Come on, give him a good shout of praise today.
He's worthy. He's totally worthy. Good to see
you in the house of the Lord. If you have your
Bibles, reach and get it or your phone and get
it opened up to Psalm 118. It's good to know
how the Lord brings balance in our lives. Amen.
This weekend, he brought balance to the Hyatt
house. Sister Piper knows it's coming. She has
nothing to hold over Brother Mike. Now, he too
has one of those sword trophies. She was rubbing
that in there for a while. But I'm impressed.
With a total of 1 ,315 pounds, right? In three
lifts. He lifted a total of 1 ,315 pounds. With
a bench press, with a squat, and with a deadlift.
Give the man a sword. Amen? Congratulations,
brother. You could have wore a different shirt,
but we'll let you slide with that. You don't
say a lot to a man that can lift 1 ,315 pounds.
Especially when you're losing weight. I lost
what little advantage I might have had. God is
so good. Amen. And that's going to be our subject
matter today. The goodness of God. We're entering
into thanks season. I would be remiss if I did
not one more time say how much I appreciated
the message last week. Brother David, thank you
so much for delivering your heart. Amen. That's
gone far and wide and it's touched many people.
The ethos of a Christian warfare. Amen. We are
in a battle. If you didn't know, just look back
over last week and it ought to be fairly evident
that you're in a war. But even in a war, there
can be times and moments of a respite. Amen?
There's liberty. You see how that swung around
right there? There's a weekend pass. There's
a rest that even can enter in to a season and
a time during the battle. Amen. And those are
the times that as a child of God in this warfare
of faith, I think that we all look forward to.
We look forward to those moments when the good
shepherd leads us beside the still water. Amen.
How many need a little still water? I need a
little still water every now and then. I get
tired of going against the current. And it's
just peaceful to sit by the still water. Amen.
We spend time in the wilderness, but isn't it
wonderful when the good shepherd leads us into
those green pastures? Amen. And that's what I
want to talk about this morning, the goodness
of God. Psalm 118, which is a very, very powerful
psalm. The first verse reads, O give thanks unto
the Lord, for he is good, because his mercy...
God endures forever. That's the only one I want
to just read, and we'll talk about some of the
others. This 118th Psalm is the middle chapter,
the middle chapter in the Bible, and duly so
because it talks about the chief cornerstone,
the stone that was rejected. It's in this chapter
that we... that we read that wonderful verse
that says, This is the day which the Lord has
made, and let us come and rejoice and be glad
in it. That's in this 118th Psalm. But it bookends
with the same verse. Oh, give thanks unto the
Lord, for he is good, and his mercy endures forever.
Father, I love you today. I thank you for your
goodness and mercy. Lord, and this text that
we've read today. I ask God that you touch in
hearts and minds. Lord, as we speak this morning
on this simple thought that you've given us,
when good is good enough. Lord, I just felt your
quickening touch this morning. In this house
today, Lord, our minds are stayed on you, and
you are good, and we're glorifying and worshiping
you in that goodness. Lord, touch every heart
and mind today as we are open to you. And Lord,
I pray for that still water and green pasture.
In the name of Jesus today. The church said amen.
Tell your neighbor when good is good enough.
Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because
his mercy endures forever. It's a theme throughout
scripture. You can read it in 1 Chronicles 16
and 34. You'll see it again in Psalm 107 .1.
You'll see it again at the closing as I mentioned
of 118. You'll see this same verse as the psalmist
would declare in 136 and 1. Oh, give thanks unto
the Lord for he is good because his mercy endures
forever. Of this Psalm 118, the great reformer
Martin Luther would say, this is my psalm, my
chosen psalm. It has saved me from many a pressing
danger from which neither emperor nor kings nor
sages nor saints could have saved me. It is my
friend, dearer to me than all the honors and
power of the earth. That's a powerful statement
about a 29 -verse psalm, isn't it? Saved me.
No emperor, king, sage, or saint could have delivered
him. It brings praise to the hearts of all of
us who read it. You can't stay down and out if
you read Psalm 118. You'll be lifted up before
you get to the end of it. Many of us would say
of this psalm, if we've read it, it has been
a good source of strength at times of trial and
tribulation. Maybe even a time and a sense of
consolation through trial and tribulation. But
when you are down and discouraged and you read
this psalm, you are instantly reminded that the
Lord is good. Come on now. His mercy is unending.
