Stories of God’s Power

—God’s Nature and Character

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Andrew Fountain – May 19, 2013

The Power of Stories

Famous talk:

“Why there are no Hittites on the streets of New York”

by John Patrick

(The Hittites were an ancient civilization contemporary with ancient Israel.)

“Hittites”

“New York Street”

Do you notice any Hittites?
What’s the point?
- There are Jews on the streets of NY!
Why did one group retain their identity and the other not?
- Ultimately of course it is the grace of God
- But God used means to help the nation retain a strong identity
- One of them was in Joshua 4

Joshua 4

…take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel,
that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’
then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan stopped flowing before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan stopped flowing.
So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

Problem found by missionaries who did not tell stories of history, but just taught doctrine
Children extract meaning for life from stories, true or false

Theology

Systematic Theology	Biblical Theology
Organize truth into a logical system	Ask how God has organized truth
Doctrine of God: divide his attributes into categories	How has God decided to reveal his nature and character to us?
Good as an end-point	The best place to start

Very often he has chosen to use the accounts of what he has done and how he has related to people to tell us what his character is like.
So what is the very first thing God tells us about himself?
Creative Power

“Psalm 8”

continue

Psalm 19:1-4

Psalm 19 says the sky speaks:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world…

“Stars”

Sustains creation

The “Deist” viewpoint
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Hebrews 1:3)
In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:10)
In him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28)

Can you feel your heart beating? (try it now) —every one of them is from God
Problem: if he can, why doesn’t he?
- e.g. Problem of two people praying for weather at the same time
- Farmer praying for rain
- Next door is a church building where there is a wedding...
Is there anything God can’t do?
- Behave inconsistently
God reveals that he not only has power over the big, but over the small as well
- Power over the small, even at the level of cells of the body:

Genesis 15

…the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield and the one who will reward you in great abundance.”
But Abram said, “O sovereign LORD, what will you give me since I continue to be childless, and my heir is Eliezer of Damascus?”
“…This man will not be your heir, but instead a son who comes from your own body will be your heir.”
The LORD took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars — if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty.

25 years of waiting
Then told “this time next year”

Exodus

Mighty power, slaves to freedom

“Psalm 136”

continue

Wilderness (food, water, forgiveness from sins)

Power & Love

If God is the most powerful being in the universe,
and he loves me,
…then what do I have to fear?

Last week we talked about God’s power in Jesus’ resurrection
- our new-creation life
- death is defeated
We should share our stories
- As I was growing up, my parents were always sharing their stories of God with me
- We can really help each other by sharing our stories
Message: God’s power is one of the most comforting facts to know
Think often about it
This power is accessible to us through prayer

“Psalm 29”

continue

Newlife Church – Stories of God’s Power

Stories of God’s Power

—God’s Nature and Character

Click here to advance the slides.Then use the right → and left ← keys on your keyboard to go forwards or backwards.

The Power of Stories

Famous talk:

“Hittites”

“New York Street”

Joshua 4

Theology

“Psalm 8”

Psalm 19:1-4

“Stars”

Sustains creation

Genesis 15

Exodus

“Psalm 136”

Power & Love

“Psalm 29”

Click here to advance the slides.
Then use the right → and left ← keys on your keyboard to go forwards or backwards.