The Omnipresence of God
Big Idea: God's omnipresence means he is fully present everywhere at all times, giving believers comfort with his constant attention and making escape from his presence impossible.
As we have gathered for worship this morning, we realize that we are not alone. All over the world, as I speak, millions of believers are lifting up their praise to God. I get excited when I think of the variety of worship. People from various nations, speaking different languages and worshiping in unique styles, are praising God together. A little like heaven, I think.
Now, this would present a problem to mere human beings. This past Tuesday, I had made plans to go out. It turned out that Charlene had also made plans, independent of me. And so we did the only fair thing: she went out and left me at home to look after Christina. I faced a common problem: wanting to be in two places at once, but I had to choose just one.
But God doesn't have that problem. God is present at every single one of the worship services held for him today. God is present in every worship service and in every home, business, field, forest, pool hall, shopping center, and any other location. Whereas you and I are limited by space, there is no place in creation where God does not exist, and exist in all his divine fullness. This is what we call God's omnipresence. He is present at all places at all times. And where God is present, he is present in his fullness.
We're in the second of what you could call the three "omnis." The omnipotence of God – that God is all-powerful. The omnipresence of God – that God is fully present in all places. And next week I'm hoping we'll examine the omniscience of God – that God knows all things.
One of the dangers of talking about God's attributes can lead to the misconception that God is made up of separate parts or merely a collection of traits. I'll give you an example. A female acquaintance of mine has a gentleman friend. I've never met him; all I know of him is what she's told me. I've heard that he's good-looking and intelligent, but I don't truly know him. In fact, I won't really know him until I actually meet him and spend time with him.
Friends, it's the same with God. We can discuss his nature and attributes, but even a detailed description can't fully capture his essence. God transcends the sum of his attributes, and we can never fully grasp the depth of his character. But what a comfort to understand some of the qualities he possesses!
Examining God's Omnipresence
This morning I'd like to examine some Scriptures as we unwrap the truth of God's omnipresence. I'd like you to look in your Bibles with me at 1 Kings 8:26-27. Solomon dedicates the impressive temple he built for God, emphasizing that it is God's house for all of Israel. But Solomon made an important point, so the people would understand that God is not limited to any particular building:
And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true. "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!" (1 Kings 8:26-27)
From these verses we learn the first thing about God's omnipresence:
God is not limited by time or space.
The Israelites may have overlooked an important truth: God cannot be contained by anything in creation, even with the magnificent temple there. Even the highest heaven can't contain God! God is infinitely present – he is present without limit. God is present not only in the universe, he is present in places we can't even fathom or imagine. There is no place where God is not.
Our human spirits are finite spirits. We are not now, nor will we ever be, capable of being in more than one place at the same time. Only an infinite Spirit is capable of omnipresence. God is a Spirit; he is not constrained by time and place. With God, there are no "wheres" and there are no "whens." God is everywhere and at every time.
When Jesus was on earth, he could only be at one place at one time. His humanity appeared to limit him to the demands of time and space. Now, that's a problem for us. When we need Jesus in Toronto, we don't want to hear that he's tied up in Calgary. Someone in Japan who needs Jesus doesn't want to hear that he is busy in Toronto. But God is not limited by time or place.
Looking ahead to the time when the church would be established, Jesus said, "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matthew 18:20). Before he left this world, he told the disciples, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Jesus looked forward to a new day when he would be present with his followers not in body, but through the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus came to earth, he came as Emmanuel, which means "God with us." And today, God continues to be with us – God is everywhere, without any limitation of space or time. God is with us this morning at Park Lawn Baptist Church, just as he is with every believer in any part of this earth.
It's probably best to think of God outside of the dimensions of size or spatial dimensions. God exists without size or dimensions in space. Before God created the universe, there was no matter or material, nor was there any space, but God still existed. God relates to the idea of space in an entirely different way than we can grasp. Some make the mistake of thinking that the universe consists of God – another mistake called pantheism. Somehow, in a mysterious way, God is present in all creation, yet distinct from it.
There is no place where God is not. The psalmist writes in Psalm 139:7-10:
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
There is nowhere in the entire universe, on land or sea, in heaven or hell, where one can flee from God's presence. As the old spiritual goes: He's so high, you can't get over him. He's so low, you can't get under him. He's so wide, you can't get around him.
Now, listen: you might be just like Jonah. Jonah tried to run away from God. He was a prophet, sent to carry the truth of God to the Ninevites, Israel's cruel enemies. Jonah didn't want to do it, so read what he did: But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. "After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD" (Jonah 1:3).
