A New Beginning presents a book about the greatest evangelist of the 20th century, Billy Graham, written by his friend, Pastor Greg Laurie. I bring insights that maybe other books have not really touched on. I also weave in a lot of my personal experiences, one-on-one with Billy, things he said to me, and things I gleaned by watching him. So if you want to learn more about this man that changed the world, get your copy of Billy Graham, The Man I Knew.
Yours for a gift of any amount at Harvest.org. Facing a challenge? Maybe an overwhelming problem or obstacle? Pastor Greg Laurie says, give it to the Lord. God is omnipotent. This means that He has unlimited power that can never be depleted, drained, or exhausted.
And this is why it's so silly when we say, well, I've tried everything. All I can do now is go pray. Oh, you mean pray to the all-powerful, ever-present Creator of the universe?
I think He can handle your problem. God parted the waters of the Red Sea. He caused time to stand still.
He caused time to go backwards. He protected Daniel in the lion's den and the three Hebrew teens in the fiery furnace. Jesus fed multitudes with table scraps, healed the sick, raised the dead, and conquered the grave. And don't forget all of creation. Today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out how powerful God is and how your gigantic problem is no match for an omnipotent God. We're going to talk about God the Father in this message, which is a part of a new series that we're calling Timeless. And our next time together, we'll look at who is God the Son. Then we'll look at who is God the Holy Spirit. Then we'll discover the truth about heaven and hell.
And finally, the Bible, the user's manual of life. These are things that are important to us because there's so many fads and trends in culture that come and go, and these are truths that are timeless because God is timeless. God says in Malachi 3.6, I am the Lord, I change not. I find that very comforting, don't you? And we need to be reminded of these things because what you believe matters.
What you think matters. So I want to take some time in this series that we're calling Timeless to offer sound theology without apology. Let's begin with the attributes of God. And let's go to Psalm 139 and read a few verses together. Psalm 139.
Now I'm going to be reading from the New Living Translation. The psalmist writes, Lord, you have examined my heart. You know everything about me. You know when I sit down, you know when I stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I'm going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and you follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand.
I love that, don't you? So here's point number one if you're taking notes. God is omniscient. God is omniscient, theological word. It means God knows everything. Verse one, Lord, you've examined my heart and know everything about me.
Think about this. God knows everything about you. He knows every thought you think. He knows every place you go. He knows every website you visit. He knows every hope you have inside.
He knows your fears. He knows everything. God knows all things. Now God always has known these things. It's hard for us to understand that because we learn things, then we forget things, then we relearn them again. But God always has known these things.
He doesn't learn new things. And God never has lapses in memory. You ever have a lapse in memory? God doesn't forget things. That'd be scary.
What if he forgot about you or me or moved on because he found something more interesting? No. God knows all things and knows the big things because Psalm 147 verse 4 says he determines the number of stars and calls each by name.
Are you kidding me? Every star is a name? Boy, I'd run out of names quick. But not only does he know about the stars, he knows about little details. Matthew 10 says, Jesus speaking, the very hairs of your head are numbered, so don't be afraid.
You're more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. He knows about every bird that falls to the ground. He knows about every hair in your head. Now for some of you, you have a lot of hair.
For me, it's like what, Craig? You have eight, nine, I'm not sure how many of you. Well, actually, I am sure because I'm all knowing, but it's not a lot to work with, so. He knows all things. He knows about your faithfulness to him. He knows about those sleepless nights when you pleaded with him for the salvation and protection of your children. He knows about those thankless moments where you faithfully were serving others and were rarely acknowledged. He knows about the financial sacrifices you've made for your family and even for his kingdom.
When giving, Jesus said, your father who sees you in secret will one day reward you openly. And God knows what's gonna happen before it happens. He lives in the eternal realm.
I live in this realm. There's yesterday and there's tomorrow and there's today, that's it. For God, tomorrow, that's like yesterday. It's all a continuum to him. So when God predicts the future, it's not really predict, it's stating fact.
It's stating something that is. For us, it seems like a prediction, but it's something that he's very sure of because he lives in the eternal realm. Therefore, when God tells us certain things are going to happen, we call it Bible prophecy, you can take it to the bank.
The Bible is the one book that dares to predict the future not once, not twice, hundreds of times with 100% accuracy because God sees the future as you and I would see the past. In fact, even better because I forget the past. I'll come home and tell my wife a story, this just happened to me. And then maybe two days later, I'm retelling the story. She said, that's not the way it happened. I said, you weren't even there.
She says, but you told it differently the first time. Oh, right, okay. So clearly, I don't even remember the past all that accurately, but God remembers all things. He knows all things. He's omniscient. And number two, he's omnipresent. Omnipresent. It's just a word that means he's present everywhere.
Look at Psalm 139 verse seven. I can never escape from your spirit. I can never get away from your presence. If I go to heaven, you're there.
