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The Word of the Week: Understanding God's Omnipresence
The Word of the Week for this podcast episode is "omnipresence," which refers to the profound truth that God is present everywhere at all times. Pastor Josh Massaro explores the significance of this attribute in our lives, emphasizing that while we may not always feel God's presence, He is always with us, offering refuge and strength, especially in times of trouble. The discussion delves into the distinction between God's transcendence, being not bound by space and time, and His immanence, which highlights His personal connection to creation. Through scriptural references, Pastor Josh illustrates how God's omnipresence provides comfort and conviction, reminding us that we cannot hide from Him, nor can we escape His love and grace. This enriching study encourages believers to embrace God's presence in their lives, recognizing that He is always there to guide and support us.
Exploring the profound concept of omnipresence, Pastor Josh Massaro delves into the nature of God's presence, highlighting its significance in the life of believers. Omnipresence, defined as God being present everywhere at all times, is a comforting truth for Christians, providing assurance that they are never alone, even in their darkest moments. Drawing from Psalm 46, which describes God as a refuge and strength, Massaro emphasizes that while believers may not always feel God's presence, it remains a constant reality. This exploration leads to a deeper understanding of God's transcendent and imminent nature, asserting that He is both above creation and intimately involved in our lives. The episode beautifully articulates the duality of God's presence: His omnipresence offers comfort, yet can also bring conviction when we stray from His path.
Throughout the discussion, Pastor Josh references scripture to reinforce these ideas, including passages from Isaiah and Colossians that illustrate God's active involvement in the world and His unwavering support for His creation. He also addresses common misconceptions about God's omnipresence, clarifying that while God is everywhere, He is not to be confused with creation itself—a point that sets Christianity apart from pantheistic beliefs. The insights shared in this episode encourage listeners to embrace God's presence in their lives, recognizing it as a source of strength and guidance during trials and tribulations.
The episode culminates with an invitation for believers to reflect on their relationship with God, underscoring the importance of seeking His presence intentionally. Pastor Josh encourages listeners to acknowledge both the comfort and conviction that come from God's omnipresence, reminding them that His love and grace are ever-present, even amidst personal struggles and doubts. This rich exploration not only elucidates a core attribute of God but also challenges believers to engage with their faith more deeply, fostering a greater reliance on God's constant presence in their daily lives.
Takeaways:
- God's omnipresence means He is everywhere, providing comfort and strength in our lives.
- Even in times we don't feel God's presence, He is still actively involved with us.
- As believers, we can find assurance that God never leaves us nor forsakes us.
- God's presence is distinct from creation, meaning He is not part of everything.
- The conviction from the Holy Spirit serves to guide us towards a closer relationship with God.
- We should seek God's comfort while also being open to His conviction in our lives.
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Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, where we are proclaiming the truth to the world.
Pastor Josh:In this podcast series, we're going to be looking into biblical words that have great significance to our faith.
Pastor Josh:The name of this series is called the Word of the Week, where once a week we will dive deeper into these words that we are familiar with in Scripture.
Pastor Josh:So come along with me.
Pastor Josh:Let's study the Word of the Week.
Pastor Josh:Pastor Josh here.
Pastor Josh:The Word of the Week is omnipresence.
Pastor Josh:In this study, we've been looking at the character traits of God, his attributes.
Pastor Josh:And we've learned that there are communicable attributes, attributes of God that we can't completely obtain.
Pastor Josh:But what we can do in our lives is mirror those attributes as we grow more and more like Christ.
Pastor Josh:And so, for example, if we love, we're loving in the love of Christ.
Pastor Josh:And even though we can't perfectly love someone the way that the Lord loves in his holiness, we can grow in those areas of character.
Pastor Josh:But there are some attributes of God that are incommunicable, meaning there's no way that we as Christians could hold them in any degree, because these are attributes alone given to God.
Pastor Josh:And one of those attributes is omnipresence.
Pastor Josh:What does omnipresence mean?
Pastor Josh:Omnipresence means that God is everywhere.
Pastor Josh:He's present everywhere.
