God Is Good - Sunday, January 28, 2018 - Steve Miller
What is good? The word "good" can have kind of a vague meaning. How do we define this word? Are these things good?
· This dog is good. (obedient, friendly)
· Pecan pie a la mode (using Bryers ice cream) is good. (desirable)
· Adam Vinatieri's Super Bowl XXXVI game-winning field goal against the Rams was good. (accurate, successful) And like me, you probably feel that was definitely NOT good!
· Captain America is good. (moral, virtuous, powerful)
· Mozart was good. (talented)
So what does it mean when we say that God is good?
Mark 10:17-18
Psalm 119:65-68
Every week we say this truth about God's character: "God is good -- all the time! All the time -- God is good!" But what does it mean in our lives? Do we really know Him this way, as good?
Bill Johnson - "Whenever God reveals something about His nature, it always comes with the invitation to know Him in that way. Never does the understanding of His nature come to us just to make us more theologically sound. That's important, but it is secondary. What's important is to know Him in that way, to encounter Him. So when He says, 'I'm your provider,' I don't want to walk away from that revelation without provision. When He says, 'I am your holiness,' I don't want to walk away the same way that I came in. I want to leave changed because I have encountered Him, and now relationally I come to know Him in that way."
In both the Old Testament and New Testament, God revealed Himself to us as our Good Shepherd. Let's look at what His goodness is as He describes Himself in that role in our lives. At the same time, we want to pay attention to what that says about who we are in Christ.
John 10:11-15 - 11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
What makes Him good is His being willing to lay down His life for us.
Because He has already demonstrated His goodness to us in this way, we can trust Him for all other matters in our lives:
Romans 8:32
Psalm 23 is one of the greatest descriptions of the goodness of God toward us. Let's look at it.
Psalm 23:1-6 - 1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
· Sheep that lie down are well fed and satisfied. The word used for "green" denotes new, fresh, or tender grass.
He leads me beside still waters.
· It's a place of peace, sustenance, and rest for His sheep.
· Psalm 36:7-9
3He restores my soul.
· Many things we encounter in life wound, damage, or discourage our souls. Our own sins cause damage, and the sins of others take their toll. He provides healing and restoration from both.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
· In so many situations and areas of life, we have no clue what is the best way to go or right choice to make.
· Proverbs 3:5-6
· Psalm 119:68
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
· Palestine is known for its gloomy and treacherous ravines. There is no denying that we will walk through dangerous and discouraging situations as we go through life. The encouragement and confidence we have is in knowing that He is with us and that He is good: capable, powerful, wise, righteous, desirable, and committed our best interests.
· John 16:33
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
· His rod comforts us in defending us against peril from enemies that may attack.
· The old cartoon character Pogo famously said, "We have met the enemy, and he is us!"The Lord's staff comforts us from our own tendency to wander off the path and away from His guidance, provision, and protection. He is committed to keep pulling us back to His path and presence.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
· This shows victory over the devil and the world, protection from attacks, overcoming persecution for Christ's name, loving your enemies, rejoicing in the midst of trials.
· Romans 8:28
· Story of Dimitri's Heart Song from The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken.
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
· We think of David, anointed king of Israel by Samuel many years before, waiting on the Lord while Saul was still alive and hunting David down to kill him. Yet God was with David and blessing him. Anointing with oil represents God's calling for us to minister, pouring out His Holy Spirit on us, and filling us with joy and gladness.
· 1 Samuel 16:13
· Isaiah 61:1-3
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
· The Hebrew word for "follow" here means to pursue or chase after, like a predator chases down the prey. Imagine - no matter what circumstances you go through - God always causes goodness and mercy to continually chase you down, no matter what difficulties or discouragement or fearful things you may encounter!
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
· We couldn't hope to dwell in God's house forever if He did not desire it.
Ezekiel 34
So since the Lord is our Good Shepherd, what does that say about who we are in Him?
· He wants us to utterly depend on Him for all things in life.
· He desires us to trust in Him, because He is good. Know He will not fail us nor abandon us.
· We must feed on His rich Word and His presence, so that we will remain strong and grow.
· We can face any difficulty with confidence and peace, knowing His goodness.
· We must follow His leading on right paths. Even when we tend to stray, He knows how to pull us back on His way.
· The anointing and blessing He provides for us should overflow to those around us. His goodness and mercy will follow us throughout our lives, even in the sense that those in our wake are blessed by His goodness as well.
