The Real God - The Goodness Of God, Part 2

I recently taught a gathering of people and heard myself say I think a lot of you believe that God loves you.

I don't think many of you think you really like the fact of the matter is, as we can intellectually believe that God loves us, but not have a sense that he's for us. He wants to work things out that he's good he's kind is compassion you want to experience the goodness of God stay with thanks for joining us for this edition of living will be good with Living on the Edges of international discipleship industry featuring the Bible teacher.

If you ever struggled with feeling what you got is angry with us to dispel the myth that God is just waiting for us to mess up Richard series the real God. You know, as you listen friendly come to mind needs to hear this to you so just told about the chipping roadmap listen anytime okay let's get started here.

Strip with part two of his talk from Psalm 84. How has God revealed his goodness is one thing I can tell you if you actually come to believe that from your head down to your heart.

Obedience will be completely different.

Trusting him becomes completely different. The fear of the future will always always have some began to dissipate as if God has your best and he sovereign pennies control is an all wise God is for you and he's leaning forward on the throne to bless your life and to help you can give you the very best will then whatever he says is the well that's what I want to do now but I doesn't mean that you don't have some emotional fear doesn't mean the front and might be really hard but it means that you trust his promises because he's a good God he's revealed to us in three ways, and let me encourage you to to let these ways sink in and begin to practice them in a new way because you gotta do some things to move. I believe God's good to hear. First, it's through natural blessings.

Psalm 145 729 says they celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love Lord is good to all he has compassion on all he's made does the all include you. He's good to all this. This little phrase is repeated all through the Old Testament. He's gracious and compassionate bounding multiplying exponentially available lovingkindness.

The word is Hessen. It's a steadfast, loyal commitment, love to give you the best that's got that's how God is with his creation later in the same Psalm verse 16 says you open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and faithful in all that he does.

And here's what I'd say his pause to look around.

We get so busy so focused just observe people observe people in a restaurant.

Observe people walking on the streets now the whole world. Does this family sitting together in a restaurant is for funds out. When's the last time with them series. When's the last time you saw a sunset you when's the last time you saw a sunrise. When's the last time you said I'm gonna take a walk in God is displaying his goodness and his glory. When's the last time you took a walk in nature. When's the last time you said I don't need to be in a hurry when's the last time and in the traffic in the hustle and the bustle steadily see if I go here, go here. If I get off this ramp and I get over here to cut across your custom gonna say two minutes and shed all the stress to my life.

You said maybe I just get the slow lane and put on a song about the glory of God and realize all these other crazy people that are commuting. I just not to be a part of that. When's the last time you went to a park or even the mall. One of the little playgrounds and you just sat down and you watch kids play in this. The innocence they're not worried they're not stressful. They're not going to wonder when or where tomorrow or I wonder if this can be any food tonight. Or, you know, I wonder what profession I'm you have when I grow up just having fun. When's the last time you remembered and you just held a brand-new baby in your arms just as careless. This is amazing where I live, I can drive about 30 minutes and just parked in front of the ocean is, watch those waves come in. Watch the waves come in this something good about being small, sometimes you just one little person I'm just one little person you so valuable.

On the one hand, and take this the right way and not all that important. And yet left to myself I can start to feel like the whole world is dependent on me in every decision and every issue in all this. If you don't bask in the goodness of God and the natural surroundings.

Then you unconsciously, we will become the center and the focus and you believe life is about pressure and productivity in getting things done and what and and and there's a place for that, but the place for that is its posers great words.

It's living under a Skype. It's friendly and knowing that this God though exalted in majesty and power is eager to be friends with you that you even even for some of you if you're like me, we are so productive oriented. If I'm not praying and talking and interceding is like when I'm even when I'm with God I got to get something done anybody like that if you ever just been listening to a song or this morning I was up at Chris Tomlin on just various songs in a couple came up that mice like myself, that's up and I just thought I got to adopt that boy and that kid was. We went through God.

