Welcome

1. Welcome To The Services Of The Dunlap church of Christ We Are Thankful For Your Presence!

2. Welcome To The Services Of The Dunlap church of Christ Questions? Just Let Us Know!

3. Acts 17:24-29 “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (25) Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing,”

4. “Seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; (26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;”

5. (27) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: (28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”

6. (29) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.”

7. Neglected Study? • The concept of the Godhead can be difficult to learn, especially when you consider how three can be in one. • Another reason for difficulty in understanding the Godhead is we cannot compare the Godhead with anything else with which we are familiar. • That is what Paul himself said in our devotional reading: “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device,” (Acts 17:29).

8. The Godhead In Creation • While the Godhead is incomparable to anything in creation, one can see the reflections of a triune God in creation. • As an artist demonstrates his personality and nature in his work, so has the Godhead. • Van Gogh, Da Vinci, or Warhol?

9. Consider: The 3-fold Interrelation Of: • space (distance) • time • velocity (movement) • Each is dependent upon the other two for its existence. • In fact, each is defined by a relationship of the other two. • There can be no time without space or movement, and there can be no space without time and movement.

10. In Mathematical Terms, • It is expressed as a formula which signifies that what is on the left side is equal to, or is the result of the relationship on the right. • Space (distance) • Time • Velocity (movement) Velocity = Distance / Time

11. Threefold Dimensions of Space • Length, width, & height • Space is created in three dimensions. • Imagine a person all his life who has only been shown a piece of paper from one dimension, its edge (or width)? This person obviously would not really know “a piece of paper” as an entity until he sees it from its three dimensions. • In this sense, the one entity depends on these three factors.

12. Threefold Division of Time • Past, present, and future Threefold Division Of Color: • Red, green, & blue • Called primary colors because from them all other colors can be made. Three Basic Components Of Matter: • Proton, neutron, & electron Threefold Family Unit: • Father, mother, & child

13. These Do Not Necessarily Prove ATriune God, But Do Reflect Such. • Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah? • Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego? • Shem, Ham, and Japheth? • Three blind mice? • The 3 Stooges? • The 3 Amigos? • Felipe, Manny, & Jesus Alou?

14. Genesis 1:1-3 Never could be find a more precise and to the point statement concerning Creation than these few words. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (3) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

15. God “Elohim” Created… • God created light (vs. 3) • God created the firmament (vs. 6) • God created dry land, grass, trees (vs.10-12) • God created the sun, moon, & stars (vs.14-16) • God created the sea creatures & fowl (vs.20-21) • God created the land animals (vs. 24) • In Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:…”

16. God The Father:The Planner And Designer Of Creation • God has always existed, but not the universe. • Matter is not eternal. • Itcame about through planning and design. • Let us be honest with the evidence! • The creation is arranged with order and precision by He Who has the power and authority to create, as He will, those things most pleasing in His sight. • This universe, and particularly the creation of man, came about through the mind of God, for His good pleasure.

17. Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

18. God The Father:The Planner & Designer Of Creation • We should be thankful! • The attributes of a gracious, loving, kind, just, merciful, and forgiving God are reflected in this material world. • Listen & see the created universe as they testify. • Because of God’s infinite power, wisdom, and love, He gave man a place of habitation that was just the proper distance to the sun, He gave him air to breathe, food which could be grown to sustain his life, etc. all in accordance with His Divine plan.

19. Jesus Christ:The Divine Agent In Creation • H. Leo Boles identifies Jesus Christ as the divine agent, the means, the vehicle through Whom God the Father created all things. • This is certainly in harmony with the Scriptures, which teach that not only was Jesus Christ present at the creation, but also played a very active and distinct role in its creation. • “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3

20. Jesus Christ – The Word (Logos) • This demonstrateshow He acts as the divine spokesperson in the Godhead and as the communicator between God and His creation. • “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” Hebrews 1:1-2

21. The Holy Spirit:The Divine Organizer In Creation • After the universe had been planned in the mind of God and spoken into existence by the Word, the Holy Spirit began molding, crafting, and putting into shape that which was created. • And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,” Genesis 1:2

22. God called into existence through Christ, the Word, the material, and the Holy Spirit guided the arrangement of the elements into a complete system that we now call the “universe” which means all created things as constituting one system. • There was no universe until after the Holy Spirit had functioned. • “The heavens which declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1) and which were spoken into existence by Christ (Hebrews 1:2), were formulated by the Holy Spirit.

23. Job 26:13 “By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.” “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” Job 33:4

24. Conclusion: • While we may never fully comprehend the enormity of this subject, we must come to better appreciate the God whom we worship. • He is clearly seen in all things that have been made, but even more clearly in the revelation of His divine will.

25. God’s Simple Plan HEAR (Romans 10:17) BELIEVE (John 8:24) REPENT (Luke 13:3) CONFESS (Rom.10:9-10) BAPTIZED (Gal. 3:27) ADDED TO THE CHURCH (Acts 2:41,47)

26. Are You Wayward? “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” (Acts 8:22) “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)