Our Faithful God – Dr. Charles Stanley

[Music] listen faithfulness means that he can always be depended upon to do what listen to do what he says he will do when he says he will do it how he says he will do it [Music] four decades ago we started in touch ministries to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ throughout the years we've seen God's greatness his love and his blessings in such awesome ways that we just want everyone to know him so let's open God's Word and seek Him together next on InTouch our faithful God how well do you know the God that you say you believe in how well do you know it they God that you have entrusted your eternal life the God that you go to and you have some particular need how well do you know this God they got of the Bible they got you and I worship how well do you know it I want to tell you something most people don't know him very well and the reason that's very evident is because watch this the way they live and then what they say they believe are often two different things they will tell you what they believe about God but they don't live like they really believe that about God and so the issue is you believe in God but who is he in other words what's your image of this God what does it what do you think he requires of you as a result of trusting him believing him so one thing I want to say there are many qualities of God but God is a faithful God that is he will do what he says he will do how he says he will do it when he says he will do it and there are no exceptions he is God so what I want to talk about in this message is simply this our faithful God so I want you to think about that and in so doing I want you to turn if you will in your Bible to the seventh chapter of Deuteronomy and God is through Moses telling the people what's necessary to get ready but the blessing that God is getting ready to give them and so I want us to start with just verse 8 and notice what he says but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which he swore to your forefathers the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand speaking of Egyptian bondage and redeemed you from the house of slavery from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt watch this next verse know therefore that the Lord your God He is God the faithful God who keeps his covenant and his loving-kindness to a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his Commandments but repays those who hate him to their faces to destroy them he will not delay with him who hates him he will repay him to his face therefore you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you this day now what does faithful mean the be faithful means to be reliable will always do what he says when he says and how he says to it now if you're a follower of Jesus that's wonderful but if you're living in sin you ought to get on your face before God now why do you have an opportunity and ask God that forgive you of your sins they clean up your life and get you ready to meet him because he's not going to change to suit you he is the unchangeable God and so what we want to think about is the His faithfulness he's the God in the first verse of the Bible in the beginning God he's the vert he's the God all the way through the 66 books of the Bible he is the same God in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible he never changes he's always the same and he's the one God before whom you and I will stand one day and give account for our life the scripture says it's appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment God is this watch this God is this inescapable awesome loving God who also calls for judgment they give an account the life that we've lived now most people have a different kind of God they think maybe you're one of them who thinks that you can serve living any way you want to live then when you get in trouble God is over here waiting to bail you out or they have the idea that God doesn't really pay much attention to sin unless it's murder or something like that and so God understands their faults enough they'd use and he just overlooked sin God does not overlook sin there is a penalty for sin period that's the word of God be sure your sin will find you out that's what God said that means there's no such thing as secret sin God in his in his faithfulness not only blesses us with his best but he confronts us with our worst and so what you have to ask is when you think about your God who you say is God what kind of God do you have is he the one true God reliable God that is always there when we need him and then I want to ask you this do you know him personally or is he out yonder somewhere for most people God is up there out there over here over there over there and the whole idea is if I need him I'll call on him and they're very quick to defend their very nebulous idea of God if you said to them describe your God they would normally say well I don't know that you can eat gods too big to describe mm-hmm God this got that y'all the other but they will not they will not commit themselves to describe that God of the Bible because they don't know him and their idea about God is he is he is something out there somewhere then when I get in trouble I call on him and hope he'll answer me their idea of God is totally unscriptural people have their own God everybody's got their own God now many of us have the one true God they got of Genesis chapter one verse one all the way to the end of the Bible that is the one true God all other gods are false gods false gods if we didn't have the Bible we'd have a right to think well you can just think most anything about God but God's very clear about what he is and who he is he is the faithful God what does that mean to us and the fact that he's faithful well there are probably lots of ways we can define him so I'm gonna give you about three statements that you think about the faithful God of the Bible is the God who always do what he said he would do and fulfill every promise that he's made every promise God makes in the Word of God is a promise to his children secondly he's a did you say hold on okay all right I got you God will always do what he said and fulfill what he's promised number two God that's okay God never forgets he never falters he never fails to keep his word never never never never the third statement would be this he is reliable he is trustworthy he's unfailing unwavering constant steadfast if this is not your God you have the wrong one listen to that he is reliable trustworthy unfailing unwavering constant and steadfast I don't know about you but that's