Behold Your God – The Unchanging God Series

Readings: Hebrews chapter 6 verses 13-20

Most people don’t like change in their lives;

• Ill: One man once observed that the only people who DO like change;

• Are "wet babies" … and even they aren’t too excited about it.

• But one of the certainties of life is every changes!

• You can embrace change or you can resist it with all your might;

• But it is gonna happen anyway – because that is life!

• For some change is a pleasant experience that brings freshness and relevance;

• For others it is negative experience as we seem to lose the ‘safe and familiar’.

Ill:

• But one thing is for sure everything changes:

• Quote: Did you know?

• Did you know? More information has been produced in the last thirty years;

• Than in the previous five thousand years.

• Did you know?

• More than one-half the scientists who have ever lived are alive today.

• Did you know?

• Ninety per cent of all the items in the supermarket today did not exist ten years ago.

• Did you know?

• It is estimated that fifty per cent of college graduates;

• Are going into jobs which did not exist when they were born.

Life is full of change.

• Everything changes. Change is inevitable.

• ill: Every time you look at a photograph – you see an illustration of that change!

• You're not the same person as you were five years ago.

• Certainly not the person you were 10, 20, 30 yrs ago.

Ill:

People change as they get older– photos.

• ill: Eyes grow weaker.

• ill: Hearing gets harder.

• ill: The teeth get fewer.

• ill: The hair changes colour - either by your own hand, or time's hand.

• ill: For us guys – the hair gets thinner (ill: nose & ears!)

Now:

• In a constantly changing world;

• It is comforting to know that there is one who does not change!

• Quote: Malachi chapter 3 verse 6.

• “I the Lord do not change”

• The technical term is ‘immutable’.

• Meaning: ‘Something whose state cannot be modified after it is created.’

• If you want to know how that description applies to God;

• Gives us a good example of the unchanging nature of God,

• He does this by pointing us to the story of Abraham.

• Where he tells us four truths about the ‘immutable – unchanging’ God.

(1). God’s Promises Never Change (vs 13-15).

“When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’ And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised”

If you know the story of Abraham:

• You will probably know that he did not start life with that name;

• He was born with a similar but shortened version – Abram.

• But one day God changed his name and we will look at that in a moment.

• On more than one occasion God made a promise to Abram;

• That his descendants would one day be;

• ‘As numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.’

• Wow! That is one big promise;

• Especially as it was made to a couple who were unable to have children!

• Sarai his wife was infertile.

• And just to complicate things;

• They were both well advanced in years (ill: past their sell by dates!)

I love the humour of God found in this story;

• When Abram was 99 God changed his name to Abraham,

• Which means “father of a multitude.”

• ill: Like calling a 20 stone man ‘Twiggy’.

• ill: Like calling a pauper ‘Mr Moneybags’.

• ill: Like calling a small person ‘Lofty’.

• The name given to him was the very opposite of his situation.

• Question: Was God being cruel, taking the Mickey?

• Answer: No he had promised it! And so it was only a matter of time before it happened.

• For Abraham & his wife Sarah (she had a name change also);

• The time of that promise being fulfilled was a long, patient wait of 24 years.

• Eventually Isaac would be born to Abraham;

• And through him this promise would start to be fulfilled.

Note:

• And though Abraham did not see this promise in its entire fulfilment,

• God proved faithful – he kept his word – his unchanging promise!

• ill: Physically today there are countless Jews and Muslims who call Abraham father.

• And claim to have descended from this great man.

• ill: Spiritually, New Testament teaches that those who believe in Jesus;