Who is my God? This vital question challenges us to truly know the Creator—a God of infinite power, purpose, and relationship, revealed through the wonder of creation. Like Paul in Athens, who declared the “unknown God” to be the Creator of all and the One in whom we live and move and have our being, we are called to move beyond vague ideas and fully understand who God is. He is not distant or detached but deeply involved in His creation, longing for a relationship with us. Come and join us as we explore the life-changing truth of knowing our God—a truth that transforms how we see the world, ourselves, and our mission to share His redeeming and restoring love.
SERMON MANUSCRIPT
It is always a privilege to be at Oakridge. So many memories! So many friends! I am grateful for this opportunity. Of course, every opportunity to speak God’s word comes with spiritual opposition. We don’t fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. So, let’s ask the Lord for His power and protection!
As I stand before you this morning, it would appear that God is facing some difficult times. This is not to say that people are not spiritual. They are! As the saying goes, “they are on a journey”!!! But that journey is not necessarily a journey to God. God is not exactly a high priority in our world.
We have the likes of Richard Dawkins and Yuval Noah Hararri telling us that God is irrelevant. He is unnecessary. He has been reduced to nothing by Ockham’s Razor.
But I have to tell you something today it is not quite so easy to get rid of God! And when I say that I am reminded of my time in Russia. In Moscow in particular. I used to love to go to Red Square. Especially in the dead of winter. A little snow in the air. Freezing cold. The guard changing every hour. It was magical. There in Red Square is the Tomb of Lenin. And not so far from the Tomb of Lenin is what is called the Spasky Tower, the salvation tower. And not so far from that same tomb is the Trinity tower. And, of course, in that same Red Square is St. Basil’s Cathedral. [Maybe the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.] It is Ivan the Terrible’s apology for killing his own son. Throughout 70 years of communist rule and imposed atheism – all of these religious symbols remained. It is a bit of an irony. A bit of a contradiction.
And it is not the only one. The very word for thank you in Russian is ‘spaceba’,. Fundamentally it means ‘God saves’. And, the place I lived in Moscow was called “Transfiguration Square”. Somehow in the midst of Russian atheism – God survived – God was everywhere!
In a very real sense, things are not much different in Canada. God can’t go to school. God can’t be in public places. And evidently, God should not be referred to in public prayer. And yet – you can hear God’s name all the time. OMG!!!. It is like a disease. It is everywhere. And evidently it is no problem.
Well, not exactly no problem. It is a violation of the 3rd commandment. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” You see, God’s name reflects the qualities of God’s person. To dishonour God’s name is to dishonour God’s person. So when one says O M G – they are dishonouring God.
I was in the airport last week waiting for a flight. Two young women were having a very animated conversation. I think they were talking about boyfriends or something like that. You would hear something like: He is so handsome. OMG He is so cool. OMG He drives a corvette. He invited me to – OMG You really like him don’t you? OMG. This went on for quite a while.
I am sure that you could tell a similar story.
I had three reactions to this conversation!
1] First – I found this use of the name of God offensive. They were taking God’s name in vain.
2] Secondly, I was reminded of how God does not leave himself without a witness. Just as he was in Russia. So, he is here in Canada. There is mention of him everywhere.
3] And, thirdly – in a strange way, I was forced to think about MY GOD.
In this secular world what could I say about My God? And, as I was thinking about that the Apostle Paul came to my mind. Surely Paul would know what to say.
On two occasions Paul spoke to a pagan society. The first time is in Lystra. The account is found in Acts 14. The 2nd time is found in Acts 17 where Paul speaks on Mars Hill, in Athens. Now, what is interesting is this – Paul begins both of these messages in the same way. He begins with the Creation Account.
14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
He says something similar in Acts 17.
17:22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us 28 for in him we live and move and have our being.
As you can see – Creation is Paul’s starting point and we will take our cue from the Apostle Paul this morning. We will go back to the Genesis account of creation. While we are looking at that account we will note that it is really about God! It is not about humans. It is not about sea creatures. It is not about the sun the moon and the stars. They are mentioned of course. But, IT IS ABOUT GOD.
