will begin. God's faithfulness.
That's what we'll be talking about today.
So a tried and true aspect of God's character.
Millions of believers have experienced personally, and it's
an attribute that's very precious, highly esteemed, and
our portion of times of trouble. God's faithfulness will be what we
consider today. So we'll look at what the Bible means when it
says God is faithful, three expressions of God's faithfulness, and then
conclude with application. And we'll have
some discussion together. So we began this series with the insight from A.W. Tozer
who said the most important thing about you is what comes into your mind when you
think about God. High views of God produce
high worship. Low views of God produce shallow worship.
Low views of God are figments of our imagination.
their idolatry. What the Bible writers understood about God was a shield to them
in times of trouble. It was a sword in the fight, in the battle of faith. It is a
foundation which you build your life upon, the wellspring of joy, a bright fire that
comforts us on a cold night. Sound doctrine, right thinking about God does that for the
Christian. It produces devotion. It produces doxology.
And I tend to think sound doctrine, what this whole series has been about, are like pieces
of wood that you stack together to create a fire. But the spirit produces the flame.
You put both these two things together, sound doctrine and the spirit, and it produces a
roaring, blazing fire in the soul. Without the spirit, we're merely pieces of dry wood.
We're dead. No power. There's no life. So with that, let's pray for the spirit's help before
we dive in. Father in heaven, we pray for your help this morning. We pray that God's faithfulness,
your faithfulness, Lord, would be the anchor that would ground us in the raging storms. We pray it
would be a precious truth that we would come back to time and time again.
Praise in Jesus' name. So before we dive in to God's faithfulness, what is the opposite of faithfulness?
What's the opposite of faithfulness?
Usually when you give a definition, you can't use the word in the definition, right? So you can't say
unfaithfulness.
Right, right. When you say unfaithfulness, what comes to mind?
Unfaithfulness.
I would say one word would be separation.
Okay.
Also one of those words where I feel like no one really, like, you never really think about
the definition, right? You just know what it is. But unfaithfulness or, again, lack of faithfulness,
I would say, you know, a loss of trust.
Leads to a loss of trust, yeah. Someone you can't trust if they're unfaithful. Yeah.
Disloyalty.
Mm-hmm.
Betrayal.
Betrayal, disloyalty. Yes. Yes.
Comes to mind wishy-washy. Someone who says they're going to do something, but they never actually
do it.
Lukewarmness.
Lukewarmness, yes.
Yeah, so what, and the opposite of that, what is faithfulness? And the faithfulness in the Bible
is called steadfast love, right? The Hebrew word is hesed, which occurs 250 times in the Old Testament.
And hesed refers to an unwavering commitment. Just this idea of loyalty, right? It's a,
do you say, who said loyalty? You say loyalty? Yeah. A solemn oath that cannot be broken.
Unwavering in a commitment to do something. Promising something and being absolutely reliable.
So we can say a faithful friend is someone who sticks closer than a brother, right? Proverbs.
Someone who is reliable. Someone who you can depend upon each day. And Louis Burkhoff,
in his systematic theology, would describe God's faithfulness as follows. He is ever mindful
of his covenant and fulfills all the promises which he has made to his people. He continues,
this is the utmost practical significance of the people of God. Paraphrasing Burkhoff,
he says, it is the ground of our confidence, the foundation of our hope, the cause of our rejoicing,
our comfort when we are conscious of our own failures and shortcomings. Amen. God's faithfulness
is lifted up in the scripture in many places. He can be trusted. He can be relied upon.
He's unwavering in his commitment to his people. Five verses.
Let us hold fast to our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your faithfulness continues through all generations.
Moses proclaims the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him
to a thousand generations. God's signature line. The Lord, the Lord, merciful and gracious,
abounding in steadfast love. Welcome, friends. We're talking about God's faithfulness.
And perhaps the highest proclamation of God's faithfulness, great is your faithfulness.
In Lamentations 3. The late David Powelson, a biblical counselor,
frequently pointed out that the last phrase was the most used line in the Bible.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end.
And Powelson would say, if God thinks it's worth repeating that his steadfast love lasts forever,
then it's worth our repeating it too.
God's faithfulness goes the second mile.
But then it goes the third mile, and it goes the fourth mile.
And then you realize it never ends.
God's faithfulness continues and follows us, his people, throughout our lives.
And each day is an opportunity to experience that mercy.
So, are there examples in nature that remind you of God's faithfulness?
Examples in nature that remind you of his faithfulness.
Yes.
The sunrise.
We always have oxygen to breathe.
I've been lost in the woods, and I was grateful for Polaris one time.
What is Polaris?
Polaris is the North Star.
Oh.
