New City Churchs Summer 2012 Online Book Club

JI Packers Knowing God ~ Chapter 8: The Majesty of God Before reading: How would you define majesty? What thoughts come to your mind? How often are you filled with a sense of the majesty of God? Purpose: To deepen our appreciation of the majesty of God Outline: I. II. III. IV. V. Majesty describes greatness. Personal yet majestic No limitations The Incomparable One Our Response to Majesty

Key Quotes: The Christians instincts of trust and worship are stimulated very powerfully by knowledge of the greatness of God. How can we form a right idea of Gods greatness? The bible teaches us two steps we must take. The first is to remove from our thoughts of God limits that would make Him small. The second is to compare Him with powers and forces which we regard as great. What puny figures you and I are, by comparison with the whole planet on which we live! Yet what is this whole might planet by comparison with God? The world dwarfs us all, but God dwarfs the world. The world is His footstool, above which He sits secure. He is greater than the world, an all that is in it. Your thoughts of God are too human, said Luther to Erasmus. This is where most of us go astray. Our thoughts of God are not great enough; we fail to reckon with the reality of His limitless wisdom and power. Because we ourselves are limited and weak, we imagine that at some points God is too, and find it hard to believe that He is not. We think of God much like what we are. Put this mistake right, says God; learn to acknowledge the full majesty of your incomparable God and Saviour. Reflection Questions: 1. Packer says that when we stress that God is personal, we must not make a common mistake. What is that? 2. What two steps must we take to forma right idea of Gods majesty? 3. Packer directed our attention to Psalm 139. Read over that entire Psalm in your Bible. What are some striking truths that are taught in that text? 4. In his concluding section, Packer highlights three questions that the Scripture asks of us to enlarge our understanding of the majesty of God. Which question resonates with you now? Why? Review these questions, and let them direct your thoughts, prayer, and praise.