Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Text: Lamentations 3:21-26 (KJV)

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning:

* (Here is the title of my sermon this morning)

great is thy faithfulness.

24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul;

* (Because God is faithful) therefore will I hope in him.

* Notice this great principle from the World of God-

25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly

* (Without whining, complaining, or doubting)

wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Psalm 34:16–19 (KJV 1900)

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, And delivereth them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Introduction:

* Every marriage vow that is not kept, every promise that is not fulfilled, Every debt that is not paid, Every promised prayer that is not prayed …

* All the unfaithfulness we have experienced at the hand of mere mortal men, are constant reminders to us that we desperately need the faithfulness of God this morning!

* If there is anything that we humans are, it is unfaithful!

* There was a time in our country when business was done on the basis of a promise and a handshake.

* There was a time when the people of this nation knew and understood the value of the word character- a time when a man was only as good as his word.

* There was a time when the wedding vow was said before God and man “ ‘til death do us part”- and it meant exactly that.

* There was a time in this country and when promises made and promises were kept.

* Our society has changed. No longer do people even understand what personal character is. A promise can no longer be trusted, because men and women no longer value faithfulness is our society.

* The condition we find ourselves in today is not a new one.

* Solomon asked centuries ago, “Who can find a faithful man?”

Proverbs 20:6 (KJV)

6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

* I am here to tell you this morning that there is still One this morning whose word is His bond.

- There is still one who can be completely trusted in everything! - There is still one who is faithful in all things!

- There is still one who is not changed by time or circumstance!

- There remains one this morning who’s character remains unchanged, and will never change- His name is the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, the Eternal Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

He is God the Father, who became a man called Jesus the Christ, and who has given His Holy Spirit to live and reign in the hearts of all those who believe on Jesus!

* Part of God’s character is His faithfulness, and we worship Him for it!

* I preached to you before about the Holiness of God.

* I revealed to you that the word Holy means “Cut apart from” or “separate from”

* When the Bible speaks of the Holiness of God it speaks to the fact that God is not at all like a man- man is totally unfaithful!

* Just look around you this morning at the empty pews- each empty seat this morning is the evidence of the thankfulness, and unfaithfulness of men and women to God.

* God is high and set apart from mankind, I am thankful this morning that God is totally and always faithful!

* To be faithful means to stand behind your word, to remain constant in spite of circumstances.

* I want you to realize a great truth this morning- God has no circumstances!

* God alone is above all circumstances in your life!

* God alone is in control of the circumstances of your life!

* God uses the institution of Marriage to illustrate faithfulness. God speaks of his relationship to Israel like Israel is an unfaithful wife.

* In the New Testament, those who put their faith in Christ are called the “Bride of Christ”

* None of the things that cause men and women today to be unfaithful to each other will ever impact God. Things like:

- selfish desire

- fear

- weakness

- loss of interest

- strong temptation.

* All these things can cause mortal men to be unfaithful to their marriage vows. These are the very same things that cause us to be unfaithful to God as well.

* I want you to understand that each of these things do not apply to Almighty God:

Selfish Desire

God will never be selfish in His desire for us!

Fear

God will never be afraid that we will fail Him- He continues to love us anyway!

Weakness

Another one of God’s attributes besides His faithfulness is His Omnipitoence- God is “all powerfull! God is not weak in His resolve to love us to the end!

Loss of Interest

The Almighty God will never lose interest in you like men and women do each other- God will always be faithful to your relationship to Him!

Strong Temptation

God is not subject to temptation. God is not like a man or a woman who will forsake one person in order to love another.

God is not like his chosen people Israel, who were continuously falling to the temptation to forsake God in order to worship the Gods of the surrounding nations.

Your relationship to God cannot be broken because of temptation because it is impossible to temp God!

In Romans chapter 8 the apostle Paul asked and a great and mighty question-

Romans 8:35 (KJV 1900)

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

The apostle Paul answered his questions with the following words:

Romans 8:37–39 (KJV 1900)

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When God expressed His faithfulness to His people He used the illustration of marriage. God’s faithfulness to you and I is even greater than that of a perfect and never-ending marriage!

