Understanding the Trinity: Unity, Love, and Our Identity
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound and foundational Christian doctrine of the Trinity. This doctrine, though complex, is central to our understanding of God and our relationship with Him. We began by acknowledging that the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, yet the concept is woven throughout Scripture, from Genesis to the New Testament. The Trinity is defined as God eternally existing as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each fully God, yet there is one God. This understanding is crucial as it shapes how we worship and relate to God.
We delved into the four words that help us grasp the Trinity: one, three, diversity, and unity. There is one God who exists as three distinct persons, each with unique roles yet perfectly united. This unity and diversity within the Trinity model for us what healthy relationships and community should look like. We also discussed why the Trinity is challenging to explain, acknowledging that human analogies often fall short. Whether it's the egg, shamrock, or H2O, each analogy has its limitations and can lead to misunderstandings like modalism, which incorrectly suggests God changes forms.
Understanding the Trinity transforms how we see the world and live our lives. It impacts our worship, our relationships, and our understanding of love. The Trinity matters because it reveals God's nature as love, unity, and relationship. It challenges us to live in unity with others and to embrace the love God offers us. As we continue to explore this doctrine, may we be drawn into deeper worship and relationship with the triune God, allowing His love to transform us.
Key Takeaways:
- The Trinity as a Model for Relationships: The Trinity exemplifies perfect unity and diversity, teaching us about healthy relationships. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in perfect harmony, modeling for us how to live in community with others. This unity challenges us to seek harmony in our relationships, reflecting God's love and unity in our interactions. [01:13:42]
- The Complexity of the Trinity: Understanding the Trinity is challenging because it transcends human comprehension. While analogies like the egg or H2O can help, they often fall short, leading to misconceptions. The Trinity is a mystery that invites us to worship and marvel at God's nature, rather than fully grasp it with human logic. [01:07:39]
- The Trinity and Worship: Our understanding of the Trinity shapes our worship. Knowing God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enriches our worship experience, allowing us to engage with God in spirit and truth. This understanding deepens our relationship with God, transforming our worship into a more profound encounter with His presence. [01:21:28]
- The Trinity and God's Love: The Trinity reveals God's nature as love. In the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we see a perfect expression of love that extends to humanity. This love invites us into a relationship with God, transforming our lives and enabling us to love others as He loves us. [01:17:25]
- The Trinity and Our Identity: Understanding the Trinity impacts our identity as believers. We are created by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This triune relationship defines who we are and how we live, calling us to reflect God's love and unity in our daily lives. [01:24:01]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:02:00] - Call to Worship
- [00:04:30] - Introduction to the Trinity
- [00:10:00] - Defining the Trinity
- [00:15:00] - The Trinity in Scripture
- [00:20:00] - Four Words to Understand the Trinity
- [00:25:00] - The Challenge of Explaining the Trinity
- [00:30:00] - Common Analogies and Their Limitations
- [00:35:00] - The Trinity's Impact on Worship
- [00:40:00] - Why the Trinity Matters
- [00:45:00] - The Trinity and God's Love
- [00:50:00] - The Trinity and Our Identity
- [00:55:00] - Invitation to Know God
- [01:00:00] - Closing Prayer and Reflection
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Understanding the Trinity
Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 1:1-3
2. John 1:1-3
3. John 14:15-17
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Observation Questions:
1. In Genesis 1:1-3, how is the presence of the Trinity indicated in the creation narrative? What roles do each of the persons of the Trinity play in these verses? [00:35:00]
2. According to John 1:1-3, how is Jesus described in relation to God and creation? What does this passage reveal about the nature of Jesus? [00:35:00]
3. In John 14:15-17, what promise does Jesus make about the Holy Spirit? How does this passage illustrate the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? [00:35:00]
4. How does the sermon describe the challenge of explaining the Trinity using human analogies? What are some examples given, and why do they fall short? [01:07:39]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of the Trinity as one God in three persons challenge or affirm your understanding of God? What implications does this have for how we view God’s nature? [00:35:00]
2. In what ways does the Trinity serve as a model for relationships and community, according to the sermon? How can this understanding impact our interactions with others? [01:13:42]
3. The sermon mentions that understanding the Trinity transforms our worship. How does knowing God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enrich our worship experience? [01:21:28]
4. How does the Trinity reveal God’s nature as love, and what does this mean for our relationship with Him and with others? [01:17:25]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current understanding of the Trinity. How has this sermon challenged or deepened your perspective? What steps can you take to further explore this doctrine? [00:35:00]
