Knowing God: Experience & Love Him

The Power of God (Omnipotence)

Personally knowing a mighty God makes a great difference!

Dr. Ridge Orr

Power of God handout pdf | doc

Knowing God Series Index

Series Introduction| Knowing God | The Revelatory God | Goodness of God | Holiness of God | Power of God | Omnipresent God | Exalted God | Faithfuness of God | Wisdom of God | Mercy of God |Wrath of God | Love of God | Sovereignty of God | Providence of God

Purpose: Did you ever feel powerless? Join the club! Actually, we were never meant to be able to solve all our problems. As God’s children, it is wonderful to know someone who really cares for us and is fully in charge.

When we speak of God as the ‘LORD’ (His name = Yahweh / Jehovah), as well as ‘Lord’ (His title as Adonai = the Supreme Sovereign One), we highlight another of the attributes of God; that He is God Almighty.

A) The Essential Nature of God’s Power

1. God’s power gives life and action to all His perfections (Ps. 63:11)

2. God’s power enables him to act according to His good will and pleasure (Dan. 4:34-35) (Job 23:13 ; 42:2) (Ps. 115:3) (Eph. 1:11).

3. God’s power is eternally existent because of who God is (Romans 1:19-20).

“God’s power is like Himself, self-existent, self sustained. The mightiest of men cannot add so much as a shadow of increased power to the Omnipotent One. He sits on no buttressed throne and leans on no assisting arm. His court is not maintained by His courtiers, nor does it borrow its splendor from His creatures. He is Himself the great central source and Originator of all power.” (C. H. Spurgeon)

B. God’s power as it expresses in preservation

1. God’s power in the government of things (Prov. 21:1) (Rom. 13:1) (2 Chronicles 20:6) (Isaiah 40:21-23)

2. God’s power in judgment (Rom. 9:17 ; 9:20-23) (Isa. 64:8 & Jer. 18:6)

3. God’s power over creation (Job 38:4-6) (Isaiah 40:12-14 ; 25-26) (1 Chronicles 29:11-13)

“God is both the producing and preserving cause of all the virtue in any creature, in every creature. The power of every creature belongs to him as the Fountain, and is truly his power in the creature. As he is the first Being, he is the original of all being; as he is the first Good, he is the spring of all goodness; as he is the first Truth, he is the source of all truth; so, as he is the first Power, he is the fountain of all power.” (S. Charnock)

 C. God’s limits of God’s infinite, eternal power

1. Human conceptions of how to limit God’s power. (Luke 1:37)
   
   Through the ages, men have conceived ideas to limit God’s power.

2. Given that all power resides in ‘God Almighty’, there are things that cannot be done.

Though all power resides in God, there are things that cannot be done.

• God cannot ________. (Heb. 6:18)

• God cannot ________. (1 Tim. 6:16)

• God cannot be ___________ by evil. (James 1:13)

• God cannot be ______ eternal and created. (the law of non-contraction)

• God cannot act ___________ His own nature. (2 Tim. 2:13-denying Himself)

His power is infinite, but His power is restricted by who and what He is.

“He (God) does whatsoever he will; but he cannot do what he cannot will: he cannot will any unrighteous thing, and therefore cannot do any unrighteous thing. God cannot love sin, this is contrary to his holiness; he cannot violate his word, this is a denial of his truth; he cannot punish an innocent, this is contrary to his goodness; he cannot cherish an impenitent sinner, this is an injury to his justice; he cannot forget what is done in the world, this is a disgrace to his omniscience; he cannot deceive his creature, this is contrary to his faithfulness: none of these things can be done by him, because of the perfection of his nature.” (Stephen Charnock)

D. Supreme power of God demonstrated in Christ (1 Peter 3:22) (Eph. 1:18-22)

• Power over ______ and ________ (John 5:26 ; 10:17-18 ; 11:25)

• Power to _____________ all things (Heb. 1:3a)

• Power to _______: all authority, all dominion (Phil. 2:9-11 ; Eph. 1:19-23)

• The power of ______ (1 Cor. 1:23-24)

• Power that uses ________ and _________ things (1 Cor. 1:27-28)

• Power that is made ___________ in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9)

From Christ:

• We receive a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind. (1 Tim. 1:7)

• We receive the power to overcome temptation. (1 Cor. 10:13)

• We receive power to witness. (Acts 1:8)

• We receive His light, salvation, and strength to overcome fear. (Ps. 27:1)

Discussion Questions:

1. How have you witnessed the power of God in your life?

2. What comfort does the Almighty Power of God bring to the believer?

Biblical Foundations for Freedom ( BFF )

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell