Sunday Service 11-16-2025
Great opportunity. She said it all the thoughts that run through my head cuz I have looked into this, I have studied this field, there is a doctrine that is called the doctrine of immutability. In case you can't tell this is going to be a little different this morning, you're going to have to put your thinking hats on for a minute. So I'll give you guys a chance to dig those out and find them and, and fit them on see if they still fit and work through in a little bit. But if you stick with me and you keep keep up with me here at the end, this does have very real application to our lives today. Okay, everyone ready to go? We have a lot of scripture. If you have your Bibles, you want to keep up. It'll be like a Bible drill, otherwise she if you want to take notes and John them down, that's fine but we're going to do that. So the doctrine of the mutability talks about can God change and you want to pull the first slide of kids. Thank you very much if you need bility in the Bible. Refers to the unchanging nature of God and this is a very good thing. If you think about the culture that were surrounding Israel in there long long history, just before the time of Jesus course of the timing Jesus. They were under the occupation of the Romans but Hunters years prior to that they were under the influence of the Greeks. What do you know about the Greeks? Yeah, good Bob or who said that? Their Idols. Yeah, they had lots of lots of gods and can't know any of them. Zeus. Yep, he was the big one and Zeus has a perfect example. We talked about him not long ago, so I want to see if anybody remembered. So thank you guys very much and depending on what his win was as he would change his mind all the time, you never knew what mood he was in and that's the way with all these other guys. And even the false guys within Israel, if you remember back in Israel's history, they had problems with this one. God called Baal or we call him bail. Okay. They were very temperamental they were very self-centered so it all depended upon their mood as they how they would react and interact with human beings. The doctrine of immutability start off by saying that is not God. God's nature is unchangeable. That means when God created the world. He is exactly the same as he is when you sit down and talk with him today.
That's encouraging. That is good news for us. We know exactly who it is that we can go to whenever we come before the almighty God. He goes on says is indicating that he is a constant and unalterable and all his Essence character will and Promises. This is very essence who he is and not change again. This is very good news. His character, he cannot declare one thing to be good today that he said was evil in the past. That is unchangeable the standards of good will always be the same. We'll all good will always be good. Evil. Will always be evil. Are you with me? Okay. Is his will, his will is unchanging. Did you know another conversation? You don't know that, but in another conversation I had with my son, we were talking about the Plan of Salvation and he said about the Plan of Salvation under the old Covenant compared to the Plan of Salvation under New Covenant, he said, dad did you know that all along? It was God's plan for us to be saved through a savior Redeemer. Jesus himself could jobs And that's the truth. It was God's Will from the very beginning that there would be salvation offer to all of all time through Jesus Christ, that will has never will never change because God is immutable. And the last one, his promises When God makes a promise. He keeps it. We're going to look at some verses that actually talk directly about that this morning. This attribute assures Believers of God's reliability and faithfulness through all times. This is a very strong doctrine that is within the Christian faith. This is one that we can cling to when we do not understand why things happen. We can know that God is good in this good of all time. We know that God, even though that things may seem rough at the moment that God has still not abandon in his will his promises to his people. Is that encouraging? Okay, I hope so. Are you awake? Okay.
So this is the doctor immutability and I I subscribe to this one hundred percent that takes me off of this, the heretic list so far, I'm okay. This is this is what is termed as the Orthodox belief that this is a standard belief of of the Christian faith. Okay? Now what you may have noticed as this does not directly answer Cheryl question, This guy change his mind. And from here is where I can get in trouble. So before you start throwing things at me as was threatened before service,
just hear me out, okay? All right, so there is a group within Christian, Believers, and they are True Believers. That will say, no, because of the immutability of God, because the unchanging nature of God, that God cannot and does not change his mind. And I'm going to look at two different verses that they used to support that theory this morning, okay? So we're going to start in Malachi chapter 3, This says, I'm going to actually read it up there. It's easier flipping through all the time. This is, is God himself. Speaking says, I the Lord and when you see it in caps, like that, that is the name Yahweh that he used for himself, but of course the Hebrew people would not pronounce that name. So they would use other names. But this is the way that scripture indicates, this is the Divine name. The Lord does not change so you are the descendants of Jacob are not destroyed, very clear, Lord doesn't change. Unfortunately what some of these people do is a clink that one verse and they don't keep reading. And we get in trouble when we pull a verse out of context, and we just take one verse. And we cling to something, it says, without reading all that was sick. And it's funny I was, before service. I was out in the foyer and there's a verse on the wall, bring the backside. Anybody know what it is. We see it every week when we come in here by now.
