12/31/2023 Feed on God’s Faithfulness (Audio Unavailable)

December 31, 2023 New Year's Eve Feed on God's Faithfulness Psalm 37: 1-5 New King James Version 37 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. Trivia: The first day of 2023 began on Sunday and last day of the 2023 year ends on a Sunday. Praise God for the 2023 year! No matter how the year unfolded for you or what hand the year dealt you, the supreme fact remains: God is Good! Better to us than we are to ourselves; and much better to us than we deserve. This morning, I want to speak from a message theme entitled: Feed on God's Faithfulness In reflecting on how to sum up the 2023 year on this last day of the year falling on the last Sunday of the year - I wanted to find one word by which I could frame this year. Mysteriously, the word "FAITHFULNESS" surfaced, then in my morning reading it seemed to appear out of nowhere [in the Bible] as if to say preach on. I was pleased. With that in mind, I want to point our attention to a solid truth from the WORD of God that will help us put today, this last day of the year, in perspective with the very first day of this year -- and, for that fact, every day of 2023 and all the in days in between - including the 27th day and the 45th day; the 135th day, and the 229th day of the year, and the 286th day of the year (my birthday) ... or the 323rd day (Sister Vivian Hall's day - the day she gave her life to the Lord) . . . . and day 330 something . . . the week Jon B landed a great job but had to let go of another that was dear to his heart. The solid truth I want you to reflect on today is this: That as children of God, our lives aren't defined by the last 365 days or the next 365. Often, we rejoice in that we "made it through another year" or that we're glad to be on this side of the earth or ground - on top and not six feet under; or that we're glad we're not pushing up daisies. We are not to consider ourselves blessed or fortunate or favored because we are on this side of the dirt or not pushing up mushrooms and daisies. These are noble sayings, but they aren't spiritual truths. They aren't from the mouth of God. Oh yes, don't get me wrong -- it's great to be alive to celebrate another year survived, and to enjoy the exhilaration of welcoming a new year but our rejoicing shouldn't be attributed to happenstance, or good genes, or that the Good Lord spared us and allowed us to cross over into another year just because it wasn't our time to go or perhaps, we dodged another bullet. These type conclusions are those drawn by the unsaved and evil doers. But our boast should be in the Lord . . . and the Word from His mouth is: "Whether we live or die, as followers of Christ - we are abundantly blessed. In fact, the Word of God boasts more positively about the death of a saint, than it does a living one. Listen to Scripture: . . . . from the mouth of God . . . Revelation 14:13 asserts . . . Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' " "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them." Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. I realize, no one wants to die, but we need to hear what God has to say about living and dying. Maybe then, we wouldn't bad mouth death so harshly or frequently. Or, dig in so deeply as if heaven can wait. If we only knew. So, that brings us to one of the most profound directives and benefits God has given to His children to sustain us through every day of our lives - whether the calendar reflects Day 3 or Day 33 or Day 330; or whether it reflects year 10 or year 100. No matter what hand life deals us or what circumstances life unleashes upon us - through it all, God has given us an app for that. Please turn with me to Psalms 37. Here I want to remind you of one thing. Listen to David's encouragement to us: 37 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. This is a familiar passage to most of us. It tells of David instructing the righteous not to be disturbed or envious over the prosperity of the wicked who reject God, because divine justice will soon be granted. So, we are told to TRUST in the LORD and not to fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. But wedged between "Not Fretting" "Trusting" and "Delighting is God's remedy [His Secret Sauce in today's vernacular] for how He makes it possible for His children to find life and that more abundantly day after day and year after year - day after day and year after year. That secret sauce is His Faithfulness. It is His remedy for how we can face today and tomorrow and the next day [in Jesus's name]. And if Faithfulness is His prescription, then the cure for us is to feed on it. Listen to the verse in context: Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. It's not by being careful or simply being spared by the Lord that we live through one year in hopes of seeing another. No! It is our privilege to feed on His faithfulness. Faithfulness is who God is. It means He's constant, consistent, and ever THERE for His children. He can be relied upon without a doubt. This attribute of constancy speaks to His character as worthy of the love and confidence of Believers as well as assures us that He will fulfill His promises as well as execute His threats against sin. Only God can be counted on, relied upon, totally trusted to be all His Word boasts of Him to be. So it's true: "What so ever God has promised, He is able to perform it". God is unfailingly loyal to His children . He is faithful in love, spiritual blessings, moments of temptation and persecution, discrimination, afflictions, sickness, prosperity, lonliness, . . .and in everything that pertains to life and godliness regardless of extenuating circumstances. * First we TRUST Him, that carries with it a deep, abiding reliance on the God who has promised to punish the ungodly and reward the righteous. His word will never fail. * Then, we do good . . . whatever is right, in love, according to Scripture. * Next, we DWELL in the land . . . Dwell conveys permanency; God plants us, protects us, and secures us where He wants us, despite living in a world He has turned over to Satan. Psalms 90, verse 1 says: 90 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. * And finally, through it all, we are sustained by feeding on His faithfulness. This means nursing, eating, and being nourished on God's character of stability, constancy, reliability, steadfastness, and trustworthiness. The more you try Him the more you feed on Him. The more you trust Him, the more your confidence grows in Him as being true to His character of a faithful God who will never let you down. Can never let you down. Trust in God grows when a believers life and soul feed on His faithfulness in times past. It's not where you're going in the Lord but where you've been with Him that cause you to feed on Him more and more. So, in reality, the year 2023 hasn't been just a year of survival and living on our own smarts and resources, rather, like every year of my life and your life - this year has been a year of living on and feeding on God's faithfulness. If it had not been for the Lord on my side, tell me . . . where would I be? It is because of His Faithfulness, not ours, that we are able to live out every day of every year with purpose, hope, faith, and love. Here's my final reminder. It comes in the form of a question: What else does the Scripture says about God's faithfulness? 1 Corinthians 10:13 emphatically declares: And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Lamentations 3:22-24 NKJV encourages that . . . 22 Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" Deuteronomy 7:9 "Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; Psalm 36:5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 89:8 O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. Psalm 89:33 Nevertheless, My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail [says the Lord]. Psalm 119:90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. Galatians 5:21-23. New King James Version 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. FINAL 3 1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. My Part Psalm 40:10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly. Psalm 92:1 & 2 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night, Psalm 89:1 [David said] . . . I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 143:1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. And regardless as to where our trust in God is, it does not negate God's faithfulness to His children: Romans 3:3 & 4 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged." Feed on God's Faithfulness 1