Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. God's power is infinite. The psalmist says, Psalm 145, verse 3, that God is great and greatly to be praised. His greatness is unsearchable. God is so great that His greatness is unsearchable.
God's greatness is so deep that you can never ever get to the bottom of it. Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. Knowing and worshiping God should be our highest priority. But sometimes we begin to think of God in our own terms.
So today on the verdict, we continue to reset our perceptions about God by considering the question: is God infinite and eternal? It's part of our current series called What Would You Ask God? And to introduce today's message, here's Pastor John Monroe. When I was at high school, I read a book by J.B. Phillips called Your God is Too Small.
My mind was stretched, and I began to think of the God who is infinite. We're currently in the middle of a series on God and questions we would ask God. Here is today's question. Is God infinite and eternal? What size is your God?
We tend to have overinflated views of ourselves and a god who is too small. We set up ourselves as little gods trying to control our tiny kingdoms. How foolish! Do you really want a god who fits in a box? A God of your own creation?
Don't you want a God who is limitless and all-powerful? Let's learn more of the true infinite and eternal God. An astronomer concluded his lecture. About the Milky Way and was asked by a woman. If our world is so little, And the universe is so great Can we believe that God pays any attention to us?
Good question, wasn't it? The astronomer replied, Madam, That depends entirely on how big a God you believe in. What's the size? of your God. I trust we believe in a big God, a huge God.
An awesome God. A God who is so big that He is infinite and eternal. Our great problem in life Is that so often we are self-centered, even in our Christianity, even in our worship, rather than being God-centered?
So often we want a God that we can contain, a convenient God. A God that we use for our own purposes, a God that we have, as it were, in our little box. And when the emergencies of life come, we turn and we open up the little box, we tell God what to do, and if He does it, we then put Him back to the next emergency. We want a God. in the box.
We're going to learn this morning. That the true God is not a God in a box. He's a God who is so big, he's so huge, that the universe itself cannot contain him. Aren't you excited about knowing and loving and serving that kind of God? This is what the series on Questions We Ask God is all about.
We don't want a pseudo Christianity, a cultural Christianity, a false hype of manipulated emotion which pumps us up on a Sunday, but which leaves us so flat and empty on a Monday, and a kind of faith that is unable to sustain us in the storms as well as in the joys of life. We want to know. The true God, the living God, the infinite God, the awesome God. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we seek I trust. The eternal.
God. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14 about the experience of the people of God as they come together to worship. And he said if when you're worshiping in the Spirit and in the truth, this may well happen, that an unbeliever comes into the local church, into the local assembly of the people of God, And as that unbeliever is aware of God's people worshiping, something will happen. That unbeliever will fall on his face. Worshiping God and saying, Gods.
is certainly among you. Wouldn't that be wonderful? That some person who's very sceptical this morning As you come and as you have heard this worship, perhaps you haven't joined in in the worship because you're not sure if you know this God, but you understand that there is something or someone. Supernatural here that God is here. the overwhelming and overpowering presence and power.
of Almighty God. And so it is essential that we know and worship and love and serve not the God of our imagination, not a God in a box, not a God of cultural Christianity, but the true God, the Biblical God. And knowing this God, the only God, We will transform your life now. And knowing this guards will be the theme. of our eternal existence.
Today we're considering this question: is God infinite and Eternal. Let me ask you to open your Bibles. to the book of Job chapter eleven. I find myself saying, Joe, that's why I'm going back to Scotland so I can say it right. Because I'm getting tired.
of people who talk in a strange way trying to tell me how to talk English. And I say to them, We were talking like this before you were talking like that.
So there it is. But if you like, I'm flexible. Job. Chapter 11. Verse seven.
We're going to see that God is infinite. And here Job It's talking. about the infinity of God. Chapter eleven verse seven. Can you discover The depths of God Can you?
Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are as high As the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.
Job is saying that God is infinite. By saying that God is infinite, we mean that God in His being and perfections is absolutely free from all limitations, from all conditions and from all restrictions. We are finite, all of us have our limits. Of course we do. You may be rich, your riches have a limit.
You may be strong, your strength has a limit. You may be wise, your wisdom has a limit. You are finite, but God and only God is infinite. Psalm 147, verse 5 says that God is so wise that his understanding is infinite. The NIV says his understanding is without limit.
That's good. That's what infinite means, that God has no limits. All of the attributes of God, whatever you think of God, His love, His holiness, His righteousness, His power all of the attributes of God are held by God to an unlimited degree. To Infinity. That is, God possesses all of His attributes.
Infinitely. He is infinite in His perfections. He is infinite in His glory. He is absolutely free from all limitations, all conditions, all restrictions. None of them applying to God, because God is infinite.