Deuteronomy 28:6, you will be blessed when you come in and you will be blessed when you go out. well, you know what, the context of that is God's making the Covenant with with the Israelite people and he says, if you follow me, I will bless you. But if you turn away from me, I will curse you. In fact there's a parallel verse to that. Just a few verses later says if you turn away from me, you will be cursed when you come in and you'll be cursing, you go out. I don't see that on the sign anywhere.
So, it's very important that you wearied versus with in context, okay? All right. Otherwise, we make them say things that they don't necessarily mean. So verse 7, very next, verse ever, since the time of your ancestors, you have turned away from me. And my decrees and I have not kept them return to me and I will return to you says the Lord Almighty and then the people respond as but how do we return? You knows In This Very verse God himself says this is the situation you have turned away from me. There for things are not good but God himself, has if you turn back. I will change and turn back to you. You see that you see that there is a conditional statement there in verse 7. And what this demonstrates is that our God is a relational God and that is a key concept that we need to understand. Yes, the will of God is set and you look the will of God for mankind is for all to come to know Jesus Christ and be safe. That will is set. There is nothing that will change. That will of God's. God's character is set. There is nothing that can improve his character and he cannot diminish his character.
God's promises are set. Here's a promise that God was giving through Malachi to the people of Israel that have walked away from him. If you return to me, you will then once again be my people, I will then return to you.
Everything will be restored. Case of God is a relational God. This is why he beseeches us. This is why he begs. This was why he in Florissant to come before him. We talked about this many times. He desires heat his greatest desires for us to come to him with all those concerns, with all those struggles with all those questions. Even with our down, also come to him with your Joys, with your Thanksgiving, with your praise, in your worship. But he desires that because he is a relational. God, he wants to have that relationship with us. In fact,
God did not need to create the world. He was perfect and complete prior to Creation. He lacked nothing.
But he did this, he made all that. There is the vast expanse of the universe all the way down to the microscopic things that go on in the world. See it just for the sheer purpose of being relational with us.
Wake up. Come on. This is exciting. The god of the universe is the siren relationship with you.
there's nothing that we do that deserves this, we know that but this is his will This is what we see a second verse that they will uses numbers. 23 19. And this is a long section of scripture within along section of scripture, that I'm going to summarize. Because I've got a lot of scripture this morning, I had to edit some things. So here, this is in the story of anybody. Remember the story of Balaam and his donkey
A talking donkey.
Okay, well, this is part of that story where there was a foreign King named balok that wanted to hire Balaam who was a prophet but not necessarily prophet of God.
