OceanSide church of Christ

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AN INCOMPREHENSIBLE GOD:

Grasping for an Understanding

 

A Living God

Lesson #7

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Who are these individuals? 

1.      Adrammelech (II Kings 17:31); Anammelech (II Kings 17:31); Berith (Judges 9:46); Merodach (Jer. 50:2); Nibhaz (II Kings 17:31); Rimmon (II Kings 5:18); Tammuz (Ezek. 8:14); and Tartak (II Kings 17:31).

2.      These are some of the false gods that are mentioned in the pages of God’s Word.  I compiled a list of twenty-four (24) of these gods.  The others are:  Ashtoreth (I Kings 11:5); Baal (Num. 22:41); Beel-zebub (Luke 11:19); Bel (Isa. 46:1); Chemosh (I Kings 11:7); Dagon (Judges 16:23); Diana (Acts 19:27); Jupiter (Acts 14:12); Mars (Acts 17:22); Mercurius (Acts 14:12); Milcom (I Kings 11:5); Molech (Lev. 18:21); Nebo (Num. 32:3); Nehushtan (II Kings 18:4); and Peor (Josh. 22:17).

 

B.      All of these gods are dead gods.  They are not living and active.

 

C.     This is not true of our God.  Many times, He is referred to as “the living God” in Holy Writ (Jer. 10:10).

 

But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God…

 

D.    In this lesson, we want to look at the concept of God as “the living God.”

 

I.                   PASSAGES THAT REFER TO GOD AS “THE LIVING GOD”

 

A.    There are fifteen (15) Old Testament passages (Deut. 5:26; Josh. 3:10; I Sam. 17:26, 36; II Kings 19:4, 16; Ps.42:2; 84:2; Isa. 37:4, 17; Jer. 10:10; 23:36; Dan 6:20, 26; Hos. 1:10).

 

B.      There are sixteen (16) new Testament passages (Matt. 16:16; 26:63; John 6:69; Acts 14:15; Rom. 9:26; II Cor. 3:3; 6:16; I Thess. 1:9; I Tim. 3:15; 4:10; 6:17; Heb. 3:12; 9:14; 10:31; 12:22; Rev. 7:2).

 

C.     All three beings of the Godhead are associated with the living God.

1.      The Father is “the living God” (Deut. 5:26).

2.      Jesus is the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16).

3.      The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the living God (II Cor. 3:3).

 

II.                WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY “LIVING” GOD?

 

A.    Living:  being alive, having life, in actual existence, active or thriving (www.dictionary.com).

 

B.      Other concepts that are involved in living:

1.      Not dead

2.      Not an idol (See Isa. 44:14-17)

 

The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he market it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.  He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest:  he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.  Then shall it be for a man to burn:  for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.  He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied:  he saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire.  And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image:  he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god.

 

3.      Not a figment of man’s imagination

4.      Not a powerful tool like money (I Tim. 6:17)

 

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

 

C.     The “beginning” of God is amazing.  He is self-existent life.

1.      He has always had a living existence.

2.      He is not created.

3.      God describes Himself as the “I AM” (Exo. 3:14).

 

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:  and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

 

a.      “I am” is present tense.

b.      God was telling Moses, tell them that He who has ever been has sent you.

c.       Psalm 90:2

 

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

 

III.             THE LIVING GOD IS THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE

 

A.    The Creation Week emphasizes God’s creation of life.

1.      Genesis 1:20a

 

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life

 

2.      Genesis 1:21a

 

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth…

 

3.      Genesis 1:24

 

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind…

 

4.      Genesis 1:28

 

…and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

 

5.      Genesis 1:30

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life…

 

B.      God created man to be a living being.

1.      Genesis 2:7

 

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 

2.      Acts 17:28

 

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are his offspring.

 

a.      “In Him,” we live.

b.      We are His offspring.  We live because He is life.

 

C.     Even after death, God is still the God of the living (Matt. 22:32).

 

I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

 

1.      Jesus was confronting the Sadducees who did not believe in a resurrection.

2.      One of the proofs of resurrection is the fact that man is still living after he dies.

a.      “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

b.      The words “I am” are present tense.  At the time Jesus spoke, God was still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

c.       He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  These men were still alive in the spirit world. 

d.      To bring them back into existence, all God had to do was to put the spirit back into their bodies.

 

D.    God then is the living God, as being the soul which animates a universe that would be dead without him” (www.biblestudytools.com, “The Living God”).

 

IV.             SOME OF THE RESULTS OF HAVING A LIVING GOD

 

A.    The living God sees (Ps. 33:13).

 

The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.

 

B.      The living God speaks

1.      Heb. 12:25

 

See that ye refuse not him that speaketh:  for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven.

 

2.      If God could not speak, we would not have His precious word to save us and guide us in this life.

 

 

 

C.     The living God feels (Ps. 103:13).

 

Like a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

 

D.    The living God hears.

1.      Psalm 4:3

 

But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself:  the Lord will hear when I call unto him.

 

2.      When Elijah fought the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, the living God stood in stark contrast to the gods of the false prophets because they did not hear (See I king 18:25-29).

 

And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.  And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even unto noon, saying, O Baal, hear us.  But there was no voice, nor any that answered.  And they leaped upon the altar which was made.  And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, sand said, Cry aloud:  for he is a god, either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.  And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out from them.  And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied unto the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

 

E.      The living God thinks (Isa. 55:8-9).

 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

F.      The living God loves (Jer. 31:3).

 

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:  therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

 

G.     The living God seeks companionship (Rev. 3:20).

 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

 

H.    The living God protects (Ps. 46:1).

 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

 

I.        The living God delivers (Ps. 50:15).

 

And call upon me in the day of trouble:  I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

 

J.        The living God fights (Exo. 15:3).

 

The Lord is a man of war:  the Lord is his name.

K.     The living God comforts (II Cor. 1:3-4a).

 

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation…

 

L.      The living God chastises (Heb. 12:6).

 

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

 

M.   The living God raises the dead (John 5:28-29)

 

Marvel not at this:  for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

 

N.    The living God punishes (Heb. 10:31).

 

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    The living God wants us to live FOR Him (Rom. 14:8).

 

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord:  whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.

 

B.      The living God wants us to live WITH Him for an eternity.

1.      He has eternal life dwelling in Him (I John 1:2).

 

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.)

 

2.      He wants to give unto us eternal life (I John 2:25).

 

And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Living God

Lesson #7

Homework

Victor M. Eskew

 

 

1.      When you hear the words “living God” does the word “living” really impact your mind?

 

2.      Of the 31 verses that speak about “the living God,” which one impresses you the most?

 

3.      If idols are man-made, and, not living, why do people seek out idols to worship?

 

4.      T – F  I easily understand the concept that God is self-existent.

 

5.      What living creature (not man) impresses you the most of all of God’s creation?

 

6.      We have been given the gift of life.  What is most precious to you about life?

 

7.      What does God means when He says:  “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living”?

 

8.      Of all the things that our living God can do because He is living, which one means the most to you?

 

9.      How do we truly live “for” God

 

10.  Y - N   Do you ever stop to contemplate what “eternal life” is?

 

11.  Y – N  Do you ever stop to contemplate the fact that eternal life can be ours?