Lost Sheep MinistriesGod’s Renown: A journey to God, the Local Church and all peoples

Taken primarily from God’s Renown written by Mike Stroope, Arlington, TX with permission and modified and added to by Bob Gibson.

God’s Renown!

A God Like None Other

Word Definitions

is defined as “exalted reputation … the state of being widely known for great achievements or merits; fame”.

RenownRenown -

In order to rediscover the essential or spiritual purpose of

God and His means, we must make the biblical understanding

of God and the Church our starting and ending point.

As the title suggests, this study is about GOD’S RENOWNGOD’S RENOWN and the place of the local congregation in the widening of God’s GLORYGLORY.

God distinguishes Himself from all

other gods.

There is none like Him.

He is God alone.

I Timothy 2: 5

For there is ONE God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.

From The Bible, A Christian Knows that there is ONE True and Living God who presents Himself as Three Persons; Father, Son and

Holy Spirit

GOD

Father

Son Holy Spirit

IS

IS IS

IS NOT

IS NOT

IS NOT

Relationships Between the Trinity

The Father’s will is to be

done on Earth as it is in Heaven

The Holy Spirit Points men to Jesus

the Son

Jesus, the Son, Points men to the

Father

The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit is to Glorify the Son just as the Son said that He did the things the Father told Him.

One day the earth will be full of God’s glory, and He will reign as

King.

His victory is certain--more certain than anything in this

life!

Don’t Go to Church; Be the Church!

You Are the Body of ChristNow You Are the Body of Christ and Each One of You Is A Part (Member) of It.

1 Corinthians 12:27Romans 12: 3 - 13

ArmEyeEarNoseToe

Christ is the Head

I Am

These are hard but extremely crucial questions.

Do we live as though a battle is being waged?

Do we know where the battle is being fought?

Are we certain of how and when the victory will come?

Some say victory is just a matter of believers making a more

quantifiable effort, but if effort assured victory, how much would

be enough? Others insist that victory lies in the mobilization of

resources. Our love for organization and means convinces us that if we could just marshal more people and money, the world could be taken, the task completed.

Victory is not found in

More promotion,

more resources,

or more organization

The battle for God’s RENOWN

is being waged on a completely different plane, and thus,

a solution of a different kind must be rediscovered.

If we are to be part of the final assault, we must go to ground zero and assess our

basic assumptions about God, the Church and the world.

The battle is being waged at the point of

spiritual purposespiritual purpose rather than merely with

natural meansnatural means.

The Bible is the window through which all of this can be clearly seen.

The Bible instructs us that the Churches’ Power and Influence comes from God;

Jesus Said, “I will build My Church.”

Matthew 16:18

You are to Obey Me!

The Church will grow if we will Obey Him!

Why has “this gospel of the kingdom”

been so marginally received by the peoples of the earth?

Why are societies and cultures in crisis while the Church remains unable to speak adequately to their

needs?

Could it be that the Church

is snared by the same crisis, captured by its own

culture and traditionsrather than by its God

and His kingdom purpose?

The crisis of our culture The crisis of our culture is its lack of God--its godlessness.is its lack of God--its godlessness.

Too often, the Church simply reflects the values, methods, and mindset of the culture around it.

The church is in the World but not to be a part of it!

Believers in Jesus Christ are simply in the world—

physically present—but not of it, not part of its values

(John 17:14-15).

Lost Sheep MinistriesGod’s Renown: A journey to God, the Local Church and all peoples

Taken primarily from God’s Renown written by Mike Stroope, Arlington, TX with permission and modified and added to by Bob Gibson.

HE Is:

Think of the size of HIS Creation. We cannot contain the greatness of

GOD in our minds.

1. Eternal2. Unchanging3. Everywhere4. Too Big for People to Understand5. Timeless - No Birthday - Will Never Die6. Knows All7. All Powerful

THE POWER OF GOD THE POWER OF GOD IS PRESENT AND IS PRESENT AND

ACCESSIBLE WHEN A ACCESSIBLE WHEN A LOCAL CONGREGATION LOCAL CONGREGATION

IS AWED BY GOD! IS AWED BY GOD!

AWEAWE prompts the realization that power is not in our adequacy, wealth or

strength.

A local church can only speak to its culture and the world when God strikes His people with a vision of Himself that instills AWEAWE and REVERENCEREVERENCE.

Begin this journey with the intent to revere Godrevere God, to discover discover the purpose for His Churchthe purpose for His Church and

to live for His gloryto live for His glory.

--you exist for God --you exist for God and and

His Renown!His Renown!

As you continue this study, pray a prayer like this;

““Lord, empty me of myself Lord, empty me of myself and my desires and my desires

and reveal Yourself to me. and reveal Yourself to me. I wait expectantly I wait expectantly to hear from You. to hear from You.

I desire to know You. I desire to know You. Create in me a passionCreate in me a passion

for your glory and renown. Amen”for your glory and renown. Amen”

Discover the purpose for which you were created

Understand God’s design for the local church

Grasp the flow of God’s history

Celebrate God’s passion for worship among the nations

Discipline and ready yourself in key areas

Uncover essential truth from Scripture

Embrace God’s passion for the nations

This journey is about God from beginning to end. The first section sets the stage for everything that follows – for the Lord God is like none other. At

the beginning of time, there were no tribal deities or gods.

