Exploring Faith's Paradoxes: Embracing God's Mystery

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Depths of Paradox

In the journey of faith, paradoxes invite us to hold seemingly contradictory truths together, allowing us to explore the depths of God's wisdom and mystery. These paradoxes, like "less is more" or "the last will be first," challenge our understanding and encourage us to look beyond the surface. By embracing these tensions, we foster a sense of awe and wonder, reminding ourselves that God's ways are higher than our own understanding. This approach not only deepens our faith but also enriches our spiritual journey by inviting us to trust in God's wisdom and sovereignty. [06:26]

"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." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a paradox in your life that challenges your understanding. How can you embrace this tension and allow it to deepen your trust in God's wisdom today?

Day 2: Balancing Certainty and Mystery

While Scripture provides us with certainty in our faith, it also invites us to acknowledge the mystery that surrounds God's nature and ways. This balance allows us to trust in God's wisdom while remaining open to the unknown. The Apostle Paul himself admitted to knowing only "in part," highlighting the mystery that surrounds our understanding of God. By holding certainty and mystery together, we cultivate a faith that is both grounded and open to the awe-inspiring nature of God. [12:48]

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33, ESV)

Reflection: Consider an area of your faith where you feel certain. How can you remain open to the mystery of God's ways in this area, allowing for growth and deeper understanding?

Day 3: Marveling at Theological Paradoxes

Theological paradoxes, such as the Trinity or the dual nature of Christ, highlight the limitations of human understanding. These concepts invite us to marvel at the complexity of God's nature and deepen our faith through humble recognition of our finite perspective. By acknowledging these mysteries, we are reminded of the vastness of God's wisdom and the beauty of His divine nature. This perspective encourages us to approach our faith with humility and wonder, trusting in God's infinite understanding. [17:40]

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable." (Psalm 145:3, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a theological concept that you find difficult to understand. How can you approach this mystery with humility and allow it to deepen your faith?

Day 4: Encountering God Through Paradox

Engaging with paradoxes, like Moses with the burning bush, can lead to profound encounters with God. By pausing to consider these mysteries, we open ourselves to transformative experiences that reveal God's nature and purpose for our lives. Moses' curiosity about the burning bush led to a life-changing revelation of God's nature and purpose for him. Similarly, by approaching the paradoxes in Scripture with curiosity, we allow them to deepen our understanding of God and transform our lives. [30:22]

"And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed." (Exodus 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a paradox in Scripture that intrigues you. How can you explore this mystery further and allow it to lead you to a deeper encounter with God?

Day 5: Cultivating Awe and Wonder

Allowing for paradox in our theological understanding creates space for awe and wonder, essential elements of a vibrant faith. This perspective encourages us to trust in God's wisdom and embrace the mystery of His ways, enriching our spiritual journey. By holding these tensions together, we are reminded that what may seem mysterious to us is simple from God's perspective. This approach not only deepens our faith but also invites us to marvel at the beauty and complexity of God's nature. [35:55]

"Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable." (Job 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an aspect of your faith that fills you with awe and wonder. How can you cultivate this sense of wonder in your daily life, allowing it to enrich your spiritual journey?

Sermon Summary

Embracing the mystery of God is a journey that invites us to explore the paradoxes found within our faith. As we embark on this new series, "Paradox: Embracing the Mystery of God," we aim to delve into the complexities and apparent contradictions that challenge our understanding of God and His ways. A paradox, by definition, is a statement that seems contradictory yet may hold truth. This series will help us navigate these paradoxes, not to resolve them like a math problem, but to appreciate the awe and wonder they bring to our faith.

We began by defining what a paradox is and explored some familiar examples, such as "less is more" and "the only constant is change." These statements, while seemingly contradictory, reveal deeper truths upon closer examination. Similarly, the paradoxes found in Scripture, such as "whoever finds his life will lose it" and "the last will be first," challenge us to look beyond the surface and seek a deeper understanding of God's truth.

Theological paradoxes, like the Trinity or the dual nature of Christ as fully God and fully man, remind us of the limitations of our human understanding. While we can have certainty in our faith, we must also acknowledge that our comprehension is not exhaustive. The Apostle Paul himself admitted to knowing only "in part," highlighting the mystery that surrounds our understanding of God.

The story of Moses and the burning bush serves as a powerful illustration of how engaging with paradox can lead to profound encounters with God. Moses' curiosity about the burning bush, which was not consumed, led to a life-changing revelation of God's nature and purpose for him. This series encourages us to approach the paradoxes in Scripture with a similar curiosity, allowing them to deepen our understanding of God and transform our lives.

