I am currently preaching a series called “The Truths We Hold Dear.” We are looking at core Biblical doctrines that the church believes. Here are the four sermons on the doctrine of God:
Tag: Doctrine
Sermons: Why Doctrine Matters
I am currently preaching a series called “The Truths We Hold Dear.” We are looking at core Biblical doctrines that the church believes. I started with two sermons on why doctrine matters, which you can watch here:
Your Story
God is not just a chapter in the story of your life, he’s the author of your story, the one who makes sense of all the chapters of your life.
– Trevin Wax and Thomas West in The Gospel Way Catechism
Theology Is An Invitation
Theology isn’t an arduous task of arranging irrelevant details. It’s an invitation into greater knowledge of this Jesus who has saved us.
– Trevin Wax in The Thrill of Orthodoxy
God and Our Vision of Life
We believe in the one true and living God,
who eternally exists in three unique persons –
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Each one is identical in nature and substance,
with the same attributes and perfections.
Our culture tells us that it is all about you.
You create your own story,
your own identity,
your own reality.
You do whatever you want to do,
because you are center,
everything revolves around you.
Is it not obvious that this doctrine of God refutes this vision of life?
Flips it upside-down?
Or rather right-side up?
There is one true living God, and I am not Him.
So everything revolves around Him, not me.
He is center, not me.
I am to do whatever He wants.
Because this is His great story.
He determines reality.
He gives me my identity.
He makes me part of His story.
So I am going to live for Him, not me.
This doctrine totally changes our vision of life,
and so will change how we live each day.
Doctrine Matters for Our Relationship with God
What is required to have a growing relationship with God, to know God more and more? I must learn about Him. Doctrine teaches us about Him – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – so that I might know Him better.
Imagine a young man and a young woman meet, and they want to get to know each other. What do they do? They spend time together. They talk to each other and listen. They learn about each other.
If you want to get to know God better, you need to learn about Him – who He is, what He has done, what He is doing now, and what He will do in the future. That’s doctrine. It’s not dry! It is relational. It is exciting!
And as we learn more about God – His love, His faithfulness, His mercy, and what He has done to save us by becoming one of us to die on a cross – we not only get to know Him better, but we love Him more. Our love for Him grows. We learn of His love for us, and we grow in our love towards Him. Our relationship is not dry, but a loving relationship between God and us.
And as we learn about Him through doctrine, this love then leads to worship. Theology should always lead to doxology. Doctrine should always lead to praise. In Ephesians 1-3, Paul lays out the doctrines of salvation and then closes in 3:20-21 with worship to God. The same thing happens in Romans. Paul lays out wondrous doctrinal truth in chapters 1-11, and then closes in 11:33-36 with praise to God. As Paul reflects on doctrinal truths, he can’t help but break into joyful worship.
Doctrine teaches us about God, that we might grow in our relationship with Him, loving Him more, and falling down before Him in worship.
Doctrine Collection
Here are some good posts t help you think about God:
10 Things You Should Know about the Trinity – Fred Sanders (Crossway)
10 Things You Should Know about God’s Attributes – Mark Jones (Crossway)
A Vital Yet Neglected Attribute of God (God’s Patience) – Mark Jones (Crossway)
Doctrine Collection
A new semi-often collection pondering the beliefs of the Church:
Not All Doctrines Are at the Same Level: How to Make Some Distinctions and Determine a Doctrine’s Importance – Justin Taylor
He provides three helpful models for thinking this through.
Take a Test on the Trinity – Tim Challies
To use one of the models from the above post, this is an absolute doctrine that all Christians hold. How well can you do on this little quiz?
3 Objections to the Doctrine of Election – Tim Keller (TGC)
Actually, it very helpfully answers three objections to election. We talked about election this past Sunday at my church, so here is a little follow-up to continue thinking through this doctrine.
Passion Points
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
How Do I Know I’m a Christian? – Kevin DeYoung
Whenever counseling Christians looking for assurance of salvation, I take them to 1 John. This brief epistle is full of help for determining whether we are in the faith or not. In particular, there are three signs in 1 John given to us so we can answer the question “Do I have confidence or condemnation?”
It’s Not a Blind Faith – Tim Challies
Faith is trusting in someone who has the answers we lack. Faith is trusting in the goodness, in the character, of God.
The Heresy of Indifference – Burk Parsons (Ligonier)
When people tell me they are into Jesus but not into doctrine, I tell them that if they are not into doctrine, they are, in fact, not into Jesus. We cannot know Jesus without knowing doctrine, and we cannot love God without knowing God, and the way we know God is by studying His Word. Doctrine comes from God, it teaches us about God, and by faith it leads us back to God in worship, service, and love. Indifference to doctrine is indifference to God, and indifference to God is indifference to our own eternity.
Four Ways To Fight the Fear of Missing Out – Jon Bloom
The Thing. It’s a strange thing, because it’s there and not there at the same time. What I’m talking about is The Thing that you don’t have that you think you need in order to be happy. And you know when The Thing is there because you begin to feel a low-grade panic that you don’t have it. The Thing makes you afraid that by not having The Thing you’re missing out.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!
Brian J. Mikul 