the kind of God I certainly want to serve amen think about that reliable trustworthy unfailing unwavering constant steadfast that is God is who he is all the time he is unchanging and one of the one of the most secure thoughts we can possibly have is that God never changes he's always the same no one can say that about anyone but Almighty God himself and so the question is what's that what's the foundation of his faithfulness that is now watch this what is it about him that makes it possible for him to be unchanging always the same that's the only kind of God you and I can trust if he is a changeable God who changes his mind about who he is and his character then we can't trust him so there are several characteristics and you would know these by heart but I want to give them to you and here are attributes characteristics of God that make us make it possible us to trust him in every situation and the first one is his omniscience that is he knows all things past present future he never has to revise a single word that he's ever said and he never ridden eggs on any promise Yad never has to say oops he never has to say I'm sorry he never has to say I forgot that none of that he is omniscient he knows everything about everything now watch this carefully when people choose to live in sin and disobey God when they know with you who God is and they tried to sort of cover it up remember this that God is all-knowing about all things now watch this that's that's wonderful when we're living a godly life we want him to know it yeah absolutely if I have it some need Lord but when we choose to sin isn't amazing we can just blind ourselves to his on this well I'll excuse ourselves no God knows everything I want him to be on mission don't you you want him to know everything that's going on that the only people who don't want that to be true people who are living in sin and disobedience and do you think you can hide something from God you can't hide anything from God he's omniscient and he's faithful and so he is omnipotent that is has all power and I'll think about people right now who are going through difficulty hardship in their life God is omnipotent he has all power to do all things and all of us need him to be omnipotent we need his power in their life we make mistakes for example or blindly we step into the wrong situation of circumstance he's omnipotent he has all power that's why you and I come to him in difficult times because we know that he has the power to deal with any situation we have when I watch this okay God is not a choose and neglect choosing they leg this is why I said in the very beginning that God most people worship or say they believe in is not the God of the Bible he doesn't change to me their desires God is forever the same and so we can't say that he's faithful if he's always changing we can't say that he's faithful if he loses power but he has all knowledge of all things and he has all power to deal with every situation in life if he's not all of that he's not adequate to be God so here's what I'm asking you I want you to think about God as you know him personally is he a God that you trust all the time do you believe he forgets do you believe that he's been unfair to you do you believe that somehow he's forgotten you do you wonder why he treats you a certain way there was the do you believe that your God is a faithful God all ways the same we changed things but he doesn't change and then because he doesn't change to suit our change then we wonder what God what's happened what's going on with you he's just been to God he says he is listen faithfulness means that he can always be depended upon to do what listen to do what he says he will do when he says he will do it how he says he will do it not always be faithful to do what I think he oughta do necessarily so he's omniscient knowing all things omnipotent has all power and thank God he's on the present then what does that mean that doesn't mean that he's out yonder somewhere mom the present means that watch this carefully saved or unsaved lost or saved disobedient wicked vile unbelievers Saints holy righteous are all in the presence of God God is in yonder here and there we are all in the presence of and this is part of his faithfulness there thank god there's no place you can go without him if you're living in sin you say well God's not there oh he's there all right he's there all right now watch this I would simply ask you a question other times when you wish he was not there are the times when you wish he was not omniscient knowing all things are the times when you wish that he was over yonder and you're over here when maybe something's going on in your life that you wish he didn't know you wish he was not present and you wish it did he just forget this night and go on to the next day he doesn't change listen to this you cannot breathe one breath out of the presence of God and when I think about people hiding hiding their sin how do you hide sin in the broad daylight of Almighty God who sees everything you see that's the devil that's the devil's lie well nobody's gonna know the next time you get tempted to do something or say something you think well nobody's gonna know it but me oh yes they are he listened he has all power all knowledge about all things and everything is in this presence the truth is we want him to be that way because you can't think of any kind of trial trouble heartache a burden that you don't want that counter God and that's what he promises and so this is why we sing great is thy faithfulness Oh God my Savior great is thy faithfulness great in its character great in its nature great because it covers everything and then I think about the fact that he's a truthful God he's truthful about everything if you want to know the truth about God you go to the Word of God first verse of the Bible through the last chapter of the book of the Bible God is truthful in every aspect he will never mislead you listen other people may mislead you for different reasons God will never mislead you he will always point you to the right way this is why he wants us and desires that you know yet in his word and read his word of whatever whatever it might be thinking about all the verses he says trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not here on understanding and all your ways acknowledge him he will make your paths straight in fact when I think about life and thinking about what God says there's not a single aspect of life that God has not taken care of and mentioned in the Word of God in the situation of circumstance wherein he's there whether it's temptation