In the day in which we live, marriage vows don’t mean a whole lot to us, because we are unfaithful people. Most of the time when people stand before witnesses and make a vow to God to be faithful to be a husband or wife, they are lying. I believe most of the people in this room can testify to that.

Because God is faithful, and faithfulness is one of the Almighty God’s Holy attributes, therefore it is impossible for God to lie or change what He has promised in His Holy Word, what we call the Bible.

Numbers 23:19 (KJV)

19 God is not a man, that he should lie;

neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and

shall he not make it good?

* When I was a little boy God promised to me through His Bible that if I called upon him that he would save me- Shall He not make it good this morning? If God does not keep His primes to this little boy then:

- If God does not keep his promise- The stars would fall from the sky!

- The very laws of nature that obey a Holy God would be corrupt and the force of gravity would be released- and all mankind would be flung from the earth!

- If God does not keep his promise to this little boy, then Satan would have succeeded in conquering God. Mankind would be doomed to be used and destroyed by an evil god. All that is good and right would be lost for eternity!

* We have studied on Wednesday nights in the Book of Genesis about the study about the covenant that God made with Abraham.

* As a matter of fact, the Entire Bible is a record of God being faithful to his promises He has made to people.

* The entire Bible is the story of God being faithful to his covenant with Abraham.

* I think of the covenants and promises that God has made with men. The Bible puts on display the story of promises to Adam and his wife Eve, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, the nation of Israel, and even in these last days the promises of the New Testament to all those who believe on the name of the Son of God, Jesus!

* Thank God when God made a promise to Eve back in the very beginning of creation, that her seed would overcome that seed of the devil, and crush his head, God was faithful to keep his promise to Eve!

* Because of the faithfulness of God you and I can place our trust in the Word of God!

2 Peter 1:16-19 (KJV)

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables,

when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy;

whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Hebrews 6:10-19 (KJV)

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love,

which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise

the immutability of his counsel,

confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope- (confidence), we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

2 Timothy 2:19 (KJV)

19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure,

having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.

I. God’s faithfulness is revealed in his creation.

Psalm 104:10-28 (KJV)

10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. 11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.

12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. 13 He watereth the hills from his chambers:

the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.

16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;

17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. 18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.

19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. 23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening. 24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all:

the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. 26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. 27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. 28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

II. Because God is faithful; you can have confidence when you pray.

* Not only is God’s faithfulness is revealed in his creation, but Because God is faithful you can have confidence when you pray.

Psalm 143:1 (KJV)

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications:

in thy faithfulness answer me,

and in thy righteousness.

Matthew 10:29-31 (KJV)

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

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?

John 14:13-14 (KJV)

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name,

I will do it.

III. Because God is faithful, you can have victory over Evil and temptation.

* Not only is God’s faithfulness revealed in his creation, and the faithfulness of God gives us confidence when we pray, but the faithfulness of God can give us victory over evil and temptation.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (KJV)

3 But the Lord is faithful,

who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Matthew 6:13 (KJV)

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:

but God is faithful,

who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

* We get tired of forgiving and being faithful, but God does not. He remains faithful even when we do not.

2 Timothy 2:13 (KJV)

13 If we believe not,

yet he abideth faithful:

he cannot deny himself.

IV. Because God is faithful, you can be assured He will forgive your sins.

* Not only is God’s faithfulness is revealed in his creation, and because God is faithful; you can have confidence when you pray, and because God is a faithful God we can have victory over evil and temptation, but I want you to know that because God is faithful, you can trust Him to forgive yours sins when you confess them to Him.

1 John 1:9-10 (KJV)

9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

V. Because God is faithful you can praise Him.

* Not only is God’s faithfulness is revealed in his creation, and because God is faithful; you can have confidence when you pray, and because God is a faithful God we can have victory over evil and temptation, and you can trust God to forgive yours sins, but I want you to see this morning that because of the faithfulness of God, we are compelled to praise Him!

