lord thank you so much for uh your great goodness lord we've seen we've sung about we've learned about your goodness and your greatness your majesty and we thank you for that and father we ask that as we turn to your word again to look at more facets of your character would you please speak to us father i'm so mindful that we are trying to as as finite beings trying to understand the infinite and lord we can't do that fully but would you by your holy spirit expand our understanding stretch our minds to be able to grasp as much as we can on this side of eternity and lord through it all would you strengthen our faith would you have the glory and lord would you enable us to trust you more because we know how wonderful and how great you are and we ask this in the name of jesus christ amen well we're on session three in our series looking at the character of god we have looked at some beautiful characteristics of god so far um if you remember we looked at the fact he doesn't change and that's so important the fact he's eternal he has always been he always will be we've looked at his righteousness his justice and his wrath and today we're looking at the omnis but before we do um i want to reiterate as i have said before that all of god's attributes are shared by all three members of the trinity the father the son and the holy spirit all three members are equally and perfectly divine and i will also say again in case anyone missed it last time that we must hold all of god's attributes in balance together we will go wrong if we emphasize one or more of his attributes at the expense of the others god is infinite in his whole character so if we under emphasize any part of his perfect and beautiful character then we are devaluing him in whatever measure we reduce him in his attributes similarly over emphasis of part of the character of god leads to error as our view of god then becomes unbalanced and i think it's a wonderful thing that our god is perfectly balanced in his character the only being who is i guess there's nothing missing from his character and everything about him is infinitely good and infinitely right so as i said today we're looking at the the omnis if you like the fact that uh he is omnipresent that means he's everywhere he is omniscient he knows everything and he's omnipotent meaning he's all-powerful and these are lovely characteristics that give us great reassurance and strengthen our faith first his omnipresence which can be defined as god does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being yet god acts differently in different places god does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being yet god acts differently in different places god is spirit in his nature and is everywhere at all times there is nowhere that god is not if you consider the vast expanse of the universe with its billions and billions of stars and planets and god is there but is also beyond the universe the fact that god is lord of space and cannot be limited is seen by the fact that he created it so he must be greater than his creation moses spoke of this in deuteronomy uh 10 14 he said indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the lord your god also the earth with all that is in it and then jeremiah also spoke of it in jeremiah 23 verses 23 to 24 am i a god near at hand says the lord and not a god afar off can anyone hide himself in secret places so that i shall not see him says the lord do i not fill heaven and earth says the lord that's actually quite an important statement because in old testament times the various nations around had gods that they were that were local they had gods of the hills had gods of the valleys they had gods of particular cities or towns but our god is everywhere he is universal and beyond the universe and that's that's a fundamentally important statement that jeremiah made in his day i guess the exception is that god the son in his humanity as jesus chose to be restricted as a man to being limited as we are whilst we're on the earth that i think is staggering humility on jesus part because he had spent eternity past being unlimited before even space and time were created and that he should choose a point in time to take on the limitations of human flesh so that we could be saved it's amazing but it's glorious and he spent some 33 years in the land of israel limited in his humanity for us that's not to diminish jesus deity in which his divine characteristics are still fully present nevertheless whilst god is everywhere it's also worth noting that god cannot be contained to any space however large when king solomon was building the temple he said in 2 chronicles 2 6 but who is able to build him a temple since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him who am i then that i should build him a temple except to burn sacrifice before him that also implies that there is no special place where we need to go to have access to god's presence we can meet him anywhere which is wonderful we should also state that god in his whole being is everywhere we don't just find a small part of god here in maidstone and another part in chatham or in rochester god is everywhere all of god is everywhere god can't be limited in that way but equally uh we need to guard against thinking of god as just being extremely large sort of somewhat bigger than the universe god has no special limits and he still existed in his omni presence even before time and space were created we are very bound by time and space but god isn't and one day when we have our resurrection bodies and in his presence forever i'm sure we will understand more but i also suspect will be even more in awe of him than we are now because we'll see even more the greatness of his majesty and the awesome nature of his infinity it'll be wonderful there's nowhere in the entire universe where one can flee from god's presence psalm 139 is a beautiful psalm and in verses 7 to 10 we have this where can i go from your spirit or where can i flee from your presence if i ascend into heaven you are there if i make my bed in hell behold 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 lead me and your right hand shall hold me now for us as believers that gives us great reassurance because