A Note from Michael Gossett
God is….
Who is God? If you were to answer this question concisely, how would you do it? Most of the time, we answer this question with some rendition of an adjective. Adjectives serve as great descriptors, but usually fall short of essence. I believe this is a difficult task for anyone. Think of it in this way… Who is your wife? Who is your husband? Who is your friend? We can call them by name to answer the question quickly, but it does not tell us who that person is or is not. Descriptors are all we have to understand essence. Exodus 34:5-7 says, “5 The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him (Moses) there, and proclaimed his name, ‘the Lord.’ 6 The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.” God is revealing Himself to Moses as He passed by. It is in this passing by that we see not just a descriptor of God, but the center of who God is.
When Moses makes this request of the Lord to pass Him by, the Lord says in return, I will show you all my goodness. The glory of God is revealed to Moses and given to us to understand in Exodus 34. The glory of God is defined in terms of mercy and grace. This is who God is. Psalm 138:5-6 describes the great glory of God and says, “For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly.” This is difficult to fathom. Most of the time when we think inwardly of who God is, we are naturally drawn to an understanding of thunderous, roaring power and might. While though these things are true of God, when He reveals Himself to Moses, it seems different than what we often imagine. Merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Our deepest instincts tell us that this should not be the case. We deserve the judgment, the thunder, the power, but instead…. Mercy? This does not delineate from the just nature of God independent of His judgment, but rather through His just nature, He is merciful, gracious, compassionate and slow to anger. This is who God is. The mercy of God is seen best in the atonement, justification, and redemption found in Christ. Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” This is who God is. As you think about this let it draw you into a greater worship of the merciful and gracious God who has made Himself known to you.
This Sunday at Green Acres!
Take time this week as you prepare for worship to read James 5:1-6 as we study “Wisdom with Wealth.” There are a few ways we can view wealth. First, we can take the stance that we are not wealthy in comparison to others, which in turn takes away any accountability with wealth. Second, wealth can be viewed in terms of wickedness. James gives a correction to the normal view of wealth and gives us an understanding based how to handle wealth with godliness, but it requires wisdom. Wisdom with wealth can be liberating to those who follow the Lord and His design for your life. Come and worship with us at Tyler or Flint at 9:30 or 11:00 to learn how we should live in wisdom with wealth.
Midweek at GABC! I want to invite you to come and join me at WEBS this Wednesday in Crosswalk at 6pm. We are currently teaching through different doctrines of the Bible and would love to have you join us. We will end promptly at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!
Starting Point is October 22 at 9:30am in Crosswalk C! If you have just recently joined our church or are considering church membership, this class is for you! It is designed to give you a better picture of who we are as a church family. Together, we want you to have a clear understanding of our mission, vision, and values here at Green Acres.
For families with children ages birth to elementary, you are welcome to check your children in with Kids’ Ministry.
Cannot wait to see you this Sunday!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett