Does God Exist?

Well, as I believe all of us are aware, United Church of God has been introducing a new approach for its youth instruction program. We've called it the Deuteronomy 6 Parents First Program, or initiative, presented first of all in Cincinnati at the General Conference of Elders back in May, and we've been hearing a lot about it during the summer and fall. And now we're in the first month of the new program. Study guides have been posted on the website. The theme for this year is making God real. It already then is possible that I believe I think most of our parents have printed out the the guide for the month of November on does God exist and where is God?

The study guides will be coming out then month by month as we go through the year with making God real. Well, making God real is important for all of us, and no matter how many years we have been in the church, it is good to make God even more real. And so from time to time, I'll be speaking about some of the topics that are the main topic of the study guide for the month, and I'd like to do that today on does God exist and where is God? Could anything be more important than making God real?

Making God real begins with, first of all, proving that God does exist. And there are many endless ways to prove to ourselves and to our children that God indeed does exist. Certainly nothing could be more important because the reality of God certainly affects the way we live our lives.

If God is not real or not very real, we will not live life in a manner that is pleasing to Him.

But if God is real, it will affect the way we live our lives.

Why? Look at the world. The world denies that God exists or those who believe that God exists. He's not very real to them, and so they don't really change their lives and live in a manner that is really pleasing to God. And so the result we can see all around us. Yes, making God real, proving that God does exist, and where He is understanding things about God is very important.

So I'd like to begin the sermon this afternoon by answering the question, does God exist?

And we, as members of the church and parents with children, can find myriads of ways. There's just no end of ways that we can prove God's existence. The proofs of God's existence is all around us. We can see them with our eyes every day. There are many scientists and many people that are not religious who believe that there has to be an intelligent being. They believe that all of this, they look closely at the creation, all that is going on, and that they can observe, and they conclude that this did not evolve. This did not somehow put itself together. It didn't make itself.

It did not come into being on its own. How could all of this come to happen out of nothing? How could all of this, even if something existed and there was some big bang, how could all of this be the result? Many, many people who are not religious conclude that there has to be a first cause. There has to be an intelligent designer. When we were at Ambassador College way back, proving God's existence, we went through seven proofs that God exists. I think I remember correctly. If I don't, then please forgive me, but these are certainly proofs of God's existence. Number one, creation demands a creator. Creation does exist. I mean, look at the universe. Look at the earth and all that is on the earth. Look at human beings, human life, animals, trees, and plants, grass. Creation does exist. It demands a creator. Life. We see life, plant life, animal life.

So life demands a life giver. Number three, design. We see beautiful design on the earth and also in space, and design demands a master designer. And things operate according to laws. We can depend upon those laws. They work. Laws demand a law giver. Number five, kind does reproduce after kind as we read in Genesis 1. It just always happens.

Acorns produce oak trees. Pine trees reproduce pine trees. Animals reproduce after their own kind. It just happens as it says in Genesis chapter 1. There's no evolutionary process there at all.

Number six, fulfill prophecies. And certainly there are many things in the Bible that have been fulfilled and are being fulfilled. Number seven, answer prayers, which is a proof to many because certainly they have seen their prayers to be answered. Well, this month the parents are in the process of hopefully talking with their children using their study guides that are available on our internet website, our members' website, to teach their children about God's existence. And one way that parents can capitalize is on the creation itself.

Creation does exist. It did not just make itself. That doesn't happen. Parents can even use logic. We've seen this logic before, but here's a wristwatch. And this wristwatch did not come into being out of nothing. It just doesn't make any sense that things just don't happen that way. This wristwatch did not somehow assemble itself and begin ticking all on its own. There is zero possibility of this wristwatch ever making itself. Just no possibility. So evolution just has no chance. There's no possibility of evolution being the answer for the existence of creation. And a child certainly can see that logic. We can use creation, then, that creation does exist as one of the major proofs that God does exist. Let's go to Romans chapter 1.

And so mankind, actually, when he looks out and sees God's wonderful and beautiful creation, has no excuse to believe in evolution or to believe that God or to doubt God's existence.

