Knowing the God That Created You- Series Intro.

Knowing the God That Created You Series Introduction

Text: Nahum 1:7 (KJV)

7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Series Introduction:

1). Knowing about God, who is the object of our worship this morning, is not the same as knowing God Intimately.

2). Facts and figures can give us a representation about someone, but this kind of knowledge is lifeless.

* Books and articles and pictures may describe God accurately, and they may provide an introduction to the God that we worship, but they cannot replace a relationship with the person that God is.

3). A relationship with the God that we worship this morning, never becomes the intimate exchange that God intends for you to have with Him until there is heart to heart communion between you and God.

4). Many Christians know a lot about God. They have read books, even read the Bible, and have attended church for years, but they only know about God, they have never truly known God.

* I am for all for books, and Bible reading, and faithfully attending church, but these things only tell us about God.

* Gathering accurate information about God is often where we start in our relationship with God,

* but God desires that we not only know about Him, but that, like Adam and Eve did when they walked with God in the Garden of Eden, God wants us to experience Him.

* To know God in a experiential way, is to love God.

* We study the attributes of God, because they lead us to love God more.

* If our relationship with God never moves from facts and figures about God, to the place of spiritual fellowship and true experiential worship, our lives as Christians we will become bitter and joyless and the Christian life will lose its purpose.

* Our true purpose in life is to glorify God. This is why we were created. “This is the secret of life.”

5). Do you just know about God, or do you have a relationship with Him this morning?

6). How do we get to the place where we can truly worship God in the way He wants to be worshiped?

* The Bible tells us that there is a certain way that God wants us to worship him.

* Listen to the words of Jesus has He explained to the woman who met him at a well, who knew about God and her religion, that God wanted her to worship differently:

John 4:23-24 (KJV)

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

7). Until you and I move from knowing about God, to knowing God so well that it causes us to love him, we cannot worship God sincerely, and with our whole heart.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (KJV)

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Matthew 22:36-38 (KJV)

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.

* We can only worship someone we love. We must learn what God’s personality is like in order to fall in love with God.

Illustration: “The story of a girl name horse”

* We can only sincerely love someone we know intimately. We learn to love God by knowing intimately what His personality is like.

8). This is why we study the “Attributes” of God.

* An attribute is a characteristic, or a personal trait, that is consistently present in a person or in our case for this series of sermons, an attribute of God is a characteristic or a personality trait that is always present in God.

* In the Bible, God reveals his personal attributes to us that we might understand Him and love Him for what He is really like.

* Unlike the attributes of men and women, God’s attributes and personality never change.

* When we see God’s attributes in this series of sermons, it will cause us to fall in love with God with all our heart, and mind and soul.

* And that is what is behind true worship- worship in sincerity and truth.

* Here are some of the attributes that we will be dealing with in the next few months:

* God is a Jealous God * God is a Holy God

* God is a Faithful God

* God is an Eternal God * God is a Changeless God

* God is a Powerful God

* God is a Good God

* God is an All-Knowing God

* God is a Sovereign God

* God is an ever-present God

* God is a loving God

* Each one of these sermons will deepen and intensify our love for the God that we come here to worship each Sunday.

God Is Always Good

Text: Nahum 1:7 (KJV)

7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Introduction:

* Over the last two Sundays we have talked a lot about the story of Job.

* One of the things that we learned from the story of Job is that the Devil is in the business of causing people to doubt the goodness of God.

* The whole idea of Faith in God rests in the fact that God is always good.

* Because goodness is a unchanging attribute of God, then we can be always rest in the fact that God will never do anything that is not good.

* We can trust in the goodness of God when we go through life’s troubles and trials, knowing that God is always good,

it is part of God’s nature to be good, and the nature of God never changes, the nature and personality of God is always consistent.

* The attributes and personality of God are a sure anchor that you can put your trust and faith in.

* Sometimes we talk about a “good” man, or a good woman. We often refer to folks as “Good” people.

* In reality there is no one who is truly good but God.

* We literally would have no real concept of good, outside of the revelation of the goodness of God.

Psalm 14:1-3 (KJV)

1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Psalm 53:1-3 (KJV)

1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. 3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Romans 3:9-23 (KJV)

…for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes…

23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

* The world tries to tell us that “inside each of us is a spark of goodness, a “spark of divinity.”

* Man would like to think that he basically good, but the God that created you knows you are inherently bad.

* Job illustrated this truth to us when he said in Job 5:7…

Job 5:7 (KJV)

7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

* If this were not enough proof that the God that created us knows that we are not inherently good, then the very words of Jesus leave no doubt…

Luke 18:18-19 (KJV)

18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

* Many times in the work of the ministry people will say to the preacher “you’re a good man!”

* Even though folks mean well, it makes me cringe inside because I know that true “goodness” should only be attributed to God.

* The Goodness of God is Just like all the other attributes of God.

* The attributes of God are always in contrast the nature of fallen mankind.

* Unlike man, who by his fallen nature is inherently bad, God on the other hand, is truly good- all the time.

* God is perfect in his goodness. He is high and “Holy”, “set apart” from Man.

* Psalm 52:1 says that “the goodness of God endures continually,” meaning, that goodness is never absent from God’s character.

Psalm 52:1 (KJV)

1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

* Goodness is ever-present with God.

* We can connect God’s goodness with His grace, His mercy, His perfection—almost all of His attributes can be thought of as expressions of His goodness.

* The one characteristic that comes to mind more than any other when I think of God’s goodness is His generosity.