And in spite of what we are going through and
what we are dealing with, if we can just give
thanks to the Lord, it's in this thinking that
the Lord that you will have and the Lord will
be with you. reading of this psalm, it offers
encouragement to know that we will be victorious
over our trials. Amen. It's while thanking God
that we realize exactly how blessed we are. It
is in thanking God that we can take time to count
our many blessings. We used to sing that old
song back in the day, count your many blessings,
name them one by one. And when you get started,
amen, you will find that your blessings outnumber
your blessings. your trial and it outweighs your
tribulation and will tempt the scale of your
soul that's got you down and lifts you up. If
you can just stop and give thanks unto the Lord.
We're entering into the Thanksgiving season and
we're going to mention it for the next few weeks.
We're going to see why it is important that we
thank the Lord. The word in this text, the Hebrew
word for thanks here actually means to be a reverer
or to worship with extended hands. It's a halal
type praise. It's a vocal type praise. It's an
animated type praise. Oh, give thanks unto the
Lord. There are times that you can give silent
worship, if you will. There are times that you
can say to yourself, thank you, Lord, and just
go right home. But there are times also when
it needs to be an audible, visible, I'm talking
about a passionate, driven time to give thanks
unto the Lord. And that's what the psalmist is
declaring here, oh, give thanks. Somebody get
loud with your thinking. Somebody get loud with
your praise. Lift your hands up and extend them
to the heavens and surrender of your personal
self and your personal soul and let God know
that you actually realize that the goodness that
is coming into your life is coming from him.
It's a time that we have that we must declare
his goodness. Thanksgiving refers to our show
of gratitude, being appreciative. and giving
recognition, acknowledging, giving credit, and
praising the one whom they come from. Our text
reads, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is
good, because his mercy endures forever. There
are two reasons in this text that we are to give
thanks. First of all is that God is good. And
second of all is that his mercy endures forever.
I don't know about you, but I lean more to the
Lord. that mercy sometimes than I do his grace.
In this text, it declares that God is good. It's
actually giving us reference, letting us know
that God is changeless, that God is dependable,
that God is eternal. Aren't you glad that God
is eternal? Aren't you glad that God is faithful,
that God is genuine, that God is great, that
God is holy? As the angels declared in Isaiah
6 and 3, holy, holy, holy is the Lord. Lord God
Almighty, holy, holy, holy. Aren't you glad there's
a declaration in heaven? But what about a declaration
upon the face of this earth when you begin to
understand that God is good? You understand and
know that God is holy. You understand that he
is immense and that he is independent, that God
is infinite. Go read Job 11, 7 through 10. You'll
understand that God is invisible in John 4, 24.
They that God is a spirit and... They that worship
him must worship him in spirit. I'm talking about
a good God. I'm talking about a God that's absent
and abstract from the trouble and the trial and
the problems that you and I deal with. I'm talking
about a God who is not restrained by the atmospheric
pressures of the life in which we live. I'm talking
about a God who is able and a God who is good.
When I think about the invisible nature of God,
I think about that God is just, that God is majestic,
Isaiah 33 and 3 will give you an insight of the
majestic nature of who God is. God is pure. When
you stop and get down to the goodness of God,
you know he's good because he's omnipotent. In
Luke 137, with God, nothing shall... be impossible.
He is all powerful. You can't outpower God. He's
better than 1 ,315 pounds. Amen. Quite a feat
here on this earth. But our God holds at the
finger's tip of his little hand that the goodness
of him that is outweighing every affliction of
this world. He's omnipotent. He's omnipresent.
In Psalm 139 7, where can I go from thy spirit
if I ascend into the heavens? Thou art there.
If I descend into the lower parts of the earth,
thou art there. Oh, God, there is nowhere. You're
everywhere. God is good. Would somebody give
thanks to a good God? Not only is he omnipotent,
not only is he omnipresent, but he's omniscient.
