Embracing God's Sovereignty Beyond Our Dogmas
Summary
Beloved congregation, today we delve into the heart of God's workings, beyond the confines of our human understanding and dogmas. We journeyed with Pastor John Minon, who, raised in a Baptist church and later serving in Madagascar, witnessed the Spirit of God moving in diverse and unexpected ways. This serves as a reminder that God's actions are always consistent with His Word, yet not limited by our doctrinal boxes.
In Acts 11, we see a pivotal shift in perspective. Initially, the focus was on the Gentiles receiving the Word, but it transitions to recognizing that it is God who grants repentance leading to life. This is a profound change from observing human actions to acknowledging divine initiative. It's not about what we do, but what God is doing, and that is what truly matters. God's actions are based on truth, challenging our beliefs and dogmas.
Peter's vision in Joppa, where he is instructed to eat what was previously considered unclean, illustrates the transformation of our understanding through God's revelation. Despite Jesus declaring all foods clean, Peter clung to his dogmas until God intervened. This teaches us that God always acts according to His character, and our knowledge of Him comes from time spent in His Word.
Our dogmas, no matter how well-intentioned, can obscure our view of God's work. We must approach our beliefs with humility, holding onto the truth of God's Word while remaining open to His Spirit. As we build our understanding, we must prioritize God's truth above all else, allowing it to inform and correct our human reasoning.
In the narrative of Cornelius' household, we see the Holy Spirit orchestrating events contrary to Peter's judgment. This challenges our preconceptions and invites us to trust in God's Word. The gift of the Holy Spirit, given to both Jews and Gentiles, signifies God's inclusive salvation and the breaking down of dogmatic barriers.
In summary, our sermon today calls us to a deeper trust in God's ways, which are higher than our own. We are encouraged to seek God in His Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, and to be gracious with one another as we grow in understanding.
Key Takeaways:
- God's work transcends our dogmatic boxes, and we must be open to the diverse ways He moves across the globe. Our experiences with God should not be constrained by our cultural or denominational lenses but should be tested against the consistency of His Word. ([01:17:53])
- True repentance is a divine gift, not a human achievement. When we shift our focus from human actions to God's sovereignty, we begin to understand the depth of His grace and the transformative power of His Spirit in our lives. ([01:20:10])
- Our understanding of God must be rooted in a relationship with Him, not in solving Him as a problem or formula. Time spent in God's presence and His Word shapes our dogmas to align with His character and purposes. ([58:33])
- The Holy Spirit is not a formula to be calculated but a person to be known. As we understand the heart and character of God, the work of the Spirit becomes clear, guiding us beyond our limited dogmas to embrace God's expansive salvation. ([01:10:27])
- Our beliefs must be held with humility, recognizing that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours. By prioritizing the truth of God's Word, we can navigate our dogmas with wisdom, ensuring they serve to reveal rather than obscure God's work in our lives and the world. ([49:58])
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Acts 11:1-18 - This passage recounts Peter's vision and the subsequent acceptance of Gentiles into the early Christian community, highlighting the transformative work of the Holy Spirit and God's inclusive salvation.
2. Isaiah 55:8-9 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
3. 1 Peter 1:23-25 - "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, 'All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you."
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the significance of Peter's vision in Joppa, and how did it challenge his existing beliefs? ([01:00:31])
2. How did the early church react when they heard that Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit? ([01:20:10])
3. According to the sermon, what is the primary way we can understand the work of the Holy Spirit? ([01:10:27])
4. What does Isaiah 55:8-9 tell us about the nature of God's thoughts and ways compared to ours?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Peter's vision and subsequent actions in Acts 11 illustrate the idea that God's work transcends human dogmas? ([01:00:31])
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our understanding of God should be rooted in a relationship with Him rather than in solving Him as a problem? ([58:33])
3. How does the gift of the Holy Spirit to both Jews and Gentiles challenge traditional boundaries and dogmas within the early church? ([01:08:20])
4. What does it mean to hold our beliefs with humility, and how can this approach help us better understand God's work in our lives? ([49:58])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when your own dogmas or preconceived notions were challenged by a new understanding of God's Word. How did you respond, and what did you learn from the experience? ([01:00:31])
2. How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with God through His Word, ensuring that your beliefs align with His character and purposes? ([58:33])
3. In what ways can you remain open to the diverse ways God might be working in your life and community, even if it challenges your existing beliefs? ([01:17:53])
4. Think of a situation where you might have judged someone based on your own dogmas. How can you approach this person with the grace and understanding that Peter showed in Acts 11? ([01:00:31])
5. How can you prioritize the truth of God's Word in your daily life, allowing it to inform and correct your reasoning and actions? ([49:58])
6. Identify one area in your life where you need to trust God's ways over your own understanding. What steps can you take this week to surrender this area to Him? ([01:20:10])
7. How can you be more gracious and patient with others in your church or community who may have different beliefs or dogmas? ([01:20:10])
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing God's Unbounded Work
God's work often defies our expectations and doctrinal boundaries. It is essential to recognize that the divine operates on a global scale, moving in ways that may seem unconventional to our cultural or denominational norms. The truth of God's Word should be the measure against which we test our experiences with Him, ensuring that we are not confining the infinite to our finite understanding. This openness to the Spirit's movement invites a broader, richer engagement with the divine, one that transcends our limited perspectives and embraces the fullness of God's work in the world. [01:17:53]
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Reflection: How can you challenge one of your own doctrinal assumptions this week to make room for a fresh understanding of God's work in your life or in the world?