David says this one thing I will do that. I will seek to behold the beauty of the Lord literally the word is the delightful this to meditate his temple, but this part of the goodness of God. You just have to stop and I wrote a couple things down here.

I wrote for health for food for love for people for beauty for life for air for opportunity for the talents for the education that you have for the opportunities God's given you that you live in this country.

One of things I do II lose perspective often. I seem to be have a lot of issues, but I think God uses my issues because when I share the it seems like you guys have them too which makes me feel really better.

This was a Friday night about three weeks ago and it was 9 PM and I wrote my journal. I rarely if ever write at night but I'm much peace and very very thankful after another very intense week and two nights with just a few hours sleep the Lord. My shepherd had me lie down in green pastures, he restored my soul. I restored all my work. My sermon outlines done. I interviewed a new CFO candidate thinks the right one.

I met with a fellow pastor Steve and it was such encouraging to shared a very deep level. I laid out all my issues and his wise counsel.

I went and swam and did my workout in. Didn't count the laps, but tried to enjoy the process. My son Ryan just drop by to pick up his kids and came to my office. We had a blast. He asked me how I was doing and how my back was in. I shared pretty.

Honestly, he started to tear up not have a son with that, compassion.

I fell asleep in had his boys over that night I slept at the bottom of the bed. My grandson fell asleep in my arms, thank you, thank you. Little things, but God reveals his goodness through natural blessings. The second way he reveals his goodness is through deliverances and ask you to turn to Psalm 107.

It's a very long Psalm. I want you to study it, but I'm going to give you the structure of the Psalm is the classic passage on the goodness of God in the Old Testament. The Psalm will open with a call to honor God's goodness in them. What you can see her.

There are four specific vignettes and envy the authors gonna say. Then yet number one vignette number two vignette number three vignette number four in each one of these vignettes people find themselves in an impossible situation there desperate in three of the four there an impossible situation because of their own doing their own sin, and the fourth one God sovereignly seems to be working to some sailors, after so there's a vignette talks about a situation it's really bad it's impossible, then the process and each one is the same. They cry out to the Lord in the midst of their desperation missed their trouble, and then God delivers delivers delivers and then there's a repeating phrase it says let them give thanks to the Lord for he is good and that it vignette vignette vignette.

It's really powerful and you got it. Psalm 1 to 7. Look at verses one and two pieces all give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he is redeemed from trouble now is can give for pictures of trouble. Look at verse four. Some wandered in the desert waste finding a way to a city to dwell in hungry and thirsty, their souls fainted within them. They cried to the Lord in their trouble.

He delivered them from their distress. He led them by the straight way till he reached the city to dwell in. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love for his wondrous work to the children of men, for he satisfies the longing of the soul, the hungry, so he filled with goodness.

Vignette number two. Some sat in darkness and shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and irons for the rebelled against the word of the Lord, and he spurned the council almost died so he bowed their heads with hard labor and they fell with mom to help them. They cried to the Lord in their trouble. He delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and out of the shadow of death, and he burst their bonds and give thanks to the Lord.

First, at best. Love his wondrous works for the children of men shatters the doors of bronzing talking about breaking to judgment 17 summer fools through sinful ways because their iniquities affliction and will find out it becomes physical affliction, he delivers them. Verse 21. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his wondrous works. Skipping down to verse 23. Some went down to the sea in ships doing business on the great waters they saw the deeds of the Lord for his wondrous works in the deep.

He commanded and raised up a stormy when he lifted up the ways of the sea and the notes sailors cry on their distress. God delivers them. Verse 31.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love his wondrous works to men, and then notice he will begin and say let them extol his congregation of the people the praise of the assembly of the elders and then verse 33 to the end of the chapter he's going to reach back and take the deliverances of God. Historically, is this Psalm is written to a group of people who have missed God's goodness and their focusing on circumstances and their lives aren't working and the only way he it's up to pull back our perspective and realize all in the midst of our trouble in the past. One of the ways that God expresses his goodness is he delivers us he reaches in and delivers us when we don't deserve it. The first three times it's because of their sin.

