Trinity Sunday
GOD IN THREE PERSONS
… based on John 16:12-15
I love the story about the little girl in S.S. who was drawing a picture & using all of her crayons to do it.
Her teacher came over & asked what she was drawing.
“I’m drawing a picture of God,” the little girl responded excitedly.
“But nobody knows what God looks like,” her teacher said.
To which the little girl replied, “Well, they will when I’m finished.”
Now if this was a Bible Study, I’d be tempted to give each of you a sheet of paper & a bunch of crayons & turn you loose for a few moments. …
So, how would you draw a picture of God? …
And as you’re thinking about that, let’s stop & ponder what Scripture teaches us about God. We worship 1 God. (Deuteronomy 6:4) And yet, this 1 God
has made Himself known to us in 3 distinct ways. We have God the Father …
we have God the Son … & we have God The Holy Spirit.
So, when I asked you to draw a picture of God,
some of you may have immediately thought about God the Father …
& Michelangelo’s depiction. Others of you, acknowledging Jesus’ divinity,
may have thought about God the Son. And certainly,
there are 5,280 illustrations of Jesus available to us. But I wonder …
would any of you have considered drawing God The Holy Spirit?
This morning, I want us to look at God as a whole … Father, Son, & Spirit.
As we have just sung … “God in 3 Persons, blessed Trinity!”
Listen now to words of Jesus, recorded by John, to us, who have gathered for worship. Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord …
“I have much more to tell you, but now it would be too much for you to bear. When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come. He will give me glory, because he will take what I say and tell it to you. All that my Father has is mine; that is why I said that the Spirit will take what I give him and tell it to you.” (John 16:12-15
Jesus said, “Heaven & earth will pass away,
but my words will never pass away.” (Mark 13:31)
May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen
In the secular world, this is Father’s Day. In the liturgical church,
today is Trinity Sunday, which has been celebrated in the Christian Church for over 1,700 years. It’s a day when we consider 1 of the Church’s central beliefs; actually it’s 1 of Christendom’s most fascinating & controversial beliefs … that of a triune God.
Now let me be honest with you, the Trinity is a difficult concept to totally wrap our minds around. I grew up in Graystone Presbyterian Church,
back in Indiana, PA. Now Graystone was a large congregation with 3 Pastors.
Dr. Frank Lawrence was the Senior Pastor,
& Rev. Paul Pulliam & Dr. William Sutherland were the Asst. Pastors.
And up, right behind the massive pulpit were 3 built-in seats,
& each Sunday morning Dr. Lawrence would sit in the center,
with Pastors Pulliam & Sutherland on each side. Now as a young lad,
sitting out there in our “family pew”, looking up at the Pastors …
that’s how I imagined the Trinity … God in 3 Persons, right? God the Father in the center, flanked by Jesus & The Holy Spirit. But I was wrong.
The truth is … the Trinity is God in 3 “Persons” … & each “Person” is divine … & yet, & this is the key here … there is only 1 God.
Now I’m going to challenge your brain cells a little bit this morning. But understanding the Trinity will broaden your appreciation of Almighty God.
Having said that, Augustine, one of the early Church fathers & great theologians of the Christian faith, wrote 15 books on the Trinity throughout his lifetime, & this was his conclusion.
“Anyone who denies the Trinity is in danger of losing their salvation,
& anyone who tries to understand it, is in danger of losing their mind.”
Well, with great respect for Augustine,
I’m going to attempt to help you understand the Trinity this morning,
& I don’t want anybody to go crazy as I’m doing it.
Normally, when we use the word “person”, we recognize it to mean physical individuals who exist as separate beings, that is, as separate entities. But with God there are not 3 entities, there are not 3 beings.
God is a Trinity of “Persons”, consisting of 1 substance, of 1 essence.
God is numerically … 1.
Now, within this single divine essence & substance there are 3 individual “Persons.” And each of the 3 “Persons” is completely divine in nature, & yet each “Person” is not alone the totality of the Godhead.
Each of the 3 “Persons” are distinct from the others … & yet they are 1.
Now I’ve put that paragraph in your outline because I want you to read it again & again during the coming week.
