Embracing God's Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Omnipotence
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the profound truth of God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. We began by reflecting on the story of Jesus calming the storm, emphasizing that God is not only aware of our struggles but is also in control, even when it seems like He is silent. This led us to Romans 8:28, reminding us that all things work together for good, but this "good" is defined by becoming more like Christ.
We then delved into the attributes of God, starting with His omniscience. God knows everything about us—our thoughts, fears, and even our sins. This knowledge should bring us comfort, as it means we can live transparently before Him, knowing that nothing escapes His notice and that He loves us despite our flaws.
Next, we discussed God's omnipresence. He is everywhere, always with us, whether we are in the darkest valleys or the highest peaks. This truth assures us that we are never alone and challenges us to live with an awareness of His constant presence, prompting us to walk in holiness and integrity.
Finally, we examined God's omnipotence. His power is unlimited, and nothing is too hard for Him. This understanding should strengthen our faith, knowing that He can heal, save, and transform any situation. It also calls us to surrender our control and trust in His sovereign will.
In conclusion, these attributes of God—His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence—paint a picture of a God who is infinitely wise, ever-present, and all-powerful. This is the God we serve, and His desire is to walk with us daily. May we live in awe of His knowledge, comforted by His presence, and strengthened by His power, giving Him all the glory.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Omniscience:
God's omniscience means He knows everything about us—our thoughts, fears, and sins. This should bring us comfort, as it allows us to live transparently before Him. We can confess our sins and be forgiven, knowing that nothing escapes His notice and that He loves us despite our flaws. [49:33]
2. God's Omnipresence:
God's omnipresence assures us that we are never alone. He is with us in the darkest valleys and the highest peaks. This truth offers great assurance and challenges us to live with an awareness of His constant presence, prompting us to walk in holiness and integrity. [54:51]
3. God's Omnipotence:
God's omnipotence means His power is unlimited. He can heal, save, and transform any situation. This understanding should strengthen our faith, knowing that nothing is too hard for Him. It also calls us to surrender our control and trust in His sovereign will. [59:57]
4. Faith and Trust:
Trusting God requires faith, especially when circumstances are challenging. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, even when we cannot see it. We must choose to trust God consistently, not just when things are good, but also in the midst of trials. [01:03:35]
5. Desperation and Surrender:
Desperation breaks protocol. When we are desperate enough to bring our needs to God, we can approach His throne boldly. We don't need to have the faith to finish; we just need the faith to start. Surrendering our control to God allows Him to work powerfully in and through us. [01:18:07]
### YouTube Chapters
1. [0:00] - Welcome
2. [27:42] - Jesus Calms the Storm
3. [28:22] - Do You Care?
4. [29:05] - Who is This?
5. [30:17] - Romans 8:28 Misunderstood
6. [31:00] - The Definition of Good
7. [44:11] - Three Attributes of God
8. [45:56] - The Omniscience of God
9. [47:43] - God's Knowledge of Us
10. [49:17] - Transparency Before God
11. [52:26] - Freedom of Transparency
12. [54:05] - The Omnipresence of God
13. [56:10] - God is Always Near
14. [57:29] - God's Whisper
15. [59:07] - The Omnipotence of God
16. [01:00:52] - Nothing is Too Hard for God
17. [01:02:40] - Faith in the Midst of Trials
18. [01:03:35] - Trust is a Choice
19. [01:05:13] - Surrendering Control
20. [01:09:59] - God's Love and Omnipotence
21. [01:11:22] - The Enemy's Trick
22. [01:12:15] - Revival Through the Word
23. [01:13:13] - Jesus Amazed by Faith
24. [01:14:52] - Faith and Control
25. [01:16:18] - The Power of Collective Faith
26. [01:17:12] - Living in Awe of God
27. [01:18:07] - Desperation Breaks Protocol
28. [01:19:41] - The Alabaster Jar
29. [01:20:28] - God Knows and Cares
30. [01:21:34] - Philippians 4:6-7
31. [01:22:14] - Are You Desperate Enough?