He was a prophet For Hire. Bob, you got it, right? Yes. And he was wanting to hire Balaam to come and curse the Israeli people as they were coming through the Wilderness on their way, to the promised land and balak was afraid of the Israeli people. He had heard what the Israelites God did to the Egyptians and Egyptians were the superpower of the time. Did also heard how the god of Israel has sustained. This massive group of people out in the desert where there were no resources. But yet, they had food every single morning. They were provided with water for not only the people for all their life stocks. So he knew that this God, the Israelite serve with powerful and he was afraid. So balak was hiring Balaam, he went to him once. And Balaam said, okay, I'll check with God and God said, no, I bless those people. You can't curse them. She go back to balok and and Bella told me like, I can't do. It. Said no make balok happy and so he comes to him a second time and it says, Joe convince God, to curse them. And they like what we cannot do this three times, daily goes to bail and bail and goes to God and finally gotten replies in. This is God's reply. It says, God is not a human that he should lie. Normal human being that he should change his mind. Does he speak? And then not act. Does he promise? And not fulfill? Now, remember, this isn't context of God had already made the promise to Israel to bless Israel. To bring them into the promised land. And this is in the context of a foreign enemy balak wanting to hire a sketchy Prophet bail bond in order to try to curse the people that God has blessed and God says no. I made my promise. I'm not changing my mind. And within this context guy says, I don't change my mind is this is set. This is done. and unfortunately, there are some that will take this and say this is a Verse for all times that God does never, he cannot and will not change his mind. Well in context, that's not what it says. Okay. Is everybody still with me? Okay, I know this is different than what I normally do. I normally try to stick with one passage and work my way through it. Makes it easier, understand. But hey, this is Cheryl this. This isn't so take it up with her. She asked a question. I asked her. She said I could do that.
Okay, so now let's look at some more verses that tell us something. A little different 1st, Samuel 15. Is that next?
Yes. Okay. Thank you very much excess 3200. This is a fun one. Exit, 32 9, through 14 will read through this quick and then summarize it.
Again, God speaking, I have seen these people, the Lord said to Moses and they are stick stiff-necked people. Now, leave me alone that my anger might burn against them and then I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation. Do you remember? What's going on here? This is just after Moses had gone up in the Mount Sinai and the people down below, made the gold Air and made the golden calf for the people. Let's get that right and they worship this goal. Calf and guy was mad and he's like, I'm going to wipe him out, okay? But Moses pot favor with the Lord. His God says Lord. He said, why should your anger burn against your people? Whom you brought out of Egypt was great power and a mighty hand. Why should the Egyptian say it was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains? To wipe them off the face of the Earth turn from your Fierce anger relent and do not bring disaster to your people. Remember your servant Abraham, Isaac and Israel. From whom you swore on yourself, I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them to send it to this land as a promise to them, and it will be their inheritance forever. Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people disaster. He had promised God was angry, was he rightfully angry with the people for worshipping a golden calf? Absolutely.
Did they deserve to be destroyed? They did. But Moses interceded. Now Moses had the unique opportunity. He did not need to go to God In Prayer. He was standing with a presence of God on the very Mountain. So he was speaking directly to God and I'll tell you what, I don't know that I would have the boldness to be in the very presence of God and say,
Perfect man. Let's talk about
but that is exactly what Moses does. And what rounds does Moses stand on Moses stood up to God instead he God remember your promises. God's promises change. No, somos has reminded god of the promises that God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to bring these. These people in the land that God has promised to them. And did God destroy the people? No. Not this time.
But in fact, in the last verse that we read their it said that God relented. He turned back, he was Drew from his hangar. From his Wrath. And that's a very good thing. Because if the doctrine of immutability says, the guy cannot change in anyway. Then it would be impossible for God to turn from wrath to forgiveness because that would be a change. It isn't a good thing for us that he is turn from wrath and offered forgiveness. I know it's a good thing for me. One of the questions, I would face all the time when I'm talking with people is and they question the very existence of God is always the, the problem of evil. How can there be a good God? When there is so much evil and they say, why doesn't a good God, if he is all good and he is all-powerful, why does he eliminate evil from the face of the Earth? And I have one question for them.
If God would eliminate evil, it midnight tonight. Would you be alive at 12:01?
Not a one of us would make it.
And it's that relational nature of God that allows him to look upon people even those who have rebelled against him. And the point that he has determined. Whenever the people turn back to him that he will turn from wrath to forgiveness. And that is a beautiful merciful thing.