2. The Trinity exemplifies perfect unity and diversity. Identify a relationship in your life where you can seek greater harmony and unity. What practical steps can you take to achieve this? [01:13:42]
3. Consider the analogies used to explain the Trinity. How can you communicate the concept of the Trinity to someone who is new to the faith without relying on potentially misleading analogies? [01:07:39]
4. How does the understanding of the Trinity as a model for relationships challenge you to live differently in your community or family? What specific actions can you take to reflect this model? [01:13:42]
5. The sermon emphasizes the transformative power of God’s love as revealed in the Trinity. How can you allow this love to transform your daily interactions and decisions? [01:17:25]
6. In what ways can you incorporate the understanding of the Trinity into your worship practices? How might this change the way you engage with God during worship? [01:21:28]
7. Reflect on the idea that the Trinity impacts our identity as believers. How does this understanding influence your sense of purpose and calling in life? What changes might you make to align more closely with this identity? [01:24:01]
Devotional
Day 1: Unity in Diversity: The Trinity as a Relational Model
The Trinity exemplifies perfect unity and diversity, teaching us about healthy relationships. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in perfect harmony, modeling for us how to live in community with others. This unity challenges us to seek harmony in our relationships, reflecting God's love and unity in our interactions. The Trinity's relational nature encourages us to embrace diversity while striving for unity, showing us that differences can coexist within a harmonious relationship. By understanding this divine model, we are inspired to cultivate relationships that mirror the love and unity found within the Trinity. [01:13:42]
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a relationship in your life where diversity could be better embraced. How can you actively work towards unity in that relationship today?
Day 2: Embracing the Mystery: The Complexity of the Trinity
Understanding the Trinity is challenging because it transcends human comprehension. While analogies like the egg or H2O can help, they often fall short, leading to misconceptions. The Trinity is a mystery that invites us to worship and marvel at God's nature, rather than fully grasp it with human logic. This complexity encourages us to approach God with humility, acknowledging that some aspects of His nature are beyond our understanding. Embracing this mystery can deepen our faith, as we learn to trust in God's infinite wisdom and love, even when we cannot fully comprehend it. [01:07:39]
"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 aspect of your faith that you find difficult to understand. How can you embrace the mystery and trust God more deeply in this area today?
Day 3: Worship in Spirit and Truth: The Trinity and Worship
Our understanding of the Trinity shapes our worship. Knowing God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enriches our worship experience, allowing us to engage with God in spirit and truth. This understanding deepens our relationship with God, transforming our worship into a more profound encounter with His presence. By recognizing the distinct roles of each person of the Trinity, we can approach worship with a fuller appreciation of God's nature and His work in our lives. This holistic view of God invites us to worship with greater depth and sincerity, as we seek to honor each person of the Trinity in our praise and adoration. [01:21:28]
"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." (John 4:23, ESV)
Reflection: How can you incorporate a deeper understanding of the Trinity into your worship practices this week, both personally and corporately?
Day 4: Love Personified: The Trinity and God's Love
The Trinity reveals God's nature as love. In the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we see a perfect expression of love that extends to humanity. This love invites us into a relationship with God, transforming our lives and enabling us to love others as He loves us. By understanding the self-giving love within the Trinity, we are called to reflect this love in our interactions with others, demonstrating grace, compassion, and unity. The love of the Trinity challenges us to move beyond self-centeredness and embrace a life of sacrificial love, mirroring the divine love that has been extended to us. [01:17:25]
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." (1 John 4:7, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one person in your life who needs to experience God's love through you. What specific action can you take today to demonstrate that love?
Day 5: Identity in the Triune God: The Trinity and Our Identity
Understanding the Trinity impacts our identity as believers. We are created by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This triune relationship defines who we are and how we live, calling us to reflect God's love and unity in our daily lives. By recognizing our identity in the Trinity, we are empowered to live with purpose and confidence, knowing that we are deeply loved and valued by God. This understanding challenges us to align our lives with God's will, as we seek to embody the characteristics of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our thoughts, words, and actions. [01:24:01]
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on how your identity in the Trinity influences your daily decisions. What is one area of your life where you can more fully live out this identity today?