Hebrews 4, 13 declares, all things are naked
and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have
to do. What's that mean, pastor? It means you
can't hide anything from God because he is the
only know -it -all in this universe. Hallelujah.
And he can exercise his will. At his whim over
our life. Why? Because he's all powerful. He's
ever present. And he's all knowing. He's perfect.
He's persistent. He's righteous. He's sovereign.
Philippians 2, 5 through 8. Here's one of my
favorites. He's transcendent. God is transcendent.
What's that mean, Pastor? He's over and beyond
the created order, and he's superior to it in
every way. What does that mean? What weighs you
down doesn't bother him one bit. What stresses
us and what worries us doesn't stress him at
all. Why? Because he's extended above the created.
Why? Because in the beginning, God... In the
beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Not anything was made without him. Come on, somebody.
He's good because he's over and transcends above
it all. I am so thankful that the one in whom
I worship and the one in whom I praise and adore
is not affected by everything that's affecting
me. He is transcendent over cancer. He's transcendent
over any mental illness and any dementia that's
in the face of this world. blood disorder, blood
pressure, diabetes. I am so glad that he transcends
above it all. He's above it all. I am thankful
that God is good and it's mercy. Woo! He transcends
it. He's above it. Over and beyond the created.
order superior in every way he is wise in that
superiority the psalmist knew of all the attributes
of God but for some reason when it came time
to pen this 118th psalm the Holy Ghost inspired
him To write these words. God is good. Amen.
God is good. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord. For
he is good. And his mercy endures forever. He
could have declared his omniscience, his omnipotence.
power, and all those attributes. He could have
declared it. He could have declared his wisdom
and his knowledge above everything that exists.
He could have proclaimed the transcendent. power
of the God in whom he serves, but no, the Holy
Ghost said just tell them that he's good. Why?
Because there come a time in the life of my children
when chaos has engulfed them and troubles overweighed
them and hardship and heartache has got them
down in the lowest valley that they can pick
up and read the word that you penned, David.
Holy Ghost, move on him to ride. Oh, give thanks
unto the Lord. For he is good. Hallelujah. I
want somebody to know it in spite of the hell
that you're going through. Give thanks unto the
Lord. Why? Because he transcends above every
issue and dilemma of this life. Well, my God.
and gods of this world, the gods of flesh and
stone, wood and rubble. He's good. Unlike the
devil that's out trying to kill, steal, and destroy
everything about you and around you, God is good.
And the Holy Ghost knew it and said, write it
down. Unlike humanity, God is good. My Lord,
I'm stirred. I don't know how I'm getting here,
but maybe the Lord will stir me. I don't want
to get ahead of myself. I'll try to hold on to
that one. Psalm 73 and 1. Truly God is good to
Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
Even to such as are of a clean heart. He's good
to Israel and anybody else that loves him. To
such that are of a clean heart. 105, the psalmist
said, For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting,
and his truth endureth to all generations. Try
not to get hung up here. Psalm 135 and 3 says,
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good. Are you
about to see a theme here? For the Lord is good,
same praise is unto his name. 145 and 9 declares
that the Lord is good to all. and his tender
mercies are over all his works. Lamentations
3 and 25 declares it. The Lord is good unto them
that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Hallelujah. He's good. Mark declares in 10 and
18, there is none good but one, and that is God.
Hallelujah. I think the Holy Ghost knew exactly
what he was doing when he inspired David to put,
oh, give thanks unto the Lord. for he is good.
You could put an exclamation right there and
not go any further. You could stop right there
and get precisely to the point. But it would
be through that whole chapter of 118 that causes
inspiration to come into an overwhelmed soul
when he says, I'll put my trust in the Lord and
not in the chariots of men. Come on. I'll put
my trust in the Lord and not in the princes of
this world. I'm going to trust God. And then
that's when he would get down. down there a little
further in 22. He says, the stone which the builders
rejected and refused has become the headstone
of the corner. This is the Lord. It is marvelous
in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath
made, and we will rejoice and be exceeding glad.