So here we see that Moses was interceding for the entire nation and save the people of God. We see the exact same thing take place. This is not a one-off in scripture Genesis 18, we have Abraham doing the same thing in. This is a story, we are all familiar with this is what is Sodom and Gomorrah in. This is when God came with two angels and that was with Abraham and was heading to Sodom to destroy it. And we see that mode are, I'm sorry Abraham again in her seat here in 22, says the men turned away and went to Abraham remain standing before the Lord then Abraham approached him and said will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked here? Abraham is remaining God and His Justice. Because that is unchanging character. He is a just God. What if there are fifty righteous people in the city, will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of fifty, righteous people in it. Abraham is appealing to the very unchangeable nature of who God is, and God replies. Far, be it from you to do such. I'm sorry. This is so far. Be it from me to do such a thing to kill the righteous with the wicked treating, the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you will not the judge of all the Earth do, right? And Lord said, if I find fifty righteous in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake and we're going to go ahead and Skip down through. I think it's the last verse, if you can Skip down to that. Thank you.
Yeah, I think that's it. He goes through cuz if you remember he goes through. There was 50 and Abraham sessions. Are $40 or 30. Is there 20 is there 10 and stops at 10? And then at the end this is May the Lord not be angry, just let me speak one more try. What if you just find those 10 for the sake? I will not destroy it. Okay, so initially God was set out, I'm set. I'm destroying Sada. Okay, guy was her safety. Okay, I'll change. And I'll see if there's 50. I will not destroy it. I'll let the whole city go. Well, what if there's 40 any Works within each time? God relents. He says, if there's even 10, I will spare the city now. We all know the how the story and there was only lot lot alone and you, the angels went to pull him out and he took a lot and his wife and his two daughters and ended up that only has two daughters survived.
But we can see the relational nature that God had with Abraham in this situation willing to act mercifully. Because he was a righteous judge because of his character. Okay. Alright, we'll keep moving here. I'm trying to get you out before lunch. Alright, can we agree on that?
Natural. Look at King Hezekiah and 2nd Kings King. Hezekiah was one of the few good Kings of the nation nation of Israel. He was a very good King. He followed the ways of the Lord, he did a lot of reforms to drink. Bring the people back to worshipping God. But yet here we see that there came a time, we'll just go ahead and read it in those days Hezekiah became ill and when he was at the point of death, the prophet, Isaiah son of Amos went to him and said this is what the Lord says, put your house in order because you are going to die. You will not recover. There's not welcoming news. Hezekiah turned his face to the war the wall and he prayed to the Lord. Remember Lord, how I have walked before you Faithfully with wholehearted devotion have done? What is good in your eyes and Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah even left the court. That's where the king would would hold session. Before he left the court, the word of the Lord came to him as he was just walking. You should go back and tell Hezekiah the ruler of my people. This is what the Lord that God. Your father? David says, I have heard your prayers. I have seen your tears. I will heal you on the third day from now. You will get up and go to the temple. I will add 15 years to your life and I will deliver you and the City from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake, for the sake of my servant, David
In this particular case, the prayer of one person saved his life.
God has decreed through Isaiah, that you're this sickness. You have its, you're going to die. You're not going to recover.
And Hezekiah prayed to God. I've been faithful. I've walked before you good ways in your eyes.
And did you notice? He never actually asked to be healed. Catch that.
He just went before God and said, God, this is how I have left and left it in God's hands. And because God is that relational being that always acts within the unchanging nature of his character. He's your right. Hezekiah, you have and because of that I will give you 15 more years. What would you do if you knew exactly how much longer you had to live?
I think I'd be scared.
What's that? I think I would be scared. I really do. I don't, I'm kind of glad that God Alone knows the days of my life.
But Hezekiah knew exactly how long he had to live in. The good news, is he continues his 15 years in the same obedience to God, that he lived the rest of his life. The bad news is He had a son in those 15 years. And when Hezekiah died, the son was 12 years old became king of Israel and he was the most wicked king of Israel ever had.
So was it a blessing that he live 15? More years will maybe not for the nation but it was for Hezekiah but, Got changed how he interacted with Hezekiah.
Okay, we're moving along vert. The next one is Hosea. Is that right? Jonah. Okay.
