One Plus One Plus One Equals One? - Part B

Jesus speaking. I will pray the father and he will give you another one is a call helper. Listen, don't you agree, we need all the help we can get to live the Christian lives. Listen another help understanding of the Trinity can be mind-boggling can know how to Trinity works in today on connect with skip-Skip shares of the Trinity is active in your everyday life let you know about a resource that will transform your spiritual life as you see God for who really is does God exist, and if he dies. Is it possible to know your answer to those two questions shapes how you see the world. I think once wrestled with those very questions himself, and I've been teaching the Bible for over three decades before I became a Christian when I was new to the faith. I studied science and philosophy alongside the Bible as I studied, I grew confident that God does exist and yes we can know in biography of God. The brand-new book by skip. I think you learn to remove the limits you may have placed on your idea of God is everything changes when you acknowledge and believe that God is who he says he is biography of God is our way to thank you when you get $35 or more today to help expand this Bible teaching outreach to more people request your copy when you give online securely connectwithskip.com/offer for call 800-922-1888 John chapter 14 tour study with Skip ice you remember the story that arises afire the effects of land, sold it, pretended to give it all to the work of the Lord Back parts of himself.

Not that that was a problem was they live, and so Peter said, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and then he says immediately after, for you haven't lied to men. You lied to God. You see how we put that you lied to the Holy Spirit and when you did. You lied to God, then the Holy Spirit is seen as mission for Jesus in John 16 verse 13 said when the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide you into all truth about you often know all truth to guide somebody else and all truth.

He will guide you into all truth, and he will tell you things to come.

You have to know things to come. You often know the future to be able to guide people and tell them things to come, so he's omniscient. He's also seen as night present. Psalm 139 David said where can I go from your spirit, where can I flee from your presence is also seen as omnipotent, all-powerful, he was there at the creation.

The Bible says the spirit of God was hovering over the waters and you my same sort of a nebulous reference that he was involved in creation well then you should read Job 33 where Job, the patriarch said the spirit of God has made me that's pretty clear right he's assigning his existence in creation as a work of the Spirit of God. Something else you should know that the Trinity is at least hinted at in the very first verse of the Bible Genesis 11 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth work for God is Elohim in Hebrew Elohim whenever you see an email or hear any team I am Betsy, that's a masculine plural in the Hebrew masculine plural. So if you want to say God it's L or LR. It's a very generic term for God you want to make that plural is Elohim like God's. But though it is a plural noun is singular in meaning.

So all you have to do is take Genesis want to keep reading.

Keep reading to bring down to verse 26 of Genesis 1 where it says then Elohim said God said, let us make man in our image, start thinking who's he talking to let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. Next verse. So God created man in his image. Singular and plural singular is a plural noun singular in meaning when God said, let us make man is not talking to angels.

They had nothing to do with creation its inner Trinitarian communication is the father and the son and the Spirit talking together, let us make man in our image, so God created man in his image plural noun singular in meaning. So the text shows these three are a reality and a share in divinity.

Number three.

The third observation or discovery is these three pose a difficulty that they pose a difficult meaning it's hard we can talk about it all day long.

Still hard to understand.

I'll admit that I'm really glad that the text shows the difficulty of the disciples have in understanding the words of Jesus. Did you notice this, did you notice in verse five Thomas said to him, not Jesus or know where I'm going, you know, and the way you know that Thomas has some dissent you call them, doubting Thomas I Columbanus Thomas even understand what he's talking about. So he says, Lord, we don't know where you're going so I can we know the way to get there so maybe all the other disciples were kind of like leaning in and nodding their heads.

When Jesus was again as the app is so good right on time as Domino voice that I don't get it. So he does and then also done verse eight Philip said to him, because Jesus talk about the fathers in the sun and the sun is in the father.

Philip said Lord to show us the father and it is sufficient for us and in Jesus have I been with you long enough Philip you don't know who I am.

You see me using the father but what comforts me is that even Jesus closest followers are going yeah I know I don't really understand what you sent me even done. Verse 22 we didn't read that far but it says Judas, not Iscariot said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world see you have in this passage. Three disciples not quite understanding the words of Christ are having a difficult time with what he is saying. So if these disciples didn't even know where Jesus was going. How could they understand were dealing with one being shared by three coequal call eternal persons is way above their pay grade. At that time, they would come to believe that but there it is coming on. Don't get it, always of the story of a man who was in solitary confinement years ago in a prison. When prison cells were completely dark and it was pitch black, not a bit of light in this place of confinement.

