It would be hard to overestimate how important it is for an individual Christian, and for God’s church, to have a correct understanding of God. Our worship, our service and our practical day to day lives will be impacted by how we understand God. We must endeavour therefore to understand what Scripture reveals to us of God. This series will explore some of those aspects of God’s nature that are His alone, but in understanding them, we will find our worship and service growing in the light of what they reveal to us.
Knowing God
Isaiah 40 - God is Infinite and Eternal - Alex Warren
(Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, April 18, 2021
Why should we take time to study what God is like? There are lots of good answers to that question, not least that it will help us to worship him better. Isaiah chapter 40 gives us a really important answer to that question though. It is written to God's people Judah as they were about to be carried away into Babylon, into exile from their homeland. They were tempted to think that God had abandoned them, that either he was unable to save them or unwilling to do so. In this chapter God tells his people that he is going to forgive them and restore them. What evidence does he give for this? He says "Behold your God!" - "Look at me!" When we struggle with doubts and uncertainties about God, we need to look at God too. We need to see what he is like. He is infinite! We need an infinite God. Since he is eternal (infinite when it comes to time), he is able to save us and keep us for all eternity, not only in this life but in the next. Since he is infinite in his character - we know that his love has no limits, and that if we trust in Jesus, we will know that he truly desires to save us and keep us. As we understand God better, we will find ourselves better able to trust him.
Psalm 145 - God is Incomprehensible - Christiaan Hofstra
(Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, April 25, 2021
Psalm 145, David's last Psalm is a song of praise. Praise fueled by all God's known goodness, power, works and majesty yet also by God's unsearchable greatness. This Psalm reflects the truth that although God can be known as He has revealed Himself through his Word and through His Son Jesus Christ, He is also incomprehensible. It's impossible to box God in. We will never run out of knowing Him more deeply. Plus the one we love will always be greater than we could ever imagine. Great joy is found in this truth. God's incomprehensibility intensifies our worship, invites meditation and calls for proclamation so others will join in praise of this God. (Also: Rom.11:33; Eph.3:8, 18)
God's Self-Existence and Self-Sufficiency - Christiaan Hofstra
(Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, May 2, 2021
Paul's words recorded in Acts 17, spoken at a meeting of the Areopagus, reveal that God as creator is superior to all lesser competing deities worshiped in Athens. Actually, since God existed before and exists outside creation, he does not need creation nor us to be fulfilled, happy or exist. God enjoys perfect eternal communion within the trinity. It means God is not changed or influenced by opinion polls nor is there any self-serving in all God's goodness. God's self-sufficiency and self-existence corrects and redefines our worship. We're called to 'seek him and reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us'.
God's Unchanging Perfection - David Knowles
(Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, May 9, 2021
A message on God's unchanging person, plans and promises, and the confidence this gives us to come into His presence, to build our lives on His word and to submit to His will.
Psalm 33 - God's Omniscience - Christiaan Hofstra
(Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, May 16, 2021
The Bible teaches us that God is omniscient (1John 3:20). God knows all things because he sees all things and holds all things (Psalm 33). Knowing all things, God laughs and griefs. He is not intimidated by the world but neither is he indifferent. Instead he patiently loves and longs to save us. Knowing God knows all things, we do well to respond in holy healthy fear, realising we can't hide anything from God. We then trust in him as our Lord and Saviour. We will find great comfort and hope knowing God knows all things including our pain and hurt.
God's Omnipresence - Ian Naismith
(Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, May 23, 2021
God is everywhere personally as Spirit (Psalm 139:7) and we have His undivided attention when we approach HIm. We experience that presence in different ways, but Christians always have the Holy Spirit in us. God's omnipresence is a challenge because He knows the worst about us (but is still willing to forgive). It is also a comfort because He is always there for us, hearing our prayers, guiding us and holding us in His hand (Psalm 139:10).
God's Omnipotence - Christiaan Hofstra
(Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, May 30, 2021
God's omnipotence means God is all powerful. He is able, more than able to do immeasurably more than we could ever think of or imagine. God's greatest display of His power is the cross and Jesus Christ's words 'It is finished'. In the face of trials this knowledge enables us to say: 'nothing is too hard for you' (Jer 32:17). Indeed it enables us to continue to live for and obey God in faith. As God is able, he also enables. His power is necessary for every Christian to persevere in faith. We're to pray for it. Pray for it in such a way that His power displayed in us may draw others to this omnipotent God too.
God's Sovereignty - George Campbell
(Video)
Morning Service, Sunday, June 6, 2021
As we reach the end of our Knowing God series we consider the Sovereignty of God: his right and power to rule over all things with no obligation to anyone or anything. This message considers how we think about questions such as free will and suffering. Finally, we find great comfort in knowing that in the midst of the challenges of life God is still sovereign but also consider the challenge of submitting our lives to God’s sovereignty.