Bradley United Methodist Church

AN HISTORIC CHURCH LIVING FOR TODAY,
WITH A VISION FOR TOMORROW

210 W. Main Street, Greenfield, Indiana 46140-2097            Telephone: 317-462-2662
E-Mail: info@BradleyUMC.org

Our purpose is to grow people to:  magnify God,
become members of Christ and His Church,
be mature in Christ, minister through Christ,
and be in mission with Christ.

   


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June 3, 2007
Rev. Terry D. Campbell

All of God For All of Me
Matthew 28:19

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

What do we offer people when we offer them life in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? We offer them all of God who can meet all of their needs.

Ephesians 4:4-6-“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Mystery and fullness of one God who is three persons

  • The Father making creation and taking care of all.
  • The Lord making the hope and salvation of God.
  • Spirit making the family of God.

We offer:

I. God the Father is more than enough for my mind.

This is God more like the world thinks of God—awesome, creator, in control, mysterious, providing, etc.

God the Father speaks to or engages our wonderful minds. The human mind needs some mystery, in fact, it wants to solve them. We were created to consider mystery. Mystery inspires us, to helps us keep perspective of who we are in the vast scheme of things. Mystery can excite us, stimulate our brains to think expanded thoughts, overwhelm us with questions. That’s why it is good to know God the Father, who is more mysterious than all—and greater than all mysteries. He is their answer.

  1. Mystery.
    A god we can completely figure out and understand wouldn’t be much of a God. God the Father is bigger than life’s deepest and most important questions: Why are we here? I don’t understand death. Timing in life.
    We get indications of this when we read, “In the beginning, God created. . .” In other words, when the beginning began, God already existed and then He created existence and time and substance. What was before time? God. What is the only thing that never started to exist? God. What is beyond that which has no ending boundaries? God. God is just and loving at the same time.
    Picture of the earth.
    Picture of the Sombrero galaxy.
    Look at your hand—squeeze it, move your fingers. Think of all that must happen for you to be able to do this. God the Father created it—and provided it for you.
  2. Provision.
    This is why one of the first prayers we teach our children is, “Than you for the world so sweet, thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank You God for everything.” The seasons, the abilities of seeds to grow, the ability of bones to heal, etc. God the Father is more than enough for my mind to try to consider and answer my questions.

II. God the Son is my visual for living.

God the Father may lead us to mystery, but God the Son leads us to understanding! Colossians 2:9-“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,”; This is for two purposes: to save and to set us a life-example.

  1. Salvation.

    People could say to God, “You don’t understand what it is like living as a human, with limited knowledge and ability. You set up there in heaven with all wisdom and power. You can’t condemn us . . . But God can respond, “O yes I do understand! I’ve been there. I understand, I’ve been there, I have overcome.

    Jesus is God living in the flesh! 1 John 4:2-3-“This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”

    Salvation is God coming as one of us and doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves. God the Son is our salvation Himself—and He is our example.

  2. Example.

    A picture is worth a thousand words. Jesus is God we can see, attempt to emulate. We must “read Jesus!” Philippians 2:5-11-“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

“Read Jesus”—Have Jesus’ life attitude and follow His example:

Forgive when I am wronged.

Help someone in need.

Treat hurting people with kindness.

We can see how God wants us to live by reading Jesus!

III. God the Spirit connects me with divine life.

The Holy Spirit is our connection—to God in heaven and to God’s family on earth. The third person of the One God links my inner, real self—with the capacity to know God, accept God, daily experience not only God’s presence, but be enabled to live with God’s character and actions. We’re told in Romans 8 that it is by the Holy Spirit we are able to cry “Abba”—Father, knowing we are God’s children and heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

1 Cor. 2:11-13-“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”

The Holy Spirit was sent so that God would be with and within his followers after Christ returned to heaven. The Spirit would comfort them, guide them to know his truth, remind them of Jesus’ words, give them the right words to say, and fill them with power and link them together as the Church. He makes us a body, with each of us as parts of that body and realizing that we need to work together to be able to function in doing God’s work and will on earth. The Holy Spirit connects us to God and to other Believers in the Church.

What will you do now?

1 Peter 1:2- “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”

That is what we have to offer people when we offer them God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Amen!

   
 
   
  
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This page last updated on November 4, 2007