From Everlasting to Everlasting, You Are God (Psalm 90:1-2)

I. Introduction. A. Orientation. 1. Its been said that God is incomprehensible. a. No one can know everything about God. b. Our finite minds cant wrap themselves around an infinite God. c. Thats certainly true. 2. But does that mean that we cant know Him at all? a. Of course not. b. God has revealed Himself, c. That we might know Him. d. He wants us to know what Hes like, e. So that we might love Him, f. And put our trust in Him. B. Preview. 1. What do we know about God? What has He revealed? a. That He is love, infinite love. b. And that He is infinitely great. 2. Its not hard to love someone who is infinite love. a. Dont you love those who have less? (i) A spouse? (ii) A parent? (iii) A child? (iv) A friend? b. Then how much easier One who loves you with infinite love! 3. But what about One whos infinitely great? a. Who has limitless power? b. Who has limitless knowledge? c. And who has limitless presence? d. That might be harder, except that He is clothed with infinite love. e. For you as a believer, (i) The fact that God has these characteristics (ii) Arent reasons to fear Him, (iii) But reasons to love Him more, as weve already seen. 4. Tonight, were going to add one more characteristic to the list: His eternality. a. You should love God because He always lives.

2 b. And because He always lives, He has and always will care for you. II. Sermon. A. First, lets consider that God always lives that He is eternal. 1. What does this mean? a. His omnipresence is His infinity with respect to space: He is everywhere at all times. (i) His omnipotence is His infinity with respect to power: He can do whatever He wants. (ii) And His omniscience is His infinity with respect to knowledge: He knows everything that has been, is, ever will be, or even could be. b. His eternality means He is limitless with respect to time it doesnt affect Him. (i) He lives outside of time. (ii) But He also lives within it. 2. First, God lives outside of time. a. There is a sense in which time is irrelevant for God. (i) Moses writes, For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night (Ps. 90:4). (ii) Peter writes, But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day (2 Pet. 3:8). (iii) They dont mean by this (a) That God doesnt know the difference between a day and a thousand years, (b) But that they are the same to Him (c) In that they dont affect or change Him. b. He isnt bound by time or subject to it, like we are. (i) For us there is a great deal of difference between a day and a year, (ii) Or a day and ten years, or a hundred or a thousand years. (iii) We only have so many years. (iv) Moses tells us, As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years (v. 8). (v) But the same isnt true for God. (a) Moses writes, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God (v. 2). (b) From as far back as time could go, to as far forward as it goes, He is God. (c) By the way, the same thing is true of Jesus, (1) Which is one reason we know He is God only God is eternal. (2) In Hebrews, we read that the Father says of the Son, You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands; they will perish, but You remain; and they

3 all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end (1:10-12). (3) Jesus existed in the beginning when there was nothing but God. (4) He was the One who laid the foundation of the earth, (5) And who created the heavens a work that is attributed to God (Gen. 1:1). (6) In time, they will perish the Lord will do away with them; (7) He will destroy them and refashion them into the New Heavens and the New Earth. (8) But He will remain the same. (9) His years will not come to an end. (10) Dont be afraid to point JWs to this passage to show them that Jesus is in fact the true God. 3. But though God exists outside of time, that doesnt mean that He doesnt also exist in time. a. He not only transcends time, but He is within it. (i) He is present at this moment with us as weve already seen. (ii) But again, time doesnt affect Him as it does us. (a) Time is a creature like everything else God made. (b) Its harder to define or explain than some of His other creatures like man, or trees, or rocks, (c) But its still a creature its not eternal. (d) It cant hurt Him or change Him, (e) Any more than any of these other things can. (iii) He is present in time as well as without but it doesnt change Him. b. But even though He is in time, He is not throughout time. (i) He doesnt exist in the past or in the future, (ii) He is only in the present. c. Does this mean that God is limited? (i) No. He doesnt exist in the past or the future, because they dont exist. (a) The past is gone it no longer exists. (b) The future hasnt been created yet because God hasnt created it yet. (c) The only time that exists is the present this particular moment. (ii) The past doesnt exist. (a) If it did, then everything that happened in the past would still be happening, even the sinful things, somewhere in time. (1) David would still be committing adultery with Bathsheba. (2) Peter would still be denying his Lord. (3) You and I would still be engaging in the things that were now ashamed of.