wherever we are in this world we are never away from god that means that we can worship him wherever we are we can pray to him anywhere knowing that he is present to hear and to answer prayer we are never beyond the scope of his sustaining protecting and healing power because he's there the wonderful thing about god's omnipresence is that he is present to sustain us and bless us wherever we happen to be but also to judge and to discipline us that is needed it's complete folly to think that we can do something in secret that god will not see others might not see it but god does surely it's far better to do that which will please god at all times so that he can reward our faithfulness at the end of the bible in revelation 21 verse 3 we read and i heard a loud voice from heaven saying behold the tabernacle of god is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people god himself will be with them and be their god and god's great purpose is that he will dwell with man that's those who are believers at least and his plan of salvation has been working to bring this to a glorious climax that will last forever god wants relationships with his people and gloriously that that starts now as we are able to come to him in prayer for the unbeliever however god's omnipresence is very challenging because just as we as believers cannot escape the presence of god nor can the unbeliever god knows every deed every sin that has committed even when it's done in secret god's judgment must fall on the unbeliever because he has not believed in jesus and applied his blood to his life amos had a chilling word for israel when they were unrepentant in amos 9 1-4 strike the doorposts that the thresholds may shake and break them on the heads of them all i will slay the last of them with the sword he who flees from them shall not get away and he who escapes from them shall not be delivered though they dig into hell from there my hand shall take them though they climb up to heaven from there i will bring them down and though they hide themselves on top of carmel from there i will search and take them though they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea from there i will command the serpent and it shall bite them though they go into captivity before their enemies from there i will command the sword and it shall slay them they will set my eyes on them for harm and not for good and how crucial it is to come to know jesus christ as lord and savior while we are still living and while we have opportunity so let's move on and let's turn now to god's omniscience that he knows everything and this can be defined as god fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act let's just say that again god fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act and i think the first part of this definition in itself is mind-boggling because god is infinite and yet he knows himself fully hallelujah god is unique because it takes an infinite person to know infinity and we of course don't and can't but he has graciously told us a good deal about himself in the bible and he's shown us what he is like in the person of jesus he's also graciously given us his holy spirit to help us in that god knows everything and nothing is hidden from his knowledge and this involves every human that has ever everything that every human has ever thought or ever done or ever will but but god also has complete knowledge of all facets of the universe and beyond god knows all things that exist and all that will ever happen we saw a bit of psalm 139 just now but let's look at another bit uh in verses one to four we have a lovely account of the extent of god's knowledge of each one of us it says o lord you have searched me and known me you know my sitting down am i rising up you understand my thoughts are far off you comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways for there is not a word on my tongue but behold o lord you know it all together and it's then no wonder that the conclusion of the psalmist is in verse 6 such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high i cannot attain it now if you then multiply that up to embrace every person in all of history we really do have amazing omniscience and we see this amazing knowledge also in hebrews 4 13 and there is no creature hidden from his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account he knows every creature as well remember jesus words in matthew 6 verse 8 when he said that the father knows what we need before he we ask him but yet he still loves us to ask and to be involved he wants to be involved in our lives a good human father knows what is best for his child but he still loves to have his child come to him to ask for good things then in matthew 10 30 jesus said that even the hairs of your head are all numbered he didn't say that god counts them because that would imply that there's a time when god didn't know the number of hairs on your head because he would be in the process of counting them no he says they are numbered god knows they're numbered all the time because he knows the number despite numerous brushes and washes of the hair or people going bald or whatever it is but he knows that not just for each one of us but for each one of us for everyone and the bible tells us that god names all the stars and we know that there are billions upon billions of them yet despite the challenge to find enough names god has done it and he never gets confused as to which is which equally he never gets confused over people he knows each one totally he never forgets or learns anything because otherwise there'll be a point when he doesn't know everything i mean it's even more amazing than that because god knows things that might have happened but do not actually happen when we have a choice before us god knows what would have happened had we chosen a path other than the one that we decided to take there's an example here in matthew 11 verse 21 where jesus said well to you corazon woe to you bethsaider for if the miracles that have that were performed in you had been performed in tyre and sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth sackcloth and ashes jesus knew what their attitude would have been had they seen the miracles