Some examples of God's infinity. Job five verse nine God does great and unsearchable things. wonders without Number Wonders without number. That is, that God's power is infinite. The psalmist says Psalm 145, verse 3, that God Is great and greatly to be praised.
His greatness is unsearchable. It is unsearchable. God is so great that His greatness is unsearchable. God's greatness is so deep that you can never ever get to the bottom of it. God's greatness and His power are so high that you will never get to the top of them.
It is impossible To quantify the greatness of God, the power of God, because God is infinite as to His greatness. The infinity of God in relation to space is called His immensity, or looking at it another way, His omnipresence. Little boy asks his dad, Dad, how big is God? God is so big. that he is immeasur immeasurable.
He is infinite. Lay back. He is immense to an infinite degree. God is so big. that he transcends all spatial limitations.
God is so big. That is not confined to any one point of space or excluded or absent from any part of space. God is so big that wherever you go, He's there. He fills all space, absolutely. That's how big God is.
Pretty big, isn't it? He's so big. That you can never get away from them. When Solomon was building his temple, we read 1 Kings 8, verse 13, I have surely built you a lofty house. A magnificent temple a place for your dwelling place forever.
But then in verse 27 of 1 Kings 8, he asks this question: But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Is it really possible? to put God in a box, even if it is a magnificent temple.
Solomon says, Behold, heaven. And the highest heaven cannot contain you. How much less this house which I have built?
Solomon understands that God is so big that all of earth, All of space, the highest heaven, all of them combined are not big enough to contain God. How big is God? As to size, God is infinite. He's so big at whatever you go. God is there.
That's what we mean, that God is omnipresent. Omnipresence means that God is present in the totality of his being at each point in space. That's God. Turn with me to Jeremiah. Chapter twenty-three, where we will See this somewhere in the middle of your Bible?
Jeremiah Isaiah, Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 23. And Verse twenty three. Jeremiah is telling us that God is so big. That you can never get away from God.
God is so big. Don't try to hide from God. Don't try to run away from God. He's that big. Jeremiah 23, verse 23.
Am I a God who is near? Declares the Lord. And not a god far off. Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him? declares the Lord.
You ever feel like getting away from God? Of course you do. We're all a bit like Jonah, aren't we? Don't try to do it. Why?
End of verse 24. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? declares the Lord. He fills all of the earth. He fills all of space.
He fills all of heaven. He's that big. He's infinite. in his size. Wherever you go, wherever you are.
God is there. Why? God is infinite as to his size. He's infinite as to space. He is immense.
God is infinite as to His attributes, He is perfect. He is loving to an infinite degree. He is holy to an infinite degree. God is infinite as to his knowledge. We say he is omniscient, God knows everything about everything.
God is infinite as to His power, He is omnipotent, God can do everything. Consistent with himself. God is infinite as to his content. He is all-sufficient. He needs nothing.
We saw that last week as we thought of the Trinity, the self-existent, self-contained God. The eternal I am. God is infinite as to his constancy. He is immutable. He never.
Changes what a great God. No wonder we sometimes sing, How great is our God. How great! you aren't. Utterly reliable.
Magnificently awesome. always worthy of our worship However much we study this God, however much we read of this God and worship Him and serve Him, we are amazed. at his greatness. Why? Because this God, the true God, the living God.
The God who has revealed Himself perfectly in Jesus Christ is an infinite. God. Now let's consider another aspect of God's Infinity, which is that God is eternal. If He's infinite, it also follows that He is eternal. He is.
Always existing. What's the meaning of God's eternality? God is infinite as regards time. He is. eternal.
Can I remind you that you are finite. We live in time. God is eternal. And there are frequent references to God's eternality throughout Scripture. Abraham called on the name of the Lord in Genesis twenty one, verse thirty three.
He called on the name of the Lord El Olam, that is the everlasting God. The first reference in Scripture to God being referred to as eternal is there in Genesis one verse thirty thirty one verse thirty three. Where Abraham is reminded that this God in whom he trusts, this God who is his shield, this God who gives him these promises of land and of greatness and of a great family, this God can give these kind of promises because he is the eternal God. What do you mean that God is eternal? That means that God existed before time existed.
And God will continue to exist when time does not exist because God created time and God is not limited by time. God in fact exists outside of our time frame. It's difficult to get your mind round, isn't it? But look at 2 Peter, New Testament. 2 Peter Chapter three, where we will see this.
We can't imagine an existence apart from time. But God existed before time because God created time. And God exists outside of our time frame. 2 Peter 3, verse 8. And do not let this one fact Escape your notice, beloved.
That with the Lord. One day It is as a thousand years. And a thousand years As one day. To us, a day and a thousand years are totally different. A thousand years Just like a day to God.
