Did you Know --- The Good News of the Word of God Won’t work for Everybody?
That may be a startling statement for many of you to hear today....But it is true.....
Now some of you are thinking ...."I knew it all along....I knew it wasn’t just me"
But hold on here just a minute...
Don’t be satisfied with that .....The Answer is Easier than you might think....
Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them....
That means: It didn’t do them Any Good whatsoever....
Why Not?......
Was there something Wrong with it?.......
Was there something missing in it? ......
NO, it’s what they Didn’t Do with what they heard that messed them up.
Verse 2 goes on to say.....but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Now, it is meant for everyone.....and yet it Does not work for everyone....
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Peter said "Ye MIGHT BE" partakers...
God wants us to share in the Divine Nature ....He wants us to Escape corruption
Well, where or with whom does the CONDITION lie? ----with YOU, he said Ye might be....
We need to Understand that the POTENTIAL is THERE
The Word of God is FULL of Potential for you and me....
There’s no shortage on God’s Part to make His Word come to pass in/for you
God’s Word contains Magnificent promises and yet not everyone will enjoy the benefit of them....
But the Promises are for Whosoever will, let him come......
Psalms 145:9 The LORD is good to all: .....and his tender mercies are over all his works.
Don’t let satan convince you that God’s Goodness isn’t for you.....
....that you’re not good enough, .....righteous enough......He’s good to ALL....
We need to Let the Spirit of God help us to Change our thinking about God....
Romans 1:16 Paul said "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The Power of God Becomes Available to us As We Believe The Gospel .......
The Gospel is the The Good News about God to us....
God wants to Bless us ----but He needs our Cooperation....
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Did you Hear That? -----The Bible says that God is a REWARDER.....
I know it doesn’t say He is a rewarder of just anybody who does any old thing.....
But Let’s focus for a few minutes on the fact that God is a Rewarder....
This may surprise a lot of folks to hear this, but God Get’s Pleasure out of Blessing People.
Jesus said in Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Psalms 35:27 ......, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
But, You will never enjoy the Benefits God intends for you to have----
until you believe the Good News about God......
Now, there are Many folks that think that God is out to Take Everything Away from them....
But He isn’t.------He wants to Give You Everything.....
1 Timothy 6:17 says He....."giveth us richly all things to enjoy"
The Heart of God is Looking for Ways to Bless His People.....
Listen to what He says in.....
Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
The truth is.....God wants you to have a Great Life.....a Long Life.....
....Full of Blessings and Peace.....Comfort, Joy and Love
God wants us to Obey Him for OUR OWN BENEFIT ----not His....
That’s why Romans 2:4 Says.... despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
To go against God’s Word ---His Will for us is Foolishness.....
His Only Benefit to Blessing You and Making your life great is the same as Any other Father’s would be.
A good father wants the best for his children....because of his love for them....
Sure, He puts Limits on them to protect them....
Sure, He Corrects them.....but that too is the product of love....
None of you would just turn your kids loose, I hope, to do Whatever they want to do....whenever they want to do it...
No, you set Limits on them for their own good....
Then you wonder why they resent you .....
and feel bad at you ----but you do the same thing to God....
You pout at Him and accuse Him of not caring about you....
We need to Understand --------God is a GIVER ----He is the REWARDER
He’s not Holding out on us.......He’s holding out FOR US......
Psalms 84:11...... no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
He’s Storing it up for us.....waiting on the day He gets to bless us like He wants to .....
David said in Psalms 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
He said "How great is the goodness of the Lord!"
I believe David Knew something about the Goodness of the Lord....
David got to know God while keeping those sheep in Bethlehem...
He fellowshiped with God and came to know His nature....
He know Him as a Loving God.....a Good God, Kind, and Patient
David knew God would take care of him, provide for him and Protect him....
Psalms 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
That sounds like someone who Knew the Goodness of God....
David knew to Expect Good things from God
That’s why David wasn’t Afraid to fight Goliath....
His Faith in God’s Goodness kept him going forward toward the promise of God.....
Psalms 27:13 (AMP) [What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!
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That’s why David challenges us in...
Psalms 34:8 to "taste and see that the LORD is good...."
David knew that if you will delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4
Notice, I didn’t say "He’d give you the desires of His heart.....but Your Heart"
But in order to Receive the Reward from the Lord -----You have to BELIEVE Him for it.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Your Circumstance don’t move God ----Your Faith Moves Him.....
Jesus said "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believes"
Understanding God’s Goodness is the foundation of Faith......
The more we know God’s goodness, the more we trust Him....
The more we trust Him.....the easier it is for us to put our lives into His hands.
Only by placing our complete trust in Him can He save us, bless us, and work through us,....
so that His wonderful will can be done on earth as it is in heaven.....
Until you settle the fact that God is good....and you can trust Him with your life, ....
Your Faith is never going to be great because you will always draw back in fear....
God is a GOOD GOD ------we just need to get to Know Him ----better....
Job 22:21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
The Amplified translation says "Great Good"
God is the source of Everything that is good.....
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Many folks Know About Jesus, but they have never come to Know Him Personally ----for themselves....
You may have heard about Him......You may even believe what you’ve heard.....
But Believing Alone Is Not Enough....
We have to Do Something About what we believe before it will Produce Results in our lives.
I can only think of one reason why someone would be hesitant to make Jesus their Lord ---
why they would be afraid to give their life to Him.
They Don’t Know How Good He Is.....
They are afraid that if they give themselves to Him, He might deprive them of the good things they want and need.
Fear makes them draw back because they are not really sure God has their best interests at heart.
They do not understand the simple fact that God is a Good God.
That Fear will Keep you in Bondage..... Fear is the Link to Bondage
It’s fear that gives satan power in people’s lives....
It’s fear that stops people from accepting God’s Word and Walking away from the enemy....
Fear stops us from saying things we Ought to Say .....
and has us saying things we Shouldn’t say....
1 John 4:18 says "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment....."
As we get to Know God and His Goodness, His Love, and Mercy and Grace....
We can walk free from FEAR....
and We can Walk In the Blessing that God has been waiting to get into our lives.
Fear brings Torment -----but the Cure for Fear is found in Growing in God’s Love.
In Finding out about the Goodness of God ----FIRSTHAND.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
I am convinced.....that God wants to Pour His blessings upon us....
He wants us so blessed that everywhere we look, we see the goodness of God.
I know that sounds to good to be true .....
