SBC Philippi 11/6/05 am
Rev. Jeff Simms
God is All Powerful
Matthew 19:26
Primary Purpose: To emphasize that God is all powerful in all He does and nothing can ultimately hinder his purposes.
There is a movie out called “Bruce Almighty” where Jim Carey who plays Bruce is given powers by God (Morgan Freeman) to use as he sees fit. He only cannot interfere with man’s free will. It doesn’t take Bruce long to find out that though he may have much power, he cannot begin to know how to use it. What would it be like to have power without limit. One of the great truths of scripture is that God does have power that is unlimited. When the disciples ask Jesus about a statement that he made about the rich being saved. Jesus says simply “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
We notice the same type of statement is made by God in Genesis 18:14. God is revealing to Abraham that he will be a father at the old age of 100. Sarah is 90 and laughs about what God says. But, God asks of them the rhetorical question, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” The assumption is that you understand that nothing is too difficult. In fact, God waited it this case it appears so that he could make this point to Abraham. Our God is the God of the impossible.
These types of statement about the unlimited power of God are made throughout scripture in both the Old Testament and the New. In Psalm 135:6 it tells us that God does what He pleases, in the heavens and in the earth, in the seas and in all the deeps. Isaiah 43:13 says that God acts and nobody can reverse it. Nobody can rescue you out of God’s hand. In Daniel 4:35, it says that God does what He wills and none can ward off His hand. In Psalm 115:3 it says that our God is in heaven and He does whatever He pleases. All of these point us to God as the source of ultimate power. In fact, the Bible declares this truth to us to tell us that God alone is all powerful and this should encourage us that if God tells us a truth in His word then He has the power and authority to back up what He says. This kind of God is worthy of our worship and our praise and our honoring Him with first place in our lives.
We can see God’s power in several ways. First, we can see it in His power to create. Man can create and God has given him that ability. But, we must start with some materials to work with. God doesn’t need anything, however, and was able to create all things by the simple power of His will which was expressed in Words. He simply willed it to be and it was. Isaiah 40:26 says about this “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens; Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name, Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” There are billions of stars in billions of galaxies we cannot even begin to see, but God knows them all by name and it’s His power that maintains them. What does that tell you about God’s power?
Then, God’s power is also demonstrated by his power to hold everything together. The fact is, that God must be everywhere present at the same time because without him whatever does exist would cease to be. In Hebrews 1:3 it tells us the God upholds all things by the Word of His power. In other words, from the sun in its power to the ant having enough power to walk across the floor, nothing has power that wasn’t given that power to be created and sustained by God. We simply need to realize that God is awesome. Ephesians 3:20 says that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or imagine.
Then, again we see God’s power in his redemptive work. We see it in his sending Jesus to be a baby and to make Jesus a man. Many people have stumbled through the years over how God could become man. In fact, today the Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe that fact and don’t even honor Jesus by honoring Christmas. We may not be able to completely understand what God does, but that doesn’t make it less truth. In fact, we should be surprised that God is able to do more than we can imagine for God is unlimited and infinite and we are finite. By very definition then, there are going to be some things about God that I can’t understand or imagine.
We see in His redemptive work his power to overcome this world and death itself. That is because God has power over death and hell. He has power in Himself and doesn’t rely upon anything or anyone else. God told Abraham that he is the God Almighty or “El-Shaddai”. Pastor David Legge said about this “God being Almighty, it means that He possesses something that no one else can possess, no creature can be said to have absolute potency, they cannot be all-powerful for this Almighty God has an inconceivable plenitude of power. He overflows with power, He is all powerful – and because He is all powerful it means that He has no equal and is above every single power that there is in the universe.” That would be a good thing to remember in a word that is obsessed with demons and witches and the supernatural. Sometimes some Christians make the devil seem as strong as God. But, God has no equal and nobody even comes close to Him. I need to understand that the throne of God is not a two-seater. God simply doesn’t need my help running the universe.
Let’s talk for a moment about some implications of this doctrine of the omnipotence of God. It has practical applications for us today. The first thing that I thought of is that this teaches us that there is no prayer God cannot answer except on that which violates his will or nature. We know that because God is God then He is truth. Because He is truth then He cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18). He cannot not keep His word for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). God cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13). Therefore, if my prayer is delayed in being answered, I should ask myself it I am in fact praying according to God’s will. If I am, then I can be assured and have faith that God can in fact hear me and answer me.
The second thing that this teaches us that there is no power greater than or has authority over God. He has the ability to carry out His purposes. In Matthew 28:18 we see Jesus tell his disciples that “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.” We might be tempted to skip that to get to what we call the “Great Commission”, but this statement is important. The word authority is the Greek word “exousia” which means authority and power to act. He not only has the authority to act, but He has the power to carry out that authority. Again, Pastor David Legge says about this truth that “This power of God is different for it tells us that there’s no prayer too hard for him to answer! There’s no problem too difficult for Him to solve! There’s no need too great for Him to supply! There’s no passion too strong for Him to subdue, no temptation too great for Him to deliver us from!” His power is greater than all. His purposes will be achieved. The victory is in God’s hands.
The third implication for me involves his very words. God’s power means that if God says it then he has the ability to do it. The very fact that He cannot lie tells me that it is as good as done. So, I know that the victory that is claimed by scripture over the devil and evil will be accomplished. I know that any truth that I find in His word can be counted on. God can speak of some things years or thousands of years down the road and be absolutely reliable with the truth.