The only thing this prisoner had was a marble to fill up against the wall to keep him from going nuts. So his routine was take a marble taught up against the wall and it would bounce ricochet on another wall hit the floor rollaround.

He listened to it and he would search for with his hand pick it up and he did it again and again and again day after day, month after month. One day he decided to change things up cinema thought up in the air in the darkness and try to catch sweet through the marble up, cupped his hands he heard nothing. Not only did he not catch it in his hands. He didn't hear it hit the floor. He heard nothing at all. He threw it up and it was silent so we started thinking about this and try to figure it out and struggled with it and lost sleep over it drove him nuts and he died in prison. When the guards came in to take his body out to barium. They brought their lanterns in one of the guards looked up as he noticed a bright little reflection out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a marble in a spider web at the top of the cell and he said look at that, of all the crazy things. How on earth did that spider managed to get that marble all the way up. I was trying to figure it out thinking I'm to go crazy trying to figure this. If you notice that all of us have marbles when it comes to the things of Scripture as all of us will why would God allow this will why did this happen, listen, the Trinity is the greatest theological marble. There is RT Kendall said the Trinity is the most difficult subjects in Christian theology, and by the end of the day, we may feel like we are still out at sea, Augustine, St. Augustine. He is often called a church leader in Egypt years ago was walking on the beach try to figure out the Trinity, trying to figure out a way to articulate it so he could tell other people the meaning of the triune nature of God.

Here I was having a difficult time and when he was on the beach walking contemplating this he noticed a little boy digging a hole on the beach a sizable hole and taking a little vessel a little container to the ocean putting water in it. Going over and dumping it in the whole going back to the ocean more water dumping in the hole. So finally, Augustine walked over to his young man what are you doing in the little boy barely said I'm going to take the ocean and put it in this whole Augustine walked away relieved and smiling saying that's what I've been trying to do with this. I am trying to take the infinite vast ocean of God's nature and stick it into the little hole in my brain, and that's impossible. And this is why, though many Americans will identify themselves as being Christian, far less will say they believe in the Trinity is there understand that place on that I think will comfort you got understand it's not beyond his understanding we can't figure it out. It's a mystery to us but not to God. I just want to tell you don't lose sleep if the marble didn't come down. Don't don't lose sleep if you can unravel the mystery of the Trinity.

Throughout history people struggle with it. Throughout history people have argued over it. Throughout history people have divided over it.

And sadly, throughout history people have denied it, even though it is plainly taught in Scripture back in the second century there was monarchy and is him then there was Darius of Alexandria in the patristic. During the period of the Reformation. There was something known as Sicilian is him all denying the Trinity and to this day. Every major cult will deny one God with three persons deny the Trinity, not just cults Muslims.

As I mentioned also deny the Trinity. They say the Trinity is not only illogical, it is the major sin the major sin. It is what really makes somebody in their words and infidel, according to the Koran. God is merciful to adulterers and liars but not Trinitarian's non-quoting from their book, the Koran sura chapter 5 concerning Trinitarian's. Those who believe in Fremont because they knew Christians did, God will forbid him the garden. That is paradise and his abode shall be hellfire you believe like we do. You are and infidel, but still hard for us to meet.

How can 3B1. How does that work. How is that even possible. I mean is, is in the Bible all about one God worked the Jews fiercely monotheistic workday place in an environment of polytheist belief with the pagan nations all around them and isn't there a great statement of faith found in Scripture. Deuteronomy chapter 6 called the Shema. Deuteronomy 64 hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one pious Jew say it every day Shema. He said I have a lot of Nyla Cano Adonai Asad one God, one but that word one God never means one in isolation or stark singularity. It means one in unity. According to the Bible, you can have a multiplicity that is a unity. For example, Israel in Scripture is called one people caught multiple multiplied group of people with many different individuals, but it's one nation, then the tabernacle, though it had different implements. In chapter 26 of Exodus, God said he will make 50 clasps of gold and couple the curtains together with the class so that it may be one tabernacle Escott.

I did a wedding recently when I was reminded of this because we brought up the Scripture.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined into his wife and the two shall become one. One flesh, one flesh. Escott the two shall become one flesh. Now that doesn't mean that they morph into a single human. Although I have notice as couples get older. Sometimes they start looking like each other on the notes of the means unity and plurality. It's one couple one family, one, one unit so these three are in reality they do share in divinity all God will call God father son and Holy Spirit. But they do pose a difficult let's get let's get beyond that, because I mentioned at the beginning.