Save me now, I beseech thee. You can't read those
words and remain down and out. If you can, you've
got a greater problem. Your whole trust is not
in God. When you begin to read the inspiration
of the Holy Ghost on a man who was troubled in
most of his life, but overwhelmed in his praises,
you can't stay down. You'll pick up your head
because you'll begin to know how good God is.
If all that's not sufficient enough to make the
point, if we could do interviews, you would begin
to pose questions to people like Moses. When
you would ask Moses, is God good? Was God ever
good to you? Oh, Moses would say, well, I reckon.
When I was just born, wasn't even weaned yet.
Pharaoh declared a death sentence over my life.
God was good to me. He spared me. Some of you
had death sentences over your life. And God being
good to you. You're sitting right here in spite
of your own stupid self. Come on, I'm talking
about my own self. In spite of my own stupid
self, God was good to me. Amen. He could have
took me out a long time ago. All he would have
had to do was pick up that hand of mercy, and
I would have took myself out. Oh, and I know
looking around this room, there's enough of you
with the same testimony. Had God not extended
that mercy and his goodness into your heart and
just let you go, on about your own stupid way,
you'd have took care of yourself. But thank God.
Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for he is good
because his mercy endures forever. It's the goodness
of God. That's the only reason you're here. Get
your head up, your lip off the ground. Lift up
your eyes as the psalmist would declare. Under
the hills from which cometh your help, your help
comes from the Lord. If the people and nation
of Israel were to actually be honest with that
question, they cannot deny the goodness of God.
They would have to tell you that while we wandered
in disobedience in the Sinai wilderness, we eat
angel food cake every day. Huh? Uh -huh. I'm
not much for it. It's just an old sponge cake.
They can call it angel food if they want to.
They would tell you that we didn't have to worry
about setting up our weaver's mill and harvesting
the wool to make more clothes because our clothes
never wore out. Some of them big -footed fellas
could testify to the goodness in God and say,
you know, I was born wearing about a size 7.
By the time I come full grown, that baby was
a 14 and a half. But you know, that is the same
pair of Jerusalem cruisers that I had at seven.
And the leather just as good as it were the day
I put them on my foot. Why? Because our shoes
didn't wear out. Brethren, there would be more
spaces in many a closet in this room if they
could just deal with one pair. But God, I don't
know that he's in one pair anymore. I think he's
moved on. Some of you sitting here chuckling,
thinking, 20, 30, 35. You need a closet just
for them. You could pose that same question about
the goodness of God to the psalmist David again.
And his story would continue on. He said, look,
God's good to me. Why do you think over here
in the 118th chapter I've not forgot about how
good God is? If it was David who penned this
psalm, who knows? It really doesn't matter if
it was him or one of the others. It's somebody
who had either faced a bear or a lion. If it
was David, he'd say, look, I faced a bear and
a lion, and the goodness of God delivered them
into my hand. And don't get me down to the valley
of Elah where this uncircumcised Philistine is
cussing and rebuking God with profanities in
the army of God. Don't get me down there. There's
something that rose up in me when the hand of
God was upon me and it drove me to the valley
and the goodness of God and the perversion and
the voice of the Philistine who declared he would
feed me. to the dogs and the birds of the air.
There's something rose up in me, which was the
goodness of God that declared, you come to me
with spirit and a sword, but I come to you in
the name of the Lord. This battle doesn't belong
to me, but the victory belongs unto God. You
are mine today. I didn't know we was going to
get this involved. stirring up something down.
We ain't even got to mercy yet. We still on the
goodness of God. We got three whole pages left
and 15 minutes. You can pose that question to
Abraham. Abraham! Is God good? Has God been good
to you? Well, I just don't know what to tell
you. How good he's been to me. Let me just give
you one little insight. I've waited until I was
nearly 100 years old for this boy. And one day,
God, the same voice that I heard say, Come out
of the land of Ur of the Chaldee. I'll show you
a country. And everywhere your foot lands belongs
to you. And lift up your eyes and tell me if
you can count the stars in the heaven. Well,
just get you a handful of sand and tell me if
you can count every grain. I here declare to
you this message today. Here's my declaration
to you. Is that the stars and the sand, your
descendants will be numbered as great as. Hallelujah.