that he was performing god knows all things that are possible because god has infinite knowledge and he's always fully aware of everything god never has to learn anything because he already knows it god never forgets anything because he can't do that and still be omniscient nor does his knowledge ever fade and that includes our sins even when forgiven god does say that he will not remember our sins in isaiah 43 25 but that means that god will never bring them up against us or let the knowledge of our sins play any part in the way he relates to us god cannot forget them he can't be unaware of them otherwise he would be less than omniscient but surely that should spur us on to live godly lives that don't offend him because every sin has caused him offence even though he graciously forgives those who repent and come to him for forgiveness as we relate to other people we often hide aspects of our lives that we're not proud of so we tend to disclose and talk about the things that put us in a good light we would hate every anyone every everyone or even anyone i guess to know everything that we've done or said or thought but god does know everything about us and about everyone else who has ever lived what is so amazingly good of god is that despite all that arguably i guess because of all that he sent his son to die for us and save us and despite all of our failings he chooses to love us so intensely in a way that no one has ever loved us however close they might be god's total knowledge of us would be utterly disconcerting even terrifying were it not for the fact that god does love us so much and that he's gone to such lengths to bring us into a relationship with him so for us as believers god's omniscience is gloriously reassuring because he knows what we are like and yet he loves us regardless he will never find out some hidden sin away in our past that means he'll be so shocked that he'll feel obliged to disown us he takes us on as his sons and daughters in the full knowledge of what we are like and i think that god's omniscience is also a reason to believe in eternal security once we have truly saved because god knows what we will do after we come to faith in jesus so there'll never be a time when he will say that he didn't know that well didn't know you can do that and so therefore lose our salvation and because god knows everything there needs to be no pretense in our relationship with god he knows us utterly we can be ourselves while still striving to live for him for him as we should but for the unbeliever god's omniscience is awesome and awful god knows the unbeliever just as well as he does the believer he knows every sin every bad thought word and deed he knows fully every detail of the rejection of the offer of salvation that can be found in jesus and in him alone there will come a judgment for the unbeliever that will be completely just and right there'll be no mitigating circumstances no plea bargaining because the judge will know every aspect of each person's life and will respond with total accuracy and justice no one will be able to query the judgment that god pronounces on the unbeliever god knows every opportunity that each person had to repent during their lifetime each time the holy spirit was seeking to draw them to christ and the times when they chose to reject jesus as savior it's sobering but we know that god is fully righteous in every respect and will do right and then finally for today i want to look at god's omnipotence that he is almighty and all-powerful god's omnipotence means that he is able to do all his holy will god has no external constraints on his decisions and he has the power to do everything that he decides to do god's omnipotence means that he is able to do all his holy will god has no external constraints on his decisions and he has the power to do everything that he decides to do i think he's at this point that we we should rejoice that he is a good god because if he were less than good in any respect his power be terrifying god's power is unlimited and he can do all things thankfully this sits alongside his love so that he's not a harsh dictator he's exerted phenomenal power in creating the universe just by speaking the word yet he cares deeply for each one of his children even for sparrow as we read it in the gospels the extent of god's power is such that it is folly in the extreme to doubt his ability to cope with caring for the small or large details of our lives so often we limit god in our minds thinking that well he can't quite cope with every situation that faces us perhaps that some problems are more than he can deal with or too trivial so he's not somehow involved it's god who gives us our every breath so he has the power to look after us in every way that we need although in his love he doesn't always give us everything that we want just as a good parent won't give his children everything that they want the crucial question i guess is whether we will trust him to look after us because he what he knows is he knows what is best god's power is infinite because he is an infinite being so it's no wonder that jesus said in matthew 19 verse 26 that with god all things are possible um he said with jesus looked at them and said to them with men this is impossible but with god all things are possible and then he says that again in mark 27 that jesus looked at them and said with men it's impossible but not with god for with god all things are possible and then paul tells us in ephesians 3 20 to 21 now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us to him be glory in the church by christ jesus to all generations forever and ever amen did you notice that the verse referred to god doing exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think compared to god's greatness we are so limited but to him be the glory that he is so infinitely mighty and that's so reassuring for us because we know that in the spiritual battle that we all face god is and has to be victorious because for god to be less than victorious would diminish his character but there is a day coming when he will deal very decisively with his enemies satan and the hordes of demons will be conquered and cast into the lake of fire forever and when jesus