The Power of God

Thank you, Blake, for leading our singing this morning, and thank you to all of our men who are involved in our worship services. We appreciate you so much, and we appreciate everyone for being here today. I’m glad to be back and to see you. We had a really good gospel meeting effort in Haltom City with the Birdville Church of Christ, and the effort went really well. The brethren there said to say hello to everyone here, so I’m passing greetings along from them and letting you know how much they appreciate you for permitting me to come out and work with them for a week. Mary Lynn and I had a good time there, and we really enjoyed getting to meet them and getting to know them. Several things happened there; I won’t get into all the details, but it was a good week.

Well, this morning I’d like to turn our attention to the power of God. If you know anything about God, you know that He is, in fact, powerful. But the Scriptures have some things to say about the power of God, and we should listen to what those Scriptures teach.

We’re going to start with Matthew chapter 22 and verse 29, where Jesus is talking to a group of Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection or that man has an eternal spirit. They asked Jesus what they thought was a complicated question, maybe a real stumper. But Jesus’ answer to them was along these lines: “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Well, we don’t want to be in the position of misunderstanding something because we don’t understand the power of God. Like these Sadducees who didn’t know the power of God, there are many in the world today who don’t understand the power of God.

So let’s think about God’s power this morning as we consider what the Bible has to say about three things related to it. First of all, its existence; we’ll look at some scriptures that declare the power of God. Secondly, its instrument. God’s power has an instrument, and we need to be aware of that instrument. And then, something that some don’t think about too much, but which is certainly declared in the Bible: God’s power has limits. We’ll talk about what some of those limits are in a few minutes.

But first of all, let’s look at the existence of God’s power, just the fact of it. As we think about this, there can be no doubt that God is powerful. In Romans chapter 1 and verse 20, the apostle Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” And so one can simply turn his gaze toward the night sky, look at the heavens, and understand the power of God. Or one may look at something else in this world and really know the power of God. Who has ever stood before the majesty of a mountain and not wondered how powerful God is to have created such a thing? The vastness of the heavens, the intricacy of the creation, and when we delve down into microscopic things and think about them, we see the power of God once again. God’s power is at work in His creation, and we can know something about it.

When we think about the power of God, think about Isaiah 40 and verse 26, where Isaiah writes, “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.” So in regard to the creation, in regard to the heavens, God has created everything, and His power demonstrates that. In Jeremiah 32 and verse 17: “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.” There’s nothing too hard for God. His power is able to accomplish what we as human beings might think is impossible. A lot of times what we think is impossible is not impossible to God; we just don’t understand the power of God.

And so the Bible tells us about that great power. In 1 Chronicles 29, verses 11 and 12, we read these words: “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.” And so God is the source of power. He is powerful Himself, and He can give others the ability to have power and might so that they can also have strength. Not only is He the source of it, He’s also the One who shares and provides power to others.

But perhaps the greatest proof of God’s power is the things that the Bible declares God does. When we just read what He does, that shows His power. For example, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” When there was nothing, God brought everything into existence out of nothing. That’s power. That is something amazing.

Think about the flood and the power God used to bring that upon the earth. In Genesis 6 and verse 13: “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” Not only does God have the power to create, He also has the power to destroy, and He exercised that power when He brought the flood on the earth.

Think about the parting of the Red Sea and how God exercised power there to permit the children of Israel to walk across on dry land. Exodus 14:21-22 says, “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Jehovah caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”

Have you ever been to an aquarium and gone through one of those tunnels surrounded by water? You look up, and there’s water on the left, water on the right, and water above you. And you’ve got a nice protective pane of glass or plastic between you and all that water, right? But imagine just trusting in the power of God to keep that water from crashing down upon you. That’s the power of God that worked there, parting those waters with that east wind so that the children of Israel could walk across on dry ground.

Think about Jesus’ power in Matthew 8, verses 26 and 27. The disciples were in the boat, and a great storm came up and rocked that boat back and forth. I suppose the waves were starting to get into the boat, and they were concerned about capsizing and dying in the middle of the sea. Of course, they wake Jesus up, and He says, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” And then what does He do? “Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” Well, if they had read their Old Testament, they would know that the sea obeys God, right? They walked through it on dry land. But here is Jesus exercising this divine power over the winds and the sea, and in exercising that power, He demonstrates that God was with Him.

And then in Acts chapter 10, verses 40 and 41, God’s power raised Jesus up the third day. That’s what it says: “Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.” The power of God raised up Jesus on the third day.

So there’s no doubt that God is powerful. He’s able to do all these things that we can’t do: create the heavens and the earth, sprinkle the exact number of stars in the heavens that need to be there, part the Red Sea, bring a great flood upon the earth, still the storm, and raise the dead. God has so much power, and nothing is impossible for Him, in our human way of thinking.

