Beholding His Goodness Part 3
Beholding His Goodness • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Immutability is a Good Thing
Immutability is a Good Thing
It is so difficult for us to see the goodness of God in the small tings in life much less the larger ones. Do you know what Goliath was for Israel? To Saul and all the armies of Israel he was a giant enemy, a giant obstacle, a giant problem. But to a small shepherd boy with a God bigger than any giant, Goliath was a giant opportunity. He was a giant opportunity for God to deliver them all. He was a giant sent by God to release and increase their faith. He was a giant victory that would release the anointing of God and restore God’s glory to Israel. How do you see your giants? How you see God’s goodness determines how you see your giants.
In the Garden of Eden, there was a conflict between the goodness of God and that which was in opposition to His goodness. In the end it came down to contentment or discontentment fueled by perspective. At the end of the day, the choices we make come down to either living by God’s view or that of our own. Two choices on the shelf, Pleasing God or pleasing self. No one can serve two masters.
In the days of Jesus, the Jews perceived that if you were not a Jew you were an enemy of God. Therefore, forgiveness was not due you. But Jesus taught the opposite. Thus, while hanging on the cross, He revealed that they too had become an enemy of God in need of forgiveness.
There is a Hebrew word for “anger” that is aph אַף which is actually described as rapid breathing and flaring of the nostrils. This describes our anger but not Gods. Have you seen and angry dog show his teeth, squint his eyes and flare his nostrils as his countenance become disfigured with rage? That means his wrath is about to be unleashed.
You see, God does none of this. He does not react in His anger. He simply responds to our rebellion by directing His transcendent Law towards that which is in direct opposition to it. Thus, Christ on the cross, God’s wrath poured out in love.
In John 10:10 Jesus says,
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
Each one of these passages speak of the immutability of God. That means the unchanging nature of God. His character, His motives, His integrity, even His mood never changes. When we try to think of God in anthropomorphic, or humanistic concepts, we struggle with the idea that even in God’s wrath or judgment surely His mood must change. But He is not like our fallen nature of which we so often use as our point of reference. The Scripture even commands us to be angry but sin not (Ephesians 4:26-27).
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
So many of us give the devil (shed; shay’d שֵׁד evil spirit; a spirit which is in opposition to God’s Spirit) way too much opportunity in our lives simply through our moods. Now, before you go all psychologist on me and start getting defensive, let me share with you the Webster’s dictionary definition of a “mood”.
Websters defines a mood as a conscious (not unconscious, involuntary, subconscious action) state of mind or predominant emotion; a prevailing attitude; a distinctive atmosphere or context. Now in the Hebrew there are many words for moods, emotions or feelings. Each depends or describes a particular emotion such as weariness, loathing, or joy. But to sum them all into one word, as we do in the English language, such as “mood”, it simply comes down to one word you should be familiar with, nephesh נֶפֶשׁ the soul of a person. What is going on in your soul or what prevails in your heart reflects in your life. This is the essence of statements Jesus made such as “what is in the heart the mouth speaks.”
Someone ask me, “What’s your point Pastor?” Well, I’m glad you asked. Our countenance gives us away. But in Numbers 6:24-26 His countenance should become our countenance. Our countenance should reflect Him not us. But even our words give us away. Our choices give us away. What we are feeling on the inside cannot help but sooner or later be revealed on the outside. And for many of us we tend to allow particular emotions to become prominent. Now, we all are flesh and when we are sick or sad, angry or anxious, it is a reflection of something either physical, mental or spiritual. It is a reflection of what is going on in our souls. But the Scripture speaks to all of these. And who knows your soul better than He who originally designed it before it was reshaped by this world. My intent is not to sound judgmental or condemning but to help bring you to a place of living stronger, better, healed, and more mature in Christ Jesus. I in no way claim to have achieved perfection in this area. But I seek it daily. It is my lives focus, who is Jesus. Less of me and more of Him. That I might decrease that He might increase. Than in my weakness He may be made my strength. That greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. We see the opposite of this in Genesis 4:6-8.