That's a great example.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
He's a North Star.
Amen.
He is as reliable as the sun coming up each morning.
I don't remember where I heard this, or even how accurate it is,
but there's some crazy statistics about, like,
just where the Earth is positioned in relation to the sun,
if it was even, like, 1% further or closer,
life wouldn't happen.
And if the tilt of the axis were off just a little bit,
and everything would cease to be,
and just wind and waves and tides,
and just all of it somehow working together,
quite improbably, but not so hard to believe,
we consider who put it together.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
I remember Jeff Stevens opened up,
uh,
on Sunday,
this is maybe a year or two ago,
we were talking about,
uh,
I think one of his kids had, like,
bruised, you know,
an elbow or something like that,
and, you know,
he just kind of talked about, like,
how we don't have to worry about,
like,
the skin naturally just taking care of that,
right?
The blood clots,
you know,
for most people,
obviously, right?
The blood clots,
the skin reforms,
um,
and I still remember that.
Mm-hmm.
You know,
we don't,
we don't have to think about it.
It just happens.
Yeah.
Um,
the point that I wanted to bring home in the class last week,
which I think I forgot to mention,
is that,
um,
uh,
you know,
just how secure we are when we move towards the Lord,
enter into his presence,
you know,
he's,
he's like,
uh,
a bird that shows great,
faithful,
regular love for,
uh,
his,
his offspring,
you know,
whenever they move close,
uh,
wrapped into God's presence and protection.
Hmm.
Yes.
It's a great,
it's a great image.
God caring for his little chicklets as a mother would.
I think for me,
I,
I always picture like the,
the,
the breakers,
the waves always coming in,
never ending on the beach.
When I'm on the beach,
I see that.
I just always reminds me of God's faithfulness.
It just never ends.
Always coming in.
And God's faithfulness is that for us.
Is he not?
As sure as the season's changing,
as sure as the spring coming in the winter,
like God is always faithful.
He's always reliable.
He is always,
can be relied upon in every season of life.
And I looked up some hymns that talked about God's faithfulness.
And here are just a few.
There can be a lot more.
Great is thy faithfulness.
How firm a foundation.
It is well with my soul.
He will hold me fast.
The solid rock,
amazing grace.
And I'm just kind of skimming the surface there.
But all these hymns,
I think we,
what we find precious about them is it reminds us of God's unwavering goodness towards us.
And what an encouragement these hymns have been to the people of God,
reminding us that he is the solid rock,
an anchor in the raging seas.
We sang this at our wedding,
the solid rock.
His oath,
his covenant,
his blood support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope in this day.
On Christ,
the solid rock,
I stand.
And he is the solid rock in the flood,
in the storm.
And so for our time today,
we intuitively understand what God's faithfulness is.
We'll look at three expressions of God's faithfulness in the scripture.
So three expressions,
and then we'll conclude with some application in our lives.
First,
God is faithful to keep his covenant promises.
And this is the context of God's faithfulness.
It has been said the two certainties in life are death and taxes.
The other certainty is God always,
he always keeps his promises.
And these promises often take the form of covenants.
So a covenant is a solemn promise.
This is when you pinky promise when you're a child.
You know,
a pinky promise,
I'm going to do it.
And when you're older,
you enter into other kinds of covenants.
You enter into the solemn covenant of marriage through marriage vows,
for better or worse,
for richer or poorer,
for sickness and in health.
A church covenant.
You promise to love and give gifts of love and service.
We break our vows,
but God never breaks his.
And God made a solemn covenant with Abraham in chapter 12.
So if you turn there,
Genesis 12,
verses 1 to 3.
Would somebody mind reading that for us?
Genesis chapter 12,
verses 1 to 3.
Thank you.
Now the Lord said to Abraham,
Go from your country and your kindred,
and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
And I will make of you a great nation.
And I will bless you,
and make the name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you.
And him who dishonors you,
I will curse.
And in you,
all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Amen.
So the context,
God calls Abraham out of the land of Ur
and promises him blessing.
And three things in the Abrahamic covenant.
First is land in verse 1.
Numerous offspring in verse 2.
And then finally,
verse 3,
this offspring would be the source of blessing to all nations
through one of the seed that would come from Abraham.
And later on in Genesis 15,
God would tell Abraham that this,
his offspring would be as numerous as the stars of heaven.
And this is an eternal blessing.
Forgiven,
accepted,
sanctified,
glorified,
joy in the presence of God.
And in Genesis 12,
he's restoring what was lost in the garden.
God recreates the world.
Remember that promised seed that Genesis 3.15,
he will crush the head of the serpent.
That offspring is going to come through Abraham's line
and recreate what was lost.
in the garden.