Quotes
Thank you. Good morning, Coastline. It is great to see your beautiful faces here this morning. Yes. How's it going, guys? Good to see you. Love it. Hey, if you're in the lobby and can hear my voice, come on in. If you're in another conversation with someone and you hear my voice, tell them, say, let's go in. We're here to worship. We're going to connect with people. You can stick around later and connect. There's this beautiful verse in John chapter 4. [00:18:39]
I'm actually going to read two verses. I'm going to read John chapter 4 verses 23 and 24 as our call to worship this morning. Jesus is in a conversation with a woman. She lives in Israel. She knows about God's truth. She knows about God's word, but she's not worshiping him. And listen to what he says in the conversation. He says, Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshipers must worship in the spirit and in truth. Coastline, let me briefly pray for us and then we're going to worship the Lord together. [00:19:01]
Lord, I thank you so much for this week. I thank you for this opportunity to gather you and get to gather here and worship you today. And Lord, we ask that we would be those true worshipers. Lord, no matter what's happened in our week, whether great or horrible, whether big or small, would we come to you right now in these moments and would we worship you in spirit and truth. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Coastline, let's stand and worship the Lord together. [00:19:43]
A.W. Tozer once said what the first thing to come to your mind when you think about God wait no let me go back I want to say it again this is how he said it he said what comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us so what do you want to talk about like if you were to make up a list of six things what would you want to talk about I guarantee there's someone in the world and it might be you in the room that when I talked about wiring electrical you're like oh that sounds fun like you love rolling cable you love hooking up boxes that's intriguing to you that's interesting to you there's some of you that you go like hey I would talk about faith but I'd rather do it while turning wrenches like I want to go get all the parts I want to help you work on a car but if we're like turning wrenches side by side dirty hands like that's how we're going to talk about faith like some of you you might be like hey I want to talk about computer programming and that just thrills you that excites you like you really enjoy that and the reality is is God has wired each and every one of us differently and we're all wired in different areas in different places today we're in week two of an eight -week sermon series called solid ground the theme verse for this series is at the very end of matthew chapter 7 in the sermon on the mount where jesus says build your house on solid ground he says there were two people one built their house on rock and it lasted he said another guy built a house on sand the floods came washed it away and so coastline what we're trying to do right now is we're building our spiritual home on solid ground and today we're focusing on god today we're going to talk about the doctrine of the trinity and some of you have a really good understanding of the trinity and some of you maybe it's not as strong this was actually like a gift from god this week i was having lunch with the guy who leads fca he had led fca and ventura for a while he actually just shifted roles um but we were having lunch and i sat down and the people behind us were talking about the trinity and i was like i need to hear what they're saying and sometimes as pastors we're like oh thank you god for giving me another illustration i needed that um and so what i want to do today is i want you to pull out your phone and we're going to take a poll and the question is or it's like kind of a statement i have a good understanding of the trinity so scan this qr code and it's either yes no or maybe and just be honest wherever you're at this is anonymous we're not gonna we don't know who votes what but you're gonna get to see this in real time if you have a good understanding of the trinity oh so we had some 50 50s i love the honesty keep going and then leave that page open on your phone because i'm gonna ask you another question later in service that you're gonna want okay so a lot of us feel like right now we have a good understanding of the trinity maybes are moving up got some nose this is so helpful for me because this gives me kind of real -time feedback for where we're at and what we're doing and this helps us to see so if i talk about something today and you're like i totally never knew that 16 of our people said the same thing right if you're like maybe i could get that okay good you're that's a that's a quarter of our room that feels like hey i'm kind of in that maybe zone half of us only half of us feel like we have a good understanding of the trinity and so today we're going to learn about the trinity by using four words we're going to talk about why the trinity is hard to explain and then we're going to end with why the trinity matters so today we're starting and we're coming into this foundational christian doctrine it's called the trinity and i just need you to know that the word trinity is never found in the bible you can read your bible from cover to cover and you will never see the word trinity and so what i want to do is give us a good working definition for the trinity the trinity is the doctrine that god eternally exists as three persons father son and holy spirit and each person is fully god and there is one god this is the definition from wayne grudem from systematic theology and that book is about this thick you