Today, as we continue to search the scriptures to know more about the God of the Bible, we want to focus our attention on God's omnipotence.
What do we mean when we say that GOD IS OMNIPOTENT?
• We mean that the God of the Bible HAS ALL POWER!
• We mean that His power is not limited as man's is.
For example, the Bible says in...
• Jeremiah 32:17, "Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee."
• Job 42:2, "I know that thou canst do everything..."
So often a person will come to a pastor for counseling who is convinced his/her problem is so big that NO HUMAN CAN HELP, and he/she is not even sure that GOD CAN! When a person feels this way, especially about God, he is telling us something! He is telling us HE/SHE DOES NOT KNOW THE GOD OF THE BIBLE!
Certainly we have problems that no person can help us with, but we are lying to ourselves when we think we can carry a load on our shoulders that God cannot carry. Look at what God did, in just one example.
Illus: In the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, had made a decree that everyone was to worship a golden image he had made and the punishment for not obeying the decree was certain death. There were three young Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to obey the decree. As a result they were bound and cast into a fiery furnace. Now you talk about problems; those three young men had a problem. Probably no one here has ever come close to having such a severe problem. But, they knew they worshipped and served an OMNIPOTENT GOD. They told king Nebuchadnezzar, verse 17, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king." And that is exactly what the OMNIPOTENT GOD did! He miraculously delivered them out of that fiery furnace.
Often, when we think our problems are big, if we will compare them to the problems of God's people in the Scripture, our problems seem small.
Listen, the God of the Bible is immutable. That means HE DOES NOT CHANGE! He helped them, and He can help us. When we say:
-GOD IS OMNIPRESENT we see from His Word that He is everywhere. The heavens and the earth cannot contain God. He is everywhere. But, God is more than that. So, when we say...
-GOD IS OMNISCIENT we see in His Word that He knows everything. He not only knows all we do, He knows the MOTIVE behind what we do. We are told that God knows our every MOTIVE and our EVERY THOUGHT. There is nothing He does not know about us. And when we say that...
-GOD IS OMNIPOTENT we are saying He HAS ALL POWER! What great comfort that is to us here today.
Illus: Remember the story of the three little boys who were visiting Niagara Falls. As they watched all that water come over the falls they were amazed at how big and beautiful it was, and they felt proud. In fact, they felt so proud that they began to brag. They did not have anything themselves to brag about, so they began to brag about who had the greatest dad.
-The first little boy, whose dad was an engineer, said, "My dad is so great that he personally dug the Grand Canyon out by himself."
-The second little boy, whose dad was a carpenter, was not about to let his dad be outdone. He pointed to the beautiful Niagara Falls and said, "See that beautiful water falls. My dad built that by himself!"
-The third little boy, whose dad was a plumber, was not going to let those two fellows make his dad look bad so he said, "My dad is the greatest plumber in all the world! (He pointed to the falls) See that leak, he could stop that nasty leak in a few seconds!"
We all, who know Christ as personal Savior, know how those little boys felt. When we begin to search the scriptures we see the God of the Bible is Omnipotent, and that same God is our heavenly Father - How proud we are to be able to get on our knees and say, "OUR FATHER..."
So that we might come to know Him as the omnipotent God of the Bible, let me show you that He is that kind of God.
I. WE SEE IT IN CREATION.
The reason the theory of evolution even exists today is because people do not know the God of the Bible. There are those who believe in the existence of God, but they do not have the faith to believe that God created by speaking things into existence. Well, He did! How do we know? Because the Word of God said He did!
-Col. 1:16 tells us, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: ALL THINGS WERE CREATED BY HIM, AND FOR HIM."
-Psalm 33:8-9, "Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast."
-Psalm 135:6, "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places."
God's Word states clearly that He is ALL POWERFUL and by that power He spoke into existence the world in which we live.
If you have a problem believing in such a powerful Creator, I have a bigger problem trying to comprehend why you do not believe! Listen, it is easy for me to place my faith in the Word of God which has proven to be accurate over thousands of years.
This Bible contains prophesies of how countries, like Chaldea, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, etc would come into existence and how they would fall hundreds of years before the events took place. The Word of God has been 100% accurate in every prophecy.