My aim is to have us enjoy the Trinity. So let me give you the fourth discovery about the triune God, and that is that these three father-son Holy Spirit provide security. All three play a strategic role in the life of the believer. There's many texts, but I'll just want to show you a little sampling of it here. Verse 16 Jesus speaking.

I will pray the father and he will give you another. What what is a call helper. Listen, don't you agree, we need all the help we can get to live the Christian life.

Good news is in the Senate helper another helper.

Jesus help them he was going away but I'm to send you another helper, that he may abide with you or live with you.

Stay with you forever.

The spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.

Then in verse 13 Jesus said, whatever you ask in my name that I will do that. The father may be glorified in the sundeck to bring you comfort. Jesus promises your prayers will be answered but may not be the answer you like, but he will answer all of down in verse 23. Speaking of the father now and the son himself and the father says we will come to him and make our abode with him. So here's what I'm driving at all three father-son Holy Spirit take an active role in the believer's salvation and sanctification is a helper, the Holy Spirit comes with so that's why you know, we can say yeah II asked Jesus into my heart that sort how we put we came to Christ that came to salvation.

I asked Jesus in my heart to guess what Jesus will come in your heart. Please can you bring people with him.

Persons with the fathers come along in the Holy Spirit is a package deal you get all three that gives us security. The father shows you the son redeemed you and the Holy Spirit convicts you and purifies seen in one verse by the way of Scripture first Peter chapter 1 verse two Peter writes God the father knew you and shows you long ago and his spirit has made you holy.

As a result you have obeyed him and you have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. All three working together in your life. I suppose if you want to put it in fishing terms for those guys who like to go fishing. The father sent the son to go fishing.

Jesus baited the hook and caught you and then once he caught you. We handed you off to the Holy Spirit to clean you up that provide security. Finally, close with this another discovery of the triune God, and that is these three father-son Holy Spirit promote unity. They promote unity to me. I think this is one of the strongest points to be made. You notice in verse 16.

I will pray the father and he will give you another helper and I was referring to the Holy Spirit to give you the Holy Spirit in verse 26, but the help of the Holy Spirit and the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bringing she remembers all the things that I sent you.

I never get the feeling.

As I read through this I get the idea that father-son Holy Spirit are all actively performing their roles without any hint of rebar toward the other two in the triune nature of God. For example, father sends a Holy Spirit.

You never hear the voice forgotten that I want to do that right. I'm not into help and I do forget it.

You know I'm a person to and I got my own will.

None of that, there's always this perfect coal operation together all the way from Genesis 126 let us make man in our image, so God did make man in his image to each member cooperating together. So here's my point. The triune nature of God becomes for us a template of how to get along with each other how to cooperate together in fact did not Jesus even pray that our unity would bike be like the unity between the father and the son, but I pray father I pray that they may be one as we are one. Just like we share a unity and love and respect and cooperation together. My prayer is that my followers will do the same so that it might be said, God's purpose in creating people was to expand upon what the Trinity already enjoyed to take this love and unity and cooperation out expanded and what he calls his church.

I love what Tim Keller said when I quote Tim Kelleher and according our mayor Tim Keller. Think of it is that this about the Tim Keller the East Coast New York city pastor said if this world was made by a triune God then relationships of love are what life is really all about. What a powerful statement. If this world was made by a triune God then relationships of love are what life is really all about.

Think of it this way, the ultimate reason for families to stay together in the ultimate reason for a couple to stay together because of the Trinity, not because we signed a legal document is not even because of the kids. The reason working to stay together as we both follow on sly human nature. God and they exhibit unity and love for each other and the reason also the church splits are sinful and wrong is far more than just because it hurts families in the church. It hurts the nature of God hurts the heart of God. The reason we should forgive each other and mend relationships because we have modeled for us a relational God so we rightly saying the doxology so maybe not a great name for a song doxology, but it's a terrific song.

You know it. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above, you heavenly host praise father son and not the whole East Coast father son and Holy Ghost then wraps up Skip Heitzigs message from the series 20 Skip to tell you how you can help keep these messages coming your way as you help connect others to Scripture you know there are some things in the Bible that we just won't understand on this side of eternity, like the Trinity, but there's a lot we can know like God's love and salvation through Jesus Christ. We want to reach many more people with that love and that message of the gospel. But did you know you can get in on that work. That's right.

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