Pastor Josh:Omni means all in Latin, and present obviously means he's there, and so he's everywhere.
Pastor Josh:And God is regarded as omnipresent because of what Scripture has to say about his presence in our lives.
Pastor Josh:And sometimes God's presence is evident to believers, evident to people.
Pastor Josh:And sometimes we might not understand or feel his presence in our life.
Pastor Josh:We know that in Psalm 46, verse 1, it says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Pastor Josh:And so there are going to be times in our life as believers that we will feel God's presence as a refuge, as strength, as comfort.
Pastor Josh:But there will also be times in which we don't feel it.
Pastor Josh:Sometimes there will be those moments of.
Pastor Josh:Of quiet, quietness in our lives when it comes to God's voice and God's presence.
Pastor Josh:But either way, we have to take it as a truth that God is present in Every way.
Pastor Josh:Psalm 33 is a.
Pastor Josh:Is a really, really great passage of Scripture dealing with these attributes of God, and specifically the attribute of God's omnipresence.
Pastor Josh:And Psalm 33, verses 13 and 14, it says, the Lord looketh from heaven.
Pastor Josh:He beholdeth all the sons of men from the place of his habitation.
Pastor Josh:He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
Pastor Josh:And so God's omnipresence is a characteristic of him being present in both time and in space.
Pastor Josh:And we know that God is not limited by time and space.
Pastor Josh:And so there are actually two different elements of God's character.
Pastor Josh:And these are a little bit technical terms, but we do know that we have a God who is transcendent, meaning he is not bound by space and time.
Pastor Josh:He transcends space and time.
Pastor Josh:He's not bound by the way that we are bound by it.
Pastor Josh:We are bound by linear time.
Pastor Josh:We are bound by the presence of where we are in that moment.
Pastor Josh:I know for me, sometimes I would like to be in two places at once, but I cannot be.
Pastor Josh:But what we do know is that God is not bound by space or time.
Pastor Josh:And therefore he is transcendent.
Pastor Josh:But we also do know that he is imminent.
Pastor Josh:Imminent means immanence is God's personal connection to his creation.
Pastor Josh:So God is not just a clock designer that sets.
Pastor Josh:Creates the clock, sets it in motion and steps away.
Pastor Josh:No, God is involved with us.
Pastor Josh:And so we know that in his omnipresence he is both transcendent and imminent in the fact that he is not bound by space or time, but he is also present with us in our lives.
Pastor Josh:And so what an amazing, unique element of God is that he is so amazingly powerful, that he is not bound by space or time, but he also is here, and he's present with us.
Pastor Josh:And that gives us comfort.
Pastor Josh:That should give us that comfort of what Psalm 46 says, that he's a refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.
Pastor Josh:Now, a lot of people will misunderstand this character trait by saying that God is everything.
Pastor Josh:Not that he is everywhere, but that he is everything.
Pastor Josh:And although God is not everything, that's a belief system called pantheism.
Pastor Josh:That God is the tree, that God is the water.
Pastor Josh:No, God is not all of those things.
Pastor Josh:God is the Creator of those things.
Pastor Josh:But he is present at all times.
Pastor Josh:And so it's easy to get those confused, or it's easy for us to kind of mend or blend those two things together.
Pastor Josh:But we do know that God is distinct in his.
Pastor Josh:In his character when it comes to the separation of his creation.
Pastor Josh:The Creator is not the creation.
Pastor Josh:And so there are plenty of passages of Scripture that talk about this.
Pastor Josh:Isaiah 40, verse 12.
Pastor Josh:Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and met without heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth, and measure and weighed the mountains, and Scales and the hills in a balance.
Pastor Josh:And so there's this, you know, this question, this rhetorical question.
Pastor Josh:Who has done all of these things?
Pastor Josh:Well, it's God.
Pastor Josh:I mean, God is actively present in this world, and he's actively present in the affairs of man.
Pastor Josh:And so God is in a very special way attentive to our lives.
Pastor Josh:He wants to intercede in our lives.
Pastor Josh:That's his imminence.
