1. We believe that God exists uniquely above and beyond creation—He is not creation itself.
Psalm 19:1-2 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
The enormity and complexity of creation reveals the size and detail of God’s purpose for us. God’s awesomeness is known everywhere.
· God created everything (from nothing) by the Word of His mouth.
Hebrews 1:3a He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
· God sustains all He has made.
· God has notified all people of His existence.
Romans 1:19-20 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
2. We believe God communicates with us through all He has made and by divine revelation.
When God redeems, He sends someone ahead to proclaim His word. God called upon Moses to speak to Pharaoh. God uses many means to reveal Himself. Fire communicates the holiness (untouchable nature) of God.
Exodus 3:1-5 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 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. 3 And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned." 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
Moses responded, “Here I am.” We are to respond to God’s call as Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Ananias, and Paul did.
When God shows up in power and glory, an ordinary piece of ground is transformed into “holy ground” by His divine presence.
3. We believe God desires to know us personally.
Exodus 3:6 And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
· God is good and just. Our ethics and practices are based upon this truth.
Exodus 3:7-9 Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
God is not aloof from people. He is a God of compassionate love. God’s willingness to deliver the people is a testament to His unfailing love. This culminates in the sending of Jesus to die on the Cross.
God promised to give His people a land spacious and bountiful—six nations could live there.
· God has a plan. History is a line pointing toward fulfillment.
Exodus 3:10-12 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
God has a plan. God is writing the story of His love. God promised Moses that He would personally accompany Moses in the journey—throughout Moses’ calling, God was always there.
History is HIS story.
Things are not always as they seem. Our circumstances may hide God’s activity. Our present suffering does not mean that God will not deliver us at the right time.
· God made us in His image.
Exodus 3:13-15 Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 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.'" 15 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.
The name of God is a single Hebrew word from the verb “to be” which is translated as “I am who I am” or “I will be what I will be.” In the Hebrew, the name is only four consonants, transliterated into English as YHWH. In Hebrew, there were no vowels in the script. Thus, we are not certain how it was pronounced. William Tyndale translated this word as Jehovah in 1530. Many versions of the Bible use LORD (all capitals) to indicate this name. God disclosed his personal name to indicate that He is a personal God. The Living, Revealing God brought Himself low to reveal Himself to His people.
“I am truly he who exists and who will be dynamically present then and there in the situation to which I am sending you.” (Walter Kaiser, Jr.)
4. We believe that life is eternal and death can be the doorway to life with God and His people.
· People were made good, but are fallen.
Exodus 3:16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt.”
· God desires for us to be restored.
Exodus 3:17 “And I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."'
God takes the initiative in delivering His people.
· The work of Jesus Christ is the basis for our restoration.
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
