Grace Fellowship Grace Fellowship ChurchChurch

Pastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

Tuesday, Tuesday, November 16, 2010November 16, 2010

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

DoxologyDoxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Amen.Amen.

Memory VerseMemory Verse

2 Tim 2:4,2 Tim 2:4, “No soldier in active service “No soldier in active service

entangles himself in the affairs entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he of everyday life, so that he

may please the one who may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”enlisted him as a soldier.”

John 15:18-21John 15:18-21 Obstructions to Divine Good Production:Obstructions to Divine Good Production:

Reason #1:Reason #1: Satan’s Cosmic System hates the Satan’s Cosmic System hates the believer! believer!Reason #2:Reason #2: We are not of this world-Election We are not of this world-Election

out from the World! out from the World!Reason #3:Reason #3: “The servant is not greater than “The servant is not greater than his Lord,” therefore we too will have his Lord,” therefore we too will have persecutions! persecutions!Reason #4:Reason #4: “The Cosmos does not know “The Cosmos does not know God and is ignorant to His Plan.” God and is ignorant to His Plan.”

John 15:21, John 15:21, “But all these things, (“But all these things, (persecutionspersecutions), ),

they, (they, (those of Satan’s Cosmic those of Satan’s Cosmic SystemSystem), will do to you all (d), will do to you all (disciples isciples

of the Lordof the Lord) for the sake of My ) for the sake of My ((Jesus’Jesus’) name. Because they () name. Because they (self-self-

righteous religious typesrighteous religious types) ) inherentlyinherently do not know the One (do not know the One (God the God the

FatherFather) who sent Me () who sent Me (Jesus ChristJesus Christ).”).”

God the FatherGod the Father

I. Introduction:I. Introduction:

God is revealed to mankind God is revealed to mankind through nature as its through nature as its

Designer and Creator and Designer and Creator and through Scripture, and through Scripture, and

through the Person of the through the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:18, Mat 11:27John 1:18, Mat 11:27

John 14:7, John 14:7, ““If If andand you have known Me you have known Me,,

you will also know My you will also know My Father, and from this point Father, and from this point

forward you keep on knowing forward you keep on knowing Him and have seen Him.Him and have seen Him.””

Jesus Christ, the God/Man, Jesus Christ, the God/Man, is the Son of God, the is the Son of God, the

Image of God, and is God Image of God, and is God just as the Father is God. just as the Father is God.

John 1:18; 1 Tim 6:15-16; John 1:18; 1 Tim 6:15-16; Heb 1:3; 1 John 4:12-14Heb 1:3; 1 John 4:12-14

John 1:18, John 1:18, ““No one has seen God at No one has seen God at

any time; the only begotten any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom God who is in the bosom

of the Father, He has of the Father, He has explained explained Him.”Him.”

John 14:7,John 14:7,“If you know Me you will “If you know Me you will know the Father too”. So know the Father too”. So let us see what Jesus has let us see what Jesus has told us about the Father.told us about the Father.

II. The Trinity.II. The Trinity.God is one in three God is one in three

persons.persons.

God the Father, God the God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Son, God the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26, John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My whom the Father will send in My name (all three members of the name (all three members of the

Trinity in view), He will teach you Trinity in view), He will teach you all things (Mystery Doctrine of the all things (Mystery Doctrine of the

Church Age) and cause you to Church Age) and cause you to remember all that I taught you.”remember all that I taught you.”

The Father, Son and Holy The Father, Son and Holy Spirit all share equal, Spirit all share equal,

eternally and infinitely the eternally and infinitely the exact same Divine essence exact same Divine essence

and attributes.and attributes.

FatherPlanner

SonExecutor

Holy SpiritEnabler

Co-Eq

ual

Co-Infinite

Co-Eternal

In the OT the emphasis of In the OT the emphasis of the Trinity is upon Divine the Trinity is upon Divine

unity where a Divine unity where a Divine plurality is seen in the plurality is seen in the

meaning of “ELOHIM”. meaning of “ELOHIM”. Deut. 6:4Deut. 6:4

Deut 6:4, Deut 6:4, “Hear, O Israel! The “Hear, O Israel! The

LORD is our God LORD is our God (ELOHIM), the LORD is (ELOHIM), the LORD is

one!”one!”