In fact in your notes or put a little summary. He rescues us from our enemies he rescues us when were spiritually adrift. He rescues us from the shadow of death, he feels are diseases. He saves us in the storms of life in the notice, at the very end after he highlights these big moments in Israel's history when they were in the desert when he delivered them from the enemies verse 43 whoever is wise by the weight in biblical literature. The word wise, especially in the Old Testament is not intellectual wisdom book of Proverbs, or even New Testament book of James wisdom is understanding how God designed life to work. It's a skill and it's following that. So this is the pattern or the path of God says this is how relationships work. Wisdom is I'm going to follow that path. Wisdom is this is how God designed money to work in our life.

I'm going to follow that path. Wisdom is when I made a mistake. Here's the path for reconciliation, forgiveness will follow that path. So we sang. Let him who is wise attend to these things. Let them consider let them ponder the steadfast love. That's our word lovingkindness of the Lord can ask you to do just a quick glance in your rearview mirror in your memory bank. When has God delivered you delivered someone you love anybody been just a horrendous situation maybe did some really terrible anybody had one your kids in the hospital and you beg God for their life and he delivered anybody anybody here and through cancer, you hear anybody here been upside down financially. Anybody here had a moment in your marriage that you just thought I'd get the covenant stuff. This person makes me so crazy.

Divorce is not an option but and you just should you grit your teeth and say God I want to learn to love this person and he delivered you see that's that's God's goodness is mercy. I I thought back in my little life I thought I think I was the most arrogant person that I'd ever met and was all rooted in security, but the only way I knew growing up was just act like the tough guy recruit the tallest biggest guy on the team to be my enforcer. Some, small in my mouth than my arrogance and my insecurity.

I just look back delivered me nice, I still have arrogance, but at least it's not the big ugly kind stop and look back and say what level of a second.

The guy who did that you think you can handle this big one right that you're facing. Had a very very troubled marriage. We both came from alcoholic backgrounds and my wife was a stuffer and I was a talker and we couldn't communicate we could resolve anger. I praise God for Christian counseling even at $95 now it's a lot of money when you're making $1000 a month and you're in seminary preparing to teach people about God and marriage unit. You know the hardest part.

I second, I can vividly remember going into the mire manner of clinic in sitting down and waiting for our time and just praying that no one came through that door that knew me. That's how Eric was. I was so concerned about what other people with thick and now I look back and think you know we did 12 sessions. I have no idea where we got the money and that a few years later, we needed a tuneup and went back and sat down with someone you know when you get stuck delivers so glad I didn't bail out so glad we didn't bail out so glad I can't imagine is it perfect of course not, she still married to me and you. Lastly, you mean you I got idiosyncrasies that are off the chart.

I'm I'm intense off the chart yet I would not want to live with me, but I'm so glad she does and and it's better and deeper and every I mean emotionally friendship sexually every week.

Believe me, you name an area we struggle and not when I say bestowed on me like I was a little problem problem in God delivered.

Think of the one my sons in ICU and we didn't think you live. I think of one of my other sons in the 27 hour labor that we didn't think he was going to make. We just thank God the number six years ago and through cancer with my wife driving every every day to Stanford after the surgery.

