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INTRODUCTION
We live in a era of high-technology, and it has happened rapidly in just the past 51 years.
October 4, 1957 the USSR launched a basketball sized satellite into space beginning the space
age. A month later they launched a dog named Laika into to orbit on Sputnik 2. End of January
1958, 50 years ago this past week, the US finally launched their first satellite Explorer 1.
During the next year and a half through 1959 USSR and USA countered each other with weather,
scientific, photographic satellites. By the end of 1959 the Soviets had photographed the far
side of the moon and were the first to impact another world with a “crash” landing
on the moon. And man wasn’t launched into space until 1961.
In 1959 Stuart Hamblin, a song writer wrote “How Big is God.” Stuart Hamblin was
saved at the Billy Graham Crusade in 1949 in Los Angeles. A hard living radio and music
personality who meet Jesus and Jesus turned his life around. Hamblin wrote a number of gospel
songs, a most famous one: “How Big is God.” Listen to verse one again written at
the very beginning of the space race. Before a man was even launched in 1961:
QUOTE: “Though man may strive to go beyond the reef of space, to crawl beyond
the distant glimmering stars. This world’s a room so small within my
Master’s house, the open sky but a portion of his yard. How big is God, how big
and wide his vast domain. To try to tell these lips can only start. He’s big
enough to rule His mighty universe, yet small enough to live within my heart.”
And in the last 51 years man has gone beyond the reef of space. Man has succeeded with scores
of satellites in earth orbit, moon flights with 12 men who have walked the surface of the
moon, Skylab, MIR, over 100 space shuttles launches, a massive space station orbiting the
earth today, mars rovers, probes to distant planets, and dramatic photo evidences of the
beauty, complexity, and grandeur of space. I hope our technology has not diminished our view
of God, instead I trust it has helped advance our awe of our Great Big Amazing, All Powerful,
All Glorious God. Our God is an Awesome God!
We are in Romans 11:33-36. This is the great doxology the Apostle
Paul wrote in response to God’s great gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Last week we saw v. 33. The Immense Wisdom/Knowledge of God.
READ
In vs. 34-35 The Incomprehensible Understanding of God READ
And now today we will conclude with verse 36. READ
Church Statement of Faith: We believe in THE ONE TRUE GOD: who is an intelligent,
sovereign, spiritual and personal Being; perfect, infinite, and eternal in His being,
holiness and love, wisdom and power; absolutely separate from and above the world as
its Creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the Upholder of all things. He is
revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons but without
division of nature, essence or being, and each having a distinct ministry in
God’s relation to His creation and people.
3. The Incredible Authority of God. v. 36a
- God is Lord of all things. Everything is under power and control. “everywhere
present in this world as the Upholder of all things.”
- “For from Him” - God is the Source of all things
- Almighty God is the Original master designer and creative author.
- God is the first cause. He is the Eternal designer
- “and through Him” - God is the Sustainer of all things.
Active agent.
- He is not the giant watchmaker who made and wound us up and they let
us alone. He is actively involved in our day to day lives.
- God is the faithful cause. Eternal defender.
- “and to Him are all things” - God is the Significance of
all things.
QUOTE: Adam Clark: “as the ultimate end for the
manifestation of his eternal glory and goodness, are all things...
through the whole compass of time and eternity.” God is the
final cause. Eternal destiny.
- Source, Sustainer and Significance. First, faithful, and final cause.
The Eternal designer, defender, destiny.
- God is our all in all. He is everything we need. “The Lord is my shepherd I
shall not want.” Psalm 23:1
- We come from God, a personal creation of God, in a special relationship with Him
through Jesus in the temporary and in eternity.
- We need to gladly recognize and acknowledge Him as the Creator, Care Giver,
Culmination of our very life. He is the One from whom we come.
- Nothing is accidental, blindly caused, or self-evolving.
- Acts 17:28 “For in Him we live and move and exist.”
- 1 Cor. 8:6 “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all
things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and
we exist through Him.”
ILLUS: Another space illustration, as Apollo 8 circled the moon on Christmas eve
1968, the first time man had personally seen close up the moon, and at a distance
the earth, (in this famous photo) the 3 astronauts Bill Anders, Jim Lovell, and
Frank Borman, took turns reading Genesis 1:1-9 “In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth.” 240,000 miles away
- O, for us to once again acknowledge the incredible authority of God.
ILLUS: Doctrinal statement - “everywhere present in this world as the
Upholder of all things” - unique word, what Loren Wing would say.
4. The Inexhaustible Glory of God. v. 36b
QUOTE: Westminster and Spurgeon’s Baptist Catechisms: “What is the
chief end of man? “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him
for ever.”
- The all-sovereign God deserves the praise of all His creatures. Last verse of
Psalms, 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the
Lord.” Romans 15:6 “with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Do we here???
QUOTE: Jonathan Edwards: “It was His inclination to communicate Himself that
was His prime motive of His creating the world...Both creation and Jesus Christ
who is revealed by the Spirit in and through the Bible, are mirrors, in varying
degrees, of the perfections of God. Nature is the beauty of God in shadowed form,
Christ is the perfection of the shadows and the ultimate revelation of
beauties.” (Crises, 160)
- Do you glimpse God’s glory in creation, in the Word, in Jesus, in you?
- Do you give God the glory in your life?
TRANSFORMATION So What?
- What does this great theology, these profound truths look like in normal life? These
timely truths of God’s Greatness must transform us...
- Let God be THE God in your life.
- Something is your god. Make sure it is The God of God’s.
- turn over the reigns, give him the keyboard, let him take the wheel.
- Watch how He has lead you in the past, trust Him for your entire
future. He is consistent & personal. Spirit through Word &
prayer.
- Psalm 48:14 “For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He
will guide us until death.” Isaiah 41:11 NIV “For I am the
Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do
not fear, I will help you.”
- Give God all the Glory in all your life.
- 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Give God the
credit, The Honor.
- Think about “whatever you do” - 24/7 honoring God.
ILLUS: Watching the Super Bowl... At work, school, family.
- Mat. 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven.”
- What a great vocation in life we have - honoring God. We are the finite, God is the
infinite. But what a prospect for the redeemed sinner, the saint now and forever,
letting God be God and giving God all the glory in our life. There needs to be an
“ever-increasing delight” in God.
CONCLUSION
Romans 11:33-36: The Immense Wisdom and Knowledge of God.
- The Incomprehensible Understanding of God
- The Incredible Authority of God
- The Inexhaustible Glory of God.
“How Big is God?
How big and wide His vast domain
To try to tell these lips can only start
He’s big enough to rule His mighty universe
Yet small enough to live within my heart.”
God is ruling this mighty universe - the laws of science are steady
Is He ruling your life? Is God living in you?
Let us worship our Great Big God.
#66 “To God Be the Glory”
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