10 - Exploring Faith: What is God Like? (5) - God is Lord (Authority)

by Jeff Fry

I.       Intro

A.   Review

1.     God values us greatly (Luke 12:22-32)

2.     God prunes us to make us holy (John 15:1-8)

3.     God delivers us from the oppression of our enemy because He is our covenant God (Exodus 6:1-8)

a)    God waited until the Exodus from slavery in Egypt  to tell the Israelites his proper name, "Yahweh"

b)    Yahweh was linked with God's covenant - "I will be their God, and they will be my people"

c)     There is an intimate closeness in the name Yahweh = "I am" or "I will be" or "I am here for you" (depicts the  faithfulness of God to His special covenant people)

4.     God, the Lord, is in control (Isaiah 48:9-15)

a)    He has created all things on earth and in the heavens

(1)  note also that like we said last week the message in the NT is "Jesus is Lord" and in Matthew 28:18 Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me"

(2)  Just like Yahweh here in the OT declared.

b)    All His creation does His bidding

B.   This Week: God, the Lord, is our authority.

II.    God, the Lord, is our authority

A.   State

1.     Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (Shema)

2.     Review of the Passage

a)    Who is speaking in this passage?

b)    To whom is he speaking?

c)     In summary what does God say to Moses?

3.     God calls us to obedience

4.     God's right to be authoritative, to be obeyed, comes from the fact that He is creator.

a)    by His grace we came into being

(1)  Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

(2)  Genesis 2:7 says, "And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being."

(3)  God immediately takes His authoritative role and commands man: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea'…" (Gen 1:28) - be fruitful, fill, subdue and rule.

(a)    First act was to bless

(b)   gave them purpose - be fruitful, fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish …"

5.     The covenant people of the Lord are called to obey the commands of the Lord.

a)    God's authority is over and above the practices of the world

(1)  Deuteronomy 6:13 says, "Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.  Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you."

(2)  Leviticus 18:1-3 says the same thing -don't be like the Egyptians, you must obey my laws.

(3)  God's commands are not negative, but are there to show us His way of living.  When we live His way we will be blessed.  Blessing is the promise attached to obedience.

(a)    Living God's way works

(b)    styles of life which run counter to God's way (covenant law) will ultimately not work.

(c)    Illustation - the hall & leadership team

b)    The Lord's authority extends to all areas of our life

(1)  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 comes on the back of the 10 commandments which are commands over various areas of our lives - marriage relationship, work relationships, neighbourly relationships, and even legal relationships.

(a)    We are to talk of God's commands all  day from when we rise to when we go to sleep

(b)   We are to talk of  them in everything we do (sitting or walking), when we are in our house or out of our house (gates and doors).

(c)    It is  a comprehensive authority.

(d)   And doing these commands comes from our love for God, not from fear of God.

(e)   How are you teaching your children about God at home?  Do you pray with them?  Do you read the Bible with them?

(2)  1 Corinthians 10:31 says to do whatever you do to the glory of God.

(3)  Colossians 3:17 is similar saying "… whatever you do , whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus …"

(4)  Our whole life we happily live under God's authority which leads to blessing in our life

(a)    we obey not out of fear of God

(b)   we obey out of love for God (Deut 6:4ff)

c)     The Lord's authority is absolute

(1)  In Job 40:1-5 Job, who has been questioning God throughout all his suffering finally admits to God that he, Job, is in no position to question God's providence.

(a)    Job admits that he is a sinner (unworthy -Job 40: 4)

(b)   God confronts Job with his majesty and mystery

(c)    In Job 42:7 it is Job who is said to have spoken correctly about God.  Job submits to God's authority recognizing that he is just a creature while God is the creator.

(d)   God is the creator, Job is the creature

(e)   God is the Lord, Job is the willing, loving servant

(2)  Job realizes that he is in no position to question God's authority even times are tough and difficulties set in.

(3)   

B.   Illustrate

C.   Apply

III.  Conclusion

A.   The opening of the Declaration of Independence of America written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, states as follows: “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

1.     All men are equal in God's eyes but they are also under His loving authority.

2.     His commands lovingly show us the way to live and when we obey we are blessed.

B.   Next week we will explore " God, the Lord, is close to us."

C.    

IV.Lord's Supper

A.   Preamble - Remembrance Sunday

B.   Scripture