Christmas Series: The Infinite Creator

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Who was this baby Jesus, lying in a makeshift bed made for animal feed?

The Christmas song, Sing We the Song of Emmanuel, lays out the mind-bending beauty like this. Helpless He lay, the invincible, Maker of Mary, now Mary's Son. The Creator Himself became one of His own creation.

Why? In order to catch us up out of the grasp of the enemy, to free us from the debt of our sin and the separation from Himself. That is very good news. In this message titled The Infinite Creator, Pastor Rich takes us to Hebrews chapter 1. Let's listen in. This is part 3 of a message first preached on December 29, 2024 at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. He's still infinite God. His nature, His essence is still infinite God. But He chose to limit Himself, and why would He do that? So He could communicate with us. So we could see Him, so we could walk with Him, so we could live with Him, so we could see Him, touch Him, feel Him, hear Him, literally. That's why. You see, an infinite being is complete.

Think about that. An infinite being is complete, and there is no need for change. There's no capacity for change. If you're an infinite being, the Lord does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews says that, right? Not only is there no need for change, there's no need for time or space, and so He is a transcendent being. As I've said before, everything that there is to know, all that has been, all that has happened, all that is happening, all that ever will happen, all of it, He knows it right here, right now, perfectly, completely, absolutely.

It's mind-blowing, and it ought to be, because you and I are finite creatures. We can't comprehend that, but God is infinite, and this One, whom we celebrate during this season, this Advent season, He is the One who not only measures the universe with the span of His hand, He upholds all of it by the word of His power. He laid the foundations. He is the One that's carrying on the purpose of His Father, to reconcile us to Him. All of it focuses on that.

All of it does. And that is why it says, back in verse 2 now, look at verse 2 once again with me, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the, what, heir of all things, the heir of all things. This is speaking of an allotted share, often deals with land, okay, and He is the heir of all things.

Translate that for me. It's all His. You think you have stuff? It's all His. And what does that lead us to? That leads us to a sense of reality, and that ought to lead us to a sense of humility, which then ought to lead us to a practice of stewardship. It's all His.

All of it. He's the heir of all things. Psalm, verse 2, Psalm chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, we've read this before, ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron and shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. He will inherit all the nations, all of it, it's all His. The ends of the earth your possession. And then again, Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 10, as I've mentioned before, as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth, to unite all things in Him. He is the center of it all. Remember I've given this illustration before, this is you, we're born thinking this, this is the universe, right, and this is you, and we're born thinking this is reality. And Christ came to rescue us from that, to understand that this is Him and this is the universe, okay, because if you think this is you, you are in for a colossally rude awakening.

Jesus came to rescue us from that. He is the one who alone deserves preeminence, the center of all things. And we see this, we see this, a good portrait of it in Revelation chapter 5. This is in heaven, so it's looking in the future, right, and there is a throne, and there is someone occupying the throne. And then there is some weeping, because there is a scroll, and that scroll is sealed, and that scroll is the title deed for dominion over the earth. And man was given that dominion to begin with, messed it up.

And then the second Adam came, and he is the one that will be granted dominion. And Revelation chapter 5 paints the picture like a lamb as if it had been slain. What does a lamb as if it had been slain looks like?

Bloody. Sacrifice. This lamb sacrificed himself for our reconciliation. So this is a question of dominion, and it becomes clear in Revelation chapter 5 that this lamb, as if it had been slain, this lamb becomes the one worthy of taking the scroll and opening its seals. He deserves dominion, and he will have it.

He will have it. I want us to read verses 6 through 14 responsibly. I'm going to read the italics, and then you can follow by reading the bold. And this is from Revelation chapter 5 verses 6 through 14. And between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, and they sang a new song saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and they shall reign on the earth. Then I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying, to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. And the four living creatures said, Amen.

And the elders fell down and worshiped. Behold your God. So worthy of our worship, our adoration, our celebration, our obedience, our surrender. Have you surrendered to this one yet? The gospel has been made known to you this morning. If you are to be reconciled to God to live, for the very purpose for which God made you, it requires your surrendered faith. And I invite you to that this morning. If you have any questions about that, please see me afterwards and I'll take you to the round table.

Would you stand with me please? This is Romans 11 36. Let's read this together. For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be glory forever. Amen. That encapsulates reality. That encapsulates reality. Do you understand that? Do you know where you fit into that truth and that reality?

Because that's what's real. And because that is true, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So in other words, point to him because he is the point. Father, thank you for the encouragement for our hearts this morning. That we are rescued from the curse of living for ourselves, but instead we can live for the one who for our sakes died and was raised again.

The one who upholds the universe by his powerful command, the one who laid the foundations of the earth, the one who is here carrying out the purpose of the Father to reconcile man to God. Thank you for this truth, Father. And may it be something that remains on the front of our minds as we leave this place to worship you in all that we do, to walk with you, to delight in you, and serve you with joy because of who you are. Thank you for Jesus Christ. Amen. You've been listening to Rich Powell, the lead pastor at Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Delight in Grace mission is to help you know that God designed you to realize your highest good and your deepest satisfaction in him, the one who is infinitely good. We hope you'll join us again on weekdays at 10 a.m.