And Abraham would be the progenitor of that offspring.
And then in chapter 15,
it says Abraham believed God's promise
and the Lord counts him,
reckons him as a righteous man.
As Romans 4 would tell us,
because of his faith in that promise,
he is accounted as righteous.
He lived his homeland,
his family,
everything he knew
and followed God to an unknown land
because he knew God was reliable.
But yet,
he believed God,
but he still seeks assurance.
Ten years
passes
since Genesis 12.
He is 75 years old
and he's still
childless.
He is doubting.
So Abraham is doubting.
He's wavering.
God,
you promised me ten years ago
that I would have an offspring
as numerous as the stars of heaven,
yet I don't even have a child.
He's getting older
and he's in an age where
it is almost impossible
to have children.
Where is this
promised seed
that you promised
to bless the nations?
And Abraham asked God
in Genesis 15,
Oh Lord God,
how may I know
that I will possess it?
God,
I need something more.
God,
I need
something
to assure me
that this promise,
you will keep it.
And God,
in his grace,
answers
that request.
Hebrews 6,
verse 17,
speaking about Abraham here,
says,
So when God desired
to show more convincingly
to the heirs of the promise
the unchangeable character
of his purpose,
he guaranteed it
with an oath.
He guaranteed it
with an oath.
God solemnly swears
an oath of allegiance
to fulfill his promise
to Abraham.
I mean,
he didn't have to do that,
right?
He could have just said,
Abraham,
stop asking so many questions.
Do what I tell you to do
and stop and just trust me.
God,
you're so wavering
in your faith.
What's wrong with you?
But God doesn't do that,
right?
He cares for Abraham's assurance
and he cares that you and I
have unshakable hope as well.
And if you're in Christ,
God is committed
to working for you.
He has made promises
in the scripture.
And if you turn there
to Genesis 15,
this oath that God takes
is in the form of a solemn ceremony
in Genesis 15,
verse 7 to 21.
Morning.
A curious ceremony takes place
to seal that solemn promise,
a solemn oath that God takes.
Genesis 15.
And covenants
in the ancient Near East
were sometimes ratified
through a ceremony
in which animals were cut up
and the pieces
were arranged on the ground.
And that's what's happening
in Genesis 15,
verses 9 to 10.
Abraham is called
to take a heifer,
a goat,
a ram,
and some birds
and cut them up.
The word for covenant
means to cut the covenants here.
So he's cutting them up
in that ancient
Near Eastern ceremony.
And the two parties
would walk
between the pieces
stigma,
a similar fate
would befall either of them
if either of them
broke their part
of the agreement.
They would be torn apart
like the animals
on the ground.
But something very interesting
happens in verse 12.
A deep sleep
fell on Abraham.
So God puts Abraham
to sleep
and it was only God
who walks
through the animal pieces
in a figure
of a smoking fire pot
and a flaming torch.
So God takes
Abraham's place
in that ceremony.
That's a dramatic moment
in the scripture.
What is this ceremony
intending to communicate?
Why would God put Abraham
to sleep
and then walk
through
the pieces?
The pieces.
Good morning.
Striking.
God not only takes
He not only walks
for Himself
He also walks
through for Abraham.
Is it a foreshadowing
of what Jesus
would do this?
Yes.
In what way?
If you elaborate
a little more on that.
I'm not sure
but some of it
is that
in a covenant
to promise
to do something
it is not
assured that humans
that promise
to do something
are going to be pure
and the process
of that commitment
that God walks
in our place
and carries us
in some
substitutional way
then there's
an assurance
that
that covenant
will be maintained.
Yeah.
I'll just
bumble a little one.
Hey, I'm following.
Amen, brother.
Chris, help.
Olivia.
So Tyler,
I thought that this was
when God makes
the covenant
with Abraham
for land.
No?
Yeah, it's
Yeah, I know.
The 15 is a ceremony
for the covenant
he originally makes
in 12.
Chapter 12.
And in chapter 12
he promises land
offspring
and that
numerous offspring
and that this offspring
would bless
the entire world.
So this offspring
is sealing the promise
that God makes earlier
which includes land.
And in this,
in 15
he
says
you're going to have
an offspring
from your own body
you know,
not the servant
in your house
but
and
could somebody read
is like
verse 8 or so
to follow up
on the living
question
where
after
Abraham
sees the stars
you know,
God says
you're offering them
to be as numerous
as the stars
and Abraham
believes God
and it's counted
to him as righteousness.
But then I think
he asks another question
but I can't remember
what it is.
How can I know
I will gain possession
of it?
What was that?
How can I know
I will gain possession
of it?
So it is about
the land.
Yeah.
Is that right?
It's about
the
promise.