could probably kill like a small rat with it so now just because the word trinity is not in your bible it does not mean it's unbiblical it just means that you and i need to understand this christian doctrine it means you and i need to come to god's word and say what does this mean and i have to be like like i don't know if this is a confession or something for us to realize but it's kind of weird for me talking about god when god is in this room see when jesus was getting ready to ascend back in heaven at the end of matthew chapter 28 he said and surely i am with you to the very end of the age so jesus is with us right now and i'm talking about him and i want to make sure that i'm doing a good job at that i feel like this is a sermon that we have to have crystal clear on that and since the word trinity is not in the bible you and i are going to be all over scripture today we got a sign out front it says coastline bible church we're really going to emphasize that word bible today and we're going to go all through scripture and you and i are going to look at one of the most complex doctrines in the entirety of scripture and i'm going to try to explain it to you in 35 minutes on a day where you lost an hour of sleep so i really hope that you got some coffee if you still need some time you got a minute go go grab a pull another cup of coffee you're going to be okay you're not going to hurt my feelings if you walk out there and do that uh if you want to grab your bible we're going to start in genesis there's a pew bible in front of you i'm going to be on page one i've been wanting to say that for all week we're just going to start in page one and i feel like this is the best place for you and i to start seeing the evidence of the trinity listen to what god's word says oh and if you don't have a bible or a pew bible you can use your phone we have an app it's called the you version bible app you can follow along all in there god's word says this in the beginning god created the heavens and the earth now the earth was formless and empty darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of god was hovering over the waters and god said let there be light and there was light okay right there you and i we just had evidence of the trinity in the very beginning it says god so we see god right there we have god first and then we read that the spirit was hovering over the waters did you see that everything was dark it was deep and the spirit of god was hovering over the waters so we have god the father we have the holy spirit and then it says and god said now here's here's what you have to know is that when god speaks that's when we have jesus jesus is the word of god you could hold your finger here in genesis if you want but i'm not going to come back to it too much so just flip to john chapter one with me we're going to go all the way into the new testament and in john chapter one verses one through three god's word says this in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god he was with god in the beginning through him all things were made without him nothing was made that has been made and what john teaches you and i is that when god speaks jesus is the word of god so in genesis chapter one verses one through three you and i see that the trinity existed before time even exists it's on page one of god's word where you and i see the triune nature of god we see the triune nature of god in the old testament and the new testament we just saw it and we're going to see it all throughout scripture and we're going to see it everywhere in between and in the gospel of john in john chapter 14 jesus further explains the triune nature of god jesus is with the disciples he knows the cross awaits and in john 14 verses 15 through 17 he says this he says if you love me keep my commands and i will ask the father and he will give you another advocate to help you and to be with you forever the spirit of truth he says the world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he lives with you and will be in you so in genesis 1 verses 1 through 3 we see the triune nature of god in john 14 verses 15 through 17 we see the triune nature of god jesus teaches the disciples he could have taught him about anything but he says no no no i want to teach you about god now twice we've seen the trinity if we look at genesis 1 and we look at john 14 but never does it say the word trinity and so this word trinity came into our language when the council of nicaea met in 325 ad so this was a time when the church leaders came together they gathered to to really compile the bible as you and i know and they had over 250 bishops gathered and they talked about the triune nature of god and from that gathering you and i walked away with what we're calling today what you and i know today as the trinity and so that's where it started and that's where we see it and today we're going to define the trinity i told you this we're going to define the trinity using four words and some of you are like shouldn't it be three but just stick with me we're going to use four words and i'd actually like to thank pastor sky genetti who's also a pastor and theologian he had a sermon and some writing on this and i borrowed heavy from him on this idea and the first word that we're going to use is one we believe that there is one god and this has been the unwavering message in scripture throughout time i'm going to turn back to deuteronomy chapter 6 it's going to be on the screen if you'd like to read it if you'd like to follow along as i read it but in deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4 and 5 god's word says this hear o israel the lord our god the lord is one the lord is what one love the lord your god with all your