The Trinity

Heavenly father, we thank you for the privilege of coming here tonight. We thank you Lord for the opportunity to worship you with my heavenly father that you would receive our worship that Lord you would be blessed by our worship. Father, we know that in our own strength in the flesh. We have no idea how to worship you in spirit and in truth, so we would ask father that you help us, that we might worship you, and that we might develop a deeper understanding of the depth of who our God really is. Heavenly father I pray for Kenny Simpson tonight as he is in the hospital and still just hanging on. Pray heavenly father that you would be with him. I pray heavenly father that he would preserve his life. I pray my father that you would be with his wife Karen and strengthen her and encourage her, let her know Lord that her husband is in your sovereign hand but I pray for Nicole low says she is going to the hospital Wednesday she's gonna have a procedure done on her heart. They're going to try to determine she needs a new defibrillator or just need to go in and and do a battery change.

But Lord, whatever it is I pray that you give her her daughter's wisdom and discernment that they might know exactly how to go about it and that it might be done and that it might be extremely helpful for her that she would not have the problems Lord that she's had to deal with over these cut last couple of weeks. Lord we just thank you most of all, tonight, for Jesus who loved us when we were so unloving who gave his life that we might have life and have it abundantly. Be with us now keep my lips from era. Help me to preach your word in a way that will bring you honor and his son Jesus holy and precious thing we pray. Amen. You may be seated. As we have been studying through the book of first John we have seen that John is giving us a list of task to take to help us to determine whether were genuine believers are not.

We've Artie seen several of those test one of them is if you're a true Christian, you're to be walking in the light. If you're a true Christian, then you are going to love your brothers and sisters in Christ, if you're a true Christian, then you're gonna have compassion on those who are needy. If you are a true Christian, then you are going to have a desire in your heart to be obedient to the commands of God. But in the passage that were looking at. Tonight we have a theological test it. This is this something where we are forced to deal with what we believe but what you believe is extremely important. It determines who you are and that will determine what you do. This is extremely important for us today because we are living in society. A society that rejects the concept of absolute truth, we are living in society that embraces relativism as I say it doesn't really matter what you believe as long as your sincere and as long as you are not just sincere but you're tolerant of the beliefs of others. John is saying that baloney it doesn't matter what you believe in it matters everlastingly and some things that you believe today will be studying the doctrine of the Trinity. Now that may not get you excited and you may not want to do cartwheels down the aisle you might not want to swing on the chandeliers not tell you what if we really understood the depth and the profound. This, of what is being taught concerning the Trinity of God. It would make us want to do cartwheels. It is tremendously exciting.

Johnson Calvin said this about the Trinity said if you try to figure the Trinity out you lose your mind, but if you deny the Trinity, you lose your soul where Zora Trinity found in the Bible is not found in the Scripture, but the concept of the Trinity just it it permeates the entire Bible and Emily say this what we know about the Trinity could never have been obtained by our own wisdom. What we can't know the Trinity through natural revelation and what do I mean by that will are some things you can know about God outside the Bible, we can know about God that there is some supreme being that just put this together we can figure that out. There is some supreme being that put order to this universe the sun comes up in the morning is down at night. They are four seasons of the year that take place every 365 days. Babies are born and all men die. The rain comes and plants grow and now through the detailed molecular study of our DNA.

We know that chromosome patterns in a human being absolutely prove that there had to be intelligent design as you study that you will find it statistically impossible for all this to take place without someone that put this thing together. We know by nature that someone a whole lot wiser than us someone a whole lot more powerful than us. Put this together.

We also have a God consciousness in a God consciousness down inside of us that is different than what the animals have what we feel approved.

