God is good pt 2

transcript

God Is Good Pt 2

• Luke 18:18-19Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question, ’Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call Me good?’ Jesus asked him. ‘Only God is truly good.’

Reasons why difficult for us to acknowledge that God is truly good.

a) Failure to appreciate what we already blessed with:-

1. Thinking too highly of ourselves.2. Doubting the goodness of God.

b) Wrong basis of judgment :-1. Personal interest.2. Human experience.

c) When reality clashes with truth :-1. Lack of first hand knowledge of

God.2. Failure to treasure the word of

God Is Good Pt 2

• Our understanding, acceptance and conviction that God is truly good hinges on 2 key Biblical Scriptures.• 2 familiar yet often not taken

seriously Scriptures.

God Is Good Pt 2

A. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)‘For I know the plans I have for you’, says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’

God Is Good Pt 2

a) God has plans and thoughts for us.1. Created for a purpose, not by

chance and not by accident.• Psalms 139:14

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

God Is Good Pt 2a) God has plans and thoughts for us.2. Plans must be the best if God the

mastermind is all powerful, all wise and all knowing.

• Luke 11:11-13If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will you give him a stone?

God Is Good Pt 2

b) His plans are for our good and not for our disaster/ harm.

1. No fear of evil or disaster as God is righteous and just.

• Job 34:12Surely God will never do wickedly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

God Is Good Pt 2

b) His plans are for our good and not for our disaster/ harm.

2. No worry of harm and losses as God is the Almigthy and loving with the universe at His disposal.

• Psalm 23• The Lord is my shepherd.

God is Good Pt 2

c) To give us a future and a hope.1. God will make sure His plans for us

are worked out/ fulfilled.• Phil 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

God is Good Pt 2

c) To give us a future and a hope.2. The ultimate end will be good.• Job 42:10

And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

God Is Good Pt 2

B. Romans 12:2 (NLT)That you may learn to know God’s will for you, which is good, pleasing/ acceptable and perfect.

God Is Good Pt 2

a) God’s will for us can be learnt/ known.

1. God does no secret thing in the dark.

• Gen 18:17And the LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?’

God Is Good Pt 2

a) God’s will for us can be learnt/ known.

2. God even tries to accommodate our requests.

• Isaiah 1:18‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD.

God Is Good Pt 2

b) God’s will can be proven good.1. Not just good, but pleasing,

acceptable and perfect.• Gen 50:20

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

God Is Good Pt 2

b) God’s will can be proven good.2. Our confidence is in the perfect

God.• Deuteronomy 32:4

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, a God of truth without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

God Is Good Pt 2

• The level of our acceptance of these scriptures determine :-

a) Our perception of His goodness.b) Our relationship with Him.

God Is Good Pt 2

• Wholehearted conviction that God is truly good can:-

a) Fill our daily lives with gratitude and thanksgiving.

b) And unimaginable breakthrough in our relationship with the

gracious heavenly Father.

What can wholehearted acceptance that God is truly good do to us:-

a) Gateway to spiritual maturity1. It motivates the giving of oneself.• Matthew 13:44-46i. Parable of the hidden treasure.ii. Parable of the pearl of great price.

a) Gateway to spiritual maturity1. It motivates the giving of oneself.• Matthew 22:37

Jesus said to him,’ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

a. Gateway to spiritual maturity.2. It motivates the desire to know Him• Psalms 42:1-2

As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, o God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before Him.

a. Gateway to spiritual maturity.2. It motivates the desire to know Him• Deuteronomy 6:5-6

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

a) Gateway to spiritual maturity.2. It motivates the desire to know Him .• Deuteronomy 6:7

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk to them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

a) Gateway to spiritual maturity.2. It motivates the desire to know Him.• Ephesians 4:14

That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.

b) Stepping stone to abundant life1. It leads to abundant life.• Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it…….

b) Stepping stone to abundant life1. It leads to abundant life.• Joshua 1:8

….For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

b) Stepping stone to abundant life2. Real prosperity covers our whole

being.• 3 John 1:2

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

c) Shield against spiritual deception

1. Unthankful heart and ingratitude leads to self seeking and self gratification.

c) Shield against spiritual deception1. Romans 1:21

Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

c) Shield against spiritual deception

2. Failure to honour and glorify God opens door to deception.

c) Shield against spiritual deception• If we think that God is not good• How can we be thankful• Will not choose to glorify Him• Leads to all kinds of uncleanness• Open door for deception.

• If we are convinced that God is good, it produces gratitude & thanksgiving

• Leads to desire to love & to know• Knowledge brings maturity/stability• Grace and peace bring wholeness• Obedience keeps us from deception

God Is Good Pt 2

• Romans 2:4Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

God Is Good Pt 2

• God is good and out of His goodness He saves us from eternal condemnation and gives us eternal life.

God Is Good Pt 2

• If in any circumstances we are doubting that God is truly good. • We are indirectly rejecting the very

God that gives the gift of salvation.• We are actually telling God that we

want only His gift and not the Giver.

God is good pt 2

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