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Cityview Messages |
God Relates
Date: 11/30/2008
Series: The Glory Project
The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the
glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and
truth.”
John
1:14
Jesus
said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him, God will
glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.”
John
13:31-32
Text:
John 14:1-31
Big
Idea:
The
Triune God relates to Himself and to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The
development of a Trinitarian doctrine of God is distinctly Christian and is in
response to the revelation of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the person,
life and teachings of Jesus, as God acts in love and justice for the salvation
of people. The Triune God is one being-three persons.
The
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relate to each other as “distinct persons” within
the Godhead.
Father:
Faithful Creator, Provider, Sustainer
Son:
Servant Saviour, Redeemer,
Spirit:
Enlivening Sanctifier, Counselor, Comforter
We
relate to the Triune God by relating to each Person of God through Christ. “
Prayer
as an example:
So
Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Our Father …” (Matthew 6:9); and he taught
them to ask in “my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” (John
14:13) And the
Spirit
helps us when we don’t know what to pray (Romans 8:26-27)
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Cityview Messages |
God Relates
Date: 11/30/2008
Series: The Glory Project
Big
Idea:
The
Triune God relates to Himself and to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
IceBreaker:
What characterizes some of the best relationships you have
observed?
Read
the text: John 14:1-31
Questions
for Discussion:
1.
What is revealed about the Father in this text?
2.
What is revealed about the Spirit in this text?
3.
What is revealed about Jesus in this text?
4.
In your own words write out a description of the relationship between the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Let’s share these descriptions with each
other.
5.
What is Jesus aware of in the feelings and attitudes of His disciples at the
time of this conversation?
6.
How do you feel about your own ability to accept the distinctiveness of people
from you—those close to you and those far from you? How has your ability or
inability to accept the personhood of another lead you into or away from control
or passivity?
7.
Which verse or verses would you like to reflect on further this week?
Pray
for each other.
“The
doctrine of the Trinity enshrines the essentially Christian concept of God: it
constitutes the ultimate evangelical expression of the Grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ who though he was rich for our sakes became poor that we
through his poverty might become rich, of the Love of God who did not
spare his own Son but delivered him up for us all, for it is in that personal
sacrifice of the Father to which everything in the Gospel goes back, and of
the Communion of the Holy Spirit through whom and in whom we are made to
participate in the eternal Communion of the Father and the Son and are united
with one another in the redeemed life of the people of God. Through Christ and
in the Spirit, God has communicated himself to us in such a wonderful way that
we may really know him and have communion with him in his inner life as Father,
Son and Holy Spirit.” Thomas F. Torrance, The Christian Doctrine of God: One
Being Three Persons, 2.
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Cityview Messages |
God Relates
Date: 11/30/2008
Series: The Glory Project
Luke
1:29-36
29
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this
might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found
favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are
to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the
Son
of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33
and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son
of God.
Luke
3:21-22
21
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was
praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily
form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love;
with you I am well pleased."
John
3:31-36 (John the Baptist describing the necessity of accepting God’s revelation
of Himself through Jesus Christ.)
31
"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth
belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from
heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one
accepts his testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is
truthful.
34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the
Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed every-thing in
his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects
the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Matthew
28:18-20
18
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you
always, to the very end of the age."
John
14:8-21
8
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9
Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you
such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say,
'Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the
Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the
Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am
in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of
the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me
will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these,
because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name,
so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in
my name, and I will do it. 15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you
forever- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither
sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in
you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the
world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also
will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are
in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one
who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love
him and show myself to him."
Ephesians
1:3-14
3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us
in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in
accordance with his pleasure and will- 6 to the praise of his glorious grace,
which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of
God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he
made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which
he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached
their fulfillment-to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one
head, even Christ.
11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order
that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his
glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a
seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his
glory.