heart with all your soul with all your strength we talked about this verse last month in our sermon series when we talked about i love you and so the first word we're talking about is love is one excuse me and this is what we call the shema here in deuteronomy chapter 6 and this is different from other faiths some other faiths out there some other religions they believe that god is three distinct beings they believe god is three separate gods and in the christian faith it's clear that god is one but i also need you to know that god has existed for eternity as three distinct persons god the father god the son and god the holy spirit and this brings us to our second word and it's three so one god but also three persons another way to say this is that god is a community of three persons if you look back to genesis 1 or if you want to look to john 14 again whatever you prefer you will see the three persons of god now we've read about them so if god were to leave church today and go to wood ranch and make a reservation and he had to wait 20 minutes just like the rest of us right because didn't alanis morissette say if god were one of us he would have to wait 20 minutes for his his thing the hostess would call out and she would say god party of three your table is ready okay but how can god be one and three at the same time you might be thinking that right now and this is where the next two words come into play and these are helpful these talk about the triune nature of god the third word is diversity within the trinity there is diversity so there's god the father there's god the son and there's god the holy spirit they are one but they're not the same person each is distinct and this is where it gets challenging and some people they try to simplify this too much by saying well father son and spirit aren't actually separate persons they're just different names for god and that's actually a heresy we call modalism i want to talk about that a little later here in my sermon it is not what scripture teaches i left my bible open nope i didn't i turned to john to deuteronomy but if i had my bible back open to john 14 and what i what i read to you jesus doesn't say that he is the father and jesus does not say that he is the holy spirit he says he is one with them he says i will ask the father and he will give you another advocate he doesn't say i am the father so what we see here is we see that there is diversity within the trinity and then hence the different titles that we use for god now this brings us to the final word which is unity and even though the father the son and the spirit are distinct persons they exist together in perfect unity if you turned a couple pages to john 17 scripture tells us that the father glorifies the son and the son glorifies the father in john chapter 15 jesus says that the scripture says that the spirit glorifies jesus there's no jealousy there's no conflict there's this perfect harmony the trinity is perfectly united in community and so here's what we have in summary it's on the screen it says there's one there's only one god the second word is three there is one god this one god exists as three persons diversity each person of the trinity is distinct there's unity the trinity functions in perfect harmony and so we can take these four words to describe who the trinity is and what i found is just as important it is to describe who the trinity is i think it's really important for you and i to clarify who or what the trinity is not so the trinity isn't just a creative way to give three names to one god we would call that polytheism so if we were to say that there were three gods that would be polytheism and that's not what we're talking about trinity isn't just a creative way to explain the three roles that god switches between or that some people think god switches between so for example people would say well like in the old testament god functioned as creator and then in the new testament he was jesus who functioned as redeemer and now he functions as the holy spirit to clean up the messes that you and i are making and sanctify us no that's not how it comes out it's not how it works all three persons are involved in everything because god is perfect in unity in the trinity they are one but they are three they are diverse and unified at the same time and coastline here's what i need you to know is if we lose any of these four words we lose who the trinity is we start to slip into something else we start to slip into something that is not scriptural if we lose this we move into something that is not god and we start to walk into heresy if you're taking notes today i want you to write this down seeing god as trinity transforms how we see the world you you you you you you [01:02:01]
When we talk about this explanation of God using these four words, it's powerful because it defines how you and I view God, which impacts how you and I worship God. If you were in here for the call to worship when we started this morning, we looked at John chapter 4 verses 23 and 24, and we talked about worshiping Jesus, we talked about worshiping God in spirit and in truth, and so what you and I need to do is we need to know the truth of God so we can worship Him, but we need to understand the power of God so that we can worship Him too, and it's very important that you and I understand this. Our knowledge of God impacts our application of God. Our personal relationship with the Trinity impacts how you and I live our lives, so when you and I see God as Trinity, it transforms the way that we live, and I told you in the beginning that I was also going to talk to you about why the Trinity is hard to explain. When I was an intern, my first job at a church, I was talking with one of the