I asked about his happiest memories, and he described a long ago baseball game, when he was a boy and

my grandfather was his hero. They carried home a foul ball as their prize and the souvenir of my dads childhood-sweet day. The ball? I asked. Gone. Given away in an impulse to a curious boy. Gone. I knew we had to get the ball back and bring it home. Far away, we found the boy grown into a man, and we held our breath. Did he have the ball? Was it the genuine treasure? Would he insist on keeping it? Could we buy it back? Could we restore it to the one who loved it, to the one whose hand it was meant to fit? If we could redeem it, we would not let it go. The once curious boy, now man, didnt have to let us buy back the old loved ball. But he did. We waited to see if it was the real thing. The one who received it long ago knew it well, and it was true. Restored, we brought it home to stay where it belongs.

Week # 3 - What do people need to know about God? Theres no imitation If youre reaching out to lost people, it doesnt take long to find out that there are a lot of gods in the world. Some gods looks like idols, but others are more subtle and just look like things we enjoy or work for. Many people groups around the globe still physically bow down to carved images. The Bible is really clear about what makes God unique and authentic. What does Exodus 8:10 say about God in comparison to anyone else? Psalm 86:10 tells us how exclusive Gods identity is:

For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
o That means He, without anyone else coming close or in the same category, equals God. o There is no imitation of Him; He is the only true one of His kind. When the Apostle Paul was in Athens, Greece, he saw that the city was full of idols, (Acts 17:16) so he stood in a group of citizens and told them what makes the true God different. In Acts 17:22-28 his words are recorded for us.

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us People want to know the real God, not an imitation. A substitute wont give them the hope and peace they need. The longing we have is for the true God. There is no one like God. Not created or able to be contained, He is the source of all life and the ruler of it, but He longs for us to seek Him and be near Him.

The true God is unlike any other and wants us to know Him.

Theres no sin A lot of people think that if God is really holy and powerful, there would be no way that we could approach Him. Were too full of wrong (sin) to be near Him. That would be the case, if it wasnt for the second thing people need to know about God. Gods Son Jesus is without sin, and He stepped in as a substitute to pay for our guilt. God took steps to deal with our sin. See what 2 Corinthians 5:21 says about Gods action: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

According to this, what is the verb describing what he did? _____________ o What did God make Jesus be? o What is Jesus (who) like? The phrase in front of it tells who Gods action benefits: For _____ sake Whats the benefit we can receive? It follows so that.

There is no sin in Jesus; He was able to be our holy substitute and absorb our guilt for us, so we can be presented to God as clean. By His sacrifice, He redeemed us/bought us back from different ownership. Read Colossians 1:3-4. When we are forgiven for our guilty condition, God moves us out of belonging to the ________________________ to the _________________________.

1 John 1:9 summarizes what a sinless Jesus provides for people.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The true God gave His holy Son to reclaim us and make us His own.

Theres no guilt Since were born separated from God, it can be hard to stop feeling guilty. Romans 8:1 answers our shame and the feeling that we can never be good enough. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. People need to know that, because of Gods love for us, those who ask for His forgiveness are in Christ Jesus and are no longer condemned. He says were innocent. Not because of anything we accomplished, the true God declares us acceptable because of His Son Jesus. Its undeserved, and people need to know its called grace. The true God moves us from guilty to innocent when He takes our shame.

Theres no separation Many people around the world have religious experiences, but they still live in fear that if they struggle with doubt, temptation, or weakness, their god may turn on them. Theyre never really sure that theyre secure in their gods love or in their future. Romans 8:38-39 gives us confidence about our relationship to the true God. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. How many things does Paul say he is sure cant separate us from Gods love? _______ Knowing what God wants to be to us gives us confidence. Read John 10:11-15 & 30. o What does verse 30 tell us about Jesus and God? o Who is the good shepherd? (v.14) o What does he do for the sheep? (v.15) The true God forgives us and makes us secure as our Good Shepherd.

What do people need to know about God? There is no imitation; He is the true God. There is no sin in Him; He is the holy God. There is no guilt in Him; He is our redemption. There is no separation from Him; He is our shepherd.

We belong with the one and only true God who loves us. His sinless Sons sacrifice makes it possible for us to return to Him and be declared acceptable, secure in knowing we will never be separated from Him. Once in Christ Jesus, we are with Him to stay. People are grasping for the right god. They need to know God is true, holy, forgiving, and secure.

Next week well ask: What keeps people from finding God?

Questions to ready yourself: Have you ever turned to a phony god to give you help or hope? How would you describe what sin is to someone who never heard the word? What makes it hard for you to feel innocent before God? What could come into your life that would make you worry about being separated from God? Why do you think Jesus used a shepherd and sheep to help people understand how He feels about us?

(You might want to reflect on these in a journal, discuss them with a team youre a part of, or share them with a friend.) A Prayer to set your heart: Dear Shepherd, There is no one like You. Only you could say Im righteous (Wow!), remove the guilt I deserve, and bring me close to You. I know its not deserved, but Im so glad its given. I want to live my life with You where I belong. Help me to be ready to reach people who are searching for the truth about You.

Other verses to learn more about what all people share: Romans 5:6-10 Romans 3:23-25a Psalm 103:8