Can You Really Count on God
Can You Really Count on God?
Lamentations 3:20-23
Broken promises. A young man and a young woman stand before the preacher. Their families have traveled a long, long way for the young couple to stand at this place together. And before God and before friends and before family a young man says, “I will” and a young woman says, “I do”. They are in LOVE! All is well for a few years.
Or maybe you know of a Bill Thomas in your life. Bill was my good friend. Bill was a hard worker and Bill was loyal to the company he worked for – for 29 years! Just a few months before his 30th year of working for one company – Bill was let go from his job. Bill’s retirement was cut in half in one day by a new, young boss who wanted to “clean house”. Another promise was broken.
Lamentations is a book where a people had broken their promises to God.
At one time the people sang to God, “We are standing on Holy Ground…”
But the people began to take God for granted and the people began to take one another for granted. Sin was rampant in all the land. The Temple of Solomon, this crowning achievement of God’s partnership with mankind was reduced to rubble. The bricks have all been shattered now. The Temple, once a place of great and pure worship is crumpled and ruined.
5 Laments in the book of Lamentations. 5 times the people came before God and acknowledge yet again they have broken promises to God. The people sinned and they thought – “We’ll deal with the consequences of our sins at a later time…but as it always is with us, a day of accounting for our sins comes too soon. As the people of God sat in the midst of their broken homes, broken lives and broken dreams they asked:
“Is there anything we can count on?”
“Our lives and our hearts are broken, does anyone keep his promises?”
1.You can ALWAYS count on God to FORGIVE you.
You can always count on God to forgive your sins. What great, glad news is here for us today. We get to read and hear that there are some things we can always count upon.
No matter your station or rank in life – our Lord promises to be with us and to forgive us in all of life. People will classify us – so today you can know that weather you are boomer, buster, gen-exer, or codger, you have it on God’s Word – He is faithful, His compassions, they fail not.”
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…”
“Blessed is the man who sins are covered…”
The thief on the cross – confessed his sins – he said we are getting what we deserve, but sir, “LORD” will you remember me when you come into your Kingdom?”
Jesus’ answer to him, “Today, you will be with me in PARADISE.”
“With me” might have been the greatest words this thief ever heard!
Jeremiah says, “When we confess our sins – our Lord forgives our iniquity and remembers our sins no more…”
Hebrews 8: “When we confess our sins, He forgives our sins and remembers our sins no more..”
Hebrews 10: “The Lord forgives our sins and remembers our sins no more!”
God forgives our sins – you can count on me to do that for you.
- You can ALWAYS count on God…to SAVE you…
- You can ALWAYS count on God…to COMPLETE you…
- You can ALWAYS count on God…to PROTECT you…