comes to judge the world no one and nothing will be able to stop him from doing it no one will be able to contradict what he says and when jesus rules in the millennium he will rule with power and authority but with all goodness and love god has the power to ensure that all his plans and purposes will be brought to fruition and nothing and no one will hinder him when he knows that the time is right for it to happen in the meantime it's his grace that delays his judgment because he wants more people to come to a saving knowledge of jesus and god's infinite power is such that he's not limited only in doing what he's actually done but he can do more than what he actually does for example john the baptist spoke of this in matthew 3 9 and do not think you can say to yourselves we have abraham as our father i tell you that out of these stones god can raise up children for abraham god didn't actually change the stones but he could have done and god could have destroyed israel many times when they disobeyed him but he chose not to thus keeping his covenant with them that god will always do what is right and best only he has the power to do it but what's surprising to some is that god's almighty power does not actually mean that he can do anything and everything because there are some things that he cannot do and sadly there are some things that we can do that he can't and that's why our definition speaks of god being able to do all his holy will so for example god cannot sin he cannot lie god cannot deny his holy character god cannot be tempted with evil nor does he tempt anyone as we learn from james 1 13. hallelujah god cannot cease to be god or cease to exist otherwise he wouldn't be god because god cannot die and because he can't die it's one reason why god's son had to put on humanity so that in that humanity he could die for our sins jesus could not and did not die in his deity and god cannot act in a way that is inconsistent with any of his attributes that applies to all of god's attributes for they have to exist together that's why i've said every time we must hold all of god's attributes in balance it's truly wonderful i think that he can't do such things because in that we know that he is fully trustworthy but it's god's infinite power but is what holds the world together and keeps it spinning as it should it's he who gives us every breath that we breathe and he provides food sunshine rain on the earth hebrews 1 3 speaks of jesus as god's son who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power it's jesus who is holding everything together by the word of his power then in colossians 1 16 to 17 for by him all things were created that are in heaven and on the earth visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created through him and for him and he is before all things and in him all things consist if god dozed off remember the whole thing would fall apart but hallelujah he's always there and he's always holding it together in his amazing omnipotence and for us as believers god's omnipotence is wonderful we know that he's able to answer our prayers he's able to provide for us with what we need for life he is able and without doubt he will conquer satan and eventually will destroy sin and death and ensure that all wrongs were righted and gloriously he's able to bring us to our eternal home with him as the bride of christ and to give us our resurrection bodies that will last for eternity he's able to keep us secure in our salvation and to take us home to be with him in the rapture he can keep us from fear because we know we have a god who is more than able to do all these things and he will sustain this earth until he knows its time for the new heavens and the new earth that takes a whole load of fear of us a whole lot of worry we can trust him but for the unbeliever god's omnipotence is awesome as are his other attributes despite men face shaking their fists at god now or ignoring him or opposing him god will have the final say he will have the victory over his enemies no one will be able to resist god and get away with it and when jesus returns and deals with the messed troops at armageddon no one will be able to oppose him when the great white throne comes no one will be able to stand against jesus and his judgment it's utterly foolish to try and oppose god and many people will discover that to their cost when it's too late so as we've looked at these three attributes of god today we have seen how gloriously limitless god is and it's such a privilege that this limitless god wants relationship day by day with us limited creatures as his children he wants to be involved in our lives to listen to our prayers to provide for our needs and to fill us with his holy spirit and then to use us as we seek to serve him god doesn't need our help but in his wisdom he's chosen to enlist us in his work on this earth and what amazing grace that is god looks at the long term and he's training us now to be the people that he wants us to be for eternity future we making the most of that training so that we have a vibrant relationship with him now or are we just doing our own thing and involving him when we get stuck and as we consider his omnipresence his omniscience and his omnipotence let's leave him each day walk with him talk with him so that it'll be a natural transition to that fuller relationship beyond these short years that we have on this earth and as with all of god's attributes they should lead us to worship him and to live to want to live for him more wholeheartedly we have a truly amazing god and we will be eternally grateful to him for showing us his love in jesus shall we pray father we thank you for these tremendous attributes lord they are amazing they're daunting they're awesome but they're so reassuring and we thank you so much that lord you you are who you are that you are such an amazing god help us to live for you to live with you to worship you and give you the glory that's due to your name for the staggeringly amazing god that you are help us to ponder these things though stretch our minds as we think through them and help us to trust you more because we know that with all these things you are absolutely trustworthy and you're so good thank you