Jonah thought he was running away from God. He traveled two thousand miles to Tarshish when he should have gone just five hundred miles to Nineveh. But you know what happened: God sent a storm and a whale, picked Jonah up, and turned him right around to Nineveh. When you think you can escape God, just remember: there's nowhere you can go where God isn't. He's so high, you can't get over him. He's so low, you can't get under him. He's so wide, you can't get around him.
The second thing we need to understand about God's omnipresence is this:
God is able to be present in his fullness at all times and in all places.
At first, you might miss how the point I'm making here is different from what I've already said. The key words are "in his fullness." I'll say it again: God is able to be present in his fullness at all times and in all places. The term "omni" in omnipresence refers not only to the locations where God is present but also to the extent of God's presence in those places. God is not only present in all places, but God is fully present in every place. This is called God's immensity.
It's possible for people to be somewhere without being fully there. In fact, it's probably true of some of you in church this morning. You're here, but you're not really here. You're not engaged; part of you might be here, but your mind might be miles away. It's not that way with God. Believers in Toronto, Canada, and Moscow, Russia, are both experiencing the fullness of God's presence this morning. God is not only present everywhere, he is also present in all his fullness.
Do you know what this means? We can always be certain of God's undivided attention. God doesn't have call-waiting; he never puts us on hold to deal with another call. We never need to stand in line or make an appointment to be with God. We never get a busy signal. When we are in God's presence, he is not preoccupied with events on the other side of the world. God is here in all his fullness. Whatever you do, wherever you are, God is right there, and all of him is there. As a child, I used to wonder: how can God hear my prayer while there might be thousands of others praying at this very moment? The answer is: God is not limited. His presence is fully with me, just as his presence is fully with every other creature who is praying to him. God's presence is everywhere; God fills the universe and more.
God is not limited by time and space, and God is able to be present in his fullness at all times and in all places. Here's a third fact about God's omnipresence:
God's omnipresence brings comfort to the believer, but terror to the unbeliever.
As I've said already, there is no escaping God. You can run, but you can't hide. There is no place to hide from God. There is no corner of the universe where God is not. I've heard people say that hell is the absence of God's presence, but even in hell, God is fully present – but in the fullness of his divine wrath. There's no way we can escape God. But knowing of God's full presence in every place is an incredible comfort for the child of God.
Satan isn't omnipresent. He is limited by time and space. That's why John could declare: "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). God is everywhere; Satan isn't. We also know that God is with his children in a special way. Because God is omnipresent, he is with every creature in the entire universe.
Yet the Bible speaks of God not being present with certain people. Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Proverbs 15:29 says, "The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous." Even though God's presence is everywhere, the Bible speaks of God withholding his blessing from people who don't know him. In essence, God is everywhere, yet he acts differently in different places. All this is to say that God is present with his children in a special way – a way that is designed to sustain and bless. Saying God is everywhere is one thing; knowing he is with you as his child is another.
God is present with us in our struggles and needs. Hebrews 13:5 has a wonderful promise for us, but it has a condition attached to it. The first half of the verse says: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have" (Hebrews 13:5). If we live our lives in contentment, free from the love of money, look at the promise that awaits us:
…because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)
God is always with us; we can be content with what we have, knowing that God will meet our needs.
One of the first single mothers in the Bible is Hagar. She was pregnant with Abraham's child, but Abraham's wife Sarah drove her out of the house. Out in the desert, with no one to care for her, she wondered how she could manage. And God appeared to her and told her that everything was going to be all right. In Genesis 16:13, Hagar called the God who spoke to her El Roi, "the God who sees." Every parent and person can know that God sees their problems and cares about them. In Isaiah 41:10, God says: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." When life's challenges overwhelm us, we can know that God is with us.
Some of us are lonely. We can be assured that God is with us and desires a relationship with us. We can say to God, "Lord, let me snuggle up to you." God never lets us down; he's always with us, and he's always faithful. It makes all the difference in the world to know that God is there with us.
The prophet Elisha was once surrounded by the armies of Syria in Dothan. When Elisha's servant stepped out of the house that morning, he saw a huge army surrounding the city. The servant, in great distress, ran to Elisha and cried, "What shall we do?" Elisha replied, "Don't worry – we've got them outnumbered." I think his servant probably thought Elisha had lost it. But then listen to what happened:
And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kings 6:17)
The scales dropped from the servant's eyes, and he saw a mountain filled with an army of angels. When God opens our eyes, we can see beyond our circumstances and recognize the abundant resources we have in him. He allows us to see his presence.
…because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
We might understand that God is always present with us, everywhere and at all times. God is with you. And he will continue to stay with you until one day he carries you home.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
Adapted in part from Our God is Awesome by Tony Evans