In Romans chapter 1 and verse 18, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. And one of the big truths that they suppress or that mankind suppresses is the existence of God. And verse 19, because that what may be known of God is manifest in them or to them, for God has shown it to them. How has he done that? Well, verse 20, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made. Even his eternal power and Godhead said that they are without excuse. So actually, mankind has no excuse. He can see that the creation does exist, and there is no excuse then for doubting that there must be a Creator God. It is obvious. And certainly mankind, though, seems like he wants to deny God's existence. And God goes on down to describe those who would do such a thing as to deny his existence.

Twice in the Psalms we read that only the fool has said in his heart, there is no God.

Only the fool. Well, in verse 22, the same thing, professing to be wise, they became fools.

And today we have a lot of people with degrees. They have done all kinds of studies. They have all kinds of the education of this world and who believe in evolution. They don't believe in God as the Creator. And yet God says they are fools to doubt his existence.

But that's what mankind has wanted to do. And so in verse 24, therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, to the lusts of their hearts. And in verse 26, for this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. And in verse 28, even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge.

And we don't find God retained in the knowledge of education today. Not very much of it anyway.

And maybe a few schools, there may be a few schools here and there. But actually, there's not supposed to even be the teaching of the Bible in our public schools anymore.

So even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting. And so the result of denying God's existence are all around us. We see the evils. It goes on to describe in verse 29 unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, and deceit, and so forth. The results of denying God's existence certainly are not good. But back to verse 20 again, man is without excuse.

There's plenty of evidence all around. I'd like for us to consider just a little bit of that evidence this afternoon. And I will say parents and also just general members of our congregation here, it's exciting to think about some of these things in the creation that prove God's existence. We'd like to ask or to challenge the parents to make it interesting to your children, too.

It is exciting to think about the creation because the creation does prove that there's a mastermind behind it. It didn't just happen. We'll consider just a few things, but parents and all of us can go further as we are able and desire. One thing that proves the glory of God is just looking up at, well, you look up in the daytime and see that beautiful sun up there.

That's a beautiful orb, isn't it? The sun, huge ball of fire that our planet rotates around, revolves around once every year. And then the moon as well. Sometimes you see the moon in the daytime. And at nighttime, the stars, the heavens declare the glory of God. Let's turn to that scripture in Psalm 19 because I want you to notice a thing or two that just we may not have pointed out necessarily about these scriptures that we are well aware of.

The heavens do declare the glory of God, but they do so without any audible sound. We don't hear a bit of noise. There's nothing audible, but they declare God's glory. In Psalm 19 in verse 1, the heavens declare the glory of God. They also prove the existence of God as they declare His glory. And it is glorious, isn't it, to look up on a starlit night or to see the beautiful full moon up there, a crystal clear night.

This time of the year, many times, you have some of those nights, and it just declares the glory of God. And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, but it's a type of speech that we don't actually hear. And night unto night reveals knowledge, but there's no speech or language. That means nowhere in whether you speak Russian, Chinese, or Spanish, or whatever. There's no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their line or their message has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. There are words that those who have ears to hear or a mind to hear or receptive can pick up on. We see the glory of God. We don't hear something audible with our ears, but we say there's the greatness of God.

There's the existence of God proved. There's the glory of God. So the words are picked up by those who have a heart and mind to see. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 40. We see also here expressed that the heavens, the creation, declare the greatness and the wonder of Almighty God. Isaiah chapter 40 in verse 12, read just a few verses in this chapter. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, measured heaven with a span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

Who's done that? Who got to the Atlantic Ocean? Some of us may have gone near big bodies of water for the feast. Who made that? Who measured it out? Put it there. He went to the mountains. We went to the mountains for the feast. We saw beautiful mountains. Who weighed out those mountains? Well, it wasn't mankind. To whom did he take counsel and who instructed him and taught him in the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding? Who taught God then to do all these things?

And he brings out the nations are like a drop in the bucket and like nothing. In verse 18, to whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?

In verse 21, have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? As he who sits above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. And verse 25, to whom then will you liken me? Or to whom shall I be equal? Equal says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these things who brings out their host by number and calls them all by name by the greatness of his might and the strength of his power. Not one is missing. And so of all the vast universe, God has a name for each one that he recalls by his greatness and power and might.