In the very first verse we are introduced to the primary character – In the beginning GOD!!! John’s version of the creation account, John 1, says – whenever the beginning was, God was already. He always was and he always is. He lives up to his name – He is the eternal present tense. He is the “I AM!!!” He is the PRE-EXISTENT one. Before anything else was. HE IS.
But, He is not just pre-existent.
He is POWERFUL. And whatever comes into being comes into being because he causes it to come into being. He merely speaks and what He speaks comes into being. And, Moses wants you to understand this. In this first chapter of Genesis 9 times we hear this phrase, actually clause’ “and God said”.
I like the way the Apostles’ Creed puts this. “I believe in God the Father, Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth.”
Clearly, Our God is the Creator God. He himself is not created. All else comes into being because he created it. That includes human beings.
But now the creation account moves in another direction. We have seen that God is Pre-existent and that he is Powerful. But our attention moves to more personal things. As we come to verses 26 and 27 of Genesis 1 we hear this:
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
In these verses we learn two more things about God: He is PURPOSEFUL and He is PERSONAL. When I say He is purposeful – I mean: He plans. He decides. He chooses. This is what the “Let Us” is all about. God deciding to do something. Three times we are told in these two verses that God is going to make humans in his image. And that means that God is Personal. If we are in His image and we are persons – then God must be a person!!!
There are huge implications here.
1] We are here on purpose. We are no accident.
2] We are here for a purpose.
3] You were designed for a purpose.
4] That purpose is to glorify God. It should be the driving force of our lives – to honour God. To glorify God.
And, now we begin to see something else. The focus is still on God. But a different name for God is used. 2:4 We now see the name Jehovah. This is the personal name of God. This is the relational name of God. And now we see this personal God with his created beings.
God is making a wife for Adam.
God is preparing a place, a garden for them.
God places them in the garden.
You will remember at this point – that Adam and Eve disobey God and go into hiding. And yet,
God goes looking for them. Adam where are you???
God makes clothing for them. – skins.
And finally –
God will send a saviour for them. There is a child coming that will change all of the evil and defeat. Of course that child is none other than Jesus.
Let me go back to Paul for a minute. Those people he was speaking to on Mar’s Hill. Did not know this God.
The Epicureans though that God was too interested in his own pleasure to be involved with humans.
The Stoics believed that everything was determined. There was no freedom. You simply had to resign yourself to your fate.
Paul says you are both wrong. Your God is too small. You live and move and have your being in God!!! You can’t get rid of God. He is the great I AM.
My God is the God of Paul. My God is the God of Genesis. My God is the God of the Bible.
He is the God who made me in his image.
He is the God who wants me to reflect His glory.
He is the God who wants me to live in his presence.
He is the God who seeks me out when I am lost.
He is the God who saves me when I face condemnation.
O — My God!!!
He wants to be your God too!!!
He is looking for you. He is calling your name. He wants to cover your faults with his righteousness.
He wants to be your friend.
Maybe today this God will become your God.
Maybe today – as a believer you will be reminded of the wonder of your God.
We have only scratched the surface. This God is the God of Joseph. This God is the God of Moses. This God is the God of Joshua. This God is the God of Daniel. This God is the God of Esther. This God is the God of Deborah. This God is the God of Ruth. Et. Al.
And this God is My God.
Lew is a retired career pastor and professor with a long-time connection to Oakridge, who currently resides with his wife, Marguerite, in London, Ontario. Lew did his undergraduate studies at Moody Bible Institute and Houghton College and his graduate studies at Cornell, Lehigh, and New York Universities. His career has taken him in both the educational and pastoral realm, having served as Dean of the New York School of the Bible, Chairman of the Philosophy Department of the King’s College, Chairman of the Pastoral Studies Department at Ontario Bible College. In addition, he has served as a faculty member at The International School of Theology in Budapest, Hungary; Linguistics University in, Moscow, Russia; and the Kazak American Free University, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In recognition of his academic achievements and contribution to the educational process in Kazakhstan he was awarded the degree of Doctor and Professor. In addition, Lew was a founder and the director of the Central Asia Leadership Training Centre in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He was also a founder and faculty member of the Centre for Advanced Theological Studies in Moscow, Russia. He continues some of his work overseas serving as Leadership Consultant for the Brethren Churches of Romania, and he also continues in a teaching and consulting role in several Eastern European countries. Presently, Lew helps churches that are in transition.