They will be more. And I'll tell you how good
he is on the same day that I heard the voice
from heaven tell me to take your son, thine only
son Isaac, up to the Mount of Moriah and offer
him there. When we got to the foot of the mountain,
I didn't know what to say to Isaac. When he looked
at me and said, Dad, I've got the wood, you've
got the fire, but where is our sacrifice? All
I could do was think about the goodness of God
and tell Isaac, God will provide for him. himself
a sacrifice. And every step we were taking up
the mountain, there was a ram coming up the backside
and he met us in the thicket on top. I'm telling
you, God is good. When I had my hand raised to
the skies to take the blow that God had ordered
me to take, the angel of the Lord stayed my hand
and showed me the ram. Why? Because God himself,
Jehovah Jireh is his name. The Lord will see
and the Lord shall. Now provide. He provided
for himself. That's how good he is. That's how
good he is. So many others we could pose that
question to. And I know that there are things
that we could complain about. You've got stuff.
That you can moan and groan and whine and bellyache
about. And here's the thing. We do. That's part
of our dilemma. Thus the reason we are as low
as we are in life sometimes. Because do we truly
trust God or not? Is he all that other stuff
that we've done covered? If he is, get over ourself.
Amen. We need to get over ourselves. I know there
are things in life that we could complain about.
But it's God who declares in this life you shall
have tribulation. But he said be of good cheer.
He didn't say whine about it. He didn't say moan
about it. He didn't say gripe and complain about
it. He said be of good cheer. I have overcome
the world. And the peace that I have, I give
unto you. Not as the world grants peace, but
it's my peace. And then I can see God on the
throne of eternity sometimes saying, well, am
I not good enough for you? What else is there?
And if I'm not good enough for you, then there's
nothing in this world that I have created and
which I transcend over that's going to satisfy
you. Come on, church of the living God. Come
on, saints of God. We could complain. We could
gripe. bellyache or we could give thanks unto
the Lord for he is good get over move on lift
up and procession we could say why us and the
devil tempted run that through my mind Haven't
we been through enough? Haven't we dealt with
enough? Haven't you had enough trouble? Heartache
and trial? Oh, he sets and perches on that shoulder
and whispers in your ear. He don't whisper, he
shouts. Because he wants you to know what he
thinks about your situation. He wants you to
know. Amen? He does. And he wants you to begin
to question the goodness of God. It's not to
say that the overwhelming factors of life don't
cause tears to come because we've cried our share.
Huh? We give it one night. From about 1 .30 in
that afternoon. To the coming up of the sun of
the following day. That was our only time. And
that was what I gave it. Because it was a load.
And we cried, didn't we, baby? But in them tears,
I never said, why us, God? Matter of fact, I
looked at her and said, why not? Who are we?
Who are you? Think about it. Do we think we're
the only people who have ever faced trials? Oh,
the devil tries to make you think you're the
only one. Oh, yeah. And then if you're full of
yourself, you'll believe it. But if you're full
of the Holy Ghost. You'll give it just a little
bit of time. You'll reflect on it for just a
moment. And the scripture declared, blessed are
those that mourn. You can mourn, but my God,
get up out of your wallowing after a season because
they shall. I'll be comforted. Don't mourn over
what you've lost in this life. Don't mourn what's
been taken away. Don't mourn over loved ones
past the time. Look up to the heaven and give
God the glory because God is good. Ain't no one
of us in here that ain't got something to complain
about. I've been praying over your house. I'm
about tired of the devil just... using your place
as a doormat for sickness. So just know there's
some agreement going on. Hallelujah. In the name
of Jesus is what I'm declaring. Hallelujah. We
might save mercy for next week. We're just hung
up on the goodness of God. He's good. And I am
determined to thank him because of his goodness.
In spite of the tribulations of this world that
you know were coming. Come on now, I've been
telling you for seven years almost. This isn't
just the high life, it isn't just the roses.
There's thorns when you pick roses. You're going
to give some blood if you're not careful to get
the beauty on the end of the stem. My God, you're
going to bleed in this life. Why, pastor? Because
there's a devil out there trying to kill you.