Rather than we can use these verses to teach the greatness of God.

I'd like to refer to a couple of our booklets also that have a lot of information about teaching about God's existence. One of the very first would be Life's Ultimate Question, Does God Exist? There's just a lot of good and exciting information in this booklet. I'd like to go back and read the whole thing. I read parts of it, but there's a chapter on evidence all around us. That's what I'm bringing out. And then another chapter, The Beginning of the Universe, and one about our earth and the giver of life and life's purpose and the consequences of ideas. So just so many good chapters that are in this booklet, Life's Ultimate Question, Does God Exist? And then another one that goes along with it would be creation or evolution. Does it really matter what we believe? And of course it does matter. It makes a difference in the way we live our life, whether or not God is real or not to us. Makes a big difference.

Both of these have a lot of very interesting information that I can highly recommend that our parents read. So in our study guides, by the way, those study guides are written to the parents.

They're not written to the level of the children. You know why? Because the parents may have children that are in high school, or they may have children that are more like in middle school, or elementary school, or maybe children that are not even in school yet. So the parents should take the study guide information and try to make it understandable to their children whatever age level they might be. So the study guides are written for the benefit of the parents. So we need to understand that. And then the parents are to take this information, this guide, and try to bring it to their children so that their children understand. Well, sometimes we can go outside of the churches writings as well and get some good information. Here's a book that I can highly recommend with a lot of information about the creation and all the things that we see all around us. The book, the title of this book is Why We Believe in Creation, Not Evolution by Fred John Meldow.

Why we believe in creation, not in evolution. There's just a lot of good information in this book. Information about the size and scope of the universe, about the earth itself, about human life, about even different organs of the human body that are just amazing, the function of the different organs. I might read just a little bit from this book. On page 26 is an interesting section about extraordinary combinations on the earth. Just take our planet, the planet that we live on. And by the way, you know, parents can begin by sending to their children. They can make it really exciting to small ones. How would you like to be on a spaceship? Oh boy, wouldn't that be exciting? Well, son or daughter, you are on a spaceship. The earth is out in space. We are a long way from the sun. You have to make it meaningful to them. We are 93 million miles. You might be able to bring out some things that would help them to understand that distance.

I don't know, but that's a long way, isn't it? We are 93 million miles out from the sun, our spaceship earth. And our spaceship, which has an atmosphere for us to breathe and has soil and has sunshine to produce things, to sustain human life, it's all right here. Our spaceship has everything that we need. And here we are. We make a journey way out from the sun, 93 million miles. And once every year, every 365 days, we make a journey around the sun, every 365 and one quarter days. And as we make that journey, guess what? Our spaceship is every 24 hours making a complete turn around. At the equator, our spaceship is turning at the rate of a thousand miles an hour. And, boy, think about that. Now, as our... and you can tell, you know, make it interesting by telling your children that during the year, we are going to travel around the sun over half a billion miles. Maybe there are ways to make that more meaningful to them as well, because that's just a huge figure. And we are traveling along at a speed of 66,600 miles an hour.

Can you imagine that? Our spaceship is really moving out. And we don't even realize we are moving at that speed, do we? 66,600 miles an hour. So during this sermon, if it goes an hour, we will travel 66,600 miles. Furthermore, this is just the right speed. If we were going a little bit slower, then we would be pulled into the gravitational pull of the sun and burn up.

And if we were going a little bit faster than 66,600, we would go off into space. So the speed at which we are traveling around the sun is just right, just right to keep us in the sun's orbit.

You know, you can really make it interesting to your children. You can also bring out, as far as unique, extraordinary combinations on the earth, that, hey, son, you think this just happened? No, a creator God put the earth out at this distance and traveling at this speed and rotating once every 24 hours on its axis. The creator God arranged it, the master designer, just right for human life. Furthermore, son and daughter, God did not put the earth spinning around perpendicular to the sun, but at a strange 23-degree angle. So we go around the sun at this strange 23-degree angle, but guess what? It creates summer and winter, spring and fall, as we'll go around the sun. So it's exciting, isn't, to think about that. This book brings out that if the earth had been tilted as much as 45 degrees instead of 23, 23 is just right for the seasons, just right for the as far as the cold of winter, where it doesn't get too cold, and the hot of summer where it doesn't get too hot, just right. If the earth had been tilted as much as 45 degrees instead of 23, the temperate zones would have torrid zone heat in the summer and frigid zone heat in the winter. It'd just be too hot and it would be too cold. So just right. Everything is just right. So does this just happen? Evolution would have us to believe that this just happened.

