Untitled Sermon

Lesson 2: The Goodness of God

Texts: ;

Review: God's goodness defined –

a. The Bible defines God's goodness in two ways. One has to do with His character; the other focuses on His actions. captures both when it says of God: "You are good and You do what is good . . . " The first half of that verse focuses on that fact that God is by nature good.

b. The second strand of definition for God's goodness concentrates on what He does.

c. A theological definition of the goodness of God is “the collective perfections of His nature and the benevolence of His acts.”

The Goodness of God in Psalmist opens with a proclamation of the Goodness of God.

Then the psalmist describes four different scenarios where God graciously steps in to reveal His goodness. I don't have time to unfold each one, just touch on it:

Litany of Thanksgiving by Four Groups of the Redeemed, 107:4–32

107:4–9 Those Who Wandered Desert Wastes

107:10–16 Those Who Were Imprisoned

107:17–22 Those Who Needed Healing and Forgiveness

107:23–32 Those Who Experienced the Perils of the Sea

1. Those Who Wandered Desert Wastes: God comes to the rescue of people who are frantically searching for something or someone that will satisfy their soul. When they cry out to the Lord, He will deliver them and their soul will find its true home.

2. Those Who Were Imprisoned. God intervenes in the lives of those who have rebelled against the Word of God and suffer for it. When they repent, He delivers them from their distress, breaks the chains of sin that bind them, and turns the night to day.

3. Those Who Need Healing and Forgivenss: God intervenes on behalf of His goodness in the lives of foolish people who had given themselves to sin and find its death-bringing results touching their relationships and lives. When they cry to the Lord. He heals them, and reverses the killing effects of sin in their lives.

Those Who Experienced the Pearls of the Sea: God rescues those pounded by calamity. When the storms threaten to sink us and we're at our wit's end, we can call to Him and see Him command the storms to be still, because He is good.