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
God commanded Cain to rule over the seeds of his thoughts that were fueling his emotions of hatred towards his brother. Yet, somehow in his heart and mind, he justified his feelings and therefore his actions. God was instructing his heart but he chose the mood of murder.
So, for clarification, what I am addressing is not physical infirmities that may cause mental and emotional responses. I am not addressing traumatic experiences that the Holy Spirit can deliver you from according to my Bible. I am not minimizing your issues.
But I am reminding you that your Savior and deliverer faced more rejection and trauma on a cross than you may ever face in this life, yet His heart was, “Father forgive them.” I am addressing the seeds of iniquity that we so often use to justify our continued Christian immaturity. He did not let the cross define Him, He redefined the cross. The cross was meant as judgement, but He turned it into deliverance.
That might sound strong, harsh and like a spiritual lashing is coming. But the truth is, spiritual immaturity will continue to cause you to miss seeing the goodness of God in your life. It will cause you to dwell on your past. It will define your present and your future. It will rob you of your divine identity and destiny.
Have you heard that song by Elvis that goes like this:
Oh, moody blue
Tell me, am I gettin' through?
I keep hangin' on
Tryin' to learn your song
But I never do
Oh, moody blue
Tell me who I'm talking to
You're like night and day
And it's hard to say
Which one is you
That describes Israel. One moment they are crying out to God to be delivered, then suddenly they are whining to God wanting to go back to Egypt and be slaves again. One moment they are begging for water so God brings it from a rock. The next thing you know they are sick of heavenly miracle bread. They question God’s motives at the Red Sea, then complain because there are giants in the land. One minute they are rejoicing over the victories God had given them being led by the prophets. The next thing they are wanting a king and idols like the other nations. Israel was moody. For generations the prophets spoke of, and the people longed for, a King Messiah who would deliver us all. But when He showed up, they despised Him and crucified Him. Israel was moody.
And through it all, so many times they missed seeing the goodness of God right in front of them.
Read Numbers 13:25-33
At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.” But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
Because of this “mood” or perpetual attitude that plagued that generation, the only families that were allowed to enter the Promised Land were those of Joshua and Caleb.
not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
God was not the one whose mood changed, it was Israels. There are so many religions of man where their god is an emotional roller coaster; where you never know what kind of mood he or she is in from day to day. So, their entire religion is based on appeasing the various moods of their man made idolatry. I am so thankful that I serve a God who changes not. I did not create HIm, He created me. He knew me before I was even formed. And He loved me before I even knew Him. He is a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His love is His dominant nature not a swayed emotion.
Let me illustrate God’s intent for us to live in this present realm but with His Holy Spirit living in us teaching us how to live the life of Christ.
(Abundant Life Mature Life.JPG)
I want to learn to live every day like Him. I believe this was the Apostle Paul’s perspective. I believe this is a perspective that all the disciples that gave their lives for the cause of Christ had embraced because they had witnessed the resurrected Christ who changes not even after death. He is eternal in His nature. Gratitude can change your attitude. Remember His goodness; behold His goodness; do not miss His goodness all around you and throughout your life. I want to let my first nature, even in my afflictions and infirmity, or pressures of life, be a mature nature whose first thought, response, action and countenance is the immutable love of God.
From the time Israel was taken captive by Babylon until 1948 Israel was without a homeland as nation. Today, they have purposed no one will ever take it from them again. Their perspective has changed indeed. It is really easy to not see the goodness of God all around you and all in your life when you are focused on the negative of emotions and attitudes of your childish flesh. But when you have learned to be content and keep your eyes always on the goodness of God that is woven through every fiber of the fabric of your life, then you have grown.
You never know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Like toilet paper and loved ones. Do you want to live with more peace? Do you want to live with increased hope? Do you want to not let the devil rob you any longer of your identity and destiny? Then let’s stand together and thank Him for His goodness. Behold His goodness written all over your life. rejoice in His goodness. Live grateful for His goodness. Never forget His goodness.