Genesis 1 would have us to believe that God placed the earth and the moon and the sun in their relationship to each other. But I think it's exciting to use that then to prove that there is a Creator God and that evolution is not the answer. You know, something else this book brings out, and you can use this as well, is the amazing human body. Let me read just a little bit from this chapter, which is beginning on page 214, The Marvelous Mystery of Man. It brings out that there are trillions of cells in the body of a living in the body, which are living organisms, living protoplasm, and in order to carry on the life processes, they must convert food, air, and water into energy and tissue and food for tissue. And it brings out that these elements must be changed into a form that they can be absorbed as food and be carried to all parts of the body. This process is called digestion. Air must enter the body to oxidize foods. This is called respiration.

Altered food and oxygen are dissolved in the blood and carried to all parts of the body to hungry cells. The heart pumps the blood to all parts of the body. This is called circulation.

Waste products like ashes and a furnace must be removed. This operation is called excretion.

All of this highly complicated performance must have directing intelligence, and as the central nervous system assisted by the autonomic nervous system. So it brings out that it all began with a single fertilized cell. That who would ever believe, though, that a single fertilized cell would have the power to draw seemingly from nowhere the 30 trillion cells in a human body, having all the necessary structures and organs that make up the body of man. The wonder of this miracle is deepened by the fact that while the cells in the body started from one fertilized cell, the ovum, which was itself neither muscle, nerve, blood, or bone cell, each separate colony of cells produced by the process of division becomes an organ whose cells all have a ponderable and demonstrable difference between them and the cells of any other organ in the same body.

But it all began with an ovum about the size of a pinpoint. That's how I began.

That's how you began. Just as a little pinpoint in as an ovum in the in your mother, who being impregnated by a sperm from your father, and the sperm are microscopic.

The sperm has a little flagellum or tail, and there are hundreds of millions in one seminal fluid discharge in sexual intercourse. There are between 200 to 500 million sperm, and just one of them impregnating the ovum causes conception of a human being.

But each of the sperm has a little tail that kind of motivates it, and then when one of them attaches to the the ovum and penetrates, that's all that is needed. Just one of those, say, two to 500,000 sperm for a conception to take place. When that happens, then there is an ovum that has been that is now ready to begin the production of a human life, and the two cells unite, the ovum and the sperm. At the end of a month, after one month, the growing embryo has its own circulatory system. At the end of the second month, the fetus is only an inch long. So after a month, there's probably only about half an inch of even that, but already half an inch long has a little circulatory system beginning. At the end of the second month, just an inch long, at the end of the third month, a bony structure is beginning to form. What causes in that ovum, that little pinpoint, what causes then a bony skeletal structure to begin? The bones of the skull, the bones of the body, of course, the heart muscle already being formed, and what causes all of that?

At the end of the sixth month, the fetus is 10 to 14 inches long, and yet it would be premature to be born at that point. During the seventh month, the baby begins to move about, and two more months of prenatal life are added to complete the maturing process. So the moment of birth then comes, and the mother's body knows when this time comes and begins to have contractions, the water breaks. We stand in awe in the presence of this super miracle, human conception and birth, the miraculous work of a miracle-working God. So the miracle of growth in the body after the birth takes place, the baby then must grow and develop. What mystical force makes the baby gradually turn into an adult? No one knows. The only answer is God made it so. Why does the marvelous process of growth stop at just the right time? Why doesn't the baby grow to be 30 feet tall?