This Bible contains prophesies about Christ 700 years before He came, telling us...
-He would be born of a virgin.
-He would be born in Bethlehem.
-He would be born in a stable.
-He would be rejected by the mobs and denied by his own disciples.
-He would be hung between two thieves.
God's Word was 100% accurate on all of these. Yes, His Word has proven to be accurate through the centuries. I have an easier time placing my faith in His Word than in any science book written by people who put forth a ridiculous hypothesis that scientists cannot even agree on among themselves.
Knowing the OMNIPOTENT GOD of the Bible, we do not have a hard time believing in His creating the universes by speaking them into existence. What is difficult for us to believe is that anyone could believe anything else.
Illus: Suppose I took an unabridged edition of Webster's dictionary and placed it before you and I told you that all the letters it takes to make up all the words in that book were just floating around in space? Then suppose I told you that one day there was a big "Bang" in space and every letter began falling into place and after several million years the letters became words (English, mind you). Then after several more million years the words and definitions separated and were completed, with the language that the different words came from, then they conveniently sailed in the office at the time the printing press was invented. Neat huh? Could I sell that story to you?
I would hope not! If I told you that, you would want to know what I had been smoking! I suppose I could tell you I had been smoking the same thing that our educators have been smoking.
Illus: You might ask, "Preacher, don't you believe in the "Big Bang" theory?" Sure I do! I believe God looked out across empty space and spoke everything into existence and "Bang" there it was!
Illus: Listen to what our children are being taught. This is how the theory of evolution is written up and explained to them: "Life on this planet originated several billion years ago when electrical disturbances caused reactions to occur in the chemicals of the primeval ocean, and these reactions produced amino acids, and these amino acids organized themselves into living cells. As time went on, more chemical reactions caused the descendants of these one-celled organisms to mutate and develop into a variety of types of multi-celled plants and animals. The process continued, and as each new variety of organism appeared, natural selection would result in its being either better or less suited to the environment, and therefore it would either flourish or disappear. In the long run, then, species of plants and animals better and better suited to their respective environments appeared and developed. Man is the highest product of this development. He is immediately descended from the same ancestors as the apes; more remotely, from the same ancestors as the mammals. He is himself developing; that process is stalled by present lifestyle, but biologically it is inevitable." (And that is just about life.) It is possible that you enjoy a level of thinking that I am not capable of, but believing in The Creator is sure much easier than believing in all of that evolution nonsense. Men who do not believe in an omnipotent God, a God Who can speak things into existence, have invented this hypothesis, and been allowed to cram this into the minds of children as if it were factual. I am not sure who should be the most insulted that they should claim that man descended from monkeys, the MONKEYS, or MAN.
Illus: The story is told of three monkeys sitting in a tree, discussing evolution. One is credited as having said, "Listen, you two, There's rumor going around that can't be true - that man descended from our noble race. Why, the very idea is a dire disgrace...You'll never see a monkey build a fence around a coconut tree and then let all the coconuts go to waste, forbidding all others to taste. Here's another thing a monkey won't do; go out at night and get on a stew. Or use a gun or a knife to take another monkey's life. Yes, man may have descended - that ornery cuss, but brother, he didn't descend from us!"
All of creation teaches us that THE GOD OF THE BIBLE IS OMNIPOTENT. The Bible says in Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."
The Bible declares that GOD IS OMNIPOTENT. We see it IN CREATION, and
II. WE SEE IT IN CHRIST.
God became flesh and dwelt among us. We know Him as Jesus of Nazareth. WHAT AWESOME POWER WAS MANIFEST IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST! His power was not limited like man's. His life reveals he had unlimited power! In Mark, chapters 4 and 5, we see His awesome power!
A. In Mark 4:36-41 we see His power over nature. This is one of those times that Christians wish they could have been living on earth when it took place. The Bible tells us, verse 37, "...there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full." Even though we were not there, we can all close our eyes and visualize this horrifying scene. The wind blew so hard they could hardly hear themselves talking to each other. The waves were so high and hard they almost broke the ship to pieces and had it full of water. The disciples were panic-stricken because they thought the ship would sink and send them to a watery grave at any moment.