If I go down to the grave, you're there. Wherever you go, God will be there. Now these words can be either comforting or frightening depending on what side of the fence you're on spiritually. If you are walking with God, it's comforting to know that wherever you go, God will be there with you. If you're not walking with God, it's frightening to know that wherever you go, God will be there. Which means you cannot escape from God. But when we put our faith in Christ, we're reassured that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. And I love the fact that that verse can be better translated, Jesus speaking, I will never, no never, no never leave you or forsake you. Jesus said, lo, I am with you even to the end of the age. You'll never be alone as a Christian. Now that's great to know because sometimes you think, well, God's in the church. And it's great when we gather together in the church, isn't it? Don't you love to be with God's people, worshiping, learning together, enjoying together, serving together?
There's nothing like it. But God doesn't stay here. Well, let's leave. God will see you later.
Okay, bye. And he just hangs out here, right? He goes where you go, which means you can pray anywhere. One of my favorite stories in the Old Testament is the story of Elijah having a little fun at the expense of the prophets of Baal up on Mount Carmel. So the prophets of Baal were worshiping a false god that didn't exist. And so there was this big contest. And the contest was, whoever is serving the real God, let that God bring fire from heaven. Elijah said, you guys go first. So the prophets of Baal were screaming and yelling. Then they got desperate.
They're cutting themselves, bleeding everywhere, still no fire. And then Elijah begins to taunt them. And he says, shout louder.
He's a god. Maybe he's in deep thought or he's busy or he's traveling. Or maybe he's asleep and needs to be awakened. And then I love the New Living Translation verse of the next statement of Elijah. Or he said, maybe your god is sitting on the toilet. That's actually accurate. He said, well, maybe, you know, he went to the celestial outhouse.
I don't know. Yell louder. And they did. And their god didn't answer because their god wasn't real. But our god is near and he's never asleep on the job.
That's great to know. God is omnipresent. God is omniscient. And God is omnipotent. Number three, omnipotent.
This means that he has unlimited power that can never be depleted, trained or exhausted. Now I'm on the eternal quest for a phone that will get me through the day and the night without having to plug it in. They always come up with new models. Make the phone battery last longer. That's all I'm asking for. Plugging in, plugging in all the time, right? God doesn't have to plug in. Oh, I'm drained. God's power can never be depleted, drained or exhausted.
And this is why it's so silly when we say, well, I've tried everything. I've exhausted all of my resources. All I can do now is gulp, pray.
What? Oh, you mean pray to the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present creator of the universe? I think he can handle your problem. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment.
Whenever you send us an email, letter or post a comment on social media, we read every word. Greg Laurie is one of my favorite pastors as he stays true to the gospel. I was invited as a high schooler to Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, in 2005. And it was then that I realized I can worship without being judged. I now listen to Greg's podcast and it was through his sermons reading from God's word that I realized who Jesus really was. I am thankful that Pastor Greg speaks truth and with humor. Now that I am a Christian, it makes me want to share Jesus with others. Thank you, Greg and Harvest Ministries, for making these podcasts available. When we hear from you, it's not only a blessing, it also confirms that the program is touching lives here in this community. If you have a story to share, call Pastor Greg and leave him a message. Call 1-866-871-1144.
That's 866-871-1144. Well, we're learning some important biblical principles about God's nature today as Pastor Greg presents the opening message in his new series called Timeless. Let's continue. Number four, God is sovereign. We hear that word thrown around, God is sovereign. What does that even mean? It means that God is able to do what He pleases with whomever He chooses whenever He wishes.
Let me say that again. God is able to do what He pleases with whomever He chooses whenever He wishes. So God doesn't have to check in with you or me or make sure we're okay with this. God is sovereign, but that also reminds us that God has a plan. Nothing is ever haphazard or willy-nilly.
It's always part of the bigger plan for your life. Number five, God is truth. God is truth. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. This means that God and God alone is the final standard of truth.
I know we're living in a day where you're not supposed to say that because you say, well, I don't know. You know, there's many ways that lead to God and as long as you're sincere in what you believe. If all roads led to God, why would God the Father allow God the Son to suffer and die such a horrible death on the cross of Calvary? Answer, all roads don't lead to God. There's only one road that leads to heaven and it's a road through Jesus Christ who again said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. But coming back to the idea of truth, God is the final court of arbitration.
You are not, nor are your feelings or your emotions, well, I don't know, I see it differently. What do you do when you come to a passage in the Bible you don't agree with? You change your opinion because scripture is truth.
God is truth. Well, I don't agree. Who cares? Really, who cares? I guess you care. I don't really care. But it's God who is that source of truth because we'll come up with all these wacky things like, well, my God, my God is loving but he's not wrathful.
Really. Your God is you. No, no, he's my God. You made up your own God.
You can do that if you want to, but that God will not be able to save you on the final day. The only God is the true God found in scripture who describes himself clearly. There is no higher authority than God himself.