What keeps the growing process symmetrical and at a uniform rate? The baby's arms and legs and hands, they all just gradually grow together. And what causes, as it goes on to say, the nose on the face to turn down as it should instead of turning up or sideways. So all those things you think about, it shows the greatness and the wonder of Almighty God. You can take, as this chapter does, you can take the skin, you can take the blood, you can take the human eye, wonder of all wonders. Let me see if I can find the page here in our booklet on evolution or creation. And there's a chapter or a section here about the miracle of the eye. The human eye possesses 130 million light-sensitive rods and cones that convert light into chemical impulses. How is it that we see? Well, our human eye has 130 million light-sensitive rods and cones, and they convert light into chemical impulses. And then these impulses or signals travel at a rate of a billion per second to the brain. A billion signals or impulses, chemical impulses to the brain per second, and therefore we are able to see. And you can focus on something distant, you can focus on something close. It's amazing what the human eye is able to do. In fact, Charles Darwin described the eye as one of the greatest challenges to his theory.

There's a section on pages 44 and 45 in our booklet, creation or evolution, on the miracle of the eye. And this book here also brings that out as well. So I just bring out a few of these things because the existence of God or proof of the existence of God is indeed all around us. If you want to just look at how the earth is positioned and works in relationship to the sun and the moon, how perfect it is for human life, this didn't just happen. Look at the human body. Look at any aspect.

You know, I look at, we have a pond, about a two-acre pond at our place, and we have Canadian geese that fly in. About 30 or 40 of them sometimes fly in. And it's interesting to see them. They usually leave at night and go somewhere. We're not sure where. And then they come back the next morning. And it's interesting to see them come flying in. And I've never seen a crash.

I've never seen anybody run into somebody else. That happens with human air flight, doesn't it? But these geese know where the others are. They know just how to land. They come right into the water. And geese have a pretty good-sized body. And they just land with absolute precision. Who made the geese to be that way? And you can take any animal, I believe, and ask that same question.

You know, later that evening, before sundown, usually the geese, you'll hear a lot of squawking or a lot of honking. I think they're getting ready. They're getting keyed up for their flight to wherever they're going for the night. And then before too long, you can hear them really honking as they begin to flap their wings. Before too long, they're airborne, and then they're gaining elevation. They have about a block before they get to trees, not too far from the pond, to clear the trees and go on off into the distance. What gives the geese the ability to do that? That just happened?

No? You know, and we could take any critter or any aspect of God's creation, and we can prove the existence of God. Truly, only the fool has said, there is no God. And so, you know, that's article number one of our faith, is that, yes, God does exist. The reality of God just helps us to want to find out more what is His purpose then, and what should we be doing about it. Let's go for one scripture more on the existence of God to Hebrews 11 and verse 6. The faith chapter, Hebrews 11 and verse 6. So the very first article of faith that we have is that, hey, God the Creator does exist, and we want to then go on to find out His purpose and what we should be doing about it. Hebrews 11 and verse 6. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him. Now, it does take faith, but it's a faith that is based upon an abundance of proof. It's not a blind faith. It's a faith that has abundant proof. Without faith, it's impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is. Must believe it deeply. The reality of God must be very real to Him. Must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Yes, God does exist. It's not hard to prove to our children that God does exist and encourage them to find out His purpose and to be close to Him. I want to go ahead to a few of the other questions that children often ask, but where did God come from? You know, well, we all ponder the deeper questions of life, but we have to explain to our children that God has always existed. He dwells beyond time and space. He made the universe, which, of course, means that He made time and space as we know it. So God dwells outside of the realm of time and space. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 57 in verse 15. This verse might help some in explaining to our children that, hey, God didn't come from somewhere. He just has always been. He has always existed. He is without beginning, and He is without end.

In Isaiah 57 in verse 15, thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy.

So God inhabits eternity. Now, we could explain to our children we inhabit mortality.

God inhabits immortality, and the two are opposite. One is perishable, one is temporary, and perishable. The other is never-ending, never having had a beginning. And, let's say, a spirit composition. We'll get into that in some later months of our study making God real. Let's go to 1 Timothy chapter 6 in verse 16. This verse also helps to explain that God is opposite as humans. Us humans are temporary and perishable and mortal. God is eternal. He is spirit, and He inhabits eternity. 1 Timothy chapter 6 in verse 16, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. No one's ever seen God in His full glory. You know, you can't look up at the sun, can you? You can't look up. It's just too much to look. It'd probably ruin your eyes if you were to keep looking at the sun very long. Well, God is so much greater than the sun. We just could not then see God as He really is. We humans. So, unapproachable light. He's a spirit being. So, we can explain that God has always existed, and He inhabits eternity, and He dwells outside of the concept of time and space. That's something that's a little bit difficult, I think, for us in our human state to comprehend. One day we'll understand that maybe a lot more deeply. Another question that children often have is, and this is in our study guide for this month, where is God? And, well, God is in the third heaven. What do you mean third? Some have wondered, well, maybe didn't realize there was a third heaven. Well, let's read that, and also we will read that through God's Spirit He is everywhere. He's omnipresent as well. Let's go to Genesis chapter 1. We have the first two heavens described in Genesis chapter 1, beginning in verse 6.