When do we do that which is right we feel disapproved up when we do that which is wrong. We know that our creator, our creator convicts us of sin. Animals don't have that you have a dog named Calvin Calvin's dead nail, but he used to be around and I'll guarantee you Calvin didn't waste any night sleep worrying about get me in the doghouse when he took a bite out of Stefan Julie's wedding cake didn't bother him at all. Maybe like the scolding. I gave him for that. But I tell you what if he had another wedding cake. The body do it again. He felt no accountability to God whatsoever, but were different than the animals we have a God consciousness that dogs don't understand so I said all that to say this. There a lot of things that we can know about God through natural revelation. We can know that he is wise, it is powerful that he is good, but what I want you to know tonight is this what we know about the Trinity, we could have never gotten through natural revelation is so profound it is so deep it is so glorious that no matter how smart we might think we are. We would've never figured it out. God had to reveal it to us through his precious word ice. Look at verse six to see John's teaching on the Trinity verse six this is a you came by water and blood Jesus Christ not by water only by the water and the blood in the spirit is the one who testifies, because the spirit is truth know what is all this talk about water and blood. Almost all the scholars that that I've studied believe that the water is a reference to the baptism of Jesus by John and the blood is a reference to the cross of Christ to what's being talked about here is the public ministry of Jesus Christ that started when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River and lasted all the way to his crucifixion and then resurrection. John is proclaiming the validity of Jesus ministry and his purpose on earth. He came to this earth was born of a virgin and then he lived a perfectly sinless life fulfilling all the messianic prophecies he healed the sick leave he cast out demons. He raise the day. Any talk truth that he died on the cross to pay our sin debt was resurrected from the dead to break the power of death and how do we know this is true verse six and is the Spirit who bears witness because the spirit is truth.

The Holy Spirit who inspired the word of God testifies to all of this and what is the Holy Spirit testifying to back to verse five.

Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Holy Spirit testifies to the deity of Christ, the one who was baptized by John in the Jordan River, the one who is mailto across as our Passover lamb is none other than Almighty God himself.

Look at verse 74 I read this verse I probably need to say this, I realize that some of your Bibles are going to have a statement or two that are deleted or left out. If you have a ESV urine ASV, then you're not gonna see a couple of statements that you can see in the King James version. Why is that the reason for that is ESV and ASV were translated from earlier manuscripts, manuscripts that were a lot closer to the the writing of the original autographs and so the King James version was written later and in the King James version you have these statements that are added in here now. Did the King James version writers did they just decide to stick him in there because it sounded good. I hope think so. I don't think that happened at all. I think that that that that did not take place. I think that what took place there was was this they there was a scribe that was writing is copying down the Scripture.

They are, and when he was copied it down. He rode up in the low-margin, a footnote wrote that footnote down and then over time as people were copying it. They did know was a footnote and I copied it right into the Scripture. I don't think that translator would have dared added or subtracted anything from the word of God purposely because they knew of Revelation chapter 22 says about adding or subtracting to the word of God. So I think it's what was called a scribal loss. It was added in later as it was copied and it wasn't purposely done now is, are those statements false statements known. They are absolutely true. In fact, they are very good statements I just don't think they were in the original manuscripts that were written that we see in the ESV and ASV.

What are the words there are three that bear witness in heaven the father. The word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one that may not be part of the actual text. Let me tell you something that is a great Trinitarian statement. It states that God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit are all Jehovah God. The problem is that it's always face when dealing with the Trinity is that we can get accused of something, and what are we going to get accused of. If we if we preach the Trinity were going to get accused of polytheism you talk to a Moslem about our God and their say well your policy is where monotheist we believe in one God, you people believe in three gods know we don't.

We are not polytheists, where monotheist and we believe there is one God to manifest himself in three persons, father, son and Holy Spirit. We like the Jews and confirm the truth of of the Shema, which you find in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 45 is his hero, Israel, the Lord our God is one and I shall worship the Lord thy God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. In the New Testament. Paul says it this way in first Corinthians chapter 8 and verse four. There is no God but one.

Then James said in James chapter 2 verse 19 that believe this in one God, that newest whale. The demons also believe in Trimble and the Shema. The Hebrew word for one is not the normal word for one is the Hebrew word at cod and it means one as in a cluster so like you got a cluster of grapes in that cluster you have all these different individual rights. But if you break them open.

