The Omnipresence of God

Coming up next on Renewing Your Mind. I don't know that I'm always there when I'm there. Sometimes my mind can be someplace else in my body be right here and I'm a divided soul.

But God is always ever present with the fullness of all that he is meeting with Dr. Petrone's recital the same time knowing your limitations.

We shrugged her shoulders and say how can I be three places at one time.however, it can be. In fact, he is welcome to Renewing Your Mind on this Monday. Thank you for being with us all week. We are airing portions of Dr. Steven Lawson series the attributes of God, we come now in this session, the omnipresence of God, and I think were beginning to understand why God is so incomprehensible this is to say that God is above and beyond our limited capacity to comprehend him. John Calvin, the great theologian wrote the finite, that would be you and me cannot contain or grass. The infinite, that would be God and the great Puritan Richard sib said, how shall finite comprehend the incident. We shall apprehend him, but not comprehend him. Now this is not to say that we cannot know God.

We can know God, and we do know God is what it is to have a saving relationship through Jesus Christ. With God it is to know God and we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to grow ever deeper and ever closer to God.

But we can never comprehend the fullness of all that God is and this leads us now into these next attributes that began with the Latin word Omni which means all omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence. These words mean that God is all knowing that God is all present and that God is all powerful right there that expands our minds to the outer limits and we cannot grass the whole of what that means but we do want to look into the Scripture and see what our God is like who is this God that we have come to know and he is omnipresent and so as we look at this attribute of God, his omnipresence and there are four things that I want to tell you about the omnipresence of God number one. He is everywhere present. The Bible clearly asserts that God is all present. This is to say he is everywhere present. He is in every place at every point of his creation. There is no place within the universe from which God is excluded or barred as we've already talked about in the previous session. God is a spirit being so therefore he does not have spatial dimensions. He has no limitations. He can be everywhere present at one time and let me go one step further. He can be everywhere present in the fullness of all that he is at any one time. I don't know that I'm always there when I'm there. Sometimes my mind can be someplace else in my body be right here and I'm a divided soul. But God is always ever present with the fullness of all that he is.

I think the signature text for this is Psalm 139 versus seven and following. You will recognize them immediately. As I begin to read this. Where can I go from your spirit, the rhetorical question implies a negative answer. Nowhere is that there's nowhere that we can go and escape from God spirit are where can I flee from your presence again the question is asked in the answer is nowhere now listen to the explanation of verses eight and nine. It has a north south east west compass metaphor without using these designations. If I ascend to heaven, you are there now heaven is due north.

It's up it's straight up. So if I ascend to heaven to the north.

You are there. If I make my bed in Sheol that's the grave that's down. Behold, you are there. That would be south if I take the wings of the dawn of the sunrises in the East the wings of the dawn if I dwell in the remotest part of the city will the Mediterranean Sea in the holy land is to the West. If I take the wings of the dawn if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there your hand will lead me in your right hand will lay hold of me no matter where I go, the heights of heaven to the depths of the grave as far to the east as I can go where the sun is rising to the West where the sea is formed you're already there. In fact, you are so close to me. Your hand is on me all this is saying there is no escaping God's presence, no matter where we go. Whether it's a life or death time or eternity land or sea. God, you are there no second. Let's be more specific, the heights of heaven, we know God is in the heights of heaven. We know that God dwells on a high and holy throne. But let's look at some verses and just document this. This is called the transcendence of God that God is high in the heavens. Psalm 123 verse one to you oh Lord I lift up my eyes OU who are enthroned in the heavens. There we have it, he is seated in the heavens and by the way you with the word heaven means heights and when heavens is in the plural. It's really the heights of the heights that God is as high as any being in the universe. No one is above God in the organizational chart of the universe. God is by himself at the head Psalm 97 verse nine, for you are the Lord most high over all the earth, towering over the earth.