Check. We'll know Jonah is a fun story where we've been through it in our Sunday School classes. When we can remember, But here, in Jonas, after 4, we see a journalist beginning going on a date journey into the city for claiming his wonderful Evangelistic message of 40 more days and it'll be overthrown.
Seven words that Joni used to bring Revival in a pagan Nation. Verse five, new Vice believe, God. He believed the message that Jonah had had preached. A fast was proclaimed by The King, by the way, there from the greatest, to the least, we're commanded to put on sackcloth. Magenta's warning, reach the king of didn't like he rose from his throne. He tore his Royal robes and clothe himself in sack cloth, and he sat down in the dust which is something a king would never do. This is the proclamation issued in Nineveh by the decree of the king and his Nobles do not let any people or animals herd or flock taste, anything and do not let them eat or drink.
But let the people and animals be covered in sackcloth what everyone called urgently did. God let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows, God, May yet relent, and with Compassion Center from his Fierce anger, so that he will not, we will not perish. When God saw that, they had what they did and how they returned from the evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them. The very destruction, he had promised. And if you remember, this is the very thing that Jonah was so angry about. This is the very reason that Jonah ran whenever God told him to go because Jonah said, God, I knew this about you. I know this is your character, you are a merciful god, that you will relent when people turn back to you, I knew that's who you were, and I didn't want it to happen to those nasty people over there.
But that is exactly what God did. And if you notice any previous verse even in ninevites those who did not know God said, perhaps, perhaps if we turn and we straighten ourselves up and we stopped on these evil, think perhaps, this guy will be compassionate and relent from his anger. Even they knew there was a chance with this guy. Because of his relational nature. Are you picking up on that? I'm trying to drive it pretty hard so I hope so.
The guide changed in response to the people's reactions. Okay. Now I think I'm lost now. I have Jose. All right. That this was a lot of fun. So I really do appreciate this because this gave me the opportunity to really geek out with some of my favorite Scholars and theologians and I even got to go into a metaphysical Theologian, our team Owens and in dig into this and there's fifteen hundred years of writings about this. So I'm trying to condense it down for everybody. All right, you see why I'm going so fast?
This is a time that Jose was another Prophet. He's one of the Minor Prophets and read these two verses. How can I give up when you have from, how can I hand over Israel? Can I treat you like a ball? Not as one of the kings of sodomy that we just talked about them? Can I make you like, I'm not even going to try.
He was the king of Gomorrah. Okay. See you see the comparison that God is making you know Israel and Ephraim which is one of the tribes of Israel. Can I make them like Sodom and Gomorrah? My heart is changed within me. All my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out. My Fierce anger nor will. I devastate Ephraim again for. I am God and not a man, the Holy One among you. I will not come against their cities. This is another situation where Israel had turned away from God had abandoned God and God was angry. But God said, I cannot do to my people. What I did to Sodom and Gomorrah. I love the verse 8 in God's it says it gas. My heart has changed Within Me.
Is that a god of compassion? Is that a god of Mercy? Is that a god forgiveness? Is that a god of love? this is who he is that as he relates to us, and he responds to what has taken place either through because of prayer, or because of repentance or because of a BT insist that he responds to his people and says, I can't do it. Now, did God change his mind because his plan was bad. No. Did God change his mind because his plan was deficient? No. his destruction of the people was completely just but there's more than Justice in God. There is love. There is Mercy, there is forgiveness. Are you understanding who this guy is? Are you getting an idea of the vastness of who he is?
Let's go on to the next one. Here we have a teaching from Jesus himself. In Luke 18 verses 1 through 8 and Jesus told his disciples a parable we talk about Parables last night what are Parables their stories with a Heavenly meaning to teach a Heavenly point, he teaches them just terrible to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said in a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about what the people fought is. This a good guy?