The NT emphasizes the The NT emphasizes the individual Persons of the individual Persons of the Trinity and their separate Trinity and their separate

responsibilities for the responsibilities for the purposes of redemption, yet purposes of redemption, yet refers oneness of essence. refers oneness of essence.

Mat 28:19Mat 28:19

Mat 28:19,Mat 28:19, “Go therefore and make “Go therefore and make

disciples of all the nations, disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son of the Father and the Son

and the Holy Spirit.”and the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus Christ the Son is the Jesus Christ the Son is the radiance of His glory.radiance of His glory.

Heb. 1:3Heb. 1:3

1 John 1:5, 1 John 1:5, “And this is the message “And this is the message

which we have heard from which we have heard from Him and we announce to you, Him and we announce to you, that God is light, and in Him that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”there is no darkness at all.”

John 1:5, John 1:5, “The light shined in “The light shined in

darkness, and the darkness darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend did not comprehend

((overpoweroverpower) it.”) it.”

John 8:12, John 8:12, “Again therefore Jesus spoke “Again therefore Jesus spoke

to them saying, ‘I am the to them saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in follows me will not walk in the darkness but will have the darkness but will have

the light of life.’”the light of life.’”

1 Tim 6:16, 1 Tim 6:16, “Who alone possesses “Who alone possesses

immortality and dwells in immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see, no man has seen nor can see, to him be honor and eternal to him be honor and eternal

dominion. Amen.”dominion. Amen.”

One God can be three in One God can be three in person because of their person because of their

shared attributes. shared attributes.

• SovereigntySovereignty

• RighteousRighteous

• JusticeJustice

• LoveLove

• Eternal LifeEternal Life

• OmniscienceOmniscience

• OmnipotentOmnipotent

• OmnipresenceOmnipresence

• ImmutableImmutable

• VeracityVeracity

Attributes of GodAttributes of God

These attributes are set These attributes are set forth in Ex 15:11; 33:19; forth in Ex 15:11; 33:19; 34:6-7; Deut. 6:4; 10:17; 34:6-7; Deut. 6:4; 10:17; Num 16:22; Isa 44:6; Hab Num 16:22; Isa 44:6; Hab

3:6; Psa 102:26; Job 34:12; 3:6; Psa 102:26; Job 34:12; Rev. 5:12 and 7:12.Rev. 5:12 and 7:12.

The Father is known as the The Father is known as the first person of the Trinity, first person of the Trinity, the Son as the second, and the Son as the second, and the Holy Spirit as the third.the Holy Spirit as the third.

III. God the Father III. God the Father

A. The first person of the A. The first person of the Trinity is identified as Trinity is identified as “Father” for example:“Father” for example:

1. “Our Father … in heaven”, 1. “Our Father … in heaven”, Mat 6:9, 14, 26, etc.Mat 6:9, 14, 26, etc.

2. “The God and Father of the 2. “The God and Father of the Lord Jesus”, 2 Cor 11:31, etc.Lord Jesus”, 2 Cor 11:31, etc.

3. In the OT God was revealed 3. In the OT God was revealed as Father:as Father:

a. Of the Israelites, Ex 4:22.a. Of the Israelites, Ex 4:22.

b. To the special represent-b. To the special represent-ative of the nation, the king, 2 ative of the nation, the king, 2 Sam 7:14.Sam 7:14.

c. As a father who loves his c. As a father who loves his children, Psa 103:13. children, Psa 103:13.

4. In the NT it is first 4. In the NT it is first revealed in relation to the revealed in relation to the eternal Son, John 1:14, 18.eternal Son, John 1:14, 18.

John 1:14,John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, only begotten from the Father,

full of grace and truth.”full of grace and truth.”

John 1:18, John 1:18, “No one has seen God at “No one has seen God at

any time; the only begotten any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom God who is in the bosom

of the Father, He has of the Father, He has explained explained Him.Him.””

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchTuesday, November 16, 2010Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tape # 10-126Tape # 10-126

Obstructions to Divine Good Production, Part 21Obstructions to Divine Good Production, Part 21(Not Knowing God) God the Father, Part 1(Not Knowing God) God the Father, Part 1

Upper Room Discourse, Part 440Upper Room Discourse, Part 440

John 15:21; 14:7, 26; Deut 6:4; 1 John 1:5John 15:21; 14:7, 26; Deut 6:4; 1 John 1:5        

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010