But then we turn and look at the Scriptures, and we see that God has an instrument of His power, and that instrument is His word. God’s word is inherently powerful. There have been some in the religious world who will say, “Well, the Scriptures are just a dead letter.” That is not true. The word of God is powerful. It is God’s power today, and we just don’t understand how powerful God’s word really is.

In fact, in Isaiah chapter 55 and verse 11, the Lord said through Isaiah, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Sometimes we wonder if the gospel is having its effect on people. Well, we don’t have to wonder about that. God has told us that His word is going to be powerful. It’s not going to be void. It’s going to accomplish exactly what He desires, and we can trust that God’s word will do just that.

Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” So God’s word is like a sword. It’s powerful. It’s quick. It’s cutting. It’s able to divide and separate things and to help us discern between right and wrong. It’s wonderful. And “no word from God shall be void of power,” Luke 1 and verse 37 says. So as we think about the power of God’s word, it’s inherently powerful. The word itself is powerful, and that’s something we need to consider.

But then think about this: God’s word is the instrument through which God deals with the physical world. When He created everything in the beginning, He used His words to create those things. And here in John 1, verses 1 through 3, we see who the Word is. It’s actually Jesus, the second person of the Godhead: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.” As we think about the word of God and who Jesus is, He is the very Word of God in the flesh. And so God’s word is powerful, and it’s the instrument through which He created the world.

It’s also the instrument through which He preserves the world. Think about Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 through 3: “God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds; who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Upholding all things by the word of His power. What does that mean? That means our very existence is being upheld by God’s word. Even right now, the fact that we are here, that you can sit on those pews, that we can meet in this building, that we can stand on the earth, all of those things are being upheld because of the word of God.

And so God’s word is powerful. It’s powerful to create, it’s powerful to uphold, and, as we mentioned earlier, it’s also powerful to destroy. God’s word will be used to destroy the world one day. In 2 Peter chapter 3, verses 5 through 7, Peter wrote, “For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God.” See that? There’s another emphasis on the word of God. “By which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” So notice: the word of God created, the word of God destroyed, and the word of God once again will destroy, “by the same word.” Yes, one day, the Bible says, God is going to destroy everything that is, and that will be the end of time. But how will it be done? All God need do is speak His word, and it will be done. God’s word is the instrument through which He accomplishes these things.

But more importantly, I think, God’s word is the instrument through which spiritual creation happens as well. A lot of times we recognize, “Oh yes, God spoke and the world came into existence. He used His word. His word is powerful.” But God’s word is powerful spiritually also, and it’s involved in our spiritual creation. We understand it in reference to physical creation, but a lot of times people lose sight of that in reference to spiritual creation, so we want to focus on that a little bit here as well.

We’ll start in Romans 1 and verse 16, where the apostle Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” What’s the power of God to salvation? It’s the gospel. What is the gospel? It’s the good news, the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. That’s the gospel, and that’s the power of God, Paul says. Look at 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 18: “For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.” Notice: the word of the cross. It is the power of God. And so God’s word is powerful when it comes to spiritual creation.

Think about 1 Thessalonians 2 and verse 13, when Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica. He said to them, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God.” What did they receive? They received the word of God. And what does God’s word do when we receive it? It “effectually worketh also in you that believe.” So God’s word works in us. God’s word is powerful within us to effect spiritual creation.

And so we understand that God’s word is powerful spiritually. First Peter chapter 1, verses 22 through 25, says, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren…” Now, this is spiritual creation: purified your souls. How did you purify your souls? In your obedience to what? To the truth. Well, what is truth? It’s God’s word. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). They obeyed the truth, and they became purified in their souls. “Love one another from the heart fervently: having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible.” What is the incorruptible seed? “Through the word of God, which liveth and abideth… But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you.” And so God’s word is powerful to effect spiritual creation.

James 1 and verse 18 says it like this: “Of his own will he brought us forth.” How? “By the word of truth.” Was it God’s will that we be saved? Yes. Well, how did He bring forth that salvation? By the word of truth. This is important, because words are God’s instrument to effect salvation. There are many in the denominational world today who believe, “Well, God just zaps you with salvation. You don’t do anything. It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to hear the word. You don’t have to believe it. You don’t have to do any of that. You’re just chosen for salvation. It’s just the will of God. God’s power just zaps you.” But that’s not what the Scriptures teach. The Scriptures teach that we’re begotten by the word of truth. That is, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). And when we believe that word, accept it, and obey it, like Peter said, then we bring forth what God intends, and God’s word accomplishes what it intends: spiritual salvation. “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” God’s word holds power, and His word is the instrument through which He uses His power today. And so there is an instrument of God’s power.

