Watch
Listen
Read
The God Who Is: Alpha & Omega
As we continue this series, we know that we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of who God is. However, we want to look at the Scripture to better understand certain attributes of God to best relate to him and others during this time. Today’s truths will better root us in our trust in God.
Focus: We will better interpret the meaning of life when we realize that God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent.
God the Omniscient
God the Omnipresent
God the Omnipotent
God the Omniscient
When we say that God is omniscient, that means that he knows all things.
When things look like they are out of control, our prayers need to rise to God in whom we trust.
We are comforted to know that there is nothing that surprises him.
Why is that?
Revelation 1:5-8
and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
What can we learn from the Scripture?
Jesus is declared the faithful witness to who God is.
He is the sovereign Lord with authority over every ruler, king, politician and governor of the earth.
That means all will have to answer to him, whether now or in the judgment.
Jesus is a declaration of God’s good news that there is life after death.
Jesus gave evidence for this by his historic resurrection, being the firstborn from among the dead.
Through his love for us, God has declared that he has freed us from our sin.
In his omniscience, God knows all that we’ve done - everything with which we’ve dealt and struggled.
Yet because of Christ’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection, God still declares that through repentance and faith, we can be free!!!
This is analogous to Juneteenth.
Knowing all about us, Jesus still says that he has made us a kingdom of priests to his God and Father.
It is because the gospel reminds us that those who’ve submitted to Jesus will stand before God in Christ’s merit, not their own.
And it is Christ’s dominion, meaning his rule, that will last forever and ever.
The Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the language in which the book of Revelation was written.
Because God is the Alpha and the Omega, it means that as God is scripting out not only your life, but all of human history, all things have their beginning and will meet their end with God.
And in that end, he will demand an accounting of all things.
It means he is able to see all things from beginning to end.
It is why he also makes declarations about his Kingdom purposes, which can not be thwarted.
Isaiah 46:8-11
“Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.
This means that you need not be condemned about your past, anxious about your present or fearful about your future.
God sees all and has an ultimate, benevolent plan for those who follow him.
God the Omnipresent
When we say that God is omnipresent, that means that in him, we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
This means that God is ever present, all seeing and wise enough to direct all of the affairs of human history.
This includes your life.
In addition to his eternal presence, now more than ever, we can clearly imagine how God’s word will come to pass.
Jesus is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.
Technology definitely makes this an easy possibility today.
This digital format is God’s mercy to us all.
We are without excuse and everyone with any INTERNET connection has an opportunity to connect with God and his church.
This means we must be ready and turn away from sin for:
Revelation 1:7
“every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.”
Jesus is the God who is coming to judge and rule not according to the changing tides of our culture, but according to his holy, righteous and sovereign nature.
What does it mean to respond to his omnipresence in our day?
Just because God is omnipresent doesn’t mean that he endorses every place you choose to go and that with which you choose to be involved.
We are living in a cancel culture, but you can not cancel the commands of God.
“These days, though, tolerance means that you accept the other person's views as being true or legitimate. If you claim that someone is wrong, you can get accused of being intolerant--even though, ironically, the person making the charge of intolerance isn't being accepting of your beliefs.”
-Paul Copan
You can try to get rid of God’s influence in your life, but because he is omnipresent, he will still be there and see everything.
And on the day of judgement he will bring us into account for it all.
People tried to cancel Jesus - literally - when they did not like what he had to say.
Luke 4:22-30
And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.
Because God is omnipresent, he can not be canceled.
Be careful you are not trying to cancel the voice of God in your life because you don’t like what he has to say.
Revelation 21:5-8
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
You need to make sure that when you speak that you’re speaking for Jesus and representing him well.
Make sure that God wouldn’t want to cancel you with the way that you’re living, acting and interacting.
“There is a thought that stops thought. That is the only thought that ought to be stopped.”
- G. K. Chesterton
This means that you want to find yourself continually on the Lord’s side in an ever shifting culture, and determined to demonstrate His love as He is continually demonstrating it with you.
God the Omnipotent
When we say that God is omnipotent, that means that he is all powerful.
Before he was known as Yahweh, the God of the Jewish covenant, God revealed himself as El Shaddai, which meant God, the Almighty One.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
Almighty is synonymous to omnipotent.
We serve an omnipotent God.
Yet we must know how to relate with God in the midst of this reality.
Just because God is omnipotent doesn’t mean that he’s obligated to save us from the consequences of choices we make when we choose not to walk blamelessly in his sight.
Proverbs 19:3
When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.
Yet thank God he’s provided a pathway to grace, giving us that which we do not deserve.
Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
God created all things through his Son Jesus at the beginning and is coming again to bring all things back into right order under his dominion.
Because he is the Almighty, this means that we can be changed now and forever when we come back under his rule.
No matter where you are now or how far off you’ve been, God was your beginning and he can be your benevolent end.
Jesus went to the cross to take your sin, punishment and shame.
This can be your new beginning.
He rose from the dead with all authority and power to set us free from sin and death.
This can be your new end by the hand of the Almighty.
God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
Let’s make sure that we’re ready to meet him in his gospel peace today.
Study
Click HERE to download our study guide
Second City Church - The God Who Is - Pastor Rollan Fisher 2020