Foundations of The Faith Trinity Trinity There is

Foundations of The Faith

Trinity

Trinity There is one God eternally exists and reveals Himself to us as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Why the Trinity is Important to You: -You cannot understand the Gospel or your own salvation without understanding the Trinity. -It is impossible to be forgiven of our sins unless God is a Trinity. -It is impossible to worship God for His acts, in history and in your personal life, without a clear understanding of the Trinity. -It is impossible for the relational God described in the Bible to exist unless He a Trinity. -We will never understand ourselves or our

Trinity There is one God eternally exists and reveals Himself to us as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Trinity There is one God eternally exists and reveals Himself to us as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 43: 10 -11 10 “You are My witnesses, ” declares O ld Testament Yahweh, “And My Deuteronomy 6: 4 I have 4 servant “Hear, whom O Israel! The chosen, So that you Lord is our God, the may know and believe Lord is one!” Me And understand that I am He. Before New Testament Me there was no God formed, And there will James 2: 19 19 “You be none after Me. believe that 11 “I, even I, am Yahweh, God is one. You do And there is no savior well” besides Me. ” x 0 0 5 , 6

Trinity Clarification: The Trinity is the There is one God. theological description of God eternally exists who exists as and reveals Himself three persons. to us as three Yahweh is the distinct persons: the Father, the Son proper name of and the Holy Spirit. the God who exists as three persons.

Yahweh, God’s Name, is presented with explanation for the first time in Exodus 3 The Important Context: God keeping His promises to His people -Exodus out of Egypt -Burning Bush

“Then Moses said to God, Exodus 3: 13 -15 3: 14 God explains the meaning of His name. Watchman “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, 3: 15 IGod Moses Hisof name and willreminds say to them, ‘Theof. God your. Yahweh. Not a titl fathers has sent me to you. ’ Now they “I am“to the be” One who. Verb always “to is” be” may say to me, Verb ‘What is His name? ’ What shall I say to them? ” אשר • 14 “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; 3: 13 Moses asks God His name. and He said, “Thus you shall say to the • sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you. ’ ” 15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘the LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. ’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. אהיה • יהוה

“Then Moses said to God, Exodus 3: 13 -15 3: 14 God explains the meaning of Hisis name. Gregory Notice: did not say “Yahweh” my God’s very name, Yahweh, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, temporary in ‘The relation to the. Yahweh. Israelites. 3: 15 Moses of. God Hisof name communicates: and IGod willreminds sayname to them, your fathers has sent me to you. ’ Now they I am the eternal God said, “This is “to My name forever, “I am the be” One who Verb always “toand is” be” this is may say to me, Verb ‘What is His name? ’ What My memorial-name all אשר generations. ” • -I Isay am withtoyou today. shall to here them? ” 14 “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; - I 6, 500 will be here. God’s whenpeople you wake up Him Thus, times call upon and Hetomorrow. said, “Thus you shall say to the by His name Yahweh. • sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you. ’ ” 15 God, - Ifurthermore, do not forget my mind. saidor to change Moses, “Thus The name Yahweh was powerfully important to the you shall say tomy the sons of Israel, - I keep promises to my people. Israelites the God of your fathers, the ‘Yahweh, God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. ’ The name Yahweh is This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. from “to be” אהיה • יהוה

Exodus 3: 1 -6 1 Now Moses was pasturing the. . . 2 The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up. ” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am. ” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. ” 6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ”

Exodus 3: 1 -6 1 Now Moses was pasturing the. . . 2 The messenger of Yahweh appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up. ” 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am. ” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. ” 6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ”

“Then Moses said to God, Exodus 3: 13 -15 3: 14 God explains the meaning of Hisis name. Gregory Notice: did not say “Yahweh” my God’s very name, Yahweh, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, temporary in ‘The relation to the. Yahweh. Israelites. 3: 15 Moses of. God Hisof name communicates: and IGod willreminds sayname to them, your fathers has sent me to you. ’ Now they I am the eternal God. “This is My name and this is is” My “I amforever, “to the be” One who. Verb always “to be” may say to me, Verb ‘What is His name? ’ What memorial-name to allyou generations. ” -I Isay am with today. shall to here them? ” אשר • 14 “God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; - I 6, 500 will be here. God’s whenpeople you wake up Him Thus, times call upon and Hetomorrow. said, “Thus you shall say to the by His name Yahweh. • sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you. ’ ” 15 God, - Ifurthermore, do not forget my mind. saidor to change Moses, “Thus What about us? The name Yahweh was powerfully important to the you shall say tomy the sons of Israel, - I keep promises to my people. Israelites the God of your fathers, the ‘Yahweh, God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. ’ The name Yahweh is This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. from “to be” אהיה • יהוה

Yahweh is still our God today. – - Yahweh is the eternal God who redeemed us. - Yahweh is here with us today to strengthen us in the face of today’s trials. - Yahweh will be here tomorrow when we wake up to meet all of our needs. - Yahweh will not forget us or change His mind about us. We are His adopted children: Forgiven and Beloved. - Yahweh has kept and will keep His promises to us. We can live with sure hope of eternity with Him.