I love that the Lord will just show me light
bulbs coming on. That time some of us figured
this out. Why do you think you're tempted to
go back into that mess so bad? It's not for your
well -being. None of that garbage ever treated
you anything but wrong. None of it. And you won't
actually go back to that. My Lord. That really
tells God what you actually think about him.
But this position of the goodness of God and
you thanking God for that goodness is on you.
It's on me. It's a choice that you make. It's
a choice that I make. Oh, you can wallow in your
self -pity. The whole time the devil that pulls
you back into that mess is sitting over at us.
giggling and sniggering and laughing at you as
you destroy yourself, as you empty your soul
of the joy of the Lord. We was riding down the
road, I think it was maybe Thursday. We was headed
back and forth doing one of the errands, and
there was just something. The joy of the Lord
just was in the truck. And I just couldn't help,
just the joy of the Lord. So much around that
would... drain all of that out but we're driving
down the road and I tell this guy I do not know
what it is but the joy of the Lord is as near
on me as I have felt him in years I just felt
good, felt energized. Why? Because you've got
to let your bucket down in the well. You've got
to let your bucket down. Isaiah 12 tells you,
let down your bucket down into the well of the
joy of your salvation. And I've been marinating
in my mind the goodness of God all week, and
it's been two weeks since I've got to let this
out, and it just rises up in me to let me know
the ethos of a warrior. One of those characteristics
was to be a warrior. warrior of praise. And you
can't praise God unless you thank God. Unless
you're thankful for everything that's coming
into your life. I'm thankful for the trial. Why?
Because it's honing my faith. It's sharpening
my prayer life. In everything give thanks. In
everything Give thanks. This is the will of God
in Christ Jesus. Quit complaining about it and
start thanking God for it. Well, I'm not thankful
for that. Well, you might as well be because
God's doing something in you through it. Why
do you think that Romans 8 .28 is such an indictment
to the goodness of God over the influences of
the enemy? All things. Could you put that up
on the screen, Samuel? Romans 8 .28. Put that
up for me, brother, if you can. I don't know.
I won't look at it. Since we're not going into
mercy today, let's take a little bit more time.
I've got four more minutes. On the goodness of
God. You want to see the goodness of God? Right
here you go. And we know. It's in the book. If
you don't know this, it's your fault. It's written
plain. Pick a thing up and read it. I've quoted
it. Ain't no telling how many times. Brother
Randy quotes it on Wednesday. And I'm sure Brother
George and he in their Sunday school class has
quoted it. It's everywhere. And we know. work
together for what? There's none good but who?
All things work together for God. To those who
love God. Let me just show of hands. Do you love
God? Do you love? Are you hearing me? It's sort
of like when Jesus was talking to Peter. He says,
Peter, do you love me? Do you love? Do you really
love God? To those who are the called according
to his purpose. You see, the misconception in
Christendom is that this is about us. The only
part of us that this is about. is redemption.
After that, it's all him. We turn and reflect
everything to him. The only thing about this
concerning you is redemption. And if he never
answered another prayer other than that sinner's
prayer, how good is God? But in spite of just
that. All things work together for good. All
those things transpiring in your life ain't no
good in what we're dealing with. Somehow or another
it's going to get together with the goodness
of God and it's going to turn out good. I don't
know what it's going to be, but it will be. Whatever's
going on in your life, the object, The situation,
the issue may not be good, but for somehow, and
it's in the wisdom of God, good is going to come
out of what's going on in your life if you allow
it. I've quit preaching and gone to teaching
now. A statement for you to remember for next
week. Is when God. I don't want to get it wrong.
When God grants mercy. When God grants mercy.
He extends grace. That's goodness. So in reality,
where you're at right now, it's going to turn
out good for good because for some reason, whatever
it is, is working out his purpose for our lives.
I didn't say I liked it. Pose that question in
the interview. But I have chosen to give thanks
to the Lord. In an era where churches are closing
by the hundreds and thousands every year, Hopewell
is still open. Many churches never opened up
after the pandemic. They're still shuttered to
this day. But not only did something terrible
turn out to good for Hopewell, while we were
overwhelmed with debt, somehow his purpose was
in a shutdown to show this preacher that he was
still on the throne. And a year after it, we
did it free. Now. See, somehow all things work
together. And so here we are. While others are
closed, we're flourishing under a spirit of revival
without the weight of debt. Think about that.