This is the central point of this morning’s message.
Now our theology really upsets the Jehovah Witnesses.
How many of you have had Jehovah Witnesses knock on your door? … Here’s a word to the wise … don’t let them in! They are Satan sent. (Galatians 1:8)
Unsuspecting believers, thinking that these folks are “Christians” because they carry a “Bible” might do just that … innocently inviting them in for “friendly conversation.” This, of course, is what they want.
And they also want to introduce you to their magazine … “The Watch Tower” … which devotionally will provide their theological inaccuracies & heresies.
Their refusal to accept the Trinity being one of them.
Their initial argument is that the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible. And that people who believe in the Trinity worship 3 gods … not 1 God.
They declare that … “Jehovah is the only true God & is
the maker of heaven & earth & the giver of life to his creatures.”
Now on the surface, that statement seems totally okay.
After all, God is the “only true God.” (John 17:3) & He is “the creator of the universe.” (Genesis 1:1) And He does “give life to all things.” (1 Timothy 6:13)
However, for them, that’s only true of Jehovah God. Jesus is a creature who had a beginning. He’s God’s “Chief Executive.” He was the archangel, Michael. They believe that Jesus was a god … but not an eternal God. He didn’t share the same divine essence as Jehovah. These thoughts arise from the version of the Bible called the “New World Translation.”
Now, if you think the Jehovah Witnesses have a low view of Jesus,
wait to you hear what they think about The Holy Spirit, whom they refer to as the “invisible, active force of God.” So, the New World Bible translation,
which capitalizes the words “God” & “Christ”, never capitalizes the word “spirit.” The Spirit is depersonalized & referred to as an “it”. Jehovah Witnesses elevate Jehovah God, while relegating the Son & the Spirit to lesser beings. For all intents & purposes … they’re Unitarians.
Now, as for the specific word “Trinity” not being found in the Scriptures,
that doesn’t mean that the concept isn’t taught in here.
I mean, the word “Bible” isn’t found in the Scriptures either … yet we use it. In fact, if we’re talking about the attributes of God, we mention:
· omniscience … which means “all knowing”
· omnipotence … which means “all powerful”, &
· omnipresence … which means “present everywhere”
… none of which are specifically mentioned in the Scriptures.
Yet, these are theological terms we consistently use when talking about God.
And since we’re discussing heretics who knock on doors … let me say something about the Mormons. Now the Mormons, also known as Latter-Day-Saints, on the surface are exemplary people. They are committed to family.
And they truly live out their faith. The problem is,
while they may “do” it right … they say it wrong. We Christians,
on the other hand, say it right, but most often … “do” it wrong.
Now, unlike the Jehovah Witnesses, the Mormons believe in a trinity …
but, not the same way we do. They believe in 3 separate gods.
“Okay, Rande, I’m starting to agree with Augustine about ‘losing my mind.’
Is this really a big deal? … Does it honestly matter? …
Does accepting, or not accepting the tri-unity of God make a difference?” …
If you are a follower of Jesus … the doctrine of the Trinity is central to our faith, to your faith. The foundation of our theology is built on the Godhead … Father, Son, & Holy Spirit … on the Trinity.
“God in 3 Persons, blessed Trinity!”
The Nicene Creed was adopted for this very purpose.
The sense of a Trinity is implicit throughout the Scriptures … from Genesis to The Revelation. In the opening chapter of the Bible we read …
“Then God said, ‘And now we will make human beings;
they will be like us & resemble us.’” (Genesis 1:26)
Here’s the Trinity involved in creation … Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. “And now we will make human beings; they will be like us & resemble us.”
· The Father, the 1st Person of the Trinity … is God
The very 1st Commandment … “Worship no god but me.” (Exodus 20:3)
God Himself declares … “I, & I alone, am God; no other god is real.”
(Deuteronomy 32:39)
Now, certainly in the O.T., & throughout history, we have seen people & religions “worship” 5,280 different “gods.” But we followers of Jesus are monotheists. Along with Judaism & Islam, the Christian faith is 1 of 3 monotheistic faiths in the world. All 3 believe that there’s only 1 true God.
