God Said
Notes
Transcript
Good morning, welcome to NHCC. Please open your Bibles to Genesis 1.
Augustine- “Yet man, this part of your creation, wishes to praise you. You arouse him to take joy in praising you, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
A goal this morning, as we understand more and more of who God is, that we would find rest in Him.
Read Genesis 1:1-3- “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
Pray.
Pray.
Complete powerlessness to do much of anything.
Conversation with Carl.
Watching Aletheia play soccer.
See this in much deeper ways- We cannot control the thoughts of others, or their actions, or the paths that they choose to walk.
Cannot control our bosses, or our spouses, or our friends. We are truly powerless.
Playing basketball in the front driveway- Don’t even have the power to accomplish something on my own.
Deeper ways- We are powerless to break bad habits, to break the cycle of sin, to become better people.
We likely recognize the lack of power that we have in this life.
Further, Scripture reminds us that any power we do have has been delegated or given by God.
Finding ourselves once again face to face with the transcendence, or otherness, of God.
The effectual call of God.
1. Creation displays the omnipotence of God.
1. Creation displays the omnipotence of God.
Last week, transcendence, wisdom and beauty. This morning, power.
J.I. Packer- “Omnipotence means in practice the power to do everything that in his rational and moral perfection God wills to do.”
Important distinction made in this definition- God is powerful to do everything that He wills to do in His moral perfection.
This means that there are things that God cannot do- lie, deceive, sin, etc.
May think this takes away from His power, but notice that lying and sinning are imperfections that truly show the limitations of our power.
Man is unable to rule over self in the way that God is powerful enough to do.
God is powerful enough to do everything that He wants to do.
Notice the wording of v. 3- God said and there was.
God speaks and everything comes into being. Throughout the rest of the creative week, God continues to speak things into existence.
Notice it is simply His voice. Not the strong right arm or the strong hand of the Lord.
This is the effectual call of God- The Word of God accomplishes what it was sent to do.
Isaiah 55:10-11- “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
The effectual voice of God in creation displays the power of God.
A few things I’d like for us to notice:
First, it is the Word of God that creates. The command of God, the voice of God.
Jesus is the Word of God.
Colossians 1:15-16- He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Second, the power of God carries out the will, or desire, of God.
Absolute power vs. ordinate power.
Matthew 26:52-54- Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
Jesus has the power to do more that what He has done.
Stephen Charnock- “The knowledge of God regards a thing as possible, and as it may be done; the wisdom of God regards a thing as fit and convenient to be done; the will of God resolves that it shall be done; the power of God is the application of his will to effect what it hath resolved.”
God’s power is defined by what God will do, according to His goodness, His perfection, His wisdom and His will.
Implication- We must not do everything that we have power to do.
When somebody wrongs us.
Power must not always translate to will- what does our God-given wisdom require of us?
Third, the same power possessed by God in creation is His possession still.
The power of God does not wear out or diminish.
Consider the power that was on display in creation- greatness of creation in both the great and the small alike.
The power God had to create is still is, and is still complete.
God’s power is transcendent, immutable, eternal.
2. God’s omnipotence is the root of our faith.
2. God’s omnipotence is the root of our faith.
What about my powerlessness?
What if I become powerless?
Our powerlessness and God’s omnipotence create faith.
Job 42:1-6- Then Job answered the LORD and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job points to the omnipotence of God- You can do all things according to your purpose.
Points to his own limitations.
Ends in repentance and faith- I now see you.
We are meant to see what Job saw, and when we do, faith has been created.
We tend to forget about, or maybe neglect, the power of God.
Isaiah 43- Do not fear- walking through water or fire.
Isaiah 40:21-23- Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
What about my history?
Psalm 103:11-12- For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Why is God’s omnipotence an important doctrine? Because what we are powerless to do, the removal of our sins, God is powerful to accomplish.
What if I stumble?
Surely the power of God can hold you.
John 10:27-30- My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
Andrew Murray- “Beware, in your prayer, above everything, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think. Each time you intercede, be quiet first and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, of how He delights to hear Christ, of your place in Christ, and expect great things."
Not for our own selfish desires, but for the very glory of our omnipotent God.