There is nothing more powerful than the forces of NATURE. The wind and the waves were a severe threat to those disciples. They had but one hope, that was in the Lord Jesus.
Notice, when the disciples were all frantic and did not know what to do, that the Lord was asleep. They had to awaken Him. DID YOU KNOW THAT NOTHING CAN EVER BE SO SEVERE THAT IT WOULD CAUSE THE LORD TO PANIC. Why? Because He is omnipotent! In verse 39 we read, "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." Notice the word "great" again. There was a GREAT STORM, and then there was a GREAT CALM.
The disciples, who had been in a panic at one time because of the storm, then were amazed over this OMNIPOTENT ONE! In verse 41 we read, "And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS, THAT EVEN THE WIND AND THE SEA OBEY HIM? Jesus' AWESOME POWER is seen in HIS POWER OVER NATURE. Also...
B. In Mark 5:1-19 we see His power over demons. We are told, in verse 2, that when Jesus arrived in the country of the Gadarenes a demon possessed man ran out to meet him. In verse 3 It tells that he lived among the tombs. In verses 3b and 4 It tells that he was so wild that they would try to chain him up the way one might chain a wild animal, but the power of the devil was so strong in his life that he would break the chains. In verse 5 It tells that day and night he was out on the mountains and among the tombs "...crying, and cutting himself with stones." He knew that everyone hated him and he hated himself.
When the man saw Jesus, he ran to him, and Jesus cast the demons out of him. There had been so many demons in that man's life that when they left him, then entered into a whole herd of swine. Now if you do not think the devil will cause you to kill yourself, look at what those pigs did. Verse 13 says, "...and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea." They all committed "Hogacide."
Look what the OMNIPOTENT GOD can do in a man's life. The whole town had been afraid of that man. When they heard what the Lord had done for him they had to come and see for themselves. When they got there they saw two thousand fat hogs floating on the water, and a man who had the joy of the Lord written all over his face. In verse 15 we read, "And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid." Those people were like the disciples that had been with Jesus in the storm. It says, "...and they were afraid." Why? Because they saw that demons had to obey this OMNIPOTENT GOD!
His OMNIPOTENCE is seen in His power over NATURE and over DEMONS. Also...
C. In Mark 5:25 we see His power over disease. Here we find the story of the woman who had "...an issue of blood twelve years." She had tried every doctor she knew to try and she was steadily getting worse.
In verses 27-28 we read, "When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole." In verses 29-30 we are told that as soon as she touched the OMNIPOTENT ONE she was made whole. What all the doctors had not been able to do, JESUS DID! How? Through His power. He is OMNIPOTENT. NATURE, DEMONS, and DISEASE have to obey Him. Also...
D. In Mark 5:35 we see His power over death. Jairus' daughter had died. We are told in verse 38 that as He approached the house, the family and friends were weeping and wailing greatly! Jesus spoke to them, verse 39, "...Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." His statement seemed so ridiculous that the Bible says, verse 40, "And they laughed him to scorn..." Then we are told that He put them outside and took the father and mother and a few disciples in where the damsel was lying. He took the damsel's little cold hand and said to her, "...Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." Then the Bible tells us, verse 42, "And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. AND THEY WERE ASTONISHED WITH A GREAT ASTONISHMENT." The crowd had just been laughing at Him. Now they were amazed as they saw the OMNIPOTENT SON OF GOD BRING THAT GIRL BACK TO LIFE AGAIN!
Conclusion: Creationism teaches that God IS OMNIPOTENT. This is why Satan does all he can to discredit creation by claiming that everything EVOLVED, that it was not created. The devil does not want you to place your faith in AN ALL-POWERFUL GOD. However the evidence is clear. The life of Christ teaches us that God is OMNIPOTENT. God came in the flesh and revealed He had power over nature, demons, diseases, and death! It is mind boggling as one hears about this OMNIPOTENT GOD that he would not want to come to know Him and serve Him.
I. WE SEE IT IN CREATION.
II. WE SEE IT IN CHRIST.