Genesis 1 and verse 6. Then God said, let there be a firmament, or margin says, expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. Thus God made the firmament and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so. And God called the firmament heaven, and the evening and the morning were the second day. So on the second day, God made the first heaven, and the first heaven is what we would call the air, the atmosphere. It is where birds fly. It's where airplanes fly. And, of course, it's what we breathe as well. That's the first heaven. The second heaven is in verses 14 through 18. God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night. Let them be for signs and seasons and days and years. Let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens. And so He made two great lights. Verse 16, one for the day, one for the night, in other words, the sun and the moon. He set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth and to rule over the day and the night and divide the light from the darkness. And God saw it was good. That was the fourth day. So on the fourth day, God put the sun, moon, and stars in just the right relationship to the earth. And the sun and the moon and the stars would be the second heaven. The third heaven is described in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 2.

So these would be good things to bring out to our children, that God dwells in the third heaven.

And we don't know exactly, you know, of what the third, let's say, where this third heaven is. But this described here in 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 2, Paul here says, I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago, whether in the body or whether out of the body, I don't know, God knows, was caught up to the third heaven. I know such a man, again, whether in the body or out, I do not know. In verse 4, how he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which are not lawful for a man to utter. So envision here, Paul is referring to himself, he was caught up to the third heaven, to God's heavenly throne, paradise, and he heard things which are wonderful, which would be hard to write down. So yes, God dwells in the third heaven, and he then dwells in heaven, as it says in Ecclesiastes 5 and verse 2. But you know, God at the same time, through his spirit power, is able, is omnipresent. Let's read about that in Psalm 139.

And verse 7. Psalm 139 and verse 7.

God dwells in a specific place, but his spirit radiates out from him. And actually, you know, he's here in spirit presence in this very meeting. This is a holy convocation, and God's presence is here through the power of his spirit. God is present in our lives by the power of his spirit. Well, Psalm 139 and verse 7. Where can I go from your spirit?

You know, God's spirit, kind of like sunlight, sort of like air, it just permeates, it goes out, it radiates out from God everywhere. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend up to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, or the grave that is, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall leave me. And your right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall fall on me, even the night shall be light about me.

Darkness doesn't hide us from God either. The darkness shall not hide from you, but the night shines as the day, the darkness and the light are both alike to you. So we can't get away from God's presence, can we? So God is on his throne, but through his spirit he is omnipresent.

All right, children may wonder, well, what is God, God dwells in the third heaven then? What is it like? Well, Paul called it paradise, didn't he? He heard words he could not utter or express. But what is God's throne like? Well, Psalm 11 and verse 4, we'll read just a few verses on what God's dwelling place, where God dwells, what it's like. Psalm 11 and verse 4 says the Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord's, so he's in his holy temple in the third heaven. The Lord's throne is in heaven.

His eyes behold, his eyelids test the sons of men. So God dwells in heaven on his throne in his holy temple. We read a little bit more about this in Revelation 4 and 5.

And these are very good chapters, probably the best in the Bible to show a little bit about what God's heavenly throne is like and his dwelling place in his heavenly temple. In Revelation chapter 4 and describes God's throne, verse 4, we read around the throne were 24 thrones. Okay, so here's God's throne, maybe a bigger throne. And then there are 24, perhaps smaller, you would think, thrones. And on the thrones sat 24 elders sitting clothed in white robes, and they had crowns of gold on their heads. So these are, no doubt, 24 elders who serve in a very special way, that they serve God and his purpose and his plan. We don't have much detail about all the ways they do, but they do serve God and they praise God. In chapter 5, from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. There were seven lamps of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. Here are these seven lamps of fire before the throne. And in verse 6, before the throne there was a sea of glass like crystal. So it's a beautiful, like a sea of glass. It's a place we can probably, you might be able to describe, you know, something crystal beautiful, something like a, like crystal glass.