As we journey through this series, we aim to embrace the mystery of God, recognizing that paradoxes are not flaws in our faith but opportunities for awe and wonder. By holding these tensions together, we trust in God's wisdom and sovereignty, knowing that what may seem mysterious to us is simple from His perspective.

Key Takeaways

1. Changing Encounters:** Engaging with paradoxes, like Moses with the burning bush, can lead to profound encounters with God. By pausing to consider these mysteries, we open ourselves to transformative experiences that reveal God's nature and purpose for our lives. [30:22]
5. Awe and Wonder: Allowing for paradox in our theological understanding creates space for awe and wonder, essential elements of a vibrant faith. This perspective encourages us to trust in God's wisdom and embrace the mystery of His ways, enriching our spiritual journey.

** [30:22]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:16] - Introduction to the Series
[04:40] - Defining Paradox
[06:26] - Examples of Paradox
[07:36] - Paradoxes in Scripture
[10:45] - Certainty in Faith
[12:48] - Mystery in Understanding
[15:43] - Paul's Perspective
[17:40] - Theological Paradoxes
[18:53] - Embracing Mystery
[21:39] - God's Perspective
[23:03] - Trusting in Paradox
[26:21] - The Peacock Story
[29:32] - Moses and the Burning Bush
[33:06] - Revelation Through Paradox
[35:55] - Life-Changing Encounters
[37:40] - Conclusion and Announcements

Sermon Clips

1. "A paradox sets forth two ideas as truth that stand in tension with each other. And while on the surface it's not apparent how both of them can be true, it does not mean that they logically contradict one another. Now, here's a classic rhetorical paradox. Here it is. The boy has had three birthdays. The boy is 13 years old. Now, let that rattle around in your head for a moment. The boy has had three birthdays. The boy is 13. The boy is 13 years old. This is a paradoxical statement. And on the surface, it appears to be illogical, doesn't it, initially when you read this, when you encounter it." ([00:04:40] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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2. "The reality is that the seemingly contradictory statements are not either or, but they are both and. We're going to talk a lot about both and through this series together. Here are a few more paradoxical statements that we're very familiar with. The only constant is change. Now, that initially doesn't seem to make any sense, right? A constant and change don't seem to go together. Here's another one. This is the beginning of the end. And listen, is it the beginning or is it the end? How can it be the beginning of the end? Less is more." ([00:06:14] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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3. "The confident understanding we have as we read and study the scriptures is not an exhaustive confident understanding an absolute understanding for the most profound paradoxes of scripture remind us that when it comes to God's being will and ways. We don't know what we don't know. Right? There are many things about who God is and the nature of God and the way that he works that we don't get. And we struggle to comprehend." ([00:14:38] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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4. "Paul says, for we know what? In part. And we prophesy in part. In part. In part. The perfect comes, what? The partial will pass away, for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part. Did you hear that? The apostle Paul, the great apostle Paul, used by God in so many incredible ways in the formative years of the church, giving us most of the New Testament as far as a single. What does he say? I know in part." ([00:15:43] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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5. "While it's true that a paradox requires us to hold some things together in tension, we do so as those in Christ always thankful for what God has enabled us to understand and always trusting God for the things that we don't understand. This is the certainty that we bring to paradox, because we know God. We know he's trustworthy." ([00:23:29] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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6. "Friends, it seems to me that life -changing encounters with God can still happen if we're willing to pay attention to the paradoxes in Scripture. If we're willing to pause just long enough to take a look at some of these paradoxes, that God can use that experience to change, our understanding of who he is, but also to change our understanding of who he has called us as his people to be." ([00:35:55] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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7. "The purpose of this new study series, taking some time to consider some of the paradoxes, found in Scripture, is that we might come to more fully embrace the life -transforming mystery of God, the awe, the wonder. Each of the paradoxes found in the Bible are kind of like burning bushes that need to be examined. And over the coming weeks, that's exactly what we're going to do as we focus on certain of the puzzles contained in the pages of God's written word." ([00:36:42] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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8. "G .K. Chesterton, the early 20th century English author, philosopher, and Christian apologist once wrote this. He said, paradox is merely truth standing on its head to get attention. I like that. Paradox is truth standing on its head to get attention. Over here! Look at me! Come over! Take a look! That's what we're going to do, Lord willing, through this series. In the coming weeks, we're going to give some of those biblical truths the attention that they deserve." ([00:37:39] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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