Thinking is this is this what I get. God delivered. Just think, just think, ask yourself has our lives gotten so distracted with staff and trivia and so focused on the future and what about and what about and what about and what about in this unconscious desire to control and to manipulate and and truck's thinking in our little human as we can determine outcomes. What would happen if you started to look at the natural blessings and you begin to think and write and ponder he do if he delivered here's my here's my I'm a pretty logical if he delivered in all those areas. Whatever is in the windshield of my life that feels painful, overwhelming, confusing, and creates fear in my heart I can at least look in the rearview mirror and say that God is with me and that God's out there so all my question is okay I don't get it emotionally, but I'm can I trust you to stay on the path. There is a there's a path or there is a way that seems right to men but ends in death and there's a path that's the Lords that is fullness of joy for his pleasures are forever the third and most profound way for sure is God's demonstrate his goodness through his son Jesus is the proof of God's goodness, and I love it. It's his goodness. Before we did anything that is not a cause and effect. There certainly is a clear relationship in Scripture between the blessings of God in obedience and the discipline of God and disobedience.

But even the discipline of God is out of his goodness and out of his love, he disciplines, not because he's mad or punishing us all of the just wrath and punishment of God was placed on Christ at the cross.

If your son or a daughter. He made discipline you and bring you through very difficult times, but I was hard of goodness and love to give you the best when ever you are discouraged when ever you wonder if God is good. There is a historical moment.

The cross is the greatest revelation of the goodness of God in the universe. The cross why we were yet sinners, not when you cleaned up your act, not when you did better not when you didn't have problems why you and me were rebels and we could have been far from God and angry God, or we can be a rebel being passively indifferent thinking. We don't need him both his rebellion in that moment in that state Christ demonstrated his love for you.

He died in your place is the proof of God's goodness.

Jesus is the guarantee of future goodness the proof of present goodness is the cross, the guarantee of future goodness is the cross. He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up literally or over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things is called a priori logic.

No words, if someone would like forgive a $5 million debt you think you could trust him. If you went out to lunch and set YOU know I don't have my wallet. My gosh, you think you pay for know is if God has demonstrated his love through the cross. How will he not with him.

He's loved you.

He's rescued you. He's patient, how will he not with him give you wisdom to be in the right relationship give you direction for the right job give you grace in the midst of a difficult situation of Psalm 8411 was the promise, but this verse Romans 832 was why I turned from a path that was wrong got on the exit ramp of repentance and turned around and got on God's path.

I was in college and as the been a Christian, about three years and I was a new Jesus was Lord, but he wasn't my Lord, I knew I was in a relationship that was wrong and I couldn't trust God and a young couple.

He been a Christian about nine months or year was a small school through 4000 out in the middle of nowhere and headed like a red church white church in a bar, not even a gas station and you can get anything decent eat. So in your college student and young couple says would you like to come to her house for dinner. Yes. And so we all never forget it. And so they were new Christians in looking back, they were very poor and I had a little farm I mean picture Norman Rockwell old barn, you know, reddish rusted door white farmhouse. Very simple.

I think it's cool and vintage. Now that member that member the tables that are plastic on top and with the curved legs that are steel and when you sat on the thing you stuck to them that they didn't have doors they they took a little wire and they put a sheet because didn't have doors for think they only have like 2 to 3 rooms in the house and they invited me over in a home-cooked meal course. They had a garden and and they were never really old flick 28 or 30 when you're 19 or completely overcome if there still romance people at old notes and it and we talked around the table and I watch how these two people looked at each other and there was this this gleam in this love and she just reached over and kinda touched his hand and like a married couple really really in love and then he said excuse me were in a word, we have ice cream and apple pie that she's made and will be right back that we were doing something new with our kids. They had like a of five-year-old four-year-old maybe two-year-old, and so they they went over and I wouldn't try to eavesdrop. It might it's a sheet you know so you could sorta see to the sheet, and a little single bed, and all four of them got down like this and they all held hands and and they taught that little kids, a tiny little prayer Jesus, thank you for today.

Thank you for mommy. Thank you for daddy.

Thank you that you died for us and then the husband prayed and you know it was you know not not all that long, and then they came back in and they sat down at the table and I had great apple pie had a green little Volkswagen at the time in the road to rural wind in West Virginia so I came to our campus and is called Bartel Hill and was just straight down. I lived in the dorm.