What you will see is this that they have the same kind appealing the same kind of meat inside. They have the same kind of juices the substance and the essence of each grade are the same, but they're all these different individual grapes is a Greek word that is used to describe the us and that's the word,… And that word means 1 billion or 1 inch substance.

The idea is that the three persons of the Trinity had distinct offices and functions, but they have the same substance. In essence they are the same and feeling and purposes in knowledge and will and attributes. They are all the same, and they are never the three persons of the Trinity are never at cross purposes with each other. Now we have earthly illustration strata to help us to understand the Trinity, but there earthly illustrations and I always end up coming short like this. I am a father, I am a son and I am a husband I have. I'm a father to to Jake and Beth and Mitch, I am a son to Dutch and I'm a husband to Cindy, but I can't be Cindy's husband and father and son.

It doesn't work that way so that illustration is a little little little helpful, but it doesn't really give us the whole truth, then we can take the illustration with water. Water can take three forms that can be steam it can be liquid or it can be ice, but it can be all three at the same time is gone and it's got to be different temperatures for them to be steam on ice or or water so there's no human earthly illustration that can perfectly define the Trinity. I don't think that's by accident.

I think that was intended by God.

I think it's intended by God because he doesn't want us to think that were wise enough to figure it out. He doesn't want us to think that that we can understand who is who he is completely I think he wants us to have some mystery in understanding of the Trinity.

I won't think he wants us to be left in just wonder in absolute astonishment, so first of all, the doctrine of the Trinity does not teach polytheism. Second, it does not teach emotionalism and what is my dualism. Emotionalism is a doctrine that the oneness Pentecostal groups believe it is doctrine that that is taught by those who call themselves Jesus only people they say there's just one God and he he functions as all three different persons come like an actor who runs a ram on a stage putting on different mass same person but he's acting in different roles. That's with the mode list.

Believe the oneness Pentecostal people have a lot of trouble dealing with the baptism of Jesus and the baptism of Jesus.

Jesus is they are in the Jordan River. John the Baptist is baptizing him and what happens. The father speaks from heaven, and says this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And then the Holy Spirit descends upon him like a dove.

Now if the oneness Pentecostal people believe beliefs were right that have a world. He explained that I is Jesus a ventriloquist was examining the water in and he's speaking actually the voice from the father that's coming to him and how is it that the Holy Spirit descends upon him. How does that work would doesn't work, let's look at the doctrine itself is the Trinity, a New Testament doctrine or did we have it in the Old Testament is whale. Well, it is more plaintiffs were embellished in the new covenant in the New Testament, but it certainly they are and permeates the Old Testament is whale me give you a few examples in the book of Genesis 1 of the primary names from God is the name Elohim, the name of the word ale in the Hebrew is God, with the suffix IM is a plural suffix. This telling us that this great name of God, that our God is is a God who is a plurality he is one God manifest himself in three persons, father, son and Holy Spirit in Genesis 126. Listen to what the Scripture says and God said, let us make man in our own image, after our own likeness.

Who are the us, father, son and Holy Spirit.

Genesis chapter 11 verse seven the story of the Tower of Babel God said, let us go down and there confound the language if they may not understand one another's speech.

Isaiah 6 St. Isaiah said, and I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom shall I send, and who will go for us to give you a few quick references from the New Testament we need to see that this is Bible. This is not just some churches idea if this is not some teaching from just some denomination, but this is what the Bible says is what matters we go back once again to Luke three in the baptism of Jesus. What happened there but what we see we see the three persons of the Trinity. We see Jesus being baptized by a John the Baptist, and then all of a sudden the father speaks from heaven. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And then the Holy Spirit descended upon him right there together in one picture father son and Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 28 verses 1920 the great commission Jesus said, go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and Lola will be with you always, even to the ends of the earth. The benediction in second Corinthians chapter 13 verse seven the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

A man first Peter 12 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father, through sanctification of the Spirit into obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. He sees Trinity again for first John chapter 5 or seven.

