- Pastor Jacob Marchitell
God is: Omniscient
God knows you, completely, because God knows everything. Message from May 24th 2020.
Greeting (Sunday May 24th)
We are going into the 10th week of Quarantine
Our announcements this morning, are going to be the same as they have been for the past few weeks
Follow us on Facebook to get all of our updates and announcements
You'll be able to see our Tuesday worksheet
Our thursday devotional
And any other announcements that come up, we’ll make sure to post them there
We have digital giving set up through Venmo just search for the user ChristCommunityChurch27
So -- -- 10 weeks of Quarantine
Over 2 months we have been locked away, away from friends, away from classmates, away from family, away from work and school and fun
There are many of us who have lost our jobs, or working from home with no end date in sight.
Many Americans dont know where their next meal is going to come from
Many of us dont know how we are going to pay our rent or mortgage,
How we can pay our phone bill
Our car insurance
Many in our country are sick, and even more have died
The unknowns of the future, are outweighing the knowns, and for many people….it is pretty scary.
They are filled with doubt and worry
Perhaps you hearing this this morning----are filled with doubt and worry
Perhaps fear has been implanted in your heart because of the uncertainty of what tomorrow brings, and its roots get deeper every day.
For the longest time, it hasnt been like this.
Yes there was a degree of “not knowing what tomorrow may bring”------ but it has always been something that could somewhat be held and grasped and understood.
We could forecast the weather to make plans for tomorrow
We could make appointments to plan for tomorrow, next week, or next month.
We could look to next month and next year and have some degree of certainty about what may transpire, even though we would be prepared for the reality that our plans could change
There was a time when, even if it was unsure, we could have a handle on tomorrow------
Yes we still know a little bit
None of us think that tomorrow will be the end of the world
None of us are thinking that a plane is going to fly over head, and change things---
None of us are thinking that a foreign country is going to force its will on us---
Or that a natural disaster is going to rip our life to pieces
But we are still being faced with the fact that the future is unsure
We are living on shifting sand, where the possibility of harm is being spoken of as if it is a certainty, and any who disagree are shunned and silenced.
Every day we turn on the news and are faced with something new,
Something different
Something unexpected
Something scary
Something that instills fear and panic and worry and doubt
Whether we agree or disagree with whatever is told to us, one thing is for certain----
We are being forced to admit the limits of our knowledge ----- and for many people, this is breeding fear deep within them.
But, take hope you mortals, for the God we serve is unlike us.
Hebrews 4:13 - Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
( → Opening prayer ← )
This morning, were going to be looking at an attribute of God, called: “Omniscience”
God is omniscient - Meaning -- -- God is “all knowing”
Now ---- what this means, is exactly what it sounds like.
God knows everything ---
There is nothing that God doesnt know ---
Every piece of information that has ever existed, God knows.
There is no trivia question He would ever fail---
No convoluted math problem He doesnt already know the answer to---
There is nothing in all of reality that is beyond His knowledge
And this doesnt simply apply for the here and now either.
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Do you guys remember when we talked about His eternality?
How He is separate from time?
How He can see all of time, at the same time?
Past and future are all the present to Him---
Meaning, that all knowledge ----- for all of time, is known by Him
Everything ever, is known by God
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Every cough, sniffle and sneeze, of everything that has ever and will ever draw breath----
When it happened---
Why it happened---
And how loud or quiet it is ---- is but a microscopic fraction of His knowledge.
The precise, specific, footstep, of every crawling insect that has ever and will ever exist-- the angle at which it hit the ground----- the amount of pressure that was exerted-----
And the precise specific path the creature took as it stepped-----
The vibrational frequency of every proton ----
Every single molecule, of ever single element, for all of time---
Every nucleus of every atom of every cell that has ever existed ----
Every swirling exploding galaxy----
The exact amount of gravitational pull of every black hole----
The seemingly random path of every single drop of water in every single ocean-----
The exact shape of every particle of in all of the universe, for all of time, is categorized, accounted for, and known in its fullest extent ----
Our God, is OMNISCIENT
You see, we can easily accept some of this---right?
It easy to accept that He knows all of that INFORMATION, right?
Yeah He knows all the STUFF there is to know
The numbers and answers and all that impersonal stuff----yeah its a lot, but really, why does that matter to me?