He, again, is the final court of arbitration. Well, I don't know, I have my disagreements. Well, here's what God says, Romans 9.20, where are you to talk back to God? Shall that which is formed say to him who formed it, why did you make me this way? It's just ridiculous. There has to come a point where I just accept what he says is true. You know, when you were a kid, some of you still are kids, and you had a question for your parents, Mom, come on, let me do this.
No, you can't do it. Come on, why? Because I think it's a bad idea. Come on, why? Finally, Mom gets frustrated and says, because I said so. Come on, I said so.
And then you as a kid said, I will never say that as a parent to my children. Yes, you will. You'll see.
You'll see one day. And at a certain point, God just says, because I said so. I'm the final court of arbitration. I'm the source of right and wrong.
If I say it's true, it is true. There is no higher authority because I said so. So God is omniscient, he's omnipresent, he's omnipotent, he's sovereign, he's true. Number six, God is holy. God is holy. And we see this repeatedly in Scripture. Isaiah in chapter six says this, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, he was high, he was lifted up. His glory filled the temple, and the angels cried, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. The holiness of God. Habakkuk 1.13 says, your eyes are too pure to look on evil.
You cannot tolerate wrong. See, we need to understand the holiness of God. We talk a lot about the love of God.
I'm getting to that in just a moment. There may have been a day in the church where the holiness of God was emphasized at the expense of the love of God. But I think in more recent times, maybe the love of God has been emphasized at the expense of the holiness of God.
Does that make sense? We say God loves you. God loves everything about you. God loves you no matter what you've done. Well, that's all true, but God wants to change you. There is the holiness of God too. We have to keep all these things in mind when we think about God and not make Him some one-dimensional creation that we come up with. Number seven, God is good.
And I think this is really important to be reminded of. Because I think, okay, God's all knowing, fine. God's all powerful, good. God's present everywhere. God is sovereign.
He can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, with whoever He wants. All right, He's holy, I got it. Ah, but God is good. God is good.
Don't miss that, because if I miss that, it can be kind of a frightening view of the Lord. The word good could be understood to mean as God is the final standard of good. In other words, if you want to know what good is, you go to Scripture. God will tell you what is good. And God will tell you what is bad. And if God tells you something is bad, it's bad.
And if He tells you it's good, it's good. And if He tells you not to do something, He's telling it to you for your own good. Because the Bible says, no good thing will He withhold from those that walk uprightly. Psalm 106 one says, give thanks unto the Lord, for He's good. David writes in Psalm 34 eight, oh taste and see that the Lord is good.
So God determines what is good. So He's truthful, He's holy, He's good. But yes, He is loving. In fact, the Bible even says God is love. God is love. Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the children of God. Greater love has no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son. Whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. His love for us is unchanging, it's consistent, and it's inexhaustible. It's so wonderful.
So listen to this. Let's put the holiness of God and the love of God together and it'll give us a big picture view of our Father in heaven. In His holiness, He is unapproachable. In His love, He approaches us.
Let me say that again. In His holiness, He's unapproachable. How can I approach a holy God, a perfect, flawless God? I'm sinful. I fall short.
He's unapproachable. But in His love, He approaches us. He says, you come now to me.
I want a relationship with you. Amen. Important insights from Pastor Greg Laurie today here on A New Beginning. And Pastor Greg, if somebody realizes they don't have a relationship with God, but they want to make a change, what would you say to them?
What I would say is He's only a prayer way, which means if you will call upon the name of the Lord right now through prayer, He will hear your prayer and answer your prayer. Listen, if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life, if you want Him to forgive you of your sin, if you want to know that you'll go to heaven when you die, just pray this prayer right now after me. Just pray, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner, but I know that You're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. I learn from my sin now, and I choose to follow You from this moment forward as my Savior and Lord, as my God and my friend. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Amen. And listen, if you have just prayed that prayer and meant those words sincerely, we want to welcome you into the family of God. And let us help you get started walking each day with the Lord. Pastor Greg wants to send you his New Believers Bible, absolutely free, along with some other helpful resources. Just let us know you prayed with Pastor Greg and you want the New Believers Bible when you call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime at 1-800-821-3300. Or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514.
Go online to harvest.org and click the words Know God. And then let us say a word of thanks to those who support us financially, those who make it possible for us to bring you these studies each day. We are definitely a listener-supported ministry.
It's the generosity of listeners that help us be here with these programs. So if you've partnered with us, thank you. And if you have yet to partner with us, I hope you'll get in touch today and let us know that you're standing with us. Even a small investment would help. It's actually an investment in changing lives. Thank you for partnering with us. You can donate securely online at harvest.org or write A New Beginning, Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514. Or call us at 1-800-821-3300.
Again, that's 1-800-821-3300. Well, next time, more insights on the attributes of God the Father as Pastor Greg continues his brand-new series called Timeless, Unchanging Truth in a Changing Culture. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie. This is the day, the day when life begins.
