{"id":2991,"date":"2023-09-14T19:00:52","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T19:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2991"},"modified":"2023-09-24T07:41:48","modified_gmt":"2023-09-24T07:41:48","slug":"17-september-2023-how-do-we-know-that-god-exists-part-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2991","title":{"rendered":"17 September 2023: How do we know that God exists? (part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:31% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"350\" height=\"262\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/20230917.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2993 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/20230917.jpg 350w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/20230917-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/20230917-24x18.jpg 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/20230917-36x27.jpg 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/20230917-48x36.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-090a7876-6b6f-475f-bd24-2fdf9d5343ad\"><strong>Bethel Baptist Church<br>Worship Service @ Home<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-090a7876-6b6f-475f-bd24-2fdf9d5343ad\"><strong>17 September 2023<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2985\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"15\" height=\"10\" class=\"wp-image-1006\" style=\"width: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow.png 120w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-24x16.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-36x24.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/leftarrow-48x32.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 15px) 100vw, 15px\" \/> <strong>Previous Service<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-black-color has-pale-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=3010\"><strong>Next Service<\/strong> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"15\" height=\"10\" class=\"wp-image-1007\" style=\"width: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow.png 120w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-24x16.png 24w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-36x24.png 36w, https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/rightarrow-48x32.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 15px) 100vw, 15px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Welcome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cAs we take the skin off a banana to reveal the fruit, so the Holy Spirit refines us of all hardness, sin, wrong attitudes and habits that His fruit will be revealed in our lives.\u201d<br><\/em><br>Stella<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Worship<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What A Beautiful Name (Lyric Video) - Hillsong Worship\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/r5L6QlAH3L4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sup>Words and Music by Ben Fielding &amp; Brooke Ligertwood &#8211;  \u00a9 2016 Hillsong Music Publishing &#8211; CCLI: 7068424<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Word<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do we know that God exists?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week we looked at the inner sense everyone has of the existence of God. This week we will look at<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>(2) The evidence that is found in creation<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Since the creation of the world God\u2019s invisible qualities &#8211; His eternal power and divine nature &#8211; have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,&nbsp;so that people are without excuse.<\/p>\n<cite>Romans 1:20<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies&nbsp;proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.<\/p>\n<cite>Psalm 19:1-2<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>There is an expectancy from God that we humans will look at His creation and praise and glorify Him for it, seeing something of His eternal power and divine nature behind it all. If we don\u2019t we are without excuse. Reading on in Romans we see that rather than glorify God and give thanks to Him those whom God created did the opposite<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images&nbsp;made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. <\/p>\n<cite>Rom. 1:21-23<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Humanity can go so low as to worship idols instead of worshipping the true and living God who has created all things. We have an example of this in Acts 14:8-18 when the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas regarding them as gods come down from heaven, calling Paul and Barnabas, Hermes and Zeus respectively. Paul made this appeal to them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes&nbsp;and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:<br><br><em>\u201cFriends, why are you doing this? We too are only human,&nbsp;like you. We are bringing you good news,&nbsp;telling you to <strong>turn from these worthless things&nbsp;to the living God,&nbsp;who made the heavens and the earth&nbsp;and the sea and everything in them<\/strong>.&nbsp;In the past, He let&nbsp;all nations go their own way. Yet <strong>He has not left himself without testimony:&nbsp;He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;&nbsp;He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy<\/strong>&#8220;.<br><\/em><br>Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. <\/p>\n<cite>Acts 14:14-18<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Sin has so hardened the human heart and mind that we don\u2019t glorify God and give Him thanks as we gaze upon the magnificence of His creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201c\u2026 every created thing gives evidence of God\u2019s character. Nevertheless, it is man himself, created in the image of God, who most abundantly bears witness to the existence of God: whenever we meet another human being, we should (if our minds are thinking correctly) realise that such an incredibly intricate, skilful, communicative living creature could only have been created by an infinite, all-wise Creator\u201d<\/em><br><br>Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology p. 142.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Quote<\/strong><strong> of the week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f8e9c8\"><em>\u201cNo philosophical theory which I have yet come across is a radical improvement on the words of Genesis, that \u2018in the beginning God made Heaven and Earth\u2019.\u201d<br><\/em><br>C. S. Lewis<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Verse<\/strong><strong> of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. <\/p>\n<cite>John 1:3<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Let\u2019s Pray<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Creator God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we worship You; we praise You; we glorify You; we adore You; for You alone are God in Jesus Christ our Lord, Saviour, and Friend, Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome \u201cAs we take the skin off a banana to reveal the fruit, so the Holy Spirit refines us of all hardness, sin, wrong attitudes and habits that His fruit will be revealed in our lives.\u201dStella Worship Word How do we know that God exists? Last week we looked at the inner sense everyone has &#8230; <a title=\"17 September 2023: How do we know that God exists? (part 2)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/?page_id=2991\" aria-label=\"Read more about 17 September 2023: How do we know that God exists? (part 2)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2991","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2991"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3013,"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2991\/revisions\/3013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bethelmacclesfield.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}