If you got a King James it says this it says, for these are three that bear record in heaven the father. The word, and the Holy Spirit. And they three or one that might be us, problem loss, but I'll tell you it's a wonderful Trinitarian statement so the Old Testament and New Testament are field with references to the Trinity. But the question is can we prove that each person of the Trinity is equally God. How many of you had Jehovah witnesses show up on your front door whole lot of us, and what are they do they come in the hand you first. The watchtower magazine and then they try to persuade you to let them come in your house they can sit down and they can share with you the beliefs of the Jehovah witnesses. What should you do these people are cultist that they claim to know God, but they do not know the God who reveals himself to us in Scripture. They do not believe in the Trinity. I believe in annihilation.

They believe that when a unbeliever dies that he is judged, and he is burned up body soul and spirit, and at that point he ceases to exist. They do not believe in the deity of Christ.

I do not believe in the trend the Trinity. They are lost and despite their belief and annihilation. They are headed for an eternal hail. So what should you do should you shoo them away.

Should you take them off your front porch.

Here's a novel approach. Tell them the truth in love, and the first truth you need to talk to them about is the Trinity. Folks went once a Jehovah witness comes to see the truth of the Trinity. Everything else in his religion falls apart. That's the way to go and why should you do that you should do that because they are lost and if they continue in their cultist cultish beliefs. They will spend forever in an eternal hail, should we not care for that law also at least enough to give them the truth. Numb to give you some scripture right now that will prove that God the father is Jehovah God, that God the son is Jehovah God and the God the Holy Spirit is Jehovah God and if you can lovingly discerning late give that to a Jehovah witness God, they may very well take that truth planet in their heart make it grow and save that person for all of eternity. Here's what I want prove the Trinity says that God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit are eternal.

What does that mean that means that God the father did not create Jesus that Jesus and the Holy Spirit have been here forever. They are eternal beings, just as God the father. All three persons of the Godhead took part in the creation and they also took part in redemption list look at the fatherless use the law of transitivity.

It says a fake will be and people see that a equals C. If God is Jehovah and if the father is God, then the father is Jehovah is God the father Jehovah listen to what Jesus said in John 17. What is John 17 is high priestly and assess free prayer for Jesus before he goes to the cross is praying to his father and he says this, Jesus spoke these words lifted up his eyes to heaven and sent father diaries come. Glorify your son that your son may also glorify God as you have given him authority over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him, and this is eternal life if they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent Jesus prays to God the father and says you are the true God. In first Timothy 12 Paul said to Timothy. Peace to you from God our father okay.

Now the question is, did God reveal himself as Jehovah, good Exodus chapter 6 verse three and I peered into Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob. The name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them. God tells Moses that he is Jehovah, the great I am, who is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Psalm 83 verse 18 that men may know that you his name alone is Jehovah are the most high, over all the earth, those verses prove that the one true God is Jehovah and that father is God. Thus, the father is Jehovah I would about the sun is the son Jehovah God and Titus chapter 2 verse 13 the Scripture says this we are looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. There he is called God.

In John chapter 8 verse 58, the Pharisees are arguing with Jesus and they say do you think you are greater that our father Abraham and Jesus said to them, Abraham rejoiced to see your day and saw it as sought to see my day and saw it and was glad. And they said wait a minute, you're not even 50 years old, yet Abraham died 2000 years ago. How can you say that Abraham saw your day when Jesus say to Jesus said to him, before Abraham was, I am said record Eagle on the IAM it means Jehovah. He said before but about before Abraham was, I am Jehovah God in John 1133 we have the prologue to the gospel of John and in the prologue of the word Sam very, very much like the prologue to the book of Revelation.

I'm in the book of the Genesis and what is he say he says this in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made. Colossians 115 to 17 for he, Jesus created all things, and by him all things consist.

John 1030 Jesus said I and the father are one. Listen closely to the us, especially if you're concerned about your Jehovah witnesses friends.

Isaiah 44, six thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts, I am the first in the last, and beside me there is no God you asked any Jehovah witness who is he talking about their and they'll tell you very quickly.

He's talking about.