Like how can I know
it's the land
but it's also
the offspring
because he doesn't
have the offspring
he doesn't have
Isaac yet
and he's seeking
assurance
and God is
he solemnly
seals that
promise
through this covenant
and God is saying
I will keep my end
of the deal
and Abraham
if you fail
on your side
I will take on
myself
the curse
of breaking
the covenant.
Right?
So it's a
unilateral covenant
that God
I am going to do it
on both of our sides
and that's a
driving engine
that keeps the narrative
moving forward
in the Bible.
Will God keep
that promise?
I mean consider
God will keep
his side
and we know
that
but how can
he really
bless them
when his people
rebel against
him?
Right?
God must judge
the wicked
because he is
righteous
but he made
a promise
surely if he is
faithful he must
keep it
but how?
In Proverbs
it says
those who
justify the wicked
are an abomination
to God
so God
promises to
bless them
eternally bless
them
but yet
they are
rebellious
and God
doesn't just
seal our assurance
with oath
and covenants
but with blood
and the blood
as we said
is foreshadowing
the blood
of his own son
taking the curse
upon himself
to show his
faithfulness
he would
engrave the names
in the palms
of his hands
I love this
hymn from
Joseph Hart
view him
prostrate
in the garden
on the ground
your maker lies
on the bloody
tree
behold him
sinner
will not
this
suffice
lo the incarnate
God ascended
plead the merits
of his blood
venture on him
venture holy
let no other
trust
intrude
that's a hymn
come
you sinners
poor and needy
but we see
that God
is willing
to keep
that promise
where the maker
would take
on flesh
and prostrate
himself on the
ground
in order to
keep his
promises
and the
covenants
we did a study
last year
about all the
different covenants
and how they
relate to each
other
but the covenants
are like the
steel structure
of the skyscraper
that keep it
from collapsing
into judgments
in the same way
God's faithfulness
to those promises
his covenants
keep the plan
of redemption
from collapsing
into judgments
and there's a real
drama
in the doctrine
of God's faithfulness
consider the
exodus
exodus makes
this point
that the people
left Egypt
but they took
Egypt with them
in their hearts
the covenant
that God made
with Moses
was broken
before the ink
was even dry
is God really
going to be
faithful to
an adulterous
idolatrous
spouse
and you can
read about that
in the book
of Hosea
but God
there's
there's a
tension there
right
there's a
tension
how is God
going to
keep that
promise
and I think
there's two
ways this is
often misunderstood
of God's
faithfulness
I think in our
selfie culture
we might be
tempted to think
yeah God is
faithful because
of me
I'm worth it
right
you know
he makes
promises
and he must
keep them
because he
made it
with me
and that's
the flavor
if you turn
on the TV
or some radio
station
everything God
does is because
I'm so worth it
right
but listen to how
Jeremiah pleads
for mercy
for God to keep
his covenant
promises
Jeremiah 14
verse 21
do not
spurn us
for your
namesake
do not
dishonor
your
glorious
throne
remember
and do
not
break
your
covenant
with us
so that
Jeremiah
doesn't say
keep the
covenant
because we're
so awesome
he's pleading
for mercy
using God's
own name
do not
dishonor
your own
throne
God
by breaking
your promise
what a great
way to pray
pleading the
promises
back
to God
and if you
struggle in your
prayer life
consider following
Jeremiah's
example
and take
some promises
from the
Bible
and pleading
them back
to God
saying God
you have
promised
and pray
that
and God
keeps his
promises
but there's a
second way
this gets
twisted
and James
Montgomery
Boyce
a pastor
for many
years at
10th
Presbyterian
in Philadelphia
tells a story
of a young
man
who had
recently
committed
to Christ
he had
been involved
in sexual
sin
and he
desperately
wanted to
straighten his
life out
to experience
the true
blessings
of Christianity
unable to
shake it
he made a
white knuckle
commitment
that he
would stop
having sex
with his
girlfriends
and maybe
that would
bring about
the true
blessings
that he
expected
from being
a Christian
but it
didn't work
he actually
stopped
fornicating
having sex
but his
life was
still dry
it didn't
work
he actually
he thought
he had done
a great deal
in his
minds
he sacrificed
for God
but God
had not
responded
appropriately
to him
God
you have
not kept
your part
of the bargain
in his heart
he began
to accuse
God
I have
been faithful
yet you
have been
unfaithful
to me
God
you are
unjust
the fault
is at
your feet
in his heart
he thought
maybe God
is like
the wizard
of us
you pull
the curtain
back
and you
find that
God
really isn't
that great