So, in that sense, the Latter-Day Saints Church is not monotheistic, & not Christian, because they believe in 3 separate gods.
Let’s continue on …
· Jesus, the 2nd Person of the Trinity … is God
Jesus was not just a good man, as some believe.
Jesus was not just a rabbi, as the Jews believe.
Jesus was not just a prophet, as the Muslims believe. Jesus is God. (John 10:3)
He’s the 2nd Person of the Trinity. Co-equal & co-eternal with the Father.
Scripture records … “In the beginning the Word already existed;
the Word was with God, & the Word was God.” (John 1:1) The “Word” is Jesus. (Again, the Jehovah Witnesses, in their New World Translation,
in an attempt to make their theology correct,
haphazardly throw an “a” into that sentence … “the word was ‘a’ god.”)
Well, Jesus is the eternal God, a point He clearly made when He declared … “Before Abrahm was born, ‘I Am’.” (John 8:58)
There was no doubt in the Jewish authorities’ minds what Jesus was saying in His proclamation … “I Am.” It was a reference to a response God made to a question posed by Moses. “God said, ‘I am who I am. You must tell them:
‘The one who is called I AM has sent me to you.’’” (Exodus 3:14)
Jesus was stating that He is the “I AM” … that He is God.
The truth was later affirmed when the Apostle Thomas,
seeing the resurrected Jesus, cried out … “My Lord & my God!” (John 20:28) Both titles were directed toward Jesus … “Lord” & “God.”
And Jesus commends Thomas for his faith & pronounces a blessing on all others who will believe that as well. (John 20:29)
Jesus does things that only God can do:
· He forgives peoples’ sins (Mark 2:5)
· He receives worship (Matthew 2:11)
Now when we say Jesus Christ is God, that doesn’t mean that He wasn’t also human. Some people point to verses that describe Jesus’ humanity as if that somehow proves that He isn’t God. We read in the Scriptures about Jesus weeping (John 11:35), growing tired (Mark 4:38), getting hungry (Matthew 4:2), getting thirsty (John 19:28), & so forth. But as Christians,
we believe that Jesus Christ is both fully 100% human & fully 100% God …
& that both are true simultaneously. We believe that the eternal Son of God took on human form at Christmas. (John 1:14)
Let me attempt to give an analogy how both can be true. There’s a fellow I see almost every morning. (I go for a 3 mile walk every morning carrying 6 lb. weights.) Fred only knows me as a guy who likes to exercise.
And Rachel knows me only as her Pastor.
Imagine both of them sitting in the new coffee shop/bakery
(Off-Street Bakery) that’s going to open this Friday. And I walk in.
Fred knows me as an exercise “nut.” Rachel knows me as her “nutty” Pastor.
Which am I? … Well, they’re both true.
Being a Pastor doesn’t eliminate the fact that I’m a guy who likes to work-out. The truth is … I am both. It’s the same thing with Jesus being fully God & fully human. Both are true.
It’s also important to note that Scripture doesn’t teach that Jesus “became” God. Some people view that Jesus was humanly born & then God the Father entered Him in some kind of “magical” way … & He then “became” God. No, Jesus has always been God. (Philippians 2:6)
So, the Father is God … Jesus is God … &
· The Holy Spirit, the 3rd Person of the Trinity … is God
The Holy Spirit is not a “force”. The Holy Spirit is not an “it”.
The Holy Spirit is a “Person” … the 3rd Person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit is the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful, ever-present God.
Remember the story of Ananias & Sapphira? … (Take the Bible in the pew rack & turn to The Acts 5.) Ananias & his wife Sapphira owned some property. They sold it, & gave part of the money to the Apostles, keeping the rest for themselves. Now certainly they were entitled to do just that.
It was their money. The problem was … they told everyone that God was getting all of it. Well, their punishment was quick & complete & fatal. Peter said to them … “Why did you let Satan take control of you & make you lie to the Holy Spirit. … You have not lied to people – you have lied to … (God!)
(The Acts 5:3-4) At which point they fell dead.