In his book, Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis says this about praise:

“The most obvious fact about praise, whether of God or of anything, had escaped me all of my life. I thought of it in terms of compliment or approval, or giving honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise. The world rings with praise— readers praising their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game, even praises of weather, dishes, actors, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, and once in a while, even the praise of a politician. I had not recalled how the humblest and at the same time most balanced minds praise most, while the cranks and the misfits and the malcontents praise least. I had not noticed, either, that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us in joining them to praise it. ‘Isn’t she lovely?’ ‘Wasn’t it glorious?’ ‘Didn’t you think it was magnificent?’ The psalmists, in telling everyone to praise God, are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses what we feel, but it completes the actual enjoyment itself.”

* One of the ways in which we know that we are falling in love with someone is, that when we see or hear something of great value to us, then we have a overwhelming desire to for the one we love to share this experience with us.

Psalm 89:1 (KJV)

1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever:

with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 89:5-8 (KJV)

5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD:

thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. 8 O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to

thy faithfulness round about thee?

VI. Because God is faithful you can have courage when you are afraid.

Not only is God’s faithfulness revealed in his creation, and because God is faithful; you can have confidence when you pray, and because God is a faithful God we can have victory over evil and temptation, and because God is faithful, you can trust God to forgive yours sins, and because God is faithful we are compelled to praise Him but last of all this morning I would like you to see that because God is faithful, we can face life with courage when we are afraid.

* The author of our text this morning, the prophet Jeremiah, was a prophet of God whose ministry took place when the city of Jerusalem was besieged by, and ultimately destroyed by, the Babylonians.

* When Jeremiah penned these words in our text, and I will read them again…

Text: Lamentations 3:21-26 (KJV)

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning:

* (Here is the title of my sermon this morning)

great is thy faithfulness.

24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul;

* (Because God is faithful) therefore will I hope in him.

* Notice this great principle from the World of God-

25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly

* (Without whining, complaining, or doubting)

wait for the salvation of the LORD.

* Jerusalem had been under siege for eighteen months. People were dying of starvation and thirst, the normal result of ancient warfare sieges on a city: the enemy would cut off their supplies and wait until the people began to die and were too weak to defend themselves.

* It got so bad in Jerusalem that people were killing and eating their own children to stay alive.

* Understandably, at first, Jeremiah reacted angrily toward God for what He had allowed to happen to Jerusalem.

* Ultimately Jeremiah’s lament became personal: “Why have you allowed this to happen to me?”

* And then he says, in verse 21, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.”

Lamentations 3:21-26 (KJV)

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul;

therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly, (not complaining),

wait for the salvation of the LORD.

* The hymn writer, Thomas Chisholm, took his inspiration for the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” from this very passage when he quoted the Bible with the worlds-

“Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see.”

* What could Jeremiah see with his eyes?- Nothing but a completely destroyed city and a devastated people.

* But through the eyes of faith in a faithful God, Jeremiah could see God’s faithfulness in the face of what appeared to be calamity.

* If the only time you declare the faithfulness of God is when we understand and see what He is doing, then you don’t fully understand the character of God.

* Many times in life we only see with our physical eyes, and what we see begins to cloud our perception of the character of God.

* Someone who looks at life through the eyes of faith, does not see not the circumstances he is in! He only the faithfulness of the Almighty God of the Bible!

* This is exactly what David meant in the 23 Psalms that we so often quote:

Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Conclusion:

* God’s faithfulness is a source of comfort to all who trust in Him.

* We need to do what Jeremiah did: recall … remember … reckon on … recollect … and believe in the faithfulness of God!

* Remember this morning how He has delivered His people, including you and I, in the past.

I. God’s faithfulness is revealed in his creation.

II. Because God is faithful; you can have confidence when you pray.

III. Because God is faithful, you can have victory over Evil and temptation.

IV. Because God is faithful, you can be assured He will forgive your sins.

V. Because God is faithful you can praise Him.

VI. Because God is faithful you can have courage when you are afraid.