GettingGod Out of the Box!

GettingGod Out of the Box!

1 Samuel 4 & 51 Samuel 4 & 5

The mystery of American Theism

90 % plusbelieve in ‘God’

The mystery of American Theism

90 % plusbelieve in ‘God’

Soft Theism

“…‘introduced’ and advocated by

Miklos Jako argues that there

exists ‘a great Intelligence

that…

Soft Theism

…created and sustains the

world…[that] does not concern Itself

with human affairs at all…[that] wants us…

Soft Theism

…to behave well and transcends

space, time, nature, and

logic.’”

Soft Theism

EclecticMalleable

IndividualisticSubjectiveUtilitarian

The God of the Bible & the

Battle of Aphek

Getting GodOut of the Box!

The God of the Bible & the

Battle of Aphek

Israel is Defeated by the

Philistines!

The God of the Bible & the

Battle of Aphek

This Loss Creates a Theological

Moment of Crises!

1 Samuel 4:1-4

1 “Now Israel went out to battle against the

Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the

Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2 Then the

Philistines…

…put themselves in battle array against

Israel. And when they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand

men of the army in the field. 3 And when the people had come into

the camp…

…the elders of Israel said, ‘Why has the

Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of

the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us,

that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of

our enemies.’

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might

bring from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who

dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and

Phinehas,

…were there with the ark of the covenant of

God.”

Soft Theism

DeniesHis Purpose

1 Timothy 2:3-4

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our

Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the

truth.”

2 Peter 3:9“The Lord is not slack

concerning His promise, as some

count slackness, but is longsuffering toward

us, not willing that any should perish but that

all should come to repentance.”

Soft Theism

DepreciatesHis Power

1 Chronicles 29:11“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the

glory and the victory and the majesty, for

all that is in the heavens and in the

earth is yours.

1 Chronicles 29:11…Yours is the

kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.”

Psalm 28:7“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I

am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to

him.”

Soft Theism

DisregardsHis Word

Jeremiah 10:23“O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to

direct his own steps.”

Psalm 119:10-11“With my whole

heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have

hidden in my heart, that I might not sin

against You.”

True Believerscry out…

“You are my Father, My God,

and the rock of my salvation.”(Psalm 89:26)

Letting God be God!

Calls Us In Love!

Calls Us to Obedience!

Calls Us to Surrender!

GettingGod Out of the Box!

GettingGod Out of the Box!

1 Samuel 4 & 51 Samuel 4 & 5