after all
God
you say
you're
faithful
but you
really only
half heartily
love your
people
if you read
the minor
prophets
this is
exactly
the kind
of heart
situation
you'll find
the people
of Israel
had
especially
Malachi
does that
describe
you
so let me
ask this
question
what about
God's
faithfulness
does this
person
misunderstand
how would
you counsel
this person
who can
I sacrifice
for God
but God's
not doing
anything
for me
what does
this person
need to
hear
well first
it's not
a sacrifice
to stop
saying
you can't
claim that
that is
something
that you
can just
give to
God
because he
expects it
and requires
it already
and that's
there's a lot
more to it
than that
but that's
the starting
point
you can't
expect God
to be
grateful
for
you
you're not
doing any
doing him
any favors
simply by
doing
what he
commands
yeah
I'll probably
think that
what
the person
wanted
from God
is not
necessarily
what God
wants
for him
and then
also
the timing
of it
God has
his own
timing
and it's
not
immediate
necessarily
Abraham
waited
decades
yes
mm-hmm
like a
transactional
like I'm
doing something
so I'm
getting
something
in return
yeah
you see
that
and look
in Malachi
when the
people
tell God
we've done
our sacrifices
God
we've
tithed
yet
you
are unjust
in how
you treated
us
and
those
people
you know
one of the
problems
is they're
self-righteous
right
and they
needed to
repent
immediately
and I
think
yeah
that
there's
idolatry
there
their motivations
for
why they're
sacrificing
in the first
place
they're not
really
living
as God
as their
ultimate
treasure
and that
leads us
to our
second
point
so the
first
point
was God
is faithful
to keep
his promises
but the
second
point
God
is faithful
to afflict
his people
now this
is counterintuitive
TV preachers
will tell you
otherwise
but this
is not
our best
life
now
first
comes
the cross
and then
the crown
we are not
exempt from
trials and
troubles
he is the
God of
the valleys
as well
as the hills
and we
know that
right
Psalm 23
God is
faithful
through
afflictions
not apart
from
afflictions
you know
God is
even
faithful
in causing
the affliction
in the first
place
he knocks
us down
so you
think about
the context
of the book
of Lamentations
we quoted
chapter 3
verse 21
is that great
verse
great is thy
faithfulness
but in the
context
there are just
teardrops
all over
the pages
of that
book
it's a
sorrowful
book
full of
anguish
and the
author
recognizes
that God
was behind
it all
the writer
in chapter
1 before
chapter 3
would say
in verse 4
the Lord
has afflicted
Jerusalem
for the
multitude
of her
transgressions
verse 11
if there is
any sorrow
like my sorrow
which was
brought upon
me
which the
Lord
inflicted
on the
day
of his
fierce
anger
verse 17
he has
carried out
his word
which he
commanded
long ago
he has
thrown down
without pity
the Lord
has commanded
against Jacob
that his
neighbors
should be
his foes
but in
verse 18
in chapter 1
is very
important
the writer
says
the Lord
is in the
right
for I
have rebelled
against
his word
so he
acknowledges
that whatever
we're getting
we deserve
God is not
unjust
in 1st
Samuel
Eli
the priest
was a
wicked
man
because
it says
he knew
his sons
were evil
and did
nothing
to stop
them
he never
disciplined
them
he never
afflicted
them
in
faithfulness
but God
is not
like that
he chastises
and afflicts
those whom
he loves
Psalm 119
verse 75
I know
O Lord
that your
rules are
righteous
and that
in
faithfulness
you have
afflicted
me
in
faithfulness
you have
afflicted
me
so the
psalmist
knew the
afflictions
were not
they're not
happened by
chance
but because
in God's
wisdom
he wanted
them to
be so
the
psalmist
knew there
is a
purpose
behind it
all
he saw
divine
providence
in his
afflictions
well to
what end
Psalm 119
would say
it is good
for me
that I
was afflicted
why
that I
might
learn
your
statutes
before
I was
afflicted
I went
astray
but now
I have
kept
your
word
Thomas
Watson
in his
body
of
divinity
says
the
trials
and
sufferings
of the
godly
are to
refine
and purify
them
God's
furnace
is in
Zion
is it
any
injustice
in God
to put
his
gold
into
the
furnace
to
purify
it
is
any
injustice
in
God
by
afflicting
his
people
to
make
them
partakers
of
his
holiness
what
more
proclaims
God's
faithfulness
than to
take such
a course
with
them
as
God
imposes
causes
for his
people
are for
their
good
now
granted
our
definition
of
good
and
God's
definition
of
good
might
not
be
the
same
but
in
God's
economy
the
weaker
we
are
the
more
we
rely
on
him
there's
truth
in
this
statement
God
is
all
you
need
when
God
is
all
you
have
and
sometimes
God
will
knock
us
down
when
all
we
have
is
God
for
us
to
realize
God
Job
5
verse
17
blessed
is