And if he'll do that for the organizational church,
What do you think he's going to do for the church
itself? Us. We're the church. We're the ecclesia.
You're the ecclesia. You're the called out. Called
out of what? The darkness of sin. To what? Into
his marvelous light. Yeah, you're not that anymore.
You're not that anymore. And so now you look
at what comes your way through a different lens.
It's going to be good. Well, what if it kills
me? Well, to be absent -bodied is going to be
present with the Lord. How much better is there
than that? See, it's perspective. It's how you
perceive your life. Is it yours or is it his?
Man, we're plowing. deep this morning. Preach
hot at the front and then just sunk the plow
right here to the end. That was those extra two
courses and three verses that cost you. Stand
with me. Next week we're going to get back into
good when good is good enough. We're going to
talk about that second point. The mercy of God.
Because his mercy endures forever. All we need
to know today is that God is good. To give thanks
unto the Lord because of that goodness. So where
are you? Well, you just don't know. Really? Really.
Well, you're the pastor. You're supposed to be
up. No, no, no, no, no, no, that no. The same
blood that cleansed my sins cleansed yours. And
if you've pressed through to the wonderful work
of sanctification and spirit baptism, then the
same Holy Ghost in me is the same Holy Ghost
in you. So it's not the limitation of his power
because he's omnipotent. So the onus falls on
me and it falls on you. Fair? Is that not fair?
Whether it's fair or not, it's truth. To those
who love God. To those who are called according
to His purpose. What's His purpose? He's not
willing that any should perish. For God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life. Sounds like a great
purpose statement. That's the purpose. And to
those who love God, all things work together
for good. I wonder how many of you would own
up with me and say, well, it's not real good
situationally. And I need a little bit of help
to get over myself. You know how hard it is to
admit that to yourself? Because you know you've
got it all together. Like a bag of Lays, you're
all in one bag sealed. You've got it. No, no.
It's probably got you. And you're just coping.
But do you know you don't have to just cope through
life? It's not about coping, it's about victory.
Be of good cheer, Jesus said. I have overcome
the world. And the peace that I have, give I
unto you. Not as the world, but my peace. That
your joy may be full. Wow. You mean God wants
me to be happy? I don't know that he's so concerned
about your happiness as he is your level of joy.
Because the two are not the same. There's so
much in life going on that I'm not happy about.
But I'm telling you the overwhelming sense of
the joy of the Lord. Come in my truck the other
day and has changed my perspective again. Again.
You know, he'll do it again. All my life, single
of that. If you need a touch from the Lord, I
tell you what, we need each other. We need each
other. We make this through by praying for each
other. Even when we don't know that the Lord's
put an extra burden of prayer on someone else
for our behalf. You would be amazed at the people
that are praying for you that you have no clue
that God has said, you know, so and so, you may
not even know them personally. But they know
your face across the room. And the Lord says,
pray for them. And they just pray for you. How
many of you need prayer? Come here, baby. Stand
down here. We need prayer. Anybody need prayer?
All things are not good, but all things work
together for good. Amen? Anybody? You're up against
it and you're ready to get out from under it?
What a great day to receive Jesus Christ as your
Lord and Savior if you don't know him. If you've
never repented of your sin and asked Christ into
your heart, today is your day. He just wants
you to know how good he really is. And for you
to give thanks. You say, well, I don't have anything
to be thankful for. Really? Oh, really? Well,
let's sit down and start making a list of pros
and cons. We got a lot to be thankful for. We
had a brand new healthy grandson on Monday. And
there was a scare right after the birth. And
I got a lot to be thankful for today. My daughter's
well. My grandson was turning a little yellow,
but little sunshine took care of that. Little
Jan. His mama was the same way and his uncle
and his sister. So much to be thankful for. This
is not the only thing going on in our life. Amen.
And what's going on in your life, that's not
the only thing going on. There's some good stuff.
Get your eyes off that other stuff. Put your
eyes on God. And give thanks unto the Lord, for
he is good. And his mercy endures forever. Father,
I love you today.