If we readily admit that our God is OMNISCIENT, then it applies to every area of reality, not just the impersonal stuff.
As in every thought, feeling, emotion, action, inaction, and every possibility of every combination of all of them ---- of every human ever --- is known by Him.
The specific manner in which our personalities form and take action---
The events of our childhood that shape our heart---
The events of our life that mold us---
The manner in which our parents emotions effect our own, and the way ours effect our children---
Every corner of our personality, every corner of our heart, every seemingly abandoned alleyway of our soul that we dare not tread upon---
Every dark room of our heart that we may have either intentionally or unintentionally locked shut and we try our hardest to never even thin about them
Everything about us, is known by God
If on the surface we make claims and take actions to try and help other people ---but deep down were really doing it because we think it makes us important or justifies our sin ---- God knows.
If were quick with a joke or a remark about a subject-----because to not say SOMETHING would force us to look at the area of our heart that were joking about ---- God knows
If we only flirt with our sin, instead of giving in OR giving it up to Him --- God knows
If we keep our disbelief about certain parts of Scripture to ourself, because were afraid that to fully believe in what the Bible says would mean that our own beliefs will have to be given up ---- God knows
If we sneak behind the back of the people in our life
If we hide our sin
From our family
From our Church
Or try and justify it and hide it from ourselves
If we let our eye linger on that scantily clad man or woman
If try and justify our sin because of the pain that others have caused us
If we blatantly and with no care for anything else, proudly engage, support, encourage others in it, and identify with our sin and attack any who disagree --- God knows
God knows about the dark thoughts that you let linger in your mind for too long
He knows the actions you’ve taken in secret and in public
And He knows the emotions and thoughts that have pushed them to a reality
God knows about your sin, and if you continue in it, you will reap its eternal consequences
However, God also knows that the plan He has enacted, to save people from themselves, is flawless:
And if you repent of your sins and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, He will forgive you of all your wrongs, and lay the punishment of your sin upon the back of His Son.
Our God, is OMNISCIENT
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There is nothing outside of his sight--- Nothing outside of his knowledge---
There is no sin that can be hidden--- No wrong or betrayal that can be swept under the rug---
There is no evil that wont be punished ---There is no crime that wont see justice
There is no high and powerful person who thinks that his position excuses him from justice---that wont be held accountable for all his wrongs by the perfect judge of the cosmos
Our verse this morning tells us, that (((Hebrews 4:13 )))- Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
There is no sin that exists, that slips past His mind, and all sin will be punished
There is no secret movement that threatens to undermine his authority that He doesnt perfectly know of-------
Isaiah 46:8-10 - ““Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. 9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’
There are no schemes of man or satan that He doesnt know about---
There are no possible outcomes that He hasnt foreseen----
There are no branches of thought that He hasnt reached the end of---
Everything in all of reality and any possible reality, are known by Him.
Our God, is OMNISCIENT
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You see, its like this, because the manner in which God contains knowledge, is different than us.
We humans have to learn things, in order to know them.
We can guess and hypothesis
But we cant KNOW something, unless we learn it
We learn by:
Experience // Trial and error
Were taught by parents and teachers --or-- We read books and watch tutorials and teach ourselves
We experiment and test and try and study and grow
We can teach ourselves things based on stuff that already exists outside of us, and then use whatever conclusion we come to as the evidence that we know something.
It is not like this with God.
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Ive mentioned “divine simplicity” several times before, and thats because of how important it is.
God doesnt CONTAIN OR HAVE omniscience----
He IS omniscient
All knowledge, from swirling celestial events to fluttering feelings that stay in our hearts for only a moment---- for all of time and all of reality---is contained within the Godhead
He cant learn, He cant be wrong, He cant be surprised by some new piece of information or some unforeseen event----
Our God, is OMNISCIENT
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Whew...thats some pretty heavy stuff, right?
Im going to say the exact same thing I said last week:
This leads to more questions, right?
