What Kind of God? #1 - God is a Trinity
Matthew 28:16-20
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund
Part of What Kind of God?—August 5 - September 3, 2023
August 4, 2023

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Group Study Guide

Date: August 5-6, 2023
Speaker: Dr. Kurt Bjorklund
Series: What Kind of God?
Message: #1 - God is a Trinity

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Scripture

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” —Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” —Genesis 1:26 (NIV)

16 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 alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” —Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV)

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, —Jude 20 (NIV)

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. […] 20 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,” —John 17:1,20 (NIV)

Notes

1. God externally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

  • Scripture - Genesis 1:26, Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, Jude 20
  • C.S. Lewis - “In Christianity, God is not an impersonal thing or a static thing. He’s not even just one person, but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, a drama, almost if you will not think me irreverent, ‘a dance.’”
  • Cornelius Plantinga - “The Bible says that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit glorify one another. That means that the persons within God exalt, commune with and defer to one another. Each harbor the others at the center of His being, in constant movement of overture and acceptance. Each person envelops and encircles the others. God’s interior life, therefore, overflows with self-giving love for others.”
  • C.S. Lewis - “What does it all matter? What’s the big deal?”

2. God invites us to join this dance.

  • Scripture - John 17:1,20
  • Glory - Hebrew=Kavod / Greek=dóxa
  • N.T. Wright - “In Christianity, God is not an impersonal thing or a static thing. He’s not even just one person, but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, a drama, almost if you will not think me irreverent, ‘a dance.’ “The Bible says that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit glorify one another. That means that the persons within God exalt, commune with and defer to one another. Each harbor the others at the center of His being, in constant movement of overture and acceptance. Each person envelops and encircles the others. God’s interior life, therefore, overflows with self-giving love for others.” “If we aren’t moved to worship, then we haven’t really understood who God is or what he has done.”

Study Guide

Step One: Icebreaker (Optional)
If the people closest to you had to pick 3 words to describe you, what 3 words do you think they would choose?

Step Two: Open
Ask someone in your group to pray to open your time together. Ask another person to read Matthew 28:16-20.

Step Three: Discuss

  1. What stood out to you the most in this weekend’s teaching? What was challenging, encouraging, or confusing to you?

  2. How do you understand the Trinity? How would you describe it to someone?

  3. What do we learn about Trinity from Matthew 28:16-20? How would you define each of the three roles?

  4. What verses come to mind or have helped you shape your understanding of the Trinity?

  5. What errors do we need to avoid in thinking about the Trinity?

  6. Since God exists as a trinity, he has a dynamic rather than a static self-relationship - we learn that his goal is to give glory - how do we enter into a relationship with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

  7. As we grow to better understand the Trinity, how might we learn to revolve around God rather than asking God to revolve around us?

  8. What does it look like to interact with God completely rather than selectively? What are some practical ways you might experience this in your own personal life?

Step Four: Close in Prayer