* That means God is good abundantly. His goodness overflows in its extravagance.

* A good illustration of the “extravagant goodness” of God is the Father in the story of the prodigal son.

- He asked to be taken is as a hired servant.

- The father lavished him with a great feast. They killed the fatted calf…

- He put a robe on him.

- He put a ring on his finger.

- He lavished love so generously on his prodigal son, that his brother became angry and filled with jealousy.

* That’s the way God is. He lavishes goodness on us, His children, in totally unrestrained ways. He is generously good toward us.

I. God’s goodness is seen in his provision for our needs.

* Listen to the words of Psalm 145:1-21:

Psalm 145:1-21 (KJV)

1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

7 They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. 8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. 11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; 12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. 13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

14 The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. 16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. 18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

* Psalm 136:25 says that God “gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever.”

* Psalm 33:5 says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”

* Again the book of Psalms declares…

Psalm 34:7-10 (KJV) 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Psalm 84:11-12 (KJV)

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

* Listen to the word of Jesus in Mathew chapter 7 and verses 7-11:

Matthew 7:7-11 (KJV)

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

II. God’s goodness is seen in his patience with us.

Psalms 103:8-14

8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

III. God’s goodness is seen in his protection over us.

Psalm 34:5-10 (KJV)

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

*Listen to David as he talks about how God protects him…

Psalm 27:1-14 (KJV)

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

IV. God’s goodness is seen in his path for us.

A. God directs our path when we lose our way in this life

* Jeremiah knew that it is not in us to direct our own path in this life.

Jeremiah 10:22-24 (KJV)

23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself:

it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

* We think we know what we are doing, but we don’t.

Proverbs 16:25 (KJV)

25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

* We must be actively asking God to direct our path in life.

Proverbs 3:4-6 (KJV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Psalm 37:1-7 (KJV)

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against 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; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Psalm 37:23-25 (KJV)

23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD:

and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Psalm 37:29-31 (KJV)

29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. 30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Psalm 37:37-40 (KJV)

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

B. When we got saved, God directed us onto the straight and narrow path.

* He provided a narrow path, but a good path.

* Not the broad path that leads to destruction. That’s the path that the Devil prepares for us to walk in.

Proverbs 16:25 (KJV)

25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

* Pilgrim, in the book, The Pilgrim’s Progress, came to a crossroads where two paths met.

* Jesus set the example of a hard and narrow path.

* The Devil has a wide and easy path that most people are willing to follow, but this path leads to Hell and destruction, pain and heartache!

* The path that Jesus came to lead you on is a path of peace, and joy, and gladness, and his path will end up with eternal life in paradise.

Matthew 7:13-14 (KJV)

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

* We all were born started off on the wide path that leads to Hell and destruction.

* If you want to go to Hell, and live a life that will destroy you, then just keep on walking the way you are headed.

* John the Baptist stood in the waters of BethaBara one day and cried out to the people of Israel, saying “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

* John saw Jesus coming to the water to be baptized and John cried out to the people to follow Jesus-

* He told the people that Jesus would lead them in the right path that would take them to heaven!

* In his great goodness, God entered into His own creation in the Body of Jesus, in order to show us the path to walk in that leads to Heaven.

Conclusion:

Illustration: “If I were only a bird!”

* I read the story once of a man who would not listen to His wife and children as the pleaded and cried with him to get saved and leave the path of sin that he was walking.

* Sunday after Sunday he refused to go to church with is family.

* One winder Sunday night his family was gone to the church to practice for the Christmas play and while he remained home a blizzard came.

* As the man was looking out the window safe in his warm house he saw a whole flock of birds being blown about in the freezing winds and blinding snow.

* Moved in his heart with compassion for the dying birds, the man bundled up in his thick winter coat, and wound his wool scarf around his neck, and went out to open the large barn doors on the barn in order to let the birds fly into the barn for safety.

* The birds would not go into the barn! He tried everything He could to get the birds to fly into the barn- He got behind them and waved his arms- He yelled and tired everything He could to save all the birds that were going to freeze to death!

* Then a thought came to him and he thought to himself- if only I were a bird, then I could talk to the birds and lead them to safety before they are destroyed in this blizzard!

* At that very moment, the Holy Spirit of God spoke to his heart- He all of a sudden realized that he was just like those birds!

* He knew that he was headed down the wring path, and that if he did not listen to God, he would meet a terrible destruction just like those birds.

* And he realized for the first time that, just like with these birds, that in order to get men to understand that God wanted to save them, it became necessary that God become a man in order to be able to lead men to safety.

* Just like the birds would listen and get into the barn and be saved if he were only a bird, so Jesus had to become a man in order to save him.

* This man left the barn open for the birds, and rushed to the church where his family was, to tell them that God had spoken to his heart and that he was willing to become a follower of Jesus and repent and be saved.

* My friends, the Bible in Romans chapter 2 and verse 4 askes the question of all of us how have enjoyed the goodness of God in our lives:

Romans 2:4–5 (KJV 1900)

4 … despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

* and then the next verse gives a warning to those who experience the goodness of God, but then continues on living in the path of the Devil…

5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God…

* Friend, will you respond to the goodness of God this morning by coming to this alter and getting saved?

* Would there be any here who would come to this alter and thank God for his goodness to you this morning? God desires your praise and desires that you acknowledge his goodness this morning.

* God is a good God, all the time. And this attribute of God is just one of the reasons that we love Him this morning.

* Let’s pray.