Why the emphasis on the name Yahweh? It is Biblical Yahweh is the name that the writers of Scripture call God 6, 500 times. -1000 more occurrences than “God” -Secular anthropologists call Israelites “Yahwists” It is Relational Yahweh is God’s name! Melissa Vs Woman

In Our Worship If, we are Yahweh’s people receiving Yahweh’s promises? Then, we are on a first name basis with the God of the Universe! Yahweh calls us by name and offers us the same intimacy.

In our Witness Erwin Lutzer, When speaking to our neighbors “The statement, ‘I believe in God’ is about our relationship with God, perhaps one of the most meaningless we have the privilege of speaking in statements we can make today. ” clear, precise and distinct terms. We can’t with vagueness! We be arecontent not devoted to “god”. We are devoted to Yahweh: the promise keeping God of the Bible!

Trinity 1) There is one true God who eternally exists and always keeps His promises. His name is Yahweh. 2) From the beginning, Yahweh has described Himself as being three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Trinity From the very beginning, �Making Man in Genesis 1: 26 -27, 2: 7 presents Himself as “Us” 26 Yahweh 1: “God said, “Let Us make man in �Dealing with man’s first sin in Our image, according to Ourpersons. likeness; or as three Genesis 3: 22 -23 27 … 1: God created man in His own 22 “Yahweh God said, “Behold, the man �Judging man’s rebellion after the image, in thelike image of God He created has become one of Us, knowing flood in Genesis 11: 6 -9 him; male and female Hehecreated 6 “Yahweh good and evil; now, might said, “Behold, they are one them. ” 2: 7 “Yahweh God formed man stretch out his hand, and take also people, and they all have the same language. And this of dust from the ground, and live breathed from the tree of life, and eat, is what they began to do, and nowand nothing which they into his nostrils the breath of life; 23 forever”— therefore Yahweh God purpose to do will be impossible for them. man became a living being. ” sent him let out. Us from the garden of Eden” 7 “Come, go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech. ” 8 So Yahweh scattered them … Yahweh confused the language of the whole earth”

Yahweh has always revealed the fact that He is three persons Isaiah 48: 12 -16 12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. 13 “Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together… 16 “Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now Yahweh God has sent Me, and His Spirit. ”

We will never understand our purpose or role in life if we don’t understand the Trinity.

John 1: 1 -18 Jesus’ Reality: Eternal Intimacy with the Father 1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… 14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 17 for although the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son— the One who is at the Father’s side— He has

John 1: 1 -18 Jesus’ Role: Revealing the Father 1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… 14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 17 for although the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son— the One who is at the Father’s side— He has

1 John 4: 7 -15 Our Role: Reality: New Intimacy Revealing the Trinity with the Trinity 7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God… 12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His 13 By this we know that we love is perfected in us. -The church has been given profound intimacy abide in Him and He in us, because He has given with the Trinity. us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and testify that -In the absence of Jesus, we now have the role the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of of the Trinity by the way we islive. theexplaining world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus the Son of God, abides him, andon he display? in God. ” How do God we put thein. Trinity

Reality: -The three people of the Trinity have Our in role on earth is to put the lived perfect relationship; perfect Trinity display by the way we live. love and on unity for all eternity. -We are made in the image of the Displaying the image of the Trinity is accomplished primarily in our Result: relationships with one another. -We are intensely relational by design.

Colossians 3: 10 -14 10“put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him…” 12“as those who have been chosen of God, holy Point: We reflect our Triune and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, God as we live in loving kindness, humility, gentleness andunity patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving with one another. each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ”

We will never understand ourselves or our purpose without understanding the Trinity in whose image we were created. Our Pattern is Trinitarian: -We are made in the image of the Trinity -The three people of the Trinity have lived in perfect relationship; perfect love and unity for all eternity. Our Purpose is Trinitarian : -We were made to display the Trinity by our loving unity with one another. Our Plight is Trinitarian : -We are intensely relational by design. -We crave community: to know and be known, to love and be loved…

The Deal of a Lifetime We get to enjoy Christian love and unity. The world sees our glorious Triune Creator.

1) There is one true God who eternally exists and always keeps His promises. His name is Yahweh 2) From the beginning, Yahweh has described Himself as being three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Next Two Weeks: 1) What do we mean that God is three “persons”? 2) How can one God be three distinct persons? 3) The Father is Yahweh God 4) The Holy Spirit is Yahweh God 5) The Son Jesus is Yahweh God

Trinity There is one God eternally exists and reveals Himself to us as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.