23, June 2002
Dakota Community Church
God is Great
God is Good
Introduction:
It is possible to know a lot about somebody without actually knowing them!
I have read Don Cherry’s autobiography.
Kathy has been researching U2.
Information is not the same as intimacy. When info is all we have, image can deceive.
Many have heard bad information about God – He has an image problem because Christians so often misrepresent Him.
Question:
Have you ever heard someone saying something bad about someone you are close to? You say that can’t be true – they wouldn’t do that.
What is God like? This is a question, which has exercised the minds of mankind. It reminds me of the story of the little girl who was in deep concentration over her drawing. Her mother asked her what she was drawing and received the curt reply, “God.” Her mother protested, “But no one knows what God looks like!” The little girl replied, “They will now!”
What is God really like?
Psalm 103: 1-6
1 Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
- Forgives all your sin.
- Heals all your diseases.
- Redeems us from hell and protects us.
- Rewards us.
- Promotes us.
- Gives us recognition.
- Satisfies our desires with good things.
- Rejuvenates us with youthful energy.
- Defends us and gets us justice when we are oppressed.
That one scripture passage alone blows away half the theology I’ve heard.
WHY?
Isaiah 14: 12-17
12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!
13For you have said in your heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
15Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
16"Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying:
"Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms,
17Who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities,
who did not open the house of his prisoners?’
The vast majority think hell is a party and heaven is about floating around on clouds playing harps.
God is not waiting and hoping for you to screw up!
There is no lever He pulls on a trap door to hell!
What does the Bible say He is really like?
1. Loving and patient.
2 Peter 3:9
9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Joel 2: 12-13
12 "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."
13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love
Ill.
A young lady who occasionally walked through the park after work, stopped to have her picture taken by a photographer on this particular day. She was very excited about her picture being taken. As she walked out of the park, she looked at the Polaroid picture in total amazement. She turned and headed back to the cameraman. When she got their she stated, "This is not right! This is not right! You have done me no justice!" The photographer looked at the picture and looked at her and stated, "Miss, you don’t need justice, what you need is mercy."
2. Constant companion.
Hebrews 13: 5
5Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Psalm 139: 7-10
7Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me
Ill.
Friday at quitting time, Jim said, ‘Boss, have you got any extra work I can do tonight?’Sure do but I can’t pay you overtime.That’s okay; I just don’t want to go home. Why not?Well, I’ve been in the doghouse since last night.I see...Why? What did you do to deserve that?I still don’t know - it must be one of those woman things.I was minding my own business relaxing in front of the TV.My wife enters the room & asks, "What’s on the TV?"And honestly, I swear all I said was, "Dust!"She’s been mad ever since!
The wife found fault with her husband’s grace/truthfulness & forfeited her companionship.We also forfeit a great deal when the find fault with God’s grace.
3. Protective Friend.
Psalm 91: 14-16
14 "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."
Think about all you go through to protect your baby from himself!
4. Healer.
Exodus 15: 26
"If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you."
Isaiah 53: 5
5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
6All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.
Psalm 107: 19-20
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.
5. Generous Provider.
Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Luke 12: 29-32
29"And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
32"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom
6. Teacher and guide.
Psalm 32: 8
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
John 16: 12-14
12"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
7. Gift giver.
Not only will God provide for our needs, He is a giver of good gifts!
James 1: 13-18
13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Luke 11: 9-13
9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
It’s hard to believe that Samson made it into the faith list of Hebrews 11. Samson was no role model. He was gifted but not godly, a Dennis Rodman of the Old Testament. God is in the gift giving business. But with each gift comes certain responsibilities. A study of the life of Samson shows us an example of what not to do with the gifts God has blessed us with.
8. Everything a Father should be!
Romans 8:
14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into his family --calling him "Father, dear Father." 16For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children. 17And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. (N.L.T.)
Have confidence in this and enjoy life!
Malachi 3: 6
6 "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
Hebrews 13: 8
8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