associate pastors, and I said, well, yeah, the Bible talks about God as Trinity, and he's like, okay, show me where the Trinity is, and so I opened my scriptures, and I was flipping through, and I was like, hey, don't see that word, the Trinity, and he's like, yeah, because the Bible never says it, and I was like, oh, you're right, right? Do you ever have one of those situations where you thought you were right, but then you realize you weren't right, but then it was better that you weren't right? That was one of those situations for me, and so one of my favorite examples to help me see the oneness of God is found in Matthew chapter 3, and this has been, for me, one of the most helpful passages that I've seen where we can see the triune nature of God. It's at the baptism of Jesus, and Jesus is being baptized, scripture says that heaven was torn open, that a dove came and landed on him, which is the Holy Spirit, and then we hear the voice of God. Listen to what Matthew writes in Matthew chapter 3, verses 16 through 17. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and a lightning on him, and a voice from heaven said, this is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased. Right there, you and I see the triune nature of God at the baptism. We see three unique persons of God functioning as one at the baptism of Jesus. They are separate, but they are one, and I think this is a powerful passage to help you and I understand the Trinity. [01:02:11]
Let me be the first to say, I think the Trinity is hard to explain, and I'm a pastor. Okay, so if you're like mildly confused right now, you're doing really good, okay? But stick with me, because I think what happens is people have tried to use various analogies to explain God, and I think all of them have fallen short. And so I told you to leave that page open on your phone, so pull your phone out again. If you closed that page, it's okay, there'll be a QR code up here again, but we're going to do another poll. And what I want to do is, before you start polling, okay, be patient, is some of you have heard an explanation of the Trinity. Like you've heard someone describe the Trinity as an egg, or the shamrock, or H2O, or maybe all of these. And so what I want you to do is just start punching in which one of those illustrations you've heard. Oh, look, we just hit 25 % on everything. Okay, H2O is winning. The egg is not. All of these, we got 50 % on all of these. [01:05:56]
Okay, so most of us have heard the H2O. A lot of us have heard all of these. The egg. Sounds like the egg is the most popular. So let's start with the egg. The egg is the first one that I heard, and what it is, how this works, is an egg is a single egg, but it contains a shell, a yoke, and then the white. So you have the three parts, but they are still all one egg. But there is weakness in this analogy because the father, the son, and the spirit, spirit, spirit, and the spirit are not separate parts like an egg. Okay, so unlike the egg where each component is only one part of the whole, the three persons of the trinity share the full essence of God, and they are completely God. Now, another well -known example comes from St. Patrick. It was said that he used a shamrock while evangelizing in Ireland. He pointed to its three leaves, explaining that they all form one plant. The father, the son, and the holy spirit are one God. I think this analogy is helpful. It's actually something that helps us move in that direction, but it, but we also, like, it's just lacking. [01:06:43]
And then the final analogy, this is pretty good. We kind of landed here. Okay, and then so the final analogy involves H2O. And H2O can exist in three forms. It can be water, which is like a liquid form. It can be ice, which is a solid form. And then it can be vapor, which is a other kind of form. You like that? Gas. There we go. Now, while this might seem like the strongest one, this one is actually where we fall into the heresy of modalism. I told you about modalism earlier, and I want to explain that now. Modalism is a false belief that God changes forms over time. So instead of God eternally existing as father, eternally existing as son, and eternally existing as spirit, modalism suggests that God switches between different modes of the Trinity simultaneously and eternity. Now, I can actually use modalism for my life. I'm a son, I'm a father, and I'm a brother. And so I could function in different modes. And so we have to be careful about that heresy. God does not act in different modes. He is God. And so with all of these illustrations and what other illustration that you've heard about the Trinity, I need us to know that they are not fully powerful. They all lack in some form. I'm not saying they're not helpful. They can be helpful in moving us towards a greater understanding. [01:08:02]
But I think at some point, they all break down. And really what it is, is the Trinity is almost a mystery beyond human understanding. Sometimes it feels like, can I fully understand this? And the answer is yes. But the hard thing is, is it's hard to describe God in the power of human terms. You and I are trying to understand God, and we're using things God made. We're using human terms. And so we need to understand God with God. And so I know I need to say this, that there are limited analogies here. But you and I are called to worship God in spirit and truth. There are things here that we might not fully get, and we trust in his word. [01:09:46]
