SOME THINGS WILL NEVER CHANGE
TEXT: Romans 6:23
1. Never in the history of the world has change been thrust upon humankind at such a dizzying pace.
2. Recently a resident passed away at the Church of Christ Care center at the age of 102, she was born into a world of horse drawn carriages, out door toilettes and pitcher pumps, A world where the 2 top killers were the flue and pneumonia.
3. During her life she saw the advent of the first traffic light in Farmington, WV., indoor plumbing, electricity. The electric light. Whole house heating , air conditioning radio, Television. The first airplane flight. The first walk on the moon. The rise and fall of Hitler, Stalin, the Ussr. In the early 70’s the 4 function calculator for $500.00 the first moon walk. In 1978 the invention of the desktop computer the Hubble telescope, open heart surgery, organ transplants.
4. But some of the change we have seen has been unsettling. Rise in cancer, heart trouble, and international terrorism.
5. On the moral front we have seen standards eroding at an alarming rate.
6. It is so good to know that these uncertain times some things never change.
I. The Word of God will never change:
(Matthew 24:35) "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
(Isaiah 55:8-12) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. {9} "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. {10} "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, {11} So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. {12} "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
(Matthew 5:18-19) "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. {19} "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
(Psalms 119:160) All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
THE ANVIL AND THE HAMMERS
Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime.
Then looking in, I saw on the floor,
Old hammers worn out with beating years of time.
"How many anvils have you had, " said I,
"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, and then with twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."
"And so" I thought, "The anvil of God’s word
for ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone."
---John Clifford
THE BIBLE IS INDESTRUCTIBLE
A. Z. Conrad said;
"Century follows century, there it stands. Empires rise and fall and are forgotten, there it stands. Dynasty succeeds dynasty, there it stands. Kings are crowned and uncrowned, there it stands. Emperors decree its extermination, there it stands. Despised and torn to opieces, there it stands. Storms of hate swirl about it, atheists rail against it, agnostics smile cynically, profane perilous punsters caricature it, unbelief abandons it, higher critics deny its claim to inspiration, there it stands. The anvil that broke a million hammers, there it stands. The flames are kindled about it, the arrows of hate are discharged against it, radicalism rants and raves about it, fogs of sophistry conceal it temporarily, the tooth of time gnaws against it but dents it not.
Infidels predict its abandonment, there it stands.
Modernists try to explain it away, there it stands.
Devotees of folly denounce it, there it stands."
Conrad said:
"The Bible is God’s highway to paradise, its a light on the pathway on the darkest night. It leads business men to integrity and uprightness, its the great consoler in bereavement, it awakens men and women opiated by sin, its the answer to every great question of the human soul, it solves every problem of life, its a fortress often attacked, but never failing, its wisdom is commanding, its logic is convincing, salvation is its watch word, eternal life is its goal, the Bible punctures all pretences, " he said, "it is forward looking, upward looking, outward looking, it out lives, out lifts, out loves, out reaches, out ranks, out runs all other books, trust it, obey it, love it, and believe it, and eternal life is yours."
• No matter how many translations.
• No matter how many interpretations.
• No matter what claimed revelations.
• No matter how many denominations
• God’s word will never change
II. The Will of God will never change.
A. God wants every man, woman, boy and girl to be saved.
(2 Peter 3:9) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
(1 Timothy 2:1-4) Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, {2} for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. {3} For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, {4} who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
III. The Wages of Sin will never change.
A. A. No matter the rate of inflation, the wages of sin will always be death.
(Galatians 6:7-10) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. {8} For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. {9} And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. {10} Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
IV. The Wickedness of this world will never change.
(2 Timothy 3:12-13) Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. {13} But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
V. The mission of the Church will never change.
(Ephesians 3:10-11) His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, {11} according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A. We are to be light in a dark world. The world is In trouble because the Church has lost her desire for the truths of God’s Word. No matter how powerful the church or how weak, the world will push sin as far as the church will allow. Judgment must begin at the house of God
I Sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers--and It was not there. I sought in the fertile fields and boundless forrest--in her rich mines and vast world commerce--and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her democratic Congress and her matchless constitution--it was not there. Not until I went into the church of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good--and if America ever ceases to be good, American will cease to be great."
Alexis De Tocqueville
VI. The Way to God will never change.
A. John 14:6
B. John 14:15
C. Mark 16:15-16
D. Acts 2:38
E. Acts 2:40-41
F. Acts 2:42
G. Acts 22:16