Bartel and I can still remember us having a talk with God, that's what I want and that's what I really want someday and I just heard the Holy Spirit was particularly love to give you that, but it's on my terms not yours and I said I just I just can't believe that if I give up this girl that you have someone better for me and and I was with a group that was big in the Scripture memory, but I was not very big sticking with the group so II was slow but I just started memorizing Scripture and Romans 832 as I'm in the middle that hill came to my mind I'm just like, out of the blue.

I do know the Holy Spirit did the stuff chip he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how will he not with him freely give us all things in a think and I don't know why. Intellectually it went oh so you're willing to die for me.

You could actually get me the right wife and I got to the bottom of the hill and Jesus was Lord of my life. Not because I stronger not because I made some big commitment because God is good. There's three very specific responses and will wrap up our time. Response number one is for those of you. You have intellectual relationship with God and that the fact the matter is is that if I ask you, do you know for certain that if you died today you would spend eternity with the Lord Jesus because of his death on the cross and you receiving that free gift of God and is he a vital, living part of your life.

You just note we just you and me for coffee. You look me in the eye, a much or this is for you repent and receive the greatest gift ever. Eternal life. Romans 24 says that it is God's kindness and his goodness is forbearance and patience leads us to repentance. God has been so good and so kind and done so much in your life. It's all been to say would you come and let me give you the best gift ever. You can't earn it. I want to forgive your sin.

I want to come into your life and I want to change your life and want you to become my son or my daughter. And if you have never done that.

Right now I would just turn Ingram off does what he says doesn't matter in my heart of hearts I would say Almighty God, I had no idea you were so good. I had no idea you love me so much I want to turn from my sin and an empty hands of faith. I ask you to forgive me. Based on Jesus work on the cross and resurrection and and come into my life right now and he will and then tell someone, and will help you get on the new path second is surrender your life and future fully to the Lordship of Christ. This is God's will is God's will is not your little bit better moral person and you try really hard and go to religious services God's will is that I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy rooted in his goodness that you offer your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, pleasing to God that your spiritual service of worship. What God wants is not your money what God wants is not your religious activity.

He wants you lock stock and barrel. He wants you and what what that will do is that will reorient your time to rewrite your life around you might be out of a love relationship.

Not trying to earn a safer if you've never fully surrendered. He brought you on this day from your heart of hearts, to bow your knee and say Lord I want to tell you I'm afraid, but on this day at this place.

I offer myself all that I am all that I have all that ever be. You have full rights to my life. I'm signing the bottom of the check I'm ushering it underneath the throne room of God. You fill in the top whatever time, energy, money, future location, you call the shots and all obey because it's the best and wisest plan because you love me your good you're all knowing you're all wise and finally, I would just encourage those of you who say you know I'm a believer and I've surrendered claim God's promise that you'll never miss out on any good thing is you lose it, don't you just because you surrender doesn't mean you don't fear that you to miss out that you are tempted claim today. Lord God, you are my son you are my shield your migration, your my glory no good thing ever will. I miss out on. As I walk we go any today, I want you to pause.

I don't care what you're doing. You might be on the treadmill might be sitting at the kitchen table.

You might be outrunning you might be writing in your car but you need to pause right now and think about what the Scripture what God just said, if you find yourself outside of Christ and what I mean by that is, you do not have 100% certainty that if you would die at this moment, you would be ushered into heaven, you realize that God is been good he's been kind he's been speaking to your heart and you've never turn from your sin, and received him as your Savior. You need to do that right now it is the kindness the goodness of God that leads to this change of mind. He loves you so much he died for you. He rose from the dead.

