The Power of God

1. As to the existence of God’s power there can be no doubt.

2. Paul says from reasoning about the creation we can know God’s everlasting power (Romans 1:20).

1) When we look at the vastness of the heavens.

2) The intricacy of their creation.

3) The power already at work in the creation.

4) We can know something about the power of God.

3. But the Bible also declares the existence God’s power.

1) Isaiah 40:26 (ESV) “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.”

2) Jeremiah 32:17 “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”.

3) 1 Chronicles 29:11, 12 “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.”

4. But perhaps the greatest proof of God’s power are the things that the Bible declares that God does.

1) Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created….”

2) Genesis 6:13 “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.”

3) Exodus 14:21, 22 “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.”

4) Matthew 8:26,27 “…Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

5) Acts 10:40,41 “Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest, not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.”

5. There is no doubt as to the existence of God’s power.

1. God’s word is inherently powerful.

1) In Isaiah 55:11 God states, “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.”

2) Luke 1:37 “For no word from God shall be void of power.”

3) Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged 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.”

2. It is the instrument through which God deals with the physical world.

1) Creation of the World – John 1:1-3 “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.”

2) Preservation of the World – Hebrews 1:1-3 “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”

3) Destruction of the World – 2 Peter 3:5-7 “For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by 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.”

3. It is the instrument through which God accomplishes the spiritual creation of the new man as well.

1) Indeed, one cannot have faith in God without knowing God’s word (Romans 10:17) and without faith, one cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6).

2) Romans 1:16 “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.”

3) 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God.”

4) 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “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, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

5) 1 Peter 1:22-25 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, 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.”

6) James 1:18 “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

4. Can it be denied that God’s word holds power and that it is the instrument through which God uses His power today?

1. Yes, there is an end to God’s power.

1) There are some things that God cannot do.

2) Not that God couldn’t do this these if He so desired.

3) But God has limited Himself in these areas.

4) To have power doesn’t necessarily mean one has to use that power.

5) Sometimes it’s not a matter of what God can do, but of what God WILL do.

6) What are some things that God cannot do?

2. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).

3. God cannot be tempted with evil and neither can he tempt any man. (James 1:13).

4. God cannot accept worship that isn’t in spirit and in truth (John 4:23, 24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”).

5. God will not reconfirm that which has already been confirmed.

1) Hebrews 2:2-4

2) 1 Corinthians 13:8

6. God will not save a man who doesn’t want to be saved.

1) Acts 13:45, 46 “But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”

2) Felix Acts 24:25 “And 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.”

3) Agrippa Acts 26:28 “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

7. Even God’s power cannot accomplish some things without our participation.