No one on his level God. Overall, we just read Isaiah 6, verse one. I saw the Lord seated on his throne loft DNA exalted.

That's where God is.

God is ever and always on his throne in heaven. In fact, when John in the book of Revelation. In chapter 4 verse one as he was on the island of Patmos. He heard a voice say, peer, and a door was opened in heaven, and John was caught up in his spirit from the island of Patmos has though to enter into heaven, and what is he saying what's the first thing he saw that streets of gold, not gates of pearl, not a river of life, not who's there who's not there first thing he saw throne standing in heaven and everything in the universe, finding itself in relationship to this throne of throne standing in heaven and one sitting on the throne is very clear. The message in the first century to the early church as they were beginning to be beaten down by the Roman empire. Don't you worry, there is one seated on his throne and he is the Caesar of Caesar's and he is the King of Kings and the judge of judges and not the Lord of lords. That was the message and that is the message for us in this hour that God is. It is heavens, and God is upon his throne. God is high and lifted up. Ecclesiastes 52 says specifically, God is in heaven. Isaiah 5715 I dwell on a high and holy place, even when we read the account of the Tower of Babel to recall that they were trying to build up as a garrotte up to the heights of heaven.

What a laughable thing and it says in Genesis 11 verse five that the Lord came down to see me this little sand pile down here. I mean, that's so small and I'm so high I would have to come down and even squint to look at it tell high and mighty and lifted up is the Lord is in the heights of heaven and how this fact as we look up to him. It just lists our spirit and it lists our hearts if we have only a horizontal gaze will be discouraged. But if we have this vertical gaze to the heights of heaven are heart sores above the circumstances, there's something else that I want you to note and that is not only is he in the heights of heaven but third he is near on the earth.

Not only is he transcendent, but he is imminent. Not only is he far away that he is near only take this the best of both worlds. You can't have a better God than this, a God who is high in ruling and reigning but a God who is also in the trenches with me, a God who is in the pit with me, a God who is walking with me for the valley of the shadow of death, a God who is with me in the nitty-gritty of life, a God who is with me in the tough times. A God who is with Daniel in the lion's den, a God who is with Shadrach me shack and Abednego in the fiery furnace with them. Yay though I walk to the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me. What a comfort it is to know that we are never alone that God +1 still makes a majority that God is with us and God is in us, and God is for us and God goes before us and God is under us, and he is over us and he comes in behind us to guard us into protect us, our God is with us. What a glorious truth. This is Deuteronomy 4, verse 39 says he is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Isaiah 5715. I love this verse would listen to this text for thus says the high and exalted one who lives forever.

His name is holy and he will tell us God lives in two places. He has two addresses, I dwell on high and holy place and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit. God is in the highest place in the universe and he is in the lowest place on the earth with those who are bowed down and even beaten down under the heavy blows of life and who have a low and contrite spirit.

God says I am with that one who is lowly and contrite in heart. He promised the church in the great commission low.

I'm with you always, even unto the end of the age. He says to us in Hebrews 13 verse five. I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.

God is with us in every adversity. He is with us in every trial. He is with us in every storm of life. In fact, I think we could even go so far as the site.

He is never any closer to us than when we need him the most. Jeremiah 23 verse 23. Am I a God who is near, declares the Lord, and not a God far off. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth right there. God says I am a God who is far-off and I'm a God who is near. He is everywhere heights of heaven and with the most humble and lowly of heart. Ephesians 4 verse six says one God and father of all who is over all that's his transcendence and through all that is his eminence and in all think about those prepositional phrases. Overall through all in all, that is God's omnipresence is in the heights of heaven. He is everywhere on the earth. He is near to us.

He is close to us. He is also in the depths of hell. There is no place where God does not exist and it is even God himself who is inflicting his own wrath in hell it is God himself who is carrying out his own vengeance upon the unbeliever in hell. Revelation 14 verse 10 is really the key text on this mind expanding truth he referring to the one who is an unbeliever will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of his anger. What a metaphor that is and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone. Now listen to this in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb this wrath. This vengeance will be executed in the very direct presence of the Lamb. And I believe it is reasonable to make the implication that it is the Lamb himself, who will be the executor of his own wrath in hell.

Sometimes we say the expression if you don't believe in Christ you don't commit your life to Christ you will go to hell away from the Lord. Those in hell only wish that they were away from the Lord. The only wish they were left alone. The only wish they could escape from the wrath of the Lamb. They only wish that they were no longer in his presence.

Now this needs to be reconciled with a second Thessalonians, 19 which says these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. This word for presence here is a Greek word that means away from the eye of the Lord away from the countenance of the Lord, and the idea is the Lord will turn his face away no longer to extend any grace, even common grace, but that the Lord will turn away any smile of his countenance as they will be forever under the execution of his wrath.

So the Lord is in the heights of heaven. The Lord is everywhere on the earth, and in fact, even when we read the account of the art and when God says to enter the ark.

God has come in as though God is inside the arc come in. God is in the depths of hell. God is everywhere present me tell you two things about this truth.

It's comforting and is convicting it a two-edged sword to place both sides of the aisle and I know you're out ahead of me as your thinking this through. First of all, it's comforting is it not to know that God is with me in every adversity of life.

Every difficulty of life are never on my own.

His grace is always sufficient and with me. He will never leave us nor forsake us. God is in the trenches of life with me to help me to comfort me to encourage me. But this also means that I can never escape the Lord as well and there are people who like Jonah try to run away from God. Try to run to another city, try to run to another state try to run to another wife or to another family and that they think they can escape the Lord with fools. They are, you can never escape the Lord. He is everywhere present. Now this is a very convicting truth that God is everywhere present, and so therefore we cannot run away from our troubles.

We cannot run away from our problems as though we can avoid God and having to deal with situations know God is everywhere present. So this truth of the omnipresence of God.

Only God is omnipresent. Let us be encourage that the devil is not omnipresent. The devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. There's only one devil, and he can only be in one place at one time.

It's his minions that we most wrestle with it is his underlings. It is his demon spirits that we most really come back. It would be like a man going to Europe to fight World War II and saying he fought Hitler. We probably didn't fight Hitler. You probably fought German soldiers and so it is in spiritual warfare with us. Let us rejoice that only God is omnipresent, not the devil will, as we bring this session to a close. I trust that we will give much thought to this truth, and that our minds will yet be enlarged again this incomprehensible God. Yet, we can clearly understand these truths.

Can we not God is ever always present with us and we can never escape which would strike fear in the unbeliever is great comfort for those who trust in Christ, our heavenly father is always present to help and guide us no matter where we are. Dr. Steven Lawson is been our teacher today on Renewing Your Mind as we are portions of his series. The attributes of God because misconceptions about God are rampant. We need to know who God is, how he has revealed himself in Scripture. In the 16 part series. Dr. Lawson shows us how a right understanding of God's attributes affects every aspect of our lives would like to send you this to DVD set when you contact us today with a donation of any amount will also include Dr. Lawson's new book is titled show me your glory. Understanding the majestic splendor of God. Our telephone number is 800-435-4343. You can also make a request to give your gift online at Renewing Your Mind.work. The Dutch theologian Abraham Scarborough said does the Lord turn himself into our prayer only after long delay, is he not omnipresent is not everyone whispered in stammering prayer known to him before there is yet a word on the tone our message today on God's omnipresence helps us understand how it's possible for God to be with us even in our darkest moments. I think you'll find this series helpful, so contact us today and reserve your copy of the attributes of God along with Dr. Lawson's book show me your glory or number debt is 800-435-4343 and or web address is Renewing Your Mind.work God's omnipresence is just one of his incommunicable attributes. Tomorrow will focus on another aspect of his being that possesses his omniscience, he is all-knowing.

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