Several important insights must be identified here. 1st, Ananias lied to The Holy Spirit, which, of course, assumes that The Holy Spirit is a personal being who can be lied to. We can’t lie to our kitchen sink. We can’t lie to our car. We can't lie to the front door. We lie to individuals. We lie to people.
The Holy Spirit is a “Person.”
This truth is reinforced throughout Scripture.
We’re not to make The Holy Spirit sad. (Ephesians 4:30) We’re not to say things against The Holy Spirit. (Matthew 12:32) We’re not to restrain The Holy Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Each of those commands implies that The Holy Spirit is a personal being. But we also discover here that … lying to The Holy Spirit is lying to God. The Holy Spirit, the 3rd Person of the Trinity … is God.
“God in 3 Persons, blessed Trinity!”
One final misconception.
There are those who have suggested that the Father, Son, & The Holy Spirit are all the same Person. This false understanding is called “modalism” …
& unfortunately, many sincere followers of Jesus fall into this error without even realizing it. Modalism basically teaches that there’s 1 God that manifests Himself at different times in 3 different modes or persons.
Now, if you weren’t listening carefully that might sound okay.
But here’s what it means … & it’s a view that some Christians unwittingly hold. This belief contends that God has appeared at times in the mode of the Father.
For instance, it was the voice of the Father that spoke out of the burning bush to Moses. (Exodus 3:6) At other times God appeared as the Son.
It’s when Jesus came in the mode of the Son & lived on earth (John 1:14) for 33 years. And then at other times God came in the mode of The Holy Spirit.
(The Acts 2:4)
Do you understand why that is wrong? …
With modalism we do not have 3 distinct Persons … we have 1 Person being revealed in 3 different ways. And that’s not the teaching of Scripture, nor is it the historical belief of orthodox Christianity. (Which was the point of the Nicene Creed we used as our Call To Worship.) Christian theology states that the 3 distinct Persons of the Godhead co-exist together at all times.
Let me quickly disprove modalism by using just 1 scene out of the Scriptures.
At the Baptism of Jesus all 3 Persons of God are present at the very same moment. The Son is in the water being baptized. The Holy Spirit descends as a dove. The Father’s voice sounds from Heaven. (Matthew 3:16-17)
“God in 3 Persons, blessed Trinity!”
And God has never been without fellowship with Himself.
Before He created anything … before there was a single angel …
or any other being … there was God. (Genesis 1:1)
Was He all alone? … No! Never! When there was nothing but God …
there was always fellowship. There was always the eternal communion of the Father, the Son, & The Holy Spirit. And we’ve been created in God’s image.
That means that we, too, desire fellowship with each other …
& most of all, with the 1 true Triune God.
Now I know this has been a pretty mind challenging message this morning.
And some of you may have some questions as you ponder all of this during the week. Good, write them down, & we’ll deal with them.
But let me conclude with a couple of “show-‘n-tell” illustrations that I’ve used over the years in confirmation classes.
If we look at an egg … there are 3 parts to it:
· the Shell
· the White
· the Yoke
The egg is incomplete without 1 of these elements.
Yet, we refer to all of them as an egg.
So, it is with the Trinity. The Godhead is 1 … just as the egg is 1 …
yet made up of 3 Persons: the Father, the Son, & The Holy Spirit.
Just as the egg is made up of the shell, the white, & the yoke.
If I was to separate the shell from the white, & the white from the yoke … the egg wouldn’t now become 3 eggs would it? … No, it would still be 1 egg. In the same way, there is still only 1 God,
when we perceive or recognize the 3 Persons: Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.
Or let’s try this … imagine the Trinity as a musical chord.
Debbie, please play a “C” chord. … Now a “C” … “E” … “G”.
The “C”, “E”, & “G” notes are all distinct notes, but joined together as 1 chord the sound is richer & more dynamic than had the notes been played individually. Play the “C” chord again.
“God in 3 Persons, blessed Trinity!”
Okay, let’s conclude this message with Jesus’ final words …
“Go, then, to all peoples everywhere & make them my disciples:
baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit.”
(Matthew 28:19)
MARANA THA