Some obvious ones, and some that require a little mental exercise
But---this is a sunday morning Church Service, not a college class
We have all tuned in today to hear the Word of the Lord
to hear from Him -- to hear from the Spirit
to get a glimpse into His heart -- to be able to know Him better
to fellowship with other believers -- to let them know that we care for and love them -- that we are here for them -- to tell other Christians that we personally know, and maybe even some we dont----that the God of the universe is there for you and hold on to you when you feel like falling
We go to Church because this world is scary and filled with evil people doing evil things
We go to Church because we know that we cant face the uncertainty of this world alone
We need our brothers and sisters by our side
And we need our God closer than we need the breath within our lungs and the blood within our veins
We go to Church because when we look beyond it’s walls, we see the creeping hands of sin manipulating our friends, families, and neighbors----
We see children abandoned and killed
We see marriages and families fall apart
We see governments exerting their will upon people
We see hatred, lust, anger, disaster, death and disease
We go to Church because we do not know what tomorrow will bring
But God does.
He knows what tomorrow will bring
He knows what will come into your life next week, next month, and next year
He knows what will happen if your are stuck in traffic for longer than normal
He knows what will happen if you change your mind about your plans for the day
If college may or may not be in your future, He knows what the end result will be of either choice---
If you're thinking of marrying this person, or not--- He knows how your life will unfold no matter your choice---
Our God knows the outcome and result of every choice---
Every emotion made manifest // Every thought put to action
Regardless of how inconsequential the choices may seem to be to us, they are a variable in our life that God knows of-------
If you're thinking of buying a car or a truck---
If youre thinking of wearing a blue shirt or a red shirt---
If you're planning to leave everything behind and move to a foreign country---
If you're life has been falling apart, and suicide has crossed your mind----
If you are pregnant and unsure of what your life may become---
If the Doctors have given you a death sentence----
If your child has gone off to war--
If someone you love has hurt you--
If someone you love, dies--
If your life is falling apart in ways that you cant understand, and nothing you do reveals a reason as to why your life is the way it is --- --- take heart
Take heart in the God who has numbered the hairs on your head, with no less power than He used to place planets in their path.
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So what do we do?
Right?
How can the OMNISCIENCE of God come into play---in action---in my life?
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Im going to re-read our verse this morning, and then im going to read it again with it context.
Hebrews 4:13 - “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Hebrews 4:12-13 - “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Did you see that?
Did you see what two topics the author paired together?
One sentence about the power of reading the Bible-------
And then the very next sentence about God’s “all knowing-ness”
All of Scripture is from the mouth of God, and the reality that these two things are connected, is not by chance.
Its not random happenstance that God is telling us about the power of The Bible and then tells us about His OMNISCIENCE
You see---
When we read the Holy Word of God----- His OMNISCIENCE becomes a focal point of our life---
When we spend time in Scripture, the worries of tomorrow are placed on His back, not ours--
When we make an intentional, purposeful time to be set aside each day to read His words---
The stress and anxiety of the unknown is laid at His feet and dealt with
The worry about next month and next year, is brought before His throne and dealt with
When reading Scripture becomes just as much of a part of our life as our daily meals, it will cut into the deepest part of your being
Beneath the layers of whatever has formed your personality
Below your childhood fears and joys---beyond any external factors that may have molded your soul and spirit
Deep within the very center of who we are as a person ----is where the word of God makes contact
When we read the Bible, God moves through our very being
He comforts those areas of our soul that need comforting
He supports those areas of our heart that need support
He enlightens those areas of our mind that have remained in darkness
He strengthens our weaknesses
And He reminds us of where our true strength lies
The more time we spend in Scripture, the better we are prepared for whatever tomorrow will bring-----no matter what it is.
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If you want your life to have direction and meaning free from the stress of the unknown, then spend time, every single day, reading the words of the God who knows everything.
Open your Bible, learn of the God who knows everything, and apply what you see within its pages to the areas of your life that need it
Learn of the God who takes into account of variable of who you are, and speaks in ways that you can understand
Learn of the OMNISCIENT God of the cosmos, and your life will never be the same again.
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In closing, I know this may have been a lot---
This is a big subject that we could spend a lot of time talking about---
There is much that is unknown to us----
About our individual lives /// About our families /// About our Churches
About our towns /// And about our Country
But there is nothing unknown to God.
I would like to read Psalm 139, and if there is anything that was said this morning that leaves you wanting more, let me know.
Psalm 139
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting
( → → Closing Prayer ← ← )