the
one
whom
God
reproves
therefore
do
not
despise
the
discipline
of
the
almighty
and
I
love
to
hear
a
time
in
your
life
when
in
your
weakness
God
demonstrated
his
faithfulness
to
you
weakness
sets
the
stage
for
God's
faithfulness
to
really
display
itself
there
was
a
time
in
my
life
when
backpacking
became
an
idol
for
me
and
I
was
in
the
middle
of
a
trip
with
the
family
out
of
Colorado
and
the
high
point
of
my
trip
was
on
Long's
Peak
the
highest
peak
in
Lucky
Mount
National
Park
and
things
were
not
working
out
for
that
to
happen
and
you
know
I
pushed
God
aside
and put
backpacking
on
a
terrible
weak
point
in my
life
and
God
got
my
attention
in
my
weakness
and
said
look
Matt
what
you
are
doing
here
and
I
didn't
climb
Long's
Peak
but
my
appreciation
of the
Lord
got
wonderfully
renewed
to
that
miserable
experience
that's a
great
example
thank you
brother
my
first year
of teaching
and subsequent
being
let go
from teaching
was a
very low
point
and then
that
really
drove me
into
seeking
God
specifically
in
my church
at the
time
and
it
brought
about
a lot
of
blessings
by being
brought low
and by
relying on
God's
people
because I
was not
strong or
wise enough
to understand
the context
of what I
was doing
here
for
long
I guess
I can
share a
little bit
I've always
wanted to
sing
but then
I
had a lot
of
health
problems
and a lot
of
family
issues
I just
couldn't
for a
really long
time
10-15
years
but God
has really
shown himself
to be
faithful
to me
throughout
this healing
process
it's a
journey
so I'm
still on
the line
up
but I
think to me
that's one
of the
biggest signs
of the
faith
almost
to me
we thank
God for
it
thank you
anybody else
share
I
wanted to
do
like
a
really
like
awful
like
friendship
friend group
like
five
situations
like
two years
ago
and that
sort of
exploded
and
that sort
of led
me
like
shame
brokenness
so
I
feel
like
spiritual
group
in a lot
of ways
but that
was also
like
when I
started
songwriting
and
like
learning how
to play
guitar
and God
brought me
some tune
and just
playing the
town
with my
guitar
in the
morning
and
that's
the biggest
part of my
life
couple
years ago
during
COVID
2020
that is
I
remember
you know
I mean
look for
it
changed
all of
our
worlds
obviously
and you
know
work
and personal
I
was
I was
struggling
with work
I just
I wasn't
happy
and
you might
remember
the story
but
a couple
people came
to me
internally
and said
hey
you should
talk to
this guy
long story
kind of
short
we were
doing
like
you know
kind of
an interview
if you
will
virtually
obviously
and
I missed
his call
he missed
my call
we were playing
back and forth
and finally
I finally got him
on video
and he closes
his book
and he goes
oh sorry
it's like
6 o'clock
at the end
or whatever
he goes
sorry
you just caught
me preparing
for a lesson
tonight
I thought it
was work
related
and I was
like oh
do you want
me to
call you
back
he goes
oh
no
it's
all good
I just
run a
Ben's
Bible study
almost funny
looking back
to just be
like you
know
it's so
trivial also
right
like here
I am
struggling
and annoyed
and frustrated
with work
and all of a sudden
God's just laughing
just saying
you don't think
I have like
your best
you know
plan already
laid out
right
I'm going to
guide you
to a Christian
man who's
going to lead
you
and I'm on
his team
ever since
and it's
just like
so funny
just
grateful
every day
yeah
I
when I was
younger
I was
changing
careers
and I
needed to
take
courses
and
I was
living
I moved
to New York
City
and after
a year
I was
broke
I needed
to work
and
a buddy
called me
I used
to be a
volunteer
leader
in Young
Life
he called
me up
and he
says
he's
got a
problem
he's
someone
to come
up
and be
a
good
boss
for a month
up at
Saranac
and
I couldn't
do it
I was
broke
I needed
to find
some work
and so I
asked the
guys that I
lived with
what do you
think
just to get
some counsel
and
there were
four guys
three of them
didn't know
the Lord
and they said
no you can't
do it
and this one
Catholic guy
said well
you should
go
and so
how often
do I actually
go out
on a way
for the
war
not all
the time
but this
time I
did
so I
went up
there for a
month
as a
volunteer
thing
and
during that
time I met
my wife
and we
were married
for a
year
and four
kids
40 years
and we're
blessed with
40 years
together
because
for once
behind me
you trusted
the Lord
so I
think about
all the
times
where I
didn't
all the
gifts
that were
left behind
in some sense
so it's
an encouragement
to trust
the Father
yeah
God is
faithful
yes
where would
we be
right
if
he hadn't
knocked us
down
in order
to
show
more of
himself
to us
and
we all
recognize
that
we can
see this
backwards
looking backwards
in our
lives
but