4 (4) These things would be just as present to God as if they were happening right now. (b) But those events are past. (1) When the Lord forgives us, (2) He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west, (3) And He remembers them no more against us. (4) If the past still existed, (A) We would still be committing those sins against God (B) And they would still be just as offensive as the first time, (C) Because they would be the first time. (iii) As far as the future is concerned, that doesnt exist either. (a) Some use Pauls statement (1) That the Lord has raised us up with [Christ], and has seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6) (2) To indicate that we are now with Jesus in heaven that the future is now for God. (b) What Paul really means is that since Jesus is in heaven, (1) We are too (2) If we have trusted Him, we are united with Him, (3) And so where He is, there we are also. (4) It doesnt mean that the future exists (A) That were already in the New Heavens and the New Earth, (B) That the resurrection, the Second Coming, and the Final Judgment have already taken place. (C) These things dont exist yet, because God, in His plan, hasnt brought them about yet. (iv) God exists outside of time, and He exists in time. (a) But the only time that exists is the present, (b) Because that is the moment that God is currently upholding. (c) This, by the way, is why time travel will never be possible. (d) A time must exist before you can go to it, (e) In the same way a place must exist (f) You cant go nowhere. B. Second, lets consider why Gods eternality is another reason you should love Him. 1. The reasons are simply these: a. Because He has always existed, He has always loved you. (i) He has loved you with an eternal love if you have trusted Him. (ii) Since we looked at this earlier under His infinite knowledge, (iii) We wont spend any more time on it here.

5 b. The second reason is, because He will continue to live forever, He will always be there to take care of you. (i) God not only has the power to fulfill all His promises to you, (ii) He will also always be around to make sure that He does. c. If God was able to do what He promised now, (i) But couldnt forever, (a) Then you might have His blessings now, (b) But you would eventually lose them. (ii) Most importantly, you might be safe now, (a) But you would eventually be destroyed (b) You would cease to live when God did, (c) Because Hes the only thing that keeps you in existence. (iii) But thats never going to happen. (a) The same infinite power and wisdom that brought you into existence, (b) And that has always loved you, (c) Will always be there to keep you. (iv) You dont need to be afraid (a) In this life, (1) That the Lord will fail you, (2) He will be there to help you. (b) And you dont need to be afraid, (1) That when this world is through, (2) When the Lord has brought you safely through the Judgment, (3) When He has brought you into His new creation, (4) That many thousands or millions of years in the future, (5) He will run out of power, (6) And will simply cease to be, (7) And that you and all things will disappear. (8) That isnt possible. (9) From everlasting to everlasting, He is God. d. Summary: (i) And so God is omnipresent (a) He is everywhere at once (b) And always near to help you. (ii) He is omnipotent (a) He has limitless power, (b) Which means He will always be able to fulfill His promises to you. (iii) He is omniscient

6 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) He knows everything that could possibly be known, Which means when He saved you, He already knew everything you would do. You cant surprise Him, Which means He isnt intending on letting you go.

(iv) And He is eternal (a) He never began to be, (b) And He will never cease to be, (c) Which means the love He had for you at the beginning, (d) Will never end. (e) He will be there forever (1) To love you, (2) To keep you, (3) And to provide for you. 2. Can you love a God like this? a. Do you love Him? b. Would you rather that He be any other way? (i) You dont want a temporary god. (ii) One that will someday die. (iii) Because when he died, you would die too. 3. Now if you havent trusted Jesus, there will come a time when you wished this were the case. a. His eternality is a threat to you. (i) The fact that He always lives means He will make sure you will be justly punished (ii) That the fires of hell that have been lit by His wrath justly to punish sin will never go out. (iii) If youre not a believer, (a) You would rather that God go out of existence, (b) So that His punishment might end. (c) Even if it means you too would cease to exist. (d) It would be better not to exist than to suffer forever. (iv) But that will never happen. (a) If you enter into hell, you will never leave it, (b) Because God will never cease to be. (c) It will be true of you as it is of Judas (d) It would have been good if he had never been born (Matt. 26:24). b. The good news is you dont have to be afraid of Gods eternality, if you turn from your sins and trust in Jesus. (i) This eternal God Has provided a way for you to escape. (ii) He has given you His Son, Jesus Christ, as a Savior.

7 (a) One who is willing to take away all of your sins. (b) Who is willing to give you a perfect righteousness a perfect record of obedience. (c) If you will only trust Him and turn from your sins. (iii) He will give you eternal life, instead of eternal death. (a) He will give you life that is perfect, that has no end. (b) He will show you a love that is as limitless as His existence. (c) If you will turn from your sins to Jesus, (d) And by His grace, begin to live a life of love toward Him and others. (e) Believe on the Lord Jesus and live. (f) May God grant you the help you need to do so. Amen. http://www.graceopcmodesto.org