32. [01:23:01] - The Altar of Sacrifice
33. [01:24:47] - Lay it at the Altar
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus Calms the Storm
2. Romans 8:28-29 - All Things Work Together for Good
3. Psalm 139:1-10 - God's Omniscience and Omnipresence
### Observation Questions
1. In Mark 4:35-41, how do the disciples react to the storm, and what is Jesus' response to their fear? [27:42]
2. According to Romans 8:28-29, what is the "good" that all things work together for, and how is it defined? [30:17]
3. In Psalm 139:1-10, what aspects of God's omniscience and omnipresence does David highlight? How does he describe God's knowledge of him? [47:43]
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think the disciples questioned Jesus' care for them during the storm? How does this reflect our own doubts in difficult times? [28:22]
2. How does understanding that "good" in Romans 8:28-29 is about becoming more like Christ change the way we view our struggles and challenges? [31:00]
3. What comfort can we draw from knowing that God is omniscient and omnipresent, as described in Psalm 139? How should this influence our daily lives? [52:26]
4. How does the concept of God's omnipotence, as discussed in the sermon, challenge us to trust in His power and surrender our control? [59:57]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent storm or challenge in your life. How did you respond, and how might you respond differently knowing that Jesus is in control and cares deeply for you? [28:22]
2. In what ways can you live more transparently before God, knowing that He is omniscient and already aware of your thoughts, fears, and sins? What steps can you take to confess and seek forgiveness? [49:17]
3. How can you cultivate an awareness of God's omnipresence in your daily routine? What practical changes can you make to remind yourself that God is always with you? [54:51]
4. Think of a situation where you need to trust in God's omnipotence. What specific actions can you take to surrender your control and trust in His sovereign will? [59:57]
5. How can you develop a consistent practice of choosing to trust God, not just in good times but also in the midst of trials? What are some practical ways to strengthen your faith during difficult circumstances? [01:03:35]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt desperate enough to break protocol and bring your needs to God. How did that experience impact your faith, and how can you encourage others to do the same? [01:18:07]
7. Identify one area in your life where you need to experience God's healing, saving, or transforming power. How can you actively seek His intervention and trust in His omnipotence to bring about change? [01:05:13]
Devotional
Day 1: Living Transparently Before God
God's omniscience means He knows everything about us—our thoughts, fears, and sins. This should bring us comfort, as it allows us to live transparently before Him. We can confess our sins and be forgiven, knowing that nothing escapes His notice and that He loves us despite our flaws. When we understand that God is fully aware of our innermost being, it frees us from the burden of hiding our true selves. We can approach Him with honesty, knowing that His love is unconditional and His grace is sufficient.
Living transparently before God also means embracing vulnerability. It is in our moments of weakness that His strength is made perfect. By acknowledging our shortcomings and seeking His guidance, we open ourselves to His transformative power. This transparency not only deepens our relationship with God but also sets an example for others, encouraging them to live authentically in their faith journey. [49:33]
Psalm 139:1-4 (ESV): "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been hiding from God? How can you bring this into the light and live more transparently before Him today?
Day 2: Embracing God's Constant Presence
God's omnipresence assures us that we are never alone. He is with us in the darkest valleys and the highest peaks. This truth offers great assurance and challenges us to live with an awareness of His constant presence, prompting us to walk in holiness and integrity. Knowing that God is always near can be a source of immense comfort, especially during times of trial and uncertainty. It reminds us that we are never abandoned and that His presence is a constant source of strength and guidance.
Living with an awareness of God's omnipresence also calls us to a higher standard of living. It challenges us to make choices that honor Him, knowing that He is always watching. This awareness can transform our daily actions and decisions, leading us to live lives marked by holiness and integrity. By acknowledging His presence in every moment, we can cultivate a deeper relationship with Him and experience the fullness of His love and grace. [54:51]
Jeremiah 23:23-24 (ESV): "Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord."
Reflection: How can you remind yourself of God's constant presence throughout your day? What practical steps can you take to live with an awareness of His nearness?
Day 3: Trusting in God's Unlimited Power
God's omnipotence means His power is unlimited. He can heal, save, and transform any situation. This understanding should strengthen our faith, knowing that nothing is too hard for Him. It also calls us to surrender our control and trust in His sovereign will. When we recognize God's omnipotence, we are reminded that He is capable of doing far more than we can imagine. This knowledge should inspire us to bring our deepest needs and desires before Him, trusting that He is able to work miracles in our lives.
Trusting in God's omnipotence also requires us to let go of our need for control. It means surrendering our plans and desires to His greater wisdom and trusting that His will is perfect. This act of surrender can be challenging, but it is through this process that we experience the fullness of His power and grace. By placing our trust in His omnipotence, we can find peace and assurance, knowing that He is in control of every aspect of our lives. [59:57]
Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV): "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to surrender control to God? How can you actively trust in His unlimited power today?
Day 4: Choosing Faith in Challenging Times
Trusting God requires faith, especially when circumstances are challenging. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, even when we cannot see it. We must choose to trust God consistently, not just when things are good, but also in the midst of trials. Faith is not just a feeling; it is a choice to believe in God's promises and His character, even when our circumstances seem to contradict them. This kind of faith is built through a deep relationship with God and a continual reliance on His Word.