Jehovah is soon as he says that taking right Revelation chapter 22 and read in verses 12 to 13 and then verse 16 Jesus says, and behold, I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, so if if Jehovah is the first and the last in Isaiah 44 verse six and every Jehovah witness will tell you yesterday is that you go immediately to Revelation chapter 22. What is Jesus say about himself.

I am the first and the last I am the Alpha and Omega.

So what is he saying Jesus is saying he is Jehovah God number three is the Holy Spirit Jehovah God acts 5334 this is the story of Ananias and Sapphire, a sewer line and being hypocritical and let me share with you what happened. The Scripture says, but, but Peter said Ananias why is Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself.

Who did Ananias like to he lied to the Holy Spirit.

Lisa verse four.

While it remained was it not your own, and after it was sold, was it not in your own control. Why have you conceived this thing in your heart you have not lied to men but to God.

Verse three says he lied to the Holy Spirit in verse four says he lied to God what is the conclusion the Holy Spirit is God folks the Holy Spirit is not a force. He is not a power he is not an influence.

He is a person the Holy Spirit is Jehovah God, he is not yet he is and he to put all that together and you have this God is one God and God is Jehovah the father is Jehovah's son is Jehovah Holy Spirit is Jehovah, the Trinity teaches us, there is one God who manifests himself in three persons, father, son and Holy Spirit wanted. I go to all the trouble to give you all these verses and Cheryl that with you. It would it not be better for me just to share practical stuff with you. Like how to be a better dad how to be a better mom how to forgive someone when they hurt you terribly. How to turn the other cheek at a go the 2nd mile, those things are greatly important, but those things don't mean anything. If we get God wrong. What is the most important thing that you can do here on this earth. The most important thing that you can do is worship God in the more you know of God, the better you can be able to worship him. The sweeter your worship will be owner close by reading a statement by Jonathan Edwards and is a statement about an experience that Jonathan Edwards had with God. He said sometimes only mentioned in a single word because my heart to burn within me or only see in the name of Christ or the name of some attribute of God and God's appeared glorious to me on account of the Trinity is made may have exalting thoughts of God that he subsist in three persons.

The father the son and the Holy Ghost, the sweetest joys in the lights I've experienced have not been those that have arisen from a hope of my own and do the state within a direct view of the glorious things of the gospel. Once I wrote out in the woods for my health in 1737 having alighted from a horse in a retired place as my mentor commonly has been to walk for divine contemplation and prayer. I had a view that for me was extraordinary of the glory of the son of God as mediator between God and man and his wonderful grateful, pure and sweet grace and love and meet and general condescension. This price that appeared so calm and sweet appeared also great about the heaven the person of Christ appeared ineffably excellent, with an excellent see great enough to swallow up falcon conception, which continued as near as I can judge about our which Made the greater part of the time in a flood of tears and weeping allowed.

I felt an urgency of soul to be what I know not otherwise have to express empty and annihilated to lie in the dust, and to be full of Christ alone, to love him with a holy and pure love to trust in him to live upon him to serve and follow him and to be perfectly sanctified and made pure with the divine and heavenly purity. I have several other times had use very much of the same nature in which it had the same effects. That's why spent so much time on these verses, I want to know God like that. I want to be able to worship God like that. I want to be able to understand God like that in the better under the Trinity, the better I'm going to have that understanding spray heavenly father we come before you tonight just humbled as we think about your greatness in your glory in your goodness father as I read the words from Jonathan Edwards. I just hungered after what that man hand Lord.

He knew you in such a special and wonderful way in the new Lord because his is mine stays in the word of God day and night looking for truth, hungering for a a better understanding of who you are. May that be true of everybody. Grace may we so love you Lord that we can't be satisfied with the superficial may we so love you that our lives would be changed and conformed in the image of Christ got us and direct the six-week Lord, that we might be concerned about those who don't know you that Lord we might be a witness to those not just with our lives that so important but also with our tongues that we might share the truth of the gospel with our friends and our acquaintances. Those that we work with, that we might tell them that Jesus and Jesus alone is our answer. Lord we love you. We thank you and praise you for your love and goodness to us. We assess prayer now in your precious name.

Amen