The Omnipresence Of God #1 Series

INTRODUCTION

1. Open your bibles to Isaiah 11:6.

(1) Isaiah 11:6 is a prophecy relating to the church that we read about in the New Testament. Verse six mentions that wolves would dwell peaceably with lambs. It mentions leopards lying down peaceably with young goats. It mentions calves and young lions dwelling peaceably together. It mentions a little child leading them.

(2) This is not to be interpreted literally. The peaceable wolf, leopard and lion are symbolic and figurative of the fleshly and ungodly nature of man coming under submission to God’s word and being as humble as a little child.

(3) Instead of an animal like nature controlling the desires and actions of those who are members of the church of the New Testament; a child like attitude is to lead those who are members of God’s New Testament church.

(4) Let’s read Isaiah 11:6, ““The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.”

(5) Turn to Matt. 18:1-4. In Matt. 18:1-4 Jesus teaches that the humble and dependant attitude of children must be characteristic of those who becomes members of His spiritual kingdom, which in Matt. 16:18&19 is called the church.

1) Let’s read Matt. 18:1-4, “1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

2) Jesus’ teaching in Matt. 18 helps to understand the symbolic and spiritual meaning of Isaiah 11:6.

2. In this lesson we are going to discuss the omnipresence of God. Do you know what the omnipresence of God mean? “Omni” means all. The word omnipresence means that God is present in all places all the time.

DISCUSSION

I. FIRST, WE WILL OBSERVE HOW THAT A FEW CHILDREN HAVE EXPRESSED THEMSELVES IN REGARD TO THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD.

1. We begin our discussion on the omnipresence of God by asking two questions. When is God in your presence? When are you in the presence of God?

2. I’m going to share some answers to the two questions. These answers come from young children.

(1) "I feel God's presence in school," "I feel God's presence in class," says Ridge, age 7.

(2) Daniel, age 9, provides us an example of how God's presence in our conscience can prevent us from doing wrong: "I know that God is around when I am alone and about to do something bad, but decide not to do it."

(3) "At church when we are singing, I sometimes close my eyes," and "It is really odd because I feel God, sometimes even in prayer”, says Marlee, age10.

(4) "I think God can be everywhere because he can look at everybody from the sky," says Kate.

(5) Some people believe they are expressing the greatness or hugeness of God by saying what Chad, age 10, said: "God is everywhere because he is everything."

4. With this statement of Chad’s I want us to correct what Chad and many adults think in regard to the presence of God.

(1) When Chad says, “that God is everywhere because God is everything” philosophers call this pantheism.

(2) Pantheism is a two syllable word. “Pan” meaning all. “Theism” means God. When you combine the two words they are saying that God is in all other things or you could say it this way; all other things have God in them.

(3) This may sound like a compliment to God at first thought, but according to the bible God is much bigger and greater than what God has created.

(4) Such a definition of God, limits God to the universe, but God and His presence is much larger than the universe.

(5) An illustration than can help us understand the idea behind “pantheism” is to think of the world, the earth, heaven and all the galaxies that make our universe to be represented by a glove.

1) Since pantheism teaches that God is no larger or greater than what God has created, then God would be compared to the hand that is put in a glove.

2) The glove represents what God has created and the hand represents God.

3) That kind of a description puts too many limitations on God.

4) God is much larger and greater than what God has created.

5) 1 Kings 8:27b says,“Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can not contain You.”