And so I want you to write this down again. Seeing God as Trinity transforms how we see the world. Seeing God as Trinity transforms how we see the world. Coastline, I need you to know that we can know God in a personal relationship. It might be tough for any of us, whether it's at lunch, whether it's standing on a stage, whether it's walking with a friend. It can be tough to explain the Trinity. But you and I have God's word, and God gave us this book. I think last week, Jason said something like, God gave us this book, and everything we need to know about God is in here. [01:10:20]
And we have everything we need to know about God. We can come to his book. We can study his truth. The New Testament authors, the Old Testament authors, they understood the triune nature of God. And I get that sometimes we have a hard time understanding God. And here's what I want to invite you to do. Coastline, will you slow down the pace of your life, and will you hide this book in your heart? Will you remove some of those things that don't fix your eyes on Jesus? And will you come to God's word and say, Lord, I want to know you more? Or you can come to God's word and say, God, I want to know your triune nature. God, I want to understand you as one and three. I want to know your diversity and your unity. God, I want to see that. [01:11:22]
And so when you read this book, don't rush it. We did something starting on March 12th, which is Wednesday, we're starting 40 days of prayer and fasting. And in the lobby, we have this little guide here. It's a journey to Easter. And what it is, is it has different weeks. And for every day, for the next 40 days, starting on March 12th, it has a scripture to read and a prayer to prompt you for that day. If you don't have somewhere you're reading in God's word, we just grab one of these in the lobby on the way out. If you're someone who doesn't like a paper version, we're going to have this available as a PDF. [01:12:09]
I don't know, it might have already got like emailed out, but I was told this will be available as a PDF also. And so if you need a paper version, grab one in the lobby. If you want a PDF version, it's probably going to be on our website or somewhere. We'll definitely make sure that it's available. But this is a way to start reading God's word. You go, I don't know where to start, Neil. Here you go. Here's 40 days. And start a journey up till Easter, getting to know God in a powerful and a personal way. The great theologian, St. Augustine, he once spent years wrestling with how to understand the Trinity. And one day he was walking along the shore of the beach and he saw a little kid running to the ocean, filling up a cup of water and bringing it back to a hole and dumping it in the hole. And St. Augustine engages this young child in a conversation and he says this, he says, what are you doing? [01:12:55]
And the child replied, he said, I am trying to put the entire ocean into this hole. Right? That sounds like something a kid would do. And St. Augustine smiled and he says to the kid, he says, yet that is impossible. And the child turns to respond to St. Augustine. He said, and yet you are trying to fit the infinite God into your finite mind. Uh-oh. And that's the moment that changed Augustine's perspective. He realized that the Trinity isn't meant to be fully grasped like a math equation. It's meant to be believed, worshiped, and marveled at. And Coastline, you and I can know God. We can believe in him in faith. We can worship him in spirit and truth. And we can be transformed in our thinking. [01:13:53]
I told you that I'm going to tell you about why the Trinity matters. We talked about four words that define the Trinity. We talked about why it's hard to understand the Trinity. And now briefly, we're just going to talk about why the Trinity matters. Now the Trinity matters because if you pulled back the layers of time and space in the very center, you would find God. Right there would be God. God's involved in every aspect of creation. And when you found God, let me tell you what you would find. You would find something you have been longing for your entire life. You would find something that radically transforms your life. And you would be overwhelmed with his love. Because when you find God, you find love. And scripture teaches you and I in 1 John chapter 4 verse 8, towards the very end, it teaches us that God is love. [01:14:44]
God's word says this, whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. That's what you and I would find. God is love. We would find his love. Not everyone has that viewpoint of God. Some people view God as a cosmic vending machine. If I just ask God for this, he's going to give it to me. There's my cosmic vending machine. Some of us, we view God as an angry kid burning ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass. God is out to express his eternal vengeance and wrath on mankind. And whoever gets in his way, that's the one who gets smited today. Right? What did they say in Bruce Almighty? Smite me, almighty smiter. Father, and some of us have experienced the love of God. And we've lived in that. And our lives have been transformed. [01:15:03]
Scripture teaches us about God. So three reasons that the Trinity matters. First, the Trinity matters because we see this beautiful relationship between God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God, the creator of the universe, models healthy relationship to you and I. He teaches us what that looks like. If you go back to Matthew chapter 3 and you read that passage again, you see that healthy relationship. You see the unity and the diversity. You see God showing up. God's encouraging Jesus. He says, this is my Son whom I love. With him I am well pleased. Jesus had preached zero sermons at that point in his life. Jesus had walked on water zero times. And God says, I love you for who you are. There was no berating, no jealousy, no sarcasm. [01:15:50]
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