Believe in the Goodness of God

Believe in the Goodness of God

Text: Hebrews 11:6 (KJV 1900)

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

* I want to pull out the key words of this passage this mornig “believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder”

Introduction:

* God wants you to believe in His goodness this morning

* 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.

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.

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 effectively illustrated this truth 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.

* Just the same as all the other attributes of God, God is in direct contrast to Man. God is truly good. He is perfect in his goodness. He is high and “Holy”, “cut apart” from Man.

* Because we have no goodness of our own, we desperately need the goodness of God this morning.

I. The Goodness of God is seen in His provision for us.

A. The Common Mercies of God Speak of God’s Goodness.

* We read in Psalm 104, verses 24-28 of the common mercies that a Good God extends to all of His creation:

Psalm 104:24–28 (KJV 1900)

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.

* 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.”

* Jesus said in Luke 12:24:

24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

* Jesus again said in Luke 12:27

27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Charles Spurgeon said of the mercies that God extends to every man- "Let us praise God for common mercies, for they prove to be uncommonly precious — when they are once taken away!"

* Some of the many common blessings that God has given all mankind include, but are not limited to:

Sleep Health The Ability to Enjoy Sight Hearing Daily Bread Children Spouse

* We take all of these good things from God for granted until we don’t have them anymore.

* I recently read something that caused me to stop and consider: The question went something like this:

“What would you have left, if tomorrow God only allowed you to keep what you thanked Him for today?” (repeat question)

* We should all be thankful for the goodness that God shows to all of His creation on a daily basis.

* The Bible tells us of these “common” good things that God gives all mankind, saved or lost, but there are even more special promises that God gives to those who love Him.

* Those who love God are the ones mentioned in our text: those how believe He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him:

Text: Hebrews 11:6 (KJV 1900)

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

B. God’s special provision for those who love Him.

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?

Psalm 37:4 (KJV 1900)

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

* David said of those who diligently seek the Lord:

Psalm 37:24–25 (KJV 1900)

25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread.

* We read the following verse of great comfort in chapter 8 and verse 32:

Romans 8:32 (KJV 1900)

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

* Again, we find a wonderful promise for those that diligently seek God in Psalms 34:8-10:

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.

* God has promised those who diligently seek Him to not withhold anything from us that is good and is not contrary to his will for our lives. Listen to the words of Psalms 84:11-12:

Psalm 84:11–12 (KJV 1900)

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.

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.

* God’s goodness toward those who diligently seek Him us can be seen by the way He has promised to protects us:

Psalm 34:6–7 (KJV 1900)

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.

* God told Isaiah that it is “the heritage of the servants of the Lord,” that no weapon formed against them will prosper and that those who falsely accuse us will be condemned:

Isaiah 54:17 (KJV 1900)

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

* The Lord has promised to those who diligently seek Him, that He will pick us up when we fall:

Psalm 37:23–24 (KJV 1900)

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.

*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

Romans 8:31 (KJV 1900)

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

II. God wants to give you the desires of your heart.

* Psalms 37:4 says-

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

* What out text means this morning is-

Text: Hebrews 11:6 (KJV 1900)

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

* Doctor Jack Hudson, one of the great preachers of the past, pastor of the Northside Baptist Church in charlotte NC, used to preach a famous sermon called “Jelly Bread Christians.

* I would like to borrow an illustration from that sermon this morning.

* When a little bow comes to his mother and asks for a peanut butter sandwich every good mother will get down the peanut butter jar and make her sweet little boy a sandwich.

* That’s what a mother is supposed to do. She is supposed to good and feed here little boy.

* But now, when that mother looks down at her sweet little boy’s face and her heart swells up with love for him, she reaches up and grabs the jelly jar and puts a bunch of jelly on that peanut butter sandwich, because she knows he likes it, then she begins to illustrate how good God is to His children.

* The Lord longs to put a little jelly on your peanut butter sandwich this morning.

* As our text said, the Lord wants you to believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!

* 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.

Psalm 23:4–6 (KJV 1900)

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Ephesians 3:20–21 (KJV 1900)

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Malachi 3:10 (KJV 1900)

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be meat in mine house, And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven, And pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Luke 6:38 (KJV 1900)

38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

V. “You aint seen nothin’ yet”

1 Corinthians 2:8–9 (KJV 1900)

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 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.

Matthew 25:34–36

‎34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Revelation 21:1–7 (KJV 1900)

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Revelation 21:21–22:5 (KJV 1900)

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

VI. The goodness of God brings men to repentance.

Romans 2:4 (KJV 1900)

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

* Romans 2:4 asks the following questions about the goodness of God:

1). “Do you despise the riches of God’s Goodness?

2). “Do you not understand that the Goodness of God should bring you to repentance?”

* Listen to what the apostle Paul had to say about those who have despised the goodness of God by not being thankful:

Romans 1:18–21 (KJV 1900)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

* Have you been discouraged, disheartened, or felt like God has abandoned you this week?

* Our text this morning begs you to “believe in the Goodness of God!”-

Text: Hebrews 11:6 (KJV 1900)

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him

* Have you glorified God this week by being thankful for the Goodness of God?

I leave you with the words of the song we sang this morning to consider:

Count your blessings:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain

Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain

When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Refrain

So, amid the conflict whether great or small, Do not be disheartened, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end

* Lets’ pray.