Pastor Josh:God wants us to seek after him in that personal way.
Pastor Josh:And we know that he is present in many different ways that we can notice.
Pastor Josh:But really the greatest act of God's presence with mankind is Jesus Christ is in the Son.
Pastor Josh:Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:Colossians, chapter 2, verse 19, it says, and not beholding the head from which all the body by joints and bands have nourished, nourishment, ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Pastor Josh:So essentially what we see here is that in Jesus Christ we can see the presence of God.
Pastor Josh:We can see his care for mankind.
Pastor Josh:And it's described in the best way, I believe, in Romans, chapter 5, verse 8.
Pastor Josh:But God commendeth or demonstrate his love towards us in that while we are at sinners, Christ died for us.
Pastor Josh:And so God loves us.
Pastor Josh:He's present with us.
Pastor Josh:He sent his only begotten Son for us because he loves us.
Pastor Josh:And so there is a lot of confusion when it comes to God's presence.
Pastor Josh:Can he see me?
Pastor Josh:Is he here right now?
Pastor Josh:All we can know is through what Scripture tells us is that he fills all things with his presence.
Pastor Josh:Colossians 1:17.
Pastor Josh:And he is before all things, and by him all things consistently.
Pastor Josh:He upholds everything in his hand by the word of his power, as the Bible says.
Pastor Josh:And so he's there to bless us.
Pastor Josh:He's there to guide us.
Pastor Josh:But we also can see God's presence in his judgment, right?
Pastor Josh:Some people have some questions about, well, is God with those that are not with Him?
Pastor Josh:Well, his presence is there, but his presence is not there to bless them necessarily.
Pastor Josh:His presence is there to judge them, to convict them.
Pastor Josh:And so just because somebody is not honoring God, that doesn't mean that God is not there.
Pastor Josh:It just means that they are in rejection of God.
Pastor Josh:And therefore God is enacting his justice and his righteous indignation against them.
Pastor Josh:And so even when we see folks that are in rebellion against God and we see them judged, there is the presence of God manifested in his judgment.
Pastor Josh:And just as Christians, we get to rest and glorify him in his presence in our life with blessings and love.
Pastor Josh:And grace.
Pastor Josh:So does the individual who rejects God sees his presence by judgment.
Pastor Josh:And so God is never thrown off.
Pastor Josh:He's never surprised by what we do.
Pastor Josh:We cannot hide from Him.
Pastor Josh:And so the omnipresence of God should serve as a reminder that we can't hide from Him.
Pastor Josh:We cannot hide our sin from Him.
Pastor Josh:But it also should be a comfort to us that even in the midst of our deepest, darkest moments, he is there with us.
Pastor Josh:And we know that the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 13 that he will never leave us nor forsake us.
Pastor Josh:And I believe that that is a promise of God to his children, that he will never leave us nor forsake us, even in the midst of our failures.
Pastor Josh:And so, you know, one of the things that I think I struggle with in my own life is that when I am failing and when I have put my trust in other things and when my eyes are on other things, I tend to believe that, well, it's God that has his hand off of my life, or it's God who has forgotten me, but yet it's really the other way around.
Pastor Josh:I have forgotten Him.
Pastor Josh:I have neglected to know that God is with me, and so he is in our lives.
Pastor Josh:His omnipresence can guarantee us that he is not only powerful enough to help us in the midst of our need, he's not only wise enough in his omniscience to have all the answers for us, but he's present with us in the sense of comfort.
Pastor Josh:And, and I, and I love the passage of scripture in 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, that says that God is a God of all comfort.
Pastor Josh:God is a God of all comfort.
Pastor Josh:You know, I.
Pastor Josh:I think in so many ways we want God's presence in our life, and we want that comfort in our life.
Pastor Josh:But yet in many ways, we do forget that sometimes with God's comfort comes conviction.
Pastor Josh:So 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 3 says, he is the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble.
Pastor Josh:Meaning when we receive the comfort of God, we are then to turn around and give that comfort to other people.
Pastor Josh:And so, yes, we love that comfort of God, but we also do know that the presence of God brings conviction.
