Why should God pour out His Spirit on us?

          Have  we earned it?

          Does  He owe it to us?

 

 

Why should God give us His Word?

          Is it that we are so good?

          Do we deserve it?

 

 

No! God doesn’t owe us anything.

And we are not good; we are sinners.

 

 

God gives us His Spirit and His Word because God is good.

He loves us.

 

 

He cares about what happens to us.

We can’t buy the Holy Spirit.

 

 

But what would we give, if we could?

What is the Bible worth to us and to this world?

 

 

These are gifts money can’t buy;

Gifts too valuable to appraise.

 

 

And yet, God gives these gifts to us.

I want to show you something else about God.

 

 

“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no         

man regarded, but ye have set at naught all my counsel and would have none

of my reproof, I will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh”

 (Proverbs 1:24-26).

We could look at the severity of God here, but I want to look at His goodness.

 

 

Notice, that God calls people who refuse to hear;

That He stretches out His hand to people who won’t pay any attention.

 

 

This tells us something about God.

He doesn’t have to bother with ungrateful people.

 

 

He doesn’t have to be snubbed by sinners.

Why should He give people the opportunity to reject Him?

 

 

I'll tell you why.

Because He is good.

 

 

He’s even good to people who aren’t good to Him.

I thank Him for being good to me;

 

 

For not giving up on me.

And I'll just bet if the truth were known, none of us would be here today,

 if it weren't for the goodness of God.

 

 

Do you need help?

“I the Lord thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not, I    

will help thee” (Isa. 41:13).

 

 

 

Do you have a need?

“My God shall supply. all your need according to His riches in glory by        

Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

 

 

Do you think God has forgotten you?

“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion         

on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet God will not forget thee” (Isa. 49:15).

 

 

God will never forget you.

He loves you more than a mother loves her new born baby.

 

 

He is good to you.

Better than you realize.

 

 

I cannot imagine how busy God is.

But when we pray He listens.

 

 

When we cry He counts the tears.

When Daniel was thrown into the lions den, God was busy.

 

 

But He sent angels to protect Daniel.

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace,

God was busy.

 

 

But He sent His Son to protect them.

If we have plenty to eat today, it’s because of the goodness of God.

 

 

He put us in a land of plenty.

If we wake up tomorrow, it is because of the goodness of God.

 

He let us have one more day to serve Him.

The air we breath; the water we drink; the clothes we have on, are all ours     

because of the goodness of God.

 

 

He gives us these things and He can take them away any time He wants.

It’s God who is preparing mansions for us in heaven.

 

 

God who will raise us from the dead.

God who will wipe away all our tears.

 

 

God who will reunite us with our loved ones.

What am I saying?

 

 

God is good; God is good.

I have been speaking on our doctrines about God.

 

 

Our doctrines are very important.

If we hold the right doctrines; believe the right things; and live the right way,  

we will wind up in heaven.

 

 

But if we hold the wrong doctrines; believe the wrong things; and live the      

wrong way, we will wind up in hell.

Give attendance to reading.

 

 

Give attendance to exhortation.

Give attendance to doctrine.

 

 

(1) There is only one God.

(2) He is everlasting.

(3) He is infinitely strong.

(4) He is infinitely wise, and

(5) He is infinitely good.