Why? Because God exists out of our time frame. God is Eternal. Turn back to Acts chapter seventeen. Friend of mine.
was just in Athens and told me how wonderful it was to be there on Mars Hill. And he read the scripture from Acts 17. We're just going to read one verse. Verse twenty six, Acts seventeen, verse twenty six. Paul is talking.
Not about the unknown God, but the true God. The one Who gives to all life and breath and all things. Verse twenty-six, and he made from one every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times. and the boundaries of their habitation. That is, that God is above time and controls time.
Because God is eternal. Moses' great statement in Psalm 90. Where he refers to the Lord. as being God from everlasting Two. Everlasting.
That's God, He's eternal. God was never born. God will never die. God has no beginning, God has no end. Says Paul in the New Testament, he is the king eternal.
King Eternal. No king, no queen is eternal. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, she one day will die. She is not the Queen, eternal. Our God, the King of kings, is the King eternal.
He will always reign, always has reigned. He is the King eternal. And God's eternality means that He exists endlessly out of time. He is the eternal I am. I am who I am.
Revelation 4, verse 8: The Lord God is the Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. He is the eternal I am. His existence. exists endlessly, backwards and forwards, throughout every moment of time. His years have no end.
No beginning. Never growing old, never dying. He will exist forever and ever. He is the great, eternal God without beginning and without end. When you want to know that kind of God.
That's a God worthy of your worship. As a God, you will transform your life. That's a God who amazingly is seeking a personal relationship with you. This great God who made you. And who is eternal?
Who is so great? And he comes to you and to me seeking your worship. seeking your praise. seeking a relationship with you. He is the eternal God, existing outside of time, but in the incarnation, coming into time in his Son, Jesus Christ.
Someone has illustrated it this way. You're watching a parade pass in front of you, one float at a time. There are many floats in the parade, but you only experience them one at a time as they pass in front of you. But high up, in a good year blimp.
Someone is looking down. and from the perspective of the people in the Goodyear Blimp They see the whole parade. They see all the floats. You only see them one at a time, but they see them all from their perspective. They see the whole parade from start to finish.
Why? Because of their perspective.
Well, God's perspective is. eternal. Our perspective is restricted by time. But gods perspective. is eternal.
Listen to Isaiah. In chapter 46. Verse nine, a scripture we've seen before. Remember the former times long past, For I am God and there is no other, I am God and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning. and ancient times things which have not been done.
God knows the end of history from the beginning. God knows the end of the ball game before the ball is even kicked. Why? Because he exists in eternity. and he sees everything front of him.
There is And there are no surprises with God. Surprises with us? Absolutely. We don't know what's going to happen by the end of this day. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow morning.
None of us do. We may get a huge surprise. Life may take an unexpected turn, but never with God. God is never surprised. God is never knocked off balance.
Why? Because He is eternal. And he sees everything from the beginning to the end. We, on the other hand, are finite beings. God is infinite.
We are finite. God is eternal. We are in time. We all have our limitations and restrictions. That's why it's very difficult for us to understand these concepts of infinity and eternality.
We measure our life. By time, by years, by months, by days, by hours, by minutes and seconds. We can't live yesterday. Yesterday has gone. You say it was a wonderful day.
I'd like to relive it. Absolutely impossible. You can't go back. You say it was a miserable day. I'm glad it's over.
Well, It's over. Tomorrow Maybe the best day of your life, maybe the worst, I don't know, but you can't live in tomorrow. All you have Unlike gods. Who is eternal? Who exists endlessly backwards and forwards throughout all of time because he is eternal.
All we have is today. This day, This moment. That's why the Bible says today is the day of salvation. Don't boast of tomorrow. God can boast of tomorrow because God knows exactly what's going to happen tomorrow.
You don't. You have Today, Today, if God speaks with you, get right with him. Today, if God is speaking to you, don't ignore his voice. A past president of the Procrastinators Club of America said, quote, people who rush around and never relax and get all worried about being on time are people who die early. Then they are referred to as the late Mr.
So-and-so. The procrastinators say, why not be late while you're alive? It's surprising how many problems become less important or even disappear if you postpone them.
Some of you adopt that philosophy in life. I don't think it's a good philosophy. The fact is, time is our common commodity, isn't it? This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us.
From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help he do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.
org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website.
Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? How big is your god? Is your gut too small? If there is a God, and there is, it's essential we have a true understanding of Him. Our God inspires awe and reverence and gives us purpose and hope.
God didn't make you to live a selfish life, but to glorify Him. And as you glorify Him, you'll enjoy Him more and more. Don't forget to tune in next time as we continue to consider the answer and implications of this compelling question. Is God infinite and eternal? Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict.
I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. M
