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Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith (1927 - 2013). American pastor and founder of the Calvary Chapel movement, born in Ventura, California. After graduating from LIFE Bible College, he was ordained by the Foursquare Church and pastored several small congregations. In 1965, he took over a struggling church in Costa Mesa, California, renaming it Calvary Chapel, which grew from 25 members to a network of over 1,700 churches worldwide. Known for his accessible, verse-by-verse Bible teaching, Smith embraced the Jesus Movement in the late 1960s, ministering to hippies and fostering contemporary Christian music and informal worship. He authored numerous books, hosted the radio program "The Word for Today," and influenced modern evangelicalism with his emphasis on grace and simplicity. Married to Kay since 1947, they had four children. Smith died of lung cancer, leaving a lasting legacy through Calvary Chapel’s global reach and emphasis on biblical teaching
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Sermon Summary
Chuck Smith emphasizes the incomparable nature of God as Solomon kneels in the temple, recognizing that no other god can compare to Jehovah, the God of Israel. He highlights humanity's instinct to worship and the futility of creating idols that reflect our own desires rather than the true Creator. Smith points out that God cannot be confined to a physical form or location, and He remains faithful to His promises, including the restoration of Israel. The sermon underscores God's mercy, compassion, and desire for a relationship with humanity, asserting that knowing and serving Him leads to the fullest expression of life.
Scriptures
I Kings 8:22
"THE INCOMPARABLE GOD" Intro: Solomon, king of Israel was kneeling in the magnificent tempt he had lust built to worship God. 900 yrs. earlier God had called Abraham from the polytheistic Babylon. I. "JEHOVAH GOD OF ISRAEL, NO GOD LIKE THEE." A. Solomon's kingdom many forms of idols and gods. 1. What do all these forms of worship tell us? a. Man must worship something. b. Man instinctively reaches out beyond himself for purpose and meaning. c. The marvelous designs in nature compel us to believe in a designer. d. The awesome infinite functions in life forms demand an infinitely wise creator. 2. Man had created his own gods. a. A projection of himself. b. If I were god this is what I would do and be. 1. This is how I would have man discover and worship me. B. The God of Israel could not be represented by a form. 1. Any attempts to confine Him to a form, wrong. 2. No idols, graven images, representations. C. The God of Israel could not be contained in a house made by man. 1. The heavens of heaven cannot contain Him. a. He should never be thought of in terms of locality. 1. He is with us here. 2. He is with you as you ride home. 3. He is with you at the beach, or mountains. D. The God of Israel kept His word. 1. He would speak of things in advance of the fact, then He would do it. a. This He did as a proof that He was truly God. b. He promised this land to Abraham's seed 900 years earlier. 1. Now here they were dwelling in it. E. He promised to prosper and bless them. F. He promised that if they forsook Him and worshipped other Gods, He would forsake them and they would be driven from the land and dispersed. G. He promised that in the end times He would restore the land to them. That the nation would be reborn in a day. That they would build again the waste places, that they would blossom and bud and fill the earth with fruit. 1. Looking at the nation Israel today, one must surely exclaim, "O Jehovah God of Israel, there is no God like thee." H. The God of Israel was a merciful God. 1. He is described as full of compassion and plenteous in mercy. 2. He is understanding and forgiving. 3. He is not willing that any should perish. 4. He desires your fellowship and love. To know Him is to understand life. To serve Him is to live within the highest potential of man's being.
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Chuck Smith (1927 - 2013). American pastor and founder of the Calvary Chapel movement, born in Ventura, California. After graduating from LIFE Bible College, he was ordained by the Foursquare Church and pastored several small congregations. In 1965, he took over a struggling church in Costa Mesa, California, renaming it Calvary Chapel, which grew from 25 members to a network of over 1,700 churches worldwide. Known for his accessible, verse-by-verse Bible teaching, Smith embraced the Jesus Movement in the late 1960s, ministering to hippies and fostering contemporary Christian music and informal worship. He authored numerous books, hosted the radio program "The Word for Today," and influenced modern evangelicalism with his emphasis on grace and simplicity. Married to Kay since 1947, they had four children. Smith died of lung cancer, leaving a lasting legacy through Calvary Chapel’s global reach and emphasis on biblical teaching