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?

Itís not a pretty story.

Paul said there will be a great ìfalling awayî (II Tim. 2:1-3).

Jesus said, ìThe love of many will wax coldî (Matt. 24;12).

He called the Laodicean Church ìlukewarmî (Rev. 3:14-22).

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

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

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).

Itís important to remember this.

And to steadfastly guard against it.

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

We shouldnít 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 ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

can to turn things around.

What do we do?

1^st---Paul said, ìGive attendance to reading.î

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.

ìThese are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of ÝÝÝ

God;î ìAnd that believing, ye might have life through His nameî (Jn. 20:31).

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

Get to know what it says.

2^nd---Paul said, ìGive attendance to exhortation.î

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.

3^rd---Paul said, ìGive attendance to doctrine.î

He said, ìAll Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for ÝÝÝ

doctrine . . .î (II Tim. 3:16).

He said, ìStudy to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

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

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

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

Verse 16 of our text reads, ìTake heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine; ÝÝÝÝ

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

that hear thee.î

Check out your doctrines.

Accept those doctrines that are clearly taught in the Bible.

And reject those doctrines that arenít Scriptural.

Do your doctrines stand up to the Word of God?

If they do, continue in them.

Bit if they donít, 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, ìIím a believer.î

The preacher asked, ìWhat do you believe?î

The man thought a minute and said, ìEh...... I believe what my Church ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

believes.î

The preacher asked, ìWhat does your Church believe?î

The man thought again and said, ìEh.... My Church believes what I believe.î

The preacher asked, ìWell, what it that you and your Church both believe?î

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

Do you know what your Church believes about God?

Thatís what I want to talk about today:

Our doctrines about God.

1^st---Thereís just one God.

You may say, ìEverybody knows that.î

But everybody doesnít 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, ÝÝÝÝÝÝ

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, ìWhich is the first commandment of all?î

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

our God is one Lordî (Mk. 12:28, 29).

This was very familiar to the Jews.

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

Itís 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 ìShema.î

ìThe Lord our God is one Lordî (Deut. 6:4).

Isaiah learned this.

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

meî (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.

2^nd---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 Ý

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, ìfrom everlasting to everlasting, thou art Godî (Psa. 90:2).

Concerning God he said, ìthy years shall have no endî (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:

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

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

ÝÝ ÝÝÝÝÝÝ (I Pet. 1:18-23).

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

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

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

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ (Matt. 25:34).

God has existed for a very long time.

Weíve been a part of His plans and work for thousands of years.

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

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

God will always be good to us.

His love will never cease.

So one of our doctrines says, ìGod is everlasting.î

3^rd---God is infinitely strong

Jesus said, ìWith God all things are possibleî (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, ìLet there be light and there was light.î

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.

Godís power is awesome.

But not everyone believes this.

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

abortions, etc.

Others say Heís 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 ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

sins.

His power is unlimited.

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

But we shouldnít 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 ÝÝÝ

your benefit.

4^th---God is infinite in wisdom

The Bible says, ìGod knows all thingsî (I Jn. 3:20).

ìHe is perfect in knowledgeî (Job 37:16).

ìHis understanding, is infiniteî (Psa. 147:5).

ìHe telleth the number of stars; He calleth them all by their namesî

(Psa. 147:4).

ìThe Lord knoweth the thoughts of manî (Psa. 94:11).

The Lord ìcan do everythingî and ìno thought can be withheld from Himî ÝÝ

(Job 42:2).

ìA book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the ÝÝÝÝÝ

Lord, and that thought upon his nameî (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.

ìThou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my ÝÝÝ

thought afar off.î

ìThou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all ÝÝ

my ways.î

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

altogetherî (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.

5^th---God is infinitely good

ìO taste and see that the Lord is goodî (Psa. 34:8).

ìThe earth is full of the goodness of the Lordî (Psa. 33:5).

ìThe Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workî

(Psa. 145:9) .

Goodness and God are inseparable.

I want to give you an example.

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

unto you.î

Why should God pour out His Spirit on us?

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ HaveÝ we earned it?

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ DoesÝ He owe it to us?

Why should God give us His Word?

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Is it that we are so good?

ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ Do we deserve it?

No! God doesnít 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 canít 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 canít buy;

Gifts too valuable to appraise.

And yet, God gives these gifts to us.

I want to show you something else about God.

ìBecause I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

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 comethî

Ý(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 wonít pay any attention.

This tells us something about God.

He doesnít have to bother with ungrateful people.

He doesnít 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.

Heís even good to people who arenít 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,

Ýif it weren't for the goodness of God.

Do you need help?

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

will help theeî (Isa. 41:13).

Do you have a need?

ìMy God shall supply. all your need according to His riches in glory by ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

Christ Jesusî (Phil. 4:19).

Do you think God has forgotten you?

ìCan a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ

on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet God will not forget theeî (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, itís 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 ÝÝÝÝ

because of the goodness of God.

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

Itís 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, Ý

we will wind up in heaven.

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

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.