But then finally, there are limits on God’s power. You might say, “Limits? I thought God was omnipotent,” right? That’s the word they use: omnipotent, which means He has all power. Yes, He does have all power. He is omnipotent. But there are some limits to God’s power.

First of all, God can’t make a round square. That’s just something that’s logically impossible. A square has corners and sides; something that’s round does not. So to ask, “Can God make a round square?” Well, that’s just silly. It’s nonsense, and for someone to suggest that God could do something like that would be silly. God doesn’t make nonsense. Nonsense has nothing to do with God. When someone asks a question like that, it’s nonsensical and doesn’t mean anything. So God doesn’t work with things that are nonsense, or, we might say, logically impossible, like a round square.

So there are some limits there, but there are other limits that God has in relationship to His own character. Because God is good, because God is holy, because God is righteous, there are things God can’t do. One of those is that He cannot lie. Titus 1 and verse 2 says, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” God is not a liar. He doesn’t tell falsehoods. We need to trust that God is good and that He tells the truth all the time. He cannot lie.

James chapter 1 and verse 13 says that God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does He Himself tempt any man. So God can’t be tempted, and neither does He tempt. Again, that is because of His character, because of who He is. He’s so good, He’s so righteous, He’s so holy, He can’t do evil things. And so God’s power has limits in that regard.

But notice also that God has set some limits that He’s not going to violate. He’s made promises, and because He’s made promises, He’s not going to go back on them. Another example is this: God isn’t going to accept worship that’s not both in spirit and in truth. In John chapter 4, verses 23 and 24, Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” What is that saying? If we don’t worship in spirit and in truth, we’re not going to be pleasing to God. God isn’t going to be interested in what we have to say to Him. So there’s a limit on God’s power: He won’t accept worship that isn’t in spirit and in truth.

Another limit on God’s power is this: He is not going to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. That’s just something God has given mankind. He’s given us free will. He’s given us the ability to choose. And if we choose that we don’t want to be saved, God is not going to save us. In Acts chapter 13, verses 45 and 46, it says, “But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”

What is that talking about? Well, Paul was there preaching God’s word to the Jewish people, and they ended up rejecting it: “We don’t want to hear that anymore.” And Paul says, “Okay, well, you don’t have to. You thrust it from yourselves, and as a result, you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life.” You see, that’s what people do when they reject the gospel. They judge themselves unworthy of eternal life. And so God isn’t going to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.

Think about Felix. When Paul came to him, “as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25). Felix had the opportunity to listen to God’s word and obey it, but he chose not to, and God is going to respect his choice. He’s not going to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. The same could be said for King Agrippa in Acts 26 and verse 28: “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian,” Agrippa said to Paul. And he was not persuaded. He rejected the gospel, and God is not going to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. Even though God’s power can accomplish great things, God is not going to force anyone to believe and obey Him. He’s not going to make little puppets out of us, little robots who have no say-so in our own desires. Instead, He gives us free will. He gives us free choice. And He’s not going to save anyone who doesn’t want to be saved. And so we’ve seen that there are limits on God’s power.

Well, God’s power is tremendous, and we don’t want to be ignorant of it. We want to praise Him for His power. Think about the existence of God’s power. It’s real. It’s around us all over the place, and it’s happening even right now. Let’s also remember the instrument of God’s power. God used His word to bring this world into existence, He uses His word to keep it afloat, and He’s going to use His word to end it one day. And if we listen to the written word of God in the Bible, then spiritually we can be created, renewed, and sustained, and we can avoid eternal separation from God by listening to and obeying the power of God, which is in His word for us spiritually.

And then finally, as we think about the limits of God’s power, we recognize that God isn’t going to do something that we, in our way of thinking, maybe think He should do. He’s going to respect our choices. He’s going to respect our right to reject Him. And if we do that, then it will be all on us. Won’t that be a sad day when we get to eternity, to the judgment day, and stand before Him having said the things that Felix said, or that Agrippa said? “Almost thou persuadest me,” but almost was not enough. Or, “When I have a convenient season,” but that convenient season never came.

Why not recognize the power of God, recognize that His power is in His word, and obey that word this morning? Maybe you’re not a Christian and you need to become one by hearing that word and believing it, repenting of sins, confessing that Jesus is the Christ, and being baptized for the forgiveness of sins. God’s word is going to work in you effectually, and you will have the power of God working in your life to save you. Then, as a faithful Christian, God’s word will sustain you, and one day, as a faithful Christian, you’ll be saved from that eternal destruction.

Let’s not put limits on God’s word working in our lives, because we can limit God through our own choices and our own actions. Let’s seek to follow Him, obey Him, and live for Him every day. If you need prayer, or you need to respond to the invitation of Jesus this morning to become a child of God, we encourage you to do that right now. Don’t put limits on God. Come forward right now while together we stand and while we sing.

End of transcript. Thank you for reading along!