And here's God's throne. Around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in the front and the back. One was like a lion, one a calf, one a man, and the other flying eagle. The four living creatures had six wings, were full of eyes round and about. So some kind of angels then that certainly look very different. So here we can describe that God's throne is a place with a lot of things going on. These four living creatures praise God. The 24 elders praise God. In chapter 5, we have the Lamb who comes before the throne to get this book with the seven seals and be able to open them. So Jesus Christ is the Lamb. He's there on the right hand of God. Other verses would point that out. Jesus Christ at the right hand of God. Hebrews 12 and verse 2 brings out that the Lamb is at the right hand of, that Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God. In chapter 5 and verse 11, more about things around God's throne, I looked and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and the elders. And the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000. Multiply that out. 100 million. Plus there were thousands and thousands of others.

So God's throne is a place, can you imagine, 100 million angels plus the 24 elders plus the four living creatures? Jesus Christ and the Father. I'll tell you what, God's throne is a busy place. This is where the government of the universe originates, the throne of God. And our prayers are described as coming up to the throne of God. You can read that in Revelation 8, the first few verses there, that our prayers come up to the very throne of Almighty God.

So, brethren, we have quickly gone over some of the things that are in the study guide for the month of November today, proving the existence of God, thinking about things like where is God and what is this heavenly throne like? This is a good beginning point in making God real. I think it's good not only for the children, it's good for all of us who have had children who are now grown, and maybe if we've not had children, it's good to make God more real. To make God more real to each of us is good because it will help, it will lead to a closer relationship. We'll want to draw closer to God. It's not enough just to prove that God exists, and we should point that out to our children. Not enough son or daughter just to believe that God does exist. There are non-religious people that believe there has to be an intelligent being, but the important thing is to go on to understand His purpose. There's a reason for having made human life and to point out that man of all the creation, only man, bears the image of God. And God has an awesome purpose for mankind to become the sons of God and to share the universe. You can even turn to Revelation 21 and verse 7, and you could even refer to a verse like this. This just shows how awesome God's purpose is, and you can encourage your children to begin thinking about being a part of this, wanting to be a part of it. Revelation 21 and verse 7, he who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. So we can let our children know your purpose is to become a son of God. Your purpose is to inherit the universe, and someday you will be able to get out and to help make all things new. You can bring out also that son or daughter to attain our purpose, then you need to develop and to grow in a relationship with God. And it's a close relationship, and we are to walk with God and be close to God and obey Him and keep His commandments. Well, this is exciting to think about, making God real and proving God's existence. It's always after many, many years of knowing that God does exist, it's always exciting to go back and think about some of these things.

I hope we'll all be excited about the new youth program. Parents, I hope you'll accept the challenge of teaching your children about God, His purpose, and many parents are doing this already. Doing a good job, but I don't think there are any parents who can't do a better job.

We just want to make it clear that any classes, we'll still have, no doubt, some classes and review sessions here, but we want it to be clear that the parents are the ones that need to be teaching their children, and they'll be able to do about 99% of the teaching at home with their children.

We want the congregation to help in every way that we can and participate. We want the congregation to be aware of the study guide topics. I don't know if I'll speak about it every time like this or not. If I feel inspired to, I will. I'll think about it. All of our speakers are welcome to look at the study guides. If it triggers a thought or idea that you want to speak on, you're welcome to do so. Don't feel like you'll be stealing anything from me if you just feel inspired to speak about.

It's not required that you do. You can speak about other things, too, as you might choose.

We want the congregation to pitch in and help and be aware of our youth instruction that is going on.

Together, we want to roll up our sleeves and work out the very best approach we can toward the training of our children. So let's pray that God will bless us and show us the way, a way that will be pleasing to Him. And let's ask God to bless us richly and to help God to help Him to become more real to us, and that we may be able to walk more closely with Him.