or trial he's there he's omnipresent he guard lovingly convicts us of our sin that is he suddenly and quickly makes us aware you feel it in your heart if you say something I do something that's not right that's God being faithful you said well that's not counting God I want what you got in whether you own him or not that's who you know why because God said he loves us and if he loves us he desires the best provides the best takes us through difficulty hardship pain and suffering and all the rest and turns it all for a good no matter what that's this faithful God we serve so when you think about God and you pray I'm asking you who is this god you pray to is he omniscient knowing all things on the present your doing in its presence I'm dividend has all power faithful no it's luck what kind of who is is God are you really talking to God when you pray or you just start talking in the air God is faithful he loves us absolutely beyond our comprehension and the greatest expression of his love is the crucifixion of Jesus and the shedding of his blood which makes our forgiveness possible but of what I'm asking you as this for example that we said he's truthful the Bible says God cannot lie it's impossible for God to lie stay sent in the scripture but likewise he doesn't change God doesn't change he's always the same think about this if God is the ultimate of perfection beyond our description how could he change we're thinking about this how would God change how would he change how could he change and still be God could he have less knowledge could he have less power could he this could be that could their words you know I can't change he's not gonna change thank God he doesn't change that means that every time you not kneel before him would go to him in prayer one thing we don't have to worry about he's changed his mind he does not change the scripture says I do not change he's unchanging in his purpose unchanging in his promises unchanging in his very being he's unchanging we have this awesome sense of confidence and assurance that every single solitary time we come to him he's the same but we aren't nobody can say that of themselves I'm always the same that's a joke you're not you're not always the same we have enough humanists in all of us that we're not the same but think about this this God you believe in you you you arresting you're listening you're resting at the moment of your last breath when you die and you go somewhere you're resting in the fact that your God hasn't changed his mind about you and that you're on your way to heaven he doesn't change his mind nothing about you listen how can you change perfection thank God he never changes every time you and I come to him ask of him to give us Grace and wisdom and mercy or whatever it might be he's there to listen now he's not going to give us what we ask for if we're living in sin you say well how do you explain all those people who have so much in living yes I explained it God is Grace and goodness and love and mercy acknowledges people's abilities and talents and scales but when they disobey him paydays coming there's a payday for all of us when we stand before God and give an account and all of us who know him through the Lord Jesus Christ was stand before him in absolute perfect forgiveness and grace he's there what about the judgment the judgment is not god condemning his children the judgment is for God's condemning the wicked but when we who are Saints to stand before him what will he do he will acknowledge our way witness how sinfulness our failures and we will lose reward that we could have had had we obeyed him so on the basis of that listen to these verses if you will the basis that God is trustworthy and he never changes some you might want to jot these down Psalm 56 verse three when I'm afraid I will put my trust in the Lord secondly Psalm 62 verse eight trusts in him at all times o people pour out your heart before him because he's listening proverbs 3:5 and 6 everybody oughta memorize these verses sometimes just for me personally I may be walking through my house now let's break out try these verses trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not to your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him he'll make your paths straight you should memorize that trust in the Lord with all your heart that means I can fully trust him in every situation every circumstance no matter it may be pain suffering hardly a joy I'm trusting him and then of course listen to this Psalms 36 5 thy loving-kindness O Lord extends to the heavens thy faithfulness reaches to the skies that is God's faithfulness has no end you can't limit that and this is a psalm 119 verse 90 your faithfulness continues throughout all generations God doesn't change and one of these verses that you know so well that's so short lamentations chapter 3 verse 23 great is thy faithfulness O Lord that's what we sing great is thy faithfulness now when you think about your God how does it match up for that I just told you what y'all said about himself does your attitude of God that's your your view of God does that match that that he said watch this he's the God has out who has all knowledge all power everything is in his presence God who was absolutely truthful he is a God who loves us unconditionally and he's proven that in one awesome act at the cross that's who he is Amen father we love you for lots of reasons we praise you for lots of reasons we thank you for lots of reasons one of which is that you don't change you never change and we praise you this morning for being who you are and I pray that the Holy Spirit will sink this message in every heart we give you thanks for being an unchangeable god praise you for it and desire that the holy spirit would enable us to live that kind of life we're praying to you God who sees every hurt every loss every pain who knows where everyone is and those who are still afraid and suffering we know that you're going to hear our prayer and we will humble ourselves before you and trust the heroes the day in Jesus name Amen [Music] if you've been blessed by today's program please visit us at in touch to our G in touch leading people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthening the local church this program is sponsored by in touch ministries and is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 77,718

Keywords: Charles F. Stanley, Charles Stanley, In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries, Preaching, Bible teaching, Dr. Stanley, Intouch ministries, intouch

Id: mLMsAEJZtaI

Length: 27min 2sec (1622 seconds)

Published: Sat May 26 2018