Is this somebody you'd want to take your case to
And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to this. This judge with a plea grant me Justice against my adversary. This woman had been wrong in some way, Jesus doesn't explain. For some time, the judge refused. And he finally said some self even though I don't fear God, even though what God says, doesn't matter to me or care what the people say, I'm just in it for myself, basically is what his position was yet because this woman keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so that she won't eventually come in at Acme. And the Lord said, listen to what the unjudge says. And I will not, excuse me, and will not God. Bring about Justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get Justice and quickly. However, when some of man comes he will find faith on your. Will he find faith on your Jesus telling stories this judge like man, this woman, she is going to wear me out. She just doesn't give up dare, I say modern terms, we could say she nagged him Is that too far?
But what was the result? She got the justice that she deserve. And God said continue to come before me. Do not stop. Don't give up. That family member who is not in relationship with Jesus yet. Don't give up praying. God still hears. those pains that you we all have don't stop bringing them before the merciful god because he hears The situation is that we Face everyday. Don't stop. Because God still hears. He is telling us Jesus's teaching. Be persistent. Keep coming. Keep praying. Keep asking. Because he is faithful. He's not like that. Judge. His character does not change his assets. His very nature is always the same. So, he will bring Justice.
We have one more in James chapter 4 and I know this was all familiar to you.
James is writing to the Believers and says you desire, but you do not have so you kill You covet and you do not get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask. When you ask you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives that you may spend on what you get on your pleasures.
I just said, don't give up. But that doesn't mean we can come to God, and we can beg and beg and beg for anything that is on our desire list. As much as I'd like a new truck. I can't why can't that does not guarantee that God's going to make a new truck appear in my driveway. Okay. Why is that? Because that's something just for my pleasure.
Jesus teaches, we do not have the things of God, because we do not ask for them. Do you need more faith? Town down the doors of Heaven in prayer asking God for more faith. Do you need peace in your life? Pound on the door of heaven and ask for peace.
Do you need wisdom? I know I do. pound down the doors of Heaven saying, God, I need the wisdom, that only you can give
James tells us we don't have these things because we don't ask because these things are things that God wants to give to us. We have looked before at the fruits of the spirit 2 weeks ago. He wants us to develop these things. He has a desire for this. This is what he has in his will for us. So when we come to him before him, and we ask for things that he already has willed for us, guess what? The answers are? Yes.
I don't give up. Don't give up. Okay. That was a lot of whether you realize not a lot of philosophy and a lot of theology. If you're still with me, good job.
If you fell asleep, I understand. There's Grace here.
What does that mean for us today? Well. I for things for you. As we wrap up. God is a relational being Always he responds to his people. He desires that interaction between us. Second God expects us to be involved with his work.
It's not just that we should. It's not just a good idea. But you are expected by the creator of the universe to be involved with what he is doing here. And now,
The we can only do that when we continually come before him in relationship. Third, don't give up. The world's going to come against you, life is going to happen. I guarantee it. Struggles will come.
and for some, Success can be even more of a distraction than struggle.
I know a lot of people that look back on their Glory Days. When I was in high school, I played football.
Well, great, that was thirty years ago. What have you done lately?
Don't let your past success. Sidelines, you from trying something new in God's work. The challenge is still here. And lastly, see God himself. As we're coming in prayer, as we come before him, he has the, will he has the desire? He has made the promises because of who his character is because of his very essence that does not change. He has made the promises to you to develop you, to encourage you to use you to Build You Up In Christ through the Holy Spirit. To be the guy said, Ambassador that he has called us to be.
That is what the doctrine of immutability means to us. God does not change in who he is and what he does and what he has but he does ACT relationally to us all that. Get back to Cheryl question. Just God changed his mind. Does he change his mind about what will happen with his desires and his plans and future? All that? Does he change his mind about any of that? No, he never does. Does he change his mind about how he relates to us? Yes, he very much does a. We looked through several passages and scripture today. Then demonstrate that
So you are intricate. in the very relationship with God and what he does with in this world Worship team. Would you come on up?
Being rather academic this morning. I still hope that this was an encouragement for you today. I still hope this was a challenge for you today. That in all that we do, That you are not just some pawn and a grand game of chess. But you are intricate and involved with the creator of the universe and he is working with you and through you for his will.