it is
hard
to see
that
when it's
going on
at the
moment
and that's
just what
principle
that you
have to
look
backwards
to see
God's
faithfulness
his
providence
in your
life
and
he is
faithful
to
his
covenant
promises
he is
faithful
in afflicting
us
and the
last
expression
of
God's
faithfulness
is
he is
faithful
to
preserve
and
save
his
people
in our
distress
we can
be confident
that God
will preserve
us
preserving
grace
in our
affliction
he doesn't
merely
save us
afflict us
and then
just stand
back
waiting to
see if
we're going
to collapse
under the
weight
of it
all
right
let's
see if
this
person
has enough
strength
to keep
trusting
Christ
in the
affliction
Jude 24
right
now to
him
who is
able to
keep
you
from
stumbling
and to
present
you
blameless
before the
presence
of his
glory
with great
joy
to the
only
God
our
Savior
through
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord
be glory
majesty
dominion
and
authority
before
all time
and now
and forever
more
amen
Philippians 1
verse 6
and I'm
sure of
this
that he
who began
a good
work
in you
will bring
it to
completion
at the
day
of Christ
God can
keep you
from stumbling
he is
strong enough
to preserve
you
in your
affliction
God is
strong enough
to finish
the good
work he
has started
in you
he gives
preserving
grace
he preserves
his own
my second
favorite book
of the
bible
is
pilgrim's
progress
so
I
probably
quote
pilgrim's
progress
half the
time
if I'm
teaching
John
Bunyan
illustrates
this so
well
in his
classic
the truth
in 2
Corinthians
12
verse 9
though
Paul
had the
thorn
in the
side
he prayed
three
times
for the
Lord
to remove
it
and God
told
Paul
my grace
is sufficient
for you
my power
is made
perfect
in weakness
and Paul
says
therefore
I will
boast
all the
more
gladly
of my
weakness
so the
power
of Christ
may rest
upon me
if you haven't
read it
the central
character
in the
book
is a
person
named
Christian
and he
meets a
helper
named
Interpreter
an
interpreter's
job
is to
teach
Christians
truth
that he
will need
for the
journey
of faith
an
interpreter
shows
Christian
a fire
that is
burning
against
a wall
and how
someone was
standing by
the fire
trying to
put it
out
by throwing
water
on it
but strangely
the fire
did not go
out
not only
did it not
go out
but it
burned
brighter
and hotter
and Christian
asked
interpreter
what does
this mean
interpreter
explain
the fire
is the
work of
grace
that God
produces
in our
hearts
the grace
of trust
in Christ
and our
love
for him
but the
devil
is constantly
trying to
put out
this fire
by pouring
on it
the water
of temptations
worries
and trials
then
interpreter
wanted
to show
Christian
how the
fire
not only
kept
burning
but kept
burning
higher
hotter
and higher
so he
took
Christian
around
the back
of a
wall
and behind
the wall
he saw
a man
who had
a jar
of oil
in his
hand
which he
poured
continually
into the
fire
and Christian
asked
what does
this mean
interpreter
answered
this is
Christ
who continually
with the
oil
of his
grace
maintains
the work
already
begun
in the
heart
despite
the devil's
best efforts
this person
is gracious
to preserve
the soul
of his
people
this man
is behind
the wall
to maintain
the fire
of grace
in the soul
to teach
you
that is
hard
for the
tempted
to show
how this
work of
grace
is maintained
so Bunyan
puts the man
behind the
wall
so he can't
actually see
what's going
on
why is
the fire
burning
hotter
and it's
hard to see
that in our
trials and
temptations
is it not
the fact
the spirit
is just
giving
us power
in our
weakness
and
Paul
understood
that
and it's
hard to see
but he is
with us
in our
afflictions
and the
flame will
not go
out
he is
faithful
to give
preserving
grace
there's so
many
great
wonderful
scripture
passages
he carries
us through
the water
he will be
with us
through the
rivers
they will
not
overflow
he is
faithful
to preserve
us
knowing
God's
faithfulness
prevents
us
from
forsaking
Christ
in our
affliction
so he is
faithful to
keep his
covenant
promises
he is
faithful to
afflict us
and he is
faithful to
preserve us
until the
ends
let's jump
to some
application
how does
God's
faithfulness
help us
in our
anxiety
when we are
anxious about
what tomorrow
may bring
what are some
of the
passages in
scripture that
talks about
God's
faithfulness
in our
anxiety
you're
apenas
but
you're
like
you're
kind of
here
today
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
If God is faithful to feed these birds,
He will give you what you need.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
I think of Philippians 4, 6, and 7,
where it says,
Don't be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition,
present your request to God.