Day 2: Divine Gift of Repentance
Repentance is not something that can be achieved through human effort; it is a gift from God. This shift from focusing on human deeds to recognizing God's sovereignty allows for a deeper appreciation of grace and the Spirit's transformative power. Understanding repentance as a divine initiative helps to cultivate a sense of humility and reliance on God, acknowledging that it is His work in us that leads to true life change. This perspective fosters a reliance on God's grace rather than on personal merit or effort. [01:20:10]
2 Timothy 2:25 (ESV): "Correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth."
Reflection: In what ways can you remind yourself this week that repentance is a gift from God and not a personal accomplishment?
Day 3: Relationship Over Dogma
A genuine understanding of God is cultivated through a relationship with Him, not by reducing Him to a formula. Spending time in God's presence and studying His Word allows our beliefs to be shaped by His character and purposes. This relationship-based approach helps to ensure that our dogmas are aligned with the truth of who God is, rather than being mere human constructs. As we grow in our knowledge of God, our understanding should evolve, reflecting the dynamic nature of our relationship with the divine. [58:33]
Ephesians 3:18-19 (ESV): "May have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: What is one way you can deepen your relationship with God this week that goes beyond mere intellectual understanding?
Day 4: The Personhood of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not a concept to be analyzed but a person to be known and experienced. As believers come to understand the heart and character of God, the work of the Spirit becomes more apparent, guiding them beyond the confines of their dogmas. This relationship with the Spirit leads to a greater comprehension of God's inclusive salvation and the breaking down of barriers that may have previously seemed insurmountable. [01:10:27]
1 Corinthians 2:11-12 (ESV): "For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God."
Reflection: How can you be more attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in a specific area of your life this week?
Day 5: Humility in Belief
Holding beliefs with humility is crucial, as it acknowledges that God's ways and thoughts are beyond human comprehension. Prioritizing the truth of God's Word allows believers to navigate their dogmas wisely, ensuring that these beliefs serve to reveal God's work rather than obscure it. This humble approach to theology fosters a community that is gracious and open to growth, recognizing that understanding God is a journey that requires both discernment and grace. [49:58]
Romans 11:33-34 (ESV): "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
Reflection: What is one belief you hold that you can re-examine this week in light of God's greater wisdom and knowledge?
Quotes
- "The heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful; my only chance of knowing God is to spend time with Him in His word. That's where right dogmas come from, spending time with God." [58:33] ( | | )
- "We all have our dogmas in every area of life... But we can be gentle with each other and explain, 'Here's what God is doing in me.'" [59:30] ( | | )
- "God always acts according to his character, and our knowledge of Him comes from time spent in His Word." [01:02:30] ( | | )
- "If we're not careful, our dogma confuses our view of what God is doing. Know this is how it is, God, this is how you work... But if I focus on what is true absolutely and hold everything else loosely, then I'm less likely to miss what God is doing." [54:32] ( | | )
- "God has granted repentance that leads to life... It's not about what the Gentiles have done, now it's God has granted repentance. That makes all the difference, what God is doing." [01:20:10] ( | | )
- "The Spirit of God is not a formula we don't go through these passages and try to add up like a mathematical equation the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person, the Holy Spirit is God." [01:10:27] ( | | )
- "God is doing the same thing He did with them back at the beginning... God made it perfectly evident that His Holy Spirit had come to the Jews and now to the Gentiles." [01:11:24] ( | | )
- "If then God gave the same gift to them as He gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way? What's the gift? It's the Holy Spirit." [01:08:20] ( | | )
- "All of our great wisdom will just fade away, only the word of God remains. I remember thinking, if I just think hard enough, I can figure out God... 'My ways are higher than your ways, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.'" [57:37] ( | | )
- "We try to put the Spirit of God in a box sometimes... But here's what you can be sure of: in Madagascar, God was acting consistent perfectly with His word." [01:17:53] ( | | )
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