A God like None Other!

KEY VERSEKEY VERSE

““To whom would you liken MeTo whom would you liken MeAnd make Me equal And make Me equal

and compare Me,and compare Me,That we would be alike? …That we would be alike? …

For I am God, For I am God, and there is no other;and there is no other;

I am God, and there is I am God, and there is none like Me … .”none like Me … .”

Isaiah 46: 5, 9Isaiah 46: 5, 9

A god (or idol) is whatever or whomever we value or give

disproportionate honor to aboveabove the Creator God.

His name is not Shiva, Ganesh, Buddha, Christianity or Lexus.

He has revealed Himself as Yahweh, Elohim and Adonai.

He is …….. GodGod

- Creator- Creator- Absolute- Absolute

- - AwesomeAwesome

Who is this God?

Everything was created by Him.In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth

was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God

was moving over the surface of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. Gen

1:1-3

He created all that is with no pre-existing material.

Therefore He created everything ex nihilo, out of

nothing.

Formless and void means thatthe earth was non-existent.

Together these two Hebrew words mean

“empty nothingness”. God began with nothingand created all that is.

God spoke the world into existence with the power of Hiswords. He did not inherit theworld nor was He passive in itscreation. He spoke and it

became.

He is CREATOR!

Then God said:

His Power makes clear that He is the only true God

““Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed victory and the majesty, indeed

everything that is in the heavens and everything that is in the heavens and the earth, Yours is dominion, O Lord, the earth, Yours is dominion, O Lord,

and You exalt Yourself and You exalt Yourself as head over all.”as head over all.”

1 Chronicles 29:11

Greatness. The distinction and renown of a sovereign Kingsovereign King..

Power. The force and might of a warrior Kingwarrior King..

Glory. The majesty & magnitude of a reigning Kingreigning King..

Victory. The triumph and conquest of a dominating Kingdominating King..

Majesty. The grandeur and splendor of a celebrated Kingcelebrated King..

Dominion. The complete supremacy of a ruling Kingruling King..

God demonstrated through His power that He is the only true God

and King. Through creation and His activities with man, God shows that no other god has power like His.

All other gods are empty and void of power. Only God Who reveals

Himself as Yahweh makes clear His absoluteness by His mighty and

powerful activity. Who is God? He is Absolute.

God’s Power is Now and Forever

““For Yours is the kingdom and For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glorythe power and the glory

Matthew 6:13

foreverforever. . Amen.”Amen.”

AWESOME: All of creation demonstrates

Hisglory

““Say to God, Say to God, ‘‘How How awesomeawesome are Your works! are Your works!

Because of the greatness of Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will Your power Your enemies will

give obedience to You. give obedience to You. All the earth will worship You, All the earth will worship You,

and will sing praises to You, and will sing praises to You, they will sing praises to Your they will sing praises to Your

name.”name.” Psalm 66:3-4

All Creation will Stand in Awe of God

““Let all the earth Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world inhabitants of the world stand in stand in aweawe of Him.” of Him.”

Psalm 33:8

““Who is like You Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? among the gods, O Lord?

Who is like You, Who is like You, majestic in holiness, majestic in holiness, AwesomeAwesome in praises, in praises, working wonders?”working wonders?”

Exodus 15:11

The worksheet questions will help you assess and record

your thoughts about the greatness & majesty of the

Creator and His place in your life.

Do you know the Creator God or have you given

allegiance to a lesser god?

Are you honoring the Lord God as the awesomeawesome and absoluteabsolute

Creator of all that is, or is He just another god?

The rest of this journey will make little sense if you have not

resolutely established that He is

God, and He is like none other!

It is absolutely crucial that you come face to face with God and acknowledge Him as Creator of your life and all that you possess.

Recognize Him as absoluteabsolute and thus give Him every

right to control every area of your life. Declare Him as

the awesomeawesome God.

Disclose His nature to you through His Scripture.

ASK God to: do the following in your life:

Reveal the lesser gods that havetaken priority in your life.

Give you a mind and heart that hunger for Him more than for food and life.

DECLARE:

See worksheet

Meditate on what you have memorized throughout the days

ahead. The purpose of the memorization and meditation is to bury the truth about God

deep within your life.

In order to understand completely the truths of this lesson and for them

to sink deeply into your life, spend 10 minutes memorizing the key

verse.

To whom would you liken MeTo whom would you liken MeAnd make Me equal And make Me equal

and compare Me, and compare Me, That we would be alike? That we would be alike?

For I am God, For I am God, and there is no other. and there is no other.

I am God, I am God, and there is no one like Me.and there is no one like Me.

Isaiah 46:5,9

Congratulations!Congratulations!You have made it to the You have made it to the

first bend in the journey.first bend in the journey.Proceeding from this point Proceeding from this point

You will know God ----You will know God ----His might and power.His might and power.