Choosing faith in challenging times means holding on to the truth of God's goodness and His faithfulness. It means believing that He is working all things together for our good, even when we cannot see the bigger picture. This kind of faith requires us to look beyond our immediate circumstances and trust in God's eternal perspective. By choosing faith, we can find hope and strength in the midst of trials, knowing that God is with us and that He is in control. [01:03:35]
Hebrews 11:1 (ESV): "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Reflection: Think of a current challenge you are facing. How can you choose to trust God and have faith in His promises despite the difficulty?
Day 5: The Power of Desperation and Surrender
Desperation breaks protocol. When we are desperate enough to bring our needs to God, we can approach His throne boldly. We don't need to have the faith to finish; we just need the faith to start. Surrendering our control to God allows Him to work powerfully in and through us. Desperation can be a powerful catalyst for spiritual growth. It drives us to seek God with a fervency and intensity that we might not otherwise have. When we are desperate, we are willing to lay aside our pride and come before God with humility and openness.
Surrendering to God in our desperation means acknowledging our limitations and recognizing His sovereignty. It means trusting that He is able to do what we cannot and that His plans are greater than our own. This act of surrender can lead to profound transformation, as we allow God to work in ways that we never thought possible. By bringing our needs to Him with boldness and faith, we open the door for His miraculous intervention in our lives. [01:18:07]
James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel desperate for God's intervention? How can you surrender this need to Him and trust in His power to work?
Quotes
1. "Let me help you settle in your heart, this morning, that God, in fact, cares. He cares so much that he sent his only begotten son so that you could be restored forever. But I think, I think the question, do you care, it's the wrong question. So they wake him up, and Jesus, like so many times in the New Testament, he's like, you guys just don't get it. He speaks to the wind, rebukes the waves, and everything is calm." [29:05] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We serve a God that knows you, has known you, has not forgotten about you. He knows the pain, he knows the hurt, he knows the circumstance, he knows that thing that makes you cry and fills jars of tears and tears and tears and tears that are not wasted. He knows the thing you keep praying about, and you wonder, God, are you going to actually do something about it? He has searched you, and he has known you. You are not forgotten." [49:17] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "God's omniscience means we cannot hide anything from him. For some of us, that seems scarier, but it should bring us comfort because what it does is it gives us the ability to live transparently before him. The Bible says that we confess our sins to the Lord so that we might be forgiven. You can't be forgiven from something you choose to hide from. And when we are transparent and willing to confess it we are forgiven but even more beautifully this causes us then not to fear what the people around us would think." [52:26] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "There is nowhere you could go that you could possibly escape the love of God. What could separate us from the love of God? Can death or life or height or depth or width? Can anything separate us from the love of God? And the answer is no. See, God's omnipresence means that we are never alone. In the darkest valleys of life, he's there. In the middle of the storm, he is there. In the quiet moments of reflection, God is there." [56:10] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "You can't play it safe and please God. Hebrews 11 says, faith is the confidence that we hope for. That will actually happen. It gives us assurance about the things we cannot see. See, you can have faith or you can have control, but you can't have both. When you choose to surrender your control to him, something powerful happens when we pray." [01:14:52] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Understanding God's omnipotence strengthens our faith. Why? Because when we choose to trust him in every aspect of our lives, we understand that by choosing to trust, he is always able. Now, is his ability, the fact that he is able, will it line up with our desires? Only when our desires line up with his heart. The question isn't always, God, what do I want to get from you? It's, God, what do you want to do regardless?" [01:05:13] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "If God is not Lord of all, then he is not Lord at all. I know that that's a difficult concept to understand because there are some things that we just don't like. Some things we wish were different. But if we're going to choose to live under the guidance, the words of this book, we must understand that if God is not Lord of all, then he's not Lord at all. We cannot pick and choose what we like and what we don't like." [01:09:59] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. I don't know what you stand in need of today, but my cry, my prayer for you, is that you would leave it at the altar, at the feet of Jesus." [01:17:12] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "If you're constantly worried about what you don't have, you'll miss out on the beauty of what he's already given you. Some of you are living in the things that you've prayed for. What is it that you stand in need of? What pain, what hurt, what circumstance, what situation? I say to you today, is anything too hard for the Lord?" [01:21:34] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "Do not be anxious for anything, but in every situation, through prayer and petition and thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. He says right before that, Rejoice in the Lord. Always. again, I say rejoice. Whatever is pure, whatever is noble, whatever is trustworthy, whatever is right, whatever is good, whatever is excellent, whatever is praiseworthy, think on such things." [01:22:14] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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