He has a gift for you that begins this minute on this day of a brand-new life and so let me just if you have not done that and you're not sure how right now with me pray this, Lord Jesus, I need you, I believe today that you died in my place for my sin and rose from the dead Lord I trust in you and you alone for eternal life, and I ask you to come into my life, cleanse me, forgive me. Make me your son make me your daughter what I want you to know is that is called being born a second timer being born spiritually or you may have heard, being born again just like every person requires a physical birth to have physical life. Every person requires a spiritual birth to have spiritual life and I've just led you in a prayer of repentance where Jesus promised that as you open the door of your heart.

He promises I will come in now. I also want to say word to many many of you who thought yourself well. I've taken that step. Christ lives in me. When I talked about his Lordship. When I talked about absolute surrender. You know what, there's a job or a person or girlfriend or boyfriend or money or the future, and God brought things to your mind, and I will tell you that the dramatic dramatic change that happens and followers of Christ is when they come to God and say I really do believe your son shield. I really believe you give grace and glory, and I so believe you would never withhold any good thing for me.

I want you to know that today all that I am all that I have.

I surrender and I mean it. And if you're not a little frayed then you don't get it. Okay were all a little afraid, but I just I just gotta tell you, I watched people who been Christian five years 10 years 25 years. Never surrender. And when they do, the floodgates of heaven open they experience power like never before and usually some difficulty early on, you'll get tested. We love you God loves you.

Let me encourage you receive Jesus as your Savior and if he's your Savior. He needs to be your Lord. Surrender to him today if you prayed with Chip.

I hope you'll take a minute and call us at AAA 333-6003.

We love to talk with you and get a free resource in your hands that will help you understand what you just did and where to go from here if you'd rather go to the new believers tab on our website LivingontheEdge.org or Special offers on the app will find that same resource. We just want to help you get started on your new journey of faith chips could be back in a minute but just a quick reminder this message. The goodness of God is from his series, the real God. In this eight parter.

Chip explains that we naturally tend to imagine God with human characteristics. Moody, impatient, unforgiving, because it's what we know about ourselves and others, but nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to God. That's why it's essential to see him as he really is. That's what this series the real God is all about. If you're ready for a clear understanding of who God is and how that changes everything you've ever thought about them.

The best way is to do this study with a small group of friends. So for a limited time.

We've discounted these resources because we want to do everything we can to help you get to know the real God. For more information or to order your small group materials today go to LivingontheEdge.org Special offers on the chipping remap or give us a call at AAA 333-6003 as we close today's program. God is good because of what's in him what's intrinsic about him, not because of something good in us a taste that how the experience that we learned today that God reveals his goodness through natural blessings we learned today from Psalm 107 that he reveals his goodness through specific deliverances but but having it tasted.

You know I like you to do, I'd like you to taste the goodness of God.

I like you.

If you would, if appropriate, pull out a pen or pencil right now and write down three or four blessings from God you're married May Beecher made maybe it's that you have children. Maybe it's your health. Maybe it's the fact that you have a job may get some vivid answer to prayer. Maybe have a great friend. You can really talk to. Maybe you realize God is good, the Spirit of God dwells in me.

Maybe you realize you have his word that you can talk to him any moment, any day. Maybe you like me of thought of times when you've really gotten off track and he delivered you and has forgiven you, and you didn't pay near the consequence for your sin. I don't know what it is that you would taste the goodness of God.

If you would take three or four minutes right now if you can't write it down, at least mentally make a list of some blessings of God, where he has delivered you helped you encouraged you and where he's blessed you. You don't deserve it. He is just blessed you and he didn't do it because you were good. He didn't do it because you had a great day.

He didn't do it could be you performed well or prayed longer.

Those things may be good God's blessing originates out of his very essence and character. He blessed you because he is good and you're the object of his affection.

Go ahead, take a minute taste his goodness in 1 Easy Way to share trips message is with the chipping remap with just a couple of taps any message you choose is on its way to someone you love or on social media to help others who could benefit from the truth of Scripture and its encouragement. And don't forget to include a quick note about how it made a difference in your life will be with us again next time. When Chip continues his series the real God fill them with Dave really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge