Understanding God's Eternal Nature and Our Worship

 

Summary

In our exploration of Moses' encounter with God in the Midianite wilderness, we delve into the profound significance of God's self-revelation as "I am who I am." This declaration is not a refusal to disclose His name but rather a profound unveiling of His eternal nature. In the Hebrew tradition, names reveal the essence of a person, and God's name reveals His eternal, unchanging, and self-existent nature. This is a pivotal moment in Scripture, where God distinguishes Himself from all creation by emphasizing His eternal presence and being.

The question of why we worship God is central to our understanding of His nature. True worship transcends gratitude for what God has done and moves into adoration for who He is in His transcendent majesty. God is the most perfect being, and His attributes—omniscience, omnipresence, eternality—are without blemish. This understanding challenges us to worship God not just for His acts but for His very essence.

The age-old philosophical question, "Why is there something rather than nothing?" finds its answer in the opening verse of the Bible: "In the beginning, God." Before anything existed, there was God, the eternal Creator. The universe, with all its complexity and vastness, is a testament to God's creative power. The Big Bang theory, often discussed in scientific circles, points to a moment of creation, but it is God who stands as the ultimate cause, the eternal "I am" who brought everything into existence.

The distinction between God and creation is stark. While everything in the universe is in a state of becoming, subject to change and decay, God is pure being, unchanging and eternal. Our existence is contingent, dependent on God, who alone possesses being in and of Himself. This understanding of God as the source of all being is foundational to our faith and worship.

In Him, we live, move, and have our being. Our very existence is sustained by God's eternal presence. This truth is not just a matter of faith but a rationally compelling reality. The existence of anything at all points to the necessity of a self-existent, eternal being—God. As we continue to explore these profound truths, may we be drawn into deeper worship and awe of the God who is, who was, and who is to come.

Key Takeaways:

1. God's self-revelation as "I am who I am" is a profound declaration of His eternal, unchanging nature, distinguishing Him from all creation. This name reveals His self-existence and eternal presence, inviting us to worship Him for who He is, not just for what He does. [02:36]

2. True worship transcends gratitude for God's acts and moves into adoration for His transcendent majesty. Understanding God as the most perfect being challenges us to appreciate His attributes—omniscience, omnipresence, eternality—without blemish. [05:12]

3. The question "Why is there something rather than nothing?" finds its answer in the opening verse of the Bible: "In the beginning, God." Before anything existed, there was God, the eternal Creator, whose existence is the foundation of all reality. [09:06]

4. The distinction between God and creation is stark. While everything in the universe is in a state of becoming, subject to change and decay, God is pure being, unchanging and eternal. Our existence is contingent, dependent on God, who alone possesses being in and of Himself. [19:22]

5. In God, we live, move, and have our being. Our very existence is sustained by God's eternal presence, a truth that is not just a matter of faith but a rationally compelling reality. The existence of anything at all points to the necessity of a self-existent, eternal being—God. [21:26]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:22] - Introduction to Moses' Encounter
- [00:39] - Significance of God's Name
- [01:19] - God's Eternal Name
- [02:17] - Misinterpretations of God's Name
- [03:20] - Names in Hebrew Tradition
- [04:07] - Why Worship God?
- [05:12] - True Worship and God's Majesty
- [06:46] - The Question of Existence
- [09:06] - In the Beginning, God
- [10:46] - The Big Bang and Creation
- [14:01] - The Eternal Present of God
- [16:14] - Change and Becoming
- [19:22] - God as Pure Being
- [21:26] - Our Existence in God

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Exodus 3:13-15 - "Moses said to God, 'Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I tell them?' God said to Moses, 'I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I am has sent me to you."' God also said to Moses, 'Say to the Israelites, "The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you." This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.'"

2. Acts 17:28 - "For in him we live and move and have our being."

Observation Questions:
1. What name does God reveal to Moses in Exodus 3:14, and what significance does this name hold according to the sermon? [01:19]
2. How does the sermon describe the difference between God and creation in terms of being and becoming? [19:22]
3. What philosophical question does the sermon address, and how is it answered in the context of the Bible? [09:06]
4. According to the sermon, what is the significance of worshiping God for who He is rather than just for what He has done? [05:12]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the name "I am who I am" reflect God's eternal and unchanging nature, and why is this important for our understanding of God? [02:36]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our existence is contingent upon God, and how does this influence our perception of reality? [20:08]
3. How does the sermon challenge the common understanding of worship, and what does it mean to worship God in His transcendent majesty? [05:12]
4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between scientific theories like the Big Bang and the biblical account of creation? [10:46]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the name "I am who I am." How does this understanding of God’s nature impact your daily life and faith journey? [02:36]
2. Consider the idea that true worship involves adoration for who God is. How can you incorporate this perspective into your personal worship practices? [05:12]
3. The sermon discusses the question, "Why is there something rather than nothing?" How does this question affect your view of God as the Creator? [09:06]
4. In what ways can you remind yourself of your dependence on God in your everyday activities and decisions? [20:08]
5. How can the understanding that God is unchanging and eternal provide comfort in times of personal change or uncertainty? [19:22]
6. Reflect on a time when you focused more on what God has done rather than who He is. How might shifting your focus change your relationship with Him? [05:12]
7. How can you engage with others in discussions about the relationship between faith and science, using insights from the sermon? [10:46]

Devotional

Day 1: God's Eternal Self-Revelation
God's self-revelation as "I am who I am" is a profound declaration of His eternal, unchanging nature, distinguishing Him from all creation. This name reveals His self-existence and eternal presence, inviting us to worship Him for who He is, not just for what He does. In the Hebrew tradition, names reveal the essence of a person, and God's name reveals His eternal, unchanging, and self-existent nature. This is a pivotal moment in Scripture, where God distinguishes Himself from all creation by emphasizing His eternal presence and being. [02:36]

Exodus 3:14-15 (ESV): "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.' God also said to Moses, 'Say this to the people of Israel: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations."

Reflection: How does understanding God's eternal and unchanging nature affect the way you approach Him in prayer and worship today?


Day 2: Worship Beyond Gratitude
True worship transcends gratitude for God's acts and moves into adoration for His transcendent majesty. Understanding God as the most perfect being challenges us to appreciate His attributes—omniscience, omnipresence, eternality—without blemish. Worship is not merely a response to what God has done for us but an acknowledgment of His inherent worth and majesty. This understanding challenges us to worship God not just for His acts but for His very essence. [05:12]

Psalm 145:3-5 (ESV): "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate."

Reflection: In what ways can you shift your focus from thanking God for what He has done to adoring Him for who He is today?


Day 3: The Foundation of Existence
The question "Why is there something rather than nothing?" finds its answer in the opening verse of the Bible: "In the beginning, God." Before anything existed, there was God, the eternal Creator, whose existence is the foundation of all reality. The universe, with all its complexity and vastness, is a testament to God's creative power. The Big Bang theory, often discussed in scientific circles, points to a moment of creation, but it is God who stands as the ultimate cause, the eternal "I am" who brought everything into existence. [09:06]

Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV): "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Reflection: How does recognizing God as the foundation of all existence change your perspective on the world around you today?


Day 4: The Distinction of God and Creation
The distinction between God and creation is stark. While everything in the universe is in a state of becoming, subject to change and decay, God is pure being, unchanging and eternal. Our existence is contingent, dependent on God, who alone possesses being in and of Himself. This understanding of God as the source of all being is foundational to our faith and worship. [19:22]

Isaiah 40:28 (ESV): "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to acknowledge your dependence on God's unchanging nature today?


Day 5: Sustained by God's Presence
In God, we live, move, and have our being. Our very existence is sustained by God's eternal presence, a truth that is not just a matter of faith but a rationally compelling reality. The existence of anything at all points to the necessity of a self-existent, eternal being—God. As we continue to explore these profound truths, may we be drawn into deeper worship and awe of the God who is, who was, and who is to come. [21:26]

Acts 17:27-28 (ESV): "That they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring.'"

Reflection: How can you cultivate a greater awareness of God's sustaining presence in your daily life today?

Quotes


In Hebrew categories in the Old Testament, the names of people are given to reveal something about who they were. Even Moses was given the name Moses because he was drawn out of the water. We remember that Jacob became Israel because he wrestled with God and struggled. [00:31:28]

Why do you worship God? Why do you give to him reverence and a sense of adoration that differs from any esteem that you give to anything in the created world? You know, it's easy for us to love God, to be grateful to God, and to worship God because of all of the wonderful things he's done. [00:43:59]

I don't think the Christian rises to true worship until the Christian begins to worship God not for what he has done but for who he is in his transcendent majesty. When we realize, as the theologians of the past have said, that God is the most perfect being. [00:51:36]

The question is this: why is there something rather than nothing? Why does anything exist in this universe? You know, the psalmist, without understanding the immensities of the galaxies and the billions of stars that we hear about from the astronomers today, just in his naked observation of the world around him, looked to the stars. [01:06:57]

The answer to that question really is easy, and it should be so simple, so manifest, that it should never incite any kind of debate or argument. That answer is found in the very first verse of the Bible, where we read, "In the beginning, God." [01:29:00]

There was a time when all of these stars, all of the trees, all of the fish, all of the animals, all of the people didn't exist at all. Everything in the universe has a beginning. It starts at a particular moment in space and time, and before that, all that existed in reality was God. [01:36:00]

The distinction between God and us has to do with those adjectives that qualify the concept of being. He is supreme; we are human. But you know what the real difference is between God and me? It is being. He alone has being in and of himself. [01:57:20]

In him, we live, move, and have our being. Let me put it another way: without him, we couldn't live. Our existence would be static, inert. We couldn't move. The stars would freeze in their courses because their motion is not independent. [02:01:14]

We debate all the time about can we prove the existence of God. If we define God as an eternal being from whom all things come and upon whom all things are dependent, I think that that proposition can be proved indubitably and compellingly in about 10 seconds. [02:08:36]

If anything exists, anything, these glasses, something, somewhere, somehow must have the power of being in himself. Without that, nothing can exist. Again, if there were ever a time that there were nothing, just imagine a vast emptiness in the universe. [02:13:25]

The existence of anything at all points to the necessity of a self-existent, eternal being—God. As we continue to explore these profound truths, may we be drawn into deeper worship and awe of the God who is, who was, and who is to come. [02:15:48]

God's self-revelation as "I am who I am" is a profound declaration of His eternal, unchanging nature, distinguishing Him from all creation. This name reveals His self-existence and eternal presence, inviting us to worship Him for who He is, not just for what He does. [00:02:36]

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