Rooted in 2022: Remembering the 4 Gs of God Helps Reveal Glory of Jesus
For summer 2022, we are continuing our series Rooted: Whose We Are + Who We Are. This post complements the series as we look at whose we are. You are most welcome to join with us on Saturdays at 4 p.m. at the Fusion Center, 30 Tyler Prentice Road, Worcester to learn more.
"The human heart is an idol factory." Both Neitzsche (an atheist) and Calvin (a theologian) said this, two men who had very different views of God and the world, but spoke truth plainly and clearly.
More recently, author David Foster Wallace elaborated on this aspect of humanity in his famous "This is Water" commencement speech at Kenyon College:
Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god to worship is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure, and you will always feel ugly. Worship power, and you will end up feeling weak and afraid, and you will need even more power over others to numb you to your own fear. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart, you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship … is that they're unconscious. They are default settings.
So if all the things above result in worshipping the person in the mirror, which will only lead to my end, how does trusting in Jesus help me worship Someone who is actually worthy of my worship and will lead to a full life?
The 4 Gs of God: Good, Gracious, Great, Glorious
In his book Everyday Church, Tim Chester thoughtfully highlights four attributes, or "4 Gs," of God found in the Scriptures (ex. Psalm 145:5-8 include all 4) that help each of us evaluate how idolatry can shrink our life, and how ultimately Jesus is better. Below are the "4 Gs of God" Jesus continues to help us learn as we abide in Him, get rooted more and more in His grace, and are set free from worshiping something or someone that can eat us alive as we continue to get "rooted" in the One who not only frees us, but gives us and grows us in abundant love and life.
I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him.
+ Ephesians 3:17-19; Colossians 2:6-7
(1) God is our Great Redeemer.
Jesus: Jesus is the Great Redeemer who can transform even what was meant for evil into something good; He leads me better than I can lead myself and sets me free from being enslaved to self protection.
Savior-Worship Response: God is more worthy of my worship because of His greatness to handle any situation and transform it, which means I can rest in His power to protect and provide.
Substitute Idol: I am my redeemer, which means I need to feel like I am in control in most situations in life, if not all, in order for them to turn out well.
Substitute Idol: I am my redeemer, which means I need to feel like I am in control in most situations in life, if not all, in order for them to turn out well.
Self-Worship Response: I don't tend to be very flexible with my plans, and I'm not much for taking risks for the sake of others. I'm very impatient with people if they don't follow my advice. I also tend to avoid responsibilities I'm not interested in or would have to sacrifice for, and tend to be overbearing with those who I think should be responsive to me.
Vince Larson, New City Shorthand: Proud? Where am I proud? How does God's greatness humble me instead to be free from needing to control?
Vince Larson, New City Shorthand: Proud? Where am I proud? How does God's greatness humble me instead to be free from needing to control?
(2) God is our Glorious King.
Jesus: Jesus is the King whose glory can be my main focus as He is with me always, so I get to be present instead of fight for attention.
Savior-Worship Response: God is more worthy of my worship because of His glory and presence with me always. I can be myself and don't have to live in fear of others. I get to give glory to others freely while being fully present with them.
Substitute Idol: In seeking my own glory, I am my own ruler or others' slave, which means I need consistent approval from others so that I don't fear what they think about me.
Self-Worship Response: I tend to avoid confrontation and crave acceptance. I behave differently around certain people and often hide my true self. Contentment with life is based on who has complimented me recently.
Vince Larson, New City Shorthand: Scared? Who or what am I scared of? How does God's glorious presence always with me free me from being afraid?
(3) God is our Good Creator.
Jesus: Jesus is God's best gift for me as the Bread of Life and living water; satisfaction in His goodness is everlasting because He is making me everlasting as part of His new creation.
Savior-Worship Response: God is more worthy of my worship because of His goodness, which means I don't have to look anywhere else for my satisfaction.
Substitute Idol: I am my provider, which means I always tend to need to create or get the next best thing to be truly satisfied.
Substitute Idol: I am my provider, which means I always tend to need to create or get the next best thing to be truly satisfied.
Self-Worship Response: Life is often wanting. I need another emotional, circumstantial, or chemical high to pick me up. I complain a lot. People around me often feel the burden of needing to meet my needs. I don't tend to be fully committed to anyone for very long, but I tend to get over committed to many things.
Vince Larson, New City Shorthand: Hooked? Where am I hooked? How does God's goodness free me instead to be content and celebrate what I have been given?
Vince Larson, New City Shorthand: Hooked? Where am I hooked? How does God's goodness free me instead to be content and celebrate what I have been given?
(4) God is our Gracious Father.
Jesus: Jesus was sent by His Gracious Father to perform every aspect of life perfectly for me, and His work on my behalf to reconcile me to God is completely finished.
Savior-Worship Response: God is more worthy of my worship because of His grace, which means I don't have to live to prove myself to others anymore.
Substitute Idol: I am my performance manager, which means I need to perform in life at a certain level to feel worthy of being accepted by myself, and others need to perform for me to accept them.
Substitute Idol: I am my performance manager, which means I need to perform in life at a certain level to feel worthy of being accepted by myself, and others need to perform for me to accept them.
Self-Worship Response: If people don't thank me for what I do, I can emotionally manipulate them to make them feel guilty. I don't take criticism and failure well; in fact, these often crush me and/or make me defensive. You won't find me restful or relaxed when there's always something more I could be doing. And I'm either proud of my recent success or envious of others' which results in me being distant from those who have inexpressible joy.
Vince Larson, New City Shorthand: Cold? Who or what am I cold to? How does God's grace warm my heart instead to be free to embody His love that endures all things, believes all things, hopes all things, bears all things?
Vince Larson, New City Shorthand: Cold? Who or what am I cold to? How does God's grace warm my heart instead to be free to embody His love that endures all things, believes all things, hopes all things, bears all things?
Christ is all,
+ Rev. Mike "Sully" Sullivan
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