Pastor Josh:And so you would say, well, what does that look like?
Pastor Josh:Well, the conviction of God is met in our lives through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Josh:And I know that many of us, many of us will wrestle with that conviction.
Pastor Josh:At least for me, I wrestle with the Conviction of the Holy Spirit in my life, because sometimes conviction comes in a way that is not very comfortable.
Pastor Josh:I know that in my life I'll be hearing the preaching of the Word, or maybe I will and be, you know, reading scripture in my life.
Pastor Josh:And, and I, and I will say, well, you know what, that's, that's a strong one right there.
Pastor Josh:This is, this is, cuts to the heart.
Pastor Josh:And so a lot of times when we feel that pain, we, we begin to run from it.
Pastor Josh:But what the Bible says is that when that conviction comes, we should embrace that conviction because that brings us to that place of comfort when we get right with God.
Pastor Josh:In John 16, verse 8 says that when the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict the world concerning sin, concerning righteousness and judgment.
Pastor Josh:So we know that the Holy Spirit is coming, is here to comfort us, yes, in the presence of God, but also to convict us.
Pastor Josh:And so to convict means to get to a place in our life where there should be a change and so there should be that submission to God.
Pastor Josh:And so I think that two elements that we can kind of leave with takeaways when it comes to the omnipresence of God is that the presence of God in His comfort and the presence of God in His conviction.
Pastor Josh:Now, we could talk about his teaching, we could talk about his guidance, but I think all of those are kind of wrapped up in that area of conviction and comfort, because the teaching comes in the conviction.
Pastor Josh:The comfort comes with the peace that we take with us and the truths of God that we take with us in the midst of that teaching.
Pastor Josh:And so I know that as Christians, we have to embrace these perfect attributes of God.
Pastor Josh:His omnipotence, his omniscience.
Pastor Josh:Omnipotence, all powerful omniscience, all knowing.
Pastor Josh:And this week, his omnipresence that he is everywhere, he is all present.
Pastor Josh:And so you know what, if you're a believer here today, he is present in your life.
Pastor Josh:He knows your struggle, he has the power to handle your struggle, and he's going to be there with you through that struggle.
Pastor Josh:And that's something that I know, for me, as a Christian, is a, is a comfort.
Pastor Josh:Romans, chapter 8.
Pastor Josh:That nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Pastor Josh:And so if you're a believer here, when you're listening to this video or listening to this podcast, you can rest in the presence of God and His love and in his grace and in his conviction and ultimately in his comfort.
Pastor Josh:And so we have concluded that three part series looking at the omnipotence, the omnipresence and the omniscience of God.
Pastor Josh:We will continue next week looking at some of those communicable attributes we're going to be looking at grace, mercy, forgiveness, meekness.
Pastor Josh:These are all truths that I think will help us in our lives to be more and more Christlike with that inward change that God gives us in our salvation.
Pastor Josh:Well, I hope that you have a wonderful rest of your week.
Pastor Josh:I hope that this has been a challenge for you.
Pastor Josh:I hope it's been informative and I hope it's been a blessing when it comes to this study in the Word of the Week.
Pastor Josh:If you have any questions about what we talk about here on this podcast, or if you would like to know more about another topic or another word, please contact us.
Pastor Josh:You could email me at joshmasaroiddletownbaptistchurch.org well, God bless you.
Pastor Josh:Have a wonderful week.
Pastor Josh:We will talk to you soon.
Pastor Josh:Hey, I really appreciate that you listened to the Word of the Week podcast.
Pastor Josh:If you have any questions about the podcast or about our church, Middletown Baptist Church, you can find more information about us on Facebook or YouTube.
Pastor Josh:Or you can find the podcast on NBCPodcast.org you can contact me directly at Josh massaro@middletown baptistchurch.org Stay tuned for future Word of the Week episodes where we dive deep, deeper into words that impact our life according to scripture.
Pastor Josh:Thank you so much.
Pastor Josh:God Bless.
Pastor Josh:We'll talk to you soon.
