14th April, 2013
Bethel Church
Written By Rev Lau Hui Seng
Posted By Teresa Han
Main Idea: Who is this mighty God?
Objectives : a. To explain the reality of almighty God.
b. To explain the person of Jesus Christ.
c. To explain the role of the Holy Spirit in conception.
A. Introduction
- In my last sermon I had explained to you what is a creed, reasons for the Apostle Creed. I also explained to you just one phrase, ‘I believe in God’.
- In this sermon, I will explain to you the meaning of ‘Father Almighty, Creator of heavens and the earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, given birth through Virgin Mary.’
- For the rest of the Apostle Creed, I will come back 2 times in later half of the year.
- I pray that this sermon will help you to have a clearer picture of this almighty God whom we believe, and how through the person of Jesus, you will find that this God is very real in our life.
1. 我信上帝，全能的父， 创造天地的主。
I believe in God, Father Almighty, Creator of heavens and the earth.
2. 我信我主耶稣基督，上帝的独生子；
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord,
3. 因着圣灵感孕，由童贞女玛利亚所生；
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, given birth through Virgin Mary,
- Do you how our God is so almighty? Do you understand His almightiness in terms of His power only?
B. Father Almighty
- This almighty God was revealed to us human beings through Old Testament record and Israel history. He did not just suddenly appeared. He is a person, full of emotion, and working in the universe. How do I know this almighty God?
- If I want to know the teachings of Mother Teresa I need to know her living background, and place of her work. So, also, we need to know the work of God.
- Very often we called our almighty God as omnipotence. We always understand it as God is so powerful that He can do whatever He wants. This is actually not the original meaning of the Hebrew word for almighty. It is not as understood by the Bible.
- If we understand God almighty to be so powerful that He can do whatever He wants, then, we subject ourselves to answer 2 stupid questions: a. If God is omnipotent, can He create a stone so huge that He could not carry? b. If God is omnipotent, how can allow suffering? If He cannot do it, then, He is not omnipotent, He is not God of love! If so, the conclusion is He is not God at all. You see how we created our own problem.
- All this is because we miss the original meaning of almightiness.
- Some people likened God’s almighty power to His power that is millions of times more powerful that atomic power. This is a wrong comparison. The focus is on the so called power in terms of human understanding. It is wrong theologically.
- Atomic power is destructive, that change something to nothing. Power of God almighty is the power of the cross, that bring order in chaos, that caused nothing to become something, that caused hatred to become love.
- In the Old Testament, God’s almighty has 3 shapes of meaning: a. Yahweh saved the Israelites from the hand of the enemy (Exodus 15). b. it is concerning our belief that creation is linked with God’s salvation for mankind (Isaiah 42:10-17). C. Almightiness of God is used in the ritual of worship of Israelites, here, almightiness refers to the glory of God (Psalm 69:14; 91:1; 132:2)
- when it comes to the New Testament, the 3 meanings combined to show the rule of God, the authority of God. For example in Rev 19:6, ‘For our almighty reign.’
- the creed does not say, almighty God, it says almighty father. It means this God is not a theory of the universe. He is working in the universe, He is our heavenly father who works in our place. We are all His children.
C. Creator of heavens and earth
- this is the foundation of Christianity.
- theology of creation according to the bible gives us 3 very important meanings concerning our lives: a. theology of creation is not for the purpose of defending against theory of evolution; b. it is linking with our belief and life; c. creation tells us that all the creation needs to depend on God to maintain and exist.
- All these 3 meanings tell us we are just stewards of God’s creation. a. It is our belief, it role is not to debate with science and history. B. no matter how impact is our experience of the world, our creator always affirm His own creation; c. our creator is working and He invites us to work with Him.
D. I believe in Jesus Christ
- This is the second statement of the creed. It is linked with the first one on the father. Now, it is the son. This second statement helps us to understand the first statement about God the Father, and the third statement, God the Spirit. It helps to solidify the first and the third statement.
- I believe in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son brings out the idea of God’s work and identity, from here, it brings out the relationship between believer and God.
- This ‘I believe’ is related to the ‘I believe’ in the first statement. It gives meaning to the first I believe. The second I believe solidify the first I believe.
- If I say I believe in Confucious, I only trust in his teaching. He does not know me. I do not have any relationship with him.
- If I say I believe in Jesus Christ is totally a different story. Why? I believe in Jesus who knows me, who works in me and reveals Himself to me.
- Who is He? He is hundred percent man and God. If He is just man, then, everything will remain as morality only. If He is God only, then, He has nothing to do with us.
- He is God incarnated, a mystery, God became man. Only when He is a real man and a real God, then, we can relate to Him, man and God can be reconciled.
- Also, Christ is the title that means God’s anointed one, the hope for everything.
E. His only begotten Son
- One and only case. The sonship brings out the need for us to build a special personal relationship. Son here does not mean God has sex with a lady and gives birth to a human being. It challenges the world, all people either to accept or reject Him. There I no other choice. Because of this, (one and only choice), we have to do mission.
F. Our Lord
- the title Lord refers to the Christ who holds authority that is above everything.
- Secondly, this Lord is the only God who forgives our sin.
- Thirdly, in future, this Lord is going to reveal Himself totally.
G. Conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, given birth through Virgin Mary
- This third statement shows the channel where God became man.
- It shows the almighty power of God the creator, it is not as a result of human effort but it is all God’s initiative.
- Virgin Mary is a real person in history, not just some folks story, created by man.
H. Conclusion
- I pray that as you worship the Trinitarian God, you will be very clear in your mind, who is this almighty whom you worship.
- As you are clear of Him, in your mind, then, you can relate to Him personally.
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