Goodlow Evangelical Free Church

January 18, 2015

The Lord our God is one…

The way we think about God

[our theology]

affects the way we respond to

Him.

Figures from Statistics Canada show that

in 2010, about three in 10 Canadians

went to a service at least monthly.

A similar number attend less frequently.

Four in 10 never go.

Research by the Environics Institute for Survey Research suggests a majority

of Canadians are indeed looking for something beyond themselves, even

if they don't go to a religious service to find it.

According to Environics' Focus Canada 2011 project, 79 per cent of Canadians

say they believe in God or a universal spirit. Seventeen per cent said they did not, and three per cent weren't quite

sure.

41% 17% 174% 500%

Province/Territory Unaffiliated Yukon 37.4% British Columbia 35.1% Alberta 23.1% Manitoba 18.3%

 Northwest Territories 17.4%

 Canada 16.2% Ontario 16.1% Saskatchewan 15.4% Nova Scotia 11.6% New Brunswick 7.8%

 Prince Edward Island 6.5%

 Nunavut 6.0% Quebec 5.6%

 Newfoundland and Labrador 2.5%

“... I wouldn't say that we're post-religious at all. I think what we see

actually is more a restructuring of religion.“

Religious privatization“...it's a privatizing of religion — not in

an economic sense, but in the sense that it's not on such public display as it used

to be. And it's a privatization that is unique to the individual.”

The way we think about God

[our theology]

affects the way we respond to

Him.

We believe in one GodDt. 6:4; 4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!Mk. 12:29, 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 

Creator of all things Gen. 1:1;  1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.Ps. 33:6;  6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.  Jn. 1:3; 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

SOF Article 1 - God’s gospel originates in and expresses the wondrous perfection of the eternal, triune God

1. God’s gospel originates in and

expresses the wondrous perfections

of the eternal, triune God

We believe in one God, Creator of

all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and

eternally existing in a loving unity of

three equally divine Persons: the

Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Artwork by Barukh Shoham

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the

Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through Him all things were made; without

Him nothing was made that has been made.John 1:1

Artwork by Barukh Shoham

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was

hovering over the face of the waters.Genesis 1:1

LIFE AFTER BAPTISMWe are to live “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”• not continuing our previous way of living• living so that sin is not the ruler of our

lives

Baptism?And we know that all things work

together for good to those who love

God,

to those who are the called

according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Having limitless knowledge and

sovereign power, God has graciously

purposed from eternity to redeem

a people for Himself and to make all

things new

for His own glory.

LIFE AFTER BAPTISMWe are to live “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”• not continuing our previous way of living• living so that sin is not the ruler of our

lives

Baptism?

Who has saved us and called us with

a holy calling, not according to our

works, but according to His own

purpose and grace which was given to

us

in Christ Jesus before time began,

2 Tim. 1:9

God had created human beings in His own image, so that the eternal Son of

God would be able to enter into our world and become incarnate as a human being

like us. This was part of His eternal purpose.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,

the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”

“Behold the Lamb of God,Who takes away the sin of the world”

John 1:13-15;29

Having limitless knowledge and

sovereign power, God has graciously

purposed from eternity to

redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new

for His own glory.

In His grace and in His power, He is both

willing and able to save what has been

lost and to restore what has been spoiled

At the climax of human history as we

know it, He will remove the barrier

between

heaven and earth, and all His creatures

will proclaim Him the King of all creation.

Gospel Truths: EFCC; 2011

LIFE AFTER BAPTISMWe are to live “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”• not continuing our previous way of living• living so that sin is not the ruler of our

lives

Baptism?...the mystery of Christ, 5 which in

other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been

revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the

Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His

promise in Christ through the gospel...

Ephesians 3:4(b)-6

Having limitless knowledge and

sovereign power, God has graciously

purposed from eternity to redeem a

people

for Himself and to

make all things new

for His own glory.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation; old things

have passed away; behold, all things

have become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first

earth had passed away. 4 And God will wipe

away every tear from their eyes; there shall be

no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

Revelation 1:1,4,5

13 And every creature which is in

heaven

and on the earth and under the earth

and such as are in the sea, and all

that are in them, I heard saying:

      “ Blessing and honor and

glory and power

      be to Him who sits on the

throne,

      And to the Lamb, forever and

ever!”

Revelation 5:13

The way we think about God

[our theology]

affects the way we respond to

Him.

What Next?

What Next?

If we think theology is dull and

irrelevant, we would rather get on with

life without dragging God into the

discussion.

What Next?

Perhaps we think He is distant and unconcerned, or harsh and angry, or even that He doesn’t exist. We make

choices in life thinking God doesn’t care one way or the other.

What Next?

Perhaps we think He is distant and unconcerned, or harsh and angry, or even that He doesn’t exist. We make

choices in life thinking God doesn’t care one way or the other.

Our confidence in God’s power and love affects the way we respond to life.

What Next?

35 Do you not say,

‘There are still four months

and then comes the harvest’?

Behold, I say to you,

lift up your eyes and look at the

fields, for they are already white

for harvest!

John 4:35

What Next?

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel

of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who

believes, for the Jew first and also for the

Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God

is revealed from faith to faith; Romans 1:16-17