With thanksgiving.
Thank you.
I forgot what comes next.
The peace of God which passes overstanding
but guard your heart in your mind,
Christ Jesus.
Mm-hmm.
So when we're anxious,
we should go to God in prayer.
Mm-hmm.
Psalm 119 is very precious to me.
And, you know, just God hemming you in
before and behind.
Knowing every moment of your life
before it began.
His presence filling the whole universe.
So that wherever you are,
if you think you are too low or too high for God,
you know who's already there.
But it ends with,
Search me about it.
Know my heart.
Try me and know my thoughts or cares.
Like anxious thoughts.
Mm-hmm.
And see if there's any grievous or offensive way
in leaving the everlasting way.
It kind of reminds me that God's afflictions are meant to change something in me
rather than so often we want to change or we want God to change the circumstances around us.
Especially when, you know, sometimes our afflictions involve injustice.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
But God also tells us to commit justice to him.
And usually that means waiting.
Maybe, like, till eternity.
And we're not really okay with that.
That's, how could we be?
Unless Christ bore every injustice on himself.
And so then we just have to say,
Okay, well that's something I need to change.
I need to be more like Christ,
committing my injustices or even just my effects, my suffering.
Sometimes suffering is meaningless.
So that's, it comes seemingly out of nowhere by no human hand.
You know, natural disaster or a health problem.
And so something in me needs changing.
I need more trust, more strength, more faith in God.
That he loves me.
Mm-hmm.
That he cares for me.
And that this is for me good.
Mm-hmm.
That's good work, brother.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
I want to close with a story.
And this is a story of Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield.
In other words, he's known as B.B. Warfield.
And some called him a brilliant theologian,
a champion of confessional Christianity during his time at Princeton,
a defender of the faith.
But before all these things,
the people who knew him the best would say he was a faithful husband.
And many know Warfield was a world-renowned theologian
for almost 34 years until he died in 1921.
And he wrote famous books about the doctrine of the Trinity
and the authority of Scripture.
Some would say he was a formidable foe with his pen.
But most people don't know what happened early in his life at age 25.
He married Annie Pierce Kenheed.
And they took a honeymoon to Germany.
And during a fierce storm while walking in the mountains,
Annie was struck by lightning,
permanently paralyzing her.
There was severe trauma to her nervous system,
and she never recovered.
And her health got worse as time went on.
So imagine for a moment, just pause,
you make your wedding vows.
Then on your honeymoon,
your spouse is permanently disfigured in a car accident,
a paraplegic as a result.
What do you do in that moment?
You made your vows.
You promised that you'd be with that person.
Well, this is the situation that Warfield faced.
Writing about what gave him strength,
he talked about God's faithfulness.
Romans 8, 28.
He wrote about the providence of God in his life.
The government of God ruling over all things,
his controlling hands.
He governs all so nothing but good
can befall those whom he seeks to do good.
And he took comfort that even in our deepest groanings,
too deep for words,
the Spirit intercedes for us
according to the gracious will of God.
And Warfield knew in his heart
that God was faithful to him,
unwavering in his commitment to do him good.
He knew Jeremiah 32, verse 1,
was true in his life.
I will rejoice in doing them good,
and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness
with all my heart and with all my soul.
Remembering God's faithfulness to him
reassured him in the presence.
And because he knew that God was faithful to him,
he in turn was faithful for 39 years to Annie.
And he seldom left the home for more than a couple hours
during all those years in marriage.
He was a faithful husband,
imitating the faithful Savior he knew so well.
And this is the,
this is what is going to allow us
to endure in our trials,
to know that God's steadfast love
endures forever,
even in our afflictions.
Christ is going to be with us,
and he is faithful to us to the end.
So let me pray and thank the Lord.
Father, thank you that you are faithful to us.
Lord, thank you that your,
your faithfulness reaches to the,
as high as the skies,
endures to all generations.
Great is your faithfulness to your people.
Oh, Lord, we do pray that's,
in our afflictions,
in our trials,
our troubles,
that we would,
with faith,
look to you
and trust in your,
your,
your providence in our lives.
Help us to,
to hope against hope,
to look to Christ
and to see that he will not leave us,
nor forsake us in our troubles.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
All right.
Thank you, friends.
Thank you.
Thank you all.
There's one more class next week,
God's glory.
And then,
that's the end of our attributes of God class.
Thank you.